Chapter 813: Time and Karma

Chapter 813: Time and Causality

Zhao Changhe dared not touch this page of the Celestial Book. Ye Wuming was only missing this one page to complete the set, and he did not know what would happen if he touched it—whether it would count as Ye Wuming obtaining the ninth page. Even if, in theory, this page still belonged to Ye Jiuyou, he still dared not try.

He could only probe with his divine sense, attempting to see if he could gain anything from a distance.

Ye Wuming closed her eyes, watching his cautious demeanor from afar. She felt she had no expression and should not have any, yet she did not notice that her right hand had clenched tightly at some point.

Ye Jiuyou seemed to sense something and looked up into the distance, but Ye Wuming had already vanished.

Ye Jiuyou saw nothing, yet a smile curled at the corners of her lips.

Her gaze fell back on Zhao Changhe, studying his expression to see if he had gained anything from the Celestial Book, only to be astonished to find that Zhao Changhe had already entered a meditative trance.

This page was the page of time and space. Time and space were interdependent; the same location at different times could be a vast ocean turned into mulberry fields.

Earlier, when he saw Ye Wuming's garden, Zhao Changhe had felt a sense of frozen time. Only when time was stilled could the ancient plants still bloom fresh, allowing Ying Wu to pluck them directly for alchemy. Looking back now, there had been a similar manifestation at Tianya Island, but Tianya Island was not a secret realm—secret realms were fragments of the Celestial Realm, while Tianya Island was a place of the mortal world. If so, was Tianya Island a junction between the Celestial Realm and the mortal world?

He could go to Tianya Island again later. Different perceptions would yield different insights from such a place.

At least now, looking back, he could combine this with that page of the Book of Light and Shadow to discern the relationship between light and time.

Zhao Changhe vaguely recalled that in the present world, there were theories about light and time, but he only knew the concept existed without any idea of its content. That was fine, though—the Book of Light and Shadow could directly impart related insights, which indeed corroborated this page of time and space. Also corroborated were causality, and the true and the illusory, the real and the virtual.

As he had expected earlier, every page was interconnected. Obtaining a new page provided immense supplementary and corroborative value to the previous ones, making his understanding more complete and his knowledge of various laws clearer.

The place before him was the mountains outside the Abyss of Netherworld. The so-called Abyss of Netherworld should be the birthplace of Ye Jiuyou.

In a hazy state, Zhao Changhe traced back the causes. The real scene before him shifted, gradually blurring, as if a river of time and space was flowing, with countless chaotic images flashing by, like rewinding a tape to seek the upstream of the long river of time.

Soon, he saw the scene before the destruction of the epoch.

As expected, he saw the long-missed Blind Woman—images of the battle between the Ye sisters long ago.

This was the first time Zhao Changhe had seen Ye Wuming with her eyes open. The thing he had been itching to see for so long suddenly appeared before him, and for a moment, he was stunned. She was indeed beautiful, her eyes very similar to Ye Jiuyou's, but... as expected, cold. So cold it was frightening to look at, sending a shiver of dread through anyone who saw her.

Just a few days ago, he had mocked Han Chi for being overly reverent toward Ye Wuming, but now Zhao Changhe himself felt a pang of fear. These two peerless enchantresses, so alike in appearance, fighting—it should have been a beautiful sight, but Zhao Changhe only felt a chill down his spine.

He could not catch their movements, nor could he fathom the laws colliding between them. He only felt that the ripples from their energy clashes seemed to tear space apart. At his current level, claiming the top spot on the Heavenly Ranking, if he were caught in the core of their battle, he would probably be ground into paste within two moves.

Moreover, both of them looked different from what he knew now. Their expressions were utterly indifferent, their eyes devoid of any human emotion. As they faced each other in battle, they looked at each other as if they were already dead, without even a trace of hatred.

Compared to the now richly expressive Ye Jiuyou... Ye Wuming's change had at least been gradual over nearly three years. Ye Jiuyou's change seemed to have occurred after Chang'an. Zhao Changhe really did not know what had happened in those few short months to cause such a sudden transformation.

Everyone who knew Ye Jiuyou repeatedly asked the same question: when did you become so expressive? In truth, even Ye Jiuyou herself did not know.

The sisters' confrontation was not like the present, full of banter. Zhao Changhe watched for a long time without hearing a single word of mutual mockery or sarcasm. They simply fought in silence. After a long while, he saw Ye Jiuyou show signs of defeat, and at some point, blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

Only then did Ye Jiuyou retreat slightly, wiping the blood from her lips with a delicate hand, and said calmly, "You cannot kill me, sister... And don't come to slay me under the banner of blaming me for the epoch's destruction. I did do some things, but I know what I did was not enough to cause annihilation and fragmentation. If I did it, I dare to admit it; if I didn't, don't try to pin it on me. A bunch of ignorant fools."

Zhao Changhe's heart stirred.

Indeed. The meaning represented by Jiuyou—anyone with a little understanding might guess that the epoch's destruction was her doing. Why had he never thought so? Probably because, from the moment Ye Wuming introduced Jiuyou, she never led him in that direction. If she had misled him even slightly during that introduction, he might have believed it too.

This showed that Ye Wuming disdained using misleading slander, even against her mortal enemy.

Ye Wuming replied, "Your slaughter and destruction were part of the factors that led to the final result... But that is not why I came to slay you."

Ye Jiuyou did not deny part of it: "So why bother with this futile effort?"

"There is no need for so many reasons..." Ye Wuming said calmly, "Simply because you no longer have any reason to exist."

"Unfortunately, you cannot achieve that. Unless this entire world completely dissipates and we all perish together. But you are trying to preserve the mortal realm—isn't that self-deception? If only the Celestial Realm perishes, how could I die? Don't even mention me; you killed Piaomiao in vain."

Ye Wuming's response was: "A frog in a well speaks of the sea."

Zhao Changhe: "..."

That was a very arrogant thing for the Blind Woman to say, but in the end, wasn't she proven wrong by her sister? A very embarrassing defeat.

Wait, now I'm not on your side anymore. The more embarrassing your defeat, the better.

The outcome of this battle was as expected: both sides suffered heavy losses, with Ye Jiuyou clearly more injured. In the subsequent collapse of the epoch, she could not hold on, barely surviving in the abyss, gasping for breath. She woke up thirty years ago and spent another thirty years recovering to her current level.

Thirty years... That was the time when Xia Longyuan was dominating the world. It could be roughly inferred that Ye Wuming herself had not awakened much earlier. After a brief recovery, she went to Earth to recruit people.

Everything seemed logical, the story easy to piece together, but Zhao Changhe still felt a bit disappointed. He sensed something was off.

In these stories, what role did the thing suppressed by Han Chi play? Something so important—how could all these events exist independently of it? Even the intersection of the Ye sisters could exist without it. Was there any higher-level intersection in the world?

Forget it. He would continue to probe further back in time, following Ye Jiuyou's causality, and surely see more.

Tracing further back, he saw Ye Jiuyou in her daily cultivation state, sitting cross-legged in the same posture as now, suspended in the dark abyss. In the distance, ghostly wails echoed, yin winds howled, and various twisted, dark creatures flickered in and out of sight.

Ye Jiuyou snapped her fingers.

Ten thousand li away, an unknown demon god suddenly died on the spot. Moments later, it stood up with a vacant stare and slowly walked toward the Abyss of Netherworld, becoming Ye Jiuyou's most loyal corpse puppet servant. Outside the abyss, dead bodies slowly rose, covering the mountains and plains. Ghost fires filled the sky—a scene both bizarre and grand.

This is how you should be... Zhao Changhe wept inwardly. This was the ultimate boss he had always imagined.

Uh, wait...

The image shifted again. The meditating Ye Jiuyou slowly stood up, her lotus steps light as she walked toward the center of the darkness, where there seemed to be a pool of still, dark water. As she moved, her jade hand waved, sealing off all the dark creatures.

As she walked, the black gauze on her body slipped off automatically, revealing her snow-white form in the darkness, dazzlingly bright.

Zhao Changhe: "?"

What are you doing?

Why, when I am tracing important causality, do I see something as trivial as bathing? This makes no sense! This woman has lived for an epoch—maybe hundreds of millions of years—if I trace every little thing like this, how long will this movie last?

Wait, you are a supreme demon god—why do you even bathe?

"Anmie," Ye Jiuyou suddenly murmured to herself.

A thousand li away, Anmie knelt: "Master, what are your orders?"

"Is there any news of the Mirror of Truth and Illusion?"

"There is word that it should be in the hands of Mara."

"Where is Mara?"

"Unknown... Likely disguised as a Buddha in the Spirit Mountain."

"No guesses. I need concrete information. Investigate again. The Mirror of Truth and Illusion is very important to me. If you cannot find news within ten days, you may commit suicide."

"...Yes."

No wonder he saw her bathing—there was a causal event born at this moment. This was viewed in reverse chronological order. Ye Jiuyou's plan to trouble Mara clearly never happened; soon after, Ye Wuming came knocking. It was not until this epoch that Ye Jiuyou was still searching for Mara and the Mirror of Truth and Illusion, and it seemed she had taken advantage of Mara's injury to seize the mirror?

Mara had been injured by Zhao Changhe. This causality was strongly related, so he saw this scene.

By the way, they said that after Chang'an, Ye Jiuyou had become much more human. Could it be because she obtained the Mirror of Truth and Illusion?

Zhao Changhe pondered for a moment and continued tracing further back.

Other causalities should not be related to him, and he probably could not probe them. He intended to try to glimpse the causality at the dawn of heaven and earth. After all, Ye Jiuyou was said to be a primordial demon god born with heaven and earth, coexisting with the world. He might see a woman born in the endless darkness, or even the magnificent scene of the creation of the world.

But to his astonishment, Zhao Changhe found nothing. Further back, there was no trace of Ye Jiuyou's cause at all.

Carefully examining the nodes that existed in between, they were severed, impossible to trace.

Did this prove... that Ye Jiuyou was not a primordial demon god born with heaven and earth? The severed cause indicated that it had been concealed by a very powerful being, or that it was related to such a being, and he could not trace that person...

Did Ye Jiuyou herself know this? She always seemed to consider herself a primordial demon god...

If Ye Jiuyou was not a primordial demon god, what about Ye Wuming? Was she not the elder sister? If neither was a primordial demon god, did the Ye sisters have parents?

Or perhaps...

Zhao Changhe’s heart skipped a beat, a possibility dawning on him.

Was Ye Jiuyou the negative aspect split off from Ye Wuming? And the one he couldn’t trace back to was Ye Wuming herself?

That would explain why Ye Jiuyou said she had to consult Ye Wuming if she wanted to split into two independent people...

But that didn’t add up either—if the two of them fought, he could trace it, meaning Ye Wuming wasn’t so far beyond his reach that he couldn’t see her... unless she deliberately blocked and concealed others’ prying eyes regarding this matter.

Forget it, this tracing was too exhausting; time to rest.

Zhao Changhe opened his eyes and found himself drenched in sweat atop this frigid snowy peak, his soul power nearly drained, his head splitting with pain, utterly spent.

Ye Jiuyou sat right before him, less than a few feet away, and he could clearly catch the faint, elusive fragrance emanating from her.

Seeing Zhao Changhe’s weary state, Ye Jiuyou blinked her eyes. “What did you perceive?”

Zhao Changhe looked at her blinking, almost cute expression, and recalling the scene he had just witnessed, felt an indescribable strangeness. He instinctively lowered his gaze and deflected, “Time is indeed mysterious... at least it can elevate my causal tracing and deduction to a higher level.”

“In my hands, it’s truly useful to you?”

“...Mm, perhaps because of this, the causality I see can only be strongly related to you.”

Ye Jiuyou grew intrigued. “What did you see of me?”

Zhao Changhe dared not say he saw her bathing, or that she had been beaten by her sister again—both were taboo topics, utterly unmentionable.

He could only choose his words carefully. “I saw you searching for the Mirror of Truth and Illusion... Did you find it?”

Ye Jiuyou said, “I got it, but it didn’t have the effect I expected. I suspect Papiyas gave me a fake.”

“Fake?” Zhao Changhe found it unbelievable. “Can’t you tell if a treasure is genuine or not?”

“Because it works, but the effect falls short of expectations.” Ye Jiuyou was also puzzled. “In theory, this thing can’t be replicated. I haven’t figured out what’s going on yet. If it weren’t for the matter of the Ethereal Realm and waiting for you, not wanting to stir up trouble, I would have already gone to settle accounts with Papiyas.”

Zhao Changhe asked, “What effect did you need?”

“To dispel inner illusions and see the truth of the self.”

“Even you haven’t been able to perceive the truth of your self?”

“Ha...” Ye Jiuyou laughed. “Let alone me, doesn’t Ye Wuming also fail? For instance... does she even know if she likes you?”

Zhao Changhe: “...You’re overthinking. She could never have such frivolous thoughts.”

Ye Jiuyou said with a sly smile, “See? You don’t dare face your own subconscious expectations.”

“It’s just desire, and I have it for you too. I never thought of winning her affection—that’s utterly unrealistic. I’m a realist.”

“Is that so?” Ye Jiuyou found his stubborn, defensive expression even more amusing and deliberately teased, “You’ve only seen me a few times and already have desire. Is Zhao Changhe nothing but a pure lecher?”

Zhao Changhe gave up and went with the flow. “Because you’re nice to touch.”

Ye Jiuyou didn’t get angry; instead, she laughed. “If I were truly the complete opposite of Ye Wuming—she abides by rules, I ignore them entirely—then I should be a wanton woman. But I don’t think I am. I wanted to test it, but I simply couldn’t bring myself to do it. You accidentally kissed my hand, accidentally touched me, and we even have a marriage contract—you’d be the perfect test subject, yet I can’t act wantonly even with someone like you. So am I really the complete opposite of Ye Wuming? What does order mean to me?”

Zhao Changhe was taken aback. This topic genuinely sparked his contemplation, and even the highly ambiguous matters involving him became secondary.

Ye Jiuyou said leisurely, “That’s why I need to perceive the truth—to know what I am. Perhaps this is the key to surpassing Ye Wuming and taking her place.”

Zhao Changhe nodded. “Yes. So is your difference from ancient times truly a result of perceiving the truth? Revealing a more genuine temperament?”

“Perhaps. I don’t know yet.” Ye Jiuyou extended her slender hand. “So even if you won’t give me all the celestial books, at least let me see the Book of Truth and Illusion.”

Without a second word, Zhao Changhe took it out.

Ye Jiuyou was somewhat surprised by his readiness. “Didn’t you say I’m a wicked woman and you don’t want me to grow stronger?”

“This is a top-tier figure of this world exploring her own true self. Any cultivator would be happy to help—it’s also a reference for oneself, and might even uncover some ancient truths through this... Not to mention you showed me the Book of Time and Space. This is an exchange, and it settles the debt of gratitude.”

Ye Jiuyou studied him for a long moment, then suddenly said, “If the true self revealed is vicious and wanton, what would you do?”

Zhao Changhe recalled the unknown demon god he had seen in tracing her cultivation, inexplicably killed and turned into a corpse puppet by her. He thought that without knowing the circumstances, it was hard to judge, and in this era, Ye Jiuyou hadn’t done much good, but she didn’t seem particularly vicious either. So he said, “Whether she’s vicious or not is hard to say for now... but at least wanton—I think it’s impossible.”

Ye Jiuyou asked curiously, “Why are you so sure?”

“When you bathe, you even block out those inhuman dark creatures... uh...”

The air fell silent for a few breaths, then Ye Jiuyou’s voice suddenly amplified tenfold: “When did you see me bathe!!!”

The mountains echoed, snow pierced the clouds, and roosting birds startled into flight.