Chapter 3058: Whirlpool of Three Thousand Years

Xuwu Xuwang, vast and boundless.

Looking into the distance, the vortices seemed like decorations, adorning the destruction.

"Am I... am I still alive?"

Listening carefully, one could hear such murmurs from within a vortex, hoarse, weary, and full of hardship.

It was Ye Chen.

Yes, he was still alive, or more precisely, his consciousness was. It was like the first time he entered Xuwu Xuwang, where his physical body was destroyed and his spirit extinguished, yet his will remained.

"Am I... am I still alive?"

Such words had echoed in the vortex countless times, for an unknown number of years.

The flow of time in the outside world and Xuwu Xuwang was not aligned, and neither was it between Xuwu Xuwang and the vortices.

In the ancient Taigu Honghuang, only nine days had passed, but in the vortex, perhaps a thousand years had already gone by. There might be someone silently counting the time for him.

That person was Nu Di.

Hong Yan was also there, the two women standing side by side, forming a stunning scene at the edge of Taigu Honghuang.

During this time, some supreme beings had come, most of them old and frail, seeking Nu Di's seals because they could no longer endure. If they lived on, they would turn to ash.

Nu Di was not stingy.

For each one who came, she applied a seal, but she knew that sealing the supreme beings was only a temporary measure. She could not seal them completely, for each carried rules to some extent, which she could not suppress.

On the second day, Long Di and Ren Huang arrived together, both shrouded in a deathly aura.

Unlike other supreme beings of past eras, before coming, they had each cut themselves with a blade, granting freedom to Ren Wang and Long Ye. Already in poor condition, this made them appear even more aged.

"Emperor."

Long Ye, Long Yi, Long Wu, and Ren Wang had all come, their faces streaked with tears. They had begged the supreme beings daily to self-inflict the cut, thinking it was just for amusement, but deep down, their feelings were not so lighthearted.

The two emperors said nothing, leaving behind only two aged silhouettes for the remnant souls, much like Donghua Nu Di, always leaving a glimmer of hope in the mortal world.

Accompanied by a gentle breeze, the two emperors fell into slumber.

This sleep might mean they would never awaken. Even in the seal, they could not halt the passage of their lifespan.

There was a moment when Hong Yan glanced back.

She could see the auras of Ren Wang and the others clearly; each had the potential to become an emperor and had already touched the barrier of the emperor's path.

It made sense, as the three of them were now free, no longer suppressed by their original selves. With sufficient opportunity, they could defy the heavens and achieve emperorship.

In reality, the time left for the remnant souls was not much. That day, when the Zhutian expeditionary force arrived, it was precisely because their lifespans were nearing their end, and they came to seize a chance.

Ren Wang left, and Long Ye turned away. Though they had gained freedom, their hearts felt incredibly heavy.

As facts proved, the remnant souls of the supreme beings were indeed extraordinary, like Zi Xuan of Donghua Nu Di.

On the third day after Long Di and Ren Huang were sealed, Zi Xuan attracted the emperor's tribulation and finally took that step.

The emotions of the mortal world were truly strange things. The remnant soul of Nu Di had proven the Dao through emotion.

"Out of the ordinary."

Many emperors looked up, all with smiles, knowing that Zi Xuan's obsession was not for the supreme emperor's position. She had defied the heavens to prove the Dao only to catch up with Donghua Nu Di and Di Huang.

"This world is too interesting."

Gui Di stroked his chin and sighed, never imagining that a remnant soul could prove the Dao and become an emperor. It was truly one emperor and two supreme beings.

"I wonder if my shadow has such fortune."

Xuan Di rubbed his chin. If he brought that one along to Taigu Honghuang and granted him freedom, he might also achieve the Dao.

The most gratified was Yue Shang.

Now, it seemed that freeing Zi Xuan was an absolutely correct choice. Her hopes and affections would continue with Zi Xuan's achievement of the Dao.

Though her thoughts might be unknown to Di Huang, he only knew that Zi Xuan's success was beyond his expectations.

Those who stood out were not just Zi Xuan, but also Ren Wang, Long Ye, Long Yi, and Long Wu.

Merely three days after Zi Xuan became an emperor, the four of them broke through powerfully, their accumulation from the suppression of their original selves finally exploding.

The four underwent the emperor's tribulation, creating a grand spectacle. Not only the divine generals but also many supreme beings from past eras attended, all optimistic about them.

The most favored was Long Di's remnant soul.

Moreover, like Donghua Nu Di and Ren Huang, who had one emperor and two supreme beings, the lineage of Taixu Long Di was even more impressive. With Long Ye, Long Yi, and Long Wu added, it became one emperor and four supreme beings—an unprecedented feat across two eras.

Fortunately, Long Di had sealed himself. If he knew, he would surely be delighted, holding his head high with pride.

"Changes in the emperor's path."

Hong Yan murmured on the mountaintop, the achievement of emperorhood by the remnant souls further confirming the anomalies in the emperor's path. It was this extraordinary era that had created people like Ren Wang. In ordinary times, even if the remnant souls were free, they might not have achieved the Dao.

Time did not stop.

At the edge of Taigu Honghuang, Nu Di was still waiting. According to her calculations, if Ye Chen was truly still alive, then three thousand years had already passed in the vortex of Xuwu Xuwang.

A self-mocking smile often played on her face. She was an Huang Di, a being akin to a ruler, yet she had to pin her hopes on a Tian Di. The title of Huang Di had become a joke.

Her self-mockery was shared by Hong Yan.

The Shengti lineage, the saviors of the world, had too many instances where that little Shengti was fighting. He was the true general, conquering cities and lands all the way.

"Damn."

No one knew on which day a curse rang out across Taigu Honghuang, coming from Xuan Di.

It wasn't without reason; there was an emperor's tribulation, not a great emperor's tribulation, but a genuine quasi-Huang Di tribulation.

Indeed, an emperor was advancing to quasi-Huang.

It was Xuan Yuan Tian Di, who, in his twilight years, defiantly broke through from the peak of Tian Di to quasi-Huang Di.

In that instant, many supreme beings from past eras rose, aware of Xuan Yuan's defiance but never expecting him to transform and be reborn in such desperation.

He might no longer be the strongest supreme being in Zhutian, but he was absolutely the first emperor to reach quasi-Huang.

By the time the emperor's tribulation ended, Xuan Yuan Tian Di had become the brightest sun in that dim sky. The so-called end of his lifespan was no longer a threat to him.

However, not all supreme beings had such good fortune. Apart from him, the elder emperors of Zhutian were still blocked at the peak of Tian Di.

"Three thousand years have passed."

Nu Di closed her eyes and looked again at Xuwu Xuwang. If Ye Chen was still alive, three thousand years must have elapsed inside.

"Am I... am I still alive?"

Ye Chen's murmurs still echoed, unheard by anyone, yet etched like a brand in the vortex.

Nu Di's calculation was not wrong; it was indeed three thousand years. In the vortex, he had consciousness but no clear mind. From the moment his physical body was destroyed and his spirit extinguished, he had been in a daze, unable to distinguish reality from illusion.

One day outside was another hundred years in the vortex.

This hundred years held special significance; he condensed his conscious form and regained a clear mind.

"Destiny does not end here."

Ye Chen's voice was hoarse, his laugh weary, as he curiously scanned his surroundings. He was no longer in the vortex but had reached the unknown realm Nu Di had mentioned.

This unknown realm was quite miraculous, resembling a starry sky yet without a single star. Occasionally, lights streaked by, tracing beautiful arcs in the vastness.

Here, there was no spiritual power, no universe, no rules, and no perception of the Heavenly Dao—or rather, it transcended the Heavenly Dao's control.

"Interesting."

Ye Chen murmured, his consciousness drifting about. Compared to Xuwu Xuwang, this place truly had no concept of time, for there were no rules at all. It was a blank void. Calling this Xuwu Xuwang might be more accurate.

Without overthinking, he sat down cross-legged.

With his conscious form, he could condense his primordial spirit and reshape his physical body. As Nu Di had said, this process was indeed lengthy.

When he stood up again, he had blood and flesh, stepping through the void as he walked and observed.

At one point, he looked up.

At the hazy peak above, there was a distorted, unbearable sight. From his view, it was the exit leading to the vortex. Beyond the vortex was Xuwu Xuwang, and beyond that, Taigu Honghuang.

He lowered his gaze and closed his eyes.

He remained still for a long time, quietly sensing the lack of rules here, beyond the Heavenly Dao's control. It was a hope, perhaps allowing everyone to hold a book of life and death.

"It's possible."

At some point, he opened his eyes with a smile. One could see golden light flickering on his majestic imperial body, brimming with vitality, like a source of life force. His surging vital energy formed a vast ocean, each strand containing immense power.

If anyone were present, they would be astonished. He had not advanced, yet his lifespan was increasing instead of decreasing—or more accurately, the lifespan he had once sacrificed was reviving.

"Wonderful, truly marvelous."

Ye Chen's smile grew deeper. This place had no rules, but he had his own laws. By reversing time, he had restored his lifespan.

In other words, if the supreme beings of past eras came here, they could do the same. The so-called end of lifespan would no longer be a calamity.

His ambitions were grand; having restored his lifespan, he wanted to use laws to reverse and forcibly break into quasi-Huang Di.

Unfortunately, he did not succeed.

This place was quite miraculous; it had no rules and was beyond the Heavenly Dao's control, but he himself carried a certain restriction. Here, only by surpassing himself could he defy the heavens and break through.

"That's enough."

Ye Chen laughed as he opened his eyes, stretched lazily, and decided not to stay longer. He could bring the supreme beings here later for further study. After so many years, this was the first time he was so interested in a place.

With that, he ascended step by step toward the vortex exit, unaware of how much time had passed outside.

Hmm?

As he walked, he suddenly sensed a tremor and instinctively turned his head, straining his eyes to look.

What he saw was a strange object. At first glance, it looked like a ball, and upon closer inspection, it really was a ball—round and glowing. More accurately, it was a light ball, bouncing up and down in the void like a playful child, full of mischief.

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow and strolled over with his hands behind his back, staring at the light ball. Wasn't this supposed to have no rules? Where did the ball come from?

The distance seemed close but was actually far.

Ye Chen did not know how long he walked before reaching that void.

It was indeed a ball, but not the kind people kicked. Mainly, this ball was enormous; it was larger than Wangxuan Star. Standing before it, he was like a tiny ant.

"What is this?"

Ye Chen stood with his hands behind his back, tilting his head to look up. Blood trickled from the corners of his eyes, his vision painfully stung by the ball's light, even cracking his primordial spirit.