[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-beyond-the-passage-of-time":3,"chapter-beyond-the-passage-of-time-beyond-the-passage-of-time-chapter-45":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Beyond the Passage of Time",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2344485,4583,"Chapter 45: Cause and Effect","beyond-the-passage-of-time-chapter-45",45,"\u003Cp>As that middle-aged cultivator died a miserable death, his shrill screams echoing out, the Vajra Sect ancestor, who was searching for Xu Qing within the city, suddenly looked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, his five senses were extremely sharp; hearing the miserable sounds from afar, his expression instantly turned gloomy, and he leaped into the air, stepping through the void toward the source of the noise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although there were strange beasts in the surroundings, he was, after all, a Foundation Establishment powerhouse; as long as he did not encounter any eerie existences or large swarms of strange beasts, he did not care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the dense miasma, while having an effect on him, would not cause much trouble for someone of his cultivation base as long as he did not stay in the forbidden zone for more than a month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, after determining the direction, the Vajra Sect ancestor let out a roar, utilizing his cultivation power to make his voice carry even further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Entangle that brat and wait for me!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, his figure in mid-air erupted with speed; seen from afar, he was like a whistling meteor, cutting through the long sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, at the previous battlefield, another Vajra Sect elder, the moment Xu Qing approached, retreated without the slightest hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had heard the ancestor's roar, but he did not want to die here in vain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he were to be punished by the ancestor afterward, he accepted it; the truth was that Xu Qing’s baleful aura was too heavy, and while his strikes were ruthless, the killing intent in his eyes made the elder unwilling to take the risk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, his speed in retreating was extremely fast; he even directly used a flight talisman, retreating several hundred feet in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing narrowed his eyes; he had also heard the low roar of the Vajra Sect ancestor coming from far away, but without pausing, he chased out fiercely. On the way, he picked up his iron skewer and was about to use a flight talisman himself, but the next instant, his expression changed abruptly, his breathing hitched, and without hesitation, he turned and sped off in the opposite direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the moment Xu Qing turned, the Vajra Sect elder who had flown into mid-air felt his expression turn to horror; he felt a cold chill rushing toward his face and, furthermore, noticed a massive figure appearing beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That figure’s face lacked features, showing only a head of flowing long hair, appearing to be a woman, while the body beneath the face was incomparably huge, wearing a long white dress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, a large number of faces emerged densely on the white dress of the faceless woman, and bursts of shrill weeping instantly spread throughout the surroundings; infinite eeriness permeated in all directions, and even the moon in the sky turned blood-red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seen from afar, the Vajra Sect elder’s figure was like an ant before that giant, insignificant; furthermore, under the weeping and gaze of the countless faces on the white-dressed faceless woman, the Vajra Sect elder’s body trembled violently, his expression changed, and he actually began to weep along with them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, in this weeping, his eyes revealed fear that had reached the extreme, as if his own weeping was something he could not control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until his sobbing merged with the weeping of the countless faces on the white-dressed faceless woman, becoming indistinguishable, bursts of white aura drifted out from the Vajra Sect elder’s seven orifices, rapidly drilling into the body of the white-dressed faceless woman, and the next moment...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Vajra Sect elder’s body directly turned into a dried corpse, devoid of all aura, and fell to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, the number of faces on the white-dressed faceless woman had increased by one, and it was precisely that Vajra Sect elder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was expressionless, floating on the white dress, emitting the sound of weeping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This scene was seen by Xu Qing, and also by the Vajra Sect ancestor who had just arrived; both of them felt their bodies shudder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart, and suddenly accelerated, speeding toward the interior of the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, although Xu Qing could leave, the Vajra Sect ancestor who had arrived from afar felt his scalp go numb, and his body dared not move a muscle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the white-dressed faceless woman was walking toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Vajra Sect ancestor knew very well that when facing such an existence, one could not move rapidly; otherwise, the outcome would be the same as his elder's. Thus, amidst his terror and trepidation, the white-dressed faceless woman passed by him and gradually moved away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did the Vajra Sect ancestor heave a sigh of relief, yet for some reason, a trace of doubt arose in his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Encountering this eerie existence twice... why do I have a feeling that it seems to be helping that little brat...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Evil!\" The Vajra Sect ancestor gritted his teeth, looking in the direction Xu Qing had fled, feeling more and more that he must eliminate the other party; he rushed out at high speed, pursuing urgently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the dark night, various roars rose and fell, echoing in every corner of the city; chewing sounds, weeping sounds, and cold laughter permeated all directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the moonlight, the broken walls and ruined remains seemed to have become demons, making the sense of eeriness within the city grow even more intense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing, speeding within it, even though he was already accustomed to the roars and eeriness here, still felt his face turn pale, having a feeling as if he were being stared at by countless malicious gazes, and these gazes turned into ice, seemingly invading his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until his whole body grew colder, Xu Qing passed the place where he had hunted the vulture that day; his gaze swept over, and his pupils shrank in an instant...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not far away, beside the abandoned carriage stuck in the mud, the blood-colored doll that should have been hanging on the carriage shaft had actually changed its position; it was not hanging there, but had been placed on the carriage, with its back to Xu Qing, making it impossible to see its front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing’s scalp tightened, and he fled the area at high speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before long, the Vajra Sect ancestor pursued to this spot; as his gaze vigilantly swept the surroundings, he saw the carriage, and he also saw the blood-colored doll sitting on the carriage, facing him directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The doll’s inlaid eyes revealed a dim light, and its entire wet-red body carried an eerie air, looking gloomily at the Vajra Sect ancestor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Vajra Sect ancestor’s pupils shrank slightly, his heart grew cold, and his pace slowed down instantly; he cautiously stepped away from this area step by step, only then breathing a sigh of relief before accelerating again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, he did not pursue too closely; he had already realized the evil nature of the youth before him and knew that the other party had the means to make the miasma instantly dense, so he did not intend to get too close to force a strike, but instead prepared to use his cultivation to keep an eye on the other party, waiting until dawn to strike and kill him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, being this cautious to deal with a Qi Condensation cultivator was a blow to his dignity, the Vajra Sect ancestor decided that safety came first in such an environment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, he slowed his speed, following behind at a steady pace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing, in front, also noticed this; he had already simulated counter-attack methods in his heart and had completed the preliminary preparations for shadow manipulation, and he held a Black Pill in his hand, waiting for the other party to approach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was confident that after the other party endured these methods of his, while not fatal, it would leave the ancestor in a sorry state and unable to break free for a short time; while he himself would also be heavily injured by the other party, such an escape after being heavily injured would be more realistic, less likely to arouse suspicion, and convenient for his next baiting plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this Vajra Sect ancestor was clearly at Foundation Establishment yet remained so cautious, which made Xu Qing even more vigilant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, although the other party did not get close, Xu Qing felt that his baiting plan still had to proceed, so he increased his speed, heading straight for the direction of the City Lord’s Mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Getting closer and closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The location of the City Lord’s Mansion was in the central area of the city, where the miasma was denser than in other places, but for some reason, the number of strange beasts was becoming fewer and fewer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This change made the Vajra Sect ancestor pursuing behind change his expression slightly; the sense of crisis in his heart was very intense at this moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked up at Xu Qing’s back in front, then looked at the collapsed building to the side, and his footsteps suddenly paused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not continue to pursue, but instead began to retreat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This scene was unexpected for Xu Qing; at this moment, he was still a hundred feet away from the City Lord’s Mansion, yet the Vajra Sect ancestor pursuing behind was actually going to retreat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Retreating now is still a bit too late!\" Xu Qing gritted his teeth fiercely, his right hand suddenly raised and swung violently; immediately, a large number of Black Pills scattered in all directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, to achieve his goal, Xu Qing directly used half of his remaining Black Pills, which now landed in the surroundings and exploded in unison!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, this place seemed to turn into a huge vortex, causing the miasma from all directions to surge in, affecting the void and distorting the surroundings, making everything within the range of sight become blurred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The density of the miasma reached an astonishing level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This scene made the retreating Vajra Sect ancestor’s expression change, but he was mostly puzzled, because Xu Qing’s body was also in that area of dense miasma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If things continued like this, not to mention the problem of mutation, the strange beasts and eerie entities attracted by the miasma alone would leave Xu Qing, who was inside, with no place to be buried; this was equivalent to suicide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the Vajra Sect ancestor was puzzled, the City Lord’s Mansion a hundred feet away suddenly shook violently, and terrifying roars that shook the heavens and spread in all directions erupted suddenly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The earth trembled, and the blood moon in the sky became blurred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Vajra Sect ancestor’s expression changed; the feeling of a life-and-death crisis became instantly intense. His pupils shrank, his body retreated rapidly, and his eyes stared fixedly at the front, at the figures flying out from a building that looked like the City Lord’s Mansion!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those figures were all incomparably gaunt, but they grew black flame wings, and the miasma on their bodies was astonishingly dense; wherever they passed, the void seemed to be distorting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This scene already made the Vajra Sect ancestor feel alarmed, and what made his expression turn pale and caused him to gasp was that, along with the rumbling, the City Lord’s Mansion collapsed with a crash, revealing a huge hole in the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A withered figure with a height of a hundred feet, amidst a roar that shook the sky, was crawling out from the hole!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seen from afar, this figure was slender, like a withered tree; the exposed part was already a hundred feet, but it was clearly not fully crawled out yet, appearing to be just the upper body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, it waved its arms, and from its ten fingers, a large number of rotting vines instantly spread out, shooting toward the surroundings and piercing into the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The furthest ones even pierced into the ground in front of the Vajra Sect ancestor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seemingly using this as a support point, the huge withered-tree-like figure was accelerating its climb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What the hell is this thing!!\" The Vajra Sect ancestor’s heart trembled wildly, and he cursed in horror; his entire expression changed drastically as never before, and he erupted with all his speed, retreating crazily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what made him even more frantic was that he saw those winged figures attracted by the miasma rushing out; they had originally rushed out from the City Lord’s Mansion with the goal of the area of dense miasma formed by the kid’s unknown means.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for some reason, these winged figures, after rushing into that area, quickly crawled back out, each of them roaring and looking around, then one after another locked onto him and came whistling over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is this situation!! Where is the kid!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of this made the Vajra Sect ancestor’s eyes widen; even though his speed was astonishing, he was still quickly caught up. Amidst the rumbling, the Vajra Sect ancestor was forced to strike, and his Foundation Establishment cultivation had to be fully unleashed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did those rushing winged figures collapse, but eerily, they recovered in an instant and continued to pounce, while in the distance, within the giant hole where the City Lord’s Mansion was located, that terrifying existence was about to crawl out completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The life-and-death crisis made the Vajra Sect ancestor’s heart grow even more frantic; and at this very moment, while he was being entangled, at the edge of the area of dense miasma in front of him, there was a crack in the ground beside a wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, inside this crack, Xu Qing was carefully hiding, vigilantly looking at the outside through the gap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, in this ruined city, he had followed the tracks of birds and discovered two safe shelters in total; one was his stone cave, and the other... was this crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This crack was also the place where he had hidden from the pursuit of strange beasts after obtaining the cultivation technique at the City Lord’s Mansion and suffering a heavy injury to his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just that this place was too close to the City Lord’s Mansion, which was why Xu Qing had not chosen this place as his temporary residence back then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the catastrophe of the God opening its eyes, all living things were doomed to perish, except for the birds... for some reason, most of them survived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, they seemed to be able to instinctively find certain locations; although not absolutely safe, they were relatively like blind spots, very easily ignored by strange beasts and eerie entities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this was only relative; if the Vajra Sect ancestor were not here to attract attention, Xu Qing’s actions just now would have been seeking death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the Vajra Sect ancestor in such a sorry state and noticing the huge figure struggling to crawl out of the giant pit of the City Lord’s Mansion, Xu Qing also took a breath, but he quickly gritted his teeth, his body flashed out, and he threw the Black Pills again toward the pursued Vajra Sect ancestor in the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In one breath, he threw more than ten more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Black Pills landed and exploded one after another, and the miasma here was already astonishingly dense; now, with the explosion of the Black Pills, it seemed to break through a certain critical point in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant... the malicious gazes that had been gathering on him after Xu Qing left the crack shifted away, all looking toward that area of even denser miasma; at the same time, in multiple locations within the city, whether strange beasts or eerie entities, they all paused and looked there in unison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next moment, they sped away!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As roars of extreme anger came from the Vajra Sect ancestor’s mouth, Xu Qing didn't look back, hunched over and sped away, taking advantage of the moment when those strange beasts and eerie entities were attracted by the miasma area to escape at full speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Vajra Sect ancestor also wanted to escape, but those winged figures were entangled with him, and even if he wanted to retreat, he was inevitably delayed; amidst his anxiety and distress, the hatred in his heart for Xu Qing was incomparably intense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at this time, Xu Qing was moving faster and faster on the distant street; seeing that he had already put distance between himself and the City Lord’s Mansion and was just about to head toward the city wall, at this very moment... a cold, chilling aura rushed toward his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In front of him, weeping sounds echoed, and the faceless woman wearing a white dress was walking over from the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the first glance, the other party was still far away, but at the second glance, this eerie figure had already appeared before Xu Qing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The speed was so fast that Xu Qing could not dodge at all; his breathing was rapid, his pupils shrank, and his body was instantly covered in ice-cold, his mind went blank for a moment, as if frozen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the approaching faceless woman had countless faces rapidly emerging on her body, all weeping shrilly; their weeping entered Xu Qing’s mind, turning into ripples, causing Xu Qing’s expression to be affected and change uncontrollably, and it looked as if he was about to weep just like those faces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just at this moment... a portion of the faces on the white-dressed faceless person suddenly stopped weeping; they looked at Xu Qing with dull eyes, their expressions gradually changing, and slowly, they actually revealed smiles, opening their mouths as if saying something, but no sound came out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Very quickly, more and more faces stopped weeping, until finally... nearly half of the faces on the white-dressed faceless woman had stopped weeping, all looking at Xu Qing, each revealing a smile, their expressions turning gentle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were all moving their lips slightly, seemingly opening their mouths softly to say two words that no one else could hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amidst these smiles and lip movements, Xu Qing stood there, blankly looking at the many faces on the huge faceless woman before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could see clearly, the white-dressed faceless woman moved her body and walked past him; until she had walked far away, the weeping sounds echoed once again...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing’s stiff body also recovered; he breathed rapidly and turned his head abruptly, staring blankly at the white-dressed faceless woman walking further and further away, her white figure, in this dark night, like a burning fire...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just now, those faces on the other party that revealed smiles... Xu Qing felt they were very familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt familiar...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially one of them; he remembered now, that was the old man from the apothecary whom he had carried away to be cremated so he could rest in peace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing stood in silence, watching the receding figures, vaguely understanding something; after a long while, he lowered his head in a deep bow and whispered softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those smiling faces from before had also said these two words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This chapter is nearly 5000 characters.\u003C\u002Fp>",3209,"2026-06-21T00:45:15.441Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","0fbc25eee914b08a570b90330ff1d6c9746eb08867ffd3165b0dae84ee2af376","beyond-the-passage-of-time-chapter-46","beyond-the-passage-of-time-chapter-44",998,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbeyond-the-passage-of-time-cover.jpg"]