Chapter 2163: The Sparrow Sleeping in Time

"Ten years is not enough."

"We need to find another way, to delay the time before True Phoenix Zi discovers the truth…"

Jiang Ding Zi muttered.

His hand, at some unknown moment, had come to rest on the sword hilt.

How to delay time?

It was nothing more than raising his sword and charging into the True Phoenix Star Domains, using combat to tie up True Phoenix Zi's soul computational power, not engaging head-on, fighting while retreating, thereby delaying the time before the Soul-Locking Zis were discovered.

This would of course increase the risk, but there was no other choice.

Jiang Ding's gaze swept again and again over the Soul-Locking Zis within the True Phoenix Star Domains.

These Soul-Locking Zis, born within the Path of Law-Ending, had already spread throughout the True Phoenix Star Domains, constantly being born and constantly disappearing, because the starry sky was in constant dynamic change, matter and energy always cycling, nothing could exist eternally.

The source of these Soul-Locking Zis was the support of the Path of Law-Ending, the correction of the Immortal Dao universal constants by the Supreme Solar Sword Immortal.

"In history, there were True Immortals, and Human Sovereigns must have reached such a level as well, violently affecting the starry sky, the myriad worlds, but now they have all vanished."

"The passage of time can change everything."

"It can cause a True Immortal's Dao to wither and dissipate."

Jiang Ding silently deduced, gradually discovering many things: "However, within the starry sky, there must exist some stubborn traces left by Human Sovereigns—where are these stubborn traces?"

His thoughts scattered, yet he was pondering how to delay the time before True Phoenix Zi glimpsed the truth.

A sword cultivator's combat is a union of intellect and force, a slaughter between Daos, not simply raising a sword and brute-forcing it; using crude combat to delay the time before True Phoenix Zi discovered the truth was not elegant, not the finest art of sword Dao slaughter.

Jiang Ding's pupils dilated.

He appeared to be looking at a stretch of darkness, but in reality, using the Soul-Locking Zis spread throughout the True Phoenix Star Domains as his vantage point, he looked upon these great thousand worlds and many worlds, upon many living beings.

Could these living beings more violently disturb the True Phoenix Immortal Dao universal constants?

The development of the True Phoenix Immortal Dao system depended on the birth, death, advancement, reincarnation, and reproductive cycles of the myriad living beings within the True Phoenix Star Domains, observing nature, influencing nature, and finally glimpsing the true original ancient records.

Then, could these living beings be used as chess pieces to actively misdirect and disturb the True Phoenix Immortal Dao universal constants?

Jiang Ding's gaze fell upon living being after living being, seeking to find suitable chess pieces.

In a mountain valley, a white crane with a broken wing, a mere mortal crane, very inconspicuous, but in its future fate it might become very powerful, might reach the level of a Quasi-Emperor.

This was one of the core experimental projects of the True Phoenix system; if this mortal crane succeeded, it would drive the True Phoenix Immortal Dao universal constants toward a branch.

In a mud swamp, a black pig was rolling in the mud; this black pig might awaken the Taotie bloodline and become a Quasi-Emperor—of course, the premise of everything was the success of this True Phoenix system experiment.

And a sparrow in a stretch of lava…

If one only spoke of the possibility of Quasi-Emperors, there were very many such living beings with potential, thousands of them; after all, a one-in-ten-thousand chance was still a chance, still potential.

Which one might truly become reality, which one was truth and correctness—this was the True Phoenix system's method of experimental research into the Immortal Dao universal constants.

These living beings of varying strength were True Phoenix Zi's experimental subjects; heaven and earth were her experimental table.

Jiang Ding's gaze rested upon living being after living being, finally focusing his targets upon the Ten Thousand Races Supreme Sovereigns among the experimental subjects; these Sovereigns were the living beings who could play a role in the near term.

"Inducement, causing the experimental subjects to produce erroneous experimental results, thereby triggering further chaos in the True Phoenix system…"

Jiang Ding Zi muttered.

He successfully selected a Supreme Sovereign of the Taotie bloodline, a Supreme Sovereign of the Golden Crow, and exerted influence.

"Huh?"

"What is this?"

Jiang Ding suddenly froze.

His gaze abruptly shifted away from the many Ten Thousand Races Supreme Sovereigns, landing on a sparrow beside a stream.

"Chirp chirp!"

"Chirp chirp! Chirp chirp chirp chirp…"

This sparrow had just eaten its fill, cheerfully calling out from a treetop.

This was perfectly normal.

The birds, beasts, and insect calls in this stretch of stream and mountain forest were countless, producing all manner of sounds.

What was one sparrow chirping after a full meal?

But…

Chirp chirp, chirp chirp.

This chirping seemed to have a familiar rhythm?

Jiang Ding's expression darkened.

An extremely familiar sense of déjà vu welled up in his heart; some memory from the past churned forth, appearing within his soul.

Chirp chirp.

"Greetings,"

Chirp chirp.

"Canghai Tianjun."

Chirp chirp chirp chirp…

"This junior, Da Ai, greets Canghai Tianjun…"

Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp…

"Greetings…"

The scene before him began to overlap with a scene from memory.

The sparrow's chirping, the words of a human living being—two completely different things at this moment seemed to begin converging; clearly the sounds heard were different, yet the rhythm of pronunciation was exactly the same, without any distinction.

"Oh my,"

"What a pleasant surprise, Dao Friend."

Jiang Ding suddenly smiled.

His gaze fell upon this sparrow; numerous Lock-Spirit Seeds began to retrace, and in an instant, countless karmic ties and fates, along with events that had occurred in various worlds, floated up in his mind.

One thousand five hundred and ninety-seven years ago, in a pond within the Green Fire Great World of the Zhu Que Star Domain, a carp was blowing bubbles, releasing a string of bubbles; the rhythm of its bubble-blowing was identical to that of this sparrow, without a single deviation.

Three thousand one hundred and twelve years ago, in a Minor Thousand World within the Small World of the Wind Star Domain, a butterfly flapped its wings; the rhythm of its wing-flapping was identical to that of this sparrow.

Four thousand two hundred years ago...

Jiang Ding's gaze turned cold as he slowly retraced the history within the karma.

Basically, every thousand-plus years, a creature like this appears in this starry sky, whether a sparrow, a butterfly, or a carp; the location is entirely random, and the species is entirely random.

Basically, they are all mortal creatures with short lifespans; these creatures perform actions or make sounds with such a rhythm at some stage of their lives.

In his heart, a familiar scene appeared once again at this very moment.

Jiang Ding gently closed his eyes.

Over a million years ago, in the mountains and forests near the Liu Dao Sect in the Northern Original Minor World, a handsome and spirited young man bowed toward a certain direction and said, "Junior D'ài greets Master Canghai Canghai Tianjun!"

He maintained that posture without change for several hours.

Several hours later, he changed direction and continued, "Junior D'ài greets Master Canghai Canghai Tianjun!"

Again and again.

Until he truly arrived.

This time, it was the same.

"Time..."

"Time, it is time, Daoist friend."

Jiang Ding murmured to himself.

His gaze fell upon that sparrow chirping joyfully; upon its body, he finally saw a layer of mist of time.

Beneath this mist of time, a blurred figure lay sleeping, sleeping, having slept for countless years, always waiting for someone to wake him and set him on the path of the Quasi-Emperor.

(End of this chapter)