Chapter 167: Joyous Union Journey: A First Glimpse into the Dao of Time

"Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle—"

Within the Grotto-Heaven, Fang Longye's Companion Spiritual Root—the Acquired Seeking Wood—had its aerial roots coiled and knotted, entwining that segment of Green Dragon Wood refined through secret arts.

It extended a few rootlets, swaying and stretching; they appeared delicate, but were in fact exceptionally tough.

They easily breached the hard Green Dragon Wood, taking root within, and began to draw out the creation inside as if sucking blood.

The Green Dragon Wood bloomed with a green halo, and the spiritual entity within emerged, transforming into a phantom of an Azure Dragon; it held a precious pearl in its mouth, wailing incessantly and struggling without pause.

Regrettably, no matter how it mobilized the Dao principles and Dharma within the Green Dragon Wood, it still could not break free from its bonds.

As it absorbed the creation within the Green Dragon Wood, the Xun Wood Spirit Root gained immense growth, its branches and trunk climbing segment by segment.

Its roots and leaves intertwined, anchored in the water; from the base upward, mottled, flake-like objects grew upon its skin, resembling dragon scales, ancient and imposing.

The branches and leaves swayed, scattering circles of cyan-black Dao Qi, which condensed into masses of mist that permeated the surroundings.

The water and wood were clear and vibrant, full of vitality.

Fang Longye sensed the current transformation of the Seeking Wood and, feeling satisfied, withdrew his consciousness.

He opened his slightly closed eyes, a look of joy mixed with the sparkling light in his clear pupils.

Not to mention the various insights into Dao essence he received as feedback from this piece of Green Dragon Wood, the mere fact that the Seeking Wood had grown by tens of thousands of feet in just a short while was exceptionally gratifying.

A preliminary estimate suggested that if the Seeking Wood he was nurturing completely digested the Green Dragon Wood, its height alone would likely increase by more than double.

This was not even counting the transformation of the Xun Wood Spirit Root's inner essence.

"There is just one thing: this Green Dragon Wood is, after all, a spiritual root nurtured from an Azure Dragon of the Taiyi Realm; wanting to digest it completely will still require a considerable amount of effort."

Fang Longye could not help but smack his lips with a hint of regret.

This was only because he had operated his fundamental Grotto-Heaven to accelerate the flow of time within, and because the Green Dragon Wood was, at the end of the day, a product of the same secret art as his Companion Spiritual Root, sharing a special connection.

Otherwise, it would have been even harder for his Acquired Seeking Wood to draw creation from an object of the Taiyi level.

After a moment of reflection, Fang Longye cast these thoughts aside, no longer focusing on the situation of the Green Dragon Wood, and let the Xun Wood Spirit Root process it on its own.

He busied himself with another matter.

With a point of his finger toward the Celebration Cloud above his head, a bright, clear pearl landed steadily upon it, shining brilliantly.

Thousands of rays of light descended, inch by inch, as if carved and engraved.

Carrying the intent to purify all things, they struck the "Seven-Orifice Exquisite Heart" floating within the Celebration Cloud, making a tinkling sound.

"Zha!"

Fang Longye's tongue battled the spring thunder, emitting a sound; his entire body's power surged, and Creation Divine Fire was ignited from within his Bloodline.

It surged upward, condensing into a lamp.

The raging flames burned intensely, enveloping the Seven-Orifice Exquisite Heart, this rare treasure, within.

Bolstered by the power of the Creation Purifying World Bead, it refined and washed it layer by layer, from the outside in.

"Not bad at all!"

Fang Longye's mind followed the creation-purifying power of the precious pearl, penetrating deep into the Seven-Orifice Exquisite Heart, and sensed that the Human Dao karma tainted within this rare treasure had already been mostly purged.

This progress was not insignificant.

"Keep up the effort; strive to wash this 'Seven-Orifice Exquisite Heart' clean as soon as possible."

Fang Longye lifted his spirits, smiled slightly, and poured his mental energy into this task.

……

The Celebration Cloud was like washed silk, casting cold radiance downward, which merged with the dark green of the pine needles to form a circle of misty halos, moving up and down, left and right, back and forth.

Fang Longye dispersed the Celebration Cloud, opened his eyes, gathered the Creation Purifying World Bead—which had not yet entered his body—into his hand, and sighed while stroking it.

After spending more than half a year, much of the "dust and grime" tainted upon the Seven-Orifice Exquisite Heart had been removed.

It was just that the remaining ten or twenty percent of the Human Dao karmic resentment was becoming increasingly stubborn.

Even with the powerful purifying force of the Creation Purifying World Bead, progress was difficult and had slowed down.

Just then, Fang Longye's ears twitched, and he chuckled, saying, "Finally out of seclusion!"

The person Fang Longye spoke of was none other than Ao Ying.

As for Qingli, she had already ended her seclusion more than three months ago.

After all, Qingli's seclusion was merely for rest, to let the sights and sounds she had witnessed all the way from Bei Zhou settle into cultivation resources; it did not require much energy.

But Ao Ying, who had obtained the Zhu Long Dragon Pearl, was naturally different; facing such a treasure, she naturally needed to devote all her energy to it.

Now, more than half a year had passed, and there were finally initial results.

Fang Longye casually put away the Creation Purifying World Bead in his hand, stood up, and paced into the Treasure Pavilion.

He saw that the door to a specially crafted cultivation secret chamber within the Treasure Pavilion, which had been tightly locked, was finally open.

A heavy, mottled copper-green lock lay scattered to the side.

Mist and water permeated the air, mingling with the light from the Golden Lotus treasure lamps hanging three or five feet away, creating dense clusters of floral patterns.

A beautiful figure stood before the door, clearly having just emerged from the secret chamber.

Her features were exquisite and beautiful, her three thousand strands of black hair hung to her waist, and the bright golden dragon horns atop her head appeared even more crystalline and translucent, looking incomparably sacred.

It was naturally Ao Ying, who had just come out of seclusion.

"Master—"

"I truly did not expect your gains this time to be so great. Should I say it is worthy of being a Zhu Long Dragon Pearl of the Taiyi level?"

Fang Longye looked at Ao Ying in surprise; he saw that behind her, a halo condensed, giving birth to a semi-illusory clock-like image with a dark background, white hands, and golden edges.

It ticked away, the sound coming in stops and starts.

She had actually touched the threshold of the Dao of Time!

"That is still thanks to Master, for finding this opportunity and creation for this servant."

Ao Ying thanked him respectfully, her entire demeanor steady and poised, though one could still see the rising joy and excitement in her beautiful eyes as they shifted.

Although it was only a preliminary refinement, her entire physical form remained the same as before, and she had not transformed into a member of the Zhu Long clan.

However, a Zhu Long Dragon Pearl at the Taiyi level was truly extraordinary; merely a slight feedback allowed her to comprehend a type of time divine ability.

It was truly an unexpected joy.

One must know that before this, the cultivation path she had planned for herself had always been chosen to walk along the path of light and darkness.

She had never imagined that she would still have the opportunity to glimpse the path of time.

Fang Longye also felt joy in his heart.

The path of time has always been a profound and unfathomable law.

Apart from the Zhu Long clan, there are almost no cultivators who can touch upon it before reaching the Taiyi level.

Including Fang Longye.

He was likewise completely ignorant of the path of time.

Do not look at how he can easily adjust the flow of time within that Grotto-Heaven he opened up himself.

But he can only do so within the Grotto-Heaven.

In essence, it is merely a type of ability based on administrative authority.

Regarding the path of the light of the universe, he knows that it is so, but does not know why it is so.

But Ao Ying is different; although it seems now that she can only manifest the power of time through the divine ability she comprehended herself.

It is no different from some cultivators who drive time divine abilities like "Flowers Blooming in an Instant."

But this time divine ability was something she comprehended entirely on her own, which is not simple.

Through the Zhu Long Dragon Pearl, she will sooner or later truly enter the gate of this law.

And for Fang Longye, it is naturally like obtaining a rare treasure. Do not forget, not to mention that she belongs to Fang Longye as a servant, and theoretically, he could absorb everything about her through the blood pact, even the various secret Dharma he has comprehended regarding the path of Yin and Yang Dual Cultivation are enough to share her insights in this aspect.

Fang Longye beckoned with his hand, and Ao Ying followed obediently behind him, arriving at a hall.

Fang Longye sat on the Cloud Couch, and together with Qingli, who had hurried over to serve by his side, he examined the divine ability manifestation behind her with great interest.

Because she had just comprehended this divine ability, Ao Ying clearly had not yet managed to retract and release it at will.

Ao Ying spent some effort before she finally retracted this divine ability.

Seeing her heave a sigh of relief and relax, Qingli immediately asked curiously: "Sister Ying'er, is this the time divine ability you comprehended? The manifestation produced is a clock? Why is it not a sundial, an hourglass, a large bell, or these common objects?"

It was not that she had never seen a clock.

In this vast and boundless Honghuang world, the object known as a clock naturally exists in the world.

It is just that it is not as common as the objects related to time she mentioned above.

Ao Ying thought for a moment and said: "Perhaps it is because when I was young, I often fiddled with clocks and treated them as toys!"

"Perhaps it has to do with this divine ability of mine not having direct offensive power? Or, was I influenced by the original owner of this Zhu Long Dragon Pearl in my hand?"

The most important ability of this divine ability she comprehended lies in distorting time within a certain range.

Besides that, it is the acceleration and reversal of time. However, acceleration is easy to talk about, but reversal is relatively difficult.

Facing the question raised by Qingli, Ao Ying was also lost in thought; clearly, she was not very certain about the reason for the manifestation's formation.

Fang Longye waved his hand and said: "There are too many factors involved in the generation of divine ability comprehension! Where is the need for you, Qingli, to get to the bottom of it like this?"

Hearing this, Qingli stuck out her tongue in embarrassment.

Fang Longye chuckled and said: "Right now, what is more important is for your master to properly savor your results."

Hearing these words, Ao Ying could not help but blush.

"And you, Qingli."

"Sharing joy alone is not as good as sharing it with others. With our Qi connected like branches, you can also gain quite a few insights into the path of the light of the universe."

"Perhaps, with a flash of inspiration, you might also comprehend some powerful divine ability in this direction!"

Bah! Qingli rolled her eyes and said: "Young Master, if you want to have fun, just say so. As your servants, can we even resist?"

"As for being so high-sounding!"

"Nonsense! You are truly wronging your Young Master! Am I doing this for fun? This is for cultivation!"

Fang Longye argued righteously! Immediately, he disrupted everything around them, and a halo of light emerged, wrapping the three of them inside.

The clouds cleared and the rain stopped, the wind subsided and the water dispersed.

On the dome of the hall, the bright pearls emitted light, clear as jade, all vanity stripped away, empty and spiritual.

Spiritual mist billowed, hazy and indistinct, scattering all around.

Under the lingering light, one could see the few pots of emerald bamboo in the room, adorned with the rain that had not yet dissipated, lush and green.

After the commotion, Fang Longye sat cross-legged on one side of the Cloud Couch, contemplating the feedback of the insights into the path of time.

What is time? In Fang Longye's previous life, within the cognitive level of science, time was just a concept; strictly speaking, time does not exist at all.

It is merely the eternal movement of matter, the manifestation of the continuity and sequence of change; it is a concept invented by humans for recording history and carrying out various tasks! You can say it exists, but you can only conclude its existence through your own perception.

It cannot be seen or touched.

Of course, in common knowledge, time is eternal.

Flowers bloom and wither, the sun rises and sets, all things in the world are in motion, and time flows along with movement at every moment.

Dust in the air is floating, wild horses on the grassland are galloping, waterfalls on high mountains are pouring down...

In people's perception, time flows silently in other forms that can be displayed.

It seems to be proving the existence of time, proving that time is endless and forever forward, accompanying the ceaseless movement of the universe.

And in this world, time undoubtedly exists.

The Ancestor Zhu Long, the ancestor of all Zhu Long in Honghuang, is still staying well in the River of Time!

Of course, if you want Fang Longye to fully explain the concept of time based on the principles of this Honghuang world, he would not be able to say it either.

However, after sharing Ao Ying's insights into the Dao of Time-Light, he did indeed clearly sense the existence of time within his own Grotto-Heaven.

It was a power like water.

Although almost imperceptible, it was truly present, influencing the development of all things.

The sandalwood in the crane-beak bronze censer on the table had burned halfway, and the smoke was growing thicker.

Fang Longye opened his eyes and let out a breath.

Although he had not comprehended a divine ability of the Time Dao, with his current realization of the Dao of Time-Light, he was becoming increasingly adept at controlling the flow of time within his own Grotto-Heaven.

He could accelerate the time within the Grotto-Heaven by a greater multiple without affecting its development.

This could be counted as an unexpected joy.

However, it still could not compare to Ao Ying! Fang Longye looked at Ao Ying, a faint smile appearing at the corners of his mouth.

After all the tossing and turning, the one who had gained the most was actually her, this cauldron.

Ao Ying was seen half-leaning on the Cloud Couch, her beautiful eyes slightly closed, her arms folded together, her sleeping gown hanging down to her toes, covering her body and swaying.

She had a languid posture.

Round, hazy lights rose above her, layered with sparse, scattered floral patterns, and the heavy light hung down like a tassel, making the colors variegated.

It lingered uncertainly, permeating the surroundings.

A stretch of clear light, layered and intertwined, shone upon the clock-like phenomenon revealed behind her.

The body of the bell was golden and brilliant, haloed with radiance, and coiled with strange patterns.

As for the hands, they ticked away, their colors reflecting black and white, mysterious and cold.

With every tick of the scale, the golden patterns on the hands swayed, shining and sounding.

It seemed she had comprehended a barrier; her originally furrowed dark brows and rapid breathing smoothed out, and her face became calm, even revealing a smile.

As Ao Ying gained a deeper level of insight into the Dao of Time-Light, she involuntarily triggered the power of this Time Dao divine ability.

The clock-like phenomenon behind her, appearing both illusory and real, immediately revealed its splendor, with countless patterns on it lighting up in sequence, circle upon circle, shining brightly.

Qingli, who was lying quietly beside Ao Ying, felt the anomaly, woke up in an instant, and instinctively covered her eyes.

Yet even so, she could still see the surroundings filled with thousands of lights, continuously intersecting, colliding, rotating, and moving back and forth.

Even by shielding her own divine sense, she could still feel the distortion of the surroundings.

That was the distortion of stirring time and space.

Chaotic, complex, changing, shining—everything converged into Qingli's current sensation, dazzling, dizzying, and extremely uncomfortable.

Even the Dharma power on her body became unstable and began to fall into disorder.

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, she could only sound her sword, shaking off this influence and resisting it.

"Clang—"

Fang Longye shook the Longyin Bell, dispelling the divine ability that Ao Ying had triggered without realizing it.

Ao Ying also finally woke up, feeling the changes in herself after the tossing and turning by Fang Longye.

She could not help but feel joyful.

Even the Zhu Long Dragon Pearl, which she had barely managed to refine and control, had its inner creation further absorbed by her.

She had made great progress!

(End of this chapter)