Chapter 461: Insignificance

The mysterious man, faced with the Heavenly Sword Master and Seven Yu Elder's almost reverential, worship‑like posture, simply waved his hand lightly, his movements casual and natural, as if brushing away a leaf from his shoulder.

A faint, almost imperceptible smile that seemed to have seen through the ages lingered at the corner of his mouth, and his voice sounded calmly:

"Hehe, I didn't expect that in today's Zhutian Wanjie, anyone still remembers the name Tai Chu... Not bad, not bad."

The words sounded both self‑mocking and contemplative, and when they reached the ears of the Heavenly Sword Master and Seven Yu Elder, their hearts tightened again.

The Heavenly Sword Master hurried forward a step; the stern, imposing expression on his face was now filled with a respectful smile, a sight unimaginable on the face of this sword‑Dao Titan famed for his cold arrogance.

His voice carried a hint of excitement and fear as he quickly said, "Tai Chu Senior, you are being modest! An unsurpassed being that overwhelms the ages and transcends epochs, your name has long been etched into the history and legends of Zhutian Wanjie, a star and signpost that countless junior cultivators look up to! Not to mention us, even after billions of years, as long as this universe still has sentient beings seeking the Dao, the name Tai Chu will never be dared to be forgotten, nor will it be forgotten!"

His words were sincere and fervent, truly from the heart.

When facing a being like Tai Chu, any falsehood or politeness is sacrilege; only the purest awe and reverence are appropriate.

Tai Chu heard the words, his gaze casually falling on the Heavenly Sword Master; in the depth of his warm, gentle eyes seemed a river of time stretching for countless millennia flowing silently.

He gave a slight nod, his tone casual as if recalling, and said lightly, "Oh? You are... the little kid from the Ancient Sword Tomb who was obsessed with sword Dao, who sat desiccated before the Sword Abyss for three thousand years? Hmm... Time has passed, that youthful sword‑mad has now reached this point; the sword intent remains solid, the Dao Foundation is still fairly firm, you have entered the Dao Ancestor realm, and your comprehension of the Supreme Dao Fruit is gradually beginning. Hmm, not bad, not bad. I think, before long, you will be able to attempt to breach the Quasi‑Supreme realm..."

"Little... little kid..." the Heavenly Sword Master's aged face flushed red, while in his heart a towering wave surged, accompanied by an indescribable excitement and honor!

In his youth he indeed once sat desiccated before the Sword Abyss in the Forbidden Land of the Ancient Sword Tomb, contemplating; this was a secret of his early years, known to very few.

He hadn't expected that the legendary Tai Chu Senior seemed to know even such a trivial past event?

Moreover, from his tone it seemed as if he had personally witnessed him back then!

How could this not shock him?

For a being like Tai Chu, who has long transcended the shackles of time, having seen something with one's own eyes may not be a false claim!

He hurriedly bowed even lower, his demeanor becoming more reverent, even with a hint of being startled by the favor, and said, "Tai Chu Senior... Tai Chu Senior still remembers my early clumsy deeds? I... I am ashamed!"

Tai Chu neither confirmed nor denied, and his gaze shifted to the nearby Seven Yu Elder.

The Seven Yu Elder at this moment was also tense; under Tai Chu's stare, he felt as if he were standing naked beneath an eternal, unchanging starry sky, with every secret exposed.

"Great Thousand Divine Universe's... Seven Yu Elder?" Tai Chu's tone remained flat, "Not long ago, at the edge of a vortex in the Space-Time River, I actually had a brief encounter with the Universe Lord of your family. He seemed to be dealing with some... rather interesting trouble."

The Seven Yu Elder's body trembled slightly, and deep shock flashed across his eyes!

The Universe Lord of the Great Thousand Divine Universe is now deep within the Space-Time River, handling a terrifying upheaval spanning multiple epochs; this matter is the highest secret of the Great Thousand Divine Universe, and even many high‑ranking officials only know that the Universe Lord is in seclusion, not the details.

This Tai Chu Senior not only knows, but has even met the Universe Lord within the Space-Time River?

The amount of information is overwhelming!

He felt increasingly that the being before him was unfathomably deep.

But he dared not ask further, nor delve deeper.

He now understood that the being named Tai Chu before him, in terms of life level, Dao Realm cultivation, and age of existence, had long surpassed the scope he could comprehend.

Time, Space, Causality, Reincarnation... these rules that ordinary Immortals and even Quasi‑Supreme beings must revere, in the eyes of this being, are probably as easy to toy with as a child's plaything.

Standing before Tai Chu, the Seven Yu Elder sensed not a disparity of power—such a gap was already beyond description—but a sense of insurmountable and desperate height rooted in the very essence of life and the Path Origin!

Like ants gazing at the heavens, or summer insects unable to speak of ice, it is a supreme altitude that, no matter how hard one cultivates or climbs, can never be reached or even comprehended.

One looks up to lofty mountains, follows the proper path; though one cannot reach it, the heart still yearns... No, at this moment he could hardly summon even the courage to yearn, left only with pure awe and a sense of insignificance.

He suppressed the raging waves in his heart, and with utmost reverence bowed again to Tai Chu, his voice filled with sincere gratitude: "I, Murong Yunhai, representing the Great Thousand Divine Universe, thank the senior for intervening just now, saving the Two Holy Sons of my sect! This debt... my sect and I shall engrave it deep within our hearts!"

He was truly grateful; had Tai Chu not appeared in time to neutralize Lei Tiankuang's life‑threatening strike in such an unfathomable way, even if he and the Heavenly Sword Master fought to the death, the absolute safety of Ye Wuque and Feng Caichen could not have been guaranteed, and the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Tai Chu, upon hearing this, gave a faint smile, his gaze passing over the two, landing on Ye Wuque and Feng Caichen who had been standing respectfully behind, especially lingering a bit longer on Feng Caichen, his eyes bearing an ineffable gentleness and a faint trace of reminiscence.

"No need to thank me," Tai Chu's voice remained calm, "I came this time precisely for those two youngsters."

With those words, the pupils of the Seven Yu Elder and the Heavenly Sword Master both contracted; instinctively they glanced at each other, seeing in the other's eyes that unmistakable hint of surprise and a deeper shock!

Feng Caichen and Ye Wuque... actually have such a direct karmic link with the legendary Tai Chu Senior?

That it would cause this supreme being, already beyond the mundane and overlooking the turnover of epochs, to personally come to rescue them? What magnitude of karmic cause must that be?

Countless thoughts flashed through their minds in an instant.

Such a being has long transcended ordinary grudges, emotions, and profit entanglements; each word and deed often ties into deeper Tiandao patterns and the cosmic chessboard.

His particular attention to the two young juniors must hold profound meaning, far from a fleeting impulse.

But one thing they could be certain of: Tai Chu harbors no malice toward Ye Wuque and Feng Caichen. If he did, with his methods he could easily erase them across endless space and time, even overturning Karmic Reincarnation; why then appear in person and intervene to resolve the crisis?

Realizing this, the last trace of worry in the hearts of the Heavenly Sword Master and the Seven Yu Elder completely vanished, replaced by an inexplicable excitement and anticipation.

Being valued by a being like Tai Chu is, for Feng Caichen and Ye Wuque, undoubtedly a monumental opportunity and destiny!

Both are individuals whose minds are clear and insightful, knowing that at this moment they should no longer remain here.

Since Tai Chu came specifically for Ye Wuque and the other, they naturally should make a graceful exit.

The Heavenly Sword Master gave a slight nod to the Seven Yu Elder, and then both readjusted their expressions, bowing with utmost reverence toward Tai Chu.

"In that case, the two of us will not disturb the senior and the two young friends' conversation," the Heavenly Sword Master said respectfully.

"The junior bids farewell," the Seven Yu Elder added.

Tai Chu simply waved his hand casually, indicating they may do as they wish.

The Heavenly Sword Master and the Seven Yu Elder turned their heads again toward Ye Wuque and Feng Caichen, their gazes carrying encouragement and a barely perceptible hint of envy, and they gave a slight nod.

Ye Wuque and Feng Caichen also quickly bowed in return.

Immediately, the two Titans dared not linger any longer; the space around them rippled faintly, and their forms, like ink droplets merging into water, vanished silently into the starry sky, as if they had never appeared.