Outside Of Time

1586  Ever-Flowing Nature

The blue sand dunes sparkled with countless radiant lights, as if every grain of sand within them was a gem.

They stretched endlessly and gathered together in an endless stream.

Like the vast waves of an ocean, frozen in the stillness of the world.

The intense heat from all directions spread through this silence, making everything seem even more blurred.

Only the brilliance emitted by the sand grains remained clear, resembling stars or the countless intertwining moments of time, weaving endless dreams within this place.

It felt like an illusion.

A dazzling mirage.

"Senior, this is the Time Desert. Once we cross this desert, we'll reach the ancient teleportation array."

"Through the array formation, we can teleport to the area near Black Cloud City."

At the edge of the Time Desert, on the floating wooden boat, Yunmen Qianfan's eyes were entirely focused on Xu Qing, who was reading in front of her.

She knelt beside him, carefully peeling a fresh fruit, her voice soft and gentle as she spoke.

Throughout this journey, her heart had mirrored the undulating waves of the desert; her emotions had been in constant flux, her thoughts as elusive and dreamlike as the desert itself.

Each time she reflected on these events, she found them incredibly surreal.

His single glance made a Soul Accumulation Seven Worlds weep to death.

He killed four elders in a few breaths.

He suppressed a god with just one hand.

These scenes made her clear that this Senior Flame Mystic in front of her was definitely a Ruler!

She had seen other Rulers before. Whether it be the clan's ancestor or that heaven's chosen, they were both Rules.

She had also seen Rulers of other clans from afar.

However, they were all high and mighty.

No one had ever been so close to her and accompanied her for so long.

The feeling of being protected from all dangers was a rare experience for Yunmen Qianfan, one that etched itself deeply into her soul.

 Over the past few days, she occasionally took advantage of moments when Xu Qing drank his wine to ask him questions about her cultivation. Xu Qing was not stingy and offered her guidance.

His insights greatly benefited her, resolving many of her previous doubts regarding her cultivation path.

 In fact, she felt that the understanding and clarity this senior possessed surpassed even that of her own clan's ancestor.

As for why a Ruler would hide his cultivation and become a guest elder of her clan, she didn't want to think too deeply about it, nor did she care.

After all, with her family in such dire straits, none of it mattered to her anymore.

"Senior Flame Mystic must have his own reasons, perhaps even secrets he doesn't wish others to know."

Yunmen Qianfan thought to herself. Then, she picked up another immortal fruit, carefully peeling it. Noticing that Xu Qing's wine flask was nearly empty, she skillfully replaced it with a full one.

There were many items in her storage bag, with only a portion of food and drinks but they were quite abundant.

This wasn't the result of her divination skills, but rather a decision she made after carefully considering her situation. She had resolved to fully embrace the role of an all-encompassing maid, striving to ensure Xu Qing's comfort throughout the journey, thereby increasing her chances of survival. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Xu Qing didn't pay much attention to her intentions.

But he had to admit that Yunmen Qianfan had performed remarkably well in her role as an attendant.

 She was indeed clever, particularly in how she had proactively informed him of crucial details and even unlocked the seal on the spatial soil ahead of time, displaying a decisive nature.

Because of this, Xu Qing was willing to fulfill the promise he had made earlier.

As he picked up the flask and took a sip, his gaze landed on the desert ahead of him.

He observed the brilliance, the haze, and the countless moments of time that seemed to be encapsulated in this place.

The closer parts of the desert appeared like a painting, as if the very laws of nature were being inscribed by a divine hand.

In the distance, the outlines of sand dunes were blurred, as if concealing ancient secrets.

The desert was sparse in vegetation, with only a few plants visible, their leaves reduced to needle-like shapes. This transformation in the plants was an adaptation to minimize water loss and slow the passage of time, extending their lifespans in this harsh environment.

The tenacity of life was reflected here.

This was the case for everything.

It was the same for all living beings.

In the sky, a few eagles soared, their silhouettes standing out vividly under the aurora's glow.

The silence of the desert was broken by the distant cries of the eagles, echoing through the heavens. Rather than feeling out of place, these cries added an extra layer of mystery and desolation.

"Why is this place called Time?"

The wooden boat flew into the desert and Xu Qing slowly spoke.

Yunmen Qianfan, who seemed to understand everything about the various places they passed by, hesitated at this moment.

A long time later, she spoke in a low voice uneasily.

"Senior, the reason for the name of this desert isn't recorded in any ancient books. It was passed down by word of mouth by the people who lived in this desert."

"So, Junior also doesn't understand why it is named as such…"

Xu Qing nodded, his gaze briefly sweeping over Yunmen Qianfan before he expressed in a calm tone.

"The places you've chosen along the way have been quite interesting, like the Heavenly Water Lake and this Time Desert. How many more places do you know with special names or ancient legends?"

Upon hearing this, Yunmen Qianfan quickly retrieved a bamboo scroll from her storage pouch and respectfully placed it before Xu Qing.

"Senior, it's all here. I've always been fond of stories tied to various landscapes and environments, so I've been collecting them."

"Besides a few places within the family's territory that I've visited personally, most of the others I've only heard about, and haven't had the chance to visit myself."

"So there might be some inaccuracies."

Xu Qing grabbed the bamboo scroll and, after scanning it with his divine sense, a hint of intrigue flickered in his eyes. 　  　   　　　 　　  　　 

The scroll contained geographic descriptions, including various landscapes, mountain ranges, lakes, and rivers, along with their names and associated stories. There were also rough locations marked on it.

"Fallen Evil Pool, Sky Wind Cave, Fire Hollow Mountain Range, Immortal's Fall Plain, Main Dao Cliff, Earth Rule Pond, Cloudy Mud Basin…"

Looking at these names, Xu Qing's interest rose.

"Even if only some of these places are as special as the Heavenly Water Lake and this Time Desert, they will be of great help to me."

At the thought of this, Xu Qing stored the bamboo scroll.

In his opinion, the value of this bamboo scroll wasn't inferior to the soil that contained spatial energy.

Xu Qing gazed at Yunmen Qianfan.

"Are you in a hurry to head to Black Cloud City?"

"There's no hurry, no hurry at all."

Seeing that Xu Qing was satisfied, Yunmen Qianfan felt even more encouraged. For her, as long as she could be of help to Xu Qing, it validated her own worth

Moreover, the guidance she had received on her way here made her feel that it would be even better if the journey was longer.

Hence, when she heard Xu Qing's question, she hurriedly replied happily.

Xu Qing nodded slightly and grabbed a step forward on the boat, instantly disappearing and reappearing on the desert dune.

Xu Qing sat down cross-legged and his eyes gleamed.

"Time here is chaotic, or rather, there are countless timelines flowing at different rates, yet they merge, making everything appear normal."

As he mumbled, Xu Qing spread out his divine sense, enveloping the surroundings.

Yunmen Qianfan was already used to Xu Qing's constant comprehension. When she saw Xu Qing sitting cross-legged, she immediately put away the wooden boat and landed beside Xu Qing, starting to get busy.

Quickly, Yunmen Qianfan set up a shelter around Xu Qing, laying out a mat woven from spiritual grass, and then sat nearby, resting her chin on her hand. Her large, beautiful eyes never departed Xu Qing.

Even though Xu Qing now appeared middle-aged, showing signs of wear and tear, to her, he exuded a unique charm.

'Senior must have been quite handsome and dignified in his younger days.'

'Moreover, he carries many stories…'

'He often gazes into the distant sky, lost in memories. Is he remembering his family, his old friends?'

'And that tune… so full of wanderlust, unparalleled and free, yet tinged with sadness. When I played it, I could almost see the silhouette of a woman in my mind…'

'Is she… Senior's Dao companion?'

As she pondered, a warm breeze blew through, causing Xu Qing's long hair to flutter and his robe to sway.

The wind also brushed against Yunmen Qianfan, pressing her dress against her slender figure, accentuating her graceful curves.

The scene was picturesque.

It was as if some divine artist had begun sketching in the desert, creating sand paintings that captured fleeting moments in time.

Just like that, time flowed by.

Five days passed.

Xu Qing's divine sense had already covered an endless range. As it enveloped this desert, it also seeped into every grain of sand.

Five days ago, when he first saw this desert, Xu Qing could sense the chaotic time here.

As for the specific reason, Xu Qing wasn't certain at first. He only observed that his Sundial's needle experienced irregularities—sometimes speeding up, sometimes slowing down, and sometimes coming to a complete stop.

Additionally, his Extreme Time Dao felt more turbulent than usual.

After five days of observation and study, coupled with his own understanding of time, he began to form a vague hypothesis.

"The endless sands here seem vast and countless, but… they provide me the feeling of being a single entity."

"This singularity isn't about the desert being a whole, but rather… a uniformity within each grain of sand."

Xu Qing fell silent.

"To be precise, though the grains of sand here appear to have subtle differences in their external wear and size, in reality, they might have all started the same."

"No matter the size, no matter the wear, down to every tiny detail, they are all the same."

"It's as if they were copied or replicated."

This was a realization he had obtained after five days of observation, research, and exploration.

Xu Qing scooped up a palmful of sand and stared at it.

"It's as if… there was once only a single grain of sand here."

"The wind passing by, or perhaps the influence of some external force, caused that single grain to move. With every movement, the time acting upon it shifted."

"Each change was like the creation of a new timeline, and with it, another grain of sand appeared."

"As the years passed, under the caress of wind or some mysterious power, the number of timelines grew, and so did the number of sand grains."

"Each grain started from the same point, but they quickly developed their own unique timelines, experiencing different friction and paths within their respective time streams."

"In the end, it formed this desert."

"This is also why there are so many timelines here, all intersecting with each other."

Xu Qing lifted his head, gazing toward the desert's horizon.

"This place is extraordinary. Or perhaps… this place itself is a supreme treasure tied to time."

"However, few can take it away because the method to do so requires aligning the time of every single grain of sand here, returning the desert from its chaotic state to its original form, reducing the sands one by one until only the very first grain remains."

"Right now, I can't accomplish that."

"But… this place has shown me a deeper manifestation of the power of time."

Xu Qing's eyes flashed.

"Time branching!"