Mr. Gu’s gaze instantly descended, crossing an unknowable expanse of eons, his voice already furious:
“Zhaoming! You are also bullshit!”
The torrent of future time violently shook, all futures violently reversed, converging towards the “past” of this moment and the “future” of the next.
All futures vanished!
Beside Jin Guang Tian Xin, all past and future also disappeared. He lost his future, remaining only in the past of the previous moment. This feeling was extremely profound, for without reaching the future of the next moment, he could not make any counter-moves.
Not a single thought arose. Not a single intention was born.
Not a single spirit moved. Not a single Dao emerged.
Not a single word was inscribed.
With no future in the next moment, severing all time, Mr. Gu swung his palm, turning even the development of Confucianism and the brilliant light of the Zhaoming world into dust.
But Jin Guang Tian Xin did not engage in a future confrontation with Mr. Gu.
He retreated two steps.
In the past of the previous moment, and the past of the moment before that, between these two moments, he continuously advanced and retreated.
From this, countless new futures were generated.
Each future was the action of the next moment.
Each future was the thought and will of the next moment.
Thus, all sorts of world-shattering techniques evolved. Behind Jin Guang Tian Xin, countless spiritual hands danced, with chapters of history unfurling.
“Time is history.”
“History forges the annals of history.”
“The annals of history are immutable.”
“That is the verdict!”
The future never happened, so by constantly moving forward, it could constantly be changed.
But the fundamental nature of Confucianism was rooted in the past. Historical records documented the past, not the future. If there were such writings, they would be books of divination, or texts of prophecy, arts of divination and augury.
Most of those were not Confucian matters!
Most of those belonged to Taoism and the arts of the mystics!
The future of each moment existed within the past, and the past of each moment also existed within the future of the next moment. The future contained the past, but under Jin Guang Tian Xin’s methods, past and future were completely mixed together; the past was the future, and the future was also the past.
The torrent of time completely stopped.
Because the future began to flow towards the past!
“Now, the past is the future!”
Jin Guang Tian Xin… Zhaoming, he displayed methods that even immortals like Dong Hua Xian Nü found inconceivable.
Incomprehensible.
By modifying the past within the Zhaoming world to the future within the Zhaoming world, spreading outward from the inside, and fixing it in the annals of history, Mr. Gu was then blocked by his newly established “future.”
“I cannot comprehend.”
At this, even Hei Yi Ji Xiang, the Dao, was bewildered.
Compared to such actions as embodying the past body or constantly backtracking, this act of redefining one’s own past and future rendered all those methods utterly meaningless.
Even Mr. Gu was stunned.
The past is the future, mutually inclusive and unshakeable. This was absurd and astonishing. If he possessed such a method, he would immediately transform himself and devour Yuan Huang and Christ.
Jin Guang Tian Xin raised the Heavenly Wood Bell. Towards Mr. Gu, he spoke with a tone that was half praise and half disappointment:
“An existence that annihilates all futures with a single thought, traveling against the torrent of time to reach this ultimate shore, a supreme being never seen in the annals of history.”
“However, even you can only reach this point, leaving your name in history before me, and then retreating.”
“On the other shore, perhaps in my own cultivation realm, or in the origin, I may not be your equal, but my comprehension of the ultimate principles of the world is certainly superior to yours.”
“You are but one person. What does it matter if you devoured other Yuqing cultivators? I am not one person.”
“You are human, I am not.”
“I am ‘The Multitude’!”
“Since ancient times, Taoism has valued the solitary, while Confucianism cherishes the collective. Zhuangzi said: ‘Carve and return to simplicity, standing alone in one’s form. The solitary individual is the most noble. Interacting solely with the spirit of heaven and earth, without arrogance towards all things, this is the sublime ideal of Taoism.’”
“From the Gu She Divine Person of the pre-Qin era, to the various celestial beings and true saints later extolled, all were thus, detached and independent. Cultivating oneself in solitude.”
“But my Confucianism has always said, ‘To enjoy happiness alone, or to enjoy happiness with others, which is more joyful?’ Naturally, it is joy found in being with the multitude.”
“When impoverished, one cultivates oneself alone; when successful, one benefits the world. The extreme of poverty is infinity, and the extreme of success is attainment.”
“I am the one who has attained, and you are the infinite. This is a metaphysical statement, not a designation of realm. However, infinity means endlessness, while attainment means reaching the end.”
“Therefore, I can defeat you.”
Mr. Gu laughed in extreme anger. Because all the futures he brought had been annihilated, the world here had been cut off from the path to the future. Mr. Gu stood in front, and the Corpse-Shedding Immortals in this dream of the dead, or Dong Hua Xian Nü, and Hei Yi Ji Xiang, all ceased their thinking and any actions.
In this dream, there was no future, and no one attained liberation.
Unless Mr. Gu died, new futures would extend from the dream of the dead. In other words, all that was happening at this moment was not in the future, but in the past of the previous moment, and had no relation to any beings other than Christ and Yuan Huang.
But Christ did not wish to see such a situation. Thus, with his Western arts, he gave birth to a future, encircling himself, liberating Dong Hua and Hei Yi Ji Xiang from their stillness.
“Then, is it the infinite power of Taoism, or your Confucian attainment that is powerful? Today, I shall settle this with you!”
Mr. Gu’s voice rang out.
Yuan Huang watched this scene, not intervening, but said to Dong Hua Xian Nü:
“I am Yuan Huang, and he is Christ. Do not think I am the bad guy and he is the good guy. There are no good people among Yuqing cultivators. Compared to those who have fled outside, the Yin realm and the current human world are more similar. How can you rely on the help of external enemies?”
Yuan Huang attempted to draw Dong Hua Xian Nü to his side. He felt that figures related to Ji Xiang might trigger a preemptive move, allowing him to find Ji Xiang or crucial clues first.
However, Christ chuckled upon hearing this:
“Yuqing cultivators and the human world have no necessary connection. Furthermore, your doctrines are not accepted by the human world, while my doctrines can take root in this human world. Your reconciliation with the Thirteenth Person is temporary, while I truly wish to save him. Who is the external enemy?”
Yuan Huang retorted:
“The thoughts of Yuqing powerhouses are all the same. Is your so-called salvation not assimilation?”
Christ: “At least their will still exists, merely living within my will. Within the will, there is still will, like within a thought, there is still a thought. You are very foolish. You govern the souls of the world but cannot see the true self-spirituality. Therefore, you cannot understand.”
He then glanced at the dark figure standing tall in the future, turned his head to Yuan Huang, and said:
“Yuan Shi Tian Zun has disappeared. The source of Yuqing no longer exists. Therefore, the power that obstructs Mr. Gu’s return to the past has greatly diminished. He is no longer trapped in the future. By utilizing the various karmic connections disseminated through the puppet Qing Luo, he can act in various eras.”
“You and I should not quarrel over the distribution of the Thirteenth Person, because neither you nor I have the right to distribute. My protection of these two is merely for the subsequent search for Yuan Shi Tian Zun, and I have no intention of using them. Moreover, besides the Dao, there is no point in utilizing another immortal.”
“My arrival here is merely to ascertain why Yuan Shi disappeared.”
Yuan Huang was silent for a moment, then slowly said:
“It is not only Yuan Shi Tian Zun who has disappeared, but also the things of origin.”
Mr. Gu could touch the Zhaoming world, even reverse all futures, but ultimately… he could not reach himself for the time being.
Because there was no karmic connection with Qing Luo here.
Moreover, the most important thing now was to find Ji Xiang’s whereabouts. Ji Xiang’s disappearance was inextricably linked to Yuan Shi Tian Zun’s disappearance. This disappearance was somewhat similar to the sudden disappearance of the First Person and the Twelfth Person, but also different in certain aspects.
For instance, when the First Person and the Twelfth Person disappeared, Yuan Shi Tian Zun showed no unusual reaction. At that time, Yuqing still existed eternally, with an unshakeable source flowing from Yuan Shi Tian Zun to all Yuqing cultivators.
Nor did any honorific title disappear from history, at least not as discovered by Mr. Gu and Yuan Huang.
Doubt arose in Christ’s eyes.
However, the fierce battle between Mr. Gu and the Zhaoming world had recommenced.
Yuan Huang pulled a piece of the past around himself. Mr. Gu disdainfully glanced at Yuan Huang and Christ, cursing, “Just because I cannot kill you this time does not mean I cannot kill you in the future. But this time… you are not important!”
For Mr. Gu, both Yuan Huang and Christ were major concerns. But these two were deeply rooted in the past, like two trees that were not very tall but whose roots were extremely deep and far-reaching.
The Underworld Yin Realm and the Heavenly Divine Kingdom, possessing their own divine kingdoms, were firmly bound to a significant era of the world.
Of course, it seemed now that these two were not as formidable as the Zhaoming world of Confucianism.
And soon, he would be able to hunt these two freely. But with Yuan Shi Tian Zun’s disappearance, devouring them now was the most meaningless thing.
“You wish to shake the annals of history?”
Zhaoming’s voice seemed to be laughing. It was mockery.
The annals of history are immutable.
But Mr. Gu let out a cold laugh. As his voice changed, it was like the icy wind from the Nine Netherworlds blowing into the world, scattering the yellow millet.
“Are the annals of history also in my future?”
“Are they also in the future of future beings?”
Zhaoming responded as a matter of course: “The annals of history are eternal. The future is always ahead, and the past is always after the future. Therefore, the annals of history exist between these two, recording what happened in the previous moment and constantly preparing to record what will happen in the next moment.”
“My Confucianism writing history books is merely presenting to you what the annals of history have recorded, and then, after showing it to you, I will carefully revise it.”
“No matter what happens, it can be revised.”
Zhaoming was warning Mr. Gu not to attempt crude methods of stripping away future fragments and then injecting them into past fragments, for that would be useless. It was far from his own method of integrating past and future, and utterly unworthy of comparison.
“You have no way to defeat me, and I merely intend to use Qing Yang as a sacrifice.”
“In fact, now the conditions for the resurrection of the Five Emperors are met. Enough of the root of yin and yang has been severed from Qing Yang. It is enough.”
Zhaoming decided to summon the Five Emperors at this moment. Regardless of the outcome, the three Yuqing cultivators before him were powerless to stop it.
But Mr. Gu let out a terrifying laugh. As his voice changed, time itself violently collapsed, more terrifying than the shattering of mountains and the overturning of seas.
“The future is also the past. The future of the future is the true future. You say you are on the other shore, yet you still hold the annals of history of this shore… How can you be on the other shore and yet write the annals of history of this shore?”
“Past and future are one, reversal knows no distinction. I cannot do this. But I also have a supreme Dharma of my sect’s peak. Shall I show you?”
Zhaoming’s expression suddenly changed.
A thought arose.
On the other shore, it arose.
Arriving at this shore.
Within this thought, there were all sorts of futures.
The reflection of Mr. Gu appeared!
“Shake the annals of history? That is bullshit. I am not Confucianism, so I truly cannot do it!”
“But I have grasped your thought, arriving from the future of this shore to the past of the other shore. I am your thought!”
“I will devour you!”