Chu Yang's gaze remained indifferent as he quietly observed his opponent. The guardian of the River of Time glanced at Chu Yang, but did not speak.
A terrifying, silent aura emanated from both of them, causing the path of reincarnation to tremble continuously.
A dreadful pressure swept across the heavens and earth, the might of an emperor descending.
Chu Yang shouted, "Come!"
With his words, countless tribulation thunders appeared in the sky above.
These world-shattering tribulation thunders gradually brewed in the void, their destructive power leaking out, enough to obliterate a great star. Amidst the roaring, the terrifying thunder struck down abruptly.
...
"Half-step Mortal Immortal!"
"Oh my god, is that the guardian of the River of Time?"
The cultivators were astonished upon seeing this scene in the Heavenly Emperor's Mirror.
The guardian's strength was formidable, incomparable even to an emperor-level expert! However, compared to a true Mortal Immortal, there was still a significant gap, leading the cultivators to conclude that the guardian's strength lay within the realm of a half-step Mortal Immortal.
The path to immortality is elusive; throughout the ages, no one has ever truly achieved the status of a Mortal Immortal.
Even in the Sea of Reincarnation, where the powerful divine soul suspected to be a Mortal Immortal dwelled, they dared not confirm if it had truly broken through to that level.
But even so, a half-step Mortal Immortal was not something an emperor could defeat.
A cultivator remarked, "The guardian's strength is overwhelming. The Emperor must have abandoned his attempt to enter the River of Time after witnessing its power."
The cultivators nodded, evidently agreeing with this conclusion.
After all, a half-step Mortal Immortal was an existence an emperor couldn't overcome.
...
The divine thunder raged incessantly.
Chu Yang, now a true emperor, released divine thunder with immense destructive power.
Even an emperor-level expert couldn't withstand such an attack.
Yet, the guardian before him merely waved a hand, unleashing an infinite avenue of time and space.
Those world-shattering divine thunders quietly dissipated into the heavens and earth.
No noise was made, as if they had never appeared.
Chu Yang's gaze grew incredibly solemn. The guardian's strength was immense.
Mastering the avenue of time and space.
Time and space are mysterious and profound concepts, difficult to unravel.
The guardian finally spoke, "Junior, give up. The dead cannot be resurrected. You are the most astonishing existence I have observed in the River of Time, and I have been watching you."
"You have a greater mission. Why forsake a bright future for her?"
"You wish to save her, but she may not remember your kindness."
"Even if you revive her, she won't be grateful, and might even loathe you."
"Why bother?"
As the guardian of the River of Time, he was almost omniscient, overseeing every secret of the boundless river of history. Nothing, past or future, could escape his eyes.
Chu Yang smiled softly, gazing tenderly at the person in his arms, and said, "What does it matter if she doesn't remember, or if she hates me? All I want is for her to live a smooth and peaceful life."
"Nothing else matters."
The guardian sighed, his murky eyes bursting with brilliant golden light, staring intently at Chu Yang. "You can enter the River of Time, but you must understand that interfering with it will bring immense karmic repercussions. Your cultivation will be devoured, and you will perish within the River of Time."
"Do you still want to save her?"
The guardian's voice was ethereal, as if not belonging to this space-time.
Chu Yang responded firmly, "Yes!"
Without any hesitation, he resolutely answered.
"Hope you won't regret it." The guardian's voice grew more ethereal, eventually fading from the heavens and earth.
Chu Yang's gaze was determined as he leaped into the vast River of Time.
Upon entering, Chu Yang felt a dizzying whirl.
It seemed as if time flowed backward, the celestial river reversed.
In that moment, he clearly sensed boundless karmic force continuously pouring into his body, eroding everything about him.
Despite his heavenly methods, such karmic backlash was irreversible.
His emperor-level cultivation rapidly declined...
This was just from entering the River of Time. If he intervened, the consequences would be even more terrifying.
Soon.
The scene before Chu Yang gradually cleared.
His eyes suddenly focused.
He found himself in the cave where he last parted with Xiao Qi.
The familiar rainbow, waterfall, giant tree, and stream all came into view.
And there, the familiar silhouette.
Chu Yang had returned to the exact moment Xiao Qi left without saying goodbye.
Inside the cave, Xiao Qi's eyes were filled with complex emotions, tears brimming.
Before leaving, she left a divine message in the jade pendant she had given to Chu Yang.
Xiao Qi stood up, lightly kissed the sleeping Chu Yang on the face, and softly whispered, "Big dummy, I'm leaving. You must live well!"
She walked out of the cave.
Xiao Qi, reluctant to part, looked back at the cave with every step, tears streaming down her cheeks.
She really wished she could always stay by his side, but unfortunately, she had to leave...
Chu Yang, like a transient figure, his form ethereal and invisible to the world, watched everything unfold before his eyes.
Later on.
Xiao Qi reached the Tianyao Mountain.
Forced by the Demon Emperor, she could only commit suicide.
After her death, the Demon Emperor extracted all her essence blood and shattered her soul.
It was only after traversing the River of Time that Chu Yang saw everything that had happened, witnessing Xiao Qi's expression of utter despair.
His heart ached intensely, wishing he could reverse the flow of time and kill the wretched Demon Emperor.
But he knew that if he did, he would be consumed by the karmic backlash before he could even kill the Demon Emperor.
After all, the karma of an emperor-level expert was incredibly terrifying.
Suppressing his anger, he protected Xiao Qi's soul.
However, despite his formidable abilities, he could only preserve a sliver of her true spirit within the River of Time.
As he forcibly altered the cause and effect within the River of Time, the backlash struck him like countless sharp blades piercing his heart and soul.
In an instant, his cultivation plummeted.
Chu Yang knew he had no more time. He protected Xiao Qi's soul and returned to his current time and space.
With supreme power and the fruits of his emperor cultivation, he reunited Xiao Qi's soul with her body.
The karmic backlash erupted like a volcano, continually striking Chu Yang's body.
Despite his body collapsing, the emperor's physique shattered, Chu Yang remained steadfast, not pausing his actions.
Until Xiao Qi's soul and body were completely fused, Chu Yang infused all his cultivation and Dao into her, bringing her back to life.
By then, Chu Yang was already covered in blood, his energy depleted, no longer possessing the majesty of an emperor.
The endless karmic force continued to retaliate.
Chu Yang knew that after doing all this, losing all his cultivation, he could not leave the River of Time alive.
At least she lived, and that was enough.
Images of his time with Xiao Qi kept flashing through his mind.
Before his eyes closed, he sighed softly, "I owe you so much."
...
"Sigh!"
A long sigh echoed.
An invisible hand pulled Chu Yang out of the River of Time, sending him out of the path of reincarnation.