In a mysterious unknown void, a majestic river formed from the convergence of the power of time appeared, reflecting all things past and present.
The upstream was the past, where one stood was the present, and the downstream was the future.
"The River of Time, the most mysterious river between heaven and earth, has actually manifested before my eyes. Why is this happening?"
Ye Chen stood by the river's edge, sighing with emotion. Though he was on the bank, he had not left the river, remaining within its enveloping range.
Then he looked toward the upstream of the River of Time. His vision was astonishing, solidifying into a tangible force that surged into the distance. At the extreme end of the upstream, he saw scenes unfolding: a boundless, vast land filled with desolation and wilderness, with pitifully few races, everything in a state of needing to be rebuilt.
That was the Myriad Domains, newly constructed not long ago, marking the beginning of this epoch.
Essentially all races and powers in the myriad realms began their rise from that era.
Ye Chen looked further ahead, wanting to see the time before the Great Destruction of the Mythical Era, wanting to understand the truth—what exactly had happened, why the Great Destruction occurred, and which alien races had acted.
Everything before had happened too quickly, so fast that he couldn't fully comprehend it. What he had seen was merely a fragment, impossible to grasp in its entirety.
But he could see no further, for that place had been forcibly severed, creating a break in the flow. A shocking chasm spanned between heaven and earth, blocking the exploration of later generations.
Even standing upon the River of Time, one could not gaze across, could not look past that chasm-like abyss.
Ye Chen was shaken. Who could have acted, capable of severing the mysterious River of Time? It must be the greatest existence between heaven and earth.
Was it the Heavenly Dao? Or the Supreme Emperors and Sovereigns?
Everything was unknown!
Ye Chen turned and looked toward the downstream of the River of Time, wanting to see the future events about to unfold.
Unfortunately, the future could not be probed. It involved the greatest causality of heaven and earth. A hazy mist appeared, obscuring the trajectory of the downstream. No matter how far he strained his eyes, he could not penetrate it, could not catch a glimpse of the future.
The only vague fragment he could see was at the farthest end of the downstream, countless miles away. Blurred, it seemed that place too had been severed, a mournful and vivid blood-red, as if dyed by the blood of all living beings, as if foreboding something.
Would the future be a heaven and earth stained with blood?
He thought of the blood-stained Great Destruction of the Mythical Era. Could this epoch repeat the same tragedy, reenacting the Great Destruction of the Mythical Era, with all living beings staining the heavens with their blood?
Involuntarily, his heart grew heavy, as if weighed down by ten thousand great mountains upon his body and soul.
Boom—
Suddenly, the mysterious void was torn apart, shattered. Chasms spanning billions of miles appeared. That supreme existence of the alien race, which made the stars of the myriad heavens seem insignificant, entered.
It actually sat cross-legged at the very end of the River of Time's upstream, not far from the severed position, just one step away from the previous epoch's Mythical Era.
Boundless demonic mist churned, obscuring the upstream of the River of Time and causing the stars in the sky to tremble, teetering on the brink.
The endless River of Time crashed against its form, yet the mighty power of time that could decay everything could not cause the supreme alien existence to age even a hair's breadth.
It was too powerful, worthy of being called peerless across generations, revered throughout ancient and modern times, like the mightiest Emperors and Sovereigns between heaven and earth, supreme and unparalleled.
Its eyes, deeper than any bottomless abyss by who knows how many times, seemed to pierce through the eternal sky, traversing the endless River of Time. From the unreachable Mythical Epoch, it gazed at him, saw his true existence, filled with killing intent. The entire River of Time seemed to completely solidify, frozen into ice.
At this moment, Ye Chen felt his entire being about to freeze, unable to move, even incapable of mustering a shred of resistance, like an ant looking up at a dragon soaring in the Nine Heavens.
He seemed utterly insignificant.
"Having gazed upon the eternal sky, waited through endless years, from the Mythical Era until now, I have finally awaited your appearance—a key variable, though an ant."
The supreme alien existence's voice shook the starry sky, causing star after star to tremble as if on the verge of shattering, shaken down from beyond the domains to fall into the mighty River of Time, merely splashing up small ripples.
Though the language was unfamiliar, divine sense was universal. Ye Chen could understand the other's meaning.
He couldn't help but change expression. The supreme alien existence had actually waited for him for countless ages, from the Mythical Era onward. Why was this?
"Will you be that key ant? Possessing that person's immortal legacy, also wishing to tread that person's path, to achieve the supreme golden body?"
"A strange ant indeed. It seems you are not of just one lifetime, carrying the special aura of Samsara, and also the aura of some familiar people. Hmm, you've even taken half a step, nearly reaching the Tenth Heaven realm of the Mythical Era. That is, in a way, remarkable."
"Very special. Though an ant, you harbor many secrets, carry their auras, possess that person's legacy. You truly might be the ant they arranged across countless ages."
"Indeed, our waiting was correct. We deduced along the flow after those people severed the River of Time and found you, the key ant!"
"A pity. Your aptitude is, in a way, not bad, but today you must die!"
The supreme alien existence spoke, and boundless, immense power descended along the River of Time, tearing through the void, tearing through the river of time itself, bringing Ye Chen's physical body—still in the Purple Mansion Sacred Land—into this place, truly merging with Ye Chen.
Previously, it had only been his Primordial Spirit; now, even his physical body had been brought here.
Ye Chen's expression changed. He struggled with all his might, his entire body glowing, surging with divine power, wanting to tear through the River of Time and return to reality.
Unfortunately, it was impossible. He simply couldn't do it. The other's icy gaze alone, and even that across countless ages, directed at him along the River of Time, caused all the bones and tendons in his body to shatter, his Primordial Spirit to explode.
For the first time, he felt such despair. The enemy he faced had long surpassed the scope of the younger generation. Even if his past self came, it would be useless. The gap was too vast. A single thought from the other could easily crush him a thousand times over.
Like an ant looking up at a heavenly dragon circling the Nine Heavens, utterly unable to resist.
Facing the other, as it said, even someone as strong as him was merely an "ant."
Boundless pressure swept over, actually locking onto Ye Chen. A terrifyingly extreme killing intent was unleashed. In an instant, stars shattered completely under that killing aura.
The killing intent forcibly opened a passage, striking toward Ye Chen, making his body feel as if about to be torn apart, his Primordial Spirit trembling, nearly completely shattered and annihilated.
For this was the killing intent of a supreme existence, peerless across generations, capable of slaying all.
Even a Heavenly King Invincible or an ancient Great Sage coming would likely be unable to withstand it, to be slain, unable to resist.
Ye Chen hadn't expected the supreme alien existence to use such a terrifying great killing move against him.
The killing intent was about to reach his body. The River of Time exploded, with terrifying waves churning and striking the sky. The myriad stars in the firmament teetered on the brink.
At this moment, Ye Chen suddenly noticed that on the River of Time, at different positions, throughout history, hazy figures were manifesting one after another. Each appeared very young, very powerful, astonishingly talented and brilliant.
But these young and brilliant figures were successively shattered by the killing intent, dissipating, completely turning to ashes, leaving nothing behind.
Ye Chen understood. Throughout history, he was not the only one targeted by the supreme alien existence. There had been other peerless talents brilliant across the ages, but the supreme alien existence, sitting upon the River of Time, had pierced through countless ages, deduced them all, pulled them one by one onto the River of Time, and unleashed this fearsome killing intent to wipe them all out at once.
Finally, after slaughtering those people along the way, the killing intent arrived nearby. The terrifying killing aura swept through the heavens. Stars shattered one after another. The River of Time exploded with massive waves, crashing up to the ninth heaven.
Was he going to die like this?
Ye Chen smiled bitterly. At this moment, he felt no fear, no terror. His expression was very calm, also very desolate.
Because he had managed with great difficulty to reincarnate and be reborn, thinking he could once again climb to the pinnacle of the Great Dao, reunite with his past life's beloved, compete with the talents of the Myriad Domains for the position of Human Sovereign, and contend for the hope of becoming an Emperor in this life.
He also wanted to seek the truths of the past, like the Mythical Era. But in the end, he still couldn't escape death.
Insignificant as he was, dying at the hands of a supreme alien existence was not, in a way, a disgrace.
Boom—
Right at this moment, the void shattered. An immense, boundless finger pointed out, entwined with endless chaotic energy, filling the starry sky. It pointed at that killing intent, instantly shattering it, nearly severing the River of Time itself.
Boom—
The River of Time boiled, for a supreme existence was descending. He did not come from the past, nor from the future, nor was he in the present. He seemed to transcend above the River of Time, not bound by its restrictions, eternal through the ages.
Infinite light, vast and boundless, shook the three thousand great worlds, sweeping over overwhelmingly.
A tall and majestic figure slowly stepped forth, like a supreme Divine Spirit, powerful beyond measure. Through the boiling of the River of Time, one could sense his terror.
He strode forward. Each step seemed to tread upon the pulse of the great worlds of the myriad realms, synchronized with the heartbeat of all living beings, causing all worlds to tremble.
Chaotic mist obscured that figure, making his true features unclear. One only knew he was a man, with black hair flowing loosely. He arrived by Ye Chen's side. Though clearly the same height as Ye Chen, he felt as if he could prop up the great worlds of the myriad realms, no less insignificant than the supreme alien existence.
The supreme alien existence gazed into the distance and said, "Indeed, you are not dead."