Each time he leaped into the Magical Treasure Eye of the Giant Cauldron, it was like traversing space-time, returning him to the point of origin.
This repeated again and again, akin to an endless cycle of reincarnation.
Gu Qingfeng began to suspect he had fallen into the legendary Space-Time Chaotic Current.
He had heard before that beyond the Ninth Heaven, within the Endless Sea, there existed not only Spatial Chaotic Currents and Temporal Chaotic Currents, but also Space-Time Chaotic Currents.
Spatial Chaotic Currents were spaces without rules, ever-changing and unpredictable.
Temporal Chaotic Currents were similarly times without rules, ever-changing and unpredictable.
The Space-Time Chaotic Current was the same—a space-time without rules, ever-changing and unpredictable.
Falling into a Spatial Chaotic Current was like plunging into an abyss.
Falling into a Temporal Chaotic Current could mean a single thought spanning a thousand years, ten thousand years, or even longer.
But if one fell into a Space-Time Chaotic Current... perhaps a single thought could be the past, another the present, and yet another the future.
Jumping into the Magical Treasure Eye of the Giant Cauldron was like crossing space-time to return to the past and start over.
Thinking of this, his heart gave a lurch. "Goddamn it!" he cursed. "Could I really be this unlucky, actually trapped within a segment of Space-Time Chaotic Current?"
The more he thought about it, the more possible it seemed. Especially since Gu Qingfeng clearly remembered that each time he jumped into the Magical Treasure Eye, it felt like falling into a cycle. Could it be, goddamn it, that he had already fallen into the Space-Time Chaotic Current from the very first leap into the Magical Treasure Eye?
Or perhaps it should be said that the Magical Treasure Eye of the Giant Cauldron *was* the Space-Time Chaotic Current itself?
"Goddamn it!"
Gu Qingfeng drew a deep breath. This breath felt chilling straight to his core. Cursing angrily, he pondered that this time, he was not only in a pickle, but likely utterly screwed.
If he had only fallen into a Spatial Chaotic Current, there might still be a way to force his way out. But if he had truly fallen into a Space-Time Chaotic Current... how the hell was he supposed to get out?
Although he had comprehended the mysteries of the Great Dao of Space, he had never had any contact with the concept of time, let alone the space-time formed by the mixture of time and space.
With his current abilities, he was far from capable of touching upon the legendary divine domain of space-time.
"Da Xing, oh Da Xing, your master has really been done in by you this time, you old bald donkey!"
Gu Qingfeng sat on the mountain range of the great cauldron, opened a jar of Heaven Has Its Way and a jar of Hell Is Unpredictable, and began drinking gloomily. Although he cursed Da Xing the Mad Monk verbally, it was just that—verbal. In his heart, he was clear that falling into the Space-Time Chaotic Current this time wasn't Da Xing's fault; if he had to blame anyone, it was himself, Gu Qingfeng.
Regrets?
He couldn't really say he regretted it.
In this lifetime, Gu Qingfeng had never regretted his own stubbornness. Even now, trapped in a Space-Time Chaotic Current, he couldn't speak of regret. At most, he was just a bit frustrated.
As for whether he could leave the Space-Time Chaotic Current...
He didn't know.
Nor did he have much confidence. After all, falling into a Space-Time Chaotic Current was like a maiden getting into a bridal sedan chair—a first-time experience. He had never gone through it before and had no idea how to escape from it.
Since he was here, he might as well make himself at ease.
Gu Qingfeng wasn't in a hurry. He drank his wine while thinking of a way out.
Unfortunately.
After drinking over ten jars of Hell Is Unpredictable and Heaven Has Its Way, he still hadn't come up with a method to leave.
In the end, he could only curse again, stand up, pat his buttocks, and return inside the Giant Cauldron.
The Magical Treasure Eye was still shrouded by the Seal. Beside it, Ancestor Lin Chi remained sitting cross-legged like a shriveled corpse, head drooping, utterly unconscious.
After tormenting things back and forth over ten times, Gu Qingfeng was basically certain there was some connection between Ancestor Lin Chi and the Magical Treasure Eye. He just couldn't figure out the mystery behind it for the moment.
Suddenly.
Gu Qingfeng thought of a possibility.
Could it be that this Ancestor Lin Chi knew the secret of the Giant Cauldron and had been fooling him all along?
Could all of this be some trick Ancestor Lin Chi was playing?
He thought about it carefully, then felt it was unlikely.
He had messed around inside the Magical Treasure Eye over ten times, and had killed Ancestor Lin Chi just as many times. Moreover, to determine whether it was a trick played by Lin Chi, he had made each strike more ruthless than the last. Each time, he was absolutely certain Ancestor Lin Chi's Physical Body had been reduced to dust, his Soul dissipated into smoke—utterly dead, impossible to be faking.
Even if this Ancestor Lin Chi also possessed the ability of Nirvanic Rebirth, he couldn't possibly resurrect so quickly, could he?
Also, if he was truly trying to fool him, what did Ancestor Lin Chi gain from being killed by him over and over again?
Wouldn't that be a bit too idiotic?
Most importantly, Gu Qingfeng had previously extracted Ancestor Lin Chi's memories. This Ancestor Lin Chi truly was a Supreme Elder of Danding Valley, and he had indeed entered these Ancient Ruins during the Desolate Age alongside a group of Danding Valley Elders. In his memories, the reason Ancestor Lin Chi was trapped here wasn't because he had fallen into a Space-Time Chaotic Current like Gu Qingfeng, but because he couldn't break the Seal and couldn't charge out through the Chaotic Current vortex outside. That's why he had been trapped here for so long.
In Ancestor Lin Chi's memories, this was also his first time coming to these Ancient Ruins. He had no idea what the Giant Cauldron was.
This left Gu Qingfeng somewhat puzzled. Since Ancestor Lin Chi didn't even know what the Giant Cauldron was, how was he connected to the Seal on the Magical Treasure Eye?
Why did the Seal mysteriously disappear after he killed him?
It felt as if Ancestor Lin Chi's Soul was the source of the Seal, continuously sustaining its operation. Eliminating his Soul was like eliminating the source of the Seal.
Looking at the Ancestor Lin Chi here, Gu Qingfeng suspected if someone had tampered with him while he was unconscious, something Ancestor Lin Chi himself was unaware of, hence the lack of such memories.
Hard to say.
Gu Qingfeng decided to investigate thoroughly. So, he set up another Spirit-Gathering Formation, used a piece of Essence Crystal to help Ancestor Lin Chi recover, and once Ancestor Lin Chi regained consciousness, without a word, kicked him again—first shattering his Physical Body to pieces, then seizing his Soul.
Again, he employed a mix of coaxing, tricking, intimidation, threats, bribery, and torture. When soft methods failed, he resorted to hard ones, inadvertently tormenting Ancestor Lin Chi's Soul to death once more.
Gu Qingfeng didn't stop. He leaped into the Magical Treasure Eye, as if traversing space-time, returning to the origin point, and subjected the Soul to severe interrogation again.
Just like this, he went back and forth seven or eight times, each time relentlessly tormenting Ancestor Lin Chi's Soul to death before starting over.
Finally, Gu Qingfeng was certain: Ancestor Lin Chi couldn't be fooling him. He truly knew nothing about the Giant Cauldron.
Moreover, after seven or eight rounds of study, he also confirmed that Ancestor Lin Chi's Soul had no direct connection to the Seal on the Magical Treasure Eye. His Soul was not the source sustaining the Seal either.
If that was the case, things became even more bizarre. Since Ancestor Lin Chi's Soul wasn't the source sustaining the Seal, why did eliminating his Soul cause the Seal to disappear?