Chapter 1456: Chapter 899: Not Found in the Sea of Time_2

Emperor Merciless lowered her gaze, clutching the Guiding Stone in her hand, and ascended swiftly.

Due to the influence of the Bizarre Clan, the timeline had begun to veer into chaos, maintaining only a tenuous connection between past, present, and future, but even this most fundamental sequence was now unraveling.

Once the timeline fell into utter disarray, the world would transform into a harrowing Netherworld. Lives would be extinguished en masse, and the mortal world would become an exceedingly scarce existence.

Of course, that was a matter for the future.

For now, as long as they remained, they could still strive to keep the basic timeline functioning–unless they perished in battle here.

Ye Fan moved with the swiftness of the wind, his stride akin to lightning.

The Time Sea appeared boundless, but it was not truly without limits.

Ye Fan and his companions knew certain secrets. By silently thinking of four significant words–above Karma–they could quickly reach the heart of the Time Sea.

Soon, the scenery before the three of them changed once again.

In the distance, a vast expanse of radiant nebula-like light appeared before their eyes.

At the very center, there seemed to be an entirely transparent eye faintly flickering. It alternated between opening and closing, revealing the immeasurable vicissitudes of time when half-open, and exuding a profound stillness where all meaning ceased when tightly shut.

Ye Fan slightly turned his body, glancing at Emperor Merciless who was catching up from behind.

Though they had all reached a certain Realm where they could predict the future, specialization mattered, and Emperor Merciless was particularly adept at this skill, yielding more precise results.

There was no need for ceremony between them; their bond surpassed even that with Emperor No-Origin.

Emperor Merciless nodded and immediately sat cross-legged, closing her eyes in quiet concentration.

Almost instantly, numerous steles materialized around her, each inscribed with dense ancient text. In the next moment, these written characters emerged from the stone surfaces and hovered in midair.

Emperor No-Origin’s gaze shifted back and forth between Emperor Merciless and the eye of the Time Sea.

He understood well what they were trying to deduce.

The Time Sea existed beyond Karma, meaning that all deductions made through it were free from karmic interference or obfuscation. Hence, it could unveil truths that were normally impossible to perceive.

For instance, why such an inconceivably immense entity as the Master of Liu Village would one day vanish without a trace, leaving nothing behind.

The three of them were still haunted by this mystery, unwilling to reconcile with the outcome.

For an Immortal Emperor to influence the course of a battle, the possibilities were countless.

If they could uncover the true reason, they were determined to try once more to see if it could be altered.

As Emperor No-Origin was deep in thought, Emperor Merciless, who had initially closed her eyes, suddenly opened them wide. Her brows furrowed, her expression mingling confusion, incomprehension, and incredulity.

What prompted such emotions from her was the complete absence of any trace of Liu Village or its Master within the Time Sea.

Time, vast and boundless, encompassed the past and future of all things. No matter who or what–be it sentient or lifeless, intelligent or dull, powerful or weak, male or female–everything that existed, even a grain of sand, a droplet of water, or a fallen leaf, would leave some unique mark as time flowed.

But now, before her eyes, it was as though an invisible barrier had completely severed her observation. Anything related to Liu Village was deeply concealed–or more precisely, there was no information about the Master of Liu Village at all.

“How could this be?” Emperor Merciless muttered softly to herself, disbelief threading through her voice.

She concentrated again, but the outcome remained the same.

Behind her, Ye Fan and Emperor No-Origin, noticing her reaction, couldn’t help but ask: “What’s wrong?”

The Willow God slowly rose to her feet, her gaze tinged with puzzlement. Looking at No-Origin and Ye Fan, she spoke faintly, “I… saw nothing.”

Hearing this, Emperor No-Origin’s heart was struck by waves of turmoil.

He knew all too well that Emperor Merciless’s skill in deduction was unrivaled throughout the ages, standing as a singular pinnacle.

“Could it be that Liu Village and its Master have truly transcended the constraints of this world, to the point where even the Time Sea cannot capture their trace?” Emperor No-Origin speculated silently, though he immediately shook his head to dismiss the thought.

Even the mightiest Immortal Emperors couldn’t achieve this level of transcendence. If they could, those Phantom Immortal Emperors lurking in the shadows would have long revealed themselves, unleashing carnage on all fronts. The realm Above the Upper Heaven would have fallen, and even temporal traversal couldn’t reverse that fate.

Ye Fan appeared to have thought of something and suddenly said, “If even the Time Sea yields no images, doesn’t that suggest that in future eras, the Master of Liu Village might not have perished as we assumed?”

Complicated emotions flickered in Emperor Merciless’s eyes. “Indeed, if the Time Sea cannot track the Master of Liu Village, then perhaps his fate didn’t unfold toward an end as we imagined. But how, then, does one explain the fact that in the future, anything related to Liu Village and its Master appears utterly expunged, leaving not the slightest trace?”

If this discrepancy couldn’t be resolved, all their conjectures about the Master of Liu Village would remain speculative at best.

“Regardless, since Karma reveals nothing, it means there’s significant room for maneuvering. We may as well carry on with our plan and visit Liu Village. If deduction fails, witnessing it with our own eyes is a better option,” Ye Fan said gravely.

Previously, such an undertaking would have been exceedingly difficult, the karmic burden unimaginable. Otherwise, their prior efforts to locate Emperor Huang Tian wouldn’t have been so painstaking.

But now, with the Guiding Stone in hand, the location of Nirvana had already been marked by the flow of time itself. No matter how time shifted, the stone provided the most accurate guidance.

As a result, the difficulty of their endeavor had lessened significantly.

Emperor Merciless and Emperor No-Origin fell into silence.

They naturally understood why Ye Fan was so insistent.

The future loomed precariously, the enemy’s strength dark and cunning beyond their expectations.

With so few companions, the journey ahead seemed lonelier.

…

A golden rooster crowed, its sharp cry slicing through the quiet of dawn. The sound was crisp and resonant, exuding both majesty and serenity, awakening the slumbering Liu Village.

Above, a faint streak of white light tinged the sky.

The village exuded tranquility. Thin mists drifted, shrouding distant mountains and nearby houses in veils of haze, creating a dreamlike beauty like a delicate ink wash painting.

At this moment, the industrious villagers were already busying themselves as the mist rose.

The ethereal mist mingled with curling threads of cooking smoke as the calls of roosters and barks of dogs echoed intermittently.

Under a verdant forest grove near a mountain hollow.

The figures of Ye Fan and his two companions gradually emerged.

“The Guiding Stone bestowed upon us by the Master of Liu Village–just what kind of extraordinary treasure is it?” Emperor No-Origin couldn’t help but marvel as he examined the stone in his hand, its jade-like texture cool and smooth. “Not only does it glimpse the finality of time, but it even allowed us to reach our destination with unparalleled accuracy in such a short span. And we’ve arrived directly within the village no less!”

This was his first time using the Guiding Stone.

But not his first experience traversing time.

The trio had just descended from the hollow when they ran straight into Old Man Lin out for a morning stroll.

Seeing three unfamiliar yet extraordinary figures descending from the mountain, Old Man Lin froze briefly. Recognizing them, he appeared slightly surprised and said, “Honored guests… could it be you’ve returned to meet with our Lord again?”

If his memory didn’t fail him, these guests had only left the village not long ago! For such mighty beings, their departure was no more than the equivalent of a quick nap, wasn’t it?

Moreover, he distinctly remembered overhearing their previous departure remarks–the implication was that they might not return for some time…

Somewhat embarrassed, Ye Fan and his companions maintained calm expressions, nodding toward Old Man Lin. “Please inform Village Chief Lin that we have important matters to discuss.”

“The three of you, please wait a moment.” Upon hearing it was a significant matter, Old Man Lin immediately grew solemn, arranging for Boss Lin to entertain them before hurrying up the mountain.

Before long, Old Man Lin returned.

“The Lord is already awaiting your arrival.”

…

The rear mountains loomed quietly.

Glistening crystal stones paved the way.

“Fellow Daoists… it’s been a long time…” Jiang Hui greeted Ye Fan and the others with a broad smile.

“Daoist, we’ve come this time regarding an urgent matter,” Ye Fan said directly, cutting to the chase.

“What is it?”

“The Bizarre Clan will likely make their move against you imminently.”