Outside Of Time

Chapter 1820: Zi Xuan Awakens

Editor: Atlas Studios

Time passed, and twenty years went by.

Over these two decades, the landscape of Wanggu underwent earth-shaking changes!

Under the prestige of Xu Qing’s name, the Empress expanded Her territories with unstoppable momentum, restoring the human region to the scale it had enjoyed during the reign of Emperor Eastern Triumph.

And this was just the extent of direct control. In terms of indirect influence, humanity had risen to become the foremost race in Wanggu within these twenty years, dominating most of its expanse.

The remaining regions were strongholds of gods and ancient races. Though these factions were wary of the human race and unwilling to provoke them, they were also reluctant to submit easily.

Just as the three sides reached a stalemate, Ling’er emerged from the Moon Offering Region. Accompanied by the Crown Prince and the others, she used her identity as a descendant of the Ancient Spirit Race to provide these ancient factions with a face-saving way to yield.

For various reasons, they were unwilling to bow to the human race, but yielding to the bloodline of the Ancient Spirit Race was a different matter.

In the eyes of these ancient races, though the myriad races of Wanggu claimed to be countless in number, in reality, they were simply human race plus nonhuman races.

The Ancient Spirit Race, which had unified Wanggu before Ancient Sovereign Mystic Nether, belonged to the latter category.

Thus, submitting to the Ancient Spirit bloodline aligned with their wishes.

With this, the only remaining obstacle to unifying Wanggu was the gods.

And matters concerning gods were best resolved by gods themselves. So, the Empress journeyed to Nanhuang Continent, paying Her respects outside the magic boat where Xu Qing was in seclusion and explaining Her intentions.

The sea shimmered with rippling light as the ark swayed gently. Inside, Xu Qing remained seated in meditation, his eyes still closed.

He did not emerge from seclusion.

But he raised his hand and flicked it outward. A streak of light flew from the ark, gathering before the Empress at the harbor and coalescing into a clay statue.

The statue was of a fox.

As the wind blew, the clay effigy radiated a brilliant glow, its material transforming from clay to flesh, its colors growing increasingly vivid until it became a living, breathing entity.

A delicate, coquettish laugh rang out as the clay fox returned to the mortal world.

"Sister, it’s been so long! I must thank you for seeking me out—otherwise, that heartless man would have forgotten all about me."

The clay fox covered Her mouth with a coy smile, Her eyes brimming with allure.

The Empress frowned but said nothing more. After bowing toward Xu Qing’s ark, She turned and left.

The clay fox’s laughter lingered as She turned her gaze toward the direction of the Flame Moon’s territory, Her eyes filled with eager anticipation.

"The sun, moon, and star... their order shall change."

With that, She took a step forward and vanished.

Her return to Wanggu began with the Flame Moon Mystic Heaven Race.

The moment She arrived, the sacred mountain of the Flame Moon Mystic Heaven Race trembled violently. The sky began to rain mud.

As the muddy droplets fell, a wave of dread washed over the hearts of the clan’s members. Simultaneously, an overwhelming divine presence descended upon the sacred mountain, echoing with a divine proclamation:

"Flame Moon, Flame Sun—come before me!"

The sacred mountain quaked as the figures of the Sun God and Moon God manifested within, Their expressions shifting with unease before They shot toward the heavens.

Yet They could not reach the apex.

The Moon God managed only seven steps before falling silent mid-air and lowering Her head.

The Sun God, His body ablaze with radiant light, transformed into a blazing sun, attempting to force His way upward. But He, too, could advance only a few steps more than the Moon God...

His solar form turned to mud, and He, too, fell silent. With a meaningful glance at the clay fox standing atop the celestial curtain, He lowered His head.

The clay fox’s laughter resounded across the land.

The order of the sun, moon, and star had become star, moon, and sun.

Next, Her divine form descended upon the regions of various gods, presenting Them with two choices through unyielding means:

Either be annihilated and have Their divine source extracted, or submit and become vassal gods.

Thus, She unified the pantheon.

Even those exceptionally powerful gods who lurked in deep slumber, surpassing the clay fox in strength, were no match—for Old Master Seventh had remained vigilant.

During Xu Qing’s twenty years of seclusion, Old Master Seventh resided in Brilliant Heaven but ventured out twice.

The first time, he annihilated an ancient relic among the myriad races who had survived through esoteric means.

The second time, he suppressed three half-step True Gods.

Through his interventions, the conflicts between the other races, gods, and human race were, at least on the surface, resolved. Under the governance of Ling’er and the clay fox, they formed an alliance with the human race, acknowledging its supremacy.

Thus, humanity... finally achieved unification.

Thereafter, the Empress represented the human race, Ling’er the myriad races, and the clay fox the gods.

The three parties jointly established a covenant known as the "Purification of the Ancient," vowing to scour the continent for all hidden realms, rooting out any traces or covert influences extending from beyond.

And so, time flowed onward once more.

Another twenty years passed.

Xu Qing’s seclusion had now lasted forty years.

In these latter two decades, humanity’s position had become unshakable. Empress Parting Summer was now revered as Ancient Sovereign Parting Summer.

Humanity’s development flourished similarly.

Were it not for the ever-present unease cast by the fragmented-face in the sky, one might even describe this as a golden age.

Among the rising stars of this era, Ning Yan stood out. Under the Empress’s meticulous guidance, he had truly grown into the qualities befitting a crown prince.

Beyond Ning Yan, several others had also carved out their own legacies during these years.

Wu Jianwu, for instance, had founded his own school of thought centered on hatching and nurturing beasts. Though his personal cultivation was limited, the beasts he had raised over the years had become extraordinary.

Then there was Kong Xianglong, descendant of the former Palace Master of Fenghai County’s Sword Holding Palace. He had fully embraced Kong Liangxiu’s will, becoming humanity’s Sword Holder and ascending as the acting Palace Master of the Sword Holding Palace.

All that remained was for his cultivation to reach the required level for official recognition.

Each individual was sailing their own course, leaving their unique mark on the world.

The grand tide of Wanggu followed suit. Under the joint stewardship of the human race, gods, and the nonhuman races, the hidden threads leading beyond Wanggu were mostly uncovered and meticulously recorded.

It seemed as though no secrets remained in Wanggu.

Except... for one place.

A place where neither the nonhuman races, nor the gods, nor even the human race dared to set foot.

Even Old Master Seventh had only gazed upon it from afar before ultimately choosing to depart.

Thus, this place became the sole anomaly in Wanggu.

Its name—the Sky Devouring Region!

Home to the returned Purple Green Kingdom!

No one entered, and none within its borders ventured out.

It was as though all were waiting.

Until, two years later... at the harbor of Seven Blood Eyes in Nanhuang Continent, the magic boat that had remained anchored there for forty-two years vanished without a sound.

Only the rippling waves remained.

Yet, the moment the magic boat disappeared from the mortal world, a figure materialized beside Erniu’s slumbering form in Brilliant Heaven.

Old Master Seventh, seated in meditation before his master’s grave, noticed nothing.

The figure did not disturb him, merely gazing at Erniu before vanishing once more.

In the next instant, the figure appeared before the statue of the Sword Holding Great Emperor outside the human imperial capital.

No one saw him. No one sensed him.

Xu Qing, clad in black robes with flowing violet hair, looked no different from forty-two years ago—save for the deeper intensity in his eyes.

He studied the statue for a long, long time before bowing deeply.

Then he turned his gaze toward Fenghai County.

"She’s waking up..."

Xu Qing murmured, a tender smile gracing his lips as he took a step toward Fenghai County.

At the same time, deep beneath Fenghai County, within the expansive underground palace, in a hall adorned with phoenix motifs...

The flame of a lantern flickered to life.

It was the light of the Clear Purple Mystic Lantern.

Bathed in its glow, the tranquil hall revealed a woman seated in meditation.

She wore a violet dress, its hem spread around her like drifting clouds, swaying gently with the faintest breeze, as if carrying a subtle fragrance.

Her features were elegant, her skin as fair as snow.

The slight arch of her brows seemed to conceal boundless emotion, yet also exuded an ethereal, transcendent grace.

She sat serenely on a cushion, her hands resting naturally on her knees, her fingers slender and pale as scallion stems.

From afar, she resembled a painting of unparalleled beauty.

It was as though time had paused just for her, preserving this exquisite scene in perpetuity.

Until—the next moment.

Her lashes fluttered, and slowly, she opened her eyes, gazing toward the hall’s entrance.

Stars seemed to shimmer in her pupils, vibrant and profound, as if illuminating the world itself.

And at that very moment, the hall’s door was gently pushed open from the outside.