Chapter 549: Spirit Domain 341 Era, The Cosmic Ark

When the squares beneath Zhao Xing and Ji Si lit up, the time displayed was 341 Eras Before the Desolate Realm. However, the specific Solar Year was only visible to Zhao Xing and Ji Si themselves.

"Fellow Daoists, Zhao Xing will be taking his leave now."At this moment, everyone on the three floor tiles offered their congratulations."May Si Nong Zhao attain godhood!"

Congratulating someone on attaining godhood was often a mere formality, but Zhao Xing, as the mountain chief, was different. Many believed he could become not just a God of Freedom, but also a True God of No Calamity. It was undoubtedly a great boon for their faction to gain another Si Nong True God, one from which everyone could benefit.

According to legends of the Si Nong Path, if the Geomancy Faction gained a True God, they would gain an additional blessed land or divine mountain. If the Ego Faction gained a True God, they would gain a new divine plant capable of bearing divine fruits. As for True Gods of the Chronomancy Faction, no legends were heard, but it was assumed they would bring benefits of a similar caliber.

True Gods of No Calamity, who attain godhood through heaven and earth, always benefit others, and Si Nong True Gods were particularly outstanding in this regard.

"We shall meet again." With these words, the floor beneath Zhao Xing split open, and he and Ji Si fell through.

The Third Era of the Desolate Realm, Sixth Solar Year, Zhiluo Dynasty.

"Reporting, Divine General, believers can no longer use conventional sacrificial methods on him; temporal and spatial sacrificial spells are now required. This proves that Zhao Xing has departed from the current timeline." This was Zhiluo God of Freedom reporting to Heavenly Maiden Thunder Mother."I believe efforts to win over Zhao Xing can now be concluded."

Clearly, Zhao Xing had not been successfully swayed over the past five thousand years, and he had now left the Third Era of the Desolate Realm. The only possibility was that he had traveled through time and space to attain godhood. This development confirmed the failure of the plan to influence Zhao Xing. Zhiluo God of Freedom believed that with the incentives now ineffective, it was time to proceed to the next stage.

"Can you ascertain which spatial-temporal domain he's headed to?" Heavenly Maiden Thunder Mother asked.

"Locating his temporal-spatial transit point isn't difficult," Zhiluo God of Freedom replied. Heavenly Maiden Thunder Mother fell into thought. Locating the transit point was not the challenge; the difficulty lay in Zhao Xing being protected by two or even more Divine Generals. She needed to impose some form of sanction on Zhao Xing, at least to disrupt his current plan for attaining godhood, to make him feel the might of the Five Abyssal Thunder God Bureau.

"Locate his temporal-spatial transit point and cease the sacrifices here.""Understood."

Zhiluo God of Freedom responded respectfully. He quickly left the subterranean secret chamber and instructed Demigod Priest He Chengzi to cease the sacrifices to Zhao Xing.

"Revered God, I don't understand," He Chengzi said. "Why should we end the offerings to Zhao Xing?"

"Don't ask what you shouldn't ask," Zhiluo God of Freedom said coldly. "Just do as you're told."

"Understood," He Chengzi respectfully affirmed, then watched Zhiluo God of Freedom depart.

"Five millennia of offerings, and now they're to be stopped," He Chengzi murmured to himself. "It seems the Revered God intends to take action against Si Nong Zhao."

"Senior Brother," He Chengzi's junior sister, whose face paint had turned black, said from beside him, "Senior Brother, be realistic. This is just a task. You haven't truly developed admiration for Zhao Xing, have you?"

"How could I? Admire him?" He Chengzi scoffed. "Junior Sister, quickly go and destroy those altars, and stop all Emperors and Demigods from offering him incense and tribute!"

"That's for the best," his junior sister sighed in relief and quickly went to carry out the task.

After his junior sister left, He Chengzi's stern expression slowly relaxed.

"After five millennia of offerings, I studied Si Nong Zhao's treatises, and my sacrificial spirit-reading has advanced to a new level.""Alas, must I return to my original state? Si Nong Zhao has the potential to become a True God of Heaven-Earth Attainment!"

The Third Era of the Desolate Realm, Sixth Solar Year, Dark Sky Desolate Realm.

In a perilous region outside the Underworld Ancient Mountain, stood an ancient temple known as the Undying Underworld God Temple. Kuang Chuan was currently bowing before the divine statue within."Revered God, Zhao Xing has departed from this timeline.""I can no longer perceive his karma."

To gain the trust of the Undying Underworld God, Kuang Chuan, after consulting with Zhao Xing's touring avatar, deliberately took the initiative to report this news.

From the censer before the divine statue, black flames burned, and a pair of red eyes appeared within the black fire."Kuang Chuan, you have done well. As for Zhao Xing, who remains unrepentant, he will receive his due punishment."

Kuang Chuan listened respectfully, but soon the black flames vanished.Also within the Dark Sky Desolate Realm, in another hidden location.

A Kunxu colossal beast lay within the ancient layers of the Dark Sky Dao, also reporting the news of Zhao Xing's disappearance to another entity."Father God, I personally witnessed the Temporal-Spatial Ark of the Samsara Divine Palace depart, disappearing from the Sixth Solar Year, tracing its way backward.""Zhao Xing should be aboard it. Shall we do something?"

On the Kunxu colossal beast's forehead was a small beast-god statue, like a gem embedded in its brow.

"Child," the ethereal image of the Tianshan Beast God flowed within the gem. "The survival or demise of a genius like Zhao Xing is a gamble between Human Divine Generals, or even Divine Kings. We merely need to fulfill our own tasks and not meddle. That is the way to survive."

After Zhao Xing fell from the square on the Temporal-Spatial Ark, he first entered a milky-white cylindrical passage.

As soon as he fell, he lost all sense of time and space, and his true spirit experienced a severe sense of dimensional imbalance.However, this feeling of spiritual imbalance gradually weakened, replaced by physical discomfort. His magical power surged, the various Grand Daos of Five Elements and Yin-Yang he had previously comprehended felt misaligned, and his senses were disoriented, as if the world was spinning, at one moment tossed high, at the next violently slammed down.

The white light pillar extended downwards, and the moment Zhao Xing and Ji Si re-entered the River of Time, Zhao Xing first saw the sun.Below, 1200 suns, strung together, appeared in his mind.

"These represent the 1200 Solar Years of 341 Eras Before the Desolate Realm, the largest reference point in the River of Time.""Using the cyclical movement of the suns to represent the flow of the River of Time is the most symbolic."

After seeing the suns, the Chronomancy Faction's divine-level cultivation technique began to take effect.Reflecting the Great Sun Ocean, Zhao Xing quickly regained full mental and physical stability. He and Ji Si fell into the first sun.

"Yoo~"The white light pillar vanished, and Zhao Xing felt solid ground beneath his feet, signifying the end of the Temporal-Spatial Ark's transfer.Upon a clear look, he saw they were standing on a barren meteorite, surrounded by similar meteorites.

"Ji Si, how are you?""Great Si Nong, I'm a bit dizzy." Ji Si's breathing was hurried, and her brows were tightly furrowed. Temporal-spatial travel was more arduous for fate masters.

This was because fate masters perceived karma more clearly, and the sense of karmic disorientation brought by temporal-spatial travel was more pronounced in them. Fortunately, Ji Si also cultivated the Historian's Path, which allowed her to clarify and restore her true spirit more quickly.

Ji Si habitually pinched her fingers, then quickly stopped. "This feels completely different from temporal-spatial travel via the Transmission Pagoda.""With true temporal-spatial travel, the consumption of any of my spells has doubled, and the backlash has also doubled. The longer I stay, the more these effects will increase."

"There's no way around it," Zhao Xing mentally transmitted. "Unless you're willing to completely leave the Desolate Realm Era, pledge allegiance to an evil god, and have them sever your numerous karmic ties to fix you in a past timeline, this negative feedback will persist."

When evil gods brought believers below the divine level away and returned to their established spatial-temporal domains, they would find ways to eliminate this negative state.However, it was impossible for either Zhao Xing or Ji Si to pledge allegiance.

Seeing that Ji Si was fine, Zhao Xing checked his panel.The temporal-spatial destination for both him and Ji Si was the 1st Solar Year, 4th Boundary Star Year of 341 Eras Before the Desolate Realm.

It could also be described as the 15th Era since the start of the Spirit Realm Epoch, though this description was less precise than the first, as it was unknown if the dark clouds shrouding the River of Time concealed even more eras and timelines.Their specific temporal-spatial landing location was near the Primordial Heavenly Palace. However, upon checking the panel now, he found himself in the 1st Solar Year, 45th Boundary Star Year of 341 Eras Before the Desolate Realm, with the location displayed as "Phantom God Galaxy."

"The time difference is 41 years, which is acceptable. When the past faction pushes the River of Time and launches an attack, such a small time deviation is normal fluctuation.""But why is the location so far off?"

"Does Great Si Nong already know this place?""Phantom God Galaxy."

"The historical Lunar Veil Ancient Kingdom?" Ji Si was startled.He was very familiar with this place name; the Great Zhou's first fortune was dug from the Lunar Veil Mausoleum in the Phantom God Galaxy."Could there be some conspiracy?"

"Ji Si, no need to be paranoid," Zhao Xing quickly regained his composure. "The deviation for Xiong Yue and the others was even greater. For us to land in a familiar area is already quite fortunate."

"True," Ji Si nodded. "I've been fighting in the Sky Lake Starfield for too long; I'm being a bit overly cautious.""We haven't traveled back to the Five Emperors Era. The entire temporal domain of the Spirit Realm Epoch is still under the control of the Desolate Realm Era faction. While their control might not be as strong during special periods, there's no need to worry excessively."

Zhao Xing had the confidence to say this primarily because their luck, as displayed on the panel, had not changed significantly.It had only decreased by about three to five ranks, which was a normal fluctuation for temporal-spatial travel. If it had decreased by more than five ranks of luck, it would have been very troublesome, indicating certain danger on this journey.

"Let's go, first to the Primordial Heavenly Palace to report." After discerning the direction, Zhao Xing swept Ji Si along, quickly traversing through the Manifestation Layer.

The geopolitical landscape of 341 Eras Before the Desolate Realm was vastly different from that of the Desolate Realm Era. At this time, even the Lunar Veil Ancient Kingdom still existed, and the Scarlet Star Empire had only just been established for three eras. The Primordial World's reputation was not yet prominent. The Ancient Kingdoms Alliance had not even been formally established, with various great nations warring amongst themselves and the academies wandering adrift.

However, three super-factions had always existed: the Primordial Mound, the Samsara Divine Palace, and the Primordial Heavenly Palace.After Zhao Xing arrived in this timeline, his first stop was the Primordial Heavenly Palace to report to one of the three Palace Masters. From there, he would be teleported by the Primordial Heavenly Palace to the location where his opportunities awaited.

"After temporal-spatial travel, you must minimize interaction with people in this timeline to avoid creating additional karma. However, interacting with divine realms, divine artifacts, or divine-level regions is fine."Within his inner world, Bowei played the role of a guiding scholar.

"Therefore, your first task for both you and Ji Si is to find Palace Master Lu Ya of this timeline. He has a divine power avatar residing here. Through him, you can then find Palace Master Yue Shen, who will record you and Ji Si on the 'Temporal Concealed Records' of the Mystic Spirit History Book.""Once this step is completed, your subsequent actions will not alter this timeline. When you decide to leave, you must also return to the Primordial Heavenly Palace to finalize and stabilize your divine status.""This ensures that your attainment of godhood becomes a fixed fact, preventing it from being twisted by evil gods.""Of course, the Mystic Spirit History Book is in the hands of Palace Master Yue Shen. Once you achieve godhood, it cannot be twisted, not even by an Evil God King.""Any variables can only occur during this intermediate process."

Zhao Xing listened quietly.

"Lu Ya and Yan Ao have both completely broken their 'divine concealment' state. As for Palace Master Yue Shen, he has never been concealed from start to finish.""He has governed the domain for 365 eras and the Desolate Realm for 3 eras. Palace Master Yue Shen, along with Lu Ya and others, knows you have traveled from the Desolate Realm Era.""Therefore, there's no issue of them not remembering or recognizing you and Ji Si.""It also doesn't matter if Lu Ya and Yan Ao meet their counterparts from this timeline, because the divine realm consolidates all karma, life, and destiny lines. A divine power avatar meeting its main body will not create karmic conflicts.""However, there would be issues for those below the divine realm. Fortunately, you don't exist in this era yet, so there's nothing to worry about."

Zhao Xing nodded. As long as he remembered one thing—to minimize interaction with beings below the divine level before attaining godhood—he would be fine. Interacting with divine-level beings was permissible.The karmic consolidation of the divine realm was like multiplying by one: one multiplied by any number remains the original number, it doesn't increase.

After half a year of careful travel, Zhao Xing and Ji Si had arrived outside the Primordial Heavenly Palace.The familiar void vortex reappeared, and Zhao Xing and Ji Si quickly passed through with their tokens, entering Sunan in the Second Void Ancestor Galaxy.

"Wait a moment," Little Yellow Duck and Yan Ao flew out from Zhao Xing's inner world.About four days later, two little yellow ducks flew back, one of them carrying a pale blue sheet of paper.

"Sign with your soul blood, then give it to me.""Understood."Zhao Xing and Ji Si obediently signed.

After they finished signing, the divine power avatar of Little Yellow Duck flew off again with the paper in its beak.

"All right, you can proceed. With the protection of the History Book, the cost has been minimized," Lu Ya said, looking at Zhao Xing. "Your safe operating time in this timeline has been extended by ten Solar Years."

"Ten Solar Years? That's ten thousand years then," Zhao Xing thought to himself. "That's quite ample."

"As for you," Lu Ya said, looking at Ji Si, "the situation for fate masters is more complicated. You'll have to wait a bit longer. The Palace Master said that even if you can act, your safe time is only one Solar Year."

"How can this be?" A hint of solemnity flashed in Zhao Xing's eyes. This meant Ji Si only had one thousand years of safe activity time. Exceeding that range would incur a significant cost.This could include triggering a True Spirit Tribulation, or being inexplicably shrouded in bad luck, among other things.

"The Palace Master said that it's rare for fate masters to attain godhood, and those who do are almost always connected to the Ten Directions Mountain. Your young friend, however, is quite formidable, with a foundation as profound as sixteen tribulations.""To have one thousand years of safe time to pursue opportunities is already an extra grace from the Palace Master, who expended divine power to extend it.""Normally, he would only have five hundred years. Such a situation usually requires payment."

"Great Si Nong, it's alright. You go ahead and don't delay for my sake," Ji Si said. "I'll wait for you on the ship."

"Alright, Ji Si, you take care too." Zhao Xing nodded. Since even Palace Master Yue Shen had said so, there was no other choice.

After parting ways with Ji Si, Zhao Xing arrived at Sunan, the capital of the Second Void Ancestor Star, for a secret teleportation.

Here stood a temporal-spatial guardian, a Chronomancy Colossus formed from the History Book Puppet.

"Guardian, please clear my karma and teleport me to the 'Fall of the Cosmic Ark Incident' at the Primordial Mound!"

The History Book Colossus raised a brow and looked at Zhao Xing. "The event you've chosen will consume all your contribution points, and the danger level will increase. Are you sure?"

"Confirmed," Zhao Xing nodded. Fifty million contribution points were insufficient to reach 341 Eras Before the Desolate Realm, so he decided to combine three opportunities into one!After all, opportunities varied in size within the same timeline. Fifty million was merely the entry ticket for the lowest-tier opportunities. One hundred fifty million contribution points, three chances combined into one, to gamble for a major opportunity.

"Whoosh!"The colossal beast raised a claw, and a beam of green light fell upon Zhao Xing, flowing over his entire body.

"Step onto that book. You will be teleported in three days to Zhoushan Domain of the Primordial Mound, to participate in the Fall of the Cosmic Ark Incident.""You must return here within ten thousand years, or major problems will arise."

"Understood."Zhao Xing stepped onto a book beneath the colossal beast's claw. This massive parchment also emanated green light, with countless spell formations and divine runes flowing across it.

The teleportation he had chosen was no ordinary teleportation array, but rather the renowned Karmic Ten Records Teleportation Array.The Ten Records were a classification within the Historian system, pertaining to major historical events involving time, space, and karma.The Karmic Ten Records Teleportation Array would allow Zhao Xing to reasonably participate in historical events without triggering a karmic continuation effect.This meant that all the impacts and consequences of his actions would be limited solely to the duration of that specific major historical event.

"The Cosmic Ark Defection Incident was the most severe schism in the history of the Primordial Mound," Zhao Xing constantly recalled, sitting within the array.

"Around 350 Eras Before the Desolate Realm, a major event occurred at the Primordial Mound.""That was the Cosmic Ark Defection Incident that took place in Zhoushan Domain.""It affected the Twelve Mountains of the Three Realms' Gods and nine major domains, even leading to the downfall of several ancient kingdoms.""Subsequently, a certain magical school within the Primordial Mound's system was almost completely eradicated, transformed beyond recognition, and a previously popular ideology was entirely suppressed.""Namely, the Extremity Continent Cosmology and the Zhoushan Faction."

After becoming the mountain chief of the Primordial Mound, Zhao Xing naturally learned many of its secrets.Why, during the discourse at the Earth God Altar, was Mountain Master Yuanshan, Venerable Xinhe, taken away and suppressed immediately after displaying his Dao scroll, with his entire sermon erased?It was precisely because Venerable Xinhe proposed the Extremity Continent Cosmology and the Divine Ark Method. The Primordial Mound had experienced a severe schism in its history due to this very method and faction.

"Venerable Xinhe had not yet taken actual action, but in Zhoushan Domain, 350 Eras Before the Desolate Realm, Divine King Zhoushan and Divine King Dizang had already teamed up to build a Cosmic Ark.""They took away vast resources from the Primordial Mound, including divine mountain soil, the earth veins of the Three Realms, and the origin of divine power, to launch the Cosmic Ark and seek the boundaries of the universe."

"The two Divine Kings believed the universe was the Extremity Continent; if they could break through it, they could escape this universe, which was the true path forward," Zhao Xing mused.

"The grand backdrop at that time was precisely the sixth era after the end of the Emperor Luo Era.""With no Divine Emperors remaining, evil gods created chaos, ancient gods ran rampant, and natural disasters and cataclysms were ceaseless.""In the late period of the Blazing Era, the last Divine Emperor, 'Luo', finally emerged, but Emperor Luo also perished. Endless panic spread throughout the hearts of all divine beings. At this time, all divine beings were utterly bewildered about their future path."

"The Extremity Continent Cosmology and the Zhoushan Faction thus gained the upper hand. Not only did many of the Three Realms' Gods of the Primordial Mound believe in them, but numerous followers also emerged in various ancient kingdoms.""The Cosmic Ark built by Divine King Zhoushan and Divine King Dizang also attracted countless divine-level powerhouses to board.""However, nine eras later, the Cosmic Ark shattered and fell in Fushan Domain," Zhao Xing sighed.

The Cosmic Ark departed in 350 Eras Before the Desolate Realm and fell in 341 Eras Before the Desolate Realm.Divine King Zhoushan and Divine King Dizang perished, countless divine beings met tragic deaths within the Divine Ark, and the vast fleet of Cosmic Arks formed a Divine Ark graveyard.This was the Fall of the Cosmic Ark Incident!

"It was precisely because of the Fall of the Cosmic Ark Incident that the act of Divine King Zhoushan and Divine King Dizang building the Cosmic Ark was classified as the Cosmic Ark Defection Incident.""From then on, the Extremity Continent Cosmology and the Zhoushan Faction disappeared from the Primordial Mound for a long time. Although they reappeared later, they had been transformed beyond recognition."

"Furthermore, the strength of the Primordial Mound before and after the Cosmic Ark incident was incomparable to later generations. Its territory, number of powerhouses, and magical system had all become significantly weaker.""The Scarlet Star Empire later rose to prominence, even surpassing the Primordial Mound."

As the mountain chief of the Primordial Mound, Zhao Xing's first temporal-spatial journey to seek an opportunity for godhood naturally led him to the first Solar Year of 341 Eras Before the Desolate Realm.He not only aimed to acquire the origin of godhood from the Cosmic Ark but also to retrieve some treasures of the Primordial Mound from this fallen vessel. This was something every mountain chief desired to attempt.

"Unfortunately, the Cosmic Ark had two Divine Kings and numerous Divine Generals aboard, and many ancient kingdoms were annihilated as a result, causing a major upheaval in the landscape. Even if Palace Master Yue Shen possessed immense power, this historical event could not be reversed."Reversing the defection and fall of the Cosmic Ark would involve resurrecting two Divine Kings and numerous divine soldiers and generals, which was simply impossible.

"Third-tier opportunities aren't necessarily worse than first-tier ones; it's purely a matter of safety. If it's not safe enough, then no matter how great the opportunity, the success rate will be low.""My choice to go to the Cosmic Ark graveyard this time is undoubtedly an adventure. However, with four Divine Generals by my side and me being the mountain chief of the Primordial Mound, there's a certain level of safety assurance. If I can gain something, I'll not only attain godhood but also earn another wave of contribution points. It's definitely worth attempting!"