I Am Half the Way of Heaven

The implementation of the Past and Future Method relies not only on the present, but more on the future. If someone from the future is willing to respond, then they can be summoned to the present, where the future occupies a great influence.

For example, those from the future can appear wherever they wish at will, or even just come out for some air without making a move. However, Chen Xia's future is a bit special. It forcibly crossed many interfaces, following the aura of that finger, appearing in the Twilight Realm to visit the so-called Celestial Venerable.

His appearance was somewhat blurred and unclear. He just stood calmly amidst the starry sky, raising only one hand, pointing to a spot ahead.

The stars shifted. His figure did not move, but the heavens and earth did. The Celestial Venerable's hall in the Twilight Realm appeared before him.

"Which fellow Daoist are you?" A doubtful voice came from the hall.

"Not a fellow Daoist," the plain figure amidst the starry sky replied, then added, "An insignificant emperor like you isn't even qualified to address me as fellow Daoist."

There was silence in the hall for a long time. Perhaps they were apprehensive about this great divine power that could shift the stars. Suppressing their temper, they asked again,

"Then how should This One address you?"

"You're all dead men walking, what's the point of asking so much?" The figure in blue clothes chuckled and waved his azure sleeve robe, shaking his head,

"I thought that someone calling themselves Celestial Venerable would be a slightly more capable figure that I could hang on my door as a new spoil of war. I didn't expect it to just be a petty emperor. I'm extremely disappointed."

The voice in the hall turned gloomy and impatient, the tone rising,

"Isn't it a bit too arrogant for you to say something like that?"

"Yes," the blue-clothed figure laughed in reply. "In my eyes, there is only myself. I've expended great effort to come out this time, trading with the Heavenly Dao using a perfect emperor divinity. I thought I could at least break even, but it turns out to be a huge loss."

"Just who are you?!" The voice in the hall grew severe.

"I'm not anyone, I'm half of the Heavenly Dao," the blue-clothed figure chuckled lightly. He raised his hand and pointed down.

The entire heaven and earth seemed unable to bear the weight, space suddenly tightened, and the Spirit Qi within a million li converged into a single point. The pressure squeezed space until it started to contract, and the heaven and earth at this moment became minuscule, seemingly only the size of his fingertip.

And this point steadily landed on the Twilight Realm's Celestial Venerable.

Oppression!

Half of the Twilight Realm Celestial Venerable's body instantly shattered. He had almost no resistance as his body tore open half of the Twilight Realm, ripping out an extremely long void slash. Emperor blood splattered all the way as he was blasted flying to parts unknown.

The blue-clothed figure flicked his sleeve, his expression still tranquil as ever.

A great emperor who could only live for one lifetime, and was still far from reaching an emperor's pinnacle, how could he dare to speak like that to half of the Heavenly Dao?

He had already killed two or three great emperors at their sword dao pinnacle. Let alone this kind of petty emperor.

Of the three heads on his door now, one with the ugliest appearance was a great emperor at the pinnacle of sword dao. It was that one.

The blue-clothed figure placed his hands behind his back and slowly walked towards where the Twilight Realm Celestial Venerable had been blasted away.

The entire Twilight Realm was silent. No one dared to make a sound.

Even the Heavenly Dao did not react.

Because this was part of the transaction the blue-clothed figure had made with the Heavenly Dao, trading with a perfect great emperor divinity.

As half of the future Heavenly Dao, he was like a brother to the current Heavenly Dao. When family handles internal affairs, it was simply none of its business, especially when it had already received benefits beforehand. Naturally it wouldn't interfere.

The blue-clothed figure halted and waved at the sky, helplessly saying,

"It'll be over soon, stop rushing me, stop rushing me."

The Twilight Realm Celestial Venerable laid between heaven and earth, half his body shattered, emperor blood still flowing. He was half-dead.

"Be more careful next time," the blue-clothed figure said indifferently at last. His index finger pointed out.

This single point expanded infinitely amidst heaven and earth, seeming able to crush this slice of heaven and earth. It steadily landed on the Twilight Realm Celestial Venerable.

The eyes of the Twilight Realm Celestial Venerable widened in shock. This familiar sensation... His divine sense spun rapidly as he frantically tried to recall it. Finally, he said in horror,

"Grand End..."

Before his voice faded away, he could no longer speak. He turned to mist and blood.

A great emperor of an era, finally met his end in utter defeat without even a chance to resist.

The blue-clothed figure's expression remained tranquil, without much fluctuation from beginning to end. Just like that, he returned through the portal. Just as he was leaving, he glanced back towards the distant horizon and revealed a meaningful smile before turning and entering the portal.

The entire Twilight Realm was silent for half a month, seemingly still in shocked reaction to the Celestial Venerable's passing. No cultivator dared approach the site of his death.

It wasn't until later when a great emperor came to collect the corpse that cultivators gradually gathered to scramble for emperor blood.

At the same time, beyond the edge of the Twilight Realm at a point between intersecting interfaces, a handsome man stood with head bowed slightly, seemingly lost in thought.

"Martial Emperor, wasn't using the Past and Future Method this time a little over the top?"

The man called Martial Emperor turned his head and curiously asked,

"Was it?"

The voice belonged to an old man in azure-yellow Daoist robes. His head sported white-green dual horns, while ancient, archaic gold vein lines covered his face.

The Martial Emperor spread his hands helplessly,

"Even if you bring it up with me, I can't control him. You'll have to tell that half of the Heavenly Dao."

"How the hell would I beat him?!" The old man grew somewhat impatient.

"I could at best fight him to a draw, and he's already half of the Heavenly Dao. Even I would only be fifty-fifty against him," the Martial Emperor frowned in retort.

"Who couldn't you be fifty-fifty against?" The old man asked back.

"This time it really would be fifty-fifty," the Martial Emperor answered very seriously. He waved his hand,

"Besides, it was just killing a Twilight Realm great emperor. Soon, another great emperor will take his place. What are you afraid of? If you're really that uncomfortable, go become the Twilight Realm's great emperor yourself."

The voice of the old man grew urgent as he gnashed his teeth,

"That's not the problem. The problem is that this Past and Future Method was passed down by you. As its creator, shouldn't you exercise some control?"

The Martial Emperor frowned, asking back,

"I came up with it, but Chen Xia spread and glorified it. The proper thing to do by principle is that I should praise Chen Xia instead. What is there to control?"

"You... You..." The old man was momentarily lost for words.

"Can't you agree this is how it should be?" The Martial Emperor asked again.

The old man let out his breath, patted his chest to force down his anger, then slowly shook his head and sighed,

"As the supreme existence, even if you killed this Twilight Realm Celestial Venerable yourself, it would be better than allowing this future existence to cross timelines and kill him. Now, won't the dignity of this age be completely lost?!"

The Martial Emperor shook his head and retorted,

"No way. I feel like this matches perfectly with how I imagined the Past and Future method to work. Don't you think this is really cool?"

"Cool your *ss..." the old man mumbled indistinctly and his voice faded away.

The Martial Emperor stood alone. His mood lowered and he distantly gazed afar, wordless for a long time as he waited for the sun and moon to trade places. Only then did he softly ask,

"Are we still fellow travelers?"

No answer came.