As the saying goes, one's harvest is proportional to one's courage.
Chen Xia was all about embodying this saying and being bold.
As soon as he spoke these words, his youthful appearance suddenly vanished like smoke.
These were words that the heart barrier couldn't bear, prominently displaying defiance.
Now you want to fish in the River of Time, and who knows what else you'll want to do next - the heart barrier dare not imagine.
In his idle moments, surrounded by silence, Chen Xia continued fishing while pondering a question.
What does it mean to attain the Dao?
Cultivators say that attaining the Dao means becoming the strongest practitioner of that particular path, the one with the deepest understanding.
But what defines strongest? Every cultivator might understand the same Dao differently, so how can one determine who is strongest? Perhaps it still requires the Heaven's recognition?
If that's the case, Chen Xia, being such a defiant one, would never attain the Dao in his lifetime.
Chen Xia pondered deeply until he finally understood.
Why not become his own heavenly way? If he could merge several realms and establish himself as the heavenly way, he could acknowledge his own Dao - that would be attaining the Dao.
So that's how Chen Xia figured out what attaining the Dao meant.
But right now, he was still far from attaining the Dao. What he needed to contemplate was his current insight into time.
He had observed the life and death of all beings, but that alone wasn't enough - something was missing.
What was missing?
Chen Xia furrowed his brows, knocked on his head, asking and answering himself for self-amusement.
"Do you have any clues?"
"Complete blank."
Thus, Chen Xia could only helplessly gaze at the River of Time, hoping to discern something from it.
The River of Time trembled slightly, creating ripples as time flowed and turned.
Chen Xia widened his eyes, and truly began to see something.
A scene appeared in the River of Time - looking closely, it resembled a galaxy in motion, with countless stars rotating within.
Interesting.
As Chen Xia continued watching, spiritual energy began flowing through the galaxy, and he could faintly hear cultivators shouting.
"Ancestor of Ji Family, you've offended this emperor and still think you can run? I want to see what abilities you have, daring to protect that little beast and hide from me!"
A thunderous shout revealed the identity of the newcomer - apparently an emperor.
The so-called Ancestor of Ji Family also appeared, desperately fleeing, wounded and continuously bleeding.
Chen Xia rested his chin on his hand, observing this person. Due to the River of Time between them, he could only guess at their cultivation level.
Being able to escape from an emperor's hands, their cultivation must not be low - probably a Great Saint or quasi-emperor.
The Ancestor of Ji Family continued fleeing, while the pursuing emperor's figure emerged among the stars, brutally shattering stars along the way. With a domineering stance, he caught up to the Ancestor of Ji Family, striking down with a single palm like a falling sky curtain, while roaring:
"You old dog, truly ignorant! Wait until I capture you and refine your soul into medicine oil, then catch that little beast to use as a human furnace, using your oil to refine pills!"
The Ancestor of Ji Family was struck down by this palm strike, falling among the stars. His protective spiritual energy only blocked for a moment before shattering like an exploding balloon. His entire body crashed through countless stars before finally landing on a dead star.
Footsteps approached.
The Purple Star Emperor walked on the dead star, wearing stellar armor and holding a scepter in his right hand, looking at the Ancestor of Ji Family with contemptuous eyes, and berated:
"You and that little beast dared to harm my qilin child, truly courting death. Afterward, you won't die alone - I'll refine your entire Ji family into medicine oil, letting all cultivators know the consequences of offending me."
The Ancestor of Ji Family's chest was sunken, spitting out a large mouthful of blood, begging:
"Spare the Ji family, I was wrong, please... spare the Ji family."
The Purple Star Emperor raised his eyebrows slightly, directly stepping on the Ancestor of Ji Family's sunken chest, causing him to spit blood again, and sneered:
"An old dog's dying bark is truly unpleasant to hear. You harmed my qilin child and still want your entire Ji family to live?"
"He... he wanted to kill me," the Ancestor of Ji Family weakly defended.
"If he wanted to kill you, then let my qilin child kill you. You old dog dying wouldn't matter, better than your entire Ji family dying. It's really your fault, old dog, insisting on implicating your entire family."
The Purple Star Emperor mockingly continued, wanting to break this elder's dao heart and make him wish for death.
Chen Xia tilted his head, hand propping up his chin as he watched, his emotions remaining steady - after all, being thousands of years old, his mentality was stable.
Suddenly.
A brilliant sword light flashed across the sky.
Chen Xia's eyes brightened, and he praised:
"Good sword."
Hum!
The sword light fell straight down. The Purple Star Emperor didn't retreat but slightly raised two fingers, steadily blocking the sword light while smiling at the Ancestor of Ji Family:
"Look, that little beast has come to save you."
The Purple Star Emperor's fingers pinched the sword light, gently twisting it until the entire sword light broke, then smiled upward:
"Little beast, today both you and this old dog will die."
"Purple Star Emperor, I want your life!" A thunderous shout came from the sky as a sword brilliant as heavenly light fell down, like divine thunder.
Chen Xia, sitting by the River of Time watching, frowned because this voice sounded familiar, very familiar indeed.
The Purple Star Emperor smiled disdainfully, raising two fingers upward, where stars seemed to appear, and said: "Little beast truly barks wildly, not knowing what's good for you."
Stars met sword, steadily blocking it, even showing signs of suppression.
A wild smile appeared on the Purple Star Emperor's face as he continued:
"I am invincible in all of heaven and earth, how dare you little beast oppose me? After I kill you, I'll hang your head in your hometown - consider it letting your soul return home, haha!"
As the sword light gradually dispersed, the figure within finally appeared.
Just as Chen Xia had thought.
This figure was himself, another Chen Xia!
The Chen Xia in the River of Time looked much younger, and his sword was different from Chen Xia's immortal sword.
The Purple Star Emperor raised his palm slightly, with what seemed like a black hole vortex condensing in his palm. With a gentle grab, he caught young Chen Xia's head and sneered:
"Crushing you is like crushing an insect to this emperor. What gives you the right to oppose me?"
With that, the Purple Star Emperor truly began to squeeze, making young Chen Xia's head creak, then suddenly closed his hand completely.
Bang!
A huge sound came from the Purple Star Emperor's palm.
Young Chen Xia's figure appeared in the distance, panting, blood on his head, his entire being depleted of spiritual energy, face pale.
"Time Dao?" The Purple Star Emperor was surprised for a moment, then shook his head and smiled disdainfully.
"Even if you have two daos, what of it? Today you'll still die here. I want to see if you can escape a second time!"
Young Chen Xia's face turned fierce as he said in a deep voice:
"Purple Star Emperor, I want you dead!"
"Haha, what a huge joke!" The emperor let out a sneer.
This little beast couldn't even harm a single hair on his body, yet wanted his life - he hadn't heard such a joke in a long time.
Young Chen Xia suddenly clenched his fist and shouted:
"Past and Future Method!"
The entire River of Time began to shake violently.
Chen Xia sat propping his head by the River of Time, his expression momentarily blank as he said in confusion:
"What?"