Fortune's wheel keeps turning, and this year it comes to my house.
Chen Xia hadn't expected his turn would come so quickly, nor had he anticipated that in the Past and Future Method, he would become the past of other Chen Xias.
This was yet another new insight into time.
The River of Time before him trembled, gradually stirring up waves, waiting for them to rise higher.
Then Chen Xia saw the younger Chen Xia in the opposite River of Time.
"Hello there," Chen Xia waved in greeting.
"Who are you?" the young Chen Xia asked in surprise, his eyes continuously examining Chen Xia, finding the white-haired old fisherman before him increasingly familiar.
It seemed almost like... himself?
"Is this your first time using the Past and Future Method?" Chen Xia asked in return.
"Yes."
"Then I am your future self. The Past and Future Method is the world's greatest summoning technique - it's like calling in a substitute player."
Chen Xia shook his blue robe, set aside his fishing rod, then stood up and smiled.
"So I'm here to fight for you."
The young Chen Xia looked at the elderly white-haired man before him and asked worriedly,
"What realm are you at?"
"Great Saint."
"Great Saint?" Young Chen Xia frowned and said, "There's a Great Emperor outside. Are you sure about this? I don't want us both getting killed out there."
"Great Emperor?" Chen Xia sneered, waving his hand dismissively. "I specialize in killing Great Emperors!"
The River of Time before them shimmered slightly, revealing a passage to the past, and Chen Xia stepped through.
In the starry realm, barely a breath had passed since young Chen Xia had called out the Past and Future Method.
The white-haired elderly Chen Xia had already emerged, pointing at the Purple Star Emperor.
"So you're the one calling yourself a Great Emperor?"
The Great Emperor slightly furrowed his brows, seeming to understand something, and raised an eyebrow saying,
"So this technique of yours just makes you appear older? Are you trying to appeal to this emperor's sympathy so I'll spare you, you little beast..."
Bang!
Before he could finish speaking, the Purple Star Emperor's body was sent flying backward, shattering thousands of stars as he fell into the dark universe.
His head was bleeding, his body still retreating. Though shocked, his divine sense had already reacted, trying to stop his retreating figure.
However, a hand had already grabbed his head, helping him stop his backward flight.
Helping others - that's just Chen Xia's politeness!
"You're quite fortunate, being the fifth Great Emperor to die by my hands. Congratulations, congratulations," Chen Xia smiled.
The Purple Star Emperor felt a chill down his spine, his body flashing with the great dao, stars shining like dazzling light, causing his body to emit explosive flashes.
Chen Xia's expression remained unchanged as he gripped the Purple Star Emperor's head and pressed slightly, bringing forth an ocean of time that pressed down, preventing the stars around the Purple Star Emperor from moving.
Chen Xia's combat rating on the frontlines was equivalent to a second-tier Great Emperor; how could an ordinary Great Emperor like the Purple Star Emperor resist a second-tier Great Emperor?
Chen Xia waved his hand, and a divine sword materialized in his grip. He smiled slightly and said to the Purple Star Emperor,
"This might hurt a bit, but bear with it. It'll be over soon."
After saying these words, he lifted the Purple Star Emperor's head, positioning his sword to strike.
Below, the Ancestor of Ji Family was shocked, shaking his head in disbelief, and after confirming what he saw was real, he became even more astounded.
Damn.
If you were this powerful, why didn't you say so earlier? If you're this strong, why did I need to run? I'm being generous not giving that Great Emperor a couple of slaps!
Chen Xia couldn't hear the Ancestor of Ji Family's inner thoughts. He was in a hurry and didn't want to drag things out, so he swung his sword at the Purple Star Emperor's head.
The sword light flashed with killing intent.
The stellar energy on the Purple Star Emperor's body shone at its peak, all focused on blocking this one strike.
Truth be told, he actually managed to block it.
So Chen Xia struck a second time.
The Purple Star Emperor's head fell to the ground, his eyes still open in death. A generation's dominant Great Emperor met his end just like this, proving hardly more troublesome than a struggling chicken in Chen Xia's hands.
This was normal, after all, even Great Emperors affected by darkness corruption and blessed by the Way of Heaven would be chased down and killed by Chen Xia, let alone now that his Way of the Sword had progressed and he was gaining insights into the Time Dao.
Chen Xia stood there holding his gleaming divine sword, deep in thought.
This was his first time being the future self in the Past and Future Method. While he had gained some insights, they weren't enough - he still needed more to advance his Time Dao to the Zhun Di level.
The Time Dao was indeed extremely difficult and profound, being the least mastered great dao in the All Heavens World.
Though the Time Dao was powerful, it didn't have nearly as many practitioners as the Way of the Sword.
This was because the Time Dao had extremely high requirements - one needed to have a long lifespan and gain insights into time through their longevity.
Ordinary cultivators barely had time for regular cultivation, how could they spare time to comprehend time itself?
And if one missed the opportunity to enter this path during the initial stages of cultivation, no amount of later cultivation would allow entry into the Time Dao.
Throughout history, Great Emperors of the Time Dao were extremely rare - the last one appeared thirty thousand years ago, three great eras in the past.
Such rarity and difficulty made the Time Dao unrivaled among those of the same realm.
Chen Xia still needed more progress. He pondered how this encounter with the Past and Future Method had indeed helped his advancement.
His first time becoming the future, his first time slaying the past.
Interesting.
Chen Xia smiled and shook his head, having returned to the River of Time, waving to his younger self.
"No need to thank me."
"You..." The young Chen Xia seemed to have more to say, but was already separated by the River of Time, becoming part of it.
The scene gradually faded.
Chen Xia crossed his arms, sitting beside his fishing rod, contemplating a question.
What exactly is the definition of time?
Past, future, present.
Three different times existing simultaneously - does this violate the nature of time?
He thought deeply about many things, falling into silence.
Scenery began to appear on the River of Time - mountains and trees, and gradually, people.
They seemed not to notice Chen Xia as they began building houses.
As more people arrived, more houses were built.
It became a town.
Located at the end of the River of Time, it was named Weixi Town.
And Chen Xia remained the white-haired old fisherman, sitting beside Weixi Town.
Quietly waiting for fish to bite.