Beyond the Timescape

Chapter 1299: Space-time Disorder; Karma Inverted

What exactly was the chaotic flow of space-time? The vast majority of cultivators wouldn’t be able to offer a clear explanation.

To some extent, it was merely a term. Looking at the words that made it up, it obviously described the chaos that existed between space and time, which could be caused by an infinitely large or infinitely small singularity. That was why it could contain anything possible.

Unfortunately, limitations in perception made it impossible to go into finer details using such a description. Only people whose canon related to space-time would be able to offer a truly detailed explanation of the chaotic flow of space-time.

Xu Qing had originally believed in that more simplistic explanation. Before entering the chaotic flow of space-time, he thought that it was something similar to his own Infinite Timelessness, just more majestic and mysterious. Given his own canon, he had a greater chance of coming back out than anyone.

But after going in, things surpassed his predictions. The things he saw left him dazed mentally. Looking up, he saw an infinitude of multi-colored vortexes. They came in all sizes and went on endlessly. Some were orderly, some were chaotic. Some were still, some spun madly. Quite a few of them interacted with each other.

Altogether, they formed an image of a very complex starry sky. One glance would cause a painful swell of information in one’s mind. And after enough time passed, one would feel like their mind was about to crack.

The image wasn’t limited to that. Xu Qing and Erniu existed in unusual states thanks to being in this place.

Xu Qing no longer looked human. He was made of innumerable triangular, glowing bugs. Each glowing bug, from birth to death, lived for only 1/10,000th of a breath of time. Upon being born, the bug would become a dazzling light source. After dying, the result was like an image of the chaos that resulted after a firework exploded. The flame would turn into ashes and then cover over all the light. It was an endless cycle.

Because of the change to Xu Qing’s state, Erniu was no longer in his hair.

Erniu’s appearance was even more abstract. He seemed to be made of a million motes of light, which combined into a kaleidoscopic form that constantly changed. When he spoke, his words came out chaotically.

What he wanted to say was, “What’s going on here, little Ah Qing? Huh? Where are we?”

But what actually came out of his mouth and reached Xu Qing was something different. It sounded like, “Are what’s on, here Qing going? Ah? We are little?”

It was all in chaos. Time. Space. And the two of them. Everything was twisted. It was as if time had no meaning, and that space was pointless.

Xu Qing was stunned. This was completely different from his canon! Moving about and exploring didn’t involve any of the ordinary methods of movement.

One couldn’t physically move here. In fact, movement wasn’t required at all. All that was required was thought. When one exercised thought, the surroundings would spin into motion.

Studying the surroundings worked the same. It was as if all of the secrets in this location just needed to be seen clearly, and could then be understood. The premise, of course, was that one could survive, look around, and gain knowledge.

As Xu Qing numbly studied his surroundings, he saw what appeared to be himself off in the distance. Of course, the so-called distance involved could be time, in other words, the past, present, and future. Or it could be different dimensions and levels of space.

When he focused his thoughts on the distant figure, he quickly realized that he wasn’t just seeing one version of himself. He was seeing… countless versions. Countless versions of himself in countless states.

He saw planets covered in water. The planets turned into flowing water chains, twisted and distorted as they floated through his senses. Galaxies became worms in putrid water, flashing past him. Star domains became a host of unmarked graves that seemed to come alive and fight each other. There were also universes. But these universes seemed like tattered shrouds.

There was more. As he and Erniu moved about and studied their surroundings with their thoughts, occasional flashes of dazzling light would appear, along with destructive bursts of darkness.

This was impossible to explain. It was pure chaos. This was the chaotic flow of space-time.

Xu Qing became increasingly dazed. He had no idea how much time had passed. It seemed like ten thousand years, but at the same time, seemed like an instant.

Voice trembling with wonder, Erniu spoke again. “This before a lot seems something seen I’ve…. It past looks like of my some lives….”

The words came out chaotically, as if they had been stretched out by space-time. When they reached Xu Qing, they were like claps of thunder from heaven, smashing into his body of bugs. Countless triangular bugs exploded, releasing more images of the future, and causing Xu Qing’s mind to reel even further. He couldn’t settle his thoughts.

But the light grew stronger in between the brilliance and the darkness. Eventually, when Erniu’s words faded away, Xu Qing finally stabilized. His thoughts settled, and he looked over to try to find Erniu.

Erniu had vanished. Because he vanished, the words he had spoken were somehow erased from Xu Qing’s senses. He could remember hearing them, but had no way to recall the contents.

Xu Qing didn’t say anything. He just knew that his thoughts were slowing, to the point where his consciousness was on the verge of fading away.

A feeling of death rose in his thoughts. And yet, it did not come with the sensation of crisis that usually preceded death. The perception came only because of the previous sensation of himself exploding.

What was more, his state changed. His body, instead of being made of bugs, became human again. Then the cocoon weaved of canon appeared around him. It was his canon. After it appeared, a thought entered his mind that seemed to have come late.

I need to use my canon to create Infinite Timelessness, and use that to resist the chaos of space-time that exists outside. Use chaos to fight chaos!

The moment the thought occurred to him, he opened his eyes and looked at the cocoon of canon. Normally speaking, order would come because the thought occurred to him, and he then made it manifest.

But here, it worked the other way around. Karma and logic were mixed up here. Or perhaps it was proper to say that there was no logic, because the cause and effect of karma had been inverted.

This chaotic flow of space-time really is impressive….

Being inside his cocoon of canon, Xu Qing was separated from the outside, and now he was starting to return to normal. His thoughts were gaining a semblance of logic.

As that happened, he thought about Erniu disappearing.

Normally speaking, I should have unleashed my canon the moment I got here….

He tried to recall why he didn’t do that. He quickly realized why.

It all happened in an instant.

He realized that everything that happened, including falling into a daze, studying his surroundings, and Erniu speaking, and even the forming of the cocoon of canon, had happened the very instant he entered the chaotic flow of space-time.

Yet many, many things had happened in that instant. Simply put, the moment he entered, events in different timelines proceeded and simultaneously overlapped. Then everything exploded all at once.

Xu Qing didn’t say anything. But soon, his eyes shone as he looked at the cocoon of canon, and thought about what he had seen in the outside world.

Everything is chaos, without logic. Karma is inverted. And yet, it all makes sense. To some extent, this is just another way that space-time works. It actually surpasses my Infinite Timelessness….

As he pondered the situation, he suddenly realized why he had been able to successfully gain enlightenment of space-time chaos in the god of pain’s illusion.

It’s because space-time chaos is actually just a higher-level manifestation of the canon of space-time!

His eyes glittered.

It’s not going to be easy to just leave this space-time chaos easily. I have no idea where Eldest Brother disappeared to, and at the moment, I can’t go outside. I guess that means I’ll just have to seek enlightenment here!

First I need to understand what exactly the chaotic flow of space-time is, and how it compares and contrasts to my canon. I have to gain understanding first before I climb to higher heights.

With that thought in mind, Xu Qing crossed his legs, closed his eyes, and linked his thoughts with the external manifestation of his canon. He was like a little island in the chaotic flow of space-time, motionless amongst the waves. But his thoughts spread, unbounded.

Outside, a dense coat of fur had appeared on the surface of the cocoon of canon. It was a bizarre manifestation of Xu Qing’s thoughts in the chaos of spacetime. Though it was on the outside, that didn’t interfere with the synaptic functions of his thoughts. Instead, it allowed Xu Qing to perceive the outside. That was how he would fuel his enlightenment.

Time passed slowly inside the cocoon of canon. But the reality was that such a flow of time held no value. There were limits to everything, and it could not be fully manifest outside.

It was just like how Xu Qing did not make any progress with his enlightenment. He was unable to find a single clue in the chaos of space-time. He could not even find a starting point. It was like looking at flowers in the fog, or trying to gaze at the moon in a pond.

The fur on the cocoon grew longer, stretching deeper into the chaos of space-time. He sought more deeply. But the result was the same.

Xu Qing opened his eyes, frowned, and looked toward the outside.

It’s pure chaos. I can’t even form a train of thought. It’s similar to how, without a reference image, you could never put together a host of countless broken puzzle pieces. I need a reference image. I need a way to look at the substructure of the chaotic flow of space-time.

The point of the reference picture is to provide a starting point. I need to be able to see the outline of the space-time chaos…. In that case, what kind of reference picture would actually work….

Xu Qing pondered the situation.

I can’t control the chaotic flow of space-time. It contains all possibilities, and yet, it seems as if it’s being limited. It actually reminds me of fate….

Xu Qing’s heart and mind suddenly seized.

“Fate?” he murmured, his eyes shining. He waved his right hand, causing a dazzling bit of godhood to appear in his hand. It was the godhood that Immortal Lord Mi Ming had given him! The power it contained was none other than fate! As he looked at the godhood, his eyes shone with increasing brightness.

Use fate as the picture. Piece together the chaotic flow of space-time. That will be the starting point of my research!

Fate was abstract. So was the chaotic flow of space-time. If he considered the chaotic flow of space-time to be a host of never-ending puzzle pieces, while the image of fate was a completed puzzle, then for the first puzzle piece… he would choose himself.