Outside of Time [Webnovel]

Above and below the ice, it was as if two separate worlds existed.

The figures above and underneath continued moving forward.

They were all silent, evoking a sensation of stark black and white

It was indescribable, beyond words.

Only the fearless wind, whether sweeping through the heavens and earth or stirring as an undercurrent in the icy river, surged forth.

It lifted the long hair of the ‘four’.

The figures swayed with the wind and water.

There was nothing to say on the way.

The Immortal Lord remained silent and so did Xu Qing.

After a long time, as the sun in the sky gradually rose completely, illuminating the world, causing the ice layer to shine with resplendent light…

The father and son on the ice surface had already walked to the center of the ice lake.

Here, Aurora Immortal Lord stopped in his tracks and calmly spoke.

“We’re here. You shouldn’t be unfamiliar with this place.”

Xu Qing was unfamiliar with this place but the memories from the Young Lord surfaced in his mind, bringing familiarity and understanding.

Nine Shores Grotto-Heaven!

There was still a month before the era ended… and the location of the palace of the Nine Shores Immortal Lord whose ruling period was going to end was here!

It was different from the Aurora Immortal Lord’s Immortal Palace. In the eyes of the world, the Nine Shores Immortal Lord’s Immortal Palace appeared simply as this frozen lake.

It lay quietly between mountain ranges, like a brilliant gemstone embedded in the snow-covered land.

The mirror-like surface of the lake reflected the blue of the sky and the white of the surrounding snowy peaks, while also encompassing the depths of the human heart that had sunk to its bottom.

Thus, beneath the frozen surface, as the undercurrents surged, the lake appeared in the daylight in dazzling, dreamlike hues. Amid the ethereal beauty, the hearts submerged within it transformed into endless secrets.

Hidden inside.

Just like the Nine Shores Immortal Lord.

Secrets!

Everyone had their secrets, and every piece of history held its own mysteries.

Even a mountain or a river contained untold stories.

The source of all hidden truths in the Fifth Star Ring had already been seized.

That source was… none other than the Nine Shores Immortal Lord, whose Ordinance was secrecy and who had made it their foundation for ascending the Dao!

Thus, when someone walked upon the frozen surface, beneath the ice their reflection took the form of the secrets they carried.

Occasionally, strange bubbles rose slowly from the depths of the lake, and when they touched the ice, they burst, leaving behind perfect circles.

They couldn’t exit the icy layer.

These secrets were tightly bound by the ice.

“Kneel!”

Aurora Immortal Lord calmly spoke.

Xu Qing lowered his head. At that moment, his body no longer seemed to be under his control. As the word echoed, he silently knelt on the ice.

The moment his knee came into contact with the ice, there seemed to be a sigh. It was unknown if it came from the sky or from the lake under the ice.

Aurora’s expression was calm as he spoke softly.

“Dao Brother Nine Shores, I’ve brought my unfilial son here.”

“Aurora, there’s no need to be so involved in the matters of the younger generation.”

An ancient voice rang out from under the lake after Aurora spoke.

The voice was hoarse and carried an indescribable sense of melancholy.

As the voice emerged, ripples spread through the waters beneath the ice. Through the frozen surface, Xu Qing vaguely saw a colossal figure, as vast as a god, appearing at the lake’s bottom.

The figure was immense, and though its entirety couldn’t be seen, its ethereal face alone dominated most of the lake.

Its eyes, under the sunlight, shimmered with a silvery glow.

Staring at this figure, the Aurora Immortal Lord shook his head and spoke solemnly.

“This matter, from beginning to end, is entirely his karma!”

“Half a year ago, I merely sent him here to cultivate. Who would’ve thought this rascal’s mind wasn’t on cultivation at all but on pursuing your daughter, Dao Brother!”

“But fortunately, the two of them seem to have mutual feelings. There was no coercion. Though they’ve had some misunderstandings due to their personalities clashing, we, as their elders, should not interfere too much.”

“Although my son may be somewhat inept, he is a man of responsibility. That’s why today I’ve brought him here to formally propose a marriage.”

“I hope that these two young ones will move forward in life together from now on, not only as Dao companions but as Dao friends, hand in hand on their immortal journey, and one day, under our eyes, ascend to the rank of immortals.”

“This would be a fine tale.”

Aurora Immortal Lord’s voice was low and deep. As it echoed in all directions, he raised his right hand and waved it forward.

Four items instantly appeared out of thin air.

“There are four betrothal gifts.”

“First, the divine blood of the former Fifth Star Ring’s Lord Gods, Royin and Mengni, who perished long ago. This blood contains a trace of Their intent to return in the future, as well as the secrets They once held.”

“This is the item you were longing for back then. I found it for you a few days ago.”

Aurora Immortal Lord calmly spoke.

These words sounded casual but in reality, something that could make an existence at the level of the Immortal Lord yearn for but couldn’t obtain would have definitely cost a significant price.

Hence, as soon as this item appeared, the eyes of the ethereal face under the ice lake flashed with silver light.

“The second and third gifts are two blank jade tokens infused with my soul blood. Dao Brother Nine Shoes can inscribe anything in one jade token a month from now, and it will be considered as my sealed command.

The second jade token pertains to external materials. You may inscribe anything from the Aurora Immortal Palace that you desire. Whatever it is, no matter who it belongs to, its karma will be erased, and you will become its final owner!”

Xu Qing was moved.

The first item had already surpassed the level of his understanding.

And the first of the two jade tokens later was like an imperial edict.

A month later, Nine Shores would step down and Aurora would ascend the throne.

In the coming Aurora Era, having this blank imperial edict would be of huge significance.

Moreover, the second jade token would allow Nine Shores to take any item in the Immortal palace, and there was no time limit.

This gift showed extreme sincerity!

At this moment, Nine Shores at the bottom of the lake opened his mouth and wanted to say something.

However, Aurora Immortal Lord continued.

“The fourth gift isn’t worth much, just my son’s eight characters of birth time1.”

Aurora Immortal Lord spoke softly, raising his hand. A red piece of paper floated out, drifting beside him, inscribed with eight characters.

Xu Qing swept his gaze over. It was indeed the birth information of the host he inhabited.

Yet, despite the casual tone, what unfolded in Xu Qing’s heart was an unspoken, profound fatherly love wrapped within these gestures.

After doing this, Aurora Immortal Lord lowered his head and… bowed deeply to the ice lake!

Such a betrothal gift, such an identity, and such a bow.

All the words Nine Shores wanted to say were stopped in his throat, turning into a sigh.

As the sigh echoed, countless threads rose from the ice lake.

They were formed from the secrets of the world and were formless. At this moment, they pierced through the ice and appeared on the ice. After they gathered together… they transformed from formless to tangible.

They turned into a sage-like middle-aged cultivator in a blue Daoist robe.

He stood in front of Aurora and met his gaze.

A long time later, he raised his right hand and kept the blood, the jade tokens, and the birth characters. However, he flicked the blank jade token that could seize any item in the Immortal Palace.

It flew toward Xu Qing.

Xu Qing grabbed it.

“A month later, you and my daughter will get married. From then on, your identity will not only be the son of Aurora but also my son-in-law!”

Xu Qing lowered his head and bowed respectfully.

The Aurora Immortal Lord smiled, as if the heavy burden weighing him down had lightened by more than half at that moment. A rare smile appeared on his face, one that hadn’t surfaced for a long time.

He stared at Nine Shores, his best friend.

They grew up together, cultivated together, and killed enemies together. During this time, they faced life and death together too many times. As for the friendship formed by the fusion of iron and blood…

They could hand over their lives to each other. When they were young, they had joked that if their children were of the same gender in the future, they would also be brothers.

If the genders were different, they would become Dao companions.

His thoughts surged in his heart, and in the end, he silently clasped his fists in respect, then turned and departed.

Xu Qing also stood up from the ground. After he bowed, he left with Aurora with a complicated expression.

Nine Shores silently bore the moment, watching as the father and son duo gradually walked farther away across the frozen lake.

After a long time, he muttered inwardly.

“I know you’re going to do something earth-shattering…”

“Aurora, oh Aurora, to the Venerable Immortal, you are a dutiful son, and to this child, you are a loving father!”

“But you, who is in the middle, are deeply bitter.”

“Perhaps, from the day Lancy fell, you no longer had any attachment to this world.”

Nine Shores sighed softly. His body blurred and transformed into countless threads of secrecy again which sank into the ice.

…

After leaving the Nine Shores Grotto-Heaven, the father and son continued to walk.

The breeze blew up Aurora Immortal Lord’s hair and also caused waves in the body Xu Qing was in.

They walked silently.

Xu Qing didn’t know if it was an illusion, but the cold feeling on the Aurora Immortal Lord’s body seemed to be gradually blown away by the wind and gradually lessened.

That feeling of estrangement also dissipated with the coldness and was silently erased.

As for the reason… it was the moment the Nine Shores Immortal Lord nodded.

In that moment, the burden lifted might have weighed more than a thousand tons.

Right now, they weren’t moving in the direction of the Immortal Palace.

Instead, they gradually got closer to a place that Xu Qing was familiar with even in reality.

This lasted until a vast golden sea of sand entered Xu Qing’s vision.

It was like a real sea, sparkling and glistening under the sunlight.

That was the desert Xu Qing had been to before.

However, the one he had visited was in the present day, after endless ages had passed. Now, he found himself in the desert of a distant past.

What separated the two was the name of the desert itself.

Time.

“When you were young, the thing you asked me the most was about your mother.”

As he walked on the Time Desert, Aurora Immortal Lord’s figure seemed to have lost his immortal aura. It was as though this desert had huge meaning to him.

Thus, in this moment of return, his presence appeared imbued with a sense of age, as though touched by the weight of passing years.

As he walked, he spoke softly.

“In the past, I didn’t tell you much.”

“Now, you’ve grown up and are about to get a wife, so… I brought you here.”

“This is the place where your mother’s life soul treasure dissipated. It’s also the only trace she left in this world.”

Aurora Immortal Lord spoke softly.

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