Only at the Mahayana Stage Does the Reversal System Appear - Chapter 397

Chapter 397 Emperor Shun

A massive hand reached out from the void, obscuring the sky and the sun. The ignorant humans mistook it for a celestial eclipse.

Blood dripped from the palm of the hand, and runes flickered and pulsed, imbued with infinite mysteries. Jiang Li glanced over it and recognized the runes representing at least ten different Daos. Other runes also represented Daos, but these Daos were not circulated in Jiuzhou, so Jiang Li couldn’t recognize them.

“There are no runes of the Dao of Time.”

The massive hand grasped the runes, and the runes on the palm reacted and neutralized the Ladder of Immortality. Like snow meeting hot water, the Ladder of Immortality quickly melted away.

In just a few breaths, the Ladder of Immortality vanished without a trace.

Jiang Li suspected that the Ladders of Immortality in other worlds vanished in the same way, with occasional fragments left behind that he found.

“Who is the master of this massive hand?”

With a single move, the Ladder of Immortality vanished. Jiang Li was certain that the master of this massive hand possessed a cultivation level exceeding that of a celestial immortal.

“Is it an extraterritorial demon… or an immortal?”

Jiang Li tried to see the hand’s owner, but its true form was lost in the void, only one hand reaching out to the Wei Gu world.

In the River of Time, he could only see the images of his own world, not the void.

Jiang Li instinctively wanted to jump into the River of Time and explore that era, but he restrained himself.

Rather than going to the Wei Gu world six thousand years ago, he would rather go to the Jiuzhou world nine thousand years ago.

Concerned, Jiang Li continued upstream, but barely took half a step when he noticed the terrain shift beneath him.

Although the chaotic mist obscured the full view of the Sea of Time, Jiang Li could vaguely make out the scene ahead.

The scene ahead couldn’t be described as a River of Time; the Sea of Time would be more appropriate.

The Sea of Time was like the source of time, and all other rivers of time were branches of it.

From here, the River of Time flowed at a varying speed, becoming an independent time, separated from the other rivers by a thick white wall.

Jiang Li understood. This was the era before the Immortal Stairway disappeared. Back then, the flow of time in the outer worlds coincided with that of the Immortal Realm. Later, when the Stairway vanished, each world returned to its original flow, a phenomenon manifested here as the ocean’s diversion.

The riverbank was broken, and further on, it was the ocean, with no place for Jiang Li to step.

Jiang Li squatted down and spoke to the white fish in the sea: “Excuse me, everyone, could I step on it? I want to go somewhere else.”

Unfortunately, the white fish, lacking intelligence, didn’t understand Jiang Li’s words and swished its tail away.

Just as Jiang Li was at his wit’s end and about to dive in, a voice echoed in his ear.

“I advise you not to do this. If you jump in without knowing the time and place, you might end up thousands of years behind your target.”

Jiang Li looked up and saw someone paddling a boat, gently paddling towards them. The mist dispersed as it met the boat.

This world wasn’t just filled with white fish, so where did the people come from?

“You must be Jiang Li, the 72nd Human Emperor of the Jiuzhou World.” The visitor, elegantly dressed in an antique style, smiled and bowed to Jiang Li, his manner friendly and courteous.

“I’ve seen you before in the River of Time, and today is our first formal meeting.”

“Speaking of which, my current situation is inseparable from that halberd strike from the Jiang Human Emperor. Across time and space, it could have knocked the ancient and modern swords into the river.”

“You are…” Jiang Li returned the greeting, a vague suspicion forming in his mind.

The visitor opened his eyes, revealing the same double pupils as Ji Zhi, as if able to see into the past, present, and future.

“Jiang Human Emperor should have heard of me. My name is Ji Shun, and I founded the Great Zhou. In my time, people called me Emperor Shun.”

“Emperor Shun!”

Jiang Li was surprised. He had never expected to see this renowned time master in the River of Time. This was a great figure from 30,000 years ago, who single-handedly created the ten-thousand-year Great Zhou.

But upon closer consideration, it made perfect sense. Emperor Shun was a white fish transformed, leaping ashore and arriving in the Jiuzhou World.

His form had merely changed, but his understanding of the laws of time remained. After transforming, he could, of course, freely traverse the world of Kyushu and the river of time.

Over the past thirty thousand years, many dynasties were lost in the dust of history. Those that fared better saw their power fluctuate, nearly annihilating them.

Only the Great Zhou endured, firmly ranking among the top three dynasties of Kyushu.

This was due to the strict and impartial laws of the Great Zhou. While they couldn’t guarantee the best for the dynasty, they could ensure it wouldn’t deteriorate.

The birth of the Great Zhou laws, the principle of governing the nation by law, were all established by Emperor Shun.

Emperor Shun played an invaluable role in the Great Zhou’s current success.

“To be able to elicit this reaction from the renowned Emperor Jiang, my title of Emperor Shun is well-deserved.” Emperor Shun smiled, clearly delighted to see Jiang Li.

“What brings Emperor Shun here?”

Instead of answering, Emperor Shun asked, “Does Emperor Jiang Ren have the ability to leave the River of Time?”

Jiang Li thought for a moment and said cautiously, “Can he blast it open with his fists?”

“…”

Emperor Shun felt fortunate to have come, otherwise the River of Time would have burst its banks.

He knew Jiang Li’s strength was unquestionable, and he was more than capable of blasting open the River of Time.

“Haha, just kidding. The River of Time is so important, why would I casually destroy it?” Jiang Li knew his priorities.

“Originally, I wanted to go back to the past, find some things, find the royal family of the Great Zhou Dynasty of that era, and ask them to open a path for me to leave.”

“But since you, Emperor Shun, have come, you should help me leave the long river of time, right?”

Emperor Shun said hurriedly: “I dare not be addressed as ‘you’ by Emperor Jiang Ren. I can’t bear it. I did help Emperor Jiang Ren leave the long river of time, but not here.”

“Where is that?”

“When Emperor Jiang Ren came here, what he most wanted to see should be the Jiuzhou of nine thousand years ago. I can take you there. Emperor Jiang Ren has many doubts in his heart, and I can answer some of them, but it is better for you to see it with your own eyes.”

“Thank you very much.”

Emperor Shun’s arrival relieved Jiang Li considerably. He no longer had to worry about how to swim to Jiuzhou.

“Emperor Jiang Ren, please come aboard.”

Jiang Li drifted on the sea, passing the mouth of the Thousand-Year River, where countless white fish swam.

“I can develop intelligence and stand out from my kind, thanks to the Yin-Yang Heavenly Seal.”

Jiang Li was curious: “How did the Ancient and Modern Sword transform into a fish?”

“Since you’re not well-versed in the ways of time, I’ll explain it briefly. The creatures of the River of Time, the white fish, are immortal. There’s no concept of death here. The Ancient and Modern Sword is forged from my bones, and it’s considered a creature of the River of Time. It has returned to the River of Time, and the River of Time will automatically help it replenish its body.”

Jiang Li felt that Emperor Shun was worthy of being Ji Zhi’s ancestor. His first words hit a nerve, just like Ji Zhi’s.

“This is it.” Emperor Shun stopped at the mouth of a certain River of Time.

“This is Jiuzhou nine thousand years ago. The right time, the right place. Emperor Jiang Ren can jump in from here.”

(End of Chapter)