Chapter 468: You Are Here Once Again

Meanwhile, in a place unknown to the heavens and earth.

This place was devoid of time and space. There was no distinction between past, present, and future, nor was there any concept of distance by which one could measure the vastness of this place.

It was an existence that could not be described through ordinary words, a region that seemed to lie beyond the boundaries of everything Tian Yongheng had ever understood.

And within this boundless nothingness, a river flowed.

Its surface was illusory, yet incomparably real.

Countless fragments of existence drifted within its waters, appearing and disappearing with every ripple.

Some resembled entire worlds, while others were nothing more than fleeting images of people, events, or possibilities that had never come to pass.

There were scenes of birth and death, the rise and fall of civilizations, and the countless choices that determined the trajectory of existence.

Every ripple seemed to contain an infinite number of possibilities, and upon the surface of this river, a figure walked slowly forward.

It was none other than Tian Yongheng.

At this moment, he possessed none of the overwhelming might of an Earth Immortal.

His Indestructible Immortal Body had become no different from that of an ordinary mortal, while his Inextinguishable Divine Energy and Imperishable Essence Soul seemed to have vanished completely.

He just continued walking, one step after another, just like a mortal who had lost his way in an unfamiliar place.

Yet, strangely enough, he did not feel any particular discomfort.

He could sense the river beneath his feet, the countless fragments drifting within its waters, and the incomprehensible principles that surrounded it.

Tian Yongheng slowly raised his head, his gaze falling upon the endless river extending into the boundless distance.

"This river..."

His voice echoed through the surrounding nothingness, yet no sound seemed to travel beyond the immediate vicinity.

How could he possibly forget?

More than a thousand years ago, the night before he died in his previous life on Earth, he had experienced a strange dream.

In that dream, he saw a river flowing through an endless darkness.

At that time, he was unable to understand what it was, nor had he possessed the means to comprehend the countless mysteries contained within its waters.

Yet, after reincarnating into this cultivation world, he had gradually encountered things that should never have existed according to his previous understanding of reality.

His dream of immortality could come true in this world.

Tian Yongheng’s footsteps gradually slowed as he looked at the countless fragments drifting within the water, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

He could now perceive things that he was completely incapable of understanding in his previous life.

The countless principles surrounding the river were profound beyond imagination.

There was the Dao of Time, containing traces of past events and future possibilities, there were principles that seemed to encompass the birth and destruction of entire worlds, there were fragments of Karma, Merit, and Providence, intertwining with one another in ways that ordinary Immortals and Gods could never hope to comprehend.

There was even the Dao of Eternity present here.

Yet, among all these principles, one stood above the rest.

The Dao of Fate.

Tian Yongheng stared at it for a long time.

His understanding of the Dao of Fate was still rudimentary, obtained primarily through his cultivation of the Heaven Prying Secret Technique.

Even so, he could perceive that the Dao of Fate surrounding this river was fundamentally different from the one he understood.

It was not just the ability to glimpse the trajectories of living beings or perceive the hidden connections between their destinies, but seemed to encompass the very possibilities through which existence could unfold.

Tian Yongheng’s expression became increasingly solemn the more he looked.

He finally understood why the mysterious blue eye had reacted so violently when this river appeared.

The existence behind that eye had possessed authority over the Dao of Time according to his assumption, and it had attempted to erase him by interfering with a possible future.

Yet, when the river appeared, that terrifying existence was forced to retreat.

Only an authority of an equal level could do such a thing.

Could it be...

His thoughts suddenly stopped.

He looked towards the endless river, and a possibility emerged within his mind.

If this river was truly connected to the Dao of Fate at such an extraordinary level, what about that mighty figure he had seen in his dream back then?

Could that person also be here?

The moment this thought emerged, the river water suddenly rippled.

Tian Yongheng was stunned.

It was the first time since he arrived that he had witnessed any noticeable change in the river.

The ripples spread slowly across its surface, distorting the countless fragments of existence reflected within its waters.

Then, somewhere in the distance, an illusory silhouette began to take shape.

At first, it was barely distinguishable from the surrounding nothingness, like a vague outline, however, as the ripples continued to spread, the silhouette gradually became clearer.

Tian Yongheng’s eyes widened as he instinctively stopped walking.

The figure appeared to be a man.

He stood upon the surface of the river with his hands behind his back, his posture relaxed, as if he had been standing there for countless years.

At first, Tian Yongheng could only perceive his outline, but gradually, the outline became more distinct.

The man’s shoulders, his long robes, his hair, and finally, his face all became clearly visible.

Just from the silhouette alone, Tian Yongheng could recognize that person as the same figure he had seen in his dream before dying on Earth, the same being who had appeared within his memories for more than a thousand years, remaining an unresolved mystery that he could never truly understand.

Now, in this place that seemed to transcend time, space, and the ordinary principles of existence, that same figure was standing before him once again.

At this moment, Tian Yongheng found himself unable to remain completely calm.

The figure slowly turned around with unhurried movements.

The man appeared to be middle aged, with features ordinary to the extreme.

He did not possess an exceptionally handsome face, nor did he have the imposing appearance of an ancient powerhouse.

If he were to appear in the Mortal World, he might easily be mistaken for an ordinary scholar who had spent his life studying beneath the lamplight.

There was nothing particularly remarkable about his appearance, yet his eyes seemed to contain the entire river beneath their feet.

Within their depths, Tian Yongheng could perceive countless fragments of existence, endless possibilities, and trajectories of fate extending towards horizons that even his current understanding could not yet reach.

It was not only a matter of cultivation realms, but something far more profound, akin to a special status granted by heaven and earth.

The man’s gaze seemed to encompass things that had already happened, things that had yet to happen, and things that might never happen at all.

Even Tian Yongheng, who had already become an Earth Immortal, could not discern the slightest limit to his perception.

The man looked at him quietly, and for a brief moment, neither of them spoke.

Then, the middle aged man smiled faintly and finally spoke, his voice calm, neither hurried nor slow.

"You are here once again."