Chapter 36: The Mysterious Man

In the air, a huge screen appeared out of nowhere. It emerged out of thin air, vast and boundless, right before Qu Yi’s eyes. On this screen, scenes unfolded like mirages—precisely the events that had taken place when Qu Yi arrived at Mount Reincarnation.

Qu Yi hovered in midair, watching the scenes on the screen, with only a faint smile on his face.
“Time reversal? It seems the Divine Emperor Daoyuan is somewhere in this space.” Qu Yi murmured to himself, then stared straight through the screen, as if seeing through the illusion, searching around.

The cosmic energy of the Five Elements Universe was also drawn by Qu Yi, instantly transforming into countless threads that swept through the surroundings without exception. Cosmic energy permeates every corner of the universe; once activated, no one can escape its search.

Yet, Qu Yi’s face showed confusion.
“Strange. Despite the cosmic energy scanning everywhere, I still can’t find the Divine Emperor Daoyuan. This guy really does have some skills.” Qu Yi couldn’t help but laugh, a strange smile appearing on his face.

This space operates under different time rules, Qu Yi realized. He understood that this was the Divine Emperor Daoyuan trying to impress him. It seemed the Divine Emperor Daoyuan was aware of Qu Yi’s entire experience on Mount Reincarnation—how he had mastered time acceleration in a space where time sped up, and time stagnation in a space where time stood still. Naturally, he also knew that if Qu Yi were in a space where time reversed, he would surely be able to reverse time as well.

At this moment, the space was filled with time reversal. Every thread of cosmic energy Qu Yi sent out was pulled back by time reversal, preventing him from locating the Divine Emperor Daoyuan’s whereabouts. Thus, Qu Yi deduced that he was once again in a space governed by different time rules. Since the Divine Emperor Daoyuan hadn’t shown any intention of attacking him, it seemed he wanted Qu Yi to master time reversal in this space.

“Those who know when to act wisely are truly remarkable. After witnessing the actions of the Divine Emperors Daotong and Daocqing, this Divine Emperor Daoyuan still knows very well how to make choices.” Qu Yi affirmed in his heart before continuing to draw upon the cosmic energy of the Five Elements Universe.

Currently, although Qu Yi couldn’t use this energy to locate Daoyuan, it was because the amount of energy used was still too small, and its frequency of fluctuation was too slow. Therefore, he decided to intensify the energy even more, sending it powerfully throughout the surrounding space.

As long as the power of the universe could figure out the essence of time reversal, Qu Yi believed he would surely be able to comprehend it quickly as well. Silently, the power of the universe transformed into thin threads, vibrating violently throughout space, driving every bit of energy in it. Yet, as soon as these elemental energies were activated, they immediately transformed into another form of elemental energy. The changes in energy in space either involved transforming primordial energy into various types of elemental energy or purifying elemental energy back into primordial energy—such complex transformations occurred simultaneously throughout space. The scale of these energy changes was immense; despite amplifying the power of the universe to extreme levels, Qu Yi still couldn’t grasp the overall energy dynamics in space, let alone uncover the essence of time reversal. As the oldest and most ancient divine emperor in the divine realm, and the only one who had mastered time reversal, the Dao Yuan Divine Emperor was naturally far stronger than the Dao Qing Divine Emperor and the Dao Tong Divine Emperor. The time reversal he employed at that moment left Qu Yi unable to counter it, forcing him to continuously reinforce himself with chaotic energy to resist its effects, while simultaneously using the power of the universe to explore the situation. Meanwhile, somewhere on Mount Reincarnation, the Dao Yuan Divine Emperor sat on a pure blue square stone, his hands seemingly moving slowly but actually at an incredible speed—he was undoubtedly using time reversal. At one point, his eyes flashed, and he murmured, “This Qu Yi is truly a genius in cultivation. Why has my time reversal ever been so ineffective? Ten million years have passed, yet Qu Yi’s body shows no changes. Strange… I’ve exerted all my strength over these ten million years yet still couldn’t cause him the slightest harm. It seems I must admit defeat. Well, since I’ve already shown Qu Yi my goodwill, I suppose he must have realized it. Now I’ll slow down time reversal so he can thoroughly experience it. I hope he’ll grasp time reversal soon so I can complete my mission.” It turned out that the Dao Yuan Divine Emperor’s change in attitude toward Qu Yi was prompted by someone else’s hint. Initially, he was unwilling to admit defeat, as he considered himself the greatest in the divine realm and wanted to compete with Qu Yi. So he used all his power for time reversal but found he couldn’t overcome Qu Yi, only then did he concede. Sure enough, the Dao Yuan Divine Emperor immediately slowed down the rate of time reversal.

Qu Yi, who was in the space of time reversal, suddenly sensed something unusual. The cosmic power he had summoned began to detect the patterns of energy changes in the space, and he could faintly sense every change in the state of that energy.
“That Dao source seemed unconvinced by me just now and challenged me. By slowing down the frequency of time reversal, it seems intent on helping me comprehend it. I must accept this kindness,” Qu Yi said with a faint smile.
After saying that, he immediately immersed himself in the state of contemplating time reversal.
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The ascended deities such as Bai Man, Qing Wu Gui, and Qi Shen had been waiting on Ye Yang Tree for Qu Yi’s return.
No one knew how much time had passed on Mount Reincarnation; after all, no one could discern the flow of time. Thus, they paid no attention to it and simply sat peacefully on Ye Yang Tree, cultivating.
Zong Jing, Zhu Chen, Qian Mao, Bai Man, Qing Yi Yi, Yu Zhu Ting, Meng Yan, and Fei Chang Xia each obtained a Primordial Pearl and used them to refine their bodies during this time. As a result, they would later be able to draw upon the primordial forces of the eight divine realms in the divine world.
The deities on Ye Yang Tree were quiet, except for Wu Yuan, Qing Yi Yi, Yu Zhu Ting, Meng Yan, and Fei Chang Xia—these five were constantly moving around on the tree, chasing each other.
Wu Yuan insisted on marrying Sang Xue.
Qing Yi Yi, Yu Zhu Ting, Meng Yan, and Fei Chang Xia could not tolerate this. After refining their Primordial Pearls, they pursued Wu Yuan even more fiercely, as if they truly needed to kill him to vent their anger.
At first, the deities found interest in watching these five’s antics, but soon lost interest and went to different branches of Ye Yang Tree to cultivate quietly, waiting.
At that moment, a middle-aged man in green clothes, with an ordinary appearance and a plain aura, appeared at the top of Ye Yang Tree.
The man had a broad forehead and square eyes, his black hair stood upright, and he wore a faint smile. He seemed ordinary, and his aura was weak, but anyone present would involuntarily tremble, probably unable to stand even.
Such a mysterious person had appeared on Ye Yang Tree!
The mysterious man smiled faintly, then waved his right hand. It seemed as though the sleeves of his green clothes had gathered countless cosmic energies, causing the entire space around Ye Yang Tree to shake. Soon, all the deities on the tree gathered in front of him.
Bai Man, Qing Wu Gui, Wu Yuan, Qi Shen, Zong Jing, and the other deities glanced at the mysterious man and their souls trembled involuntarily. They wanted to kneel down and worship him.

However, the mysterious figure wasn’t there to show off; he immediately suppressed all traces of his presence, appearing just like an ordinary mortal. All the Divine Kings stood quietly, not daring to make the slightest sound, not even breathing. “The Divine Kings’ Reincarnation Battle is over. You may return to the Divine Realm,” the mysterious figure said with a faint smile, announcing his purpose right away. That voice… All the Divine Kings had initially had some doubts, but upon hearing this voice, their hearts were filled with excitement, confusion, and chaos—various emotions swirling within them. This voice was all too familiar to them—it was the same voice that had guided them to the Mountain of Reincarnation. Of course, this voice had also sounded over the Divine Realm before, during the battles between cultivators at the Divine Weapon stage, group battles among cultivators at the Divine General stage, and individual battles at the Divine Marshal stage. “Elder, may I ask who you are?” The Divine Weapon God trembled for a long time before finally mustering the courage to ask. All the Divine Kings stared at the mysterious figure with eager eyes, awaiting an answer. But the mysterious figure merely smiled faintly, unwilling to answer the Divine Weapon God’s question. Instead, he looked at Bai Man and smiled amiably, as if they knew each other from before. Bai Man was stunned. “Sister-in-law, you should return to the Divine Realm first. Qu Yi will be back soon,” the mysterious figure said with a smile. Ah! Not only Bai Man but also Divine Kings like Qing Wu Gui, Wu Yuan, and the Divine Weapon God exclaimed in shock, their confusion deepening. Sister-in-law? Could it be that Qu Yi was this mysterious figure’s brother? Bai Man and all the Divine Kings thought this, but before they could ask further, the mysterious figure gently waved his hand, and everyone found themselves back in the Divine Realm. On Nan Yin Island, the Divine Kings still hadn’t recovered from their shock and kept wondering what exactly the relationship between Qu Yi and the mysterious figure was. Naturally, none of them could figure it out. Even Bai Man, Qing Wu Gui, Wu Yuan, and the Divine Weapon God—those who had lived with Qu Yi and knew all his secrets—had never heard of him having a brother like this mysterious figure. “Who exactly is this mysterious figure?” The Divine Kings, unable to understand, cried out in frustration and stopped guessing. They simply waited quietly for Qu Yi’s return, knowing the answer would come then. Meanwhile, Qu Yi, still on the Mountain of Reincarnation, suddenly smiled and murmured to himself, “Time flowing backward… So that’s how it is.”