109: Hunting amidst the turbulent flow of time!

The Starry Tomb Garden was vast and boundless.

Lu Qingxuan and Bronze Profound flew among thirty thousand miles of broken stars. Beneath their feet was the infinite Void Realm, and above their heads were floating skeletons and coffins. The surroundings were terrifyingly silent, with only the occasional sound of star fragments colliding and... that increasingly clear roar of the Ancient God of War.

"The time flow rate in the first layer is 80% of the outside world," Bronze Profound calculated while flying. "Following this trend, the second layer will drop to 50%, the third layer to 30%... and by the ninth layer, it will indeed be one percent."

Lu Qingxuan sensed the passage of time within his body; the Chaos Immortal Devil Body was automatically adjusting to adapt to this anomaly. He could clearly feel that his metabolism and spiritual power circulation were about twenty percent slower than in the outside world.

"The Time Turbulence Storm Zone is almost here." Bronze Profound pointed ahead. "That is the only path to the second layer, but it is also one of the most dangerous areas. The storm is mixed with shattered fragments of the Law of Time; if one is caught in it, they might instantly age ten thousand years or regress back to infancy."

Ten thousand miles ahead, a distorted silver area came into view.

It wasn't a storm, but more like an ocean composed of broken mirrors. Countless time fragments tumbled and collided within it, each impact producing strange spatio-temporal ripples. Through those fragments, one could occasionally see flashes of historical scenes—fragments of ancient gods at war, moments of star births, and even the afterimages of a Cultivator failing while Undergoing Tribulation.

"These time fragments..." Lu Qingxuan's eyes narrowed slightly. "If they could be collected, they might be used to refine special Magic Treasures."

"Theoretically possible, but too dangerous." Bronze Profound shook his head. "The stability of time fragments is extremely poor; they could explode the moment they are touched, triggering a chain collapse. Unless—"

Before he could finish his sentence, his expression changed drastically. "Not good! Someone has set a trap in the storm zone in advance!"

Almost simultaneously, Lu Qingxuan also sensed the anomaly.

In the silver storm area ahead, there were seven locations where the time flow rate was clearly abnormal—it flowed exceptionally slowly there, as if something were forcibly dragging it down.

"It's 'Time Anchor Points'!" Bronze Profound gritted his teeth. "An ambush method specifically targeting time turbulence areas! Someone calculated that we would take this path and laid a time trap in advance!"

The moment his voice fell, the seven anchor points erupted simultaneously!

"Buzz—"

The entire silver storm area suddenly came to a halt! All the tumbling time fragments froze in the air, forming an absolute stillness Domain with a diameter of a hundred miles!

And Lu Qingxuan and Bronze Profound had just flown into the edge of the Domain.

"Time Stillness!" Bronze Profound's pupils constricted. Bronze light erupted from his body as he tried to resist, but that light quickly dimmed as soon as it lit up—in this Domain, even the flow of energy was forcibly frozen!

Lu Qingxuan similarly felt a terrifying suppression.

His mind could still function, but his bodily movements were thousands of times slower, as if every cell were struggling in viscous glue. Spiritual power mobilization that could originally be completed in a single thought now required dozens of times more Mental Energy to barely drive.

"The Law of Time... and it's a quite high-level application." He felt a jolt of alarm in his heart.

"Hahahaha—"

Seven black shadows emerged from behind the frozen time fragments.

The leading Black-Robed Figure held that hourglass phantom, the sand within which was now completely still. He walked slowly, perfectly at home in the absolute stillness Domain, each step treading on the cracks of time.

"Lu Qingxuan, Bronze Profound." The Black-Robed Figure stopped thirty feet in front of them, his raspy voice filled with mockery. "Didn't expect this, did you? In this Tomb of Myriad Gods, time... is mine to command."

Bronze Profound spoke with difficulty, "Time Hourglass Fragment... You actually found a relic of the Ancient God of Time..."

"Good eye." The Black-Robed Figure toyed with the hourglass phantom in his hand. "Although it is only a fragment, in this tomb filled with time turbulence, it's enough to exert thirty percent of the power of a complete Time Hourglass. And that thirty percent... is enough to trap and kill a True Immortal at the Peak."

He looked at Lu Qingxuan. "Kid, the combat power you showed outside the city was indeed staggering. If it were a head-on confrontation, the seven of us combined might not be your match. But unfortunately—combat is never just about the level of one's Realm. Tactics, environment, equipment... all are indispensable."

Beside the Black-Robed Figure, a tall and thin subordinate sneered, "My Lord, don't waste words with them. Directly extract their time and let them turn to dust in the stillness."

"No rush." The Black-Robed Figure shook his head. "Bronze Profound knows too many secrets of the tomb and needs to be captured alive for interrogation. As for Lu Qingxuan... the bronze immortal palace fragments and the war godhead fragment on him must be taken out perfectly intact."

He raised his left hand, spreading his five fingers and aiming them at Lu Qingxuan:

"Time Secret Technique: Year Stripping!"

An invisible force of the Law of Time enveloped Lu Qingxuan's entire body, beginning to forcibly extract his life time!

[Warning: Encountered a high-level Law of Time attack]

[Target is stripping the host's life time; it is estimated the host will age to the end of his Lifespan in 300 breaths]

[Chaos Immortal Devil Body is resisting autonomously... Resistance effect is weak]

[Suggestion: Immediately activate time-type traits or use the Law of Time to counter]

Lu Qingxuan felt his life force rapidly draining, but his gaze remained exceptionally calm.

He looked at the System interface—there, the recently acquired [Law of War Prototype] was flashing, and deeper within, the Chaos Void Returning Dao Seed was also vibrating slightly.

"Time... is indeed a powerful Law." He suddenly spoke, his voice sounding exceptionally clear in the stillness Domain. "But you seem to have forgotten that my Chaos Immortal Devil Body is best at... devouring and assimilation."

The Black-Robed Figure was stunned. "What?"

In the next second, the Chaos Void Returning Dao Seed within Lu Qingxuan's body erupted!

Grey Chaos Qi gushed out from every pore of his body; wherever it passed, those frozen time fragments began to tremble and disintegrate! The Chaos Qi, like a greedy behemoth, began to frantically devour the surrounding Law of Time!

"How is this possible?!" the Black-Robed Figure lost his voice and cried out. "Within the Time Stillness Domain, how can you possibly mobilize spiritual power?!"

"Because Chaos... is the source of all Laws and the beginning of space-time."

Lu Qingxuan spoke each word deliberately as the light of the bronze immortal palace fragments on his body's surface intensified. The power of the Immortal Palace fused with the Chaos Qi, forming a strange bronze-grey energy that actually began to counter-erode the stillness Domain created by the Time Hourglass!

"The Law of Time is indeed very strong." Lu Qingxuan slowly raised his right hand—an action that should have taken dozens of breaths to complete in the stillness Domain now took only three. "But your mastery of it... is too shallow."

In the palm of his right hand, a rotating grey vortex emerged.

In the center of the vortex, a phantom of a surging river was faintly visible—it was the "River of Time" projection simulated by the Chaos Void Returning Dao Seed!

"Chaos Returning to Ruins: Time River Reverse Flow!"

"Boom—"

The entire stillness Domain shook violently!

All the time fragments frozen by the Time Hourglass shattered, turning into a silver torrent that flowed backward! Bronze Profound instantly regained his ability to move, while the seven Black-Robed Figures were swept into the time torrent!

"No—!!!"

Screams rang out.

As the time torrent washed over them, the bodies of the seven began to change at a speed visible to the naked eye—some instantly aged into withered bones, some regressed into children, and some had different parts of their bodies in different states of time: a baby's left hand, an old man's right hand, a middle-aged head... Only the leading Black-Robed Figure struggled to hold on with the Time Hourglass Fragment, but the hourglass phantom in his hand was also vibrating violently, with cracks appearing on its surface!

"Damn it! How can you possibly master the Law of Time?!" the Black-Robed Figure roared.

"I don't need to master it." Lu Qingxuan took a step forward and was already in front of the Black-Robed Figure. "I only need to... devour it."

He reached out his left hand, grabbing directly for that Time Hourglass Fragment!

"Don't even think about it!" The Black-Robed Figure gritted his teeth and suddenly bit the tip of his tongue, spraying a mouthful of essence blood onto the hourglass. "Time Secret Technique: Ten Thousand Years in an Instant!"

The hourglass glowed brilliantly, and the sand inside flowed frantically.

The hand Lu Qingxuan used to grab the hourglass stopped the moment it touched the light!

No, it didn't stop, but was accelerated to the extreme!

This move of the Black-Robed Figure was extremely malicious: he accelerated the time flow rate in the area of Lu Qingxuan's palm by ten thousand times, meaning that in a single instant in reality, Lu Qingxuan's palm had actually experienced the erosion of ten thousand years of time!

A normal Cultivator, even with a True Immortal Body, would turn to dust under the erosion of ten thousand years of time.

But Lu Qingxuan... was not a normal Cultivator.

"Accelerating time?" He laughed. "Perfect, help me temper my Physical Body."

As his voice fell, he not only didn't withdraw his hand but instead actively poured the power of the Chaos Immortal Devil Body into his palm! The palm that had experienced ten thousand years of erosion did not decay but instead completed a certain transformation amidst the time acceleration—fine temporal patterns emerged on the skin's surface, each pattern containing the brand of the Law of Time!

"This... what kind of monster is this?!" The Black-Robed Figure panicked completely.

Lu Qingxuan's hand finally grabbed the Time Hourglass Fragment.

"Deprive."

[Successfully Deprived: Time Hourglass Fragment (Rainbow)]

[Trait effect: Can control local time flow rate (acceleration/deceleration/stillness), range and duration are limited by energy supply]

[Warning: This fragment contains the brand of the Ancient God of Time; direct use may result in backlash from the brand]

"System, erase the brand and fuse it into the Chaos Void Returning Dao Seed."

[Erasing... requires 20 million dao rhyme value, continue?]

"Continue."

[Erasure successful! Fusing...]

[Fusion successful! The Chaos Void Returning Dao Seed has gained Law of Time characteristics]

[New ability unlocked: Domain of Time (Elementary)—Can create a Domain with time flow rate differences; current maximum difference: ten times]

All of this happened in a flash.

The Black-Robed Figure watched helplessly as his greatest reliance was snatched away and fused; despair finally emerged in his eyes. "You... you cannot kill me! I am one of Lord Heavenly Fate Child's—"

"I know," Lu Qingxuan interrupted him. "You are a pawn of the Fate Ancient God. Therefore... you deserve to die even more."

The god-suppressing sword unsheathed, and a single strike swept across.

The Black-Robed Figure's head flew up, disbelief still lingering in his eyes before he died. The fate mark within his body tried to erupt but was instantly devoured by the Chaos Qi.

[Slayed Peak True Immortal (Time Law Specialization) ×1]

[Obtained: Time Hourglass Fragment (Fused)]

[Obtained: Time Secret Technique Legacy Jade Slip ×3 (Rainbow)]

[Obtained: Void Abyss Lurker List (Partial)]

[dao rhyme value +25 million]

The other six people had long since turned to dust in the time torrent, leaving not even a corpse behind.

Bronze Profound flew to Lu Qingxuan's side, lingering fear in his heart. "That was close... If Lord Sword Master hadn't mastered the power of Chaos, we might have truly fallen here today."

Lu Qingxuan put away the spoils of war and looked ahead. "The trap in the storm zone is broken, but we've been delayed. The roar of the Ancient God of War... is even closer."

Indeed, the roars coming from the fifth layer were already as clear as thunder, and the entire tomb was vibrating slightly. Some floating star fragments began to fall, and the coffins in the void were also shaking.

"He is impacting the prison." Bronze Profound's face was grave. "We must speed up and get the heart of the artisan ancestor before He completely breaks free. Otherwise, once the Ancient God of War regains his freedom, the entire tomb will become His killing field."

Just as the two were about to continue forward, Bronze Profound's body suddenly swayed, and he spat out a mouthful of blood!

"Senior!" Lu Qingxuan supported him.

"It's... nothing." Bronze Profound wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and smiled bitterly. "Just now, forcibly breaking through the time stillness injured my Origin. This body of mine... was already reaching its limit."

Lu Qingxuan sensed his condition, his brows furrowing.

Bronze Profound's Lifespan was indeed nearly exhausted, and there was a curse deeply rooted in his Bloodline that continued to erode him. This curse was extremely ancient and malicious, capable of slowly grinding away even the life force of an Immortal Rank.

"Is it a Bloodline curse?" Lu Qingxuan asked.

Bronze Profound nodded. "The fate of the Tomb-Guarding Remnant Clan. Guarding the tomb for generations, and bearing the curse for generations. The purer the Bloodline, the deeper the curse. As the High Priest, my Bloodline purity is the highest, so... I am also the first to reach the end."

He looked at Lu Qingxuan with a final spark of eagerness in his eyes. "Lord Sword Master, this old man implores you—after you get the heart of the artisan ancestor, please be sure to find the 'Bloodline Purification Pool'. That pool water can not only purify the Bloodline but also cleanse the curse. As long as it can be found, the children of my clan... will no longer have to endure this pain."

Lu Qingxuan was silent for a moment before solemnly saying, "I promise you."

"Thank you." Bronze Profound showed a relieved smile and then pointed toward the depths of the storm zone. "The entrance to the second layer is right there, we—"

Before his voice could fade, another change occurred!

"BOOM!!!!"

The entire Starry Tomb Garden shook violently!

This time it wasn't the roar of the Ancient God of War, but a certain... sound of collapsing coming from the deepest part of the tomb!

Immediately after, an indescribable and terrifying aura erupted upwards from below! That aura was mixed with war, death, destruction, and a hint of... madness!

"Is the prison on the fifth layer... broken?!" Bronze Profound was aghast.

"No, it's not completely broken yet." Lu Qingxuan sensed the war godhead fragment in his bosom. "But He has already broken through most of the Seal. In three hours at most, the remnant soul of the Ancient God of War will be completely free."

He looked at Bronze Profound. "Senior, your body won't last until the ninth layer. Tell me the shortest route from the second to the ninth layer, as well as the locations of all dangerous areas. You... stay here as backup."

Bronze Profound wanted to refuse, but looking at his trembling hands, he finally nodded with a bitter smile. "Alright. Lord Sword Master, everything is in your hands."

He pressed a bronze token to his forehead, extracted all his memories, and turned them into a memory crystal to give to Lu Qingxuan. "Inside are all the records of my clan's exploration of the tomb over the past ten thousand years. The second layer is the 'Time Corridor', the third layer is the 'Boneyard Wasteland', the fourth layer is the 'The Graveyard of Laws'... detailed maps of every layer are inside."

"Additionally, after entering the ninth layer, you will see nine Bronze Divine Pillars. The heart of the artisan ancestor is at the very top of the central pillar, but there is the final trial left by the Artisan Ancestor—the 'Myriad Weapons God-Slaying Formation'. Only by simultaneously mastering the bronze immortal palace, the Law of War, and Chaos power can you break the formation and take the heart."

Lu Qingxuan took the crystal, swept it with his Divine Sense, and instantly mastered all the information.

"I understand. Take care, Senior."

He no longer hesitated, his figure turning into a streak of Chaos light as he charged into the depths of the storm zone.

Bronze Profound watched his receding back, slowly sat down cross-legged, and began to adjust his breathing. But just as he closed his eyes, he suddenly snapped them open and looked toward his side and rear—

There, behind a broken star fragment, an eye was quietly watching him.

That eye... he recognized it.

"It's you..." Bronze Profound murmured, a complex expression flashing in his eyes. "Are you... awake too?"

The eye did not respond, but only slowly closed.

The star fragment returned to peace, as if everything just now had been a mere hallucination.

And in the depths of the tomb, the roar of the Ancient God of War... was getting closer and closer.