Chapter Thirty-Two: Tracing the Nether, Rewinding Time...
Soon, the Shadow Sovereign had already departed from the Celestial Domain of Primordial Heaven.
He strode through the void, heading toward the Sea of Burial.
Endless stars flickered past him, and before long, he found himself before a vast star sea, entirely shrouded in gray and white.
Unlike other star seas, the one before him glimmered with starlight, yet most of it was dim and wan.
Within its depths, an infinite sense of decay and desolation permeated the air, imparting an indescribable feeling of corruption.
It was as if this star sea had reached the very end, crumbling into ruin…
"The Sea of Burial, where all the mysteries of the world are interred…" gazing at the gray expanse before him, the Shadow Sovereign’s eyes flashed with profound depths as he murmured to himself:
"I have long heard that the Sea of Burial conceals endless secrets of the starry sky…"
"Today, I shall explore them myself…"
After a brief pause, a glimmer of clarity flashed deep within his eyes. He moved forward, stepping lightly into the sea.
As waves of desolate, decaying aura surged toward him, the Shadow Sovereign arched his brow. A faint violet radiance shimmered around him, abruptly isolating the corrupted atmosphere from his form.
This decaying aura contained a hint of assimilative power—as if everything entering this place would inevitably be absorbed, decaying together with the star sea itself.
Fortunately, the Unmoved King Array was a wondrous art, derived from the Shadow Sovereign’s mastery of the strongest restrictions and formations across the universe. Isolating such minor assimilative force posed no challenge.
"Curious…" he mused inwardly, his eyes flickering, as he surveyed the endless gray scene before him.
Countless continents and stars floated there, but most had been ravaged and broken.
Dense and innumerable, they offered nothing but a landscape of ruin and desolation.
Even a star sea on the verge of destruction would harbor traces of vitality in its final moments.
Yet, when his divine sense swept across this sea, not a single spark of life could be found.
"Perhaps, by borrowing the laws of heaven and earth, I can briefly trace back through time…" After a moment's thought, the Shadow Sovereign sensed the chaotic power of this realm, a contemplative light flickering in his eyes. He stepped onto one of the larger ruins.
Slowly crouching, he pressed his left hand gently to the ground.
"The Path of Nether Tracing, derived from heaven and earth… by this, time may be recalled…" As his murmurs flowed, a glint flashed in his gaze, and above him, a gigantic violet vortex suddenly appeared!
The instant the vortex formed, the power of heaven and earth surged toward it, as if rivers converging into a sea!
The vortex seemed ethereal and illusory, yet emanated an extraordinarily mysterious aura.
At first, it was only a yard wide; but as the boundless power of heaven and earth poured in, it expanded swiftly—
Three yards…
Ten yards…
A hundred yards…
Thousands of yards…
Soon, the immense, illusory violet vortex above the Shadow Sovereign enveloped half the Sea of Burial!
And it was not yet finished.
As the power of heaven and earth continued to merge, the surrounding ruins began to tremble rapidly!
It was as if a strange force was guiding them; apart from the varying ruins, endless fragments of stone emitted peculiar power, surging toward different ruins!
A low hum…
Suddenly, with a faint humming sound resounding through the heavens and earth, the entire world trembled!
Now, the enormous violet vortex covered the whole realm.
As countless ruins converged, shadows of continents rapidly took shape!
"Let us return to the time when this star sea flourished most…" His gaze swept over the continents riddled with cracks, his expression unmoved. His voice sounded quietly as he raised his left hand, forming a seal, and pointed forward!
A resonant hum…
The humming intensified, and as a strange, unfathomable aura swept across, the world quivered!
Visibly, the cracks spread across the continents began to heal.
Pavilions, towers, mountains, and rivers quickly regained their former glory.
As the humming grew louder and the uncanny aura thickened, on the soil of one continent, a tender shoot suddenly sprouted!
Soon after, the sprout rapidly grew, leaves unfurled, and a flower bud formed!
At that moment, a gentle breeze brushed past.
As if spurred by the breeze, the bud slowly opened, revealing its stamen.
Fragrance wafted forth.
Almost simultaneously with the blossoming of the flower, the entire continental expanse seemed to enter a strange state!
Grass and trees sprouted everywhere, flourishing exuberantly.
Though this all seemed to unfold slowly, it happened within a few breaths—from the first bloom to the dense vitality spreading across the star sea’s continents, only a few dozen breaths had passed!
Soon, the intense humming faded, and on the stars formed from the gathered fragments, a soft radiance was born!
With each flicker, the life force within those stars grew richer, and their outer glow intensified!
Witnessing this scene, the Shadow Sovereign showed no trace of joy upon his face. He knew that the Nether Tracing method, the art of turning back time, exacted a tremendous price…
Even though the Sea of Burial now appeared vibrant and alive, once the power of heaven and earth here was exhausted, the Nether Tracing would vanish.
Then, the star sea would again be devoid of life…
"Just one step remains…" His gaze swept across the endless continents, the Shadow Sovereign whispered, raising his left hand.
As he formed seals, violet light suffused his form, and the uncanny power of this realm swiftly merged into all worlds!
Soon, within the capitals of the continents, a phantom figure appeared, rapidly solidifying.
Amidst the bustle of voices, the continent regained its former splendor!
A gentle breeze brushed across mountains and rivers, winding through forests and villages, finally passing through the capital and arriving at the sects.
Quickly, as sects across the continents were restored and cultivators appeared, the star sea gradually returned to its peak flourishing state!
Alongside this revival, endless mysterious realms filled with uncanny aura also returned—and three places, perilous and forbidding, where mortals dared not enter!
Like forbidden zones.
Yet at this moment, the Shadow Sovereign’s figure slowly faded.
As if he had completely merged with this star sea—
Or even become the very Dao of Heaven for this realm…
Silently, he observed all that transpired in this star sea…
Time drifted by; in a blink, decades passed.
In the vast, boundless star sea, the stars glittered brilliantly. On the continents, forests thrived, and the number of cultivators steadily grew.
Sea of Suffering, Foundation, Dao Deity, Divine Bridge, Far Shore…
The ranks of cultivators in every realm soared…
Saints appeared, roaming the starry sky, and discovered imperial arts!
As time flowed, the star sea witnessed the emergence of its first Great Emperor!
Wars erupted among races…
Unity followed division, and division followed unity…
Endless ages passed in a blink…
With the arrival of an immortal, all beings in the starry sky surrendered.
Once more, the realm returned to its former strength.
Prosperity and harmony prevailed…
Yet, at that moment, a faint, nearly imperceptible breath of desolation appeared in the star sea…