Chapter 1577: One Leaf, One Epoch

The Heavens, a place of profound mystery, cut off from the myriad heavens, resided high above, looking down upon the river of time. As oceans turned to dust and great worlds transformed, perished, and revived, it remained transcendent and forever unreachable.

Throughout history, countless prodigies, dominating all heavens, shaking the past and illuminating the present, struck awe across innumerable grand eras and looked down on all existence, yet they still struggled to ascend to the Heavens.

For the invincible beings of ancient times, even with achievements unsurpassed throughout history, they could only raise their heads and sigh, powerless to cross over.

Without entering the Heavens, even heaven-defying sacred heroes would ultimately suffer terrible calamities: ominous and impure, their souls falling into darkness, their spirits mysteriously withering away.

The Heavens were too far, Hell too near!What could be done? How could one avoid it?Reaching the end of their path, exhausted, and meeting a desolate demise, drifting and dissipating in the dark abyss—this was the tragic fate of peerless experts throughout antiquity.

This was the terrifying reality!Turbulent times washed away heroes; for several epochs, not a single person could ascend to the Heavens by their own power!To all living beings in the world, the Heavens were immeasurable, and even to those mighty enough to sweep through all of ancient history, they remained ethereal, visible but unreachable.

Yet, today, Chu Feng unexpectedly arrived there for the first time!How could he not be shocked? For a moment, he was bewildered.To have simply ascended, to this supreme holy land illuminated by immortal radiance and enshrouded in auspicious energy, was utterly inconceivable, leaving him in disbelief.

“You want to kill me? Crawl away!” he roared.In that critical moment, he did not lose his vigilance but remained remarkably calm. The mechanical voice made his hair stand on end, sensing immense danger.He gripped the stone jar and hurled it forward.

It was a brilliant, massive silver arrow, shooting directly at him!The giant arrow tore through the universe; even before it drew close, the void collapsed, worlds became unstable, and chaotic energy surged, as if ushering in the creation of heaven and earth.The stone jar, whose origin was unfathomable, was also stimulated to revive, emitting a faint glow and passively counteracting, repelling the silver arrow away!Boom!Behind Chu Feng, the boundless darkness, the abyss beyond all worlds, erupted as if undergoing a great collapse, obliterating a vast region, and the void itself was annihilated.He gasped, what immense power was this?A massive silver arrow, wreathed in chaotic energy, could seemingly pierce through universes and pose a grave threat to a great realm.Soon, he understood what it was: not a true arrow, but a beam of chaotic lightning, shaped into "Heaven's Punishment"!It truly possessed realm-shattering power!Normally, there would be nothing to resist it.Any external being, even a peerless expert who rashly trespassed here, would be instantly struck down and shot into dust, without a doubt.However, the stone jar remained undisturbed, emitting faint halos!The silver lightning was entirely vibrated away by the jar's body; Chu Feng remained untouched, floating outside the lightning.This was awe-inspiring. If anyone else had been there, they would have been dumbfounded. What kind of power was that?The chaotic lightning waterfall, shaped into Heaven's Punishment, possessing realm-shattering power, was simply dispersed.

The deadly tribulation did not subside. A bell suddenly appeared, spontaneously ringing as it floated in the air. Its ripples were like water, gentle yet sacred, sweeping towards Chu Feng.“Time?!”Chu Feng’s pupils constricted. This seemingly benign bell was an embodiment of the Great Dao, and the mechanical voice accompanied it, repeating the word “annihilate.”At that moment, Chu Feng felt as if he was witnessing entire ancient histories, as if his time was being stripped away, reversing the flow of time itself, to be struck down by the Time Dao Bell.In an instant, he clearly felt the tremors from the endless abyss behind him; even the realm beyond all worlds trembled, filled with fear.Even the dark zones feared the Dao of Time.One could imagine how terrifying the annihilation by this embodiment of the Great Dao was.The stone jar emitted an increasingly dense, hazy glow. No matter how time rushed or the bell swayed, it remained motionless as bedrock.Eventually, the ripples from the bell reversed, falling back upon itself, and in an instant, it seemed to endure many epochs.The great bell itself decayed, withered, and then crumbled into dust. The Dao Bell disintegrated!Could even an embodiment of the Great Dao wither and head towards the end of destruction?Chu Feng was shaken, then felt a surge of emotion. What in this world could be eternal? What could truly last forever?Peerless experts were said to live as long as heaven and earth, shining as brightly as the sun and moon, yet even the sun and moon must fall, and great worlds must decay. In this world, no one could truly live forever.This was a soul-shattering process of annihilation, but Chu Feng felt no fear; instead, his expression was complex, filled with endless lament.

"Annihilation failed!"After these four words, the mechanical voice never appeared again.Only then did Chu Feng sigh in relief, taking the opportunity to carefully observe this so-called ancient land.Enshrouded in mist and light, with streams of auspicious radiance, within the peaceful pure land, fiery red spirit grasses glistened, as if vast swathes of evening glow had fallen to the ground.This startled Chu Feng. Could these be the legendary immortal herbs nurtured by the blood of immortals and true dragons?Further away, golden flower buds the size of bowls shone brilliantly, wreathed in flames, their petals shimmering with vibrant colors, and their fragrance assaulted the nostrils. Strange trees swayed with green glow, dotting the flora.A few low mountains, not towering or majestic, but immortal qi rose from them, giving them an otherworldly and transcendent aura. At their base, divine springs bubbled forth.The most astonishing sights, however, were the nearby features!A colossal immortal lotus, very thick and sacred, rooted in a pool of secret liquid, grander than even towering trees.It soared into the white clouds, standing between heaven and earth.The immortal lotus's leaves were enormous; the smallest of which were vast, and their colors varied: some were blood-red, some ink-black, some dull gray and lightless, or silvery-white like lightning…Chu Feng's Super Fiery Golden Eyes transformed into runes, their divine essence contained, allowing him to see all the leaves. Including a newly sprouted leaf above the clouds, there were thirty-six in total!Additionally, there were three bizarre flower buds arranged in parallel!The buds were like mountains, immense and boundless, emitting chaotic energy and rising immortal light, brimming with vitality!This was no longer a lotus in the ordinary sense; at such a colossal size, calling it a flower-tree seemed an understatement.Of course, none of this was the strangest part. What was truly most captivating were the beings on the chaotic-energy-emitting lotus leaves.Dense clusters of skeletons and mummified corpses lay or sat cross-legged on each giant leaf, dry and lifeless.Chu Feng gasped. He had climbed through the black abyss earlier, traversed myriad realms. Could it be that the strongest individuals from all realms and eras, who had vied to become immortals, had all gathered here?This was the ultimate gathering of history's mightiest prodigies!However, upon reaching this place, their condition had worsened. They were akin to the dead, only a layer of black, cracked old skin, or feathers and scales, covering their bones, utterly devoid of life.Some creatures were on the verge of falling off the leaves, hanging on the edges like hanged ghosts, swaying in the wind, looking terrifying and eerie.These were beings from untold eons ago, with disheveled hair, sunken eye sockets, emaciated, resembling vengeful spirits.Chu Feng’s pupils constricted. These beings had struggled to reach this place—what for? They were on the verge of eternal silence, almost completely dead. Was this the so-called transcendence?“Is that a True Phoenix with shedding feathers?”Chu Feng couldn't help but marvel. Before this, he had never seen such immortal birds with pure bloodlines; all he had encountered were mottled, impure-blooded descendants.But in this place, such avian creatures hung on the lotus leaves as if they had died of old age, and there were more than just one or two.Furthermore, what else did he see? Heavenly Dragons, their scales scattered everywhere, their ancient bones seemingly broken, sprawled motionless on the ground.As for the three-eyed god-men and six-armed demon ape-kings, he saw them all—the most powerful legendary creatures in history were all present here.“If these ancient monsters were to revive and escape to the outside world, they would surely cause immense chaos!”Chu Feng’s voice was low. This place was truly a source of disaster.Some of these monsters must have surpassed true immortals, possessing boundless power.After all, the one behind the Cycle of Reincarnation aimed to cultivate beings beyond Immortal Kings; even if only one such being emerged, it would be a huge gain.So, the creatures here ranged from those nearing the decayed great cosmos to those who had surpassed it—everything imaginable!Fortunately, they were near death, seemingly unable to return to life, in an exceptionally peculiar state, motionless, no different from ghouls.

Chu Feng stepped onto this peculiar land, carefully observing his surroundings. He frowned. This was not a vast continent, but rather an isolated island, suspended in boundless darkness.Especially around the island, there were broken fissures, as if it had been severed from somewhere.He recalled the earlier voice that called him an anomaly for entering the Heavens, yet this was clearly just a small, severed piece of land.“Could this be a corner detached from the Heavens during a supreme-level war, becoming an isolated island beyond all heavens and myriad worlds?”Boundless gloom enveloped the island, isolating it from all realms, severing it from the Heavens, as if it would eventually swallow all great universes and shatter the boundless myriad worlds. The surroundings were pitch black, like a peerless demon opening its massive maw, with eerie energy rising.Chu Feng withdrew his gaze and once again observed the most eye-catching giant lotus and the dense clusters of mummified corpses on it.Beside the secret liquid pool where the giant lotus was rooted, there was loose earth, broken rubble, giant stones, making it hard to tell what this place once was.Chu Feng walked around it. By the pool, he even saw traces left by ancient beings; a stone bore inscriptions, indecipherable, the script from an unknown epoch.However, the Great Dao is interconnected; it contained profound truths, its patterns interwoven, capable of transmitting information across eras and civilizations.“One leaf... one epoch!”He actually deciphered this information!

He abruptly looked up, gazing at the giant lotus again. There were thirty-six leaves in total. If the obscure script on the boulder was accurate, then this lotus had endured... thirty-six epochs?!This was simply unimaginable, incredible!“Myriad Calamity Reincarnation Lotus!”A moment later, he deciphered a few more words, his mind reeled, and his soul throbbed deeply.This object was absolutely extraordinary, truly astonishing.Spanning dozens of epochs, this plant and its unique name hinted at its strangeness and terror, truly extraordinary.Chu Feng pondered that the "reincarnation" in the name of this Myriad Calamity Reincarnation Lotus most likely referred to the primordial cycle of reincarnation, not the concept understood in later eras.Soon, he made another astonishing discovery. Ahead, not in the secret liquid, but among the rubble, part of the giant lotus's roots were exposed, wrapped around a stone zither!“As expected, the zither’s true form was here!”“This belongs to me; I’m taking it!”His eyes gleamed with divine light, a clear sign of his aggressive intent. Today, he had come to plunder, to thoroughly strip this place clean.The main reason was also his conjecture about the stone zither; its material was too unique; he instinctively thought of the stone jar by his side.Could they be artifacts from the same era?!If he could truly wield and activate it, its destructive power might be unimaginable!On a nearby boulder, he saw some blurred ancient script. After deciphering it through Dao patterns, he learned that the zither was immovable and could not be taken.Evidently, other beings had tried before, but to no avail.“Brother Jar, this might be your kin. Don’t forget it if you become mighty; take it with you later!”“What kind of mark? It looks familiar!”Suddenly, Chu Feng made a new discovery. On one spot of the ground, he saw impact marks with mottled runic patterns, which looked quite ancient.“There were flowers, birds, fish, insects, supreme divine monsters from myriad beings, and even chaotic cloud patterns. Where have I seen these before?” Chu Feng stared at the ground.Suddenly, his expression changed. He remembered where he had seen them.The one mentioned by Jiu Dao Yi, and the Heavenly Emperor spoken of by the Dog Emperor, both possessed bronze coffins. It was rumored that these bronze coffins were originally one, a triple coffin spanning three lifetimes.He had been fortunate enough to see their form, and these very patterns were on the coffins!Chu Feng was shaken; his mind was turned upside down.This place… had once been struck by the bronze coffin?!He wondered if it was struck by that entity, or by the Heavenly Emperor mentioned by the Dog Emperor.As Chu Feng was about to investigate further, a rustling sound echoed from high in the sky, followed by the roar of fierce winds.The mountain-sized bud at the apex of the giant lotus swayed, causing a phenomenon that made the sky almost transparent, and vast swathes of misty colorful light descended.Through the transparent area, Chu Feng vaguely saw a vague and endless realm above: majestic, grand mountains and vast, boundless territory stretching without end.That realm had no end, and the immortal qi was so dense it was almost turning into liquid, flowing through the void.“What place is that? Could it be the true Heavens?”As the bud swayed amidst rustling and fierce winds, countless streams of light were forcibly drawn by it, descending upon the floating island like a rain of light.Was this bud stealing special substances from the Heavens, across myriad realms?Chu Feng saw that this light rain was extracted from those majestic mountains, though it was negligible compared to the boundless territory.However, this light rain was enough to transform the isolated island, making it vibrant with life, sacred and peaceful, with streams of auspicious light.Moreover, Chu Feng immediately felt immense benefits. When this special substance landed on him, his body felt as if it had returned to the primordial womb of heaven and earth.“This is… my body’s yearning. It can alleviate my ‘fatigue period’ and heal the damage accumulated from years of evolution. This substance will allow me to evolve again without waiting another ten thousand years!”Chu Feng was shocked. This was a great fortune, seizing the very essence of heaven and earth!It was apparent that the descending special substances were all drawn towards the giant lotus, nourishing its body.Even the mummified corpses on the lotus leaves, though in contact, received almost none of this substance.Chu Feng was surprised. In an instant, he understood what was happening: the stone jar on him was participating in the 'distribution,' intercepting the flow, and he was benefiting by proxy.Otherwise, this substance would not have reached him!“Come on, let the torrential downpour come even more fiercely; let it pour on me!” Chu Feng looked up at the sky.