Marrying Wives and Attaining Immortality in a Chaotic World

Chapter 289: Transformation

“O, I’m back.”

Returning to the ancestral land of the Divine Clan, Xu Lian walked straight into the depths of the dense fog.

Arriving by the lakeside beside the Goddess of Time, he inhaled the fresh fragrance, feeling a sense of tranquility wash over him.

Thirty-seven years had passed, and she remained like a statue, seemingly never having moved. Dressed in a white gown, she sat cross-legged on the grass, her demeanor cold and ethereal, as if she might ascend to immortality at any moment.

After experiencing the River of Time, Xu Lian had gained a deeper understanding of the laws of time. He knew that the laws of time surrounding her could easily cause one’s mind to waver.

The Goddess of Time opened her beautiful eyes and glanced at him. “How was your harvest?”

Xu Lian took out an exceptionally robust Origin Tracing Light. “Take a look.”

The Goddess of Time observed it for a moment. “This seems to be an Origin Tracing Light that has been refined, with multiple strands fused together?”

Xu Lian smiled. “You are indeed O, seeing through it at a glance.”

He then explained how hundreds of Origin Tracing Lights had appeared simultaneously, merging into one, and how it had led him into the River of Time, where he encountered an ancient Supreme Being. He recounted everything in detail, including the matter of the source of the anomalies.

After listening, the Goddess of Time fell into deep thought.

Xu Lian found it strange. She didn’t seem particularly surprised?

The Goddess of Time said, “Some of the ancient texts that have been passed down have also mentioned speculations about the source of the anomalies. After the Sky fall, the Barbarian Era began to transition into the Strange Era. Some ancient texts also suggest that the source of the anomalies is related to the Sky Fall. Such texts have been passed down among the top-tier forces, so this is not some great secret.”

Alright… Xu Lian had thought that he had uncovered a monumental secret, but it turned out that the top tier forces had already known about it.

Thinking about it, it made sense. Most of the top-tier forces originated from the Barbarian Era, having experienced two or three epochal transitions and the Celestial Fall. How could they be completely unaware of it?

If they hadn’t noticed anything, it would have been strange. The top-tier forces couldn’t possibly be that stupid.

They must have figured out the reasons for the transition to the Strange Epoch long ago.

The Goddess of Time continued, “However, the information you brought back is not without value. A supreme expert at the peak of the ninth level of the Supreme Realm, on the verge of death, broke through to the Supreme Realm and used the power of Dao Transformation to deduce that the source of the anomalies is indeed related to the Sky Fall.”

Xu Lian asked, “The elder asked me to bring this information to this era. Should we spread the word? Should we gather the top-tier forces of the world to solve the anomaly together?”

The Goddess of Time replied, “You are oversimplifying things. Some major forces do not want to resolve the anomalies. In fact, they are secretly fueling the anomalies, making them more rampant, and stirring up chaos in the world to profit from the turmoil.

For example, take the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands. If the supreme beings did not undergo anomalous transformations, the supreme beings of the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands could live longer, and it would be common for them to have five or six supreme beings at once. At their peak, they might even have ten of them. Of course, for the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands, this would be beneficial. However, this would not be a good thing for some major forces that are not as powerful.

They do not want to see the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands remain at their peak, because if the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands are prosperous, the exclusive cultivation resource regions they occupy would expand, leaving fewer resources for others.

Therefore, they would rather undergo anomalous transformation themselves and drag the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands and other top tier forces down with them, weakening them so that they can rise in the chaos.”

Xu Lian understood. “So the pollutants that trigger the anomalous transformations are like a double-edged sword. If used properly, they will become the most powerful weapon?”

The Goddess of Time nodded. “Exactly. Even if the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands obtained a pollutant, they would not be willing to destroy it or hand it over. Burying it near the sacred land of a rival force could trigger more severe anomalous transformations in their supreme beings, accelerating their decline.”

“…” Xu Lian was speechless. Dark, truly dark. None of the major forces are good-they’re all full of schemes.

The Goddess of Time added, “Apart from being used as weapons, pollutants also have a high research value. If one can master and comprehend the mysteries of anomalous transformation, it could potentially enhance one’s cultivation and strength. Who would be willing to give that up so easily?”

Xu Lian sighed. “It seems like the world is even more complicated than I imagined. The top tier forces will stop at nothing in their power struggles, even if it means harming themselves, as long as their enemies suffer more.”

The Goddess of Time said, “This is not unique to the Strange Era. Since ancient times, the world has always been complex.

Except for the untraceable Prehistoric Era, the Ancient Era, the Barbarian Era, and the Primordial Era were all the same.

After the Sky Fall, the world entered the Strange Era, which added another layer of complexity to an already complicated world.

However, you must remember that anomalous transformations are not the mainstream. Eternal life is the unchanging Great Dao.”

Anomalous transformations are not the mainstream, eternal life is the Great Dao? Xu Lian thought about it. The words of the Goddess of Time seemed profound. 

“Are you saying that I should not worry about the anomalies and focus on eternal life instead?”

The Goddess of Time’s deep, beautiful eyes looked at him. “You can think of the anomalous transformations as a stumbling block on the path to eternal life. They are nothing more than that – just a stumbling block.”

Xu Lian was a little confused. So the source of the anomalies is just a minor annoyance?

The Goddess of Time continued, “Do you think that if the supreme experts of the Divine Clan were still alive, or if the Divine Monarch of the Divine Kingdom existed, or if the legendary figure from the ancient sacred land who tried to create a realm of immortals were still around, would they care about the anomalous transformations? Would they be affected by them?”

Xu Lian had a revelation!

Those beings dared to defy heavenly punishment… what were the anomalous transformations to them?

His eyes brightened. “I understand! As long as one’s cultivation is high enough, the anomalous transformations are insignificant!”

The Goddess of Time nodded slightly. “Stay focused, stay true to your original intention, and pursue the Great Dao of Eternal Life. That is what you should do.

One day, when you step onto the path of eternal life and look back, you will find that the anomalous transformations are but a trivial matter on the long journey of eternal life.”

Xu Lian felt that her words today were strange, as if there was more to them than met the eye.

“Are you telling him not to worry about the anomalous transformations to comfort him or to comfort yourself?”

A clear voice rang out, and a little girl emerged from the mist. She wore a white gown, her long hair cascading over her shoulders, and her demeanor was cold, but her face bore an eerie smile.

Seeing the little girl’s appearance, Xu Lian was stunned. She was O as a child?

Then another figure emerged from the mist – a beautiful middle-aged woman who looked exactly like O, also wearing an eerie smile. “She keeps emphasizing that the anomalous transformations are nothing, but in reality, she’s doubting herself. Otherwise, why would she keep saying that the anomalous transformations are nothing?”

Another figure appeared – an elderly O with white hair who let out a strange chuckle.

Another figure appeared – a pale skeleton with a flickering, eerie flame visible through the hollow eye sockets. From the bone structure of its face, it was also O. Its mouth was twisted into an exaggerated grin, bearing an eerie smile.

Xu Lian felt as if he had fallen into an icy abyss, his body chilled and his hair standing on end. He swallowed hard and looked at the Goddess of Time beside him. “O, have you already touched the threshold of the Supreme Realm and started undergoing anomalous transformations?”

The Goddess of Time coldly looked at the four anomalous manifestations. “These symptoms appeared several years ago. There’s no need to pay any mind to them. For now, they have no physical form, and I will keep them in check. They won’t cause much trouble.”

From the symptoms, it seemed to be mild, but Xu Lian couldn’t help but worry. This was only temporary. Eventually, they would probably manifest physically, and the consequences were unpredictable.