Max Lune had roamed the world, even traversing the depths of chaos for longer than anyone else. Yet, as the cosmic laws churned around him, he sensed the poisonous rule rapidly spreading with his Dao aura. At once, he realized this poison was not something he could resolve in a short time.
Across the vast chaos and boundless universes, Max Lune would claim second in knowledge, and no one dared claim first. Yet even with all his experience, he had never encountered such a poison. The only thing he was certain of was that this was a top-tier Dao poison, tightly bound to the cosmic rules. But having just comprehended these laws, his cultivation was still unstable—he could not even begin to strip away the poison's Dao principles.
More importantly, Max Lune suspected that this poison did not exist within the rules of the Dao he had perceived.
Such a supreme Dao poison was exactly the kind of rare power Max Lune coveted. Unfortunately, he had to leave now. If the Dao poison erupted, he might not even be able to escape.
Max Lune's Dao aura surged, and his figure dissolved into a shadow of nothingness, darting toward the chaos.
Although Max Lune knew he could not dispel the poison any time soon, when it came to leaving, no one could stop him.
Seeing Max Lune flee, Austin Ninefold breathed a sigh of relief. Even if Max Lune escaped, he believed that with Joe Di's talent for the Dao, Joe Di would catch up to Max Lune sooner or later. He only hoped that the poison Joe Di had inflicted would have some effect, weakening Max Lune for as long as possible. That way, Joe Di would have more time to grow.
As for Joe Di's poison directly eradicating Max Lune, Austin Ninefold didn't even dare to imagine it.
Leave? Joe Di snorted coldly. Others might find it impossible to stop Max Lune, but Joe Di was not among them.
The Bow of Time was unleashed, and an Arrow of an Inch of Time was already nocked.
Before Max Lune could step into the chaos, his entire body tensed. Instantly, he sensed a breath of death enveloping him.
In this moment, whether it was chaos or not, all space was governed by a single time-space domain—the one commanded by Joe Di’s bow and arrow.
Max Lune drew a sharp breath. He hesitated for only half an instant, his form growing even fainter. He had resolved to endure Joe Di’s arrow, then charge into the chaos.
Joe Di’s longbow itself was not extraordinary—likely forged at the edge of some rule-bound universe. To Max Lune, it was nothing special, at most a treasure of creation. But the arrow, Max Lune knew, was truly terrifying: it was an Arrow of an Inch of Time.
Max Lune had no idea where Joe Di had acquired an Inch of Time. But if one mastered the laws of time and space and forged an arrow from an Inch of Time, it would be the most formidable arrow in all the vast chaos. If he were not poisoned, it would be one thing, but now, with the poison in him, the Arrow of an Inch of Time posed a deadly threat.
Fortunately, only two Inches of Time could exist in one place. He didn’t believe Joe Di had obtained both, let alone forged them into arrows. If Max Lune risked everything to take this Arrow of an Inch of Time, he could still escape. The only consequence would be even graver injuries.
Max Lune ignored the deathly lock of the Inch of Time, furiously tearing through the killing field, pushing onward toward the chaos.
Boom! The Arrow of an Inch of Time ripped through all space, bypassing all of Max Lune’s defensive domains, piercing the back of his heart at the edge of chaos and vanishing into the void.
After being struck by the Arrow of an Inch of Time, Max Lune staggered, his form becoming clear again. The Dao aura of time flowed from the wound in his back, encircling him with deathly energy as blood streamed endlessly. If Joe Di had once been a man of blood, now half of Max Lune’s body seemed soaked in it. His once handsome face began to wrinkle, his hair turning gray and drifting away.
Max Lune turned his head, fixing Joe Di with a cold stare. "Joe Di, I will remember your gift..." he said.
Max Lune’s words cut off abruptly, his eyes filled with terror and disbelief. He saw that Joe Di’s Time Bow was already nocked with a second Moment’s Edge Arrow.
Joe Di’s gaze fell upon him, yet seemed not to see him at all. It was nothing but a chilling, overwhelming killing intent.
Unlike the first Moment’s Edge Arrow, which was shot in an instant, this second arrow drew the Time Bow into a greater arc, gathering even fiercer killing intent.
"Daoist Di, there is no life-and-death grudge between us. I have always treated you with respect. Please, Daoist Di, put down your arrow..." Max Lune’s aged face was pale as paper, with a shadow of gray beneath the pallor. His upper body was drenched in sweat, his lower half soaked in blood.
Max Lune knew full well that Joe Di would never relinquish this second arrow, but he had to say it, hoping to distract Joe Di’s killing intent and the arrow’s deadly power. For this second arrow was several times stronger than the first; if Joe Di was even slightly distracted, he might suffer less injury.
Unfortunately, Joe Di was unmoved, all his spirit and focus poured into this arrow.
In Joe Di’s hands, the bow and arrow seemed to fade, but the killing intent only intensified. The Moment’s Edge Arrow was drawing all the death from chaos, ready to tear it apart.
Max Lune dared not move, only hoping the arrow would fly soon. He knew that even if Joe Di had a second Time Arrow, it would not take his life today. But from now on, Max Lune could never again dream of controlling the vast chaos as he once had.
As Max Lune’s body trembled, the Time Bow gave a crisp snap, and Joe Di’s second Time Arrow finally shot forth.
The overwhelming intent of the arrow shattered all laws, transforming into a meteor that crashed toward Max Lune. In its wake, there was no life—this single shot seemed poised to destroy half of chaos itself.
This was the true Time’s Second Loom! Weaving life and death into endless uncertainty, drawing the bow northward, the Moment’s Edge Arrow pierced the celestial wolf. Looking back, chaos was left in mourning!
Whoosh! The second Time Arrow tore through all space and chaos, crashing into Max Lune’s chest.
Max Lune let out a rending roar as the arrow tore half his body apart—his Dao body shattered, his Dao aura dispersed, his cultivation plummeted.
But this arrow did not pass through Max Lune; instead, it pinned him to the edge of chaos. Under its savage force, the arrow’s tail still quivered.
"Joe Di, I, Max Lune, swear—if I do not avenge this..." Max Lune reached for the Moment’s Edge Arrow that pinned him, but both his words and movement stopped abruptly. His eyes widened in disbelief at what he saw.
Joe Di’s Time Bow was not empty—a third Moment’s Edge Arrow was already aimed at all his remaining vitality. If the first arrow had left him gravely wounded, and the second had stripped away his hope of ever returning to his peak, the third arrow filled Max Lune’s eyes and mind with only one word: despair.
A third Moment’s Edge Arrow—Joe Di actually had a third Moment’s Edge Arrow. In the vast chaos, where could one find three Moments’ Edge, let alone forge them all into arrows?
Unless two epochs of chaos happened to overlap in one place, producing four Moments’ Edge. But how could that be? All these years, wandering chaos, Max Lune had never encountered even the edge of two epochs, let alone their overlap.