Joe Di smiled, "If he wants to leave a mark on me, he's still far from capable. I plan to enter the One-Inch Abyss to search for some materials for artifact refinement. If you don't have anywhere to go, you could come to the Five Elements Universe cultivator settlement that I and a few friends have established here..."
As Joe Di spoke, Roxie's appearance shifted in an instant from a white-haired old woman to a stunningly beautiful young lady.
It seemed that Roxie had been trapped at the edge of the One-Inch Abyss by Qixi's relentless pursuit, which caused her appearance to age. Now that Qixi had been eliminated by Joe Di, Roxie's first action was to restore her youthful looks. Women care deeply about their appearance—whether immortal or mortal, it seems to be the same.
"Senior, you established a settlement here?" Roxie looked at Joe Di in astonishment. Was it really possible to easily build a settlement in this place? If it were so simple, the Five Elements Universe would have done so long ago.
"My name is Joe Di, there's no need to call me Senior. You should know the place I mean—it was originally called Blue Star, but I've renamed it to Mortal Realm," Joe Di replied.
"Blue Star?" Roxie looked at Joe Di in surprise. "Brother Joe, the Dao resonance rules of Blue Star are broken, it's lacking in fortune, and, and..."
Roxie didn't finish her sentence, but Joe Di understood—she meant that even if a settlement was established there, it would be besieged by Genesis City.
Joe Di waved his hand, "You'll understand once you see it for yourself. I'm off to look for materials. Until we meet again."
Seeing that Joe Di wasn't concerned, Roxie hurriedly said, "Brother Joe, I've been hiding here for many years and have gained some insights."
Hearing that Roxie had survival experience in the One-Inch Abyss, Joe Di stopped and cupped his fists, saying, "I would be grateful for your guidance."
Roxie said, "Time flows extremely fast at the Edge of Time, and countless Time Vortexes are interwoven within it. Some of these vortexes can even drain millions of years of lifespan in an instant. While most vortexes can barely be sensed ahead of time, there are also Temporal Voids that are completely undetectable—once you enter, you'll be consumed by time itself, leaving nothing behind. These Temporal Voids are what people refer to as the Moment's Edge..."
Joe Di frowned slightly. He couldn't stay here for long. As soon as he finished refining Fate's Loom, he would have to head straight to Genesis City.
Without strength, it would be impossible. But with his current power, and with Fate's Loom, he had the qualifications to enter Genesis City. The Mortal Realm might one day surpass Genesis City, but Joe Di hadn't come to the Genesis Universe just to build a place to live—he was here to transcend it, to seek a higher realm. Genesis City was tied to the universe's sacred authority and held secrets of an even higher order; he had to go.
According to Roxie, entering the depths of the Edge of Time was nearly impossible.
Roxie continued, "Brother Joe, if you want to find materials imbued with time laws, it's best to search near the edge of the Edge of Time. There, you can use time law divine abilities to sense the Time Vortexes. It's a pity Brother Ning and Brother Ye aren't here—their understanding of time laws is profound, and both have mastered the Cycle of Rebirth divine ability. The Cycle of Rebirth is the ultimate application of time laws..."
He didn't possess the Cycle of Rebirth divine ability, but he did have the Lethe Bridge.
But was the Cycle of Rebirth truly the ultimate application of time laws? Joe Di wasn't fully convinced. He asked, puzzled, "Although the Cycle of Rebirth demands mastery over time laws, surely it isn't the absolute pinnacle? Time laws..."
This time, Roxie interrupted Joe Di, "Brother Joe, I used to think so too. But after spending so long at the Edge of Time, I've gained new insights. We always believed the Cycle of Rebirth only applied to living beings, but it's not limited to life. Everything in the universe, even the vast cosmos and boundless chaos, undergoes the Cycle of Rebirth—it all depends on your understanding. If one's mastery of the Cycle of Rebirth divine ability is strong enough, even chaos itself can be made to reincarnate."
Joe Di was suddenly struck by enlightenment, almost wanting to slap his own forehead. He cultivated the Great Dao of laws, far surpassing ordinary Dao traces, and had even created new array Dao principles, ushering in a new era for cosmic formations. Yet he was still bound by conventional thought—who said only living things could experience the Cycle of Rebirth?
Not only could all things in the universe undergo the Cycle of Rebirth—even the laws of heaven and earth themselves could reincarnate.
"Senior Sister Roxie, thank you," Joe Di bowed respectfully. Although Roxie's cultivation was similar to his own, her words had undoubtedly saved him a great deal of time.
Roxie smiled gently. "Since that's the case, I'll take my leave now."
Joe Di had saved her life, and being able to help him eased her heart. Had Joe Di not come, she might have been killed by Qixi, or else reduced to dust by the relentless passage of time.
As Roxie turned to leave, Joe Di called out from behind, "You must go to the Mortal Realm—there, you may well ascend to Genesis."
...
Once Roxie left, Joe Di summoned the Lethe Bridge.
He possessed the Lethe Bridge, but not the Cycle of Rebirth divine ability. When he summoned the Lethe Bridge, he usually relied on its Cycle Resonance for attack.
As soon as the Lethe Bridge appeared, Joe Di immediately sensed the time laws at the edge of the Edge of Time become clearer.
Joe Di tried to step into the Edge of Time. The terrifying passage of time swept over him, and in just an instant, he had no idea how much of his lifespan had been consumed. And this was without encountering a Time Vortex—if he did, his hair would have turned gray in no time.
Even so, if things continued like this, it wouldn't be long before he turned into a white-haired old man.
With a thought, the Lethe Bridge stretched out before Joe Di. As it blocked his path, he felt the flow of life slow down.
Standing atop the Lethe Bridge, Joe Di instinctively drew forth the Creation Brush. With a flourish, he inscribed ten grand characters into the void: 'Life and Death, Ten Law Realms; Six Paths, Self-Rebirth!'
As those ten characters appeared, Joe Di felt the passage of time around him come to a halt. The Genesis Opening Incantation, empowered by the Lethe Bridge, formed layer upon layer of protective domains, while the surrounding flow of time seemed to coalesce into a new Time Vortex—a vortex that embodied the Cycle of Rebirth.
Standing on the Lethe Bridge, Joe Di closed his eyes, feeling the Dao resonance as the Lethe Bridge shielded him from the relentless flow of time at the Edge of Time.
...
"City Lord Lie, it's been almost three months. You haven't sensed anything?" Zane Edge asked, his brow furrowed.
It was now almost certain that the cultivator who exchanged cosmic crystals for the edge of the universe at the auction was Joe Di. Even if Joe Di could crush City Lord Lie, most of the powerful figures here didn't regard him highly. What mattered most now was: where was Joe Di, and how could they find him?
Because his Heaven's Dominion Altar had been seized by Joe Di, everyone's hopes of locating Joe Di rested on City Lord Lie. But nearly three months had passed, and City Lord Lie hadn't sensed a thing—disappointment was spreading among the group.
City Lord Lie was growing increasingly anxious. He couldn't believe Joe Di had completely refined his Heaven's Dominion Altar, yet he couldn't sense Joe Di continuing the refinement at all. The sense of failure gnawed at him.
Zane Edge said calmly, "If my guess is correct, Joe Di must have refined the Heaven's Dominion Altar before City Lord Lie arrived here. City Lord Lie's earlier assessment was mistaken."
City Lord Lie's face flushed with embarrassment. Zane Edge's words were a direct blow—his Dao resonance mark was not as formidable as he'd believed. After Joe Di refined it so easily, he hadn't sensed anything at all. The failure stung deeply.
"City Lord, Qixi has been killed..." A cultivator sitting in the corner suddenly stood up, his tone tinged with anger.
"Qixi has been killed? When did this happen?" Zane Edge's voice was calm as he asked, but a murderous aura was already swirling around him. Every cultivator who knew Zane Edge understood that he was now intent on killing.
Ever since Zane Edge appeared in the Genesis Universe, no cultivator targeted by his killing intent had ever survived. No matter where you tried to escape, death was inevitable.