Chapter 841: The Long River

Inside the Inner World, there was absolute silence.

The surviving supreme deities were all silently waiting for Wu Ming’s next move.

“Has the will of a ninth-tier supreme being voluntarily retreated? Does it already foresee the fate of opposing me in the future?”

Wu Ming’s enormous body stirred, causing the Chaos Sea to boil. He gazed at the scarred Inner World and sighed involuntarily.

Even though he had defeated the Void Mask and absorbed all of Its power, what followed immediately was an attack from the true form of a ninth-tier existence!

Such beings could destroy a small world with a single thought!

“Time… is running out…”

Wu Ming lowered his head and saw the ruined Inner World.

Although many supreme deities had merged with the Dao, transforming the Inner World into a realm of the dead and hell, the Inner World had first been partially devoured by the Void Mask, and later even its world will perished directly, suffering heavy losses.

But for the Primary World, this was not necessarily a bad thing.

It needed the Inner World to carry and transform darkness, but it did not need the will of the Inner World.

The Inner World’s will being devoured by the Void Mask made it even more convenient for the Primary World to merge the entire Inner World.

“In the Primary World, have the Ling race been completely eradicated?”

Wu Ming raised his palm: “Let me give you one last helping hand!”

Zhi la!

With a single palm strike, the many broken membranes within the Inner World were immediately repaired by Chaos. The world shrank in size, emitted a faint glow, and slowly sank to the lower layer of the Primary World.

Hong long!

The entire world was thundering, as if it had suddenly become whole.

The Chaos Sea boiled, and massive amounts of primal energy fell, causing Wu Ming’s giant form to grow even taller.

“The will of the Primary World… so generous, hoping I would leave as soon as possible?”

Wu Ming immediately understood the other party’s intentions.

Firstly, he had contributed to the entire Primary World, even advancing its evolution, and was bound to be rewarded.

Secondly, if he stayed too long, attracting that ninth-tier existence, the entire world might be destroyed in the ensuing battle. Therefore, from the perspective of the world’s will and the many supreme deities, Wu Ming had become a massive troublemaker, a bringer of plague, whom they wished to get rid of as soon as possible.

“Truly…”

Wu Ming smiled bitterly. Even though he knew this, he did not refuse the Primary World’s gift.

Advancing to the ninth tier required depth and accumulation. No matter how much was prepared, it was never excessive. The stronger the foundation, the greater the chance of breakthrough.

“Seventh tier is the world position, eighth tier is the universal position, imprinting the River of Time, freely roaming through all dimensional spaces… and ninth tier is transcendence of all! Merging with one’s own mark, tracing back to the end of the River of Time!”

At this point, the ninth-tier realm had no more mystery for Wu Ming.

“Also, this is the only way to escape the pursuit of that ninth-tier existence!”

Clearly, with Its ninth-tier power, no matter whether Wu Ming stayed in the Primary World or fled immediately, he would inevitably be hunted down.

Previously, even just a fragment of Its power, not even a fraction of Its consciousness, was enough to severely wound the Void Mask. Wu Ming currently had no chance of victory against Him.

But by using the River of Time, he could appear in any time and space, any dimension. Whether fleeing or seizing the opportunity to break through to the ninth tier, it was the only path and method.

Once fully broken through, he would have the power to protect himself, and the situation would be completely different.

“Failure or success!”

With a resolute thought, Wu Ming gave one last look at the Primary World under the complex gazes of the many supreme deities, then began the process of advancing to the ninth tier.

Hong long!

Roaring, he tore through the endless void, parted the Chaos, and caused a river that could not be described in any words to appear.

It had no beginning and no end, a collection of time and space, transcending dimensional limitations. It existed in all planes and worlds, yet did not manifest normally in any universe. This was the River of Time—the dwelling place of the imprints of many eighth-tier Da Luo existences.

Only upon reaching the eighth-tier Da Luo level and sublimating one’s entire being could one touch the essence of the River of Time.

Now, Wu Ming roared, his entire body stepping into the River of Time itself.

Hong!

Terrifying power of time surged forth, infinite spatial tearing forces, and the chaotic rules of time reversal immediately acted upon Wu Ming.

His form, towering like a mountain, capable of parting the Chaos, was rapidly eroded under the scouring of the River of Time.

“Ordinary sixth or seventh-tier existences would likely be completely annihilated upon entering the River of Time… Even eighth-tier Da Luo could merely endure a little longer…”

The Da Luo imprint was illusory, but Wu Ming now entered the River of Time with his true body, directly facing the temporal and spatial turbulence. The difference was immeasurable.

“I can feel it, my imprint!”

In the vast and endless River of Time, Wu Ming pursued his Da Luo imprint, struggling fiercely against the turbulence.

“Transcend! Transcend! Transcend the River of Time, transcend time and space, transcend everything!”

The power of the River of Time gradually dulled and scattered his thoughts, yet this single thought remained, urging him to keep striving with all his foundation, moving forward toward the beacon-like imprint.

“Indeed… he really is advancing!”

Outside the Primary World, an indescribable, peerless existence descended—it was the previous ninth-tier being.

He glanced at the Primary World, immediately showing disappointment on his face. Without further concern for the Primary World, he too opened the River of Time and began the pursuit.

The River of Time was supreme, the foundation of all.

Even though ninth-tier existences could trace back to the origin and transcend time, finding Wu Ming specifically within its intricate maze of time and space was extremely difficult!

Of course, for a ninth-tier being, difficulty merely meant a sliver of possibility!

Such an existence possessed an unshakable will beyond imagination, directly pushing aside the interference of space-time forces, searching for Wu Ming’s location.

…

Suddenly, Wu Ming sensed an immense danger descending.

He could feel a mighty existence had already entered the River of Time, charging through like a shark, making him feel like a mere shrimp in comparison.

Worse still, under the scouring of the River of Time, his reserves were gradually depleting, and he began to feel overwhelmed.

“With my accumulation, having absorbed everything from the Void Mask, plus the support of the Primary World… if I still cannot break through the bottleneck of the ninth tier, who else could possibly have hope?”

Even at this moment, Wu Ming’s will remained unshaken.

He exerted himself, breaking free from this physical and mental gloom, suddenly arriving at a certain place.

“My Da Luo imprint!”

A streak of light suddenly emerged from the River of Time, entering his body, instantly restoring Wu Ming.

“True soul and imprint united—this is the final opportunity!”

Arriving at his Da Luo imprint was like encountering an island in the ocean when exhausted from swimming, giving Wu Ming a brief respite.

He looked at his body—once a giant the size of a small mountain, now restored to the size of an ordinary person. A sense of heaviness and fatigue pervaded his entire being.

“Going further ahead, even the Da Luo imprint might be dissolved… completely annihilated within the River of Time!”

A sudden realization flashed in Wu Ming’s mind.

And behind him, the aura of that ninth-tier existence was drawing closer.

“Should I retreat in the face of danger?”

A doubtful thought immediately arose in his heart.

“Plunge into a tributary of the River of Time, randomly find a small world to reincarnate or descend into. If well-concealed, even a ninth-tier being might not immediately discover me… but the cost would be living in constant fear, carefully shielding my aura, never daring to reveal the slightest trace…”

Previously, even just the aura of the Infinite Serpent was enough to draw attention from that ninth-tier being.

But after this incident, Wu Ming was certain that as long as his aura appeared in any world, even if he merely displayed sixth or seventh-tier strength, it would inevitably draw the attention of that ninth-tier being, leading to a devastating descent.

“Would this be my choice?”

A faint smile appeared on Wu Ming’s lips: “So the true barrier to reaching the ninth tier is still transcendence—transcending oneself!”

If he chose to survive by compromising his true nature, even if he survived, his Dao heart would surely shatter, and he would never progress further!

“My ideals, my pursuits—why have I come all this way through countless worlds? Once I understand this, I must fulfill it, even at the cost of my life without regret!”

Hong long!

Suddenly, Wu Ming moved forward again, directly stepping into the depths of the River of Time.

And in the next moment, a terrifying aura swept through where he had been—it was the ninth-tier being arriving!

He carefully observed the surroundings but could only let out a frustrated roar. Terrifying power swept through, causing ripples in the River of Time. After venting his frustration, he could only reluctantly conceal his form.

Breaking through to the ninth tier within the River of Time, traversing it while uniting one’s true soul and imprint was the first step.

Transcending one’s inner self through self-questioning was the second step.

Now, even He could no longer prevent the birth of a ninth-tier being.

In fact, He had to consider whether to continue the pursuit. After all, a half-ninth-tier being and a full ninth-tier being were entirely different concepts.

The latter transcended the River of Time, becoming immortal, essentially never perishing.

If He made an enemy of such an existence and allowed it to escape, then His descendants and disciples across all universes, dimensions, and timelines would be in grave danger.

“No matter what, an existence bearing the mark of the Infinite Serpent…”

His thoughts rippled: “Once ascending to the ninth tier, it would inevitably draw the attention of that legendary ancient evil god… whose realm would be even higher than mine, perhaps even a being who had truly attained the tenth tier and achieved eternity…”

Ninth tier was nearly omniscient and omnipotent, but only “nearly.”

But tenth tier was true eternity!

Knowing many secrets, he was deeply wary of that legendary ancient evil god.