Outside of Time [Webnovel]

Editor: Atlas Studios

Xu Qing wasn’t sure if it was possible for the clay fox to enter the fourth realm with him.

Right now, his body and soul weren’t his own.

Only his consciousness descended on Aurora’s son, replacing everything about him, to play out a fate that seemed impossible to alter.

History couldn’t be changed.

This was what the little person formed by the remnants of Aurora’s consciousness had said to Xu Qing back then.

It had told Xu Qing that upon entering the fourth realm, all he needed to do was follow the course of history—observe, listen, and experience everything as it unfolded.

But Xu Qing didn’t see it that way.

Simply observing and experiencing things as they unfolded held little value for him or the other stars who had come to this place.

If the goal was merely to witness the past, then both fortune and opportunity might not necessarily be the best. After all, the march of time often brought forth the new and discarded the old.

Therefore, in Xu Qing’s judgment, the greatest opportunity in this fourth realm must be linked to the hidden benefits within this particular time period.

“So, what exactly is it?”

Xu Qing mumbled inwardly and observed while enduring the lightning.

Just like that, time flowed by.

Five days passed.

During these five days, Zhong Chi came every day to accompany him.

As a study companion, this was his mission, at least on the surface.

And secretly, while the young lord was being punished, Zhong Chi found himself with a rare moment of freedom. During this time, he could pursue certain matters—hidden, private undertakings that were exclusively tied to his own path of fortune.

Therefore, as far as the young lord being strung up and punished was concerned, Zhong Chi was indifferent.

He even hoped that the punishment would last longer.

Xu Qing would occasionally casually sweep his gaze over, well aware of Zhong Chi’s intentions.

However, there was no need to expose him. Just like how he didn’t want others to know his identity, everyone who came to the fourth realm had their own plans.

As for himself, during the days when he was receiving his punishment on the Thunder Punishment Cliff, he learned more about this world through the lightning that landed on his body.

“The spiritual energy, lightning, and even the aura of the world here… all contain a faint sense of time.”

“There’s a slight difference between it and the real world.”

“The true history is extremely difficult to change. Moreover, there are even higher Ordinance restrictions that won’t allow history to be modified. From there, it will form a spacetime storm that will affect the entire Fifth Star Ring.”

“However, there’s a high chance that the time I’m in… might not be true history!”

Xu Qing narrowed his eyes and guessed as the lightning bombarded his body.

It wasn’t that this period of history didn’t really exist but with Xu Qing’s understanding of space-time, he felt that the scenes of the past displayed in the fourth realm were more like… mirror images.

“This point still needs to be verified.”

Other than pondering, Xu Qing would occasionally wail a few times, allowing his act to match the past.

He was also thinking about something else during these five days.

That was… was there anyone else who entered this world like Li Mengtu other than those stars?

Also, the roles of those who entered here.

“This is something I have to observe after leaving the Thunder Punishment Cliff.”

Xu Qing fell silent.

He didn’t have the thought of becoming an obstacle for others. However, if he could know the identities of others, it would undoubtedly give him a huge advantage in his judgment of the world and his situation.

“Knowing how they pursue their fortunes will further prove my guess.”

“If my guess is correct, this world is just a mirror image…”

Xu Qing narrowed his eyes as he pondered.

“Then, attempting to stir the waters of this time, like creating waves in a dead sea, observing the changes within time and space, will deepen my understanding of the Space-Time Ordinance.”

“Only then can I become a ruler of space-time!”

“Also, I wonder if that Aurora Immortal Lord will come again in the next few days…”

Xu Qing looked into the distance. Previously, when the Aurora Immortal Lord appeared, Xu Qing had just arrived and didn’t understand this place yet. In order to prevent any accidents, he didn’t observe the Immortal Lord.

But now, after these few days of exploration, he had gained a lot of information.

Unfortunately, with the passing of the sixth day and only half a day left before the punishment was to end, someone finally arrived—but it wasn’t the Immortal Lord.

The one who came was seated in a grand carriage pulled by nine phoenixes, their figure obscured by a veiled curtain.

The golden, resplendent carriage shone brilliantly under the flashes of lightning, as if its light could illuminate every corner of the entire Immortal Palace.

The nine phoenixes pulling the carriage let out cries that made the very heavens and earth tremble. Their feathers blazed like fire, seemingly capable of burning the universe itself.

The countless gemstones embedded in the carriage glittered with each subtle sway, resembling the brightest stars in the firmament, drawing all eyes to their brilliance.

Surrounding the carriage were over a hundred guards, each donned in pitch-black armor and wielding long spears. The terrifying aura they emitted was palpable.

Their movements were perfectly synchronized as they followed the majestic carriage.

They exuded a solemn air that seemed to embody their unwavering resolve to protect this supreme figure of unmatched dignity and power.

The carriage and the guards slowly flew toward the Thunder Punishment Cliff.

They stopped three hundred feet from Xu Qing, who was suspended mid-air.

Then, from behind the rainbow-hued curtain within the carriage, a jade-like hand emerged. The hand, smooth and radiant like polished jade, exuded a gentle, warm glow.

After pausing briefly in the air, it lifted slightly, tracing a graceful arc before gently pulling aside the curtain.

Revealed was an elegant figure and a breathtakingly beautiful face.

Under the flashes of lightning, her exquisite features seemed to be bathed in a soft silver sheen, adding a touch of ethereal purity and dreamlike allure.

Everything around her dimmed in comparison.

Her eyes were deep and bright, her nose finely sculpted, with smooth lines and naturally pink lips. The corners of her mouth, which should have curled into a gentle smile, were restrained, as she tried to maintain an air of feigned anger.

As she stepped forward, her long, glossy black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, brushing her shoulders. The motion softened her feigned anger, infusing her appearance with even more tenderness and charm.

She took a few steps forward, stopping in front of Xu Qing, and softly parted her crimson lips.

“Heartless man!”

Xu Qing raised his head and looked at the peerlessly beautiful woman in front of him.

Through the host’s memories, he naturally recognized the other party’s identity at a glance.

This woman was none other than the daughter of the Nine Shores Immortal Lord, Zhou Linshan.

She was also the one the Aurora Immortal Lord had arranged for him to marry in a month’s time.

It had to be said that the daughter of the Nine Shores Immortal Lord was perfect in all aspects.

On her, there seemed to be an ethereal beauty that transcended the mortal realm, a kind of sanctity and purity that made people yearn for her while also hesitating to approach.

Especially with the gentle breeze tousling her hair, she appeared as if her figure intertwined with the wind, creating a breathtaking scene.

Her visage and aura resembled a fairy stepping out of an ancient painting, or perhaps a treasure bestowed upon the world by the heavens.

Even though her tone carried a hint of anger, her voice still sounded like a celestial melody.

Unfortunately, Xu Qing wasn’t the son of Aurora.

His gaze was calm as he glanced at the woman in front of him. After that, he closed his eyes and didn’t bother with her.

“Heartless scoundrel!”

The woman’s eyes were filled with sorrow as she scolded him again. Yet, as her gaze fell upon the wounds on Xu Qing’s body, a trace of tenderness seemed to surface despite her anger.

Though she was berating him, she couldn’t help but take out a handkerchief and gently wipe the blood from his wounds.

That delicate hand seemed to carry boundless tenderness, as if it could soothe all the turmoil and restlessness in the world. As she carefully tended to him, she spoke softly.

“You once spoke so sweetly, full of charming words, and now you’re like this… I know you’re unwilling to let go of your Hundred Flowers Palace, so why did you lead me on in the first place?”

“Your father has already proposed marriage for you, and our marriage is set for a month from now. I know your heart is not…”

As the woman spoke, before she could finish speaking, Xu Qing suddenly opened his eyes. His right hand that was tied up by the lightning instantly lifted and grabbed the woman’s wrist.

The woman paused but didn’t struggle. Instead, she looked at Xu Qing.

“You’ve already wiped it clean. How can I express my regret to Father?”

After saying that, Xu Qing let go.

The woman snorted softly but didn’t continue wiping.

“Is this your way of clinging to your Hundred Flowers Palace? Using your pitiful state to soften the Aurora Immortal Lord’s heart?”

“I’ll tear down your Hundred Flowers Palace now!”

As she spoke, the woman turned around angrily and walked back to the carriage. A maidservant lifted the curtain for her, allowing her to step back inside without any pause

The carriage then turned and left the Thunder Punishment Cliff under the escort of the surrounding guards.

Only then did Zhong Chi lift his head and speak in a low voice.

“Young Lord, why are you doing this…”

Xu Qing didn’t say anything and closed his eyes.

A strange glint appeared in his eyes that no one saw.

The scene of the daughter of the Nine Shores appearing until she left repeatedly appeared in his mind.

He was focusing on a few details.

One was the action of her lifting the curtain when she walked out of the carriage.

This felt slightly out of place because, based on the memories that Xu Qing had absorbed, her status and upbringing made it unlikely that she would ever lift the curtain herself.

Of course, there could be an explanation—perhaps she was in a rush or emotionally driven.

However, there was another, more subtle detail. When he had suddenly grabbed her hand, while she appeared calm and composed, there was an almost imperceptible flash of instinctive rejection deep within her.

Although it was extremely light, Xu Qing still sensed it slightly.

This was strange.

After all, the host and the other party had already had skin-to-skin contact.

However, this too was not definitive, as there were possible explanations for such behavior.

Yet, the key detail didn’t lie in just these two points—there was something else.

When she felt his sudden grip on her arm, alongside the rejection, she also exhibited a heightened sense of external vigilance.

Given her status, such a reaction was unusual and unnecessary.

Any one of these three points wouldn’t be a problem if one looked at them alone, but when considered together, they painted a different picture in Xu Qing’s mind.

Because of these three details, Xu Qing made a guess that would make all these unreasonable things sensible.

This guess was…

She was an outsider.

Thus, there would be moments of neglect in the finer details, an instinctual rejection, and upon entering this fourth realm, a sudden reflexive response would cause her to become alert to her surroundings.

Finally, Xu Qing mumbled inwardly.

‘There’s a high chance that she’s not the real Zhou Linshan!’

‘Which star is it? Among those stars, only one of them is a woman. Of course, I can’t rule out others as well.’

Xu Qing opened his eyes and looked into the distance.

‘If she’s a star, then… what’s her motive?’

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