Outside of Time

In Suix's world, Xu Qing and Erniu gazed at the rift in the sky, each lost in their own thoughts.

This experience in the outer sea was truly bizarre for Xu Qing, with both the strange entities he encountered and the elderly human.

It made him feel a myriad of emotions.

Especially the words the old man said before leaving, which caused Xu Qing's worldview to reverberate extensively.

"Thirty-six star rings… Primordial Sea…"

Xu Qing's mind stirred. After he obtained the body formed from the flesh and blood of Desolate, he had a faint impression of the thirty-six star rings.

However, this was the first time he had heard of the Primordial Sea.

'Although I can't rule out the possibility of it being a lie, there's a high chance that it's true…'

Xu Qing pondered.

At the side, Erniu suddenly slapped his thigh and spoke with a serious expression.

"Little Qing, I finally understand!"

When Xu Qing heard this, he immediately looked over. He wanted to hear Eldest Senior Brother's thoughts. After all, that human old man who claimed to be from the fifth star ring's Immortal Capital was too earth-shattering regardless of his cultivation or his words.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe it as unbelievable.

Erniu's expression was solemn as he looked at Xu Qing.

"Previously, when we were at sea, when I said it was safe, we would encounter big monsters… From the looks of it now, it was this old man who did it!"

"He did it on purpose!"

Erniu felt a little regretful, like he had truly believed he had the power of words.

Clearly, his thoughts were different from Xu Qing's. He didn't pay attention to the explosive information contained in the old man's last words.

Xu Qing, upon hearing this, was thoughtful. He had already grown accustomed to his senior brother's unconventional way of thinking.

'In the end, that senior said that the fifth star ring is dominated by the human race and is the world of immortals… However, we can't completely believe his words.'

Xu Qing mumbled inwardly. He then looked at the rift in the sky.

As for Erniu, it was unknown if he really didn't pay attention to this information or if he was too careless. At that moment, when Xu Qing was staring at the rift, his gaze landed on the place where the old man was shaking his straw sandal earlier.

He leaped over and started searching there.

Soon, he really found four dried straws in the surrounding mud.

After picking them up as though he had obtained a supreme treasure, Erniu's eyes revealed ecstasy. He brought them to his mouth and took a fierce, then frowned, realizing he couldn't bite through them at all.

Just as he was about to continue, he noticed Xu Qing's pondering expression and blinked.

"Don't think about it, Little Qing."

"Those things are too far away from us."

"Besides, it's hard to judge whether that old man has good or evil intentions. In my opinion, other than wanting to see your state, he also wants to form a karmic relationship with us!"

"Otherwise, why would he treat us to those meat skewers?"

Xu Qing nodded and suddenly spoke.

"Eldest Senior Brother, you only said that you couldn't judge if he was good or evil. You didn't question the authenticity of his words…"

Xu Qing's eyes were filled with deep meaning.

"You… knew about the information that that human senior mentioned long ago?"

When Erniu heard this, he coughed and thought to himself that Little Qing was becoming more and more sneaky. It wasn't easy to fool him. Hence, he laughed and looked left and right. After that, his eyes lit up.

"Let's not talk about this. Oh right, you noticed that golden rat, right? We have them too. They are being incubated at Little Jianjian's place. I wonder if they have successfully hatched by now."

"No, since this golden rat is so amazing, we have to make a trip to the Imperial Capital and get the little rats back from Wu Jianwu."

Xu Qing didn't speak and kept looking at Erniu.

Seeing this, Erniu changed the topic again and shook the four straws he had harvested earlier at Xu Qing.

"Also, for that old golden rat to care so much about these straws, they must be treasures!"

"I took a bite just now and realized that this thing is very hard. I actually couldn't bite it!"

Erniu looked at the straws in his hand.

"However, that old golden rat is indeed brainless. If you can't bite it, does it mean it can't be eaten?!"

Erniu was proud.

"It's not like I've never seen something I can't bite through. I have a way to deal with such a situation!"

As he spoke, he gritted his teeth fiercely. In order to divert Xu Qing's attention, he decided to risk it all.

Hence, in front of Xu Qing, he actually raised his hand and cut open his stomach.

He then stuffed the two straws into his stomach…

After doing this, he tightened his gaping stomach from both sides as if buttoning up a short, tying the black hair all over his body into knots, which, in a way, could be considered as stitching it up.

As for the remaining two straws, he generously threw them at Xu Qing.

"Although I don't know what they taste like, look, I still ate them."

Erniu had a smug expression as he patted his stomach.

Xu Qing sighed softly.

Xu Qing already had his own judgment about his senior brother using various ways to divert the topic.

He believed that there must be a reason why his senior brother couldn't talk about it…

At the thought of this, Xu Qing didn't probe further. Instead, he held the two straws in his hand and kept them in his storage bag.

After that, his expression was calm.

"Let's go."

Seeing that Xu Qing no longer asked, Erniu heaved a sigh of relief inwardly and hurriedly nodded. He then rose into the air with Xu Qing and sped toward the rift.

In an instant, the two of them passed through the rift. When they appeared, they were no longer in the world of Suix but on the surface of the outer sea.

As for Suix they left, Xu Qing still didn't see its entire true appearance, because the instant they flew out, it seemed as if Suix had been painted and then melted into the sea.

It strangely disappeared.

This scene caused Xu Qing's gaze to become increasingly deep. In the end, he looked into the depths of the outer sea in the distance.

He was thinking about the fifth star ring that the old man had mentioned.

The surface of the sea was calm and silent.

Erniu stood beside Xu Qing and noticed Xu Qing's gaze. He sighed again inwardly and suddenly spoke.

"Junior Brother, don't think about it."

"Just now, you asked me if I knew long ago. I didn't answer not because I wasn't willing to tell you but because I am not willing to say the name of the place you're thinking about."

"Those three words are taboo and ominous."

"Regardless of whether it's in my current life or my many previous lives, I have indeed never seen that old man before. However, the moment he said that name, I had some guesses about his identity."

"This isn't the first time he appeared in Wanggu."

"Master also indirectly knows that this old man was the one who told me about the taboos and inauspiciousness of that place. In fact, over the countless years, Master has investigated in detail and told me that the other party might have appeared three times in the history of Wanggu."

"The first time was when he appeared in front of those Summer Immortals back then and told them the words 'fifth star ring'. After that, the Summer Immortals left and seemed to have gone there, but no one has returned until now."

"The second time, Master suspected that the old man appeared before the Ancient Sovereign Mystic Nether left. According to the judgment of the Empress and Master, Ancient Sovereign Mystic Nether is clearly no longer in the holy land. In that case, where did he go?"

"Now, this should be the third time. For you or for me, he appeared."

"The place he is at, those three words… Master's judgment is that… it's a place that doesn't exist. However, the moment people hear it, it will have a true foundation. The more they say these three words, the more true its existence becomes."

Xu Qing abruptly looked at Erniu.

Erniu looked at Xu Qing.

A long time later, Xu Qing spoke softly.

"Then, Eldest Senior Brother, what's your judgment?"

Erniu raised his head and looked into the distance. After a long time, he shook his head.

"Master's judgment makes sense. I agree with a portion, but there's also a portion that I have doubts about."

"After all, Master has never been there either. I feel that that place might be real. It's just that it's hard to say if this person has good or evil intentions."

"And in this god's universe, there are too many strange things. Anything is possible."

"Just like me," Erniu mumbled.

To Xu Qing, this last sentence was like heavenly lightning that thundered in his mind, causing his breathing to become hurried.

Compared to this sentence, all other information wasn't that important in Xu Qing's opinion.

He still didn't know his eldest senior brother's true identity. However, Xu Qing naturally had many guesses about the bizarre scenes that had been shown by his eldest senior brother in the past.

"Eldest Senior Brother, you…"

Xu Qing looked at Erniu.

Erniu fell silent. After a long time, his eyes revealed a rare confusion.

"Junior Brother, some people call me divine sinner, and some call me a freak… What exactly am I? Master doesn't know, and neither do I."

"I've actually been searching."

"As for my memories, as time passed and I revived again and again, every time I recall some of the past, I'll forget some of the present."

"Actually… I've forgotten some of the things and habits of this life."

"I'm afraid that one day, Junior Brother… I won't recognize you or Master… It'll be only in my next life that I'll think of you guys at a certain moment."

Erniu's voice grew softer and softer.

Xu Qing felt a surge of indescribable emotions in his heart. He couldn't pinpoint what this feeling was, only that it was very bitter and astringent.

Noticing Xu Qing's expression, Erniu had a fleeting look of smugness, feeling a sense of pride. He thought to himself, 'Oh, Little Qing, no matter how cunning you are, your senior brother is still your senior brother. Fooling you is easy.'

'Now, I need a perfect ending.'

At the thought of this, Erniu coughed lightly.

"Let's not talk about these sad things. Junior Brother, you don't have to be too sad. Remember to give me more good things in the future."

"For example, the flesh and blood of gods, divine authorities, and of course, those filthy spirit stones—the more, the better. It's not that I'm greedy, but the more you give me, the deeper my memories can be."

Xu Qing agreed and took out a spirit stone from his storage bag, handing it to Erniu.

Erniu quickly took a look and kept it. He spoke unhappily.

"Just one?"

Xu Qing's expression was bitter.

"Eldest Senior Brother, you used to love eating spirit stones the most. You only ate one every time. Have you… forgotten this habit?"

Erniu was stunned before he looked at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing had a sincere expression.

Erniu hesitated and took out the spirit stone. After looking at Xu Qing, he made up his mind and took a bite. After a few crunches, he swallowed it.

After that, just as he was about to speak, Xu Qing took out an iron sword. With a wave of his hand, he cast a spell and covered it in rust before handing it over.

"Huh?"

Erniu was suspicious.

"Eldest Senior Brother, every time you finish eating a spirit stone, you'll say that it tasted a little bad and eat a rusted sword…"

Xu Qing spoke.

Erniu fell silent. After a long time, he laughed.

"Junior Brother, I was joking with you just now. How could I lose my memory? It's completely fine."

Xu Qing's gaze was clear as he looked at Erniu and communicated softly.

"Eldest Senior Brother, I don't know how much of what you uttered before was true or false, but I can sense that you care a lot about those three words… So, I want to tell you."

"I will work hard to make sure that nothing unpleasant will happen to you and everyone I care about."

"If I can't do it, then… we'll endure it together."

Xu Qing's voice landed in Erniu's ears and echoed in his heart, stirring up waves.

He gazed at Xu Qing and an impulse rose in his heart. He desired to disregard everything and tell him everything.

Xu Qing swung his head.

"Eldest Senior Brother, you have secrets, so do I, and so does Master… Tell me when you think it's suitable."

Erniu fell silent. After a long time, he smiled and agreed vigorously.

"Alright!"

…

"We're almost there…"

Outside the Wanggu World, in the starry sky, one holy land after another stirred up a space storm that swept up a terrifying aura as they approached Wanggu.

Behind these many holy lands was an eight-armed statue. On the top of the statue, everything was distorted.

There seemed to be a person sitting cross-legged inside.

"My hometown, my disciples, and… the Primordial Sea."