Chapter 25

Chapter 25: A Plain White Dress!

 

Outside the main hall.

Ye Tianming sat cross-legged on the ground, studying his cultivation technique.

A filter net.

How could he create such a filter net?

He found it difficult because he had hardly seen any other cultivation techniques. Even when creating one, he relied entirely on his imagination.

Imagination!

Ye Tianming’s eyes lit up. Why not imagine a filter net?

Thinking of it, he acted.

Ye Tianming suddenly said, “Tower Ancestor, why didn’t you remind me about this cultivation technique filter net?”

The small tower remained silent.

It knew nothing about filter nets. It had always operated at a high level; how could it possibly know about such low-level matters?

Of course, it couldn’t tell the young man that.

The small tower laughed, “I did it for your own good.”

Ye Tianming looked puzzled.

The small tower continued, “Some setbacks and difficulties, you need to experience them yourself. That’s how you grow and gain insights, understand?”

Ye Tianming: “…….”

Without asking further, Ye Tianming began to focus on studying his cultivation technique.

After a while, he suddenly realized that he needed to know what impurities existed in spiritual energy. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to truly filter them. So, while absorbing spiritual energy, he began to carefully distinguish between pure energy and impurities. With careful observation and sensing, he soon discovered the impurities hidden within the spiritual energy.

They were harmful substances attached to the spiritual energy, similar to dust on rice grains, almost impossible to detect with the naked eye. But if absorbed in large quantities, they would accumulate in the body and, over time, cause harm.

Having discovered the impurities, he now needed to find a way to filter them out.

Soon, Ye Tianming thought of a method: using his body as a filter net, since spiritual energy must pass through the body to enter.

He began to experiment slowly, using his body to sense the impurities, then using his cultivation technique to cover his body with a spiritual energy net.

It wasn’t easy at first, but he tried again and again.

He wasn’t afraid of failure!

And so, he practiced from night until day.

In the morning, Mu Guanchen walked to his side and handed him a bowl of porridge, smiling, “Have some breakfast first.”

Ye Tianming quickly stood up and accepted the porridge with both hands. “Thank you, Master.”

Mu Guanchen patted his shoulder and smiled, “Sit down and eat.”

As he spoke, he sat down as well.

Ye Tianming also sat down. Mu Guanchen asked, “Any progress?”

Ye Tianming replied excitedly, “Yes, quite a lot.”

Mu Guanchen smiled, “That’s good. Since you’re now my student, I must take responsibility for you. From now on, you cannot practice cultivation in the morning.”

Ye Tianming looked confused.

Mu Guanchen said, “Every morning, you must read books. From noon until evening, you can practice cultivation, but you must also sleep for at least four hours.”

Ye Tianming hesitated, then said, “Master, I don’t need to sleep.”

Mu Guanchen shook his head, “I know you want to improve your strength quickly, but haste makes waste. Your eagerness to increase your power shows an impatient mindset, which will eventually cause problems. From now on, every morning I’ll read books with you. Reading calms the mind, and a clear mind greatly benefits your cultivation.”

Ye Tianming thought for a moment, then nodded, “Alright… Master, can I read those books in your hall?”

Mu Guanchen smiled, “Of course.”

Ye Tianming said, “Good.”

In the days that followed, Ye Tianming spent every morning reading books with Mu Guanchen and practiced cultivation from noon until evening.

After three days of experimentation, his technique could now filter some spiritual energy impurities. He discovered that after filtering, the spiritual energy entering his body became purer. In less than five days, he had advanced from the Minor Tribulation Realm to the Major Tribulation Realm, which delighted him immensely. However, when he continued filtering spiritual energy, he found he couldn’t remove all the impurities.

He had reached a bottleneck.

When he asked Mu Guanchen for advice, Mu Guanchen smiled and told him, “There are indeed techniques in the world that can filter out 100% of impurities, but those are at least top-tier techniques. Your technique has just been created, and it can already filter out 60% of impurities, which is quite remarkable.”

Hearing this, Ye Tianming finally understood.

Mu Guanchen continued, “In cultivation, one must not rush. Rushing disturbs your mental state. Of course, I understand your current situation, but you still need to suppress the restlessness and anxiety in your heart, because those negative emotions won’t help you at all.”

Ye Tianming nodded slightly, “Master, I understand this principle, but there’s less than half a year until the Wan State Competition. I don’t have much time.”

Mu Guanchen asked, “You want to win first place?”

Ye Tianming nodded, “Yes, I want to meet the Guanxuan Sword Master… Master, this world is so unfair.”

Mu Guanchen nodded, “You have the right to say that, and you should say it. This isn’t your fault. But do you know the core reason and essence of this unfairness?”

Ye Tianming said, “I lack strength.”

Mu Guanchen said, “Let’s walk together.”

With that, he walked toward the distance.

Ye Tianming followed.

On the way, Mu Guanchen said, “Your lack of strength is only one aspect, but not the most fundamental essence.”

Ye Tianming continued, “The Yang family.”

Mu Guanchen turned to look at him and smiled, “The Yang family is the source of power in the Guanxuan Universe. You’re not wrong to say that, but it’s still not the fundamental essence.”

Ye Tianming frowned, “The system?”

Mu Guanchen said, “Still not it.”

Ye Tianming said, “Please enlighten me, Master.”

Mu Guanchen smiled, “The Way.”

Ye Tianming looked confused.

Mu Guanchen continued, “Simply put, in any universe civilization, unfairness will definitely exist. If the Yang family were replaced by others to rule the Guanxuan Universe, would there be no unfairness? No.”

Ye Tianming frowned.

Mu Guanchen slowly said, “You must understand a core essence: ‘unfairness’ will always exist. Even after hundreds of thousands of years, it will still exist, because this world has been unfair from the beginning. For example, at birth, some are born into royal or noble families, while others are born as beggars; some are born with extraordinary talents, while others have no talent or even intellectual disabilities; some are born in advanced civilizations, while others are born in worlds plagued by constant warfare…”

He turned to look at Ye Tianming, “Can anyone completely eliminate these unfairnesses?”

Ye Tianming remained silent.

Mu Guanchen continued, “It cannot be eliminated, no matter who tries. Do you know why those in power haven’t taken your matter seriously?”

Ye Tianming said, “I have no value, and the Xiao family and Qingzhou Academy are too powerful…”

He paused, then added, “There should be another reason: my issue is just a small matter to those powerful figures above. They have the mindset you just mentioned, Master. They think unfairness is normal, nothing to make a fuss about. They weigh the pros and cons…”

Mu Guanchen’s eyes flashed with approval, “Yes, you must see this layer: that your suffering, Ye Tianming, is an extremely insignificant matter to those in high positions. In their world, suffering and unfairness are supposed to exist. They just think you, Ye Tianming, have bad luck to encounter it, just like when we accidentally step on an ant while walking. Do we reflect on our mistake? No, we just think the ant had bad luck.”

Ye Tianming clenched his fists, remaining silent.

Mu Guanchen said, “No one can completely eliminate ‘unfairness,’ not even the Guanxuan Sword Master. All we can do is try to reduce it. Now that you understand this essence, let’s talk about your situation.”

Ye Tianming looked at Mu Guanchen, who asked, “Do you think you were wrong?”

Ye Tianming answered firmly, “No.”

Mu Guanchen said, “Of course not. Any person or being in this world has the right to pursue ‘fairness.’ Having experienced such unfairness, any thoughts you have are justified. You’re not wrong. No one has the right to persuade you to let go of your hatred. You should hate, you should resist, because none of this is your fault.”

Ye Tianming was moved, “Master…”

Mu Guanchen continued, “Similarly, if the Yang family recognizes your unfair treatment and acknowledges their mistakes, then our Guanxuan Universe can be saved. But if the Yang family cannot understand the suffering and unfairness experienced by those at the bottom, then…”

He stopped walking and said seriously, “Then ‘dare to make the sun and moon shine anew.'”

Small Tower: “…….”

Ye Tianming was stunned, “Master…”

Mu Guanchen smiled, “If the world is just and peaceful, we can naturally do nothing. But if the world is unfair and hopeless, then we must…”

He suddenly stopped.

Ye Tianming looked at him, hands tightly clenched, waiting for him to continue.

Mu Guanchen stared at him, “Rebel.”

Ye Tianming: “…….”

Small Tower: “……..”

Mu Guanchen blinked, “Are you afraid?”

Ye Tianming answered seriously, “No!”

Mu Guanchen laughed heartily, then said, “To rebel, one needs strength. We must first increase our power. Let’s talk about your technique. Your technique is special; I think you can form a Dharma Body ahead of time.”

Ye Tianming looked puzzled, “Dharma Body?”

Mu Guanchen nodded, “That’s the Dharma Body Realm. It means connecting with the energy of heaven and earth, then combining it with your primordial spirit to form a hundred-zhang Dharma Body that can gather and disperse, with immense power, capable of confronting any spiritual weapon, even immortal weapons. Your technique is special and can form a Dharma Body early. Let me teach you a method, try it…”

Ten breaths later, Ye Tianming suddenly stood up, his hands making a virtual gesture, “Form.”

Boom!

In an instant, a hundred-zhang Dharma Body condensed behind him.

Small Tower: “……”

Mu Guanchen was also surprised, clearly not expecting Ye Tianming to succeed on his first try. He smiled, “Very good, success on the first attempt, just a bit slower than when I first tried.”

Small Tower: “???”

Ye Tianming excitedly said, “Master, so we can connect with heaven and earth to form a Dharma Body. Isn’t this Dharma Body essentially borrowing power?”

“Borrowing power?”

Mu Guanchen nodded and smiled, “Your choice of words is very apt. Forming a Dharma Body is indeed like borrowing the power of heaven and earth. As you advance in cultivation, you’ll need to ‘borrow’ more, even borrowing from ‘the Way’ itself.”

Ye Tianming thought for a moment, then said, “Master, I have an idea.”

Mu Guanchen said, “Tell me!”

Ye Tianming looked at Mu Guanchen, “If we can borrow the power of heaven and earth, can we borrow our own power?”

Mu Guanchen looked puzzled, “Borrow your own power? You mean…”

Ye Tianming said, “Borrow my future power!”

Small Tower: “……”

Mu Guanchen was slightly taken aback, then smiled, “You mean borrowing power from your future self?”

Ye Tianming nodded, “That’s what I was thinking, but it seems unrealistic…”

“It’s realistic!”

Mu Guanchen smiled, “Very realistic.”

Ye Tianming was confused.

Mu Guanchen smiled, “This is actually equivalent to summoning your ‘future true self’ as legend has it.”

Ye Tianming asked, “Master, what is the future true self?”Mu Guanchen said, “This involves some profound principles, such as past, present, and future. Some top-level cultivators, after reaching a certain level, can reverse time, flow against the years, and return to the past. Some cultivators are even more extraordinary, able to summon their ‘Future True Self,’ which means summoning their future self in the present. The future self is certainly stronger than the current self…”

Ye Tianming asked excitedly, “Has anyone ever succeeded?”

Mu Guanchen smiled, “That I’m not sure about. However, I believe it’s possible, though certainly difficult. By my estimation, in our universe, perhaps only the Guanxuan Sword Master of the past could achieve it.”

Guanxuan Sword Master!

Ye Tianming fell silent. That was a god-like figure.

Mu Guanchen suddenly asked, “Would you like to try?”

Ye Tianming looked up at Mu Guanchen, surprised, “Teacher, can I… really?”

Mu Guanchen smiled, “Since you’ve already thought about it, why not give it a try?”

Ye Tianming said, “But I’m so weak…”

Mu Guanchen shook his head, “Tianming, we are scholars. Besides establishing principles for the universe and creating peace for all generations, scholars must also dare to dream and act… Wait a moment.”

As he spoke, he took out an ancient book and handed it to Ye Tianming, “As it happens, I’ve been researching the principles of past, present, and future recently. This book, which I won from the bookseller at the Great Dao Bookhouse, is called the ‘Time Book.’ Study it first.”

Ye Tianming asked in surprise, “Teacher, you’ve also been to the Great Dao Bookhouse?”

Mu Guanchen asked in return, “You’ve been there too?”

Ye Tianming nodded, “I’ve been reading books there since I was young.”

Mu Guanchen smiled, “What a coincidence. That bookseller is quite an extraordinary person, probably planning something… But never mind him. First, take a look at this ‘Time Book,’ and if you have any ideas afterward, come find me. Don’t be afraid of failure. If we fail, we’ll try again.”

Ye Tianming nodded, “Alright!”

In the days that followed, Ye Tianming spent his time either cultivating or studying the ‘Time Book.’ After reading it, he realized how shallow his understanding of the world’s cultivation principles had been. It turned out that when people cultivate to a certain level, they can not only return to the past but also communicate with the future.

It was incredible.

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, Ye Tianming found Mu Guanchen.

Mu Guanchen, who was reading, put down the ancient book and smiled, “Have you got any ideas?”

Ye Tianming nodded, “Teacher, there’s a method in the ‘Time Book’ called the Future Method. Using it, one can sense the future… I want to try it.”

Mu Guanchen said, “It’s good you came to ask me. If you had tried rashly, you might have already perished.”

Ye Tianming asked, puzzled, “Why?”

Mu Guanchen smiled slightly, “Rules. The Guanxuan Sword Master established various rules, one of which is that no one may disrupt the past and future timelines without permission. The Sword Master’s words are law, so the future timelines of all beings in the Guanxuan Universe are guarded by these laws. If you tried rashly, you would be instantly killed by those ‘laws.'”

Ye Tianming asked, “Then what should I do?”

Mu Guanchen suddenly looked at the Xingdao Sword at Ye Tianming’s waist, “Your sword is special. Perhaps it can evade the detection of those laws.”

Ye Tianming looked down at his Xingdao Sword.

Mu Guanchen smiled, “Of course, I can’t be completely certain, but… shall we try?”

Ye Tianming thought for a moment, then nodded, “Let’s try.”

Mu Guanchen said, “When you recite the ‘Future Method’ to enter your future timeline, remember not to enter someone else’s timeline. Entering another’s timeline means interfering with their karma, which is extremely dangerous and easily detected by the Dao of the Guanxuan Universe. Just sense within your own future timeline, understand?”

Ye Tianming nodded, “Yes… Teacher, can I see my future self?”

Mu Guanchen smiled, “You should be able to. If you can see your future self, then in the future, you’ll be able to summon your ‘Future True Self.’ Of course, this assumes your future self is powerful. If your future self is a weakling, summoning them would just be sending them to their death! And you wouldn’t be able to summon them anyway. Only if your future self is strong enough can they flow against the years of the future and return to the present…”

He continued with a smile, “So everything in the world has cause and effect. If you work hard now, you’ll be powerful in the future. If you slack off now, you’ll likely be a weakling in the future, which won’t help your present self at all.”

Ye Tianming smiled, “I work very hard, so my future self probably won’t be a weakling. Teacher, how strong would one need to be in the future to return to the present?”

Mu Guanchen said, “At least at the level of the Guanxuan Sword Master!”

Ye Tianming smiled bitterly, “Then my future self might not be that strong, but I still want to try…”

Mu Guanchen smiled, “Try first. I’ll go dig up some vegetables for dinner. Remember, you might not succeed on the first try. If you fail, don’t be discouraged. Try again in the future. There’s no rush; just treat it as a game. Also, in your future timeline, you can only see yourself. When you see yourself, try not to interact too much to avoid unknown karmic consequences…”

After saying this, he put down the ancient book and walked outside.

After Mu Guanchen left, Ye Tianming sat cross-legged on the ground. He took down his Xingdao Sword and took a deep breath.

Little Tower suddenly said, “Maybe… don’t try?”

Ye Tianming asked, “Why?”

Little Tower said, “Didn’t he say it’s dangerous?”

Ye Tianming smiled, “It’s fine. I’ll just try. I won’t really place my hopes on the future. As Teacher said, one would need to be as strong as the Guanxuan Sword Master to return to the present, and I don’t believe my future self will be stronger than the Sword Master. I just want to try and see if I can see my future self…”

Little Tower hesitated, then said, “Then give it a try!”

Ye Tianming nodded. He slowly closed his eyes and began to operate the ‘Future Method.’ Soon, he found that everything around him had changed. He entered a special passage where special light waves were rapidly flowing on the time walls surrounding him.

Ye Tianming held his Xingdao Sword and looked around nervously, “Tower Ancestor?”

There was no response!

At this moment, he had already entered his future timeline!

Seeing that Tower Ancestor didn’t respond, Ye Tianming could only cautiously walk forward. Each step he took seemed to cross billions of years.

There was nothing ahead, just emptiness.

During this time, mysterious forces of law probed him, but when they touched his Xingdao Sword, they immediately vanished without a trace.

Ye Tianming took another step forward.

And so, he walked an unknown number of steps, crossing countless trillions of years. Suddenly, he stopped. At the limit of his vision, he vaguely saw a blurry figure.

Looking at that blurry figure, he immediately felt a very, very familiar sensation.

Ye Tianming’s breathing suddenly became rapid. He felt that the blurry figure was his future self. This feeling was very strong. He quickly took a few more steps forward, and the blurry figure became clearer.

Suddenly, Ye Tianming froze in place. At the limit of his vision, the blurry figure suddenly stopped and turned around. In that instant, the blurry figure became extremely clear.

It was a woman, wearing a plain dress, extraordinarily beautiful.

The woman in the plain dress was now staring at him!

“Ah!”

In reality, Ye Tianming suddenly woke up. He cried in horror, “Tower Ancestor, Tower Ancestor, why is my future self a woman… Ah!! Ah!! Why is my future self a woman!!”

“Damn it!”

Little Tower also cried in horror, “Damn! You actually succeeded… Damn! I don’t know anything, I don’t know anything, don’t ask me, I didn’t say anything this time… I, I, I, I’m just a tower!”

Ye Tianming trembled, “Tower Ancestor…”

Little Tower also trembled, “Brother, just call me Little Tower from now on…”

Because above Ye Tianming’s head appeared the ethereal figure of a woman, the very woman in the plain dress.

The Future True Self appeared!

Tianming replacing Tianming!

At this moment, terrifying pressure swept down from the sky, crushing toward Ye Tianming. Simultaneously, a voice containing infinite pressure seemed to come from ancient times, “How dare you disrupt the Guanxuan Universe’s timeline. Die!”

The Dao of the Guanxuan Universe appeared!

Ye Tianming instinctively turned his head and glanced, “Get lost!”

Boom!

In the distant depths of the universe, the Dao of the Guanxuan Universe shattered completely, dying on the spot.

The Dao collapsed!