This was the bank of a large river.

Almost a dozen cultivators were standing here, silently watching Gu Qing Shan.

When Gu Qing Shan looked around, he found that besides the river itself, there were also mountains that rose from the base of the river.

This place was indeed the Barren Cloud Heavenly Palace.

And Xie Dao Ling was dreaming of this place.

Stand up, lets talk Xie Gu Hong told him.

Gu Qing Shan slowly stood up from the ground.

The great cultivators began to whisper among themselves without any reluctance.

This is my first time meeting a Three Thousand Worlds realm cultivator thats still so young

Indeed, to be able to figure out our arrangements with a single hint, a truly insightful person

Old Xie, this young man is a sword cultivator, and from his sword will I can feel the signature of Barren Cloud Heavenly Palace, hes probably a disciple from your sect in the future

I can also feel that hes very decent, what do you say we confirm it now?

I have no objections

No objections

Sure

I agree

The great cultivators quickly made their decisions.

Gu Qing Shan didnt know what they were talking about at all.

At this time, Xie Gu Hong looked towards him and smiled: Are you a disciple of Barren Cloud Heavenly Palace?

I am Gu Qing Shan replied.

Who is your Shifu?

My Shifu is your daughter. But to be exact, within the phantom images, you once took me in as your disciple

Xie Gu Hong looked at him hesitantly and didnt say anything for a while.

Gu Qing Shan abruptly drew his sword and thrust it towards Xie Gu Hong.

This was obviously a simple thrust without any force behind it, but Xie Gu Hongs eyes practically glowed as he saw this strike.

He also drew his own sword and received Gu Qing Shans attack.

Kih!

A metallic sound rang as the two swords met.

1200 sword styles at once that scattered into the void of space, so youve already reached the peak of being a Sword Saint, how do you intend to continue forward?

Master, you once taught me that after 1000 swords is a single sword

Did I say that now?

Xie Gu Hong put his sword away with an even brighter smile.

Gu Qing Shan sincerely answered: Indeed you did

The other great cultivators exchanged glances.

Xie Gu Hong finally nodded: Hm, I truly did leave a strand of my soul inside the phantom images, but I never imagined that I would be able to wait until the day when I get a disciple

Hearing that, Gu Qing Shan froze.

Leave a strand of my soul inside the phantom images

Does that mean my current location isnt inside the phantom images anymore?

A great cultivator noticed his confusion and smiled: This place is a certain fragment of the broken Samsara, and the current time is immediately after the destruction of the Heaven realm. This is the real world, but were still inside a dream for now

Gu Qing Shan spoke: In other words, this is still the Age of Old, but after everything had ended?

Correct Xie Gu Hong replied.

Gu Qing Shan hurriedly asked: Then what was the results of the final campaign? Who obtained the Heaven sword?

No one knows, because that final moment was already hidden away, not only can none of us locate it, but none of those terrifying monsters can find it either Xie Gu Hong replied.

Gu Qing Shan looked at him in disbelief.

To hide a certain moment away so well that no one could locate it again.

What kind of immense power is this?

Was humanity this powerful?

He couldnt help but think back about the phantom images.

Billions of phantom images, all of which were fragments of a true parallel world, this was quite simply unimaginable.

Purely because they were parallel worlds.

I only briefly met other versions of myself from parallel worlds when I was facing the four Tribulations.

If humanity could really connect to parallel worlds, why was there a need for them to avoid the Abyssal monsters?

I know you must be feeling extremely shocked right now. Truthfully speaking, were also very shocked Xie Gu Hong told him.

He had a look of reminiscent and displayed a clear state of complicated emotions.

The other great cultivators also appeared very troubled.

Just what exactly happened?

Gu Qing Shan couldnt help but ask.

The root of the problem lies with the twin swords Heaven and Earth Xie Gu Hong explained.

Another great cultivator continued: Truthfully, the phantom image where the Earth sword and Palace Master Xies daughter left the Primordial Heaven Realm was deliberately selected by the Immortal King for a cultivator from the future to experience. After that moment, humanity had immediately gone into our final moments of destruction

Gu Qing Shan muses: In other words, before the Earth sword was brought away, something crucial happened

Indeed, when the Earth sword was brought away, the Heaven swords forging process was already near completion Xie Gu Hong said.

According to what we learnt from the blueprints, to awaken the Earth swords true Thaumaturgy, the Heaven sword was necessary

So we brought the Earth sword to where the Immortal King was forging the swords, so that he could personally watch over it

When the Heaven sword was about to be complete, both swords began to display paranormal phenomena

Several impossibly powerful monsters showed up out of nowhere

They fought against one another while summoning several weapon components out of the void, almost as if to integrate the twin swords into a completely different weapon

Since the Immortal King was the one who was in charge of the forging process, he was the one who wielded the newly created weapon at the time. In a short time, they werent able to kill him, not to mention they were more interested in competing against one another

The Immortal King naturally realized how dangerous the situation was, so he split the twin swords apart and had Palace Master Xie bring the Earth sword away

While he used the power that the weapon granted him to stop the rampaging monsters

Afterwards, we had guessed that those terrifying monsters werent aware that the weapon would be able to achieve such a thing either, so they made the mistake of underestimating the Immortal King

What was that weapon able to do? Gu Qing Shan asked.

All the great cultivators fell silent.

It seems they still felt their hearts beating faster whenever they thought back to that event.

Finally, Xie Gu Hong told him: When the twin swords Heaven and Earth were combined with the other components and turned into a new weapon, it directly ripped Space-Time apart, brought countless fragments from the parallel worlds and created the phantom images

Taking that chance, the Immortal King invoked another ability of that weapon: [Eternal Moment]

The so-called [Eternal Moment] is the ability to completely hide a certain moment of this world away. Only a person who achieves a certain condition would be able to enter, and no other

Gu Qing Shan couldnt help but ask: But hiding it away wouldnt do anything, those monsters are still there

Xie Gu Hong replied: But Ive already taken the Earth sword away, so they no longer have both the Heaven and Earth sword to produce that weapon again

Another great cultivator continued: Furthermore, the Heaven swords forging process wasnt complete, there was still one last crucial process

And so, not only did the monsters failed to obtain the Earth sword, but they also failed to obtain the Heaven sword

While they were speaking, Gu Qing Shan suddenly noticed that these people were all smiling.

You

Its fine Xie Gu Hong said, were only feeling emotional as the ultimate victor was still humanity in the end

The cultivators figures slowly became blurred.

Thats right, now that you are here, we can perform the seals to trigger the final jade disk and pull your body here as well another great cultivator told him.

Once you are fully here, we will destroy the tunnel for good. That way, the monsters would never be able to discover the existence of anything in this place

We will put all of our knowledge and techniques into the jade disk and teach them to you

From then on, you would be able to safely stay in this era to live and cultivate. You can lead humanity in this place to prosper and grow, until one day when you finally surpass our era

Gu Qing Shan hurriedly spoke up: I cant, the reason I came to the Age of Old was to save the Earth sword

At this point, everyone elses figures had already become transparent to the point of vanishing, only Xie Gu Hong temporarily remained.

Xie Gu Hong then said: Naturally, you also have another choice, that is to return the way you came. We will place the method to enter the true final moment inside this jade disk

His figure also started to become faint.

All of us here are nothing but a strand of our souls, but we still have the power that the Immortal King bestowed upon us, to either help you remain in this era or to head towards the true final moment of history

Gu Qing Shan asked: After giving me this power, all of you will die, wont you?

Xie Gu Hong chuckled and shook his head: As a cultivator, death for us is only another way to rest. We are simply entrusting our hope to the future before we leave

His figure became transparent.

To remain, or to fight, that is for you to decide; and also, please help me look after Linger. After this dream is over, she will appear inside her own dream

Xie Gu Hong sighed, for the first time, his nonchalant voice carried a hint of regret.

The dream is about to end, unfortunately, I dont have the time to wait for her

After remaining silent for so long, Gu Qing Shan spoke up: Dont worry, she will live a fulfilling life in the future. She had already taken in a few disciples, and she treats us disciples like she does her own family

Xie Gu Hong smiled softly with a look of relief.

That is good

After saying that, he completely vanished from Gu Qing Shans sight.

Gu Qing Shan stood still and waited for a while.

At some unknown point, he was already holding a jade disk in his hand.

With this jade disk, he would be able to return on the same path and head into the final moment of history.

Naturally, he could also escape from Xie Dao Lings dream and pull his real body from the Grand Divine Palace into this world, thus living on from this era as a real part of history.

Gu Qing Shan stroked the jade disk and carefully placed it into the deepest place inside his Thought Sea.

The monsters of the Eternal Abyss wouldnt be able to find this jade disk even if they went to the end of Space-Time and back.

This was the most precious treasure.

This was the Earth swords only hope of survival.

It will bring me into the final moment of the decisive battle in history, to where I can find the Heaven sword.