Chapter 679 - 626: Mayfly
Which came first in this world, the chicken or the egg? Jiang Yuebai asked her master, and also asked the Supreme Elder.
Her master said he didn’t know, while the Supreme Elder tossed her out.
Jiang Yuebai couldn’t determine whether everything that happened just now was real, a fleeting dream, or destined fate.
Was it Lu Xingyun who saved her first, or was it because of her that Lu Xingyun came?
Jiang Yuebai felt her head was about to explode, unable to make sense of this matter.
Bright light pierced her eyes, and when Jiang Yuebai came to her senses, she was standing in mid-air, watching the snow fly backward. A massive array plate was suspended in the sky, where a female cultivator in plain robes stood with hands behind her back, commanding the heavens with a wave.
Uncle Fuyi, is this the Huaxi Valley snow disaster?
Jiang Yuebai had no idea what was going on. A small Ice Armor Beetle King was swept up by the power of the Great Array, flying past her, emitting a faint blue light, like fish in the Time River.
Below, her younger self was looking up, staring blankly at Uncle Fuyi, eyes full of amazement.
Jiang Yuebai couldn’t help but stretch out her hand, poking the Ice Armor Beetle King as it flew higher, a sensation like an electric shock ran through her, making Jiang Yuebai tremble all over, and her surroundings dissolved like bubbles once more.
She watched as the Ice Armor Beetle King slowly descended, landing right in front of her younger self, who captured it with a medicine bottle, laughing silly like someone stealing chickens.
Jiang Yuebai never knew her younger self looked so foolish.
Images of the Time River and schools of fish kept flashing before her eyes.
Splash!
A fish swam past her, splashing water from the Time River into her eyes, forcing Jiang Yuebai to close them.
Click!
A door closing sound entered her ears, accompanied by a familiar scent of tobacco mixed with earth, and the old, musty smell from within the old house.
Jiang Yuebai opened her eyes wide, shocked beyond measure.
Tao Fengnian, wrapped in fiery poison and dying, was leaning against the door, desperately covering his mouth, his shoulders trembling violently, tears streaming down his face.
"Grandfather!"
Jiang Yuebai shouted loudly, rushing from the corner of the room to the door, but she was a soul, her body passing through tables and chairs.
Tao Fengnian was not Lu Xingyun; he couldn’t see Jiang Yuebai, but as if sensing something, he looked towards her direction.
His face, the skin was falling like ash, his divine soul tormented, his breath growing weaker.
Back then, grandfather didn’t want her to see this scene, so he locked her outside the door.
But now, she still saw.
Witnessing it with her own eyes, knowing the outcome, her heart still ached unrelentingly, unable to find peace.
Grandfather had always been her weakness, the deepest obsession buried in her heart.
In a flash, Jiang Yuebai suddenly remembered something.
Perhaps, this was the reason she entered the Time River.
Jiang Yuebai rushed to Tao Fengnian’s side, watching him writhe in pain on the ground, curled up, clenching his teeth in silence.
Jiang Yuebai gathered divine soul power, nurturing a cloud mushroom in the palm of her hand, entirely formed by her soul power.
Once the cloud mushroom took shape, she plucked it from her palm.
But as the cloud mushroom detached, her divine soul began to tremble, and this time, she herself started to dissolve like foam, beginning to vanish from her feet.
Jiang Yuebai was completely unaware of what was happening; she just kept her eyes fixed on the pure white cloud mushroom fallen on the ground, hoping Tao Fengnian would notice it.
No, grandfather would surely notice it, because in normal time, he has already reincarnated.
However, Jiang Yuebai couldn’t witness the end; her divine soul completely dissipated, and her vision returned to darkness.
A speck of golden light spread through the darkness, forming a golden mayfly, flying before Jiang Yuebai.
"Why bring me here? Was it because I was chosen by Lu Xingyun, and my grandfather can preserve his soul to reincarnate, all because of me?"
Jiang Yuebai’s soul gathered anew, standing in the dark, questioning the golden mayfly before her.
The mayfly flapped its wings, exuding countless golden threads, weaving into the outline of a person resembling Jiang Yuebai.
"Why... take my form?"
The Jiang Yuebai transformed by the mayfly smiled, "Because you look good."
"Are you the Demon Saint Mayfly?"
The mayfly laughed, "Specifically, I am a thought of Mayfly; the real Mayfly, together with Kunpeng, is traversing the Time River."
"So why bring me here?" Jiang Yuebai continued to ask.
The mayfly leaned towards Jiang Yuebai, "That’s for you to answer, why did you come here?"
Jiang Yuebai narrowed her eyes, disliking such convoluted questions, preferring the Calculation Scripture that might strand her to the point of losing hair over the elusive Daoist Scripture.
Because the Calculation Scripture can yield definite answers, while many things in the Daoist Scripture have no conclusion.
Seeing Jiang Yuebai somewhat annoyed, the mayfly chuckled lightly, "Your presence here indicates you should and must be here; it’s the will of the Heavenly Dao and your choice. I’m just a pathetic insect under the Heavenly Dao managing the essence of time."
"Pathetic insect? Why would someone holding the Time Great Path be pathetic?" Jiang Yuebai was quite puzzled, as countless people dream of mastering the Time Great Path.
The mayfly sighed, "Mayflies live from dawn to dusk; though knowledgeable, they are forever trapped in a single day. While traversing the Time River, they’re mere spectators, knowing the past, present, and future of all beings but unable to utter a word — how could it not be pathetic?"
This sentence Jiang Yuebai understood. Upon reflection, the Time Great Path is indeed dangerous. If someone could wantonly return to the past and alter everything, wouldn’t the world fall into chaos?
And Mayfly has only one-day lifespan; its immortality is also confined within that single day, observing the myriad forms of beings in the Time River.
It’s best suited to manage time.
"So, I can’t inquire if I will achieve immortality?" Jiang Yuebai tested.
The mayfly smiled, hands open as it shook its head, "You cannot. Under the Heavenly Dao, acquired paths have fewer restrictions, while innate ones, though powerful, are heavily restricted. Controlling the essence of the innate path means one cannot arbitrarily use the power of Great Dao rules."
"Every time it’s used, the Heavenly Dao erodes it a bit. Departing the Spiritual Realm for immortality is inevitable. If I were to tell you, I would soon die, with all powers returning to the Dao, so don’t ask."
Jiang Yuebai pondered for a moment, "Then I ask one thing, not involving anyone’s past, present, or future."
The mayfly nodded, "Ask away."
"Are things destined in the Time River bound to happen? Can they be changed?"
The previous visions gave Jiang Yuebai a strong sense of fatalism, fearing she was merely a pawn with an inevitable outcome, trapped in someone’s grasp.
The mayfly smiled bitterly, "Your question... makes my death grimmer. Well, you’ve lingered here long enough. It’s time to clear the river. Take your things and leave."
A blue bead appeared out of thin air in Jiang Yuebai’s hand, and with a wave from the mayfly, a strong wind blew upon Jiang Yuebai, causing her to involuntarily retreat and step into emptiness.
Just like the sudden feeling of falling while asleep, Jiang Yuebai kicked, abruptly sitting up from the ground, almost bumping into Lu Nanzhi’s chin.
"Little Bai, are you okay?" Lu Nanzhi asked with concern.
Jiang Yuebai breathed deeply, proving she was still alive, feeling the chill in her palm, then looked down.
The Kunpeng Eye was already in her hand!