Chapter 469: The River of Fate, Choice

The man’s voice was calm, just like he was greeting an old acquaintance who had returned after a brief absence.

Tian Yongheng’s expression changed slightly.

Before he could speak, the man tilted his head and examined him with an expression of genuine curiosity.

He looked at Tian Yongheng from head to toe, then nodded thoughtfully, as if confirming something.

"It has only been a little over a thousand years, yet you have already reached the Earth Immortal Realm."

He paused briefly before adding with a trace of astonishment.

"And you accomplished this without being the reincarnation of some ancient powerhouse, without inheriting the memories of a supreme existence, and without relying on the foundation accumulated throughout countless previous lifetimes."

The man shook his head.

"Remarkable, truly remarkable."

Tian Yongheng remained silent.

Although the other party’s tone was casual, the meaning behind his words was anything but ordinary.

A thousand years and sixty years, to an ordinary mortal, would have been beyond imagination. Even among cultivators of the Lower Realm, reaching the Golden Core Realm within a thousand years was already sufficient to establish an extraordinary reputation, and anything beyond was the domain of prodigies and geniuses.

As for becoming an Earth Immortal?

That was an entirely different matter.

Even in the Upper Realm, where Immortal Qi was abundant and the inheritances of ancient Dao lineages were readily available, reaching the Earth Immortal Realm within a thousand years would be considered an earth shattering and heaven shaking achievement never before seen in the world.

The man seemed to notice his silence and smiled, continuing to speak before Tian Yongheng could respond.

"In your previous life, you possessed the Five-Elemental Spiritual Body. Although it was somewhat special among mortals, an Immortal Deity level Connate Providence, it was hardly enough to explain your current achievements."

He studied Tian Yongheng’s face with interest.

"But in this life..."

The man’s expression became contemplative.

"You seem to possess Connate Providence that even I cannot see through."

For the first time since their meeting, a trace of genuine surprise appeared in his eyes.

"How interesting."

He raised his hand and lightly stroked short beard.

"Your talents must be far more exaggerated than I initially imagined. Indeed, you were not an ordinary mortal when I first saw you over a thousand years ago."

Tian Yongheng’s heart stirred at those words.

Even this person could not see through his Providence?

He had already encountered an existence capable of peering into the River of Time, one that could identify the extraordinary nature of his Providence while remaining unable to discern its precise composition because of the System’s concealment.

Yet, the man before him seemed to possess an entirely different kind of authority.

He could perceive the traces of Tian Yongheng’s previous life, recognize the changes in his present existence, and also comment upon the Providence accompanying him, yet he still could not see through it completely.

The System was the most terrifying of all these existences, indeed.

Though, he couldn’t help but wonder, what exactly was this man’s and that blue eye’s "status"?

Cultivation realm alone could not be used to judge them, though he already had an idea about it as well...

Tian Yongheng suppressed the countless questions emerging within his mind.

He had already realized that this encounter was far too extraordinary to waste on idle speculation.

After a brief hesitation, he cupped his hands and bowed respectfully.

"Senior, may I ask what this place is?"

He paused before continuing, his tone carrying a hint of inquiry.

"And... are you the mighty figure who guided Demon Lord Nine Calamities hundreds of years ago and informed him of the catastrophe associated with the reawakening of the Archaic Forbidden Demon God?"

The middle aged man looked at him and nodded naturally.

"Yes, that was me."

Tian Yongheng’s expression remained composed, but his thoughts were anything but calm.

He had already suspected as much.

Demon Lord Nine Calamities had once revealed that the Righteous-Demonic War and the attempted resurrection of the Archaic Forbidden Demon God was merely a smokescreen, concealing a far more terrifying scheme involving the Immortal Gods, and an existence untolerable by heaven and earth.

The fact that someone had intervened to expose the truth suggested that an existence beyond the ordinary cultivation world was involved.

Now, the identity of that mysterious figure had finally become clearer.

Yet, before Tian Yongheng could ask anything else, the man gestured towards the river beneath their feet.

"As for this place..."

He smiled faintly before speaking.

"It is the River of Destiny."

His gaze swept across the boundless waters.

"Although, throughout the Immortal heavens, it is more commonly known as the River of Fate."

Tian Yongheng’s mind shook.

The River of Fate!

He lowered his head and looked at the illusory river stretching endlessly beneath his feet.

The countless fragments of existence drifting within its waters suddenly seemed to possess an entirely different meaning.

The scenes of birth and death, the rise and fall of civilizations, and the countless possibilities that had never come to pass, everything he had witnessed since arriving in this place gradually connected within his mind.

No wonder!

No wonder the blue eye had reacted so violently when this river appeared!

The blue eye possessed authority over Time, allowing it to perceive alternate timelines and interfere with the trajectories of entire worlds.

Yet, when the River of Fate descended, that terrifying existence was forced to retreat.

Fate and Time, two supreme authorities that were both fundamentally connected to the unfolding of existence, yet differed in their respective principles.

Time governed the succession of events, encompassing the past, present, and future, while Fate concerned the possibilities and trajectories through which existence unfolded, determining which paths might be taken and which outcomes could emerge.

They were opposing yet similar, complementary yet fundamentally distinct, and among all the Great Daos, they were undoubtedly two of the most fundamental.

Tian Yongheng’s understanding of the Heaven Prying Secret Technique suddenly deepened.

If before he could only perceive certain secrets hidden beneath the surface of existence and deduce good or bad fortune, then now standing upon the River of Fate, he finally understood how shallow that understanding had been.

What he had previously perceived was merely the faintest reflection of something far greater, like observing a single droplet of water and believing that one had understood the ocean.

Tian Yongheng slowly raised his head, his gaze returning to the middle aged man.

There were still countless questions he wanted to ask.

Who was this man?

Why had he appeared in his dream before his previous life’s death?

What was the true nature of his reincarnation?

What relationship did this man share with that blue eye?

Yet, before he could speak, the man suddenly chuckled.

"Speaking of which..."

He tilted his head slightly, his expression becoming somewhat playful.

"You seem to be facing quite a dilemma right now."

Tian Yongheng’s expression stiffened slightly.

The man continued as if he had not noticed.

"If you leave this place and intervene in the Cleansing, your existence will be completely exposed before the gazes of the entire Great World."

He raised one finger.

"Your identity, your Providence, your extraordinary cultivation speed, and the countless secrets surrounding your existence will inevitably attract the attention of those who have been observing the Lower Realm."

Then, he raised a second finger.

"Not to mention that the Cleansing is far more complicated than it appears. The forces that have descended upon the Lower Realm are only the ones visible on the surface. Even if you have already reached the Earth Immortal Realm, it is uncertain whether you possess sufficient strength to defeat the true powerhouses behind this catastrophe."

The man smiled.

"After all, you have only just broken through."

Tian Yongheng remained silent.

The assessment was not unreasonable.

He had indeed reached the Earth Immortal Realm, and his strength had undergone a qualitative transformation, but in the end, Earth Immortal was not invincible in the heavens.

There would be at least Earth Immortals descending for the Cleansing, and who knows if a Heaven Immortal or even an Origin Immortal might be attracted once he made a move?

That was not even the worst part.

What about the beings who had orchestrated the Cleansing?

What about the existence that had attempted to erase him through the River of Time?

Could he truly defeat them all with his current strength?

Tian Yongheng could not guarantee it.

The middle-aged man raised another finger.

"However, if you choose not to leave..."

His expression became somewhat peculiar.

"Then everyone you know and care about will die."

The surrounding river remained tranquil as countless fragments of existence drifted past them, reflecting scenes that seemed to contain endless possibilities.

The man’s voice remained calm as he spoke.

"Your disciples, your friends, those who have placed their hopes upon you, the countless mortals who are praying for the Immortals to save them... they will all perish."

Tian Yongheng’s fingers tightened slightly, but the man continued anyway.

"Of course, you may choose to stay here. You can continue comprehending the Great Dao, explore the mysteries of the River of Fate, and perhaps obtain insights that would otherwise take you centuries or even millennia to acquire."

His smile deepened as he said.

"After all, opportunities like this are not easily encountered, even by existences who have cultivated for countless epochs."

He spread his hands and shrugged.

"If you leave, you may expose yourself to forces that you are not yet capable of confronting, but if you stay, you may preserve the opportunity to become far stronger. Yet, if you stay..."

His voice trailed off at the end, not finishing the sentence.

Tian Yongheng understood what he meant.

If he chose to stay, the Lower Realm would be destroyed, the people who were probably fighting desperately outside would die, and the countless sacrifices made throughout the Mortal World would ultimately become meaningless.

The middle aged man looked at him with an expression that seemed to contain genuine curiosity.

"So, Tian Yongheng..."

He tilted his head slightly.

"What will you do?"