Chapter 538 281: To Hear the Dao in the Morning and Die at Dusk

'Hm?!'

Wang Xiao's eyes twitched slightly as he heard the Wuji Mountain Lord's voice.

'Something for me?!'

After all, he had a clone still on Wuji Mountain.

'What could it be that couldn't be given to his clone and had to be handed to him personally?!'

'My clone is only a Tier Nine Life right now. Perhaps this item is related to the River of Time. Or maybe... the Wuji Mountain Lord knows there's something special about me and wants to test me personally?!'

'No, that's not right. If he wanted to test me, there would be no need to make me travel all the way to Wuji Mountain!'

'After all, with the power of a Tier Thirteen Life, he could effortlessly crush a Tier Twelve Life anywhere he pleased.'

Wang Xiao felt a growing suspicion.

His clone was on Wuji Mountain, but it could only receive basic information. It was incapable of Cultivation.

Therefore.

To this day, his clone had spent most of its time on Wuji Mountain observing various Cultivation Techniques.

Then, it would sync them directly with him, the main body.

Now.

His clone had already been on Wuji Mountain for over ten thousand years, and the Wuji Mountain Lord had never once taken the initiative to contact it.

Yet now.

The very moment he broke through to become a Tier Twelve Life, the Mountain Lord had sought him out, even saying he had something for him.

It was, in all likelihood, related to his River of Time.

'If I go to Wuji Mountain now, and if the Wuji Mountain Lord poses a threat to me, can I even escape?!'

Wang Xiao had only met the Wuji Mountain Lord once.

Although the Wuji Mountain Lord had shown no malice toward him, one could never be too careful.

Without absolute certainty of his safety, he was reluctant to let his true body meet the Wuji Mountain Lord in person.

The Book of Space-Time quickly transmitted a message:

'By expending all of your power, you can interfere with the River of Time once and escape the grasp of a Tier Thirteen Life.'

Hearing the Book of Space-Time's answer, Wang Xiao felt a sense of relief.

Since the Book of Space-Time said so, it meant it was confident it could face the Wuji Mountain Lord directly.

In that case.

Wang Xiao decided he would go and see the Wuji Mountain Lord, to find out if the man truly wanted to give him something, or if he had an ulterior motive!

Wang Xiao looked toward Gu Tiandu and the others and said,

"I still have something to take care of. We'll get together when I get back."

Gu Tiandu couldn't help but ask,

"You just got back, and you're leaving already? You won't be gone for too long this time, right?"

Wang Xiao's lips formed a tight line.

"It shouldn't be long this time. However, once I've handled this, I'll probably have to leave for a very long time to prepare for my breakthrough to Tier Thirteen Life."

Gu Tiandu smiled.

"Wang Xiao, you don't need to push yourself so hard. Earth has finally established a firm foothold in the cosmos."

"The future is long. You can take Cultivation one step at a time."

"You should wait for Ji Wuchang, too. He just claimed he was going to surpass you."

Ji Wuchang sighed.

"I was only joking. At Wang Xiao's current pace of advancement, I'm afraid no one in the entire Starry Sky Sea can compare."

"I only recently broke through to become a Tier Ten Life. Reaching Tier Twelve Life? Heaven knows when that will ever happen."

He had, in fact, been ambitious, thinking that with a few more lucky breaks, he might have a chance of surpassing Wang Xiao.

However.

When he saw Wang Xiao break through to become a Tier Twelve Life, that notion vanished completely.

Having cultivated to his current Realm, he knew better than anyone.

He knew just how difficult it was to break through to Tier Twelve Life.

He feared that even with another billion, or even ten billion years, he might not be able to make the breakthrough!

Wang Xiao patted Ji Wuchang's shoulder.

"In this Starry Sky Sea, as long as you believe in yourself, nothing is impossible."

"After all, future Cultivation isn't really about Time anymore."

He didn't tell the others that the Cosmos was facing imminent Silent Extinction.

After all—

Even if he told them, Ji Wuchang and the others couldn't do anything about it.

It would only hinder their Cultivation.

Without another word.

Wang Xiao's form flickered, and he flew off toward the part of the cosmos where Wuji Mountain resided.

In what seemed like an instant.

Wang Xiao arrived in the space outside Wuji Mountain.

Although he could have traveled to Wuji Mountain's region of space effortlessly, he still followed protocol and greeted the Wuji Mountain Daoist who guarded its border.

This Daoist had met Wang Xiao once before and had already received a message from the Wuji Mountain Lord.

Therefore, he readily let him pass.

He even personally escorted Wang Xiao to Wuji Mountain.

Wuji Mountain was just as he remembered, suffused with Chaos Qi.

It seemed to be right before his eyes, yet also as distant as the horizon, utterly unfathomable.

Without permission, an ordinary Cultivator could exhaust their entire lifespan and still never reach Wuji Mountain.

'To think Wuji Mountain is the source of the River of Time.'

Now that Wang Xiao had transcended the River of Time, his perspective on things had naturally changed.

Things that were once deeply mysterious and incomprehensible to him were now laid bare before his eyes.

He could see with perfect clarity that from the peak of Wuji Mountain, a River of Time exuding Chaos Qi flowed ever onward, suffused with the aura of Time.

That was precisely where the Wuji Mountain Lord resided.

'A Tier Thirteen Life has complete mastery over the River of Time... or perhaps, it would be more accurate to say they themselves *are* a River of Time.'

As Wang Xiao gazed at the infinitely stretching River of Time before him, a flash of insight dawned on him.

He now had an even deeper understanding of what a Tier Thirteen Life was.

He took a single step and entered Wuji Mountain.

Then, with a flash of light.

He found himself inside a great hall.

At this moment.