# 1031
Chapter 1032: Temporal Fragment
Melodious celestial music wandered through the clouds, countless stars retreated into the heavens, and a dazzling, sacred rising sun hung high above the Jade Pool.
Among the layered mountain peaks, countless celestial birds and spirit beasts roamed freely. Array after array of immortal mounts crossed the azure sky and slowly descended at the edge of the Jade Pool.
Immortal melodies lingered in the air, spiritual energy pervaded everywhere.
Two figures descended onto the Jade Pool. As the clouds and mist dispersed, they followed the many immortals toward the bustling Peach Banquet not far away.
"Jade Ding True Lord, long time no see." A figure draped in a starry robe walked up to the two of them, smiling and clasping his hands toward the Jade Ding True Lord.
"So it's the Purple Constellation Star Lord." The Jade Ding True Lord smiled. "Your cultivation has advanced again recently?"
"Haha, just a little progress."
"Congratulations, congratulations."
Lin Qiye walked beside the Jade Ding True Lord, curiously打量着周围的一切，心中有种不真实感.
Jade Ding True Lord, Purple Constellation Star Lord, the Four Heavenly Kings riding clouds in the distance, and various rare beasts flying through the air... The Peach Banquet that only existed in legends, and the various deities from Great Xia mythology, actually appeared before his very eyes?
He, Lin Qiye, could actually follow the Jade Ding True Lord, dine with the Gods of Great Xia at the Peach Banquet?
It felt like a dream.
The Purple Constellation Star Lord's gaze fell on the dazed Lin Qiye beside him, and he spoke in slight surprise:
"This young friend is..."
"This young friend is a disciple of the Western Heaven Victorious Fighting Buddha. He is attending in his master's place this time. Since it was his first Peach Banquet, I brought him along to prevent any mistakes."
"The monkey's disciple?" The Purple Constellation Star Lord愣了一下，看向Lin Qiye的目光古怪起来，"如此甚好。"
The Purple Constellation Star Lord clearly remembered that during the Peach Banquet of years past, that monkey had turned the entire Jade Pool upside down... Although he had now achieved enlightenment and his temperament had mellowed considerably, he was no longer the unrestrained Great Sage Equal to Heaven of old, but who could guarantee that his disciple wouldn't go around causing trouble?
This lovely Peach Banquet must not be ruined again.
He walked beside the Jade Ding True Lord as they headed toward the Peach Banquet together.
After a while, the Purple Constellation Star Lord seemed to remember something and turned to ask:
"By the way, True Lord, I heard that the three Heavenly Lords recently went together to the extreme southern frigid lands. What was the purpose of that?"
"How could the intentions of the Heavenly Lords be something we juniors could fathom?" The Jade Ding True Lord helplessly shook his head. "However... I did hear the Heavenly Lord mention the other day that some great catastrophe seems to be approaching."
"Catastrophe?" The Purple Constellation Star Lord frowned upon hearing these two words.
"What's wrong?"
"To tell you the truth, it's rather strange." The Purple Constellation Star Lord pondered for a moment. "Lately, I've been observing the night sky, and I've noticed some disturbances in the movement of the stars. The moon has taken on a reddish hue, as if signaling a great ill omen."
Upon hearing these words, Lin Qiye's heart skipped a beat.
The moon tinged with red?
In his mind, he immediately envisioned the red moon in Takamagahara.
And if he remembered correctly, the mist that had enveloped the world in his time had emerged from the Antarctic continent... The three Heavenly Lords going together to the extreme southern frigid lands — could this be related?
In other words, this timeline was very likely set before the arrival of the mist?
Indeed, since the Gods of Great Xia had only emerged from the cycle of reincarnation two years ago, and had departed from Great Xia immediately after their return, how could they possibly have held a Peach Banquet at Kunlun?
With this thought, an irresistible idea sprouted in Lin Qiye's mind.
He didn't know why he was here, nor what the true nature of this place was, but if he had truly traveled back in time to the Peach Banquet a century ago, wouldn't that mean he could warn the Gods of Great Xia in advance about the coming mist?
Lin Qiye's eyes instantly brightened. He excitedly raised his hand and grabbed for the hem of the Jade Ding True Lord's robe beside him, speaking urgently:
"True Lord! I..."
His fingertips passed through the Jade Ding True Lord's arm as if it were nothing.
Like trying to touch a non-existent holographic projection, apart from a slight distortion of light, Lin Qiye's fingertips felt no sensation of touching anything real.
He stood frozen in place.
The Jade Ding True Lord, who had been conversing with the Purple Constellation Star Lord beside him, turned his head in confusion to look at Lin Qiye: "What's wrong?"
Lin Qiye stared blankly at his fingertips. After a long moment, unprecedented dejection and bitterness surfaced in his eyes. He closed his eyes, helplessly shaking his head: "Nothing... I was just a bit hungry."
"Hungry?" The Purple Constellation Star Lord laughed. "Once you're seated, you'll get peaches to eat. After eating them, you won't feel hungry for several years."
A forced smile crept onto Lin Qiye's face.
His gaze swept across his surroundings, his expression growing complicated.
He nonchalantly kicked a small stone at his feet, which landed on a nearby celestial crane. The stone lightly passed through its body, as if passing through a phantom.
That crane seemed completely unaware of what had happened. It merely flapped its wings lightly a couple of times, then picked up a sprig of spiritually-infused immortal herb and flew up into the clear sky.
As expected...
There was no time travel, no temporal regression. Everything here was merely a fragment that had once existed in the river of time.
Celestial birds and spirit beasts, deities from all directions, the Peach Banquet... All of it was false. It was like a massive holographic projection covering every corner of Kunlun Ruins.
What surprised Lin Qiye was how impossibly lifelike all of this was. Whether it was appearance, aura, or the divine pressure emanating from each Great Xia deity, they provided absolutely authentic sensory experiences. Even Lin Qiye's spiritual perception had detected not a trace of anomaly. Without physically touching them, it would have been impossible to discover the truth.
But in a certain sense, not everything here was entirely false.
For example, the stone Lin Qiye had just kicked was real. Real objects couldn't affect the temporal fragments, and the temporal fragments couldn't harm Lin Qiye either.
Likewise... it would be impossible to change history by warning the Gods of Great Xia in advance. After all, nothing here was actually happening. No matter how much Lin Qiye tried to change things, it couldn't affect the established reality.
Lin Qiye turned to look at the Jade Ding True Lord beside him, confusion flickering in his eyes.
However, if this were merely a simple temporal fragment, why could these two phantoms existing within the river of time — the Jade Ding True Lord and the Purple Constellation Star Lord — see him, speak with him, even think and respond normally?
These fragments had retained their original consciousness?
How was that possible?
Just as Lin Qiye was lost in confusion, the three of them had already arrived at the Peach Banquet venue.