# 1591
Chapter 1587: A Figure in the River of Time
"Cough cough cough..."
In the ruins of Heavenly Court, a figure shrouded in a black cloak grabbed hold of a massive palace wall remnant with both hands and hurled it aside.
Zuo Qing's violent coughing rang out as he gripped the wrist of a member from the [Spirit Medium] squad, pulling himself up from the blood pool bit by bit.
"Are you alright?"
Wu "Old Dog" was being carried on the back of another [Spirit Medium] squad member nearby, asking weakly.
"...Won't die." Zuo Qing propped himself up with a broken piece of wood, breathing heavily. His left leg was deformed—it should have been fractured in the previous battle against [Chaos].
His gaze swept across the surroundings. Several members of the [Spirit Medium] squad were scattered throughout Heavenly Court, rescuing the Human Apex and Great Xia gods from the rubble.
"This time, I have to thank you for that." Zuo Qing spoke bitterly.
"It wasn't me—it was their achievement." Wu "Old Dog"'s gaze swept across the cloaked figures. "They have no lives, won't get injured, can't feel pain... Only they could have rescued us in a situation like this."
Zuo Qing nodded. "Just now, Lin Qiye's soul drifted down. Did you find it?"
"Still looking, but it should be somewhere in Heavenly Court."
"And Wang Mian?"
"He's already awake, over there."
Wu "Old Dog"'s gaze turned toward a certain direction. Zuo Qing grunted and hobbled toward it, using the broken wood as support.
In a crater filled with rubble, a gray-haired figure sat weakly on a massive stone. A cloud of blood mist burst from his body, then flowed back into his form as time reversed.
He seemed to sense Zuo Qing approaching and turned to look.
"How severe are your injuries?" Zuo Qing asked.
"Not bad, just minor wounds... besides being a bit tired, nothing serious." Wang Mian coughed hoarsely twice, then continued, "I should return?"
Zuo Qing was silent for a moment, then hummed in agreement.
"[Chaos] has descended, Heavenly Court is destroyed, the gods are wounded, An Qingyu has defected, and the [Black Goat] operation should have failed as well... The consequences this time are too severe. We must change history."
"Alright." Wang Mian didn't hesitate in the slightest. "From which point in time?"
"From when Lin Qiye and the others returned, before the Three-Sword Killing Formation was deployed... No, from before An Qingyu disappeared and Jiang Er died—specifically, the last night he was still in Heavenly Court.
Go warn the past Gods of Great Xia and me. Guard An Qingyu well, seal the plan in advance, and... imprison Lin Qiye."
After some contemplation, Zuo Qing provided the answer.
"Alright, I'll set off immediately."
Wang Mian's hunched figure slowly stood. He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again—two time rings, each tail biting the other's head, began spinning in reverse within his eyes.
The aura of temporal law erupted!
Strands of silver-white hair fell from his head. New deep wrinkles carved themselves across Wang Mian's face as the time behind him twisted violently!
Silver-white light flashed, instantly swallowing Wang Mian's form.
Wang Mian felt his vision blur, and suddenly found himself standing on the river of time. His feet rested on a small wooden boat, while all the events that had just occurred flowed past him like water!
An Qingyu killing Cao Yuan, [Chaos] escaping Heavenly Court, soul-form Lin Qiye emerging from the giant eye, An Qingyu awakening before the Gate of Truth, [Chaos] challenging the Gods of Great Xia alone, Lin Qiye collapsing unconscious, the three [Nightfall] members ascending the stone steps...
Time flowed backward through those ancient eyes of Wang Mian. He stared intently toward the far end of the river of time, as if searching for something.
This reversal spanned less than two days—compared to last time's direct skip across a full year, the lifespan consumed was much less. But Wang Mian was acutely aware that the importance of the history he needed to alter this time far exceeded the previous attempt.
If he succeeded, the [Key to the Gate] would be eternally sealed, the [Black Goat] would die at the hands of the three Celestial Venerables, [Chaos] would be imprisoned alongside Lin Qiye until erased... The history he was about to change would directly affect the entire Heavenly Court, the three pillar gods of the Cthulhu Faction, and even the fate of the entire world!
Though the time reversed was short, the causal power he bore would reach an extremely terrifying magnitude.
This time, Wang Mian had prepared himself for the possibility of his lifespan running out completely.
Finally, Wang Mian's gaze locked onto a point in the river of time. In that timeline, An Qingyu and Jiang Er were still chatting late at night in Heavenly Court, none of the events had yet occurred.
Wang Mian took a deep breath. The wooden boat beneath his feet sailed directly toward that end of the river of time.
However, just as he was about to arrive, from an even deeper point in the past, a black figure emerged slowly.
"It's you?!" Wang Mian's eyes narrowed when he saw the person.
Through the hazy mist, An Qingyu draped in black robes stood ghostlike before the wooden boat. Beneath the oversized hood, a pair of gray-swirling eyes gazed down at Wang Mian with cold indifference.
There was a scar on his temple, and his entire demeanor radiated an undefinable chilliness.
"You're not the An Qingyu from just now..." Wang Mian's eyes narrowed slightly. He could clearly sense that the aura of this An Qingyu was completely different from the one who had just left.
An Qingyu glanced at the river of time beneath him and spoke casually:
"Go back."
"What?" Wang Mian was stunned.
"You cannot alter my timeline." An Qingyu slowly raised his palm. The quietly flowing river of time beneath his feet suddenly churned violently. Surging waves and whirlpools appeared before Wang Mian's boat!
Seeing this, Wang Mian's pupils constricted. Though his [Chrono Outlaw] could reverse time and change history, with his current cultivation level, he simply couldn't directly control such a massive river of time... If it were Chronos, that might be possible.
"An Qingyu, don't you want to save Jiang Er?!" Wang Mian frowned and shouted upon seeing this.
"I will save her, but not in this manner..." An Qingyu's voice was utterly calm. "I've warned you once. Do not attempt to change my timeline again. Next time, I will personally bury you within time."
An Qingyu waved his hand. A terrifying pressure descended abruptly. The river of time beneath Wang Mian surged like a tsunami, carrying his body rapidly backward!
Wang Mian tried to stabilize himself, but against An Qingyu's power, resistance was futile. The wooden boat beneath him was smashed to pieces by the waves. A whirlpool appeared at his feet and instantly swallowed his body.
At that moment, the An Qingyu at the other end of the river of time flicked his finger.
A white chess piece crossed the river of time and struck into Wang Mian's body, vanishing with the raging currents.