fifth form

Chapter 3830 The Changing World
Zhang Xuezhou does not believe in the theory that the most dangerous place is the safest, nor is he a stubborn person.

But too much time has passed.

What seems like a short time to them in the void is actually many years in the outside world. Even compared to the real world, three years have passed in the higher-dimensional world.

Different worlds have different sunrises and sunsets every day, and the lengths of day and night also vary, but the experience of time is the same.

The Goddess Houtu and the Dragon of Time and Space may be very patient, but neither of them would spend years examining a single treasure.

After settling everyone in, Zhang Xuezhou adjusted his mindset and swapped places again during the time travel period.

Occasionally, Zhang Xuezhou could hear the mallard duck muttering, "What the hell?"

It's clear that the passage of time is equally unkind to mallards.

"I'm going to die, I'm going to die! The grass on your wife's grave is already three feet tall, and your son is so old, he's older than you!"

In the tavern of the giant tree, the mallard and Zhang Xuezhou met and the mallard also mentioned many of Zhang Xuezhou's relatives.

“That Heart Monkey isn’t stupid. At least he knew to keep you in the Yin-Yang Secret Realm and keep your physical body in a relatively good condition. How come so many years have passed in such a short time?”

Standing in the tavern, the mallard duck let out a series of exclamations, while Zhang Xuezhou kept his eyes fixed on it.

He used to be able to move freely and easily with the mallards, but things have definitely changed now.

Zhang Xuezhou stared intently, noticing that the mallard's lifespan seemed noticeably shortened.

He lacked the special ability to accurately judge age in divination, but he could still identify basic lifespan. Zhang Xuezhou believed that the mallard duck's five-hundred-year lifespan, which originated from the ancient tree contract, had been reduced by at least one-tenth.

This means that the mallard's shuttle consumes at least fifty years of its lifespan.

This may be the price of traversing this place, or it may be the combined cost of previous and this trips.

But in either case, the cost is not low.

"What? Don't scare me!"

When Zhang Xuezhou mentioned the cost of the current time travel, the mallard almost jumped up.

“I possess the power of the laws of spacetime, while you lack the protection of spacetime, which is why our states are different,” Zhang Xuezhou said. “You should practice more in the future to avoid dying inexplicably while traveling through time!”

"This isn't a matter of practicing more. I'm just a piece of trash. How could I possibly reach your level?" the mallard exclaimed.

“I’ll teach you the methods, and you can also ask Donghua for help,” Zhang Xuezhou said. “In the future, we need to reduce our travel between the two worlds until the effects of the turbulent spacetime subside, or until we have the ability to travel safely.”

"I knew you would choose that world!"

"Either you come here to refine the world's origin, or I'll give you the rest of this lump too!"

"How come there's also the origin of the world here? Isn't this a unique opportunity that only exists in one world? How come it's become so common?"

The mallard was somewhat dissatisfied with Zhang Xuezhou's choice of the real world, feeling that Zhang Xuezhou had chosen to enjoy modern society. However, when Zhang Xuezhou made a request to remove the world's origin, which originated from the giant tree's erosion, the mallard felt that this was a burden that a duck's life could not bear.

Compared to dealing with the origins of the world in the real world and the void, the mallard thinks that seeking the power of the laws of spacetime in the Three Realms is just a drop in the ocean.

Zhang Xuezhou practically gave away all his gains; if the mallard duck could imitate it perfectly, the other party might gain the ability to travel through the void.

Only after agreeing on their respective tasks could they continue to travel back and forth.

"Traveling is definitely different now!"

When traveling from the real world to the center of the giant tree, Zhang Xuezhou could not feel the effects of spacetime erosion, but when traveling to the Three Realms, the effects of spacetime erosion were very obvious.

Without the power of spacetime, cultivators will be eroded without their knowledge, their lifespan consumed until death. Zhang Xuezhou can withstand this erosion, but the mallard duck cannot.

It seems that the mallard duck has a lifespan of 500 years through the ancient tree contract, but such a long lifespan cannot withstand several trips.

A familiar world appeared before his eyes, along with the old magical markings of the Goddess Houtu.

Many years have indeed passed in the Three Realms, and even the powerful magical imprints cast by the Goddess Houtu have begun to lose their effectiveness.

Zhang Xuezhou frowned, and as he scanned his surroundings, he saw everything in the Yin-Yang Secret Realm.

Compared to its previous desolation and ruin, this place has been completely transformed. Not only have trees grown, but there are also pavilions, towers and palaces, showing a very obvious construction.

Zhang Xuezhou didn't need to think; he knew perfectly well who had the ability to build this business.

Judging from the architectural traces, this place has been under construction for at least twenty or thirty years. If judged by the years, this was probably the first time Zhang Xuezhou pulled the new emperor in the void, and only then did this subsequent construction take place.

The feeling of having complete control over the secret formation came through Zhang Xuezhou. He lifted his leg and stepped out through the pre-set back door of the secret area.

Just a hundred feet up was the familiar Jade Emperor Peak. Zhang Xuezhou soared upwards and gently descended.

The Jade Emperor Peak no longer has those cultivators from Huainan Kingdom who desperately sought immortality; instead, there are rows of blue stone paths leading down the mountain.

This was not created for Zhang Xuezhou, but rather a friendship established between the Great Han Dynasty and the Celestial Court, signifying a very close relationship between the two sides.

Zhang Xuezhou glanced in the direction of Chang'an City, then reached out and touched the Celestial Court that was so close at hand. He took a step and, relying on the token of the Jade Void Palace, went straight to the Heavenly Gate.

The four Heavenly Kings at the South Heavenly Gate remained as inactive as ever, barely guarding the gate. They were completely unaware when Zhang Xuezhou entered, instead falling fast asleep on a nearby stone table.

This behavior is irresponsible, but it also signifies the peace and tranquility of the Celestial Court.

"Is the Celestial Venerable in the palace?"

Zhang Xuezhou's relationship with the Celestial Court was neither particularly good nor bad. He could exchange pleasantries with everyone, but he only had a handful of people he actually visited.

"A rare guest has arrived!"

The voice of the Primordial Heavenly Venerable rang out in the Jade Void Palace, and someone stepped out to greet him.

"Greetings, Daoist Zhenyuan!"

As Zhang Xuezhou entered the palace, he happened to run into Zhenyuan Shenjun, who was coming out of the palace to greet him.

"It really wasn't those two!"

Zhenyuan Shenjun looked at Zhang Xuezhou, scanning him up and down before confirming his identity.

"Where did you take the Jade Emperor? Can he ever come back?"

The voice of the Primordial Celestial Venerable came from behind, followed by the sound of light footsteps approaching.

After many years, Yuanshi Tianzun still looks the same.

However, the murderous aura on Yuanshi Tianzun's face had disappeared, probably because he had taken the elixir of immortality. In order to stabilize his body, Yuanshi Tianzun may not have participated in any battles for many years.

“He met with the Sage Hongjun, and I cannot speak of the Sage’s affairs. If you have time, you can go to Zixiao Palace to ask him,” Zhang Xuezhou said.

"I've been to Zixiao Palace, and all I can hear in my mind is the constant echo of the sage's sighs!"

The information obtained by Yuanshi Tianzun was as bad as ever, and Zhang Xuezhou was speechless. However, Zhang Xuezhou also learned that Hongjun was safe after experiencing the spacetime turbulence and had not been lost in the void and unable to return to the Three Realms.