Chapter 848: Chapter 791: The Wondrous Process of Ascension

Year 14600 of the Solar Calendar.

The cosmos was in turmoil, with undercurrents surging in the major sects. Suddenly, on this day, Nokron, the World Celestial Venerable of the Celestial Realm, proclaimed to the entire cosmos:

"The Celestial Realm shall ascend in this era, standing outside of time."

"The Celestial Realm, the abode of the gods, the land of all laws, shall guard the River of Time, protecting the threshold of the living and confronting future foes."

The cosmos trembled, the Celestial Realm flowed backward.

Particles of dust and strands of energy gathered and surged through the Heaven and Earth Net of the Celestial Venerable of Space, into the doorway of time, pouring into the future.

The Celestial Realm of the present cosmos had gradually lost its color, transforming from a vibrant epoch into black and white lines, into a rough sketch.

Finally, it became simple line illusions, contour lines depicting the Celestial Realm’s mountains and rivers, the residences of the Saint Palaces, turned into historical illusions devoid of material energy.

The Celestial Realm had officially ascended.

Before everyone’s astonished gaze, it leaped into the future, enduring a hundred years, as if destined to be eternally immortal!

...

...

In the Netherworld, the waters of the Nether River roared.

"Hmph, Atabia has run off, we probably won’t see him again."

Elis sighed, "Going off for fun, not taking any of us, just wandering alone."

Beside them, the Emperor and Nokron quietly watched the disappearance of the Celestial Realm.

The Celestial Realm had taken away 10% of the matter from the current cosmos.

Meanwhile, Atabia, who needed to constantly manifest, traversed the cosmic map of the Long River of Time, always taking away 3%.

That is, excluding the Hand of the Heavens stolen by Li Qing at the beginning, the current cosmos only had 87% left.

Of course, they wouldn’t leave with Atabia, because they needed to guard the present cosmos.

After all, neither their own powers and celestial phenomena nor their divine artifacts could leave this universe; they must control their authority.

Even Li Qing’s Celestial River was not brought along.

Because the Celestial River contained 10% of the universe’s energy level, how could it be casually withdrawn and taken to the front lines of the Celestial Realm?

This is the Material Divine Artifact that maintains the order of the universe.

Without this massive river of matter running through the universe, the transmission of various material proportions like water, carbon, iron, and silicon would not quickly reach the entire cosmos.

"However, Atabia is the unique existence on the infinite timeline, but we are different."

"A hundred years from now, there will still be a hundred-year-later version of us."

Nokron calmly said, "The version of us a hundred years later must be guarding the Celestial Realm now, along with Atabia."

"The future version of me, should be celebrating with Atabia, right?"

Elis sighed, "Although that is also me, that is my future self; he’s having a splendid time, but I’m so bored right now."

Time, this thing, is really peculiar.

But it can only be joked about, not acted upon capriciously.

After all, beings of such a level have too much at stake in every move they make.

Of course, although they exist in the future, Atabia would not dare to take them across because the clash between a Saint’s true self and future self would generate the largest bug in the universe.

Thus, this is a matter of "a king does not meet a king."

Even when a small mortal like Minis tries to overlap himself on countless timelines, it causes Atabia substantial side effects, constantly being on guard against creating a paradox.

...

A hundred years into the future.

The Celestial Realm.

Immortal Mountains surround, Immortal Beasts dance in the sky, great sects and holy lands take root in this place, appearing immensely prosperous and flourishing.

The Celestial Realm resides at the apex of the cosmos.

And from the Celestial Realm, looking out upon the cosmos, the entire outer universe is blurred!

All depicted as line-drawn sketches without material substance, they are not real; they lack physical forms.

"Outside, truly remarkable, only when matter is infused and observed do they evolve into reality."

"Unobserved, they do not exist, it’s Schrödinger’s cat."

Professor Wales, well-versed in quantum mechanics, looked at the scenery of All Heavens and Myriads of Realms beyond the universe, constantly in awe.

This spectacle was utterly exquisite.

Yet too fantastical.

A million years into the cosmos’s future, only their Celestial Realm possesses material substance.

Besides the Four Great Celestial Venerables, several others were also observing the scenery, finding it novel and highly intriguing.

Then, Sylvie suddenly asked, "Your Majesty, afterwards, how will the Ancient Gods of All Heavens and Myriads of Realms ascend to the Celestial Realm?"

Sylph couldn’t help but say, "Yeah, surely not to maintain a hundred-year transit path for them to traverse time and ascend?"

"But if the passage is always open, wouldn’t the bridgehead be useless? The Outer Domain Celestial Demons would discover this passage and sneak into the present, disrupting our base."

This indeed was a valid question.

Won’t the Ancient Gods need to ascend in the future?

Otherwise, how will the Celestial Realm replenish its forces?

But upon ascension, the passage opens.

The Outer Domain Celestial Demons, hidden away, could just wait for a being to ascend and use the passage to enter reality.

"The passage is permanently closed."

Nokron smiled, "Unless under special, unforeseen circumstances, the passage will not be opened again. Our Celestial Realm is an absolutely isolated island; even if city-states crumble and the Celestial Realm collapses, we will not contact the present."

"There are only slain Saints, never retreating Saints."

Sylvie blinked, somewhat puzzled, if it is thoroughly closed, then one cannot ascend.

Li Qing glanced at her and offered an example: "Suppose there is an Undying Level being named Zhang San wanting to ascend to the Celestial Realm and become an Ancient God. In your traditional way, how should the process go?"

Sylvie replied, "Open the time passage, allowing Zhang San to travel to the Celestial Realm a hundred years later."

"No, that is not how it is."

Li Qing chuckled and pointed to the outer cosmos of the Celestial Realm, "A hundred years later, isn’t there a Zhang San still? Have that Zhang San ascend the Celestial Realm once more, turning from a shadow to physical substance, wouldn’t that work?"

Sylvie’s mouth fell open.

This wonderful maneuver left her speechless.

Her thoughts were a little jumbled, but it seemed feasible?

No need to traverse, just let the Zhang San from a hundred years later ascend directly?

Upon reaching the Celestial Realm, injecting matter, it would become physical.

Just like before when traces were eliminated!

Atabia traversed the future, carrying 3% of matter, materializing the surrounding map, and that man happened to be in that map, becoming materialized by the 3%.

He became a True Person, collapsing upon observation, gaining a material structure, and traveled through Atabia’s passage to the present.

There is no difference between the two.

"It seems... it might actually work?" Sylvie pondered.

"Don’t overthink it, others ascend directly from the outer virtual cosmos, that’s all it takes."

Nokron smiled leisurely, gazing at the outer virtual cosmos, "Do you think the outer universe, devoid of matter, is frozen in the Long River of Time? It is also a real universe; they have their own lives, and they will each ascend just as well."