Chapter 592 – Breaking Through the Last Cage
Chapter title is a spoiler, hover over it to read it now or see it at the bottom
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Bang! Bang! Bang!
Spear after spear, Lin Ming’s relentless onslaught of attacks didn’t falter.
At the beginning, the space barrier would tremble, cracks would appear and then instantly disappear. Then, these cracks appeared for several breaths of time, and finally, before the old cracks disappeared, new cracks were already forming.
The cracks were becoming increasingly dense!
During such a barrage, Lin Ming’s understandings towards the Concept of Space were becoming increasingly profound!
When the cracks in the space barrier reached a tipping point, there was finally a ringing explosion as the barrier shattered apart like a pane of glass. Under Lin Ming’s attacks, the space cage had finally collapsed!
As the space barrier collapsed, a massive amount of chaotic space power surged out. The broken space fragments didn’t disappear; instead they were swept up into the turbulent flow of space, forming a huge storm containing massive space fragments.
When Lin Ming encountered space storms in the past, they had simply been formations purely made from the power of space. Although it was violent and fierce, if one was strong enough and also had a deep understanding of the Concept of Space, they could live within the space storm.
But now, with the space fragments twisted into the space storm, its destructive power could be imagined!
And not just that, but Lin Ming also felt that there was a faint distortion in time within this space storm. If he wasn’t able to adapt to the power of time and took a single wrong step, this he wouldn’t even have a skeleton remaining!
Facing such a space storm, Lin Ming’s expression turned solemn. But, his eyes actually shined with excitement!
If Lin Ming hadn’t opened the Eight Inner Hidden Gates then he wouldn’t have dared to brave this space storm. That would be the same as suicide.
But now that he had unlocked entry into the Eight Inner Hidden Gates and also broken through to the extreme Xiantian realm, his mind blazed with fighting spirit! Breaking through that space cage just now hadn’t felt good enough!
After controlling the changing time, Lin Ming opened the Heretical God Force without hesitation. He grasped the Purple Comet Spear and rushed into the space storm.
This was a space stormed that contained the Law of Time – it was obviously a new cage. If he couldn’t break through it, then there was no possibility of leaving the King’s Cage.
After entering the space storm, Lin Ming felt a terrifying tearing force, as if his entire body was about to be ripped apart. This space storm was the most violent one that he had met up until now!
Woosh! Woosh!
Two space fragments shot out. Lin Ming’s footsteps moved and his body seemed to twist in an incredible manner, passing through a narrow half-foot wide gap between the two space fragments.
Kacha!
The two space fragments smashed into each other, exploding and creating even more smaller fragments!
As Lin Ming saw this his mind went cold. In this space storm, the space fragments would continuously crash into each other. Like this, the fragments would become smaller and smaller as their numbers increased!
When that happened, no matter how great Lin Ming’s understanding of the Concept of Space was or whether he could capture each space fragment in his senses, he wouldn’t have the ability to completely dodge all of them.
He had to leave this cage as soon as possible, before he ran out of time!
Lin Ming didn’t dare to delay a moment further. His feet stepped upon Golden Roc Shattering the Void as he rushed into the very depths of this space storm.
Although this space storm was crazy and brutal, it wasn’t like a barrier that would block Lin Ming from moving forward. Lin Ming could use his comprehension of the Concept of Space to slither his way through this terrifying storm which contained space fragments that could pierce through the hardest defenses.
To him, this space storm was a great impediment, but Lin Ming was still fast. In just an incense stick of time he had run several miles.
“Mm? It’s like…”
Lin Ming’s heart suddenly chilled. He felt that something was wrong, but he just couldn’t place his finger on it.
He put down these doubts that clouded his heart and continued to move forwards. After another incense stick of time, that sense of unease only grew
He found out that he… had been moving in circles!
The space storm all around him was the same. The only way that Lin Ming could judge he was running in circles was purely through his intuition.
From the start until now, he hadn’t even taken a half-step out of here!
Was this spatial warping?
If space was linear, then a distortion could force it into a closed circle. Although he thought that he would always travel in a straight line, the truth was that he was always revolving around a circle, finally returning to the beginning.
But now, Lin Ming had a very high understanding into the Concept of Space. He could feel that although the power of space surrounding him was violent, there actually wasn’t any sign of distortion.
This… just what was going on?
Could this be…
Lin Ming was suddenly surprised. Could this be time…?
When he entered the space storm, he had felt that something was wrong with the flow of time. After adjusting to it a bit he thought that he had adapted himself to the twisting time within the space storm. But could it have really been so easy?
This cage was ahead of the dimensional fragment cage. Without a doubt, it should be much more difficult to break. Could the Concept of Time here really be so simple?
As Lin Ming thought about it, he could feel a chill crawl up his back. Time was even stranger than space.
This sort of strange and unknown phenomenon had always caused people to feel fear; even Lin Ming was no exception.
For years, Lin Ming’s understandings towards the Concept of Space had been constantly deepening. But, the Concept of Time had always lagged behind this.
“So it turns out that this cage is not a space storm but rather a time cage. The space storm is merely an illusion. The real killer is the time trap inside!
“What is going on? Why do I feel that I’ve already adapted to the time, but yet something so strange is happening? It’s as if…”
Lin Ming’s mind moved. He continued to move forwards in this vortex of space, but every time he did so he would return back to where he started.
Return to where he started…
A light went off in Lin Ming’s mind. He turned around and looked at all the space fragments floating around him. These space fragments were constantly smashing into each other and breaking, but even after such a long time, these space fragments were still at the same size; none of these space fragments had broken!
Was this…
Time was returning to the start?
It wasn’t a distortion of space, but rather that time was returning to a zero point?
“How weird! My thoughts haven’t come under the influence of this rewinding time, but it’s just that my position is returning back to the start…”
Lin Ming felt like his thoughts were in a mess. Without a doubt, he was in a cage, a cage where space and time mixed together. Lin Ming’s understanding of the Concept of Space was enough, but it was his understandings towards the Concept of Time that was lacking.
He no longer moved, completely calming and focusing his mind to perceive the intangible time cage around him.
Time was much more abstract compared to space. One could sense space, but time was completely insubstantial. Regardless of his eyes or his perception, it was impossible to sense.
As Lin Ming was calming his heart and feeling the flow around him, he was also dodging the space fragments.
Like this, a day passed…
At the start, Lin Ming had to use movement techniques to avoid the space fragments.
But afterwards, he was almost completely fused into the space itself.
A space fragment shot towards him like a knife. Lin Ming’s body was like a wisp of flame in the wind, easily avoiding this space fragment as if he wasn’t consciously dodging, but instead using the power of space to push these fragments away.
Lin Ming had already fully fused with the power of space.
Chaotic images constantly flashed through Lin Ming’s mind.
Time was only the change of all things, an illusion of thoughts and consciousness. When the flow of time changed, that was only changing the conscious perception of the change in all things.
‘It wasn’t that I was in a different dimension of time constantly returning to the start, but rather my own mind falling into a maze of time, making me unable to realize what direction I was going in.
‘I thought that I was going forwards, but the truth was that all my efforts were only an illusion. So no matter how I ran… I was only running in the same place!’
Time could flow backwards, it could be confusing, but it could not alter the heart of a martial artist.
‘Ward my heart of martial arts to break this maze of time!’
In that moment, Lin Ming seemed to touch upon the source of time itself. Although it was only for the briefest of moments, it had still been there. Lin Ming opened his eyes, no more confusion clouding them. He still hadn’t moved, and the space storm was twisting around him still, the flow of time in disorder.
Time was originally a conscious illusion of all things towards change. In order to break this maze of time, Lin Ming didn’t need to move a single step. What he needed to do was to remove the illusion and demons in his heart.
Revolving the Samsara martial intent, Lin Ming’s spiritual sea become bright and clear. At that moment, as he stood in the chaotic maze of time, he saw the correct path out.
Without any hesitation, Lin Ming stepped upon Golden Roc Shattering the Void and quickly advanced forwards!
In the space storm as the space fragments danced in the air, Lin Ming rapidly and smoothly passed over them. He was as flexible as a fish, as if all of these fatal dangers in his path were only there to contrast his vibrant grace and splendor!
Lin Ming’s footsteps grew faster and faster, and his mind became more and more clear. After a time, he saw the world brighten with light as the space storm opened up before him. In the next moment, he was suddenly in a pure and tranquil white world.
This time, the space around him was normal.
As the cage of time and space collapsed, the space fragments flew back into the space cracks, patching them up in perfect order.
Like that, all of the space cracks and space fragments vanished, everything returning to serenity.
Lin Ming helplessly watched this scene unfold, horrified to the extreme.
The power of space could actually be used to such a ridiculous level and in such an ingenious way? What sort of understanding towards the Concept of Space did one have to achieve in order to reach this level? It was hard to imagine.
At this time, a voice entered into Lin Ming’s mind. “I congratulate you for breaking through the final cage, the cage of space and time. Thus, you have succeeded in breaking past the 13 cages. There is only one path remaining… the Road of Emperor!”
Lin Ming was surprised to hear this. Was the Road of Emperor a part of the King’s Cage?
Woosh!
A door of light appeared out of thin air, shimmering like mercury. “This is the conclusion to the King’s Cage. The time of your trial was 108 days. You do not yet have the ability to pass the Road of Emperor. Now, I grant you your reward for successfully passing the King’s Cage…”
“Reward?”
Lin Ming was shocked. There was also a reward?
As Lin Ming was lost in thought, he suddenly felt the surrounding Heavenly Demon force field collapse around him, flushing into his body like a tide!
This sort of feeling was like his body was about to suddenly burst. Lin Ming stuffily coughed, nearly spitting out a mouthful of blood!