Volume One, Chapter Seventy-Five: The Shackles of Time

Chapter Seventy-Five: The Shackles of Time

You might call Tu Zhe arrogant and overbearing, but you cannot deny that his aura of dominance has taken shape—a fearless, unstoppable bravado that brooks no opposition. He believes that all who would bow before him must tremble, all he wishes destroyed shall vanish. His words are the will of the heavens, his decree the iron law.

But who do you think you are, truly?

Are you Maheshvara, lord over all the heavens and realms? Are you the Buddha himself?

Such boundless arrogance! There is no limit to your conceit.

In tens of millions of years—no, since the very existence of the heavens and realms—there has never been such a brazen soul.

None of us are likely to be slain by your hand; but you might just infuriate us to death.

Long Yi was trembling all over, pointing at Tu Zhe, his blood surging so fiercely he could hardly speak.

At this moment, one of the most renowned among the saints strode forward, wielding a gleaming halberd. With a dragon’s roar, he pointed his weapon at Tu Zhe and bellowed, “You there, whelp—I shall destroy you!”

Tu Zhe smiled and wagged a single finger from side to side. “You? No, that won’t do. You’d best all come at once. The day grows late, after all, haha...”

The saint had no intention of exchanging words. With a flick of his halberd, he stamped his armored boot, shattering the void beneath him. The roar of dragons erupted, tossing the seas into waves and scattering the clouds. Lightning danced along the halberd, flickering like serpents and dragons, as the saint and his weapon tore through the sky towards Tu Zhe.

Tu Zhe stood with hands clasped behind his back, robes billowing, utterly unconcerned. As the saint charged, he merely sighed, a hint of regret in his gaze, as if to say, “Why must you do this?”

He summoned the Law of Time. The moment the saint’s halberd was about to pierce his brow, intent on ending him, Tu Zhe remained motionless—appearing either supremely confident or utterly petrified.

Countless heavenly beings drew sharp breaths, their nerves taut. What was he doing? Why not even attempt to dodge? Was he so overwhelmed by the saint’s aura that he was paralyzed?

All eyes were fixed on Tu Zhe’s transcendent figure in the sky. At the very instant the halberd’s lightning was about to pierce his spiritual core, Tu Zhe’s lips moved.

He uttered a single word: “Still!”

In that instant, the rampaging saint was frozen mid-air, suspended in his killing stance, utterly motionless. Even the flickering lightning along the halberd hung frozen in time.

Oh, lotus leaf—

The old trickster Mara began his commentary anew.

“Behold, all you heavenly hosts, a miracle: the Law of Time—a power wielded only by the gods—has appeared in the hands of this young prince. A saint, mighty though he may be, is as helpless as an infant before the divine laws. Oh, lotus leaf!”

In the heavens of the Desire Realm, only Lord Yama has mastered even a fraction of the Law of Time—a skill honed through countless millennia. Yet here, we see Young Prince Tu Zhe—my own apprentice—employ the Law of Time with effortless ease, displaying the wonders of the gods before our very eyes.

Who can imagine what fate awaits this unfortunate saint?

Tu Zhe strolled past the frozen halberd and lightning, approaching the saint at his leisure. He reached out, as if to caress the saint’s neck, his expression one of sorrow for what must be done. His palm traced a gentle line across the saint’s throat.

Before the gathered multitudes, a noble head soared from its shoulders, rising into the clouds. There, it hung for a moment before bursting into a mist of blood, the soul within dissolving into nothingness.

As Tu Zhe withdrew the Law of Time, the headless body crashed into the sea below, sending waves surging skyward.

Oh, lotus leaf!

Mara, ever the showman, sighed theatrically.

“And thus falls a saint. His death is lighter than the down of a Kalavinka feather—not heavier than Mount Sumeru itself. The lesson is clear: provoke a young prince at your peril, for disaster will surely follow.”

A hush fell over the heavens.

But the small Celestial King’s Palace of the Jin brothers erupted in jubilation. The brothers clapped each other on the back, unable to contain their excitement. The Yaksha, led by Chief Shudra, cheered wildly for their invincible prince.

“Do you know who that young prince is? He’s our brother, ha ha ha!”

Indra was silent, seething with fury. It was not surprising that Mu Xiu Lou Tuo had taught Tu Zhe the Law of Time. What was surprising was how quickly Tu Zhe had mastered it and used it in battle. How had he achieved this so swiftly? He wielded the power with such ease, as if he understood it better than Mu Xiu Lou Tuo himself.

Given time, who could stand against him?

Indra resolved that this threat must be eliminated.

Meanwhile, the wretched Hulu Zhina stared in stupefied shock.

Is that brat really the same child? When did he become so terrifying?

A Time-Freeze Spell... the Law of Time...

How could I ever take revenge now?

Revenge? Hulu Zhina’s blood ran cold. If that brat ever came for vengeance, I’d be doomed.

Heaven help me—I cannot let him grow any stronger. The grudge is too deep to regret. If there’s no turning back, then only destruction remains.

With this thought, Hulu Zhina’s face twisted with malice.

At that moment, Doggo’s eyes shone like stars as he babbled, “Brother Rogue, you’re so cool, so awesome, so badass, yay yay!”

Little Lei wore a solemn expression, brows furrowed, deep in thought.

The three demonesses looked on with pride, as if Tu Zhe’s might was their own glory.

The naga saints and great sages had not even considered rescuing their fallen comrade—they were too stunned. The Law of Time was a domain untouched even by the Dragon King of the nagas, yet here it was, wielded by this young prince. A saint, erased as easily as that.

Erased—not merely slain.

Who among them possessed the power to counter the Law of Time?

Perhaps the profound magic of the twenty-four great sages could resist its shackles. But even then, they might find themselves trapped in the mire of time, their movements slowed to a crawl. In such a state, could even a great sage avoid instant annihilation?

A troubling question arose: was Tu Zhe’s Law of Time limited to a single target, or could it bind all indiscriminately?

If it was indiscriminate, how could this battle continue?

Long Yi’s heart was in turmoil, but he dared not show it. As commander, any sign of fear would shatter the morale of his troops.

What to do? Advance or retreat?

To proceed was to risk disaster; to retreat meant total defeat. How could he face the Dragon King? How would he ever hold his head up among the heavens?

At this point, Tu Zhe shook his head.

“Long Yi, I told you all to attack together, but you insisted on going one by one. But don’t worry—I won’t use that divine power again. I’ll still make sure you don’t even recognize your own parents after this, haha.”

What?

You’re willingly giving up such an overwhelming power? Are you mocking us?

Or do you possess an even greater divine art?

The Law of Time—domain of the gods—can there be anything more formidable?

But can your word truly be trusted?