Chapter 4: The River of Time and a ‘Steel Straight Man’

Ye Xingchen found his gaze drifting unconsciously towards Su Liyue, who sat a short distance away.

The past had long since become a wisp of smoke, and considering his current knowledge and circumstances, Ye Xingchen harbored no absolute certainty of returning unless he could comprehend and master the very laws of time itself.

After all, within this boundless cosmos, dimensions akin to his own were as countless as the grains of sand in the Ganges River.

Even if he were to one day pinpoint Earth’s stellar coordinates, without the ability to fix a specific temporal juncture, could he truly guarantee a return to the Earth he remembered?

What proved even more vexing was his persistent inability to ascertain the precise spatial dimension he currently inhabited.

Had this been merely an ordinary world, dedicating some time might have sufficed; however, should the turbulent currents of the River of Time be involved, the situation would undoubtedly escalate into profound complexity.

The past and the future—these two forbidden domains remained shrouded in such profound mystery that even the most formidable cultivators spoke of them with extreme caution, rarely divulging any insights.

While cultivators could indeed extend their lifespans, they ultimately remained bound by the Heavenly Dao’s immutable cycle of reincarnation.

Throughout history, countless individuals of astonishing talent had devoted themselves to researching methods of eternal life,

Yet their endeavors only yielded temporary solutions such as borrowing a corpse to revive, seizing a body to extend their lifespan, or undergoing reincarnation for renewed cultivation—none of which constituted true, everlasting immortality.

True immortality, by contrast, demanded a transcendence of the River of Time itself, akin to the ancient stars, allowing one to share the lifespan of heaven and earth and resonate with the very essence of the Great Dao.

This was precisely the supreme profundity that even peerless Imperial Realm powerhouses found unattainable: the ultimate truth of the laws of time.

Even those as mighty as the Imperial Realm were but travelers striving to navigate the relentless currents of the River of Time.

“Time…” Ye Xingchen sighed softly, the word a whisper.

Perhaps this was why the ancient great cultivators had dedicated their entire lives, pouring every ounce of their being into comprehending that elusive sliver of temporal truth.

To command the flow of time would truly be the mark of an immortal.

It was little wonder, then, that countless cultivators throughout history had relentlessly pursued the mysteries of time, willing to face utter annihilation if it meant grasping even a fragment of its essence.

For in the face of true eternity, even the mightiest Imperial Realm existed as nothing more than a fleeting speck in the vast ocean.

Ye Xingchen still vividly recalled his mundane years on Earth in his previous life.

Back then, he had been nothing more than a common nine-to-fiver, perpetually believing that life stretched out endlessly before him, ripe for careless indulgence.

Each day was a relentless pursuit of basic necessities, and though he occasionally glanced up at the night sky, he merely perceived the brilliant galaxy as a distant spectacle utterly unconnected to his own existence.

It was not until he embarked upon the path of cultivation, and his spiritual power deepened with each passing stage, that he truly awakened to the profound preciousness of life itself.

With every breakthrough into a new realm, his perception of time grew increasingly acute.

A century, once perceived as an interminable expanse, now seemed to vanish in the mere blink of an eye.

Old friends who had once stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him, and the deeply etched attachments he cherished, would inevitably drift further and further away within the ceaseless flow of the River of Time.

Even with his power to move mountains and fill oceans, he found himself utterly unable to hold onto a single falling petal.

It was a stark realization: before the immutable Great Dao of Life and Death, no matter how formidable a cultivator one became, no matter the depth of one’s attachments or reluctance to part, they remained, in the end, nothing more than a fleeting transient in the grand tapestry of heaven and earth.

The higher his cultivation ascended, the more piercingly clear this cruel truth became.

Within the eternally flowing River of Time, even a mighty cultivator capable of plucking stars and seizing the moon was merely a transient passerby, stirring nothing more than a fleeting ripple.

All obsessions and reluctance to part, like fallen petals, would ultimately be swept away by the relentless currents of time, vanishing without a trace.

It was a truth exemplified by his Xuan Tian Master from his previous life, who had attained enlightenment before passing away.

That Sword Saint, renowned for cleaving through millennia with a single stroke of his blade, had, in his dying moments, surprisingly dwelled on a forgotten jar of apricot blossom wine he had neglected to taste in his youth.

In the face of life and death, he realized, even the most earth-shattering cultivation paled in comparison to the profound weight of the simplest, most ordinary regret.

***

“Yueyue? Yueyue?”

A voice, clear as a mountain spring, suddenly shattered the reverent silence.

Su Liyue looked up from her book, her eyes still holding the lingering traces of a profound, unvoiced sigh for life itself.

Following the sound, Su Liyue saw Mu Wanqing, one of her few close friends and the acknowledged genius witch of Starfall Academy, tilting her head as she regarded her.

Her sky-blue hair, long and flowing, was particularly striking and captivating.

“What’s wrong, Yueyue? You seem a little distracted,” Mu Wanqing inquired, her voice laced with concern.

“It’s not because that pervert over there keeps staring at you, is it? Just wait a moment, I’ll teach that creepy man a lesson for you.”

As she spoke, Mu Wanqing promptly drew her wand, poised to unleash a Flash Charm upon the leering man who had been openly ogling Su Liyue.

Starfall Academy had explicit regulations strictly prohibiting the private use of offensive magic for dueling; severe infractions could lead to expulsion, while lesser offenses resulted in academic credit deductions or official reprimands.

Consequently, students within the academy rarely resorted to casting spells casually, particularly those of an offensive nature.

The Flash Charm, however, was generally considered an exception, given its primary function as a simple illumination spell for everyday use.

Yet, it was also occasionally employed by female students to ‘flash’ the ‘dog eyes’ of unruly boys, a practice to which the instructors typically turned a blind eye. As long as no significant trouble arose, they seldom intervened.

It was likely due to Mu Wanqing’s forthright personality and her companionship as a brilliant roommate that Su Liyue had cultivated this small, cherished circle of close friends at school.

However, the moment Su Liyue clearly registered Mu Wanqing’s wand pointing directly at her male form, Ye Xingchen, she reacted instantly, hastily interjecting to stop her.

“Don’t do that, Wanqing,” Su Liyue quickly said. “He’s merely deep in thought and just happened to glance this way.” Simultaneously, she subtly willed her male form, Ye Xingchen, to avert his gaze and resume reading his book.

Mu Wanqing raised a curious eyebrow, retracting her wand. The movement caused the bow adorning her hair to sway gently.

“That’s odd,” she remarked, “Normally, if a boy so much as glances at you twice, you’re practically itching to cast a Freezing Charm. Why are you suddenly defending him this time?”

Su Liyue awkwardly shifted her gaze, for she certainly couldn’t explain that the ‘creepy guy’ in question was, in fact, herself.

“How could that be?” Su Liyue countered, trying to sound nonchalant.

“If it were anyone else, their intentions would be far too obvious. But Ye Xingchen is our class’s notorious alchemy fanatic. He’s so utterly engrossed in concocting reagents that he even spends Valentine’s Day ‘incubating’ new formulas.”

Su Liyue couldn’t help but inwardly commend herself, thankful for the social education she’d received in her previous life.

It had endowed her with a keen understanding of human nature, allowing her to swiftly conjure a perfectly plausible excuse.

Mu Wanqing suddenly let out a burst of laughter, her wand twirling in her fingers, tracing a beautiful arc of light.

“Speaking of which,” she chirped, “just a moment ago, a cute first-year junior student ran out crying. Apparently, someone told her she was ‘too small’?”

Su Liyue nearly choked on her own saliva.

Heaven only knew how that young girl had managed to interpret ‘doesn’t like too small’ in such a way…

Su Liyue instinctively glanced down at the still-developing curves of her own female body, and in that instant, she understood the true meaning of ‘lifting a rock only to drop it on one’s own foot.’

Yet, Su Liyue merely blinked her eyes innocently, feigning complete ignorance.

After all, what her male body did, what business was it of ‘his’?

“Is that so?” she mused aloud, “Well, if it came from that alchemy fanatic… then it’s hardly surprising, is it?”

Unconsciously, however, her hand strayed to a strand of her hair, twirling it idly, much like a young girl might.

Mu Wanqing, of course, did not miss this subtle gesture.

“That makes perfect sense!” Mu Wanqing exclaimed, clapping her hands together, causing a few tiny stars to sparkle from the tip of her wand.

“According to that strange term you taught me, someone like him should be called… a ‘Steel Pole Moe Guy’!”

She lifted her chin with a triumphant air, clearly delighted with her linguistic innovation.

“It’s a ‘Steel Straight Man’! You idiot!” Su Liyue nearly bit her tongue in exasperation.

(TL Note: A Chinese slang term, ‘gang tie zhi nan,’ referring to a man who is oblivious to romance or social cues, often perceived as overly masculine or unromantic)

‘Steel Pole Moe Guy’? What in the world was that? Her male form was clearly so handsome and virile! ‘Steel Pole Muscular Man’ would have been closer!

This otherworldly best friend’s grasp of Earth slang was so wildly off, it was utterly beyond belief.

Mu Wanqing tilted her head, her sky-blue twin ponytails swaying gently with the motion.

“Eh? Doesn’t it describe a boy who’s as straight as a steel pipe, yet also very cute?”

Su Liyue pressed a hand to her forehead. It seemed she would need to enroll this magical genius in an intensive crash course on Earth slang.

Yet, a moment later, a new thought struck her: what if Mu Wanqing were to discover the true meaning of ‘Steel Straight Man’?

That, too, might prove rather awkward.