Outside Of Time

Chapter 1800: The Battle of Laws

Editor: Atlas Studios

Xu Qing’s voice reverberated over the human imperial capital, echoing through the firmament and imprinting upon the consciousness of all powerful beings across myriad races.

Every expert felt their spirits tremble.

They had initially believed this battle was merely the catastrophe brought by the Ancient Immortal. Yet now, hearing the exchange between Xu Qing and the Ancient Immortal, it seemed...

This conflict was far more complex than surface appearances suggested—there were deeper stratagems at play.

The Empress fell into deep contemplation.

Old Master Seventh lifted his gaze to the starry cosmos, then toward the fragmented-face of Desolate, his expression thoughtful.

As for Zhou Zhengli and others, their eyes flashed with sharp comprehension—they recalled the mysterious, unknown enemy encountered during their return journey with Xu Qing.

Had it not been for Xu Qing’s overwhelming combat power, their homecoming might have ended in annihilation along the way.

These realizations spread like wildfire across Wanggu.

High above, the Ancient Immortal observed Xu Qing in silence for several breaths before suddenly laughing hoarsely.

”Amusing.”

”It seems that you’ve done some research on this old man.”

”No matter—those affairs are beyond my control. Today, between you and I, we speak only of battle!”

”Since you wish to witness my Law... then witness it you shall!”

With this declaration, the Ancient Immortal raised his right hand and struck his own forehead with devastating force.

BOOM!

A thunderclap surpassing heavenly wrath exploded across the skies!

The Ancient Immortal’s body shuddered violently—as if layers of dust were shaken from his form.

His withered, tangled hair instantly restored itself to pristine condition. The cracks across his face reverted to mere wrinkles.

The depleted immortal bones within his body suddenly gleamed with crystalline radiance.

Thirty-six thousand hidden meridians simultaneously ignited with silver light, while from the corruption-ravaged fissures seeped flames of Ordinance and Law—brighter than a dying star’s final eruption!

These flames lifted his failing body aloft, casting a titanic immortal silhouette that blotted out the heavens—

A vision of infinite grandeur!

His aura, cultivation, soul, and even causality—all restored from the brink of annihilation in that single palm strike!

Witnessing this, Xu Qing’s pupils constricted sharply.

At his level of cultivation, he immediately recognized this wasn’t simple reversal or normal recovery!

The previous injuries—though partially feigned—had been genuine. The dimensional reflections he’d created through his Ordinance had inflicted fundamental damage.

Short of Immortal Lord power, such effortless recovery should have been impossible.

Yet the Ancient Immortal had achieved it nonetheless.

”Not neutralization, nor recovery... You’ve reconstructed an entirely new self!”

This was creation from nothingness—manifesting impossibility as reality!

Xu Qing’s voice turned grave.

”Your Law...”

He stared intently at the Ancient Immortal.

The Ancient Immortal stood triumphant in midair, looking down upon Xu Qing.

”Have you discerned my Law?”

”If not, allow me to demonstrate further!”

”Heavenly Creation!”

His voice carried heavenly might as the flames of Ordinance and Law surrounding his body erupted with blinding brilliance. The surrounding void combusted under these flames, cracking open to reveal wisps of primordial violet energy—the very breath of creation!

These violet strands coalesced rapidly, forming countless figures around the Ancient Immortal—

Tens of thousands!

No—limitless in number!

Each one bore the Ancient Immortal’s likeness!

Though mere intangible projections without combat power, any could instantly replace his true form should it suffer damage!

This spectacle made Wanggu tremble, its inhabitants shuddering in despair before such terrifying might.

”Life and death—I command them.”

As he spoke, his right foot descended, shattering the void beneath. Yet from the fractures surged tens of thousands of silver runes, coalescing beneath his sole into a thousand-foot ”Wheel of Causality”—

Engraved with every significant event from his immortal lifespan!

Now these memories burned with majestic power, transforming into stardust that elevated his already radiant form.

”Causality—I govern it!”

With a wave of his hand, the previously corrupted strands of causality reversed their flow. The tumorous growths of defilement exploded into pure immortal light that reinfused his body.

The entire Wanggu continent quaked as spiritual veins boiled to life. Surviving Heavenly Daos manifested spontaneously, prostrating in worship.

Behind him, the parallel dimensions formed by his Ordinance reappeared—

The worlds Xu Qing had inverted were now reconstructing themselves!

The World-Tree that had rotted during his decline now regrew its roots through the void, its canopy lifting his dharma idol while every leaf chanted the sacred verses from his path’s inception.

Elsewhere in these realms:

Spiritual springs inverted into celestial rivers.

Mystical ice shattered into golden sword rain.

Every anomaly corrected itself, feeding all causal power back to the Ancient Immortal as he wove his supreme majesty across existence.

”Even your parallel realms—I control them!”

”Need I mention the Heavenly Daos?”

The Ancient Immortal’s tattered robes now gleamed anew with patterns older than the Heavenly Daos themselves as he gazed down at Xu Qing from his absolute peak.

”Junior, my Ordinance began as ’countless,’ evolved into ’infinite,’ and ultimately birthed Law!”

”A Law never before seen in existence!”

”I name it... Omnipotence!”

His voice now transcended mortal comprehension—directly detonating within the consciousness of all living beings.

Where it reached, myriad races coughed blood, forced to kneel as their foreheads contorted to form the Ancient Immortal’s likeness.

”I am deathless, undying! I manifest countless Ordinances, wield infinite authorities, create all existence! How... do you fight this?!”

His right foot lifted—then descended with apocalyptic force!

A pressure capable of crushing mountains and boiling seas rushed toward Xu Qing, seeking to pulverize him into dust.

In this moment, Xu Qing resembled a lone boat in a tsunami—yet his expression remained calm. Though his robes whipped violently, his stance resembled an unshakable reef.

Amidst the storm, he observed the Ancient Immortal with contemplative eyes.

Since ascending to Summer Immortal, Xu Qing had gained a deeper understanding of immortal combat—both from Grandmaster Bai’s teachings and his journey home.

He understood the core of conflict between immortals was always...

Ordinance against Ordinance!

While such battles took countless forms, they ultimately distilled to two aspects:

Technique—the external expression of Ordinance.

Dao—the internal collision of Laws, the fundamental method of annihilation.

In essence, clashes of Law targeted the opponent’s foundational logic—making them collapse from within!

The deadliest encounters often ended in an instant.

The prerequisite... was seeing through the opponent’s Law!

And now, Xu Qing had seen through his.

”Omnipotence?”

Xu Qing shook his head slowly.

”I’ve comprehended your truth.”

”Your Ordinance isn’t infinity—it’s causality. Your Law isn’t omnipotence—it’s self-consistency.”

”Rare indeed is such an Ordinance...”

”You require every matter to have cause and effect that self-justifies. Thus you first defined an ’omnipotent’ effect.”

”Using this effect, you reverse-engineered an ’omnipotent’ cause!”

The Ancient Immortal’s triumphant expression froze, his pupils contracting violently.

”In truth, I could suppress you directly. But to sever your retreat completely...”

Xu Qing’s eyes flashed coldly as he raised his right hand against the apocalyptic pressure and pointed at the Ancient Immortal.

”I shall break your Ordinance at its root—erasing you from existence!”

”And breaking your Ordinance... is simplicity itself.”

As he spoke, seven lanterns materialized before him—

It was the Seven Lanterns Underworld Fire Curse!

A technique that had served him well since his Soul Accumulation days. It targeted vitality through soulfire, utilizing causality as its medium with phantom lanterns as anchors.

Its principle: Extinguish the lanterns, extinguish the life.

But now, under Xu Qing’s Ordinance Law, its essence was instantly deconstructed and reconfigured—

The causal power within it was fundamentally altered!

”Transform phantoms into cages!”

The seven lanterns fused into one, rising to enclose the battlefield.

”With soulfire as wicks!”

The flames beckoned the immortal soul, gathering as kindling ready to ignite.

”Vitality as lampshades, manifesting causal shadowplays!”

Xu Qing’s eyes gleamed eerily!

A lampshade materialized around the soulfire, which suddenly blazed brightly, casting illumination that formed... the Ancient Immortal’s silhouette!

Like a puppet show!

Linked directly to his causality!

”As for the play’s content...”

Xu Qing gazed at the distant, increasingly alarmed Ancient Immortal and spoke calmly:

”Your Law claims omnipotence—the power to create all things?”

”Our causalities are now interlocked through this shadowplay. With but a thought, you can manifest this causal performance.”

”Then oh omnipotent one—show me this: Can you create a stone so heavy you cannot lift it?”

The Ancient Immortal’s face drained of color as he stared fixedly at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing took a step forward, his gaze piercing.

”If your omnipotence can create such a stone—then by definition, you are not omnipotent!”

The shadowplay silhouette instantly distorted—the mark of causal paradox!

The Ancient Immortal staggered back.

”If your omnipotence cannot create this stone—then equally, you lack omnipotent power!”

Xu Qing’s words carried the weight of cosmic law.

Having seen through the Ancient Immortal’s Ordinance, destroying it required only one thing—

Paradox!

By modifying the Seven Lanterns Underworld Fire Curse’s causal nature, he’d created a structure that forced the ”omnipotence” concept to negate itself.

Transforming the technique from ”extinguish lanterns to extinguish life” to ”extinguish lanterns to collapse causality”!

No longer a curse—

Now a Causal Shadowplay!

As the silhouette contorted, the Ancient Immortal trembled violently, his Ordinance fracturing, his Law inverting.

The battle of Ordinances, the war of Laws—this was the fundamental conflict of immortals.

His mouth opened soundlessly as his internal Law struggled impotently.

Xu Qing shook his head and waved his hand.

The soulfire—

Snuffed out.

In that instant, the Ancient Immortal vomited a massive mouthful of blood as his body withered rapidly. His aura, soul, cultivation, and immortal form—all began catastrophic collapse.

For his Ordinance was shattering!

His Law was unraveling!