Chapter 122: The Trajectory of Time

Wujue, having regained his senses, stood blankly upon the stage of the anime festival. Yet, this time, the scene before him was entirely different.

Below the stage, the heckling audience roared, "Hey baldy, why’d you stop dancing? It’s a contest—don't stop now!"

A contest? He turned to look at the stranger standing on the stage with him. The man wore a top hat and a crisp, cold-looking white suit, glaring at him with open hostility.

Suddenly, it all came back.

The name "Killer Twins" flashed in his mind. These were the companions of Alice who had come to hunt him down, members of the mysterious organization known as "Ming." He remembered this scene clearly; it had already happened. Why was it repeating?

Wujue ceased his movements and leaped off the stage. Intuition told him that time had reversed, and everything that had occurred since arriving at the anime festival was replaying.

The Twin on stage changed expression, chasing after him and shouting, "What are you doing? Is this an insult to me?"

Before the man could entangle him, Wujue delivered a swift, powerful cannon-fist strike, sending the Twin flying back onto the stage. He had no time for nonsense; Wujue knew something critical was about to happen, and he was determined to change it, no matter the cost.

He quickly shook off the Twin and began searching the plaza. Where did the problem originate in his memory?

As Wujue scanned his surroundings, he spotted Xun'er and Miaopu approaching him.

"Wujue, we finally found you!" they cried out anxiously. "Where did you go just now?"

Wujue gestured for them to stop. "Don't come any closer. It’s too dangerous here. Leave now; I must resolve something."

Seeing the severity in his tone, Xun'er hesitated, but Miaopu said, "If Wujue says so, let’s go, quickly."

Wujue turned back to scan the area, but he could not see Ter or Alice.

Right, Alice!

He had always felt her presence was a major threat, and it was necessary to deal with this trouble. Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, he looked up toward the highest point of the festival. Alice had climbed to the top and was spreading her arms, preparing to jump.

This was the moment. Alice was possessed by a ghost at this very instant. After being lured into suicide, she would become a ghost herself, infiltrate Wujue’s team, and lead them into an abyss of eternal ruin.

Wujue suddenly remembered everything. All of this was a repetition, and he was the only one who had awakened. He had to end this before the ghosts came out to clear the scene.

Wujue sprinted toward Alice. Before she could fall to the ground, he leaped into the air, channeling his formidable shamanic powers. A barrier materialized between his outstretched arms.

In an instant, he caught her falling body, nullifying the force of her descent. As he held her in his arms and prepared to land, his body suddenly felt heavy. He saw four or five invisible ghosts pulling at him, desperately trying to drag him down.

"Trying to stop me? Not that easy!" Wujue roared, erupting with intense fighting spirit. His protective aura surged outward, relentlessly slamming into the surrounding ghosts.

The clash shook the earth, resulting in a violent explosion. Just as the surrounding ghosts were blasted apart, a bizarre scene unfolded once more.

Everything seemed to freeze. That mysterious ghost reappeared, sighing as he looked at Wujue. "Oh dear, you really are dangerous! It’s the first time I’ve met someone like you—completely unaffected by my spatial control. Are you trying to rebel?"

The ghost circled Wujue, casting a glance at Alice in his arms. "Let’s start by separating you two!"

He pulled Alice from Wujue’s grasp, laying her flat in mid-air, exposed to the ground below. "As soon as I resume time, you will watch Alice die before your eyes. Let's see how much confidence you have then to keep trying to change all this." The ghost turned back to Wujue, ready to snap his fingers and let time flow again.

But then, he was stunned.

Although Wujue’s body remained frozen, he was struggling, straining to move forward. It was only a minute shift, but in this stagnant space-time, it was incredibly conspicuous.

The ghost’s eyes narrowed, and he shouted in a fit of rage, "You’re still struggling? You can actually still move? Is my ability ineffective against you?"

He floated right up to Wujue’s face, screaming, "Freeze! Freeze! Freeze!"

He tapped Wujue’s body a dozen times with his index finger. With every tap, Wujue’s body twitched, but soon he felt as if encased in ice, his entire being solidified in place.

Finally, he could move no more.

The ghost laughed triumphantly. "Before my power, the 'Flash Ghost,' no one can escape the control of space and time. You are no exception."

Really? Even though the ghost's arrogant attitude seemed hollow in the silent, soundless world, Wujue’s heart clearly perceived everything happening. He couldn't move his body, but he was fully aware of the Flash Ghost’s actions. Every time the ghost tapped him, he felt a bone-deep numbness, yet his inner resolve fought back fiercely. He knew that only by breaking this stalemate could the others be saved, and to save them, he had to break it himself.

Wujue could not lose here!

At that very moment, as if responding to an inner call, a brand new realization dawned upon him. The "Great Mortal Void Record" that Xiulun had taught him long ago formed a new understanding within his mind.

Yes, the "Great Mortal Void Record" had different realms for different stages of a martial artist. As Wujue’s martial path required him to step into a higher realm, new insights emerged.

In an instant, Wujue felt as if he had undergone a mental storm, beginning to grasp more of the mysteries of heaven and earth. With the experience of clashing with the Flash Ghost, Wujue had gained a direct understanding of mental abilities. In other words, once a martial artist reached the stage of controlling formless fighting spirit, the application of that spirit to manipulate the miraculous, mysterious elements of the natural world was, in essence, the application of mental power.

Wujue’s body instinctively resisted the Flash Ghost’s control, and his fighting spirit was strong enough to form a powerful defense. In the next second, Wujue seemed to see the most mysterious breath of time, flowing faintly between all things.

"Your technique... I have broken it!" Wujue said just as the Flash Ghost reached out to snap his fingers and release the time control.

He reached out and seized the ghost’s illusory finger.

The Flash Ghost was struck dumb. Having tapped him so many times, under normal circumstances, anyone would be frozen for decades, yet Wujue had broken free instantly.

The ghost struggled to pull his finger away, then snapped his other hand. "Impossible! Don't try to scare me! Ghosts, move!"

Time resumed instantly. The ghosts around them swarmed forward, and Alice continued her descent.

"Not so easy!" Wujue gripped the ghost’s finger firmly and swung him, causing the time around them to twist once more. Under Wujue’s powerful fighting spirit, a bizarre change occurred—the clash between the two powerhouses caused time to twist and fall into a vortex.

Everything began to descend into chaos. The space itself went haywire; the ghosts floated uncontrollably, some retreating into the distance, others repeating their previous actions, while Alice’s body drifted back and forth in mid-air.

The Flash Ghost laughed wildly. "Want to fight me? Let me show you what it feels like to be abandoned in the flow of time!"

Wujue remained silent, focusing his fighting spirit. It was his first time using the techniques from the "Great Mortal Void Record" to manipulate space-time; his proficiency was still lacking, but with just a little adaptation, he would soon be able to fight the opponent with ease.

By altering the surrounding aura and constantly neutralizing the pressure of time exerted by the Flash Ghost, Wujue began to seek a path out of the ghost's space.

Yes, within this vast space, unique trajectories of time flowed all around.

Grasp them, and victory would be his.