Chapter 1062: The Cage of Time

After the Superior fled through the portal, it began to shrink rapidly.

It was clear that she was closing the portal from the other side. Once the portal was sealed, the Superior's escape was all but guaranteed.

What was he to do?

Should he chase her down, or let her go?

Given his current strength, the Superior was no longer a threat to him. But what if she recovered from her injuries and prepared an ambush for him?

As long as he remained on this planet, he could ensure that the Superior wouldn't cause any trouble. However, he couldn't guarantee that he would always be here. What if the Superior attacked the planet while he was away? If he were delayed by something outside, the planet would be in grave danger.

He wouldn't be able to defend the planet continuously, and given the Superior's hatred for him, it was highly likely that she would return to seek revenge.

He took a deep breath. In that case, he would have to finish her off. As for whether the planet would be in danger after his absence, he had already probed the Superior. It seemed that she had no other Darkborn allies remaining; her starships were her only backup. Still, to be safe, he intended to leave his nine-colored tree behind.

With a wave of his hand, his ten golden crows flew out of the sun and rushed back into his dantian.

Then, he looked toward Yongding and shouted, "While I pursue the enemy, the six Heavenly Empresses shall rule Dazheng on my behalf!"

His shout echoed across the entire planet and reached the ears of all officials and citizens within.

"Understood!" countless officials replied.

Immediately thereafter, Xiao Nanfeng shot through the shrinking portal right as it vanished.

Moments earlier, within Yongding, the six women had been too worried about Xiao Nanfeng's safety to return to the palace and heal. They had been watching the battle in the sky. When they saw Xiao Nanfeng overpowering the Superior, they let out a sigh of relief and smiled with joy. When Xiao Nanfeng beat the Superior until she vomited blood and was severely injured, they felt a sense of vindication and were finally at ease about Xiao Nanfeng's safety.

It wasn't until the Superior fled into the portal that they felt a hint of regret about not having stopped her—only to be deeply concerned when Xiao Nanfeng rushed in after her.

No one objected to his pronouncement about having them oversee the empire. At the same time, the nine-colored tree emitted six beams of light that shot into the women's bodies.

Xia Yu'er exclaimed in surprise, "I can draw on the nine-colored tree's energy now! Has Nanfeng given us control of it?"

Madam Rouge frowned. "Will Nanfeng be in danger within the black hole if he leaves this tree with us?"

The women grew worried again. They prayed fervently for Xiao Nanfeng's safety.

Liu Miaoyin added, "Since Nanfeng has chosen to pursue the Superior, he must be confident that he can take her down. We need to recover our strength as quickly as possible to prepare for unforeseen circumstances so that we can help Nanfeng if it becomes necessary."

The women all nodded as they began to recuperate.

Meanwhile, as Xiao Nanfeng dove through the portal, it sealed shut behind him.

In the distance, he could see roughly twenty starships vanish into the darkness.

He could vaguely make out his surroundings. Ahead was an endless expanse of darkness; behind, countless shining stars. The stars were being pulled one by one into the darkness ahead. Fragments of meteors whizzed past him with awe-inspiring momentum, forcing him to dodge quickly. He was caught in a massive flow of energy.

Was this the black hole? Not exactly. To be precise, he was only at its periphery, still far from its heart. He could vaguely sense a terrifying presence that made his hair stand on end and instinctively made him want to flee.

Even at the periphery, he was extremely uncomfortable. Not only was the terrifying gravitational pull of the black hole a persistent annoyance, there were also strange energies tearing at his body and causing him intense pain, though he couldn't pinpoint their source.

Just then, a fist appeared to his side, forcing him to counter quickly.

The two attacks collided with a loud crash, but the impact didn't generate any significant shockwaves—all the energy that was dispersed was quickly swallowed up by the black hole. Though the sneak attack was powerful, he was able to deflect it with ease.

His attacker was, of course, the Superior.

The Superior's face was shining with glee. "You really have a death wish, don't you? To think you'd chase me all the way here!"

She knew that Xiao Nanfeng would likely try to eliminate her once and for all, but she wasn't afraid. After all, they were fighting in the vicinity of a black hole, and who would be more familiar with such cosmic entities than the Darkborn?

Xiao Nanfeng snorted as he charged at the Superior.

The Superior sneered. "Catch me if you can!"

She flew deeper into the black hole and vanished into the darkness.

Xiao Nanfeng narrowed his eyes. From the Superior's earlier demeanor, it was clear that this place was fraught with danger. Although he was eager to kill the Superior, he didn't rush after her. He needed to prioritize his own safety, and he cautiously explored his surroundings.

He moved just a short distance closer to the black hole and immediately felt the gravitational pull increase exponentially. Fortunately, he now boasted immense strength, and the gravitational pull wasn't a big threat.

Suddenly, a wisp of black mist brushed past him. He felt as if had been struck by a whip; searing pain exploded over his skin. He immediately frowned and rushed back.

The wisp of black mist moved at varying speeds, but was otherwise exactly as it seemed. Though it looked light and ethereal like the primordial purple qi, in reality, it was as heavy as a mountain.

"What is this?" Xiao Nanfeng muttered in surprise.

Rather than try to capture the wisp of black mist, he instead examined where it had come from.

Before long, he discovered that this wisp of black mist was circling in a loop. There were many such wisps rotating in the same pattern, forming a massive vortex. The wisp that had been such a surprise to him earlier was just a small protrusion at the boundary of this vortex.

The vortex seemed to be unaffected by the black hole's gravitational pull. It floated nearby in an eerie manner.

Rather than approach the vortex, Xiao Nanfeng flew off in another direction, only to discover a new vortex ahead.

Just then, the Superior reappeared. She struck at Xiao Nanfeng. "Scared, are you? Don't you dare chase me anymore?"

The two cultivators exchanged blows, dispersing energy that was partially absorbed by another vortex of black mist, though the majority was drawn into the black hole.

Xiao Nanfeng did want to take down the Superior immediately, but it was obvious that she was luring him into a trap. After repelling her, he didn't press the attack.

The Superior glowered at him, realizing that he had seen through her plans. Nevertheless, she continued to attack him.

Xiao Nanfeng had no choice but to fight her from the periphery of the black hole even as he avoided the vortices of black mist.

The Superior hadn't manifested her golden tree, and she was weaker than Xiao Nanfeng. Given her existing injuries, she could barely damage him at all.

The two cultivators fought for some time until Xiao Nanfeng suddenly felt a surge of danger. He tried to dodge, but it was too late. Countless strands of black mist appeared out of nowhere and enveloped them, swirling rapidly and trapping them within a vortex.

Instantly, an immense tearing force washed over their bodies. Xiao Nanfeng felt as if he had been struck by a comet. The pain was excruciating, as if his body was about to be ripped apart. His movements became sluggish.

The Superior laughed. "You chased me here despite knowing nothing about these black holes? You really aren't afraid of dying, are you?"

At that moment, golden light emanated from the Superior's body as she drew on the power of her golden tree. It only mitigated the effects of the black mist slightly, but she was still more comfortable in this environment than Xiao Nanfeng.

"What is this black mist? Why did it suddenly appear out of nowhere?" Xiao Nanfeng asked in shock.

"And why should I tell you?" The Superior sneered.

She struck Xiao Nanfeng again.

Without his own world tree, Xiao Nanfeng was forced to endure the immense pain. His movements were severely restricted; he had no choice but to grit his teeth and fight back against the Superior.

With a loud crash, their fists collided, and Xiao Nanfeng was intentionally forced back. He wanted to use the collision to increase his speed and escape from the vortex.

Unfortunately, the vortex of black mist was also moving itself. No matter how fast he fled, the vortex followed behind him. He couldn't break free.

"Once you enter the cage of time, you won't be able to escape," the Superior said triumphantly.

Xiao Nanfeng narrowed his eyes. "The cage of time? This black mist is a manifestation of heavenly law over time?"

The Superior's eyebrows twitched, annoyed that she had let too much information slip. She stopped speaking and took advantage of the situation to attack Xiao Nanfeng again.

In this restrictive environment, Xiao Nanfeng was quickly suppressed by the Superior.

However, even as he fought, Xiao Nanfeng continued to analyze his surroundings.

"Time? No wonder I couldn't detect the black mist, if it truly governs time itself..." Xiao Nanfeng muttered in astonishment.

He waved his hand. Red light flashed before it winked out, causing his heart to sink.

"Are you trying to use your candleflame powers? It's useless. Among the myriad laws, time stands foremost. Your candleflame powers are only a manifestation of spatial mastery—it's useless in the grip of time." The Superior laughed out loud.

She continued to attack Xiao Nanfeng in a flurry.

Though Xiao Nanfeng tried to activate his candleflame powers a few more times, nothing happened. He was forced to believe the Superior.

As the power of time seeped into his body, it tore at his flesh and caused him unbearable pain. His movements grew even more sluggish.

Xiao Nanfeng invoked the other three trees he had in his possession, the ones derived from his colored moons.

If the Superior's golden tree was able to help her resist the force of time, wouldn't his red, blue, and purple world trees, which derived from her golden tree, have a similar effect?

As three colored beams of light surrounded Xiao Nanfeng, he felt the pain abate—but only slightly.

The Superior sneered. "The three Qings' world trees might be derived from mine, but they can hardly resist the power of time. All your tricks will be useless here. Now, die!"

With a loud crash, the two cultivators attacked each other once more as they continued their fierce battle.