Chapter 436: Embarking on the Path of Possibility

"Are you suggesting I should get in?"

"..."

At the courtyard gate, a heavy-duty truck coated in red paint stood silently parked.

Its massive headlights flickered intermittently, pulsing between brightness and dimness.

As if responding to Xu Xi.

"Alright then, I understand," Xu Xi murmured, curiosity brimming as he climbed into the truck's cabin.

He settled into the seat.

Closed the door.

From Xu Xi's observations, the interior of this truck—capable of traversing dimensions—wasn’t particularly extraordinary.

A pristine steering wheel, a spotless dashboard, slightly cushioned seats, and not a speck of dirt in sight.

"Even a brand-new truck fresh from the factory wouldn’t be this clean."

Xu Xi extended a finger.

Gently brushed it across the dashboard.

His fingertip remained clean, untouched by even a trace of dust.

Just as he prepared to explore further, the truck shuddered, followed by the deafening roar of its engine. Without any human input, the steel beast roared to life.

It began moving.

The heavy tires rumbled forward.

Accelerating, soaring, the massive frame charging ahead without hesitation.

"...So it’s finally starting."

"...It’s been a while. I feel both anticipation and unease."

Seated in the driver’s position, Xu Xi watched as the scenery outside sped backward, wondering where this journey would ultimately take him.

[Ding—]

[You have left Earth]

Though outwardly, every component of this heavy-duty truck appeared identical to an ordinary one, $2t was clear—

this was no ordinary vehicle.

As the truck’s speed surged, it gradually broke free from Earth, transforming into a streak of radiant light hurtling straight into the boundless depths of the cosmos.

Faster and faster.

So fast that the starry vistas outside the window blurred into an indistinct, swirling darkness.

[Ding—]

[You have left the Solar System]

An endless river of darkness, devoid of any discernible objects.

Xu Xi tapped the window, finding it unnervingly sturdy—even as the truck plowed through multiple asteroid belts, the glass remained unscathed.

"Incredibly durable."

"No wonder during simulations, I’ve never seen this truck sustain even a scratch."

Muttering to himself, Xu Xi gazed at the warped spacetime outside, realizing the truck’s speed had reached terrifying levels.

A thousand times the speed of light? Ten thousand?

Neither was enough to describe its current velocity.

It had transcended physical limits, becoming a conceptual entity—a voyager among the stars, its speed multiplying exponentially with every passing second.

[Ding—]

[You have left the Milky Way]

[Ding—]

[You have left the Virgo Supercluster]

[Ding—]

[You have left the Laniakea Supercluster]

[Ding—]

[You have left the observable universe]

Nebulae spiraled. Gravitational forces collapsed.

Countless stellar lights streaked past in the darkness, fleeting as fireworks, extinguishing into eternal silence before Xu Xi’s eyes.

Shattering.

Exploding.

Upon reaching the edge of the physical universe, $2u Xi witnessed absolute "nothingness"—a void where not even the Big Bang had yet reached.

The truck’s front end smashed through this nothingness.

Carrying Xu Xi into a far vaster, more infinite expanse of spacetime.

"...As expected. The truck’s destination is the Sea of Possibilities."

An immeasurable convergence of timelines and infinite probabilities, twisted into pale threads, coalescing beyond chaos into an endless, shimmering sea.

With every surge of its waves, $2illions of realities collided.

Worlds birthed, worlds annihilated—yet the truck ignored the terrifying fluctuations, its speed unrelenting as it crashed through waves of spacetime.

Streaking straight toward the heart of the Sea of Possibilities.

Finally, $2t halted before a hazy, luminous path of pure white.

This was the truck’s endpoint—and Xu Xi’s beginning.

"Click—"

The door swung open, aligning perfectly with the entrance to the white path—an invitation, a silent wait.

Xu Xi understood. He stepped out, standing at the path’s origin.

"The restrictions are gone."

"Right now, I’m completely unhindered."

"All that’s left is to walk this path to its end."

Anticipation surged within him.

Along with a hint of tension.

Xu Xi stared ahead, where the enigmatic path stretched into the distance, glowing faintly, misty like a dreamlike passageway to an unknown beyond.

He prepared to step forward—but paused.

Turning back, he looked at the massive truck that had carried him here.

Its red paint, bathed in the reflections of infinite spacetime, gleamed starkly—almost like fresh blood.

Xu Xi reached out, shutting the door gently.

Then, $2alked to the front of the truck.

Running his hand along the steel beast’s grille, $2e spoke softly, as if to a loyal companion: "Thank you. Without you, I could never have come this far alone."

The headlights flickered again.

A silent nudge.

"Alright, I’m going," Xu Xi nodded, turning to set foot on the path meant for him.

Curiosity mingled with cautious vigilance.

Yet soon, $2e realized—

his wariness was unnecessary.

For on this path, there existed no danger—only him and the infinite possibilities born from his being.

The Sea of Time and Space.

Vast and boundless.

Xu Xi walked along the Path of Light, and with every step he took, the "stone slabs" paving the way beneath his feet shattered in response.

From them erupted bubbles of time and space, the very fabric that constructed those slabs.

Within those fleeting, illusory bubbles, Xu Xi saw himself.

These were possibilities he had once envisioned but never pursued—potential paths of immortal cultivation now manifesting before him.

In one vision:

Xu Xi chose not to save Xu Moli, instead venturing alone into the world of cultivation with his Heaven-Spirit Root.

From one, two arose; from two, three multiplied.

From this single possibility, countless endings for Xu Xi branched forth.

Some met obstacles on the Dao Path.

Some ascended to rule the Immortal Realm.

Others were refined into nothingness in an instant.

"I am the Immortal Emperor Xu, destined to suppress all enemies of this era!"

Hearing the bold declaration from the bubble of his Immortal Emperor self, Xu Xi couldn’t help but cough awkwardly.

Speaking such words was one thing.

Watching himself say them was another.

At this moment, Xu Xi felt nothing but embarrassment—thankful that no one else could see.

"In past simulations, Moli and the others could vaguely observe me, roughly knowing what transpired."

"But this simulation is special. They likely can’t see anything now."

Lost in thought, Xu Xi continued forward.

Yet a new change occurred—the scattered bubbles of time and space did not fade away. Instead, they condensed into specks of light, no larger than grains of rice.

They circled, spiraled, and lingered before, to Xu Xi’s astonishment, merging directly into his body.

Something incredible happened.

Xu Xi felt a metamorphosis in his strength. His stagnant cultivation realm, now absorbing the possibilities within those temporal fragments, surged to unprecedented heights.

"Wait."

"Could the rest of the path be...?!"

Uneasy yet curious, Xu Xi stepped onto the next slab.

"All gods have fallen—only I remain true. The throne of the Divine King is truly a lonely one."

"I, Xu Xi, am the Martial Ancestor of humanity. I shall eradicate all demons and evils!"

"Flesh is weak; machinery ascends. With my Truth, I shall rewrite the laws of the cosmos."

"From this day forth, the Infinite Netherworld shall bow to my rule. None may trespass upon the realm of the living without my decree."