The Innkeeper

Lex understood. Let alone trying to reverse time, even talking about it seriously, as if it were a possibility, would attract the wrong kind of attention. The consequences of it were not measurable yet, but he believed that if kept talking about how it was possible given the right circumstances, he would get in trouble.

Lex did not know if what he said was accurate, or even possible. He only theorized based on his limited information. In this universe, the flow of time was an irrefutable constant, one that ruled all of reality. By that logic, if a being or entity stronger than this universe appeared, it should be possible for them to reverse time since they would be strong enough to resist the strength of this universe's laws. Or, instead, the universe would be destroyed.

He had no way of knowing, but it was a decent theory - one that anyone with even a little bit of imagination should have been able to come up with. Yet the reaction of Eclipse and the others told Lex that the words he had so casually said had a much greater weight than he imagined.

"It's just a theory I came up with on the spot," Lex stated truthfully. "It's not like I've ever envisioned trying to reverse time, nor am I interested in such a thing. Of course, my understanding of the universe may be too rudimentary to properly understand what I'm saying wrong. I was just stating an overly simplified possibility."

Eclipse smiled at Lex, though her smile seemed to carry a hidden meaning Lex could not grasp. She tapped Lex on the forehead, and though he felt nothing change, his instincts told him that he was being protected from something.

"Do you know that there is a record of every single event that has ever happened in this universe?" Eclipse asked him, her tone changing subtly from her previous casual demeanor to one of a teacher or instructor. "And I really mean every single thing, whether it be the actions of a living being, or the random movement of the particles in the air, to the division of various cells, all of it, all across the universe, is being recorded every single second. This has been going on from the moment of the universe's creation."

Lex opened his mouth to answer, but he had no words. He felt like he just heard something way beyond him, but he did not feel like he was about to faint. Maybe he was being protected from fainting so that Eclipse could talk to him.

"Don't take me wrong. I don't mean there's a book worm somewhere in the universe, recording everything. I mean the very state of the universe itself, at this moment, is a result of every single action that has ever preceded it. Thus, the very existence of the universe is a record of everything that has ever happened.

"So, do you know how much energy the universe consumes each second? How much energy it creates? Destroys? Manifests? Converts? Every second?"

Lex wanted to answer, but didn't. Obviously it was a rhetorical question. How could anyone know that? It should be impossible, right?

"A lot," he ended up answering, though his answer, for some reason, caused Eclipse to burst into laughter.

"Yes, you are right. The answer is: a lot. All of that creates a certain strain on the universe, and that is a mighty big strain if I do say so myself. Such a strain is not necessarily a bad thing - that strain is, to a large degree, what keeps the universe functioning properly. But it is undeniable that such a massive strain is not easy to manage. That is why the universe gives a lot of importance to rules, to functioning ecosystems, to laws, and most importantly, to precedent.

"Whether you call them laws, or rules, or anything else, they make managing that universal strain easier. Imagine you had the weight of an entire realm on your shoulders, and you had to walk. You would never deviate from the existing footpath - the weight you carry would not allow you to deviate for that would make the strain even greater."

"You would take the path of least resistance," Lex said, suddenly thinking of electricity, or flowing water, or so many other examples from his mundane life prior to cultivation.

"Yes, that's a good way of putting it. The immense strain of the universe causes the operation of the universe to take the path of least resistance. Laws facilitate that, and so does precedent.

"Whether you realize it or not, what you said has a much deeper reasoning behind it. A thing is only impossible until someone discovers a way of doing it. Let's say, for example there is a certain material called Titanium-Glass, and across the universe, for the entire history of the universe, it's well known that Titanium-Glass cannot be broken.

"Then, one day, in a random realm, someone finds a way of breaking it, and creates precedent. Do you know, the moment that happens, all across the universe, even without that method being shared, Titanium-Glass will start being broken using that exact method. That is because a precedent has been set, a blueprint for something created, and the universe will never hesitate to follow that blue print."

She paused, observing Lex who seemed to have gotten lost in thought.

"Is that why you were so sure that you could create a Primordial Garden?" Lex suddenly asked. "Because since Primordial energy had been created once by the universe, all you needed to do was recreate the method by which it was formed."

Eclipse grinned widely, her smile almost meeting her eyes as she looked at Lex. He was looking like an adorable grandchild asking even more adorable questions.

"Yes, exactly. No one else in the universe even dared to consider such a possibility, despite the obvious precedent. But, since I wanted to do it, I went and found a way to do it. Even Ventura, that old fossil, did not bother trying to copy me. Only the Innkeeper has ever tried to copy my garden, which is why I am so curious about him. But put that aside.

"The important thing to focus on is… the first time a thing is done, the universe takes note of it. Such a thing has such profound ramifications that you, currently, cannot even conceive it. So, in a way, you are right. A thing is only impossible until it is done. Reversing time will only be impossible until, one day, someone manages to do it for the first time. But the moment it is achieved, anyone will be able to do it."

Lex's expression subtly changed as he tried to imagine a universe where any and every Dao Lord could reverse time. Would anything ever remain constant? Surely it must, for even if time reversal became possible, it should not be easy to achieve.

"That is why," Eclipse continued, "the very act of attempting to reverse time is punished by the universe with the full weight of the strain that the universe endures. Thus, whoever they may be, once they attempt time reversal, even before they can achieve a result, they must endure the strain of the entire universe. If they cannot, then they will perish, and the consequences of that go far beyond just personal death. It spreads to anyone and everyone even remotely connected to whoever attempted it. After all, that strain spreads through karma, through causality, through everything and anything, leaving only destruction in its wake.

"But, just as you said, if someone is stronger than the whole universe, they may be able to tolerate that strain. In that case, they may really achieve time reversal. Your theory… is not wrong."