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Chapter 349: The River of Time
Chapter 349: The River of Time (5000 characters, please subscribe)
"The full view of the River of Time?" Lin Yuan asked, gazing at the Summer Solstice Supreme Expert seated on his throne.
In the chaotic void, amidst countless universes, the vast power of time swept through everything like a mighty river.
All things existed within the River of Time. Except for Supreme Experts, who could transcend its flow, all life had to endure its relentless 'erosion'.
This 'erosion' referred to the limit of one's lifespan. Even those who comprehended the rules of time could only briefly leap out of the River of Time and would eventually fall back, succumbing to old age and death.
Lin Yuan had always believed that the River of Time was a conceptual metaphor, but now he was astonished as the Summer Solstice Supreme Expert offered to show him the full view of the River of Time.
The River of Time had a form? A visible manifestation?
"Everyone's understanding of the rules of time is unique, and my interpretation may not apply to you," the Summer Solstice Supreme Expert said. "Since this is the case, I shall take you to see the River of Time with your own eyes. What you gain from this experience is up to you." He smiled gently.
The next moment, before Lin Yuan could respond, he felt a strand of his spiritual will break free from a shackle and arrive in a mysterious space.
"This isn't the main universe?" Lin Yuan, with his profound understanding of time rules, was certain that the mysterious space he had entered was significantly different from the main universe. It was as if a small fish had left the river, and this strand of spiritual will could no longer sense any fluctuations of time rules.
Lin Yuan peered around and noticed countless 'currents' rushing below him.
These 'currents' were composed of extremely pure time power, flowing relentlessly from the past into the future, as if nothing could stop them.
"Is this the River of Time?" Lin Yuan's heart trembled as he vaguely made out different 'fish' swimming in the depths of the river.
Some fish were enormous, spanning almost half the width of the river, while others were minuscule, barely visible.
Yet, all the 'fish' were within Lin Yuan's observation, and they seemed completely unaware of his gaze.
It was as if the two-dimensional world of a painting couldn't detect the observation of a being outside the canvas, and the 'fish' in the river were similarly oblivious.
"River of Time," Lin Yuan whispered, his heart pounding with excitement as he beheld the majestic sight before him.
"This is the River of Time," the Summer Solstice Supreme Expert affirmed.
[Your comprehension ability is heaven-defying. Observing the River of Time greatly accelerates your understanding of the rules of time.]
[Your heaven-defying comprehension ability enhances your understanding of the rules of time as you witness the River of Time.]
[Your incredible insight into the rules of time deepens as you gaze upon the River of Time.]
A torrent of epiphanies and insights about the rules of time flooded Lin Yuan's mind.
Compared to the time rules within the microcosm, the River of Time before him was infinitely more vast and encompassed countless lives.
"Hmm?" Lin Yuan's attention turned to the turbulent surface of the River of Time, where occasionally, a few 'large fish' leaped out.
These 'large fish' only managed to stay above the surface for a few moments before falling back in, far from achieving the perspective Lin Yuan had as he overlooked the river.
"Those 'large fish' are probably lives that have comprehended the rules of time," Lin Yuan mused. "They can briefly leap out of the water, but only temporarily."
Lin Yuan continued to observe the River of Time, turning from the past to face the direction of its flow—the future.
"Can't see clearly," Lin Yuan murmured, unsurprised.
The past was set in stone, but the future was ever-changing.
Each moment held the potential for countless different futures.
Even Supreme Experts, who could travel upstream to the past, could not journey downstream to the distant future without risking getting lost in the infinite timelines and never returning to the present.
Lin Yuan continued his observation of the River of Time.
"Hmm?" He noticed a towering figure standing beside him.
He realized that he was currently standing on the bank of the River of Time, sheltered by the presence of this majestic figure—the Summer Solstice Supreme Expert.
Only a Supreme Expert could transcend the River of Time and reach the 'shore'. It was an unbreakable rule, just like the inevitability of death for those who had passed away in the past.
To break this rule, even a Supreme Expert would have to pay a price.
If a Supreme Expert wanted to resurrect a life that had perished in the past, they would have to withstand the universe's backlash.
Now that the Summer Solstice Supreme Expert had brought Lin Yuan to the 'shore', he would undoubtedly face a similar consequence.
Lin Yuan sensed that the price the Summer Solstice Supreme Expert would have to pay might be far more severe than simply resurrecting a deceased life.
Otherwise, why had he never heard of a Supreme Expert bringing someone out of the River of Time? After all, the ability of Supreme Experts to resurrect the dead was common knowledge among at least somewhat powerful evolvers.
But to bring someone out of the River of Time? This was the first time Lin Yuan had witnessed such a thing.
Moreover, the Summer Solstice Supreme Expert had repeatedly tested Lin Yuan's understanding of the rules of time, even going as far as allowing Naran, the vice tower master, to gauge his grasp of those rules.
All of this indicated that bringing someone out of the River of Time, even for a Supreme Expert, was a decision that required careful consideration.
Lin Yuan continued to observe the River of Time, turning his gaze to the 'shore' at other locations.
Soon, he spotted another towering figure. This one had a sturdy build, and just by standing there, he exuded an endless sense of power—a power that seemed capable of crushing everything in its path.
"The Supreme Expert Guli?" Although Lin Yuan had never met this Supreme Expert of human civilization in person, he had a strong feeling that this was indeed Guli.
One by one, the towering silhouettes of the strongest humans emerged.
The Yu Die Supreme Expert, the Xu Shen Supreme Expert, and others.
Every silhouette of the Supreme Experts standing on the banks of the River of Time was awe-inspiring.
Soon...
Lin Yuan spotted the tenth Supreme Expert.
This Supreme Expert was not from human civilization; they were shrouded in dark mist, and Lin Yuan only needed an instant to feel their gaze upon him.
"Hmph!"
A faint snort echoed, causing Lin Yuan's expression to change slightly. At that moment, the Summer Solstice Supreme Expert standing beside him raised his right hand, causing the snort to disappear completely.
"That Supreme Expert holds great malice toward me," Lin Yuan said, not daring to continue watching and instead averting his gaze to another spot.
The towering figure shrouded in dark mist stood on the bank of the River of Time, staring coldly at the Summer Solstice Supreme Expert in the distance.
"To bring someone who hasn't even comprehended the rules of time out of the River of Time, regardless of the cost, is sheer stupidity," the towering figure thought to himself.
The price to be paid for such an action was terrifying.
Almost every moment was equivalent to the cosmic backlash of resurrecting ten or even dozens of Eleventh-Tier powerhouses.
The Summer Solstice Supreme Expert was taking the risk of being unable to maintain his peak fighting strength for a significant period.
"Human civilization..." The towering figure's thoughts fluctuated.
The rise of human civilization was arguably the fastest among all peak races.
The main reason for this was the unity among its members. Even Supreme Experts would not hesitate to pay a price to help a talented junior from their race.
In the eyes of other Supreme Experts, this was an unimaginable thing to do—to have a Supreme Expert incur a cost for the sake of a mere Ultimate-level life? Was it worth it?
For the vast majority of Supreme Experts, their race was merely an appendage, and their own power was everything.
Lin Yuan's strand of spiritual will continued to look into the distance.
Naturally, he also saw the silhouettes of other Supreme Experts.
Some of them were indifferent to Lin Yuan's gaze, some exuded benevolence, and most showed displeasure, but the Summer Solstice Supreme Expert shielded him from it all.
As Lin Yuan continued to observe, his understanding of the rules of time improved at a terrifying rate. Here, at the River of Time, was the most intuitive understanding of the rules of time.
Normally, only those who were qualified to overlook the River of Time would have already comprehended the rules of time. Those who were not qualified to leap out of the River of Time would not be able to understand them.
But with the help of the Summer Solstice Supreme Expert, Lin Yuan had broken this iron law.
Time passed slowly.
After an unknown duration...
"That's enough; it's time for you to return."
The voice of the Summer Solstice Supreme Expert rang out, and Lin Yuan felt this strand of spiritual will begin to dissipate rapidly.
"Hmm?"
In the Milky Way Main Star, Lin Yuan suddenly opened his eyes.
"Am I back?"
Lin Yuan sat cross-legged, his heart still pounding with excitement.
Who would have thought that he had just witnessed the full view of the River of Time? For a Ninth-Tier being to break free from the constraints of the River of Time, even if only briefly, was an unprecedented opportunity.
"I even saw the true forms of numerous Supreme Experts?"
Lin Yuan thought to himself. All this time, he had wondered what kind of existence Supreme Experts were. Even when he witnessed their battles on the grand battlefield, it was all a blur, and he couldn't understand the intricacies of their interactions—the level was simply too high for him to comprehend.
"When the Summer Solstice Supreme Expert sent me back, his tone seemed somewhat weak," Lin Yuan mused. He didn't know the exact price the Supreme Expert had paid to bring him out of the River of Time, but from that slightly strained tone, he knew it must have been substantial.
"I wonder if I can become a Supreme Expert," Lin Yuan pondered, recalling the feeling of breaking free from the River of Time, an unprecedented sense of freedom.
Even with Lin Yuan's current extensive foundation, he couldn't guarantee that he would definitely become a Supreme Expert.
Even if he comprehended the legendary Chaos Rules, it would only greatly benefit his path to becoming a Supreme Expert; it didn't guarantee success.
Whether or not he could ultimately cross that threshold was another matter entirely.
The birth of every Supreme Expert was not an inevitable event.
"My current understanding of the rules of time..." Lin Yuan carefully sensed the changes within himself.
After going to the 'shore' of the River of Time, Lin Yuan had a brand-new understanding of the rules of time, one that was completely different from the past. Only those who had witnessed the full view of the River of Time could develop such an understanding.
"Time..."
"It's so wonderful..."
Lin Yuan stretched out his hands, and strands of temporal fluctuations seemed to be stirred, forming faint temporal ripples.
"I'm not far from comprehending the rules of time," Lin Yuan whispered to himself.
Normally, before comprehending the rules of time, no Evolver would dare to claim that they definitely could.
The rules of time were too vast, and until one took that final step, no one could be certain of their success.
But Lin Yuan was different. He had witnessed the entirety of the River of Time and had a concrete understanding of its past and future.
Thus, his understanding of the rules of time was far clearer than that of other powerful beings who were also seeking to understand them.
Lin Yuan's thoughts were in flux.
The reason Summer Solstice Supreme Expert was willing to pay a price to help him break free from the constraints of the River of Time was to give him a boost in his understanding of the rules of time.
His hope was that Lin Yuan could comprehend the rules of time before reaching the Tenth Tier and then attract the infusion of the origin of the Chaotic Void into his inner world.
The fact that a Supreme Expert was so invested in him made Lin Yuan even more eager.
"The top priority now is to comprehend the rules of time."
Lin Yuan's thoughts converged, and since Summer Solstice Supreme Expert had gone to such lengths to help him, he felt that he would be ashamed if he couldn't comprehend the rules of time at the Ninth Tier.
"At my current rate of comprehending the rules of time, it will take me about thirty years to fully grasp them."
Lin Yuan examined himself and gained an extremely precise understanding of his capabilities.
"Thirty years at most."
Lin Yuan sensed the transformation within his inner world and immediately knew the extent of his progress.
For any Ninth or Tenth Tier Evolver, thirty years was like the blink of an eye. The fact that Lin Yuan could comprehend the rules of time in such a short time was truly astonishing.
It was worth noting that before witnessing the full view of the River of Time, Lin Yuan had already planned to comprehend the rules of time at the Tenth Tier.
In the Xuan Huang Secret Realm, the Sun Divine Soul was cultivating the _Spatial-Temporal Step_, one of the three great protective secret arts of the Xuan Huang lineage.
Each of Lin Yuan's three divine souls had different responsibilities. Currently, his true divine soul was mainly focused on comprehending the rules of time, while the other two were dedicated to comprehending secret arts and various evolutionary paths.
As for why he didn't have all three divine souls work together to comprehend the rules of time, Lin Yuan had tried that before, but it wasn't very effective, and the efficiency didn't improve significantly.
His true divine soul focused on comprehending the rules of time, while the other two assisted by comprehending secret arts and evolutionary paths, allowing them to stimulate each other.
For example, while cultivating the _Spatial-Temporal Step_, he would occasionally gain insights into the essence of the rules of time, which would then feed back into his comprehension of those rules.
Conversely, a deeper understanding of the rules of time would also enhance his grasp of the _Spatial-Temporal Step_.
"After watching the entire River of Time, my understanding of this secret art has deepened." Lin Yuan took a step forward and instantly appeared at the other end of the Xuan Huang Secret Realm, his expression one of enlightenment.
As the _Spatial-Temporal Step_ involved 'space-time', it naturally incorporated aspects of the rules of time.
In fact, the reason Lin Yuan was able to move a million light-years with a single step was due to his mastery of this secret art, which involved the fusion of space and time, resulting in a power that exceeded his imagination.
In the deepest part of the Xuan Huang Secret Realm, a six-armed figure sat with his legs crossed.
As the consciousness of the secret realm, nothing that happened within it escaped his notice. However, since Lin Yuan had refined the core of the secret realm, he now held the power of life and death over this six-armed figure.
"How has the master's proficiency in the _Spatial-Temporal Step_ improved so much?" The six-armed figure watched as Lin Yuan repeatedly appeared in different parts of the Xuan Huang Secret Realm, leaving him stunned.
He clearly perceived that Lin Yuan was crossing vast distances, not by relying on his 'permissions' within the secret realm, but by utilizing the _Spatial-Temporal Step_ to instantly move from one place to another.
But how was this possible? To reach such a level of proficiency in the _Spatial-Temporal Step_, one would need to have a profound understanding of the rules of time, if not complete comprehension.
Yet, the new master of the Xuan Huang Secret Realm was only at the Ninth Tier.
For a Ninth Tier life form to be so close to comprehending the rules of time was truly inconceivable.
This would surely astound Tenth and Eleventh Tier life forms. The six-armed figure found it utterly bewildering.
It was already remarkable that Lin Yuan had made rapid progress in his cultivation of the _Xuan Huang Strike_ secret art.
After all, some people were naturally more adept at cultivating certain secret arts. However, the _Spatial-Temporal Step_ was different; it relied solely on one's understanding of the rules, with no room for shortcuts or tricks.
"His Majesty once said that it is best to comprehend the rules of time as early as possible. For a Tenth Tier life form to comprehend these rules is already an extremely rare genius in the Chaotic Void."
"But at the rate the master is progressing, it is highly likely that he will comprehend the rules of time at the Ninth Tier."
Suddenly, the six-armed figure recalled some words spoken by the Xuan Huang Emperor.
According to the Emperor, aside from certain innate time-based life forms, it was already very rare for a Tenth Tier life form to comprehend the rules of time among those who acquired this ability later in life.
As for the Ninth Tier? The six-armed figure had never heard the Emperor mention such a possibility, and he didn't know if it was because it couldn't be done or if the Emperor himself had never predicted it.
In the Milky Way Main Star, Lin Yuan held the miniature universe in his hand, constantly contemplating the rules of time that operated within it.
The rules of time within this miniature universe were far from sufficient to form a River of Time, but they did provide a relatively complete set of rules for Lin Yuan to study.
"The most valuable aspect of this miniature universe is that all the rules, including the rules of time and space, have formed a stable balance."
Lin Yuan observed the intricacies of the miniature universe, his thoughts turning.
Just as Lin Yuan was about to compare the rules of time within the miniature universe with his own understanding of them.
Suddenly.
At that moment.
Lin Yuan's brows furrowed slightly.
"Someone's looking for me?"
Without interrupting his cultivation, Lin Yuan split off a strand of his consciousness and connected it to the virtual world.
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