Chapter 356: Mastery of Time

Chapter 356: Mastery of Time (5000 characters, please subscribe)

Nalan, the deputy master of the tower, held an eleven-tier celebration that lasted for over half a month.

The birth of a new eleventh-tier Evolver was a momentous occasion for all of human civilization, and naturally, it had to be celebrated grandly.

Moreover, as the celebration took place in the virtual world, there was no concern for extravagance and waste, only that it lasted a little longer.

However, for the current human civilization's Evolvers, being able to witness numerous high-tier Evolvers of human civilization during this celebration was an invaluable opportunity.

Lin Yuan only appeared on the first day of the celebration and remained out of sight for the rest of the half month.

With his imminent enlightenment of the Time Rule, Lin Yuan naturally had to make the most of his time to comprehend it.

"Galaxy Master." After the celebration ended, Nalan, the deputy tower master, immediately sought out Lin Yuan.

"I've been extremely busy lately," Nalan said apologetically.

After breaking through to the eleventh tier, most of his energy had been spent familiarizing himself with the surging power.

The rest of his attention had been occupied by the various identity changes that came with reaching the eleventh tier.

If not for these constraints, Nalan would have likely sought out Lin Yuan immediately to express his gratitude.

"Congratulations again, Deputy Tower Master Nalan, on your ascension to the eleventh tier," Lin Yuan said with a smile.

"Eleventh tier? For Galaxy Master, it's only a matter of time." Nalan waved it off nonchalantly.

There were some things he couldn't easily discuss in front of others, and the Supreme Being Xia Qin had specifically instructed him to keep certain matters confidential.

But now, in the privacy of Lin Yuan's personal space, Nalan felt free to speak his mind.

As a newly ascended eleventh-tier powerhouse, Nalan felt a sense of pride when interacting with other Evolvers.

Even when dealing with those who had once been his equals at the tenth tier, he now communicated from a lofty perch.

However, the one exception was when he faced the Galaxy Master, Lin Yuan.

What was there to be proud of?

Proud that the Galaxy Master had nearly comprehended the Time Rule at the ninth tier?

Proud that the Galaxy Master's understanding of the Time Rule surpassed that of a significant portion of eleventh-tier Evolvers?

In fact, in the presence of the Galaxy Master...

Nalan felt a sense of pressure.

A pressure that he could be surpassed at any moment.

"But at least for the next ten thousand years, Galaxy Master shouldn't be able to reach the eleventh tier, right?" Nalan thought to himself.

"Hopefully," Lin Yuan replied with a smile.

Indeed, the eleventh tier was not a difficult goal for him.

He could achieve it by simply following the established path.

The true challenge lay in becoming a Supreme Being, in reaching the twelfth tier, and in attaining the ultimate realm.

"Seeing Galaxy Master, I feel as though I'm witnessing the strength of human civilization." Nalan's tone held a hint of emotion. "It hasn't been easy for our human civilization to come this far."

"Indeed, it hasn't been easy," Lin Yuan nodded in agreement.

With his ascension to Evolution Grand Scholar and eighth-grade citizen, many secrets of human civilization had been unveiled before him.

Even before becoming an Evolver, Lin Yuan had known that human civilization had accomplished the extraordinary feat of rising from their ancestral planet, sweeping across the eight tribes, and becoming one of the strongest peak races in the universe, all within just two million years.

Initially, Lin Yuan hadn't found anything strange about this.

After all, to him back then, two million years was an extremely long time.

But as his strength and realm improved, he began to understand the true significance of that achievement.

While two million years might seem like a long time to ordinary humans or second and third-tier Evolvers, it was not an inconceivable span for high-tier Evolvers.

Eighth-tier Evolvers could live for two to three million years, which was enough to cover the current Stellar Sea Calendar.

As for ninth-tier Evolvers, their lifespan would be even longer.

And what of tenth and eleventh-tier Evolvers?

Especially the latter, for those who had comprehended the Time Rule, living for hundreds of billions, trillions, or even tens of trillions of years was a trivial matter.

In the depths of the universe, there were those 'Ancient Gods' who had been born at the dawn of the universe and had endured unimaginably long existences, yet they remained trapped at the eleventh tier.

Of course, a small number of powerful 'Ancient Gods' were not trapped at the eleventh tier because they couldn't challenge the ultimate realm.

It was because they dared not.

Failure in challenging the ultimate realm meant complete annihilation, from which even a Supreme Being could not reverse.

To challenge the ultimate, one must first step out of the river of time.

This stepping out meant a complete exit, including the erasure of the life imprint etched into the origin of the universe.

Should one fail during this process, everything would be reduced to ashes, including that faint life imprint.

And for a Supreme Being to resurrect a life that had perished in the past, they needed to rely on that life imprint as a 'path marker'.

This was why lives below the sixth tier could not be resurrected—their life imprints were too weak to form a 'path marker'.

For an eleventh-tier life to challenge the ultimate realm, the first step was to erase their own path marker. Only then could they make that final leap and attempt to enter the domain of the Supreme Beings.

As Lin Yuan's strength grew, so too did his exposure to the secrets and wonders of the universe.

And with each revelation, he gained a deeper appreciation for the remarkable achievement of human civilization—rising to become a peak race in just two million years and giving birth to nine Supreme Beings.

Consider the other peak races in the universe, like the Insectoid Race or the Celestial Feather Race—each had existed for countless tens of millions of years.

Yet, human civilization had only a mere two million years of history?

And according to the explanations within human civilization, this event had occurred a very, very long time ago.

On the ancestral planet of human civilization, an unprecedented opportunity had presented itself.

This opportunity had brought about a profound transformation for the life on that planet, which would eventually become the foundation of human civilization.

It was only in the first year of the Stellar Sea Calendar that the first Supreme Being was born, marking the beginning of human civilization's expansion beyond their world.

Indeed, before the birth of that first Supreme Being, human civilization had dared not make contact with the outside world.

For that opportunity, that blessing, had been so immense that even a hint of its revelation would have brought the wrath of all life in the universe upon them.

In the 5,700th year of the Stellar Sea Calendar, the third Supreme Being was born into human civilization.

In the 11,000th year of the Stellar Sea Calendar, human civilization witnessed the birth of its fourth Supreme Being.

In the 18,000th year of the Stellar Sea Calendar, the fifth Supreme Being made their entrance in human civilization.

The Stellar Sea Calendar's 20,000th year marked the arrival of the sixth Supreme Being in human civilization.

Then, in the 25,000th year of the Stellar Sea Calendar, the seventh Supreme Being emerged within human civilization.

The eighth Supreme Being rose in human civilization during the 38,000th year of the Stellar Sea Calendar.

And finally, in the 120,000th year, the ninth Supreme Being was born, completing this extraordinary era for human civilization.

Of course, this was an incredibly glorious period for humanity.

However, before the first year of the Stellar Sea Calendar, there was an era of hibernation that lasted far longer than two million years.

The over two million years of the Stellar Sea Calendar do not encompass the full history of human civilization, which actually spans hundreds of billions of years on the ancestral planet.

"During our hibernation, the strong among us could only secretly leave the ancestral planet, masquerading as solitary wanderers in the universe or mercenaries for other alien races, exchanging their service for cultivation resources," Lin Yuan said softly. "Even in death, they could not reveal their origins."

"Indeed," Nalan, the deputy tower master, nodded in agreement.

In that era, the geniuses of human civilization had to keep a low profile, desperately concealing their talents. Otherwise, they risked being captured and enslaved by other powerful races.

Nowadays, countless geniuses emerge from human civilization, and while occasional assassination attempts are made by other races, most of these endeavors end in failure.

Moreover, once they reach the sixth tier, they can imprint their life marks, and thus, have the hope of resurrection.

"I wonder what kind of spectacle it was when countless treasures fell into the universe," Nalan mused. "And what kind of opportunities did it bring to human civilization?"

"Countless treasures falling into the universe?" Lin Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you referring to the incident that led to the extinction of ninety percent of the races in the universe?"

Lin Yuan's heart stirred as he recalled the results of the Wisdom Goddess's inquiry about the black planet.

"Galaxy Master, you also know about that incident?" Nalan asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.

It was only after he had reached the eleventh tier and his identity and strength met the criteria that he learned about these secrets.

He wouldn't have expected the Galaxy Master to also be aware of them, but then he remembered the importance that the Supreme Being Xia Qin placed on the Galaxy Master.

"Indeed," Lin Yuan replied.

"The unprecedented opportunity that our human civilization gained during its hibernation should be related to that incident," Nalan said.

In truth, he was only speculating based on the information he had gathered so far.

"I see," Lin Yuan said, his eyes widening in realization. No wonder the Wisdom Goddess had been able to trace the origins of the black planet so quickly and had offered five hundred million merit points for its acquisition. She had been aware of its significance.

"My gourd..." Lin Yuan's thoughts turned to the gourd he had obtained during the sweep of the Galaxy Star Domain.

While human civilization had been unable to uncover any information about the mysterious gourd, Lin Yuan instinctively felt that it might also be one of the treasures that had fallen into the universe.

After all, he hadn't been able to find any information about the gourd, as if it didn't originate from this universe at all.

After Nalan left, Lin Yuan's heart was stirred with emotion.

Most humans only focused on the glorious battles of the last two million years, where human civilization had dominated the eight tribes.

However, the much longer era of hibernation before the Stellar Sea Calendar was equally remarkable.

Even with a fortuitous opportunity, what good would it do without the difficult hibernation period? Any precious opportunity would have been seized by stronger races.

"I must cherish my current cultivation environment," Lin Yuan said to himself.

With that, he closed his eyes and once again immersed himself in cultivation.

Three years passed in the blink of an eye.

Lin Yuan's understanding of the Time Rule had grown, and he had now deduced 2,040 new models of the Time Rule.

He was just ten models away from completely grasping the Time Rule, according to his expectations.

"The 2,041st model of the Time Rule... is it a well? A well of time?" Lin Yuan furrowed his brows as he attempted to construct this model, but each attempt ended in failure.

"Well of Time," Lin Yuan muttered, deep in thought.

"I'll go to the fifth floor of the Black Tower again," he decided, and his consciousness, guided by the Demon Jade imprint, descended once more into the Demon Jade space.

The fifth floor of the Black Tower required a complete understanding of the Time Rule to pass.

In other words, the various time dilemmas on the fifth floor were specifically designed to challenge those who had grasped the Time Rule at different stages.

By observing the cause and effect, combined with the miniature universe and the full view of the River of Time, Lin Yuan often gained profound insights.

Soon enough, Lin Yuan arrived before the Nine-Story Black Tower.

The humanoid stone statue, Shen Ji, was chatting casually with a burly man.

The man was named Yuan Jin, the second person from this universe to enter the Demon Jade space. He had joined the Demon Jade Tower as an ordinary member by supplementing one of the paths of Demon evolution.

Of course, this was nothing compared to Lin Yuan, who had comprehended 3,333 paths of Demon evolution.

Even in the Chaos Void, supplementing a path of Demon evolution was the primary way the Demon Jade Tower recruited members.

As for comprehending 3,333 paths? There might not even be one among the ten thousand members of the Demon Jade Tower.

"You're here?" Shen Ji, the humanoid stone statue, immediately turned his attention to Lin Yuan, ignoring the burly man, Yuan Jin, beside him.

Yuan Jin didn't dare voice any complaints. In his eyes, Lin Yuan was an unfathomable eleventh-tier lifeform, and this was the only place where he could catch a glimpse of such a powerful being.

A thousand sounded like a large number, but considering the vast expanse of human civilization, it was spread thin, and one could only wonder how many star alliances it would take to find one.

Furthermore, most of the eleventh-tier Evolvers in human civilization were concentrated in the large alien battlefields, with the remainder mostly in the Central Star Domain.

As for the surrounding four major star domains, the nine grand evolution towers were the primary source of eleventh-tier Evolvers.

"I want to try the fifth floor again." Lin Yuan stated directly.

By now, he was familiar with the humanoid stone statue, Shen Ji, so he could speak frankly.

"Very well."

"You may enter."

The humanoid stone statue, Shen Ji, nodded.

The entrance to the Nine-Story Black Tower behind him opened.

As Yuan Jin, the burly man, watched cautiously, Lin Yuan stepped into the tower.

At this moment, the humanoid stone statue, Shen Ji, was observing the scene on the fifth floor of the Black Tower.

Yuan Jin stood by, unable to view what was happening on the fifth floor due to his lack of permission. He could only stand there obediently, gazing up at the faint radiance emanating from the fifth floor's location.

Soon...

The humanoid stone statue, Shen Ji, shook his head slightly, a hint of regret in his eyes. "He was so close."

"So close?" Yuan Jin's heart skipped a beat.

So close to passing the fifth floor?

According to the information about the Nine-Story Black Tower, one had to fully grasp the Time Rule to have a chance at overcoming the fifth floor.

And to understand the Time Rule to such a degree was considered a formidable achievement even among eleventh-tier Evolvers.

The person who had just entered had come extremely close to comprehending the Time Rule.

"I only managed to pass the first floor of the Black Tower after reaching the ninth tier." Yuan Jin swallowed, his throat dry.

To be able to supplement a path of Demon evolution, his innate talent and aptitudes were naturally exceptional. However, it was only after reaching the ninth tier that he barely managed to pass the first floor.

Swish!

Just then—

Lin Yuan's figure reappeared outside the Black Tower.

"With a little more time, he should be able to do it." The humanoid stone statue, Shen Ji, spoke up.

If it were anyone else, he wouldn't have said such a thing, as the final hurdle of comprehending the Time Rule often stumped countless powerful beings.

But when it came to Lin Yuan, Shen Ji had no doubts whatsoever.

"Mhm."

Lin Yuan nodded.

Suddenly—

Lin Yuan glanced at the burly man, Yuan Jin, who stood respectfully by the side.

Lin Yuan hadn't spoken much to Yuan Jin despite the latter spending a considerable amount of time in the Demon Jade space.

Lin Yuan thought for a moment, then decided to greet Yuan Jin, as they were both human Evolvers, and the only two currently testing themselves in the Demon Jade space.

Of course, Lin Yuan was aware that Yuan Jin was human and came from human civilization.

However, Yuan Jin had no idea about Lin Yuan's background or even whether he originated from the same universe as himself.

After all, as long as one could condense the Demon Jade imprint, they could project their consciousness into this space, regardless of which universe they were from, as long as they were from the same dimension.

"Your Excellency."

Yuan Jin was deeply humbled and couldn't believe that a mighty eleventh-tier being would address him directly.

"There's no need to be so formal."

Lin Yuan shook his head slightly. "We're both ninth-tier, so there's no need to stand on ceremony in the future."

"Th-Thank you, Your Excellency!" Yuan Jin wanted to express his gratitude, but his brain short-circuited.

What had Lin Yuan just said? There's no need to be so formal?

No, that wasn't it.

Did he say we're both ninth-tier?

We're both ninth-tier?

We're both ninth-tier?

Yuan Jin was bewildered.

Ninth-tier?

He was so close to passing the fifth floor of the Black Tower?

He was about to comprehend the Time Rule?

Yuan Jin was stunned and couldn't process what he had just heard.

Was this man still a ninth-tier Evolver? Yuan Jin plucked up the courage to voice his confusion.

However, he found that Lin Yuan had already left, leaving only the humanoid stone statue, Shen Ji, who smiled at him.

"Did I just fall into an illusion?" Yuan Jin couldn't help but ask the stone statue.

As a ninth-tier Evolver, even a newly advanced one, he had a good grasp of his soul, mind, and will.

But what he had just heard was so astonishing that he wondered if he had somehow fallen into an illusion without realizing it.

"There's no need for confusion."

The humanoid stone statue, Shen Ji, smiled faintly. "The person you saw earlier is indeed a ninth-tier life form, but he is also the strongest ninth-tier life form I have ever seen."

"The strongest ninth-tier life form?" Yuan Jin mumbled to himself.

So, everything he had heard was true?

Yuan Jin's heart was shaken to its core.

A ninth-tier about to comprehend the Time Rule?

What kind of monster was this?

Even the so-called strongest genius in the history of human civilization, the Galaxy Master, probably couldn't achieve this, could he?

Even though Yuan Jin was a new ninth-tier, he understood that there was a world of difference between a ninth-tier on the verge of comprehending the Time Rule and an eleventh-tier who was about to comprehend it.

The former was undoubtedly far more difficult than the latter.

Galaxy Master.

Lin Yuan sat with his legs crossed.

After revisiting the fifth floor of the Black Tower, his understanding of the Time Rule began to soar once more.

[Your comprehension ability is heaven-defying. You have deduced the 2,041st new model of the Time Rule.]

[Your comprehension ability is heaven-defying. You have deduced the 2,043rd new model of the Time Rule.]

[Your comprehension ability is heaven-defying. You have deduced the 2,045th new model of the Time Rule.]

[Your comprehension ability is heaven-defying. You have deduced the 2,048th new model of the Time Rule.]

[Your comprehension ability is heaven-defying. You have deduced the 2,050th new model of the Time Rule.]

[Your comprehension ability is heaven-defying. You have comprehended the Time Rule.]

In a daze,

Lin Yuan's perception of the world changed.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end