C2348 The God of Time

In the Otherworld, Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit Body gazed upon the vast whirlpool in the void, observing the multitude of stars twinkling within it. Each star, adrift in the colossal vortex, corresponded to a different world. This was the domain governed by the Malformed Horror, the deity of wind.

Led by Zhong Chichen, a host of supreme beings from the Wasteland, along with three Primal Animas, had journeyed through the Flowing Realm and the Expanding Realm before finally reaching the domain of the Malformed Horror. Through their travels across these realms, beings of great power, such as Taishi and Loong Jie, along with the Primal Animas, began to understand the structure of the Otherworld. They realized that, although it differed from the Origin Realm and the Wasteland, there were no fundamental dissimilarities.

At this juncture, the Light Spirit and the Thunder Spirit had taken residence within Canli and Qi Yunhong, respectively, using them to observe the whirlpool. They refrained from seizing their hosts once more. Mother Earth, possessing her own form, was also learning about the Otherworld, guided by Zhong Chichen and the three Primal Beasts.

She discovered that some of the thirty-six worlds of the Otherworld were situated on the same latitude, allowing for travel across the Star River without the need for a fountain—a natural portal. Naturally, there were other worlds that required special void passageways, such as the spring, to bridge them—much like the Origin Realm and the Wasteland.

"In this world, the Domain of Origin is the most enigmatic place, home to incredibly fearsome Primal Animas," Zhong Chichen continued to elaborate on the realm's wonders. "Yet, the true capabilities of the mightiest Primal Anima within the Domain of Origin remain unclear to me."

"After all, my time here has been brief."

In that moment, Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit Body sensed a disturbance—the Little Primal Beast was on the move. After a brief moment of contemplation, he pointed towards the expansive Star River adjacent to the whirlpool and inquired of Zhong Chichen, "What lies in that direction?"

"The Heaven Domain!" interjected the Malformed Horror, speaking in place of Zhong Chichen. The formidable Primal Beast, perched in the void like an ancient, auspicious guardian of the myriad Star Rivers, spoke with gravity, "The Heaven Domain was once part of Chaos. Since Bertain slew its ruler, it has yet to see the rise of a new deity."

"Oh," Yu Yuan acknowledged, then added, "Just like you, the little one from the Primal Beast has infiltrated the Heaven Domain."

Using his Solar Spirit Body, he could remotely track the movements of the Little Primal Beast and was becoming increasingly certain that many of the worlds within the Otherworld were indeed interconnected.

Moreover, many of these worlds were nowhere near as expansive as the Origin Realm.

Take the Flow Domain, the Swirl Domain, and the Derivation Domain, for instance—they were only several times larger than some of the Astral Domains within the Origin Realm and the Wasteland, and paled in comparison to the entirety of the Origin Realm and Wasteland.

Some worlds in the Otherworld were adjacent to one another, while others existed in separate dimensions and required connections through springs and pathways.

Whoosh!

A blood-soaked figure suddenly emerged from the area of the spring and sped towards Zhong Chichen.

Like the Space God and the Death God, he too was a member of the Sylph Clan, his once splendid garments now stained with blood.

He was naturally very handsome with skin as pale as snow, but he looked gravely injured and on the verge of death.

"You're the only one left! You must take care of yourself!"

Upon seeing Zhong Chichen, he began to shout frantically, his panic palpable.

Zhong Chichen, taken aback, inquired, "Yalun, what are you talking about?"

Before the man could reply, he caught sight of Yu Yuan and let out a terrified scream, "It's him! It's him again! He's slain many of our Sylph warriors and nearly destroyed both the Void Domain and the Underworld!"

Yu Yuan looked on, utterly bewildered.

Zhong Chichen clarified, "Yalun, what exactly happened? This is Yu Yuan, and he's not the same person who appeared in the Void Domain and the Underworld!"

"No! They are the same person!" Yalun, the Sylph clansman, glared at Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit Body with a mix of hatred and fear. "They both have the same scent, flesh and blood, and even their soul vibrations are nearly identical! Zhong, he's the one who killed our god in the Void Domain—Lord Devitt is dead!"

"Additionally, he has slain the other two sovereigns!"

Aaron cried out in terror.

As he screamed, tears streamed down his face, as if he knew his own end was near.

"What? Lord Devitt is dead?"

Zhong Chichen was thunderstruck, realizing that a significant event had occurred. He exclaimed, "Impossible! Lord Devitt was with Lord Bertain in the Origin Realm!"

"Yes, Lord Devitt perished in the Origin Realm, at the hands of this individual!"

Aaron said through clenched teeth, "He has destroyed all the springs that connect to the Origin Realm. No deity can travel there now. Those beings from the Origin Realm can no longer communicate with us. Only you, once you ascend to rule, can we hope to reestablish a pathway!"

Zhong Chichen was still in shock. Yu Yuan inhaled deeply and lamented, "It appears he was not dealt with by my teacher or me in the Origin Realm."

This being had blood and flesh, and the soul's vibrations were similar; only the Primal Soul from the Abyss could have slain the Space God Devitt.

This Sylph named Aaron had mistaken himself for the Primal Soul.

At that moment,

The Book of Time at Zhong Chichen's feet burst into a dazzling divine radiance, and everyone was struck with the illusion that time had come to a halt.

Then, a towering figure clad in a pristine white robe, his bones as white as jade, emerged from the Book of Time.

He was the chieftain of the Bone Tribe from the Otherworld, his status far surpassing that of the God of Oblivion, Harris.

He stood tall, his eye sockets housing gem-like eyes that whirled about.

This imposing white jade skeleton exuded an aura of serenity, inspiring an easy trust.

From the wide sleeves of his robe, his arms and alabaster hands seemed to wield the power to arrest time itself.

All the exalted beings present, from the high-ranking Primal Anima akin to Mother Earth to Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit Body, suddenly felt an indescribable pressure.

From the moment of his arrival, time seemed to bend to his will.

"Greetings, Lord Heesters!"

"Honor to you, Lord!"

"Welcome, Lord!"

The gods of Wind, Malformed Horror, Gluttony, Chai En, and Killing, Wendigo, all offered their respectful bows to him. The three Primal Beasts from the Otherworld showed immense reverence, curbing their usual arrogance and wildness. As a small faction, they were not subjugated by Primal Gods or Primal Animas, yet they knew to show due respect in the presence of a true powerhouse.

The chieftain of the Bone Tribe, recognized as such a formidable figure, was someone they treated with earnest solemnity. Heesters, the Bone Tribe patriarch, acknowledged their gestures with a nod and a smile, saying, "Please, there's no need for such formality."

His words were clear to all who heard them, whether it was the three Primal Beasts of this realm, or Yu Yuan, Taishi, Mother Earth, Light Spirit, and Thunder Spirit from another world.

"You?" Zhong Chichen hesitated briefly before also bowing in respect.

After the bow, Zhong Chichen looked up again and ventured, "Are you the God of Time?"

Heesters hummed in affirmation, his gaze falling upon the Book of Time that Zhong Chichen had refined. Shaking his head, he remarked, "You've missed the forest for the trees. Having found the Book of Time I left in that world, you've merely created little worlds within it, turning each page into a new realm."

"Alas, if only you could settle your mind and truly grasp the mysteries of the Book of Time, you wouldn't need Devitt's help to ascend to supremacy."

"My control over time far surpasses his mastery of space magic. It's disappointing to see such obtuseness in you, little dragon."

Heesters continued to shake his head, his expression one of exasperation.

Zhong Chichen stood there, dumbfounded.

The others present shared his stunned silence, gazing at the Bone Tribe patriarch with disbelief. The enigmatic Book of Time from the Origin Realm, a relic of the God of Time himself, contained the very secrets to supreme power!

Zhong Chichen had long possessed the book, yet he had not delved into its temporal mysteries. He failed to perceive the profound truths within, to unlock the secrets Heesters had embedded in the Book of Time.

Clutching a treasure beyond measure, Zhong Chichen spent his days lamenting his misfortune, bemoaning the absence of time and space Primal Animas in the Origin Realm, Wasteland, and Origin Realm.

"Lord Heesters, we trust Lord Bertain's judgment, but we are unable to manage the affairs of the Origin Realm!"

The Sylph patriarch exclaimed.

"I understand."

The God of Time, whose rank surpassed Bertain's in the Otherworld, nodded subtly.

"It was the death of Devitt and the demise of the two rulers he created that led me to seek out this young dragon. Your survival is crucial, for you are the key link to the Origin Realm. You must grasp the essence of Devitt's space magic with all haste."

The God of Time encouraged Zhong Chichen to strive for a breakthrough and ascend to the status of a Ruler as soon as possible.

His gaze then warmly settled on Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit Body, and with a smile, he said, "I recognize you. Bertain has spoken of you to me more than once. As his close friend, I am aware that the Primal Soul born of the Abyss has emerged in our world and is now en route to the Domain of Origin."

"The Domain of Origin is the hallowed ground of the Primal Anima in our world, home to the mightiest among them."

As he spoke, Heesters' gaze lingered on Mother Earth and the Primal Animas within Qi Yunhong and Canli.

"They are under my protection. I will not permit any formidable beings from your world to sacrifice them in pursuit of becoming so-called Primal Gods," Yu Yuan declared with gravity.

The towering figure of white jade, wielding the power of time and serving as the chieftain of the Bone Tribe, aroused Yu Yuan's vigilance.

The time-related powers he had mastered were even more enigmatic than those of space, and Yu Yuan had long been aware of their potency.

It was clear that Heesters had ascended to the rank of a Primordial God by refining a Time Primal Anima, just like Harris, Devitt, and Kurkova had done.

In the Otherworld, there exists a competitive dynamic among the Primal Animas, the Light Spirit, and the Thunder Spirit.

To Heesters, Mother Earth, the Light Spirit, and the Thunder Spirit might all be considered valuable quarry, capable of giving rise to three new Primordial Gods.

"Rest assured, if we did not adhere to the rules and respect Bertain, the Primal Animas of your world would have already been refined by our people," Heesters reassured with a smile, indicating to Yu Yuan that there was no need for undue concern.

"..."