"Tower Master, how about we choose someone else?" Deputy Tower Master Nalan glanced at Lin Yuan, who was standing aside, hesitated for a moment, and spoke in a low voice.
He still couldn't bring himself to act.
Moreover, Deputy Tower Master Nalan felt that there was no need for Strongest One Xia Qin to specifically give the Milky Way Star Lord an additional setback.
As the strongest genius in the history of human civilization, it was only natural to be unstoppable.
"It will be you."
"None of the others are suitable."
Strongest One Xia Qin shook his head.
"Alright."
Deputy Tower Master Nalan nodded.
The will of the Strongest One cannot be disobeyed, even if he believed that the Strongest One's decision was flawed.
But when it needs to be followed, it must be followed.
"Milky Way Star Lord, if you can't hold on later, remember to surrender," Deputy Tower Master Nalan kindly reminded.
Although Strongest One Xia Qin limited the two to only spar within the rules of time, Deputy Tower Master Nalan believed that he was only one step away from comprehending all time models.
The Milky Way Star Lord, merely at the ninth rank, even found it difficult to perceive the fluctuations of time. What could he achieve in the rules of time?
Under the crushing weight of the rules, if the Milky Way Star Lord surrendered in time, he could at least suffer less torment.
"I understand." Lin Yuan's expression grew slightly serious.
Deputy Tower Master Nalan's words put some pressure on Lin Yuan.
After all, it was the first time Lin Yuan had seen Deputy Tower Master Nalan take action, back when he was still at the seventh rank.
At that time, Deputy Tower Master Nalan stood outside the Black Abyss Secret Realm and, with his own power, suppressed the entire Black Abyss Clan so that they dared not resist.
If it weren't for the arrival of the strong members of the Insect Race in the end, the entire Black Abyss Clan would have been wiped out by Deputy Tower Master Nalan.
"Let's begin."
Strongest One Xia Qin waved his right hand.
Lin Yuan and Deputy Tower Master Nalan immediately felt the world shift around them.
The next moment, they found themselves beneath a desolate starry sky.
For Strongest One Xia Qin, relocating the two to a virtual 'arena' world was merely a thought.
"Milky Way Star Lord, you make the first move," Deputy Tower Master Nalan offered graciously.
If it were a battle against an alien race, he would naturally strike first, taking no chances.
But with Lin Yuan?
First, this was just a sparring match, far from a life-and-death struggle, so it was only proper for him, as a senior, to give way a bit.
Second, Deputy Tower Master Nalan was confident of his victory.
How could a tenth-rank lose to a ninth-rank? Especially when he was an A-grade tenth-rank, and a strong one at that.
With such a significant gap in strength, it would feel almost shameful for Deputy Tower Master Nalan to strike first.
If he was going to 'bully the weak,' at least let the other side have a chance to fight back.
"Remember, use all your strength."
"This may be your only chance to strike," Deputy Tower Master Nalan reminded calmly.
A battle within the realm of time rules often lasted only a moment, as the collision of different time rules often left the weaker side with no chance to resist.
Of course, real combat has many variables, such as using other means.
Being weaker in time rules didn't mean being weaker in other areas.
But Strongest One Xia Qin had set the rule that only time rules could be used in this sparring match.
This meant the fight would not last long; a simple clash of time domains rarely resulted in a stalemate.
This was why Deputy Tower Master Nalan felt that Strongest One Xia Qin intentionally wanted to give the Milky Way Star Lord a setback.
The rules were so strict that it seemed almost as if they were tailor-made for him.
"Alright," Lin Yuan nodded, "I will go all out."
"Hmm," Deputy Tower Master Nalan nodded in satisfaction.
Only when the Milky Way Star Lord went all out and realized he was no match, as if playing with toys in the realm of time rules, would the intended lesson be learned.
"Milky Way Star Lord, I may not be as good as you in spatial domain creation, but in time?" Deputy Tower Master Nalan thought leisurely.
Suddenly, he noticed that Lin Yuan, who had been standing in the distance, had disappeared.
"Hmm?"
Deputy Tower Master Nalan immediately sensed something was wrong.
"Has the flow of time... changed?" His expression turned serious.
With a swift motion, Deputy Tower Master Nalan released a surge of time fluctuations, attempting to disrupt the surrounding time waves.
"Break it!"
Deputy Tower Master Nalan, realizing something, fully activated his understanding of time rules to break free from the various time traps that had enveloped him.
Outside.
Lin Yuan stood quietly, a half-meter-sized crystal ball made entirely of time fluctuations floating before him.
Inside the crystal ball, Deputy Tower Master Nalan struggled continuously, but ultimately, like being trapped in a swamp, he was enveloped by layers of time traps and couldn't break free.
After comprehending all the time models, Lin Yuan had developed several secret techniques in the realm of time rules through continuous combination of various time models.
One of these was the Time Prison, one of Lin Yuan's proudest creations. It involved the fusion of 1,337 time models, creating an endless time corridor.
These time corridors then formed a Time Prison.
Any life trapped in the Time Prison, if their comprehension of time rules was not superior to Lin Yuan's, would be unable to perceive their own flow of time, becoming completely at his mercy.
After all, the amount of time experienced by a life trapped in the Time Prison was entirely controlled by Lin Yuan.
With a single thought, he could make the other party experience a day while the outside world experienced a year, or a year while the outside world experienced a day.
If that's not being played with, what is?
In the history of human civilization, there had occasionally been geniuses who comprehended time rules at the tenth rank.
This was how Lin Yuan knew that comprehending time rules at the tenth rank, before advancing to the eleventh rank, brought significantly greater benefits, and that the inner world would undergo a transformation.
As for comprehending time rules at the ninth rank? There were no historical cases in human civilization, but that didn't stop Lin Yuan from speculating.
If comprehending time rules at the tenth rank could allow for an additional transformation of the inner world when advancing to the eleventh rank, then comprehending them at the ninth rank would mean an additional two transformations upon advancing to the tenth and eleventh ranks, right?
"But do you know what specific benefits there are? Why does the inner world undergo a transformation?"
Strongest One Xia Qin smiled and asked.
"I don't know," Lin Yuan shook his head.
He only knew that there were benefits, but not what they were specifically.
The information he had seen didn't detail it, likely because it was a classified secret of human civilization.
Even with eighth-level citizen access, he couldn't view it all.
"This requires an explanation of the differences when a tenth-rank evolver makes a major breakthrough to the eleventh rank, depending on whether their inner world is 'independent' or not."
Strongest One Xia Qin paused for a moment before continuing:
"If a tenth-rank evolver has not comprehended time rules, their inner world lacks the pillar of time and must rely on the main universe, effectively becoming a subsidiary world of the main universe."
"When a subsidiary world undergoes a major breakthrough, it communicates with the origin ocean of the main universe. At that time, the main universe will actively open the entrance to the origin ocean, pouring in a large amount of origin power to help the inner world grow rapidly."
"But if the inner world has already become 'independent,' with both time and space pillars, it can be considered an 'independent' world."
"Even if this 'independent' world is insignificant compared to the main universe, it is still an 'independent' world, theoretically on the same level as the main universe."
"It has its own separate pillars of time and space."
"Therefore, when such an 'independent' world undergoes a major breakthrough, it no longer receives the origin power of the main universe but rather the origin power of the chaotic void."
Strongest One Xia Qin looked at Lin Yuan.
"I see," Lin Yuan's expression showed that he was deep in thought.
The chaotic void is undoubtedly far vaster than the universe, and its origin power is naturally more precious.
If ranked from high to low, it would certainly be chaotic void > universe > subsidiary world.
Once a subsidiary world becomes independent in terms of time and space, it would be on par with the universe, jointly receiving the gifts of the chaotic void.
Typically, most strong individuals can only receive the gifts of the chaotic void when advancing to the eleventh rank and beyond.
Because comprehending time rules generally happens at this level.
Receiving the gifts and transformations that are usually only available to those advancing to the ultimate level, but doing so at the tenth rank, how significant would the benefit be?
Moreover, if Lin Yuan comprehended time rules at the ninth rank, he would receive the gifts of the chaotic void at the ninth rank.
"The origin power infused by the chaotic void will greatly stabilize the inner world and enhance its essence, pushing it toward the transformation into an inner universe."
"Of course, even if you comprehend time rules and make your inner world independent, when you break through to the eleventh rank, due to your own level and strength, you won't be able to fully transform your inner world into an inner universe in one go."
"But the foundation will be there, and when you eventually break through to the ultimate level, the difficulty in the inner world's transformation will be significantly reduced."
Strongest One Xia Qin explained slowly.
This essentially spreads out the pressure of future breakthroughs to the ultimate level, increasing the chances of advancing to the twelfth rank.
So far, Lin Yuan had only heard of two methods to increase the probability of advancing to the ultimate level.
One was to spread one's own evolutionary path.
The other was to comprehend chaotic rules.
As for the fusion of time and space rules? That's just the prerequisite for advancing to the ultimate level.
Without achieving time-space fusion, one couldn't even reach the threshold for the ultimate level.
"Strongest One Xia Qin, I may not necessarily be able to comprehend time rules at the ninth rank," Lin Yuan thought for a moment before speaking.
Even with Unrivaled Insight and treasures like the microcosm for reference, Lin Yuan was only somewhat confident in his ability to comprehend time rules at the ninth rank.
As for certainty? He didn't have much.
Lin Yuan had even prepared himself to comprehend time rules at the tenth rank.
It should be noted that comprehending time rules is even more difficult than advancing to the eleventh rank.
Many eleventh-rank evolvers have not comprehended time rules.
Lin Yuan dared not guarantee that he could do so at the ninth rank.
If he failed, wouldn't he be slapping himself in the face?
"I know you're not certain of comprehending them," Strongest One Xia Qin wasn't surprised at all.
Unless they are innate time beings, who could guarantee they could comprehend time rules?
"That's why I asked you to find me after comprehending all the time rule models. Besides gauging your general understanding of time rules, I also wanted to give you a push."
Strongest One Xia Qin smiled as he looked at Lin Yuan.
"A push?" Lin Yuan was taken aback.
Comprehending time rules is an extremely personal matter.
Everyone's understanding of time rules is different, and it cannot be forcibly taught.
Even a wondrous object like a microcosm could only reduce the difficulty of comprehending time rules.
As for pushing someone forward? Lin Yuan had never considered that possibility.
The various treasures and techniques left behind by the Devil Jade Tower Master and His Majesty the Mysterious Sovereign had never mentioned pushing someone to comprehend time rules.
"Yes."
"Next, I'm going to take you to see something..."
Strongest One Xia Qin's tone was calm as he continued:
"The full view of the River of Time."
...
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