A month passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, with his own diligent efforts and the assistance of the Ancestral Stone's unique functions, Xiao Yan finally managed to successfully cultivate both divine arts he had obtained.
The Heavenly Flame Divine Art wasn't too difficult; Xiao Yan only needed four or five days before he could begin to wield it. However, the Golden Crow Blaze Abyss Art proved far more demanding. It took him a full half month just to find a way to cultivate it, and only on the final day did he barely manage to grasp its rudiments.
Still, though this divine art consumed much of his time, the terrifying power it unleashed didn't disappoint him. And thanks to his month of intense training, the spiritual energy in his body, which had already been at the peak of Fifth Grade Sovereign, surged further, allowing him to successfully break through to Sixth Grade Sovereign just a few days ago.
If he were to face Qin Wan'er again now, Xiao Yan had absolute confidence that he wouldn't be as pressured as before. In fact, he believed he could fight her to a draw without even relying on the Demonic Wrath Flame Lotus. That said, although he had successfully cultivated both divine arts, he was still only at the beginner stage of wielding them. Reaching full mastery would require much more grinding in battle.
"It's time to go back." Xiao Yan glanced around the Heavenly Tomb, but a strange feeling stirred in his heart. He clearly remembered the place being filled with numerous energy forms before… yet now, they had all vanished. Had ascending to the Great Thousand World caused them to dissipate?
"Flame Emperor…" Just as Xiao Yan was puzzling over the changes in the Heavenly Tomb, the Ancestral Stone Spirit suddenly spoke. "I just realized something very important… I forgot to tell you."
"What is it?" Xiao Yan frowned.
"It's like this. Back in the lower planes, your Heavenly Tomb could indeed distort time, letting it flow differently from the outside world. But that's only because the spatial laws of the lower planes were too weak. Once someone reached the Sovereign Stage, they could manipulate the laws of time and space at will. But now that we're in the Great Thousand World… those laws might no longer apply," the Ancestral Stone Spirit said sheepishly.
"You're saying…" A bad premonition flashed through Xiao Yan's mind, and his face turned grim.
"I'm saying that now that you're in the Great Thousand World, the Heavenly Tomb's temporal distortion might have disappeared. Meaning, time inside and outside the tomb should now be flowing at the same speed…" The spirit coughed awkwardly, clearly just remembering this detail.
"You're only telling me this now?!" Xiao Yan cursed internally and immediately shot out of the Heavenly Tomb. He had originally hoped to use the time difference to rapidly increase his strength, but if what the Ancestral Stone said was true, then he had been missing for a full month. He'd already missed the three-day deadline set earlier! What if something had already happened outside?
As soon as he returned to the room, he saw Qing Tan holding a jade slip, seemingly studying it. His heart sank. It looked like she had already been to the Nine Nether Secret Realm and returned. Panicked, he rushed over and grabbed her arm. "What did Elder Tianling say?!"
"What do you mean, what did she say?" Qing Tan gave him a confused look, startled by his sudden aggression.
"You've already been to the Nine Nether Secret Realm, right? What did she say about me not showing up?"
"Did you hit your head while cultivating or something?" Qing Tan pulled her arm free, clearly exasperated. "Didn't she say we're supposed to go tomorrow? Why are you acting like you've missed it?"
"Wait… you mean the three days haven't passed yet?" Xiao Yan blinked.
"What else would it be? You think it's been a whole month?" Qing Tan rolled her eyes and went back to her seat.
"Ancestral Stone Spirit, you really scared me there…" Xiao Yan let out a long breath and pulled the spirit out again.
The Ancestral Stone Spirit looked embarrassed. "Logically, that shouldn't be the case… The Heavenly Tomb was a construct of the lower world. It shouldn't retain its special functions here—unless…"
"Unless what?" Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes.
"Unless your Heavenly Tomb originally came from the Great Thousand World and was crafted by a high-level expert from here. Otherwise, it shouldn't still have the ability to alter time in this realm."
The Ancestral Stone Spirit paused, then continued in a serious tone. "The time laws in the Great Thousand World are far more complex than those in the lower planes. Creating a space that can alter time flow would require a cultivator at least at the Heavenly Sovereign level. And not just an early-stage one, either."
Xiao Yan nodded slightly. He had only barely scratched the surface of temporal power, but from his understanding of spatial force, the difference between the two realms was stark. In the Dou Qi Continent, even Dou Zong-level experts could manipulate space. But in the Great Thousand World, only Sovereign-level combatants could shake spatial boundaries. That alone demonstrated the vast gap.
Moreover, his Temporal Ancestral Symbol was far less effective now. It couldn't stop an entire continent like before. Even freezing time in a small room was difficult and extremely energy-consuming—nearly a hundred times more than before. This aligned perfectly with what the Ancestral Stone had said.
With that in mind, Xiao Yan realized the Heavenly Tomb space must have a profound origin. Its functions were incredibly useful, and if he ever encountered a truly desperate situation, diving into the tomb could be a surefire escape.
"Looks like I can't let this secret get out…" Xiao Yan glanced at Qing Tan and silently resolved to keep the Heavenly Tomb a closely guarded secret. He had originally intended to let her use it for cultivation, but that thought was now firmly extinguished.
According to the Ancestral Stone, even a Heavenly Sovereign would covet this kind of space. If word got out, what awaited him would be nothing short of calamity.
Although Qing Tan was someone he trusted, he believed in caution over optimism. The fewer people who knew, the safer it was. Rather than trust others not to betray him, it was better not to give them the chance at all.
As for the Ancestral Stone and its companions, Xiao Yan had long since placed soul seals upon them. If they ever harbored thoughts of betrayal, they would self-destruct instantly. A necessary measure of protection.
(End of Chapter)
---
This Fanfiction Has Been Completed on Patreon, There is 2 Chapters Ahead of Release for Free Members on my Patreon.
Support me if you like this Fanfiction.
Patreon,com/Fallen_Archangel_
(Remove comma for dot.)
Leave a 5 star Review and a Power Stone.