The young man arched a perfectly sculpted brow and said ,
"Otherwise, why did you scream like I violated you before I did anything?"
Lin Xuan's face flushed crimson, heat rushing to his cheeks. He shuffled uncomfortably, avoiding the silver-eyed gaze.
The young man chuckled softly, shaking his head.
"I thought I was supposed to be smart when I was small."
Lin Xuan's ears twitched as he caught the subtle hint. Stammering, he finally blurted out,
"Y-You… are?"
The man's expression morphed into a "You've got to be kidding me" look—equal parts disbelief and amusement.
"Lin Xuan, I am your future self."
Before he could finish, Lin Xuan leapt nearly three feet into the air, eyes wide, his whole body trembling.
The young man rolled his eyes and finished mid-sentence,
"Stop embarrassing yourself and me. Sit down."
With no other choice, Lin Xuan plopped down obediently, still wide-eyed .
The future Lin Xuan leaned back casually, eyes gleaming with amusement.
"Alright. Tell me—what's going through that overactive mind of yours?"
Lin Xuan's face lit up like a kid in a candy store. He nearly bounced in place as he blurted out question after question,
"How do I know you're me? How strong are you? How do you stop time and tear space like that? And—uh—why are your hair and eye color different from mine?"
Before he could fire off more, the future version raised a hand, cutting him off smoothly.
"Of all your questions, only the last one matters. The rest? Pretty meaningless. But since you asked, I'll humor you."
He smiled.
"First: If I wasn't your future self, what kind of strong man would be bored enough to visit a three-year-old?"
Lin Xuan blinked, considering that.
"Second: How strong am I? You wouldn't understand. Not yet."
The future's silver eyes twinkled as he explained the last part.
"My hair and eyes changed because, when I was young, I didn't have a proper technique to cultivate. So, I created one myself—a risky trial that altered my appearance. I can turn it back to the original colors anytime, but... well, it looks cooler this way."
Lin Xuan nodded slowly, impressed agreeing.
"As for why I came here? I will say it after I explained something to you ."
The future Lin Xuan stood slowly, hands behind his back as he gazed toward the sky.
His expression turned calm, distant—like a sovereign looking down on the world he once walked through.
"This world you're in now... is called the Xiaotian Continent."
Lin Xuan's ears perked up immediately, eyes wide as he listened without blinking.
Future Lin Xuan didn't look at him—he kept staring toward the horizon, silver hair swaying gently.
"There are five major domains... each with their own climates, rulers, and dangers. Heaven Heart at the center. Crimson Martial to the south. Azure Spirit to the east. Frostmoon to the north. And to the west... the Nameless Void."
Young Lin Xuan nodded silently, absorbing every word like scripture.
"And cultivation… well, it's everything here. From Qi Condensation to Foundation Establishment… all the way to the edge of mortality's limit."
His silver eyes narrowed slightly, a trace of memory flashing within.
His gaze swept once more over his smaller, wide-eyed self, and a faint smile tugged at his lips.
"…Aren't you curious why I came to you now?"
Lin Xuan's head bobbed instantly. "Yes! Very, very curious!"
Future Lin Xuan sighed lightly and walked back over. He sat down again beside the child version of himself, leaned forward slightly, and tapped two fingers against Lin Xuan's forehead.
"Then let me show you something first."
The moment his fingers touched—
Boom!
Lin Xuan's consciousness trembled.
Suddenly, he wasn't sitting in the courtyard anymore.
Instead, he was floating… inside darkness. No, not quite darkness—he was inside himself. A strange, endless space filled with faint lights, like stars hidden under water.
Then he saw it.
Hovering at the very center of his soul—like a divine brand etched into existence—was a rune.
Not carved. Not attached.
Born into him.
It shimmered faintly. Its shape was indescribable: like a circle, a cube, and a sigil all layered atop one another, constantly shifting. The pressure it gave off was… terrifying. Ancient.
Lin Xuan's eyes widened to the size of saucers.
> "Wh-what is that?! Why is that inside me?!"
Just as the shock was rising, he was pulled back.
His senses returned to the stone bench beneath him, the wind rustling in the trees, and the silver-haired figure calmly sipping tea from who-knows-where.
"Wha… what was that?!" Lin Xuan asked, almost breathless.
Future Lin Xuan placed the empty cup down, his gaze deepening.
"That… is the Origin Rune."
He paused.
"A relic formed at the end of the previous universe, when the Laws of Space, Time, and Reincarnation briefly collided. It was never meant to enter this world—never meant to find a vessel."
He looked at Lin Xuan with meaning.
"But somehow, during our reincarnation… it resonated with our soul."
Lin Xuan blinked slowly, trying to digest that.
Future Lin Xuan's tone grew more serious. "Because of that Rune, our talent has been twisted—elevated far beyond anything natural. To reach my current realm, a normal cultivator would take over a million years. I reached it in just over three thousand."
Lin Xuan's jaw dropped.
> "T-Three thousand years?! Then doesn't that mean… I can live that long?! I can become that strong?!"
His thoughts went wild.
> Three thousand years of wine, floating palaces, wives, and—
—And I can stop time and tear space!
Haha, forget poetry! This is the real jackpot!
He was already picturing himself standing on a flying sword with ten celestial beauties fanning him with immortal lotus leaves.
But—
Future Lin Xuan spoke again, shattering the fantasy.
"To truly control a law, you need to start comprehending it once you reach the Dao Foundation Realm."
"There are thousands upon thousands of laws," he continued. "Some simple, like fire, wind, or water. And even among those, there are countless variants—Flame of Destruction, Eternal Ice, Spirit Wind… each with different traits."
Lin Xuan blinked, quietly absorbing it.
"But," the older version added, "at the very top—above all others—are three supreme laws: Space, Time, and Reincarnation."
"When I tore space earlier, that was Space Law. When I stopped time, that was Time Law. Reincarnation... I didn't use, because I didn't need to."
He glanced at Lin Xuan.
"Even among once-in-a-million-years geniuses, very few ever touch these. They're too difficult. Too vast. Too dangerous."
A long pause.
Then—
He smiled smugly.
"But for us, it's different."
"Because that Rune inside our soul is made of all three."
"Even if others can't comprehend these laws in ten lifetimes… for us? It's natural. Instinctive."
Lin Xuan's eyes widened.
His mouth opened slowly.
And then—
"YESSSSSSSSSS!!!"
He jumped so high he nearly headbutted a plum branch, laughing and pumping his fists like a madman.
"Take that, mortal life! This is destiny! This is divine cheat mode!"
Future Lin Xuan pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered under his breath,
"…I really was this embarrassing?"
After a full minute of bouncing around like a lunatic, Lin Xuan finally calmed down and sat down again, still grinning ear to ear.
Future Lin Xuan gave him a long, speechless look.
"…You're already this excited," he muttered with a sigh, "Now I'm wondering if I should even continue. You might faint halfway through."
Lin Xuan's cheeks turned red. He cleared his throat and sat straighter, doing his best to act composed.
"C-Continue! I'm ready now. I promise!"
Future Lin Xuan narrowed his eyes, clearly unconvinced, but after a pause, he nodded and spoke again.
"I didn't discover the Rune right away either," he said. "Because of the strength required to even sense it, I only realized its existence after I broke through to the Higher World."
Lin Xuan's heart skipped a beat.
> "H-Higher World…?!"
He stared, stunned again.
But this time, he recovered quickly, muttering to himself with shining eyes.
> "That must be… the legendary Ascendant Realm…"
Future Lin Xuan gave a faint smile, then continued.
"I was fumbling in the dark at first. No one to guide me. No reference techniques. No way to understand the Rune or its power. Just… instinct, mistakes, and time."
His gaze became distant.
"It took me three thousand years to reach where I am now. But there were… too many regrets along the way. Things I missed. People I lost. Detours I could've avoided."
He stood slowly, looking up at the sky as if peering into a faraway memory.
"That's why I came here. Through time. Against the flow of fate."
His voice lowered.
"To lend you a hand—so you wouldn't make the same mistakes. So you could rise faster. Walk further. And not… end up like me."
Lin Xuan sat in stunned silence, throat tight, eyes round.
He couldn't even imagine the cost of something like that.
"…You really came from the future just to help me?" he asked quietly.
Future Lin Xuan turned to face him again.
"I'm not here to hand you everything on a platter. But if you use what I give you wisely… you won't need thousands of years. A few hundred might be enough. Maybe even less."
He raised his right hand.
"And since I already tampered with time—might as well make it count."
Ten glowing orbs of light appeared above his palm, spinning gently. Each one pulsed with a deep, profound rhythm, as if they contained the essence of laws themselves.
Then—
Shu! Shu! Shu!
All ten orbs shot forward and pierced straight into Lin Xuan's forehead before he could even react.
Lin Xuan blinked.
"…That didn't hurt?"
Future Lin Xuan smiled faintly. "I've already linked the Rune to your soul. You no longer need to wait for the higher realms to access it."
He turned away, his figure starting to blur slightly at the edges.
"No more detours."
The wind grew quieter. The space around him began to ripple.
His form was gradually fading.
Lin Xuan stood up suddenly, panic flashing in his eyes. "W-Wait! Are you leaving already?!"
Future Lin Xuan didn't turn back, but his voice echoed clearly.
"This was our first and last meeting."
The words hung in the air like a solemn oath.
"…Live without regrets."
And with that—
His silver hair faded into the wind.
His silhouette dissolved into threads of space and time.
He was gone.
Lin Xuan stood there, stunned, small fists clenched tightly at his sides. The night wind swept through the plum trees. The stars above felt closer than ever.
"…Future me…" he murmured.
A new fire began to burn in his young, trembling chest.