“Hmm?” Nángōu Huàn noticed the strange yet familiar words on his lips, “The Truth of Time?”

This was the space of the Dì Míng Ring, and those four words seemed to have some connection to it. Did this glutton know something?

Suddenly, the spirit elder appeared beside Dōng Yàncuò, grabbing his wrist and examining him closely. The more he looked, the brighter his eyes became.

“Divine bone structure, he comes from the Heart of the Realm,” the spirit elder exclaimed in astonishment. “I never expected to see someone from the Heart of the Realm in such a remote place.”

Remote place... Nángōu Huàn felt like a country bumpkin at that moment.

“Spirit elder, what is the Heart of the Realm?” Nángōu Huàn asked curiously. She thought she understood a lot about this world, but now the spirit elder’s words seemed to overturn her knowledge.

“You’ll find out in due time,” the spirit elder replied, not wanting to elaborate. Knowing too much too soon might not be good for his disciple.

Seeing that the spirit elder didn’t want to say more, Nángōu Huàn didn’t press further, but she made a mental note of the term “Heart of the Realm.”

“Is the ‘Truth of Time’ he mentioned related to the powers of the Dì Míng Ring?” Nángōu Huàn murmured, her gaze shifting toward the sealed clock tower.

The coronet representing time seemed to echo the phrase “Truth of Time.”

“Exactly,” the spirit elder answered quickly this time. “Legend has it that long ago, the God of Time willingly entered the cycle of reincarnation to save someone. Before doing so, he created this Time Truth Ring, and the clock tower contains his legacy.”

“...”

Nángōu Huàn’s mind was racing.

“Spirit elder, why didn’t you say this earlier?!” Nángōu Huàn suddenly became fascinated with the clock tower, her face glowing with excitement, her eyes wide open.

Her family heirloom was actually the legacy of the God of Time!

“You never asked,” the spirit elder chuckled awkwardly, thinking she already knew.

Nángōu Huàn pressed her lips together in silence, her excitement doused like cold water. Hmm... she indeed hadn’t asked.

The spirit elder continued to pour cold water on her enthusiasm: “Disciple, without the medium to unlock it, you cannot open the clock tower's seal.”

In simpler terms, knowing it was useless.

Nángōu Huàn's expression turned gloomy. Who understands the feeling of being starved, with food brought to the table, yet unable to eat?

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At that moment, Dōng Yàncuò seemed to be controlled by some power. He walked with a dazed expression toward the clock tower, step by step, until he stood before its grand entrance.

“Cuo cuo? Cuo cuo?!” No matter how Nángōu Huàn called out, she couldn’t awaken Dōng Yàncuò’s consciousness.

“Don’t rush; let’s see what he’s going to do,” the spirit elder stopped Nángōu Huàn, his gaze fixed on Dōng Yàncuò. Could it be that he was about to...

Dōng Yàncuò raised his hand, gathering spiritual energy, and formed a palm-sized ice crystal key.

Then, he grasped the ice crystal key and inserted it into the lock of the grand door!

In that instant, the clock tower seemed to tremble slightly, and the coronet hovering above flickered twice, like a long-sleeping tiger beginning to awaken.

Nángōu Huàn and the spirit elder widened their eyes, holding their breath, intently watching Dōng Yàncuò, not wanting to miss a single movement.

He tightened his grip on the key and gently turned it.

Click—click—

It sounded like the pause of a second hand, and as the key turned, golden threads of light spread from the keyhole, radiating a divine glow. They followed the patterns on the door, depicting a divine beast, the Bōjìng Rabbit.

Then, the door slowly opened inward, revealing a spacious and bright hall. A rabbit, glowing white, leaped down from above, wearing a specially made golden armor that made it look cute and harmless.

It hopped to the entrance and, with a voice that was neither male nor female, asked warily, “Who disturbs the divine hall?”

Upon seeing Dōng Yàncuò, the Bōjìng Rabbit suddenly fell silent, its ears perked up as it scrutinized him, then turned to look outside, spotting Nángōu Huàn and the spirit elder.

The spirit elder smirked, grinning mischievously. “Oh, little rabbit, it’s been a while! You’ve lost so much weight!”

Huh? The spirit elder knew this divine beast? Nángōu Huàn raised an eyebrow.

The Bōjìng Rabbit immediately stiffened, its fur bristling!

“Ling Xizi, I warn you, I am the guardian divine beast! If I die, this space will completely vanish! It’s already very generous of me to let you reside in this space; don’t think about taking advantage of me!” The Bōjìng Rabbit waved its limbs, speaking in a threatening tone, but its cute appearance lacked any real intimidation.

There’s a story here! Nángōu Huàn watched silently, but the next moment, she was yanked by the spirit elder and unceremoniously kicked toward Dōng Yàncuò.

“Hmph, this is my disciple; you handle it as you see fit.” The spirit elder placed his hands on his hips, speaking proudly.

It felt like a forced sales pitch!

Nángōu Huàn felt embarrassed. Just as she steadied herself, she noticed Dōng Yàncuò suddenly fainting, and she rushed to support him.

“Cuo cuo?” Nángōu Huàn shook him, but Dōng Yàncuò seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep, his eyes tightly shut, and she couldn’t wake him.

The Bōjìng Rabbit glanced disdainfully at the spirit elder and then turned its gaze to Nángōu Huàn and Dōng Yàncuò. “He absorbed the divine power contained in the seal, so he naturally needs to sleep for a while to digest it. Just lift him onto that platform over there, and as for you...”

Its voice paused, and its small eyes sparkled with divine light as it examined Nángōu Huàn. Noticing the spiritual platforms within her, it softened its expression and said, “Of course, you can stay and learn my master’s legacy, but how much you can learn depends on your own abilities.”

She could also learn the legacy! Nángōu Huàn’s joy was evident.

“Thank you, Guardian!” Nángōu Huàn lifted Dōng Yàncuò and placed him on the platform indicated by the Bōjìng Rabbit.

A faint glimmer of light seemed to merge into his body.

“Hmm, just call me Bōbō,” the Bōjìng Rabbit said while grooming its fur. This girl was much more likable than her master!

After settling Dōng Yàncuò, the Bōjìng Rabbit explained to Nángōu Huàn, “Look at the stars on the ceiling of the hall; they represent my master’s legacy. Each star signifies a power. You can start learning from the first one. Only by thoroughly mastering the current power can you unlock the next one.”

The ceiling of the hall depicted a grand starry sea, with seven stars shining brightly.

Time power!

Nángōu Huàn couldn’t wait. She drew on her spiritual energy and directed her consciousness into the first star, and a gentle male voice echoed in her ears—

“Level One Power: The Flow of Time.”