Becoming a Great Grandmaster, Time Domain Perfected

At a corner window of the Hanlin Academy, Ye Jing picked up a letter beside his desk and began to read.

The letter recorded a rumor—one that had never been confirmed by any clear ancient history.

According to ancient lore, there exists an Ancient Time Tree in heaven and earth, its roots planted deep within the River of Time, stretching across countless worlds.

Every so often, the Ancient Time Tree manifests itself in the world.

Within its range of influence, the River of Time steers clear. Beneath the Ancient Time Tree, even a mortal could attain eternal life, enduring for ages. If one sought enlightenment under the tree, they could even comprehend the Time Dao Principle.

Legend has it that thirty thousand years ago, in the Youqiong Kingdom, a lucky soul encountered the Ancient Time Tree and obtained a Heaven-Defying Opportunity, becoming a Peerless Powerhouse.

Thirty thousand years ago, a Scholar from Youqiong Kingdom was traveling to the capital for the imperial exams when he was caught in a sudden downpour. He took shelter under an ancient tree.

Soaked through and disheveled, the Scholar was tidying his clothes when the ancient tree that sheltered him began to radiate a brilliant divine glow.

Gazing at this sudden miracle, the Scholar was filled with curiosity. His eyes locked onto the glowing tree, and he fell into a state of enlightenment.

Time passed, seas changed to mulberry fields. For the Scholar, waking from his enlightenment felt like the blink of an eye—but for the world, five thousand years had passed.

No one knew what the Scholar had comprehended beneath the Ancient Time Tree, but from then on, a Peerless Powerhouse who mastered the Great Dao of Time appeared in this world.

In that era, the Scholar was the most dazzling genius under heaven.

Eight hundred years later, the Scholar's understanding of the Dao of Time had grown unfathomably deep. Yet, after leaving behind the Three Volumes of Time Dao Interpretation, he vanished mysteriously from the world.

From then on, no trace or record of the Scholar was ever found again.

[You have witnessed the Scholar's life. You were very attentive. You have activated Heaven-Defying Comprehension.]

[With Heaven-Defying Comprehension, you have comprehended the Three Volumes of Time Dao Interpretation.]

So I've actually comprehended a cultivation method for the Dao of Time! A flicker of joy passed through Ye Jing's eyes.

Ever since breaking through to the Grandmaster Realm and opening his Time Domain, within this short month, Ye Jing's cultivation had already reached Grandmaster Perfection.

But his Time Domain was still in its embryonic form, far from complete. If he couldn't perfect the Time Domain, even forcing a breakthrough to the Great Grandmaster Realm would leave his foundation flawed.

Ye Jing was no short-sighted man. He wouldn't sever his path of cultivation for a temporary boost in power.

The Dao of Time was profound, mysterious, and elusive—inherently difficult to comprehend.

The Imperial Pole Dao Proving Scripture contained no records of the Dao of Time. For over a month, even though Ye Jing had devoted most of his mind to understanding the Time Dao Principle, his Time Domain remained a mere embryo, barely improved.

Now that I've comprehended the Three Volumes of Time Dao Interpretation, perhaps my understanding of the Dao of Time will deepen greatly. The Time Domain, which has stalled for so long, might even be perfected! Then I can break through to the Great Grandmaster Realm in one go.

Lost in these fantasies, Ye Jing closed his eyes and began to carefully sense the changes brought by the system.

In his mind appeared the scene of the Scholar seeking enlightenment beneath the Ancient Time Tree. From an observer's perspective, Ye Jing too comprehended the mysteries of the Ancient Time Tree.

A towering ancient tree, radiating a brilliant divine glow, stood between heaven and earth. Golden light flickered, and an aura of antiquity filled the air.

With Heaven-Defying Comprehension activated, Ye Jing saw the Great Dao of Time flowing endlessly through the Ancient Time Tree, saw the Time Dao Principle pulsing and leaping.

Every branch, every leaf, every grain of bark was imbued with the essence of time.

Ye Jing watched, utterly entranced. The embryonic form of his Time Domain within him was also being perfected, gradually becoming flawless.

After a long while, Ye Jing awoke from his enlightenment. Sensing the changes within his body, a hint of surprise flickered in his eyes.

I've broken through to the Great Grandmaster Realm just like that?

Indeed, the Great Grandmaster Realm that Ye Jing had struggled to breach had silently shattered its bottleneck during his enlightenment, elevating him to the Great Grandmaster Realm.

The most fundamental difference between the Grandmaster Realm and the Great Grandmaster Realm lay in the mastery of one's domain. A Grandmaster's domain was merely an embryo, and its owner's control was still clumsy.

To become a Great Grandmaster, one's domain had to reach Great Success or Perfection, and control over it had to be consummate.

Now that his cultivation had reached the Great Grandmaster Realm and he had mastered the Heaven-Defying Time Domain, even the famous figures on the Great Grandmaster Ranking were far from his match.

Perhaps only those at the Peak of Humanity could fight him on equal footing.

But even within Great Li, those at the Peak of Humanity were as elusive as dragons that show only their heads. Ye Jing wasn't foolish enough to go seeking them out just to prove his strength.

Sigh, with my current strength, aside from a handful of people, I'm likely already among the top existences in all of Great Li.

After becoming a Great Grandmaster, Ye Jing felt his safety factor had risen to a solid ninety-eight percent, easing the urgency in his heart somewhat.

Even if Hu Jie's matter stirred up more trouble in the future, Ye Jing no longer feared retaliation from the current Lord of Great Li. With his present strength, unless the Great Li Imperial Family sent their most top-tier experts, it would be hard for them to do anything to him.

Still, Ye Jing didn't let his guard down. A month ago, one of those two Peerless Powerhouses had worn a Mang Robe, likely a member of the Great Li Imperial Family.

There was still a sliver of threat to his life. The outside world was dangerous—the safest place was still the Hanlin Academy.

Glancing at the sky, which was nearing dusk, Ye Jing tidied his messy desk. Just as he was about to rise and leave, several Night Patrol Enforcers walked toward him.

"You're Ye Jing?"

Commander Zhang, the leader, asked.

"That's right. I am Ye Jing."

"Might I ask what business you officers have with this humble official?"

Though Ye Jing didn't know the purpose of these Night Patrol Enforcers, he replied respectfully.

Commander Zhang looked Ye Jing up and down, his expression stern. "Records from the Ministry of Revenue state that fifteen years ago, your parents adopted an Orphan Girl. Is this true?"

Dali enforced extremely strict population controls, especially in the Imperial Capital, where the rules were even more stringent. Every person was registered with the Ministry of Revenue, and anyone found to have an unclear identity or origin would face severe punishment.

His deceased parents had already registered Qiuyue's information with the Ministry of Revenue after adopting her.

This was a fact that Ye Jing could not deny, so he answered truthfully: "That's correct. My late father did indeed adopt an orphan girl fifteen years ago."

"Officer, is there an error in this registration?"

Commander Zhang shot Ye Jing a glare and barked, "Don't ask what you shouldn't ask."

"Since it's confirmed, His Majesty has decreed that within three days, all orphan girls in the Imperial Capital must report to the palace."

"Those who disobey will be executed."