At a corner by the window in the Hanlin Academy.
Ye Jing picked up the letter beside the documents and began to read.
The letter recorded a legend—a tale from ancient history that had never been conclusively verified.
According to ancient lore, there was an Ancient Time Tree between heaven and earth. Its roots were anchored in the River of Time, stretching through countless worlds.
Every so often, the Ancient Time Tree would appear in the world.
Within the area shrouded by the Ancient Time Tree, the River of Time would part. Beneath its branches, even an ordinary mortal could attain immortality and endure for all eternity. If one comprehended the Dao beneath the tree, one could even grasp the Time Dao Principle.
Legend had it that thirty thousand years ago, a lucky man from Youqiong Kingdom happened upon the Ancient Time Tree. He ultimately gained a Heaven-Defying Opportunity and became a Peerless Powerhouse.
Thirty thousand years ago, a scholar from Youqiong Kingdom was on his way to the Imperial Capital to take the imperial examinations when he was caught in a sudden downpour. He took shelter beneath an ancient tree.
The scholar was soaked through, his clothes in disarray. As he straightened his garments, the ancient tree sheltering him from the rain began to shine with brilliant Divine Radiance.
The scholar stared at the sudden spectacle, filled with curiosity. His gaze fixed on the radiant ancient tree, and he fell into a state of sudden enlightenment.
Time passed, and seas turned into mulberry fields. To the scholar, waking from his enlightenment had taken no more than an instant. But in the world beyond, five thousand years had passed.
No one knew what the scholar had comprehended beneath the Ancient Time Tree. But from that day on, a Peerless Powerhouse who had mastered the Great Dao of Time appeared in the 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 mysteriously vanished from the world.
From then on, no trace or record of the scholar remained.
[You witnessed the scholar's life. You were deeply focused, and your Heaven-Defying Comprehension was activated.]
[Your comprehension defied the heavens. You comprehended the Three Volumes of Time Dao Interpretation.]
He had actually comprehended a cultivation technique related to the Dao of Time! A hint of delight flashed in Ye Jing's eyes.
Ever since reaching the Grandmaster Realm and opening up his Time Domain, Ye Jing's cultivation had reached Grandmaster Perfection in the mere month since.
But his Time Domain was still only a rough form, nowhere near complete. Without perfecting it, even if he forcibly advanced into the Great Grandmaster Realm, his foundation would suffer.
Ye Jing was not shortsighted. He would not sacrifice his future in the Dao just to gain a momentary boost in strength.
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. Over the past month, even though Ye Jing had devoted most of his focus to comprehending the Time Dao Principle, his Time Domain remained only a rough form, with little progress toward completion.
Now that he had comprehended the Three Volumes of Time Dao Interpretation, perhaps his understanding of the Dao of Time would deepen considerably. Maybe the Time Domain that had stalled for so long would finally be perfected—and he would break through to the Great Grandmaster Realm in one fell swoop.
As these thoughts crossed his mind, Ye Jing closed his eyes and carefully sensed the many changes the system had brought him.
What appeared in Ye Jing's mind was the scene of the scholar comprehending the Dao beneath the Ancient Time Tree. From the perspective of a bystander, Ye Jing too began to comprehend the tree's mysteries.
An ancient tree radiating brilliant Divine Radiance stood between heaven and earth, its golden light shimmering, its timeless aura profound.
With his Heaven-Defying Comprehension activated, Ye Jing saw the Great Dao of Time endlessly flowing through the Ancient Time Tree. He saw the Time Dao Principle pulsing without pause.
Every branch, every leaf, every line in its bark contained the essence of time.
Ye Jing was utterly entranced. The rough form of his Time Domain continued to improve within him, gradually becoming flawless.
After a long while, Ye Jing finally awoke from his enlightenment. Sensing the changes within himself, he looked startled.
He had broken through to the Great Grandmaster Realm just like that!
That was right. The Great Grandmaster Realm, which Ye Jing had struggled to reach, had been crossed in the course of his enlightenment. He had broken through the bottleneck without a sound and become a Great Grandmaster.
The most fundamental difference between the Grandmaster Realm and the Great Grandmaster Realm was control over one's domain. A Grandmaster's domain was only a rough form, and its wielder's control over it was still unpracticed.
To become a Great Grandmaster, one's domain had to reach the great-completion or perfection stage, and one's control over it had to become second nature.
Now that his cultivation had reached the Great Grandmaster Realm and he had mastered the Heaven-Defying Time Domain, even renowned figures on the Great Grandmaster Ranking were nowhere near a match for him.
Perhaps only someone at the Peak of Humanity could fight him on equal terms.
But those at the Peak of Humanity were elusive even in Great Li. Ye Jing would not be foolish enough to seek one out just to test his strength.
Alas, aside from a handful of people, my strength may already put me among the strongest in all of Great Li.
After becoming a Great Grandmaster, Ye Jing felt that his odds of staying safe had risen to ninety-eight percent. The tightness in his chest eased a little.
Even if Hu Jie's affair grew ever louder in the future, Ye Jing no longer feared retaliation from the current Lord of Great Li. With his strength now, unless the Great Li Imperial Family sent out its most powerful figures, it would be difficult for them to do anything to him.
But Ye Jing still did not let his guard down. A month ago, one of the two Peerless Powerhouses had worn a python robe. He was quite possibly a member of the Great Li Imperial Family.
There was still a chance his life could be threatened. The outside world was dangerous; the Hanlin Academy was the safest place to stay.
After glancing at the sky, he saw that dusk was approaching. Ye Jing tidied up the disordered documents and was just about to leave when several Night Watch Envoys suddenly walked toward him.
"You're Ye Jing!"
The leading Commander Zhang asked.
"That's right. I am Ye Jing."
"May I ask why you gentlemen are looking for me?"
Ye Jing did not know what the Night Watch Envoys wanted, but he still answered respectfully.
Commander Zhang looked Ye Jing up and down, his expression stern. "According to the Ministry of Revenue's records, fifteen years ago, your parents adopted an orphan girl. Is that true?"
Great Li had extremely strict population controls, especially in the Imperial Capital, where they were stricter still. Everyone had to be registered with the Ministry of Revenue. Anyone found with an unclear identity or background would face severe punishment.
After his late parents adopted Qiuyue, they had long ago registered her information with the Ministry of Revenue.
It was the truth, and Ye Jing could not deny it. He answered honestly, "That's right. My late father did adopt an orphan girl fifteen years ago."
"Sir, is there a problem with the registration?"
Commander Zhang glared at Ye Jing and snapped, "Don't ask questions you shouldn't."
"Since it's true, His Majesty has decreed that within three days, every orphan girl in the Imperial Capital must go to the Imperial Palace."
"Those who disobey will be executed."
Before you continue