When You're Not Being Mouthy, You're Actually Pretty Handsome

Without hesitation, while the other Shepherds were away participating in the Hunting Ritual and Salon was meditating under the Holy Pillar, Bai Qiuran and Tang Ruowei followed the body of the Giant God Automaton to the base of the Holy Pillar and entered the world that resembled sand.

These worlds, resembling grains of sand, have World Barrier that have become incredibly sturdy due to compression by some strange force. Countless faint lights, like vast expanses of smoke, surround the outer edges of these worlds. If an ordinary person were to get too close, they would likely be swallowed up by these smoke waves and leave no trace.

But this did not stop Bai Qiuran. He randomly selected a world, drew his sword, and cut through the mist and barriers of the world, then took Tang Ruowei into it.

The two arrived at the inner side of the world, where the inner side had returned to its normal size, an endless expanse of sky Heaven and Earth. Strangely shaped and colored Stars hung high in the sky, and the earth was covered with Crystal- like City. Not only the City, but even the animals and plants on the earth had been replaced by Crystal clusters.

The crystal clusters shimmered with a faint light, as if breathing. Bai Qiuran and Tang Ruowei had seen creatures the size of cattle and horses, made of transparent Crystal, walk past them and swallow a cluster of crystals in one gulp.

These Crystal Creatures were not aggressive. When they saw the two "flesh monsters" enter this world, they were startled and hid themselves, then secretly peeked out from the corners to watch.

Bai Qiuran and Tang Ruowei walked one after the other towards a Crystal city in the distance. The White Hair man walked in front with his hands behind his back. The girl in the pale yellow dress looked at him, then followed with light, deer-like steps, and reached out to take the man's arm.

You've been a bit clingy lately.

Bai Qiuran glanced at her sideways.

"Am I noticing that you're regressing? Will I have to buy you bottles and pacifiers to comfort you in a while?"

"Hmph, solid ironwood."

Tang Ruowei rolled her eyes at him and said disdainfully, but she still did not let go of Bai Qiuran's arm.

The two arrived in the City, which was surprisingly vibrant. Countless Crystal -like humanoid creatures were moving around. Upon seeing them, these Crystal -formed humanoid creatures curiously gathered around them, making crisp "clanging" sounds like Crystal colliding.

"Are... are they talking to us?"

Tang Ruowei looked at the Crystal Figures beside her with some surprise, and curiously reached out to touch the Crystal Creatures.

The Crystal Creatures was startled and stumbled backward, falling to the ground with its left hand and right foot broken into pieces.

However, the Crystal Figures creature seemed oblivious. Using its remaining limbs, it retreated a short distance, then quickly got up, hopped on one leg, and fled, disappearing around the street corner.

"Hey, this is pretty fun."

Tang Ruowei, feeling playful, simply let go of Bai Qiuran's hand, opened her arms, and ran towards the surrounding Crystal Figures.

The Crystal Figures were terrified and scattered in chaos. The ground was littered with shattered Crystal fragments. Then, a group of Crystal Creatures missing arms and legs got up and scattered in all sorts of ways. Some Crystal People with broken arms and legs even rolled away on their sides.

Bai Qiuran grabbed Tang Ruowei and scolded her, "Aren't you shameless? Come here right now!"

"Oh."

Tang Ruowei stuck out her tongue, continued to wrap her arms around his, and followed behind Bai Qiuran.

The two arrived at the center of the City, where a thick Crystal Pillar rose from the center of the City's circular road, piercing straight into the sky. Along this irregular Crystal Pillar, countless faint, transparent veins could be seen in the sky.

What are those?

Tang Ruowei has poor eyesight; even when she tries her best to open her third eye, she can only see some semi-transparent light.

"Those are forked Crystal... I see. No wonder Toynbee called the Holy Pillar the 'Crystal Tree' when he brought me to the island. It seems that the Crystal Pillar really is a living Crystal Tree, its roots spreading throughout the 'sand' of these worlds, drawing nourishment from each world."

Bai Qiuran approached the Crystal Pillar and touched it. Inside the Crystal Pillar, there were also gathered Light Filaments, just like the Holy Pillar in the middle of the island.

"Ruowei."

After a moment 'Bai Qiuran instructed, "I will now begin analyzing the power within this Crystal Pillar. I will set up Barrier to alter the flow of time. You keep an eye on the time. If a year has passed outside and I haven't finished analyzing it, enter the Barrier and awaken me."

Tang Ruowei nodded.

"I see."

Bai Qiuran went to the Crystal Pillar, made a hand Magic Incantation, and set up a Barrier containing Time Divine Script. He then sat cross-legged and began to analyze the strange Light Filaments within the Crystal Pillar with all his might.

Tang Ruowei stayed outside the Barrier, found a clean spot to sit down, rested her chin on her hand, and began to stare blankly at Bai Qiuran, who was meditating with his eyes closed.

"You're actually quite handsome when you're not being sarcastic."

She muttered to herself.

Time passed quickly. Half a year had passed in the outside world, but hundreds of years had passed inside the Time Barrier Bai Qiuran.

For the past six months, Tang Ruowei had been staying near the Crystal Pillar, staring at Bai Qiuran in a daze whenever she had a spare moment. Most of the time she was thinking, and a little time she was just spacing out and giggling.

After the two "flesh monsters" occupied the center of the City, the Crystal Figures creatures dared not appear in the vicinity.

Once, a group of Crystal Figures gathered and hid in a nearby Crystal building, seemingly plotting how to drive away the two uninvited guests and reclaim the city center area. However, Tang Ruowei easily shooed them away, and the Crystal Figures were terrified. After leaving behind a pile of Crystal shards, they fled in tears and wailing. From then on, no Crystal People ever appeared within a mile radius.

Meanwhile, Bai Qiuran, who was inside the Barrier, was nearing the end of his analysis of the Power of Light Threads. To be honest, these Light Filaments, which were like both energy and conceptual polymers, were truly wondrous, and even for Bai Qiuran, they were extremely difficult to analyze.

Originally, it might have taken him one or two thousand years to fully analyze the true nature of these Power of Light Threads. However, after he began to analyze them, perhaps it was the concept of the "Shepherds" race within him that started to take effect, and he felt a strange affinity for the Power of Light Threads.

This affinity greatly accelerated his analysis of the Power of Light Threads, and thus, six months later, Bai Qiuran successfully completed the analysis of this power.