The Old Sage was right. After receiving the inheritance, Shi Yan realized that those two guides were the true core of the Three Saints Palace's Space-Time Lineage.
The most important of the two guides was the cultivation method of the Space-Time Envoy. It was a unique cultivation method created by the First Ancestor, and only cultivators of the Path of Space-Time could attempt it.
The Path of Space-Time combined time and space. Among the many paths, it was an exceptionally unusual one.
That was because time and space were each great paths in their own right, and both could lead to the Supreme. Naturally, combining them was no simple matter.
For example, the future Lord Xue Ying had combined the Path of Void-Illusion with the Path of Space, giving rise to the "Path of Hunyuan Void" at the Hunyuan Lord level.
Of course, Lord Xue Ying—Dongbo Xueying's—Path of Void-Illusion was a type of Soul Path, making it even more unusual.
The combination of the Paths of Time and Space naturally couldn't compare, but it was still far more difficult than simply cultivating two paths. The greatest challenge lay in keeping the two paths balanced.
For example, Shi Yan had previously cultivated the Path of Space in the Divine Temple. After reaching the Ninth Order, he'd found it difficult to make further progress because the Path of Time was holding him back.
When time and space were combined, they naturally affected each other, making cultivation considerably more difficult.
As a result, many powerful cultivators chose to abandon one path later on and focus exclusively on either the Path of Time or the Path of Space.
The First Ancestor, however, had brilliantly created the cultivation path of the Space-Time Envoy. At first, many powerful cultivators had probably seen this method as little more than suicide.
The first step was to plant a Demon Fetus in one's own soul through an illusion. Then, using a Secret Technique, one fed it negative emotions until it hatched. At that point, a small part of the cultivator's soul would split off, like a branch growing from the trunk of a tree. This manifested externally as a second head growing from the body.
The second head hatched from the Demon Fetus and was, in effect, an Inner Demon. The advantage, however, was that it could cultivate the Path of Time or the Path of Space separately from the original soul, without interfering with it. In effect, this reduced the difficulty of cultivating the Path of Space-Time to that of an ordinary great path.
But the risks remained. The dangers of deliberately nurturing an Inner Demon within one's soul were self-evident.
"That's why the Sages of the Three Saints Palace have always had to pass the test of the Maze Lock. It eliminates the hidden dangers of the Past Self and Future Self early on, ensuring that the Main Self is the only one across endless time and space. Otherwise, if someone followed this cultivation path, the dangers of the Inner Demon and the Three Lives Bodies might erupt at the same time. I doubt even the most heaven-defying existence could survive that." The Old Sage's voice reached Shi Yan's ears.
Shi Yan nodded. The dangers of the Three Lives Bodies were already difficult to overcome. If they erupted together with the Inner Demon, then even the gods would be powerless to save him.
Of course, even an Inner Demon by itself was no pushover. One careless mistake, and it could become hard to tell whether the Main Self was the trunk or the branch—or whether the Demon Fetus was.
So the First Ancestor had found another way: he chose to cultivate the Path of Heart Power as well. This was the second guide Shi Yan had received—the guide to the Path of Heart Power.
The Path of Heart Power was a type of Soul Path. As long as one made sufficient progress in it and developed powerful heart power, one could fear no Inner Demon and easily control the Demon Fetus, greatly reducing the risks.
"Although the First Ancestor's cultivation method has many advantages, it also carries great risks. That's why anyone cultivating the Space-Time Envoy lineage must also cultivate the Path of Heart Power," the Old Sage said. "But every cultivator has different talents. Not everyone suited to the Path of Space-Time has the talent to cultivate the Path of Heart Power. That's why the second trial of the Maze Lock, the Book of Three Lives, tests this as well."
"I see."
Shi Yan understood now. Whether it was obscuring his memories in the Book of Three Lives or dispersing the power of his Main Self, it had all been meant to test his state of mind.
Only after making a breakthrough in his state of mind could he retrieve the power scattered between his Past Self and Future Self, and thereby leave that inner world.
For Shi Yan, for example, being born as a Universe Master meant that he'd never experienced mortal life. This was a gap in his state of mind, and understanding the Mortal Heart would be a major breakthrough for him.
It sounded simple, but in truth, very few could achieve it.
"Even among the Three Saints Palace's most outstanding core disciples throughout the ages, few have managed it. Many who originally followed the Path of Space-Time were advised to focus instead on either the Path of Time or the Path of Space. That's one of the main reasons our Space-Time Lineage has so few Inheritors." The Old Sage sighed.
Hearing this, Shi Yan recalled the numbers of "River of Time and Space," "Primordial Black Hole," and "Star of Worlds" on the first floor of the Guardian Tower. Indeed, the Rivers of Time and Space were far fewer than the other two.
"You were born divine, and you've understood the Mortal Heart. You have great potential in the Path of Heart Power, making you a very good fit for the First Ancestor's cultivation path." The Old Sage praised Shi Yan's performance in the Book of Three Lives without reserve. "Of course, if you cultivate other Soul Paths alongside it, they can have the same effect. But from what I've seen, you haven't cultivated any such paths before. With the First Ancestor's guidance, you'll have an advantage if you follow the Path of Heart Power."
At this, he looked at Shi Yan seriously. "By rights, since you've received the First Ancestor's inheritance and become a Sage of our Space-Time Lineage, and you have such talent, you ought to follow the lineage's path.
"But the Three Saints Palace is in its current state, and its inheritance has nearly been severed. So I'll let you choose for yourself. If you don't wish to cultivate the First Ancestor's Space-Time Envoy lineage, then switch to the Path of Time or the Path of Space. Just choose a suitable successor for the Space-Time Lineage in the future, and pass the title of Sage on to him..."
Hearing the Old Sage say this, Shi Yan couldn't help but be taken aback. He hadn't expected the Old Sage, who had always seemed so devoted to the First Ancestor's inheritance, to say something like this to him.
Seeing Shi Yan's expression, the Old Sage merely smiled. "After all that, the truth is that I'm already dead. The Three Saints Palace's glory has faded, too. As long as you don't let its inheritance leak outside the palace, the rest is up to you."
As he spoke, the Old Sage sent a Memory Stone floating toward Shi Yan and smiled. "I've grown truly weary of waiting in solitude through endless ages. When I first died, I left behind a great many words and instructions. I had too many grievances and hopes I wanted to share with the inheritor of the future.
"But after who knows how many years, I gradually came to see things differently. I'm dead already. What need is there to burden those who come after me with grudges from countless ages ago?
"Now that you've inherited the Three Saints Palace, my mission is finally complete. As a successor of the Three Saints Palace, I can say I've done right by the Founders of every generation. As for the rest you need to know, it's all in this Memory Stone. I only hope..."
The Old Sage never finished his final sentence. As he'd said, he was a being who had died an unknown number of reincarnations ago. He couldn't possibly make demands of Shi Yan, a junior born after endless reincarnations.
What became of the Three Saints Palace was entirely up to Shi Yan.
"My work is done. Now I shall fade away... Heh, I was only a virtual consciousness to begin with. The real me must have become a new life long ago..."
With a low yet relieved sigh, the Old Sage in his green robe gradually shattered and vanished, finally dissolving into specks of light.
Shi Yan watched in silence.
In the end, he didn't even learn the name of the Sage who had preceded him.
Perhaps the Old Sage had felt that the Three Saints Palace had come to the brink of ruin under his watch, nearly perishing altogether, and that he had no face to leave his name to those who came after.
But Shi Yan felt that his predecessor had done everything he could for the Three Saints Palace.
He might have been the weakest Sage in the history of the Three Saints Palace, but few among its Founders had likely cared for the lineage as deeply as he did.
Rest easy, senior. Since I've accepted the Three Saints Palace's inheritance, I'm one of its members now. I'll make this lineage famous across that continent once more.
Shi Yan silently swore this in his heart, then used his divine power to touch the Memory Stone left behind by the Old Sage.
The information the Old Sage had left in the Memory Stone wasn't extensive. It mainly covered the Guardian Tower's various functions in detail, along with brief introductions to some of the more important inheritances left by other Founders.
The Guardian Tower was both the Three Saints Palace's Supreme Treasure of inheritance and a powerful Flying Palace-type treasure. It was indestructible and could also protect the soul.
The Guardian Tower also had several subsidiary treasures, including the Bronze Octahedron known as the Maze Lock, which had tested Shi Yan earlier. After the Old Sage's virtual life vanished, Shi Yan had become the Guardian Tower's first authority holder, and the Maze Lock had acknowledged him as its master as well.
Besides these, the Guardian Tower also contained a precious Origin Treasure. It served as the Guardian Tower's energy source and could also enhance one's combat power. Within the tower's area of effect, this Origin Treasure could provide an effect similar to the empowerment of a Minor Universe Origin.
Of course, the Guardian Tower was the Three Saints Palace's most precious inheritance treasure. Generally, no Inheritor would take it into battle. Especially during the Three Saints Palace's heyday, there might have been several authority holders, and even the first authority holder couldn't take the tower along on an adventure.
But now, as the Three Saints Palace's sole Inheritor, Shi Yan could do so.
The Memory Stone left by the Old Sage also gave brief introductions to the many other inheritances in the Guardian Tower, including recommendations for when Shi Yan should accept them.
The most important was undoubtedly the inheritance left by the 21st Ancestor.
As someone who had taken the First Ancestor's path a step further, the 21st Ancestor had left behind an inheritance of immense value to every Sage of the Three Saints Palace.
"But the essence of the 21st Ancestor's inheritance only comes after the Eternal stage... No wonder he wasn't in a hurry to let me access it." Shi Yan had learned quite a lot from the Old Sage's memories.
In this Universe Ocean, no matter how powerful an inheritance might be, one could only view it up to the True God Limit stage. Starting at Void Level, even if one knew the memories were in one's own mind, one still couldn't read them.
That was the restriction of the Supreme Rules.
"So be it. I'll wait until after I've entered reincarnation before accepting the 21st Ancestor's inheritance."
Before you continue