Consciousness Shattered

The Old Sage was right—after accepting the inheritance, Shi Yan realized that those two guides were the true core of the Space-Time Lineage of the Three Saints Palace.

Among the two guides, the most important was the "Space-Time Envoy" cultivation method, a special technique pioneered by the First Ancestor, which only cultivators of the Space-Time Path could attempt.

The Space-Time Path was the combination of time and space, an extremely unique path among the myriad great ways.

Because time and space were themselves two great paths, each capable of reaching the supreme, their union was naturally no simple matter.

For instance, the future Lord Xue Ying combined the Path of Void-Illusion with the Space Path, giving birth to the "Path of Hunyuan Void" at the Hunyuan Lord level.

Of course, Lord Xue Ying's Path of Void-Illusion was a type of Soul Path, making it even more special.

The combination of the Time Path and the Space Path could not compare to that, but it was still far more difficult than simply cultivating two paths separately, with the greatest challenge being the balance between the two.

For example, when Shi Yan previously cultivated the Space Path in the Divine Temple and stepped into the Ninth Order, he found it hard to progress further because the Time Path was lagging behind.

When time and space combined, they naturally influenced each other, greatly increasing the difficulty of cultivation.

Thus, many experts, upon reaching the later stages of cultivation, would choose to abandon one and focus solely on the Time Path or the Space Path.

Yet the First Ancestor geniusly created the Space-Time Envoy cultivation path, which many experts initially viewed as tantamount to suicide.

Because the first step was to plant a Demon Fetus in one's own soul through an illusion, then use secret techniques to feed it with negative emotions until it hatched, causing a small part of the cultivator's soul to split off—like a branch sprouting from the main trunk of a large tree—manifesting externally as a second head growing from the body.

This second head, hatched from the Demon Fetus, was essentially an Inner Demon, but the advantage was that the second head could cultivate the Time Path and Space Path separately from the original soul without interference, effectively reducing the difficulty of the Space-Time Path to that of an ordinary great path.

However, the risks were equally present—actively cultivating an Inner Demon in one's own soul carried obvious dangers.

"That's why every generation of Sage in our Three Saints Palace must pass the trial of the Maze Lock, eliminating the hidden dangers of the Past Self and Future Self early on, achieving a single true self across infinite time and space. Otherwise, if one walks this cultivation path, the simultaneous eruption of the Inner Demon and the Three Lives Bodies' hidden dangers would make it impossible for even the most heaven-defying existence to survive." The Old Sage's voice reached Shi Yan's ears.

Shi Yan nodded upon hearing this. The hidden dangers of the Three Lives Bodies were already difficult to overcome; if they erupted together with the Inner Demon, it would indeed be beyond salvation even for gods and immortals.

Of course, even the Inner Demon alone was no easy matter—if one was careless, it would be hard to tell whether the true self or the Demon Fetus was the trunk or the branch.

Thus, the First Ancestor took a different approach, choosing to simultaneously cultivate the "Path of Heart Power"—this was the second guide Shi Yan had received: the guide to the Path of Heart Power.

The Path of Heart Power was actually a type of Soul Path. As long as one achieved success in cultivating the Path of Heart Power, with a strong heart power fearless of all Inner Demons, one could easily control the Demon Fetus, greatly reducing the risks.

"The First Ancestor's cultivation method has many benefits, but also great risks. Therefore, anyone walking the 'Space-Time Envoy' lineage must simultaneously cultivate the Path of Heart Power," the Old Sage said. "However, cultivators have different talents. Not all who excel in the Space-Time Path have the talent for the Path of Heart Power. Hence, the second trial of the Maze Lock, the Book of Three Lives, is also designed to test this."

"I see."

Shi Yan suddenly understood. Whether it was the memory obscuring or the dispersion of the main body's power in the Book of Three Lives, it was all actually a test of the state of mind.

Only by breaking through in one's state of mind could one reclaim the power scattered to the Past Self and Future Self, thereby leaving that inner world.

For example, Shi Yan, as a born Universe Master, had never experienced the mortal world—this was a gap in his state of mind. Realizing the mortal heart was a massive breakthrough for him.

It sounded easy, but in reality, very few could achieve this step.

"Among the outstanding core disciples of the Three Saints Palace throughout the generations, not many could do it. That's why many Three Saints Palace disciples originally on the Space-Time Path were advised to specialize in either the Time Path or the Space Path. This is a major reason why our Space-Time Lineage has the fewest Inheritors," the Old Sage sighed.

Shi Yan recalled the numbers of the "River of Time and Space," "Primordial Black Hole," and "Star of Worlds" distributed on the first floor of the Guardian Tower—indeed, the River of Time and Space was far fewer than the other two.

"You were born divine, able to realize the mortal heart, with high potential in the Path of Heart Power, making you very suitable for the First Ancestor's cultivation path," the Old Sage praised Shi Yan's performance in the Book of Three Lives. "Of course, if you also cultivate other paths of the soul, it could achieve the same effect. But from what I've seen, you haven't cultivated such paths before. Walking the Path of Heart Power, with the First Ancestor's guidance, will give you an advantage."

With that, he looked seriously at Shi Yan and said, "Logically, since you've accepted the First Ancestor's inheritance and become the 'Sage' of our Space-Time Lineage, with such talent, you should be obligated to walk the Space-Time Path.

But given the current state of the Three Saints Palace, with its inheritance nearly severed, I allow you to choose for yourself. If you're unwilling to cultivate the First Ancestor's 'Space-Time Envoy' lineage, then switch to the Time Path or Space Path on your own. In the future, just find a suitable heir for the Space-Time Lineage and pass on the title of 'Sage' to them..."

Hearing the Old Sage say this, Shi Yan was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected that the Old Sage, who had always seemed so fixated on the First Ancestor's inheritance, would ultimately say such words to him.

Seeing Shi Yan's expression, the Old Sage simply smiled and said, "After all this talk, I've long been a dead man. The glory of the Three Saints Palace has also faded. As long as you don't leak the Three Saints Palace's inheritance, everything else is up to you."

With that, the Old Sage manipulated a Memory Stone to fly before Shi Yan and smiled, "After endless ages of lonely waiting, I'm truly tired. When I first fell, I left behind many words, many entrustments, too much unwillingness and expectation to tell the future inheritor.

But after countless years, I've gradually come to see things differently. I've already fallen—why must I burden future generations with the grudges of eons past?

Now that you've inherited the Three Saints Palace, my mission is finally complete. As a generation's inheritor of the Three Saints Palace, I've done my duty to the past ancestors. As for the rest of what you need to know, it's all in this Memory Stone. I only hope..."

The Old Sage's last half-sentence went unspoken. As he said, he was someone who had died countless cycles ago, and he couldn't demand anything from Shi Yan, a junior born after endless cycles.

The fate of the Three Saints Palace was entirely up to Shi Yan's personal will.

"Everything is done. I shall fade away... Hah, just a virtual consciousness anyway. The real me has long since become a new life by now..."

With a low yet relaxed sigh, the Old Sage in his green robe gradually shattered, dissipated, and finally turned into specks of light.

Shi Yan watched all of this in silence.

In the end, he didn't even know the true name of this predecessor Sage.

Perhaps the other felt that the Three Saints Palace had reached its end in his hands, nearly severed, and had no face to leave his name to future generations.

But Shi Yan felt that this senior had given his all for the Three Saints Palace.

Perhaps he was the weakest among the Sages of the Three Saints Palace throughout the ages, but his dedication to this lineage was something few past ancestors could match.

"Rest assured, senior. Since I've accepted the Three Saints Palace's inheritance, I am a member of the Three Saints Palace. I will make this lineage renowned across that continent once more."

Shi Yan silently vowed in his heart, simultaneously using his divine power to contact the Memory Stone left by the Old Sage.

The information the Old Sage left in the Memory Stone wasn't much—mainly some detailed functions of the Guardian Tower and the more important inheritances left by other ancestors.

The Guardian Tower was not only the inheritance treasure of the Three Saints Palace but also an extremely powerful flying palace treasure, indestructible and with the effect of protecting the soul.

Additionally, the Guardian Tower had several subsidiary treasures, including the Bronze Octahedron "Maze Lock" that had tested Shi Yan earlier. After the Old Sage's virtual consciousness dissipated, Shi Yan became the first authority holder of the Guardian Tower, and the Maze Lock automatically acknowledged him as its master.

Beyond that, the Guardian Tower contained a precious origin treasure, which served both as the tower's energy source and could amplify combat power. Within the tower's radiation range, this origin treasure could produce an effect similar to the blessing of a Miniature Universe's origin.

Of course, the Guardian Tower is the most precious inheritance treasure of the Three Saints Palace lineage. Generally speaking, no Inheritor would carry the Guardian Tower into battle, especially during the Three Saints Palace's heyday when there might have been more than one permission holder. Even the primary permission holder could not take the Guardian Tower out on adventures.

But now, as the sole successor of the Three Saints Palace, Shi Yan could do just that.

As for the many other inheritances within the Guardian Tower, the Memory Stone left by the Old Sage also provided brief introductions, including recommendations on when Shi Yan should accept them.

The most crucial among them was undoubtedly the inheritance left by the 21st Ancestor.

As one who had advanced further along the path pioneered by the First Ancestor, the inheritance left by the 21st Ancestor was extremely precious to all the sages of the Three Saints Palace throughout the ages.

"However, the essence of the 21st Ancestor's inheritance is all for the Eternal stage and beyond... No wonder they weren't in a hurry to have me access it." Shi Yan learned quite a bit from the Old Sage's memories.

In this Universe Ocean, no matter how powerful an inheritance, one could at most observe up to the True God limit stage. Starting from the Void Level, even if you knew that memory existed in your own mind, you could not read it.

Such were the restrictions of the Supreme Rules.

"Well then, I'll accept the 21st Ancestor's inheritance after I break through the cycle of reincarnation."