"City Lord, our honored guests have arrived."
Star Lord Wenqu stepped forward and reported respectfully.
The old man with white hair and a youthful face—the lord of Floating City—slowly opened his eyes.
His gaze was clear and calm.
It settled on Ye Lin.
Those eyes seemed capable of seeing through every illusion.
"Young friend, your foundation is remarkably solid. I have rarely seen its equal in my life."
"Rarer still, you managed to find the Time Scar Shell. You are blessed with extraordinary fortune."
"Please, sit."
The old man extended a hand toward Ye Lin with a faint smile.
An attendant brought over a jade stool and placed it in the guest's position.
"Thank you, Senior."
Ye Lin cupped his fists in salute, then sat on the jade stool.
Sword Demon and the other two stood on no ceremony either. They dropped onto their stools without a glance at anyone else's reaction.
"Senior, is this what you mean by the Time Scar Shell?"
Ye Lin looked toward the old man and slowly raised the Hourglass of Time in his hand.
"Indeed."
"Its true name is the Cosmic Light Hourglass. Born of heaven and earth, it can order spacetime and anchor the laws that govern it."
"In ancient times, when heaven and earth had just formed, their laws were unstable and threatened to collapse at any moment. The ancestors of my Celestial Race marshaled the strength of our entire people to find this treasure. With its immense power, they brought order to the core laws of this realm and laid the foundation for the stability of heaven and earth today."
"Later, however, an upheaval split the hourglass in two. The Time Scar Shell was lost to the outside world, while the Cosmic Light Source Crystal was sealed within the Tomb of