Life and Death Intent!

Yue Guan's boastful words were cut short before he could even finish them.

Because he realized that the man in the grey shirt behind the counter had finally set down his carving knife.

The man slowly raised his head, his gaze resting calmly upon Yue Guan.

What a pair of eyes those were.

There was no shock, no fear, not even a ripple of emotion.

All that remained was a profound depth, as if he had seen through the cycle of life and death and endured the vicissitudes of endless ages.

The grey-shirted man looked at the shimmering Extraordinary Velvet Chrysanthemum in Yue Guan's hand and let out a faint sigh.

He set aside his carving knife, extended his right hand—stained with wood shavings—toward Yue Guan, and flicked his finger.

The very instant he flicked his finger, time inside the woodcarving shop seemed to slow down.

No, it wasn't slowing down.

Time was passing at a frantic pace!

An invisible ripple spread out from the man's fingertip.

The moment that Extraordinary Velvet Chrysanthemum in Yue Guan's hand—touted as a peerless medicinal herb—touched this ripple, its brilliant golden petals withered and shriveled rapidly, as if they had endured millions of years of weathering.

Immediately following, before Yue Guan's disbelieving eyes, that massive martial soul disintegrated directly into a pile of grey-white powder, which trickled through his fingers and fell to the floor.

"My martial soul..."

The smugness on Yue Guan's face froze instantly, replaced by a terror he had never known before.

Before he could even react, that invisible ripple of time pierced straight through his nine formidable defensive spirit rings and struck him.

Yue Guan felt as if his dantian had been smashed to pieces by a hammer.

His vast level-ninety-five spirit power melted away instantly in the face of this ripple, like snow meeting the scorching sun.

"No... this is impossible..."

Yue Guan shrieked in horror.

He felt as though the substance flowing through his veins was no longer blood, but shifting sand.

His vitality and his lifespan were being forcibly drained away at a speed that drove him to madness.

His face, which he had maintained to look like that of a man in his twenties, sprouted dense wrinkles at a speed visible to the naked eye.

His head of golden hair turned into withered white within a few breaths.

His legs gave way, and he collapsed to his knees before the counter with a thud, lacking even the strength to stand.

Only the sound of his heavy, ragged breathing echoed through the ordinary woodcarving shop.

The Sky Screen image froze on Yue Guan's wrinkled, decrepit face.

The entire Douluo Continent fell into a deathly silence at this moment.

Inside the woodcarving shop, Yue Guan knelt on the cold bluestone floor, trembling like a leaf in the wind.

He could clearly feel the life force within him slipping away at a rapid pace.

His once smooth, firm skin had become as shriveled as the bark of an old tree, and even his breath carried the decaying scent of someone on the verge of death.

His level-ninety-five spirit power, which he had been so proud of, had not even the slightest room to resist in the face of this invisible force.

"I... I don't want to die..."

Yue Guan's withered lips parted slightly, emitting an aged, raspy plea for mercy.

He finally understood now: the grey-shirted man before him, who looked like a sickly weakling, was no mortal at all.

This was a peerless, ancient monster hidden away in the mundane world!

The grey-shirted man sat behind the counter, watching the kneeling Yue Guan with a calm gaze.

Those deep eyes held the weariness of one who had seen through the vanity of the world.

"Flowers bloom and wither, life leads to old age, sickness, and death; these are but the cycles of heaven and earth."

The man's voice was peaceful, as if he were stating a truth as simple as could be.

"Since you love flowers so much, you should know how to revere the passage of life."

Having said this, the grey-shirted man raised his wood-shaving-covered right hand once more and gave a light wave toward Yue Guan.

In that single wave, the invisible ripple that seemed capable of devouring everything within the woodcarving shop instantly reversed.

Yue Guan's eyes widened abruptly.

He felt a vast, gentle surge of vitality pour into his crown chakra out of thin air.

The knife-like wrinkles on his face were smoothed away at a speed visible to the naked eye.

His withered white hair regained its golden luster once more.

His shriveled muscles became plump again, and even the soul power that had been suppressed in his dantian began to flow through his meridians once more.

In the span of just a few breaths.

Yue Guan transformed from a dying old man back into that effeminate Spirit Hall elder.

However, although his appearance had been restored, a monstrous storm was already raging within Yue Guan's heart.

He slumped onto the ground, gasping for air, his clothes soaked through with cold sweat.

This terrifying experience of walking the edge of life and death was more soul-crushing than being killed outright.

He finally understood completely.

The other party's move just now was never intended to take his life.

It was merely a warning.

A punishment for his shouting and insolence in the shop.

Someone who could strip away his lifespan with a single finger could just as easily restore it with a wave of their hand.

Such a method, treating time like a toy to be kneaded at will, simply exceeded the limits of Yue Guan's comprehension.

"Th-thank you, Senior, for sparing my life!"

Yue Guan scrambled to turn around, kowtowing three times heavily toward the man in the grey shirt behind the counter.

He no longer possessed even a shred of the airs of a Title Douluo; he was like a frightened quail, not even daring to lift his head.

The man in the grey shirt ignored his thanks.

He picked up the carving knife and wood on the table again, lowering his head to continue his work.

"The shop is dirty."

"Go to the backyard, get a broom, and sweep up the wood shavings on the floor."

The man's voice remained soft, yet it carried an unquestionable majesty.

"Yes! Yes! This junior will go sweep at once!"

Yue Guan acted as if he had been granted a reprieve.

He scrambled up from the floor in a panic, not even bothering to brush the dust off his body, and trotted respectfully toward the backyard with his head bowed.

A dignified Spirit Hall elder was, at this moment, willingly acting as a menial servant sweeping the floor.

The image on the Sky Screen froze on the sight of Yue Guan, broom in hand, honestly sweeping the floor.

Douluo Continent, Fasno Province, Shrek Academy.

The wide dirt playground was so quiet that one could hear the rustling of the wind through the leaves.

Everyone seemed to have been struck by a freezing spell, standing rooted to the spot like wooden chickens.

The fat on Ma Hongjun's face twitched violently; he rubbed his eyes hard, seemingly unable to believe everything he had just seen.

"Am... am I seeing things?"

The fatty turned his head to look at his companions, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

"That Chrysanthemum Douluo from Spirit Hall—one second he was a dying old man, how did he turn back the next?"

Dai Mubai stood to the side, his hands unconsciously clenched into fists.

He felt a chill running down his back.

"That wasn't an illusion."

Dai Mubai swallowed hard, his tone strained as he spoke: "Look at how Yue Guan was scared out of his wits. He is a level ninety-five Title Douluo."

"To be able to scare a Title Douluo into kneeling and kowtowing, and then willingly go grab a broom to sweep the floor..."

"Just what level of monster is that man sitting behind the counter?"

Tang San stood at the very front of the crowd, his eyes still stinging from the overexertion of his Purple Demon Eye.

He had been staring fixedly at the Sky Screen, trying to see the movements of the man in the grey shirt.

But he had failed.

The other party had used no hidden weapons, released no poison, and hadn't even left a trace of energy.

"That is the Law of Time."

Tang San took a deep breath; his voice was not loud, yet it struck every person's heart like a heavy hammer.

Xiao Wu grabbed the corner of Tang San's shirt in fear, her small face pale as she asked, "Brother, what is the Law of Time?"

Tang San turned his head to look at the bewildered teachers and students, patiently explaining.

"On our Douluo Continent, a spirit master's method of attack, whether it be physical strikes or elemental damage, is essentially about destroying the enemy's physical body."

"For instance, burning with fire, drowning with water, or cutting with sharp blades."

"But that man just now did not inflict any direct physical damage on Yue Guan at all."

Tang San raised his hand, pointing at the light screen suspended in mid-air.

"What he deprived Yue Guan of was time."

"No matter how strong a person's defense or how high their spirit power, they cannot withstand the passage of years."

"That man only flicked his finger, and in just a few breaths, Yue Guan lived through decades of time, stepping directly into his twilight years."

Speaking to this point, a trace of deep awe flashed through Tang San's eyes.

"This is the most terrifying part."

"Since he can deprive time, he can also bestow it."

"That is why, after Yue Guan begged for mercy, he waved his hand again and returned the time that had slipped away from Yue Guan."

"This method of controlling life and death has completely transcended the scope of human martial arts."

After hearing Tang San's analysis, Flender and Zhao Wuji exchanged glances, both seeing intense horror in the other's eyes.

Flender took off his glasses and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

"Little San is right."

"If an expert of this level wants to kill someone, they don't even need to lift a finger; just one look from them could make you wither away and die on the spot."

"Terrifying... simply too terrifying..."

Just as everyone was stunned by Tang San's analysis, Yu Xiaogang, who had been standing in the corner, suddenly felt his legs go weak and collapsed onto the muddy ground.

This master, who had always prided himself on his invincible theories, now had vacant eyes and kept muttering to himself.

"Impossible, this defies all logic, damn it..."

Yu Xiaogang frantically pulled at his hair, turning his once neatly groomed flat-top into a bird's nest.

"Even a god shouldn't be able to manipulate time so casually."

"He is clearly a mortal without any spirit power; why is this happening?"

Yu Xiaogang felt his worldview crumbling bit by bit.

He had always taught his students that there were no useless spirits, only useless spirit masters.

But now, that person from the Renegade Immortal World was telling him with iron-clad facts that he didn't need a spirit at all.

Sitting in a dilapidated wood-carving shop, drinking coarse tea and carving wood, he could toy with the peak powerhouses of the Douluo Continent as if they were ants.

"Teacher..."

Tang San walked over to Yu Xiaogang, reaching out to help him up.

However, Yu Xiaogang recoiled from Tang San's hand as if he had been electrocuted.

He looked up, his stiff face filled with despair and fear.

"Little San, we cannot win."

"The people of that world are all monsters."

"In their eyes, we so-called spirit masters might not even be worth as much as the weeds on the side of the road."

Watching his teacher on the verge of a mental breakdown, Tang San felt a pang of bitterness in his heart.

But he knew that now was not the time to be discouraged.

He turned his head to look at Yue Guan, who was sweeping the floor in the light screen.

"At least we have figured one thing out."

Tang San clenched his fists, his gaze turning resolute.

"In that world, many seemingly ordinary mortals are likely peerless experts living in seclusion."

"In the future, if anyone is transported there, they must never judge a book by its cover, let alone rely on their spirit power to stir up trouble."

"Yue Guan was just too arrogant, which is why he kicked this iron plate."

"Low profile and forbearance are the only ways to survive."

Spirit City, Pope Palace.

This magnificent building, which symbolized the highest power on the Douluo Continent, was terrifyingly quiet at this moment.

The air in the great hall seemed to have frozen, making it difficult for anyone to even breathe.

Bibi Dong stood before the Pope Palace throne, her grip on the scepter so tight that it emitted a faint, cracking sound.

The ease and triumph that had filled her beautiful eyes only moments ago were nowhere to be found.

In their place was a tremor that reached deep into her marrow.

Ghost, standing at the foot of the steps, did not even dare to lift his head.

He had watched with his own eyes as his partner of several decades was repeatedly tortured on the brink of death, only to end up having to grovel in gratitude for the chance to sweep the floor.

The bleak sense of sorrow for a fallen comrade made even Ghost, a Title Douluo who dealt with death year-round, feel a genuine chill of terror.

"Your Holiness..."

Ghost spoke in a raspy voice, his tone as faint as a mosquito's hum.

"Yue Guan... he managed to keep his life, didn't he?"

Bibi Dong did not answer.

She merely stared fixedly at the Sky Screen, her chest heaving violently.

Just then, a brilliant golden light suddenly ignited above the dome of the Pope Palace.

This radiance was holy and warm, carrying an inviolable, divine aura that instantly illuminated the entire dim hall.

Accompanying the golden light, a tall, upright figure slowly descended from mid-air.

The man wore a pristine white robe, his long golden hair draped casually over his shoulders.

His face was handsome, appearing to be in his thirties or forties, yet his deep eyes held a sense of indifference, as if looking down upon all living beings.

It was none other than the Great High Priest of Spirit Hall, the ninety-ninth-level peerless Douluo, Qian Daoliu!

Qian Daoliu usually remained in the Douluo Hall to serve the Angel God, rarely interfering in the daily affairs of Spirit Hall.

His breaking of protocol to come to the Pope Palace today was clearly a result of being alarmed by the images on the Sky Screen.

"Great High Priest."

Bibi Dong bowed slightly; though her tone was respectful, her gaze remained icy.

Qian Daoliu ignored her attitude.

He walked directly to the center of the hall, raised his head, and watched the light screen in the air in silence.

At this moment, the composed and unhurried expression that usually graced Qian Daoliu's face was gone.

His brows were tightly locked together, and his eyes flickered with a complex light.

"What terrifying methods."

Only after a long silence did Qian Daoliu slowly utter these words.

His voice echoed through the hall, carrying a trace of undisguised exhaustion.

"I have served the Angel God for most of my life and believed I had gained some understanding of the power of gods."

"The Angel God masters the laws of light and fire, capable of purifying all evil in the world."

Qian Daoliu turned his head to look at Bibi Dong.

"Yet, even the high and mighty Angel God could not do what that man in the grey shirt did—casually stripping away and bestowing time upon a person."

"Time is the most mysterious and untouchable taboo in this universe."

Hearing these words from Qian Daoliu, Bibi Dong's heart sank abruptly.

She knew that Qian Daoliu was not joking.