Archon of Time

At the same time, a hazy yet sacred phantom quietly emerged behind Yin Chen, solidifying without dispersing.

It was the phantom of an elegant, dignified woman—the Archon of Time, Istaroth.

She possessed a head of pure silver-white hair, as immaculate as the first snowfall of winter. Her silky strands shimmered with the soft luster of moonlight.

Part of her long hair had been carefully braided into exquisite plaits that draped gracefully over her shoulders and chest, while the rest flowed freely down her back like a cascading galaxy, glinting with tiny starlight amid the faint radiance she gave off.

Above her head floated a golden halo formed entirely of light, radiating a warm, sacred glow like a miniature sun.

Unique golden ornaments hung around the halo, swaying ever so slightly with the phantom's breathing-like energy fluctuations and scattering flecks of light.

She wore garments dominated by holy white, their material seeming woven from the soft gauze of the clouds and the rays of dawn, exuding an inviolable purity and nobility.

Her face was beautiful beyond mortal imagination, bearing an inhuman holiness and perfection.

Her eyes, like burning amber, seemed to contain the rise and fall of countless worlds, holding endless gentleness and a profound mystery that saw through all things.

The corners of her eyes were naturally tinged with a faint pink-orange hue, like the rosy clouds of dawn, lending her a touch of vividness.

A pair of exquisite purple gloves made her already slender, graceful fingers appear even more perfect.

The phantom stood naturally. The exposed skin was like morning dew condensed at daybreak, lustrous and translucent. The beautiful line of her neck and the subtle rise and fall at her collarbones added an indescribable, life-born charm to her holiness.

The entire phantom radiated a faint, warm golden aura. The light was not dazzling, yet it possessed a peculiar power that soothed the unrest of all things, causing even the surrounding light to grow still and slow.

When she appeared behind Yin Chen, the carriage seemed to instantly detach itself from the normal flow of time, filling with a tranquil, sacred, profound, and vast atmosphere.

The instant the Martial Soul appeared, Xu Jiujiu's gaze was firmly captured.

She was first shocked by this unprecedented Martial Soul form, one that combined beauty and mystery. Then, her eyes involuntarily fell upon Yin Chen.

Looking at those clock-like eyes that seemed capable of reflecting the tracks of time, and feeling that indescribably profound aura rushing toward her, her heartbeat inexplicably skipped a beat, and her breathing slightly stalled.

It was a charm that transcended gender, age, and even status—a soul-deep instinctive curiosity and yearning for eternity and mystery.

She stared blankly, as if she wanted to see the very form of time itself through those clock-like eyes.

The carriage fell silent, save for the faint sounds of the Soul Guidance Carriage moving smoothly along.

"Cough."

A soft cough sounded nearby, coming from Nebula Douluo Manyi, who had been sitting quietly like a shadow.

That cough was like a clap of thunder, jolting Xu Jiujiu awake from her brief daze.

She suddenly came back to herself and realized that she had been staring entranced at a six-year-old boy. Two faint blushes instantly rose on her fair, lovely face.

In slight panic, she instinctively raised a hand and gently tucked a lock of purple hair that had fallen beside her ear behind it, using the motion to conceal her earlier lapse.

"My apologies..."

Xu Jiujiu's voice was slightly lower than usual, carrying an almost imperceptible embarrassment.

"Your Martial Soul... truly is very... unique and beautiful."

She carefully chose her words, trying to restore her usual composure, yet she no longer dared meet Yin Chen's clock-like eyes for too long, as though afraid of being drawn back into that vortex of time.

Uncle Hui had long since lowered his head even further, watching his nose and contemplating his heart as though entirely unaware of everything happening in the carriage. Yet his faintly trembling eyelids revealed his inner unrest.

Yin Chen himself was somewhat surprised as well.

With a thought, he withdrew his Martial Soul. Istaroth's phantom behind him quietly faded away, and the clock markings in his eyes receded like the tide, returning them to their original shattered-gold color.

He touched his face as a strange thought crossed his mind.

This Martial Soul Possession... why does it feel a little like a charm skill? No, it probably isn't charm. It's more like... the innate attraction lower life forms feel toward a higher form of life or an embodiment of laws? Or perhaps their curiosity and awe toward the very concept of time have been projected onto me?

He looked at the princess across from him, whose cheeks still retained a trace of color as she struggled to maintain her dignified bearing. He could not help finding it somewhat amusing, yet also understandable.

It seemed that the Archon of Time Martial Soul was far more than merely capable of controlling time. Its very existence carried an indescribable divine charm.

Xu Jiujiu took a deep breath and tried to calm her overly rapid heartbeat.

The curiosity in her amethyst-like eyes deepened as she asked:

"Yin Chen, your Martial Soul is so unique. Does it... have a name?"

Yin Chen did not conceal it. He answered directly, his voice calm yet carrying a strange weight:

"Archon of Time."

"Archon of Time..."

Xu Jiujiu softly repeated the four words. Though she could not fully understand all the profound meaning they contained, the word "time" had already made the core clear, while "archon" revealed an authority and majesty that stood above the rules.

She nodded slightly.

"It is a fitting name. It suits it."

In her view, it was only natural for such a beautiful, mysterious, and noble time-attribute Martial Soul to possess such an extraordinary-sounding name.

What was more, it was a humanoid Martial Soul.

As the princess of Star Luo, Xu Jiujiu was widely experienced. She knew very well that in the world of Soul Masters, humanoid Martial Souls were almost synonymous with power.

Whether it was Spirit Hall's Angel Martial Soul from ten thousand years ago or the strange and powerful Body Martial Souls of the Body Sect, their possessors were destined to reach at least the level of a Title Douluo.

And Yin Chen not only possessed a humanoid Martial Soul, but had also gathered innate Martial Soul awakening, Innate Full Soul Power, and the time attribute—one of the supreme attributes—within himself.

For an ordinary Soul Master, possessing any one of those traits would already make them a once-in-a-hundred talent.

Yet Yin Chen had combined all four of these top-tier qualities in one body.

What kind of earth-shattering talent was this? Xu Jiujiu even felt that calling him a genius seemed somewhat inadequate.

At that moment, the importance she placed on Yin Chen rose sharply once again, reaching an unprecedented height.

Her original plan was instantly overturned—how could such an uncut jade be delayed? Every extra day wasted would be a loss for the empire.

She made her decision at once and instructed the coachman outside the carriage:

"Change our route. We are not going to Star Luo City. Take a detour and head directly to the Star Dou Great Forest."