As soon as the words fell, Bai Ye froze. Forbidden Crystal? God Shard?!!
He had only obtained the God Shard after defeating Azure Dragon.
Had someone tampered with him while he fought Azure Dragon, causing the God Shard he later received to be black rather than the usual purple?
Black...
He looked into Fang Xubai's pitch-black eyes, and the answer instantly came to him.
It was the same color as the Abyss Eye!!
So the setup Fang Xubai had mentioned was the God Shard!!!
"Heart Abyss Seed." Fang Xubai spoke indifferently. "When Azure Dragon invaded, I planted the Heart Abyss Seed within you. As the Forbidden Domain opened, the Heart Abyss Seed began to take root and sprout, transforming into a Forbidden Heart Demon.
"Once you defeated that special Forbidden Heart Demon, it completely fused with you and became your power—the black Forbidden Crystal.
"And it was precisely because of it that I was able to successfully alter your Time Anchor today."
Bai Ye understood the entirety of Fang Xubai's plan. It had all been calculated, every step linked to the next.
Fang Xubai had used Azure Dragon to force out the Calamity Eye, then taken the chance to plant the Heart Abyss Seed.
After the Heart Abyss Seed fused with him, Fang Xubai used Lu Chen to force out the Calamity Eye again. Using the Heart Abyss Seed as a lever, he altered Bai Ye's Time Anchor.
Azure Dragon and Lu Chen had both been chess pieces. Perhaps Azure Dragon's resurrection this time had also been Fang Xubai's doing.
Fang Xubai continued, "But I have to admit, your power is extraordinary. As time passed, my connection with the Heart Abyss Seed was gradually worn away. Though it was born from the Abyss Eye, it would eventually fall under your