The True Meaning of Space and Time

Qin Yuan nodded, went around the altar, and entered the passage.

At the end of the passage was a huge circular arena. Its floor was paved with an unknown black stone, covered in battle scars that looked as though they had been carved by blades and axes. Every mark gave off an ancient, razor-sharp aura.

Across the arena, a slender figure slowly took shape. It was a young man in dark silver battle armor. His face was indistinct, but the aura radiating from him made Qin Yuan feel as though he were suffocating.

A battle projection of the Void God King in his youth!

"The battle projection's strength has been suppressed to match your realm exactly-2,700 times Gene Level, Universe Master Second Tier," the aged voice said. "But his use of the Space-Time Law is at the perfect level. Defeat him and prove that your combat ability is worthy of this inheritance."

As the voice fell silent, the battle projection moved.

His figure vanished from where he stood like a ghost, appearing behind Qin Yuan in the next instant. He struck at the center of Qin Yuan's back with his palm! The strike had no embellishments, but it was astonishingly fast, and his palm contained the power of Time-Space Fusion-Time-Space Fusion far purer than Qin Yuan's Return to the Ruins!

Qin Yuan had no time to turn around and immediately used teleportation. But as soon as he activated it, he discovered that the space around him had been locked down.

As the battle projection attacked, he had silently deployed Space Lockdown!

"Time Stop!" Qin Yuan roared, driving the Time Law to its limits in an attempt to freeze the battle projection in place. But the projection merely waved a hand, and a countering force of the Time Law dissolved his Time Stop into nothing.

Bang!

Qin Yuan took the palm strike squarely on his back and was sent flying, crashing heavily into the arena wall. Golden divine blood sprayed from his mouth, and his divine body was badly injured.

"Too strong..." Qin Yuan struggled to his feet, but a fierce fighting spirit blazed in his eyes.

This was true Time-Space Fusion! It was on an entirely different level from his half-baked Return to the Ruins! Every move the battle projection made fused time and space perfectly into one. The moment he struck, he locked onto his target; the moment he attacked, he hit, leaving his opponent no chance to react.

But Qin Yuan was not discouraged. Instead, he grew excited. This was not merely a test, but also a lesson in the highest level of actual combat! As long as he could learn, imitate, and absorb the battle projection's techniques for using space and time during the fight, his strength would take a qualitative leap.

"Again!"

Qin Yuan wiped the divine blood from the corner of his mouth and charged at the battle projection once more.

The second time, he lasted five moves.

The third time, ten moves.

The fourth time, twenty moves.

Qin Yuan did not know how many times he had been knocked down. His divine body continuously repaired itself after suffering grievous injuries, only to be shattered again and again. When his divine power ran out, he exchanged for divine power recovery potions; when his Law Comprehension hit a bottleneck, he exchanged for Law Comprehension Acceleration cards and achieved enlightenment on the spot.

Like a greedy sponge, he frantically absorbed every technique for using space and time that the battle projection displayed: deeper applications of Time Stop, multiple layers of Space Lockdown, the Force Application Technique of Time-Space Fusion, the rhythm of switching between the Time Law and Space Law in real time during battle...

Time after time, his strength improved at a rate visible to the naked eye.

Finally, after falling and getting back up who knew how many times, Qin Yuan struck with a palm infused with Return to the Ruins and drove the battle projection back head-on for the first time!

The battle projection retreated three steps, and a hint of a smile seemed to appear on his indistinct face.

"Enough."

The aged voice rang out, and the battle projection dissipated.

"You have passed the second test. The learning ability and resilience you displayed in battle have exceeded what the Void God King expected in his youth. You are qualified to take the third and final test."

Qin Yuan knelt on one knee, gasping for breath, his divine power almost completely exhausted. But an unprecedented light shone in his eyes.

"What... is the third test?"

"The third test is not in the hall," the aged voice said slowly. "On the third floor of the Void God Hall is a teleportation array. It leads to a secret realm in the Universe Ocean—the Space-Time Secret Realm. There, you will face the final test left by the Void God King: break through to True God."

Qin Yuan jerked his head up.

Break through to True God?

"The Void God King's Origin Divine Power is sealed in the deepest part of the Space-Time Secret Realm. But to fuse with that divine power, you must first break through to the True God Realm. Otherwise, your divine body will be unable to withstand origin power at the God King Level and will burst apart on the spot. Thus, the third test is to break through to True God in the Space-Time Secret Realm. Succeed, and you will fuse with the origin power and inherit everything the Void God King left behind. Fail..."

The aged voice paused.

"Fail, and you will be trapped in the Space-Time Secret Realm forever, until you fall."

Qin Yuan fell silent.

Breaking through to True God was the ultimate goal of any Universe Master. But how difficult was that breakthrough? In the Primal Universe's history of over ten billion years, thousands of Universe Masters had been born, but those who had managed to break through to True God could be counted on one's fingers.

The Original Ancestor was one, and the Giant Axe Founder was another. The Chaos City Lord had only broken through late in the original story. And now, less than a year after becoming a Universe Master, Qin Yuan was going to attempt to reach True God?

But he had no way back. The battle outside the Void Hall was still ongoing, and the Human Race needed a stronger pillar of support. He himself also longed to grow stronger.

"I accept," Qin Yuan said in a deep voice.

"Very good." A hint of relief entered the aged voice. "The teleportation array is on the third floor of the hall and can be activated at any time. But I must remind you—time flows ten thousand times faster in the Space-Time Secret Realm than outside. If you cultivate in there for ten thousand years, only one year will pass outside. So you have enough time to prepare."

"But before you enter, you may return to the outside world and take care of whatever you need to. The doors of the Void God Hall will remain open to you."

Qin Yuan nodded and rose to his feet.

He glanced at the passage across the arena. It led to the third floor of the hall, to the Space-Time Secret Realm, and to the True God Path.

But instead of entering it immediately, he turned and walked toward the doors of the hall.

Before attempting to reach True God, he still had one thing he had to do: return to Earth and visit his disciple, Luo Feng. Luo Feng should have broken through to Star Level by now, triggering the second master-disciple cashback. He also needed to make arrangements for Luo Feng's future cultivation.

The True God Path was long and perilous, and he did not know how long he would spend in the Space-Time Secret Realm. But before leaving, he had to make sure his only disciple could survive in this cruel universe and continue growing stronger.

The doors of the Void God Hall slowly opened. Qin Yuan stepped out of the hall, sunlight spilling over him. The battle outside had already ended, and the Chaos City Lord and the others were waiting outside. When they saw him emerge, delighted expressions appeared on their faces.

"Qin Yuan!" Lord Peng Gong strode up to him. "You brat, you finally came out! How was it in there?"

Qin Yuan smiled and swept his gaze over everyone present. "I gained a great deal. But next, I have to go somewhere farther away."

The Chaos City Lord frowned. "Where?"

"The Space-Time Secret Realm." Qin Yuan briefly explained the contents of the Void God Hall's third test.

After hearing him out, everyone fell silent. Breaking through to True God was an incredibly daunting task. Yet Qin Yuan, a newcomer who had become a Universe Master less than a year ago, was about to face such a challenge alone.

The Chaos City Lord was silent for a long time before finally nodding slowly. "Go. We will guard the Human Race, so you need not worry. When you return, I hope to see a True God-a True God who can lead the Human Race to greater heights."

Qin Yuan bowed deeply. "City Lord, seniors, wait for me to return."

He turned into a streak of light and flew toward the exit of the Primal Star.

His destination: Earth.