I gain ten years' worth of cultivation every day, and even geniuses will only see my doorstep!

"We can't stay here any longer," Qin Yuan said. "Hurry up and find the entrance to the next level."

The two flew swiftly across the golden land. The ground was smooth, reflecting the golden light of the sky like a mirror. There were no mountains, no rivers, no buildings, only an endless expanse of flat land.

After flying for about an hour, the situation finally changed ahead.

That was a person.

No, it wasn't human. It was a golden figure, without features, without gender, only the outline of a human. It stood on the ground, its hands hanging at its sides, like a sculpture.

Qin Yuan stopped in front of it.

"Are you an emissary of the Lord of Time?" he asked.

The golden figure spoke, its voice devoid of emotion, like a machine reciting aloud.

"Outsider, you killed the Faceless King. The Lord of Time has commanded me to take your time."

Qin Yuan: "Taking my time? What do you mean?"

"Your entire life, from birth to death, will belong to the Lord of Time. From this moment on, you no longer possess the past or the future, only the present. And the present, too, will vanish in a breath."

Lin Qing'er didn't quite understand, but she knew this wasn't a good thing. She drew her sword and stood in front of Qin Yuan.

Qin Yuan pulled her behind him. "I'll do it."

He walked toward the golden figure.

The figure raised its hand, and a golden beam of light shot towards Qin Yuan. Wherever the beam passed, the air froze, and time stood still. Qin Yuan's movements began to slow down, as if he had been frozen in place.

But he didn't stop.

The power to protect the Heavenly Dao circulated within him, golden light resisting the power of time. Though his movements were slow, he was moving forward every single second.

The golden figure seemed somewhat surprised. "You can actually resist the power of time?"

Qin Yuan did not answer. He raised his right hand, pointing his index finger at the figure.

"Soul Shattering and Evil Breaking"

With a flick of his finger, the force, carrying a golden light, pierced through the barrier of time and precisely struck the figure's chest.

The figure froze. Then it began to shatter, like porcelain, spreading from its chest outwards.

"The Lord of Time... will not let you go..." Its voice grew weaker and weaker until it finally disappeared completely.

The golden pillar of light vanished, and time returned to its normal flow. Qin Yuan gasped for breath, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He had used all his strength in that single finger strike. It wasn't because the messenger was particularly powerful, but because the suppression of the power of time was terrifying. In that environment, every bit of power required ten times the effort.

"Are you alright?" Lin Qing'er helped him up.

Qin Yuan shook his head. "It's alright. But we need to hurry. The Lord of Time already knows we're here; it won't just send one messenger."

The two continued flying forward.

After flying for another three days, Qin Yuan finally saw the end of the Eternal Sacred Realm.

That was a river.

A golden river flows from the void, flowing back into the void. The river water is liquid time, each drop containing a fleeting moment. Countless bubbles float on the surface of the river, each bubble containing a scene—birth, death, blooming and withering flowers, the birth and destruction of stars.

The river of time.

Qin Yuan stood by the river, watching the bubbles. He saw a baby born in one bubble, who grew up to become a cultivator, cultivating for ten thousand years before finally perishing in a heavenly tribulation. In another bubble, a flower bloomed in spring and withered in autumn. In yet another bubble, a star burned for billions of years before finally going out.

"These are all part of time," a voice came from the river.

Qin Yuan looked up and saw a person standing on the river. It was an old man, wearing a golden robe and holding a golden cane. His beard was long, reaching down to the river surface and swaying gently with the water. His eyes were golden, without pupils, only an eternal light.

Lord of Time.

"You are Qin Yuan?" The Lord of Time spoke in a calm tone, as if he were talking about something insignificant.

Qin Yuan nodded.

"You killed the Faceless King and my messenger. According to the rules, I should take away all your time, turning you into an empty shell with no past and no future."

Qin Yuan remained silent.

The Lord of Time continued, “But I have observed you for a long time. Your path is protection. The essence of protection is ‘existence.’ Your way of confronting nothingness is not to destroy nothingness, but to make yourself stronger. This interests me greatly.”

It paused. "So, I'll give you a chance. Take one of my moves, and I'll let you pass. If you can't, you'll remain in the river of time forever, becoming a part of its waters."

Qin Yuan asked, "One move?"

"One move." The Lord of Time raised his cane, pointing it at Qin Yuan. "This move is called 'Eternal Moment.' It will infinitely prolong your happiest moment, keeping you forever in that instant. You will feel no pain, no fear, only endless happiness. But you will also never be able to leave."

Qin Yuan was silent for a moment. Then he smiled.

"What are you laughing at?" the Lord of Time asked.

Qin Yuan said, "I'm laughing. Your trick won't work on me."

Why?

"Because my happiness is never static." Qin Yuan turned to look at Lin Qing'er. "My happiness is constantly changing. Being with her today is happiness, and being with her tomorrow will also be happiness, but today's happiness is different from tomorrow's happiness. If you freeze today, what will I do tomorrow?"

The Lord of Time was stunned.

It had lived for billions of years and had never considered this question. It thought happiness was a moment that could be frozen in time, a point that could be extended indefinitely. But Qin Yuan told it that happiness is a line, a process, something that is constantly changing, constantly growing, and constantly creating. It cannot be frozen in time, it cannot be extended, it can only be experienced.

"Interesting." The Lord of Time put away his cane. "You may leave."

Qin Yuan didn't move. "Is it that simple?"

"It's that simple." The Lord of Time stepped aside, and a path appeared on the river, leading to the other side. "I am not your enemy. I am merely the guardian of time. My duty is not to stop anyone, but to ensure that time is not abused. You have not abused time, so you are not wrong."

It looked at Qin Yuan, and a hint of warmth appeared in its golden eyes.

"But those above won't be as easy to talk to as I am. The three goddesses of the Sacred Domain of Destiny, the Lord of Reincarnation of the Sacred Domain of Reincarnation, the Will of Fire of the Sacred Domain of Origin, the Lord of Annihilation of the Sacred Domain of End... they all have their own rules. Just because you broke my rules doesn't mean you can break theirs."

Qin Yuan nodded. "Thank you for the reminder."

He led Lin Qing'er onto the golden road and walked towards the other side of the river.

Behind him, the voice of the Lord of Time came: "Qin Yuan, you just said that happiness is a line. I've thought about it for a long time and I think you're right. But a line has a beginning and an end. Where is your end?"

Qin Yuan didn't turn back. "When I reach the end."

The Lord of Time remained silent.

Qin Yuan and Lin Qing'er crossed the River of Time and disappeared in the golden light.

On the opposite bank, there was a curtain of light. Behind the curtain of light lay the Sacred Realm of Destiny.