Chapter Thirty-Three: The Godhood of Time

Time slipped away in the blink of an eye, and Ling Xiao had already been in the Far North for three months.

"Snow Empress, Ice Empress, it is time for me to leave. I have stayed here far too long!" Ling Xiao said.

"Is it really that long? I don't feel it at all!" the Ice Empress replied. Having lived for tens of thousands of years, three months was merely the duration of a nap for them.

"Perhaps it is because you have lived too long; I am still quite young," Ling Xiao said with a shrug. He still had four months to go before his ninth birthday.

"With your immense strength, you cannot be that young. Don't tell me you aren't even a thousand years old?" the Ice Empress asked.

"No, I am only eight and a bit."

As soon as the words left his lips, both the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress froze, their gazes filled with disbelief.

"What did you say? You are eight!" the Ice Empress shrieked.

"How can you be only eight! You are clearly so powerful," the Snow Empress added, her eyes vacant.

"I’m just naturally gifted. I was a Title Douluo the moment I awakened my martial soul."

"A Title Douluo upon awakening? How is that possible? Do you have any idea how few Title Douluos there are among humanity?" The Ice Empress shook her head, completely unconvinced.

"Believe it or not, the reason I called you here is that I have something good for you," Ling Xiao said, producing two bottles of shimmering, dreamlike liquid.

"Is this the Water of Life? While it is excellent for healing, we are not so easily injured these days," the Snow Empress said. They had consumed some of this water over the past three months, mostly because the Ice Empress had constantly provoked Ling Xiao and ended up severely beaten, with the Snow Empress occasionally caught in the crossfire.

"What you drank before was low-grade Water of Life; for beings of your strength, it only provides recovery. But this is low-grade Water of Life blended with a touch of medium-grade. Even at your level, it will allow for growth in strength," Ling Xiao said, tossing the bottles to them.

The Snow Empress and the Ice Empress took the bottles, exchanged glances, and after a brief hesitation, uncorked them. Instantly, an incredibly potent life force flooded the surrounding miles.

"This power..."

The Snow Empress’s pupils constricted. Just from the scent alone, she could feel her power stirring; if she were to drink it...

"Such a treasure must be incredibly precious. Why are you giving it to us?" the Snow Empress asked, resisting the temptation of the liquid. In her eyes, this made no sense. Even among family, such a treasure would be guarded, yet he had given it to them so easily.

The Ice Empress also looked at Ling Xiao with a complex expression. Despite her arrogance and constant provocations, she was the recipient of such a gift.

"You are my friends; why is it strange for me to give it to you? Although I originally intended to keep you as pets, this is close enough," Ling Xiao said, looking at them with a hint of regret.

If the Ice Empress had heard this earlier, she would have certainly argued back, but now, she remained silent. They could feel their strength increasing just by smelling it; it was clear that with such items, he could easily cultivate soul beasts hundreds of thousands of years old. They were not unique. Perhaps they were only receiving this gift because they happened to know him.

"Alright, drink up! I am off," Ling Xiao said calmly, summoning his Demon Eye Blood Sword. He stepped onto the blade and soared into the sky.

The Snow Empress and the Ice Empress seemed to want to say something, but before they could, Ling Xiao vanished.

"Snow Empress, this human... why is he so good to us?" The Ice Empress withdrew her gaze, looking at the Water of Life in her hand, her mind in turmoil.

"Perhaps it is because he is very pure," the Snow Empress whispered. "He is so pure that simply because we are his friends, he bestows such treasures upon us, even though we harbor other intentions."

"He truly treats us as friends, while we have always regarded him as a human, and therefore, not to be trusted." The Ice Empress’s voice was bitter. For the first time, she felt she had been wrong; she shouldn't have constantly provoked him.

"It has always been this way, hasn't it? He is so powerful, yet when you provoked him, he did not kill you. Perhaps it was because he considered us friends, and it was merely playful banter."

"Perhaps we can trust him. Perhaps we can trust a human. Maybe he will be the hope of all soul beasts," the Snow Empress said in a low voice.

"Trust a human?" the Ice Empress murmured, her voice lost beneath the howling wind and snow.

...

"Ding! Mission issued: Depart for the Time Continent." The system's voice suddenly rang out.

"Time Continent? Where is that?" Ling Xiao asked, confused. He had been traveling the continent for nearly two years and had never heard of such a place.

"Master, the Time Continent is a world in another galaxy. All life there possesses an innate secret technique related to the laws of time. There are two types: one is called Time Stasis, and the other is Time Acceleration."

"Each being starts with only one technique. If they possess Time Stasis, they must constantly contemplate the laws of time to master Time Acceleration," the system explained, resolving his confusion.

"Time! Could this be the Godhood of Time? If I possess this, does it mean I can master time and see the future? Can I reverse time to resurrect the dead?" Ling Xiao asked.

"Master, obtaining the Godhood of Time only allows you to see the future and past, and to walk through the river of time; you cannot influence it. To resurrect the dead, you must also master space."

"Is that so? No matter, I already possess the Godhood of Space. I can just proceed with the divine trials now."

"System, how do I go to the Time Continent? Is it very close to the Douluo Continent?" Ling Xiao asked. He was now capable of stepping outside the Douluo Continent into the outer space the system referred to.

"Master, I will open a spatial gate. Once you step through, you will arrive at the Time Continent, and the divine trials of the God of Time can begin."

"Good, let's start! Another continent—I am truly curious," Ling Xiao said, his eyes filled with wonder. After all, this was an entirely different world.

"Teleportation starting!"

As soon as the system finished, a spatial gate appeared before Ling Xiao. Without hesitation, he stepped through. After a fleeting moment of darkness, he emerged into a vibrant, living world.

"Ding! Congratulations, Master, on arriving at the Time Continent. You have obtained the Godhood of Time. The nine trials of the God of Time have begun!"

"This is the Time Continent!"

Ling Xiao looked at the world before him, astonished to find it far more vast than the Douluo Continent.

"The Time Continent is perhaps a thousand times the size of the Douluo Continent. This implies that the powerhouses here are incredibly strong. I wonder how I compare," he thought.

The system panel opened.

Host: Ling Xiao
Age: Eight
Soul Martial: Demon Eye Blood Sword, Primordial Flame
Realm: Late-stage God Lord (Star Body not yet activated)
Godhood: Titan God, God of Life, God of Death, God of Judgment, God of Devouring (8/9), God of Space (3/9), God of Holy Spirit (4/9)
Divine Abilities: Heaven Finger, Phantom of the God of Life, Judgment Heaven Eye, Judgment Flame Swamp, Blood Devour, Spirit Devour, Soul Devour, Devouring Firmament, Wind and Thunder Domain, Phantom of the God of Death, Phantom of the God of Judgment, Phantom of the God of Devouring, Spatial Lockdown, Spatial Shred, Spatial Imprisonment, Soul Capture, Soul Sea, Soul Shatter, Nine Souls
Inventory: Low-grade Water of Life, Medium-grade Water of Life, Soul Martial Advancement Energy, High-grade Water of Life, Life Essence, Life Set, Tree of Life, Divine Realm of Life, Book of Death, Undead War God, Corpse Emperor Servant, Death Armor, Death Set, Eye of the Death God, Divine Realm of Death, Wings of Judgment, Mechanical Evil Tiger, Slaughter Angel Set, Judgment God Sword, Divine Realm of Judgment, Devouring Beast God, Devouring Set, Devouring Pearl