Linlin's tail bristled. "Big Brother Yun, can I bite them?"
Yun Lintian finally turned his head slightly, his voice indifferent. "If they keep talking, you can."
The two True Gods stiffened, sensing something off about Yun Lintian's demeanor.
The Golden Armor Saint snorted. "Do you know who we are? We are—"
"I don't care." Yun Lintian cut him off.
A suffocating silence fell.
The Crimson Lotus Matriarch's smile turned dangerous. "You dare—"
Yun Lintian raised a finger.
Space itself fractured around the two True Gods, trapping them in a prison of distorted dimensions. Their expressions twisted in horror as they realized—they couldn't move.
"What kind of law is this?!" the Golden Armor Saint roared, struggling futilely.
Yun Lintian ignored them and turned back to the silver tree.
Zhou Xuan and the others stared in stunned silence, their minds blank.
Did... did Yun Lintian just imprison two True Gods with a single finger?
Qingqing puffed her chest proudly. "That's what happens when you annoy Big Brother Yun!"
The Crimson Lotus Matriarch's face paled as she finally understood—this man was far beyond their level.
"S-Senior!" she stammered. "We meant no offense!"
The Golden Armor Saint, pride wounded, gritted his teeth. "Release us at once! Do you know the consequences of—"
Yun Lintian flicked his finger again.
The two True Gods were hurled backward, crashing through several ancient trees before skidding to a stop.
Yun Lintian didn't even glance their way. "Leave. Or die."
The two True Gods exchanged looks—fear and humiliation warring in their eyes.
Finally, the Crimson Lotus Matriarch bowed deeply. "W-We apologize for our rudeness, Senior!"
Without another word, the two fled, their figures vanishing into the ruins.
Mei Ling's legs gave out, and she collapsed to her knees. "T-Two True Gods... just ran away..."
Although she had seen how Yun Lintian handled the Temporal Beasts before, this was entirely different. Those two were genuinely True Gods, yet they were handled in the same way... How strong Yun Lintian truly was?
Feng Yang swallowed hard. "Senior Yun... just what realm are you in?"
Yun Lintian didn't answer. His attention was fixed on the silver tree's roots.
"There's something buried beneath it."
Linlin tilted her head. "Something scary?"
Yun Lintian's lips curved slightly. "Let's find out."
Yun Lintian's divine sense penetrated deep beneath the silver tree, probing through layers of ancient soil until—
His consciousness struck something solid.
A wooden box, no larger than a palm, buried at the tree's roots. Its surface was carved with primordial runes that pulsed faintly with power.
Yun Lintian reached down, his fingers brushing the earth—
An invisible barrier repelled his touch. His brows furrowed slightly as he increased the force, but no matter how much strength he used, the barrier didn't budge.
He withdrew his hand, studying the runes with his Eyes of Heaven. They weren't just defensive formations—they were conceptual locks, binding the box to the tree itself.
Before he could analyze further, the ground trembled.
The silver tree's leaves rustled violently, and the entire safe zone began to distort.
"It's shifting!" Zhou Xuan exclaimed, his face paling. "This fast? Normally it takes at least twenty minutes!"
Feng Yang's expression darkened. "Everything's been changing recently. That area with the serpent guardian—it appeared out of nowhere. The temporal distortions are becoming more unpredictable too."
The scenery around them blurred, the silver tree fading like a mirage. Within seconds, the safe zone was gone, replaced by the forest's usual landscape.
Yun Lintian's gaze swept the forest. "Have you found any clues to leave since these changes started?"
Zhou Xuan and Feng Yang exchanged glances before shaking their heads.
"Nothing," Zhou Xuan admitted. "If anything, escaping seems harder now."
Yun Lintian's frown deepened. The silver tree was undoubtedly the key—but without accessing that box, controlling it would be difficult.
"Feng Yang," he said abruptly. "Lead me to that place you mentioned."
Feng Yang hesitated. "Senior, that serpent—"
"Doesn't matter," Yun Lintian interrupted. "If the ruins are changing, we need to move fast."
The group traveled northwest, following Feng Yang's directions. The temporal distortions grew more severe as they progressed—patches of ground aged centuries in seconds, while pockets of frozen time forced them to detour.
Qingqing perched on Yun Lintian's shoulder, her nose twitching. "Big Brother Yun, the energy here feels... weird."
Linlin nodded, her golden eyes wary. "Like it's watching us."
Yun Lintian didn't respond, his attention fixed ahead.
After an hour, Feng Yang pointed to a massive fissure in the earth. "There! The ruin is inside that chasm."
The fissure spanned miles, its depths shrouded in mist. At its edge stood stone pillars covered in the same runes as the silver tree.
But what caught Yun Lintian's eye was the giant serpent coiled around the central pillar—its silver scales gleaming, its slitted eyes glowing with cold intelligence.
The moment they approached, the serpent's head snapped toward them.
"Turn back." Its voice echoed like grinding stone. "This place is not for the living."
Yun Lintian stepped forward. "Move."
The serpent hissed, its body uncoiling. "You carry the First Tree's mark... but you are not its keeper."
Yun Lintian's eyes narrowed. "You know about the tree?"
Instead of answering, the serpent struck, its maw gaping wide—
Yun Lintian flicked his wrist, and a golden palm strike slammed into the serpent's snout, sending it crashing back. The beast roared, its scales undamaged but its pride wounded.
"You cannot kill me," it spat. "I am bound to the seal, just as you are bound by fate."
Yun Lintian's patience wore thin. "Last chance. Step aside."
The serpent's eyes gleamed. "Very well. But know this—what lies beneath will test more than your strength."
With that, it slithered aside, revealing a staircase leading into the fissure's depths.
Yun Lintian didn't hesitate. "Stay here," he told the others before descending alone.
At the bottom, he found a circular chamber—and at its center, floating mid-air, was an exact replica of the wooden box he'd seen beneath the silver tree.
This one, however, had no barrier.
As Yun Lintian reached for it, the chamber trembled, and a projection of the First Tree materialized above the box.
A voice, ancient and weary, spoke.
"To claim this is to claim the prison's key. Are you prepared, child of chaos?"
Yun Lintian's fingers closed around the box.
The moment he touched it, the entire ruin shook violently—and far above, the silver serpent laughed.