Yun Lintian's brow twitched.
The laughter cut off abruptly. The fake Qian Jinglei's eyes gleamed with malicious amusement. "How does it feel, Yun Lintian? Running through my maze like a headless fly while the real game plays out elsewhere?"
A cold realization dawned in Yun Lintian's eyes. "The Chasm of Uncreation...?"
The fake Qian Jinglei's smile vanished. Its form began dissolving into black mist. "Too late. The pieces are already in motion. While you waste time here..."
The voice fragmented as the body disintegrated, its final words dripping with venom:
"...the true feast begins."
The remaining mist exploded outward, forcing everyone to shield their eyes. When the smoke cleared—
The chamber was empty. Only the unconscious real Qian Jinglei remained in Long Chen's arms.
Yun Lintian furrowed his brow, trying to figure out the mystery behind everything that had just happened. It wasn't Nian Shi but Yin, the Chasm of Uncreation? This was a bit unexpected.
"That thing... it wasn't Nian Shi but the Chasm?" Long Qingxuan asked with a frown.
"Perhaps," Yun Lintian responded. "We can't be for sure. There's no way to confirm it."
He paused for a moment and continued. "However, whether it's Nian Shi or Yin, we have to face it to the end."
Long Qingxuan nodded slowly. It was indeed the case. Everything here was shrouded in mysteries that no one could unravel for the time being. To confirm the identity of the mysterious entity was certainly impossible.
At this moment, Qian Jinglei's eyelids fluttered open, her vision blurry. The first thing she saw was Long Chen's anxious face hovering over her.
"Master! You're awake!"
She blinked rapidly, trying to clear her head. "Chen'er...? What happened? Why are you here?"
Long Chen helped her sit up, quickly explaining everything—the temporal reset, the possessed version of her, the five copies in the reception chamber.
Qian Jinglei's face paled as memories flooded back. She grabbed Long Chen's arm. "When our connection broke... I tried reaching you, but then..." Her voice trembled slightly. "Someone walked in. Someone who looked exactly like me."
Yun Lintian stepped closer. "What did they do?"
Qian Jinglei shook her head. "I don't remember. One moment I was facing my double, the next... nothing." She touched her temple. "It's like a piece of time was stolen from me."
A heavy silence fell over the group.
Linlin's ears flattened. "First fake Qian Jingleis, now memory theft?"
Tang Wei's liquid form rippled uneasily. "I have never seen or heard about anyone who could do this… Well, of course, the God of Time should have such an ability. But why did he do that?"
He glanced at Yun Lintian in doubt. He could see that everything here seemed to mysteriously connect with Yun Lintian. First, his wife, Long Qingxuan, and now a mysterious entity who seemingly targeted Yun Lintian.
What was the reason behind it?
"What the hell are we fighting?" Xiong Ba uttered with frustration. He suddenly regretted his decision to come here.
Yun Lintian naturally remained silent.
Qian Jinglei struggled to her feet, leaning on Long Chen. "We can't stay here. That thing wanted us distracted—which means we're missing the real threat."
As if summoned by her words, the chamber walls began glowing—lines of golden light forming an intricate pattern.
The map was rewriting itself.
"Path to the inner chamber unlocked," a neutral voice announced.
A section of the floor slid away, revealing a spiraling staircase descending into darkness.
Nie Tong's frost energy coiled defensively. "Another trap."
"Do we have a choice?" Xiong Yu asked with a frown. "We can't leave and we can't go forward."
All eyes turned to Yun Lintian, awaiting his decision. The weight of their gazes pressed against him, but his expression remained unmoved.
"This isn't my responsibility," Yun Lintian said coldly. "I've protected you this far without asking for anything in return. The choice to continue is yours alone."
Xiong Ba immediately looked at his uncle, his meaning clear—he wanted to leave.
Xiong Yu's face darkened. He clenched his fists, torn between the potential rewards and his nephew's safety.
Nie Tong made her decision without hesitation. "Ling Xuan and I are leaving."
Ling Xuan's eyes widened. "Master, I—"
"No arguments," Nie Tong cut her off sharply. "This is beyond us."
Qian Jinglei turned to Long Chen, her gaze steady. "The choice is yours."
Long Chen closed his eyes, thinking hard. When he opened them again, his resolve was firm. "I'm staying. My fate is tied to this place—I can read the tablet. That can't be a coincidence."
Ling Xuan's lips trembled. "Long Chen..."
He gave her a reassuring smile. "Go. I'll be fine."
Xiong Yu finally made his decision. "We're leaving too." He placed a heavy hand on Xiong Ba's shoulder. "My nephew's life comes first."
Xiong Ba exhaled in relief, then glanced at Long Chen with something like pity—as if he already saw his death.
Yun Lintian didn't comment. He simply raised a hand—
A shimmering silver portal opened, revealing the ruins outside the Temporal Palace.
Nie Tong stepped through first, dragging a reluctant Ling Xuan behind her. Xiong Yu and Xiong Ba followed without looking back.
The moment they vanished, the portal sealed shut.
Only Yun Lintian, Long Qingxuan, Yue Zhihe, Long Chen, Qian Jinglei, Tang Wei, Linlin, and Qingqing remained.
Yun Lintian turned toward the dark staircase.
He studied the spiraling staircase, his Eyes of Heaven scanning its depths. The black-crimson energy oozing from the walls pulsed like a living thing, carrying the same corruption they'd seen before.
"Did the Grand Palace of Origin have a basement?" Yun Lintian asked without turning.
Tang Wei's liquid form rippled uneasily. "No. The inner hall was never underground. But..." He gestured at the dripping walls. "This palace has changed beyond recognition. So, anything can happen here."
Yun Lintian's gaze remained fixed on the staircase. His divine sense detected nothing—no traps, no formations, just an endless void of distorted time.
After a long silence, he stepped forward.
The stairs seemed endless, the air growing heavier with each step. The black-crimson corruption thickened, forming grotesque shapes along the walls—faces frozen in silent screams, hands clawing at nothing.
Linlin's fur bristled. "This isn't just temporal energy... it's death."
Qingqing clung to Yun Lintian's shoulder, her tiny body trembling. "Big Brother Yun... I don't place..."
Yun Lintian didn't respond. His focus remained absolute, the Heaven Sunderer glowing faintly in his grip…