Long Yi's pupils shrank to pinpricks. His draconic instincts, honed over countless millennia, pieced together the implications instantly. So that was Nian Shi's true goal all along.
It explained everything.
Why Nian Shi had never truly sought to eliminate Yun Lintian despite having countless opportunities. Why he had allowed Yun Lintian to grow stronger, to gather all the powers, to even obtain the Seed of Time from the ruins.
He wasn't just scheming against Yun Lintian—he was cultivating him.
Like a farmer nurturing a prized fruit until it was ripe for plucking.
Nian Shi's laughter rang out, bright and delighted, as if Ning Yue had just told the most amusing joke. He clapped his hands together in mock applause.
"Marvelous! Truly marvelous! I really can't underestimate the World Tree's spirit, can I?"
Long Yi stiffened. His golden eyes flicked to Ning Yue in shock. She was the World Tree's spirit?
But that would mean...
Nian Shi continued, his voice smooth as silk. "That's right. I've been planning to take over Yun Lintian's body for a very, very long time." He gestured lazily, as if discussing the weather. "And the time is almost here. Now that he's obtained the Seed of Time, it will be so much easier to slip inside."
A grin curled his lips, sharp and predatory.
"Yun Lintian has probably never even considered it. And even if he has... he won't be able to stop me."
Ning Yue remained unmoved. The World Tree's branches swayed gently behind her, their emerald leaves shimmering with ancient power.
"I already told you," she said calmly. "You will never own anything. All of your plans are destined to fail."
Nian Shi's grin didn't waver, but his silver eyes gleamed with something darker—curiosity, intrigue, perhaps even a flicker of caution.
"Oh? And why are you so confident?" He tilted his head, studying her like a puzzle to be solved. "Could it be... you've completely inherited the memories of the World Tree?"
Ning Yue didn't answer immediately. Instead, she raised her hand.
A single leaf detached from the World Tree above, drifting down to land in her palm. As it touched her skin, the leaf dissolved into emerald light, its energy merging with her own.
When she spoke again, her voice carried the weight of epochs.
"I know what you are, Nian Shi. Not just the God of Time... but the first failure."
Nian Shi's playful expression froze.
For the first time in countless ages, something flickered across his face—something raw.
Ning Yue's voice resonated through the abyss, ancient and unyielding.
"I remember everything, Nian Shi. Including how the Creator tried to eliminate you—because you were nothing but a mistake she produced."
The words hung in the air like a divine decree.
For a fleeting moment, Nian Shi's silver eyes flickered—something dark and dangerous passing through them. Then, he chuckled, the sound light and mocking.
"So what?" He spread his hands, grinning. "In the end, she was the one who disappeared. Not me." His grin sharpened. "And soon, I'll take her power for myself. Become the new Creator. Make sure she never comes back."
Long Yi's golden pupils trembled. His mind reeled from the revelations.
Nian Shi was a mistake?
The Creator would return?
This was knowledge lost even to the ancient dragons.
Ning Yue remained calm. "Have you ever considered," she said softly, "that the only reason you're still alive is because the Creator allowed it?"
Nian Shi's amusement vanished. His expression froze, the air around him turning deathly cold.
The word came out sharp, edged with something rarely heard in the God of Time's voice—doubt.
Ning Yue smiled faintly. "Think about it. With Yin bound to return, and the Seed of Fate like Big Brother Yun rising... who was meant to stabilize the world during this transition?"
Nian Shi's eyes flickered—just once—with genuine shock.
Ning Yue didn't wait for his reply.
The World Tree's branches rustled, their leaves whispering secrets older than time itself.
"You were never meant to succeed the Creator," Ning Yue continued. "You were meant to preserve the balance until the true successor arrived."
Nian Shi stood perfectly still. His silver eyes burned, but his voice, when he spoke, was eerily calm.
"Not bad. You almost got me."
Ning Yue shook her head. "You know it's true. Deep down, you've always known."
She took a step forward, the ground beneath her blooming with emerald light.
"That's why you could never truly die. That's why the Creator never erased you completely." Her gaze pierced through him. "You were necessary."
For the first time in eons, Nian Shi looked... unsettled.
His fingers twitched. The flow of time around him stuttered, as if his control was slipping.
Long Yi watched in stunned silence. The mighty God of Time—unbalanced by mere words?
It started as a soft chuckle, then grew into full-blown laughter, wild and unrestrained.
He clutched his stomach, silver hair swaying as he doubled over in mirth.
"Oh, delicious!" He wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. "So this is the World Tree's final gambit? To psychologically defeat me?"
His laughter faded as suddenly as it began. His expression smoothed into something cold and calculating.
"Tell me, little tree spirit—if I was truly just a tool for the Creator's grand design..." He tilted his head. "Why would I care?"
The air grew heavy. The World Tree's light dimmed slightly, as if weighed down by the truth Ning Yue was about to reveal.
"Because you do care," she said quietly. "You've spent eons running from one truth—that everything you've done, every scheme, every betrayal... was expected."
Nian Shi's smile didn't waver, but his fingers curled slightly.
"The Creator knew you would rebel," Ning Yue continued. "She knew you would try to steal Yun Lintian's body. She even knew you would ally with Yin."
"Because that was always your role."
Nian Shi went very still.
The words landed like a hammer blow.
For a single, breathless moment, the God of Time looked... hollow.
His silver eyes darkened. The air around him warped, time itself screeching in protest as his power surged.