Chapter 838: Time Book

The Book of Time was over a foot long and square. It was crystal clear, almost transparent, with scattered gleams, both mysterious and eerie, unsettling to look at.

Impervious to the erosion of time, this human skin was also known as the Skin of God. Indestructible through ages, it emitted a terrifying killing aura that could almost shatter one's bones and sinews.

It was covered with densely packed, minuscule characters, engraved on both front and back, too small for an ordinary person to see clearly. These ancient characters, like iron hooks and silver strokes, possessed a profound power, resembling ancient dragons and iron snakes. It was as if millions of blades were affixed to them, and a clangorous sound echoed from across the ages.

At that moment, it felt like standing in the frozen arctic, a bone-chilling cold, as if facing millions of wailing deities, while the crystalline luster on the ancient sage's skin flickered incessantly.

Qi Luo pointed a finger, and mist flowed, but the divine skin remained motionless. He let out a soft exclamation, and a gush of primordial energy erupted from his mouth, transforming into shimmering light that fell upon it.

Finally, some of the tiny characters began to glow, moving like miniature dragons, dazzlingly bright. Each stroke seemed to cleave through space.

"This isn't right," Qi Luo frowned. Then he opened his mouth and consecutively exhaled three streams of milky-white primordial energy, all of which spread over the crystalline human skin.

This part of the world shook like a sealed box. Hundreds of tiny characters on the divine skin glowed and were imprinted in the void, each one translucent.

Ye Fan was astonished, feeling an inexplicable power, as if time itself was shifting, creating a chaotic atmosphere.

Qi Luo struggled, his brow deeply furrowed. Hundreds of tiny characters hovered, densely surrounding him. He lifted off the ground, attempting to wield them, but found they would not obey.

"It's still not working. These tiny characters refuse to be summoned; I can't harness their power."

When he reabsorbed the shimmering light and took the primordial energy back into his body, the tiny characters once again imprinted themselves on the translucent skin and became still.

Tens of thousands of minuscule characters, like iron hooks and silver strokes, each stroke a time symbol. Combined, these tiny characters would unleash an astonishing, world-defying power. However, ordinary people cannot activate it. Over ten thousand combined runes would create temporal nodes, altering the flow of time and causing incredibly terrifying events within its range.

"This is a Quasi-Emperor's secret treasure. One cannot fully comprehend it without reaching the Saint realm. It doesn't inherently contain spiritual essence; instead, it requires a specific activation mechanism," Qi Luo explained.

Secret treasures, unlike other weapons, have unique activation methods and are not conventional weapons. However, some possess immeasurable power, capable of shattering the cosmos.

"The Lord of the Heavenly Court, who lived two lives, was truly remarkable," Ye Fan said. "To create such a secret artifact and dare to call it the Book of Time, it must have extraordinary capabilities."

"Back in the day, the Lord of the Heavenly Court, wielding a supreme scepter in one hand and the Book of Time in the other, was invincible, unopposed in the world. Those who could withstand ten of his moves could be counted on one hand," Qi Luo lamented.

"This is the skin of a Quasi-Emperor, who consumed an immortal medicine and achieved the supreme Dao fruit," Ye Fan said. He turned it over and over, finding it as painful to hold as a steel needle, causing his flesh to ache, making it difficult to grasp.

Had it not been refined into a secret treasure, it would have been impossible to hold, as the embedded killing intent principles could harm anyone nearby.

Ye Fan tried repeatedly. Finally, the golden figure within his glabella stepped out, sat cross-legged on the square-foot divine skin, activated the 'Line' secret technique, and shot through the sky with a whoosh.

Qi Luo's eyes almost popped out, and he hastily gave chase. Soon, with a flash of light, the golden figure grimaced, bounced up, and quickly vanished back into the Divine Platform.

"How was it? What did you experience just now?"

Ye Fan suddenly opened his eyes, feeling a throbbing pain in his glabella. He said, "It was as fast as flowing light, but it still didn't involve time. And it hurt like a needle prick."

Suddenly, his expression shifted. He said, "Hmm, no, that's not right. It felt like time paused for a split second; there was a tiny fissure. Perhaps it will be of great use in the future."

Afterward, he practiced and experimented repeatedly. The square-foot divine skin floated, its tiny characters rising one after another, enveloping the golden figure and carrying it galloping across the world.

"Unfortunately, it's only a momentary temporal fissure, flashing by too quickly to be utilized," Ye Fan said.

"It can still be used to create combat opportunities. If used well, it's a sure kill," Qi Luo said. He had also tried multiple times.

Ye Fan nodded. This secret treasure was too advanced; it was a divine artifact that only those above the Saint realm could wield. He could imagine the Heavenly Court Lord's majestic bearing when he dominated the world, holding a privileged scepter in one hand and the Book of Time in the other.

Much later, the two sat down on a large green stone and began to discuss in detail.

In Heavenly Village, they possessed the Heavenly Court's secret techniques, but lacked a crucial part: this piece of Quasi-Emperor skin, which contained core information.

Of course, the core alone was incomplete, lacking the full details for expansion and thus not perfect. Only when both were combined did they form the true Heavenly Court inheritance.

As for the 'Line' secret technique, that was a different matter. Only a few leaders of the Heavenly Court could cultivate it; it was not included in these scriptures, as it was a technique for suppressing rival sects.

That very day, the two completed the Heavenly Court scriptures. It could be said that these scriptures were shocking to behold, even blood-soaked; they were purely about attaining Dao through slaughter!

Undoubtedly, this inheritance was not suitable for Ye Fan; it differed from the path he walked. He merely killed enemies, while the Heavenly Court regarded killing as an instinct and a habit.

However, after careful study and observation, many of the principles were highly insightful, allowing for broader understanding. As for the secret techniques, they could certainly be put to use.

Qi Luo admitted that he was not far from becoming a Saint. In the future, he might be able to enter that realm and truly challenge Hell and the Human World.

"Do they really have Killer Saints?" Ye Fan asked.

"For assassins to become Saints was a severe and terrifying matter. Attaining Dao through slaughter was not just talk; in true life-and-death combat, a single Killer Saint could eliminate many opponents of the same rank. It was difficult to become a Saint in this world, but since they've resurfaced, how could they dare appear without confidence?" Qi Luo frowned.

Heavenly Village had just over 120 people, including men, women, and children. While not numerous, they were all born killers, with that instinct ingrained in their bones.

Ye Fan felt that if he were to establish a sect on a mountain, bringing these people in would instantly provide a complete foundation. It was a ready-made framework that required no effort.

As for Qi Luo, he was already keen on establishing the Heavenly Court and wished to destroy Hell and the Human World. Giving him the task would surely ensure he performed his duties diligently and exceptionally.

"You've passed the test of Heavenly Village. Now you are considered a Divine Son of the Heavenly Court," Qi Luo said.

"Divine Son, my foot! Sounds like someone who'll get butchered. I've killed many myself; I'm absolutely not taking that role," Ye Fan shook his head.

"Are you saying you want to be the Heavenly Court Lord directly? You're too far from being the strongest in the world right now," Qi Luo retorted, eyes wide.

Two days later, Ye Fan brought Black Emperor, Li Tian, and Yan Yixi to Heavenly Village.

"If Ye kid won't be the Divine Son, I'll do it! I'm putting everything on the line, condescending to temporarily join the Heavenly Court as a sect leader," Li Tian exclaimed. Then he looked around, saying, "If there's a Divine Son, there must be an unrivaled Divine Maiden, right? Please let me see her."

"Indeed, there is a Divine Maiden, a peerless beauty who will marry the Divine Son in the future," Qi Luo said, narrowing his eyes.

"Where is she? Let me see!" Li Tian said, thumping his chest. He was determined to be the Divine Son; no one could contend with him.

Soon after, a beautiful middle-aged woman brought in a baby girl, just over a year old, chubby and adorable. She was holding a milk bottle, making sucking noises.

"Divine Son... Divine Son..." the little one mumbled indistinctly. She smiled cutely, with chubby baby cheeks, and stretched out her hand, calling.

"Holy cow! This is the Divine Maiden? Old man, are you messing with me?" Li Tian immediately deflated, his head drooping.

"Divine Son... Brother... Hug..." The little girl reached out, not shy at all, and smiled at the group.

"Hey, kid, she's calling you big brother, why aren't you going forward?" Black Emperor nudged Li Tian, bumping him forward with its rear.

Li Tian took the little girl, then immediately handed her to Ye Fan, saying, "Here, hold your Divine Maiden." He declared self-righteously that as a sect leader, he couldn't possibly be the Heavenly Court's Divine Son anymore.

Ye Fan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. The little baby was very cute, blinking her big eyes, sucking on her pacifier, and smiling at them incessantly. She stretched out her soft, pink hands, babbling "Brother" to each of them.

He didn't know if it was due to good upbringing, a naturally sweet disposition, or something else, but she wasn't shy at all upon their first meeting and even tried to pull the big black dog's ear.

"In twenty years, Little Que'er alone will be peerlessly brilliant and will wipe out all those so-called dragons, phoenixes, Divine Sons, and Divine Maidens," Qi Luo said confidently to Ye Fan and the others. "Little Que'er is no ordinary child. Even if she's by herself, she'll be able to subdue all the younger generations of Hell and the Human World in the future."

"Yes!" Little Que'er nodded seriously, mimicking grown-ups.

Ye Fan noticed that this little girl was indeed special. Despite her young age, she was already connected to the essence of heaven and earth and was cultivating constantly.

"What kind of physique is this?" Black Emperor leaned forward, unable to resist asking.

"Born with immortal roots, suitable for cultivation. It doesn't necessarily have to be a specific special physique. For example, the Shaking Light Saint Child claimed to be an ordinary physique, yet he was stronger than many Royal Physiques. Similarly, with the ancient Great Emperors, apart from a few individuals, who knows what their physiques were?"

"No Divine Son, right? I'll give you one." Li Tian released Little Tongtong from his magical artifact.

As soon as the little fellow appeared, he opened his mouth and cried, immediately running to Ye Fan's side, crying and truly calling him "Master," afraid of being locked back up by Li Tian.

These past few days, he had been terribly bored, spending all his time facing dull books and endlessly reciting.

"Alright, you can stay out here from now on," Ye Fan, as his Master, said irresponsibly.

"This child is quite extraordinary," Qi Luo said, staring at Little Tongtong.

Of course he was extraordinary; the little fellow was glowing all over, like a miniature sun, making the little girl beside him very curious, calling out with a joyous smile on her face.

"Good... nephew, don't cry," Little Que'er said indistinctly, blinking her big eyes.

Everyone was speechless. What did this little girl know? She truly thought she was a Divine Maiden, smiling as she comforted her "nephew" who was older than her?

"Establishing a sect is very troublesome, Elder Qi. I'll leave the rear to you. I need to recruit some people; we're severely short-handed right now," Ye Fan said.

"Where are you going?" Qi Luo asked.

"I'm going to the Central Lands for a trip. If I don't bring two people in, I'll always feel uneasy," Ye Fan said.

"Who?" Everyone was surprised.

"The Divine Calculator, and his esteemed disciple." That very day, Ye Fan and his companions set off. The Black Dog clamored, claiming that when it was ambushed years ago, the Divine Calculator might have been involved, and this time, it wanted to settle the score completely.

Of course, Ye Fan had another important reason for confronting the Divine Calculator and his disciple: he wanted to find out through him whether Pang Bo and the others were still alive and where they were now, to locate all his old acquaintances.

"Wait a moment, invite Old Blind Man over. Let that old swindler deal with the Divine Calculator first. We need to at least find their mountain gate; otherwise, we won't even see a hair of them."

Ultimately, the Old Blind Man was invited out of seclusion. He crossed into the Central Lands with them and entered the Heaven's Evolution Mountain Range.

This was a very peculiar place, with countless stone mountains arranged in a highly regular pattern. When Ye Fan and his companions looked down from the sky, they were stunned; it was a natural Eight Trigrams formation.

Thousands of mountains stood tall, arranged like an Eight Trigrams diagram. The magnificent power of nature had created this extraordinary landscape.