Chapter 826
Breakthrough to High-Level Venerable
Finica, the head of the Esca family, subconsciously looked down at her hands, her pupils suddenly dilating.
An emotion called "extreme fear" instantly gripped her entire mind!
The skin on my hands was aging rapidly at a rate visible to the naked eye.
The skin, which was originally delicate, smooth, and glowing with a healthy radiance, seemed to have had all its vitality quickly drained away by the invisible hand of time.
Starting from the fingertips, fine wrinkles spread out like a tide, quickly covering the entire palm and back of the hand.
The skin becomes dry and loose, losing all elasticity and luster, presenting a withered grayish-yellow color, like the bark of an old tree that has weathered thousands of years of wind and frost.
The fingernails were in even worse condition; the originally pink, plump, and smooth nails had instantly turned yellow and brittle.
The surface of the nails is covered with fine cracks that crisscross like a spider web, and the cracks are expanding and deepening at an extremely rapid pace.
Fine flakes were already peeling off the tips of the nails, as if they would instantly turn into dust and scatter all over the ground with the slightest touch.
Finija was terrified and instinctively wanted to call for help.
But it felt as if an invisible hand was gripping his throat, making it impossible for him to even exhale, let alone call for help.
An intuition from the depths of her soul pierced her mind like a cold, sharp blade—in half a second at most, her soul would be completely withered and dissipated like a candle in the wind under the overwhelming impact of time, without even a chance of reincarnation!
The shadow of death engulfed her like a tidal wave, and despair instantly seized every nerve in her body.
In the blink of an eye.
Just when Finija thought she was going to die, an incredible sight suddenly appeared!
A soft, faint light quietly enveloped her.
The rampant power of time seemed to have been reversed, and the wildly disappearing vitality began to rapidly return.
The skin on her hands was recovering at a faster rate than when she was aging.
The crisscrossing wrinkles receded and smoothed out quickly, like the receding tide, and the dry skin became plump and firm again, gradually revealing a youthful glow.
Even the blood that had turned pale from tension on her fingertips slowly returned, regaining its normal rosy color.
The spiderweb-like cracks on the surface of the nails also quickly healed and disappeared in the dim light.
The yellowish and brittle texture gradually became pink and tough, and the edges became smooth and neat again, restoring its original appearance in the blink of an eye.
It was as if the aging I had just witnessed was merely a terrifying illusion.
"call--!"
Finija gasped for breath, her chest heaving violently, cold sweat instantly soaking her back.
She knew perfectly well that it was definitely the Savior who intervened, forcibly reversing the erosion of the power of time; otherwise, she would have been reduced to ashes.
Until this moment.
Only then did the patriarch truly believe what His Holiness the Savior had just said—that the stone sphere contained powerful time energy.
Just now.
Yang Fan's voice slowly rang out: "Everyone, pay attention ahead, a super huge thing is about to appear."
Finija's heart pounded a few times, and she instinctively looked up ahead.
All that could be seen was a vast expanse of illusory gray-white, where light and shadow were blurred and the sun and moon were indistinguishable, making it impossible to tell the boundary between heaven and earth.
A single breath passes in the blink of an eye.
The next second, an astonishing scene, enough to overturn all understanding, suddenly emerged from the gray-white chaos!
A colossal, unimaginably large black shadow emerged from the depths of the distant chaos, its height far exceeding the scale of heaven and earth.
Judging by sight, it is at least measured in "thousands of kilometers", like an ancient mountain that stretches across the sky and earth, carrying a majestic and imposing aura from the beginning of time.
The silhouette of the shadowy figure was indistinct, its details and features obscured by the heavy, chaotic light and shadow, making it difficult to discern even a rough human-shaped outline.
This figure was not a typical two-armed form, but rather had four thick arms, with a huge sphere hundreds of kilometers in diameter protruding from each of its left and right shoulders.
The surface of the sphere was surrounded by a faint blackish-purple halo, exuding a chilling and sinister aura.
Finija glanced at the dark figure almost subconsciously, and felt an overwhelming mental shock instantly sweep over her soul.
It felt as if a thousand thunderbolts were exploding in her head at once, and her soul seemed about to explode and disintegrate under this terrifying pressure.
Her limbs instantly lost all control, her whole body stiffened like a stone sculpture, and her blood seemed to have congealed in her veins.
Even more terrifying, she could clearly feel that every part of her body—from her hair to her fingertips, from her bones to her flesh—seemed to have developed its own independent self-awareness.
Every part of the body was struggling and writhing frantically, trying to break free from its constraints.
This feeling of despair, of the body and consciousness about to be separated, is a hundred or a thousand times more terrifying than the fear of facing the impact of time and being on the verge of death.
Those who haven't experienced it firsthand simply cannot comprehend this extreme, agonizing feeling.
Having just escaped the clutches of death caused by the erosion of time, Finija is now facing such terror, and she is almost going crazy.
"Boom—!"
A thunderclap that shook the heavens and the earth suddenly exploded in the chaos.
The thunder did not come from the ears, but resounded directly into the depths of everyone's soul.
Finija felt her mind go completely blank for a moment; all her fear, awe, and struggle were completely wiped away by the thunderclap.
Like a puppet that has lost its soul, the person suddenly forgot everything and fell into a brief state of daze and confusion.
I don't know how much time passed.
When she finally slowly regained consciousness, she found that the gray-white surroundings were rapidly receding at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The colossal black shadow that blotted out the sky also quietly disappeared as the grayish-white color dissipated, as if it had never existed.
And that terrifying sense of oppression that sent shivers down one's spine vanished in an instant, leaving only a feeling of weakness all over the body and lingering fear.
until now.
Only then did the battle-hardened head of the Esca family finally regain his ability to think independently.
She stood there, stunned, before gradually recalling the colossal black shadow that had stretched for thousands of kilometers. She was completely dumbfounded.
What is this?
What did I just see?
She turned to look at Jia Na and Lan Ye Jia beside her, and saw that the two women of noble status also looked shaken.
Unlike Finija, Gana is a royal princess, and Lan Yejia comes from the top-tier Purple Leaf Coral noble family. The two of them know far more secrets and information than Finija.
They exchanged a glance, and both saw deep shock and solemnity in each other's eyes—that colossal figure that blotted out the sky was no ordinary being, but must be an ancient god who had fallen tens of thousands of years or even longer!
This must be because Your Majesty used some earth-shattering method to penetrate the barrier of time and allow them to glimpse the remnants of this ancient god's silhouette in time. "Alright."
Yang Fan's voice rang out again, like a stabilizing force, instantly calming the remaining chaotic aura around him.
As the words fell, the world instantly became clear again, the gray and white colors faded completely, and the majestic outline of the Azure Holy Island reappeared in sight.
The vast, boundless blue ocean re-entered everyone's view, as if the terrifying phenomenon just now was nothing more than a vivid nightmare.
Finija looked around blankly, a strong sense of unreality washing over her.
The head of the family subconsciously looked at the location of the stone ball, only to find that it had disappeared without a trace.
Yang Fan's gaze locked onto Finija, and he revealed an additional key piece of information: "The circular phantom you saw in the stone sphere earlier was not actually a real circle."
"This is a ring of time formed by folding and condensing the laws of time in an extremely special way. Time flows back and forth in this ring, endlessly, without end."
Finija suddenly realized.
No wonder I aged strangely in a short time and then regained my youth at an extremely fast pace.
This is clearly the power of the Ring of Time!
at the same time.
The almost omnipotent power displayed by His Holiness the Savior truly gave this family head an unprecedented shock.
Yang Fan paused for a moment, then said frankly, "I have just begun to glimpse the core secrets of the Ring of Time. This stone sphere has been of great help to me, enough to allow my power to reach a new level in a short period of time."
Finija was shocked to hear this.
A new step?
Your Majesty is already a mid-level Venerable. If you take another step, could it be that you are about to be promoted to a high-level Venerable?!
Lord of the Ocean, if this is true, it is an event that will shake the entire Mega civilization!
Miss Jia Na and Lan Ye Jia both changed their expressions instantly, their pretty faces revealing surprise and excitement.
Yang Fan then announced a reward: "Patriarch Finica, you may select two family members from the Aisga family to enter Azure Holy Island and become guardians of the Holy Island."
Finija shuddered, her shock instantly transforming into overwhelming excitement. She bowed respectfully to Yang Fan, saying, "Your Majesty! Thank you for your grace!"
Although some of the positions for guards of the Holy Island are allocated to the noble class, they are all monopolized and divided up by the top Purple Leaf Coral family.
Even for a branch of the Purple Leaf Coral family, obtaining a spot requires paying a tremendous price.
The lower-ranking Golden Leaf Coral and Blue Leaf Coral families naturally had no chance of getting a share of the pie.
The fact that the Esca family has now directly obtained two spots as guardians of the Holy Island is an immense honor.
on the other hand.
The appointment of family members as guardians of the Holy Island means that the family can establish a closer connection with the Holy Island and His Holiness the Savior, and the resources allocated to the family will increase significantly in the future.
soon.
A clear, melodious sound of water rang out.
"Splash!"
Several meters high, the azure waves surged up in response, their surface rippling with layers of lustrous waves, swirling and condensing into a ring-shaped portal with a pale blue halo.
Finija composed herself, respectfully performed a standard salutation to Yang Fan, and then turned and steadily stepped into the doorway.
As soon as her figure disappeared into the sea, the surging waves suddenly subsided, and the ripples on the gate quickly disappeared.
Yang Fan turned to look at Jia Na and Lan Ye Jia beside him and announced calmly, "I have decided to go into seclusion to try to break through to the advanced Venerable realm."
These words did not surprise the two women. Lan Yejia already had a strong premonition in her heart—that His Majesty would definitely be able to successfully advance to the high-level Venerable during this seclusion.
Miss Jia Na asked with a hint of concern in her beautiful eyes, "Your Majesty, our decisive battle with the Shadow Temple is imminent. How long will your seclusion last this time?"
The Supreme Temple and the Holy High Priest have devised a comprehensive plan, and if the seclusion lasts too long, it may disrupt the final battle plan.
Yang Fan immediately gave a figure: "At most three days."
Miss Jia Na was immediately taken aback upon hearing this.
The Meijia Civilization boasts eight Venerables, but only one High-Rank Venerable remains—Your Highness Ganalo, and I am Her Highness Ganalo's personal disciple.
The princess knew all too well that her teacher had spent ten years in seclusion, diligently cultivating to reach the final stage of becoming a high-level Venerable.
The savior said it would take at most three days, which made her uncontrollably suspicious.
When did advancing to a high-level Venerable become easier than advancing to a Warrior?
Yang Fan smiled slightly and explained, "Since there is a Ring of Time hidden inside the stone sphere, we will naturally need to borrow its power to break through to a higher realm."
“I plan to cultivate in the Ring of Time. The flow of time here is extremely special. One day inside the ring is equivalent to two years outside, and three days outside is equivalent to six years inside the ring. This amount of time is enough for me to steadily advance to the high-level Venerable.”
He paused, his tone tinged with regret: "It's a pity you haven't mastered the power of time. Staying inside the ring for too long will corrupt your souls. Otherwise, I could have taken you in with me."
Miss Jia Na didn't seem to care too much about that: "Your Majesty, it's alright!"
Mika is a naturally long-lived species. The average lifespan of ordinary people exceeds three hundred years, and she is already a high-ranking knight. Even if her cultivation level stagnates, living to seven or eight hundred years old would be a piece of cake.
Moreover, she is a royal princess, surrounded by countless rare and precious treasures in the royal treasury. Nourished by rare and precious materials, her maximum lifespan would be no less than 1,500 years. Six years is but a blink of an eye for her.
Lan Yejia smiled and said, "Your Majesty, you can rest assured and continue your seclusion. Princess Jia Na and I will be waiting for your good news on the Holy Island."
Yang Fan said no more, and with a thought, quietly activated the Ring of Time.
This Ring of Time is essentially a powerful law imprint of an unparalleled level.
Under normal circumstances, even a high-level Venerable would not be able to separate it from its carrier.
Even a demigod as powerful as him would be helpless if he lacked sufficient understanding of the power of time.
But this was nothing to Yang Fan—when he had just shown the three women the silhouette of the ancient god, he had already secretly activated the Soul-Stealing Cicada to silently shatter the stone ball and completely peel off the Ring of Time for his own use.
next moment.
An overwhelming gray-white energy of time swept in, instantly distorting the heavens and earth, and shrouding the buildings of the sacred island and the vast blue sea in gray-white.
Countless dazzling streams of light poured down from the high heavens, disappearing into the boundless gray below, before falling back down from the sky in an instant.
This cycle repeats endlessly.
This is exactly what the Ring of Time fully manifests, the ultimate depiction of the endless cycle of time.
Yang Fan floated steadily in the air, his legs sitting cross-legged with ease.
He slowly raised his right index finger, and a mysterious light slowly emerged from the tip of his finger.
The path to becoming a high-level Venerable has officially begun. (End of Chapter)