Staring at the time technique he had just comprehended, Kranos was filled with joy.

He read the glowing line of text hovering in front of him on the system screen.

[Congratulations on comprehending the Unfettered Eight Trigrams Movement Technique.]

[Unfettered Eight Trigrams Movement Technique: By consuming a large number of time points, you can move at the speed of light, recalling any place you have visited and instantly appearing there. Note: Each teleportation requires a tremendous amount of time points.]

Kranos's eyes widened slightly. He had been drifting in the void for so long, moving without direction, unsure of space or destination. Now, with this technique, he could finally teleport back to the Immortal World in an instant.

"Wait. Using this technique... can I go back to my old world? The Blue Planet?" Kranos's mind swirled with countless thoughts, a tide of memories rushing in. After a long moment of contemplation, he shook his head slowly. Even if he could return, he was unwilling to do so.

He exhaled deeply, then visualized the royal palace in his mind. Without hesitation, he activated the teleportation technique.

Instantly, the system flared with a warning.

[Warning: This teleportation will cost 10,000,000 time points.]

Kranos's expression froze. He immediately turned to check his time points.

[Time Points: 1,200,342]

Despite his efforts and the prolonged use of his Time Absorption Technique, it wasn't nearly enough. He had absorbed what he thought was a vast amount of time essence, but it still fell short.

"Am I really going to be stuck here in this void forever?" Kranos clenched his fists. His heart boiled with unwillingness.

He still had a goal... a purpose.

He had to kill Aurora.

Yes, that woman—he still remembered her vividly. She had regressed with him, and at the moment of her death, she whispered something that left Kranos utterly stunned.

"You killed my clone, Kranos. Let's play this game another time."

That sentence had echoed endlessly in his mind, shaking his thoughts. At that moment, his heart had nearly stopped. Despite all his careful plans and schemes, there were flaws—cracks in the foundation he had built.

Yet, Kranos wasn't discouraged. Who in life didn't face setbacks? As he climbed the path of cultivation, he was learning more, becoming stronger with each passing day.

Suddenly, a thunderous boom exploded across the void, tearing through the stillness like a celestial cannon. The sound echoed endlessly, and with it came a blinding light that burst forth in every direction, illuminating the vast emptiness with a brilliance so intense it seemed to forge a new world of light within the void.

The light gradually faded, but its impact lingered like an echo carved into time.

"What was that?" Kranos muttered in disbelief. He felt his breath quicken. His eyes tracked the brilliant light as it rapidly receded into the distance, dragging the surrounding brightness away and plunging everything back into darkness.

In that exact moment, a powerful jolt struck his heart. A strange sensation surged through him, one he had never experienced before. It was as if something... or someone... was calling out to him.

Before he could comprehend what was happening, his body was pulled forward at breakneck speed, as if possessed. He chased after the fading light, unable to resist the force guiding him.

Kranos was alarmed, then his eyes narrowed in realization. The glowing golden light of the Immortal Heavenly Dao was what had seized control of him.

"What is this? What's going on? Are you trying to kill me?" he shouted helplessly. After witnessing the terrifying eye of the Fifth Calamity, a lingering fear of the unknown had taken root in his heart.

Now he was being dragged deeper into this unknown. His spirit was restless, his mind filled with apprehension.

The mysterious golden light seemed to sense his fear. It gradually slowed, as if offering comfort, before suddenly vanishing at the speed of light.

Kranos's body blurred, phasing through the fabric of space and time, darting toward where the light had disappeared.

His eyes were tightly shut. At the velocity he was traveling, he feared they would be obliterated if he dared open them.

He lost all sense of time. Minutes? Hours? Days? He did not know. He only knew that his eyes had remained closed for what felt like an eternity.

Eventually, he sensed the motion stop.

With hesitation, Kranos slowly opened his eyes, adjusting to the darkness around him. A dim shimmer flickered at the edge of his vision. He blinked, unsure of what he was seeing.

"What...?"

What he saw defied logic.

There, in front of him, was a snow-white cat, its fur pristine and glistening with a gentle, luminescent glow. It sat serenely in the void, unmoving, staring into the distance as though it didn't even notice his presence.

Kranos's heart thumped wildly. The cat exuded no visible threat, but an unspeakable pressure poured from its tiny frame, ancient and heavy, as though it belonged to no known age.

Suddenly, the cat turned its head and locked eyes with him.

A wave of terror surged through his chest.

It wasn't fear born from the cat's appearance—on the contrary, it was the most adorable creature he had ever seen. But the pressure it emitted felt divine, unnatural, as if it existed outside the laws of reality.

Then, a voice rang out in the void.

"What are you staring at, you idiot?"

Kranos flinched. He glanced around in confusion, but there was no one else present.

"You look like you've never heard a creature speak before," the cat said again, voice laced with mockery.

Kranos noticed a strange glint condensing in its eyes and was left speechless.

"Am I... being insulted by a cat?" he muttered.

Before he could speak again, the cat's voice echoed once more.

"What? You have it? Bring it out. Now!"

Kranos looked at the little creature, puzzled. "Bring what out?"

"My core!" the cat snapped, staring at him as though he were brainless.

Kranos fell silent. He rifled through his spatial ring and tossed various items into the void, but found nothing resembling a core.

"Why do I have to deal with such an idiot? It's obviously in your mental space!"

"You can see that?" Kranos asked in disbelief.

The cat raised an eyebrow and sneered. "Of course I can. Quite the thing you've got there. That must be the essence of time and space. Impressive."

Kranos's heart trembled. His face turned cold. If this cat knew about his secret, then it was a threat that couldn't be left alive.

"Don't even dream of killing me." The cat rolled its eyes, clearly sensing his intent. "Hand over my core and I'll forget what I saw. Besides, you and I are not meant to walk the same path. You're bound by fate to die. I still have many years ahead and refuse to become entangled in the karma of the time path."

Kranos was taken aback. "What are you talking about?"

"My core. First."

Kranos hesitated. His thoughts churned, countless scenarios flashing through his mind. After a moment of silent calculation, he came to a decision.

"Fine," he said calmly, then struck without warning.

His speed surged to its peak as multiple time clones appeared, surrounding him and darting toward the cat like streaks of lightning.

Before they could land a blow, a soft tap landed on his head.

Kranos paused mid-attack and looked up in disbelief. The cat sat casually on his head, its tiny paw resting lightly on his scalp, as if nothing had happened.

"So fast..." Kranos could barely register the movement. He hadn't even seen it move.

"I warned you not to try anything. You can't hurt me," the cat said mockingly, then began smacking his head repeatedly, sending silver strands of his hair swaying.

Realizing resistance was futile, Kranos sighed. Still, he refused to give up entirely.

"You can't take the core from my mental space, can you? So why should I hand it over? Answer my question first. Then I'll give it to you."

The cat snorted, unfazed. "Old man, I've heard all these tricks. Give me my core or I'll expose your secret to the world. Let everyone know you're a regressor anomaly."

Kranos froze, his pupils shrinking. This creature saw through everything. What would it uncover next? His system?

Dozens of thoughts raced through his mind before he eventually gave in.

That core was a treasure he had obtained after passing the Trial of the Heart. A so-called heaven-defying artifact. And now, he was about to hand it over to this shameless feline.

He was extremely reluctant. But in the end, he had no other choice.

After a moment of silence, he accessed his mental space and drew out a small, seemingly ordinary rock.

The instant it appeared in midair, it vanished.

Kranos looked up and spotted it already lodged in the cat's mouth.

"Thank you for returning my core," the cat said with a gleeful expression, then swallowed it whole.

Immediately, its laughter echoed through the void.

"Hahahahahaha! I am finally free! After countless years of boredom, I am free! Divine World and the World Above, prepare yourselves. I will come and devour everything!"

The cat began rapidly assimilating the core's energy.

Kranos watched in shock, expression twisted. This adorable creature was seriously talking about devouring divine realms?

It sounded like a ridiculous joke.

Then, the creature's voice shook the void again.

"No! You! Human! You tricked me!"

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