48: Chapter 48 The Power of Time: Breaking the Technological Monopoly of Time Stop in the Land of Sakura!

Lin Ye picked up his phone and opened the chat app.

Not looking didn't matter, but upon looking, good grief, his direct message list had completely exploded.

There were ninety-nine plus unread messages, and he had to scroll up several screens to reach the top.

The people sending messages were all sorts of characters.

Classmates, kids from the next class, senior students from the previous year, and even a few strangers who popped up from who knows where.

"Lin Ye? I heard you killed a Demon Seed in Heqiao Town today? True or false? You just took your initial test, brother!"

"Brother Ye, what I said before about the Classic of Mountains and Seas World being a trash world was stupid of me, don't take it to heart, can you reveal what kind of fortuitous encounter you actually got in there?"

"Hello, Classmate Lin, I'm Xu Wei from the previous year, would it be convenient to add each other as friends? I have some questions about the Classic of Mountains and Seas World that I'd like to consult you about."

"God Ye! Do you lack a partner? Even though I'm only one meter five tall, I am 36D!"

Lin Ye expressionlessly scrolled past them, not replying to a single one.

His gaze fell on a group chat, a new group created by Qu Xianghong.

He basically knew everyone in the group.

Everyone who participated in today's assessment trial was there.

Su Tang, Lu Wanqing, Shen Qinghan, Wang Zheng, Jiang Xiaohong, Zhao Juan, Zhou Peng, and others...

Even the three from the scouting team, Fang Hao, Li Yan, and Investigator Zhao Pingchuan, were there.

The group chat was being frantically spammed, triggered by Fang Hao posting a combat situation report, followed closely by Li Yan posting one as well, with Investigator Zhao Pingchuan following right behind as the reconnaissance team leader.

The phrasing styles of the three reports were completely different.

Fang Hao wrote his like an academic paper.

Li Yan wrote his like a primary school student's self-criticism.

Investigator Zhao Pingchuan wrote his like a battlefield documentary, but the core content of all three reports was highly consistent.

Sweeping away more than twenty Resentful Spirits with a single stick, six peak Resentful Spirits were reduced to ashes on the spot.

Forcing a Specter-grade ghost to burn its origin with three strikes, and finishing it off with a forced kill in five strikes.

Hard-fighting the Demon Seed head-on, under the near-death backlash state of the second phase, he split open the demonic origin with a single blade, and killing it meant complete annihilation.

As for the matter of Lin Ye killing the Demon Seed, Su Tang and the others actually only learned about it through these reports.

Lu Wanqing: "？？？"

Lu Wanqing: "Did I read that wrong??"

Lu Wanqing: "Demon Seed????"

Wang Zheng: "Wait a minute, I'll go wash my face first before looking again."

Fang Hao: "You didn't read it wrong, I witnessed the whole process. When the Demon Seed activated its second form, I thought today was definitely going to end right there, but Brother Lin turned his hand with a dragon blade, splitting both the Demon Seed and its ultimate move into two halves with a single slash. My glasses were scared crooked."

Li Yan: "I can testify, my legs are still soft to this now."

Investigator Zhao Pingchuan: "Everything described in the above three reports is true, and it has been submitted to the Demon Suppression Division combat records for archiving."

Su Tang posted a kneeling emoji: "Lin Ye, get out here!"

Shen Qinghan sent a message for the first time in history: "Can I ask about the specific training content of the Classic of Mountains and Seas World? It doesn't matter if it's inconvenient to say."

Everyone else silently spammed a bunch of "Ditto".

"Everyone quiet down."

Qu Xianghong came out to control the field, "Principal Fang is currently reviewing everyone's assessment conditions today, and the results will be announced shortly. Whatever you have to say, wait until the results come out."

As soon as his voice fell, the group exploded with another wave.

"The principal is personally announcing the results?"

"In past years, didn't the academic affairs office just issue a notice and that was it?"

"Such a big commotion this year?"

The answer came quickly.

Fang Zhenyuan sent a video.

A figure of the principal's level not only personally announced it, but also specially filmed a video.

"Hello students, I am Fang Zhenyuan. Below, I announce the final results of today's initial test assessment."

He read everyone's results from start to finish.

Su Tang got Good (Upper Tier), Wang Zheng got Good (Middle Tier), Lu Wanqing got Good (Upper Tier), Zhou Peng got Pass (Upper Tier), Shen Qinghan got Good (Upper Tier)...

Generally speaking.

The scores weren't low at all, but they were all within the scope of normal performance; no one performed particularly outstandingly, and no one fell behind.

Then Fang Zhenyuan paused.

"Next is Lin Ye's score."

He looked at the camera, as if confirming whether he had read the name wrong, "Lin Ye, today's initial test performance is as follows: in the hilltop villa combat, independently killed over twenty Resentful Spirits including six peak-period Resentful Spirits, independently killed the Specter-grade ghost Hongxiu, and independently killed one Demon Seed-grade monster."

Every time he read "independently killed", Fang Zhenyuan's face in the camera turned a shade redder and his voice went a notch higher.

"Approved personally by Lu Zhanyou of the Northern Town Demon Department, tester Lin Ye's official rank jumped directly from the initial test to Three Stars. Such rapid grade-skipping has created the greatest historical record ever, the special meritorious service medal approval process has been initiated, and the provincial capital's highest standard resource allocation will be directly allocated to Qingzhou!"

The group chat was in dead silence.

After a long while, Zhao Juan sent a message: "Three Stars?? Initial test jumping straight to Three Stars???"

"Guess what I received on my end,"

Fang Zhenyuan typed a bit slowly, "Congratulatory messages sent three times consecutively by the Demon Suppression Division of the three cities of Provincial Capital, Bincheng, and Huaicheng! Three consecutive telegrams, in the fifty-plus years I've lived, it's my first time seeing this kind of formation."

Moreover, Lin Ye wasn't positioned at Three Stars in strength, but was initially given Three Stars.

The subsequent star-rising speed, if smooth, would be comparable to riding a rocket and flying up.

I'm afraid it won't be long before he becomes a top-tier powerhouse ranked high nationwide!

Wang Zheng: "Three consecutive congratulatory messages??"

Qu Xianghong: "Congratulations Lin Ye, in my twenty years of teaching, I've never seen it either."

Fang Hao: "Hahahahahahaha I knew it! At the scene back then I knew this would be the result! Brother Lin is awesome!!!"

Li Yan: "Principal, Three Stars is already confirmed, right? When will the process finish? I can't wait to call Brother Lin, Lin Three-Star."

Fang Zhenyuan concluded: "There are quite a few exceptional cases in the history of the Northern Territory, but to break the rules to this extent is the first time in history. I've been a principal my whole life, and the testers I've led number at least eight to ten thousand; today is the most eye-opening day of my life."

Su Tang posted a dumbfounded emoji.

Wang Zheng posted a prostrating emoji.

This guy used to be close with Jiang Xiaohong, but now he completely ignored that side.

At this moment, Jiang Xiaohong was also lurking with a complex expression, but didn't say a single word.

Zhou Peng and Zhou Cheng simultaneously sent a long string of exclamation marks.

Qu Xianghong finally said, "Lin Ye, you're in the group chat, right? Haven't seen you speak from start to finish. Principal Fang wants you to say a few brief words."

The group chat quieted down, and everyone was waiting for him.

Lin Ye looked at the densely packed messages, thought about it, and typed a line of words: "Everyone worked hard today, get some good rest."

After sending it, he remembered another matter, "That's right Principal, let me consult a question: I currently have over twenty Resentful Spirit crystal cores, one Specter crystal core, and one Demon Seed crystal core in my hand. Added together, is that enough to charge the Plane Gate to enter the Classic of Mountains and Seas?"

Fang Zhenyuan replied almost in a second: "Yes, of course you can, adding your crystal cores together is more than enough to charge it three times."

The group exploded again.

Fang Hao: "Just returned and already thinking about going back in??"

Li Yan: "Brother, dear brother, can you rest for a bit? I'm begging you!"

Su Tang: "Lin Ye, do you have some kind of masochistic tendency? You went straight to the assessment right after returning from the Classic of Mountains and Seas, killed the Demon Seed right after the assessment, and thought about going back to the Classic of Mountains and Seas right after killing the Demon Seed? Are you made of iron?"

Fang Zhenyuan also became rarely serious: "Lin Ye, I understand your desire to progress rapidly, but the combat intensity you've experienced from the moment of your return until now is no longer something a normal newcomer can endure. Not to mention newcomers, even Three-Star or Four-Star testers would collapse after carrying a round like this. Listen to the principal's advice, rest well, and don't ruin your body. No matter how many resources there are, you still need your life to spend them; you should understand this principle."

Lin Ye replied: "Understood, I will adjust my state before considering entering the dungeon."

The phone screen went dark.

Leaning against the head of the bed, he began to sort out the tangled mess of thoughts in his mind.

One matter had now been confirmed.

The origins of the demons and ghosts killed in reality could be absorbed by the zhulong seal.

The origin of that Demon Seed directly propelled the Zhulong Divine Sense from the first stage by leaps and bounds to the second stage, and the seed of the Temporal Law also awakened because of this.

Then, before entering the Classic of Mountains and Seas again, if he could first advance the zhulong seal to the third stage, would Venerable God Zhulong look at him in a new light?

Back then in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, the old man said he would give him a wisp of divine sense to help with his training, his tone as relaxed as if he were dismissing a child.

As a result, he took this wisp of divine sense, killed a Specter and slaughtered a Demon Seed in reality, and even brought the Temporal Law to life.

If they met next time, directly displaying a speed of progress far exceeding the old man's expectations...

Would the old man be happy and casually hand over something even better?

However, speaking of which, bringing a gift when asking someone for a favor was the rule.

The Chinese people have practiced courtesy and reciprocity for thousands of years.

The question was what to bring.

Spirit stones?

That person squatted in a place like the Classic of Mountains and Seas, where the heaven and earth spiritual qi was so thick one could wash their face with it, would they lack such petty things?

Spirit fruits?

Taking out the best medicinal herbs on hand might not even be as good as roadside weeds in the Classic of Mountains and Seas.

Dharma artifacts?

The Zhulong had entrenched a region of heaven and earth for who knows how many tens of thousands of years, and the divine artifacts it had seen were probably more than the meals it had eaten.

Lin Ye pinched the bridge of his nose.

He still had to change his train of thought.

What the old man lacked wasn't good things, but sincerity.

Then what kind of sentiment could make an ancient deity who had lived for who knows how many eons feel novel?

Just as he was thinking, Chen Miaomiao's voice came from the dining room: "Lin Ye, dinner is ready."

Four dishes and one soup were placed on the dining table.

Braised pork, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, smashed cucumber salad, plus a bowl of egg drop soup.

They were all home-cooked dishes, but made with care, bright in color, and steaming aromas permeated the air.

Niannian had long been sitting up straight, with her exclusive small bowl and small spoon placed in front of her. Seeing Lin Ye walk over, she waved at him: "Brother Lin, sit down quickly! Sister made so many delicious things!"

"I didn't know your taste, so I just made a little something."

Chen Miaomiao handed over the chopsticks, her tone much more relaxed than before.

Perhaps because the deadlock pressing down on her head for a month had finally been broken, the unscatterable cloud of sorrow between her eyebrows had faded a lot, and under the light she looked not as pale and emaciated as when they first met.

The meal was considered relatively warm and cozy.

Niannian chattered away, chatting with Lin Ye about everything.

"Brother Lin, what do you like to eat?"

"Brother Lin, where do you live?"

"Brother Lin, do you have a partner?"

Making Chen Miaomiao unable to help laughing several times, gently knocking on her forehead to tell her to eat properly.

After the meal, Chen Miaomiao cleaned up the bowls and chopsticks, and took Lin Ye upstairs.

The room was on the third floor.

The bed was large, the bedding looked newly changed, the window faced the back mountain, and one could faintly see a few scattered starlight points on the ridge line.

There was a faint scent of lavender.

"This room is quite comfortable, and the lighting is also good."

Chen Miaomiao leaned against the door frame, adding in a low voice, "Next door is Niannian's and my room, if you need anything, call us anytime."

It was definitely not because Lin Ye lived next door that the two sisters felt a sense of security.

Niannian poked half her head out from behind her sister, raising her plush rabbit and waving it towards Lin Ye: "Good night, Brother Lin! The rabbit says it can also wake up tomorrow, won't sleep in, and will definitely help you fight monsters next time!"

"Alright, I'll wait."

Lin Ye squatted down, touched her little head, "Then good night."

The door closed.

From the hallway came the commotion of Chen Miaomiao lowering her voice to coax Niannian to take a bath, followed by the sound of a door closing, and it became completely quiet.

Lin Ye took a shower, washing away the smell of blood and dust remaining from today's battle.

The hot water rushed over his shoulders, relieving all his fatigue.

Drying his hair, putting on his clothes, he sat down by the bed.

Opening his phone, he glanced at the news one last time.

Ghost domains expanding, tester shortages, death tolls continuing to skyrocket.

Red characters at the top, every line urging him on.

Screen off.

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, he closed his eyes.

The Temporal Divine Power fluctuated slightly deep within the dantian, like a newborn baby that had just learned to breathe—fragile and unstable, yet every pulsation carried a kind of primordial aura that made one's heart palpitate.

After awakening in Heqiao Town today, he only had time to roughly go through this power, and many details hadn't been pondered over yet.

Now he had time.

Sinking his mind, he condensed his spiritual power into a mental tentacle as thin as a hair, cautiously probing toward that wisp of Temporal Divine Power.

The first few times they made contact, the divine power was like a slippery loach, slipping away every time it was just touched.

Lin Ye wasn't anxious, trying it over and over again, slowly figuring out the characteristics of this wisp of divine power.

The Demon Seed origin swallowed in the afternoon only made the temporal power sprout, but its roots weren't firmly planted yet.

Lin Ye mobilized the remaining Zhulong Divine Sense in his dantian, feeding it to the Temporal Divine Power wisp by wisp.

Every time a wisp was fed, the divine power brightened by a fraction, slowly changing from its initial dim color into a warm, flowing gilded gold color.

Time passed minute by minute just like this.

He didn't know how long had passed.

When feeding the seventh wisp, the Temporal Divine Power seemed to produce a resonance reaction with him!

An extremely subtle feeling rose from his dantian, like a pebble thrown into the surface of a lake, ripples spreading layer by layer.

Lin Ye suddenly opened his eyes.

"Hmm?"

The world became different at this moment.

The room was still that room, the window was still that window, and the rustling sound outside the window was still there.

But everything had slowed down.

The second hand of the alarm clock on the bedside table, which originally moved one tick per second, now moved one tick every seven seconds.

The sound of the wind was elongated into a slowly flowing river, and one could distinguish the time difference of each leaf being lifted by the wind.

A night moth flying past outside the window had a wing-flapping frequency in the air that was slow enough to clearly count how many times it flapped per second.

Lin Ye raised his hand and punched through the air.

The punch speed was normal.

"External time has slowed down, while my speed is unaffected?"

Lin Ye was overjoyed.

This was the true terrifying aspect of the Temporal Law!

It wasn't making the world slower, but rather stretching the enemy within his own time flow rate, while his own time flow rate remained unchanged.

"Two seconds..."

Lin Ye counted silently in his heart.

From urging the divine power to the effect starting to decay, it lasted roughly a little over two seconds.

It was already much stronger than the less than half a second of full-force urging last time.

"Two seconds sounds very short, but in life-and-death combat, two seconds is enough to smash out five strikes, enough to get behind the opponent, enough to directly interrupt the opponent's ultimate move before it's half finished!"

Tch...

It could also be considered breaking Sakura Country's technological monopoly on time freeze.

But it still wasn't enough.

Tonight, he had to tame this power even more thoroughly!

Closing his eyes again, he sank all his mind and spirit into his dantian.

The golden vortex formed by the Temporal Divine Power slowly rotated, a few fractions brighter than before.

But there was still a sense of instability that it might scatter at any time.

Therefore, the tactic was very clear: first reinforce the foundation, then expand the capacity, and finally pursue a longer duration.

Reinforcement required divine sense as bones and spiritual power as flesh, firmly locking the Temporal Divine Power within the dantian to form a stable core.

This step consumed the most time and tested patience the most; the embedded position of every wisp of divine sense had to be precise to a fraction of a millimeter, and a slight deviation would lead to the instability of the entire structure.

Expanding the capacity required raising the rotation speed of the vortex.

The higher the rotation speed, the more divine power it could carry, and the stronger the effect during an outbreak.

But while increasing speed, it was necessary to ensure the structure didn't collapse—equivalent to accelerating while adding parts into the engine, and a slight carelessness would mean blowing the cylinder.

It didn't matter which step reached its end tonight, he had to reach at least one phased result!

With this thought.

Lin Ye clenched his teeth and plunged headfirst into the deep sea of cultivation.