Su Ming, acting as a substitute, helped Xu Yuan resolve his life-and-death crisis.
"Senior, you finally came back."
Having found a way out in a desperate situation, Xu Yuan was now full of gratitude towards Su Ming.
If nothing else, this Outsider Evil would truly save his life.
"There was a slight accident."
Su Ming hadn't expected such a large time discrepancy when entering the same parallel world.
"I wonder if next time I can enter before this current node."
Just thinking about it, Su Ming felt it was impossible.
That would cause too severe temporal chaos.
Or, to be more precise, every time he intervened, the subsequent developments would be recalibrated.
For example, when Su Ming last entered when Xu Yuan was level 42, the future development of this parallel world had already changed. The timeline was recalibrating, taking into account the changes Su Ming brought to this world.
This time, he entered two and a half years later in this parallel world.
And Xu Yuan was indeed someone who had experienced the changes from Su Ming's previous visit.
If he were to enter the node where Xu Yuan was level 45, then any actions he took at this level 49 node would become invalid, and everything would be recalculated from scratch.
It might even cause this entire timeline branch to be completely reset.
After all, Su Ming himself was very special, acting as an anchor point. After he fixed the node of Xu Yuan at level 49, this node suffered a loss, with part of its power draining to Su Ming.
Even if the timeline recalibrated, it couldn't fill this gap out of nothing.
When that happened, he might be discarded by the River of Time like trash, just like when the future Su Ming belonged to almost collapsed.
There was no 'Su Ming' here to solidify it into a True Future; it might truly disappear completely then.
"Then again, perhaps I can try to save it, to salvage some people from this timeline branch and bring them to the True Future, since they are all parts discarded by the River of Time."
After merging, it might expand the scale of the True Future.
While he was thinking, Xu Yuan had already returned to the military camp.
"Senior, I'm about to break through to level 50. This Spirit Ring..." Xu Yuan smiled wryly helplessly. "If I fuse it directly, could Senior first help conceal the situation of this Spirit Ring?"
It wasn't that he cared about others' opinions regarding his fifth Spirit Ring regressing.
It was purely because he felt that if this Spirit Ring rapidly transformed to purple and then black in the future, it would be too conspicuous and cause unnecessary trouble.
"You've taken a liking to my Five Elements spear technique from earlier, haven't you?" Su Ming saw through Xu Yuan's thoughts.
Clearly, Xu Yuan had been thoroughly shocked by Su Ming's masterful execution of the Five Elements spear radiance.
Xu Yuan could affirm that Su Ming had used only his Spirit Power throughout.
That meant his level 49 Spirit Power could instantly kill a Ba'an!
If he could truly master this Five Elements spear technique, it would be incredibly powerful.
"Agreed."
Concealing a Spirit Ring was a piece of cake.
Su Ming didn't see any issue with it.
He was actually quite curious about Xu Yuan at this point.
Two and a half years, and Xu Yuan was only fourteen now, about to reach level 50.
This talent and fortune were truly extraordinary.
"Without the favor of the Plane, just pure, hard cultivation."
Observing Xu Yuan this time, Su Ming still didn't see any change in the fortune surrounding him.
Without Su Ming's intervention, Xu Yuan would probably have died this time.
"Now I've artificially changed his fate. I wonder how the Plane will react."
As Xu Yuan was about to break through, he didn't return to the battlefield but stayed安心ly in the camp, exchanging for various supplies, and explaining the current situation on the Douluo Planet to Su Ming.
He answered whatever Su Ming asked.
"The Clear Sky Clan is still the number one great sect, but they haven't secluded themselves. Instead, they are very active on the Abyssal battlefield."
Now he understood Tang Hao's reliance for seizing the position of Lord of the Plane in this parallel world.
Tang San's full strength helped him penetrate deep into the white, empty space, then initiated the great war against the Abyss. The Clear Sky Clan emerged into the world, actively participating. The merits of the Clear Sky Clan were transferred to Tang Hao, assisting him in seizing the authority of the Lord of the Plane.
"What about the Golden Ancient Tree?"
"The Golden Ancient Tree?"
Xu Yuan frowned.
He thought for a very, very long time.
"Oh! I remember!"
"Where did it go?" Su Ming pressed.
"Ten thousand years ago, when the God of Spirit Souls condensed his God Seat and broke through to godhood, one of his Spirit Rings seemed to have come from the Golden Ancient Tree."
Su Ming blinked.
No way.
Were his intentions that obvious?
The River of Time actually acknowledged this future during its deduction.
According to Su Ming's understanding.
All characters in the River of Time's deduction process were NPCs, evolving naturally. The 'Su Ming' in this process lacked the essence of the real Su Ming and was merely a part of driving historical development.
Even so, he could obtain a Spirit Ring from the Golden Ancient Tree?
"What is the relationship between the Clear Sky Clan and the Spirit Transmission Pagoda?"
"Like fire and water."
"What about the War God Hall? The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan?"
"They are neutral factions."
Su Ming was speechless.
The War God Hall is neutral?
The Spirit Transmission Pagoda isn't neutral?
The world is upside down.
"The Clear Sky Clan has a secret art that allows them to devour Abyssal creatures after killing them, forcibly condensing a corresponding Spirit Ring. So their reliance on Spirit Souls isn't strong."
Xu Yuan proactively explained.
"The Spirit Transmission Pagoda researches Spirit Souls, establishing channels for Spirit Masters to obtain them. The Clear Sky Clan also taught this secret art to the Spirit Master world."
Su Ming's expression changed slightly.
Devour Abyssal creatures?
Abyssal energy cannot be retained; as long as the Abyss reclaims it, it belongs to the Abyss.
Unless this devouring is extremely thorough!
If the Clear Sky Clan spread this secret art with ill intentions, then this world's Douluo Planet would definitely be finished.
If it wasn't with ill intentions, then there was something to be said.
Su Ming actually leaned towards the latter.
The Clear Sky Clan supporting Tang Hao in devouring the "level of being" of the Lord of the Plane couldn't possibly be as simple as just resisting the Abyssal invasion on the surface. If this secret art could devour the energy of Abyssal creatures thoroughly, then it would make sense.
"How exactly does this devouring work?"
"The Mysterious Heaven Technique," Xu Yuan said. "Ten thousand years ago, before the God of Spirit Souls ascended, he killed the last leader of the Tang Sect, the Holy Spirit Cult's Saintess Tang Ya. But Tang Ya's Martial Spirit had mutated, possessing a devouring ability that was compatible with the Mysterious Heaven Technique. This caused the Mysterious Heaven Technique to mutate, its circulation pathways becoming more complex, and it gained a certain devouring ability."
Su Ming never would have guessed the answer was this.
He had been wondering how Tang San could develop a secret art that allowed all Spirit Masters to devour Abyssal energy.
Having asked what he needed for now, Su Ming let Xu Yuan proceed with his breakthrough.
Three days later.
Xu Yuan's Spirit Power erupted.
A deep yellow Spirit Ring settled around him, becoming his fifth Spirit Ring.
After obtaining the Five Elements Spirit Ring, Xu Yuan didn't disdain its Years but first experienced the Five Elements control it granted him.
"Such a comprehensive multi-element control Spirit Skill..."
Xu Yuan marveled.
A Spirit Skill granting control over a single element was already a top-tier Spirit Skill.
Granting control over five elements simultaneously left him at a loss for words.
"Senior, do you have any other requests?"
"Want to learn the spear technique?"
"Yes!"
"Improve your spiritual power then. Your spiritual power is lagging far behind; you can't learn my spear technique yet."
Hearing from Su Ming's tone that he was willing to teach, Xu Yuan was overjoyed.
"I will work hard!"
***
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(Chapter End)