The new specialty drawn from Old Jiang was not X-rank, but it was as good as X-rank.
Its effect was heaven-defying, and Jiang He was quite satisfied.
This proved that Spell Words were still very useful!
Thus, he consecutively used seven lines of 「Revelation」 Spell Words, stacking the buffs to the extreme.
Afterward, he immediately activated his talent.
Reveal the Future!
As the light and shadow shifted, a brand-new golden card appeared before his eyes.
Golden specks on the card's surface fell away, revealing the image beneath—
The background was gray. The Boy wore indescribably luxurious clothing, seated cross-legged on a sofa, his arms naturally drooping, his hands clasped together.
He lowered his head slightly, his eyes tightly shut, looking incomparably holy and serene, as if he were a divine statue.
Jiang He was a little surprised.
The Boy in the image looked even younger than he was now, about the age of a junior high schooler…
But this was clearly the future. Could he really grow younger as time went on?
Was it good maintenance, or was this future line not too far off?
He curiously looked downward.
[Time: One Hundred Years Later]
[Talent: Masterpiece]
[Description: The art of mortals, a masterpiece of creation.]
[Effect: Able to extract any transcendent trait that has ever existed in the world and combine it with transcendent materials to create transcendent items.]
[Evaluation: X-rank. Talent—Extremely Excellent, Profession—Medium, Skill—Excellent, Endurance—Medium, Equipment—Extremely Excellent.]
He looked this young on the outside, yet he was the same age as Old Jiang?
Quite the contrast, wasn't it?
Jiang He muttered inwardly, but when he saw the future talent of the third Heroic Spirit, his eyes lit up.
[Masterpiece]!
He had never heard of this talent before.
However, from its effect and evaluation, this was absolutely a heaven-defying talent, even stronger than the [Word-Spirit] talent—
After all, White Crane's talent evaluation had only been "Excellent."
But this new talent's evaluation was "Extremely Excellent," a whole tier higher!
And the equipment evaluation was also extremely excellent…
Judging by the panel attributes alone, this new Heroic Spirit was far stronger than both White Crane and Old Jiang.
Moreover…
"Another X-rank Heroic Spirit."
"I thought I was drawing like a god, but turns out it's guaranteed?"
"So I'm really that amazing, destined to be X-rank?"
Jiang He's anticipation was successfully ignited—
Not only in rank and panel attributes, but [Masterpiece] was clearly a craftsman-type talent, which meant the new Heroic Spirit was most likely a craftsman-type Heroic Spirit.
Jiang He's pouch was already stuffed with demon materials, and even the remains of an Ultimate Beast were sitting there collecting dust.
The new Heroic Spirit had arrived at just the right time!
Jiang He lifted his finger and tapped the card before him.
Ferryman of Time, Heroic Spirit Summon!
The golden card shattered with a bang, transforming into countless fragments swirling around the room.
They fell upon the sofa, gathering and fusing into a youth in luxurious clothing, seated cross-legged, his eyes still tightly shut.
Jiang He looked at another version of himself with anticipation. He quietly waited for several seconds, but the youth did not open his eyes.
"..."
Still not awake?
Jiang He cleared his throat, smiling: "Hello."
The moment the words fell.
The Boy remained with eyes shut, sitting quietly without the slightest movement.
Did he not hear?
Jiang He's smile faded as he cautiously called: "…Jiang He?"
The Boy still gave no response, as if he hadn't heard, or as if he were lost in sleep.
Jiang He: "..."
When he had summoned White Crane and Old Jiang, both had woken up immediately, actively probing and swiftly understanding the situation.
Communication hadn't been complicated.
But this time…
What was going on with the third version of himself?
Why was there no reaction at all?
Wasn't he a craftsman Heroic Spirit? Why was he acting like a sleep Heroic Spirit?
Jiang He felt puzzled. He stepped closer to the Boy, patted his shoulder, and called repeatedly.
But no matter what he did, the Boy could not be woken.
The Boy seemed trapped in absolute slumber, unresponsive to the outside world.
Jiang He frowned, pondering for a moment, then thought of a new method—
As the 「Master」, he could communicate with Heroic Spirits through mental exchange.
Even if the Boy ignored the external world, surely he wouldn't completely block out mental signals?
He focused his thoughts and called.
"Jiang He."
At that moment, the Boy was finally stirred. His eyelashes trembled faintly, and he lifted his eyelids, revealing eyes like the stars.
Within his gaze, it was as if countless stars shimmered, flowing with infinite streams of information.
He didn't open his mouth, yet his voice resounded in the room.
"Mortal, speak your wish."
Mortal?
What kind of address was that?
Were you a god, then?
Well, there wasn't much difference between an X-rank Transcendent and a god.
Even so, hearing the Boy's words left Jiang He somewhat speechless.
Moreover, he noticed that though the Boy had opened his eyes, he wasn't actually looking at him.
His gaze was hollow and indifferent, his expression equally cold.
He repeated monotonously.
"Mortal, speak your wish."
The Boy's vacant eyes and repeated words made Jiang He's heart sink with unease.
After a moment of hesitation, he asked: "Who are you?"
The Boy indifferently said: "I am the God of Creation, wielder of the power to create all things."
"Mortal, the fact that you have reached me means you have passed the trial of the God-King."
"Speak your wish, and I shall grant you the artifact you desire."
God of Creation? God-King? Artifact?
What nonsense was this?
Which timeline and future possibility had this craftsman version of Jiang He experienced?
Transcendent Rampage? Exotic Beast Rampage? Abyss of Demons? Or something else?
His initial joy had completely evaporated.
Looking at the Boy before him, Jiang He's mind was in turmoil.
But the Boy remained indifferent, speaking again.
"Mortal, speak your wish."
"..." Jiang He said: "My wish is… to know what you experienced in the past."
The Boy, as if he hadn't heard, repeated.
"Mortal, speak your wish."
This Boy Jiang He was less like a "god" and more like a "parrot," repeating only a few lines.
Forget normal people—even machines had more lines than this.
Could this really be an X-rank Transcendent, someone who could rival White Crane and Old Jiang, standing at the peak of the Transcendent?
Impossible!
What on earth had he experienced in the future to become like this?
Hearing the Boy's endless repetition, seeing his hollow and indifferent gaze, Jiang He thought for a moment and chose not to question further…
Instead, he activated his own talent, using the ability of the 「Master」.
He gave a command to the Heroic Spirit before him.
"Wake up."
The Boy's lashes quivered slightly: "Mortal…"
"Wake up!"
The Boy's words faltered, his expression stiffening, a hint of struggle surfacing.
"Wake up!!!"
At that moment, the starlight in the Boy's eyes faded, returning to normal hues.
He blinked, his gaze gradually focusing, landing on Jiang He.
"You… who are you?"
Indeed, for Heroic Spirits, the Master's order outweighed everything!
Jiang He's heart leapt with joy as he quickly said: "I am you, Jiang He!"
The Boy's gaze was blank: "Jiang He… who is that?"