"You're way too powerful, Senior! You can actually manipulate time?" Chu Feng exclaimed in awe.
"It's not that I'm powerful. It's the Path of Specialization that's powerful. Time was manipulated by it."
"I'm merely its successor," the woman in white light said.
"You're still impressive, Senior." Even though the woman said otherwise, Chu Feng knew she was no ordinary figure.
"Enough flattery. It's time for you to make your choice," the woman in white light said.
The power of the Path of Specialization was already within him. Though Chu Feng had grasped only a small fraction of it, he could already exert some measure of control.
He could use this power to seal away one of his two Dantians and focus entirely on cultivating the other.
Naturally, he would choose to seal the Four Symbols Divine Power.
After all, the Heavenly Bloodline was his true body — the bloodline passed down by his father, the very foundation that had carried Chu Feng to where he stood today.
However, the Four Symbols Divine Power held immense significance as well. Chu Feng would not abandon it, so he asked, "Senior, when will I be able to unseal my Heavenly Bestowed Divine Power?"
The reason he asked this was that he could already feel that the rules of the Path of Specialization could indeed be used to seal the Four Symbols Divine Power.
But he could also sense that he did not possess the strength to undo the seal.
If he could only seal but not unseal, that would be a serious problem.
"Don't ask me. When the time comes, you will naturally sense it," the woman in white light said.
"I'm sorry, four seniors. I will make sure you see daylight again." As Chu Feng spoke, he activated the rules of the Path of Specialization and sealed the Dantian containing the Four Symbols Divine Power.
After the seal was in place, Chu Feng used the rules of the Path of Specialization to enter the Dantian that held the Nine-colored Divine Thunder.
Though the power of the Path of Specialization was extraordinarily complex and was merely residing within Chu Feng's body for now — meaning his comprehension was limited — he had managed to grasp something.
Now that the Four Symbols Divine Power was sealed, the natural course was to use the power of the Path of Specialization to enhance his control over the Heavenly Bloodline.
Before long, a smile appeared on Chu Feng's face. He had already gained something.
"Remarkable comprehension. I made the right choice," the woman in white light said, watching him. It was as though she could see what Chu Feng had gained.
"Thank you for your guidance, Senior." Chu Feng performed a deep bow of gratitude.
"Don't thank me — thank yourself. It was your own extraordinary willpower that got you here."
"Do you know why I gave you nine Dao rules?" the woman in white light asked.
"Because you saw potential in me, Senior. You saw that my limit wasn't eight rules but nine, so you gave me an extra one," Chu Feng replied.
"Heh..." The woman in white light chuckled softly.
"That your limit wasn't eight rules was indeed one reason. But I am a person of principle. I had originally decided to give you eight, and I shouldn't have gone back on that," she said.
"Then why did you, Senior?" Chu Feng was now genuinely curious.
"The truth is, I also liked that girl Long Xiaoxiao. But her talent has its limits, and I feared she wouldn't be able to handle the Sacred Dragon inheritance — that it might even cost her her life."
"So I prepared two Dao rules for Long Xiaoxiao as well."
"Just moments ago, she received the inheritance alongside you."
"But her willpower couldn't compare to yours. She managed to endure one Dao rule but couldn't withstand a second. That extra rule was given to you," the woman in white light explained.
"So that's how it was." Chu Feng's expression turned to one of realization. Then he asked, "Senior, I still don't know who you truly are. How should I address you?"
Chu Feng wanted to know the woman's real identity.
After all, the woman in white light had done him an enormous favor.
"You don't need to know who I am," the woman in white light said.
"Then, Senior — will you remain here, or will you leave?"
The reason Chu Feng asked this was that he already understood: the woman had stayed in the Sacred Dragon Ruins solely to find a suitable successor.
Not a successor to the Sacred Dragon's power, but a successor to the Path of Specialization.
Chu Feng was that successor. But the woman still carried more Dao rules of the Path of Specialization, so she would presumably continue searching for others.
"You are the one I was waiting for here. Now that I've found you, naturally I won't be staying," the woman in white light said.
"Where do you plan to go next, Senior?" Chu Feng asked.
"That doesn't concern you, does it?" the woman in white light replied.
"Don't misunderstand, Senior. I simply feel that you've shown me extraordinary kindness, and I wish to repay you." Chu Feng was being sincere — he truly did want to repay her.
"There's no debt to speak of. Transmitting the Dao rules was my task to begin with. You had the qualification to receive them, which means you helped me complete my mission."
"We don't owe each other anything," the woman in white light said.
"Then, Senior — why do you do this?" Chu Feng was genuinely curious. What was this woman's identity? What was her purpose? Was she really just doing good deeds without seeking recognition?
"One day, you will know. If we ever meet again." The woman in white light smiled.
Crack—
Crack—
Suddenly, the void world was covered in cracks, on the verge of collapse.
The woman in white light glanced at the changes sweeping through the world, then turned to Chu Feng.
"Time is up. You should return to the real world and resume your journey."
After these words left her mouth, everything around Chu Feng shifted, and he found himself back inside the red tower.
Outside, screams continued to ring out. The Dragon Clan members were having their power devoured by those black chains. And that incense stick was exactly as it had been before.
Time had truly been frozen.
Chu Feng had spent nine years fusing the nine Dao rules of the Path of Specialization, yet not a single moment had passed in the outside world.
But even so, the incense was nearly burned out. The time left for Chu Feng was running short.
Still, Chu Feng looked outward, because he noticed that one person had changed — Long Xiaoxiao.
Long Xiaoxiao was currently in a deep sleep, her face etched with exhaustion.
"Is it because of the Dao rules?" Chu Feng worried.
He had endured the Dao rules himself and knew just how agonizing they were. He feared Long Xiaoxiao might suffer ill effects.
"Chu Feng, what happened to that woman?"
"Didn't she say she was going to teach you the Path of Specialization?"
At that moment, Egg's voice rang out.
She had no idea what Chu Feng had experienced — let alone that he had spent nine years in another world.
She had only seen the woman in white light say she would pass on the Path of Specialization to Chu Feng, and then the woman had vanished.
That was why Egg was asking.
"Egg, I've already obtained the Dao rules of the Path of Specialization," Chu Feng said.
"You've obtained them? You've already mastered the Path of Specialization?"
"That fast? So what does this thing actually do?"
In Egg's eyes, the whole affair had taken only an instant. What could possibly be useful about a legacy obtained in an instant?
After all, the more powerful something was, the greater the price one had to pay to obtain it.
Sizzle—
And at that moment, lightning materialized behind Chu Feng, its area exceeding that of the Lightning Armor.