"What's this?"
"How peculiar!"
Bingdi stared at the Sands of Time Bell before her, its ancient and mysterious aura filling the air. Her eyes were brimming with wonder. It was clear that the strange sensations she and Xuedi had just vaguely detected originated from this artifact.
"Qian Ran, this must be another divine artifact, right?" Xuedi, with her higher cultivation level, could sense that the bell's power was capable of influencing the laws of this miniature world.
Since it was something Qian Ran had brought out, there was no doubt it was another divine artifact.
"My Xue'er is so clever. That's exactly what it is," Qian Ran said, planting a kiss on her cheek.
"A divine artifact? What's its function?"
Bingdi blinked curiously. Back in the Extreme North, divine entities and artifacts were concepts far beyond her reach.
But since being with Qian Ran, seeing him produce divine artifacts had become almost routine. By now, she and Xuedi had encountered their fair share of such treasures.
"It controls the flow of time," Qian Ran explained.
"Though it can only affect the time within this small world."
The flow of time in the Douluo World was under the control of a god responsible for time. Qian Ran had no delusions about altering the time of the entire continent with just one artifact.
"How much can it accelerate?" Xuedi and Bingdi asked in unison, astonished.
"About threefold. With special techniques, it could go even faster."
"Wow, that's amazing! This means my cultivation speed will skyrocket!" Bingdi exclaimed, her excitement palpable. She had always felt a growing sense of urgency seeing the widening gap between her cultivation and Xuedi's.
But there wasn't much she could do. The growth of soul beasts was inherently limited by time, and without significant opportunities, breaking through to the next major realm could take tens of thousands of years.
The Sands of Time Bell, however, could significantly aid Bingdi's cultivation.
The accelerated time flow, while beneficial to Bingdi and Xuedi, had its greatest impact on the humans living within the Sumeru Ring. Unlike soul beasts, who rely on the accumulation of time for growth, soul masters could achieve Limit Douluo in under a century if they had exceptional talent.
For soul masters, having a space where time flowed three times faster would provide an overwhelming advantage over their peers. It would be akin to a dimensional power shift on Douluo Planet.
Thankfully, the divine artifact was in Qian Ran's hands. Since he would eventually leave this world, the artifact wouldn't cause a long-term imbalance.
"Qian Ran, will you also come here frequently to cultivate?" Xuedi asked, her perceptiveness catching on to how soul masters benefited most from the accelerated time.
If Qian Ran trained here, his cultivation speed would be terrifyingly fast.
"I already come here almost daily, don't I?" Qian Ran laughed. "Whenever I have time, I'll be here cultivating. And I'll bring everyone else along too."
Training in the Sumeru Ring was so much more efficient than outside that Qian Ran naturally prioritized it for his women.
With a few years until the next Soul Master Tournament, cultivating here could elevate them all to Soul Sage levels.
By then, who among their peers would stand a chance?
For now, however, Qian Ran couldn't let Juzi and the others stay here too long, lest their prolonged absences from the academy arouse suspicion. He couldn't risk exposing his secrets.
When Qian Ran stepped out of the Sumeru Ring, he found Xue Lingxun, Juzi, Keke, and Meng Hongchen chatting amicably.
Whether genuine or not, Qian Ran appreciated moments of harmony between his women.
Frequent quarrels, tears, or complaints over trivial matters would only drive him insane.
Xue Lingxun's unique status was a hard-won prize for Qian Ran, acquired through countless schemes. He didn't want her alienated by Juzi or Keke's remarks, which might spark defiance.
If Xue Lingxun turned on him in a fit of anger—even abandoning Xu Sanshi—it would be difficult for Qian Ran to handle.
Though Qian Ran understood women well, winning one's heart completely in just a few days was impossible unless life-altering events brought them together. For a normal woman, falling for a man required time.
While he had secured Xue Lingxun's body, capturing her heart was a gradual process.
During this delicate phase, Qian Ran ensured she wasn't provoked into leaving.
Seeing Juzi and Xue Lingxun laughing together, Qian Ran let out a relieved sigh.
After all, what man doesn't enjoy the sight of family harmony?
Especially those with harems. While arguments between harem members might seem amusing in anime, handling them in real life was a different story.
Catching Qian Ran's gaze, Juzi signaled with her eyes that the friendly atmosphere was her doing.
If she didn't know Qian Ran was so interested in Xue Lingxun, she wouldn't have bothered. When Xue Lingxun had attacked Qian Ran earlier, Juzi had been terrified.
Juzi still thought keeping someone as dangerous as Xue Lingxun around would lead to trouble. Who knew what her true intentions were? What if she attacked Qian Ran at his most vulnerable moment?
Even someone as vigilant as Qian Ran couldn't always be on guard.
Juzi's amicability toward Xue Lingxun was also a strategic move to gauge her intentions. If Xue Lingxun harbored ill will, Juzi wouldn't be so kind.
"How did you get in here?"
Xue Lingxun's astonished gaze lingered on Qian Ran as she instinctively rubbed her eyes.
Qian Ran hadn't entered through the door but had materialized directly from the void.
It reminded her of when Qian Ran had vanished and reappeared during their fight, rendering her, a Contra-level powerhouse, defenseless.
It was as though Qian Ran had mastered some secret space manipulation technique that didn't even require the use of soul skills.
Xue Lingxun had always been curious about how he achieved this. Why did her attacks always miss him at the last moment? Though she refrained from asking, she knew it was one of his secrets.
"Take a guess." Qian Ran playfully flicked her forehead with his finger.
"Can you not—"
Qian Ran's casual teasing, more suited for a young girl, left Xue Lingxun uncharacteristically flustered.
Grace and elegance were in her very nature, yet here she was, reduced to helplessness under Qian Ran's playful antics.
What had she been doing all day with this man?
(Chapter End)