Chapter 127: Reversing Time!
Outside the study, a man with a cold, sinister aura forced a faint smile onto his face.
He exuded a disturbing, eerie energy. Draped in a simple black cloak, underneath he wore a strange suit of armor interwoven with silver and black.
His head was bald, skin as white and flawless as jade. Complex, sinister black markings covered his scalp, and his cold, snake-like eyes seemed ready to strike at any moment.
Creaaak—
He pushed the door open and entered.
From Jiang Zhe's chest floated out a golden-red core, which transformed into the shape of a classical maiden in a red dress—Oriana.
Oriana's expression turned solemn as she regarded this uninvited guest.
For now, she had no intention of waking Jiang Zhe, keeping her own counsel.
After all, with the Primal Chaos City Lord presiding over this Original Secret Realm, for this uninvited guest to appear here, he must have received the City Lord's permission—meaning he was undoubtedly a high-ranking figure.
When her gaze fell upon the man, it was as if she could see endless, boundless universal laws. Within this vast tapestry of laws emanated a force that made one feel lazy, unwilling to resist, pressing her to submit.
Such terrifying might—this man was likely the "cheap master" her own master had already been assigned.
"Oriana pays her respects, my lord." She lowered her head in a formal bow. "Shall I wake my master?"
"No need. Let him sleep. I can tell this is part of some unique cultivation method."
Oriana pressed her lips together, offering no explanation.
"Now, about you—are you a special lifeform?"
"A subordinate special lifeform," she stressed the first two words deliberately.
"You obtained the legacy of the Lord of All Saints, which transformed you from a subordinate metal-type lifeform into a subordinate flesh-type lifeform, didn't it?"
The bald man's eyes were sharp as blades. Then he continued, "And your life gene level—also highly unusual. I won't pry to find the exact number, but I can say this: across the entire universe, there aren't many special lifeforms who can reach your level."
His gaze drifted over to Jiang Zhe, who was sleeping soundly on the tatami.
"But he's only at the Universe level, hasn't formed a life core yet, and can't perfectly conceal his aura. I can tell at a glance—his life gene level is roughly 1800 times that of an ordinary Universe level human, matching the intensity of his life force."
"Tell me—do you understand the concept of 'life gene level'?"
Oriana nodded, then provided a vague, carefully chosen explanation.
"After we obtained that opportunity, my master's life gene level rose to 1810 times, and mine jumped from 100 times as a metal lifeform to 3000 times as a flesh lifeform."
"Can you tell me what exactly it was? We killed the Lord of All Saints yet never found the true source of his power. I want to know—does the 'Puppeteer' lineage for spirit readers truly exist? It would be vital for humanity."
If such a Puppeteer lineage existed, it could elevate the human race's overall strength by a considerable margin.
Just think of the comparable Zerg Empress—upon reaching the Undying level, she would be the most fearsome being under a Universe Overlord.
A Puppeteer would be the same.
From the puppet army these two had gathered—over ten thousand strong—capable of obliterating even pinnacle king-level experts in a single combined strike, it was clear how terrifying this path could be.
The bald man had witnessed the power of the Lord of All Saints firsthand, and now looked at Oriana expectantly.
Oriana raised her hand, sending a beam of rainbow light directly into the man's forehead.
He did not resist, allowing the light to sink into his mind.
It was a data stream—the Puppeteer Beginner Legacy compiled by the Lord of All Saints. Merely a patchwork technique meant to fool outsiders and even his own kind.
Visibly, the man's brows furrowed into a deep crease.
When he looked at Oriana again, she spoke calmly:
"There is no such thing as a true Puppeteer lineage. The so-called puppet techniques were a hodgepodge. The Lord of All Saints achieved what he did by relying on a unique special lifeform."
"Essentially, it was like enslaving a Zerg Empress."
A special lifeform?
Enslaved?
So it couldn't be replicated on a wide scale…
The man's interest dwindled noticeably.
Oriana seemed unconcerned by his reaction and went on to describe the opportunity they'd found in the Ancient God World.
"That special lifeform—Jemu—exists alone in the entire universe. Back when the Lord of All Saints died, they weren't together, so it escaped, lying dormant in the Ancient God World, waiting for a new partner. Until my master and I passed its trial and met it… but we were not satisfied with the same type of arrangement it had with the Lord of All Saints."
The bald man's eyes flickered with intrigue.
Two fledglings, dissatisfied with a partner of a peak Universe Overlord?
"And so, I exploited my own special nature—essentially 'possessing' it. I then formed a symbiotic relationship with my master, nurturing him in return. That's how we achieved the massive leap you now see."
He chuckled dismissively, unconvinced.
"You? Possessed the partner of a Universe Overlord?"
"It couldn't cultivate on its own—like an unclaimed treasure. I succeeded, triggering a life mutation that evolved me into what you see now."
"Though it sounds absurd, the facts stand before you."
The bald man nodded lazily, not pursuing the matter further.
Since it couldn't be widely reproduced, he lost interest—best to leave some private opportunities to the younger generation.
Suddenly, a thought struck him.
If he could somehow nurture a Jemu clone, then establish the same "symbiotic" relationship described, he could both elevate his life gene level and acquire puppet control techniques. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?
He discussed this idea with Oriana.
Oriana neither confirmed nor denied it, simply offering up two samples of tissue and a chunk of metal.
The first: a 500-milliliter vial of blood, labeled "Jemu's Blood," drawn from the blood sea within the Nether Brood Egg.
The second: a severed finger from her current flesh form at a 3000x life gene level.
The third: a chunk of metal from her old mechanical form back when she was a hundredfold life gene level.
It was a somewhat awkward show of "full sincerity," providing ample material for trial and error.
To her—and her master—this was just how things were for the sake of the race.
Hadn't Luo Feng once reluctantly rented out Earth?
Besides, after countless eras of fishing, the universe had finally been completely devoured by them—was it so wrong to let others probe a little deeper?
Oriana remained perfectly calm.
Who would truly believe they could hatch a Jemu clone?
If it were so simple, would it have ended up stored away among the treasures of the Broken East River lineage?
Taking the three samples, the bald man teleported away.
Not long after, he reappeared on the lowest floating continent of the Ancient God World.
Reversing time!
—He watched as the master and servant collected over ten thousand puppets.
—Watched someone suddenly emerge from a cave, only then noticing the unremarkable Mustard Seed Divine Mountain.
"An ultimate concealment treasure?"
"No wonder our searches missed it. That kid really got lucky."
"And that strange umbrella—can't determine its grade, but definitely a fine treasure, enough to make even Universe Overlords jealous."
With a soft sigh, the man continued working.
—He saw the blood-patterned golden egg placed upon the altar, though its internal changes were blocked from view.
His brows tightened slightly, but he assumed it must have simply been the binding process.
He went on.
—He watched a blood-colored orb pressed against a chair back, opening up hidden treasures.
—Saw the pair's very first arrival on this continent.
At last, he ended the temporal rewind, restoring the flow of time to normal. His figure flashed and vanished from above the land.
In the virtual universe, amid the endless chaotic streams high above—
The bald man appeared, gazing toward a colossal statue in the distant void.
"Teacher, I'm about to take on another disciple. I came specifically to inform you, because I think he might one day stand before you just like Youhou did."
"But I've run into some complications…"
He flew to the statue's feet and explained everything about Jemu and the "symbiotic" relationship in detail.
"Teacher, I couldn't see through that golden egg. I can hardly believe it was born from our original universe, so I also can't guarantee that Jiang Zhe's soul, mind, or will hasn't been altered or distorted. Given what happened to the Lord of All Saints…"
"You are a master of the soul. Even though you're suppressed by the original universe, I know you've always been watching over us here in the virtual universe. Please, help me once more—see if your little grand-disciple is still free of any negative influence."
"And also check on his subordinate lifeform—that bizarre creature that can log into the virtual universe like an AI. When they next log in, please verify she is still herself, and hasn't reversed the possession."
"Jiang Zhe is crucial. From various channels, we've gathered hints that the original universe's source will favors him immensely. He cannot be allowed to come to harm."
"Teacher, I beg this of you!"