Rien teleported back into a room of the Tian Clan, dragging Kuto with him—held casually by the collar, feet dangling in midair.
"Hey guys! We're back!" Kuto waved cheerfully, as if he wasn't being suspended like luggage.
Lan Xia rushed forward, panic flashing across her face.
"Are you okay, idiot?!" she snapped, grabbing Kuto the moment Rien released him.
Kuto stumbled, barely keeping his balance. "Ow—okay, okay! I'm alive!"
Rien calmly sat down on a nearby chair.
"He's fine. The Asura Dragon's core was simply too much for his body. He couldn't absorb it completely."
Miss Yin frowned and turned to Rien.
"What do you mean he couldn't absorb it?"
Rien leaned back slightly, his tone casual.
"His body went into a kind of 'safe mode.' The core's power exceeds what his current physique can control. Absorbing it fully would have shattered him."
Lan Xia's eyes narrowed as she turned toward Rien, anger flashing.
"You're a monster. The way you dealt with those Holy Realm members… I didn't expect that."
Rien stood up, stretching lightly as he walked toward the door.
"I didn't kill all of them."
Lan Xia scoffed.
"Oh? Feeling merciful now?"
Rien stopped at the doorway, glancing back with a faint smile.
"Forgiveness is holy… and wise."
He paused, his eyes briefly sharp.
"Until you see fear in their eyes."
Lan Xia crossed her arms and pouted aggressively.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Rien smiled slightly wider.
"When a weak man forgives, people think he's afraid.
When a strong man forgives, people think he has a big heart."
He opened the door.
"But before forgiving… make sure they understand your power."
With that, he left.
Lan Xia stared at the empty doorway, then sighed heavily.
"What kind of nonsense philosophy was that?"
She turned sharply to Kuto.
"And you—meditate and train. If you don't master that core, I'll personally knock it out of you."
"Yes, ma'am!" Kuto saluted nervously.
Lan Xia and Miss Yin exited the room.
Later, in a quiet corridor of the Tian Clan…
Rien walked calmly when Kuto suddenly appeared behind him.
"Rien," Kuto asked seriously, "how long do you think it'll take for me to absorb the dragon core?"
Rien didn't slow down.
"It will require changes to your body."
Kuto tilted his head.
"I asked for time."
Rien stopped and turned to him.
"Time?"
He looked directly at Kuto.
"There is no such thing."
Kuto's eyes widened.
"What?! Dude—time is literally how everything moves!"
Rien raised a finger, like a patient teacher.
"Time is divided into past, present, and future.
The past no longer exists.
The future doesn't exist yet.
And no one knows how long the present lasts."
He continued calmly, walking again.
"So time is not real—it's a tool. A concept created by beings who believe they can understand the universe."
Kuto stared in awe.
"So… time doesn't exist?"
Rien nodded slightly.
"Time is an emergent dimension tied to space—what you call spacetime. Cosmic energy can tear it, bend it, distort it."
He glanced back.
"But what lies beyond that? A normal mind can't process it. So people just call it 'time' and stop thinking."
Rien continued walking.
"Time bends. Time differs. And it is never the same for everyone."
He stopped again and turned around.
"Are you understanding any of this… or did you fall asleep?"
Silence.
Rien looked down.
Kuto was fast asleep—leaning against a pillar, snoring peacefully.
Rien chuckled softly.
"Sleep well. You 'meditated' enough for one day."
With a snap, he teleported Kuto directly onto his bed.
Rien then walked toward the Tian Clan Hall.
Inside the grand hall, Tian Master sat beside Shuan Master.
"We were waiting for you," Shuan Master said, standing respectfully.
Rien took a seat calmly.
"Speak."
Tian Master stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"We've devised a plan for the remaining Soul Towers. The first four towers share a single commander."
Shuan Master added grimly,
"She's far stronger than a normal Xu Di cultivator. Fighting her—and the Soul Organization afterward—will be extremely difficult."
Rien's expression remained calm.
"Then we defeat them by gathering all the commanders in one place."
Shuan Master gasped.
"That's suicide!"
Meanwhile, in the Holy Realm…
Three battered figures collapsed onto the floor, drenched in sweat.
"What happened?" the Holy Realm Master demanded, his voice shaking the entire realm.
One woman trembled, her voice barely steady.
"That boy's cosmic energy… it was overwhelming. The moment we escaped, our power was completely drained."
Another swallowed hard.
"Standing near him felt like our bones were being crushed."
The Holy Realm Master narrowed his eyes.
"Why are only three of you here?"
The third woman spoke, horror clear in her voice.
"Some were killed by him. Others… died the moment they teleported. Their bodies couldn't withstand the transition."
She shook violently.
"His energy tore us apart from the inside—down to the quarks."
The Holy Realm Master clenched his teeth, his cosmic energy erupting outward, shaking the heavens.
"That boy…"
The Holy Realm Master's voice dropped, unnaturally calm.
"I can't sense him at all—even with my Omniscient Energy."
As he spoke, his aura exploded outward. The heavens trembled. Pillars cracked. The entire Holy Realm groaned under the weight of his released power, as if reality itself were being forced to kneel.
Silence fell.
The other realm members exchanged fearful glances before one of them stepped forward, swallowing hard.
"This is no longer a matter of pride," he said carefully.
"If we allow that boy to grow, he will become a threat to every realm—including ours."
Another elder clenched his fists.
"He's already beyond control. Waiting will only guarantee our destruction."
A heavy pause followed.
Finally, a senior member spoke, his voice low but resolute.
"We must eliminate him now—before he becomes something we can no longer touch."
He lifted his head, eyes sharp.
"And for that… we will need the Divine Realm's assistance."
The Holy Realm Master slowly closed his eyes, his energy still raging.
"…So be it." Entire holy realm shaking in the massive Cosmic energy and eternal silent.