The Isle of Samsara in the Boundless Sea's Jialuo Sea Domain was the current dwelling of the Xia family, a land personally designated to them by the great Yang Qingdi long ago. Along the sandy shores of the Isle of Samsara, several exquisite and quiet residences had been erected using Azure Bamboo, and it was within one of these that Xia Xinyan practiced her profound mysteries.

The martial artists who had originally belonged to the War Alliance also resided on the Isle of Samsara; Feng Han, Feng Yan, and Qi Ze had long come to regard the island as their true home.

They were all painfully aware of the devastating catastrophe that had struck the Barren Domain, understanding that returning there might prove impossible, forcing them to cultivate in an entirely foreign environment.

A figure descended upon the Isle of Samsara, heading directly for Xia Xinyan's place of cultivation. The newcomer was Di Caluo, a master figure in the Profound Mystery of Space.

Xia Xinyan, clad in a simple, elegant light-cyan gown, faced the azure ocean. Seeing Di Caluo materialize, she expressed surprise, "What is it you seek of me, Elder?"

Di Caluo sighed internally, producing a thin booklet. Intricate patterns were inscribed upon its cover, appearing as twisted spatial lines, emitting palpable spatial fluctuations. "Absorb this booklet into your mind. By doing so, you will grasp the subtleties of the Profound Mystery of Space. Since you already cultivate the Profound Mystery of Time, integrating Space will allow you to manifest the Great Sealing Art my Master once comprehended..."

He gradually unveiled the dying wish of his former master. Then he concluded, "I do not expect you to take me as your teacher, for I am unqualified to instruct you. However, I implore you to cultivate the Profound Mystery of Space and comprehend the legacy my Master left behind." He made this entreaty with utmost solemnity.

Xia Xinyan was astonished. Di Caluo had previously gifted her divine power, which had already sown seeds of suspicion regarding his intentions. She had been wary, suspecting some ulterior motive, but upon hearing his explanation, she finally understood and was filled with sincere reverence for Di Caluo.

That Di Caluo would offer such a priceless treasure selflessly to fulfill his Master's dying wish amazed her greatly.

She reached out to accept the booklet.

"Whoosh!"

A small, delicate figure suddenly materialized. She grasped the booklet with a light smile, her innocent face alight with curiosity. "What interesting Great Sealing Art is this? This venerable one is quite interested to see if cultivating the Profound Mystery of Space is even worthwhile..."

The newcomer was Mandis, an ancestor-level powerhouse of the Phantom Race, and the primary figure ensuring the Divine Grace Continent remained untouched by the chaotic currents from beyond the domains.

She was currently hovering in the misty heights above the Divine Grace Continent, yet a thread of her attention remained fixed on Xia Xinyan. In her heart, she already considered Xia Xinyan her sole true disciple and had been preparing to find time to speak with Shi Yan about taking her on. She had already decided to pass on her profound understanding of the Profound Mystery of Time to the girl.

Discovering Di Caluo handing Xia Xinyan a booklet, urging her to cultivate the Profound Mystery of Space, immediately unsettled her.

Xia Xinyan had already reached a considerable level in cultivating the Profound Mystery of Time; beginning to study Space mid-stream, in Mandis’s view, was highly unwise. She feared it would hinder the girl's future growth, which compelled her to suddenly manifest and intervene.

"To merge Space and Time, forming a seal of both, to render Space and Time utterly still..."

Mandis had initially worn a look of disdain, but after closely examining the booklet for a moment, she couldn't help but feel secretly moved. A spark of brilliance ignited in her eyes. "This concept is genuinely intriguing. Oh! And there are detailed steps—not bad, not bad. Looking at this method, it seems quite feasible."

She, too, became invested. "Little girl, there’s no need to cultivate the Profound Mystery of Space. Mixing disciplines will only slow down your realm breakthroughs. Focusing solely on one mystery now makes you like raw gold and unpolished jade; once I sculpt you, you will surely shine brilliantly." Mandis said carelessly, clutching the booklet and narrowing her eyes at Di Caluo, stating calmly, "As for the Great Sealing Art your Master envisioned, I will discuss it with Shi Yan and see if he is interested in testing its veracity with me later on."

Di Caluo’s face stiffened.

Mandis was a second-level Domain Ancestor, a pinnacle existence even within the Nihility Sea Domain. How could Di Caluo possibly resist her or contend against her?

He stood there, his expression bitter, unsure how to retort, able only to sigh silently.

"Come over here for a moment." Mandis slowly wound a strand of hair around her finger, transmitting her thoughts without haste.

Shi Yan, who was explaining the current situation to Shang Chen, Yu Shan, and the others nearby, received the telepathic message, responded, settled the group, and then sped toward the Isle of Samsara.

"Senior Mandis, why have you summoned me?" Shi Yan approached calmly, naturally moving to stand beside Xia Xinyan, flashing a bright, toothy smile. "I understand. You’ve come to ask for someone, haven't you? Hehe, ever since I knew you cultivated the Profound Mystery of Time, I’ve wanted to ask you to take her as a disciple. It seems you have the same idea?"

"Xinyan, Senior Mandis is a peak expert in the Profound Mystery of Time. Following her will bring immense benefits to your cultivation realm," Shi Yan stated gravely. "In the vast Star Sea, Mandis is the only one who has reached the Domain Ancestor realm while mastering the Profound Mystery of Time. This opportunity must absolutely not be missed!"

A tremor ran through Xia Xinyan; her bright eyes glittered. After a few seconds, she broke into a radiant smile and bowed deeply. "I wonder if I possess the fortune to do so?"

"Hehe!" Mandis laughed delightedly. "It is difficult for you to find a master of Time's mystery, and it is equally difficult for me to find a suitable disciple accomplished in it! From the moment I first saw you, I made up my mind—even if that boy Shi Yan disagreed, I would snatch you away!"

Hearing this, Xia Xinyan cleverly smiled, "It seems Master has agreed."

"Agreed! Absolutely agreed!" Mandis was overjoyed, smiling as she handed the booklet to Shi Yan. "Take a look. This method is quite interesting: using the Profound Mysteries of Space and Time to execute a sealing art that halts time and locks space, creating a complete seal. According to that person's calculation, if this sealing art were jointly performed by ultimate experts in Space and Time, it could seal an entire domain, achieving an effect similar to permanent stasis..."

Shi Yan was surprised. He took the booklet and studied it intently, reading every word meticulously.

The Master of Di Caluo and Ming Hao was also a legendary figure in the Barren Domain—a master expert who had cultivated the Profound Mystery of Space to its peak. This man had once fought Bloodthirsty, only to be defeated with regret. Afterward, he was slowly eroded by the Profound Mystery of Corrosion, which consumed his essence, spirit, and vitality until he was drained to death.

After losing to Bloodthirsty, he spent the remainder of his life seeking a method to counter him.

The technique detailed in this booklet was the ultimate killing move he devised against Bloodthirsty: merging the Profound Mysteries of Time and Space to forge the true Great Sealing Art, capable of sealing everything—beings, space, even dust!

According to his method, one would first use the Profound Mystery of Space to condense a small isolated space, trapping the target within. Immediately after, the space would be sealed, completely enveloping the enemy’s physical body within that confined area.

A spatial seal can restrain a living being’s physical body, but it cannot seal the soul, meaning the being retains the ability to think and employ soul energy, thus creating the potential to shatter space using dark energy.

But what if, during this process, Time were also sealed...

When time stagnates, the living being's thoughts and soul are frozen. The soul halts at a fixed point in time, unable to move forward or backward, rendering thought and the deployment of soul energy impossible.

Spatial lockdown for the flesh, temporal arrest for the soul's consciousness—wielding both mysteries simultaneously would lock down a being's body and soul, achieving a truly complete seal.

Since the power within the body cannot be mobilized, instinctive struggles cannot tear open space; since the soul cannot think or activate its mysteries, dark energy cannot destroy space either. This results in total bondage, trapping the subject in a fixed moment of spacetime, from which they can never awaken unless external aid intervenes.

This joint sealing art of Time and Space, theoretically, if the caster were powerful enough, could not only seal beings but potentially fix everything—domains, planets, even the very air!

"Though your Master is dead, this Great Sealing Art he devised is quite terrifying," Shi Yan murmured after digesting the information, his expression shifting slightly. "It’s fortunate your Master didn't understand the Profound Mystery of Time. Had he truly mastered this Great Sealing Art, perhaps Bloodthirsty wouldn't have been slain by the Divine Race back then; he might have been sealed by your Master instead."

"Memorize the core secrets and mysteries. It might prove useful later on. However, there’s no need to cultivate both mysteries concurrently; two martial artists, one proficient in Time and the other in Space, of roughly similar realm, working in tandem could achieve the same effect," Mandis said with a knowing smile. She stood on her tiptoes and patted Shi Yan's shoulder. "I will teach Xinyan the mysteries. If you two join forces later, you could seal whomever you wish!"

Saying this, she didn't take the booklet back; in her view, it was fine for Shi Yan to possess it. If Xia Xinyan became tempted to cultivate Space as well, it would only delay the instruction of her Time mysteries.

"Come with me. Let’s find a place; the master and disciple need a private chat." Mandis affectionately linked arms with Xia Xinyan and, smiling broadly, led her out onto the sea.

At first glance, it looked like a younger sister holding her elder sister’s arm; her child-like appearance made her seem anything but a conventional master.

"You keep this booklet," Shi Yan said once Mandis left, gently pushing the booklet back into Di Caluo’s hand. "Find the next person cultivating the Profound Mystery of Time. The Nihility Sea Domain is boundless; you’ll have plenty of chances. Xinyan is different from me; for her to concurrently cultivate the Profound Mystery of Space at this stage is too late..."

Di Caluo managed a wry smile, nodded without further comment, and turned to depart.

Shi Yan frowned, still pondering the sealing art combining Space and Time. He admitted that the idea from Di Caluo's Master was truly formidable. He secretly considered whether he should actually try testing the effect to see if it matched his Master’s conjecture.

If a truly absolute seal could be achieved, this technique would be immensely useful, potentially capable of turning the tide of future conflicts... Ah, this is today’s chapter; tomorrow, I will start making up for my backlog! RQ

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