To be perfectly honest, for an ordinary person, the sudden transformation of a small child into an adult might seem like something out of a fantasy, but for Lin Luo, it wasn't all that strange; if for nothing else, there were at least three people in this very room capable of achieving such a feat.

One was Ye, the undisputed master of time, requiring no explanation. The other was Hui Ye, who also controlled time in ways ordinary people couldn't perceive. And the third, naturally, was Lin Luo himself; even without mastering Wu Zhong Sheng You (Creation from Nothing), he could certainly create more time for someone, allowing them to grow up faster.

But for this to happen to Ming Meng felt somewhat abnormal... No, perhaps not abnormal. After all, she possessed the Heart of Space, and space is intrinsically linked to time. By accelerating the flow of time, she too could manage to grow rapidly, or accelerate the growth of others. However... that would require her to possess sufficient power, and at merely two years old, she absolutely lacked that kind of strength, regardless of how great her talent might be!

“You two stop laughing like that; quickly explain yourselves! This definitely has something to do with you, doesn't it?!” Seeing the two beside him covering their mouths to stifle giggles, Lin Luo glared over. “What? I have no idea what’s going on,” Hui Ye said, spreading her hands.

Ye merely shrugged. “Clearly, I’m not that powerful.”

Lin Luo nodded. “I believe you... not a chance!”

“I truly don’t know.”

“Me neither.”

Neither admitted anything.

“Alright, alright, stop stalling,” Lin Luo sighed helplessly. “With Ming Meng’s abilities alone, she couldn't achieve this level. Even if you weren't direct participants, you were at least indirect facilitators. My cultivation level is higher than yours, and my abilities are stronger—do you think I can't see through this? So, just confess quickly. If you don't, I’m going home to sleep.”

“Fine, fine, we’ll tell the truth... Sigh, we were hoping to have some fun for a while, what a buzzkill.” Hearing Lin Luo resort to threats, Hui Ye immediately deflated, dropping the mystery. She explained, “Actually, it’s quite simple. Let’s start with abilities. Space and time cannot truly be separated, so Ming Meng also possesses the ability to manipulate time. It’s just that her ability is a bit mixed; it’s primarily space-based, with time control being just a supplementary feature.”

“And the nature of her time ability is different from ours. Both my and Ye’s time abilities are external, possessing strong offensive properties. However, Ming Meng’s time ability is internal; it can only be used on herself and lacks aggression. But it is an extremely potent support skill... Of course, this inward focus has an upside: external time abilities cannot affect her. Even Ye’s time attacks are something she can be immune to, provided she has a certain level of strength.”

“So, you two are responsible for Ming Meng growing up.”

“Half and half,” Ye interjected. “We didn't apply specific time directly onto her, we merely opened a small path for her, then guided out the ability she already possessed internally, inducing it. And thus, she grew up.”

Saying it so casually.

Lin Luo muttered to himself. Although he understood the mechanics, he felt conflicted... Ming Meng had jumped straight from toddler to young woman, completely skipping the loli phase. Doesn't that mean the nurturing period is gone? Loli nurturing—that was the period he had most looked forward to! What a colossal disappointment!

“So, can she change back?” Lin Luo couldn't help but ask. Although he possessed sufficient power, his area of expertise was not time.

Hui Ye replied, “Of course she can. This current state can last for seven days at most. After seven days, she will revert to being a small child, but the memories gained while grown will not disappear.”

“That’s a relief.” Hearing this, Lin Luo finally let out a breath. If it was only temporary, then there was no need to worry; it could even be considered a delightful development.

However, Lin Luo still had one point of confusion. “Why did you take Ming Meng with you and have her appear in this form?”

Hui Ye explained, “Didn't I just say? The abilities of the three of us are different—internal versus external, perceptible versus imperceptible. Thus, as long as the three of us stay together, we can fully consolidate all time-based abilities. This is hugely beneficial for each of us. As for having Ming Meng grow up, it was to enable her to resist our external abilities so she wouldn't be harmed. In her current state, our time abilities cannot harm her.”

“I see. So, Ming Meng will accompany us on the journey as well?”

“Precisely.”

Listening to their unequivocal reply, Lin Luo pondered slightly. To be frank, he didn't actually want to drag Ming Meng into the God War. Although she was the Host, she was still only two years old. But while a typical two-year-old would be nestling in a parent’s arms, Ming Meng would have to engage in life-or-death battles with enemies. He couldn't bear it.

Yet, in this God War, an extra bit of strength meant an extra measure of security. If Ming Meng grew stronger, she would also have the ability to protect herself.

Both choices had merits and demerits. Despite being her father, Lin Luo didn't want to control her future life. Everyone's path should be their own decision. Even parents should guide their children onto the right path, but there was no need for interference.

So, after a moment of thought, Lin Luo turned to look at Ming Meng and asked, “Ming Meng, you heard everything just now, right? Being with these two older sisters will be very dangerous, and you might face danger in the future, but you will become powerful very quickly. If you don’t want to encounter danger, then go home. We will help you undo your current state, and you can continue living a stable life... How you choose is entirely up to you.”

“Make the choice for me?” Ming Meng asked, tilting her head.

“Mm-hmm.” Lin Luo nodded. “Whether you choose a future as a normal child, like a shrine maiden, or embark on the God War as the Host—it’s entirely your decision. No matter what you choose, I will support you.”

Ming Meng rested her chin in thought for a moment, then walked over to Hui Ye and stated firmly, “I will stay with these two sisters. If I become strong enough, I can help Father.”

“Ming Meng...” Such a good child. Lin Luo was instantly touched. Since she had made her choice, he had no reason to say more.

“But I have one request,” Ming Meng suddenly said.

“What request? Tell me, I promise to grant anything I can do,” Lin Luo said with a smile.

“Really?”

“Of course.”

“You won’t lie?”

“Absolutely not, I won't lie!” Lin Luo declared solemnly.

“Mm, I believe Father,” Ming Meng laughed happily, then continued, “Then, please sign a contract with me and become a Magical Girl!”

Pffft!

Lin Luo spat out his drink. Hey, where did you pick up that line?

Lin Luo found himself in a difficult spot. “I say, Ming Meng, that request might be a bit...”

“Father lied,” seeing his reluctance, Ming Meng immediately looked wronged.

“Fine, fine, I’ll sign the contract with you,” Lin Luo conceded, afraid she might deploy some divine skill of crying, throwing tantrums, and hanging herself. “But... why a Magical Girl?”

Ming Meng instantly stopped crying and laughed. “Because Father in a girl's outfit is very cute.”

Bang!

This time, Lin Luo didn't spit anything out; he had already collapsed onto his knees.

“What! Cross-dressing?” On the other side, Hui Ye and Ye both exclaimed loudly, their faces brimming with a desire for gossip.

“Ming Meng, don’t say...”

Lin Luo tried to stop her, but it was too late. Ming Meng happily broadcasted his dark secret: “Yes, because Father is a cross-dresser.” She even added an exaggerated gesture. Hearing this, Hui Ye and Ye both made faces of disgust. “Truly, truly perverse...”

“I am not a cross-dresser!” Lin Luo shot up, roaring loudly, then looked at Ming Meng, his face full of suspicion. “You said just now that you didn't come from the future, so how did you know I wore women’s clothing?”

“You really did wear a dress!” The two women beside him exclaimed again, even feigning fear and retreating to a corner of the room.

Lin Luo.

“Can you two please stop causing trouble for a moment?” Lin Luo was too tired to say anything more to these two.

At this moment, Ming Meng simply smiled innocently. “Because Ming Meng is already sixteen years old this year.”

“I wasn't asking about your age, I was asking about... Ugh!” Ming Meng's answer left Lin Luo speechless, but halfway through, he suddenly woke up and quickly looked towards Hui Ye and Ye. “Hey, this situation doesn't quite match what you two said.”

“It doesn’t conflict. Although we said we used our abilities to make her grow, this wasn't just physical growth. You know, I can create multiple timelines.”

Lin Luo finally understood. In fact, he should have realized it from the start. If Ming Meng had only grown physically, she wouldn't claim to be sixteen, because the transformation took less than five minutes. Even if her body aged, her actual age wouldn't necessarily change. Nor would her power increase, as strength requires time to cultivate. How could just five minutes allow Ming Meng to become strong enough to withstand the intensity of Hui Ye and her group’s time abilities? Moreover, she wouldn't have possessed that cold expression when she first appeared; a psychological age of only two years old could never manifest that kind of temperament. Only a Ming Meng with genuine life experience would be like that.

In other words, Ming Meng didn't time-travel from the future; she became her future self—a sixteen-year-old girl from the future era... Wait, is there a difference between those two statements?

Thinking of this, Lin Luo glared darkly at Ming Meng, only to see her face beaming with sunshine. Finally, he understood everything... This little girl had been pretending to be naive and fooling him the entire time.

This scheming brat, what a monumental fraud!