The sight of the corpse startled even Robin, whose brow furrowed in surprise upon seeing Zhong Shenxiu.

However, at this moment, Zhong Shenxiu was in no mood to concern himself with their expressions, as he was intensely agitated. This very demonic insect had allowed him to grasp the essence of "Time-based Magic"!

Though it was only a fleeting comprehension. But with such a beginning, Zhong Shenxiu was confident he could nurture it into something great!

This domain was utterly **to Zhong Shenxiu. Perhaps it amounted to nothing in the eyes of others, but Zhong Shenxiu keenly understood its true worth. Setting aside everything else, take the current example: if he mastered this "Time-based Magic," Zhong Shenxiu could manipulate time freely. Applied to his "Medium Pouch," his cultivation base would gain an enormous advantage. Under normal external conditions, rare flowers and exotic herbs might take over a century to mature, but with time manipulation, they could be grown to full bloom within a single year!

What formidable power was that!

And it didn't end there. If applied to cultivation, a year of practice could potentially equate to decades, or even centuries, of effort for others. What an electrifying prospect!

"Brother Xiu, what's wrong with you?" Tiya inquired with some concern. It was the first time she had seen Zhong Shenxiu so visibly excited.

Mercy, standing nearby, couldn't help but ask as well, "Did you discover something?" Her voice even carried a hint of excitement!

Zhong Shenxiu first glanced at the demonic tome. The demonic insect had crawled onto the table by now, tirelessly heading towards a more distant patch.

"Do you all feel like this demonic insect's speed is suddenly increasing?" Zhong Shenxiu suddenly asked.

Belidanti nodded. She had been observing the insect closely and found its movements baffling.

"In fact, its speed has never changed!" Zhong Shenxiu declared, shocking them with his words!

"The speed never changed? How is that possible?" Belidanti looked back at the insect, just as it visibly darted forward another ten centimeters.

Wasn't that clear acceleration? Belidanti looked at Zhong Shenxiu, seeking a proper explanation.

But Mercy's gaze upon Zhong Shenxiu was entirely different from Belidanti's; it held surprise, approval, and a deep sense of envy. Just as Zhong Shenxiu stated, the insect had never actually accelerated—that was her conclusion after prolonged observation, yet Zhong Shenxiu had grasped it with just a single glance. He was truly incredible!

After a brief silence, Zhong Shenxiu finally unveiled the secret!

"What you perceive as 'sudden acceleration' is merely an illusion due to visual contrast. This happens because the time within a ten-centimeter radius around the insect momentarily stopped!" As he spoke, the light of excitement flickered ceaselessly in his eyes. He hadn't expected such a delightful surprise to present itself right at his doorstep!

Belidanti wore a look of utter confusion. It was the first time she had ever heard that time could actually stop.

Zhong Shenxiu paid no more attention to Belidanti. With a casual flip of his hand, the struggling demonic insect landed in his palm, and then, he simply closed his eyes.

The others merely found it strange, not understanding what Zhong Shenxiu was doing, yet they failed to realize that energy fluctuations identical to the insect’s were now emanating from Zhong Shenxiu’s body. The insect, however, seemed to relish it, resting motionless in his hand!

As this wave of energy enveloped a five-meter radius around him, Zhong Shenxiu slowly began to walk.

The image reflected in his eyes was that he, too, was suddenly accelerating like the insect, only to slow down just as abruptly!

"Th-this is..." Overcome with excitement, Mercy stood up as well.

Zhong Shenxiu's demonstration clearly proved one thing: he had truly learned this "Time-based Magic"!

Heavens, how could this be? How could he have mastered such an esoteric magic so quickly? Logically, he had only just encountered it today; how could he advance so fast?

At this point, Mercy's look toward Zhong Shenxiu mirrored how she looked at the insect! She now had to admit that this young man was truly monstrous; next to him, even the cleverest genius seemed like an imbecile!

How could such a human exist in this world?

She was neither the first nor would she be the last to hold this thought; everyone who encountered Zhong Shenxiu would be left stunned!

After the demonstration, Zhong Shenxiu finally paused. Since he had only just begun to delve into "Time-based Magic," the number of techniques he could employ was limited. Further research and practice would be necessary; if he could master it as proficiently as his other elemental magics, he would be unstoppable!

"Do you all understand now?" Zhong Shenxiu directed this statement primarily at Belidanti, as Robin never doubted his words, and Tiya would never comprehend such profound concepts regardless.

However, Belidanti honestly shook her head. Even though Zhong Shenxiu's performance was identical to the insect's just moments before, she still couldn't accept that time could be manipulated.

The world knew that time was irreversible, let alone stoppable, which gave rise to the adage, "Time flies like an arrow; an inch of time is worth an inch of gold." Yet, Zhong Shenxiu's words sought to shatter this notion. For those with deeply ingrained beliefs, immediate acceptance was impossible without ironclad proof presented before their eyes!

Zhong Shenxiu ignored the obtuse woman and turned instead to the still-dazed Mercy. "Hey, what did you want to ask me?"

Mercy flinched, snapping back to clarity. A look of resolute determination returned to her face as she slowly stated, "What I most want to know is: does this 'Time-based Magic' truly exist!"

Sigh.

Zhong Shenxiu looked at Mercy, somewhat speechless, thinking to himself: didn't you propose the idea of "Time-based Magic" yourself? Why are you asking me now? Women were truly hard to fathom! (This was why Zhong Shenxiu spent very little time analyzing women; he wouldn't waste his energy on such puzzles!)

As if sensing his thoughts, Mercy continued, "Although I proposed the concept of 'Time-based Magic' and I possess this insect, I still harbor doubts about my own hypothesis!"

Suspicion was, after all, normal. "Time-based Magic" was too esoteric for a woman like Mercy to fully grasp with just a slight brush with the concept. Furthermore, since no literature on "Time-based Magic" had ever appeared in the world, any opinion she held was pure conjecture.

Therefore, Mercy hoped someone could help prove the actual existence of this "Time-based Magic"—preferably with tangible, undeniable evidence, so that the energy she invested in exploring it over the years would not have been in vain! Zhong Shenxiu nodded lightly, then retrieved two identical hourglasses from his magic ring.

"This..." Mercy eyed Zhong Shenxiu suspiciously, sensing that he was about to use these objects to prove the existence of "Time-based Magic" to her!

"You should know what this is, right?" Zhong Shenxiu asked. Seeing her nod, he continued, "The time it takes for the sand to run out in both these hourglasses is the same. I will use this to prove the existence of 'Time-based Magic' to you!"

As his words concluded, he had already inverted one of the hourglasses.

Half an hour passed quickly, the room so silent one could hear their own breathing!

At this moment, Mercy’s body trembled slightly as she stared at the two hourglasses with an excited expression. From this moment on, her doubts vanished; Zhong Shenxiu had used irrefutable proof to show her that "Time-based Magic" was real!

In that instant, she felt an impulse to weep. Years of effort and exploration had finally yielded a perfect answer; all past hardship transformed into sweet relief!

However, Mercy also knew her research was not over—it had only just begun. Although "Time-based Magic" was proven to exist, compiling a complete, systematic framework would take far more than a single day!

Zhong Shenxiu placed the demonic insect back into its container and asked Mercy again, "Is there anything else you need to know?" His mood was excellent, and his words flowed more freely than usual!

Mercy, however, felt quite overwhelmed at the moment and couldn't think of anything specific to ask. She replied, "I haven't thought of anything yet. Can I ask you later when I do?" This current revelation was enough for her to process for quite some time; she had no energy left for other inquiries!

Zhong Shenxiu readily agreed but followed it with a mischievous grin. "Do you have any other nice treasures on you?"

Ugh! To think he was still unsatisfied and was now setting his sights on Mercy's possessions!

Mercy blinked, looking at Zhong Shenxiu with slight confusion.

"Do you have any other similar demonic insects on you?" Zhong Shenxiu pressed again.

Mercy, being quite straightforward, actually retrieved several specially made metal boxes from her person. Upon opening them, they were indeed filled with all sorts of strange and grotesque demonic insects.

Mercy had collected these creatures from various parts of the world. If carrying them wasn't so inconvenient, she would have gathered even more! In Mercy's heart, she believed that demonic insects should not be overlooked; they too had their own points of brilliance, provided one was willing to discover them!

"You really like demonic insects?" Zhong Shenxiu asked without looking up, his eyes still examining the boxes.

"Yes," Mercy nodded.

"Are you well-researched on demonic insects?" Zhong Shenxiu asked again.

"I've enjoyed studying them since I was young," Mercy replied vaguely.

Zhong Shenxiu suddenly looked up, a wicked, mysterious smile playing on his lips as he asked, "I also possess a demonic insect. Are you interested in studying it?"

(Zhong Shenxiu was thinking of the super-giant black demonic insect he had obtained in the ancient tomb! Hmph, I wonder what expression Mercy will have when she sees it?)