Zong Shou glanced again at the interlocking iron rings above, still unable to comprehend them, nor did he have any intention of trying to understand. After a single look, he immediately walked out of the altar, lest he be inexplicably teleported to another unexplored world later.

Besides, he did not have that much lifespan to waste. Following the stone bridge that spanned the void, Zong Shou walked outward.

Just as he was about to cross the gate, a light chuckle sounded near his ear. "I see.

Boundless Light and Endless Dark, manipulating the runes. No wonder this World Observation Platform could be used.

Interesting. There are such juniors in the Cloud Realm.

Observing an entire realm at the Seventh Tier—I wonder if it’s a blessing or a curse for you. Take care—" Zong Shou was startled, the voice appearing abruptly as if spoken right next to his ear.

He spun around sharply, seeing no one nearby. His spiritual sense detected nothing out of the ordinary either.

Frowning, Zong Shou stepped through the gate without hesitation. Then he looked back, gazing at the pavilion and falling into deep thought.

That voice was truly peculiar. Could it be the master of the Star Gazing Tower?

Yet, it didn't sound malicious. Shaking his head slightly, Zong Shou could only temporarily set aside his myriad doubts.

First, he summoned a water mirror, wondering if the loss of so much lifespan had turned him into an old man. While he disliked pretending to be young, becoming a withered old man was also not his desire.

Looking into the mirror, Zong Shou’s mind paused for a beat. It was still that extremely youthful face, unchanged.

A moment later, Zong Shou suddenly understood, then sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead. Legend held that after reaching the Seventh Tier, those with a profound Dao foundation could preserve their appearance.

How could he have forgotten? Did this mean he would remain looking sixteen years old forever?

After a moment of dejection, Zong Shou forced a drop of blood from his fingertip. Then, chanting a true mantra and casting several spiritual seals, a tiny glimmer of light, about an inch long, shone forth from the blood.

This was a secret art used in later generations to verify lifespan, usable even on common civilians. The result of this test, however, made even Zong Shou knit his brows.

"Thirty years—" The expenditure in that World Observation Instrument had cost over nine hundred years of life. With his current cultivation, if he failed to break through again, he would only have thirty years left to live.

His gaze flickered, and Zong Shou let out a sigh, yet he didn't dwell on it too much. What truly disheartened him was that he had spent at least seven days inside the World Observation Instrument.

The Dragon Hall opened on the first day and closed on the third. This meant the Dragon Hall had likely already shut by now; that was the matter truly giving him a headache.

Furthermore, a throbbing pain echoed in his mind, making his consciousness slightly unclear. The mental strain had been too severe, and no spiritual elixir could restore it immediately.

Walking down the stone steps one by one, Zong Shou was startled again. Near the Primordial Essence Altar, Zong Yuan, Ruo Shui, and the Fei Shuang sisters were still beside the pool, staring over at him in astonishment.

Zong Shou was also extremely puzzled. He flew over, intending to ask why they hadn't left after three days had passed, but then he saw that the Thunder Winged Flood Dragon and the seven silver cocoons were still safely nestled deep within the pool.

He immediately changed his question: "How long was I gone? What time is it now?" "Gone long?

I just saw you walk over there, then inexplicably vanish for about an instant, and then you walked back." Ye Feishuang looked at Zong Shou’s pale face with a strange expression, a trace of worry surfacing in her eyes. "Are you alright?" Zong Shou was astonished again.

Those seven days had only been an instant? Turning back, the stone platform he had just occupied was nowhere to be seen; it had vanished completely.

His brow furrowed slightly, but within moments, Zong Shou’s expression returned to normal, and he smiled. "What?

Worried about me?" "Hmph! I was only worried that you might get hurt and fail to enter the Inheritance Ground!" Ye Feishuang haughtily turned her head away.

"This Primordial Essence Spring can substitute for the Dragon Spirit Blood Life Elixir. However, there are several spiritual objects in that Inheritance Ground.

It would be a pity to leave without acquiring them—" As Ye Feishuang spoke, Ye Feihan beside her made a cute face at Zong Shou, pointing to her lips, then to her heart, shaking her hand. She was signaling that her sister was speaking contrary to her feelings.

Zong Shou laughed wordlessly. Ye Feishuang realized this and turned back, glaring angrily at her sister.

There were still nearly nine hours remaining until the Thunder Winged Flood Dragon molted into a true dragon. Afterward, Zong Shou simply sat in quiet repose.

Unusually, he neither contemplated anything nor meditated on his cultivation. His mind was completely relaxed, his breathing faint, his consciousness hovering between sleep and wakefulness, his thoughts utterly still.

He used this method, akin to hibernation—stopping all signs of life—to recover from the exhaustion of his mental energy. After an unknown period, a dragon roar from the pool shook the very heavens.

Zong Shou opened his eyes to see a dragon shape, covered in purple scales, suddenly burst forth from the struggling mass. It was the Thunder Winged Flood Dragon.

After shedding its old body, it had shrunk slightly. However, the purple lightning surrounding it was denser, and its dragon might was immense, causing even Zong Shou, its master, to raise an eyebrow.

On either side of its body, there were still a pair of wings, which seemed capable of drawing in the True Fire of the sun, flames coiling around them. After soaring in the air for half a moment, the Thunder Winged Dragon suddenly descended, landing beside Zong Shou and coiling around him submissively.

Ye Feishuang glanced at it with a flicker of envy that vanished quickly. "Not bad!

Having just transformed into a dragon, its bloodline is already Middle Grade, not inferior to those naturally born divine beasts. It’s just a pity that your Thunder Dragon’s bloodline is mixed, still carrying the blood of a Winged Serpent.

If you cannot expel or fully integrate it, it might be a disaster rather than a blessing." Zong Shou grunted but paid little attention, continuing to watch beneath the Primordial Essence Spring. Logically, the advancement of the seven Saint Fire Silver Ants should have been slightly faster than the Thunder Winged Dragon’s.

Indeed, after a moment, the largest silver egg showed movement. It did not hatch, but rather the threads rapidly retracted.

In an instant, a point of silver light flew up from the pool, arriving before Zong Shou and meeting his gaze coldly. Its eyes had regained their previous arrogance, carrying a hint of defiance, already attempting to resist Zong Shou’s soul control.

Silver-white flames burned all over its body. Zong Shou chuckled, and the expression in his eyes shifted.

He did not forcibly activate the Soul Control Array or the Profound Lock Heart and Calm Spirit Talisman to suppress it. Instead, his aura turned cold, and a surge of Sword Intent erupted, seemingly originating from the source of Primordial Antiquity, the beginning of all things.

This Sword Intent pressed down upon the Han Xi body, causing the Saint Fire Silver Ant’s arrogance to dissipate completely; it began to tremble slightly, showing a hint of fear. Just as it was about to resist Zong Shou’s control, it now feared him like a tiger.

Meanwhile, Chu Xue, who was sleeping behind him, frowned slightly and mumbled in confusion, "Taichu?" Zong Shou turned to look at the girl. He felt slightly confused but found nothing unusual.

Was this Xue'er talking in her sleep? But why those exact words: 'Taichu'?

What he had just used was the tiny sliver of artistic conception he had grasped from observing the core of Taichu using the World Observation Platform. Insignificant as it was, it was the beginning of all things, capable of suppressing even naturally born anomalies.

At this moment, the Thunder Winged Dragon behind Zong Shou also let out a low growl, laced with a hint of threat. Han Xi’s body trembled again.

Looking at the dragon shadow behind Zong Shou, a hint of shock appeared in its eyes. Dragons are divine beasts, on the same tier as naturally born anomalies, and now both were Eighth Tier.

Their deterrent power was completely different from when it was just a Winged Flood Dragon. Warily, Han Xi flew backward several yards before finally submitting completely.

Its expression smoothed over, and it ceased all struggle and resistance. Zong Shou then carefully observed the changes in Han Xi.

Its height had increased by half a foot, and its four blade-arms had also extended slightly, looking even sharper. The six pairs of wings on its back were now covered in silver patterns.

The silver-white saint fire burned fiercely, coiling around its body, making it appear even more sacred. Its entire form was utterly exquisite.

It resembled a true ‘angelic’ winged humanoid, making it hard to believe this creature originated from the ugly and repulsive Demon Fire Crystal Ant. Zong Shou was equally astonished.

In the next instant, he felt a ripple of spiritual consciousness transmit from Han Xi, and then he fell into deep contemplation. He understood; this was Han Xi's evolution information.

After advancing to the Eighth Tier, this Saint Fire Ant Queen had two choices: First, it could self-replicate and split to produce four more Seventh Tier Mid-stage Saint Fire Silver Ants. The second choice was to further strengthen the existing six silver ants, boosting them by half a tier—beyond the Seventh Tier Mid-stage, reaching the peak level.

In terms of strength and control over the spirits of heaven and earth, they would only be slightly short of Eighth Tier Mid-stage, surpassing it significantly in speed. Once Han Xi reached Eighth Tier Mid-stage, it could advance a full realm simultaneously.

Han Xi allowed him to decide, showing its submission. Zong Shou pondered briefly, then chose the latter without hesitation.

Unless it was reproducing into thousands, tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands of troops, four more Saint Fire Silver Ants wouldn't offer much use. It was better to enhance the other six silver ants; that would be more beneficial.

The moment he made his decision, the deep part of the pool flashed with blinding silver light once more. The six Saint Fire Silver Ants underwent changes.

When their silver cocoons vanished, they flew out of the pool one by one, hovering beside Han Xi. They were similar to Han Xi: their blades were sharper, their silver armor sturdier, and their four pairs of wings also now possessed silver patterns.

Their figures had also changed, vaguely resembling human forms, though they were still predominantly insectoid. Their flight speed was not inferior to Han Xi’s speed when it was at the Seventh Tier.

As for their specific strength, that would need to be assessed in actual combat. Zong Shou didn't examine them closely before collecting all these silver ants.

Then he looked at the Primordial Essence Pool before him. He sighed inwardly, wondering if the bathwater of Xiao Lei and Han Xi would have any effect on Ao Kun.