Wang Chen only turned his gaze away once Sui Zheng had completely disappeared from view.

What he had experienced just moments ago had completely overturned his understanding of the world. Moreover, the conversation had led him to question his very origin. It seemed there were things about himself that even he did not know.

Lin Huang and Li Mei, who had been watching quietly from the sidelines, noticed the heavy atmosphere surrounding their master. At a single glance, they could tell something significant had happened. Lin Huang opened his mouth several times, intending to ask, but no words ever came out.

The situation felt like a slap to Lin Huang's face. He knew something was weighing on his master's mind, yet there was nothing he could do to help. The helplessness gnawed at him, stirring frustration in his heart.

On the other hand, Li Mei was calmer. Having once lived in the Upper Realm, she was deeply aware of how many trials a cultivator had to endure to walk the path toward enlightenment. Hardships were inevitable. One could only steel their heart and face them head-on. It wasn't that she didn't want to help Wang Chen—she was helping him by giving him the space to think.

Wang Chen suddenly shook his head and sighed inwardly. The heavens truly didn't want to let him live in peace.

Still, it wasn't all bad. Amid the uncertainty, there were also positives.

For one, he now understood something vital—he was a creature of time, albeit a low-level one. And with the Crystal of Time, he could extend his lifespan.

The All-Seeing Immortal's offer was indeed tempting to someone like him. For a being whose lifespan barely reached ten more years, the chance to extend his life was incomparably precious. Under normal circumstances, he would have accepted such an offer immediately.

But he wasn't a normal creature of time.

He was a creature of time with a system.

And this made him far warier of the All-Seeing Immortal's intentions.

"This old man can't be taken lightly," Wang Chen muttered under his breath. "With just one glance, he could tell I wasn't desperate. That must mean he knows exactly how many years I have left to live. So that's why he said I wasn't as desperate as he assumed…"

His thoughts burned as he carefully analyzed the conversation again and again, searching for hidden meaning in every word.

Indeed, with the help of the system, extending his lifespan was only a matter of time. Once Lin Huang broke through to the Foundation Building Realm, he would have his answer.

But then another thought struck him. His lips twitched, and a cold gleam flashed in his eyes. No—he couldn't take that gamble.

What if Lin Huang's breakthrough didn't affect his lifespan at all? And even if it did, what if the increase was negligible? After all, the system had only ever said there might be a chance—not a certainty.

After weighing all the pros and cons, Wang Chen decided to accept the All-Seeing Immortal's offer.

He needed that Time Crystal as a guarantee. When it came to his own survival, Wang Chen had no intention of taking unnecessary risks.

His gaze fell on his disciples again. Both were quietly standing there, looking particularly moved.

Wang Chen sighed softly. His heart warmed a little.

"How many battles have I fought," he thought, "just to ensure these two could grow up safely?"

A strange melancholy settled over his chest. For the first time, he began to understand how parents must feel when watching their children struggle forward on their own.

A cold gust of wind swept through the courtyard, rustling Wang Chen's long hair and the hem of his loose robe. The half-burnt Bodhi tree beside him swayed gently in the breeze.

The serenity lasted only for a moment before it was broken by an unusual, high-pitched voice.

"What a shameless man. Lazing around on that rocking chair all day and daring to look at his disciples as if he's accomplished something great!"

The words struck like thunder.

"Just look at that hard-working boy, Lin Huang. Every day he practices those strange exercises, cleans the courtyard, and trains with his sword. And this so-called master? All he does is sleep and stare at the sky!"

Wang Chen's lips twitched violently. His face turned bright red as his eyes darted around in panic.

Who said that?!

He scanned the courtyard but saw no one. The voice was strange—sharp, childlike, and definitely unfamiliar.

As he searched, the voice echoed again, mocking.

"Look at this fool—turning his head like he can see me! What an idiot, I swear."

Wang Chen's jaw tightened. This was the first time someone had dared to insult him directly to his face like this.

Meanwhile, Lin Huang and Li Mei exchanged confused glances.

Li Mei finally asked hesitantly, "Master… is something wrong?"

"Of course something's wrong!" Wang Chen wanted to scream. "Someone's insulting me—and you're asking what's wrong? Are you making fun of your teacher now, little Mei?"

He nearly said the words out loud but stopped midway.

Something about this was off. Why did the voice sound like… it was meant only for him?

Thinking quickly, Wang Chen turned to his disciples and asked, "Both of you—did you hear a voice just now?"

"A voice? What voice?"

Their replies were identical. Neither of them had heard anything.

So only he could hear it.

"Oh, this shameless fool," the voice mocked again, echoing right inside his ears. "Look at him deceiving these innocent students! Pretending he can hear me! Just wait, you brute—I'll take revenge for that day! How dare you try to cut me down! You monster!"

An entire string of curses rattled through his mind.

But this time, Wang Chen didn't react. It was clear now. The voice was only in his head—his disciples couldn't hear it at all.

Then one particular phrase struck him—cut me down.

Wang Chen tilted his head slightly, trying to recall. The gears in his mind turned swiftly. He had tried to cut something down recently…

His eyes slowly shifted to the half-burnt Bodhi tree.

Even after being struck by lightning days ago, fresh green sprouts had appeared across its blackened branches, as if it had miraculously come back to life.

"Wait a minute," Wang Chen whispered. "Is… this tree cursing me?"

"Who are you staring at, you bastard!" the same shrill voice shouted back. "Turn your filthy eyes away before I gouge them out with my beautiful green leaves!"

Wang Chen blinked, speechless.

So… it was the tree talking.

He didn't even know what to say anymore. A talking tree, an All-Seeing Immortal, creatures of time—just how many shocks could one person handle in a single day?

Suppressing a headache, he decided to ignore the noisy tree for now and focus on what truly mattered: the agreement he'd made with the All-Seeing Immortal.

"Inheritance Grounds of the Dragon Race…" Wang Chen muttered, repeating the strange words the old man had mentioned.

To draw the attention of his two disciples, he lightly cleared his throat.

They both turned toward him instantly.

Once their eyes were on him, Wang Chen spoke in a calm but authoritative tone.

"It's been some time since you two came under my guidance. To check how much progress you've made during this period, I'll be conducting a small test."

"Test? What kind of test?" Lin Huang asked unconsciously. He clearly hadn't been expecting that.

Li Mei looked curious but not worried. Tests meant little to her—what she wanted to see was how her mysterious master planned to evaluate them.

"Yes, a test," Wang Chen said firmly. "It will be held three days from now. So don't say I didn't warn you in advance. Try not to cry when it comes."

After saying this, Wang Chen didn't linger around and swiftly walked back to the meditation hall to rest. The events of today had taken too much of his time.

He didn't bother examining the tree. Last time, he had tried his best to cut it down for good, but nothing seemed to work—so he wasn't going to try the same thing again and embarrass himself in front of his disciples.

Back in the meditation chamber, he immediately sat in his usual spot and began planning his next course of action.

"Gathering as much information about the 'creatures of time' has to be a priority," he thought. "Hmm… Li Mei is a regressor. Should I ask her? As someone from the Upper Realm, she should know something about them, right? But I can't make it too obvious, or it might damage my image as a reclusive expert. Yeah… I can use the test."

"Second, I can't waste time grinding alone in the Tower—it's too inefficient. There's also one thing I need to check: if the disciples learn skills inside the Tower, would I also receive the ten-times reward?"

The gears in Wang Chen's head turned as he thought of other ways to grow stronger. He had a feeling he was not making full use of his own potential.

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