"Hmm?" Nan Gong Huan noticed the unfamiliar yet familiar term he had uttered. "The Di Ming of Time?"

  This was the space within the Di Ming Ring, and those four words seemed to have some connection to the ring. Did this foodie know something?

  Elder Ling, however, flashed to Dong Yan Cuo’s side in an instant, grabbing his wrist and examining him closely. The more he looked, the brighter Elder Ling’s eyes became.

  "Divine bone structure. He’s from the Heart of the Realm," Elder Ling exclaimed in awe. "I never thought I’d see someone from the Heart of the Realm in such a remote place."

  Remote place... Nan Gong Huan suddenly felt like a country bumpkin.

  "Elder Ling, what is the Heart of the Realm?" Nan Gong Huan asked, puzzled. She thought she had already learned a lot about this world, but Elder Ling’s words seemed to overturn her understanding.

  "You’ll find out later," Elder Ling didn’t elaborate further. Knowing too much now might not be a good thing for his disciple.

  Seeing that Elder Ling didn’t want to explain, Nan Gong Huan didn’t press further, but she kept the words "Heart of the Realm" in her mind.

  "What he said about the Di Ming of Time, is it related to the power of the Di Ming Ring?" Nan Gong Huan murmured, her gaze shifting toward the sealed clock tower.

  The sundial representing time seemed to align with the words "Di Ming of Time."

  "Exactly," Elder Ling answered quickly this time. "Legend has it that long, long ago, the God of Time willingly entered the cycle of reincarnation to save someone. Before doing so, he crafted this Di Ming of Time ring, and within the clock tower lies his inheritance."

  "..."

  Nan Gong Huan’s mind raced.

  "Elder Ling, why didn’t you tell me earlier?!" Nan Gong Huan’s eyes widened with excitement as she looked at the clock tower, her face glowing with enthusiasm.

  Her family heirloom was actually the inheritance of the God of Time!

  "You never asked," Elder Ling chuckled awkwardly. He thought she had always known.

  Nan Gong Huan pursed her lips and fell silent. Her excitement was quickly doused like a bucket of cold water. Hmm... she really hadn’t asked.

  Elder Ling continued to pour cold water: "Disciple, you don’t have the medium to unseal it, so you can’t open the clock tower’s seal."

  In simple terms, knowing about it was useless.

  Nan Gong Huan’s expression turned troubled. Who could understand the feeling of being so hungry that food was right in front of you, but you couldn’t eat it!

  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

  At that moment, Dong Yan Cuo seemed to be controlled by some force. His gaze became unfocused as he walked toward the clock tower, step by step, until he stood before its towering doors.

  "Cuo Cuo? Cuo Cuo?!" No matter how Nan Gong Huan called out, she couldn’t snap Dong Yan Cuo out of his trance.

  "Don’t rush, let’s see what he’s going to do," Elder Ling stopped Nan Gong Huan, his eyes fixed on Dong Yan Cuo. Could he be about to...?

  Dong Yan Cuo raised his hand, spiritual energy gathering in his palm, forming a small, crystalline key made of ice.

  Then, he grasped the icy key and inserted it into the lock on the door!

  At that moment, the clock tower seemed to tremble slightly, and the sundial floating above it flickered twice, as if a sleeping beast was beginning to stir.

  Nan Gong Huan and Elder Ling both widened their eyes, holding their breaths, intently watching Dong Yan Cuo, not missing a single movement.

  He gripped the key and turned it gently.

  Click—click—

  It felt like the pause between seconds on a clock. As the key turned once, golden threads of light, emanating a sacred glow, spread from the lock, following the patterns on the door, outlining the image of a divine rabbit beast.

  Then, the doors slowly opened inward, revealing a spacious and bright hall. A pure white rabbit, glowing with light, leaped down from above the hall. It wore a special golden armor around its neck, looking both adorable and harmless.

  It hopped a few times to the entrance, its voice, neither male nor female, filled with caution: "Who dares disturb the sacred hall?"

  When it saw Dong Yan Cuo, the rabbit suddenly fell silent, its ears standing straight up. Its small, black bean-like eyes scrutinized him up and down, then looked outside, spotting Nan Gong Huan and Elder Ling.

  Elder Ling’s lips curled into a sly smile. "Yo, little meat rabbit, it’s been so long, you’ve even lost weight!"

  Hmm? Elder Ling knew this divine beast? Nan Gong Huan raised an eyebrow.

  The rabbit’s body stiffened, its fur bristling!

  "Ling Xizi, I warn you, I’m the guardian beast of this ring! If I die, this space will be destroyed! Allowing you to reside here is already an act of great mercy. Don’t even think about targeting me!" The rabbit waved its limbs, its voice full of threats, but its adorable appearance made it completely non-intimidating.

  There’s a story here! Nan Gong Huan watched silently, but the next moment, Elder Ling grabbed her and kicked her toward Dong Yan Cuo.

  "Hmph, this is my disciple. You know what to do," Elder Ling said with his hands on his hips, acting haughty.

  It felt like a forced sales pitch!

  Nan Gong Huan broke into a cold sweat. She had just steadied herself when Dong Yan Cuo suddenly fainted, and she quickly caught him.

  "Cuo Cuo?" Nan Gong Huan shook him, but Dong Yan Cuo seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep, his eyes tightly shut, unresponsive to her calls.

  The rabbit glanced disdainfully at Elder Ling, then turned its gaze to Nan Gong Huan and Dong Yan Cuo. "He absorbed the divine power from the seal, so naturally, he needs time to digest it. Place him on that platform over there. As for you..."

  Its voice paused, its small eyes glowing with divine light as it scrutinized Nan Gong Huan. Noticing the spirit platforms within her, its expression softened. "Of course, you can also stay and learn my master’s inheritance. But how much you can learn depends on your abilities."

  She could also learn the inheritance! Nan Gong Huan’s joy was evident.

  "Thank you, Guardian," Nan Gong Huan lifted Dong Yan Cuo and placed him on the platform the rabbit had indicated.

  Tiny strands of light in the air seemed to seep into his body.

  "Hmph, just call me Bo Bo," the rabbit groomed its fur. This girl was much more pleasant than her master!

  After settling Dong Yan Cuo, the rabbit explained to Nan Gong Huan: "Look at the stars above the hall. That is my master’s inheritance. Each star represents an authority. You can start with the first one. Only by fully mastering the current authority will the next one unlock."

  The ceiling of the hall was painted with a vast starry sky, and among them, seven stars shone brightly.

  Time Authority!

  Nan Gong Huan couldn’t wait. Using her spiritual energy, she guided her consciousness into the first star, and a gentle male voice echoed in her ears—

  First-Level Authority: The Passage of Time.