Chapter 592: Visit of the Exalted One

Meanwhile, Mang Rao slowly rose to his feet. He offered another respectful salute before bowing at a ninety-degree angle before the elderly man.

"My respects, Your Exalted One. Welcome. Please, come in," Mang Rao said respectfully.

The old man gave a slight nod before following Mang Rao.

They walked through the temple’s main corridor. Along the way, flowering trees bloomed in vibrant colors, while gentle streams flowed peacefully, creating a serene atmosphere.

"You’ve made quite a comfortable life for yourself, Mang Rao," the elderly man remarked as he looked around.

Mang Rao was slightly startled. He immediately lowered his head.

"It is all thanks to Your Exalted One’s blessing," he replied respectfully.

"Hahaha..." The old man chuckled softly. "You seem to be in an excellent mood. Have you found any results?"

Mang Rao nodded.

"This humble one has discovered the whereabouts of one of them, Your Exalted One. They are in a remote dominion, at the far edge of the universe."

He then explained everything he knew without concealing a single detail, revealing every piece of information he had managed to gather.

After all, even if he intended to hide something, the elderly man before him would undoubtedly be able to read his thoughts.

"Interesting..." the old man murmured.

"How could one of them appear in a place like that? I’ve passed through that region before."

"There is only one possibility... that crazy woman..." the elderly man continued. His brows furrowed slightly, as though recalling an unpleasant memory.

Hearing those words, Mang Rao’s body stiffened as well. He merely took a slow breath, not daring to think any further about the person the old man was referring to.

"The last time we met, that crazy woman’s thread of fate kept standing in my way," the old man said casually.

"Even WALLE 07 died because of her."

After saying those words, he fell silent once more.

Mang Rao swallowed hard.

WALLE 07 had been his comrade back when they were still at the Emperor Realm. He knew that player’s abilities better than anyone. WALLE 07 had once destroyed an entire High Realm in a single night.

If a genius of that caliber had died...

Mang Rao truly could not imagine just how terrifying the woman the old man had mentioned must be.

The group continued down the corridor until they finally arrived before a massive door leading to the palace’s main hall.

Mang Rao turned to the high-ranking officials following behind him.

"All of you, wait here," he ordered.

He then pushed open the massive doors and respectfully gestured for the elderly man to enter.

"Please, Your Exalted One," he said respectfully.

The old man gave a slight nod before entering with his granddaughter. The two walked forward leisurely, showing not the slightest hint of restraint as they headed straight for the throne at the end of the hall.

Mang Rao hurried after them. After closing the doors behind him, he quickened his pace toward the throne, not daring to keep the elderly man waiting.

Once they arrived, Mang Rao stood beside the throne with his head slightly lowered, silently awaiting further orders.

Meanwhile, the elderly man calmly seated himself upon the throne.

"Let me have a look..." he said softly as he slowly raised his palm.

Mang Rao swiftly retrieved an object from the void. It was a small transparent crystal with a miniature galaxy slowly revolving inside it.

The elderly man took the crystal and tossed it into the air.

It rotated gently, floating before him.

A moment later, black and white light radiated from it, forming a projection. Within it appeared a small white sphere suspended in the darkness.

Not long after, the white sphere disappeared.

Another white sphere appeared in its place.

Then another.

Soon, more and more white spheres emerged until they filled the entire projection. Their numbers continued to increase, scattered in no discernible pattern, before the projection suddenly shattered on its own.

"Tsk... the image isn’t very clear, but this is enough," the elderly man said casually.

He did not blame Mang Rao. It wasn’t because his subordinate lacked ability, but because this was simply the limit of the information that could be obtained.

"My guess is that this Seed possesses the ability to create duplicates of something," he said slowly.

"Or... there’s another possibility. It could be the Spirit Sovereign’s Seed."

His brows furrowed slightly. Neither possibility was a pleasant one.

"If I had to choose, I’d rather face the Spirit Sovereign."

After that, the elderly man explained his theories and various possibilities to Mang Rao.

Throughout the explanation, Mang Rao remained silent, listening attentively. He did not dare interrupt or offer his own opinion unless asked.

A few minutes later, the elderly man slowly rose to his feet.

He raised one hand, and a projection of a golden clock immediately appeared before him. Its hands ticked with flawless precision, while every numeral on its face emitted a faint glow.

The elderly man traced a symbol with the tip of his finger before pressing it onto the front of the clock projection.

The instant the symbol fused with it, the clock’s hands began spinning at a speed impossible for the eye to follow. One by one, the numbers detached from the clock face, floating through the air as they formed an ever-changing pattern.

While this process unfolded, Mang Rao closed his eyes, sealed off his hearing, and calmed his mind.

He did not dare peek, listen, or even attempt to comprehend what the elderly man was doing.

The last time someone had witnessed the old man’s hand movements...

Every trace of that person’s existence, including thousands of generations of descendants, had vanished into the universe. Their names were never heard again.

Meanwhile, the elderly man’s granddaughter watched everything with sparkling eyes.

"Grandpa... this picture looks really ugly."

Her comment was blunt, carrying not the slightest hint of fear.

The elderly man merely shook his head with a faint smile.

"At least it’s still better than your drawings," he replied with a soft laugh.

His gaze returned to the projection before him as he waited for the final result.

***

Amidst the endless void stood a colossal golden gate.

It stretched millions of meters into the sky—or perhaps it had no end at all.

Standing before the gate were two warriors clad in gleaming golden armor. Each held a long spear upright, like statues that had stood there for millions of years.

At first, both guardians’ eyes were closed.

Then, in an instant, they opened simultaneously.

Their pupils contracted before expanding dramatically.

"A Divine Attack... Highest-Level Emergency!" one of the guardians shouted.

Without the slightest hesitation, he shot forward.

Even though his heart pounded so violently it felt ready to burst, his steps never faltered.

"I love you all..."

Those were the last words he left for his family.

The next moment, his body pierced through the river of time, intercepting the terrifying attack rushing toward them from the distance.

Meanwhile, the other guardian turned around and entered the golden gate.

He immediately rang the gigantic golden bell that had never once been struck since the gate was first erected between the two golden pillars.

Then he took out a scroll.

As the scroll unfurled, three tiny marbles floated out.

Without wasting a moment, he threw the first marble.

Ting...

Then the second.

Ting...

And finally, the last.

Ting...

After the three chimes echoed through the void, only he could understand the meaning hidden within their sound.

His body trembled.

Tears slowly streamed down his cheeks.