Quinn carried the chest and followed Queena White and the others to the White family residence in Baillong City, his mind preoccupied with Ben Coates' warning, anxiety gnawing at his heart.
Though Ben was his nemesis, he was, after all, an old monster who had lived for ten thousand years—worldly and knowledgeable. His concerns weren't without reason.
They were at least thirty or forty thousand years in the past, at the crumbling end of the Supreme Sovereign Era. For reasons unknown, they had ridden the Star Qian's chest to this time. If they changed even a single event in this era, wouldn't that mean history itself would be rewritten?
If history is rewritten, would the Pioneer Era still exist? Would the Everpeace Empire still exist?
Most crucially—would they themselves still exist?
Even the slightest change, as thin as a strand of hair, could cause earth-shattering transformations in the 'future.'
"Brother Quinn, Brother Ben, you needn't worry. Northfall Gate stands guard over the Heavenly Court and is unimaginably strong. The Court itself is terrifyingly powerful, and with the Supreme Sovereign personally overseeing things, nothing can go wrong."
The White family welcomed them to their seats. The hall was brightly lit, dragon pearls floating in the air and illuminating the space as if it were daylight.
Seeing Quinn's uneasy expression, the White family patriarch guessed he was worried about the front lines and reassured him: "Northfall Gate has fought this kind of war many times—it won't reach us. The outer-domain devils may be formidable, but Baillong City is no pushover, and Northfall Gate is even stronger—one of the Heavenly Court's four great strongholds."
Quinn recalled the god and demon corpses of Northfall Gate he had encountered in the golden desert, and his unease deepened. Those gods and demons of Northfall Gate had died defending their ancestral land.
Who could say if that legendary battle was the very Northfall Gate war now unfolding before their eyes?
"Maybe we're already inside history itself, and whatever we do is simply history's inevitable course."
Suddenly, Quinn thought, "Or maybe I'm caught in the Great Ruins' strangeness right now. I've experienced history's returning light before—so could all this be a time echo? The Supreme Sovereign's transmission art couldn't possibly send us back tens of thousands of years. Maybe this is just a time reflection conjured by the Ruins, shining the future onto us. When dawn comes, it'll all vanish. No matter what we do, it won't alter fixed history."
With that thought, he felt relieved, letting go of his worries and chatting freely with the White siblings about sword techniques.
The siblings were stunned. Felix White blurted out, "There are actually four more basic sword forms after the Fourteen? Who could have created such sword techniques? What incredible talent!"
Quinn paused, then answered honestly, "The creator of the Fifteenth, Sixteenth, and Seventeenth Sword Forms was a saint who appears once every five hundred years. His talent was extraordinary—even I admire him deeply."
"A saint who appears once every five hundred years?"
Queena White was puzzled. "Brother Quinn, is there some story behind this 'five-hundred-year saint'?"
Quinn didn't know much about it either. He laughed, "I've heard that every five hundred years, a prodigy is born—founding teachings, words, and功, the three achievements that make a saint. That's why they're called the five-hundred-year saint. Where this saying comes from, I have no idea."
"So that's how it is."
The siblings suddenly understood. Felix White's wife laughed, "Baillong City is just a small town—among divine cities, we don't even rank. I didn't know there was such a saying. Brother Quinn must be from some great place; he knows so much."
Queena White grew anxious and whispered, "Sister-in-law, do you think he'll look down on me for being from a small place?"
Felix's wife chuckled softly, "Baillong City may be small, but you're the White family's little princess—your status is high enough. Don't worry. Besides, a meeting of hearts matters more than matching family ranks."
Only then did Queena relax.
Felix White asked curiously, "Brother Quinn, you said the first three new sword forms were created by a saint—so who invented the Eighteenth Sword Form?"
Quinn flushed slightly. "The Eighteenth Sword Form—I stumbled upon it by accident."
Everyone was stunned—even Ben Coates, pale as death, was shocked, a mix of envy and awe in his heart: "That Quinn really is something, able to create a foundational sword form and reshape the dao itself... We're doomed, doomed! This kid's reckless—handing future sword forms to the ancients, rewriting history. We're all going to vanish..."
Quinn chatted and laughed with the group, then brought out the True Dragon Nest and invited Felix and Queena inside to help him decipher the glyphs and patterns carved within.
He had already decoded many of the Dragon Tongue inscriptions on the True Dragon Nest, but much remained mysterious. Felix and Queena, being dragons themselves, wielded true dragon arts when fighting Quinn—clearly their bloodline was extremely pure.
"Is this the True Dragon Lord's vein?"
The siblings entered the True Dragon Nest, both deeply shocked. Felix said, "What a pity—the True Dragon Lord was refined into a treasure. Otherwise, by drawing on other dragon veins, he could have become a True Dragon King! Even the True Dragon Lord was made into a jade pendant—such a waste."
Queena echoed the sentiment, "The Heavenly Court's Dragon Ancestor was born from the True Dragon Lord's vein, and is incredibly powerful—one of the Court's top giants, so strong that even the Supreme Sovereign shows him respect..."
This wasn't a treasure Quinn could have refined, and Felix and Queena didn't dwell on it.
The siblings helped him organize the glyphs within the dragon vein. Felix was thrilled: "Brother Quinn, we siblings have truly benefited from you. Honestly, it's our White family who got the better deal! We've learned your sword forms and gained the True Dragon Lord's Dragon Tongue from your Nest. For you, learning Dragon Tongue doesn't mean much, but for us, the rewards are immense!"
He was telling the truth—Quinn wasn't a dragon, so cultivating the True Dragon Lord's method was slower and less refined than for dragon kin. By inviting them into the Nest to decipher the glyphs, they gained even more than Quinn did.
(This chapter isn't over yet ^.^, please click next page to continue reading!)
Queena was also thrilled, her heart racing: "If he offered the True Dragon Nest's Dragon Tongue as a betrothal gift, my father would be overjoyed and surely marry me to him. I wonder if he's married yet... but that's not important!"
Felix and Queena decoded the Dragon Tongue glyphs in the Nest, teaching Quinn as they went, though some inscriptions remained beyond even their understanding.
"If only Father were here—his bloodline is even purer. He could surely decipher the rest of these glyphs."
Queena's eyes sparkled as she sweetly said, "Brother Quinn, stay in Baillong City a few more days—wait for my father to return."
Quinn nodded, feeling deeply satisfied.
With the siblings' help, he'd unraveled most of the Dragon Tongue mysteries—less than a tenth remained undeciphered. Together, they pushed the True Dragon Lord's method much further, making it vastly more powerful.
Felix tried activating the True Dragon method and felt his cultivation soaring, his foundations strengthening and previous weaknesses vanishing. Delighted, he said, "Brother Quinn, if I practiced the True Dragon Nest's method, at the same realm, you might not beat me!"
The three stepped out of the True Dragon Nest. Quinn stowed it in his Glutton Dragon Pouch and shook his head with a laugh, "Even if you master the True Dragon Lord's method, you may still not defeat me. I possess the Overlord Body—few can match me at equal realm."
Queena's eyes widened; Felix was equally bewildered.
"Overlord Body? Brother Quinn, what is an Overlord Body?"
Felix humbly asked, "I've always stayed around Baillong City, only visiting the Heavenly Court a few times. I've heard true gods preach, but know little beyond that—I've never heard of an Overlord Body. Brother Quinn, you must be well-traveled and knowledgeable. Would you enlighten me?"
Quinn was about to explain when a loud laugh interrupted: "Felix, your White family has honored guests and you didn't even invite us over?"
"Felix, I saw you get beaten—serves you right for showing off all the time. Now you got thrashed in front of the whole city!"
Quinn turned toward the voices and saw a group of young men and women approaching, all lively and striking in appearance.
Felix quickly said, "They're the top young experts of Baillong City—here to watch me get embarrassed. Brother Quinn, let me introduce you."
He introduced everyone, then presented Quinn—telling them about his creation of the Eighteenth Sword Form and his Overlord Body. The group was stunned.
One youth stood up, battle spirit blazing. "Quinn the Overlord, you claim your body is invincible among peers—can you really suppress all rivals? I don't believe it. Dare to spar?"
Quinn rose and smiled, "I've been hoping to exchange techniques with everyone!"
The youth transformed—bird-headed, human-bodied, with twin wings sprouting from his back. He shot skyward, golden feathers flashing. Quinn soared up as well; the two clashed in midair while the crowd below watched, dazzled and cheering.
Within moments, the youth's sword arts were broken and he tumbled down.
"Let me try my hand at Quinn the Overlord!"
A spirited young woman couldn't resist and charged in. She was dragon-blooded, but her style was fierce and domineering, mastering dragon spells and divine arts—her techniques exploded with power.
Quinn activated the Grand Fostering Heavenly Demon Sutra and unleashed a Grand Firmament Star-Palm—over three hundred divine arts burst forth like a skyful of stars, knocking the girl from the air.
"Amazing divine arts!"
More praise rose from below as another young man soared into the air. After only a few exchanges, Quinn struck him down with a single blade.
One after another, the challengers stepped up—only to be defeated in turn.
Queena was exhilarated and whispered, "Sister-in-law, what do you think of him?"
"Outstanding, truly outstanding."
Felix's wife gave a wry smile and whispered, "Now I'm a little worried for you."
Queena too felt a pang of worry in her heart.
"Quinn the Overlord—he truly deserves the title!"
Felix laughed heartily, inviting Quinn back to his seat. Looking around, he called out, "Do you all think Brother Quinn could fight his way up to the Heavenly Court and teach those nose-in-the-air prodigies a lesson?"
Everyone laughed together, shouting, "He can!"
A girl smiled, "I think Brother Quinn's cultivation and divine arts truly surpass an entire era—so creative and thought-provoking. It feels like infinite new possibilities could be deduced from his methods, evolving our Supreme Sovereign Era's dao to its utmost!"
The others nodded and laughed, "We feel the same way!"
Felix suggested, "Brother Quinn, after the North Falling Gate battle, let's go to the Heavenly Court together and topple those arrogant snobs! What do you all say?"
"Yes!" The laughter and cheers rang out.
Quinn laughed heartily, exchanging divine arts and dao techniques with them, entirely unaware of the historical consequences he was creating.
In a corner, Ben Coates looked utterly despondent, glancing at the dragon-kirin who was now sleeping off a feast, then at the box hiding in the shadows. He thought, "This isn't just changing history—it's blowing dozens of holes in it! We're doomed, finished, can't go back; we might vanish altogether..."
Fear gripped him: "That bastard Quinn has spread the Eighteenth Sword Form—he's overturning the world! Damn it, he's killed me!"
At the banquet, laughter and drunkenness abounded. Queena, emboldened, pulled Quinn up to dance; his face flushed, unable to escape, he danced a song with her as the crowd roared with laughter.
Suddenly, a thunderous roar erupted in the distance, as if the sky itself had collapsed. The deafening boom swept darkness and shockwaves through Baillong City, shaking the entire city violently.
(Another 3,500 words—sorry for the late update! If you have time, come chat in the red packet zone~)