"Where has all the time gone?"
......
It was a serious yet awkward question. Serena Huang could only offer a sincere, polite smile tinged with embarrassment. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said gently, "For cultivators like us, time is both precious and cheap—impossible to measure."
"You're right," Andrew Han nodded.
He hadn’t thought much of it; he simply assumed Serena Huang must be quite old—perhaps older than anyone in all five thousand years of Sinoveran history.
Besides, this was the cosmic expanse—the Primeval Gate of the Spark-Heritage Zone. As a genuine Primeval-tier Genius, Serena Huang surely wouldn’t care about age the way ordinary women do; her life-level was on a completely different scale.
Void Rift Tier beings have lifespans reaching a million epochs.
For ordinary Humans: those at Starlight Tier and Stellar Palace Tier live for thousands and tens of thousands of epochs, respectively.
"A million epochs of life," Andrew Han mused, understanding that advancing from Stellar Palace Tier to Void Rift Tier was a qualitative leap in existence, one that brought about unimaginable changes and powers. He couldn’t help but ask offhandedly:
"Serena Huang, how old are you?"
"Among Void Rift Tier beings, you must count as young, right?"
At that, Serena Huang’s expression changed slightly; her elegant features nearly froze.
Young? The question sent a thousand question marks racing through her mind. She felt a surge of indignation, the urge to leap up and smack Andrew Han. Whether Stellar Palace or Void Rift, she was the youngest—always!
Enduring countless splendors without aging, she was the youngest in all the cosmos!
However.
Given the years of tempering and the noble composure she had cultivated,
"Huff." Serena Huang took a deep breath, forcing herself to hold back, suppressing the urge to lash out. She simply tucked a strand of pale golden hair behind her ear with a graceful, dignified smile. "That’s a profound question. Perhaps we should talk about something else."
"Oh, let’s drop it," Andrew Han replied.
Serena Huang’s face changed again, feeling a breath trapped in her chest—her composure nearly shattered into a stormy sea. She opened her mouth, barely restraining the urge to slap Andrew Han, and forced a cheerful smile: "What’s wrong?"
"Nothing, I should get back to cultivation." Andrew Han smiled in reply, a hint of apology flashing in his eyes. He clasped his hands in farewell, ready to turn and leave.
He wasn’t foolish, nor was he lacking in emotional intelligence; of course he sensed Serena Huang’s change in mood.
That magnificent Void Rift Tier power seemed to gather beneath the surface, like a towering tsunami about to roar—making Andrew Han feel a sense of pressure.
Andrew Han realized that even someone as strong as Serena Huang cared deeply about her age. Clearly, he’d been too abrupt... Though every word was sincere and factual, with no hint of teasing.
But reasoning with women is like playing music to a cow.
Objective facts are useless; Human women usually care more about their feelings.
"Goodbye."
Andrew Han turned and left without hesitation.
No fuss or delay: "I’m still no match for Serena Huang at Void Rift Tier. If she pins me down in the void... I’d have no way to resist."
Whoosh.
A flash of cyan light—Andrew Han accelerated away.
Watching Andrew Han’s cyan silhouette, Serena Huang’s slender hands at her sides slowly clenched, then relaxed, fingers splaying with a hint of hesitation. She called out across the distance, "Andrew Han, what does ‘Primeval dissection’ mean?"
"It means being a lab rat."
Andrew Han replied via voice transmission across the void, and the cyan light surged into countless waves.
Bang!
His peak Starlight-tier martial arts propelled him into a state of light speed; colors around him warped as he returned to his usual training Starry Wonder.
Up to now, Andrew Han’s Starlight-tier martial arts possessed two Profound Traits and more than ten basic traits. Though far ahead of ordinary geniuses, he was still a step away from Primordial level.
Standard, Primordial, Primeval, Eternal King.
His soul had reached Primeval standard, but his martial arts were only at the peak Standard tier.
A cyan rainbow streaked through the Shallow-Red Void, heading straight for Andrew Han’s manor. Serena Huang silently watched him go, glanced around the void, and softly murmured, "I always thought Andrew Han was about my age."
"I never expected—"
"—he’s actually so young."
In the Spark-Heritage Zone, age doesn’t matter. As long as your Genius tier remains, even at the end of your lifespan, you’re still counted as a Human Genius.
At this moment, everything was quiet.
Serena Huang strolled gently through the void, her long hair draped over her ear: "It seems Andrew Han should have hope of reaching the Primeval peak."
Boom, boom—her steps seemed light as lotus petals, yet every stride in the void carried the grand power of Void Rift Tier.
If this were the open cosmos, even matter itself might collapse at her passing.
Having just advanced to Void Rift Tier as a Primeval Genius, Serena Huang could contend with ordinary Cosmos Union beings, but couldn’t kill them outright. The higher the life level and cultivation realm, the harder it is to break through those limits.
"Sigh."
Her soft sigh echoed through the void as Serena Huang drifted farther away.
Even someone as dazzling as her was still confined to the Primeval tier, never daring to hope for the Eternal King rank.
Because Eternal Kings are extremely unique, relying on acquired effort alone offers only the faintest hope.
Ding-dong.
Her Star-Gate Martial Communicator delivered two or three messages.
Serena Huang glanced at them, blinking thoughtfully. She mused silently, "A little Primeval Genius gathering? Should I invite Andrew Han... No, better to let him focus on cultivation."
With that,
Serena Huang turned into a shooting star and flew off into the distance.
After the return of Primeval, the atmosphere in the Primeval Gate grew lively and bustling—though some parts remained heavy and subdued. Each Primeval-tier Genius was different.
——
A dark red star, perfectly still.
Such a Starry Wonder was perfect for cultivation.
He saw the dim star teetering on the edge of life and death—about to collapse, yet not collapsed; about to scatter, yet not scattered. At the end of its evolution, instead of becoming a white dwarf, it revived in a unique phenomenon.
Andrew Han stood with hands behind his back, gazing from afar: "The cosmic expanse is so vast, nurturing endless wonders."
"Just watching for a while has given me new insights. Even if they’re few and shallow, with time they’ll accumulate—and the power of my Life-Death Reincarnation Seal will grow even more terrifying."
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The life-and-death star fit perfectly with the meaning of the Life-Death Reincarnation Seal.
Collapse and renewal coexisted; decline and revival intertwined. The contradiction of lifelessness and vitality filled Andrew Han’s vision, feeling strange yet perfectly harmonious—completely matching the essence of the Life-Death Reincarnation Seal.
"First form: Seal of the Star River."
"Second form: Craft Beyond Artifice."
"Third form: Turning Heaven and Earth."
The first three forms of the Life-Death Reincarnation Seal correspond to Starlight Tier, Stellar Palace Tier, and Void Rift Tier, respectively.
Simply put—
The third form matches Void Rift Tier beings.
Only because Andrew Han possessed Void Rift-tier combat strength could he barely master the third form, Turning Heaven and Earth. Even so, each use felt awkward and unfamiliar—his own realm didn’t match, so he couldn’t unleash its full power, let alone expand or refine it.
Yet—
With this Starry Wonder before him, all those problems vanished.
The life-and-death star leaned toward dimness, perfectly still. Only its dark red sunlight illuminated all around, casting silence over Andrew Han’s face, highlighting the boundless expanse of the Shallow-Red Void, and bearing witness to the long history of the Primeval Gate.
No one knew how many epochs this star had existed.
Andrew Han certainly didn’t know.
This Starry Wonder was personally shaped by the highest Human Supremes, and in theory could exist forever.
Andrew Han continued his contemplation, thinking silently: "As long as I face this life-and-death star day and night, gradually grasping the harmony of life and death, I’ll be able to wield the Life-Death Reincarnation Seal with complete mastery—and my strength will leap forward."
The advantages of the Spark-Heritage Zone gradually became apparent.
If the star weren’t still, how could one comprehend its mysteries? A motionless life-and-death star is easier to study, as if the veil has solidified instead of swirling around.
"Moreover—"
If this were the outer cosmos, not only would it be rare to encounter such a Starry Wonder, but simply approaching a life-and-death star would be a serious problem. It’s even more terrifying than a white dwarf; only Void Rift-tier beings can get close, and only Cosmos Union cultivators can enter its core.
Thinking this, Andrew Han felt a bit fortunate.
Lucky to have joined the Spark-Heritage Zone, lucky to know Hao Gu and Xue Tu, lucky to witness the brilliance of this starry domain firsthand.
Ding-dong, ding-dong—the Star-Gate Communicator received two messages.
Andrew Han checked—they were both standard notifications from the Spark-Heritage Zone. Primeval training was about to begin.
"Hmm."
"There are five times more cultivation resources than before."
From this moment, Andrew Han began to sense what it meant to be Primeval.
As a Primeval, as the pinnacle of Genius, he had to shoulder the corresponding responsibilities. Andrew Han wouldn’t refuse; in fact, he looked forward to standardized Primeval training and the duties to come.
"To roam the vast Human domain."
"To cultivate for the rise of Humanity."
"Primeval duty: assist the Spark-Heritage Zone, so that everyone may become a dragon!"
Just hearing this made Andrew Han’s heart surge—he hadn’t felt this way in a long time.
It was just as he’d once said—
The starry sky is so vast—why not travel the world with sword in hand?
"Hmm."
Andrew Han shook his head with a smile: "Is this the legendary swordsmanship realm of ‘no sword in hand, but sword in heart’?"
Actually, he vaguely remembered a lyric: ‘Once dreamed of wandering the world with sword in hand, now that dream has quietly vanished...’ After pondering a moment, Andrew Han calmed his thoughts and gazed at the majestic, boundless star.
He had arrived at the Primeval Gate.
In the days to come, he hoped to see the Eternal Gate with his own eyes.
The Primeval Gate nurtures the pinnacle of Genius—Primeval Geniuses. The Eternal Gate, on the other hand, supports the Eternal Kings who contend with all races of the cosmos. The former nurtures, the latter supports, for Eternal Kings cannot be nurtured.
Every Eternal King is a terrifying being above all Genius.
Defying common sense and shattering established theories, every Eternal King possesses utterly absurd foundations—most are born naturally, only a few are shaped after birth.
"Simply put—"
An Eternal King must possess innate origin talent.
Andrew Han shook his head, thinking no further—then a sudden flash of insight: could the Soul Diamond be the outward manifestation of innate origin talent?