Chapter 24: Temporal Strangulation!

With a sudden bang, a mountain-like, crimson-crystalline mass plummeted from above and struck the ground. It was a Magma Turtle, its body fully retracted into its shell. Immediately following, a technique descended from the sky like a blizzard, slamming into the turtle’s thick frame. The frost energy contained within caused the surrounding temperature to plummet instantly.

Seeing this, Meng Yao grew excited and shouted, "It’s Sister Xue! She’s come to save me... Sister Xue, Sister Xue, I’m over here!" She stood up and waved toward the white figure high above.

However, the powerful tremors from the battle had loosened the fire-crystal spikes overhead. They cracked and fell, directly over the spot where Meng Yao stood. Seeing this, Mo Xuan hurriedly pushed her aside, barely avoiding the impact.

The Magma Turtle, hearing Meng Yao’s voice, propelled its shell into the air and locked onto her position, charging forward with immense force. The obstacles in the area were utterly useless, failing to hinder it in the slightest. The white-haired woman looked flustered; she used rapid footwork to block the turtle’s heavy blow with all her might, conjuring layers of thick ice crystals for protection.

The clashing of two Heaven-Third Realm auras created a massive shockwave, but it was clear the white-haired woman was struggling.

"Your aura..." Mo Xuan could sense that the Magma Turtle’s strength had barely diminished, while the woman Meng Yao called "Sister Xue" seemed unable to hold on much longer.

"Take her and get out of here quickly! If any harm comes to her, I will never forgive you!" The white-haired woman was barely holding back the turtle’s assault, and her protective barrier was already cracking. She clearly could not sustain it for long.

Mo Xuan did not hesitate. He grabbed Meng Yao to pull her back the way they came. Meng Yao was initially disobedient, insisting on staying to help, but with no other choice, Mo Xuan knocked her unconscious and carried her away. Before leaving, he used his "Zero Domain" to temporarily ease the pressure on the white-haired woman. Though it was of little use, he knew she was fast enough to outrun the turtle if she gave it her all.

The white-haired woman glanced at Mo Xuan, and as soon as her defenses shattered, she fled. However, the enraged turtle erupted with tremendous power. The blast radius was so vast that the already injured woman could not fully evade it; she was engulfed by the attack and collapsed onto a broken stone, exhausted. The Magma Turtle then opened its maw and swallowed her whole, before turning to pursue Mo Xuan.

Mo Xuan raced back through the tunnel toward the Level-Six Spirit Array at the far end. The turtle’s massive size made it difficult to enter the passage, and the relatively narrow space offered a temporary reprieve. Yet, the beast refused to give up, relentlessly driving its hard shell into the tunnel. The area seemed to be reinforced by some intangible primordial energy, slowing the turtle down significantly, but it was only a matter of time.

What troubled Mo Xuan most was Meng Yao. Upon waking, she began to clamor, "Don't stop me! I want revenge!" If not for Mo Xuan holding her back, she would have thrown herself back into danger.

"What good would it do to go back? Can you save her?" Mo Xuan demanded.

"At least I could block one hit! You coward, what right do you have to stop me?" Meng Yao shouted back.

"Fine, go ahead! Haven't you caused enough trouble already? Do you want to throw your life away too?" Mo Xuan had not wanted to be harsh, but the situation forced his hand.

Meng Yao was stung by his words. She curled into a corner, hugging her knees and weeping bitterly. "It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t shouted so loudly, Sister Xue wouldn't have fought that turtle head-on and wouldn't be in trouble... If I hadn't insisted on coming here, she wouldn't have been in danger. It’s all my fault..."

Mo Xuan didn't know what to say, but he knew this was better than her running to her death. "I know you’re devastated, but this was unpredictable. I believe someone as powerful as her won't die so easily."

"Really?" Meng Yao looked at him, asking timidly.

"She’ll be fine... Do you know where this tunnel came from?" Mo Xuan changed the subject to distract her.

"What do you mean?" Meng Yao asked.

"This tunnel was carved by a powerful sword master. I know you use a sword too. Perhaps these sword marks hold some secret. Don't you want to take a look?" Mo Xuan sat down beside her.

"A sword..." Prompted by Mo Xuan, Meng Yao looked at the walls and realized he was right; the markings appeared to be a sword technique. Desperate for a way to help, she wiped away her tears and began to study the etchings. "Why didn't I notice this before?"

For a long time, Meng Yao stared at the walls. After about an hour, she closed her eyes. A strange phenomenon occurred: both the force of the Magma Turtle’s advance and the sword marks on the fractured walls coalesced into a ball of light that flowed toward Meng Yao.

This only further enraged the Magma Turtle. It moved faster, standing its body upright like a gear, and sliced toward the depths with full force.

"Incredible. To comprehend such an advanced sword technique in such a short time..." Mo Xuan was stunned. The light from the sword marks flowed like an endless river toward her.

Meanwhile, the tremors grew closer. The turtle was closing in. If it got any nearer, Meng Yao would be in danger. Mo Xuan didn't know what to do; the beast was too powerful for him to resist. But he felt a strange, inexplicable surge of confidence. Ever since Meng Yao had given him that inner core, his "Space of Time" had changed. All the "Time Clocks" had been fully repaired, and most importantly, he felt he could project them outward—he could use a portion of their power.

"Where is this confidence coming from?" Mo Xuan glanced at Meng Yao, stepped in front of her, took a deep breath, and spread his hands. "Let’s gamble. Maybe it will work." He found his own words ridiculous.

As the turtle approached, the sound grew deafening and the oppressive pressure mounted. A Heaven-Third Realm beast was truly formidable; even from a distance, it made it hard for Mo Xuan to breathe.

*Bang!* Then, a sound of fracturing. *Zzzzt.*

Mo Xuan’s Time Clocks collided with the giant turtle. Initially, he was pushed back by the immense power, but when the beast was within a step of Meng Yao, Mo Xuan’s eyes erupted with blue-white light.

"Ahhh! It has to work!" Mo Xuan’s eyes flared, and a beam of light shot out.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six.

Six Time Clocks ensnared the turtle and spun rapidly. Trapped by this bizarre power, the turtle panicked and tried to turn away, but it was too late.

"Time Shred!" Mo Xuan instinctively uttered the name. The turtle’s body cracked and was ultimately pulverized.

Meng Yao, having just woken up, witnessed the final moment and saw the Time Clocks. She could no longer fathom who Mo Xuan was. "You... how..."

The white-haired woman’s body fell toward Mo Xuan, and simultaneously, Mo Xuan lost consciousness and collapsed onto her. He hadn't realized this, as he had been facing forward. Meng Yao blushed, hurriedly pushed Mo Xuan aside, and covered the white-haired woman with a robe from her storage container.

The white-haired woman woke up first. Her name was Xue Yue, a Snow Night Spirit Fox—a species closely related to Meng Yao’s Fire Heart Spirit Fox. Though their attributes differed, they were close, and Xue Yue served as a guardian of sorts to Meng Yao, though they addressed each other as sisters.

Xue Yue was confused; she had been swallowed by the turtle and hadn't expected to survive. Meng Yao didn't dare tell the truth, so she lied, explaining that the turtle had been wounded by the sword energy in the cave and eventually destroyed by an unknown power.

While the turtle was dead, its Fire Source Crystal had been absorbed into Mo Xuan’s body. In his unconscious state, Mo Xuan found himself back in the Space of Time. He was surprised to find that, unlike before, none of his Time Clocks had shattered. Instead, they were frozen, covered in a layer of frost, completely immobile.

"Is there a time limit?" Mo Xuan realized the clocks were in a different state. At this rate of thawing, he might only be able to use them once a month. Still, having such a powerful technique meant he didn't need to fear as much—at least he had a chance to save himself or others.

Because of the Fire Source Crystal, the power merged with Mo Xuan’s primordial spirit, causing his aura to rise steadily. He climbed from the eighth level of the Spirit-Sealing Realm to the eleventh, and it was still rising.

Watching the fire energy envelop Mo Xuan, Meng Yao felt a twinge of regret, but since Mo Xuan had killed the beast, she quickly let it go. Besides, without him, she wouldn't be alive.

Xue Yue wasn't so easily fooled. Seeing Mo Xuan’s condition, she likely guessed the truth but chose to feign ignorance.

"Your inner core?" Xue Yue asked, sensing that the aura of the core was gone from Meng Yao’s body, her voice filled with concern.