Chapter 491: Flowing Against Time

What was the real world?

In the worlds Zuo Meng had previously encountered, they were classified into four tiers: small world, Great World, Celestial Realm, and Origin World. Terms like small thousand, large thousand, origin, and chaos existed, but regardless of classification, all systems recognized four levels.

Since awakening, Zuo Meng had focused on developing his Dream Realm.

Through countless journeys, his Dream Realm gradually reached the third tier and gained momentum toward the fourth. During this advancement process, he’d assumed steady accumulation would suffice as before. But reaching this tier caused fundamental changes, exposing Zuo Meng prematurely to true reality—

The world behind the door!

This strange hall-suppressed realm stifled even near-fourth-tier creator powers. Here, Zuo Meng experienced two worlds.

First came the ‘bamboo scroll world’ with Eastern influences. There, he integrated three Origin Rules from beyond—Five Elements, Six Desires, Pollution—into reality. This foundation led him to the second world.

The ‘sheepskin book world’ followed.

Its contradictory backdrop centered on Arcane dominance. This world’s reality felt thicker than the first, periodically stripping Zuo Meng’s creator rank to trap him as ordinary people. Zuo Meng countered by crafting a system using assimilated true rules from the bamboo scroll world, guiding himself back to reclaim his rank.

Now restored as true creator, Zuo Meng approached Odolan’s corpse where others would’ve despaired. He pressed a finger to the dead man’s forehead.

Light seeped from his fingertip. Odolan’s body twitched as glowing images—his memories—projected holographically.

For creators, viewing memories proved simple.

The projections soon reached Zuo Meng’s focus—

Buzz!

Time’s river materialized blindingly before fading into haze. The world blocked this history’s observation, explaining why living Ancients never spoke of it. Not unwilling—unable.

“If forbidden to watch, I’ll experience it directly.”

Zuo Meng’s body dissolved into data particles that infiltrated the hazy memories. Chaotic timelines made blind time travel perilous, but memory anchors provided safe passage.

The laboratory fell silent.

In history’s flow, a figure materialized in a vibrant square—

Zuo Meng stepped from the temporal river into Floating City’s streets, a millennium past. Grand Arcane Masters abounded in this civilization’s prime. Anonymous Sir Sages lectured via projectors while Arcane creatures flitted overhead. The city pulsed with vitality.

“Peak Arcane civilization.”

An observer here, Zuo Meng sought the sheepskin book world’s Second reality. The first reality had merged three Origin Rules; this promised greater rewards.

“Aige?”

The voice froze Zuo Meng midstep. He turned to find—

Aks.

The future mad Ancient One, last Sir Sage of Floating City, now youthful.

“How are you here?”

Young Aks gaped. He’d recently parted from ‘Aige’ in lower realms where martial artists couldn’t access Floating City—now guarded by dozens of Sir Sages during Arcane civilization’s zenith.

“Wanted to see your home.” Zuo Meng masked his aura, resuming ‘Aige’s’ guise.

“You’re an Arcane Master!”

Aks sensed the energy, dissolving earlier reservations. Arcane Masters viewed outsiders as natives—Aks hid this superiority better than most, but bias lingered.

“Still learning basics.”

No false modesty—Zuo Meng hadn’t designed this world’s Arcane systems. Like reverse-engineering code, he grasped concepts but lacked native understanding.

“Visit my place!”

Youthful Aks—not yet consumed by rebellion—led the way. Still an obscure teacher, he lived modestly. Zuo Meng saw piled research papers and precise lab tools—foundations of Aks’ future sagehood.

No success came easily. Aks’ later achievements stemmed from unseen toil, not luck as bystanders assumed.