Chapter 222
Chapter 222
[House of Time] (SSSS-Rank)
Description: The House of Time is the most unusual phenomenon on the Destiny Continent. Said to be composed of fragments of time, it frequently travels through time and space. Many accidental transmigrations and rebirths are closely connected to it.
Quest Objective: Enter the House of Time and find the best timeline leading to your personal future.
Quest Reward: [Hourglass of Time]
Quest Penalty: None
The House of Time will soon arrive at your current coordinates: (1,565, 4,458, 5,667)
…
This was an exceedingly strange quest.
It offered a reward but no penalty. Or perhaps…
Was failing to reach the best timeline itself the greatest penalty?
Filled with doubt, Zhou Ming stood near the coordinates with Shunwo Zhewang. “It seems the House of Time’s movements are unpredictable. The system’s rules can only help us predict where it will pass in advance!”
“That should be it!” Shunwo Zhewang looked grave.
At the end of the day, how could an SSSS-Rank quest possibly be easy with only the two of them attempting it?
Two minutes… five minutes…
The two men waited patiently in place.
“I wonder how long you’ll need to wait. Surely it won’t take several days?” Qianying asked, puzzled.
“…”
Her question, however, received no response whatsoever.
“!!”
Realizing something, Qianying abruptly turned toward Zhouyou Shijie and Shunwo Zhewang, only to find that both had vanished without a trace.
…
“Ding!~”
[System Notification: You have entered the [House of Time]. Leave as soon as possible, or your life will be in danger!]
At that same moment, Zhou Ming blinked and found himself inside a strange, mysterious room. The room seemed to be made entirely of mirrors, his face reflected on every side. Only at its very center was there a door handle.
“Damn!”
Shunwo Zhewang jumped in fright. “That appeared without the slightest warning!”
-400,000!
-20,000!
At the same time, both men’s HP began falling rapidly by close to 1% at a time.
Clearly, the House of Time would not allow them to remain for long.
“Move!”
Zhou Ming sensed a terrifying force lock onto them.
Whenever time was involved, incredible things always seemed to happen.
Reaching the door, Zhou Ming took hold of the handle and pushed it open.
Whoosh!
Blinding radiance forced them to squeeze their eyes shut, leaving them with no idea what was about to happen.
Chirp, chirp, chirp…
The cries of insects sounded in their ears.
When the two opened their eyes again, they found themselves in a scorching wilderness.
“Ding!~”
[System Notification: You have entered [Flame Wilderness]!]
“It seems… we’re still in the same place?” Shunwo Zhewang looked wary.
“Yes!”
Zhou Ming nodded.
Their coordinates had not changed, but their surroundings were clearly different. Could this be… the same place at a different point in time?
What exactly did this quest expect its participants to do?
Filled with questions, Zhou Ming summoned the Crimsonflame Sacred Dragon once more. Beside him, Shunwo Zhewang summoned an Ice-Fire Two-Headed Dragon.
“Roar!”
The Crimsonflame Sacred Dragon let out a low growl, frightening the Ice-Fire Two-Headed Dragon into hurriedly backing away without daring to breathe.
Shunwo Zhewang urged him anxiously, “Zhouyou Shijie, control your mount!”
“Xiaochi, we’re all friends here. Don’t frighten it,” Zhou Ming reminded.
The Crimsonflame Sacred Dragon nodded and withdrew its Sacred Dragon’s Might, allowing the Ice-Fire Two-Headed Dragon to breathe a sigh of relief.
“Should we check out a nearby city?” Zhou Ming suggested.
“All right!”
Shunwo Zhewang heartily agreed.
At present, neither of them knew what they needed to do to complete the quest, so their first step was to make contact with the people of this era.
The two mounted their dragons and raced through the sky at tremendous speed.
Strangely, every town that had existed in their original time had vanished without a trace. Only when they reached Zijin City did they finally spot an ancient city, one that seemed not to have been renovated in a very long time.
Whoosh!
Before they could approach, a breathtakingly beautiful woman flew out of the city. She wore green robes with a sword strapped across her back. Her skin was fair, and her figure was tall and slender.
She crossed the void under her own power, clearly a god-tier powerhouse.
As she drew near, they saw that the woman’s face was cold, her features carrying an aloofness that kept everyone at a distance.
“Greetings, Senior. I mean no offense!”
Zhou Ming cupped his fists and adopted a humble posture. “We’re simply starving and happened to pass through this area. We hoped to buy some food!”
“…”
At his words, the woman did not answer. She merely stared fixedly at him.
Gradually, her icy gaze turned to shock, then softened. The hostility and vigilance she had shown moments ago faded away…
“???”
Standing behind Zhouyou Shijie, Shunwo Zhewang noticed the change and felt inexplicably jealous.
Seriously, did she need to stare for that long?
Was he really that handsome?
I don’t look half bad either…
“Mentor!”
Suddenly, the woman spoke a startling word, her voice overflowing with excitement. “Is that really you?”
“!?”
Zhou Ming was stunned.
Mentor!
This was only the second time anyone had called him that!
The last person to do so had been…
As a possibility occurred to him, Zhou Ming immediately used Inspect.
[Sword Venerable ยท Su Keke] (God-Tier Boss)
Zhou Ming’s expression turned strange. “You still remember me?”
Su Keke!
She was clearly Mysterious Merchant No. 1’s daughter!
“You are the mentor who changed my life. How could I ever forget you?” Su Keke replied sincerely and treated him with the utmost courtesy. “Without your inheritance, I would have died long ago!”
“How long has it been since then?”
Now that Zhou Ming had met someone he knew, he no longer concealed why he had come.
“Hold on, could someone bring me up to speed?” Shunwo Zhewang stared at them in shock.
Zhouyou Shijie had taken a god-tier powerhouse as his disciple!
This completely shattered his worldview!
“She’s a disciple I accepted in the past. Her potential was extraordinary, and after many years, she became a god-tier powerhouse!” Zhou Ming said pointedly.
“…I see!”
Shunwo Zhewang suddenly understood.
Clearly, the House of Time had brought them to the future, not the past!
“Master!”
Su Keke gazed respectfully at the mentor who had left countless legends across the Destiny Continent. “More than fifty years have passed since your death!”
“…”
Silence!
Dead silence!
The atmosphere instantly became heavy and oppressive.
Zhou Ming’s face went blank. “You said… I’m dead?”
“You didn’t know?” Su Keke looked utterly confused.
From her perspective, Zhouyou Shijie had returned from the dead through some special power, so she had used the most direct possible description.
Zhou Ming’s expression turned exceptionally grave. He immediately pressed her. “How did I die?”
“You…”
Su Keke hesitated.
“If you still acknowledge me as your mentor, then please tell me the truth. I won’t blame you!” A powerful sense of unease surged through Zhou Ming.
With Zhouyou Shijie standing before her, Su Keke had no choice but to recount the cause of his death. “According to the historical records, you died because…”
…