Chapter 161: I saw it!
"This is impossible!"
Tai Ji stared in terror as the blue light that had been steadily seeping into her was now being peeled away, returning to surround Matthew's soul.
Matthew's soul trembled slightly.
Even though Tai Ji was now nothing but a remnant of a soul, even though she had merged with his very being, the indirect "Time Reversal" still cost Matthew an enormous amount of power.
That's right—Matthew hadn't directly used "Time Reversal" on Tai Ji; he had used it on himself.
Time was rewound to an hour ago!
Back to when Matthew hadn't yet engaged in battle, when the strange altar hadn't yet affected his luck!
Indeed, Matthew had also uncovered the truth behind Felicity's luck!
Tai Ji was the Goddess of Fate!
Matthew wouldn't allow himself to be swayed by "fate"!
And since Tai Ji was a part of his soul, when the overall state of his soul changed, this small part of her required more energy to maintain and resist!
What Matthew hadn't expected was that maintaining "Time Reversal" was extremely taxing.
310 points of mana only sustained the spell for a little over ten breaths.
Just as Matthew believed "Time Reversal" was about to fail, everything suddenly went black!
When Matthew could "see" again, he found himself witnessing long-forgotten memories!
He had just been born.
But it wasn't in a warm, cozy delivery room. It was in a spacious yet dimly lit metallic laboratory.
Matthew immediately recognized the alchemical equipment around him!
Even though his vision was blurry, the distinguishing features of the alchemy instruments were crystal clear.
The lab was silent, except for his own loud, continuous cries.
Until a large pair of hands picked him up, holding him lovingly as a gentle voice whispered:
"My son! I should have taken you back, but the war is intensifying, and the capital needs my help."
"Ah, what a bunch of fools!"
Even though the image was somewhat blurry, Matthew could clearly "see" the beautiful face adorned with a soft hint of tenderness.
She possessed unparalleled grace and exuded a commanding presence, with a look of disdain for her enemies—a figure both awe-inspiring and invincible.
Only when she bowed her head to him did her expression melt into a smile that could thaw even the coldest heart.
Suddenly, it seemed like his mother had "noticed" something.
The smile on her face gradually faded, and from the center of her white brows, a dazzling light emerged, slowly enveloping "him."
The scene grew darker until it finally disappeared.
Even though it was just a fleeting glimpse, Matthew saw it all with remarkable clarity.
That faint gray power—it was like the time power displayed by a high-tier legendary time dragon!
The power of time!
An unceasing stream of time energy flowed from within Matthew, working faster to restore Tai Ji to her original state!
Her body returned to its previously broken form.
In the end, Tai Ji was reduced to a twisted and grotesque face, retreating slowly yet resolutely into the depths of Matthew's soul.
Lowering his hand gently, Matthew felt immense relief and warmth.
Not only did he have his bloodline power, but also the protection his "mother" had left him at birth!
It seemed that when his mother made these preparations, she couldn't have foreseen the danger that Tai Ji would pose.
Yet her gifts and care had indeed helped Matthew survive this ordeal.
"Time! No one can resist the flow of time!"
"Not even the gods!"
Those gentle echoes resonated in Matthew's ears.
They were his mother's "instructions" embedded in her bloodline.
But within them, Matthew also heard an unshakable confidence!
Awakening the bloodline and mastering the power of time!
That was Matthew's one and only chance to turn the tide!
This was also why Matthew had chosen to level up as an Arcanist!
Upon reaching mid-tier, the bloodline power sensed the strengthening of his soul and began to emerge.
But Matthew had been forced into this.
He had Yaya to thank!
If it weren't for her "Time Reversal," which had made Matthew aware of this crucial fact,
He might already be living in a fate worse than death.
Before today, Matthew hadn't been in a rush to reveal his bloodline power because he understood the importance of building a solid foundation.
He wanted to gain more specializations and body attributes to better utilize his bloodline's strength.
However, surprises always come faster than plans!
Tai Ji's sudden appearance had completely thrown Matthew's plans into disarray!
But it had also awakened him.
While the development of his territory was vital, the improvement of his personal power was even more critical!
Because his true enemies and targets were never other organizations or forces—they were the gods themselves!
The power of a god was so overwhelming that it left Matthew helpless.
Yet the crisis wasn't over!
If Matthew stopped maintaining the time power,
Tai Ji, whose plans had been exposed, would undoubtedly reappear.
She would absorb the power of fate at the fastest speed possible, rapidly strengthening herself, and the entire scenario would repeat itself.
Earlier, Matthew had only been defending himself. Now, it was time for his counterattack!
If Tai Ji hadn't been so greedy, trying to consume him in one go, and had instead slowly developed her strength, hidden herself, and recovered fully, regaining her divine powers,
Even after mastering the power of time, Matthew might not have been able to deal with her!
Matthew couldn't help but take a deep breath. In his pitch-black eyes, an inexplicable light flickered.
That represented the power of 5,000 Fate Coins, now slowly merging with Matthew's soul.
At an incredible speed, they fused with Matthew's soul,
Making his spiritual body more complex and resilient.
Hidden deep within Matthew's soul, Tai Ji stared at this spectacle in panic.
"This can't be happening! How can a mortal wield the power of fate?!"
Tai Ji could clearly feel that without the interference of time power,
She could still leverage her higher mastery over the power of fate to disrupt Matthew's absorption, intercepting all of the energy.
But now, she was powerless!
She could only watch helplessly as Matthew used the precious power of fate to strengthen his wretched soul!
Even if she later succeeded in taking everything from Matthew,
All she would have gained was his slightly stronger soul—the precious fate power would be gone forever!
Though anxious, Tai Ji wasn't overly alarmed. Instead, she was heartbroken, constantly spitting out curses like a bitter shrew:
"You filthy mortal! Even if you manage to absorb some of the fate power, you won't be able to bear it all!"
"When your soul can't handle it, everything you're doing will have been for nothing!"
"If you stop wasting that precious fate power now, I might reconsider tormenting you. I might even let you witness my return to divinity!"
"That would be your honor..."