The Real Future had already detached from the River of Time, yet it still was reliant upon the river.
In this Real Future world, it was still influenced by the past. Portions not anchored by Su Ming were still being affected.
And Su Ming had not deeply delved into the faith of Shrek Academy.
Therefore, he first used his speech to influence the Elders' thoughts, obtain their momentary acknowledgment, thus obtaining the desired stature.
Simultaneously, in Douluo 2, he leveraged this stature to complete the modification of the foundational code of Shrek Academy's faith.
[Douluo 3]
In this era, Su Ming saw the clarity in the eyes of Elders like Zhuoshi.
This instantaneous change might have initially been induced by persuasion, but as the power of the River of Time surged forth, the past was altered, the future influenced, and Shrek's ideology consequently changed.
Even though—
Even though this Real Future was no longer within the River of Time's future.
After Su Ming's mental domain coalesced, the scope of the river he could influence was also expanding. However, with each parallel world he extended into, Shrek Academy did not exist within them.
But, accompanied by the changes Su Ming instigated, this academy reappeared within these parallel worlds, or rather, within the countless futures deduced by the river.
Accompanied by Shrek Academy's emergence, the Real Future was also affected.
This Real Future originally also belonged to the downstream of the River of Time—a future most reasonably deduced from the Douluo 2 era, ten thousand years later, where everything was most plausible.
However, because of Su Ming's changes—whether to Douluo 2 or Douluo 3—the content of this timeline was deviated, having parts even the river could not correct, and thus it was kicked out of the river.
In other words, the river now had no timeline corresponding to the Real Future.
If it were before, Su Ming wouldn't be certain whether this meant changes in Douluo 2 could never influence the Real Future he was in through the timeline.
But now he could confirm: they could.
They could still influence it.
There must be a cause for an effect.
The Real Future was still built upon (built upon) the River of Time and remained closely related to it.
"The framework here is set, but there are also unsettled parts. If these unsettled parts have branches in the futures below, then through the changes in these branches, they will affect my Real Future."
Su Ming again entered the river's perspective.
This time, he seemed to stand above the Real Future. The Real Future was upon the river, looking down at the countless tributaries below.
In the Real Future, countless destinies were connected to the branches of the river below, to the parallel worlds.
"Ha, now I have more confidence (confidence) about 'retrieving' this future."
Su Ming laughed.
So, his Real Future wasn't without foundation.
On the contrary, this future's foundation was quite solid.
"Unless you erase all content related to the pillars of the Real Future from the corresponding nodes in the River of Time, making all parallel worlds lose Yun Ming, lose the Abyss, lose the Dragon Valley, lose the Silver Dragon King Gu Yuena, lose Shrek, the Tang Sect, the Spirit Transmission Pagoda, the War God Hall!"
Even...
Su Ming's gaze became long, looking down at the river.
Countless parallel worlds—he could only see the parts overlapping with the Real World's scope. He couldn't see the cosmic depths of those parallel worlds, couldn't see the God Realm.
However, a destiny line connected to himself extended into that endless darkness.
His Douluo 2 self was destined to become a god.
In the River of Time's deduction, there should also appear a godly Su Ming who 'clumsily' didn't know the truth of 'transcending the river'.
"The most solid foundation of the Real Future should be me. Perhaps it's not yet, but I must strive to become that foundation. That way, the future will be in my grasp alone."
As long as Su Ming at the present, i.e., the Douluo 2 time point, didn't die, as long as there remained a destiny foundation belonging to Su Ming ten thousand years later, then the Douluo 3 Su Ming would not collapse. He could support the Real Future standing atop the river!
"Hmm, I don't know if the Real Future has always been destiny-linked to the river below and supported by it, or if it's because of this changing cause, altering effect."
Su Ming's gaze was profound, a faint, elusive smile playing on his lips.
He felt that his understanding of the River of Time and of destiny hadn't deepened.
This epiphany didn't seem to be because he explored and discovered something previously unseen, but because something new, which should have been within his scope of comprehension, had appeared.
Changing Cause, Altering Effect!
By changing the cause in the past, altering the effect in the future.
This was only the most superficial understanding.
Especially when the future already existed, this wasn't simply a matter of changing cause and effect.
Su Ming used a cause from the future to change an effect in the past, then used this as a cause to alter an effect in the future, and that future effect became a cause.
Thus forming a perfect closed loop.
This was true, changing cause, altering effect.
"So, this is how 'retrieving the future' is done."
Su Ming felt a sense of exhilaration (sense of exhilaration) seeing a direction for his future cultivation.
Originally, he thought that to retrieve the future, he needed to influence the subsequent timeline deductions during the Douluo 2 era, making the timeline deductions gradually approach the situation of the Real Future, then build a platform for the Real Future, letting this future detach from the river slowly land.
However, now he understands clearly.
"No need to land."
"What I must do is control all destiny, gather the future upon myself."
Su Ming took a deep breath and closed his eyes to comprehend.
Before him, Yali, Long Yueyue, and the others only felt that the current Su Ming was emanating an unfathomable aura. For an instant, he seemed to have detached from the entire world, as if he no longer existed in this world.
But the next instant, Su Ming again seemed to exist in every corner of the world—even further, he was this world.
This change was chilling.
Su Ming opened his eyes. Yali and the others instinctively looked over.
In that moment, they seemed to sink into endless destiny.
In a daze, it was as if they saw infinite imagery, yet also as if they saw nothing at all.
Coming back to themselves, they all stared at Su Ming in shock.
Looking at his eyes again, the earlier sensation was gone.
Su Ming smiled and said, "Now, I am the orthodox successor of Shrek Academy."
Above his head, Sea God faith and pioneering faith fused together.
Yali and the others remained silent.
"The Sea God Pavilion is rebuilt. I am its Master."
Su Ming's words weren't negotiated; they were a direct decision.
"Yes."
Yali and the others looked at each other, none refuting.
Seeing this, Su Ming went to the War God Hall.
He found Guan Yue.
"When are you going to the Blood God Camp?"
Guan Yue was stunned.
He hadn't expected Su Ming to come find him, seemingly urging him to go to prison.
"After dealing with the Holy Spirit Cult."
Su Ming nodded, unsurprised, stating, "Dong Zi'an and I will cooperate with you to cleanse them at the fastest speed. However—"
Su Ming paused, then said, "The only limit to Halosa and the Four Heavenly Kings. Once they are dealt with, the Holy Spirit Cult can be considered destroyed."
Guan Yue's pupils are contracted.
"What do you mean? According to our intelligence, the Holy Spirit Cult still has a Demon Empress, the true controller of the cult, a level above the deceased Ghost Emperor and the existing Halosa!"
***
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