In the original timeline, Luo Feng would only have gone to hunt down the Demon Hand King some six thousand years later. Because of Bai Yue's existence, however, that destined encounter was pulled forward by an entire six millennia.
Divine body splitting was never a technique to be used lightly.
To forcibly divide one's divine body was to gamble with one's very existence. When the Demon Hand King split himself into two parts—sixty percent and forty percent—the price he paid was enormous. The sixty-percent body retained barely one-tenth of his original peak combat power, while the forty-percent body was pitifully weak. Both incarnations suffered a drastic decline in strength.
Worse still, there were two terrifying risks inherent to this method.
First, weakness invited disaster. Once split, either divine body became far more vulnerable to soul control. Should an enemy seize control of even one fragment, the entire being would fall under their domination.
Second, the split bodies could not recover independently. They sensed one another at all times, suppressing regeneration. Only when one fragment was completely annihilated would the remaining body slowly recover—over an unimaginably long span of time.
To most cultivators, these risks were unacceptable.
And yet, for someone already standing on the brink of destruction, this gamble was sometimes the only path that offered even a sliver of hope.
Gan Wu Secret Realm
While Luo Feng and the others were traveling toward Devil Hand Star, Hong and Thunder God completed the process of recognizing their treasures within Bai Yue's God Kingdom. Once finished, they teleported into the Gan Wu Secret Realm.
Since everyone would later return together to the Virtual Universe Corporation headquarters, Bai Yue first arranged temporary accommodations for them.
A floating island with a diameter of a thousand kilometers hovered silently in space—more than sufficient for the two.
Under the invisible pressure exerted by Bai Yue and Luo Feng's rapidly widening gap in strength, Hong and Thunder God felt no urge to relax. After bidding farewell to Bai Yue and the Gan Wu Country Lord, they immediately followed the attendants to begin cultivation.
Watching their departing figures, Bai Yue turned toward Gan Wu Country Lord and smiled.
"Teacher, you've worked hard."
"You know I have nothing but time now," Gan Wu Country Lord replied with a calm chuckle.
Bai Yue fell silent for a moment, clearly pondering something. Then his expression turned solemn.
"Teacher," he said slowly, "I have a method that can allow you to rapidly comprehend the Law of Time. However, after that, your further progress may stagnate unless I myself make another breakthrough. Would you be willing to try it?"
The words struck like thunder.
To rapidly comprehend the Law of Time was to step directly onto the threshold of becoming a Universe Lord.
If such news were spread, it would shake the entire Primordial Universe.
"This…" Even with Gan Wu Country Lord's composure, his heart trembled. Anticipation surged uncontrollably before he forced himself to calm down.
After a long pause, he gave a wry smile.
"Do you think I still have a chance to reach the Universe Lord realm on my own? Even if I did, how many epochs would that take? Universe Lords stand at the apex of hundreds of millions of races. If there's even a sliver of a chance… why should I hesitate?"
Bai Yue saw something he had never seen before—a sharp, blazing light flickering in his teacher's eyes.
Gone was the detached calm of someone who had seen through the world. In its place was the raw excitement of a cultivator glimpsing a path forward after endless stagnation.
As the ancients said: To hear the Dao in the morning, one may die in the evening without regret.
No matter how much one claimed to have let go, when genuine hope appeared, it was impossible not to be moved.
"Very well," Bai Yue nodded. "Then please arrange your affairs first. This process will take time."
Gan Wu Country Lord's laughter rang out as he vanished from the floating island.
Thanks to the Virtual Universe, his preparations were completed with astonishing speed. In less than a day—while Luo Feng was still en route—he returned.
"I'm ready," Gan Wu Country Lord said without hesitation. "Even if I enter seclusion for a million epochs, the race can manage."
"Then let's begin."
The Founding God Realm
With a single thought, space and time folded.
The two figures reappeared above a majestic palace complex at the peak of the Founding God Realm.
Gan Wu Country Lord's brows furrowed instantly.
The cosmic energy here was astonishing—far denser than that of the Gan Wu Secret Realm—yet there was no trace of active life.
Then his expression changed.
His connection to the Space Origin Law Ocean… had been severed.
No replenishment of god power.
For any Immortal, this was fatal.
He attempted to reconnect using his complete Space Law comprehension. Sensing the Law Ocean was easy—but extracting energy was impossible. An invisible barrier blocked him entirely.
After several failed attempts, he turned to Bai Yue.
Bai Yue immediately understood.
Gan Wu Country Lord was an outsider. He had never been recognized by the Law Ocean of this universe.
"That's all," Bai Yue said calmly. "I've granted you authority."
Gan Wu Country Lord tried again.
This time, god power surged back into him.
Shock froze him in place.
"Only the Primordial Universe can grant such authority," he said hoarsely.
"This is a Primordial Universe," Bai Yue replied. "A nascent one—and it belongs to me."
Gan Wu Country Lord was speechless.
To control a Primordial Universe… the implications were immeasurable.
"This is why I'm confident," Bai Yue continued. "I'll bring you into the origin space of this universe. There, the Law of Time will be fully revealed to you. I'll even grant you preliminary authority over time and space."
"If you still fail under such conditions," he added lightly, "then you truly deserve to fail."
Gan Wu Country Lord laughed deeply.
"I won't emerge until I succeed."
Origin Space of the Original Universe
A spatial passage a hundred meters wide appeared, flowing with the Ten Great Origin Laws and countless fusion laws.
Stepping through it, Gan Wu Country Lord entered a boundless, mysterious expanse.
Countless light points floated in the void. Even the weakest radiated power comparable to a Universe Lord.
He felt unimaginably small.
Only Bai Yue's protection prevented him from being crushed by the sheer pressure.
Colorful radiance descended, enveloping him.
In an instant, his will expanded—permeating the entire universe.
From grains of dust to endless starfields.
From newborn secret realms to vast oceans of law.
For a fleeting moment, Gan Wu Country Lord felt as if he was the universe itself.
Only after a long time did he recover.
Suppressing his awe, he focused his entire consciousness on a single target.
The Law of Time.
Trying to comprehend everything would be folly. Even this universe's laws evolved faster than he ever could.
His goal was singular.
And achievable.
Watching him settle into deep comprehension, Bai Yue quietly withdrew.
Everyone was striving forward.
He would not fall behind.