Before Lord Locke, no one dared show the slightest disrespect.
This was not merely out of awe for Lord Locke's strength, but also reverence for the path of cultivation beyond the Paragon realm that he had pioneered.
"You're here, Nanessa."
Inside the Sovereign's Palace, Locke slowly opened his eyes.
Nanessa was someone Locke had discovered by chance a thousand calendrical eras ago.
At that time, she had only recently arrived in the Lightning Divine Plane from a Material Plane and was merely an ordinary God.
After taking her under his command, it just so happened that Veer, the grandson of Locke, was preparing to leave Mount Nether.
Locke therefore assigned Nanessa to accompany Veer as his guard while they traveled together.
Originally, Locke's intention had been to bring Veer and Nanessa together.
Unfortunately, although they journeyed together for nearly a million years and both successively reached the Paragon realm, no romantic feelings ever developed between them.
"Yes, Lord Locke."
"Nanessa, there is no question regarding your talent and aptitude to have reached the Paragon realm."
"However, the Higher Law of the Laws of Lightning—the Laws of Time—is clearly not something your current level is capable of comprehending."
"Even I only began cultivating the Laws of Time after I had completely comprehended the Laws of Space and reached the realm of an Overgod."
"An Overgod?"
Nanessa was startled for a moment before immediately understanding.
With Lord Locke's abilities, it would have been stranger if he had not reached the realm of an Overgod.
"Your current situation is no different from someone who has yet to become Saint-level trying to comprehend the Laws. They can only glimpse the surface, but never perceive their true essence."
"Furthermore, the Laws of Space and the Laws of Time are interdependent."
"Without a sufficient foundation in the Laws of Space, whatever understanding you gain of the Laws of Time will be nothing more than flowers reflected in a mirror or the moon reflected upon water."
"It is precisely because of this that for you, Nanessa, reaching the Sovereign realm through the Laws of Time is no easier than completely fusing two different elemental Laws."
When it came to evaluating the difficulty of cultivating the various Laws and Profound Mysteries, no one was more qualified than Locke.
He had already completely fused the Laws of Water and the Edicts of Fate.
He had also fully comprehended both the Laws of Space and the Laws of Time.
Furthermore, Locke had now begun fusing the Laws of Space and the Laws of Time together.
No one understood the difficulty of cultivating these Laws better than he did.
In Locke's eyes, becoming a Paragon through a single Law was the least challenging path.
Comprehending the Laws of Space was slightly easier than completely fusing the Profound Mysteries of two different elemental Laws.
However, fully comprehending the Laws of Space was actually even more difficult than completely fusing two different elemental Laws.
The Laws of Time, meanwhile, were dozens of times more difficult than the Laws of Space.
Even within the primary universe, among those Divine Kings who had completely comprehended the Laws of Space, very few were capable of comprehending the Laws of Time.
Every Divine King who mastered the Laws of Time ranked among the absolute strongest of Divine Kings.
Should they advance one step further and comprehend Time Stop, they could reign supreme among Divine Kings and earn the title of an Invincible Divine King.
Only another Invincible Divine King who had likewise comprehended Time Stop could contend against them.
Otherwise, regardless of how many Divine Kings gathered together, they were little better than ants before an Invincible Divine King.
There was naturally no need to question Nanessa's talent or aptitude.
However, because when she became a Deity she had chosen to let her original body become divine, she could only come into contact with the Laws of Time through the perfected Laws of Lightning.
Had she not received a single drop of Locke's blood essence...
Even if she devoted her entire life to it, she would never have managed to take even the first step into the Laws of Time.
"Therefore, Nanessa, it is virtually impossible for you to comprehend ten percent of the Laws of Time and reach the level of a Sovereign."
"I'm sorry, Lord Locke. I've disappointed you."
Nanessa lowered her head.
Indeed, among the Paragons of Locke's lineage, only Lord Locke's direct descendants were able to receive his blood essence for cultivation.
With Lord Locke's blood essence, Lord Locke himself, Lord Veer, Lord Grant, and Lady Rena had all reached the Sovereign realm in a relatively short time.
Nanessa was the only Paragon who had received Lord Locke's blood essence but still failed to become a Sovereign.
"No, Nanessa."
"The difficulty of the Laws of Time far exceeds your imagination."
"To be honest, the fact that you've managed to comprehend even a small portion of the Laws of Time is already an extraordinary accomplishment in my eyes."
Locke wasn't trying to comfort Nanessa.
Measured by the standards of the primary universe, Nanessa was merely an Upper Deity who had grasped a small portion of the Laws of Space.
She was still an unknown distance away from the realm of a Heavenly Deity.
Yet, through only a single drop of Locke's blood essence, she had managed to touch upon the Laws of Time.
Such talent and aptitude would place her among the finest geniuses even within Hongmeng's primary universe.
"Nanessa, you were simply born in the wrong universe."
Looking at Nanessa below him, Locke spoke earnestly.
Had Nanessa been born within Hongmeng's primary universe, her lowest possible achievement would have been becoming a powerful Divine King who comprehended Time Acceleration.
"..."
Nanessa lowered her head.
Born in the wrong universe?
What did Lord Locke mean by that?
"Nanessa, I now have an opportunity that may allow you to become a Sovereign."
"Would you be interested?"
"Oh?"
Hearing Locke's words, Nanessa was startled.
Lord Locke had just said that, with her current abilities, becoming a Sovereign through the Laws of Time was virtually impossible.
Did the opportunity Lord Locke mentioned mean...
He intended to give her a Sovereign spark?
"Lord Locke, before answering your question..."
"May I ask you something first?"
Locke wasn't surprised by Nanessa's reaction.
To every Deity...
A Sovereign spark capable of creating a Sovereign truly was the greatest treasure in existence.
Even Paragons were no exception.
Back in the Yulan Plane, if the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta's influence hadn't been so overwhelming—and if obtaining the wind-element Sovereign spark from a Sovereign hadn't required swearing an oath in the Overgod's name—
Bayer would most likely have become the new Wind Lesser Sovereign.
Yet despite hearing Locke mention an opportunity to become a Sovereign, Nanessa hadn't immediately accepted.
Instead, she chose to ask a question first.
That alone demonstrated the strength of her character.
"Very well."
"Go ahead."
"Lord Locke..."
"If I refine a Sovereign spark and become a Sovereign..."
"Will I still be able to continue cultivating the Laws of Time?"
Hearing Nanessa's question, Locke immediately understood what she was worried about.
"It won't."
"A Sovereign spark is merely a portion of the authority granted by the Laws of the universe."
"It doesn't hinder the Law you're currently cultivating."
"Take my Fate Sovereign true body as an example."
"I became a Sovereign by refining a Fate Lesser Sovereign spark."
"But that has never prevented me from comprehending and cultivating the Higher Law above the Edicts of Fate."
Locke patiently explained.
To make his explanation more convincing, he even used himself as the example.
"I understand."
Nanessa nodded.
"Lord Locke..."
"I want this opportunity to become a Sovereign."
"Please give me your instructions."
"Very good."
Locke smiled and nodded.
"Nanessa, I need you to go to the Yulan Plane."
"I want you to protect someone."
"At present, this person exists only as a soul residing within a damaged soul-protecting Sovereign artifact..."
Locke then carefully explained Doehring Cowart's situation to Nanessa in detail.
Although Nanessa found it rather strange that Lord Locke would send a Paragon like herself to protect someone who existed only as a soul...
She didn't ask any further questions.
Since it was a mission personally assigned by Lord Locke...
She only needed to carry it out properly.
"Nanessa, remember this."
"Unless Doehring Cowart encounters a life-or-death crisis..."
"You are not to intervene."
"If he truly falls into mortal danger..."
"Save him immediately, then return at once to the Netherworld and bring Doehring Cowart's soul to me."
"Yes, Lord Locke."
"Oh, right."
"Before going to the Yulan Plane, take along as many treasures capable of restoring souls as possible."
"That way, Doehring Cowart's condition won't deteriorate."
"Yes, Lord Locke!"
Once Nanessa had finished all of her preparations, Locke no longer delayed.
He directly sent her to the Yulan Plane.
Otherwise...
If Nanessa first traveled from Mount Nether to the interplanar teleportation array leading to the Undead Sacred Mountain...
Linley would probably have already reached the Saint-level by the time she arrived.
...
Within the universe created by Hongmeng, whether the primary universe or one of its subsidiary universes, aside from those whose destinies were unfixed, the fate of the overwhelming majority of living beings had already been predetermined.
Although Locke's current abilities were sufficient to alter someone's destiny...
He clearly didn't share a relationship with Nanessa that warranted personally changing her fate.
At Locke's current realm, he still didn't understand what price one paid for altering another person's destiny.
However, merely from the phrase defying the heavens to change fate, Locke could already guess that excessively interfering with the destinies of other living beings would likely bring trouble either upon the universe itself or upon its creator.
Locke remembered that because Linley had been born within the magical universe, Hongmeng would eventually entrust that universe to Linley.
Now that Linley had already been born, only another five hundred thousand years remained before Linley transcended.
Such a short period...
Even though Locke had completely comprehended the Laws of Time, there was no possibility that he could finish fusing the Laws of Space and the Laws of Time within merely five hundred thousand years.
In other words...
Even after Linley became a Hongmeng Controller, Locke would still have to remain for some time within the universe under Linley's control.
As for matters that might damage the rules governing that universe...
If they could be avoided, Locke would avoid them.
His strength had already become so overwhelming that his mere existence within the magical universe posed an enormous threat to it.
Hongmeng could tolerate Locke cultivating within the magical universe.
However, once Linley took over...
Locke couldn't be certain Linley would show him the same tolerance.
Therefore...
Locke needed to do certain things that would increase his importance in Linley's eyes.
Nanessa...
Was one part of that plan.
Naturally...
This arrangement also benefited Nanessa herself.
Once Linley took control of the magical universe...
A Sovereign spark would certainly be reserved for her.
As for Linley's father, Hogg, and his mother, Lina...
Locke had no intention of interfering.
According to their original destinies...
Lina would ultimately become an angel possessing the strength of a Seven Star Fiend.
Hogg would also refine a divine spark and become a Highgod.
Both parents would eventually be reunited.
Locke worried that if he interfered with Linley's parents...
Their fate might actually become even worse.
Unless Hogg first reached the Saint-level...
Even if Locke piled countless divine sparks before him, Hogg still wouldn't be able to refine one and become a Deity.
As for Lina...
There was even less reason to interfere.
A Seven Star Fiend.
That might seem insignificant in Locke's eyes.
But one had to remember what kind of existence Locke himself was.
Within the Seven Divine Planes and Four Higher Planes...
Seven Star Fiends were absolute experts.
Within a single prefecture, there were generally no more than two or three Prefect-level experts.
The number of Seven Star Fiends usually didn't even exceed ten.
Furthermore...
Before giving birth to Wharton, Lina had never cultivated at all.
Had her soul not been sacrificed to Augusta and reborn through the Angel Rebirth Pool as an angel...
How could she possibly have attained the strength of a Seven Star Fiend?
As for the suffering Linley's parents experienced during that period...
Well...
From the moment Lina was sacrificed until Augusta was eventually killed by Linley, her soul remained under Augusta's control.
She scarcely possessed thoughts of her own.
As for Hogg...
Well, Hogg truly did endure more than ten years of grief after losing his wife.
But after his own death, his soul entered the Undead Realm.
Until Linley later requested that the Death Chief Sovereign restore Hogg's memories, he had remained muddleheaded, barely aware of anything.
Overall...
Their eventual outcomes were far better than simply being rescued and living ordinary lives.
Compared to them...
Doehring Cowart, who was even more important to Linley, deserved far greater attention.
Although Locke had already arranged for Nanessa to handle Doehring Cowart's affairs...
His soul power still didn't withdraw from the Yulan Plane.
What a joke.
This was a live-action broadcast of Coiling Dragon!
Back in his previous life, whether the Coiling Dragon manhua or animation, neither came remotely close to the novel.
One could even say they merely borrowed the name.
Now that he finally had the opportunity to watch a live-action version of Coiling Dragon...
How could he not enjoy it properly?
As for cultivation...
A mere few hundred thousand years wasn't enough time for him to care about.
...
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
While Locke was watching the live-action version of Coiling Dragon...
The disturbance within the spatial turbulence soon attracted the attention of the Sovereigns.
"The Planar Battlefield has appeared?"
"Sigh... Time really flies."
"In the blink of an eye, another trillion years have passed."
"Damn it!"
"I still haven't finished organizing my plane's laws for this trillion-year cycle..."
"Oh? Then why aren't you hurrying?"
"Don't forget that Chief Sovereign Locke has already emerged from seclusion."
"You'd better be careful, or Chief Sovereign Locke might make an example of you before the Planar Battlefield is even over."
"Get lost!"
As the Sovereigns chatted through their divine senses, they simultaneously tore open spatial rifts and flew toward the location where the Planar Battlefield had appeared.
Although...
From the appearance of the Planar Battlefield until the armies of the various planes actually entered it generally took several hundred years.
Under normal circumstances...
The Sovereigns only came to observe the outcome when the final decisive battle was about to begin.
(End of Chapter)
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