The three Sovereign Custodians stood within the temple, their senses reaching out to perceive Wu Yuan, who was seated in lotus position amidst the clouds.

"Throughout countless ages, many of those Dao Master Imprint bearers have managed to accumulate forty thousand points," the red-robed demonic Sovereign smiled. "Yet once they undertake the inheritance trial, most fall at the first hurdle."

"Indeed. Those the Dao Master selects are destined to possess astonishing aptitude in the Spacetime Dao," the black-armored Sovereign's voice resonated through the temple.

"Historically, though many of those Dao Master Imprint bearers possessed overwhelming power, mostly only dabbled in the Space Dao. Few specialized in Space, let alone touched upon the Law of Time.

It’s extremely difficult to pass the first trial by relying solely on the Law of Space," the black-armored Sovereign stated.

The two Sovereign Custodians conversed.

Other Sovereigns of the Dao Realm might not be aware, but as Sovereign Custodians who took turns overseeing Spacetime Island and were the Dao Master’s most trusted subordinates, they were naturally familiar with this information.

Those who could become successors of the Dao Master had astounding accomplishments in the Law of Space at the very least, and were ideally versed in both Space and Time. However, mastery of both Space and Time was exceedingly rare.

"We know a thing or two about Ming Jian's situation," the red-robed demonic Sovereign smiled. "He should pass the initial trials without much difficulty, it's just a matter of how much time it takes."

"I reckon it should take at least a year," the black-armored Sovereign said.

"A year?" Sovereign Lan Yan smiled, saying no more.

These two Sovereign Custodians did not stay on the Spacetime Island long term; she had asked them to come here temporarily. Thus, they were unaware of Wu Yuan's true capabilities.

…

Clouds? Spacetime Dao patterns?

Wu Yuan observed continuously, pondering and analyzing.

Time flowed on.

As he continued to comprehend the patterns, he gradually perceived the profundities within.

The countless Spacetime Dao patterns were combined in an incredibly profound manner. Strands of seemingly basic Law patterns, when slightly combined, revealed inconceivable power. And countless Spacetime Dao patterns, intertwining with each other, formed a sea of clouds spanning millions of li. It was both stable and serene.

Wu Yuan's conscious perception gradually extended, penetrating deeper into the sea of clouds. Soon, he gained a deeper understanding of the entire structure of the sea of clouds.

A whole! Flawless and perfect. This is a unified entity, a world of Spacetime Dao patterns constructed from countless fundamental units. Wu Yuan's heart surged with overwhelming awe. ȒАƝő₿Ê𝐒

Historically, the vast majority of imprint bearers who arrived here did not fully grasp this point, but Wu Yuan already understood it.

First, he had already progressed far along the Great Dao of Spacetime.

Second, his body refiner self had been constantly analyzing the fundamental nature of all things and beings, and his ability to make such rapid breakthroughs in the Great Dao of Creation was inextricably linked to the Laws of Time and Space.

Spacetime was the source of everything. Whether it was the Great Dao of Creation, the Great Dao of Destruction, the Great Dao of Five Elements, and so on, they were all essentially extensions of the Great Dao of Spacetime.

Therefore, in the process of analyzing the fundamental nature of all things and beings, Wu Yuan had unknowingly gained a deep understanding of the fundamental profundities of the Great Dao of Spacetime, which was why he had progressed so rapidly.

It was also for this reason that his qi refiner self hadn't fallen completely behind his body refiner self.

These clouds are actually the combination of all the fundamental profundities of the Laws of Space and Time. Though each strand of Dao patterns seems basic, it interprets the nature of Spacetime.

Wu Yuan's heart trembled with awe.

They pointed directly to the nature of a Great Dao.

If one fully analyzed all 5.5 million basic units of life, they would not be far from completely comprehending the Law of Life. Similarly, if one thoroughly comprehended and understood this entire sea of clouds, I estimate they would not be far from fully comprehending the Laws of Space and Time.

Wu Yuan shook his head inwardly.

But it was too distant. Wu Yuan felt his understanding of the Great Dao of Spacetime was decent in the past, but he now realized that he still had a long way to go.

Even Sovereigns or Overlords probably couldn't create this vast sea of clouds.

Wu Yuan thought to himself.

It must be the Dao Master, only such a supreme being could establish this.

Wu Yuan brushed aside other thoughts and distractions, silently contemplating and cultivating.

If he had a thousand or ten thousand years, he would naturally be willing to cultivate patiently. Unfortunately, he only had ten years. So, Wu Yuan had to grasp the operational principles of the sea of clouds as quickly as he could.

So that's how it is!

Wu Yuan discovered a trace of coherence in the chaos.

The clouds were all composed of the Laws of Time and Space. Some Dao patterns intertwined and merged in seemingly identical ways, yet the profundity and power they formed were worlds apart. The possible combination methods of each strand of Dao patterns numbered in the thousands and tens of thousands.

Truly inconceivable. These Dao patterns, once fully comprehended, could be used to create combat secret arts. That would mean thousands upon thousands of combat secret arts.

Wu Yuan marveled inwardly.

He finally understood why there were so many secret arts in the ‘Spacetime Secret Codex’. Countless combat secret arts were fundamentally the same.

A month passed.

At last, I've grasped part of the operational pathways of the clouds.

In Wu Yuan's eyes, the countless flowing clouds resembled threads. Innumerable threads, following the twisted spacetime, converged in deeper regions.

The core must be in that direction.

Wu Yuan chose his path and took a step forward.

Whoosh~

The seemingly chaotic and twisted spacetime couldn't hinder his steps at all, and he quickly passed through the vast sea of clouds, advancing far more rapidly.

This entire sea of clouds is like a colossal maze. If I were asked to build a maze of the same level, I couldn't do it.

Wu Yuan thought to himself.

But merely walking out of it, that’s a million times easier.

As Wu Yuan gradually approached the depths of the cloud sea, reaching a certain boundary—

Whoosh~

An invisible wave instantly enveloped Wu Yuan, causing him to vanish from his original location.

…

"He's disappeared into the sea of clouds."

"In just one month, he found the pathway and entered the next stage."

"Most imprint bearers can't pass through in ten years, yet he did it in just one month?" The black-armored Sovereign and the red-robed demonic Sovereign were both shocked.

They had known Wu Yuan was formidable and had prepared themselves mentally. But clearly, the extent of Wu Yuan's abilities exceeded their expectations.

"His comprehension of the Great Dao of Spacetime must be extremely deep, probably approaching the Dao Field stage, far stronger than what he revealed in previous battles," the red-robed demonic Sovereign was elated and excited. "And he's only cultivated for just over ten thousand years. Moreover, he must have analyzed part of the fundamental profundities of Spacetime, which is why he could grasp the key principles so quickly”.

“We can't watch the three subsequent trials, we will only know whether he has passed or not. Historically, more than one hundred have passed the first trial, but those who ultimately became successors to the Dao Master can be counted on one hand. The subsequent trials must be extremely difficult," the black-armored Sovereign and the red-robed demonic Sovereign both sighed inwardly.

It could be said that those who could pass the first trial were all top-tier geniuses. But in the end, those chosen by the Dao Master were still few and far between.

The first trial is the easiest.

Sovereign Lan Yan thought to herself.

I wonder if he can smoothly pass the remaining three trials.

The inheritance trial consisted of four basic trials, filtering candidates one trial at a time. In the end, only an extremely small number of imprint bearers would overcome all hurdles, and have the qualifications to meet the supreme Dao Master.

It wasn't just a simple test of one’s Dao comprehension speed. So what if one progressed quickly or slowly along the path of cultivation? In the eyes of the Spacetime Dao Master, so-called geniuses didn’t amount to much.

The Spacetime Dao Master had comprehensive selection criteria for his successors, with many considerations.

"Hmm? How is this possible!" Sovereign Lan Yan suddenly revealed a trace of astonishment. "He passed the second, third, and fourth trials directly? All of them?"

"What?"

"What happened? Could there be an error?" The black-armored Sovereign and the red-robed demonic Sovereign were also utterly shocked!

Historically, the second, third, and fourth trials were still extremely difficult, otherwise they wouldn't have stopped so many peerless geniuses.

In their expectations, no matter how impressive Wu Yuan's talent, he should have taken some time to pass them. It wouldn't have been too strange if he failed one of the trials either. Yet, who would have thought that Wu Yuan would instantly pass all three trials?

𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

The three Sovereign Custodians had overseen the Spacetime Island for countless ages, witnessing numerous Dao Master Imprint bearers challenge the inheritance trial. A situation like Wu Yuan's was the first in history.

"The inheritance trial's testing grounds cannot be mistaken," the Sovereign in black armor said in a deep voice, his eyes gleaming with an otherworldly light. "There's only one possibility—Ming Jian is simply too exceptional.

He must have already met all the requirements from the second to the fourth trials, and thus passed all the tests directly," the black-armored Sovereign stated gravely.

Sovereign Lan Yan and the red-robed demonic Sovereign both nodded in agreement. At this point, it was the only explanation that made sense.

"Now," the red-robed demonic Sovereign said, "we'll see if Ming Jian can obtain the inheritance. He has already entered the last trial ground."

"Indeed."

"The final trial ground... he should succeed," the three Sovereign Custodians eagerly awaited the result.

…

Silently, without warning, Wu Yuan felt a sudden shift, and found himself standing in the midst of a vast, boundless expanse of outer space.

An infinite void stretched beneath his feet!

Hmm?

Wu Yuan's gaze swept across the surroundings, instantly spotting something nearby.

A cat?

And that is...?

Not far away in space, a small, beast-like figure sat in the lotus position. It resembled an exquisite feline, with purple eyes that sparkled with wisdom, and a bell adorning its neck.

Most astonishing of all was the miniature three-tiered tower it carried on its head, the tower's peak seemingly forged from metal.

This cat-like creature stared at Wu Yuan, its vital aura seemingly on par with his own. Yet its form appeared somewhat illusory, as if it existed in another realm entirely.

However, what truly captured Wu Yuan's attention were the three objects behind this small beast.

The first object was a sword, its tip pointing towards the void, as if poised to pierce the very fabric of heaven and earth.

The second object was a sheet of paper.

The paper was small, no larger than a palm, but when Wu Yuan focused upon it, his vision began to shift dramatically. The paper seemed to expand wildly, transforming into a continent, a world, a vast and boundless universe, a truly infinite expanse of heaven and earth… When Wu Yuan shifted his gaze, observing it from the corner of his eye, the paper returned to its normal state, as if it were just an ordinary sheet.

The final object was a piece of wood, rectangular in shape and jet black in color.

At first glance, this black wooden block appeared unremarkable. But as Wu Yuan observed it carefully from afar, he was shocked to discover that this piece of wood had perfectly precise proportions. Its length, width, and height were exactly in a ratio of two to one to one.

No matter how minutely Wu Yuan examined it, down to the Material Spatial Layer and the most fundamental particle level, the ratio of its dimensions remained utterly unchanged. Its precision was breathtaking. At the same time, Wu Yuan realized he couldn't understand this black wooden block at all.

How bizarre.

Wu Yuan thought to himself.

Though it seemed a lengthy process, in truth, Wu Yuan had completed his sensory exploration of the surroundings in less than half a breath.

Whoosh!

The cat-like creature stood up, the miniature tower still perched atop its head, and took a graceful step. As if teleporting, it appeared directly before Wu Yuan.

Its eyes, brimming with wisdom, regarded Wu Yuan with a rather peculiar gaze.

"Senior?" Wu Yuan cautiously inquired.

"Call me Zi Kong," the cat-like creature suddenly spoke, its voice unexpectedly deep and incongruous with its appearance. "I am the guardian of the Spacetime Island, tasked by the Dao Master to oversee the inheritance grounds.”

"Senior Zi Kong," Wu Yuan greeted respectfully.

"Mm, your name is Wu Yuan, isn't it?" The beast Zi Kong glanced at Wu Yuan. "You are indeed extraordinary. No wonder those youngsters like Lan Yan hold you in such high regard."

"You know my name?" Wu Yuan's pupils constricted slightly, his heart pounding with shock.

"Don't be surprised. Those Sovereigns may not see through you, but you can't hide from me. I've been aware of your situation since you first arrived on the Spacetime Island. When it comes to deductive abilities, I'm a match for many supreme beings," Zi Kong said with a toothy grin.

Wu Yuan was secretly amazed. As expected of the Dao Master’s pet.

Moreover, Wu Yuan also noticed that even Sovereign Lan Yan and the others seemed to be considered juniors compared to Zi Kong.

"The fact that you can see me means you're just one step away from becoming a successor of the Dao Master," Zi Kong looked at Wu Yuan. "You've already passed the first four basic trials."

"The first four trials? Wasn't it just the first one?" Wu Yuan asked, bewildered.

"The first trial posed some challenge for you, so you were tested," Zi Kong shook his head. "The second trial assesses the spirit and willpower of the imprint bearer.

The third trial tests for the potential of an Apotheosis Yuan Soul.

The fourth trial examines whether one possesses the potential for an Apotheosis root.

After all, to become a supreme being, one must not only fully comprehend a Great Dao, but also meet extremely high standards in various aspects such as Yuan Soul, immortal root, spirit, and willpower," Zi Kong remarked with a sigh.

He looked at Wu Yuan, "Other imprint bearers had flaws to varying degrees, but you are the most perfect imprint bearer I've ever seen. In every aspect, you are flawless.

In terms of spirit and willpower, you rival an Astral Monarch after just over ten thousand years of cultivation. Your Yuan Soul and immortal root have both reached the Apotheosis level. Naturally, no further tests were needed," Zi Kong shook his head.

"You're too perfect. So perfect it almost seems unreal. In terms of potential and talent, you are indeed the top candidate in history. The previous successors pale in comparison to you," Zi Kong stated.

Wu Yuan listened attentively.

The top? He wasn't surprised.

"However, whether you can succeed in this final step depends not only on your innate potential but also on your luck," Zi Kong said, pointing to the three objects in the distance.

"It will be up to them to choose you."