“What did you say, Great Master?” Tang Chuanwu thought he was hallucinating. My words were incoherent and lacked any logical thread. How could Master Lu possibly believe me?

Lu Yang looked into Tang Chuanwu’s eyes and repeated himself, his tone earnest.

“I believe you.”

Tang Chuanwu’s lips trembled. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “You believe me. Someone actually believes me. I’m not lying...”

The catalyst for discovering his time-reversal ability had been an attack targeting his younger sister. In the second loop, he had stopped her vehemently, saying, “You’ll be in danger if you go out. You’ll be killed. You can’t go out.”

But all he received in return was a look of bewilderment.

His sister hadn’t believed him. She died in that second cycle.

Later, he tried using his time-reversal ability to save others, warning them of future dangers and warning them not to do certain things. Even when future events proved him right, all he earned was even greater distrust.

In subsequent loops, he had calmed down and learned to exploit information gaps and even lies to save people.

This time, he was on the verge of a breakdown. With no other recourse, he had blurted out the truth to Lu Yang. I thought Master Lu wouldn’t trust me, just like everyone else. To think he believes me.

Finally, someone believes me.

At last, a lead on the user of the Epoch Dao Fruit.

“Sit down. Don’t rush. Tell me slowly. What exactly happened today, and how do you know about it?” Lu Yang covertly channeled spirit energy into Tang Chuanwu, calming his emotions.

He could feel Tang Chuanwu’s pulse racing at a terrifying rate, already at the limit of a mortal’s capacity. It was clear just how agitated he was, or rather, how desperate.

Lu Yang naturally believed him. The fact that Tang Chuanwu had appeared before him at this moment was proof. At this time, Tang Chuanwu should have been far away in Lotus City and had no reason to be here.

His presence could only mean one thing—he knew what would happen in the future.

Tang Chuanwu’s subsequent rambling speech only confirmed Lu Yang’s suspicions.

With Lu Yang’s reassurance, Tang Chuanwu gradually calmed down.

“Master Lu, a great catastrophe is about to befall the city. Everyone will become utterly cold and emotionless. I don’t know how, but it must be related to the Heartless Creed.

“And there’s the creed leader of the Skeleton Divine Creed. For some reason, he has been resurrected and become the White Bone Young Lord, but he is no match for you.

“After that, two Heartless Creed elders and the vice creed leader appeared. That vice creed leader was incredibly powerful and wanted to relocate Kaihuang City. Neither you nor Master Meng was his match.

“And as for Que’er, a Golden Core cultivator will abduct her.”

Lu Yang listened quietly to Tang Chuanwu’s account. Then he raised two fingers and looked into his eyes. “I have only two questions. First question. How do you know all this?”

“I can...” Tang Chuanwu opened his mouth, wanting to utter the words “reverse time,” but suddenly remembered that saying them would cause time to flow backward again.

“Can you reverse time?” Lu Yang asked calmly.

The stool clattered to the ground. Tang Chuanwu shot to his feet, staring at Lu Yang in disbelief.

He dared not answer yes, nor did he dare answer no. He didn’t know whether that was another condition that could trigger a time reversal.

“Immortal Fairy, what’s going on? If Tang Chuanwu can reverse time, why isn’t the Epoch Dao Fruit on him?”

The Everlasting Immortal Fairy has examined him before. There was no Epoch Dao Fruit on Tang Chuanwu.

Inside the mental space, the Everlasting Immortal Fairy sat cross-legged on a lotus platform, one hand holding her foot as she swayed from side to side.

“Hmm~ If he doesn’t have the Epoch Dao Fruit, there’s another possibility. The user of the Epoch Dao Fruit might have bestowed its power upon him.”

“How so?”

“Do you remember what I said? As long as I wish, I could use the Everlasting Dao Fruit to make everyone in the world ageless and undying.”

Lu Yang recalled it. “You also mentioned that a Dao Fruit represents rules. Whether you apply those rules to yourself or everyone else is entirely up to you.”

The Everlasting Immortal Fairy was pleased that Lu Yang remembered her words. “The same principle applies to the Epoch Dao Fruit. Its user could impose the rule of ‘time reversal’ onto this Tang boy.”

“I didn’t know that was possible, too.” Lu Yang was astonished. He had heard the Everlasting Immortal Fairy mention this in passing before, but hadn’t taken it seriously. Now, seeing Tang Chuanwu wield such a heaven-defying ability firsthand, he felt that immortals were truly impressive.

“It looks like I guessed right. You do possess the ability to reverse time.”

Seeing Tang Chuanwu still hesitating, Lu Yang nodded. “It seems it’s not that you’re unwilling to admit it, but that you can’t speak of it. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

“Would it cause your death, or would it make time flow backward... Never mind, that’s not important.

“Second question. Before the Heartless Creed appeared, you experienced five loops. What happened to you? Do you need my help?”

Tang Chuanwu’s eyes widened. Master Lu retains memories from the previous loops!

He hadn’t mentioned the sand wolves because he believed the attack was unavoidable. But after meeting Lu Yang, all his previous assumptions had been overturned.

“Yes. Sand wolves attacked our group on the way to Lotus City. Only I escaped!”

“I see.” Lu Yang finally understood why he had been caught in time loops today.

He crossed his hands and rested his chin on them. “Then let me ask you—do you wish to save them?”

“I do!”

Lu Yang stood up and stroked the Qingfeng Sword. It seems that calling for help in this loop has been unnecessary.

“Then go ahead with your time reversal. I’ll come and save you.”

Under Lu Yang’s astonished gaze, Tang Chuanwu drew the dagger at his waist and plunged it straight into his chest without any hesitation.

~~~

Tang Chuanwu jolted awake to find himself riding a camel. The conversation he just had with Lu Yang felt like a dream.

“Little Tang, what’s wrong?” The medicine shop owner noticed Tang Chuanwu’s abnormal behavior and signaled the group to halt.

“Manager, sand wolves have set their sights on us.”Tang Chuanwu calmly produced a string of prayer beads from his robes, snapping them with two fingers. “I was fortunate enough to encounter Master Duanchen receiving pilgrims. He gave me these prayer beads that warn of approaching danger.”

“What?!” Tang Chuanwu spoke with such conviction that the medicine shop owner didn’t doubt him. For a group like theirs, encountering sand wolves meant almost certain death.

“Don’t panic. Keep moving forward. Don’t let the sand wolves sense anything unusual.” With his experience, Tang Chuanwu had developed methods for dealing with them. “We’ll hold off the pack. Someone will come to save us.”

If they assumed a defensive posture now, the wolves would realize their ambush had been exposed and pounce immediately. Continuing to move would buy them a little time.

“A-alright.” Flustered, the medicine shop owner could only follow his lead.

The camel caravan trudged forward slowly.

“Sand wolves!” someone with sharp eyes suddenly shouted. Chaos instantly broke out within the group.

The sand wolves were buried in the sand with only their noses visible. They burst forth and lunged at the group.

“Be on guard! Don’t panic!” The medicine shop owner drew his blade and defended.

Tang Chuanwu rode his camel straight at the wolf king. After receiving a drop of Lu Yang’s blood to cleanse his tendons and marrow, his physique had transformed. Along with the Long Arm Fist he had secretly practiced, his combat prowess was now significantly higher than the medicine shop owner’s.

However, even with Tang Chuanwu occupying the wolf king, the battle quickly fell into a stalemate.

Tang Chuanwu wasn’t faring much better. He was a mere mortal. How could he possibly overcome a wolf king at the Great Perfection Qi Training Stage?

“Tang boy, where’s this savior you mentioned?!” the medicine shop owner yelled. His strength was waning. At this rate, none of them would escape.

Hearing the shop owner’s shout, Tang Chuanwu’s expression faltered.

Why hasn’t Master Lu arrived yet? Is it because this place is too far from Kaihuang City? Or was the previous loop just a dream born from despair? Will someone really believe me?

Spotting an opening, the wolf king let out a fierce roar, pouncing toward Tang Chuanwu.

“Tang boy, watch out!”

Tang Chuanwu snapped back to reality and hastily assumed a defensive stance, but it was too late.

The wolf king clamped its jaws on his saber and knocked him off his camel.

Man and beast wrestled in the sand. As they struggled, Tang Chuanwu began to give out.

Just then, a streak of sword qi pierced the wolf king’s head, the tip of the sword just inches from Tang Chuanwu’s face.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh.

The sword had arrived before its owner.

Sword qi descended upon the desert like rain. The pack was pierced, each wolf struck down in a single blow. In an instant, the sand wolves were annihilated.

A divine-looking figure wielding a sword flew toward the sun. Amid the group's astonished gazes, he landed and pulled Tang Chuanwu to his feet.

“I’m here now.”