When the young man placed his hand on the rock, everything momentarily turned dark. Soon after, his vision returned, revealing a desolate planet. Although he was outside the planet, he could observe a few things happening within. People were tilling the land, herding animals, and preparing meals, but there was a difference. All their activities seemed primitive, as if the people on this planet were just beginning to transition to settled life.
Before long, something entered the young man's field of view—or rather, someone. It was a body, but it was distant from a human form. It was a colossal body without an arm. From an external perspective, it was evident that the being was in pain. After a few seconds, a black rock appeared in the colossal man's hand, about the size of his head. Shortly thereafter, the entire body of the colossal being began emitting light, and it disappeared instantly. The rock fell from a great height to the ground with a thunderous crash, causing the entire planet to shake. However, contrary to the young man's expectations, nothing else happened. He shifted his attention to the other people on the planet, observing that they were all kowtowing in a frightened state—a scene that pleased him.
Lost in thought, the young man's vision darkened again. When he opened his eyes once more, he found himself in a vast valley surrounded by flowers and mountains.
"Do you like what you see?" echoed a voice in the young man's ear.
"Yes, was that you over there?" the young man asked.
The same voice echoed in the air again, "How did you know?"
"You were the one who released the rock. Who else could have shown me something like that without your permission?" the young man replied.
The person he had seen before suddenly appeared in front of him, but this time, they were of ordinary stature. In his previous vision, the young man hadn't examined the person's face. After all, there were many places to look on a colossal body before examining the face. Now, as he faced the person, he carefully examined their features. The person seemed to be in their mid-thirties, with a muscular body and short hair. Unable to resist the comparison, the young man couldn't help but recall the green-robed individual he had encountered earlier.
"Are you a god?" the young man asked.
"Why do you ask?" responded the person who was previously colossal.
"I believe I saw another god before, but they appeared elderly. Why?" the young man inquired.
For the first time, a hint of emotion—astonishment—appeared on the face of the person who was previously colossal.
"You saw a god? Where?" the person asked.
Not wanting to delve into further details, the young man evaded the question, saying, "It's a long story."
The person who was previously colossal, sensing the young man's reluctance to share, didn't press further.
"Yes, I am a god, but a lower-level one. We gods can change our appearance as we please," the person explained.
This time, it was the young man's turn to be surprised.
"Lower-level? Do gods have levels?" the young man asked.
The person who was previously colossal simply nodded.
The young man continued, "Why did you show me the past?"
The person who was previously colossal replied, "If you're willing to listen without interruption, I will tell you."
Curiosity got of the young man, and he nodded his head.
"I am a slave of my master. In case you didn't know, it's forbidden for gods to have servants. Regardless of their level, gods have two ways to serve higher gods: by becoming slave with heaven oath or by becoming their student."
The person who was previously colossal scrutinized the young man's face, searching for a reaction, but couldn't find the response they were expecting.
"I won't mention my name, my master's name, or my master's master. The direct order from my great master is the only thing you need to know. I will now pass on to you the technique my great master has been working on for millions of years."
Although many questions filled the young man's mind, he managed to restrain himself.
"My master, or rather my great master, has always been respected in the realm of gods. They dedicated all their time and effort to creating the perfect technique. Eventually, they succeeded in creating the technique, but before they could refine it, they were attacked."
Confirming that the young man was still listening intently, the person continued.
"The technique my great master created could only be practiced by individuals with fragmented souls. However, the other gods disregarded this. To many gods, human life is no different from that of an ant."
"Just so you know, for a soul to fragment, one must traverse between life and death. It's only possible for a newborn baby. The other gods aimed to create perfect soldiers with this technique. They planned to subject thousands of innocent babies to unimaginable torture, enslaving the survivors."
The person who was previously colossal displayed clear disgust and anger on his face. After a few breaths, he resumed speaking.
"My great master couldn't turn a blind eye to this. He entrusted the technique to his most trusted disciple, my master. However, the other gods pursued them relentlessly. Only I remained, barely escaping with my life. My plan was to find a more advanced planet and establish a legacy temple. But I underestimated my injuries. Soon, I arrived on this remote planet and left a fragment of my soul and consciousness in this rock until I found the right candidate. And then you arrived."
The first thing that came to the young man's mind, he spoke it aloud, "Am I the first one to arrive after all these years?"
The person who was previously colossal couldn't hide his surprise at the young man's words. Just moments ago, he had been discussing things that would leave even immortals gaping, making their mouths water with greed. Yet, the young man's concern was whether he was the first to arrive.
"Yes, you are the first to arrive, it seems. You're unaware of how rare soul condensation is. For most babies, even a tiny scratch is fatal. To survive for a few hours, let alone half an hour, is exceedingly rare. And mind you, I'm not talking about ordinary wounds. The baby must be injured by worldly energy, meaning a cultivator must wound them. Do you know how many cultivators are incapable of killing a baby? It's zero."
Finally understanding, the young man asked his final question, maintaining his composure.
"What do I need to do in return?" the young man asked.
Having been a dealer in his previous life, he knew that nothing comes for free; nobody gives gifts without expecting something in return.
The person who was previously colossal looked into the young man's eyes and replied, "I believe you already know."