"I'm not joking. I am you. It's a bit silly to actually say it, but I've come from the future." The masked man continued.
"Yeah? How's that? Are you telling me that you've mastered the law of time to such an extreme and that you're an immortal? Or that you've found some ancient artifact?" Lin Fan asked without an ounce of belief.
"No, it's a little more complicated than just that. But I can assure you that I'm not lying. I can tell you some facts only you know if you'd like?"
"Not needed. Just take off your mask completely and show me your face." Lin Fan replied.
"I can take off my mask but it won't be what you expect." The masked man replied.
A few seconds later Lin Fan looked at the man with a shocked expression and had trouble keeping himself from vomiting.
"Your skin is completely gone.." Lin Fan muttered as the man covered his face back up.
It wasn't uncommon for cultivators to be injured and have their bodies scarred. This wasn't too big of a concern most of the time due to the fact that taking pills or raising your cultivation level could heal these injuries easily.
However, to be completely missing the skin off of your face was another matter. Not to mention the fact that the man clearly had a high cultivation level, meaning the wound wasn't so simple.
"See what I mean? Now listen. If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it. Your name is Lin Fan, you grew up as a mortal and became a cultivator at the age of 10, you wet the bed until 7 years old, and you have a rash between your-"
"Please please stop, I believe you!" Lin Fan said with an embarrassed expression as he waved his hands in front of him.
The masked man chuckled as he looked at the fire, enjoying the embers that playfully danced into the air, disappearing from fragments into nothingness.
He felt that he was similar to these embers, forever playfully dancing in the palm of fate only to have himself slowly disintegrate, bit by bit until he was nothing but a puff of smoke, a mere cheap copy of what he once was.
"I will be clear. I came back to the past using a force I'm unfamiliar with and cannot converse about. My purpose is to save everyone and everything. But to be able to, I need your help." The masked man explained as he looked deep at Lin Fan.
"If you truly believe that you have the power to go against the current world, or the future world, whatever, I'm willing to help you." Lin Fan decided within an instant with a determined expression on his face.
He had lost everyone he had ever cared about to the evil bastards. If he had even a small chance of taking them on, then he'd do it.
"Great. The only problem is, to stand a chance against them I need to nourish and improve my origin. The only way for me to do so is to absorb you completely."
...
"What?" Lin Fan couldn't help but look at him with a blank expression on his face.
"How did it suddenly turn back into me dying? Is this really not some sort of joke?" Lin Fan sighed as he couldn't help but put his hands in his face, feeling depressed.
"Yes. Unfortunately this is the only way. If you need some time to think about it, that's fine." The masked man said as he closed his eyes.
"I'll do it." Lin Fan suddenly stated, causing the man's eyes to open abruptly.
"Huh? Just like that?" The masked man asked, feeling confused. Wasn't this too easy?
"I just ask that you swear upon the heavens that you are not lying about a single statement you've said." Lin Fan asked.
Lin Fan knew that if this man before him wanted to do it forcefully he could, but still wanted some sort of insurance if he were to die. He didn't want to die for nothing afterall, he's desperately attempted to live this long.
"I swear upon the heavenly Dao that if I am lying, may I never progress." The man calmly said without hesitation.
Lin Fan took a deep breath and got up and held his arm out.
"Alright, do it."
The masked man got up and grabbed his hand.
A large stream of energy began transferring between the two which began to rush crazily.
After a minute it happened. However, the conclusion was unexpected.
Lin Fan ended up being the one to absorb the man.
"What.. what did I just do?" Lin Fan dropped to his knees and looked at his hands.
Tears dropped from his eyes. There was no possible way for him to be able to save the world with his talent and power.
"Fuck!" Lin Fan yelled out as he punched the ground.
"... Booting... Error... Restarting..."
"Huh?" Lin Fan jumped up and drew his sword once more in caution.
"Who's there?!" Lin Fan yelled out only for his voice to reach nothing. Only the empty cold cave was there to greet him.
"Welcome Host! It appears there was a major time discrepancy made, I have loaded the last version settings."
"Who are you?" Lin Fan asked with worry as he realized the voice was coming from his head. He immediately remembered how some old monsters were capable of sending their thoughts directly to peoples minds, which worried him further.
"I am the Heavenly Time System. I am capable of sending you directly through time." The system responded.
"So this is how he traveled here.. but why did he choose this point in time and not earlier.." Lin Fan couldn't help but wonder.
And then, an idea sparked in his head.
"Can you send me back 100 years? Back before the decline of the righteous?" Lin Fan asked expectantly.
"Yes. I am capable of doing so. However there is only enough fuel left for travel one time and you will be stuck there until I am refueled." The time system explained.