"The Sumeru Saint once sealed me within this painting to compel me to repent, rid myself of my flaws, and wait for a future warrior who possessed the Time and Space Sacred Mark. I was instructed to assist them in mastering the Secrets of Time and Space and becoming an unrivaled warrior in the world."
The voice continued, "So, tell me, if you don't release me, how can I teach you the Secrets of Time and Space? Without my guidance, how will you become an unparalleled force?"
"You were sealed in the painting by the Sumeru Saint?" Zhang Ruochen was skeptical of the cat's words. If the Sumeru Saint went to such lengths to imprison it, it was likely for a much more serious reason than the cat claimed.
The Sumeru Saint, who also possessed the Time and Space Sacred Mark, was the author of the Secrets of Time and Space. In the ancient times, he was a renowned sage, and history had recorded his deeds.
The voice sighed, "Who else but the Sumeru Saint could wield the power of spatial sealing? Only he could create an entire world within a painting. Of course, when your power grows strong enough, you too will be able to create spatial worlds at will."
"You claim you can teach me the Secrets of Time and Space. Does that mean you can also wield the power of space and time?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
The voice replied, "Even though my abilities are unparalleled, able to traverse heaven and earth, I do not possess the Time and Space Sacred Mark, so I cannot wield spatial or temporal power. However, having served the Sumeru Saint for a long time, I have gained considerable knowledge of these forces. Teaching you would be no trouble at all."
"At last, I can open the second page of the Secrets of Time and Space."
Zhang Ruochen picked up the book, held it in his hands, and flipped to the second page. There, silver characters were inscribed.
"Spatial Runes!"
The second page of the Secrets of Time and Space contained descriptions of eight basic spatial runes, which are the foundational components for constructing space.
The eight types of spatial runes were: Point Rune, Line Rune, Vertical Rune, Horizontal Rune, Height Rune, Flat Rune, Expand Rune, and Contract Rune.
They were abbreviated as: Point, Line, Vertical, Horizontal, Height, Flat, Expand, and Contract.
A voice from the painting spoke, "The second page of the Secrets of Time and Space details the eight fundamental spatial runes. Mastering these basic runes allows you to create a small space on your own. However, this won't allow you to use spatial power offensively. To do that, you must learn more advanced runes such as Seal Runes, Collapse Runes, Rift Runes, and Teleportation Runes."
"For now, you should focus on mastering the eight basic runes first."
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Why does the second page of the Secrets of Time and Space only contain spatial runes and not temporal ones?"
"Haha! Time flows eternally; no one can create it, so there's no such thing as 'Temporal Runes.' However, a warrior with the Time and Space Sacred Mark can cultivate temporal imprints to harness the power of time and perform temporal magic."
"If your spiritual power is strong enough and you master advanced temporal imprints, you could drain decades of life from an opponent with just a gesture. You could even control time within an isolated space—freezing, accelerating, or slowing it down. The power of time is truly unpredictable."
"No matter how powerful you become, you are vulnerable against the force of time."
"However, with your current spiritual power, you aren't ready to cultivate temporal imprints. You should start with the eight basic spatial runes."
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Does cultivating spatial runes and temporal imprints really require such a high level of spiritual power?"
The voice in the painting chuckled, "Release me from the painting, and I'll tell you!"
Zhang Ruochen hesitated, unsure if releasing the cat would be a blessing or a curse.
"Don't hesitate. Even though my power is immense, I have no interest in harming a young warrior like you. Release me, and I'll reveal more secrets of time and space, helping you harness the full potential of the Time and Space Sacred Mark."
If it's meant to be, it will be—there's no avoiding fate.
If the Sumeru Saint truly viewed it as a threat, he would have eliminated it rather than sealing it in a painting.
After pondering for a moment, Zhang Ruochen asked, "How do I release you from the painting?"
"All you need to do is drip a drop of your blood onto the painting to become its owner. Then, by injecting your True Qi into the painting, you can break the seal and release me," the voice said excitedly.
Zhang Ruochen made a small cut on his right index finger, allowing a drop of crimson blood to fall onto the painting.
The blood was absorbed into the scroll.
"Whoosh!"
A faint red light enveloped the painting, and it floated up, landing in Zhang Ruochen's hand.
Despite the painting's weight of 800 pounds, it moved at his will, flying into his hand with a mere thought.
"Unbelievable! This painting must be a remarkable treasure, far beyond any ordinary weapon."
Now that he had become the painting's owner, Zhang Ruochen sensed the intricacy of the runes within it. It wasn't just spatial runes; it also contained ice, strength, earth, and fire runes, among many others—too numerous to count.
The Sumeru Saint, indeed one of the greatest sages of the ancient era, had crafted a painting that surpassed common understanding.
With a thought, Zhang Ruochen transformed the painting into a streak of white light, which then entered his Sacred Mark on his brow, settling into his qi pool.
The scroll hovered in the center of his qi pool, spinning gently, emitting a faint white glow.
"Whoosh!"
With another thought, Zhang Ruochen summoned the scroll from his qi pool, and it returned to his hand.
The voice in the painting said, "This painting is called the Divine Wood of Heaven and Earth Scroll. The paper was made from a leaf of the Connecting Heaven Divine Tree. The Sumeru Saint spent ten years and immense spiritual power to complete this painting."
"Young man, you can release me now, right?"
"Of course."
Although Zhang Ruochen said this, he remained cautious. He still didn't fully trust the cat.
Zhang Ruochen injected his True Qi into the scroll.
The painting emitted a white radiance, trembling lightly.
"Whoosh—"
A black light shot out from the painting, landing on the ground and transforming into a massive black cat over a meter tall.
The cat was as big as a pig, extremely plump, and covered in soft black fur. Its golden eyes were larger than Zhang Ruochen's fists.
Zhang Ruochen had seen cats before, but none this large or this fat.
"Haha! I'm finally out! Ten thousand years, ten thousand years!" The black cat spoke in a human voice, its tone bizarre.
Suddenly, the black cat bared its sharp fangs, its eyes gleaming with malice. It pounced at Zhang Ruochen, roaring, "Fool! I am the Emperor Who Slays Heaven and Earth! One swipe of my paw is enough to crush you! Haha!"
As it lunged, its claw aimed for Zhang Ruochen's neck with incredible speed, like a black blur.
Zhang Ruochen had been wary. As the cat swiped at him, he struck it in the face with his palm, causing it to yowl as its tongue flopped out of its mouth.
The cat flew backward, slamming into the boundary of the Time and Space Crystal's inner space before falling to the ground like a limp pig.
Zhang Ruochen glanced at his hand, then at the cat lying on the ground. He frowned slightly, "Are you really the Emperor Who Slays Heaven and Earth?"
The black cat pounded the ground with its paw and hissed, "Young man, how dare you doubt my power? If my cultivation hadn't been sealed within the scroll, taking your life would have been... wait... help... I was only joking earlier... I am benevolent and would never harm anyone... what are you... don't be rash..."
Zhang Ruochen grabbed the cat by its tail and dragged it to the center, pinning it down with his foot. Raising his Soul-Piercing Sword, he activated its runes, making the sword weigh 353 pounds.
"Fat cat, do you really think I'd trust your words?"
Zhang Ruochen gripped the sword with both hands, ready to thrust down.
A terrifying force erupted from the cat's body. It rolled over, dodging Zhang Ruochen's attack, and darted to a corner.
Its tail stood upright, and black light emanated from its body. "Young man, calm down. You must remain rational. I was merely testing your skills. If I truly intended to harm you, would you have had a chance to fight back?"
"Is that so?"
Zhang Ruochen approached, brandishing the Soul-Piercing Sword.
"Damn it, you really think I'm afraid of you? If you want a fight, I won't back down!"
The black cat extended its sharp claws, catching the sword. It let out a thunderous roar, "Meow!"