The golden light from the young disciple and grieving son swirled around Yun Lintian, merging into his being. Memories of their struggles, their failures, their fleeting moments of joy—all flowed into him like a river merging with the sea.
The old ruler was the last to remain, his form already beginning to fade.
"You have our experiences now," he said, his voice growing distant. "Our regrets. Our hopes." A faint smile touched his lips. "Use them well."
Yun Lintian nodded. "I will."
The old ruler's figure flickered, like a candle in the wind. "One last warning—Nian Shi is not just a god of time. He is time itself given form. To defeat him, you must do what none of us could."
"What?" Yun Lintian asked.
"Rewrite fate."
With those final words, the old ruler dissolved into golden light, merging with Yun Lintian.
Silence.
Yun Lintian stood alone in the wasteland, the weight of countless lifetimes pressing upon his soul. He closed his eyes, absorbing their lessons, their warnings.
