Fat Old Man: "????"
Upon hearing Lin Yuan’s question, the fat old man had a speechless expression.
"You little guy, not very old, but quite forgetful."
"Didn’t I just tell you? I’m not human, I’m the Array Spirit of this Returning Ruins Arena."
"As for how long I’ve lived, I don’t remember anymore."
"For as long as the Returning Ruins have existed, I’ve lived." It seemed the fat old man hadn’t chatted with anyone for a long time; even though he thought Lin Yuan’s questions were pointless, he still chatted with him enthusiastically.
Lin Yuan: "????"
After hearing the fat old man’s response, Lin Yuan also had a puzzled expression.
Because, for Lin Yuan, the fat old man’s answer was equivalent to no answer at all.
He’s lived for as long as the Returning Ruins have existed.
The issue is, Lin Yuan also doesn’t know how long the Returning Ruins have existed!
Not to mention how long the Returning Ruins have existed, Lin Yuan doesn’t even know what the Returning Ruins are.
He hasn’t even figured out the Void yet!
Let alone the Returning Ruins.
Lin Yuan seemed to realize that the fat old man hadn’t talked to anyone in a long time, so he was quite talkative now.
This was a perfect opportunity for Lin Yuan!
It was the right moment to get some information out of the fat old man.
Thinking of this, Lin Yuan decided to probe deeply: "Senior, then how long have the Returning Ruins been around?"
How long have the Returning Ruins been around?
Lin Yuan’s question made the fat old man fall into deep thought.
It seemed Lin Yuan’s question finally had some depth, no longer the boring ones before.
The fat old man pondered for a long time, seemingly carefully considering how to answer Lin Yuan’s question.
After thinking for a long time, the fat old man seemed to have found an answer.
He looked up at Lin Yuan and said, "This question has a long story. If I were to explain it in detail, I’m afraid it would take three days and nights."
"How about this, I’ll tell you through a song."
"I’m very good at singing. When I’m bored, I rely on singing to pass the time."
After saying this, the fat old man started singing passionately.
"First came the Void, then Heaven and Earth; Returning Ruins existed before the Void..."
Regarding the fat old man’s singing, Lin Yuan thought it was even more unbearable than that guy who sings like he’s performing a ritual.
As bad as it was, Lin Yuan caught the meaning of the song.
The meaning was that the Void came first, then Heaven and Earth, while the Returning Ruins existed before the Void.
"Senior, what’s the relationship between Heaven and Earth, the Void, and the Returning Ruins?" Lin Yuan asked again.
Fat Old Man: "????"
The fat old man had a puzzled expression once more; this question stumped him.
What is the relationship between Heaven and Earth, the Void, and the Returning Ruins?
To tell the truth, throughout the countless years, the fat old man had never thought about this question.
One must admit, Lin Yuan’s questions were becoming increasingly deep and thought-provoking.
This time, the fat old man pondered even longer.
After a good dozen minutes, the fat old man wore an enlightened expression.
He slapped his thigh, exclaimed, "I know, I know."
The fat old man asked Lin Yuan, "Kid, have you ever seen a ’cicada’?"
"Naturally, I’ve seen one," Lin Yuan answered.
The fat old man asked again, "Do you know about ’cicada molts’?"
"Of course." Lin Yuan answered again.
The fat old man explained, "The current Heaven and Earth are like a big ’cicada’, and the Returning Ruins are its first discarded ’cicada molt’."
"The Void is its second discarded ’cicada molt’."
With the fat old man’s explanation, Lin Yuan immediately understood.
However, he still hadn’t said how long the Returning Ruins have specifically existed.
Perhaps the fat old man didn’t remember.
Or perhaps, in the Returning Ruins, time is irrelevant, and there’s no concept of years.
Since this question couldn’t be clarified, Lin Yuan didn’t dwell on it too much.
He shifted to a brand-new question: "Senior, why can only four Tier One powerhouses be born in the Void?"
"Even Heaven and Earth can only give birth to one Tier One powerhouse."
"So, how many Tier One powerhouses were there in the Returning Ruins?"
This question seemed much simpler.
This time, the fat old man answered straight away without thinking, "Currently, there are no Tier One powerhouses in the Returning Ruins. As the first discarded ’cicada molt’, the leftover power in the Returning Ruins has been exhausted."
"Once upon a time, there were dozens of Tier One powerhouses in the Returning Ruins."
"However, as the energy in the Returning Ruins ran out, they all returned to dust."
"I’m not as strong as you think, just skillfully using some rules of the Returning Ruins as constraints."
"As for why the Void can only produce four Tier One powerhouses, it’s the same reason. As the second discarded ’cicada molt’, there’s not much energy left in the Void; creating four Tier One powerhouses is its limit."
The fat old man’s answer seemed logical on the surface but was full of flaws when considered carefully.
Following this logic, Heaven and Earth are essentially the ’cicada’ itself.
By that reasoning, the power of Heaven and Earth should far surpass the ability to produce just one Yin Celestial Son Tier One powerhouse, shouldn’t it?
"Senior, isn’t that incorrect?"
"According to your logic, shouldn’t the power ceiling of Heaven and Earth be stronger than the Void?" Lin Yuan voiced his thoughts.
Hearing this, the fat old man chuckled and replied, "Yes, the power ceiling of Heaven and Earth is indeed stronger than the Void’s."
"In the era of the Sui Ren Clan, there could simultaneously exist dozens, even hundreds, of human Tier One powerhouses. Back then, humans were able to counterattack into the Void, even reaching the Returning Ruins."
"But as time passed, the power of Heaven and Earth weakened, and the number of Tier One powerhouses they could produce dwindled."
"Until now, only one Tier One powerhouse can be born in Heaven and Earth."
"The current Heaven and Earth are extremely frail. Any guesses why?"
This time, the fat old man didn’t directly answer Lin Yuan’s question but instead turned it back on him.
It seemed the fat old man was testing Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan fell into contemplation, recalling every word the fat old man had said to him.
Undoubtedly, the correct answer to this question was hidden within the information the fat old man had conveyed.
Otherwise, there’d be no point in him asking this question.
After thinking it over, Lin Yuan found what he thought was the right answer: "Cicada molt, the cicada is molting."
"Heaven and Earth will become its third discarded cicada molt."
After expressing his answer, Lin Yuan looked at the fat old man with bright eyes.
Lin Yuan wanted to know if his answer was correct.
According to the fat old man’s logic, his analysis was reasonable, and the answer was correct.
This ’cicada’, with each molt, leaves behind less and less power.
Thus, the Void can birth four Tier Ones, while Heaven and Earth can only birth one.
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