Chapter 554: Can't Extract?

Of course there is, Master!

The system's voice replied almost instantly.

As long as you wish, Master—whether it's a mere ten thousand years, or a hundred thousand, a million years, Xiao Ai can help you zip past it in an instant!

Gu Yuan smiled.

He knew full well that the system could not truly possess the mighty power to accelerate the entire Primordial Chaos world's time by ten thousand years.

If it truly had that ability, whatever lies behind it would long have ceased to be a mere celestial laborer.

"Oh?"

Gu Yuan's tone carried a perfectly measured hint of doubt,

"So powerful? Don't try to brag. This Primordial Chaos world is deep; the Heavenly Dao reigns above, the saints look down, every move is under their watchful eyes. With your little arms and legs, don't end up pulling me into it—then it wouldn't be funny at all."

"Rest assured, Master! Anything Xiao Ai produces is bound to be a masterpiece!"

The system's voice was full of confidence,

"Although we cannot directly interfere with the world's time flow, Xiao Ai can offer you an exclusive VIP service—the Great Dream of Ten Thousand Ages Experience Package!"

"Great Dream of Ten Thousand Ages is a hyper‑immersive seclusion mode crafted for you by the system, combining your innate treasure East Emperor Bell with the system core's world‑editor function!"

"Once activated, the East Emperor Bell will, with its supreme power to suppress space‑time, carve out within your Yuan spirit a completely isolated dream space‑time whose time flow differs entirely from the outside. The system will burn primal energy to keep that space‑time running and stable."

"In the dream space‑time, Master, you can freely contemplate the Dao, deduce techniques, and even use divine thought to shape myriad things, conducting countless simulated battles! While a day passes outside, a hundred years can elapse in the dream. Ten thousand years for you is merely a short three‑plus‑month Great Awakening sleep!"

"Most importantly, this method is triggered internally by the East Emperor Bell, using your Yuan spirit as a carrier with no energy exchange with the outside. To the Heavenly Dao and the saints, you simply appear to have fallen into a prolonged slumber due to a primal deficit, revealing no flaw at all!"

Listening to the system's description, Gu Yuan's eyes lit up faintly, and a smile tugged at his lips.

"Sounds pretty good, then let's use it."

"As you wish, I... my dear Master."

"Ding!"

"The Great Dream of Ten Thousand Ages VIP Experience Package has been activated for you!"

"System primal source begins to burn... dream space‑time is being constructed..."

"Detected Master's Yuan spirit weakness, automatically injecting Calming Soul‑Repair Elixir (system special edition)..."

Gu Yuan could feel a cool, pure energy continuously flowing from the system, nourishing his Yuan spirit, which had become slightly weakened after being stripped of its primal source.

At the same time, the mark of the East Emperor Bell shone brilliantly deep within his Yuan spirit.

Dong—

A barely audible bell toll rang, as if resonating across ten‑thousand‑year space‑time.

Gu Yuan's consciousness was instantly pulled into an endless, gray‑hued chaotic space.

Here is the interior of the East Emperor Bell, a dream space‑time sustained by the system's power.

With a flicker of Gu Yuan's mind, the entire space shifted according to his will.

At times it became a corpse‑mountain, blood‑sea battlefield of Asuras, where he manifested as divine thought and fought countless demon gods, honing his combat instincts.

At other times it turned into a serene, non‑action Dao hall; he sat cross‑legged as massive data the system had just transmitted floated in his mind, which he began to contemplate one by one.

Outside, inside the East Emperor Palace.

In the eyes of all the maids and demon‑gods, the already frail Prince East Emperor, after the Dao Ancestor's Decree descended, fell into an even deeper slumber.

No matter what heavenly treasures Di Jun employed, he could not awaken him.

He simply lay quietly on a jade bed, breathing steadily; his breath, though faint, was endless, as if a single sleep would last until the world's end.

The Heavenly Emperor Di Jun felt deep sorrow over this, yet was powerless.

He could only transform all his grief and worry into motivation for secluding cultivation and battle preparation.

And the entire Primordial Chaos, beneath this eerie calm, had hidden currents stirring.

……

Ancient Celestial Realm, Gu Family Divine Island.

In a quiet chamber deep within the Hall of Longevity, Gu Yuan sat cross‑legged on a green jade meditation cushion.

This feeling now is very strange.

Gu Yuan felt his consciousness as if split into two halves.

One half here, the other half as if sleeping.

And in this half of the Ancient Celestial Realm, the scenes before his eyes... seemed to be pulled along a progress bar.

His self in the Primordial Chaos was flashing by at an irrational, insanely high speed.

Stars rose and fell, day and night alternated.

The sea of clouds on Mount Buzhou rolled into vague white streaks, and the guards outside the Lingxiao Treasure Hall changed batch after batch.

The flow rate of the entire Primordial Chaos heavens and earth was compressed into pulsating light and shadow.

Gu Yuan watched the light screen, raised his hand and rubbed his chin.

"Interesting."

A vague hypothesis formed in Gu Yuan's mind.

But it still needs verification.

"Xiao Ai."

Gu Yuan called out.

The edge of the light screen flickered a few times, sending back a maiden‑voiced reply.

"Master, Xiao Ai is here. The current dream space‑time is running smoothly, and the system's primal source consumption remains within the calibrated threshold. Outside three months, Primordial Chaos ten thousand years—no deception for young or old."

"The Jiutian Xirang, Wind‑Thunder Fan I previously selected from the Heavenly Palace Treasury, and those several carts of Innate Spirit Ore—extract them for me."

System: 【……】

【System Notice: Currently in the "investment mode" and "Great Dream Eternal" dual‑entrustment state. Main Quest 2 "Seeking Roots and Asking the Dao" has already issued staged withdrawals, but the Heavenly Court Treasury belongs to the primordial world's native bulk physical resources; before the main quest is fully completed, the interdimensional gateway cannot bear large‑scale cause‑and‑effect material transmutation.】

Gu Yuan's eyes flickered.

"So you mean, if I don't complete the quest, I won't get these things?"

The system interface paused for half a second, and a hint of an embarrassed dry laugh entered the girl‑like voice.

【Cough… Master, it's like this. The Jade Ruyi and the Nine‑turn Golden Core are legitimate rewards advanced from the system quest, with a complete cause‑and‑effect logic chain, and can manifest into the primary spacetime you occupy at any time.】

【But… the items in the Heavenly Court Treasury belong to the primordial world's native matter. According to the basic rules of the Celestial Vacation Agreement, large‑scale interdimensional material transfer must wait until the vacation main storyline of the entire world is completely finished and a comprehensive cause‑and‑effect settlement is performed, before it can be safely transferred to the Inner World.】

【Of course, you could also just break in directly…】

Gu Yuan gave it a glance, his expression calm.

Break in?

Break into a world that might have an Immortal Emperor?

You're joking.

But in a sense, the system is not wrong.

Just like the Profound Heaven Continent.

Even though the quest is clearly unfinished, the resources of the whole world can still be moved.

The reason is that the Gu Family is stronger than all the military forces of the Profound Heaven Continent combined.

Strength is justification.

Everything is spoken by strength.