When Luo Wei entered the Cave of Time, the pool of the Water of True Vision came into view.
It was crystal clear and appeared unremarkable at first glance. However, after witnessing the sacrificial ceremony of the dragon, he was deeply aware of the true power hidden within this pool.
To be precise, the power lay in the Norn Spirits residing within the water.
"I don't know what the origin of these Norn Spirits is..." Luo Wei mused silently.
After circling the pool a few times, he found a position closest to the sand at the bottom. He looked around cautiously, took a deep breath, and found that his palms were already sweating involuntarily.
In the end, gritting his teeth, Luo Wei quickly gulped down the Swiftness Potion in his left hand and the Agility Potion in his right.
The potions took effect almost instantly. Luo Wei felt his entire body heat up, his movements become incredibly light, and his speed increase dramatically.
One second.
Only one second!
He steadied himself, focused, and then kicked off from the edge of the pool, leaping into the water.
"Pfft!"
Just as he was about to hit the surface, he summoned the Holy Deed within his heart.
Holy Shield!
Spell fragments flashed and disappeared. Simultaneously, a layer of rune-engraved holy light enveloped his entire body, entering the invincible state of the Holy Shield.
Unsurprisingly, although Luo Wei felt a tremendous force trying to seize him upon entering the water, this force could not penetrate the Holy Shield. It was firmly pushed away, unable to erode his body.
Thanks to the Agility and Swiftness Potions, his speed was far superior to most in Asgard. In an instant, he reached the bottom of the pool. With both hands, he scooped up a large pile of the Sand of Time and clutched it tightly to his chest.
Immediately afterward, Luo Wei kicked off the bottom of the pool once more, shooting toward the surface like an arrow released from a bowstring.
"Boom!"
Almost simultaneously, after exactly one second, the rune holy light of the Holy Shield dissipated.
"Wow—"
The Water of True Vision, disturbed, began to surge violently. The previously calm pool transformed into a roiling, boiling mass.
"What's going on!"
The guards outside the cave responded to the disturbance.
Terrified, Luo Wei dared not linger. Harnessing the full effects of the quick potion, he sprinted out of the Cave of Time.
A guard rushing into the cave collided with him and was knocked down directly.
Though they hadn't fully grasped what had happened, they instinctively knew something was wrong and immediately shouted: "Chase him! Chase!"
However, Luo Wei had already consumed another dose of potion. Against ordinary Protoss, there was no way they could catch up to him.
The guards pursued him for a few steps but soon lost sight of him when Luo Wei disappeared around a corner.
Several guards froze on the spot, overwhelmed and unsure of how to react.
"What just happened?" one of them blurted out.
Hearing the commotion, more guards rushed over. A leader approached and demanded, "What happened here?"
The guards stationed at the Time Cave looked at each other in confusion, unable to answer.
"Wow-wow!"
At that moment, the surging of the Water of True Vision intensified. A large vortex formed at the center of the pool, and the momentum was terrifying.
"Quickly! Notify the Duke!"
---
Meanwhile, Luo Wei, after sprinting into an empty alley, stopped to catch his breath. Panting heavily, he inspected his arms.
Some of the Sands of Time had been lost along the way, but the amount he managed to secure was more than enough to create the Talent Mixtures he needed — at least ten batches.
Carefully, he transferred the Sands of Time into a container and stored it within his Sanctuary space.
The Holy Deed had become stained, but not because it was damaged. The immortal iron layer had merely been corroded by the Water of True Vision. Fortunately, Luo Wei had anticipated this and had already camouflaged the Holy Deed earlier to prevent his identity from being exposed.
He blew gently on the Holy Deed, and all the stains vanished without a trace.
After collecting the Sands of Time, Luo Wei ran a while longer, then removed his disguise — the appearance of a soldier from Flash Gold Town — and returned to his true form, donning clean clothes.
Stepping out of the deserted alleyway, he stayed alert, his gaze sweeping his surroundings vigilantly before merging into the flow of the crowd.
Minutes later, he arrived at a bustling area filled with lively chatter and laughter. At last, the tight knot in his heart loosened.
"Phew—"
"Luo Wei!"
A sudden voice startled him once again.
Turning his head, Luo Wei saw Bart approaching.
Today's Bart was different from usual. He was embracing a beautiful woman, clearly drunk, his cheeks flushed red, and his signature mustache appearing even more flamboyant.
"It's Bart. Long time no see." Luo Wei forced a relaxed smile, trying to suppress the nervousness still lingering within him.
Bart laughed heartily: "Is that your idea of cold humor?"
Only then did Luo Wei realize they hadn't seen each other for only a few days. He smiled awkwardly and quickly changed the subject: "Who's this beautiful lady?"
"My beloved Ina!" Bart exclaimed, wrapping his arm around the woman proudly. "Met her three days ago — love at first sight! We've even decided on the name for our child."
He turned his drunken gaze to Ina and asked, "What was our son's name again? Hiccup."
"Oh yes, Fandral..."
---
Back at the Time Cave.
The Duchess Norn, Karnilla, Queen Frigga, and numerous attendants had all gathered, their expressions grave. Though the Water of True Vision had calmed slightly, it remained turbulent.
"You said the man jumped out of the water and ran away?" Karnilla questioned a guard sharply.
The guard, drenched in cold sweat, replied, "Yes... We don't know what he did inside."
"Was he injured?" Karnilla pressed.
"We didn't see clearly... But he ran very fast, almost like he was flying. I suppose he's fine?" the guard answered uncertainly.
Karnilla was about to ask more when the Duchess raised her hand.
"Let us consult the Norn Spirit," she said.
Karnilla nodded and ordered: "Everyone, leave the cave."
Only the Duke of Norn and his daughter remained.
"Wow..."
The water in the pool surged again, and soon the shimmering light of the Norn Spirit appeared, standing atop the surface, flickering softly.
"Spirit of Norn, tell us — what happened just now?" Duke Norn asked solemnly.
"An intruder," the Norn Spirit responded. This time, its voice was no longer calm but filled with a rare fluctuation — it sounded shaken.
"Intruder?"
"An intruder of fate," the Spirit continued. "He was shrouded in a power I cannot comprehend. A force so potent it isolated me... isolated time and space... even... isolated fate itself."
---
Meanwhile, Luo Wei had quickly ended his conversation with Bart after exchanging a few pleasantries.
He returned home, finally able to rest briefly.
Once he had calmed himself, Luo Wei took out the Sands of Time from the Sanctuary space and transferred them into a crystal bottle used for preserving medicines.
One full bottle.
At first glance, the Sands of Time resembled ordinary sand. However, upon closer inspection, they shimmered faintly, exuding a mysterious power.
Placing the crystal vial on the Talent Mixture Recipe...
[Replacement degree of Sand of Time: 96%! ]
Seeing this identification result, Luo Wei couldn't help but smile.
He had finally gathered it.
At long last, he possessed all nine ingredients for the Talent Mixture!
PS :
JOIN MY PATREON TO READ ADVANCE CHAPTERS
We're already at Chapter 180 on Patreon!
▶ patreon.com/HACKDWORLD ◀