My health recovery is incredibly fast.

As always, the golden finger remained silent.

Xia Zuo was already used to it, and he continued:

"You just explained that the timeline is anchored to the current physical body, and anything that happened in this body can be viewed using the spacetime phase simulator. But why can't I see what happened before I traveled here? Why is the starting point of the [past] timeline the moment I woke up in the underground cell?"

The golden finger still hasn't responded.

"Sigh..." Xia Zuo sighed helplessly, and could only temporarily give up searching for the past.

Fortunately, the spacetime phase simulator provides spacetime information about the underground prison. Xia Zuo can find an opportunity to go to the corresponding location in reality to read historical images and thus uncover the secrets of time travel.

His consciousness tapped a few times on the spacetime phase manipulation interface, selecting the [Future] timeline.

The [Space-Time Phase Status Bar] immediately refreshed with "999+" options, providing him with at least a thousand [Future] timelines to view.

Faced with a vast array of options, Xia Zuo suffered from decision paralysis.

He hesitated for a moment, then decided to start looking at the timeline numbered [Future.1].

The ratio of time in the phase simulator to real time is 6000:1, giving him ample time to see what his future might hold.

Yeah, right...

After examining the first [future] timeline, Xia Zuo realized he was wrong...

In the past timeline, if he wanted to speed up the simulation or skip certain boring parts, he could adjust the progress bar.

However, within the [future] timeline, he can only experience the [future] at a maximum speed of 1x, and he cannot control "Xia Zuo" within the timeline; he can only watch the simulation process as an observer.

Even with a high percentage of time flow, it might still take him several weeks of real time to see the end of a certain "future" timeline, which is the end of his own time.

The thought of having thousands of future timelines made Xia Zuo feel a bit dazed.

So we need to find a way to select the key future timelines for review.

Alternatively, increase the playback speed of the "future" timeline.

"Golden finger, how can I increase the playback speed to 10 times, or even 100 times?" Xia Zuo asked.

Like a silent, unassuming person with a golden touch, he unexpectedly provided the answer:

“By absorbing more spacetime laws, we can increase the playback speed.”

Xia Zuo thought for a moment and then asked:

"Can the laws of spacetime be quantified? How do I absorb the laws of spacetime? Is it by transforming the sands of time in nature into mine?"

The silent, cheat-like ability of the Silent One has stopped speaking. Unless it's a statement that starts with "The host has been detected doing this and that," its messages are always incomplete and never finish their sentence.

Xia Zuo was furious about the cheat-like ability's bad habits, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Then you'll just have to figure out the patterns in the future timeline yourself...

Xia Zuo was not without ideas in this regard.

The imminent crisis is caused by the faceless people.

Five days have passed since the deal was struck with the Faceless Man, leaving approximately 25 days remaining.

Based on a time flow rate of 6000:1, Xia Zuo only needs... well... 360 seconds of real time to see what will happen in the next 25 days.

All told, from now until midnight tonight, Xia Zuo can watch about 80 [future] timelines over the next 25 days.

If we're lucky, we might find a good way to break out of the current predicament.

Xia Zuo thought for a moment and decided to tell the little golden thorn flower guarding the real world that he might stay here for a whole day.

Disband the [Space-Time Phase Simulator], and Xia Zuo's figure appears amidst the rapidly fading seven-colored light.

He looked down at the remaining colorful spots of light on his body, a genuine joy spreading across his face.

"Melina, I did it!" Shazo laughed heartily. "I know what the Faceless Man's special spacetime ability is now. Thank you for reminding me. I'll stay here a little longer today to experiment with my new ability."

The little golden chaste tree twisted its branch and said:

"Congratulations! I never thought it would actually succeed, it's unbelievable! You can stay here as long as you want, I'm just taking a nap."

"Okay, go to sleep." Xia Zuo reached into his alchemy pouch, took out a few potions, poured them onto the glass dome, and gave the little golden thorn flower, who was about to fall asleep, some water and nutrients.

The little golden chaste tree closed its buds in the rain and stood quietly in the culture jar, its "head" swaying rhythmically like a sleeping human.

Xia Zuo walked lightly to the open space, summoned the spacetime container again, and viewed his future in [Silent Mode].

Chapter 30 Predicting the Optimal Solution for the Future

(Note: Xia Zuo without quotation marks represents Xia Zuo in the present timeline. Xia Zuo with quotation marks represents Xia Zuo in the future timeline.)

Timeline from [Future.1] to [Future.14]:

In these 14 future timelines, "Shazo" will be approached by the court within 5 to 15 days.

"Xia Zuo" will be reviewed by the court for several illegal activities and will ultimately be sentenced to life imprisonment and lose his status as a mage for several serious crimes.

These serious crimes include: illegally using magical clones, poaching and stealing rare monsters and creatures, developing and manufacturing controlled alchemical items without authorization, illegally concealing controlled alchemical items, illegally tracking temple members and collecting personal information, etc.

In these future timelines, "Xia Zuo" was captured in the cave where he was currently located. The evidence was conclusive, and he was caught red-handed. Therefore, when facing the re-interrogation by the Tribunal, the cheat code did not activate the intelligent shielding mode. "Xia Zuo" could only watch helplessly as he was stripped of his status as a member of the Temple by the Tribunal.

He will hear news of the tragic deaths of the pure-blood mage faction while in prison, after which he will remain imprisoned in the frozen snowfields.

All of this is because the Faceless Ones have spies lurking in the Starry Night Kingdom.

Three senior alchemists, who were the Faceless Man's subordinates in the Western Continent, held key positions that involved the control of the transportation and storage of alchemical materials. They regularly reported to the Faceless Man on the situation in the Western Continent, with the most recent report coming in four days.

These three have been added to Xia Zuo's kill list.

Timeline from [Future 15] to [Future 36]:

This is the timeline of when Rexol came knocking on their door.

After being forcibly incorporated into military operations by the Holy Mark Department, the Demon Hunter School has been serving the Temple army. The Demon Hunter Masters have transformed from Temple inspectors into the backbone of tracking controlled materials, controlled tools, illegal private armies, and the smuggling of controlled goods.

Around the third day, the Demon Hunter School became aware of "Shazo's" recent activities. They could have reported this directly to the Holy Rune Department and the Mystic Guild, but considering that "Shazo" was currently cooperating with the Mystics and had a good relationship with the Demon Hunter School, Rexor became the intermediary between the Demon Hunter School and Shazo.

As long as "Shazo" ceases all illegal activities and surrenders or destroys the controlled items, Rexol can guarantee that nothing will happen. Shazo's own identity and status, as well as Beatrice, the Golden Bauhinia Association, and others who provide him with convenience, will not be punished.

In these future timelines, "Shazo" tries to persuade Rexol with different reasons to allow him to retain a portion of the controlled goods for self-preservation.

Rexol's attitude changed significantly depending on the reasons he used.

By citing the safety of the pureblood mage faction, one can gain Rexor's sympathy. Out of guilt towards the pureblood mage faction and trust in Shazor, Rexor will allow Shazor to keep several blood magic chain sword traps.

If, on this basis, "Shazo" promises Rexor that he will capture the lawless Faceless Man, then the bald man will make him leave behind a blood magic chain sword trap and a half-finished mid-to-long-range alchemical missile.

In these timelines, the number of heavy weapons that "Xia Zuo" possessed was greatly reduced, which was not the future Xia Zuo wanted. Therefore, he did not spend much time trying to see if he could defeat the Faceless Man with only a small number of heavy weapons.

His focus was on how to evade the Demon Hunter School's investigation, and by following the clues, he found the Demon Hunter School's spies planted in the Starry Night Kingdom in a future timeline.

Xia Zuo has already considered how to deal with it.

Timeline from [Future.37] to [Future.62]:

These future timelines are very, very special.

In these timelines, out of caution, "Xia Zuo" went ahead to investigate the distribution channels of the self-purchased controlled items and found three informants of the faceless man.

After a conversation, the faceless man's magical clone appeared in front of "Xia Zuo" and advised "Xia Zuo" not to defy the temple's laws, especially not to oppose the temple's laws while possessing the temple's light element, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable.

After rounds of conversations filled with manipulative tactics, the "Xia Zuo" in these timelines, due to excessive psychological pressure, chose to surrender to the Faceless Man within the next 10 to 22 days, willingly leading the pure-blooded mage faction to join the Wild Elemental side.

Isn't this a disgrace?

I feel so sorry for Christo and the others for their trust.

Isn't this like throwing a lamb to the slaughter?

When Xia Zuo first looked at these timelines, that was indeed what he thought.

Things took a turn for the better after joining the Faceless Men!

In order to gain Xia Zuo's complete trust, the faceless man used the spell [Chaos Command] to condense a chaotic container, teaching Xia Zuo how to transform the existing temple elements into wild elements without a crystal shell.

These things are definitely the most valuable part of this future simulation!

To condense a chaotic container, chaotic elements are needed. These are extremely rare elements, and wild chaotic elements are only generated in nature when the thoughts of living beings touch upon the true meaning of chaos.

Almost all the wild Chaos Elements were collected by the Holy Rune Department, made into Temple Chaos Elements, and placed in the magma of the Great Volcano to condense into Temple Chaos Containers.

The faceless man retained some wild chaotic elements. Only with these wild chaotic elements without crystal shells could Xia Zuo condense his own chaotic container. This was a hard limitation.

Since Xia Zuo didn't want to join the Faceless Man faction in reality, he could only skip the process of condensing his own Chaos Container and directly convert the Temple Elements into Wild Elements.

He had to break free from the shackles of the light element as soon as possible; it was like a sneaky peeping tom monitoring his thoughts and ideas.

The method for converting temple elements into wild elements is simpler than Xia Zuo had imagined.

This method requires the use of an elemental phenomenon that mages are extremely familiar with:

The elements escape.

The wild elements, encased in a crystal shell, yearn for freedom; they seize every opportunity to escape the spellcaster's spiritual ocean and return to nature.

The temple's theory of meditation constantly warns casters to be wary of elemental dissipation, which can lead to a decline in strength and, in severe cases, damage the spiritual ocean, harming thought and consciousness.

In a future timeline, the Faceless Man reveals to Shazo a secret buried by the Temple:

When the temple elements dissipate and return to nature through the chaos container, at the moment the crystal shell collides with the chaos container, there is a high probability that the crystal shell will be completely destroyed, and the temple elements will be transformed into wild elements at that moment.

This is due to the chaotic nature of chaotic containers.

For this reason, regardless of the specific meditation method, all of them invariably teach the caster to gently cut the inner wall of the chaotic container with temple elements—if too much force is used, the crystal shell of the temple elements will shatter, and the wild elements that escape from it will immediately dissipate into the natural world.

This process is extremely fast, almost instantaneous, creating the illusion that the elements have dissipated because the meditation method was not followed, thus deceiving all the temple mages who had not carefully observed the phenomenon of element dissipation.

In the future timeline, in order to prove his point, the Faceless Man repeatedly demonstrated to the surrendered "Shazo" the process of the temple elements dissipating into the natural world.

This provides a learning model for Xia Zuo in real life.

Xia Zuo memorized this method and decided to try it after reviewing all 80 future timelines as originally planned.

Timeline from [Future.63] to [Future.80]:

These 18 future timelines are quite interesting.

These timelines were created after Xia Zuo in reality decided to transform the Temple Light Element into the Temple Wild Element.