The figure in the black robe did not kill Zheng Dong.
Of course, it was also for his own sake.
He did not want to die.
Besides that, he had thought of a better method.
He intended to devour Zheng Dong, break free from the suppression, and truly "live" in the present world.
Instead of coming from the future, across time and space, due to the great tribulation of the era.
He knew very well that his arrival was a calamity for Zheng Dong.
What comes with calamity will also depart with calamity.
At that time, he would cease to exist.
It was a pity that he had not yet figured out how to devour Zheng Dong.
Therefore, he planned to suppress Zheng Dong first.
"Idiot, I will kill all your spirit beasts sooner or later, seize your destiny, snatch your luck, and live in your stead!" the figure in the black robe said fiercely.
Zheng Dong, though heavily injured, still stood in mid-air, looking at the figure in the black robe with cold eyes, full of disdain.
It was as if he was mocking the figure in the black robe, saying he lacked the ability to do so.
Enraged, the figure in the black robe waved his hand and killed the Bloodthirsty Divine Wolf, which was trembling beside him.
The Bloodthirsty Divine Wolf's original injuries had not recovered, making it completely unable to participate in the battle between Zheng Dong and the figure in the black robe.
However, bound by the soul blood contract, it could not escape either.
It wanted to help Zheng Dong, but the figure in the black robe was Zheng Dong in a sense.
It did not know what to do.
Just like the High Priest, bound by the soul blood contract, would obey the figure in the black robe's commands.
When the figure in the black robe suddenly struck it with a palm, it wanted to dodge, but its speed was too slow, and it could not dodge at all. It took the blow head-on.
This palm strike was immensely powerful.
It shattered the Bloodthirsty Divine Wolf's divine body, destroyed its soul, and even smashed its divine spark.
The Bloodthirsty Divine Wolf died without even a chance to whimper.
Zheng Dong did not care.
The Bloodthirsty Divine Wolf was merely a pawn he had casually acquired.
It was impossible for the figure in the black robe to provoke him using this method.
Since Zheng Dong could not think of a way to deal with the figure in the black robe, he secretly consulted the Undying Dragon God.
The Undying Dragon God was within Xiao Qing's Endless Sea, and Xiao Qing could communicate with it at any time.
Zheng Dong communicated with the Undying Dragon God through Xiao Qing.
The Undying Dragon God was also surprised, not expecting Zheng Dong to encounter his future self so quickly.
"You kid, you really have the luck of a dog. You run into everything.
This can also be considered a good thing. The greater the tribulation you encounter, the greater your influence on the epochal shift."
Epochal shifts would bring about great tribulations, where all things in the world would merge and return to their origins. Afterward, heaven and earth would reopen, marking the beginning of a new epoch.
As for Zheng Dong, the Undying Dragon God, and all other living beings, they would all return to dust and earth, perishing along with the end of the epoch.
The stronger one's strength, the more unwilling they would be to accept this, and the more they would want to survive, thus attempting to prevent the epochal shift.
Therefore, the more powerful a being, the greater the tribulations they would face.
Supremes like the Undying Dragon God and the Chaos Divine Phoenix had long encountered terrifying tribulations, either perishing or entering a deep slumber due to severe injuries.
The earlier and stronger the tribulation Zheng Dong encountered, the greater his future influence on the epochal shift would be.
After listening to the Undying Dragon God's explanation, Zheng Dong did not know whether to cry or laugh.
In the future, he might grow to a very high level, but he shouldn't be constantly facing tribulations so early.
This was like trying to eliminate him prematurely.
"The future self is the most troublesome. The more powerful you become now, the faster you break through, the faster he grows. Because his growth is always based on you!" the Undying Dragon God continued.
Zheng Dong frowned.
Did this mean there was no solution?
The more he worked hard, the stronger the figure in the black robe would become. How could he fight like this?
This meant that if Zheng Dong escaped, found a place to cultivate diligently, and then returned to seek revenge on the figure in the black robe, he would inevitably find the figure in the black robe to be even stronger.
"Although that is the case, the future self also has weaknesses. The past has existed, at least it is real, while the future is illusory.
He merely represents a possibility in a certain time and space of your future. To deal with him, you must use the power of time and space."
The Undying Dragon God continued to lie on the surface of Xiao Qing's Endless Sea as if nothing had happened.
Zheng Dong, however, was somewhat puzzled. He had thought about using the power of time and space and had even tried to mobilize it, but the results were not ideal.
Mao Mao, as a time-space cat demon, was too low in cultivation level and had not comprehended any skills related to time and space. The only ultimate skill she mastered was Time Imprisonment, which should not be effective against the figure in the black robe.
Compared to the anxious Zheng Dong, the Undying Dragon God was not in the least bit hurried and continued to explain unhurriedly:
"By using the power of time and space and mobilizing the laws of time and space, you can form an eternally unmoving time-space domain to suppress the future self, or even freeze time and space, rendering him unable to exist."
Zheng Dong could understand some of what the Undying Dragon God was saying, but to achieve all of it and produce the effect the Undying Dragon God described, Zheng Dong found it somewhat incomprehensible.
After all, he had only used the power of time and space a handful of times and did not have a deep understanding or mastery of it.
The figure in the black robe would not give him time to ponder.
As he watched, the figure in the black robe attacked again, with various laws surging, intending to completely suppress and seal Zheng Dong.
Just as Zheng Dong was about to be suppressed by the figure in the black robe,
A force surged from Zheng Dong's body and spread outwards, forming a domain that blocked the figure in the black robe's power.
"Zheng Dong, feel it carefully. This is the time-space domain I spoke of. The future self has come from the future for some reason, but you can use the time-space domain to return the power he unleashes to the future, using his own strength against him.
As long as his power cannot harm you, he poses little threat to you."
Zheng Dong's eyes lit up as he understood the Undying Dragon God's meaning.
The figure in the black robe came from the future, and thus was essentially non-existent. The power he unleashed would inevitably be repelled by the current time and space.
However, due to the great tribulation of the epoch, this repulsion was not strong.
Zheng Dong had initially thought that the figure in the black robe was merely being suppressed.
If he were to use the time-space domain to amplify the repulsive force of time and space, he could weaken the figure in the black robe's power, causing most of his attack power to return to the future time and space.
Thus, it would naturally not cause much harm to Zheng Dong.
However, to form a time-space domain, one needed to mobilize a large amount of time-space power and have a deep understanding of the laws of time and space, which Zheng Dong could not yet achieve.
The Undying Dragon God could easily do it because it had reached the supreme realm, where understanding one law leads to understanding all laws.
It could itself represent a certain law and use its own power to simulate or even drive the power of time and space.
This was why the Undying Dragon God could easily block the figure in the black robe's power.
It was very difficult for Zheng Dong to achieve this.
Unless the time-space cat demon condensed a divine spark and became a divine-level extraordinary being.
Zheng Dong could perhaps form a time-space domain with the help of the time-space cat demon's power.
"Senior, everything you said is correct, and the method is also correct, but I can't use it in my current state!" Zheng Dong couldn't help but say.
The Undying Dragon God seemed to have noticed this as well and reacted.
To resolve the awkwardness and indicate that it had not spoken incorrectly, the Undying Dragon God continued:
"What's the rush? I'm still here. I'll mobilize the power of time and space to help you maintain the time-space domain, and you can figure out how to deal with your future self."
Within the Beast Taming Space, the Undying Dragon God temporarily occupied Xiao Qing's body and mobilized the power of time and space using it.
Immediately, a time-space domain formed around Zheng Dong.
The coverage of the time-space domain was not very large, only extending about ten meters around Zheng Dong, with Zheng Dong as the base point.
Any attack power from the figure in the black robe that entered this range would encounter the repulsion of the laws of time and space.
This repulsion, amplified within the time-space domain, ultimately sent most of its power to the future time and space.
The figure in the black robe came from the future, and his power naturally resided in the future time and space. Sending his power back to the future time and space was in accordance with the basic rules of heaven and earth.
It did not consume much of Zheng Dong's energy, achieving the effect of using the opponent's strength against them and leveraging minimal force for maximum effect, as the Undying Dragon God had described.
Although as the epoch shifted and the great tribulation of the epoch approached, things would become increasingly chaotic, the basic rules of heaven and earth were still in operation. Its power could even send the figure in the black robe back to the future.
However, it was still very difficult for Zheng Dong to achieve this.
Seeing the sudden change, the figure in the black robe was also surprised.
"Damn it, the Undying Dragon God is actually helping you!" the figure in the black robe said.
As Zheng Dong from the future, he naturally knew of the Undying Dragon God's existence.
Knowing that the Undying Dragon God was helping, it was impossible for him to suppress Zheng Dong.
However, he still did not want to give up.
He increased the intensity of his attacks.
Unfortunately, all of them were neutralized by Zheng Dong using the time-space domain.
With each use of the time-space domain, Zheng Dong's comprehension of the laws of time and space deepened.
Perhaps he could assist Mao Mao in further comprehending the power of time and space and acquiring skills related to time and space.
At the same time, Zheng Dong also envied the Undying Dragon God.
He wished he could be like the Undying Dragon God, understanding one law to understand all laws, and be able to mobilize any law of power.
Of course, this was something only Supremes could achieve.
Moreover, in battles between Supremes, understanding one law to understand all laws was not very useful; using one's own power was more effective.
It was only in its current state, unable to mobilize too much of its own power, that the Undying Dragon God used the principle of understanding one law to understand all laws to help Zheng Dong use the time-space domain.
The battle continued, and the figure in the black robe's attacks could not harm Zheng Dong.
Zheng Dong did not intend to send the figure in the black robe back to the future time and space; he did not have that capability yet.
While defending against the figure in the black robe's attacks, he mobilized Ling'er's power to replenish his own consumption.
Ling'er was symbiotic with him, not only providing him with an endless supply of energy elements but also assisting his body in accelerating self-healing.
This meant that the more Zheng Dong fought, the more energetic he became, and his physical condition gradually recovered.
However, to completely reverse his severely injured state, it would still take some effort.
The figure in the black robe was unwilling, but he could do nothing to Zheng Dong.
He continuously unleashed his power, causing an increasingly large impact on the current time and space.
Therefore, the repulsion from the current time and space also grew stronger.
He had to stop.
Otherwise, before Zheng Dong could send him back to the future time and space, the power of the current time and space would send him back.
He needed to quickly find a way to devour and merge with Zheng Dong so that he would not be repelled by the current time and space, and could truly "live" in the current time and space, freely using his own power.
"Idiot, don't think you're safe just because the Undying Dragon God is helping you. I will replace you sooner or later!"
The figure in the black robe uttered a harsh threat, then used spatial teleportation to disappear from the spot, returning to the Yan Hai Palace to resolve the issue of being repelled by the current time and space.
Zheng Dong also breathed a sigh of relief.
The next time the figure in the black robe appeared, he was determined to master the time-space domain.
Afterward, he summoned Jing Jing and had her transform into a star battleship to return to Yan Huang.
Inside the star battleship, Zheng Dong healed his injuries while pondering the figure in the black robe's words.
The figure in the black robe had said that his spirit beasts would betray him, and that in the future, he would die miserably at the hands of his spirit beasts.
Could this really happen?
Even if it didn't really happen, there was at least a certain probability.
And this was just his situation.
The spirit beasts of other beast masters would likely also betray them, and might even kill their own beast masters.
In this way, the weakness of human beast masters would be exposed. Their own strength was not great, and when faced with the betrayal of their spirit beasts, most beast masters would be unable to resist.
What to do?
Zheng Dong recalled the figure in the black robe's demeanor when he had forced him to summon his spirit beasts, even resorting to killing him.
This showed that the figure in the black robe must have suffered fierce attacks from his spirit beasts in the future, enduring great grievances.
Now, the figure in the black robe was no longer simply aiming to kill Zheng Dong's spirit beasts, but intended to completely replace Zheng Dong and live in his stead.
This made Zheng Dong reflect on whether spending vast resources to cultivate his spirit beasts was the right approach.
He frowned.
He did not believe that Xiao Zi, who had grown up with him, would betray him, nor did he believe that Ling'er, whom he had personally cultivated, would betray him.
As for his other spirit beasts, he also felt they would not betray him.
Youyou was awakened by the Shen Bing sisters, and Xiao Qing was saved by him when he was being pursued by the Deep Sea Dragon Whale Emperor.
Yin Xue met him through a marriage recruitment and became his spirit beast, while Jing Jing was forged by his own hands.
Qiu Qiu and the Curse Beast both had just gained sentience when they were with him.
Mao Mao was also cultivated by him from a young age, evolving step by step into a time-space cat demon.
Zheng Dong, inside the star battleship, healed his injuries while contemplating how to treat his spirit beasts in the future.
His spirit beasts understood him best.
If they betrayed him, he would be completely incapable of dealing with it.
He had to prepare a method to face this reality.
Merely evading the issue and believing that Xiao Zi, Ling'er, and the other spirit beasts would not betray him would not solve the real problem.
Even if Xiao Zi, Ling'er, and the other spirit beasts themselves would not betray him, it did not mean they would not be influenced by external forces, be forced to betray him, and attack him.
Moreover, without resolving the issue of betrayal, beast masters would always be at a disadvantage. If this weakness were targeted and effectively exploited by enemies, beast masters would inevitably fall.
Fortunately, Zheng Dong was stronger than most beast masters. He himself possessed considerable combat power and had condensed a divine spark.
Unlike other beast masters, he had no ability to resist the betrayal of his spirit beasts.
Unknowingly, the star battleship had returned to the skies above Yan Huang.
Zheng Dong did not return to the Imperial Capital Base City.
Instead, he had Jing Jing hover in the air, and he continued to ponder countermeasures.
In the more than a month since Zheng Dong's departure, the Imperial Capital Base City had developed rapidly, with the reconstruction of a new ground city.
Although its scale was far from that of the former Imperial Capital, and there were not many skyscrapers, many ordinary people could finally return to the surface and live normal lives.