In the underground palace of the Woodland Kingdom, moonlight poured down from the cave on the top of the prison and solidified into a radiating beam of light.

In the light column, all the particles that should have been floating in the night wind were frozen, including visible dust and invisible particles.

Legolas' handsome face was frozen in an expression of fear. The sadness in the eyes of the Elf King Thranduil outside the cell was vivid. Lin Zhongtian's clone beside him and the Seal of the Void emitting silver light in front of him were also motionless at this moment like ancient fossils sealed in amber.

The line of sight extends from the underground palace to the entire Black Forest, the Great Wilderness, and even to Arda and a sub-universe.

All things that were moving were frozen by the advent of this great will.

The world thus becomes a vivid yet dead three-dimensional picture.

In this picture, there are only two great wills that are unrestrained.

One of them is the creator who caused all this, Eru Ilúvatar.

The other was an existence that Ilúvatar had never expected—the outsider who suddenly appeared.

Now, two great wills descended on the underground palace of the Woodland Kingdom at the same time, and fell into a brief and strange silence after realizing each other's existence.

Lin Zhongtian didn't know why Ilúvatar was silent.

But his silence was due to the shock of the scene before him and a vague sense of guilt.

He didn't expect that his actions would directly attract Ilúvatar, and he didn't expect that this guy would have such a big reaction. Once he arrived, he would imprison the time and space of the entire universe.

Is this the scene where the Creator appears?

But then again, why can his subjective consciousness still think clearly?

Could it be that his subjective consciousness is as powerful as the Creator?

Impossible, absolutely impossible!

Lin Zhongtian decisively denied this arrogant speculation.

Although he was not clear about the extent of his own power, he was very clear about the depth of his own power. Currently, the strongest ability of his subjective consciousness was the spatial authority of the void.

Apart from this, no other abilities can compare to that of the Creator who can control time, create life, and create the universe.

Then why is he not bound by the power of Ilúvatar?

With such doubts in mind, Lin Zhongtian remained silent with a guilty conscience.

Perhaps it was a moment, or perhaps it was hundreds of millions of epochs, before the two great wills finally began their first dialogue in this static universe where time and space had lost their meaning.

"Who are you?"

"A traveler passing through."

Lin Zhongtian replied calmly.

He wanted to maintain his dignity as much as possible and not let Ilúvatar see his guilty conscience.

But Ilúvatar's next words plunged him into a rare state of embarrassment and astonishment -

"I'm not asking about you."

Sensing the consciousness message without any emotion fluctuations, Lin Zhongtian couldn't help but be stunned.

Then, Ilúvatar seemed to communicate with a certain being through some unknown means.

"I see. I understand..."

With a feeling of sudden enlightenment, Ilúvatar's consciousness fell into the body of the Elf King Thranduil.

In an instant, the Elf King Thranduil, who was standing in front of the cell, and Lin Zhongtian's clone wearing silver armor were all freed from their restraints.

Lin Zhongtian's main consciousness poured into the clone like a river flowing into the sea. Then he frowned slightly and looked at the smiling Elf King Thranduil beside him, or Ilúvatar who was possessed here.

"Nice to meet you, my friend."

Ilúvatar smiled and stretched out a hand toward Lin Zhongtian.

Lin Zhongtian frowned and shook hands with Him in surprise.

"Are you Ilúvatar?"

"Yes, that's what my children call me." Ilúvatar said with a smile, "But you don't have to call me that. Ilúvatar means the father of all things in Quenya, and [atar] means father. You and I will be friends in the future, so you can just call me Ilúvi..."

"……future?"

Lin Zhongtian keenly captured this key word.

Ilúvatar laughed, stretched out a hand to stroke the solidified moonlight, and whispered in the voice of the Elf King: "I'm sorry, my friend, this is my mistake. I didn't recognize your identity at the first time. I just thought you were an outsider like Legolas, who was at most a little stronger than him in terms of strength..."

Are you sure it's just a little?

Lin Zhongtian looked at Him with a frown on his face.

Ilúvatar chuckled, turned his head and looked at Lin Zhongtian and said, "When you just came through, I discovered your existence. At that time, I only saw your soul, which was the most beautiful soul I had ever seen since I was born. So I made a decision without hesitation. I planned to make you the new Valar of this world and become a part of this magnificent movement."

"So, you've already made a move on me since the moment I showed up?"

"Take action? You think too much!"

Ilúvatar shook his head and laughed, then explained with a chuckle: "I just made a decision..."

Lin Zhongtian was stunned and said, "Just made a decision?"

"Yes." Ilúvatar nodded with a smile. "Existences like you and me don't need to take action at all. We can influence the fate of all things in this world with our will alone. Do you think it is me who is trying to distort your will? No, it is just my expectation of the Ainu Great Music, and this expectation has turned into a force to correct the fate of the world. It is this thing that is trying to distort your will."

Can just the feeling of anticipation turn into a force to correct destiny?

Ilúvatar's understated words once again gave Lin Zhongtian a small shock from the Creator.

Seeing Lin Zhongtian's appearance, Ilúvatar couldn't help but smile, as if he was enjoying this feeling very much.

"In fact, if you hadn't carved the Seal of the Void and summoned your main consciousness, I would never have appeared."

Lin Zhongtian raised his eyebrows: "Even if I ruin your music?"

Ilúvatar raised the corner of his mouth, looked at Legolas, whose expression and movements were frozen in the cell, and said in a light tone: "Anyone who attempts to change the music will prove that he is just a tool in my hands, used to design more wonderful things that he can't imagine..."

I understand. An unqualified being cannot even realize that his will is being quietly distorted by this corrective force.

And Lin Zhongtian is obviously the qualified one...

Lin Zhongtian said thoughtfully: "The being you just communicated with is my future self, right?"

Ilúvatar smiled and nodded: "For you, yes, but for me..."

Ilúvatar shook his head and did not explain further.

But Lin Zhongtian has already understood what He meant. In front of this great Creator, time has no meaning. The weak Lin Zhongtian now and the powerful and unpredictable Lin Zhongtian in the future are the same existence.

No matter which timeline Lin Zhongtian is from, it makes no difference to Ilúvatar.

After figuring this out, Lin Zhongtian gradually gained confidence.

After all, according to Ilúvatar, he will also be able to become a being beyond time and space like Him in the future.

"Okay, I see."

Lin Zhongtian nodded, then turned to look at Legolas in the cell: "So, you actually discovered him a long time ago, and the fusion of his soul with Legolas was also your doing?"

"I did discover him a long time ago, but the fusion of souls was not my work. It is a miracle of the world."

"A wonder of the world?"

"That's right."

Ilúvatar looked at Legolas in the cell with admiration and said with emotion: "How many multiverses can give birth to two souls so similar on the same timeline, and even merge perfectly just by touching each other? How many similar souls can cross the distance between worlds and meet each other - isn't this a miracle?"

“It’s really a miracle!”

Lin Zhongtian couldn't help but nodded in agreement.

Ilúvatar glanced at him and said, "This miracle is in line with my expectations of the movement, so the power of fate to correct it will stop you."

Lin Zhongtian smiled and said, “But you won’t stop me, right?”

Ilúvatar shook his head: "No, I will stop you. This is a miracle of the world. Even for me it is difficult to replicate. You don't think I will be generous enough to give you this rare fusion soul, do you?"

……ah?

Lin Zhongtian widened his eyes and looked at Ilúvatar in surprise.

Ilúvatar said seriously: "Soul fusion is not rare, but naturally fused souls are very precious. Moreover, both souls emit a dazzling brilliance. Such precious souls cannot be easily created even by me."

"So, you won't separate their souls either?"

"Unless they find a way to separate themselves, of course."

Ilúvatar nodded and replied. Then he looked at the expression on Lin Zhongtian's face, chuckled and said, "I know you seem to sympathize with Thranduil and the two souls, and so do I. But sometimes, you have to learn to let go. Elves and humans are all my children, but now countless of my children die in fratricide every day. This has been going on for three epochs. Do you think I still care?"

After saying this, without waiting for Lin Zhongtian to answer, Ilúvatar nodded and said, "Yes, I care, but what I care about is not their life or death, but their existence and the life they lead."

As he spoke, Ilúvatar looked at the ground at his feet. He waved his hand gently, and the ground was broken by the newly born saplings. A tall peach tree grew at a very fast speed in this imprisoned space, and then bloomed, bore fruit, and shed leaves...

When all the dead leaves have fallen, the dead leaves floating in the air will solidify again.

Ilúvatar casually picked up a solidified dead leaf, looked at Lin Zhongtian and smiled: "Life and death are just two states of life, just like this peach tree, it cycles between blooming and withering every year. Will you be sad and cry when its flowers fall?"

"No, you won't, because you know it will bloom again next year..."

This is the transcendental perspective of the Creator.