If one doesn't fall into demonhood, they can't truly eradicate the demons.
But once they do, they eventually become a new 'demon.'
That is the desperate plight the beings of this world face.
So far, the only known way to eliminate demons is to fully devour them.
Yet 'demons' are composed of endless demonic energy. To devour a demon is essentially to absorb that energy—effectively falling into demonhood. While it may eliminate some demons in the short term, in the end, the one who absorbs it becomes an even stronger demon.
"Li Qing is truly dead."
Lin Yuan watched quietly, knowing the Sect Master of the Qingyun Sacred Sect hadn't held back.
As the sect's top disciple, Li Qing undoubtedly had many life-saving trump cards.
But all those were left within the sect—and the instant the Sect Master struck, he erased them all.
Li Qing was still in the early stages of demonization and didn't yet possess immortality.
This was why the Sect Master didn't hesitate. If he had waited any longer, the consequences could have been disastrous.
Whoosh!
The Sect Master turned and brought Lin Yuan back to the main hall.
"This whole matter with Li Qing—it's thanks to you."
Though saddened, the Sect Master knew that if Li Qing had continued down the path of demonization, the loss to the sect would have been immense.
Every person who becomes demonized always believes they can resist the influence of demonic energy.
But in the end?
They only end up creating even more terrifying demons, making things harder for cultivators in this world.
"It was the right thing to do," Lin Yuan nodded.
His decision to report Li Qing's demonization had its own motives.
If he were the only one who knew, he'd have become Li Qing's number-one target.
He had done it to protect himself.
"Whether or not it was your duty, it was still a contribution."
The Sect Master looked at Lin Yuan and asked, "What kind of reward would you like?"
"A reward?"
Lin Yuan pondered briefly, then said, "Sect Master, although I survived the demonic corruption, recovering completely will be difficult. I'd like to serve as an Attendant at the Qingyun Archives."
"Very well."
The Sect Master nodded.
Surviving mental corruption by demonic energy? For someone of Lin Yuan's previous strength, it was a miracle—and lingering aftereffects were to be expected.
Regardless, Lin Yuan was a disciple of the sect and had revealed Li Qing's corruption in time. Naturally, the Sect Master wouldn't treat him unfairly.
"Alright, from now on, you're an Attendant at the Qingyun Archives. You'll have access to all branches."
"Many thanks, Sect Master."
Lin Yuan responded immediately.
The Qingyun Archives stored all the sect's secret manuals and legacies from its founding—many of them predating the great upheaval of this world.
Being able to access the archives freely would greatly help Lin Yuan understand this world. And by grasping its cultivation system, he could deepen his own foundation and reserves.
"Oh, and one more thing you must remember."
The Sect Master seemed to recall something and looked at Lin Yuan. "Don't speak of Li Qing's corruption to anyone."
He had subdued Li Qing silently, without alerting any other disciples or elders.
"Understood."
Lin Yuan nodded.
After all, Li Qing had been the sect's leading disciple—an icon for the younger generation.
If word of his demonization got out, the impact would be severely demoralizing.
Lin Yuan left the main hall and soon arrived at the Qingyun Archives.
The archives had eight sub-halls, each filled with vast collections of ancient texts and scrolls.
For ordinary disciples, strict conditions were required to enter and view them.
But as an Attendant, Lin Yuan had unrestricted access.
"Looks like what you reported to the Sect Master must have been important," said Elder Fang, standing nearby and somewhat surprised.
Serving as an Attendant in the Qingyun Archives was no small matter. Located deep within the sect, it was virtually untouchable unless the mountain gates were breached by demons. Working there was peaceful, safe, and came with excellent treatment.
Normally, these positions were reserved for disciples who had performed great service.
"Thank you for saving my life, Elder Fang," Lin Yuan smiled.
"You surviving had nothing to do with me—I'd nearly given up on you at the time, hahaha."
Elder Fang didn't hide it. Under the corruption of demonic energy, surviving was so rare that he almost thought he'd made a mistake.
"But what exactly did you report to the Sect Master? Can you tell me?" he asked, slightly curious.
"You could always ask the Sect Master yourself," Lin Yuan replied with a smile.
Since the Sect Master had instructed him not to speak of Li Qing's demonization, Lin Yuan naturally wouldn't mention it.
"Forget it, forget it."
"Probably has nothing to do with me anyway."
Elder Fang shook his head. If it were something relevant to him, he would've found out by now.
"Go ahead and take your post at the archives. If you get bored, feel free to chat with me," Elder Fang said before leaving.
As an elder, he was often busy tending to injured disciples—especially those harmed by demons.
Qingyun Archives.
Lin Yuan stepped inside and saw walls lined with dense arrays of jade slips. He immediately began sorting through them.
While doing so, he rapidly skimmed their contents.
He focused primarily on records from before and after the great upheaval.
"Before the upheaval, cultivators in this world followed the path of Nine Stages of Life Refinement, Six Stages of Longevity, Three Stages of Freedom, and One Stage of Eternity."
Lin Yuan absorbed the flood of information.
Judging by the descriptions of their power, the Nine Life Refinement Stages likely corresponded to Chaos Void Ranks One through Eleven.
The Six Longevity Stages aligned with Rank Twelve's Path-Clearing to Chaos stages.
At this level, one's lifespan became eternal—free from the constraints of the river of time.
The Three Stages of Freedom likely mapped to the Chaos Saint-level hierarchy, with the third Freedom Stage comparable to the Strongest Heavenly Sovereign or Invincible Supreme Saint.
As for the One Stage of Eternity? That probably represented the level of Rank Thirteen time lifeforms.
"After the great upheaval, terrifying demons emerged."
"Demons are divided into: Demon Spirits, Great Demons, Source Demons, and Demon Gods."
"Each level of demon corresponds to the peak of a given cultivator stage. For instance, a Demon Spirit can rival a cultivator at the Ninth Life Refinement Stage. Great Demons possess power close to perfected Chaos Stage. Source Demons? Their upper limits are unknown, but each appearance brings immense despair to the world's lifeforms."
Lin Yuan's mind churned.
"And Demon Gods? Though none have appeared recently, records say that when the upheaval first began—back when cultivation forces were at their peak—one Demon God made a move and instantly assimilated more than half the most powerful cultivators."
"Later generations speculate that the so-called Demon Gods are the source of the upheaval and of all demonic energy. That this demonic energy is the product of a Demon God's breath—endless, inexhaustible, born of their essence."
The more Lin Yuan read, the more shocked he became.
A Demon God?
If their power matched that of the Eternal Stage, wouldn't that mean they were equivalent to Rank Thirteen time lifeforms?
But how could a Rank Thirteen time lifeform fall and become a 'demon'?
It defied belief.
Since the upheaval, cultivators had gradually learned more about demons through contact.
All demons acted purely on instinct. They had no emotions, no will, like mindless husks.
This, ironically, was the only reason life still existed in this world—demons didn't believe in eliminating all life. They simply wandered. If they encountered a cultivator, they attacked; if not, they drifted on.
But as demonic energy continued to spread, their numbers only grew. Eventually, they would blanket the world.
That day would mark the extinction of all life.
"Demonic energy..."
Lin Yuan raised his right hand, where a wisp of dark, dense energy swirled around his fingertip.
Back when he first woke up, he had forcefully purged the demonic energy corroding his will—but he had intentionally kept a trace behind.
He had wanted to study it. After all, anything strong enough to suppress his mental will for that long couldn't be underestimated.
"This power..."
Lin Yuan examined it closely. The black energy twisted continuously, trying to invade his flesh—but he kept it sealed at his fingertip.
"It's definitely not ordinary."
With a thought, he dispersed the wisp and fell into brief contemplation.
From his observation, demonic energy appeared to be a form of extremely high-level power—perhaps even a kind of law or principle.
Because of its strange properties, the lifeforms of this world referred to it as 'demonic.'
"This world... being a Source World, should have given birth to Rank Thirteen time lifeforms. So where are they? Blocked by the Demon God?"
Lin Yuan pondered.
As a Source World, its level was not inferior to the Chaos Void. Given enough time, it was entirely possible for time lifeforms to emerge.
And based on records in the Qingyun Archives, the Eternal Stage did indeed correspond to Rank Thirteen time lifeforms.
Meaning this world had produced them.
Yet now, demons ran rampant—and the time lifeforms hadn't intervened at all.
"Demon God..."
Lin Yuan thought silently. This being was the source of all known demonic energy. Even for him, facing such an existence would be daunting.
"No wonder when I first entered Rank Twelve and tried to explore the second Source World, the Gate of Myriad Worlds issued a warning. This demonic energy targets mental will—back then, I might not have been able to resist it."
He reflected inwardly.
Mental corrosion was dangerous—it could even affect one's true self across other dimensions.
While causal attacks couldn't cross dimensions, mental corrosion could—because it involved memory. As long as Lin Yuan remembered, the effect would persist.
"For now, no matter how terrifying the demons are, restoring my strength is the top priority."
Lin Yuan exhaled deeply. Whatever danger he faced—power was always the foundation.
With his capabilities, as long as he returned to peak form, and unless the Demon God personally intervened, this world shouldn't pose any major threat.
...
Lin Yuan served as a record keeper in Qingyun Archives, primarily responsible for organizing ancient texts and jade slips.
This kind of position was relatively easy.
It was usually held by elder cultivators who had made great contributions to the Sacred Sect over the years, but whose bodies were left with lasting injuries.
Although Lin Yuan wasn't that old, he had once suffered mental erosion from demonic energy. Plus, with the sect master's approval, his appointment went smoothly.
In fact, Lin Yuan had indeed made a significant contribution to the Sacred Sect—he had warned them in advance about the senior brother's descent into madness, helping the sect avoid a major loss.
While recovering his strength, Lin Yuan focused on studying the physical body. The one he had descended into had astonishing potential—almost as if—
It were the direct descendant of a thirteenth-rank time-based lifeform.
The potential was unbelievably vast.
In the First Source World, the six great ancient kingdoms carried the bloodlines of six progenitors.
But the bloodline was extremely diluted—almost nonexistent.
Yet in this Source World, the physical body's potential was frighteningly high.
"Before the Great Change of Heaven and Earth, the cultivation system of this Source World was based on runes, which interpreted everything—including the Dao and laws—through symbolic script."
Lin Yuan studied the inherited jade slips left from before the Great Change, his expression thoughtful.
The Dao and its laws were inherently intangible—ordinary people couldn't perceive them, and even cultivators could only sense them vaguely.
But runes were tangible. They expressed the intangible Dao through visible forms. This was why, before the Great Change, the number of cultivators in this world was overwhelming.
With a large base of powerful individuals, the chances of producing even stronger ones naturally increased.
Before the Great Change, the Qingyun Sacred Sect had been a dominant power in this region, guarded by masters of the Three Stages of Freedom.
Even the first realm of Freedom was equivalent to a Chaos Great Saint in the chaotic void.
After experiencing the Great Change and enduring wave after wave of attacks from Great Demons, the sect's peak combat strength had dropped to the peak of the Longevity Sixth Stage—equivalent to the peak of the Chaos rank.
With the sect's grand protective formation, they could barely mount a defense at the level of the Three Stages of Freedom. This was how they managed to withstand repeated assaults from the Great Demons.
Great Demons were terrifying beings equal to the peak of the Longevity Sixth Stage—in some aspects, even surpassing it.
"After the Great Change, demonic energy flooded the world, and the Dao laws became obscured. Even with rune inheritance, it's difficult to clearly interpret the vague laws."
Lin Yuan felt the heavy power lingering in the world, and a spark lit up in his eyes. "Runes?"
Threads of energy wove together in Lin Yuan's palm, quickly forming the character for "metal".
This was a native character of this world—essentially a metal rune, perfectly embodying the laws of metal.
"Marvelous, marvelous!"
Lin Yuan was radiant with excitement.
The so-called runes resembled the chaotic seal diagrams collected in the treasure vaults of the six ancient kingdoms in the First Source World—those diagrams were, in essence, runes.
And those chaotic diagrams were left behind by the progenitors at the pinnacle of their power. Even Lin Yuan, beneath their level, couldn't replicate them.
But the rune inheritance in this world could imprint all things from heaven and earth—turning the invisible into the visible. This drastically reduced the difficulty of comprehension and had limitless applications.
"Using runes as the foundation, I now know how to sustain the creation of infinite particle worlds."
Lin Yuan's thoughts accelerated. His true body in the First Source World was attempting to mimic the Yuanlong by creating vast worlds within every particle of his being.
That Yuanlong possessed a deeper foundation than even Lin Yuan—thanks to what? Its sand-like infinite particle worlds.
If Lin Yuan could successfully emulate that, constructing particle worlds and reconstructing them using the Infinite Void inheritance, the final result… even Lin Yuan didn't dare imagine.
It would at least far surpass his current state.
"That Yuanlong could maintain its endless particle worlds due to its innate talent—it was the first lifeform ever born, blessed by the Source World itself."
"But I lack that talent, so I can only rely on my mental strength to sustain the creation of particle worlds. Yet mental strength is limited, while the infinite particle worlds are, well, infinite."
Lin Yuan thought rapidly. The emergence of rune inheritance gave him hope of sustaining infinite particle worlds.
By engraving Dao rule runes on the surface of each particle world, he could stabilize them and eventually spawn infinite particle worlds.
"So far, this method seems the simplest and most promising."
Lin Yuan thought silently. His true body had run countless simulations without finding a viable solution—either they lacked longevity or posed too many risks.
Now, the rune inheritance of this world accidentally aligned perfectly with Lin Yuan's plan to forge his own infinite particle world.
"No, not by accident. Rune inheritance is inherently compatible with all cultivation systems. Replicating Dao rules with runes and letting the world nourish oneself—it's a perfect support system."
Lin Yuan pondered inwardly.
"I'll begin my particle world experiments from this world."
He had made up his mind. First, this body he had descended into had extremely high potential—more than sufficient to host the creation of particle worlds.
Even if he failed midway, Lin Yuan had already prepared revival mechanisms. He could simply start over.
Second, building up particle worlds from weak to strong would allow him to better grasp how they operated—something that would greatly aid his true body's cultivation.
As for the deteriorated cultivation environment after the Great Change—infused with demonic energy—even with rune inheritance, it was still difficult for most to sense the Dao. But that only applied to other strong cultivators.
Lin Yuan possessed Unrivaled Insight. As long as the Dao laws still existed, he could continue to cultivate using rune inheritance.
Even if the Dao laws of this Source World were completely suppressed by demonic energy, Lin Yuan could still sense the laws of other dimensions. The so-called demonic energy was limited to this world alone.
Its actual impact on Lin Yuan was minimal.
"Still… with such physical potential in this Source World, what kind of bodily divine power will ultimately be birthed?"
A hint of anticipation arose in Lin Yuan's heart.
In the First Source World, physical potential wasn't particularly high—his bloodline concentration wasn't even close to the royal clans.
His eventual power came entirely from his own cultivation.
But in this Source World? The body Lin Yuan had descended into could be considered a direct descendant of a thirteenth-rank time-based lifeform.
That would be regarded as the most elite bloodline among the six ancient kingdoms—surpassing even the core royal families.
Those royal families didn't actually have direct bloodlines from the progenitors—only relatively high concentrations.
True direct progenitor bloodlines were extremely rare. At the level of a progenitor, producing true offspring with direct lineage was incredibly difficult.
It wasn't hard for a progenitor to create descendants, but actual direct offspring? That was exceedingly rare.
In his second year as a record keeper at Qingyun Archives...
Lin Yuan's body fully transitioned onto the martial evolution path. He soon began nurturing the core power within his bloodline and started gestating a new bodily divine power.
"It will take at least ten thousand years to fully form."
Lin Yuan nodded to himself, based on the usual timeline from his previous bodily divine powers.
The longer it took to gestate a divine power, the greater its potential and strength. For instance, his previous divine power, Sunborn Genesis, had taken several thousand years.
And now this new one? It would take over ten thousand years?
Lin Yuan couldn't help but look forward to it.
"What exactly happened in this Source World? What was the Great Change of Heaven and Earth? And after it, why did the flesh of all living beings become so terrifying?"
Questions began to surface in Lin Yuan's mind.
Enhancing his own physical potential wasn't hard—but raising the physical potential of an entire Source World's population? Even for a thirteenth-rank time-based lifeform, that was nearly impossible.
What's more, the leap in potential from before the Great Change to after was staggering.
"It's too early to be thinking about all this."
Lin Yuan pulled his thoughts back. His strength had yet to recover. Even if he knew the truth of this Source World, it wouldn't matter.
Once he returned to his peak, many secrets would become clear without him needing to ask.
[Name: Chen Tong (Lin Yuan)]
[Identity: Master of the Gate of Myriad Realms]
[Bound Talent: Unrivaled Insight]
[Divine Power: Blood Rebirth]
[Divine Power: Sunborn Genesis]
[Divine Power: World…]
[Current State: Consciousness Descent]
[Remaining Duration: Unlimited]
"No limit to my stay—I still have plenty of time."
Lin Yuan understood this well.
After reaching the twelfth rank, his consciousness transmigrations no longer had a time limit—as long as the host body wasn't completely destroyed, he could remain indefinitely.
By the fourth year of his post at Qingyun Archives...
The entire Qingyun Sacred Mountain began to tremble slightly.
Qingyun Sacred Mountain was the seat of the Qingyun Sacred Sect. After generations of tempering by the sect's strongest, it had long ceased to be just a mountain—it had become a powerful Saint weapon.
"Great Demon. A Great Demon is attacking."
Countless disciples of the Qingyun Sacred Sect were gripped with dread. There were four classes of demons: Demon Spirit, Great Demon, Source Demon, and Demon God.
Demon Gods could be dismissed—they had only appeared at the very beginning of the Great Change and never since.
As for Source Demons, they were extremely rare. If they showed up, they'd be drawn toward the Eternal Sects.
The greatest threat facing the Qingyun Sacred Sect now was the Great Demons.
Even Great Demons had no independent will. They wandered the world like the walking dead.
If one happened to notice something unusual about the Qingyun Sacred Sect, it would attack—that's what "Great Demon mountain assaults" were.
Qingyun Sacred Mountain was constantly shrouded in a concealment formation. Normal demons would never notice anything. But Great Demons were different—if they got close enough, they might sense something.
However, if nothing unusual was discovered after a period of assault, the zombie-like Great Demon would simply move on.
That meant the assault had been survived.
During a Great Demon assault, the Qingyun Sacred Sect absolutely could not strike back.
Otherwise, they risked attracting more Great Demons. No matter how powerful the sect was, it would be overwhelmed and worn down.
"A Great Demon?"
Lin Yuan stood outside the Qingyun Archives, gazing far off toward the edge of Qingyun Sacred Mountain—at a towering silhouette.
The massive figure was surrounded by boundless demonic energy, which gathered into waves and slammed relentlessly into Qingyun Sacred Mountain.
The tremors of the mountain came from those terrifying impacts.
"Each strike from this Great Demon reaches the peak of the Chaos rank—and it can endlessly inhale and exhale demonic energy. Truly difficult to deal with."
Lin Yuan studied it closely. Even more crucially, Great Demons were nearly immortal. Even if someone from the Three Stages of Freedom stepped in, they could only suppress it—not destroy it.
In truth, this was true of all demons.
Even if their bodies were obliterated, the essence of the "demon" would simply reform somewhere else.
The only way to completely eliminate a demon… was to become one. And then devour it.
Since the Great Change, this was why cultivators had started turning demonic—not only because doing so granted a surge in power, but also because only demonized beings could truly destroy demons.
Rumble…
Qingyun Sacred Mountain quaked.
In the eyes of the Great Demon outside, it was just a massive, ordinary mountain. After attacking for a while and gaining nothing, the Great Demon shook its head and wandered off.
"It's gone?"
"We survived!"
The disciples of the Qingyun Sacred Sect all let out a breath of relief.
Every Great Demon assault was a potential extinction-level event for the sect.
Just seeing that colossal form filled any disciple with an indescribable sense of dread.
"Looks like they really don't have any intelligence."
Lin Yuan watched the Great Demon depart and thought to himself.
"If nothing changes, the Qingyun Sacred Sect won't be able to survive many more of these assaults."
Though not yet at full strength, Lin Yuan could still sense the growing weakness in Qingyun Sacred Mountain's defenses under the relentless Great Demon assaults.
Senior Brother Li Qing's decision to turn demonic in an attempt to save the sect wasn't without reason. As the sect's leading disciple, he must have clearly understood the dire situation they were in.
"It's said that the source of the Great Change lies at the world's center—the point where demonic energy first erupted. It's currently being held back by several Eternal Sects. Compared to what lies at the center, these Great Demons are nothing."
Lin Yuan thought to himself.
A situation that plunged an entire Source World into despair couldn't have been caused by mere Great Demons—or even Source Demons. Only Demon Gods had that kind of power.
"I'd better focus on cultivation."
Lin Yuan returned to Qingyun Archives and resumed his study of rune inheritance, intending to merge it with his particle world creation.
Over the past few years, aside from restoring his strength, Lin Yuan had devoted all his energy to this.
"I've now created twelve particle worlds."
Lin Yuan closed his eyes and inspected twelve particles within his body—each one covered in intricate runes, each containing a vast internal world.
"Maintaining these twelve worlds requires no mental energy from me. Using rune inheritance as the foundation for sustaining infinite particle worlds—it works."
Lin Yuan felt a surge of excitement, but then his thoughts turned to the greatest challenge.
"It's just that…"
...
The successful creation of twelve particle worlds meant that Lin Yuan could continue down this path.
If he could create and sustain twelve particle worlds, then he could create and sustain a hundred and twenty, or even twelve billion—an infinite number of sand-like particle worlds.
But at the same time...
Another issue arose.
That was—resources.
Worlds couldn't be created from nothing.
They required a massive amount of resources to support them.
Compared to internal worlds or universes, particle worlds were much smaller, so they consumed fewer resources.
But the problem was quantity.
At twelve particle worlds, Lin Yuan could still manage. But what about a hundred and twenty? Or twelve hundred?
"Qingyun Sacred Sect?"
Lin Yuan thought of his own sect. As a dominant power before the Great Change, even though Qingyun Sacred Sect had declined under repeated Great Demon assaults, it still had a strong foundation.
If Lin Yuan were to obtain all of Qingyun Sacred Sect's resources, it would indeed support the creation of particle worlds for quite some time.
But that would only be a temporary solution.
Even if all of Qingyun Sacred Sect's resources could support up to twelve hundred particle worlds—then what?
Where would the resources come from for twelve thousand or a hundred twenty thousand?
And no matter what, Qingyun Sacred Sect was the sect of his "original self." Lin Yuan wasn't willing to take too much from them.
"What I need is a stable and abundant source of resources."
Lin Yuan pondered silently.
In this Source World, the richest resources were naturally found at the center of the world. But right now, the world center was the area most saturated with demonic energy—and Source Demons were frequently sighted there.
Until he fully regained his peak strength, Lin Yuan wasn't willing to go there.
Even at full strength, without a way to deal with Source Demons, he still wouldn't go.
"The Gate of Myriad Realms…"
Lin Yuan recalled the resource supply sent from the First Source World to aid in his cultivation.
In the First Source World, he held a remarkable position—even the six Ancestors treated him as an equal. Acquiring enough resources for his particle worlds wasn't a problem.
The issue was that using the Gate of Myriad Realms to transfer items to another dimension required paying a cost in boundary-breaking source power.
For instance, before reaching the twelfth rank, Lin Yuan had used it multiple times to send his Primordial Bell and the mysterious gourd to his target worlds for cultivation.
Naturally, that consumed several strands of boundary-breaking source power.
Just a few strands weren't much—but that only applied to transferring the Primordial Bell and the mysterious gourd.
If the number or "mass" of transferred items increased, the boundary-breaking source power consumed would also rise significantly.
And the resources needed for Lin Yuan's particle world creation? They were vast—like mountains and seas. Relying solely on the Gate of Myriad Realms would consume source power in the millions or even tens of millions of strands.
"Forget it."
Lin Yuan shook his head slightly.
How much boundary-breaking source power had he managed to accumulate with great effort? He valued every single strand. If he had to use so many just to build particle worlds, Lin Yuan would rather train directly in the First Source World.
"The resources for building particle worlds still have to come from this Source World."
Lin Yuan decided. The cost of sending resources through the Gate of Myriad Realms was simply too high—more than he was willing to pay.
"The resources of this Source World…"
Lin Yuan looked up beyond Qingyun Sacred Mountain. Since the Great Change, what had become the most abundant thing in this world?
Demonic energy.
It was everywhere.
"Demonic energy?"
Lin Yuan's expression turned thoughtful. He had studied demonic energy before and confirmed it was a high-level power. Otherwise, once someone became demonized, their strength wouldn't skyrocket so drastically.
But Lin Yuan had never attempted to convert demonic energy into usable energy for absorption.
Because countless powerful cultivators in this world had already tried—and found that demonic energy could not be absorbed. If forced, it would corrupt them, turning them into demonized beings.
All cultivators knew the risks of becoming demonized.
As the corruption deepened, a demonized being's emotions would gradually be erased, and eventually, even their memories would vanish—leaving behind only a powerful husk of a being, like a walking corpse known as a "demon."
"But just because the cultivators of this world can't absorb demonic energy doesn't mean I can't."
Lin Yuan's mind stirred. A thread of dark power gathered at his fingertip—it was demonic energy.
Outside Qingyun Sacred Mountain, demonic energy was everywhere. Acquiring a wisp of it was effortless for Lin Yuan.
"Absorb it?"
Lin Yuan carefully observed the wisp of demonic energy.
Direct absorption was certainly not an option.
Demonic energy would corrode the soul and will.
Although Lin Yuan's mental strength could completely resist it, there was no need to suffer unnecessarily.
"Chaotic Tai Chi Diagram."
With a single thought, a Tai Chi diagram of Yin and Yang appeared before him.
As Lin Yuan's own evolution of chaotic power, it could be summoned instantly with a mere thought.
Hum hum hum…
The black-and-white Tai Chi diagram spun slowly, faintly permeating through layers of space-time.
Lin Yuan placed the wisp of demonic energy next to the Chaotic Tai Chi Diagram.
One Yin and one Yang—black and white—the diagram ground the demonic energy like a millstone.
The Tao of Yin-Yang and Tai Chi, born from chaos, held the power to reduce all things back to chaos.
The demonic energy was devoured and crushed repeatedly by the black-and-white mill.
Yet even after being ground apart, its essence remained unchanged—it was still demonic energy.
And so, it was crushed again.
This repeated hundreds of times until the demonic energy finally transformed into a kind of pure power.
"This is the essence of demonic energy?"
Lin Yuan's eyes lit up as he examined the purified energy.
"Let's try."
He began absorbing it immediately.
"It can be refined."
"It's perfectly suited for creating particle worlds."
A smile appeared on Lin Yuan's face. With this, the biggest issue he faced—lack of resources for creating infinite particle worlds—was solved.
"However, a single wisp of demonic energy, once returned to its essence, yields very little pure power."
Lin Yuan mused. Creating an infinite particle world couldn't be sustained by just a few wisps of demonic energy.
"Then those demons…"
A thought flashed through his mind. Demons were essentially condensed masses of high-density demonic energy. The demons themselves were dense clusters of it.
He could predict that refining an entire "demon" through the Yin-Yang millstone would yield vastly more pure power than a few stray wisps.
"Let's go test it now."
Lin Yuan stirred and quietly left Qingyun Sacred Mountain.
After spending years at Qingyun Institute, his Unrivaled Insight had already fully deciphered the sect's grand protective formation.
Not to mention silently slipping in and out—he could easily take full control of the Qingyun formation if he wanted to.
Outside Qingyun Sacred Mountain...
Demonic energy drifted everywhere.
Lin Yuan searched carefully and soon spotted a Demon Spirit.
Though not as towering as the Great Demon that attacked the mountain, this Demon Spirit still had a massive body spanning a million li, lying quietly as it breathed in and out the surrounding demonic energy.
Not every demon liked to wander—many preferred to stay in one place and slowly draw in demonic energy.
"You'll do."
Lin Yuan eyed the Demon Spirit. A body a million li in size—how much demonic energy did that represent?
Not to mention that its very composition was condensed, high-purity demonic energy. If Lin Yuan could refine this one demon, the resources gained would be immeasurable.
"Let's make it quick."
Staring at the enormous demon, Lin Yuan immediately summoned his Chaotic Yin-Yang Tai Chi Diagram to suppress it.
Roar!!
The Demon Spirit had been quietly resting when it suddenly sensed something disrupting its energy flow. It immediately grew agitated.
Demons lacked higher thought, but they did have simple instincts—like curiosity or anger.
That was why Great Demons attacked Qingyun Sacred Mountain: curiosity. Once they lost interest, they left.
"Suppress!"
Lin Yuan activated the Chaotic Yin-Yang Tai Chi Diagram. The original body of this vessel had peak eleventh-rank strength. After years of cultivation, Lin Yuan's real strength had already returned to the Dominance rank.
With the power of Dominance driving the Tai Chi Diagram, not even a Great Demon could withstand it—let alone a mere Demon Spirit.
In no time at all...
The million-li Demon Spirit was completely suppressed.
"Refine."
Lin Yuan absorbed the demon into his internal universe and began crushing it with the Tai Chi Diagram.
Crash!
The enormous demonic body shattered rapidly, breaking down into pure energy, which Lin Yuan quickly absorbed.
"Right now, I'm actually quite similar to those who become demonized…"
As he devoured the pure energy refined from demonic essence, Lin Yuan pondered.
But while he, too, absorbed demons, he only took in the purified power ground down by the Tai Chi Diagram. It posed no harm to him.
In fact, this world likely had similar techniques—refining demons and then absorbing the energy.
However, once the demonic energy was reduced to pure power, it no longer granted the rapid power surge typical of becoming demonized.
What cultivators in this world lacked wasn't resources—but the strength to fight the demons.
Several days later...
Lin Yuan successfully refined the Demon Spirit.
"This should be enough for me to create over three hundred particle worlds."
He smiled. If a single Demon Spirit yielded this much, what about Great Demons? Or even Source Demons?
Of course, for now, Lin Yuan would only target Demon Spirits and Great Demons. As for Source Demons? Even if he recovered his full strength, he wouldn't casually confront one.
Based on the many ancient texts Lin Yuan had studied at Qingyun Institute...
Source Demons were likely linked to the mythical Demon Gods.
Recklessly refining a Source Demon could attract the attention of a Demon God.
If Lin Yuan's guess was right, the Demon Gods of this world were equivalent to thirteenth-rank time-based lifeforms.
And judging by the behavior of various demons, Demon Gods likely weren't very intelligent—they wouldn't observe future timelines like the six Ancestors did to decide whether to befriend Lin Yuan.
"Time to head back."
Lin Yuan immediately returned to Qingyun Sacred Mountain.
The vast energy he had just obtained would be enough to sustain his cultivation for quite some time.
Just like that...
Every so often, Lin Yuan would quietly leave Qingyun Sacred Mountain to hunt demons and fuel the creation of new particle worlds.
Time passed swiftly.
In the blink of an eye, a thousand years had gone by.
...
Qingyun Sacred Mountain stood tall, the stronghold of Qingyun Sacred Sect, once a top hegemonic force before the Great Change of Heaven and Earth.
Within Qingyun Sacred Mountain, many small worlds had been carved out.
They were used to cultivate fresh blood for the sect.
This was how the sect had managed to survive even as most of the outside world had been overrun by "demons."
In Qingyun Archives, Lin Yuan looked much the same as he had a thousand years ago—only his aura was more deeply restrained.
"Deacon Chen, everyone says that demons are immortal. Is there truly no way to completely destroy them?"
A young disciple had just finished exchanging for the jade slips he needed and couldn't help but ask Lin Yuan.
Over the past thousand years, Lin Yuan had kept a low profile within Qingyun Archives, occasionally answering questions for new disciples. Over time, his reputation grew, and many disciples came to seek his guidance.
"Demons originate from the demonic energy of the world. As long as demonic energy isn't destroyed, the demons won't be either," Lin Yuan said calmly. "To truly wipe out all demons, you'd need to erase the very source of demonic energy."
The so-called source of demonic energy was the legendary Demon God.
Having descended into this Source World for a thousand years, Lin Yuan had come to know many secrets.
Take demonic energy, for example—if it was like sunlight, then the Demon God was the sun.
As long as the sun remained, demonic energy would continue to flow endlessly. Even if a terrifying demon was completely annihilated, it would eventually be reborn in the endless tide of demonic energy.
"How can the source of demonic energy be destroyed?"
The young disciple pressed further.
"I don't know."
Lin Yuan shook his head. Although he had sensed that all demonic energy originated from the Demon God...
He didn't know where the Demon God was.
And even if he did, he wouldn't try to erase it. After all, any being capable of spawning a demon calamity that engulfed an entire Source World had to be at least on the level of a thirteenth-rank existence.
"All right. No need to overthink it," Lin Yuan said casually, glancing at the worried young disciple.
"Mm."
The young man nodded and left Qingyun Archives.
As he stepped out, several other young disciples came over.
"Ouyang, what did you talk to Deacon Chen about?" They were curious.
"I asked how to completely destroy the demons outside," the disciple named Ouyang replied truthfully.
"What did Deacon Chen say?"
"He said that to destroy the demons, you have to erase the source of demonic energy."
"Eliminate the source of demonic energy?"
The other disciples pondered this deeply.
None of them doubted Lin Yuan's answer. In the thousand years he had been at Qingyun Archives, Deacon Chen had never shown any remarkable abilities—but he was widely knowledgeable. Even sect elders occasionally sought him out for guidance.
"Sigh, with how much Deacon Chen understands about the demons, why is he still here in Qingyun Archives? Wouldn't it be better for him to go out and cleanse the places where demonic energy gathers?"
"I heard that a thousand years ago, during one such operation, Deacon Chen was corrupted by demonic energy and left with lasting damage."
"So that's what happened. He's done so much for the sect!"
The young disciples all grew solemn with respect.
Being corrupted by demonic energy was extremely serious—few ever survived.
Deep within Qingyun Archives, Lin Yuan sat cross-legged.
"This Source World runs deep. The Eternal Sects at the world's center must all be guarded by time-based lifeforms, yet they let the demonic energy spread unchecked. What's really going on?"
His expression turned serious. That was also the reason he had stayed hidden in Qingyun Sacred Mountain for the past eight hundred years, even after regaining his peak strength.
He couldn't get a clear read on the outside world.
Besides, staying here didn't hinder his cultivation or comprehension.
The rune inheritances collected by Qingyun Sacred Sect alone were enough to keep Lin Yuan busy for centuries.
He also needed plenty of time to gradually create his own particle worlds. And with the outside world saturated in demonic energy, demons were everywhere. Whenever he ran short on resources, he could simply go out and return fully stocked.
To the cultivators of this world, every demon was unimaginably terrifying. But in Lin Yuan's eyes, they were like chickens—he could casually suppress and refine even a Great Demon.
If not for concerns about the Demon God, Lin Yuan would've already gone to the world's center to hunt Source Demons.
"After a thousand years of cultivation, the Chaotic Yin-Yang Tai Chi Path has reached the peak of its first level. In a few hundred or a few thousand years, I'll break into the second."
Lin Yuan smiled. This path was his foundation. Even his method for refining terrifying demons relied on the power of this Tai Chi Path.
The stronger it became, the more fundamentally it benefited him—nurturing every aspect of his being, from body to soul to will.
"And then there's the thirteenth-rank inheritance Infinite Void…"
After a millennium of cultivation, he had reached halfway through the fourth level.
Across all aspects, Lin Yuan had made huge progress over the last thousand years—especially in understanding the rune inheritance of this Second Source World, which greatly aided his grasp of various laws and principles.
But above all, his greatest gain was in the creation of particle worlds.
With rune cultivation stabilizing each one, and this world's seemingly endless supply of demons...
Lin Yuan had now created ten billion particle worlds.
Ten billion.
Though still short of his ultimate goal—the infinite sand-like particle worlds—this number alone gave Lin Yuan an unfathomable boost.
Now, Lin Yuan had three true bodies: one in the chaotic void, one in the First Source World, and one in the Second Source World.
But in terms of strength, the strongest by far was the one in the Second Source World—without question.
Even taking into account the inner universe advantage of the chaotic void body, or the Blazing Sun Divine Body in the First Source World, neither could compare to the current body in this world.
"I'm not like the Yuanlong."
"Its particle worlds were ordinary."
"Mine, however, have all been reconstructed through the Infinite Void inheritance."
Lin Yuan radiated vitality. Infinite Void, a thirteenth-rank inheritance, was tailored to worlds. Since particle worlds were still worlds, they fell under its domain.
Because of this, his ten billion particle worlds gave him power almost equal to the Yuanlong's entire infinite particle world body.
"So far, everything is proceeding smoothly. But I'll wait until the process is fully complete before moving on."
Lin Yuan thought to himself. His body in this Second Source World acted as a pioneer—testing whether the creation of particle worlds carried any hidden dangers.
If everything went well, once this body finished creating infinite particle worlds, the other two would begin.
The reason this body was currently the strongest was simply that the others hadn't started yet.
"Though the demons outside are said to be endless, in the past thousand years, they've clearly become scarcer due to my hunts."
Lin Yuan mused.
A single Demon Spirit could provide enough energy to create hundreds or even thousands of particle worlds.
A Great Demon could provide enough to create hundreds of thousands—or even millions.
And now that he had ten billion of them, it was clear just how many Demon Spirits and Great Demons Lin Yuan had hunted down.
Even if demons couldn't truly die, destroying their physical forms delayed their regeneration significantly.
"Looks like I'll need to expand my hunting range if I want to find more Great Demons."
The more particle worlds he created, the more he understood how vast his resource demands truly were.
In the chaotic void…
Lin Yuan sat cross-legged in a desolate stretch of space. Streams of energy danced before him, weaving together into rune after rune—each one a visible manifestation of the universal laws.
"The Path of Runes is incredible."
"It can replicate the laws with ease and greatly lowers the barrier to cultivation."
He reflected. Feeling the intangible laws of the Dao was far harder than feeling their tangible expressions.
"Before the Great Change, the number of powerful cultivators in the Second Source World must have been astonishing."
Though Lin Yuan hadn't witnessed that era, the utility of the rune path alone proved it had to have been a brilliant age of cultivation.
It was likely that even third-realm Freedom—equivalent to Invincible Supreme Saints in the chaotic void—had appeared regularly.
Even in the First Source World, blessed by six Ancestors and home to six ancient kingdoms, few current Ultimate Heavenly Sovereigns could match the strength of an Invincible Supreme Saint.
"Unfortunately, I've basically exhausted all the rune inheritances held by Qingyun Sacred Sect. To study deeper knowledge, I'll need to seek out even greater sects."
Lin Yuan felt a bit of regret.
Greater sects? In a world overrun by demons, any sect that still survived was bound to be deeply hidden. Finding one would be nearly impossible.
He knew the locations of the Eternal Sects at the world's center—but the risks of going there were still too high. If possible, he'd wait until he finished building his infinite particle worlds.
"I'll take my time. Worst case, I'll just develop the next part of the rune path myself."
Given his Unrivaled Insight and the foundations he had, Lin Yuan could attempt to create the path's continuation.
But it would take too long—and whether it would match the original was uncertain. One thing he was sure of, though, was that the completed rune path had clearly been forged by multiple thirteenth-rank time-based lifeforms.
Only beings at that level could simplify the laws of the Dao in such a way.
Thirteenth-rank time-based lifeforms? Lin Yuan didn't think their insight surpassed his—but their vantage point certainly did. The rune path they created was still something he deeply respected.
"Let's continue."
Lin Yuan glanced around the barren void. Several centuries ago, he had left the Guming Chaos Continent and begun roaming the chaotic void to better understand its mechanics.
Of course, he had left behind an avatar on the Guming Chaos Continent that he could descend into at any time.
And with his current reputation in the chaotic void—as the fastest in history to prove his title of Invincible Supreme Saint—just that alone was enough to keep the continent safe.
No other Saint would dare stir up trouble there.
Back at Qingyun Sacred Mountain...
In the great hall at the summit, the sect master and elders had gathered.
"Over the past thousand years, the number of demons in the surrounding area has clearly decreased," one elder said with a puzzled look.
Younger disciples might not have noticed, but the elders had fought in many Great Demon assaults and had cleared countless demonic zones. They occasionally encountered Demon Spirits.
Demon Spirits were far less threatening than Great Demons. If they encountered one, the elders weren't worried—Demon Spirits likely couldn't even perceive Qingyun Sacred Mountain.
But still, they were demons, and they shouldn't be disappearing so inexplicably.
Especially now—the number vanishing was so high that many elders found it hard to believe.
"Isn't the decrease in demons a good thing?"
Some elders were confused. Fewer demons meant greater safety for the Sacred Mountain, didn't it?
"You can't think of it that way."
The sect master of Qingyun Sacred Sect spoke solemnly. "Most demons stay in a specific region. When demons vanish from an area, there are two possibilities."
"One, a more powerful demon has appeared in the area—causing the others to retreat instinctively."
"Which would explain the sudden drop in their numbers."
The sect master paused for a moment before continuing, "The second possibility is that the demons in this area have been devoured—thus their numbers decreased."
That statement made every elder's face change slightly.
Demons, devoured?
Whoever could devour demons was likely a demonized cultivator.
And the more a demonized being grew in strength, the closer they became to a true demon.
A powerful enough demonized cultivator would be nearly indistinguishable from a real demon—perhaps retaining fragments of memory, but with their emotions erased. As they continued to grow stronger, even those memories would rapidly fade.
"A demonized cultivator? Has our sect given rise to another one?"
One elder looked shocked. If even they had noticed the local demon population thinning, how many demons had this demonized one consumed?
Consuming so many demons, even if they hadn't reached the third Freedom realm, they couldn't be far from it.
Compared to demons, demonized beings were far more terrifying. They could hide among the sect, launching a deadly strike at any moment.
"Not necessarily. It could be the first possibility—or something we haven't considered yet."
The sect master said.
But in truth, neither possibility was a good sign.
With the demons in the area decreasing, the demonic energy would begin to concentrate again—drawing the attention of more distant and more powerful demons.
...
Golden Mist Treasure Lands.
Lin Yuan was observing the operation of the Source World's origin.
A thousand years had passed, and the irregular rift connected to the Source World's origin had shrunk by nearly one-tenth. However, it still didn't hinder Lin Yuan's ability to observe and comprehend it.
Huala—
Traces of rune aura intertwined in front of Lin Yuan, attempting to fully replicate the Source World's origin within the irregular rift.
In the next moment—
Countless threads of runes collapsed.
"Failed?"
Lin Yuan raised his eyebrows slightly, not showing much surprise.
Though in theory the Dao of Runes could replicate all things, theory was just theory. Reality was another matter.
Given the vastness of this Source World's origin, unless Lin Yuan stepped into Rank Thirteen and became a lifeform of time, it was fundamentally impossible to replicate it.
Of course, Lin Yuan's attempt to replicate it through the Dao of Runes was mainly for the purpose of deeply engaging in the operation of the Source World's origin.
Even if the replication failed, it wasn't without gain. Understanding the cause of failure made his insights into the Source World's origin even clearer, making future comprehension easier.
"The rare treasures produced by this Treasure Land can nurture time constitutions, making it easier to comprehend the power of time—one can even vaguely see fragments of one's future."
After fully refining the Treasure Land, Lin Yuan gained a deeper understanding of the rare treasures it produced. Over the years, he had spent some effort studying them and roughly grasped the true purpose of the golden mist.
To vaguely see future scenes—such an ability was practically defiant and unrivaled, a privilege of Rank Thirteen time lifeforms.
But for Lin Yuan, it wasn't particularly useful.
His future was constantly being watched by six Ancestors. There was no need to use such methods.
Not to mention the vague images and fragmented information—it also required an enormous expenditure of mental effort.
"I don't need it, but the other Heavenly Sovereigns are different."
A thought stirred in Lin Yuan's mind. The many Heavenly Sovereigns from the Six Great Ancient Kingdoms didn't have six Ancestors watching over them. They were undoubtedly curious about their own futures.
Even a vague glimpse of the future could serve as a kind of warning. Lin Yuan was invincible across the Six Great Ancient Kingdoms and didn't care about danger, but ordinary Heavenly Sovereigns were a different story.
In the many wars across the Six Great Ancient Kingdoms, the number of Heavenly Sovereign-level powerhouses who fell was not small.
If they could foresee a vision of their own demise and prepare in advance, wouldn't that avert a disaster?
Heavenly Sovereign-level powerhouses all had various life-saving methods. While they might not fall completely, being able to preserve their main battle bodies was already quite valuable.
"These golden mists can be traded away to acquire resources for opening up particle worlds."
Lin Yuan had made up his mind. For his second Source World true body to open up particle worlds, he already had a clear idea of the resources required—it was much more than expected.
Having such a Treasure Land to offset the cost was a huge relief.
Certainly, given Lin Yuan's status in the hearts of the six Ancestors, just a word from him would be enough for them to gather any number of resources.
But everything came at a price. The Ancestors wouldn't give unreservedly. When Lin Yuan asked them for help, he would incur karma, and when he reached Rank Thirteen, he would have to repay it.
Qingyun Sacred Mountain.
Aside from opening up particle worlds—
Lin Yuan was also comprehending more cultivation systems of this Source World.
"The Three Stages of Freedom focus on 'freedom'. Powerhouses at this level are equivalent to Supreme Saints or Ultimate Heavenly Sovereigns. Those in the third realm are comparable to Invincible Supreme Saints or the Strongest Heavenly Sovereign."
Lin Yuan contemplated silently.
This Source World's division of the Supreme Saint realm was much clearer than that of the Chaos Void or the First Source World, explicitly stating the strength standard of the third realm of freedom.
"They say that in the central region of heaven and earth, the strongest successors of the Eternal Sects have the power to sweep through the third realm of freedom?"
Lin Yuan pondered. Judging by their descriptions, these strongest successors likely possessed strength close to Yuanlong?
Due to the influence of the Dao of Runes, this Source World had a much lower cultivation threshold than the Chaos Void or the First Source World. It was easier to comprehend the Dao of Laws, and thus more powerhouses emerged.
Creatures like Yuanlong, born from the creation points of Source Worlds, could be rivaled—or at least approached—by some of the Rank Twelve lifeforms in this Source World.
But Lin Yuan didn't feel much about that.
Close to Yuanlong?
Even a thousand years ago, his frontal assault methods had already surpassed Yuanlong.
Not to mention, after a millennium of cultivation and enlightenment, Yuanlong—before Lin Yuan, who had now opened a hundred billion particle worlds—was merely a few slaps away.
"The Rune Legacy of the Eternal Sects…"
Lin Yuan yearned for it. Even though he had far surpassed Yuanlong—
He had to admit the power of that primordial lifeform. The strongest successors of the central Eternal Sects being able to approach Yuanlong meant their rune legacies must be far more exquisite than Lin Yuan's current understanding.
Only such legacies could bridge the gap between future generations and primordial beings like Yuanlong.
You had to understand, before the great changes of heaven and earth, the lifeforms in this Source World still had normal physical bodies. Under such conditions, to reach heights close to Yuanlong? That was already extraordinary.
"Step by step. The rune legacy of the Eternal Sects? Once I finish opening up the infinite grains of sand-like particle worlds, I'll go take a look."
Lin Yuan steadied his mind and re-entered a state of cultivation.
Far away from Qingyun Sacred Mountain—
A massive 'Demon' was striding forward.
It had a pair of enormous wings, and its body was covered in countless massive mouths. Endless demonic energy surged from all directions into those mouths.
Its dark wings alone spanned over ten trillion li—and that was after it had deliberately condensed and shrunk its demonic form. If it had unfolded without restraint, its body could've been hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of times larger.
"Source!"
"Source!"
"Source!"
As the giant demon walked, countless Demon Spirits and even Great Demons instinctively prostrated, chanting in a strange tongue.
"Source?"
The giant demon halted, and a sudden thought emerged in its chaotic mind—
It wanted to become Source.
Become the Source.
Become the Source Demon.
Just one step away.
That thought surfaced in the giant demon's mind.
At this point, it was only a step away from becoming a Source Demon.
As a 'Demon', its instincts didn't lead it to devour its kind for advancement.
"Demonic energy!"
In just a few breaths, the giant demon had devoured the nearby demonic energy, then began striding toward an area with denser demonic energy.
"There?"
The giant demon looked in one direction—the concentration of demonic energy there was significantly higher than the surrounding regions.
Driven by primal desire, it continued devouring and moved toward that dense region.
Qingyun Sacred Mountain.
Numerous disciples moved in and out of the mountain in an orderly manner, cleansing areas where demonic energy gathered to prevent the birth of powerful 'Demons'.
"Heh, I found that clearing demonic energy isn't dangerous at all. Pretty easy, actually."
"Yeah, I've done it dozens of times over the past few hundred years—never ran into any trouble."
The disciples chatted among themselves.
"Don't get careless."
A more senior disciple spoke up: "It's true that we've encountered fewer Demon Spirits lately, but don't let your guard down."
He glanced at the others. "Otherwise, if you run into a Demon Spirit, the casualties could be severe."
A thousand years ago, disciples who went out to clear demonic energy were extremely cautious. Encountering a Demon Spirit was a disaster.
Any Demon Spirit possessed power close to Stage Six of Longevity. It might not threaten Elders, but for ordinary disciples, once they were corrupted by demonic energy, survival was nearly impossible.
"The number of Demon Spirits decreasing—maybe the Demon Plague outside is ending?"
An optimistic disciple couldn't help but say.
Just as others were about to join the discussion—
Suddenly—
An overwhelming pressure swept through.
All the disciples felt suffocated, as if facing a colossal entity beyond anything they'd ever seen.
At the same time—
At the peak of the Sacred Mountain—
Runes began to glow.
In mere moments—
The Sect Master and the Elders appeared.
"Rune warning? A Great Demon is approaching? No… regular Great Demons wouldn't trigger this many rune warnings. Is it a peak Great Demon? Or a Great Demon nearing Source Demon level?"
The Elders trembled inwardly.
A peak Great Demon was manageable. The mountain's defenses might barely hold.
But a Great Demon close to becoming a Source Demon? If that were the case, the only thing the Sect Master and Elders could do was hope it wouldn't notice Qingyun Sacred Mountain.
"Look."
The Sect Master flipped his hand, summoning a series of rune-formed images.
They saw it clearly—in the distance, a colossal demon with massive black wings and countless mouths across its body was striding toward them.
Wherever it went, demonic energy surged into the mouths like flowing water.
Deep within Qingyun Courtyard—
Lin Yuan was cultivating in seclusion.
The suffocating aura reached him, too.
"This aura…"
He opened his eyes.
"A Great Demon—an incredibly powerful one. Nearing the level of a Source Demon?"
His eyes lit up. In the past thousand years, he had hunted hundreds, thousands of Great Demons—but had never encountered one with such power.
"Where is it?"
He stood up, looked in the demon's direction—and vanished.
At the peak of Qingyun Sacred Mountain—
The Sect Master and Elders watched the demon on the rune screen, hearts pounding.
These rune images were a Qingyun Sacred Sect secret technique—rumored to originate from the central Eternal Sects—allowing them to silently spy on distant demon movements.
"This giant demon… its path doesn't seem to cross Qingyun Sacred Mountain. We should be safe."
After watching for a while, the Sect Master concluded, and the other Elders let out a collective sigh of relief.
None of them wanted to face such a terrifying demon nearing Source Demon level—the pressure was overwhelming.
"Huh?"
Just as they began to relax, a few Elders still watching the rune screen suddenly froze, expressions shifting—as if they had just witnessed something utterly unbelievable.
...
Runes intertwined, forming a clear image.
This technique originated from the Eternal Sects at the center of heaven and earth. It was a special application of the Dao of Runes, so subtle that even a Source Demon couldn't detect it.
One of the reasons Qingyun Sacred Sect had been able to repel repeated attacks from Great Demons was precisely because of this rune projection technique, allowing them to predict the trajectory of the 'Demons' and make preemptive decisions.
At this moment, more and more sect elders noticed something unusual, their eyes fixed on the image formed by the runes.
The focus of the image remained the terrifying giant demon, towering over ten trillion li tall, with massive black wings and a body covered in gaping mouths that constantly devoured vast amounts of demonic energy.
Though the giant demon was terrifying, what left the sect master and elders even more incredulous was the sudden appearance of a "tiny" figure above the demon's path.
Compared to the towering demon, the figure wasn't just small—it was insignificant, not even worth a speck of dust.
Had the demon not abruptly stopped mid-stride, the sect elders might never have noticed that figure.
"What is that?"
The Qingyun Sacred Sect Master triggered a thought, and the rune image zoomed in. The minuscule figure became larger as well.
"Chen Tong?"
The sect master was momentarily stunned. As the image clarified, the small figure was clearly a young man with his hands clasped behind his back, dressed in the standardized robe of a Qingyun Sacred Sect Attendant.
The sect master remembered Chen Tong well. A thousand years ago, it was he who exposed the former senior disciple who had fallen to demonic corruption.
Later, Chen Tong applied to serve at Qingyun Archives as a Attendant, which the sect master approved. Since then, there had been no significant news about him.
The sect master hadn't paid him much attention. The senior disciple's corruption had been a blow to him, and stabilizing the sect took precedence.
But never did he imagine that he would see this disciple again—like this.
"It's Chen Tong? The Attendant from Qingyun Archives."
The other elders also recognized Lin Yuan once the rune image was magnified.
Over the past thousand years, Lin Yuan hadn't displayed any significant power, but he had shared many insights about the 'Demons'. After repeated validation, those insights had proven accurate.
As a result, many elders had come to know the Attendant Chen Tong from Qingyun Archives, often seeking his advice on demonic matters.
"Chen Tong?"
"Why is Chen Tong there?"
"What's going on?"
Though deeply puzzled, the elders also understood how strange it was for Chen Tong to suddenly appear in front of that giant demon.
First, how did he even leave the sect? That demon was located unimaginably far from Qingyun Sacred Sect. Forget that every disciple needed prior approval to leave—even the sheer distance was incredible.
Second, with the demon's terrifying power approaching that of a Source Demon, the mere aura it emitted would be enough to suffocate someone like the sect master. And yet, Chen Tong stood calmly above the demon, looking down?
For the elders, even approaching such a creature would mean grievous injury or near death from demonic corruption.
They exchanged looks, eyes glued to the rune image.
Under the breathless gaze of all the elders, the fearsome giant demon in the image began to grow agitated. The surrounding demonic energy churned and surged upward toward the tiny figure.
"Not good."
The sect master's heart sank. With the demon's strength, even he would be gravely wounded by such a sweep of demonic energy—he couldn't possibly withstand it.
The other elders trembled, instinctively imagining themselves in the position of Chen Tong.
And then—
They all witnessed a scene they would never forget.
The tiny figure above slowly raised his right leg—and lightly stepped down on the towering demon below.
The demon, previously exuding overwhelming dominance, suddenly staggered backward several steps, the surging demonic energy halting in an instant.
Then came a second step.
The enormous demon was stomped into the ground, with most of its body buried.
A third step.
As it struggled to rise, the demon was once again slammed back down, buried even deeper.
A final step.
The towering demon collapsed, utterly broken, lying limp in a massive crater, its demonic body frail and on the verge of death.
Only then did the minuscule figure withdraw his right leg.
Compared to the giant demon, it was now this tiny figure who truly stood like a colossus—while the ten-trillion-li demon had become an ant beneath his feet.
Silence.
The great hall at the peak of Qingyun Sacred Mountain fell into utter silence.
The minds of every elder, including the sect master, went completely blank.
Some elders had suspected this Qingyun Archives Attendant was no ordinary man—but no one expected something so unimaginable.
That terrifying demon, nearly a Source Demon, had withstood only four steps?
And everyone could see clearly: Lin Yuan hadn't even used his full strength. He didn't deploy any secret techniques—just four simple stomps, and the demon was near death?
That kind of power?
The sect master trembled.
A demon approaching Source Demon level likely had strength comparable to a powerhouse of the Third Stage of Freedom.
And Lin Yuan, who crushed it in four steps—what level was his power?
Second Stage of Freedom? Third Stage of Freedom?
Even before the great changes of the world, during the golden age of this heaven and earth, Third Stage of Freedom powerhouses were extremely rare. They were essentially the strongest beneath the Eternal Sects.
The founder of Qingyun Sacred Sect had only barely entered the First Stage of Freedom.
The sect master took a deep breath, about to speak—when he noticed Lin Yuan in the rune image seemed to sense something and glanced toward their direction.
"Not good!"
The sect master's scalp tingled as he instantly terminated the rune projection—the image vanished at once.
Strangely, the gathered elders actually felt a sense of relief, as if being watched by Lin Yuan had placed an unbearable pressure on them.
Demonic energy surged.
Lin Yuan looked down at the dying giant demon below.
He cast a glance toward Qingyun Sacred Mountain.
"This feeling of surveillance… a detection technique based on the Dao of Runes?"
He pondered silently. The sense of being watched was extremely faint, imperceptible even to a Source Demon. But Lin Yuan was not a Source Demon—he was something far stronger.
"A clever use of runes."
Lin Yuan assessed inwardly. Even he hadn't noticed the surveillance immediately.
"They've likely seen me already."
He was calm. The surveillance clearly originated from Qingyun Sacred Mountain, and he hadn't made any effort to hide his attack on the demon. The sect master had probably already realized who he was.
Though his identity was now exposed, Lin Yuan didn't care. His strength had long returned to its peak. With the support of a hundred billion particle worlds, this body was now the strongest of his three true forms.
With his current power, he could've rampaged even in the era before the great changes—let alone now.
"This demon…"
He looked again at the collapsed demon.
It was powerful. In the Chaos Void, it would've been at the Supreme Saint level—perhaps even tougher due to its demonic energy, which made it nearly immortal.
Each of Lin Yuan's steps was enough to kill a Supreme Saint. Yet it had taken four to completely subdue the demon.
Of course, that was because he hadn't used full force. He wasn't trying to kill it, but to refine its body—extract its essence as resources to support the creation of particle worlds.
So Lin Yuan had acted carefully. One mistake, and he might have obliterated its very soul.
"Come in."
With a thought, he transported the demon to one of his particle worlds.
Within, a great Yin-Yang grinding wheel formed by the chaotic power of Tai Chi began crushing it repeatedly.
Once done, Lin Yuan vanished from the spot.
Great Hall atop Qingyun Sacred Mountain.
The elders remained silent, eyes on the sect master.
"Sect Master, that senior…"
Finally, one elder gathered his courage and asked. The way he addressed Lin Yuan had already shifted to "senior" without hesitation.
Qingyun Sacred Sect, a top-tier power predating the great upheaval, certainly had its foundations—such as guardians.
But even the most imaginative elder wouldn't associate Chen Tong with a sect guardian.
What a joke. If Qingyun Sacred Sect's guardian had such power, why were they still oppressed by the Demons? Why did every Great Demon siege send the whole sect into a panic?
Even if guardians rarely acted, with such strength, Qingyun Sacred Sect wouldn't need to live in fear.
"I don't know either," the sect master said, shaking his head.
He knew very little about Lin Yuan. Seeing that kind of power now, he realized he had practically no understanding of the quiet Attendant who had served at Qingyun Archives.
"But regardless, that senior clearly harbors no ill will toward our sect."
The sect master thought for a moment and said.
"Indeed."
The elders nodded slightly.
That much was obvious. If Lin Yuan bore them ill will, Qingyun Sacred Sect would've ceased to exist long ago.
"What do we do now?"
Another elder asked.
All eyes turned to the sect master.
"What do we do?"
The sect master exhaled deeply, his tone solemn: "Now that we know someone like that is residing within our sect, we must immediately pay our respects."
It would be one thing if they didn't know.
But now that they did—how could they not go? Even the boldest sect master wouldn't dare risk that kind of disrespect.
"Yes, we must pay our respects at once."
The elders all nodded.
Deep within Qingyun Archives.
Not long after returning, Lin Yuan had already finished refining the terrifying demon.
Its endless demonic energy was crushed tens of millions of times, returned to its origin, and transformed into a mass of extremely pure energy.
"This is enough to support the creation of sixty million particle worlds."
A smile appeared on Lin Yuan's face.
A single Demon Spirit could support hundreds or over a thousand particle worlds.
A single Great Demon could provide energy for hundreds of thousands or millions.
And this terrifying demon—though still technically a Great Demon—was infinitely close to becoming a Source Demon, making it far more valuable. It was equivalent to harvesting dozens of Great Demons.
"Moreover…"
Lin Yuan studied the refined energy and faintly sensed an extremely primal aura within it.
"This aura—is it the power of a Source Demon?"
He speculated. He had never hunted a Source Demon before, but this demon had been just a step away from becoming one. Certain parts of it might have already begun transforming.
"Pity I didn't have the time to let it finish evolving."
He shook his head. Though the demon was close, no one could say how long it would take to cross that final step—thousands of years? Tens of thousands? Hundreds of thousands? Even millions?
Demons did grow faster than cultivators—but even then, the transformation from Great Demon to Source Demon was so immense that a million years might still be too little.
Lin Yuan could've spent that time hunting a real Source Demon.
"This aura carries traces of Rank Thirteen power."
He focused, confirming it. Rank Thirteen power was easy to recognize—transcendent, reigning above all.
At Qingyun Archives, where disciples came and went constantly—
That day, however, all disciples were asked to leave.
"What's going on?"
"Why are we being made to leave?"
"I just exchanged for a secret technique—I haven't even finished copying it…"
Many disciples were dissatisfied. But when they saw the sect master himself standing outside the courtyard, with numerous high-ranking elders behind him, they instantly realized something major had happened.
They quickly withdrew.
"What happened?"
"Why is the sect master here?"
"And so many elders… Wait, is that all the elders?"
"The sect master and every elder gathered? How is that possible?"
The disciples' expressions turned grave. Only matters of life and death for the sect would draw every elder and the sect master together—but here? Outside Qingyun Archives?
Could Qingyun Archives somehow determine the sect's future survival?
None of the disciples could understand, but none dared disobey.
All disciples withdrew from the courtyard.
The sect master steadied himself and glanced at the elders behind him.
They all stood respectfully. From what they had seen in the rune image, they now knew just what kind of terrifying existence they were going to meet. None dared show the slightest disrespect.
"Qingyun Sacred Sect's 2638th Sect Master, along with 456 elders—pay our respects to Senior!"
The sect master bowed deeply toward the inner courtyard, his tone reverent.
...
The Qingyun Sacred Sect Master didn't know whether Lin Yuan was still inside Qingyun Archives.
But if they wanted to visit this senior, there was no other place to go besides the courtyard.
And given Lin Yuan's strength, even if he wasn't currently in the courtyard, he would surely be aware of everything happening here. There was no way he wouldn't know they had come to pay their respects.
So after respectfully voicing his intent to visit, the Sect Master stood quietly in place.
If Lin Yuan wished to see them, they naturally would be allowed in.
If not, the Sect Master wouldn't dare insist.
No one knew how much time passed.
Then a voice sounded in the Sect Master's ear—
And simultaneously in the ears of all 456 elders.
"Come in."
"Yes." The Sect Master's heart settled.
That reply confirmed Lin Yuan not only had no malice toward Qingyun Sacred Sect—he might even harbor goodwill.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have accepted their request for an audience.
Very soon—
The Sect Master and all the elders walked deeper into Qingyun Archives.
"This place?"
As they proceeded, the Sect Master's expression subtly changed. He could no longer sense the outside world.
As the sect master, he was normally able to control all aspects of Qingyun Sacred Mountain at a thought—but now he couldn't even sense it, as if this place had been completely severed from external space-time.
"This control over space-time…"
The Sect Master was inwardly shaken. To open up an independent space-time inside Qingyun Sacred Mountain? It was like building your own fortress under a tiger's nose.
As Sect Master, he could oversee the entire sect with a single thought—yet he had never noticed this before.
If Lin Yuan had harbored even a shred of malice, the Sect Master likely wouldn't have even had time to react, let alone resist.
Not long after walking—
They arrived at a vast space.
At the center sat a cross-legged figure—Lin Yuan.
"Greetings, Senior."
The Sect Master bowed at once.
Hundreds of elders behind him bowed as well.
"Mm."
Lin Yuan nodded and casually asked, "Why have you come?"
"Senior, not long ago I used the sect's inherited rune-detection method and witnessed that giant demon…"
The Sect Master spoke truthfully, hiding nothing about having seen Lin Yuan in action.
In fact, at the end of the rune-formed image, the Sect Master had already sensed that Lin Yuan was aware of their surveillance.
Trying to hide it now would only be foolish.
"We've come this time to thank Senior for protecting our sect all these years."
His tone was filled with gratitude.
"No need."
Lin Yuan shook his head slightly.
Over the past thousand years, he had continuously hunted nearby Demon Spirits and Great Demons, significantly reducing casualties among disciples sent out to purge them. That alone could be considered a form of protection.
And by his nature, once his strength was restored, if Qingyun Sacred Sect ever faced a true existential threat, Lin Yuan wouldn't sit by and watch.
With his current strength, unless besieged by a group of Source Demons, Qingyun Sacred Sect would be as stable as a mountain.
So that simple "no need"—he had every right to say it.
"That rune-based detection method…"
Lin Yuan asked with interest.
He found that technique fascinating—clearly not something Qingyun Sacred Sect could have developed on their own.
The sect's founder had only reached the First Stage of Freedom, roughly equivalent to a Chaos Great Saint. How could someone at that level have devised a surveillance method that nearly slipped past him?
"Senior, that rune-detection technique comes from the Eternal Sects in the center of heaven and earth."
The Sect Master responded immediately.
"The Eternal Sects?"
Lin Yuan looked at him.
According to what he knew, the Eternal Sects were powers guarded by Rank Thirteen time lifeforms.
At the onset of the great upheaval, the source of the endless demonic energy had emerged within the territory of the Eternal Sects. Today, countless 'Demons' ravaged the world—but the strongest, the Source Demons, remained mostly concentrated in the central regions, held at bay by the Eternal Sects.
"Yes."
The Sect Master nodded. "At the beginning of the upheaval, the Eternal Sects frequently sent envoys to support us. That detection technique was a gift from them, specifically meant to monitor Great Demons and stronger threats."
"Unfortunately, it's been a very long time since their last envoy came."
He sighed, guessing that the Eternal Sects were now under enormous pressure and could no longer spare attention for others.
"I see."
Lin Yuan nodded.
No wonder he had nearly missed detecting that technique—it had come from the Eternal Sects.
"Can you give those techniques to me?"
Lin Yuan asked directly.
Such methods from the Eternal Sects wouldn't be stored in Qingyun Archives, so Lin Yuan had no way to access them.
"Of course."
The Sect Master took out a jade slip containing all the secret techniques passed down from the Eternal Sects.
To Qingyun Sacred Sect, no amount of secret techniques could compare to the protection Lin Yuan offered.
As Lin Yuan began examining the jade slip, the Sect Master and elders wisely retreated.
"Marvelous…"
Lin Yuan scanned through the techniques and his eyes gleamed.
These rune-based methods had reached an astonishing level. Even for him, seeing them for the first time was an eye-opener.
"These definitely came from Rank Thirteen lifeforms."
He was certain. Within the methods, he sensed the perspective of time-based Rank Thirteen beings.
Only someone capable of observing countless timelines could craft such complete and intricate techniques.
"The Eternal Sects…"
Lin Yuan looked toward the center of the world, then continued studying.
After spending the better part of a day, Lin Yuan had basically grasped the dozens of rune techniques within the jade slip.
They covered a wide range of applications, showing clearly that when the upheaval first began, the Eternal Sects genuinely intended to help other sects survive the crisis.
"The Dao of Runes really is profound."
Lin Yuan was deeply moved. He had believed himself nearly finished with the path of runes—not fully mastered, but close.
Yet now, after seeing these techniques from the Eternal Sects, he realized how far he still had to go.
"My two Primordial Spirits have already explored very distant regions."
His eyes darkened. Once he noticed that the local supply of 'Demons' was running low—
He had dispatched two Primordial Spirits to explore farther areas—first to hunt more Demons, and second to search for sects like Qingyun Sacred Sect in hopes of obtaining their rune legacies.
That was also why, when the terrifying giant demon appeared, Lin Yuan used his true body to act.
With the two Primordial Spirits away, there was no point in re-condensing new ones.
"Let's continue opening up particle worlds."
He gathered his thoughts. With the recent refinement of the near–Source Demon giant demon, he now had ample resources.
With each particle world he opened, his strength grew.
Far from Qingyun Sacred Mountain—
Lin Yuan's Yin Primordial Spirit sat cross-legged, sending out countless projections in all directions.
These projections were far weaker than his true body. Their main role was scouting. If they encountered an enemy they could handle, they would deal with it. If not, the Yin Primordial Spirit would step in.
Using projections for blanket exploration was currently Lin Yuan's most efficient strategy.
Even if they ran into danger, he could simply dissolve them.
"According to the ancient texts stored in Qingyun Archives, before the great upheaval, this Source World's powers were divided into five tiers."
Lin Yuan thought, "The first tier, naturally, was the Eternal Sects—eternal and indestructible, guarded by Rank Thirteen time lifeforms."
"The second tier was the Supreme Sacred Sects, supported by Third Stage of Freedom powerhouses—Invincible Supreme Saints or Strongest Heavenly Sovereigns."
"The third tier was ordinary sacred sects like Qingyun Sacred Sect. Their founders entered the Three Stages of Freedom—but in truth, Qingyun only barely reached that level."
"The fourth and fifth tiers were powers established by Stage Six of Longevity cultivators, and they were numerous."
Lin Yuan shook his head. Due to the widespread influence of the Dao of Runes, there were many Stage Six cultivators in this Source World. Only those who reached the Three Stages of Freedom were considered to have ascended to true greatness.
"I've searched so long, and I haven't even found a third-tier sacred sect, let alone a second-tier Supreme Sacred Sect."
He shook his head.
What he was looking for were sects that had been overrun by Demons. Any sect that still survived had likely hidden themselves so thoroughly they were nearly impossible to locate.
Sects overrun by Demons wouldn't leave behind any cultivators—but much of their legacy, especially rune-based, was likely to remain.
The 'Demons' weren't interested in legacies—they only desired to devour living beings.
And when a sect was collapsing, its leader would usually ensure the sect's legacy had at least a sliver of hope to be rediscovered by future cultivators.
So over the years, Lin Yuan's two Primordial Spirits had not only hunted 'Demons' but also searched for these destroyed sects in hopes of obtaining their rune legacies.
But up to now, he had only found ruins of fourth- or fifth-tier sects. Even when they did have rune inheritances, they were of little help to him.
What Lin Yuan longed for was the ruins of higher-tier sects—at least sacred sect level.
"Unfortunately, after the great upheaval, most sects relocated their headquarters to avoid the Demon plague, rendering pre-cataclysm maps useless. Only the Eternal Sects have the means to locate surviving sects."
He shook his head.
Take Qingyun Sacred Sect for example—its headquarters, Qingyun Sacred Mountain, was actually a weapon at the Third Stage of Freedom level. In times of crisis, it could even carry all disciples away.
"Step by step."
Lin Yuan wasn't impatient. He continued monitoring the progress of his countless projections.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, Lin Yuan's expression shifted—one of his projections had discovered a sect ruin.
This ruin was in a state of extreme space-time disorder. Though it had been completely overrun by Demons, over countless years, it had slowly begun recovering, and many of its ancient formations were reactivating.
"This ruin… is unusual."
Lin Yuan narrowed his eyes and carefully observed the distant site.
...
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