"The sect-protecting array of this relic was once completely destroyed, and not just once."
"But each time after being destroyed, it could slowly recover?"
Lin Yuan observed carefully. Not long after he discovered this sect relic, his Yin Primordial Soul arrived.
"At the very least, it's the relic of a Sacred Sect-level force. Its foundation is much more terrifying than that of the Qingyun Sacred Sect."
Lin Yuan thought to himself.
In this source world, a Sacred Sect-level force is defined as one with powerhouses at the Three Stages of Freedom.
The Three Stages of Freedom correspond to the Chaos Great Saints in the chaotic void and the Heavenly Sovereigns of the first source world.
Among them, the Third Stage is the threshold for a Supreme Sacred Sect, belonging to the second-tier forces of this world.
Below the Supreme Sacred Sects are the Sacred Sect-level forces.
Even among Sacred Sect-level forces, there are distinctions of high and low.
For example, the Qingyun Sacred Sect belongs to the weaker Sacred Sects; its founder barely managed to enter the Third Stage.
After the great changes in the world, the strongest person in the current Qingyun Sacred Sect is no longer at the Third Stage, but the Sect Master, who is at the peak of the Six Stages of Longevity.
The peak of the Six Stages of Longevity is equivalent to a peak Great Sovereign in the chaotic void.
Logically speaking, the Qingyun Sacred Sect should no longer be called a Sacred Sect.
It is only due to the 'Demon' disaster that it has been able to retain the title of Sacred Sect.
"A Source Demon must have made a move."
Lin Yuan observed the traces near the relic. Among them, a critical strike that almost penetrated the sect-protecting array faintly exuded a primordial demonic energy. At least a 'Demon' of the Source Demon level was required to cause such a scene.
"Source Demon?"
Lin Yuan wasn't too surprised.
Most Source Demons gather in the center of the world, but that doesn't mean there are no traces of Source Demons elsewhere, just that their numbers are too few.
Lin Yuan stood outside and observed for a while before walking in.
The sect-protecting array of this relic had not yet recovered and couldn't stop Lin Yuan at all.
Before long, Lin Yuan arrived at the deepest part of the relic.
It was empty, with only a stone statue standing.
"Runes?"
Lin Yuan saw dozens of runes carved at the base of the stone statue. His mind stirred, and following these dozens of runes, he extended the last three.
When the Demon disaster strikes, most sect forces, before their sects are breached by 'Demons', generally leave their core legacies to be inherited by future cultivators.
After all, 'Demons' are not interested in cultivation legacies, and to activate a legacy, one needs to use the Tao of Runes, which 'Demons' apparently cannot do.
Of course, some sect forces will leave some trials outside the core legacy for screening purposes, as many legacies are not suitable for every cultivator.
Buzz~
As Lin Yuan extended the last three runes, the entire stone statue began to hum slightly, and the figure of a man wearing a dark red cloak coalesced.
"Future one." The man in the dark red cloak looked at Lin Yuan: "My name is 'Li Hong'. I don't know how long it has been since you saw this imprint of mine, or if the 'Demon' disaster has ended. In my era, the 'Demon' disaster had just descended for a hundred billion years. I am currently being hunted by a Source Demon and probably won't last much longer."
"Li Hong? The founder of the Li Hong Sacred Sect?" Lin Yuan thought to himself.
As a Sacred Sect from before the great changes in the world, the Qingyun Sacred Sect naturally collected detailed intelligence on other Sacred Sects.
Among them, the Li Hong Sacred Sect was quite famous. Its founder, 'Li Hong', was a powerhouse at the peak of the Second Stage of Freedom.
"That Source Demon is too strong. I feel that even an Eternal Child can't compare to him. I have no power to resist at all and can only keep fleeing," said 'Li Hong', wearing the dark red cloak.
An Eternal Child refers to the strongest successor of the various Eternal Sect forces, possessing strength surpassing that of the Third Stage of Freedom.
"Stronger than an Eternal Child?"
Lin Yuan was startled. An Eternal Child was already close to Abyss Dragon. Stronger than an Eternal Child? Would that not be equivalent to Abyss Dragon, or even surpass Abyss Dragon?
How was that possible?
Abyss Dragon was the first living being born in the first source world, carrying countless opportunities and karma, with terrifying talent. (I changed the name into Abyss Dragon)
It was understandable that the Eternal Children of this source world, with the help of special rune legacies and the devoted cultivation of their respective Thirteenth rank powerhouses, could reach a level barely close to Abyss Dragon.
But equivalent to Abyss Dragon or even surpassing Abyss Dragon?
How was that possible?
Even Lin Yuan found it unbelievable.
He could easily surpass Abyss Dragon because he possessed insights into the grand Tao rules of different dimensions and Unrivaled Insight. But a Source Demon?
"What exactly are these 'Demons'?"
Lin Yuan frowned slightly. For a thousand years, he had hunted Demon Spirits and Great Demons, but he still hadn't completely figured out what these beings were.
"It is said that if killed by a Source Demon, the demonic energy will infiltrate one's mind and will, rendering any number of clones or avatars useless for survival. As for self-destruction? As long as a causal link exists, the Source Demon will continue to hunt you down."
'Li Hong' said with a calm expression: "Since I embarked on the path of cultivation, I have never felt such pressure..."
Lin Yuan listened.
He had also read about the various methods of Source Demons in the ancient texts collected by the Qingyun Sacred Sect.
"Since death is inevitable, I left this stone statue in advance, containing the legacy of the path I walked, especially the Grand Tao of Runes, which is the Grand Tao passed down by the Eternal Lords!"
'Li Hong' continued.
Eternal Lords is the term used by the beings of this source world to refer to Thirteenth Rank time lifeforms.
Thirteenth Rank time lifeforms in different worlds have different names. For example, time lifeforms in the first source world refer to themselves as 'Ancestors'.
"Grand Tao of Runes?"
Lin Yuan immediately listened carefully.
Although 'Li Hong's' strength was not as great as Lin Yuan's, as a powerhouse at the peak of the Second Stage of Freedom, his understanding of runes certainly had its unique aspects.
Especially since he had met several Eternal Lords and received their guidance, his understanding of runes was definitely much stronger than that of the Qingyun Sacred Sect.
"I have heard the Eternal Lords preach many times," 'Li Hong', clad in a dark red cloak, smiled slightly: "Each Eternal Lord's understanding of the Tao of Runes is vast and profound, enough for us to study for a lifetime."
Lin Yuan listened quietly. The 'Li Hong' before him was merely an imprint, without sentience. Everything he said was a 'fixed program', and Lin Yuan had no intention of asking questions.
"But among all the Eternal Lords, it is the Lord of Heavenly Radiance whose understanding of the Grand Tao of Runes I admire the most," said 'Li Hong', wearing the dark red cloak.
"I don't mean to disparage other Eternal Lords, but I feel that the Tao of Runes expounded by the Lord of Heavenly Radiance is the most perfect."
'Li Hong' paused here, as if lost in some memory. After a long time, he continued: "The Lord of Heavenly Radiance's pursuit and understanding of the Tao of Runes is omnipotence."
"Omnipotence?"
Lin Yuan's expression changed slightly.
"Indeed, omnipotence."
'Li Hong' showed an expression of awe: "For example, if you want to recreate this vast world we are in, you can use the Grand Tao of Runes to open it up and replicate it. If you want to revive Third Stage of Freedom powerhouses who died in the past, you can also do so with the power of runes."
"In the Grand Tao of Runes as understood by the Lord of Heavenly Radiance, the ultimate pursuit is omnipotence; using the Tao of Runes, anything is possible."
"You can even completely kill other Eternal Lords. Eternal Lords perceive the future and can see all their future possibilities. It is incredibly difficult to kill an Eternal Lord, but if one's comprehension of the Tao of Runes reaches its peak, reaching the theoretical level of omnipotence, then it is possible to utterly kill an Eternal Lord."
"Not just killing, but with the omnipotent Grand Tao of Runes, one can even create new Eternal Lords. Of course, even the Lord of Heavenly Radiance has not achieved this level of rune power; it is merely a hypothetical pursuit."
The man in the dark red cloak, 'Li Hong', spoke.
Lin Yuan was shocked to hear this. The Lord of Heavenly Radiance was one of the Thirteenth Rank time lifeforms in this source world, which was also recorded in the information collected by the Qingyun Sacred Sect.
However, Lin Yuan had not expected that the Lord of Heavenly Radiance pursued runes to such an extent?
Omnipotence?
In fact, Lin Yuan also possessed a form of omnipotence.
That was Boundary-Breaking Source Energy.
According to the information emerging from the Gate of Myriad Realms, Boundary-Breaking Source Energy could accomplish anything.
Theoretically, as long as there was enough Boundary-Breaking Source Energy, one could indeed completely kill a Thirteenth Rank time lifeform. However, the amount of Boundary-Breaking Source Energy required here was probably an astronomical number.
But compared to the Lord of Heavenly Radiance's pursuit of rune omnipotence, Boundary-Breaking Source Energy's omnipotence was a known fact.
"The Grand Tao of Runes..."
Lin Yuan steadied his mind. From the Lord of Heavenly Radiance's pursuit of the Grand Tao of Runes, one could see the potential of this Grand Tao. Although it was unclear whether the Grand Tao of Runes could ultimately reach the level of omnipotence, at least there was a faint hope.
Otherwise, as a time lifeform, the Lord of Heavenly Radiance would not have conceived such a pursuit.
Lin Yuan, however, could not comprehend Boundary-Breaking Source Energy in the slightest. The essence of this power was too high. Lin Yuan could only perceive its existence through the Gate of Myriad Realms; without the Gate of Myriad Realms, he would not even know of such a power.
Now that he knew the theoretical endpoint of the Tao of Runes was Boundary-Breaking Source Energy, he could indirectly comprehend Boundary-Breaking Source Energy by deeply studying the Tao of Runes.
Compared to achieving omnipotence through Boundary-Breaking Source Energy, Lin Yuan hoped more to achieve omnipotence through his own means, rather than relying on external objects.
"I admire the Lord of Heavenly Radiance, so my path, the Grand Tao of Runes I've comprehended, all align with the Lord of Heavenly Radiance."
'Li Hong', clad in a dark red cloak, said: "The Grand Tao of Runes I've comprehended is broadly divided into three categories: first, offense; second, defense; third, life-preservation."
"The offensive Grand Tao of Runes is named 'Li Hong's Light'. This is my most lethal technique, using twenty-six thousand eight hundred and thirty-five runes to form a beam of Li Hong's Light that penetrates everything. Even a Third Stage of Freedom powerhouse would have to temporarily avoid its sharpness under this strike of mine."
'Li Hong's' tone carried a hint of unwillingness: "With the destructive power of this rune technique, if I could advance further and enter the Third Stage, I might not be without a chance to contend with that Source Demon behind me."
"Li Hong's Light?" Lin Yuan watched carefully. As 'Li Hong' in the dark red cloak described this Tao of Runes, he also demonstrated it, runes intertwining and combining to form a beam of dark red light.
"Li Hong's Light, although it references several offensive techniques passed down by the Lord of Heavenly Radiance, it can also be considered something I created. Later, you can examine the various legacies recorded within this stone statue yourself, and feel free to comment."
'Li Hong', clad in a dark red cloak, spoke with confidence.
"The second type of defensive Grand Tao of Runes, I named the Tao of Li Cauldron. It uses runes to form a cauldron, complete and unbreakable. I once used this rune technique to hold out for ten breaths in front of a Third Stage powerhouse."
A hint of pride appeared on 'Li Hong's' face.
For a Second Stage of Freedom cultivator to hold out for ten breaths in front of a Third Stage of Freedom powerhouse was already remarkable.
"As for the life-preservation Tao of Runes, it's called the Blood Rainbow Undying Art. It can produce tens of thousands of blood rainbow bodies. Unfortunately, there's still a causal link between different blood rainbow bodies. Otherwise, if that Source Demon behind me wanted to kill me? Dream on."
'Li Hong's' face showed unwillingness. Clearly, facing true life and death, he also yearned to survive.
"The specific cultivation methods for these three Grand Tao of Runes are all contained within the stone statue. Additionally, the Grand Tao of Runes passed down by the various Eternal Lords are also inside."
'Li Hong' looked at Lin Yuan: "I will not set any trials for the Grand Tao of Runes I've walked. Normal cultivators can practice them; there's no need for repetitive trials. However, after you comprehend them, please don't destroy this stone statue. Leave a ray of hope for future generations."
After 'Li Hong' finished speaking, he sighed, closed his eyes, and muttered to himself:
"Great Lord of Heavenly Radiance, why did you not act to stop the 'Demon' disaster?"
'Li Hong's' final murmur was full of doubt, and then he rapidly disintegrated.
"Lord of Heavenly Radiance..." Lin Yuan was also curious about the state of the Eternal Lords. Could they all be held back by the 'Demon Gods'?
Lin Yuan pondered for a moment, then immediately sent his consciousness into the stone statue.
"Before me, six cultivators have already visited and comprehended the legacies within."
Lin Yuan immediately discovered traces within the stone statue. Each comprehendor would leave a mark inside, and Lin Yuan was the seventh.
This was normal. According to 'Li Hong', this relic existed from the early stages of the great changes in the world. Over such a long period, it was only natural for a few cultivators to discover this relic.
"The Grand Tao of Runes legacies left by the Eternal Lords."
Lin Yuan first began to comprehend these. The Qingyun Sacred Sect also collected some Grand Tao of Runes legacies, but very few were related to the Eternal Lords. This was mainly because the Qingyun Sacred Sect's founder had just entered the Three Stages of Freedom and couldn't compare to a seasoned peak Second Stage of Freedom powerhouse like 'Li Hong'.
"Lord of Heavenly Radiance..." The stone statue contained more than twenty types of Grand Tao of Runes passed down by the Lord of Heavenly Radiance. The more Lin Yuan comprehended, the more astonished he became. It wasn't that he hadn't comprehended Thirteenth Rank legacies before.
In the chaotic void, and especially the first source world, the six Ancestors' Thirteenth Rank legacies were available for Lin Yuan to comprehend.
However, compared to the Grand Tao of Runes left by the Lord of Heavenly Radiance, Lin Yuan felt a clear gap. The understanding of runes in the Grand Tao of Runes left by the Lord of Heavenly Radiance was extremely, extremely high, even at the Thirteenth Rank level.
"Is this Lord of Heavenly Radiance a Time Lord?" Lin Yuan wondered to himself.
...
The Time Lord stood at the peak of the thirteenth rank, at the very limit of perfection. At this stage, a time lifeform had already begun to draw in its own timelines, attempting to unify past, present, and future into one.
This was in preparation to strike at an even higher realm.
In the First Source World, among the six founding ancestors of the ancient kingdoms, even the mightiest—Ancestor Grand Ancient Void—was still infinitely far from a Time Lord.
Yet when Lin Yuan studied the rune Dao passed down by the Lord of Heavenly Radiance, he found that its description of the essence of runes far surpassed any thirteenth-rank inheritance he had ever seen.
Thus came the speculation that the Lord of Heavenly Radiance was a Time Lord.
"It could also just be a powerful time lifeform."
Lin Yuan steadied his thoughts. His own level was still too low—not even at the thirteenth rank—so he could not possibly judge whether the Lord of Heavenly Radiance was truly a Time Lord.
"These rune Dao inheritances are of great help to me."
Lin Yuan spent several days thoroughly comprehending the many inheritances hidden within the stone statue, especially those concerning the rune Dao. At last, he revealed a smile.
In particular, the rune inheritances from various Eternal Lords allowed Lin Yuan to clearly see the true nature of the path of runes. The ultimate pursuit of the Lord of Heavenly Radiance on this path was omnipotence.
The other Eternal Lords each had their own pursuits as well, and through them, Lin Yuan could faintly glimpse the methods of every Eternal Lord.
"Still far too few."
Lin Yuan looked at the stone statue before him, feeling unsatisfied.
The inheritances left by the Eternal Lords were unimaginably precious. Even someone like 'Li Hong,' at the peak of the second realm of Freedom, had only obtained fragments. As for more? None at all.
"Continue excavating the ruins of other sects and powers."
Lin Yuan gathered his thoughts, feeling certain that the path he had chosen was correct.
For the time being—at least until he had fully opened up an infinite sands-of-eternity world—he would not easily head to the central lands or risk contact with the Demon Gods.
But the inheritances left behind by the Eternal Lords could be obtained within countless sect ruins. Even if incomplete, they were more than enough for Lin Yuan.
"Sects at the level of Supreme Sacred Sects should hold even more Eternal Lord inheritances."
Lin Yuan thought to himself. Those capable of founding a Supreme Sacred Sect were beings of the third realm of Freedom. Such powers almost always had deep ties with Eternal Sects. To step into the third realm of Freedom by oneself was simply too difficult.
With ties to the Eternal Sects, naturally they would leave behind more inheritances concerning Eternal Lords.
"Even a Supreme Sacred Sect, if targeted by a Source Demon, would hardly escape unscathed."
Lin Yuan silently considered. Through 'Li Hong,' he knew well the power of a Source Demon—at least an existence on par with the Abyss Dragon.
Without a thousand years of cultivation, even Lin Yuan himself could not be completely certain of killing one.
The First Source World.
In the capital of the Liyang Kingdom, within the Milky Way Prince's Manor—
Meng Shi and the other disciples Lin Yuan had accepted came as usual to seek audience.
This was also a rule Lin Yuan had set: every so often, his disciples could come to ask about their doubts in the martial path.
"Master." Meng Shi and the disciples greeted respectfully. They looked at the young man seated cross-legged before them, countless runes weaving and colliding around him, faintly outlining a vast world. The runes' level was far too high; no matter how much they strained their eyes, the disciples could not see the whole picture.
Yet even without fully grasping them, each disciple felt that every single rune contained infinite mysteries, as though they were fragments of the very essence of heaven and earth.
"Every rune before Master… just one alone feels greater than the entirety of those Ultimate Heavenly Sovereigns. What exactly are these runes?" The disciples' hearts trembled.
They could feel that these runes were casually condensed by Lin Yuan—thousands upon thousands, endlessly weaving and clashing.
"It's said Master is the undisputed number one expert of the six ancient kingdoms, so esteemed that even the six ancestors regard him with special respect. To become his disciples is the fortune of a lifetime."
So thought Meng Shi and the others.
The longer they served under Lin Yuan, the more they realized the weight of the title "Milky Way Heavenly Sovereign." Even the Ancestors themselves bowed and treated him with courtesy.
Within the six ancient kingdoms, the Ancestors were supreme. From the founding of the Grand Ancient Void Kingdom, no Heavenly Sovereign had ever compelled the Ancestors to such respect. Even the second and third Ancestors, while still at the Heavenly Sovereign level, had never drawn so much attention from Ancestor Grand Ancient Void.
"Back in the Thousand Fang Domain, I worried that I'd bring trouble to Master, fearing he couldn't withstand the retaliation of the Thousand Fang King."
Meng Shi reflected. "But now… what is the Thousand Fang Domain compared to Master? Even the emperor of the Great Ling Ancient Kingdom would have to bow before him."
"If you have doubts in your cultivation, speak them."
Lin Yuan dispersed the runes before him and looked to his disciples.
These disciples had been handpicked by Lin Yuan after traveling through the six ancient kingdoms—the ones most suited for martial cultivation, with the highest potential in martial Dao.
In the future, once Lin Yuan stepped into the thirteenth rank and founded the seventh ancient kingdom, many affairs would need to be entrusted to them. Thus, he made time to guide them regularly.
They would become the face of martial cultivators for ages to come, and Lin Yuan naturally wished to train them well.
"Master, time is like flowing water. But how does it flow, and where does it go?"
Meng Shi was the first to ask. With his martial Dao talent in time, Lin Yuan valued him greatly. Such talent was no less than the wondrous time-blooded lifeforms of the chaotic void.
At the twelfth-rank perfection, one could faintly sense possible visions of the future.
"Time…"
Lin Yuan pondered, then moved his mind. A rune condensed into being.
This rune was the 'Time' character of the Second Source World—unfathomably complex, yet when fully gathered, it resembled a winding river of time flowing endlessly.
The rune Dao of the Second Source World sought to replicate all of existence through runes—even the laws themselves were within its scope.
"This…?"
Meng Shi stared at the rune before Lin Yuan, feeling as though it were alive. He truly saw the vast Dao of Time.
"Thank you for your guidance, Master."
Meng Shi gazed upon it with rapt attention, then bowed deeply.
To hear the Dao in the morning and die by evening was already enough. But he had not merely heard—it was as though he had seen the Dao itself. For him, the 'Time' rune Lin Yuan had casually condensed was his Dao.
The other disciples too observed the rune. Though they did not tread the path of time, beholding a rune that embodied the essence of a great Dao was of immeasurable benefit.
"Master, I…"
Soon the second and third disciples stepped forward with questions.
Lin Yuan answered each one, and in the end, even condensed corresponding runes for them.
The rune inheritances of the Second Source World, able to replicate the great Dao of laws, were nothing short of miraculous. They could greatly lower cultivation thresholds—especially when condensed by Lin Yuan, who laid bare the very essence of the laws.
The Second Source World.
Lin Yuan's Yang soul sped swiftly toward a certain direction.
"I've already suppressed thirty-six Great Demons, sending their incarnations to my true body. I've also discovered the ruins of a Holy Sect, though compared to Li Hong's sect, its value to me was not as great." (Sacred Sect changed to Holy Sect)
Lin Yuan thought, glancing into the distance. "Time to push further."
This Source World was vast beyond measure. According to the Qingyun Supreme Sacred Sect's 'map,' his current position was near the edge of this realm.
"In fact, the 'demon' calamity of this Source World is more a boon than a curse for me—at least I avoid the scrutiny of the Eternal Lords." Lin Yuan mused.
Were it not for this calamity, as Lin Yuan grew and gathered rune inheritances, he would inevitably draw the gaze of Eternal Sects, and even the Eternal Lords themselves.
As time lifeforms, Eternal Lords could observe countless future timelines. But with the Lord of Heavenly Radiance—a fathomless time lifeform—present in this Source World, they might not treat Lin Yuan with the same goodwill as the six Ancestors.
The six Ancestors only did so because they had seen the certainty of Lin Yuan's future timeline.
But the Lord of Heavenly Radiance? If that being truly was a Time Lord, able to peer into far more and farther-reaching timelines, he might very well see the one where Lin Yuan failed to break into the thirteenth rank.
And thus, set his own plans in motion.
Of course, it was only a possibility.
But that alone was enough for Lin Yuan to be wary. Before reaching the thirteenth rank, he had no desire to entangle with time lifeforms of such power.
"What's that?"
At that moment, Lin Yuan suddenly stopped, his gaze falling to a valley below. His brows lifted slightly.
He faintly sensed rune fluctuations within. "Another sect ruin?"
Joy stirred within him. To Lin Yuan, sect ruins were like free treasure troves. Even the weakest sect held value—perhaps not much, but still helpful.
"Let's take a look."
Rather than enter the valley directly, Lin Yuan drew near to observe carefully.
However—
As soon as he crossed a certain range, runes instantly spread throughout the surroundings. At the valley's peak, a golden figure with a cold gaze condensed into form.
"What's this…?"
Lin Yuan's expression sharpened. The surrounding runes far surpassed those left behind by Li Hong's sect. To reach such a level, this valley's sect ruins had to be at least of the Supreme Sacred Sect tier.
"Since you've come, you too are a cultivator. The trial begins now. This sect's inheritance is special—only by passing the trial may you comprehend it."
The golden figure above the valley looked down on Lin Yuan, its voice calm. "Enter."
With that, it waved its hand, attempting to move Lin Yuan into the trial space.
Hum—
An invisible wave enveloped Lin Yuan, trying to drag him inside.
"…Hmm?"
The golden figure froze slightly—realizing it could not move Lin Yuan at all.
...
Couldn't pull him?
The golden figure paused, slightly taken aback.
This ruin's origin was unbelievably profound— even a peak Third Realm of Freedom expert wouldn't be able to resist it.
They would be forcibly drawn into the trial space.
But Lin Yuan?
The golden figure studied him closely.
He didn't understand this young man's methods, but judging by his life aura…
It was just the normal level of the Third Realm of Freedom.
And yet he had blocked the pull with ease.
"Is his insight into spacetime that deep?"
The golden figure wondered.
The essence of his forced pull was a borrowing of spacetime laws.
If the other party was equally versed in spacetime laws, failing to move him was perfectly reasonable.
Only, to grasp spacetime to the extent that even he couldn't do anything— that was exceedingly rare.
Even among the Eternal Sects' so-called children of eternity, few had such comprehension.
In this world, countless cultivators used the rune path to comprehend laws. The threshold might be lower, but it hadn't vanished.
The deeper one went into spacetime, the harder it became.
"He's probably on the verge of transcending spacetime laws themselves."
So judged the golden figure. To "transcend spacetime laws" meant having one foot already outside the ninefold bounds of spacetime— only then could one make him ineffective.
"Didn't expect to meet a gem this time."
The stronger the challenger and the deeper their feel for laws, the greater their hope of passing the trial.
And his very purpose was to nurture a challenger who could pass every trial.
As it stood, Lin Yuan had a sliver of hope of clearing them all.
"Almost got dragged off."
Lin Yuan himself was shaken— the runes had surged across heaven and earth just now. If not for his near-limit insight into the fused spacetime laws, he might've been forcibly transferred.
Only his Yang Primordial Soul was present here; many methods couldn't be used. And since his true body had to open up the infinite sands-of-eternity particle world, all resources were prioritized for the true body.
So the Yang Primordial Soul's strength was only at the level of a strongest Heavenly Sovereign, an Invincible Supreme Saint— equivalent to this world's Third Realm of Freedom.
A Yang Primordial Soul lacked Yin, so The Tao of Tai Chi was constrained.
If his Yang Primordial Soul fused with the Yin Primordial Soul to become the Tai Chi soul, then even if still weaker than the true body,
It would stand above the strongest Heavenly Sovereign and Invincible Supreme Saint, on par with an Abyss Dragon.
"Easy there, little one— don't worry. I mean no harm."
The golden figure's voice was gentle. Faced with a challenger who held even a faint hope, he had patience to spare.
"Where are you sending me?"
Lin Yuan asked directly.
None of the sect ruins he'd found before had presented anything like this.
Being forcibly moved into an unknown space, with unknown risks and background— Lin Yuan naturally resisted.
"The trial space. Pass the trial there, and you can obtain the final inheritance."
The golden figure showed no impatience.
"Trial space?"
Lin Yuan understood.
The runes surrounding this valley were clearly the work of a cultivator— he'd already been prepared for that.
"Which Holy Sect's trial space is this?"
Lin Yuan asked.
Just that one rune technique that nearly forced him away far surpassed the Qingyun Supreme Sacred Sect or the Li Hong Holy Sect. Lin Yuan guessed it had to be the handiwork of some Supreme Holy Sect.
"Which Holy Sect?"
The golden figure gave Lin Yuan a longer look, then shook his head. "This is not a Holy Sect's trial space."
"Not a Holy Sect's trial space?"
A hint of doubt crossed Lin Yuan's face.
If not a Holy Sect's trial space, then whose?
"The creator of this trial space is the great Lord of Wu Shan," the golden figure said.
"Lord of Wu Shan?"
Lin Yuan was startled.
The Lord of Wu Shan was an Eternal Lord of this Source World— a thirteenth-rank time lifeform.
From what Lin Yuan had learned, the Lord of Wu Shan was extremely mysterious. He had never founded an Eternal Sect, moved alone, and stepped into the thirteenth rank through the Dao of painting.
The Lord of Wu Shan's paintings contained endless mysteries. To call them paintings was underselling them— each one was a complete world. His pursuit was to paint a "grand scroll" rivaling the "great painting" of this Source World itself.
"This trial space was created by the Lord of Wu Shan?"
Lin Yuan looked at the golden figure, unable to help asking.
"Would I lie?"
The golden figure's tone turned solemn.
"Why did the Lord of Wu Shan create this trial space?"
Lin Yuan didn't doubt it much. The Eternal Lords of this Source World had unfathomably deep influence; no one dared impersonate an Eternal Lord.
"Before the 'demon' calamity descended, the Lord of Wu Shan had already sensed it— that this world would fall into eternal silence. So he pre-created many trial spaces, to cultivate capable challengers after the calamity."
"The Lord of Wu Shan hoped to nurture a new Eternal Lord— only then could the 'demon' calamity be cleansed."
The golden figure said.
Strictly speaking, he didn't need to share any of this. But if he didn't explain, the young man before him likely wouldn't enter the trial at all.
"I see."
Lin Yuan's expression grew thoughtful.
Eternal Lords could observe future timelines. The descent of the 'demon' calamity was a sudden disaster to anyone below the thirteenth rank— but to time lifeforms, they'd likely "seen" it long ago.
Lin Yuan had wondered why no thirteenth-rank beings intervened while the calamity ravaged the land. Now it seemed the Eternal Lords of this world had begun laying out their plans in advance.
This trial space, for example.
"Was the Lord of Wu Shan held up by the Demon God?"
Lin Yuan voiced his doubt.
Compared to cultivating a new Eternal Lord to clean up the calamity, a thirteenth-rank time lifeform acting personally would be simpler and easier.
Eternal Lords weren't something you could "cultivate" to order. In the First Source World's six ancient kingdoms, after Ancestor Grand Ancient Void, the other five Ancestors had not been groomed in any special way before breaking into the thirteenth rank.
For the Lord of Wu Shan to foster a new Eternal Lord through trial spaces— the odds were slim.
Thus Lin Yuan suspected the Lord of Wu Shan couldn't free himself. And to hold him down, the likeliest candidate would be that 'Demon God.'
"Demon God?"
The golden figure shook his head. "Strong as the Demon God is, he cannot hold down the great Lord of Wu Shan."
"Not the Demon God?"
Lin Yuan grew even more surprised. "Then who?"
"I don't know either."
The golden figure said, "The Demon God is not the source of the 'demon' calamity."
"Enough— I've said all I can. This trial space was painstakingly opened by the Lord of Wu Shan. The final inheritance within explains the essence of the rune Dao."
He looked at Lin Yuan. "With your grasp of spacetime, there's a sliver of hope you pass. Even if you don't, you can still obtain a portion of the inheritance— greatly beneficial."
"Now tell me— will you enter the trial space?"
"An Eternal Lord's trial space…"
Lin Yuan considered briefly, then asked, "Is there any danger?"
If there was, he planned to wait until he'd cultivated to his limit before returning.
The trial space wasn't going anywhere. He could attempt it whenever he wished.
"Danger?"
The golden figure sighed. "The Lord of Wu Shan saw countless cultivators perish under the 'demon' calamity. Why would he build danger into a trial space?"
"If you feel you cannot pass, I will send you out. There will be no danger."
His tone grew rueful. "If not for the high threshold of the Lord of Wu Shan's inheritance— if unqualified cultivators forced comprehension, it would cause irreparable harm— he might not have set any trials at all."
To a being like the Lord of Wu Shan, spreading his inheritance without trials would be true malice.
Setting trials was mercy—
To spare those unsuited to comprehension from irreversible loss.
"Then I'm willing," Lin Yuan said at once.
The Lord of Wu Shan was a thirteenth-rank time lifeform. Of course Lin Yuan desired his inheritance.
And if there was no danger? That was basically a free gift. Why would he refuse?
"Good."
The golden figure looked at Lin Yuan. "Next, do not resist."
"Alright."
Lin Yuan nodded.
Hum— The surrounding runes resonated again. A wave of spacetime swept over and instantly pulled Lin Yuan into a mysterious space.
"Where is this?"
Lin Yuan looked around.
A vast realm— and what seized his gaze at once were three gigantic "paintings" hanging at the center of the world.
The three vast paintings depicted: first, a youth in golden armor, whose aura was so terrifying that it bled through the scrolls themselves.
Second, a woman of sultry grace, dressed in near-transparent gauze, lips faintly upturned. An invisible psychic force emanated from her. Ordinary Third Realm of Freedom experts wouldn't dare stare for long, lest they sink into oblivion.
As for the last "grand scroll," it showed a white-robed man. Compared to the first two, no aura leaked from him at all— yet to Lin Yuan, he felt the most threatening.
"The powers in these three 'grand scrolls'— each is no weaker than an 'Abyss Dragon.'"
Lin Yuan's expression grew a touch solemn.
Especially the white-robed man in the final scroll— he faintly suggested a level beyond the Abyss Dragon.
"These three 'grand scrolls' were painted by the great Lord of Wu Shan."
The golden figure appeared beside Lin Yuan then, gazing at the three paintings as well.
"The Lord of Wu Shan's paintings are all real— and the beings within these three grand scrolls are real. They can walk out of the paintings."
He continued, "Each excels in a different aspect— the Lord of Wu Shan painted them specifically for trial challengers of later generations."
"As long as you can break through the obstruction of the three scroll-beings and reach there—"
As he spoke, he pointed to the absolute center of the realm.
There, a small door stood faintly.
"—you pass."
The golden figure said.
He glanced at Lin Yuan. "With your current strength, it's very hard to bypass the three scroll-beings' blockade head-on."
"My advice is: push your fused spacetime laws to the utmost. Once you completely transcend the fused spacetime laws, you can pass the trial easily."
His tone was calm.
Once you fully transcended spacetime, you were spacetime. With one thought, you'd appear before that small door at the world's center. The three scroll-beings wouldn't just fail to block you— they couldn't even touch you.
This was why he believed Lin Yuan held a tiny chance of passing.
That sliver depended on whether Lin Yuan could completely transcend the fused spacetime laws. If he could, he would pass.
If he couldn't, he wouldn't.
Lin Yuan's current insight sat at "almost transcending," but that was not the same as "fully transcending."
To truly transcend the fused spacetime laws— hope was faint, vanishingly small.
But it was still far beyond those Third Realm of Freedom who were merely circling within spacetime's ninefold bounds.
"Completely transcend the fused spacetime laws?"
Lin Yuan frowned slightly. Even the Mysterious Sovereign at his peak in the chaotic void had only half a foot beyond the fused spacetime laws.
As for complete transcendence? Lin Yuan had confidence, but no idea how long it would take— five thousand years? Ten thousand?
Observing the First Source World's source at work had made his comprehension of fused spacetime laws leap forward. But to completely transcend them— still very hard.
"Take your time. You have ages— hundreds of billions or trillions of years if you need. The trial has no time limit."
Said the golden figure.
Normally, to push past the three scroll-beings' blockade required power beyond an ordinary child of eternity.
This was the threshold to receive the Lord of Wu Shan's inheritance. If you couldn't surpass a normal child of eternity, how could you speak of becoming a new Eternal Lord? And his inheritance required a sufficiently strong lifeform to cultivate it at all.
But given Lin Yuan's attainment in spacetime, there was no need to brute-force it. A normal Third Realm of Freedom almost never reached the strength of a child of eternity— that required great external aid.
Much less breaking through the three scroll-beings head-on— which demanded even more than a typical child of eternity.
"Whatever you do, don't underestimate them."
The golden figure looked at Lin Yuan and continued, "These three beings are what the Lord of Wu Shan considers the true limits of the Third Realm of Freedom. They're far stronger than those children of eternity. So the trial doesn't ask you to defeat them— only to break through and reach the entrance at the center."
"They are indeed very strong."
Lin Yuan nodded.
In the first two "grand scrolls" alone, the beings had the strength of an "Abyss Dragon." The last even faintly surpassed it. By rights, such beings shouldn't exist.
Since the First Source World's birth, only one Abyss Dragon had ever emerged— forged by countless coincidences and karmic winds.
The children of eternity in this Source World might approach the Abyss Dragon, and the Source Demons could match or exceed it— but they couldn't even enter this trial space.
...
"So the Lord of Wu Shan didn't ask challengers to defeat them— that's simply impossible."
The golden figure spoke.
Even those blessed children of eternity would be crushed by any one of the three painted beings, much less all three.
Especially the last one, which the Lord of Wu Shan painted using the Lord of Heavenly Radiance as the prototype.
The Lord of Heavenly Radiance was not only the strongest Eternal Lord of this world, but also the most mysterious.
No one knew his past; they only knew that from the very first moment he appeared, he was already an Eternal Lord. The other Eternal Lords— including the Lord of Wu Shan— had, strictly speaking, received his favor.
Even the rune Dao was passed down by the Lord of Heavenly Radiance; the other Eternal Lords were not the founders of the rune Dao.
"I can use any means?"
Lin Yuan thought for a moment and asked.
"Of course."
"No matter what method you use, as long as it springs from your own power— if you can walk into the entrance at the center of the world, you pass."
The golden figure said, "There are no restrictions."
"Good."
Lin Yuan nodded lightly.
"You can take my advice or not."
The golden figure added. In his view, Lin Yuan's only hope of passing was to completely transcend the fused spacetime laws.
But that was only advice; he could not force Lin Yuan to follow it.
"Mm."
Lin Yuan looked at the three grand scrolls. "Can I try now?"
"You may."
The golden figure was not surprised.
Whether or not they could pass the blockade, every previous challenger tried fighting the beings in the scrolls right away.
After all, these three paintings represented what the Lord of Wu Shan deemed the limit of the Freedom Third Realm. Even if one couldn't win, it was worth witnessing.
There was no danger anyway.
"Go."
The golden figure watched Lin Yuan. "Within ten million li of the entrance, the first scroll's being will emerge. Within one million li, the second will emerge. Within one hundred thousand li, the third will emerge."
Put simply, the closer you got, the greater the obstruction. Especially within one hundred thousand li, all three would move to stop you.
"Alright."
Lin Yuan flew straight toward the world's center.
The closer he drew, the more he felt the grand, unbelievable might of the paintings.
"These three beings in the scrolls were painted by the Lord of Wu Shan— created from nothing?" Lin Yuan was slightly awed. At least the six Ancestors of the First Source World had no such means.
Of course, every thirteenth-rank lifeform had different strengths. The Lord of Wu Shan excelled in the Dao of painting— essentially creation from the void.
In raw killing power, he might be somewhat inferior to other Eternal Lords?
Very soon.
Lin Yuan arrived within ten million li of the entrance.
Rusha…
The first grand scroll unfurled ripples, its surface like water.
The golden-armored youth seemed to come alive— flexing his hands, then stepping out of the painting in a single stride.
"You are the three thousand six hundred and thirty-fifth challenger."
The golden youth glanced lazily at Lin Yuan and shook his head. "But looking at you, you won't even get past me."
Only by reaching within one million li would the second scroll's being emerge.
Until then, the golden youth would prevent Lin Yuan from approaching.
"Let's try it."
Lin Yuan's expression grew a shade solemn. A foe on par with an Abyss Dragon— this was his first time meeting one.
"Hahahaha."
The golden youth laughed loudly. His aura suddenly surged; billions of runes bloomed across every plate of his golden armor, compressing and congealing spacetime all around.
"This rune path?"
Lin Yuan watched closely. The youth's use of the rune Dao far surpassed any rune inheritance Lin Yuan had obtained. The terrifying aura nearly crushed spacetime into particulate dust.
"Suppress."
The golden youth raised his right hand and pressed toward Lin Yuan.
The surrounding spacetime transformed into countless runes, instantly enveloping Lin Yuan. An ordinary Third Realm of Freedom would be frozen on the spot and then utterly suppressed.
Indeed, an ordinary Third Realm wouldn't even withstand the youth's first move, let alone break through.
"Interpreting spacetime with runes?"
A glint flashed in Lin Yuan's eyes. He took a single step back, easily slipping past the youth's grab.
For a thousand years, Lin Yuan had continuously contemplated the First Source World's source in motion; his comprehension of the fused spacetime laws had drawn near the limit. Even if he had no hope of reaching the entrance, evading the youth's opening strike was well within his means.
"Hmm?"
The golden youth blinked, clearly not expecting Lin Yuan to be so "slippery."
"Your spacetime insight is decent," he praised, then added calmly, "but still far from enough."
Rumble—
Golden runes flooded in from every direction.
They wove and flowed, faintly forming a vast golden prison.
"This move?"
Lin Yuan's expression tightened. Even with his insight into spacetime, breaking free of this golden prison would take some work— and in that time, the youth's next strike would already have landed.
Rusha…
Lin Yuan's body turned into an eternal blazing sun. As a Yang Primordial Soul, such killing moves carried great might.
At the same time—
The divine ability "World" spun to life.
The golden cage trembled, then shattered with a boom. An instant later, the youth's next strike crashed down.
Freed from the golden prison, Lin Yuan melded into spacetime and slipped away.
"This technique… I haven't seen it before."
The youth was slightly surprised. Since the calamity, he had seen challenger after challenger across the long ages— but a contender who became a blazing sun, and imposed such domineering transformation and torsion upon spacetime itself— that was a first.
"Interesting, interesting."
"But strength is the foundation of all."
The golden youth attacked again, golden runes saturating spacetime.
From the very start, once the youth moved, Lin Yuan had been driven into the downwind.
Forget breaking through— even holding his ground before the golden youth was strenuous.
"On this descent, all resources were prioritized for my true body. The two primordial souls really were neglected."
Lin Yuan thought quietly.
Neither the Yin Primordial Soul nor the Yang Primordial Soul had opened a particle world, nor had many resources been invested in cultivating the inner cosmos of their bodies.
Infinite Void had been kept up— but even at the fifth layer, it only matched a normal Invincible Supreme Saint, a strongest Heavenly Sovereign.
Which, in this Source World, equaled the Third Realm of Freedom.
While the golden youth stood above the children of eternity.
In such a situation, for this Yang Primordial Soul of Lin Yuan's to last this long against him was already remarkable.
Under the youth's full assault, a Third Realm expert— an Invincible Supreme Saint, a strongest Heavenly Sovereign— couldn't endure, and would soon be suppressed.
"Chaotic solar power…"
Lin Yuan became a blazing sun again. As a Yang Primordial Soul, he was pure Yang and could not draw on Yin; thus his path of chaotic evolution was not the perfect chaotic Tai Chi, but a singular chaotic sun.
The fierce sun burned and scoured the world. Spacetime in all directions rapidly transformed— all falling within his jurisdiction.
For a moment, even the golden youth's intangible rune-spacetime receded.
"This move?"
The youth, unusually, halted and watched closely for a moment. He nodded in praise.
"Rare indeed. This kind of chaotic-evolution power, though extreme, truly carries great might."
In this Source World, runes were the foundation for sensing all things— yet the paths of Dao laws and chaotic-evolution force were also studied.
In the golden youth's eyes, even a singular chaotic solar force was stunning enough.
"By the road you walk, at the limit you should be able to reach the level of a child of eternity." His tone cooled.
"But right now, you are far from it."
"Go back and cultivate for hundreds of millions of years before returning."
He waved. Boundless golden runes surged again with majestic force, instantly crushing Lin Yuan's outer-body cosmos.
Boom!
Lin Yuan was blasted backward ten million li. Only after a few breaths did his aura steady.
As Lin Yuan exited the ten-million-li range, the golden youth turned and stepped back into the painting.
The golden runes receded, and all returned to normal.
Only Lin Yuan remained standing, lost in thought.
"With an untrained Yang Primordial Soul alone, it's indeed hard to pass the trial."
He drew his conclusion. Just the golden youth from the first scroll had repelled him— never mind the second and third scrolls.
"Well? How does it feel?"
The golden figure appeared beside him, a hint of amazement in his gaze.
In truth, Lin Yuan's performance had exceeded his expectations— nearly approaching the standard of a normal child of eternity.
"Better follow my advice. With frontal strength, you have no hope of passing. Only by completely transcending the fused spacetime laws is there a chance."
The golden figure said.
Indeed, completely transcending spacetime was a "clever" way to pass, since it avoided frontal engagement with the three scroll-beings and relied on a supremacy of spacetime comprehension to walk into the entrance.
But the Lord of Wu Shan hadn't forbidden this. The golden figure merely advised along the line where Lin Yuan had the best shot.
"Completely transcending the fused spacetime laws… too slow."
Lin Yuan answered honestly.
He did feel it was too slow.
Who knew if it would take a thousand years or ten thousand?
"Too slow?"
The golden figure was a little stunned.
As long as there was hope, even trillions of years— what of it?
"I still have methods I haven't used."
Lin Yuan looked at the golden figure. "Give me a moment."
Qingyun Sacred Mountain, deep within Qingyun Institute.
Lin Yuan opened his eyes and slowly stood, then took a step.
Spacetime tore open at once. The terrifying power of his physical body and the vast breath of his inner cosmos pierced through everything.
Outside the trial space, around that valley, countless runes flared at once. Spacetime unfolded, as if resisting the intrusion of some inconceivable existence.
The entire trial space quaked.
Shuddering without cease.
...
The trial space trembled as countless runes rapidly condensed.
An unprecedented flow of energy intertwined, wiping out vast stretches of space-time and demonic aura.
Yet it was still barely holding on.
"What's happening?"
Inside the space, the golden figure's face changed drastically.
As the 'spirit' of the trial space, he knew very well the pressure it was under.
It was on the verge of collapse.
It could crumble at any moment.
But how could that be?
This trial space was created by the great Lord Wu Shan.
As an Eternal Lord, the spaces he opened—even casually—were not something beings of the Freedom Three Realms could shake.
That was a fundamental difference in 'quality.'
"Source Demons?"
"A group of Source Demons?"
The golden figure could only guess in that direction, suspecting perhaps an attack by many Source Demons.
But then he dismissed the thought. Source Demons were indeed powerful, surpassing Children of Eternity.
Yet to shake this trial space? Their power came from the origin of demon calamity, an innate strength.
And with the hidden nature of this trial space, which touched upon the essence of space-time itself, Source Demons couldn't even locate it.
Even if they did, they couldn't move it.
As for Demon Gods?
They were occupied suppressing the Eternal Sects at the heart of heaven and earth.
They had no energy, nor any reason, to destroy this trial space.
After all, since Lord Wu Shan foresaw the coming demon calamity, he would have opened far more than just this one trial space.
Lin Yuan had only explored for a few hundred to a thousand years before discovering this one.
Luck did play a role, but it wasn't purely luck—there were indeed many such spaces.
And apart from Lord Wu Shan, other Eternal Lords had made their own arrangements as well.
The essence of these trial spaces was that of a 'transfer hub,' leading to the final place where Lord Wu Shan's inheritance lay.
There were many such 'transfer' spaces across the Source World, their purpose to screen cultivators who reached the threshold of qualification.
Destroying one hub barely affected Lord Wu Shan's plan.
The inheritance remained, and other hubs remained.
So even if a Demon God abandoned suppressing the central Eternal Sects, they wouldn't waste time here.
"As expected of a space created by an Eternal Lord."
Unlike the golden figure's alarm, Lin Yuan felt a touch of awe.
His true body, using this Yang Primordial Spirit as a Dao marker, had tried to descend directly—yet the countless runes outside barred him.
Or rather, not barred.
If his true body really wanted to force its way in, it could.
But the cost would be this space collapsing completely.
That went against his purpose.
He was here to gain Lord Wu Shan's inheritance, not destroy this trial space.
"This trial space's energy fluctuations are only at about the third level of Freedom Realm. Likely something Lord Wu Shan opened casually, yet it's this formidable?"
Lin Yuan mused silently.
His true body was far beyond the third level of Freedom Realm.
Yet even he couldn't easily force his way in.
That showed how high the level of rules here ran.
"Runes?"
Lin Yuan glanced at the countless runes encircling the space. Individually they weren't strong, but together they erupted with power tens of thousands, millions of times greater than their sum.
"Lord Wu Shan…"
Lin Yuan's anticipation for this Eternal Lord's inheritance only grew.
"Little one, this trial space may not last much longer."
The golden figure turned to him, voice solemn: "While you can, destroy this body of yours."
Though he doubted Source Demons could locate the trial space, he had to assume the worst.
For if one was slain by demons, even if only an avatar, the corruption of demon aura would spread to mind and will, dooming the true body as well.
Thus when faced with an unstoppable demon, the best method was to erase one's body voluntarily, avoiding contamination.
That was why he urged Lin Yuan to destroy himself—at least he could live.
"Destroy this body?"
Lin Yuan looked at him.
"Don't worry, if this trial space falls, there are more. Keep moving forward in this direction and you'll find the next one."
The golden figure explained.
Lord Wu Shan had created many such spaces. Even if one collapsed, the whole plan wasn't affected.
With Lin Yuan's talent, there was a faint hope he might transcend space-time and its rules, passing the trial and becoming this world's hope.
Naturally the golden figure wanted to preserve such a seedling.
"Senior, you've misunderstood."
Lin Yuan realized at once—his true body's attempt to descend had alarmed the spirit, making him think it was a powerful Source Demon.
"Misunderstood?"
The golden figure frowned.
He too sensed something off.
The tremors of this space weren't just visible to him; Lin Yuan as the trial-taker also felt them—yet he showed no fear.
"It was my true body."
Lin Yuan said, "It tried to descend directly, to spare you the trouble of shifting me around."
The golden figure froze.
So it wasn't demons shaking the space, but this youth?
A cultivator?
For a moment he couldn't comprehend it.
A cultivator… this strong?
"If you don't believe me, my true body is outside."
Lin Yuan quickly added.
He didn't want to force his way in and collapse the space—so he'd rather enter normally.
"Wait here."
The golden figure steadied himself.
Though the claim sounded absurd, as soon as Lin Yuan spoke, the pressure outside subsided.
Perhaps… it was true?
A moment later—
The golden figure vanished.
He reappeared in the valley outside.
There, a young man stood calmly.
His face was identical to the Lin Yuan inside, but his aura was worlds apart.
Using the trial space's senses, the golden figure faintly perceived the terror before him.
It was as if countless vast worlds were gestating inside this youth.
"Senior."
Lin Yuan's true body smiled politely.
"You…"
The golden figure took a deep breath.
At the instant he saw him, he knew—the Lin Yuan outside and the one inside were the same being, causally linked.
"Don't resist. I'll bring you in."
After a long silence, the golden figure finally spoke.
"Alright."
Lin Yuan nodded.
Buzz—
A ripple of space-time swept through.
Lin Yuan was transferred inside the trial space.
The Yang Primordial Spirit glanced at his true body, then melted into it.
"How could he be this strong?"
The golden figure studied him closely.
First, he was no demon, but a cultivator.
There was a stark difference—like clear water and ink.
If a cultivator absorbed demonic aura, he'd fall, and even then the difference was obvious.
But Lin Yuan's aura was pure, only unbearably heavy, without the slightest trace of demonhood.
That was why he dared let him in.
He knew now the tremors had come from Lin Yuan's true body, not demons.
Otherwise, if such a powerful demon had entered, it wouldn't just destroy a hub—the entire inheritance would be ruined, Lord Wu Shan's plan undone.
"Which Eternal Child are you?"
The golden figure finally asked.
Children of Eternity were the strongest heirs of the Eternal Sects, nurtured personally by Eternal Lords.
Their strength neared the limit of the Freedom Three Realms—some even reached it, rivaling the champions in the first two paintings here.
"Eternal Child?"
"I'm not one."
Lin Yuan replied simply.
There was no need to lie; he had no Eternal Sect inheritance to disguise himself with.
"Not an Eternal Child."
The golden figure wasn't surprised.
He had only asked in passing; he didn't truly believe Lin Yuan was one.
If such a monstrous Eternal Child existed, he wouldn't be here—he'd be under far more refined tutelage, even if also vying for Wu Shan's inheritance.
"Senior, I'll try again."
Lin Yuan said at once.
"Go."
The golden figure nodded, hope flickering.
With the strength Lin Yuan had just shown, the first two paintings would surely fall before him.
The third? That was uncertain. Modeled after the Lord of Heavenly Light, it was the strongest and most perfect figure Wu Shan had ever painted.
He was eager to see—who was stronger, Lin Yuan or that figure?
Lin Yuan's passing was beyond doubt. Even if all three paintings attacked together, they couldn't stop him.
If even he failed, then no cultivator of this world could succeed.
But failing to stop him didn't necessarily mean weakness.
Far away, millions of miles from the central entrance—
Lin Yuan stepped forward again.
This time, not with his Yang Primordial Spirit.
But with his true body.
Whoosh—
The first painting rippled like water.
The golden-armored youth strode out.
"You again?"
He glanced at Lin Yuan. "I told you, at your level you can't possibly—"
He broke off mid-sentence, his face shifting.
He sensed the change.
This Lin Yuan was not the same as before.
"You…"
Golden light flickered in his eyes as he studied him. "Interesting. From you… I feel danger?"
Unbelievable. As a peak Freedom lifeform created by Lord Wu Shan, he had no weaknesses, especially in battle-sense. To feel danger meant something.
"This time I've come in my true body."
Lin Yuan said calmly. "And I'll strike with full strength once."
He wasn't here to spar endlessly with the figures, learning their techniques.
The paintings were Wu Shan's creations. The true inheritance was worth far more than enlightenment here.
"Come then."
The youth shed all arrogance.
In an instant, countless golden runes surged, forming a massive barrier.
He had no thought of attacking—only defense.
His purpose was to bar anyone from reaching the central entrance.
Before, he struck only because Lin Yuan posed no threat.
But now was different.
Lin Yuan stood in the void, watching him quietly.
Then—
He raised his right hand.
White brilliance bloomed in his palm, forming into a slender sword of light.
In his left hand, the same—but black.
The two blades joined, forming a Yin-Yang Tai Chi diagram.
Then it transformed into a Yin-Yang Tai Chi Sword.
The Chaos Yin-Yang Tai Chi could take many forms, not just the diagram.
He usually used the diagram to suppress.
But the sword—it was for destruction.
Holding the Chaos Yin-Yang Tai Chi Sword, Lin Yuan gently swung at the golden-armored youth.
Yin and Yang, Dao's creation.
As if in the primordial chaos before heaven and earth, a black-and-white sword light flashed.
The golden youth's endless runes shattered.
He was cleaved in two, his aura dispersing as he returned to the painting.
The sword light carried on.
The second painting's enchanting woman stepped out. A black line split her brow downward, her form collapsing back into the painting.
The third painting—
"A dream none can wake, and in a dream, ages pass."
A white-robed man strolled lazily from the canvas, voice drowsy: "You're the ninth to reach me…"
But before he could finish, a sword of creation's light was already cutting down at him.
...
"The sword?"
The white-robed man's scalp tingled. His strength surpassed the figures in the first two paintings.
So when faced with Lin Yuan's strike, he wasn't so slow that he couldn't even react before being cleaved and sent back into the painting.
He reacted, and in an instant mounted a defense—runes blossomed across the void.
The runes he condensed were incomparably heavy, infused with boundless radiance.
But they were useless.
Before that black-and-white blade light that split heaven and earth, Yin and Yang, every rune was severed.
In a blink—
The black-white sword light arrived before the white-robed man.
He sighed softly and closed his eyes.
Swish—
Right after—
Like the two figures in the earlier paintings, his form collapsed.
But unlike the golden-armored youth and the bewitching woman, his shattered form did not return to the painting.
It recondensed once more.
"Hm?"
Lin Yuan looked at the white-robed man, unable to hide his surprise.
That strike, while not his absolute strongest killing move, was still an all-out blow.
An all-out strike in his normal state.
By Lin Yuan's estimate, even ten or a hundred Abyssal Dragons couldn't withstand it.
And the strike was infused with the Dao of Chaos Yin-Yang Tai Chi, bearing infinite power of annihilation—one cut to sever body, soul, and mind, leaving at least that true body beyond recovery.
In Lin Yuan's understanding, if he cultivated his Dao of Chaos Yin-Yang Tai Chi to the third level, it would encompass causality; enemies slain by that Dao would, under causal pull, have even their true-body lifesaving methods implicated.
Simply put, anyone below the thirteenth rank would be like ants before Lin Yuan, with no lifesaving means at all.
"Don't overthink it."
"You've already passed."
The white-robed man looked at Lin Yuan, seeming to sense his thoughts, and said, "I've recondensed by borrowing the painting's power. Without it, under that sword of yours, I should have been completely erased."
He studied Lin Yuan carefully.
As the most perfect and powerful lifeform painted by Lord Wu Shan, he had never been crushed head-on by anyone since his birth.
Not even those eternal children.
Lord Wu Shan had opened many trial spaces; since the great upheaval, many powerhouses had come to be tested—among them some eternal children, and some Heaven's Chosen born under the threat of demon calamity.
But even the few who passed did so by staking everything to force their way past him into the entrance.
Someone like Lin Yuan, who directly erased him with a single sword—and in an instant—had simply never appeared.
He had never imagined that one day, facing a being beneath an Eternal Lord, he would be so helpless. Even Source Demons couldn't do this.
"Thank you for letting me through."
Lin Yuan understood at once.
He nodded slightly to the white-robed man.
He had to admit, this white-robed man was the strongest lifeform below the thirteenth rank Lin Yuan had encountered so far.
Even that Abyssal Dragon in the First Source World paled before him.
Unfortunately for him, he met Lin Yuan.
A thousand years ago, Lin Yuan's strength had already surpassed the Abyssal Dragon, not inferior to this white-robed man as he was now.
Let alone after another thousand years of cultivation—his grasp of rules and means had advanced greatly, and he had opened ten billion particle worlds.
And these ten billion particle worlds had been reforged by Infinite Void, granting Lin Yuan a terrifying boost.
Since arriving in this Source World, Lin Yuan had gathered every resource, abandoned nurturing his two Primordial Spirits, and focused solely on opening particle worlds—proof of how much this approach elevated him.
"There's no 'letting you through.'"
The white-robed man shook his head. "I'm not your match—by a long shot."
He admitted it frankly.
The gap was too great.
After that one sword cut down the golden-armored youth of the first painting and the bewitching woman of the second, it still erased him.
That meant he couldn't even stop the residual force of that strike.
"Among the six who have passed the trial, you're the strongest—likely the most powerful lifeform beneath an Eternal Lord. I hope you can fulfill Lord Wu Shan's hopes and completely sweep away the demon calamity."
He looked at Lin Yuan, thoughts unreadable, then his form collapsed and returned to the painting.
He had only borrowed the painting's power to recondense to take a look at what kind of being could crush him with one sword.
Nothing more.
"Completely sweep away the demon calamity?"
Lin Yuan did not respond.
From what the golden figure had said—
The purpose of opening many trial spaces was to cultivate a new Eternal Lord.
In other words, to sweep away the demon calamity, one had to become the new Eternal Lord.
And as for becoming an Eternal Lord… although, in the future timeline the six Founders of the First Source World saw, Lin Yuan was almost certain to reach the thirteenth rank, without absolute certainty, he still felt no solid footing.
That was why, before attempting the thirteenth rank, he transmigrated to a second Source World to accumulate more for the breakthrough.
If, like other powerhouses, he had only a sliver of hope to reach the thirteenth rank, he might have just charged ahead—everyone was in the same boat, barefoot and unafraid of those with shoes.
But the higher the odds, the more cautious Lin Yuan became—because he wasn't barefoot.
Whoosh.
Lin Yuan took a single step
to the very center of heaven and earth, before the little entrance door.
Swoosh!
The golden figure appeared, standing beside the small door.
"Congratulations on passing." The golden figure looked at Lin Yuan, emotions mixed.
Before, whenever someone passed, he would be delighted—that meant Lord Wu Shan's arrangements were working.
If no one ever passed to claim the inheritance, what would be the point of so many trial spaces?
Yet the way Lin Yuan passed shattered his understanding.
Even the commotion when Lin Yuan's true body descended had been enough to make him raise his estimation.
But a single sword cutting down the figures in all three paintings—especially the last one, the most perfect and strongest life beneath an Eternal Lord in Lord Wu Shan's reckoning—
If the white-robed man was the most perfect and strongest below an Eternal Lord, then what did that make Lin Yuan?
Did this mean Lord Wu Shan was wrong?
But a lofty Eternal Lord who had seen myriad future timelines—how could he be wrong?
"I wonder if Lord Wu Shan foresaw this scene…" the golden figure murmured, sighing.
An Eternal Lord could see many future timelines; when Lord Wu Shan set up these trials, he must have looked ahead, perhaps knowing how many would pass over the next eons.
He probably didn't see Lin Yuan, the golden figure muttered inwardly.
Lin Yuan's descent into this Source World was via the Gate of Myriad Realms, which transcends all timelines and lies beyond the observation of temporal beings.
In the First Source World, before Lin Yuan descended, the six Founders couldn't see any future timeline containing him—unable to observe the Gate, they couldn't predict his arrival.
Only once he truly descended and appeared within that world's timeline—viewed from the time of his arrival—could timelines featuring Lin Yuan be observed.
As for looking further back, from before his descent—Lin Yuan simply wouldn't appear.
The same held true in this Source World.
He had been here for over a thousand years, whereas Lord Wu Shan had arranged these trials before the great upheaval; from that vantage into the future, he certainly couldn't have detected any trace of Lin Yuan, much less this moment of him passing.
Of course—
Only Lin Yuan knew the underlying principle.
To those time beings? They would likely chalk it up to limited power—limited timelines observed—missing those in which Lin Yuan appeared.
In reality, unless Lin Yuan had already descended into a given Source World, even observing every timeline of that world would show no trace of him.
"Where is Lord Wu Shan now?" Lin Yuan asked.
Before entering this trial, the golden figure had answered some of his doubts—for instance, that the Demon Gods were not the true source of the demon calamity.
But much of what Lin Yuan wanted to know, the golden figure had been unwilling to say.
"Lord Wu Shan…" The golden figure fell silent, thought for a moment, then said, "Since you've passed and carry hope of sweeping away the calamity, many secrets can be told."
He looked at Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan listened closely.
"At the time of the great upheaval, when the demon calamity descended, Lord Wu Shan was trapped in a certain space-time," the golden figure said.
"Trapped in a certain space-time?"
Lin Yuan's heart jolted.
A thirteenth-rank temporal being—trapped?
"Not exactly trapped—Lord Wu Shan chose to be trapped."
The golden figure considered, then spoke.
"I see."
Lin Yuan nodded.
A thirteenth-rank temporal being could see future timelines—surely the scene of being trapped as well.
The reason Lord Wu Shan allowed himself to be trapped must have been that, after weighing many timelines, that outcome was the best—so he accepted it.
"Not only Lord Wu Shan—the other Eternal Lords are trapped too. They cannot directly intervene in heaven and earth; they can only influence things through the contingencies they arranged before the upheaval."
The golden figure continued.
"All the Eternal Lords are trapped? And willingly chose it?"
Lin Yuan's thoughts raced. What could make them all choose that end?
"What trapped them?" Lin Yuan pressed.
"That I truly don't know."
The golden figure shook his head.
"But once you become a new Eternal Lord, you'll surely understand."
With that, he looked to the small entrance door at his side.
"Since you've passed, you can receive Lord Wu Shan's inheritance."
As he finished—
The little door pulsed with an invisible wave.
Lin Yuan sank his mind into it, and in a haze, saw a great painting.
An eternal painting that encompassed all beings beneath heaven and the cosmos.
...
Lin Yuan turned his gaze to the Eternal Painting he sensed with his mind.
It stretched without end, like a real "Source World."
But Lin Yuan could clearly feel that the framework of the great painting had been erected, yet within it, many regions were still blurry and blank, not yet drawn.
"This is a painting not yet completed." Lin Yuan's expression grew solemn.
If this enormous painting were fully finished, it would be a true "Source World."
At that time, relying on this painting alone, Lord Wu Shan could at least step into the thirteenth-rank lordly tier.
At the heights of time-life, all pursuit is tied to one's own Dao. Lord Wu Shan steps into the thirteenth rank via the Dao of painting; to go further, he must paint a complete "Source World."
"Remarkable."
Lin Yuan studied the Eternal Painting.
How vast and immeasurable is an Source World? It's no longer a matter of size or area, but of containing countless rules and Daos.
To paint an Source World is tantamount to creating one—the difficulty far exceeds cultivating Infinite Void to its theoretical seventh layer.
The ultimate goal of Infinite Void is the Chaotic Void, and though the Source World is on the same tier as the Chaotic Void, it is more perfect.
The thirteenth-rank time-lives of the Chaotic Void left many special places
to make up for the Chaotic Void's hidden flaws, but the Source World needs no such patches.
Because an Source World bears no such flaws; it is itself near-perfect.
"Though unfinished, it's enough for me."
Lin Yuan watched the eternal great painting.
The painting itself was composed of endless runes.
Lord Wu Shan used runes as his brush to paint an Source World that encompassed the cosmos.
[Your Unrivaled Insight is extraordinary. By studying an unknown great painting, your understanding of the Rune Dao increases.]
Lin Yuan immersed his mind in the boundless Eternal Painting, improving across the board.
The Rune Dao is, in essence, an auxiliary Dao, compatible with any cultivation system.
With runes, one can accomplish many things previously impossible—or prohibitively difficult.
For instance, the particle worlds Lin Yuan was currently opening.
Normally, maintaining each particle world's existence required a little mental effort.
For Lin Yuan, whose goal was to open endless sands-of-constellations particle worlds, that was unacceptable.
But the Rune Dao fixed this flaw: let runes operate to maintain each particle world, with no mental effort spent.
He did not know how long had passed.
Lin Yuan slowly opened his eyes.
"How was it?"
The golden figure looked at him and asked.
"Profoundly enlightening."
Lin Yuan nodded.
That Eternal Painting was now branded deep in his mind.
He could study it whenever he wished.
"That alone moved you so much?"
The golden figure smiled.
"Hm?"
Lin Yuan looked at him.
The implication was—there were other benefits?
"Senior."
Lin Yuan called out at once.
"Haha." A smile surfaced on the golden figure's face.
By his seniority, even eternal children addressing him thus was only natural.
But Lin Yuan?
Lin Yuan's strength was too monstrous.
So monstrous that the golden figure no longer regarded him as a life beneath an Eternal Lord.
"What is the purpose of this trial space?" the golden figure asked.
"To cultivate a new Eternal Lord." Lin Yuan thought for a moment, then answered.
That was what the golden figure had told him at the start.
The trial space was Lord Wu Shan's arrangement before the great upheaval, meant to cultivate an Eternal Lord for this heaven and earth after the demon calamity descended.
Only thus could the demon calamity be cleared away.
"Then do you think the great painting Lord Wu Shan left can cultivate an Eternal Lord?"
The golden figure asked.
"This—"
Lin Yuan's expression turned pensive.
The Eternal Painting Lord Wu Shan left was unfathomably deep.
Even other thirteenth-rank time-lives would need to study it slowly.
For Lin Yuan, all the more so.
Even after stepping into the thirteenth rank, he would continue to benefit from it.
But essentially, the painting didn't explain how to step into the thirteenth rank.
Even if one fully comprehended this Eternal Painting, as for stepping into the thirteenth rank— especially breaking through the time-loop—there was no qualitative help.
If one couldn't step into the thirteenth rank, couldn't raise the chance of breaking the time-loop, then the painting's significance wasn't great—less than another practitioner added to the martial path Lin Yuan spread.
At least it would further secure the "anchors."
"In fact, besides the great painting composed by the great Lord Wu Shan himself, there is another inheritance."
The golden figure looked at Lin Yuan and continued: "The inheritance of the Lord of Heavenly Radiance."
"The Lord of Heavenly Radiance?"
Lin Yuan's heart stirred.
Whether in the records of Qingyun Sacred Mountain or in the legacies of other Freedom Third Realm powerhouses he had found, all mentioned this Eternal Lord.
The Lord of Heavenly Radiance was the earliest appearing Eternal Lord of this heaven and earth, and the most mysterious.
He is "earliest" because no one knows when he became an Eternal Lord.
At the birth of heaven and earth? Or earlier?
No one knows.
They only know that the first time he appeared before all beings, he was already an Eternal Lord.
It was precisely because of the Lord of Heavenly Radiance that this world's cultivation system flourished; the Rune Dao originated from him.
"Though the great Lord Wu Shan has some experience on becoming an Eternal Lord, we must admit—compared to the Lord of Heavenly Radiance, the gap is vast."
The golden figure continued: "Without the Lord of Heavenly Radiance, there would be at least half as many Eternal Lords today."
"Though he didn't directly cultivate any Eternal Lord, all current Eternal Lords bear causality with him, achieving supreme sublimation upon the cultivation system he established."
His tone was reverent; he held the Lord of Heavenly Radiance in great esteem.
"I see." Lin Yuan nodded slightly.
Every Eternal Lord walks a different path and pursues different ends.
The Lord of Heavenly Radiance laid the foundation robust enough for this world's cultivation, and then Eternal Lords emerged one after another.
"The Lord of Heavenly Radiance once created a special inheritance on how weak lives could become Eternal Lords. There are thirty-three originals in total, and the great Lord Wu Shan obtained one of them."
The golden figure said.
An "original" inheritance was written by the creator's own hand. While it could be copied, the resonance would diminish; for impact on a cultivator, the original was the most direct and true.
"This is that inheritance."
The golden figure turned his right hand, and a book appeared before them.
"An inheritance created specifically for breaking through to the thirteenth rank?"
Lin Yuan's heart surged. Up to now, every thirteenth-rank inheritance he'd acquired bolstered his foundation, but one crafted solely for the breakthrough itself? He had none.
His understanding of how to break through to the thirteenth rank—how to break the time-loop—was quite limited.
He only knew that spreading his own evolutionary path, letting more beings cultivate it, would form "anchors" and "Dao markers" for his time-looped self, and that the time-loop standing before the thirteenth rank would be a trial he had never faced. If he failed the first time, the relevant memories would be wiped, and he'd repeat the same loop.
Hence the name "time-loop."
Lin Yuan immediately picked up the book.
It was very thin, the color of green jade.
"You can only comprehend this original inheritance here. Don't take it out," the golden figure said at once.
There was only this one original. If Lin Yuan took it away and didn't return it, future trial-passers would lose the chance to study it.
"Of course."
Lin Yuan nodded.
At most, he would leave an avatar here long-term.
No trouble at all.
"The Lord of Heavenly Radiance's understanding of breaking into the thirteenth rank—"
With keen anticipation, Lin Yuan opened the book.
The instant the green-jade book was opened, countless messages poured out into Lin Yuan's mind.
The messages coalesced into a towering figure.
He stood beneath the vast firmament, radiating infinite light that shone in all directions—utterly different from the sun's blaze.
The First Source World's Liyang Ancestor's radiance was an invasive power—what the sunlight touched fell under his dominion.
But this infinite light was all-embracing, embracing everything, with no sense of corrosion, no sense of oppression.
Lin Yuan gazed at the towering figure beneath the heavens, and felt profoundly "warm and at ease."
"This is the Lord of Heavenly Radiance?" Lin Yuan understood at once: this figure of infinite radiance was the Lord of Heavenly Radiance.
Strictly speaking, it was an imprint left by him to carry the inheritance.
"Too strong," Lin Yuan thought.
Even if the figure gave him no pressure, he instinctively felt the Liyang Ancestor could not compare.
Even the other five Founders of the First Source World could not compare.
The Lord of Heavenly Radiance's strength no longer needed the crutch of oppressive presence; it touched a higher plane.
"How to become an Eternal Lord, how to transform into a time-life…" The Lord of Heavenly Radiance smiled. "The core is how to break the time-loop."
"The time-loop is the greatest threshold for all lives in infinite dimensions to transform into time-life."
"A life caught in the time-loop will face a test it has never encountered before; all previous means and abilities will lose effectiveness."
"So, there are generally two choices for breaking the time-loop."
The Lord of Heavenly Radiance smiled: "One is to do nothing. Since the test within the loop is something you've never encountered, any preparation is meaningless."
"The second is to take everything to the extreme. Though the Dao is infinite, it is also finite; if you can prepare for every test, reach 'omniscience and omnipotence,' you can break the loop with ease."
His voice was gentle.
Lin Yuan listened intently.
What he said, Lin Yuan broadly knew; this should be the basic overview of breaking the time-loop.
"Next, I'll explain how, in my way, to break the time-loop."
The Lord of Heavenly Radiance smiled. "First, what do you think runes are?"
"What are runes?" Lin Yuan pondered.
The rune inheritances he had encountered were all methods and secret arts, with almost "universal tool" utility.
They could maintain the existence of particle worlds, amplify the power of killing techniques, and so on.
"In your view, runes are merely a technique. If you specialize in runes, then within the time-loop, naturally you cannot use them," the Lord of Heavenly Radiance said.
"Yes." Lin Yuan nodded.
He was already prepared to lose all means and abilities in the loop.
Runes?
Inner cosmos?
Flesh and blood?
The more he specialized, the less he could use once trapped in the time-loop.
"But for me, runes are not a technique; they are the foundation of all things in existence. Even time can be replicated with runes. So even within the time-loop, runes can be used."
The Lord of Heavenly Radiance continued.
"Runes usable within the time-loop?" Lin Yuan's pupils tightened slightly.
"By what power do you condense runes—mind-force? Soul-force? Blood and qi? Or other forces?" the Lord of Heavenly Radiance asked.
Lin Yuan listened carefully.
He condensed runes using the power of his inner cosmos.
It was one of his main methods.
"The time-loop does avoid and seal everything you specialize in. If you specialize in condensing runes with mind-force, then within the loop, you cannot use any mind-force."
"If you specialize in soul-force, it seals the soul; if blood and qi, then those as well."
The Lord of Heavenly Radiance looked at Lin Yuan gently.
"But the runes themselves do not disappear."
"Only your method of activating them is sealed, creating the illusion that the runes vanish."
Lin Yuan absorbed the discourse in fascination. The other's understanding of runes was beyond his imagination; no wonder 'Li Hong' felt that among the Eternal Lords, the Lord of Heavenly Radiance's power was uncontroversial.
Now not only did 'Li Hong' think so—Lin Yuan did as well.
"This is the essence of runes." Lin Yuan's eyes were full of awe.
The inheritance recorded in the book provided no direct boost to his power.
Far less than opening a single particle world.
Yet Lin Yuan felt his comprehension of runes surge by a great margin.
To put it plainly—
Originally, runes to Lin Yuan were a keen sword.
Now, they were not only a sword.
A shield? A longblade? A massive mace?
Lin Yuan could wield any weapon with ease.
"If runes truly can be used within the time-loop, the chance of breaking it will rise by a great deal," Lin Yuan thought.
In a loop where rules limit everything, being able to use runes is basically a cheat.
Chaotic Void.
"Runes."
Lin Yuan felt his understanding shift—no longer confined to a technique, but as all things.
"Gather."
With a thought, countless runes assembled, forming an avatar.
This avatar's aura was terrifying, penetrating layered space-times, with power near that of an Abyssal Dragon.
And this was only an external application of runes by Lin Yuan; as for the elevation to his own strength, it was even more inconceivably great.
...