https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-104-The-Primordial-Evolution-Path-The-Thirteenth-Disciple/12529903/
Chapter 103: Ten Thousand Years (Please Subscribe)
Chapter 103: Ten Thousand Years (Please Subscribe)
In the Seventh Star Cave, aside from the three Red Mark examiners, the ones with the least presence were the Gold Mark examiners. Instead, it was the Silver Marks, who had arrived later, that made up the majority.
"Hmm?" Lin Yuan's gaze shifted to the initial position where one would appear after being transported from the Sixth Star Cave to the Seventh. A young man had suddenly materialized, having just passed through the previous cave.
"Fang Qing?" Lin Yuan immediately recognized him. Back in the earlier star cave trials, Lin Yuan had also spotted Fang Qing. After all, he was quite familiar with him; even if Fang Qing altered his appearance and changed his physique, Lin Yuan could still easily identify him after their numerous spars.
"Yes," Lin Yuan nodded slightly. It was no surprise to him that Fang Qing had made it this far to the Seventh Star Cave.
The trials of the Seven Star Caves focused mainly on the 'trial' aspect. While Fourth Stage Evolvers did have some advantages, they weren't significant, especially in the Seventh Star Cave, where they were actually at a disadvantage.
"Carry on," Lin Yuan said, no longer paying attention to Fang Qing, as he walked towards the statues ahead.
"What a massive mountain," Fang Qing exclaimed as he arrived at the Seventh Star Cave, his attention immediately drawn to the mountain beneath their feet. After all, it was a rare sight to behold—a mountain towering in the midst of the universe's starry sky. Other Evolvers would surely be awestruck by this sight the first time they laid eyes on it. Even Lin Yuan had been shaken by the sight of this mountain when he first arrived at the Seventh Star Cave.
Soon, Fang Qing's attention shifted from the mountain to the numerous statues atop it. "To comprehend the evolutionary path embodied in these statues..." he murmured to himself as he understood the rules of this trial, looking up at the summit once more.
There were a total of 136 statues, and instinctively, two of them caught Fang Qing's attention. "Those two," he said, making his way towards them.
Time passed.
Three to four days later, Lin Yuan had arrived before the very last statue. This statue was of a gigantic mouth, measuring 13 or 14 meters wide, as if it could devour everything in its path.
"Devour?" Lin Yuan paused for a moment, slightly taken aback.
Under the other statues, there were a handful of examiners trying to comprehend their evolutionary paths. Especially for those statues with simpler entry methods, there could be over ten examiners sitting beneath them, deep in meditation.
However, under this peculiar statue, there wasn't a single examiner to be found.
Just as Lin Yuan was about to begin his contemplation...
A soft buzz echoed through the air, signaling a slight spatial fluctuation. In the distance, beneath the massive cube, the silver-haired woman's face lit up with joy. She raised her hand and pressed it against the cube.
Instantly, the cube stopped spinning and emitted a gentle glow. The silver-haired woman vanished from sight.
This scene captured the attention of most of the Evolvers present. After all, the silver-haired woman was a Red Mark examiner—one of only three among millions of examiners.
Furthermore, she was the first to comprehend a statue taller than ten meters and successfully pass the trial.
In the mysterious space, the twelve figures witnessed the silver-haired woman's departure and began to converse.
"That's the Eternal Universe evolutionary path," one of them said.
"She managed to comprehend the first stage in just 27 days. With proper nurturing, she might even surpass the Sixth Stage in the future," another added.
"What a pity. A genius like that has nothing to do with us," a third figure chimed in.
"What's wrong? Are you thinking of recruiting her? Can you even understand the Eternal Universe evolutionary path?" a fourth figure asked.
The nine figures below continued their casual chat, their attention no longer on Lin Yuan.
Twenty-three days. A full twenty-three days had passed. While the other examiners toiled in contemplation, reaping the rewards of their efforts, Lin Yuan had idly wandered for the same amount of time.
If they had the authority to interfere with the trial, some of them might have approached Lin Yuan by now to ask what he had been doing for those twenty-three days.
"Lin Yuan," one of the three figures above murmured, his gaze fixed on Lin Yuan. It was Gu Ze, who still held a faint glimmer of hope for Lin Yuan.
At that moment, Lin Yuan was standing beneath the statue of the 'giant mouth'.
"The Devouring Heaven evolutionary path isn't that easy to comprehend," Gu Ze said, his voice carrying a hint of expectation.
This faint glimmer of hope had surfaced over a hundred times already.
Half a day later, Lin Yuan opened his eyes. "Devouring Heaven evolutionary path... Eat, eat, eat everything in sight, and forge oneself," he muttered, his eyes gleaming. "Turn the universe and starry sky into my nourishment."
He took a moment to steady himself; he had to admit that this statue was indeed peculiar, as the evolutionary path it embodied could influence one's mind.
"It can be referenced, but I won't walk this path," Lin Yuan said, looking at the 'giant mouth' statue before him. The Devouring Heaven evolutionary path, as comprehended from the statue, revolved around the act of consuming. Consuming everything in the universe, from planets to entire star systems.
Of course, if one were to cultivate this evolutionary path to its peak, they would lose their human form and their consciousness would gradually fade away.
"Finally, it's over," Lin Yuan said to himself. "I've comprehended all 136 statues." He felt pleased; it wasn't every day that he got to learn about so many evolutionary paths at once.
For each evolutionary path, Lin Yuan only grasped a portion, sometimes a very small part. In his eagerness to comprehend as many paths as possible, he had skimmed through them rather hastily.
As long as he met the standard of comprehension, he would immediately move on to the next statue.
Of course, Lin Yuan's'standard' was the threshold for passing this star cave in the eyes of the other examiners.
"Let's take a break first."
Lin Yuan left the 'giant mouth' statue and found an empty spot on the mountaintop to sit down and rest.
Even with his heaven-defying comprehension ability, he felt somewhat exhausted after frantically contemplating the statues for over half a month, unraveling the evolutionary paths of the Sixth Stage and beyond.
"It's been twenty-three days. I should pass soon."
Lin Yuan propped himself up with his right hand and glanced at the numerous statues.
Passing the Seventh Star Cave would be extremely simple for him; all he needed to do was touch any one of the statues with his hand.
The statue would naturally sense if the evolutionary path embodied within it was present within Lin Yuan's body.
Since Lin Yuan had comprehended all the statues, he only needed to touch any one of them to pass.
"I'll choose one from those sixteen statues."
Lin Yuan looked towards the sixteen towering statues that contained evolutionary paths beyond the Sixth Stage.
The Seventh Star Cave was a test, and naturally, there was a ranking system in place.
Comprehending an evolutionary path beyond the Sixth Stage would undoubtedly be held in higher regard compared to comprehending a Sixth Stage evolutionary path in the eyes of the Chu Kun lineage.
Lin Yuan had no intention of hiding his capabilities. Since he had decided to join the Chu Kun lineage, he was determined to prove that he was no less capable than the three Red Mark examiners.
According to Fang Qing's intelligence, those who joined the Chu Kun lineage this time would become disciples of the twelve Star Masters.
And among these twelve disciples of the Star Masters, the top three were beyond the Sixth Stage.
"Which one should I choose?"
Lin Yuan's gaze lingered on the sixteen statues.
"How about this one?"
Lin Yuan looked towards the terrifyingly huge solar statue that stood over ten meters tall.
This statue embodied an evolutionary path beyond the Sixth Stage, one of extreme yang energy, which complemented Lin Yuan's Taiji Doctrine perfectly.
"Wait a moment."
"Once I make contact, I'll have to leave this precious place."
Just before he set out, Lin Yuan suddenly felt a twinge of reluctance.
Although he hadn't rested much during these past days, his harvest had been extremely satisfying.
"I hope I haven't missed anything."
Lin Yuan's gaze swept across the mountaintop, taking in all one hundred and thirty-six statues.
To differentiate the strengths of the one hundred and thirty-six statues, their sizes were the main criterion.
For example, the two to three-meter-tall statues contained Sixth Stage evolutionary paths.
Statues that exceeded ten meters in height held evolutionary paths beyond the Sixth Stage.
Even among the Sixth Stage evolutionary paths, there were differences. A statue that was nearly three meters tall would undoubtedly contain a stronger Sixth Stage evolutionary path compared to a two-meter-tall statue.
The same principle applied to the statues beyond the Tenth Stage.
Among the statues that embodied evolutionary paths beyond the Sixth Stage, some were only eleven meters tall, while others reached fifteen or sixteen meters.
Naturally, the evolutionary paths contained within the taller statues were more powerful.
"Is there anything else I've missed?"
Lin Yuan scrutinized all one hundred and thirty-six statues, then shifted his gaze to the entire mountaintop, and even started observing the mountain beneath his feet.
"The mountain?"
Lin Yuan paused, feeling slightly stunned.
Inside the Seventh Star Cave, the universe and starry sky were merely a backdrop.
It was something that could only be admired from a distance, not touched.
The only things the examiners could interact with were the one hundred and thirty-six statues...
...and the majestic mountain beneath their feet.
If size was the determining factor, then even if all one hundred and thirty-six statues were combined...
...they still wouldn't compare to the mountain beneath their feet.
"The mountain?"
Lin Yuan plopped down, lying on the ground as he slowly released his consciousness, beginning to sense the mountain that his back was pressed against.
Majestic.
Grand.
Solid.
"Can this mountain be comprehended as well?"
Lin Yuan couldn't help but be drawn into it.
In just this short while, Lin Yuan sensed the vastness and inclusiveness of the mountain beneath him.
It was as if this entire world, including the Sixth Stage evolutionary paths and those beyond, were all encompassed within this mountain.
"How perfect."
Lin Yuan's heart trembled as he saw everything within this mountain, including the Taiji Doctrine he had created.
"Why?"
"Why did I only notice this mountain now?"
Lin Yuan closed his eyes.
What was the most eye-catching thing in the Seventh Star Cave? The universe and starry sky? The one hundred and thirty-six statues? No, it was none of those.
The most noticeable thing was the mountain right beneath their feet.
The mountain that stood tall amidst the backdrop of the universe and starry sky was the first thing that all the examiners entering the Seventh Star Cave would see.
Only after that would they notice the one hundred and thirty-six statues.
However...
Why hadn't anyone paid attention to this extremely conspicuous mountain? "Is it because my realm isn't high enough? After comprehending one hundred and thirty-six evolutionary paths and greatly improving my cognitive realm, I was finally able to sense something from the mountain."
Compared to the one hundred and thirty-six statues, the mountain beneath their feet was too vast.
It was like staring at the universe and starry sky; no matter how long Lin Yuan gazed at it, he wouldn't gain much because the difference in their levels was too vast.
His heaven-defying comprehension ability wasn't all-powerful; it relied on the level that Lin Yuan himself was currently at.
Time passed slowly.
One day, two days, three days, four days, five days...
In the mysterious space, the twelve figures once again turned their gazes towards Lin Yuan.
"What is he doing?"
"Are you planning to rest lying down?"
The twelve figures were stunned.
They had barely adjusted to Lin Yuan's idle wandering for over half a month, and now he was taking it a step further by simply lying down and giving up.
"Is it because he couldn't find a suitable statue?" one of the figures below guessed.
Lin Yuan had spent the past twenty-plus days visiting all 136 statues before finally sitting down to rest. If he had found a suitable statue, he would undoubtedly be eager to comprehend its evolutionary path.
This scene could only mean that none of the 136 statues contained an evolutionary path that suited Lin Yuan.
"So, he's giving up?"
Among the three figures above, Gu Ze's eyebrows furrowed once more.
He, too, considered the possibility that Lin Yuan hadn't found a suitable statue. But even if it wasn't a perfect match, Lin Yuan could still attempt to force his comprehension.
The evolutionary path embodied in a statue, even if it wasn't a perfect match, could still enhance one's comprehension speed. And even if it was challenging to force comprehension, one would still gain something from the effort.
While it would be extremely difficult to force comprehension of the sixteen statues containing evolutionary paths beyond the Sixth Stage, Lin Yuan could have tried to force comprehension of the other statues containing Sixth Stage evolutionary paths.
Even if he ultimately failed to comprehend an evolutionary path, at least he would have tried and not given up so easily. This way, Gu Ze would have had a reason to recruit Lin Yuan into the Chu Kun lineage after the test.
However, seeing Lin Yuan lying on the ground, completely giving up, made Gu Ze begin to doubt his own judgment.
"Junior Brother," Gu Ze called out.
"Forget it," one of the figures beside him said.
"His willpower is too weak. Even with his exceptional comprehension, his future achievements will be limited," the other figure added.
They even felt that Gu Ze didn't need to bother taking Lin Yuan as his disciple anymore. After all, cultivating disciples required resources, especially in the early stages.
"Fine," Gu Ze sighed inwardly.
He, too, felt that Lin Yuan lacked the necessary willpower. To become a Compeller, one needed not only talent but also excellent comprehension and unwavering willpower.
If one gave up without even trying, how could they ever achieve anything?
Time passed slowly.
Another day or two went by.
On this day, it had been twenty-nine days since Lin Yuan entered the Seventh Star Cave.
According to the rules of the Seven Star Cave test, if Lin Yuan couldn't comprehend an evolutionary path in one more day, he would be expelled from the Seventh Star Cave world.
"Why is that person lying there?"
"I don't know."
"Maybe he's tired?"
Lin Yuan's actions also attracted the attention of the other examiners.
However, the other examiners merely glanced at him, as their primary focus was on passing the Seventh Star Cave test.
None of them had the time to bother with such trivial matters.
Just then— Lin Yuan, who had been lying on the ground for almost ten days without moving, suddenly opened his eyes.
"So that's how it is," Lin Yuan murmured, his eyes reflecting the vast starry sky.
A profound aura coalesced within Lin Yuan's body.
Since Lin Yuan was lying on the ground, his skin and other parts of his body were in contact with the mountain beneath him.
In the instant this profound aura appeared— The entire mountain began to tremble.
For a moment, the remaining dozen or so Evolvers panicked, interrupting their contemplation and standing up to look around.
The mountain's trembling didn't stop; instead, it seemed to be intensifying.
In the mysterious space, the twelve figures were also shocked by this development.
The main mountain of the Seventh Star Cave was trembling—this hadn't happened in nearly tens of thousands of years.
"What's going on?"
The first of the three figures above seemed to realize something, and his expression changed abruptly.
"The final test."
"Someone has passed the final test."
The other two figures immediately understood.
The nine figures below stood up together, their gazes once again turning to the Seventh Star Cave, as if searching for something.
In a spacious hall— An old man dressed in a red robe sat on a throne, his eyes half-closed as he dozed.
"Star Master," a voice called out.
At that moment, the intelligent helper's voice startled the red-robed old man awake.
"What is it?" he asked, his eyes still closed.
"Don't you know I'm meditating?" the Chu Kun Star Master grumbled.
"Speak," the Chu Kun Star Master said again, knowing that whatever had interrupted his meditation must be important.
"Someone in the Seven Star Cave world has passed the final test," the intelligent helper reported quickly.
"Final test?" The Chu Kun Star Master's eyes opened silently.
Boom! A terrifying heat spread for tens of thousands of miles, and the Chu Kun Star Master's eyes shone like two stars, illuminating everything around him.
Buzz! The Chu Kun Star Master's consciousness connected to the virtual world, overlooking the entire Seven Star Cave world and focusing on the trembling mountain in the Seventh Star Cave.
He then returned to reality and sat quietly on the throne in the center of the palace, his eyes closed gently to block out the light and heat.
"It's been ten thousand years."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
