Chapter 169: A Fleeting Hundred Years, Countless Lives, Witnessing a Singular Figure
Chapter 169: A Fleeting Hundred Years, Countless Lives, Witnessing a Singular Figure (End of the Chapter, Please Subscribe)
In that moment, it felt as if the very fabric of the world was collapsing, as if all of creation was being annihilated. Lin Yuan had gathered the power of his two primordial spirits along with the full might of his true self, transcending far beyond the sixth-stage limit. In terms of sheer power, he might have even approached the seventh stage.
After a brief moment, the spiritual energy of the world gradually calmed. Lin Yuan looked down.
"What a pity."
Lin Yuan shook his head slightly.
Even with his all-out attack, he had failed to breach the Dao De Immortal Mountain.
"Never mind."
Lin Yuan wasn't too concerned.
The Dao De Sect had a heritage spanning tens of thousands of years, and its foundations were unfathomably deep. Unless one was a Unity Stage true immortal or a seventh-stage evolver, it would be extremely difficult to completely shatter their defensive grand array.
Lin Yuan hadn't expected to resolve the issue of Dao De Sect with a single attempt. Instead, he had come to test his own strength, using the entire Dao De Sect as a measure of his power.
"Although I couldn't break through, it's close enough," Lin Yuan mused as he gazed down at the Dao De Immortal Mountain. "Once I reach the peak of the twelfth level of the sixth stage and attack with full force, my offensive power should be able to touch the seventh stage. At that time, I might be able to completely shatter the Dao De Immortal Mountain."
Of course, Lin Yuan's prediction was based on the assumption that the legendary 'Spirit Realm' would not interfere. Dao De Sect possessed the 'Ascension Platform', and throughout the generations, the ancient saintly sect masters would ascend to the 'Spirit Realm' after presiding over the sect for tens of thousands of years.
Countless strong cultivators from tens of thousands of years ago, including some who had surpassed the Refinement Void limit, had already ascended to the higher-level Spirit Realm through the 'Ascension Platform'. It was almost certain that there were Unity Stage true immortals in the Spirit Realm.
However, the Ascension Platform was a one-way passage. Those ancestors of the Dao De Sect who had ascended could not return.
This was the key reason why Lin Yuan dared to make a move against the Dao De Sect. With the two realms separated, even if they wanted to interfere, the power they could exert was very limited. As the unrivaled master of this realm, Lin Yuan had nothing to fear.
"Let's go back," Lin Yuan glanced at the Dao De Sect below him, and his figure disappeared.
In fact, Lin Yuan could have easily left a yang spirit or a yin spirit to continue suppressing the Dao De Sect. But he saw no need for that.
With the display of power he had just demonstrated, even without leaving a clone to suppress them, the disciples of the Dao De Sect would probably not dare to step out of their mountain for a long time. Especially those at the Nascent Soul and Tribulation Passing stages.
Even if they had ten times the courage, they wouldn't dare venture beyond the boundaries of the Dao De Immortal Mountain.
Since that was the case, it would be better for his primordial spirits and true self to return together. Cultivating his spirits would also enhance Lin Yuan's efficiency in enlightenment.
As Lin Yuan left, countless disciples within the Dao De Immortal Mountain were filled with tears of relief. Just now, they had truly felt the threat of death, believing that the Dao De Immortal Mountain, which had been passed down for countless years, might not be able to withstand that yin-yang grinding wheel.
But now, the Dao De Immortal Mountain remained unbreached, and the figure who had stood in the sky, overlooking them like a true immortal, had also disappeared, presumably having left.
"We're alive," a disciple whispered, his voice shaking.
"Hahaha! I knew my life wasn't meant to end yet!" another disciple exclaimed.
"We're alive! Truly alive!"
The disciples of the Dao De Sect couldn't help but break into wild celebrations. From life to death and back again, even cultivators couldn't help but be emotionally shaken by such a drastic turn of events.
"We're alive?"
High in the sky, Mu Mengting watched the disciples' celebration, feeling a pang of sadness. When had the once high and mighty disciples of the Dao De Sect ever felt such relief?
"Let's go find the sect master," Mu Mengting said, steeling herself before flying towards the peak of the Dao De Immortal Mountain.
For the ordinary disciples, it was indeed a relief to have survived. But for the high-ranking members of the sect, this was just the beginning. The crucial question now was what the sect should do next.
That Lord Wuji had merely left; he wasn't dead. They were far from being able to celebrate.
In the grand hall at the peak of the Dao De Immortal Mountain, Sect Master Mu Qingliu sat in the master's seat with his eyes closed, his brow furrowed in deep thought.
"Sect Master," Mu Mengting said as he appeared in the hall, bowing slightly to Mu Qingliu.
"Mengting," Mu Qingliu opened his eyes and looked at Mu Mengting. As he took in the respectful posture of Mu Mengting, he couldn't help but compare him to Lord Wuji.
But he found that there was no comparison to be made.
"Did I really choose the wrong person?" Mu Qingliu wondered silently.
If he hadn't chosen Mu Mengting as the next sect master but had instead selected Lord Jin Dong, would they have avoided the catastrophe that had just befell their sect?
While it was true that Lin Yuan wanted to spread the Martial Way, and neither he nor the Dao De Sect would back down on this matter, if Lord Jin Dong had been the sect master, there would have at least been room for compromise. They wouldn't have resorted to direct conflict like they had just done.
"Sect Master, what should we do now?" Mu Mengting asked cautiously.
"What can we do?" Mu Qingliu replied, his expression grim. "We can't deal with Lord Wuji's strength. Now, we can only seek the guidance of our ancestors."
"The will of our ancestors?"
Mu Mengting's eyes lit up.
The Dao De Sect had a heritage that spanned tens of thousands of years, yet there had been thirty generations of sect leaders.
On average, each sect master presided over the sect for only one or two millennia.
Why was this?
It was common knowledge that a Refinement Void ancient sage's lifespan far exceeded two millennia. The three ancient sages of the Blood Demon Sea, the Netherworld Palace, and the Demon Saint Nest had lived since those ancient times, tens of thousands of years ago, and were still alive to this day.
For a Refinement Void ancient sage, living for several dozen millennia was not a difficult feat.
However, the Dao De Sect had a large number of sect masters because of the 'Spirit Realm'.
The Dao De Sect possessed the 'Ascension Platform', which connected to the 'Spirit Realm'. Each generation of sect masters would ascend to the Spirit Realm through this platform.
It was said that the cultivation environment in the Spirit Realm far surpassed that of Zhongtu Shenzhou. In the Spirit Realm, the ancestral masters of the Dao De Sect were rumored to have reached the Unity with the Dao stage of true immortality.
"Don't pin too much hope on our ancestral masters," Mu Qingliu said, shaking his head. "It is difficult for them to interfere with the mortal realm from the Spirit Realm."
If the ancestral masters could interfere with Zhongtu Shenzhou, then the Demon Saint Nest, the Netherworld Palace, and the Blood Demon Sea would have been eradicated long ago. How could they have survived to this day?
White Jade Island.
Jun Dongjin, Mu Lian'er, as well as Jun Xiaoyao and Jun Zhilan, waited anxiously.
"Is this White Jade Island?" Jun Dongjin asked.
"Lord Yuan Yang's territory? Does he also have a connection to Wuji?" Jun Dongjin's heart hadn't stopped trembling.
Although he had guessed from Lin Yuan's display of the 'World in the Sleeves' technique that his youngest son, Jun Wuji, might possess strength far beyond their imagination, he needed to hear it from Wuji himself to truly believe it.
Just then, Lin Yuan appeared in the distance.
"Wuji."
"Little brother."
Mu Lian'er, Jun Zhilan, and Jun Xiaoyao rushed over to greet him.
"What really happened?"
"Why did the person who picked us up earlier look exactly like you?" Jun Zhilan asked curiously.
"That was one of my Yang spirits, a clone, I suppose," Lin Yuan explained after a moment's thought.
The Martial Dao evolution path's Martial Dao primordial spirit did resemble a 'clone', though it didn't require nearly as much effort to cultivate as an actual clone.
Then, Lin Yuan honestly explained some matters.
He revealed his true strength and the fact that Lord Yuan Yang and Lady Tai Yin were his clones.
As for why he possessed so much strength, Lin Yuan explained that when he was young, his mind was suddenly filled with memories that weren't his own.
Those memories contained some incomplete cultivation methods.
It was mostly true, with just a tiny bit of falsehood.
"I once read in an ancient book that before the 'Ascension Platform' appeared, when those great beings who surpassed the Refinement Void limit neared the end of their lifespan, they would attempt to reincarnate," Jun Dongjin said thoughtfully. "Wuji, you might be the reincarnation of one of those great beings. However, the concept of reincarnation is vague and uncertain. That great being's 'id' might have already faded away, leaving only fragments of memories that you inherited."
The concept of reincarnation was indeed vague and uncertain, but it was real.
In the history of the Dao De Sect, there had been exceptionally brilliant disciples who were born with innate knowledge and memories of another life.
"Little brother, are you saying that you just went to the Dao De Immortal Mountain and nearly destroyed it?" Jun Zhilan blinked, processing Lin Yuan's words.
She understood the meaning of each word Lin Yuan spoke, but when put together, they sounded so foreign.
"I had no other intentions when I attacked the Dao De Sect. I only wanted to prove my strength to prepare for the spread of the Martial Dao," Lin Yuan explained honestly.
To spread the Martial Dao, one needed more than just words and familial ties.
The Dao De Sect had the support of their 'Spirit Realm' ancestral masters, so Lin Yuan had no intention of eradicating the Dao De Immortal Mountain.
After all, Lin Yuan could only stay in this world for five hundred years. Even if he destroyed the Dao De Sect, after five hundred years, when he left this world, the 'Spirit Realm' ancestral masters could easily return and reestablish the Dao De Sect.
With the two realms separated, even a true immortal at the Unity with the Dao stage would find it difficult to break through the world's barrier and interfere with the mortal realm.
At most, they could employ some minor schemes. Those schemes would be effective against ordinary beings who surpassed the Refinement Void limit, but they wouldn't affect Lin Yuan in the slightest.
However, what would happen after five hundred years, when Lin Yuan was no longer in this world? That was why Lin Yuan's true purpose in taking such drastic action was to force the Dao De Sect's ancestral masters in the Spirit Realm to show themselves.
As for why he didn't use more peaceful means, like honestly explaining the situation to Mu Qingliu—there wasn't much difference in the outcome.
If Lin Yuan didn't have sufficient strength, even if he approached the situation peacefully, the Dao De Sect would still suppress him.
On the other hand, if Lin Yuan displayed the capability to eradicate the Dao De Sect in this world, no matter what he did, as long as he didn't cross a line, there would be room for negotiation.
And there was another reason for Lin Yuan's actions.
He wanted to get back at the Dao De Sect for his parents.
Who told you to choose the wrong person, Dao De Sect?
"Wuji, do as you see fit."
Jun Dongjin looked at his son and spoke.
Having experienced the highs and lows in the Dao De Sect, from almost becoming the future sect master to spending a hundred years in the remote Mengya Mountain, he had seen through many things.
After explaining everything to his parents and siblings, Lin Yuan arranged a cave residence for them on White Jade Island.
The island was lush with spiritual energy, and even though it wasn't a Dao De sacred mountain, it rivaled the blessed lands of Zhongtu Shenzhou.
It was far better than the remote Mengya Mountain.
Lin Yuan was relieved to have his parents cultivate in such a place.
Months later, Lin Yuan sat cross-legged in the cave residence.
Not far away, a man clad in a blood-red robe bowed respectfully.
"Greetings, Lord."
This man in the blood-red robe was none other than the Lord of the Blood Demon Sea.
After spending months in fear in the Blood Demon Sea, he finally plucked up the courage to pay Lin Yuan a visit.
Given Lin Yuan's displayed strength, erasing the Blood Demon Sea would be child's play. Facing such a formidable opponent, the Lord of the Blood Demon Sea knew he had to tread carefully.
"Is this one of your incarnations?"
Lin Yuan examined the Lord of the Blood Demon Sea with interest.
He wasn't the first ancient sage to visit Lin Yuan.
Before him, the King of Ghost Cultivators from the Netherworld Palace and the Demon Saint from the Demon Saint Nest had already paid their respects.
They all offered their core cultivation techniques and secret arts, seeking Lin Yuan's protection.
To be precise, they only wished for Lin Yuan to refrain from targeting them.
Lin Yuan gladly accepted their offerings.
After all, these ancient sages, who had lived for hundreds of thousands of years, had many valuable insights in their cultivation techniques and secrets.
"Lord," the Lord of the Blood Demon Sea said.
"My true body cannot leave the Blood Demon Sea, so I could only send this incarnation," he added, a hint of apprehension in his tone, as if he expected Lin Yuan to reprimand him for his lack of manners.
"It's fine," Lin Yuan waved his hand dismissively.
"Lord, this is the 'Eternal Blood Sea Technique' that I've been researching for a long time."
The Lord of the Blood Demon Sea promptly presented a blood-colored jade slip.
He then expressed his loyalty, stating that as long as Lin Yuan gave the order, he would expand the Blood Demon Sea, invade Zhongtu Shenzhou, and fight the Dao De Sect to the bitter end.
After sending the Lord of the Blood Demon Sea away, Lin Yuan began perusing the contents of the jade slip, which contained the 'Eternal Blood Sea Technique'.
"Uniting with the Blood Sea, eternal and indestructible. No wonder the Dao De Sect hasn't been able to eradicate them for hundreds of thousands of years. This technique even borders on some of the means of a Unity Stage cultivator."
Lin Yuan's expression turned slightly solemn.
The reason why the Demon Saint Nest and the Netherworld Palace had survived under the suppression of the Dao De Sect until now was that the Demon Saint Nest and the Netherworld Palace themselves were powerful artifacts left behind by those ancient beings who had transcended the Refinement Void limit tens of thousands of years ago.
However, the Lord of the Blood Demon Sea had no such backing. He had relied solely on uniting with the Blood Demon Sea to survive until now.
"If this technique could be modified slightly..."
Lin Yuan was intrigued by the possibilities.
The flaw in the Eternal Blood Sea Technique was that the user couldn't leave the object they had united with.
For example, the Lord of the Blood Demon Sea couldn't venture beyond the boundaries of the Blood Demon Sea because he and the Blood Demon Sea were one and the same.
However, with Lin Yuan's heaven-defying comprehension, he might be able to eliminate this flaw, albeit at the cost of reducing the 'indestructible' trait by a small margin.
Time passed in the blink of an eye.
A hundred years went by in the blink of an eye.
White Jade Island thrived and prospered, and the number of martial cultivators grew exponentially.
Jun Dongjin, Mu Lian'er, Jun Xiaoyao, and Jun Zhilan enjoyed their time on the island, free from the pressures they had faced before.
Moreover, the reputation of White Jade Island had surpassed that of the Dao De Sect, and the statuses of Jun Xiaoyao and Jun Zhilan had risen even higher.
At that moment, a terrifying aura surged from the core area of White Jade Island, piercing through the heavens.
The aura was so overwhelming that it seemed capable of suppressing all creation. Across the entire East Sea, spanning billions of miles, the spiritual energy of the world began to tremble.
In the Demon Saint Nest.
The Demon Saint stared at the East Sea in shock.
"Has that person broken through?"
The Demon Saint muttered to himself. A hundred years ago, that person had been capable of toying with the Dao De Sect. What heights would he reach after this breakthrough?
In the Netherworld Palace.
The King of Ghost Cultivators sighed.
He, too, turned his gaze toward the East Sea, his thoughts unknown.
The Lord of the Blood Demon Sea shared a similar sentiment.
In the Dao De Sect.
Mu Qingliu and Mu Mengting immediately sensed the aura emanating from the East Sea. They stood up abruptly, their eyes fixed on the distant horizon.
As the breakthrough aura grew more intense, countless beings seemed to sense something.
Unknowingly, countless gazes turned toward the East Sea.
It was as if...
All living beings, without any prior agreement, were looking at the same person.
Two chapters updated.
Monthly votes appreciated~ Heart~ (End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
