Chapter 552: Great Domain Conflict

Chapter 552: Great Domain Conflict

"This is indeed an evolutionary path of martial arts."

Xuan Yuan, the nearby Supreme Expert, also read through it several times.

Then, he spoke with a solemn tone:

"However, it uses Thunder as its foundation. I can sense that this Thunder Martial Arts path has not yet reached the ultimate twelfth-stage."

An evolutionary path represents a cultivation method, and twelfth-stage beings can discern its potential just by carefully sensing it.

They can determine if this evolutionary path can lead to the twelfth stage of power.

However, this Thunder Martial Arts evolutionary path, which is extremely similar to the one Lin Yuan had taken, does not seem to have any twelfth-stage cultivators.

"Indeed."

"This evolutionary path is a branch of the Martial Arts path that I've cultivated and perfected. It is fully capable of birthing a new twelfth stage." Lin Yuan stated.

"Unbelievable," Gu Li, the Supreme Expert, exclaimed in disbelief.

They had also heard that some incredibly broad evolutionary paths could accommodate multiple branches, each capable of producing new twelfth-stage beings.

However, such evolutionary paths were exceedingly rare and required perfection in all aspects. The foundation and depth of understanding had to be pushed to their limits; otherwise, without sufficient breadth, how could one accommodate other evolutionary branches?

Additionally, it must align perfectly with the Chaotic Void and the rules governing its operation.

Even if everything else was perfect, if it didn't resonate with the Chaotic Void, it wouldn't be able to spawn branches.

"It seems that our previous understanding of Martial Arts was indeed an underestimation."

Xia Qin, the Supreme Expert, was equally stunned as he finished reading.

He could sense that this Thunder Martial Arts, even if it were just a true branch of Martial Arts, had more potential than the twelfth-stage evolutionary path he had cultivated.

And this was just a branch; what about the main path?

"Yes."

Xuan Yuan, the Supreme Expert, nodded in agreement.

An evolutionary path capable of branching out had the potential to become a thirteenth-stage path to ascend to the heavens.

"It's difficult to determine if a branch can be created from an evolutionary path at the twelfth stage and below," Lin Yuan shook his head slightly.

This wasn't the fault of the nine Human Supreme Experts. Even a Chaotic Honored Master would find it challenging to judge if a Martial Arts evolutionary path could spawn branches by merely observing its first to eleventh stages.

"Do you intend to make this Thunder Martial Arts path public within our race?" Yu Die, the Supreme Expert, asked tentatively.

"Yes," Lin Yuan nodded. He, too, longed for the emergence of a twelfth-stage expert in Thunder Martial Arts.

The foundation of a mighty tree wasn't in its trunk but in the countless roots that stretched deep into the earth. The more cultivators there were on a Martial Arts branch, the more it would nourish the Martial Arts itself.

"That's wonderful."

"With this, it's as if our human civilization has gained an additional twelfth-stage evolutionary path."

Yu Die, the Supreme Expert, nodded slightly. Even if they could purchase a twelfth-stage evolutionary path from the Chaotic Void, it wouldn't be as reliable as this Thunder Martial Arts path.

"It's a pity that I didn't walk the path of Thunder; otherwise, I might have directly switched to this evolutionary path." Gu Li, the Supreme Expert, sighed.

Within the universe, any evolutionary path chosen by an evoluter becomes difficult to change after reaching the sixth stage.

However, this applied only to those below the twelfth stage. For a twelfth-stage evoluter, switching to another evolutionary path was simply a matter of 'unwalking' the path.

In other words, dispersing the Great Dao they had cultivated.

Of course, no twelfth-stage expert would take such a risk lightly. The consequences could be dire.

A twelfth-stage life form that 'unwalks' its Great Dao retains its twelfth-stage essence, soul, and blood, but without a path to stand on, its combat power can only be a fraction of what it once was—a tiny fraction at best.

And to cultivate another evolutionary path to the twelfth stage? That would require an enormous amount of time.

Therefore, unless they encounter an evolutionary path that suits them perfectly, no twelfth-stage life form would willingly choose to 'unwalk' their path.

Even if they come across a highly suitable evolutionary path, they would still approach the idea of 'unwalking' with utmost caution. After all, if they were killed by a rival during the 'unwalking' process, the outcome would be catastrophic.

"Actually, this branch is quite suitable for you, Gu Li." Lin Yuan smiled slightly and passed on the 'Martial Arts of Power' that he had perfected to Gu Li, the Supreme Expert.

Lin Yuan had awakened the fleshly divine power 'Mountain Moving' at an early age and had a profound understanding of the rules of power. Naturally, the Martial Arts path he walked had branched out to include the Martial Arts of Power, which was closely related to the rules of power.

"This branch?"

Gu Li, the Supreme Expert, was a bit bewildered. Was there another branch besides the Thunder Martial Arts?

But the next moment, Gu Li was stunned as the intricacies of the Martial Arts of Power flooded his mind.

"This... this..." Gu Li was left speechless, mumbling, "I never thought that the path of power could be walked like this, and like that."

Gu Li's eyes lit up. "The way of power is not just about brute force but also involves the manipulation of space and time. If I had walked this cultivation path earlier, I might have been close to the pinnacle of the Dao-Initiating Realm by now."

Gu Li, the Supreme Expert, was the second person to attain that status in human civilization, and he belonged to the same era as Xuan Yuan, the Supreme Expert.

"All paths lead to the same summit. To enter the Chaotic Realm, one must embrace countless rules and give birth to the Chaotic Rule," Lin Yuan said.

While in seclusion, as Lin Yuan worked to extend and perfect the various branches of Martial Arts, he naturally gave priority to the paths walked by the nine Supreme Experts of human civilization.

For example, Gu Li's path of power, Yu Die's path of dreams, and Xia Qin's path of shadows—all nine Supreme Experts' paths were included in the branches of Martial Arts.

"Indeed, this Martial Arts of Power has greater potential than the evolutionary path you cultivated, Gu Li, and it suits you better," Xuan Yuan, the Supreme Expert, commented after browsing through it.

"Indeed,"

Lin Yuan nodded.

How could it not be suitable?

This Martial Arts of Power had been tailored by Lin Yuan specifically for Gu Li, the Supreme Expert.

With Lin Yuan's insight, he had long ago seen through Gu Li's strengths and weaknesses.

It was a simple matter for him to perfect a Martial Arts path suited to Gu Li's cultivation based on the foundation of Martial Arts.

After all, it wasn't created out of thin air.

"Gu Li, I suggest you take up this Power Martial Arts path." Xia Qin, the Supreme Expert, said from the side.

"I feel the same way." Gu Li, the Supreme Expert, was exhilarated and tentatively asked Lin Yuan, "Galaxy, can I switch to this Power Martial Arts path?"

As this Power Martial Arts path was presented by Lin Yuan and a branch of the path he took, it was only natural to seek his opinion before switching to it.

"No problem," Lin Yuan smiled.

Gu Li, the Supreme Expert, switching to the Power Martial Arts path would also greatly benefit Lin Yuan.

Normally, even if the Power Martial Arts path were made public to all citizens of human civilization, who knew how long it would take to produce a twelfth-stage expert in this field?

Just because one has an evolutionary path doesn't guarantee the birth of a twelfth-stage cultivator.

But Gu Li, the Supreme Expert, was already a twelfth-stage being. If he chose to 'unwalk' his current path and cultivate the Power Martial Arts, there probably wouldn't be any bottlenecks in his path back to the twelfth-stage.

"With Gu Li switching to the Power Martial Arts, he will likely become the second peak of the Dao-Initiating Realm in our human civilization," the Virtual God Supreme Expert exclaimed, "The future of our human civilization will become even more robust."

"Don't rush," Lin Yuan said, "I've also prepared some branches for you."

Xuan Yuan, Xia Qin, and the other seven Supreme Experts were taken aback.

Lin Yuan then transmitted the 'Shadow Martial Arts' and the 'Dream Martial Arts' along with six other Martial Arts branches to them.

"What are these?"

The eight Supreme Experts took a deep breath and began to browse through them.

After a long while, Xia Qin, the Supreme Expert, suddenly opened his eyes wide, his gaze turning deep and mysterious before quickly returning to normal.

"Galaxy, this evolutionary path..." Xia Qin's voice trembled slightly as he looked at Lin Yuan.

"The Dream Martial Arts, where illusions become reality. This evolutionary path should allow me to reach the Dominator Realm without any issues." Yu Die, the Supreme Expert, had an unprecedented gleam in her eyes. "When I cultivate it to its peak, I will become a virtual life form. Even a Chaotic Honored Master would have to go to great lengths to deal with me."

"Indeed."

The other Supreme Experts nodded in agreement, equally astonished by the Martial Arts branches that Lin Yuan had shared with them.

"Galaxy, these..." Xuan Yuan, the Supreme Expert, looked at Lin Yuan, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"You can all cultivate them," Lin Yuan said directly.

Creating specialized Martial Arts branches for the nine Supreme Experts of human civilization was a mutually beneficial endeavor.

With Lin Yuan's profound understanding of Martial Arts, the foundation he provided would allow the nine Supreme Experts to reach even greater heights.

"There are also several dozen Martial Arts branches that can each be considered a brand new twelfth-stage evolutionary path." Lin Yuan presented all the Martial Arts branches he had extended and perfected.

There were seventy-three in total.

The nine Supreme Experts glanced at each other, and the shock in their hearts lessened slightly.

With the Thunder Martial Arts and the branches that perfectly matched the nine Supreme Experts as a foundation, it wasn't too surprising to have dozens more twelfth-stage Martial Arts branches.

Next, Lin Yuan chatted with the nine Supreme Experts for a while before Xia Qin and Xuan Yuan began discussing who would be the first to 'unwalk' their path and switch to one of the Martial Arts branches.

No matter how powerful a twelfth-stage life form was, once they 'unwalked' their path, their strength would plummet. Therefore, the nine Supreme Experts of human civilization would definitely not 'unwalk' their paths simultaneously.

Although human civilization had Lin Yuan as their 'pillar of support', he couldn't handle everything by himself.

As a result of their discussion, it was decided that a maximum of two Supreme Experts would be allowed to 'unwalk' their paths during the same period.

Before these two experts regained their twelfth-stage power, the other seven Supreme Experts would have to maintain the order of human civilization.

Unlike other twelfth-stage life forms, the nine Supreme Experts of human civilization had grown together from their weaker days and had exceptional trust in each other, which was why they dared to take the lead in 'unwalking' their paths.

After 'unwalking' their paths, they would lose their foundation, and although twelfth-stage life forms would retain their essence, soul, and blood, they would be devoid of power. To any peer-level strong cultivator, they would be an irresistible 'great tonic'.

Whether it was for consumption or refinement, it would greatly benefit the self.

After making the Martial Arts branches public within human civilization, Lin Yuan continued his seclusion.

"Refining these resources, my Primordial Golden Body should be able to reach the peak of the Dominator Realm." Lin Yuan took out the purple cloth bag, which contained the resources he obtained from selling the eighteen Dominator Realm wondrous trees.

These resources, along with the ones Lin Yuan had accumulated over time and the gains from defeating the Serpent Devil Dominator and the Blood-Blessed Dominator, constituted his entire net worth.

The Serpent Devil Dominator and the Blood-Blessed Dominator were notorious plunderers, and their wealth far exceeded that of ordinary Dominator Realm peaks.

Source World.

Qing Fen Domain, Fen Tian Institute.

Lin Yuan sat cross-legged on the thirteenth floor, cultivating calmly and steadily.

"Becoming a disciple of Qing Fen Marquis is much better than staying in the Yu family."

Lin Yuan thought to himself. It wasn't that the Yu family was bad, but being under Qing Fen Marquis' command would greatly reduce the time Lin Yuan spent handling trivial matters.

He could now focus all his attention and energy on cultivation.

Thus, Lin Yuan was quite satisfied with his current situation.

In a sense, Lin Yuan's external environment in the Source World was even more advantageous than in the Chaotic Void.

After all, in the Chaotic Void, Lin Yuan had no backing, but in the Source World, Qing Fen Marquis, as a peak-level Grandmaster, could provide him with ample protection.

In addition to Qing Fen Marquis, Lin Yuan was also affiliated with the Ancient Nation of Blazing Sun, so his background was unquestionable.

"I have now recovered to the strength of the twelfth-stage Dao-Initiating Realm."

Since his last meeting with Qing Fen Marquis, Lin Yuan's cultivation resources had been uninterrupted, so there were no bottlenecks or setbacks in his path to regaining his strength.

"The Seeds of Scarlet Sun are also close to condensing thirty-three thousand three hundred and thirty-three seeds."

Lin Yuan had never given up on condensing the Seeds of Scarlet Sun. After all, this task posed no difficulty for him and required little effort. During his spare time from cultivation, he casually worked on it.

"My comprehension of the rules has indeed increased, but not by a significant margin," Lin Yuan thought to himself, not surprised by this outcome.

In fact, Marquis Qing Fen's suggestion was not wrong. After condensing thousands upon thousands of Seeds of Scarlet Sun, his physical body had already undergone a transformation, and continuing to condense more seeds would not yield proportional returns for the effort expended.

The gains simply didn't justify the investment.

Others might not be like Lin Yuan; after condensing thousands or even ten thousand seeds, the effort and mental energy required to condense just one more would be unimaginable. All of this just for a minuscule increase in rule comprehension, a fraction of a thousandth or even a ten-thousandth?

"I wonder what will happen when I condense thirty-three thousand three hundred and thirty-three Seeds of Scarlet Sun," Lin Yuan wondered, his curiosity piqued. Three thousand three hundred and thirty-three seeds had transformed his physical body into the Scarlet Sun Divine Body.

But what about thirty-three thousand three hundred and thirty-three?

In terms of difficulty, the latter far surpassed the former by an unknown magnitude. Perhaps only those ancient royal families, whose members could condense the Seeds of Scarlet Sun even in their sleep, would dare to attempt such a feat.

"Hmm?"

"Master has sent me a message?"

Lin Yuan's heart stirred, and he took out a red jade slip, upon which a new message had appeared.

"Don't leave Fen Tian Institute in the near future."

Marquis Qing Fen's message was brief, but for a Grand Saint-level existence to send a personal reminder was certainly no trivial matter.

Marquis Qing Fen presided over Qing Fen City, and every detail of the city was under his watchful gaze. Logically speaking, even if Lin Yuan left Fen Tian Institute, as long as he didn't leave Qing Fen City, there shouldn't be any cause for concern.

Marquis Qing Fen could descend upon him in an instant if needed.

"Is it because of a threat from the Purple Dream Domain?" Lin Yuan wondered.

Even immersed in his secluded cultivation, Lin Yuan had occasionally heard some news during this period.

Powerful beings from the Purple Dream Domain had been spotted near Qing Fen City, seemingly keeping a close eye on something.

The Purple Dream Domain was a major domain neighboring the Qing Fen Domain, originating from an enemy ancient nation.

The source world continent was vast and infinite, with ancient nations like colossal behemoths sprawled across it. While the Scarlet Sun Ancient Nation stood at the pinnacle, it was not the only one, and rival ancient nations still existed.

Conflicts and frictions often arose between these ancient nations, especially in the border domains.

The strength of the Grandmaster of the Purple Dream was not far behind that of Marquis Qing Fen. By asking Lin Yuan to remain in the Fen Tian Institute, Marquis Qing Fen was considering the most extreme scenario.

If the Purple Dream Grandmaster made a move and he became preoccupied, he couldn't guarantee Lin Yuan's safety.

As for asking Lin Yuan to stay in Fen Tian Institute, it was because the institute was at the very heart of Qing Fen City's grand formation.

Even for a Grand Saint-level existence, infiltrating Fen Tian Institute would take a considerable amount of time.

Should a real threat emerge, the institute's transmission restriction would instantly teleport Lin Yuan to another location—a well-prepared sanctuary personally arranged by Marquis Qing Fen, ensuring his safety.

Therefore, as long as Lin Yuan stayed put in Fen Tian Institute, even a Heaven's Honored-level existence might not be able to harm him.

"Then I'll just stay here for the time being," Lin Yuan decided, heeding the advice. Since Marquis Qing Fen had asked him not to go out, he wouldn't.

Although the loss of this physical body wouldn't mean true death for Lin Yuan, and he could always start over, it would still be a waste of time.

There was also no guarantee that the next time his consciousness shuttled over, he would have the same favorable starting conditions.

Not every Grandmaster-level powerhouse was as considerate of their disciples as Marquis Qing Fen. Many Grandmasters were selfish and self-serving, even going so far as to cultivate disciples as'vessels' or 'catalysts' for their own cultivation.

"Internal universe."

After re-entering the twelfth stage, Lin Yuan's internal universe evolved on its own, beginning to assimilate the thirteenth-stage inheritance of the Infinite Void and reconstructing itself.

"In this source world, the foundation is a weakness; there is no concept of an internal universe," Lin Yuan mused as he cultivated the Infinite Void, his thoughts wandering.

The Infinite Void was not a martial arts evolution path; it was more akin to a secret art, a technique for remodeling one's internal universe. Hence, even in the source world, a dimension outside the chaotic void, it could still be cultivated.

"Or perhaps, it's not that the foundation of the source world is weak, but that the foundation of the chaotic void is too strong?" Lin Yuan wondered silently.

In the chaotic void, upon reaching the twelfth stage, one would be infused with the origin of the chaotic void, thus accelerating the transformation of one's internal universe.

But in this source world, there was no such 'benefit'. If Lin Yuan hadn't relied on the abundant resources provided by Marquis Qing Fen, it would have taken an immense amount of time and effort for his internal world to transform into an internal universe.

This was true for Lin Yuan, and even more so for other powerful beings.

Time flowed slowly.

In the blink of an eye, several years passed.

On this day, Lin Yuan's internal universe was vast and majestic, having completely cultivated the first layer of the Infinite Void, rivaling the internal universe of a Chaotic Sage.

At this moment, Lin Yuan's foundation was undoubtedly stronger than that of Marquis Qing Fen, a peak Grandmaster.

"Seeds of Scarlet Sun."

Lin Yuan's expression stirred as he turned his attention inward.

At this moment, his physical body, from limbs to bones, was filled with countless Seeds of Scarlet Sun, like an infinite sea of scarlet sun. And with the passage of time, new seeds continued to condense.

"Hmm?"

Lin Yuan condensed yet another Seed of Scarlet Sun.

In an instant.

The countless Seeds of Scarlet Sun subtly formed the embryonic shape of a grand cycle, suddenly blossoming with dazzling brilliance.

PS: The first update is here.

The second update will be around 11 a.m.

Begging for monthly votes~ ~

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end