Chapter 559: The Eye of the Omniverse and the Evolution of Martial Arts

Chapter 559: The Eye of the Omniverse and the Evolution of Martial Arts

"I've only recently attained the King of Seals, so logically, I should proceed with caution. But time is not on my side."

Prince Lingwei thought to himself, "In another million years, my father, the Emperor, will abdicate, and a new Emperor will be chosen from among the royal family's sealed kings."

For cultivators at the Self-Realm level, the concept of lifespan limitations practically ceases to exist. And to become the Emperor of an Ancient Nation, one's strength, even if initially lacking, will undoubtedly far surpass that of the Self-Realm.

Thus, the Ancient Nations in the Source World can have a new Emperor only once every three billion years.

"I lack prestige and strength. With just a million years, I won't even be considered as a candidate for the next Emperor."

Prince Lingwei harbored the ambition to become the Emperor of an Ancient Nation.

The Emperor of an Ancient Nation wielded the supreme treasures bestowed by the Ancestors, which greatly benefited both cultivation and the continued purification of one's bloodline.

While Heavenly Venerate level experts might look down on the royal family, they would never dare to underestimate the Emperor, who was akin to the 'spokesperson' of the Ancestors in the Ancient Nations.

"If I lack prestige, then I shall enhance it, and the simplest way to do that is to expand the territory of our Ancient Nation."

Prince Lingwei's eyes gleamed with determination as he set his sights on Qingfen City, one of the dozens of major domains within his influence over the years.

Once Qingfen Domain falls into his hands, he will swiftly sweep through the surrounding dozens, if not hundreds, of major domains.

By then, having expanded the territory of the Ancient Nation by dozens or even hundreds of domains, he will be the most formidable candidate for the next Emperor, despite his relatively shallow experience.

"Your Highness is planning to wage war?"

Zimeng Marquis asked cautiously.

"What's the matter?"

Prince Lingwei glanced at Zimeng Marquis.

"Nothing, it's just that war requires a lot of preparation," Zimeng Marquis said.

According to their initial plan, they would have taken control of Qingfen City within half a day or even less.

However, war required a significant amount of time for mobilization, and the enemy would also have the opportunity to prepare and make counter-moves, leading to multiple clashes.

Even with the highest efficiency, from preparation to the initiation of war, it would still take at least a few hundred years.

"Then let's get started with the preparations quickly."

Frowning, Prince Lingwei looked at the other figures, "This time, all of you must be ready to take action at any moment."

"Yes!"

The figures immediately responded.

As a sealed king of the royal family, Prince Lingwei had the qualification to initiate a war.

Of course, having the qualification to start a war was one thing, but if the war ultimately ended in defeat, causing great losses to the Ancient Nation, Prince Lingwei would also have to bear all the responsibility.

On the other hand, if they emerged victorious, Prince Lingwei would gain immense benefits.

Even so, initiating a war was not a decision that any of the sealed kings of the royal family took lightly, as the risks were enormous, and whether they could win against another Ancient Nation was a different story.

Prince Lingwei was taking this risky path because he was eager to enhance his prestige.

Qingfen City.

Lin Yuan was cultivating within the Fen Tian Institute.

Just then—

"Yu Yan, come out for a moment." Qingfen Marquis' voice echoed.

Upon hearing this, Lin Yuan immediately left the Fen Tian Institute and arrived at the Marquis' Mansion.

This was also where Qingfen Marquis usually cultivated.

At that moment, two figures were smiling and conversing within the mansion.

The figure on the left was Qingfen Marquis, and on the right was a middle-aged man with an ordinary appearance.

The middle-aged man's aura was restrained, resembling an ordinary person, but his eyes were calm and gentle, as if they contained the entire world.

Just his presence caused the surrounding void to be filled with infinite vitality, making others yearn to draw closer.

"Grandmaster Hongye?"

The instant Lin Yuan saw the middle-aged man, he recognized his identity.

Among the countless records and legacies within the Fen Tian Institute, there was a 'miscellaneous book' that detailed the information about all the Grandmasters, Heavenly Venerates, and other powerful experts of the nearby Ancient Nations, including the Fiery Sun Ancient Nation.

Grandmaster Hongye was one of the most renowned Grandmasters.

Unlike others, Grandmaster Hongye chose not to be constrained by any Ancient Nation, so he did not hold a sealed title.

In terms of strength, Grandmaster Hongye surpassed even Qingfen Marquis, having comprehended the Chaos Fire and Chaos Life Grand Paths.

Using the rules of chaos as a foundation and evolving them into various paths was the way of many Grandmasters in this Source World.

"Yu Yan, Grandmaster Hongye is quite interested in that Million Array Crystal of yours," Qingfen Marquis said.

"Grandmaster Hongye," Lin Yuan greeted respectfully.

At that moment, he was secretly observing this grandmaster, sensing the dual auras of scorching heat and vibrant life within him.

"Using Chaos Life as fuel to ignite Chaos Fire... The power of this Grandmaster Hongye is indeed terrifying," Lin Yuan marveled inwardly.

Although he could barely match a Grandmaster in battle through the use of various profound techniques, when it came to the comprehension of the rules, he fell short of true Grandmasters.

Moreover, Grandmaster Hongye's strength had already reached the pinnacle of the Grandmaster realm, not far from the Heavenly Venerate level.

"Grandmaster Yu Yan."

Grandmaster Hongye's voice was gentle as he, too, observed this newly ascended Grandmaster.

"Yes?"

Grandmaster Hongye was slightly startled as he hadn't sensed any chaos evolution rule fluctuations from Lin Yuan, which was normal as those fluctuations could be concealed.

However, he vaguely sensed that Lin Yuan possessed an unfathomable physical body.

"What a terrifying physical body. His Fiery Sun Divine Body is at an extremely high level, and his flesh seems to contain an incredibly profound foundation," Grandmaster Hongye thought.

At his level, he couldn't peer into the depths of Lin Yuan's physical body, let alone his internal universe, but he could sense the profoundness within, as if it were heavier than the vast heavens and earth.

"Although he's a newly ascended Grandmaster, with such a profound foundation, it won't be difficult for him to reach the pinnacle of the Grandmaster realm in the future.

"Grandmaster Hongye thought to himself.

At the same time, he glanced at Marquis Qingfen, with whom he had been acquainted for many years. He never expected that this good friend of his would be so capable when it came to cultivating disciples.

Grandmaster Hongye was well aware that his own expertise lay in personal cultivation, and that guiding others in their cultivation was an entirely different matter.

The three formidable Grandmasters exchanged a few pleasantries before taking their seats.

"Grandmaster Hongye, this is the Million Array Crystal," Lin Yuan said as he flipped his hand, revealing the crystal form of the Million Array Crystal.

At this moment, Lin Yuan had erased all the grand formations contained within the Million Array Crystal.

This was also done to maintain the secrecy of the grand formation within Qingfen City.

"Hmm."

Grandmaster Hongye's eyes lit up as he fixed his gaze on the Million Array Crystal for a moment before nodding slightly. "Indeed, it is the Million Array Crystal."

He was currently at a bottleneck in the Chaos Fire and Chaos Life Grand Paths, and he wanted to explore other paths to see if they could be of any benefit to him.

The path of formations, originating from the heavens and earth, was naturally his first choice.

Among the many treasures related to formations, the Million Array Crystal was renowned as the source of formations, created by a formation master who had poured his heart and soul into its making.

Even though the numerous grand formations within it had been erased, the Million Array Crystal itself was an inconceivable grand formation.

"Here it is."

Grandmaster Hongye also took out a bracelet, which contained the various cultivation resources that Lin Yuan desired.

Lin Yuan took the bracelet, glanced at its contents briefly, and then put it away.

"Grandmaster Hongye, this Million Array Crystal was not obtained through conventional means," Lin Yuan said, exchanging a glance with Marquis Qingfen.

Up until now, outsiders only knew that the Purple Dream Domain intended to bring chaos to Qingfen City, but the specifics and the price paid by the Purple Dream Domain had not been revealed.

Marquis Qingfen and Lin Yuan had not deliberately spread this information, and as for the Purple Dream Domain? Losing the Million Array Crystal was not something to be proud of, so naturally, they wouldn't publicize it either.

However, the fact that the Million Array Crystal came from the Purple Dream Domain, and most likely involved the higher-ups of their ancient nation, was something that Lin Yuan felt compelled to disclose to Grandmaster Hongye beforehand.

"How did you obtain it?"

Grandmaster Hongye's interest was piqued upon hearing this.

Lin Yuan then briefly recounted the events that had transpired.

"Hahaha, Qingfen, there's no need to specifically mention such a minor matter," Grandmaster Hongye said with a light laugh.

He, Grandmaster Hongye, was unfettered and unconstrained, not bound by any ancient nation's seal. It didn't matter where this Million Array Crystal came from; as long as it was in his possession, it was his.

"It's good that you don't mind, Grandmaster," Lin Yuan nodded.

Some Grandmasters avoided trouble, but Grandmaster Hongye didn't seem to be one of them.

Subsequently,

Lin Yuan proceeded to complete the trade with Grandmaster Hongye without a hitch.

"Qingfen, you must have put in a lot of effort to nurture such a disciple," Grandmaster Hongye said to Marquis Qingfen via sound transmission before they parted ways.

"A lot of... effort?"

Marquis Qingfen suddenly felt a bit guilty. In truth, aside from providing resources, he hadn't really contributed much else.

"It seems I should also find a disciple to pass on my knowledge to,"

Grandmaster Hongye mused with a hint of emotion.

After concluding the trade, Lin Yuan returned to the Fen Tian Institute.

"These resources are enough for my cultivation for a long time,"

Lin Yuan scanned the abundant resources within the bracelet. Indeed, Grandmaster Hongye had been quite generous in exchange for the Million Array Crystal.

Although Lin Yuan was only at the Dao Initiation Realm, his consumption of resources far exceeded that of cultivators at the same level, and the stronger one's power was, the more energy one needed to absorb and expel. This was an iron law.

"Next, I shall enter seclusion and cultivate until I reach the Dominator Realm,"

Lin Yuan's thoughts converged, and after witnessing the might of a powerhouse like Grandmaster Hongye, he felt a sense of pressure.

While his strength had indeed reached the threshold of a Grandmaster, it still fell short when compared to a peak Grandmaster like Grandmaster Hongye.

"With my current power, as long as I enter the Dominator Realm, I won't be far behind even when compared to Grandmaster Hongye,"

Lin Yuan's confidence surged within him. If he could reach the Chaos Realm and cultivate the various legacies to their extremes, he might even be able to rival a Heavenly Venerable.

In the chaotic void...

In the ancient continent of Gu Ming, within the 'Fragment World' of Xing Lei...

Lin Yuan sat cross-legged, his gaze taking in every detail of the world before him.

"So far, I have perfected ninety-nine branches of the martial path, each of which can reach the twelfth stage, and a small portion even has the potential to reach the Dominator Realm or even the Chaos Realm,"

Lin Yuan thought to himself. Thus far, he had imparted nine of these martial paths to the nine strongest humans, and as for the remaining ninety? They had already begun to spread among the countless citizens of the human civilization.

These ninety-nine branches of the martial path encompassed most directions, and they would be sufficient for the human civilization to utilize for a long time.

"Spread the path."

Lin Yuan closed his eyes, and in the depths of his consciousness, he seemed to sense another layer of space, filled with innumerable specks of light. Each speck of light represented a martial cultivator.

"It's not enough, far from enough,"

Lin Yuan mused to himself. As his strength and realm improved, he increasingly felt that the so-called path of cultivation and evolution was, in essence, a journey through darkness.

Later cultivators had the guidance of the paths forged by their predecessors, but what about those predecessors who first blazed these trails?

They had no set direction, no concept of a 'correct' path, and everything they did was done in the dark, groping their way forward, always at risk of losing their way.

At such times, it was of utmost importance to anchor oneself, and the countless martial cultivators were like anchors for Lin Yuan, transcending time and even life and death.

"The evolution of the martial path, when confined to the human civilization, is too slow,"

Lin Yuan thought. How many citizens did the entire human civilization have? Even if they all cultivated the martial path, it would be difficult for them to form an anchor strong enough to fix a massive life form like Lin Yuan in place.

"The Myriad Paths Pavilion?"

Lin Yuan thought of this mysterious power, spanning countless Chaos Continents and even traversing the boundless Void Realms.

"If I enlist the help of the Myriad Paths Pavilion, it will be much easier to spread the evolution of the martial path."

"I should pay a visit to the Myriad Paths Pavilion."

Lin Yuan made up his mind. The Myriad Paths Pavilion not only sold various evolutionary paths but also purchased them.

Buzz.

In the 'Fragment World' of Xing Lei, Lin Yuan condensed an incarnation and descended upon the ancient continent of Gu Ming below.

"The Myriad Paths Pavilion?"

Lin Yuan went straight to the Myriad Paths Pavilion and gazed at the exquisite pavilion before him.

"Extraordinary."

Lin Yuan examined the Myriad Paths Pavilion carefully. Each time he beheld it, he had a different experience. After transcending the Twelfth Stage, his life essence had undergone a transformation, and he felt even more acutely the terror of the Myriad Paths Pavilion.

In the records left by the Xuanhuang lineage, the description of the Myriad Paths Pavilion was such that one should never provoke them unless absolutely necessary.

Even the almighty Emperor Xuanhuang held this place in great trepidation.

Of course, as long as any being abided by the rules set by the Myriad Paths Pavilion, there would generally be no issues, and this was why Lin Yuan dared to come here.

While the influence of the Myriad Paths Pavilion was formidable, its essence was that of a trading venue, upholding fairness.

"Huff."

Lin Yuan entered the Myriad Paths Pavilion without hesitation.

At this moment, the pavilion was bustling with activity as numerous Twelfth Stage beings went in and out.

Some Twelfth Stage beings entered the Myriad Paths Pavilion to find a suitable cultivation path for their descendants, while others sought to change their own path.

Many Twelfth Stage beings were stuck at a bottleneck, unable to advance for countless universes' worth of time. The main reason was that the path they were currently walking wasn't perfectly suited to them.

They might have reached the threshold of breakthrough in terms of their rule comprehension and physical and soul strength, but they just couldn't transcend to the next level, or their attempts at breaking through would repeatedly end in failure.

In such cases, they would need to consider if the issue lay with their cultivation evolution path.

If they could find a path that better suited them, even though they would have to endure the risk of 'losing their way', they would also have a glimmer of hope for further progress.

Swish, swish.

Lin Yuan continued further into the pavilion, and as the surroundings morphed, he soon arrived at an independent space. Innumerable runes floated in the void around him.

"Please state your purpose: one, to purchase an evolutionary path; two, to sell an evolutionary path; three, other."

A toneless voice echoed in Lin Yuan's ears.

"That's simple enough."

Lin Yuan nodded slightly.

"To sell an evolutionary path."

Lin Yuan chose the second option.

Soon.

The toneless voice continued.

"Place the evolutionary path you wish to sell on the platform."

Before Lin Yuan was a platform made entirely of black stone.

Lin Yuan thought for a moment, then flipped his hand, producing a jade slip that recorded a certain branch of the martial evolutionary path.

This evolutionary path was called the Life and Death Martial Path, and it was one that Lin Yuan had specially perfected. Unlike the branches that were tailored for human civilization, this one was applicable to almost any being with a physical body of flesh and blood.

Buzz!

The jade slip hovered above the black stone platform.

Deep within the Myriad Paths Pavilion.

An old man carrying a gourd was dozing off.

Just then, the old man seemed to be startled awake, mumbling, "There's another evolutionary path with the potential to reach the Dominator Realm that needs my confirmation."

As the pavilion master of this branch of the Myriad Paths Pavilion, the old man usually didn't bother with most matters. However, when it came to purchasing evolutionary paths, he had to personally confirm those that reached a certain level.

The Myriad Paths Pavilion had to pay a price in Chaos Stones to acquire evolutionary paths, so multiple confirmations were necessary.

"Let me take a look."

The old man stretched lazily, "This evolutionary path is called the Life and Death Martial Path? It uses the power of life and death to evolve the physical body and soul."

The more the old man looked, the more interested he became. He vaguely felt that this evolutionary path seemed to hold more potential than just reaching the Dominator Realm.

"Hmm, it doesn't have an ultimate Twelfth Stage standing."

The old man sensed it roughly and thought to himself.

"I'm not quite sure about this." The old man was slightly puzzled. He could sense that this evolutionary path was flawless in its details, and logically, it shouldn't only have the potential to reach the Dominator Realm.

"Could this be a Chaos Realm evolutionary path?"

The old man speculated, "No, if it involves the Chaos Realm, I should ask the Eye of Myriad Laws to discern it."

The Eye of Myriad Laws oversaw the operation of all branches of the Myriad Paths Pavilion, and each branch had the ability to summon a projection of the Eye.

The main headquarters of the Myriad Paths Pavilion was located in the most mysterious part of the Chaos Void, and it was said to have been established by the Eye of Myriad Laws.

Emperor Xuanhuang had made numerous speculations about the Eye of Myriad Laws and ultimately believed it to be a secret treasure left behind by a certain Thirteenth Stage temporal being.

"Myriad Laws, Myriad Paths, reaching everywhere without exception."

The old man with the gourd stood up and entered an octagonal hall, then activated the runes floating in the void.

In less than a moment,

a vortex appeared before the old man, and within the vortex, a gigantic eye projected.

"Eye of Myriad Laws."

The old man bowed respectfully.

The gigantic eye, with its golden iris, looked down at the old man.

"This is an evolutionary path."

The old man didn't beat around the bush and directly presented the Life and Death Martial Path before him.

The Eye of Myriad Laws' iris slowly rotated as it regarded the Life and Death Martial Path.

In an instant, within the gigantic Eye of Myriad Laws' iris, the timeline extended, forming a Life and Death Martial Path.

This Life and Death Martial Path continued to extend forward, eventually piercing through the endless chaos.

"This evolutionary path?"

The Eye of Myriad Laws seemed to sense something, and its enormous iris contracted slightly.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end