Chapter 571: Ascending to Dominance

Chapter 571: Ascending to Dominance

Lin Yuan surveyed the scene before him.

The border had now become a war zone, with massive war machines facing off against each other.

Each war machine was inscribed with a corresponding battle formation and was occupied by a large number of Path Achievers and even Dominators.

Lin Yuan's gaze fell upon one particular war machine, which was occupied by one thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight Dominators.

Nearly two thousand Dominators worked together to power the war machine, their strengths merging without resistance and further amplified by the formation. A single strike from this machine was enough to make even a formidable Grand Venerable cautious.

Of course, such a war machine that could accommodate nearly two thousand Dominators was incredibly precious.

Each Dominator possessed unique strengths, and merging so many powers instantaneously, only to further amplify them, was an exceptionally challenging task.

"This is the might of the Ancient Countries," Lin Yuan thought with emotion. In the Chaotic Void, strength was revered, and no matter how many Dominators there were, they could not threaten a Chaotic Honored One.

When facing a Chaotic realm expert, Dominators would be utterly crushed, and their numbers held no significance.

However, in this source world, with the aid of war machines, even the weak could contribute, and quantitative change could lead to qualitative change.

"It is said that the Ancient Countries possess even stronger war machines that can accommodate multiple Grand Venerables," Lin Yuan mused to himself.

Each Grand Venerable had evolved their unique power from the chaos, and merging these distinct chaotic powers was akin to an arduous task.

Hence, war machines capable of accommodating multiple Grand Venerables were akin to the foundations of the major Ancient Countries and were considered a trump card against Heavenly Venerable experts.

The intensity of the impending war between the Purple Dream Domain and the Azure Flame Domain would not necessitate the deployment of war machines of this caliber.

Even the war machines that housed Dominators would not exceed ten in number.

The emperors of the two Ancient Countries would not easily escalate the conflict to such a degree.

After all, a full-scale war involving the two Ancient Countries would attract the attention of the Ancestors, and losing such a conflict would be difficult to explain to them.

"If I get the chance, I'd like to study one of these war machines," Lin Yuan thought as he glanced at the opposing war machines.

In essence, the war machine was merely a vessel, and it was the formation inscribed upon it that truly made it effective.

And formations were the top secrets of the Ancient Countries; even if a war machine fell into the enemy's hands during battle, it would immediately self-destruct to protect this secret.

Thus, Lin Yuan had almost no chance of obtaining a war machine from an opposing Ancient Country.

However, while acquiring a war machine from an enemy Ancient Country was out of the question, it might be possible to try for one from the Ancient Country of the Blazing Sun.

As long as Lin Yuan could comprehend the formation inscribed on the war machine, he might be able to replicate it in the Chaotic Void.

If he succeeded, it would add tremendous depth to human civilization.

"Hmm?"

Lin Yuan sensed something and looked into the distance.

In the Purple Dream Domain, several figures appeared, each of them a Grand Venerable.

"Purple Dream, is King Lingwei not worried about the consequences of initiating this war? Does he not fear punishment if he fails?" Qing Fen Hou began communicating with his counterpart.

This war, centered on the Qing Fen Domain and the Purple Dream Domain, involved dozens of surrounding major domains and was entirely King Lingwei's decision.

"That's none of your concern. You should be thinking about how to protect your Azure Flame Domain," retorted the Purple Dream Marquis.

The Grand Venerables on both sides merely observed each other coldly, knowing they would soon face each other in battle.

In truth, the Grand Venerables who had appeared were the publicly known experts of their respective sides, and their true trump cards remained hidden, waiting to be deployed at a critical moment.

However, even if they weren't the trump cards, making early contact had its benefits.

Whether it was the Ancient Country of the Blazing Sun or its enemies, there were Grand Venerables skilled in probing, and they might just uncover crucial intelligence.

"There are five Grand Venerables at the peak of their power," Lin Yuan observed. Among the nearly twenty Grand Venerables on the Purple Dream Domain's side, five of them stood out, their auras only slightly weaker than Qing Fen Hou's.

Half an hour later, Qing Fen Hou and the other Grand Venerables returned to the City Lord's mansion.

The Grand Venerables from the Purple Dream Domain did the same, and both sides tacitly agreed to merely face off without engaging in battle, returning to their respective bases shortly afterward.

Inside the City Lord's mansion, the eighteen Grand Venerables sat down.

"What do you all think?" Qing Fen Hou asked. "Once the war begins, do we have a chance of victory?"

After the brief encounter, each Grand Venerable must have formed their own opinion.

"If the Purple Dream Domain only deploys the experts they've shown us, then we still have a high chance of victory in the upcoming battle," Red Leaf Venerable spoke up.

The Grand Venerables present largely agreed with this assessment.

In terms of the number of Grand Venerables, both sides were fairly evenly matched, and if they were to engage in an all-out battle, a stalemate was likely.

And a stalemate would be a victory for the Azure Flame Domain.

"King Lingwei must have a plan for victory, which is why he dared to initiate this war. What we see now is definitely not all the tricks up their sleeve," one of the Grand Venerables said, his tone somber.

Qing Fen Hou nodded, sharing the same thought.

"My biggest concern is King Lingwei's younger brother," Qing Fen Hou voiced his worry.

"King Lingwei's younger brother?" The other Grand Venerables' expressions shifted slightly.

Even Red Leaf Venerable furrowed his brows.

King Lingwei was from the imperial lineage, and his younger brother naturally shared the same bloodline.

Compared to King Lingwei, his younger brother's bloodline was even purer, having reached the core of the imperial lineage at a very early age.

However, the younger brother had no ambition to become emperor and instead devoted himself entirely to cultivation.

Not every member of the Ancient Country's imperial lineage aspired to the throne.

"If King Lingwei calls upon his younger brother, things will become difficult," Red Leaf Venerable said with a frown.

As a core member of the imperial lineage, his combat power could sweep through those of the same level.

And King Lingwei's younger brother had reached the Grand Venerable realm.

Once an expert of this caliber took action, they would be unstoppable unless the Ancient Country of the Blazing Sun deployed a core imperial lineage Grand Venerable or a Heavenly Venerable.

"King Lingwei's younger brother is a core member of the imperial lineage, so he probably won't take action lightly.

"There are those who say that a Grand Venerable from the core imperial lineage is about to make a move. Although they are not a Heavenly Venerable, their strength is not far off. If such a powerful being joins the battle, the intensity of the war will surely escalate."

"Regardless, we must prevent the worst-case scenario from happening," Qing Fen Hou said, his guard still up as he planned to seek aid from the 'Crimson Pine King'.

The Crimson Pine King was the royal title bestowed upon the member of the imperial lineage of the Ancient Country of the Blazing Sun, who was leading this war.

Of all the Grand Venerables, Qing Fen Hou was perhaps the most reluctant to lose. Should the Qing Fen Domain fall, the foundation he had built over countless years would be lost as well.

Even if the Ancient Country of the Blazing Sun were to grant him another fiefdom, he would have to start from scratch, incurring a tremendous cost.

In the Chaotic Void...

Within the Star Tears 'Fragment World', in a grand manor...

Lin Yuan appeared, gazing upon his parents, Lin Shoucheng and Lu Qiong.

"Little Yuan, why are you here?" His mother, Lu Qiong, turned and smiled in surprise. "Now you are the legend of human civilization. Even the combined might of the nine strongest beings pales in comparison to you."

After migrating to their new home, Lin Yuan's prestige among human civilization had reached an unfathomable height.

Constantly, he felt the 'Power of Faith' converging upon him from countless citizens of human civilization.

As a result, a vast Power of Faith was derived, which Lin Yuan could harness to pursue the path of faith and ascend to godhood.

Within the Chaotic Void, there were indeed beings who had reached the twelfth-stage, the realm of the Chaos Honored, by walking this path, drawing power from the faith of countless beings.

Cultivation speed along this path could be terrifyingly fast, with hardly any bottlenecks encountered along the way.

Of course, just as one could rise by the power of the masses, they could also fall. Thus far, no Chaos Honored had emerged from this path.

Lin Yuan's Martial Way, with its infinite potential, naturally precluded him from forsaking the path to the heavens to absorb the faith of others, thereby hindering his own progress.

In fact, with Lin Yuan's heaven-defying comprehension, even if he were to walk the path of faith, it might not necessarily be a dead end. But there was simply no need.

Cultivation and evolution were inherently highly personal journeys. Absorbing the faith of others was akin to actively polluting one's path, making it increasingly difficult to progress as one advanced.

Lin Yuan spread the path of evolution not to reap the faith of others but to anchor himself and avoid deviating from his path.

The underlying principles of these two paths were entirely different.

"Have you been cultivating the evolutionary path I gave you?" Lin Yuan asked his parents after some casual conversation.

The evolutionary path he spoke of was, of course, the one he had created specifically for his parents, taking into account their unique conditions.

Unfortunately, his parents' innate talents for cultivation were lacking. Even with the aid of evolution and longevity elixirs, they could only prolong their lives.

However, the weakening and warping of their spirits and willpower were inevitable.

In the era of the Inner Universe, those special beings who had reached the eleventh-stage from the very beginning of the universe's creation were theoretically endowed with incredibly long lifespans. They could even exist from the birth of the universe to its eventual heat death.

But why did they slow the passage of time around them, allowing thousands or tens of thousands of years to pass in the outside world while only a moment passed for them? It was because living for too long would warp their spirits and wills. Without the proper mental fortitude, even an immortal body and soul would be meaningless.

Lin Yuan was concerned that his parents would suffer the same fate. With his strength, he could resurrect them countless times, but a warped spirit and will were not so easily fixed.

"Little Yuan, your father and I have been cultivating," Lu Qiong said, her interest piqued. "I don't know why, but the evolutionary path you gave us is so much easier and simpler to cultivate."

Beside her, Lin Shoucheng also managed a rare smile.

Indeed, this was the case.

In the past, within the Inner Universe, they had attempted many evolutionary paths, but all had proven exceedingly difficult and abstruse.

"That's good," Lin Yuan nodded.

How could it not be easy and simple?

The evolutionary paths he had tailored for his parents were perfectly suited to them, requiring far more effort than the nine evolutionary paths the nine strongest beings had reserved for themselves.

"Always remember to cultivate, no matter what," Lin Yuan said. "Evolution is the only way for life to achieve immortality."

He did not want to see his parents' spirits twisted and warped.

"Of course, son," Lin Shoucheng replied.

"Now I'm truly motivated to cultivate," he continued. "Before, cultivation was a difficult step-by-step process, so naturally, I wasn't that interested. But now, cultivating the evolutionary path you gave me, I feel like a genius, and I'm full of motivation."

Lin Yuan smiled at his father's words.

"Hmm?"

"Xuan Yuan and the others are looking for me?"

Lin Yuan's heart stirred as he maintained his conversation with his parents while simultaneously manifesting an incarnation in front of Xuan Yuan and the other strongest beings.

"Galaxy," Xuan Yuan and the other strongest beings, including Xuan Yuan and Xia Qin, greeted Lin Yuan.

"Try this wine I've brewed," Xuan Yuan said, pushing a cup of wine toward Lin Yuan.

"It's good," Lin Yuan praised after taking a sip, appraising the wine's benefits to the physical body and soul. While it couldn't compare to the myriad heavenly wines and spirits in the Chaotic Void, its taste was unique.

"Hahaha, it's a pity that Gu Li and Xu Shen can't taste this fine wine," Xia Qin said, taking a satisfied sip as well.

Gu Li and Xu Shen, a thousand years ago, had voluntarily 'dispersed their cultivation' to cultivate the Martial Way that Lin Yuan had given them.

Before they recovered to the twelfth-stage, they would likely devote all their energy to cultivation and have no interest in tasting wine.

This wasn't because they felt any danger but because, having once been twelfth-stage beings, they would feel a sense of loss after their power dropped, and they wouldn't want to appear before the other strongest beings.

"Xu Shen and Gu Li should be emerging from their seclusion soon," Lin Yuan said. As the lord of the Star Tears 'Fragment World', he was instantly aware of the two strongest beings' cultivation progress after their 'dispersal'.

In a thousand years, the two strongest beings had already cultivated to the tenth-stage. Since they were retracing their steps, there was no concept of the 'ultimate leap', and once they reached the peak of the eleventh-stage, they could directly step into the twelfth-stage.

The Ancient Powerhouses, the Void Gods, were able to cultivate so quickly mainly because they were retraining, and their path of enlightenment was still in its infancy. The first, second, and third tiers and other such realms were naturally no challenge for them.

Secondly, the martial arts side path they were on was one that Lin Yuan had perfected for them. Although he had put less effort into it than the evolutionary paths he had given his parents, it was more than enough for the two Powerhouses.

"Are they about to come out of seclusion?" Xuan Yuan Xia Qin asked, her eyes lighting up with anticipation.

If Gu Li and Xu Shen were to come out of seclusion as Ancient Powerhouses, it would mean that two more of the remaining Powerhouses would cultivate the martial arts side path.

"Mhm," Lin Yuan nodded.

At the same time, he felt quite pleased.

Unless something unexpected happened, Gu Li and Xu Shen would be the first to reach the twelfth-stage among the many side paths of the martial arts evolution path.

For Lin Yuan, the founder of martial arts, this would be a form of indirect empowerment.

Over the past thousand years, the martial arts evolution path's thousand-plus side paths, spread through the Myriad Dao Pavilion, had been passed down in many void domains.

However, among all the martial artists, the twelfth-stage was still a distant goal. After all, they didn't have the same treatment as the nine Powerhouses, and the side paths they cultivated required constant trial and error.

"Hmm?" Lin Yuan's heart stirred.

"The incarnation in the source world has entered the Dominator realm, and there were no accidents along the way."

A smile appeared on Lin Yuan's face. "Then I shall also enter the Dominator realm in the Chaotic Void."

With that thought, the true form of his body, which had been quietly sitting in the depths of the Star Tears 'Fragment World', vanished and reappeared in the vast depths of the Chaotic Void.

Chaotic Qi drifted through the void.

Lin Yuan's figure appeared.

"Entering the Dominator realm in the Chaotic Void is somewhat different from doing so in the source world," Lin Yuan mused as he sat cross-legged, his mind racing.

The main difference lay in their internal universes.

Even if they had cultivated the first layer of the Infinite Void to the same level, the scale of the internal universe of his source world body couldn't compare to that of his Chaotic Void body.

After all, the former didn't have the support of the twelve-star top-grade wonder, the Chaos Tree.

Not to mention that the latter had also undergone three infusions of Chaotic Void origin energy.

Therefore, the transformation that his Chaotic Void body's internal universe needed to undergo during the breakthrough would far exceed that of his source world body.

"Let's begin," Lin Yuan thought for a moment before releasing the suppression on his physical body, soul, internal universe, and various other aspects.

In the next instant, the first to undergo a transformation was his internal universe.

Boom! The 3,333,000-light-year internal universe, which had almost stagnated in its expansion, began to expand wildly once again as Lin Yuan initiated his breakthrough.

"My internal universe has undergone three infusions of Chaotic Void origin energy, coupled with the value of the Chaos Tree and the cultivation of the first layer of the Infinite Void. It will definitely need a lot of energy to support it during the breakthrough."

Lin Yuan scanned his surroundings. Infinite chaotic qi drifted through the void, and while it wasn't especially pure, his internal universe didn't care about that—as long as it could absorb and devour it.

As Lin Yuan's internal universe began to expand wildly once more, it immediately attracted the attention of many beings. After all, Lin Yuan's internal universe was home to quite a few powerful beings, such as the dozens of twelfth-stage exotic tribesmen from the Universe Era.

These twelfth-stage exotic tribesmen had completely submitted to Lin Yuan and had been living in his internal universe, awaiting his orders.

"Galaxy Powerhouse's internal universe is expanding wildly again?"

"How many times is this now?"

"Could it be that even the internal universe of a legendary Chaos Honored One couldn't withstand such pressure?"

"The Galaxy Powerhouse is too terrifying."

The dozens of twelfth-stage exotic tribesmen trembled inwardly, especially the ones who had once plotted to kill Lin Yuan.

A billion light-years away.

A silver spaceship sped by.

At the bow of the silver spaceship stood several figures.

"Fellow junior brothers and sisters, although the Chaotic Void is full of dangers, with me here, you can rest assured," said the one at the forefront, a man with a black beard. "This spaceship artifact is a peak Dominator-level treasure, and it's more than capable of bringing you safely to your destination."

The man with the black beard had a self-satisfied look on his face.

Indeed, the Chaotic Void was fraught with dangers, but that was for ordinary Path Achievers. For him, a Dominator, especially one piloting a peak Dominator-level artifact like the black spaceship, there was little to fear.

"Senior Brother is so amazing," the junior brothers and sisters behind him immediately said. The silver spaceship exuded a heavy aura that made them feel safe.

"But Senior Brother, haven't you noticed that the chaotic qi around us has become somewhat thin?"

One of the junior brothers couldn't help but speak up. Unlike the black-bearded man, he had been carefully observing the changes in their surroundings.

"The chaotic qi has thinned?"

The black-bearded man was slightly taken aback and checked again, only to discover the same change.

"Why has it thinned?"

The black-bearded man followed the direction of the chaotic qi and vaguely sensed that not only the chaotic qi in this area but also that in the surrounding millions of light-years was thinning.

It was as if, at the source of all the chaotic qi, there was an unprecedented chaos beast devouring infinite amounts of chaotic qi.

"Not good."

The black-bearded man's expression changed drastically, and he immediately urged the Galaxy Spaceship to flee in the opposite direction of the chaotic qi's convergence.

"Junior brothers and sisters, be prepared for the worst," he said gravely, his voice tinged with despair.

Upon hearing this, the junior brothers and sisters behind him paled. They looked around but couldn't see anything amiss.

"Senior Brother," they said, their faces ashen.

Although they didn't know why Senior Brother had said that, they knew that they were facing an unstoppable danger.

But where was this danger coming from?

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end