"This is indeed a path of martial evolution."
The nearby Xuanyuan Strongest One also examined it several times.
Then he said solemnly: "However, it’s rooted in thunder. I can sense it—this Thunder Martial Path has yet to give rise to a twelfth-rank being."
A path of evolution represents a cultivation path, and those at the twelfth rank only need to observe closely to discern whether a particular evolution path has ever produced a twelfth-rank evolver.
Yet now, this Thunder Martial Evolution Path, so similar to the one Lin Yuan follows, doesn’t show any trace of a twelfth-rank cultivator?
"That's right."
"This evolution path is a branch of the martial path I’ve walked. After being developed and perfected by me, it has the full potential to give birth to a new twelfth rank," Lin Yuan said.
"Incredible," Gu Li muttered in disbelief.
They had heard that some exceptionally broad evolution paths could support multiple branches, each capable of giving rise to a twelfth-rank being.
But such evolution paths were exceedingly rare, requiring perfection in every aspect, from foundational strength to deep heritage. Without being broad enough, how could a path accommodate other evolution branches?
Moreover, it needed to harmonize deeply with the Chaos Void, aligning with the laws and Dao of its operation.
Even the most flawless path could not extend branches if it didn’t align with the Dao of the Chaos Void.
"It seems we still underestimated the martial path,"
Xia Qin was also deeply shaken after reading through it.
He could feel that even though this Thunder Martial Path was merely a branch of the true martial path, its potential already surpassed the twelfth-rank evolution path he had cultivated.
If a branch is this powerful, what about the main path?
"Indeed."
Xuanyuan nodded.
Any evolution path capable of extending branches had the potential to reach the thirteenth rank—the all-penetrating Grand Dao.
"Whether a path can form branches isn’t something you can determine below the twelfth rank," Lin Yuan shook his head slightly.
It wasn't the fault of the nine human Strongest Ones. Even a Chaos Sovereign would find it difficult to judge whether a martial path could extend branches just by examining the first to eleventh stages.
"Are you planning to make this Thunder Martial Path public within our race?" Yu Die asked cautiously.
"Yes," Lin Yuan nodded. He also hoped that the Thunder Martial Path would give birth to a twelfth-rank evolver.
The strength of a great tree doesn’t lie in how tall and thick it stands, but in the countless roots spread deep beneath the earth. The more strong cultivators that arise from martial branches, the more they can, in turn, nourish the martial path.
"Excellent."
"This means our human civilization has effectively gained an additional twelfth-rank evolution path."
Yu Die nodded slightly. Even though it was possible to buy a twelfth-rank evolution path in the Chaos Void, how could anything compare to the reliability of the Thunder Martial Path?
"Too bad I didn’t follow the thunder path. Otherwise, I might have switched to this path immediately," Gu Li sighed.
In the universe, once an evolver chooses a path and reaches the sixth rank, it becomes very difficult to switch to another evolution path.
But that only applies to those below the twelfth rank. For a twelfth-rank evolver, switching to a new evolution path requires "scattering the Dao."
To disperse the path of cultivation they currently follow.
Of course, no twelfth-rank Strongest One would "scatter the Dao" lightly—it was too risky.
A twelfth-rank lifeform who discards their Dao would retain their life essence and soul at the twelfth-rank level, but without a supporting path, their combat power would be less than one percent, even one-thousandth, of what it was.
And to cultivate a new path to the twelfth rank? That would require immense time.
Therefore, unless they encounter an evolution path that’s extremely well-suited to them, no twelfth-rank being would choose to scatter their Dao.
Even if they did find such a path, scattering the Dao is an incredibly cautious matter. If an enemy were to strike during the process, the consequences would be disastrous.
"This branch is actually quite suited to you, Gu Li," Lin Yuan smiled and passed the perfected 'Path of Strength Martial Dao' to Gu Li.
Lin Yuan had awakened the divine body technique 'Moving Mountains' very early on, giving him deep insight into the laws of strength. Naturally, his martial path had developed a Strength Martial Path related to those laws.
"This branch?"
Gu Li was slightly confused. There’s another branch besides the Thunder Martial Path?
But the next moment, Gu Li froze. Every detail of the Strength Martial Path surged into his mind.
"This... this..." Gu Li was stunned, murmuring, "I never thought the Path of Strength could be walked this way... and this way too."
Gu Li’s eyes lit up.
"The path of strength isn’t just raw power—it’s tied to time and space. If I had started on this cultivation path earlier, I might already be at the peak of the Path-Clearing stage."
Gu Li was the second twelfth-rank being born from human civilization, from the same era as Xuanyuan.
"All paths ultimately lead to the Dao. To step into the Chaos stage, one must absorb myriad laws and give rise to the law of chaos itself," Lin Yuan said.
When refining and perfecting the various branches of martial Dao in seclusion, Lin Yuan naturally prioritized the paths of the nine human Strongest Ones.
For example, Gu Li’s Strength Path, Yu Die’s Dream Path— All nine Strongest Ones' paths were incorporated into the martial branches.
"This Strength Martial Path is indeed more promising than the evolution path you’ve cultivated, Gu Li. It suits you better too," Xuanyuan said after browsing.
"Indeed."
Lin Yuan nodded.
How could it not suit him?
This Strength Martial Path had been tailored specifically by Lin Yuan for Gu Li.
Given Lin Yuan’s realm, he had long since seen through Gu Li’s strengths and weaknesses.
To base a martial path on that and refine a Strength Martial Path suited for him was the easiest thing in the world.
After all, it wasn’t created from scratch.
"Gu Li, I suggest you switch to this Strength Martial Path," Xia Qin said from the side.
"I was thinking the same thing," Gu Li said, eyes shining. He then turned to Lin Yuan and asked carefully, "Can I switch to this Strength Martial Path?"
This path belonged to Lin Yuan and was a branch of the one he followed, so Gu Li naturally needed to ask before switching.
"No problem at all,"
Lin Yuan said with a smile.
Gu Li switching to the Strength Martial Path would benefit Lin Yuan as well.
Normally, even if the Strength Martial Path was made public within the human race, it was unknown how long it would take for a twelfth-rank evolver to emerge.
Just having a path doesn’t guarantee a twelfth-rank will arise.
But Gu Li? He was already at the twelfth rank. If he chose to scatter his Dao and cultivate the Strength Martial Path, returning to the twelfth rank would likely be without bottlenecks.
"If Gu Li switches to the Strength Martial Path, he might become the second peak Path-Clearing stage cultivator in our civilization," Xu Shen sighed.
"The future of our human civilization will grow ever brighter."
"Don’t be hasty," Lin Yuan added.
"I’ve prepared branch paths for all of you as well."
Xuanyuan, Xia Qin, Yu Die, and the other Strongest Ones were slightly stunned.
Lin Yuan continued by sharing the 'Nether Martial Path,' 'Dream Martial Path,' and six other martial branches.
"This—?"
The eight Strongest Ones took deep breaths and immediately began studying them.
A long time passed.
Xia Qin suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze deep and dark, then quickly returned to normal.
"This evolution path..." Xia Qin’s voice trembled slightly as he looked at Lin Yuan.
"The Dream Martial Path—blending illusion and reality. With this evolution path, reaching the Dominance stage is no issue at all," Yu Die’s eyes shone with a light never seen before.
"If cultivated to its peak, I’ll become a being of illusion itself. Even a Chaos Sovereign would find it difficult to deal with me."
"Indeed."
The other Strongest Ones nodded in agreement. They were all shocked by the martial branches Lin Yuan had shared.
"Milky Way, these..." Xuanyuan looked at Lin Yuan, visibly moved.
"You can all cultivate them," Lin Yuan said directly.
Perfecting and extending tailored martial branches for the nine human Strongest Ones was a win-win.
Lin Yuan’s martial foundation would grow deeper, and the nine Strongest Ones would have brighter futures.
"There are still dozens of martial branches that could each stand as a new twelfth-rank evolution path." Lin Yuan laid out all the martial branches he had developed.
Seventy-three in total.
The nine Strongest Ones glanced at one another. Their shock had slightly faded.
After seeing the Thunder Martial Path and those perfectly suited to each of them, dozens more twelfth-rank martial branches didn’t seem so outrageous anymore.
Next, Lin Yuan chatted a bit more with the nine Strongest Ones. Xia Qin and Xuanyuan began discussing who would be the first to 'scatter the Dao' and switch to a martial branch.
No matter how powerful a twelfth-rank lifeform may be—Path-Clearing, Dominance, or even Chaos stage—once they scatter the Dao, their strength plummets. So the nine human Strongest Ones couldn’t all do it at once.
Even with Lin Yuan as their anchor, he couldn’t manage everything alone.
The conclusion was that, at any given time, no more than two Strongest Ones could scatter the Dao.
Until those two reentered the twelfth rank, the remaining seven had to maintain the order of human civilization.
Unlike most twelfth-rank beings, the nine human Strongest Ones had grown together from their weak days and trusted each other deeply—only then could they dare to be the first to scatter the Dao.
After all, once one does so, with no path to support them, a twelfth-rank being becomes a prize target—an immensely nourishing “supplement” for any being of the same level.
Devouring or refining such a target could massively boost one’s own power.
After making the martial branches public within human civilization, Lin Yuan returned to seclusion.
"With these resources, my ‘Mysterious Emperor Body’ should be able to reach peak Dominance stage." Lin Yuan took out a purple pouch.
Inside were the resources he had obtained by selling eighteen Dominance-stage miracle trees.
Combined with what he had previously accumulated—and the spoils from slaying Xue You and Snake Demon Master—this was essentially Lin Yuan’s entire fortune.
Those two were infamous raiders. Their wealth far exceeded that of ordinary Dominance-stage peak beings.
Source World.
Qingfen Domain, Burning Heaven Courtyard.
Lin Yuan sat cross-legged on the thirteenth floor, calmly cultivating.
"Becoming a disciple of the Qingfen Marquis is far better than staying in the Yu Clan."
Lin Yuan thought to himself—not because the Yu Clan was bad, but because under the Qingfen Marquis, he could save a great deal of time dealing with trivial matters.
All his energy could go toward cultivation.
In fact, in terms of external circumstances, Lin Yuan’s situation in the Source World was better than in the Chaos Void.
After all, in the Chaos Void, he had no real backing. But here in the Source World, with the Qingfen Marquis being a peak Great Sovereign, he had reliable protection.
Besides the Qingfen Marquis, Lin Yuan also seemed to be aligned with the Liyang Ancient Kingdom—his background needed no further explanation.
"I’ve already recovered my twelfth-rank Path-Clearing strength."
Ever since his last meeting with the Qingfen Marquis, his cultivation resources had been constant and abundant, so naturally his strength recovery had been smooth and unimpeded.
"I’m almost at thirty thousand Seeds."
Lin Yuan had never stopped condensing the seeds. The task wasn’t difficult for him and required little effort, so he did it casually during his cultivation.
"My comprehension of the laws has increased slightly, though not by much," Lin Yuan thought. But that wasn’t unexpected.
In truth, the Qingfen Marquis’s suggestion was right. After condensing several thousand or over ten thousand Seeds, the physical body undergoes a transformation, and it becomes inefficient to continue.
The return no longer matched the effort.
Others were not like Lin Yuan. After reaching a few thousand Seeds, each additional one would require enormous time and effort—all for a negligible increase in comprehension?
"But I want to see what happens when I reach thirty-three thousand, three hundred and thirty-three seeds."
Lin Yuan was filled with anticipation. Three thousand, three hundred and thirty-three seeds could transform one’s body into the Blazing Sun Divine Body.
What about thirty-three thousand, three hundred and thirty-three?
The difficulty would be exponentially greater. Only those born in the ancient royal clans, who could condense Seeds in their sleep, would dare attempt such a number.
"Hmm?"
"A message from Master?"
Lin Yuan’s mind stirred as he took out a red jade slip. A new message had appeared.
"Do not leave the Burning Heaven Courtyard for the time being."
The message from the Qingfen Marquis was brief. But for a peak Great Sovereign to give a personal warning—it was clearly serious.
The Qingfen Marquis oversaw Qingfen City. Everything in the city was within his gaze. Normally, even if Lin Yuan left the academy but remained in the city, he’d be perfectly safe.
The Marquis could descend instantly if needed.
"Is it due to the threat from the Zimeng Domain?" Lin Yuan speculated.
Lately, even during seclusion, he had heard rumors.
Powerhouses from the Zimeng Domain had been frequently appearing near Qingfen City, seemingly observing something.
Zimeng Domain was adjacent to Qingfen and part of a rival ancient kingdom.
The Source World was vast beyond measure. Each ancient kingdom was like a colossal force. The Liyang Ancient Kingdom was supreme—but not alone. Rival kingdoms still existed.
Clashes were frequent, especially in border domains.
Zimeng Great Sovereign’s power wasn’t much weaker than the Qingfen Marquis. Asking Lin Yuan to stay in the academy was a precaution against the worst-case scenario.
If the Zimeng Great Sovereign attacked and the Qingfen Marquis was occupied, he might not be able to protect Lin Yuan in time.
But the Burning Heaven Courtyard was the core of Qingfen City’s grand formation.
Even a peak Great Sovereign would need time to breach its defenses.
Should that happen, the academy’s teleportation restriction would activate, instantly transporting Lin Yuan to a separate location—personally prepared by the Qingfen Marquis, and utterly secure.
So—
As long as Lin Yuan stayed in the academy, even a Heavenly Sovereign might not be able to touch him.
"Then I’ll just stay put for now."
Lin Yuan was quite obedient. Since the Qingfen Marquis told him not to leave, he wouldn’t.
Even though the loss of this body wouldn’t mean true death—he could always start over—it would still waste time.
And the next time his consciousness transmigrated, who knew if he’d get such a good starting point again?
Not every Great Sovereign treated disciples like the Qingfen Marquis. Many were selfish and raised disciples merely as cultivation fuel.
"Inner universe..."
After re-entering the twelfth rank, Lin Yuan’s inner universe had begun to evolve on its own, reconstructing itself based on the thirteenth-rank inheritance: Infinite Void.
"This Source World is weak in terms of foundation—there’s no concept of inner universes," Lin Yuan thought as he cultivated Infinite Void while reflecting.
Infinite Void wasn’t like martial Dao evolution paths. It was more like a secret technique, an internal universe refinement art, so it could be practiced even in this dimension beyond the Chaos Void.
"Or perhaps the Source World isn’t weak—maybe it’s the Chaos Void cultivators whose foundations are too strong?" Lin Yuan pondered.
In the Chaos Void, when one reaches the twelfth rank, they receive a direct infusion of Chaos Void origin power, greatly accelerating their inner universe's transformation.
But in the Source World, there was no such benefit. Without the resources from the Qingfen Marquis, Lin Yuan’s inner world might’ve taken a massive amount of time and effort to evolve into a true inner universe.
If it was hard for him, it was even harder for others.
Time passed slowly.
Years flew by.
One day, Lin Yuan’s inner universe surged with power—it had fully completed the first layer of Infinite Void, now on par with the inner universe of a Chaos Venerable.
His foundation now far surpassed that of even a peak Great Sovereign like the Qingfen Marquis.
"Seeds..."
Lin Yuan’s expression changed as he looked inward.
At this moment, his flesh and bones were filled with countless Seeds, forming a vast sea of radiant energy. And even now, new seeds were forming.
"Hmm?"
Lin Yuan condensed yet another Seed.
In that instant— The countless seeds began forming the outline of a massive cycle, suddenly bursting into dazzling brilliance.
...
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