"I’ve just advanced to the rank of king. By all logic, I should be taking things slowly, but time isn’t on my side."
Lingwei Wang thought to himself, "In just a million years, my father will abdicate. By then, the next emperor will be chosen from among the kings of the royal family."
For those at the Path-Clearing Realm, lifespan is no longer a concern. And anyone capable of becoming an emperor of an ancient kingdom, no matter how mediocre they may seem, is undoubtedly far beyond the Path-Clearing Realm in strength.
Therefore, the emperors of the Source World's ancient kingdoms can only rule for a maximum of three hundred million years.
Once that time passes, they must step down, and a new emperor is selected from among the candidates.
"I have neither prestige nor power. A mere million years is far from enough for me to become a viable candidate."
Lingwei Wang had long harbored ambitions of becoming an ancient kingdom’s emperor.
An emperor of an ancient kingdom wields a supreme treasure bestowed by the Ancestral Founder, which is immensely beneficial for cultivation and further bloodline purification.
Even those at the Heavenly Sovereign level may look down on royalty, but they would never underestimate an emperor. That position is essentially the Ancestral Founder’s ‘representative’ within the ancient kingdom.
"If I lack prestige, then I’ll build it. And the most straightforward way is to expand the kingdom’s territory."
Lingwei Wang’s eyes were deep and contemplative. He had chosen Qingfen City as his target, a place where he had laid groundwork for many years among dozens of surrounding domains.
As long as he captured the Qingfen Domain, it would spark a sweeping conquest of dozens, even hundreds of surrounding domains.
At that point, having conquered territory for the ancient kingdom, even if his seniority was shallow, he’d become one of the most powerful contenders for the imperial throne.
"Your Highness intends to start a war?"
Zimeng Marquis asked cautiously.
"What of it?"
Lingwei Wang glanced at him.
"It's nothing… it’s just that war takes a lot of time to prepare."
Zimeng Marquis replied.
If they followed their initial plan, they’d have taken Qingfen City within half a day, maybe even less.
But war? War required large-scale mobilization, preparation, and the enemy would be doing the same. There would be multiple clashes.
Even at the highest efficiency, going from preparations to actual warfare would still take hundreds of years.
"Then hurry up and start preparing."
Lingwei Wang frowned, then looked at the other figures around him.
"This war—be ready to act at any time."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The group responded immediately.
As a king of the royal family, Lingwei Wang had the authority to initiate war.
Of course, having the right to start a war was one thing. If the war was lost and brought huge losses to the ancient kingdom, Lingwei Wang would bear full responsibility.
Conversely, if the war was won, Lingwei Wang would reap massive benefits.
Even so, no king of the royal family would casually start a war—the risk was simply too great. And fighting against another ancient kingdom meant that victory was never guaranteed.
Lingwei Wang was only taking this risk because he was desperate to increase his prestige.
Qingfen City.
Lin Yuan was cultivating in the Burning Heaven Courtyard.
Just then—
"Yu Yan, come out for a moment," called the voice of Qingfen Marquis.
Upon hearing it, Lin Yuan immediately exited the institute and arrived at the City Lord’s Mansion.
This was also where Qingfen Marquis usually cultivated.
At the moment, two figures were sitting and chatting inside.
The one on the left was none other than Qingfen Marquis. The one on the right was a plain-looking middle-aged man.
Though the man appeared ordinary, his aura was completely restrained. His eyes were calm and gentle, as if they contained entire worlds.
Just by sitting there, he emanated endless vitality from the surrounding void, making people instinctively want to draw near.
"Great Sovereign Redleaf?"
The moment Lin Yuan saw the man, he recognized him.
Among the countless records and inheritances in the Burning Heaven Courtyard, there was one “Miscellaneous Record” that detailed the Great Sovereign and Heavenly Sovereigns of the Liyang Ancient Kingdom and surrounding ancient powers.
And Great Sovereign Redleaf was one of the most renowned Great Sovereign-level powerhouses.
He was not a titled marquis of any ancient kingdom. He disliked restrictions and had never accepted a royal seal.
In terms of strength, he surpassed even Qingfen Marquis, having comprehended both the Dao of Chaos Fire and the Dao of Chaos Life.
Using the principles of chaos to evolve personal Daos—this was the path that all Great Sovereign-level powerhouses in the Source World aimed to take.
"Yu Yan, Brother Redleaf is quite interested in your Myriad Array Crystal," Qingfen Marquis said immediately.
"Great Sovereign Redleaf," Lin Yuan greeted him politely.
At the same time, he secretly observed this powerhouse. The man’s body radiated both heat and life.
"Using the power of Chaos Life as fuel to ignite Chaos Fire... this Great Sovereign Redleaf is truly terrifying," Lin Yuan thought to himself.
He had barely reached Great Sovereign-level combat strength through various accumulated means. As for comprehension of the rules? He was indeed inferior to true Great Sovereign-level powerhouses.
Moreover, Great Sovereign Redleaf was at the peak of the Great Sovereign level, not far from Heavenly Sovereign level.
"Great Sovereign Yu Yan."
Great Sovereign Redleaf spoke warmly as he, too, observed the newly risen Great Sovereign one.
"Hmm?"
He was slightly surprised. He couldn’t sense any fluctuations of chaos evolution rules from Lin Yuan. That was expected—those fluctuations could be hidden.
But Great Sovereign Redleaf faintly sensed that Lin Yuan’s physical body was unfathomably powerful.
"What a terrifying body… the Blazing Sun Divine Body is at an incredibly high level, and the body contains some kind of deep and immense foundation?"
Great Sovereign Redleaf mused.
At his realm, he couldn’t peer into the depths of Lin Yuan’s body, much less the universe within. But he could vaguely sense its density—heavier than even this vast world.
"Although he’s newly advanced, with such profound foundations, reaching the peak of the Great Sovereign level will be no challenge," he thought.
He gave a glance at Qingfen Marquis. The two had known each other for many years, and he hadn’t expected his old friend to be so capable at raising disciples.
Great Sovereign Redleaf knew very well that being good at cultivating oneself and teaching others were two completely different things.
The three Great Sovereign-level figures exchanged a few pleasantries before sitting down.
"Great Sovereign Redleaf, this is the Myriad Array Crystal." Lin Yuan flipped his hand, revealing a crystalline object.
All the formations once stored within had been wiped clean by Lin Yuan.
This was for the sake of keeping Qingfen City’s defensive array a secret.
"Hmm."
Great Sovereign Redleaf’s eyes lit up as he studied the Myriad Array Crystal, then nodded slightly.
"Indeed, it is the Myriad Array Crystal."
He had hit a bottleneck in both his Chaos Fire and Chaos Life paths and wanted to explore other avenues that might benefit him.
The art of formations, born of heaven and earth, was a natural choice.
Among all treasures related to formations, the Myriad Array Crystal was known as the origin of formations, the masterpiece of a grandmaster who had poured his heart and soul into it.
Even though all internal arrays had been removed, the crystal itself was still an incredible formation in its own right.
"This is for you."
Great Sovereign Redleaf also handed over a bracelet filled with the cultivation resources Lin Yuan wanted.
Lin Yuan took it, checked its contents briefly, then put it away.
"Great Sovereign Redleaf, this crystal wasn’t obtained through regular means," Lin Yuan said, glancing at Qingfen Marquis.
Until now, outsiders only knew that Zimeng Domain had tried to stir trouble in Qingfen City. The details, including what Zimeng had sacrificed, were unknown.
Qingfen Marquis and Lin Yuan hadn’t spread the story, and on the Zimeng side? Losing the Myriad Array Crystal was a disgrace—of course they wouldn’t publicize it.
But since the crystal came from Zimeng Domain, likely involving high-ranking figures of that ancient kingdom, this information had to be disclosed to Great Sovereign Redleaf.
"How did you obtain it?"
Great Sovereign Redleaf’s interest was piqued.
Lin Yuan then briefly recounted the events.
"Hahaha, Qingfen, something like that isn’t even worth mentioning," Great Sovereign Redleaf chuckled.
He was unrestrained by any royal decree and didn’t care where the crystal came from. As far as he was concerned, once it was in his hands, it was his.
"As long as you don’t mind."
Lin Yuan nodded.
Some Great Sovereign-level figures avoided trouble. Great Sovereign Redleaf clearly wasn’t one of them.
From there, the two completed the trade smoothly.
"Qingfen, to raise such a disciple, you must’ve put in a lot of effort?" Before leaving, Great Sovereign Redleaf sent a private transmission.
"A lot… of effort?"
Qingfen Marquis suddenly felt guilty. Truth be told, aside from providing resources, he hadn’t really done anything.
"Seems like I should find a disciple to pass on my legacy too."
Great Sovereign Redleaf was unexpectedly sentimental.
Lin Yuan returned to the Burning Heaven Courtyard.
"These resources should last me quite a while."
He glanced over the contents of the bracelet. Great Sovereign Redleaf had been quite generous.
Even though Lin Yuan was only at the Path-Clearing Realm, his consumption of resources was exponentially higher than others at the same stage. The stronger the power, the greater the energy intake required—an iron rule.
"Time to enter seclusion—until I reach the Dominance Realm."
Lin Yuan calmed his mind. After seeing a powerhouse like Great Sovereign Redleaf, he felt pressure.
Though he had combat power on par with an Great Sovereign, before a peak-level Great Sovereign like Redleaf, he still felt inadequate.
"If I can reach the Dominance Realm, with my foundation, I won’t be far off from even Great Sovereign Redleaf."
Confidence welled up in Lin Yuan’s heart. If he could step into the Chaos Realm and master all his inheritances, he might even rival Heavenly Sovereigns.
Chaos Void.
Guming Chaos Continent, Star Tear’s “Fragmented World.”
Lin Yuan sat cross-legged, the entire world unfolding in his eyes.
"I’ve completed ninety-nine martial branches. Each one can reach the Twelfth Rank. A few even show potential to break into Dominance or Chaos Realm."
He thought to himself. So far, he had given nine martial paths to the nine Strongest Ones of human civilization. The remaining ninety were already being spread among its citizens.
These ninety-nine branches covered nearly every direction—enough to support humanity for a long time.
"Spreading the Way..."
Lin Yuan closed his eyes. In the void, he could vaguely sense another space, filled with countless points of light—each one representing a martial cultivator.
"Not enough. Far from enough."
As his strength grew and realm rose, Lin Yuan increasingly realized that cultivation, the path of evolution, was ultimately about moving through darkness.
Later generations could follow the paths paved by those before them. But the trailblazers? They had no clear direction. No roadmap. They advanced in the dark, easily losing their way.
At that point, locking onto one’s "anchor" became essential. To Lin Yuan, the countless martial cultivators were a kind of anchor that transcended space and even life and death.
"Just spreading martial evolution within human civilization is too slow."
He reflected. How many citizens did human civilization have? Even if they all cultivated, it still couldn’t form an anchor strong enough to fix someone like him in place.
"Myriad Dao Pavilion?"
Lin Yuan thought of this mysterious force, which spanned numerous Chaos Continents and even the void domains.
If he could borrow Myriad Dao Pavilion’s influence, spreading martial evolution would be much easier.
"It’s time to visit Myriad Dao Pavilion."
He made his decision. Myriad Dao Pavilion didn’t just sell evolution paths—they also bought them.
Buzz.
In the Star Tear Fragmented World, Lin Yuan projected an avatar and descended to Guming Chaos Continent.
"Myriad Dao Pavilion?"
He arrived before the stunning building of Myriad Dao Pavilion.
"Amazing."
He studied it closely. Every time he looked at Myriad Dao Pavilion, he felt something new. After stepping into the Twelfth Rank, with his life essence transformed, he sensed how terrifying this place truly was.
In the records left by the Mysterious Emperor Lineage, Myriad Dao Pavilion was described as something that should never be provoked unless absolutely necessary.
Even the Mysterious Sovereign himself—a Supreme Saint—was deeply wary of it.
That said, as long as one followed the rules of Myriad Dao Pavilion, there was usually no issue. That was why Lin Yuan dared come.
Though powerful, Myriad Dao Pavilion was ultimately a marketplace that upheld fairness.
"Let’s go."
Lin Yuan stepped inside.
Within the Myriad Dao Pavilion, crowds bustled. Many Twelfth-Rank beings were coming and going.
Some came to find evolution paths for their descendants. Others hoped to find a new path for themselves.
Many Twelfth-Rank beings had been stuck for countless cosmic eras. Most of the time, the issue wasn’t their comprehension or physical limits—but that their chosen path wasn’t a perfect match.
Even if their rule comprehension, body, and soul were all at the threshold, they still couldn’t ascend—or every attempt ended in failure.
That’s when they’d consider whether it was time to switch evolution paths.
Though changing paths carried the risk of "scattering the way," it also offered new hope.
Clack—
Lin Yuan walked deeper in. The world shifted, and he soon arrived in an isolated space, runes floating in the surrounding void.
"Please choose your purpose: 1—Buy evolution path. 2—Sell evolution path. 3—Other."
A flat voice sounded in Lin Yuan’s ear.
"Straightforward."
He nodded.
"Sell evolution path."
He selected option two.
Soon—
The same flat voice continued.
"Place the evolution path you wish to sell on the platform."
Before Lin Yuan was a platform made of black stone.
After a moment’s thought, he flipped his hand and took out a jade slip. It recorded a branch of the martial evolution path.
This particular path was named the Martial Path of Life and Death. Lin Yuan had carefully refined it. Unlike the branches tailored to human civilization, this one was suited to any flesh-and-blood lifeform.
Buzz!
The jade slip floated above the black stone platform.
Deep within Myriad Dao Pavilion...
An old Daoist holding a wine gourd was sound asleep.
Suddenly, he stirred and muttered, "Another evolution path with Dominance-level potential. I need to verify it."
As the pavilion master of this Myriad Dao branch, he rarely intervened—except when paths with sufficient depth were submitted.
Myriad Dao Pavilion paid with Chaos Stones for these paths, so strict verification was essential.
"Let’s have a look."
The old man stretched lazily.
"Martial Path of Life and Death? Using the powers of life and death to evolve body and soul..."
He grew more interested the more he read. He faintly sensed that this path’s potential might surpass Dominance Realm.
"Hmm… no ultimate embodiment of Twelfth Rank."
The old man probed and pondered.
"I can’t be certain..."
He felt that the path was extremely refined. By all rights, it shouldn’t stop at Dominance.
"Could it be a Chaos-level evolution path?"
He speculated.
"No good. If it might be Chaos-level, I’ll have to call in the Eye of Ten Thousand Laws."
The Eye of Ten Thousand Laws governed all branches of Myriad Dao Pavilion. Every Pavilion had the ability to project the Eye.
The main Myriad Dao Tower lay deep in the most mysterious part of Chaos Void. Rumor had it the Eye itself forged that place.
The Mysterious Sovereign once theorized that the Eye might be a relic left behind by a Thirteenth-Rank time-based lifeform.
"All laws, all ways, present in all things."
The old man rose, entered an octagonal hall, and activated the floating runes.
Moments later, a swirling vortex appeared before him, projecting a massive golden eye.
"The Eye of Ten Thousand Laws."
The old man bowed respectfully.
The golden pupil of the massive eye stared down at him.
"This is the evolution path."
The old man didn’t waste words. He presented the Martial Path of Life and Death before it.
The Eye’s pupil rotated slowly.
In an instant, within its depths, time lines stretched out, forming the Martial Path of Life and Death.
This path extended forward, spiraling out into the infinite chaos.
"This evolution path..."
The Eye of Ten Thousand Laws seemed to notice something. Its massive pupil narrowed slightly.
...
20 chapters ahead on patreon: patreon.com/David_Lord
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