Outside the Ninefold Secret Realm.
Lin Yuan appeared, gazing off into the distant secret realm.
Compared to the secret realm of the Stonefolk Clan, which was deeply hidden, the Ninefold Secret Realm was quite “flamboyant,” with grand formations of chaotic energy forming deadly arrays that enveloped the entire realm.
The Stonefolk Clan’s realm was hidden for safety.
But the Ninefold Secret Realm? With a Venerable overseeing it, just being in the chaotic void was already a form of security. Unless it was affected by a Great Saint’s power, who could shake it?
And Great Saints? There were only so many of them in the entire chaotic void.
“I can sense a karmic tie to a member of the Stonefolk Clan in that secret realm?”
Lin Yuan looked toward the Ninefold Secret Realm, thinking to himself.
He had inherited the legacy of Cang Weiyang, a peak Dominance-level powerhouse of the Stonefolk Clan, and naturally formed a karmic bond with the clan.
Of course, his strongest karmic tie was with Cang Weiyang himself—being a direct connection. As for the rest of the Stonefolk Clan? That tie was much weaker, since it stemmed from the group Cang Weiyang came from.
Still, however faint, it existed. With Lin Yuan’s understanding of the Dao of Karma, he could sense it—and even lock onto it.
“Only one karmic tie from the Stonefolk Clan?”
Lin Yuan frowned.
“The others must be imprisoned inside Ninefold Venerable’s internal universe, so I can’t sense them.”
Karmic connections could be blocked. For instance, the Mysterious Emperor’s Secret Realm back in his home universe could sever karma across time and space.
The internal universes of Chaos-level Venerables were nearly equal to true universes, and likewise capable of blocking karma to a great extent.
Plus, his bond with the Stonefolk Clan was already weak, so not being able to sense them through that barrier was perfectly normal.
“It’s over there?”
Lin Yuan looked toward a certain part of the Ninefold Secret Realm—where he could detect the only karmic connection.
“I’ll have to go in and find out what’s going on.”
Lin Yuan pondered for a moment and made his decision.
He didn’t know what kind of grudge existed between the Stonefolk Clan and the Ninefold Venerable, so he needed to get the full picture first.
After all, this involved a Venerable. If it could be resolved peacefully, then peace was preferable. As for a direct confrontation? Anyone who had cultivated to the Chaos level wouldn’t act rashly unless it was a matter of life and death.
“These formation arrays?”
Lin Yuan glanced at the deadly arrays surrounding the Ninefold Secret Realm and shook his head slightly.
If it had been not long ago, he might have actually found them troublesome. These arrays were meticulously crafted by the Ninefold Venerable and strong enough to block even other Venerables of the same tier.
But now?
In the Source World, Lin Yuan had obtained the Myriad Array Crystal. Though he eventually traded it away to the Great Sovereign Redleaf, he had already comprehended most of its secrets beforehand.
The Myriad Array Crystal was created by a peak Great Sovereign skilled in formation arts, poured full of painstaking effort, and contained incredibly profound essence.
Having understood its principles, the deadly formations around the Ninefold Secret Realm now seemed much simpler.
As long as he was cautious and avoided a few key formation nodes, slipping inside quietly wouldn’t be too difficult.
And besides—
Even if something went wrong, Lin Yuan wouldn’t lose anything. This was merely an incarnation. If needed, he could simply disperse it without leaving a trace.
Whoosh.
Lin Yuan’s incarnation split into two.
Preparing for the worst-case scenario, he was ready to let the infiltration version dissolve at any time.
As long as his outer incarnation remained, he wouldn’t need to waste time returning to this location.
Inside the Ninefold Secret Realm—Sin Pool.
The Sin Pool was unique to the Ninefold Secret Realm. Every naturally-formed secret realm in the chaotic void had its own “specialty,” and this was one of them.
Its waters were pitch-black and profound, infused with endless sin. Any lifeform that approached would be assaulted by these corruptive forces.
Even approaching was dangerous.
Direct contact? Even beings at the Path-Clearing or Dominance stages would suffer unbearable torment and agony.
At this moment—
A figure was submerged in the dark water, bound hand and foot by black chains.
Pain was evident in his expression—but it wasn’t just physical. The torment of the soul was far worse.
“Big brother… Father, Mother, Elders… it’s all my fault. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have been captured by Ninefold, and you wouldn’t be suffering like this.”
Cang Yulong’s soul trembled.
“But I must never bow. If I yield, not just me, but all of you will die. Not a single clansman will survive.”
“If Ninefold ever learns the source of that space, there’s no chance for any of us to live.”
“If I stay alive, keep holding on, Ninefold won’t kill me as long as he wants that information. But the moment I speak… we’re all dead.”
Though Cang Yulong’s heart was in agony, his mind remained clear.
Ninefold had made promises—said he would let him go if he cooperated. But Cang Yulong didn’t believe a word of it.
As he endured the constant onslaught of sin from the pool—
A voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
“I’m curious—why would Ninefold Venerable keep you alone in this realm, torturing you in such a way?”
Lin Yuan appeared silently nearby, curiously observing Cang Yulong.
He immediately saw through the effects of the Sin Pool. That only made him more curious—what kind of hatred justified this?
“You are?”
Cang Yulong was startled, the pain even lessening slightly from the surprise.
“I share some ties with the Stonefolk Clan. I came to take a look,” Lin Yuan said, not mentioning Cang Weiyang and using “ties” instead.
“Ties?”
Cang Yulong looked at Lin Yuan, then bowed his head without hesitation.
“Please, senior—save the Stonefolk Clan.”
This was the Ninefold Secret Realm—Ninefold Venerable’s lair. If Lin Yuan could slip in unnoticed, he was either a Venerable himself or not far from it.
As for whether he was one of Ninefold’s people? Cang Yulong had his own way to verify that—and he was sure Lin Yuan had no ties to Ninefold.
“Save the Stonefolk Clan?”
Lin Yuan glanced at him.
“Why should I risk making an enemy of Ninefold Venerable for your clan?”
From Cang Yulong’s condition, Lin Yuan could tell the enmity between him and Ninefold was beyond reconciliation.
If it weren’t, no Chaos-level cultivator would go to such extremes to punish a mere Path-Clearing lifeform.
True—
Cang Weiyang’s inheritance had helped Lin Yuan successfully cross into the chaotic void. But Cang Weiyang had only asked him to take a Stonefolk clansman as a disciple.
Anyone from the Stonefolk Clan would do.
Lin Yuan could tell—the clan had fallen into this state likely because of the man before him.
If he wanted to choose a disciple from the Stonefolk Clan, he could’ve negotiated with Ninefold. Ninefold had taken trillions of Stonefolk; giving one to Lin Yuan would’ve been nothing.
Cang Yulong fell silent at Lin Yuan’s words.
He was right.
No matter how strong the connection, it meant nothing compared to making an enemy of a Venerable.
“Senior, I’m willing. I’m willing to offer a reward. Please—save my people.”
Cang Yulong steadied himself and spoke quickly.
“A reward?”
Lin Yuan looked at him, waiting to hear what he had to offer.
Cang Yulong took a deep breath.
“The Chaos Tree. I’m willing to hand it over—just please save the Stonefolk Clan.”
“The Chaos Tree?”
Lin Yuan was slightly surprised.
The Chaos Tree was a peak twelfth-rank treasure.
He had obtained a World Tree in the Devil Jade Space. After breaking into the twelfth rank and evolving his inner world into an internal universe, the World Tree also began to transform.
In theory, the World Tree could evolve into a Chaos Tree—but that was just theory.
Just as every being born of the chaotic void had the potential to become a Chaos Great Saint.
But over time, as Lin Yuan nurtured the World Tree, he realized how impossibly difficult that evolution truly was.
The challenge was like an eleventh-rank lifeform ascending to Supreme Saint.
And in practice? Even harder.
“You have a Chaos Tree?”
Lin Yuan looked at Cang Yulong, now understanding.
So that’s why Ninefold Venerable, a Chaos-level cultivator, would go to such lengths for a Path-Clearing being.
Because of the Chaos Tree.
Any Chaos-level Venerable would covet such a treasure. It could stabilize the internal universe, accelerating cultivation to the peak of the Chaos stage.
“Why not just give it to Ninefold?”
Lin Yuan asked.
“I stole it from right under his nose. Even if I gave it to him, I wouldn’t survive.”
“And there’s more than just the Chaos Tree—there’s a legacy space too. If you’re willing to save me, I’ll hand it all over.”
Cang Yulong spoke in a low voice.
He now understood the danger of possessing valuable treasures.
If surrendering it could have saved him, he would’ve done it already.
“The Chaos Tree?”
Lin Yuan fell into thought. It would be extremely helpful to him too, especially when combined with the thirteenth-rank legacy Infinite Void. It would greatly enhance his internal universe.
If he could stabilize the universe within, training the second layer of Infinite Void would also become easier.
“To make an enemy of a Venerable… just for a Chaos Tree?”
Lin Yuan weighed the pros and cons. If he chose to help, he’d absolutely offend Ninefold Venerable.
“But it’s doable.”
Lin Yuan made up his mind.
In terms of strength, he wasn’t much weaker than ordinary Chaos-level Venerables. Ninefold was newly advanced, roughly equal to him.
Besides, Lin Yuan wasn’t from the Myriad Phenomena Void Domain. If he rescued the Stonefolk Clan and then severed karma before fleeing far away, Ninefold would find it nearly impossible to locate him again.
Even if he did—it’d be tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of years later.
By then, Lin Yuan would already have stepped into the Dominance stage. With his current foundation, once he broke through, a new Venerable like Ninefold would be no threat at all.
And most importantly, Lin Yuan’s public identity was that of a peak Path-Clearing cultivator from the Guming Chaos Continent.
Even if Ninefold searched, he’d only look for other Chaos-level cultivators, never suspecting Lin Yuan.
“Senior, you…”
In the Sin Pool, Cang Yulong looked nervously at Lin Yuan.
Even with the Chaos Tree and the secret legacy space as rewards, he couldn’t be sure Lin Yuan would accept.
After all, the opponent was a Venerable.
“I’ll help you.”
Lin Yuan said, looking at him.
“You will?”
Cang Yulong was stunned.
That one sentence carried so much weight.
It meant the endless torment of the Sin Pool might finally end.
It meant his countless clansmen might no longer live in constant fear of death at Ninefold’s whim.
And it meant that this young man with ties to the Stonefolk Clan… was very likely a Venerable.
If he wasn’t, even the most valuable treasures wouldn’t matter—he wouldn’t be able to claim them anyway.
“But I can’t guarantee I can save the entire Stonefolk Clan. You, at least, I can.”
Lin Yuan added.
“You can’t guarantee the whole clan…”
For some reason, hearing that made Cang Yulong breathe a little easier.
If Lin Yuan had promised everything, he would’ve been more wary.
Right now, all the Stonefolk were in Ninefold’s internal universe. Only Cang Yulong, suffering in the Sin Pool, remained outside.
Expecting a full rescue was unrealistic.
“As long as you’re willing to act, I’ll give you everything.”
Cang Yulong said solemnly.
He had no other choice now.
“Alright.”
“Wait here for a moment.”
With that, Lin Yuan vanished.
“He’s gone…”
Cang Yulong looked around but saw no trace of Lin Yuan.
A long while passed.
Suddenly, a young-sounding voice echoed in his mind.
“Brat, you scared me earlier! I thought we were going to be discovered.” The voice sounded anxious.
“Is that senior trustworthy?” Cang Yulong asked mentally.
That young voice had been the one to alert him that Lin Yuan wasn’t aligned with Ninefold, prompting him to reveal everything.
“Relax. That guy has zero karma with Ninefold. They probably don’t even know each other. If he came here, it’s likely he really does have a tie to your clan.”
The voice sounded surprised.
“Didn’t think your tiny, weak clan could make a connection with a Venerable!”
“He’s really a Venerable?”
Cang Yulong was shocked.
“I don’t know for sure. But his understanding of time and space is at the eighth level,” the voice replied.
“Eighth level of time-space?”
Cang Yulong swallowed hard. As far as he knew, not even all Chaos-level Venerables reached that level.
Outside the Ninefold Secret Realm.
Lin Yuan appeared once more.
“That Stonefolk…”
He recalled Cang Yulong’s face. The moment he saw him, he sensed a faint, hidden fluctuation of another consciousness inside him.
The feeling was vague—so subtle that even peak Chaos-level cultivators might not notice it.
“Looks like that kid has secrets. But the Chaos Tree should be real.”
Lin Yuan thought to himself.
“For a Chaos Tree, I can deploy both Primordial Spirits.”
He murmured.
The Chaos Tree was of immense value—one of the few treasures that could directly boost a Venerable’s foundation.
It would help Lin Yuan immensely.
Even the third layer of Infinite Void could benefit from it.
“Primordial Spirits.”
Lin Yuan looked in a certain direction.
Beyond the Guming Chaos Continent, in the endless chaotic void—
Lin Yuan’s Yang and Yin Primordial Spirits sat in meditation.
“With the incarnation as a coordinate, I can initiate long-distance teleportation.”
Both of Lin Yuan’s Primordial Spirits thought the same.
This was one of the abilities of someone who had reached the eighth level of time-space comprehension. As long as there was a suitable “coordinate,” ultra-long-distance teleportation was possible.
To deal with someone like Ninefold, a mere incarnation wouldn’t be enough. For safety, both Primordial Spirits had to move.
Once merged into the Tai Chi Primordial Spirit, their power would be just a notch below Lin Yuan’s true self.
It would still be enough to match the threshold of Chaos-level combat.
“Begin.”
Around the Yang and Yin Primordial Spirits, intense space-time fluctuations erupted. In a flash, they vanished.
Inside the Ninefold Secret Realm.
In the Sin Pool.
Cang Yulong still remained submerged.
“Did he change his mind?” he wondered, tortured.
If he had remained hopeless all along, he could have endured. But to glimpse hope, only to fall into despair again—that was unbearable.
“Brat, just sit tight and wait—” the young voice began to scold, then abruptly stopped.
The next moment—
A figure reappeared beside the Sin Pool.
It was Lin Yuan.
“Senior!”
Cang Yulong’s spirit lifted.
“These chains…”
Lin Yuan examined the black chains binding Cang Yulong’s limbs.
They didn’t just restrain his body—they bound his soul and mind as well.
To rescue him, the chains had to be severed.
“I’ll cut these chains as quickly as I can. It’ll probably hurt a lot,” Lin Yuan warned.
“Do whatever you need, senior. After all these years, if I’ve learned anything, it’s how to handle pain,” Cang Yulong said immediately.
“Good.”
Lin Yuan nodded.
He could’ve slowly worn the chains down—but that would take too long. In the time it took, Ninefold would surely notice.
Atop the Ninefold Secret Realm—
In a grand hall.
Ninefold Venerable sat on his throne.
“That mysterious space must contain some sort of legacy. If the Chaos Tree was used to suppress it, it’s likely a Great Saint-level inheritance.”
He began to daydream—just after breaking into the Chaos level, acquiring a Great Saint-level legacy?
Ninefold felt he was quite lucky.
The only downside was that the Stonefolk brat got to it first.
But now that brat and his entire clan were in his hands—
He figured it was only a matter of time before everything was his.
Suddenly—
Ninefold’s expression changed. He sensed the aura at the Sin Pool vanish. His connection to Cang Yulong was gone.
“No!”
Ninefold roared in fury.
Just then, an overwhelming, searing aura filled the hall—ancient and oppressive, like a furnace consuming heaven and earth.
A young man appeared, hands behind his back, blocking Ninefold’s path.
“You—”
Ninefold’s expression shifted as he stared at the young man.
...
20 chapters ahead on patreon: patreon.com/David_Lord
57