"This Great Saint–level treasure..."
Lin Yuan stepped out from a planet called Spiritual Treasure Star, examining his latest acquisition.
Spiritual Treasure Stars were regions within the Mysterious Emperor Universe that birthed artifact-treasures. And there wasn't just one such planet.
Unlike the conventional methods used in the chaotic void to forge weapons and treasures, the Mysterious Sovereign’s lineage focused on nurturing.
First, a prototype was crafted, then placed within a specific Spiritual Treasure Star. After countless years of incubation, it would naturally evolve into a powerful artifact.
This method had two major advantages. First, it was convenient—one only needed to create the prototype. Second, the resulting weapon would often be more powerful than others of the same tier.
As for disadvantages? It lacked manual refinement and took a long time.
But if one could obtain a mighty treasure in the end, spending more time was well worth it.
"A Great Saint–level soul and mind defense treasure?"
Lin Yuan looked at the thumb-sized yellow 'droplet' in his hand—it was like gazing into a vast universe.
Whether Great Saint–level or otherwise, defensive treasures were typically more valuable than offensive ones.
After all, survival was always more important than killing.
And among defensive Great Saint–level treasures, those that protected the soul and mind were the rarest.
"Not bad at all."
Lin Yuan nodded slightly. While this soul defense treasure wasn’t as valuable as the Life Godstone he acquired earlier, it was still immensely rare—something most Chaos Great Saints couldn’t obtain even after entire cosmic eras of searching.
"But… I’m almost at the inner region of the Mysterious Emperor Universe."
He glanced around. All beings entering the universe started at its outermost edge.
Having journeyed deeper, Lin Yuan could now faintly sense the presence of other Chaos Great Saints.
When a Chaos Great Saint fully unleashed their aura, it could be felt across Void Domains. But here, due to the intense pressure of universal laws, Lin Yuan only noticed their presence upon nearing the inner region.
"No one’s on the same path as me."
After careful sensing, Lin Yuan confirmed this.
The others didn’t possess the beast-skin map—they had no knowledge of the universe’s many regions. In a place as vast as this, the odds of someone choosing the same path were almost nonexistent.
"From the inner region onward, the real dangers begin."
His expression turned solemn. The outer areas had been relatively safe—most treasures weren’t highly contested.
The nearly three-meter Life Godstone had been a fluke.
Normally, the Life Source Star would only produce one thumb-sized stone per cosmic era.
A palm-sized stone could save a mortally wounded Chaos Great Saint.
A thumb-sized one? It might save a Chaos Venerable.
So that planet was only expected to produce mid-tier treasures at best.
But one drop per era… over ten eras? A hundred? A thousand? Ten thousand?
Quantity became quality. The Mysterious Emperor Universe had been sealed for tens of millions of cosmic eras—only by such luck and timing had Lin Yuan obtained such a massive Life Godstone.
It was pure coincidence and good fortune.
"Still, even if danger appears, I have the advantage over the other Great Saints."
He reminded himself. The beast-skin map was an enormous edge.
In the Star Tear Fragment World...
Lin Yuan’s Yin Primordial Soul sat cross-legged in meditation.
His true body inside the Mysterious Emperor Universe was progressing smoothly. At worst, he’d faced Mysterious Emperor Beasts—but not other Chaos beings.
The universe was far too vast. Even with over a hundred Venerables and ten Great Saints inside, it was like a drop in the sea.
"We’re still in the exploration phase. No fighting yet."
Lin Yuan thought to himself. True conflict would come later—likely among the Great Saints.
For now, everyone was still scattered throughout the vast outer region.
Only after entering deeper into the inner realm would clashes become inevitable.
"With my current strength, I should be able to challenge the ninth level of the Black Tower."
He suddenly remembered.
The Black Tower of the Devil Jade Tower, with its nine floors, had accompanied his entire rise in strength.
Before reaching Rank Twelve, he had passed the eighth level. As for the ninth?
The ninth level was entirely different from the first eight.
It required facing a brand left behind by the Devil Jade Tower’s master.
Even though the brand lacked any intelligence and functioned more like a preset program, it still originated from a Supreme Saint.
To Lin Yuan, the master of the Devil Jade Tower was no weaker than the Mysterious Sovereign.
And the Mysterious Sovereign, according to the Eye of Ten Thousand Laws, had been close to becoming an Invincible Supreme Saint.
Which meant the Devil Jade Tower’s master had been similarly powerful. His brand would take at least a peak Chaos-level being—possibly even a Great Saint—to defeat.
After reaching Rank Twelve, even pushing Path-Clearing to its peak only made Lin Yuan equal to an average Chaos Venerable. Passing the ninth level had been impossible.
Buzz—
He split off a strand of mind and descended into the Devil Jade space.
Before the towering nine-story Black Tower—
Lin Yuan appeared.
The six-armed figure, Shen Ji, emerged and looked at Lin Yuan with a complicated gaze.
It had been a long time since Lin Yuan had come here. He must be aiming for the ninth level.
And with Shen Ji’s understanding of him, Lin Yuan wouldn’t have returned unless he was confident.
Especially knowing what awaited in the ninth level—a brand of the Devil Jade Tower’s master. Without reaching peak Chaos, no one even considered trying.
"Peak Chaos?"
"That little one has already reached that level?"
Shen Ji’s thoughts drifted.
He had watched Lin Yuan grow. He still remembered the youth as a Rank Six or Seven.
In the blink of an eye, he now stood at the pinnacle of Chaos?
"I'm here to challenge the ninth level," Lin Yuan said.
"Go ahead." Shen Ji nodded without surprise.
Boom—
The door to the ninth level opened.
Lin Yuan stepped through and entered.
Unlike the oppressive pressure of the previous eight levels, this floor was eerily empty.
But Lin Yuan remained on full alert.
Soon—
The sky darkened.
A towering figure materialized.
Clad in black robes, his gaze indifferent—his very presence resonated with universal laws.
This was the brand left behind by the Devil Jade Tower’s master.
The first time Lin Yuan faced this brand, he couldn’t withstand even a single glance—his mind collapsed without even realizing how he’d lost.
But now, with his strength multiplied manyfold, the brand's gaze still tugged at his soul—but couldn’t shake his will.
Whoosh—
The Devil Jade master’s brand stared at Lin Yuan. His eyes devoid of emotion, he raised a hand.
In an instant, all space and time became pure darkness.
But this darkness was of a different nature from Heiyao Great Saint’s Heiyao Domain—utterly distinct.
“Divine Ability: Za Warudo.”
Lin Yuan transformed into a blazing sun, his outer universe spreading outward and pushing back against the infinite Devil Jade darkness.
“Too strong…”
“No one beneath Chaos Great Saint can win.”
He was now certain. No peak Chaos Venerable could pass the ninth level.
“Time?”
Lin Yuan faintly sensed temporal fluctuations—but not mere acceleration or reversal. It was something deeper.
“The Devil Jade master gained much from slaying that time-blooded spectacle beast.”
When Lin Yuan passed the eighth level, he had obtained a drop of Time Blood, from a beast born of strong temporal lineage.
That drop hadn’t been kept for the master’s own study—but left behind for future challengers.
Which meant he had already absorbed all its value.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Solar radiance surged. Lin Yuan’s outer universe clashed with the Devil Jade darkness summoned by the brand. He felt heavy pressure.
This wasn’t because he couldn’t beat the brand. Judging by aura alone, the brand’s power was inferior to that of Dual-Source or Heiyao Great Saints.
But the pressure it generated far surpassed either of them.
“Divine Ability: Tear the Sky!”
He swiped his hand—five terrifying slashes tore through the darkness around the brand.
But they quickly healed, swallowed by the infinite dark.
“No other choice.”
Lin Yuan shook his head. Tear the Sky was among his top five killing techniques.
And even it failed.
“Universe—Detonate!”
With a thought, his outer universe began to collapse.
After fusing the source of the blazing sun, his universe detonation had surpassed Tear the Sky.
It was no longer just a technique—but a fusion with the Rank Thirteen divine ability Sunborn Genesis.
Rumble—
His outer universe collapsed. The blazing sun shattered. The resulting explosion shredded the ninth level’s space.
Crash—
The Devil Jade darkness dissolved. The brand itself began to dissipate.
Boom—
At long last—
Lin Yuan stepped from the depths of space-time, his aura severely weakened.
“It’s over?”
He looked around. No trace of the brand remained, and he exhaled in relief.
“Hm?”
Suddenly, his expression shifted.
He turned to a certain direction.
Traces of Devil Jade aura began to gather again, forming the Devil Jade master’s figure once more.
But this time—
His expression was different.
The indifferent gaze from before was gone.
Instead, he looked at Lin Yuan with a hint of awe and surprise—
As if he had… come to life.
...
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