"The sect-protecting array of this relic was once completely destroyed, and not just once."
"But each time after being destroyed, it could slowly recover?"
Lin Yuan observed carefully. Not long after he discovered this sect relic, his Yin Primordial Soul arrived.
"At the very least, it's the relic of a Sacred Sect-level force. Its foundation is much more terrifying than that of the Qingyun Sacred Sect."
Lin Yuan thought to himself.
In this source world, a Sacred Sect-level force is defined as one with powerhouses at the Three Stages of Freedom.
The Three Stages of Freedom correspond to the Chaos Great Saints in the chaotic void and the Heavenly Sovereigns of the first source world.
Among them, the Third Stage is the threshold for a Supreme Sacred Sect, belonging to the second-tier forces of this world.
Below the Supreme Sacred Sects are the Sacred Sect-level forces.
Even among Sacred Sect-level forces, there are distinctions of high and low.
For example, the Qingyun Sacred Sect belongs to the weaker Sacred Sects; its founder barely managed to enter the Third Stage.
After the great changes in the world, the strongest person in the current Qingyun Sacred Sect is no longer at the Third Stage, but the Sect Master, who is at the peak of the Six Stages of Longevity.
The peak of the Six Stages of Longevity is equivalent to a peak Great Sovereign in the chaotic void.
Logically speaking, the Qingyun Sacred Sect should no longer be called a Sacred Sect.
It is only due to the 'Demon' disaster that it has been able to retain the title of Sacred Sect.
"A Source Demon must have made a move."
Lin Yuan observed the traces near the relic. Among them, a critical strike that almost penetrated the sect-protecting array faintly exuded a primordial demonic energy. At least a 'Demon' of the Source Demon level was required to cause such a scene.
"Source Demon?"
Lin Yuan wasn't too surprised.
Most Source Demons gather in the center of the world, but that doesn't mean there are no traces of Source Demons elsewhere, just that their numbers are too few.
Lin Yuan stood outside and observed for a while before walking in.
The sect-protecting array of this relic had not yet recovered and couldn't stop Lin Yuan at all.
Before long, Lin Yuan arrived at the deepest part of the relic.
It was empty, with only a stone statue standing.
"Runes?"
Lin Yuan saw dozens of runes carved at the base of the stone statue. His mind stirred, and following these dozens of runes, he extended the last three.
When the Demon disaster strikes, most sect forces, before their sects are breached by 'Demons', generally leave their core legacies to be inherited by future cultivators.
After all, 'Demons' are not interested in cultivation legacies, and to activate a legacy, one needs to use the Tao of Runes, which 'Demons' apparently cannot do.
Of course, some sect forces will leave some trials outside the core legacy for screening purposes, as many legacies are not suitable for every cultivator.
Buzz~
As Lin Yuan extended the last three runes, the entire stone statue began to hum slightly, and the figure of a man wearing a dark red cloak coalesced.
"Future one." The man in the dark red cloak looked at Lin Yuan: "My name is 'Li Hong'. I don't know how long it has been since you saw this imprint of mine, or if the 'Demon' disaster has ended. In my era, the 'Demon' disaster had just descended for a hundred billion years. I am currently being hunted by a Source Demon and probably won't last much longer."
"Li Hong? The founder of the Li Hong Sacred Sect?" Lin Yuan thought to himself.
As a Sacred Sect from before the great changes in the world, the Qingyun Sacred Sect naturally collected detailed intelligence on other Sacred Sects.
Among them, the Li Hong Sacred Sect was quite famous. Its founder, 'Li Hong', was a powerhouse at the peak of the Second Stage of Freedom.
"That Source Demon is too strong. I feel that even an Eternal Child can't compare to him. I have no power to resist at all and can only keep fleeing," said 'Li Hong', wearing the dark red cloak.
An Eternal Child refers to the strongest successor of the various Eternal Sect forces, possessing strength surpassing that of the Third Stage of Freedom.
"Stronger than an Eternal Child?"
Lin Yuan was startled. An Eternal Child was already close to Abyss Dragon. Stronger than an Eternal Child? Would that not be equivalent to Abyss Dragon, or even surpass Abyss Dragon?
How was that possible?
Abyss Dragon was the first living being born in the first source world, carrying countless opportunities and karma, with terrifying talent. (I changed the name into Abyss Dragon)
It was understandable that the Eternal Children of this source world, with the help of special rune legacies and the devoted cultivation of their respective Thirteenth rank powerhouses, could reach a level barely close to Abyss Dragon.
But equivalent to Abyss Dragon or even surpassing Abyss Dragon?
How was that possible?
Even Lin Yuan found it unbelievable.
He could easily surpass Abyss Dragon because he possessed insights into the grand Tao rules of different dimensions and Unrivaled Insight. But a Source Demon?
"What exactly are these 'Demons'?"
Lin Yuan frowned slightly. For a thousand years, he had hunted Demon Spirits and Great Demons, but he still hadn't completely figured out what these beings were.
"It is said that if killed by a Source Demon, the demonic energy will infiltrate one's mind and will, rendering any number of clones or avatars useless for survival. As for self-destruction? As long as a causal link exists, the Source Demon will continue to hunt you down."
'Li Hong' said with a calm expression: "Since I embarked on the path of cultivation, I have never felt such pressure..."
Lin Yuan listened.
He had also read about the various methods of Source Demons in the ancient texts collected by the Qingyun Sacred Sect.
"Since death is inevitable, I left this stone statue in advance, containing the legacy of the path I walked, especially the Grand Tao of Runes, which is the Grand Tao passed down by the Eternal Lords!"
'Li Hong' continued.
Eternal Lords is the term used by the beings of this source world to refer to Thirteenth Rank time lifeforms.
Thirteenth Rank time lifeforms in different worlds have different names. For example, time lifeforms in the first source world refer to themselves as 'Ancestors'.
"Grand Tao of Runes?"
Lin Yuan immediately listened carefully.
Although 'Li Hong's' strength was not as great as Lin Yuan's, as a powerhouse at the peak of the Second Stage of Freedom, his understanding of runes certainly had its unique aspects.
Especially since he had met several Eternal Lords and received their guidance, his understanding of runes was definitely much stronger than that of the Qingyun Sacred Sect.
"I have heard the Eternal Lords preach many times," 'Li Hong', clad in a dark red cloak, smiled slightly: "Each Eternal Lord's understanding of the Tao of Runes is vast and profound, enough for us to study for a lifetime."
Lin Yuan listened quietly. The 'Li Hong' before him was merely an imprint, without sentience. Everything he said was a 'fixed program', and Lin Yuan had no intention of asking questions.
"But among all the Eternal Lords, it is the Lord of Heavenly Radiance whose understanding of the Grand Tao of Runes I admire the most," said 'Li Hong', wearing the dark red cloak.
"I don't mean to disparage other Eternal Lords, but I feel that the Tao of Runes expounded by the Lord of Heavenly Radiance is the most perfect."
'Li Hong' paused here, as if lost in some memory. After a long time, he continued: "The Lord of Heavenly Radiance's pursuit and understanding of the Tao of Runes is omnipotence."
"Omnipotence?"
Lin Yuan's expression changed slightly.
"Indeed, omnipotence."
'Li Hong' showed an expression of awe: "For example, if you want to recreate this vast world we are in, you can use the Grand Tao of Runes to open it up and replicate it. If you want to revive Third Stage of Freedom powerhouses who died in the past, you can also do so with the power of runes."
"In the Grand Tao of Runes as understood by the Lord of Heavenly Radiance, the ultimate pursuit is omnipotence; using the Tao of Runes, anything is possible."
"You can even completely kill other Eternal Lords. Eternal Lords perceive the future and can see all their future possibilities. It is incredibly difficult to kill an Eternal Lord, but if one's comprehension of the Tao of Runes reaches its peak, reaching the theoretical level of omnipotence, then it is possible to utterly kill an Eternal Lord."
"Not just killing, but with the omnipotent Grand Tao of Runes, one can even create new Eternal Lords. Of course, even the Lord of Heavenly Radiance has not achieved this level of rune power; it is merely a hypothetical pursuit."
The man in the dark red cloak, 'Li Hong', spoke.
Lin Yuan was shocked to hear this. The Lord of Heavenly Radiance was one of the Thirteenth Rank time lifeforms in this source world, which was also recorded in the information collected by the Qingyun Sacred Sect.
However, Lin Yuan had not expected that the Lord of Heavenly Radiance pursued runes to such an extent?
Omnipotence?
In fact, Lin Yuan also possessed a form of omnipotence.
That was Boundary-Breaking Source Energy.
According to the information emerging from the Gate of Myriad Realms, Boundary-Breaking Source Energy could accomplish anything.
Theoretically, as long as there was enough Boundary-Breaking Source Energy, one could indeed completely kill a Thirteenth Rank time lifeform. However, the amount of Boundary-Breaking Source Energy required here was probably an astronomical number.
But compared to the Lord of Heavenly Radiance's pursuit of rune omnipotence, Boundary-Breaking Source Energy's omnipotence was a known fact.
"The Grand Tao of Runes..."
Lin Yuan steadied his mind. From the Lord of Heavenly Radiance's pursuit of the Grand Tao of Runes, one could see the potential of this Grand Tao. Although it was unclear whether the Grand Tao of Runes could ultimately reach the level of omnipotence, at least there was a faint hope.
Otherwise, as a time lifeform, the Lord of Heavenly Radiance would not have conceived such a pursuit.
Lin Yuan, however, could not comprehend Boundary-Breaking Source Energy in the slightest. The essence of this power was too high. Lin Yuan could only perceive its existence through the Gate of Myriad Realms; without the Gate of Myriad Realms, he would not even know of such a power.
Now that he knew the theoretical endpoint of the Tao of Runes was Boundary-Breaking Source Energy, he could indirectly comprehend Boundary-Breaking Source Energy by deeply studying the Tao of Runes.
Compared to achieving omnipotence through Boundary-Breaking Source Energy, Lin Yuan hoped more to achieve omnipotence through his own means, rather than relying on external objects.
"I admire the Lord of Heavenly Radiance, so my path, the Grand Tao of Runes I've comprehended, all align with the Lord of Heavenly Radiance."
'Li Hong', clad in a dark red cloak, said: "The Grand Tao of Runes I've comprehended is broadly divided into three categories: first, offense; second, defense; third, life-preservation."
"The offensive Grand Tao of Runes is named 'Li Hong's Light'. This is my most lethal technique, using twenty-six thousand eight hundred and thirty-five runes to form a beam of Li Hong's Light that penetrates everything. Even a Third Stage of Freedom powerhouse would have to temporarily avoid its sharpness under this strike of mine."
'Li Hong's' tone carried a hint of unwillingness: "With the destructive power of this rune technique, if I could advance further and enter the Third Stage, I might not be without a chance to contend with that Source Demon behind me."
"Li Hong's Light?" Lin Yuan watched carefully. As 'Li Hong' in the dark red cloak described this Tao of Runes, he also demonstrated it, runes intertwining and combining to form a beam of dark red light.
"Li Hong's Light, although it references several offensive techniques passed down by the Lord of Heavenly Radiance, it can also be considered something I created. Later, you can examine the various legacies recorded within this stone statue yourself, and feel free to comment."
'Li Hong', clad in a dark red cloak, spoke with confidence.
"The second type of defensive Grand Tao of Runes, I named the Tao of Li Cauldron. It uses runes to form a cauldron, complete and unbreakable. I once used this rune technique to hold out for ten breaths in front of a Third Stage powerhouse."
A hint of pride appeared on 'Li Hong's' face.
For a Second Stage of Freedom cultivator to hold out for ten breaths in front of a Third Stage of Freedom powerhouse was already remarkable.
"As for the life-preservation Tao of Runes, it's called the Blood Rainbow Undying Art. It can produce tens of thousands of blood rainbow bodies. Unfortunately, there's still a causal link between different blood rainbow bodies. Otherwise, if that Source Demon behind me wanted to kill me? Dream on."
'Li Hong's' face showed unwillingness. Clearly, facing true life and death, he also yearned to survive.
"The specific cultivation methods for these three Grand Tao of Runes are all contained within the stone statue. Additionally, the Grand Tao of Runes passed down by the various Eternal Lords are also inside."
'Li Hong' looked at Lin Yuan: "I will not set any trials for the Grand Tao of Runes I've walked. Normal cultivators can practice them; there's no need for repetitive trials. However, after you comprehend them, please don't destroy this stone statue. Leave a ray of hope for future generations."
After 'Li Hong' finished speaking, he sighed, closed his eyes, and muttered to himself:
"Great Lord of Heavenly Radiance, why did you not act to stop the 'Demon' disaster?"
'Li Hong's' final murmur was full of doubt, and then he rapidly disintegrated.
"Lord of Heavenly Radiance..." Lin Yuan was also curious about the state of the Eternal Lords. Could they all be held back by the 'Demon Gods'?
Lin Yuan pondered for a moment, then immediately sent his consciousness into the stone statue.
"Before me, six cultivators have already visited and comprehended the legacies within."
Lin Yuan immediately discovered traces within the stone statue. Each comprehendor would leave a mark inside, and Lin Yuan was the seventh.
This was normal. According to 'Li Hong', this relic existed from the early stages of the great changes in the world. Over such a long period, it was only natural for a few cultivators to discover this relic.
"The Grand Tao of Runes legacies left by the Eternal Lords."
Lin Yuan first began to comprehend these. The Qingyun Sacred Sect also collected some Grand Tao of Runes legacies, but very few were related to the Eternal Lords. This was mainly because the Qingyun Sacred Sect's founder had just entered the Three Stages of Freedom and couldn't compare to a seasoned peak Second Stage of Freedom powerhouse like 'Li Hong'.
"Lord of Heavenly Radiance..." The stone statue contained more than twenty types of Grand Tao of Runes passed down by the Lord of Heavenly Radiance. The more Lin Yuan comprehended, the more astonished he became. It wasn't that he hadn't comprehended Thirteenth Rank legacies before.
In the chaotic void, and especially the first source world, the six Ancestors' Thirteenth Rank legacies were available for Lin Yuan to comprehend.
However, compared to the Grand Tao of Runes left by the Lord of Heavenly Radiance, Lin Yuan felt a clear gap. The understanding of runes in the Grand Tao of Runes left by the Lord of Heavenly Radiance was extremely, extremely high, even at the Thirteenth Rank level.
"Is this Lord of Heavenly Radiance a Time Lord?" Lin Yuan wondered to himself.
...
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