As a Martial Dao Seventh Rank with a powerful physique, Shan Yang could easily lift a towering divine mountain tens of thousands of feet high.
And this was purely physical strength. If he used other means, Shan Yang's power would increase even more.
This was the difference between Martial Dao and Immortal Dao. Immortal Dao cultivators focused on the "spirit." From the Golden Core stage, Nascent Soul stage, and Divine Transformation stage, most of their cultivation centered on the "spirit."
Martial Dao was different. Although Martial Dao could condense a primordial spirit, it still took the physical body as its foundation, with vast and boundless energy and blood.
However, at this moment, Shan Yang was astonished.
He grabbed Lin Yuan's right hand but couldn't lift him at all.
Heavy! Heavy! Incredibly heavy! It was as if he was not holding a person but an entire world.
But how was this possible?
Could a person be as heavy as a world?
Shan Yang's thoughts were muddled, and he couldn't react for a while.
He even wondered if his strength had declined.
"Want to lift me?"
Lin Yuan glanced at Shan Yang.
His expression was slightly peculiar.
How heavy was he?
Not to mention his physical body.
As a Martial Dao Eighth Rank, his body had been enhanced five or six times by the mysterious gourd.
Every drop of his blood, every hair, by the main world's standards, weighed more than ten thousand tons.
The weight of his body was actually the smaller part.
The key was the world inside Lin Yuan, spanning twenty-six million miles in radius.
This world existed within Lin Yuan. Although it didn't show on the surface, it didn't mean it wasn't there.
Normally, Lin Yuan balanced the world's power within him with the gravity of the spirit world.
But it was just a balance.
If someone wanted to lift Lin Yuan, they would need the strength to lift a world spanning twenty-six million miles in radius.
And how heavy was a world of twenty-six million miles in radius? Probably heavier than several stars combined.
Compared to Lin Yuan's peculiar expression, Shan Yang quickly realized.
It wasn't that his strength had declined, but that the person he considered a "youngster," Lin Yuan, was too heavy.
Too heavy to believe.
Too heavy to exceed his strength limits.
So even with all his strength, he couldn't budge Lin Yuan at all.
Not far away,
Li Qing and Nie Yun looked at Lin Yuan and Shan Yang, who were stuck in a stalemate.
From their perspective, Lin Yuan stood quietly while Shan Yang's right hand grasped Lin Yuan's shoulder, initially trying to soar but suddenly stopped.
The next moment, Shan Yang abruptly retreated, like a frightened rabbit, stopping beside Li Qing and Nie Yun, staring at Lin Yuan with intense seriousness.
"Who exactly are you?"
This scene left Li Qing and Nie Yun baffled.
Then they quickly understood.
Li Qing observed Lin Yuan carefully, realizing she couldn't see through him. The aura Lin Yuan emitted was flawless, revealing nothing to her.
For a moment, the two Martial Dao Seventh Ranks sensed the gravity of the situation.
The power of blood and energy began to spread, instantly enveloping the entire Martial Temple and Xiaoyao City.
"Who am I?"
Lin Yuan chuckled softly, then said, "You don't need to take me to the Nine Heavens. Over the years, my Yin Spirit and Yang Spirit have been cultivating there."
The Nine Heavens of the Immortal World was the battleground for ancient saints in the Void Refining stage.
In the spirit realm, there was also a Nine Heavens, more mysterious than that of the Immortal World, containing numerous "treasures" that guided the understanding of the world's essence.
So, decades ago, Lin Yuan sent his Yang Spirit and Yin Spirit to the Nine Heavens to comprehend it.
"Cultivating in the Nine Heavens?"
Shan Yang and Nie Yun exchanged glances, feeling even more pressured.
Only Seventh Ranks or Dao Fusion Immortals could enter the Nine Heavens, and even then, only briefly.
Staying too long, the pressure from the Nine Heavens would be unbearable for Seventh Ranks or Dao Fusion Immortals.
As for cultivating there? Only Tribulation Stage Immortal Kings could use the Nine Heavens as a cultivation ground.
Of course, if it was just a short-term cultivation, like a few months or years, peak Dao Fusion Immortals might manage.
At this moment, the two Martial Dao Seventh Ranks couldn't gauge Lin Yuan's strength or his purpose in infiltrating the Martial Temple.
"Yin Spirit and Yang Spirit?"
Li Qing looked at Lin Yuan, somewhat dazed.
Over hundreds of thousands of years, countless Martial Dao practitioners had emerged.
And those who reached the Fifth Rank and condensed the Martial Dao primordial spirit were numerous.
However, among the Fifth Rank practitioners, those who condensed Yin and Yang Spirits were rare, and in Li Qing's memory, only one person did.
Yin and Yang Spirits signified the simultaneous cultivation of two opposite forces, with any mistake leading to eternal doom.
To fuse Yin and Yang and then condense Yin and Yang Spirits, only Li Qing's master, the Martial Ancestor, had ever done it.
Beside them, Nie Yun and Shan Yang were indecisive, unsure whether to act.
If they did, they were not confident. Shan Yang couldn't move Lin Yuan despite his full strength, indicating Lin Yuan's power was nearly at the Tribulation Stage.
With their combined strength, even with Li Qing at her peak, they wouldn't gain much and might even completely antagonize Lin Yuan.
But if they didn't act...
Nie Yun and Shan Yang looked at Li Qing, deciding to let her decide.
However, as they looked at Li Qing, they saw her expression constantly changing, staring at Lin Yuan with a look of hesitation.
"What's going on?"
Nie Yun and Shan Yang were puzzled.
"Little Li, you haven't changed after all these years." Lin Yuan smiled slightly, looking at Li Qing.
Upon hearing this, Li Qing's eyes reddened, nearly losing control of her emotions, instinctively uttering two words, "Master."
Hundreds of thousands of years had passed, and only Lin Yuan had ever called her that.
Li Qing almost forgot she had such a "nickname."
"Tell me"
"What has happened over these years."
Lin Yuan casually found a seat and sat down. In the past century, he had mostly been cultivating, learning much about the spirit world and the Daoist Immortal Sect through the Martial Temple.
But Li Qing, as a peak Seventh Rank, knew more details.
"Ah?"
Nie Yun and Shan Yang were even more confused.
What happened? Why did Li Qing call Lin Yuan "Master"? Master? In an instant, an inconceivable thought emerged in the minds of the two Martial Dao Seventh Ranks.
Li Qing's master was the legendary Martial Ancestor.
Could this young man be the Martial Ancestor?
But how was this possible?
Wasn't the Martial Ancestor said to have disappeared long ago?
"Don't just stand there, sit down." Lin Yuan glanced at Li Qing, Nie Yun, and Shan Yang, and said casually.
Immediately, an invisible force appeared.
Nie Yun and Shan Yang instinctively sat down.
Li Qing also gently sat down.
"This power?" Nie Yun and Shan Yang were shocked.
Facing this invisible force, they had no ability to resist, and their proud Martial Dao energy and blood seemed ineffective.
"Martial Ancestor."
"This is the Martial Ancestor."
Nie Yun and Shan Yang were shaken. Lin Yuan's presence felt far more powerful than the Daoist Immortal Sect's Cang Qing Immortal, who was half a step away from the Tribulation Stage.
"Master."
"You're finally back." Li Qing's eyes were moist. For hundreds of thousands of years, she had never stopped searching for Lin Yuan.
The Daoist Immortal Sect claimed Lin Yuan had never ascended to the Spirit Realm through the Ascension Platform and might have entered the Spirit Realm through the chaotic void flows.
But this method was highly uncertain and would rarely land in Dongyun State, or even within the Three Thousand States.
The Spirit Realm was vast and boundless, with the Three Thousand States being just a part, and much more was desolate.
"Master?"
"Li Qing calls him Master?"
The elders standing respectfully were in turmoil.
Even though they had highly regarded Lin Yuan, they never thought he would be Li Qing's Master. How was this possible?
"Martial Ancestor, Chang'er is the Martial Ancestor."
The Grand Elder's mind trembled.
Although the current scene seemed unbelievable, how could Lin Chang be related to the Martial Ancestor? But Li Qing would not lie.
As the personal disciple of the legendary Martial Ancestor, Li Qing knew him well and wouldn't mistake him.
"I once thought Chang'er was born for Martial Dao"
The Grand Elder's scalp tingled. Such praise for any Martial Dao practitioner was a heartfelt recognition.
But if it was for the Martial Ancestor, it was not praise but blasphemy.
Born for Martial Dao?
Totally wrong.
The entire Martial Dao existed because of the Martial Ancestor.
"I encountered some things, so I came now." Lin Yuan explained briefly.
Li Qing and the others didn't doubt much. The Spirit Realm was vast and mysterious, even a Tribulation Stage Immortal King could be trapped for thousands or hundreds of thousands of years in certain traps.
As for why the Martial Ancestor returned as Lin Chang, Li Qing didn't doubt it. True Immortals at the Dao Fusion Stage had the means for reincarnation, a powerful life-saving method.
However, no matter how many times one reincarnated, the soul's lifespan wouldn't increase. True Immortals lived for hundreds of thousands of years, but once the soul's lifespan limit was reached, reincarnation was useless.
To extend their lifespan, they had to attempt the Tribulation and become an Immortal King.
"It's good that Master is back."
"Nothing else matters." Li Qing was joyful. Through this brief exchange, she was certain that Lin Yuan was her Master, the Martial Ancestor of the Immortal World.
His manner of speaking confirmed it. Li Qing rarely shared information about Lin Yuan, and many habits and details were known only to her.
"Master, six thousand years after you disappeared, I followed your guidance and reached the Martial Dao Sixth Rank."
"Soon after, I ascended to the spirit world through the Daoist Immortal Sect's Ascension Platform."
Li Qing began recounting her experiences.
"After ascending to the spirit realm, Immortal Cang Qing kept his promise and even designated a city for spreading Martial Dao."
Li Qing spoke of Immortal Cang Qing with gratitude.
Without Immortal Cang Qing and the Daoist Immortal Sect's protection, she, a Sixth Rank Martial Dao practitioner equivalent to the Void Refining stage, would have struggled to gain a foothold in the spirit realm without serving a power for thousands of years.
To repay Immortal Cang Qing, Li Qing joined the Daoist Immortal Sect and fought for them.
Of course, the Daoist Immortal Sect provided ample rewards, allowing Li Qing to grow quickly during the wars in the Xuan King Domain and other regions.
Finally, she followed one of the twelve paths left by Lin Yuan and advanced to the Seventh Rank.
After reaching the Seventh Rank, Li Qing gained the right to advance or retreat. As a peer of True Immortal, she became a high-ranking member of the Daoist Immortal Sect.
Thus, Li Qing led the Xiaoyao City Martial Temple in a cooperative relationship with the Daoist Immortal Sect, lasting until today.
Li Qing fought for the Daoist Immortal Sect, and the sect protected Xiaoyao City and provided ample rewards. Her progress to the peak of the Seventh Rank was partly due to the Daoist Immortal Sect.
"Were you the only one to reach the Seventh Rank among the disciples?"
Lin Yuan asked.
He remembered having hundreds of direct disciples.
Several had the potential to reach the Seventh Rank.
"Only me. Those junior brothers and sisters fell during their breakthroughs." Li Qing said sadly.
Advancing to the Seventh Rank was not smooth sailing, especially since Lin Yuan hadn't perfected the Seventh Rank at the time, leaving only a hypothesis.
Lin Yuan's breakthrough was due to his strong foundation and Unrivaled Insight, making it as easy as eating or drinking.
But others? Li Qing was relatively lucky.
Supported by the Daoist Immortal Sect, she managed to advance to the Seventh Rank.
Others weren't as fortunate.
Even in the main world, evolvers advancing from the Sixth to the Seventh Rank faced great risks.
This was with complete evolutionary paths and guidance from higher-level evolvers.
In other worlds, it was even more so.
"These two are disciples I valued in the spirit realm. They later advanced to the Seventh Rank." Li Qing introduced Nie Yun and Shan Yang.
"Greetings, Martial Ancestor."
"Greetings, Martial Ancestor."
Nie Yun and Shan Yang were a bit reserved. Since childhood, they had heard many legends about the Martial Ancestor from Li Qing.
To them, the Martial Ancestor was almost mythical, creating the Martial Dao evolution path, making the Daoist Immortal Sect submit, and negotiating with Immortal Cang Qing.
But now, the revered Martial Ancestor was before them, filling their hearts with awe and respect.
Especially Shan Yang, who nearly fought the Martial Ancestor earlier, feeling somewhat fearful.
"Hmm."
Lin Yuan nodded slightly.
He didn't view these two Martial Dao juniors differently. As long as they practiced Martial Dao, they could be considered his disciples.
"What about my elder brother, elder sister, and parents?"
Lin Yuan asked Li Qing.
Li Qing had a high status in the Daoist Immortal Sect and likely knew about Jun Dongjin, Mu Lian'er, and others.
...
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