The Cosmic Starry Sky.
Lin Yuan stood amidst layers upon layers of space, with each step leaving a galaxy behind.
"The main universe is truly vast," Lin Yuan marveled, feeling it carefully as he traveled.
The "vastness" he spoke of wasn't in a superficial sense, but in the endless spatial layers, a vastness in the depth of space.
Even for a ninth-rank evolver who has reached millions of spatial layers, the spatial layers they develop within their inner world are just in the millions.
But the main universe?
A million spatial layers wouldn't even compare to a single hair of the main universe.
"No wonder over the years, with countless battles among the various races' powerhouses, the damage to the main universe has been minimal. With such terrifying foundations, who cares about the attacks of ants?" Lin Yuan thought to himself.
Humans and other races confined wars to fixed battlefields not because they could destroy the main universe, but to prevent the aftermath from affecting those planets and secret realms.
The essence of war is resource contention; without resources, what's the point of fighting?
As for the permanent spatial rifts caused by attacks at the strongest one's level? Measuring them in meters would be insignificant to the main universe, perhaps not even comparable to the gaps between cells.
"Hmm?"
While occupying thousands of spatial layers simultaneously, Lin Yuan noticed some spatial layers containing fragments of weapons.
"They're worthless," Lin Yuan glanced at them, uninterested.
Over countless millennia, as strong individuals fought across countless spatial layers, the victorious, the mutually injured, or those perishing together left their items scattered in various spatial layers.
This explained the origin of those weapon fragments.
Most were waste, though there might be some valuable items, they were extremely rare.
Many ninth-rank powerhouses traveled through multiple spatial layers with the idea of 'picking up scraps,' hoping to find some treasure left in an unknown spatial layer.
Besides these, the depths of the main universe's multiple spatial layers also birthed cosmic secret realms.
These cosmic secret realms would, during certain periods, establish brief connections with the outside world, such as the 'Mysterious Yellow' secret realm that the Red Kun Star Lord had visited, which lay deep within the spatial layers.
Whoosh.
Lin Yuan took several consecutive steps, covering tens of thousands of light years in five or six breaths.
"My spirit is a bit exhausted."
Lin Yuan immediately noticed the change in his state. After comprehending the complete spatial rules, he could perform the Great Teleportation technique.
But using the Great Teleportation technique consumed his spirit.
Lin Yuan estimated that at his current rate of spirit consumption, he might feel fatigued after taking several tens of thousands of steps.
Normally, ninth and tenth-rank evolvers wouldn't easily let themselves become fatigued, as it would affect their performance.
Previously, Vice Tower Master Nalan had used the Great Teleportation technique repeatedly, crossing star domains to deliver the 'Soul Calming Bell' to Lin Yuan.
That was because it was an order from the strongest one.
And it also related to Vice Tower Master Nalan's own strength.
The stronger the power, the weaker the feeling of fatigue.
"I should obediently take the spaceship, even though it's slower."
With a thought, Lin Yuan summoned the A-grade spaceship he had purchased.
At this moment, Lin Yuan's expression suddenly changed.
"My spirit is recovering quickly?"
Spirit consumption naturally recovers, but Lin Yuan could clearly feel that his recovery speed exceeded the natural rate.
"Hmm?"
"From the inner world... the world tree?"
Lin Yuan's consciousness descended into his inner world, discovering that the hundred-meter-high world tree was swaying, with a faint green energy merging into the inner world along with the tree's aura.
Then, the inner world operated its world power, nourishing Lin Yuan's body, soul, mind, and will, with that faint green energy restoring his spirit.
"It turns out the world tree has this function too?"
A smile appeared on Lin Yuan's face. Physical and soul consumption were easy to recover, merely at some cost.
But spirit consumption... so far, known human treasures for recovering spirit consumption were extremely valuable.
Even if Lin Yuan could afford them, he wouldn't use them just for travel.
"With this, I can continue using the Great Teleportation for travel. I'll just reduce the step distance each time."
If he continued traveling thousands of light years per step, even with the world tree's help, his recovery speed would still fall short of the consumption rate.
But Lin Yuan could completely reduce his traveling speed, say, from a thousand light years per step to eight hundred? Five hundred light years?
Smaller steps naturally meant lower consumption.
But even so, the traveling speed would still far exceed that of a spaceship. Wormhole travel required cooldown time; even the best spaceships only reduced the cooldown, still needing to wait after each transit.
But the Great Teleportation technique required no cooldown time.
"Nine hundred light years per step... no."
"Eight hundred light years per step... still no."
"Seven hundred light years per step... no, no."
Lin Yuan began experimenting, trying to find a balance between consumption and recovery.
Eventually.
Lin Yuan determined that traveling five hundred and thirty light years per step balanced his spirit consumption and recovery speed, including the world tree's aid.
In other words, maintaining five hundred and thirty light years per step, no matter how long, would cause no fatigue.
Because as soon as a bit of spirit was consumed, it would be immediately restored.
"Let's do this."
Lin Yuan continued stepping across star domains and rivers, heading toward the Central Star Domain.
Milky Way Main Star.
The Yin primordial spirit was rapidly absorbing the liquid from the mysterious gourd.
Due to synchronizing the 'Blood Rebirth' divine ability, the Yin primordial spirit's attainment in this divine ability was at the same level as the true body.
Thus, the absorption speed of the previous liquids was very fast, reaching the progress of the true body within half a month, absorbing up to the fifth green liquid.
"My strength..."
A smile appeared on Lin Yuan's face. The inner world of the primordial spirit had also reached a size of one to two hundred million miles in circumference, almost indistinguishable from the true body.
Before comprehending the complete spatial rules, the two primordial spirits, due to their incomplete mastery of their paths, had smaller inner worlds compared to the true body's basic inner world.
They needed to merge into the Taiji Primordial Spirit to match the true body's basic inner world size.
Here, the basic inner world refers to the one not enhanced by the mysterious gourd.
But after comprehending the complete spatial rules, this distinction disappeared, with all inner worlds capable of expanding to the upper limit of ten million miles in circumference.
"Now, my true body, Yin primordial spirit, and Yang primordial spirit have the same strength, with no distinction between true body and avatars."
Lin Yuan muttered to himself.
Now, all three bodies could be considered true bodies.
Human civilization's 'avatar' techniques were called avatars because the condensed avatars generally had less power than the true body.
And while the avatar's death wouldn't kill the true body, the true body's death would mean the avatar's end too.
Lin Yuan's true body and the two primordial spirits, regardless of which two perished, could be re-condensed by the remaining one.
This alone was far superior to typical avatar techniques.
At the edge of the Central Star Domain.
Above a planet.
Lin Yuan's figure silently appeared.
"Finally arrived."
The human civilization's territory was vast. Traveling from the Milky Way Star Domain to the Central Star Domain didn't even count as crossing the entire human territory. Even so, Lin Yuan spent nearly a year.
It must be noted that during this year, Lin Yuan hardly stopped, continuously traveling at five hundred and thirty light years per step.
"In the Central Star Domain, the Great Teleportation technique can't be used."
Lin Yuan silently thought.
To be precise, no spatial travel techniques were allowed.
The Central Star Domain was the heartland of human civilization. If spatial travel were permitted, it would cause chaos.
Just as Lin Yuan arrived.
A figure swiftly flew from the planet below.
"Hahaha, Milky Way Star Lord, I've been waiting for you." This figure was also a ninth-rank evolver, specifically responsible for welcoming and guiding Lin Yuan.
"In fact, not long ago, I saw you, Milky Way Star Lord." This ninth-rank evolver was a purple-haired man, smiling at Lin Yuan.
"Saw me?" Lin Yuan was puzzled.
"My name is 'Xi Lan.' I was the overseer of battlefield B0001." Xi Lan briefly explained.
Xi Lan looked at Lin Yuan, thinking:
'The Milky Way Star Lord arrived much faster than estimated. Has he been using the Great Teleportation technique?'
Typically, new ninth-rank evolvers would be extremely excited, especially after mastering the complete spatial rules, they'd use the Great Teleportation technique for travel, despite the fatigue.
It's like getting a new toy; one would play with it constantly.
As for the side effect of the Great Teleportation technique—fatigue due to spirit consumption?
It wasn't a significant hazard; rest would restore it.
"I see."
Lin Yuan realized that ancient mid-sized alien battlefields like B0001 always had ninth-rank evolvers overseeing them.
Not to intervene, but to prevent ninth-rank alien powerhouses from acting.
Of course, they could intervene if necessary, such as if a peerless genius comparable to the Milky Way Star Lord from the Tianyu race appeared.
'Xi Lan' might take action to kill them.
Even if they could be revived, it would suppress their growth speed.
The strongest ones typically revived their kin after amassing large numbers, not individually.
After all, whether reviving one or a hundred, it only required reversing time once.
Of course, reviving one person versus a hundred involved different backlashes.
To have the strongest one reverse time for a single life, they'd have to be exceptionally valued, otherwise it was unlikely.
As for bullying the weak? Inter-race competition had no such thing as bullying; otherwise, how would weaker, ordinary, and strong races stay obedient under peak races?
"Come, follow me. We've prepared a special welcome ceremony for you."
Xi Lan smiled.
The planet beneath them acted as a transit hub. To enter the Central Star Domain, one had to pass through such planets.
The Central Star Domain allowed no spatial travel but had fixed spatial channels.
This reduced travel time for visitors.
The transit planet below housed a spatial channel leading deep into the Central Star Domain.
Whoosh.
Lin Yuan and Xi Lan appeared inside the transit planet.
"Congratulations to the Milky Way Star Lord on reaching the ninth rank." On the planet's surface, countless beings stood, both human and other races, with the latter making up half.
"Congratulations to the Milky Way Star Lord on reaching the ninth rank."
"Congratulations to the Milky Way Star Lord on reaching the ninth rank."
"Congratulations to the Milky Way Star Lord on reaching the ninth rank."
Deafening congratulatory voices echoed, celebrating Lin Yuan.
"So many other races?" Lin Yuan glanced around, slightly surprised.
"These other races are either subjugated by our human civilization or members of our human civilization alliance." Xi Lan explained.
The cosmos had several peak race alliances, like the Tianyu Grand Alliance, the Insect Race Grand Alliance, etc., centered around peak races.
Their purpose was to unite all forces to compete with other races.
Human civilization, as a peak race, naturally had its grand alliance, known as the Human Civilization Alliance.
The Human Civilization Alliance, led by humans, comprised one hundred eighty-two strong races and six thousand three hundred thirteen ordinary races.
"Let's go."
"We'll head to the spatial channel directly."
"The Eternal Spring is on the home planet, requiring transfer through several spatial channels." Xi Lan didn't pause, leading Lin Yuan to the spatial channel on the transit planet.
Whoosh.
In an instant.
Lin Yuan and Xi Lan followed the spatial channel, leaving the planet.
"Is it over?"
On the transit planet, the congratulatory crowd, including many other races, finally dared to speak softly.
Months ago, they had been brought here, rehearsing for this moment to shout, "Congratulations to the Milky Way Star Lord on reaching the ninth rank."
"Sister Luo Qin, the Milky Way Star Lord must be an extraordinary human, right?" A small statured alien cautiously asked a human woman beside him.
As an alien, even fully dependent on humans, there were many restrictions. Without certain years, they couldn't use the virtual world network, so news was scarce, and they hadn't heard of the Milky Way Star Lord.
But even if they hadn't heard of him, they knew from the grand scale of this event on the planet that the Milky Way Star Lord was extraordinary.
It should be noted that this transit planet handled large numbers of humans and aliens entering the Central Star Domain daily.
Yet, months ago, it closed to prepare exclusively for the Milky Way Star Lord.
Though there were many such transit planets at the edge of the Central Star Domain, reserving one specifically wasn't something ordinary ninth-rank evolvers could arrange.
The small alien had seen other new ninth-rank human evolvers come without such treatment.
"Of course!"
The human woman, called 'Sister Luo Qin,' showed a proud expression.
"The Milky Way Star Lord is the pride of our human civilization."
...
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