Milky Way Main Star
In just three days, Lin Yuan's inner world had expanded to nearly 200M miles in radius.
The vast power of his world, combined with the strength of over 2 billion space layers, could instill fear in even ordinary tenth-rank experts.
"The stability of the primary universe's space is unparalleled, with countless space layers equally stable," Lin Yuan mused.
In the world of gods, Lin Yuan could easily carve out stable 'Martial Worlds' between space layers for all Martial Dao deities to ascend. However, in the primary universe, this was impossible.
The space was too stable; even tenth-rank experts couldn't forcefully create a world within it, requiring at least an eleventh-rank to do so. Furthermore, any world created by an eleventh-rank expert wouldn't be permanent and would gradually be restored by the primary universe's inherent repair capabilities.
Unless one reached the level of a Supreme Being (Strongest One), possessing the power to create permanent spatial rifts, establishing a stable 'Martial World' in the primary universe was almost impossible.
"However, the hottest topic in human civilization these days should be the Martial Path evolution method," Lin Yuan connected to the virtual network, where headlines on major media outlets were all about the Martial Path evolution method.
Before the upload of the ninth chapter, the Martial Path, even though it topped the Annan Star Alliance list, was considered a localized evolution method in the grand scheme of human civilization.
The Annan Star Alliance was just one of countless star alliances within human civilization. Even with the Martial Path's rapid rise, the majority of human evolvers and citizens hadn't heard of it.
But when the ninth-rank Martial Path evolution method entered the Southern Star Region evolution list, it 'broke out.'
The human alliance had many areas like the Annan Star Alliance, but only five major star regions. The evolution lists of these star regions were closely watched by countless human evolvers daily.
Changes in the Southern Star Region evolution list, even in the fifty-third position, would trigger widespread discussion across human civilization.
"This is a good thing."
"The 'breakout' of the Martial Path evolution method will likely increase the number of evolvers practicing it," Lin Yuan thought happily, checking the number of Martial Path evolvers.
Human civilization required every new evolver to register with the local evolver association, as Lin Yuan had done in the Canglan Star.
Through these registrations, detailed information was compiled, allowing for the counting of Martial Path evolvers at each level.
"First chapter: 695,634 billion." "Second chapter: 92.54 billion." "Third chapter: 1,965 billion." "Fourth chapter: 54.2 million." "Fifth chapter: 8.12 million." "Sixth chapter: 980,000." "Seventh chapter: 2,673." "Eighth chapter: Zero."
Lin Yuan nodded slightly, noting the sharp drop in numbers from the second to the third chapter.
This wasn't because the breakthrough from the second to the third chapter of the Martial Path was particularly difficult, but because at least half of the first and second chapter practitioners had started only recently.
The exposure from the Southern Star Region evolution list, ranked fifty-third, attracted countless citizens to the Martial Path. The first and second chapters could be quickly mastered through energy accumulation, but the transition to the third chapter was much harder.
"Following a stable evolution path, the efficiency and speed are indeed high," Lin Yuan nodded.
It had been only a hundred years since the Martial Path evolution method was uploaded, yet 2,000 evolvers had already reached the seventh chapter.
When Lin Yuan initially developed the first to seventh chapters, it took about a thousand years, including time spent in transmigrated worlds.
However, those who had reached the seventh chapter in a century were mostly high-ranking evolvers who had switched to the Martial Path, seeing its potential early and at great cost.
For high-ranking evolvers, re-cultivating in the Martial Path allowed them to progress quickly through the early and mid-stages without much additional insight.
"Income from these years," Lin Yuan glanced at his account balance, seeing about nine million universe crystals.
This was universe crystals, not civilization currency or universe currency, but a universal currency among countless races in the cosmos.
An eighth-rank expert's net worth ranged from several thousand to ten thousand universe crystals. Lin Yuan's income from the Martial Path evolution method over the past few decades was equivalent to what a thousand eighth-rank experts might earn over half their lives.
"Four million of the nine million universe crystals are from recent income. The ninth chapter is priced at five trillion civilization currency, equivalent to five universe crystals."
"Four million universe crystals in royalties mean total sales of about twelve million universe crystals, indicating the ninth chapter has been purchased two to three million times," Lin Yuan marveled at the wealth of high-ranking evolvers, who had vast means of acquiring wealth.
"The income from royalties will only increase," Lin Yuan realized the earning potential of a high-level evolution method founder.
While the process of developing an evolution method was arduous, once successful, it became a golden goose.
Although universe crystals weren't as valuable as merit points in human civilization, with sufficient quantity, they could purchase most universe treasures and wonders.
"However, royalties are secondary," Lin Yuan dismissed the income interface, looking toward the stars.
"The real benefit will be the support I receive when I make the ultimate leap," Lin Yuan mused.
Human civilization's expansion and wars with other races aimed to secure more territory and increase the population base.
A larger population not only produced more talented evolvers but also allowed more people to practice various evolution methods, increasing the chances of elevating a peak eleventh-rank existence to a Supreme Being.
Among the peak civilizations, human civilization had the most Supreme Beings, nine in total, partly due to its large population.
Unique beings could easily reach the eleventh rank but often hesitated to challenge the Supreme Being level due to the lack of certainty.
Thus, many 'Ancient Gods' in the deep space continually propagated evolution methods based on their characteristics, like the 'Ancient God' evolution methods circulating within human civilization, preparing for that crucial step.
Mysterious Emperor Secret Realm
Lin Yuan raced through various space layers.
"I'm nearing the core area," Lin Yuan sensed, calculating that he was close to the source of the calling.
"About half a month to go," Lin Yuan estimated, growing more expectant as the calling grew clearer.
"Mysterious Emperor?" Lin Yuan translated the calling into human words, thinking it referred to the master of the Mysterious Emperor Secret Realm, an existence of Supreme Being level.
"A calling related to a Supreme Being."
As Lin Yuan pondered, his expression changed slightly.
"There?"
He sensed a hidden presence in the area.
"Boom!"
A massive Insect mother nest, millions of feet in size, rose and fled frantically.
"Insect?" Lin Yuan smiled. Despite most ninth-rank aliens avoiding him, he was pleasantly surprised to encounter a Insect.
The Mysterious Emperor Secret Realm was vast, and running into a ninth-rank Insect was a stroke of luck.
"Stay," Lin Yuan raised his right hand, spreading the power of two billion space layers. Though the Insect mother nest had comprehended nearly 30 million space layers, it was no match for Lin Yuan.
"Milky Way Star Lord!" The Insect mother nest's voice was filled with anger and sorrow before it self-destructed, its massive body exploding.
"So decisive?" Lin Yuan shook his head slightly.
Insect mother nests were huge, and losing a clone was a far greater loss for them than for smaller ninth-ranks like Xi Lan.
"Is it because they know I have a 'Memory Poison'?" Lin Yuan speculated.
Other ninth-rank aliens feared being captured and taken to human territory for interrogation by human experts, but the Insect knew Lin Yuan didn't need to do that.
Previously, the Insect had sent four eighth-rank invincibles to ambush Lin Yuan, using a 'Memory Poison' that could annihilate a strong being's memories, making resurrection impossible. After those four fell, the Insect knew the Memory Poison had fallen into Lin Yuan's hands.
"Good loot, worth about four million universe crystals," Lin Yuan nodded, noting the Insect's substantial gains from the secret realm, now his.
Milky Way Main Star
Lin Yuan finished his day's cultivation.
"Right."
"I should visit the Devil Jade Space and attempt the third level of the Black Tower," Lin Yuan decided.
He was eager for the rewards from passing the levels of the Black Tower. The 'Chaos Crystal' he received from the second level still provided insights, and the secret methods like 'Interpretation of the Void' and 'Virtual Reality,' created by the owner of the Devil Jade Tower, were invaluable.
"Let's go."
Lin Yuan sensed the 'Devil Jade Mark' in his soul and sent a sliver of his will into the Devil Jade Space.
"It's been a while."
Looking at the gray mist around him, Lin Yuan felt nostalgic.
This 'while' included the thousand years he spent in the world of gods.
In the primary universe, not much time had passed.
Swoosh.
Soon, Lin Yuan arrived before the towering nine-level Black Tower.
"You're here?" The humanoid statue, Shen Ji, emerged, smiling at Lin Yuan.
"Here to try the third level again?" Shen Ji saw Lin Yuan's intent, knowing that besides attempting the third level, there wasn't much else for Lin Yuan to do in the Devil Jade Space.
"Yes," Lin Yuan nodded.
Previous attempts at the third level had ended in failure, far from passing it. But now, Lin Yuan was confident.
"Go ahead," Shen Ji opened the entrance to the Black Tower and stepped aside.
Swish!
Lin Yuan stepped in.
Black Tower Third Level
Every inch of space was filled with omnipresent pressure.
From previous attempts, Lin Yuan knew what the third level tested.
The first and second levels tested resistance to invisible pressure, requiring challengers to withstand it.
The third level's pressure was insurmountable; the real test was to occupy more space layers to evade the pressure from all directions.
The key to the third level was to dodge.
"Last time, I had developed less than 100,000 space layers and couldn't even get through one percent of the level," Lin Yuan recalled.
He estimated that to pass the third level, one needed to develop nearly a billion space layers.
Such a number was unattainable for most ninth-rank beings in this era.
"But for me now..."
Lin Yuan occupied countless space layers instantly and took a step forward.
Outside the Black Tower.
Shen Ji watched the third level's screen with interest.
"Last time, this kid spent half an hour to cover one percent of the distance, probably quite a blow," Shen Ji thought.
Geniuses like Lin Yuan were proud, and seeing themselves so weak in the third level must have stung, even with Shen Ji's explanation that it required a special ninth-rank or a tenth-rank being to pass.
"For him to attempt the third level again, he must have made a breakthrough, perhaps covering two or even five percent this time?"
Shen Ji assumed Lin Yuan had made significant progress.
Covering two to five percent required a ninth-rank being with nearly a million space layers.
Lin Yuan previously had less than 100,000.
"Truly a genius who comprehended dozens of cosmic powers at the eighth rank. Such rapid progress in a short time..."
Shen Ji watched with a smile as Lin Yuan took a step.
Swish!
Lin Yuan disappeared.
"Huh?"
Shen Ji was stunned, seeing Lin Yuan appear at the third level's endpoint.
"What?!" Shen Ji was dumbfounded.
...
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