Milky Way Main Star.
"Twenty years have passed." Lin Yuan opened his eyes and looked at the vast and boundless cosmic starry sky.
The stronger a being is in the main universe, the less sensitive they are to the passage of time. It's not uncommon for a strong being to spend hundreds or even thousands of years in seclusion. Twenty years is hardly considered a blink of an eye.
But the changes that these twenty years had brought to Lin Yuan were extraordinarily significant.
First, in terms of his cultivation of the Mysterious Emperor Strike and the Mysterious Emperor Body, both had reached the third stage.
By utilizing the Mysterious Emperor Strike, Lin Yuan could constantly maintain a strength that was four times beyond his own limits. Every move he made, the power he unleashed, would even cause a typical tenth-rank being to be cautious.
Of course, Lin Yuan had yet to face any tenth-rank beings. He had only roughly gauged his own power by reviewing human civilization's recorded videos of tenth-rank battles.
But to challenge a tenth-rank being as a ninth-rank, and not just an early tenth-rank Class E, was beyond astonishing.
The leap from ninth to tenth rank is a major breakthrough, not something that can be compensated for by merely opening a few million more layers of space.
Of course, Lin Yuan hadn't just opened a few million layers; he had opened more than 2 billion.
"Inner World."
Lin Yuan's consciousness descended into his inner world.
After twenty years of continuously absorbing the purple liquid from the mysterious gourd, Lin Yuan's inner world had finally expanded to over 200M miles in radius.
"It seems that only by reaching the tenth rank will I be able to fully absorb the purple liquid," Lin Yuan thought to himself.
The difficulty of absorbing the purple liquid exceeded his expectations. Now, Lin Yuan was only about fifty years away from completing his transformation and stepping into the tenth rank.
In fifty years, at the current rate of absorption, it was practically impossible to fully absorb it.
"I wonder, what changes will the mysterious gourd undergo once all the purple liquid is absorbed?" Lin Yuan's thoughts stirred, and a grayish-purple gourd appeared before him.
Through the gourd's "verification," Lin Yuan had obtained some information, including details about the seven types of liquid contained within the gourd.
But what changes the gourd would undergo after absorbing all seven types of liquid remained unknown.
"Take it slow," Lin Yuan decided not to dwell on his inner world.
"Space-Time Step." Lin Yuan thought of the escape secret technique within the three great protective secret methods of the Mysterious Emperor Lineage.
Compared to the rapid progress of the previous two secret techniques, his progress in this one had been much slower.
However, despite the slow progress, Lin Yuan had still managed to reach the point where he could traverse tens of millions of light-years in a single step.
Of course, this "step" had significant limitations—it could only be taken a total of nine times.
After taking nine steps, Lin Yuan would have crossed ninety million light-years, at which point much of the energy within him would be exhausted, a cost far more severe than using the physical enhancement technique.
Energy depletion meant Lin Yuan would have no ability to resist, so this escape secret technique was generally not used to take all nine steps, as the cost was too great.
"The 'Steps Through Time and Space' technique is a fusion of time and space rules. For me, perhaps only after fully comprehending the rules of time will it be easier to understand?"
Lin Yuan's eyes brightened slightly.
For an eleventh-rank being to aim for the ultimate breakthrough, one of the prerequisites is the fusion of time and space rules.
Normally, an eleventh-rank being would have no clue how to fuse space-time, but Lin Yuan saw traces of space-time fusion within this secret technique.
"His Majesty, the Mysterious Sovereign, was actually able to reveal the essence of space-time fusion in the form of a secret technique. It's terrifying."
Lin Yuan sighed with admiration.
"Steps Through Time and Space" is more like a "shortcut" for fusing space-time than an escape secret technique.
It's important to note that although the strongest ones have all fused space-time, accomplishing this and explaining it are two completely different concepts.
The space-time that the strongest ones have fused is their own space-time. Unless one has an incredible understanding of the essence of space-time, it's impossible to explain it to others.
Yet, the Mysterious Sovereign managed to do just that.
"Could such a powerful being also disappear? Also die?" Lin Yuan found it difficult to comprehend. The strongest ones have transcended the river of time—if they are careful, it's almost impossible for them to die.
Especially someone as powerful as the Mysterious Sovereign, a being among the strongest.
"In these twenty years, my understanding of time models has reached the 2,173rd model." Lin Yuan raised his hands, and threads of time power swirled and intertwined at his fingertips.
To date, the pioneering scholars of human civilization have summarized a total of 2,173 time rule models.
In other words, Lin Yuan had essentially completed the understanding and expression of time rules as summarized by those pioneering scholars of human civilization.
The reason he says "essentially" is because he has yet to fully comprehend the final time rule model.
"This time rule model involves time reversal, time stop, time acceleration... All states of time gathered into one?"
Lin Yuan carefully contemplated, and inspiration continued to flood his mind.
"If I can fully comprehend the rules of time while still at the ninth rank, allowing my inner world to become independent of the main universe, then during my final transformation into the tenth rank..."
Lin Yuan continued to contemplate while also thinking in his mind.
For human civilization's eighth-rank evolvers, they develop an inner world, but this inner world is not a completely independent world; many of its rules, especially the time rules, are shared with the main universe.
To break away from this shared state, one must fully comprehend the rules of time and then integrate them into their inner world.
Theoretically, the earlier one comprehends the rules of time and integrates them into their inner world, the greater the benefits when making major breakthroughs.
A major breakthrough will cause the inner world to transform, and the transformation of a completely independent inner world is far greater than that of one still dependent on the main universe.
If Lin Yuan were to fully comprehend the rules of time at the ninth rank and make his inner world "independent," he would have two opportunities for transformation when breaking through to the tenth rank and then to the eleventh rank.
In this aspect, he would leave those who only comprehended the rules of time at the eleventh rank far behind.
An eleventh-rank being who comprehends the rules of time and integrates them into their inner world achieves "independence," but their inner world has not undergone the previous transformations, so its foundation is much weaker.
When they attempt to ascend to the twelfth rank, striving for the ultimate refinement of their inner universe, the difficulty will naturally be much higher.
"I should try my best."
Lin Yuan thought to himself. Human civilization's records include examples of tenth-rank evolvers who fully comprehended the rules of time and then enhanced the foundation of their inner world when ascending to the eleventh rank.
But a ninth-rank evolver comprehending the rules of time? At least Lin Yuan hadn't heard of such a case yet.
A ninth-rank evolver can barely perceive slight time fluctuations. Expecting them to fully comprehend the rules of time might be too much to ask.
"Just a little more, and I'll be able to comprehend this time model." Lin Yuan continued his contemplation.
After a while, Lin Yuan stopped his contemplation.
"I'll make a trip to the Devil Jade Space and challenge the fifth level again." Lin Yuan used the Devil Jade Mark to descend into the Devil Jade Space.
The fifth level of the Black Tower tests one's understanding of the rules of time. According to the humanoid stone statue Shen Ji, one must fully comprehend the complete rules of time to pass through.
Lin Yuan was still some distance away from fully comprehending the rules of time, but attempting to challenge the fifth level, using the various time environments there, might help him fully comprehend the final time rule model.
Although Xia Qin, the strongest one, told Lin Yuan to seek him out if he had any cultivation issues, Lin Yuan was still reluctant to bother the strongest one unless he was truly stuck at a bottleneck.
Right now, Lin Yuan didn't believe that the final time model was a bottleneck that would stop him for long.
Whoosh.
Before the Nine-Level Black Tower.
The humanoid stone statue Shen Ji looked at Lin Yuan and asked tentatively, "Are you challenging the fifth level?"
"Yes," Lin Yuan nodded.
"Go on in." The humanoid stone statue Shen Ji thought for a moment before opening the Black Tower door to let Lin Yuan enter.
Buzz.
The fifth level of the Black Tower.
Lin Yuan's figure appeared.
Crash!
Time ripples spread, and various extreme time flows surged forward.
If this had been thirty years ago, Lin Yuan wouldn't have been able to last long. When he previously challenged the third and fourth levels, he tried the fifth level but withdrew instantly.
But now?
Having nearly comprehended all the time rule models, Lin Yuan might not yet have the hope of passing the fifth level, but at least he could walk halfway through.
If he didn't try to advance, he could even last indefinitely.
"Hmm, my understanding of the rules of time has advanced rapidly once again. I'm not far from fully comprehending them."
Outside the Black Tower, the humanoid stone statue Shen Ji carefully observed, yet there was no trace of surprise in his heart.
In just twenty or thirty years, Lin Yuan had reached such a height in the field of time rules. This would be astonishing even for an eleventh-rank being, let alone Lin Yuan, who was still a ninth-rank being.
But having been in contact with Lin Yuan for so long, the humanoid stone statue Shen Ji had almost become accustomed to Lin Yuan constantly breaking various records and achieving miracles.
Just as the humanoid stone statue Shen Ji was watching the events on the fifth level.
Suddenly.
The stone statue seemed to sense something.
A trace of surprise appeared on his face.
At the same time, he looked in another direction within the Devil Jade Space.
In the misty haze.
A trace of spiritual will descended.
"I..." This trace of spiritual will manifested as a burly man, over three meters tall, who looked around excitedly.
"Is this the Devil Jade Space?" The burly man carefully examined the surrounding mist.
He came from a large evolutionary family in the northern star region of human civilization, an extraordinary genius renowned across dozens of star domains.
Nearly a hundred years ago, human civilization had publicly revealed a portion of that body to certain geniuses. Since then, the burly man had begun to comprehend an evolutionary path from that body.
After countless efforts and a great deal of luck, the burly man finally managed to complete that evolutionary path, and a Devil Jade Mark was condensed in the depths of his soul.
"The Goddess of Wisdom told me that completing the evolutionary path I comprehended would bring me to a mysterious space, where great opportunities await."
The burly man was excited, and he soon walked deeper into the surrounding mist.
Before long.
The burly man arrived in front of a towering Nine-Level Black Tower.
"Another one has come?" The humanoid stone statue Shen Ji glanced at the burly man. In an instant, he knew everything about how the man had become an ordinary member of the Devil Jade Tower.
"Just an ordinary completion of some magic-based evolutionary path?" The humanoid stone statue Shen Ji shook his head internally.
The gap between this and Lin Yuan's comprehension of 3,333 types of magic-based evolutionary paths was vast, like a chasm.
Moreover, Lin Yuan was no longer just an ordinary member of the Devil Jade Tower; he was now a core member.
"Senior." The burly man cautiously greeted the humanoid stone statue Shen Ji.
"Here is some information about this place," the humanoid stone statue Shen Ji raised his right hand and transmitted a vast amount of information into the burly man's mind.
"Ugh..." The burly man frowned, taking a moment to process the information before gradually relaxing.
"The Nine-Level Black Tower, first level, second level, third level..." The burly man looked up at the towering Black Tower before him, a trace of shock on his face.
"Wait a moment, someone else is ahead of you," the humanoid stone statue Shen Ji glanced at the burly man and casually said.
"Someone else is ahead?" The burly man felt a bit disheartened. So he wasn't the first to enter the Devil Jade Space?
"Are they on the first or second level?" The burly man, having received the information from Shen Ji, knew the difficulty of passing each level.
"Hmm?"
"The fifth level?"
The burly man looked up and noticed that the fifth level of the Black Tower was glowing faintly. He immediately realized that the person ahead of him was challenging that level.
"The fifth level?" The burly man's eyes widened. From the information Shen Ji had provided, he knew that to pass the fifth level, one must fully comprehend the rules of time.
Fully comprehending the rules of time? In the burly man's eyes, this was a domain that only ancient eleventh-rank beings could hope to master.
"Which eleventh-rank being is challenging it?" The burly man was shaken. If not for the fact that only a trace of his spiritual will had descended here, he might have fled far away without hesitation.
An eleventh-rank being... If this were the real world, just one thought from such a being could obliterate him billions of times. Who wouldn't be terrified of being near such power?
The Fifth Level of the Black Tower.
Lin Yuan stood near the center, feeling the immense power of time surging around him.
[Your Unrivaled Insight allows you to perceive various time fluctuations, comprehending the 2,173rd time model.]
In a trance, an illusory time rule model formed before Lin Yuan.
This time rule model had a sense of perfection, seemingly encompassing various changes in the rules of time.
"So this is the final time rule model?"
Lin Yuan closed his eyes. After comprehending this critical point, Lin Yuan's understanding of the rules of time had reached a certain height. From here on, he would need to forge his own path.
Every strong being who comprehends the rules of time has a unique understanding of them.
The rules of space are vast and boundless, encompassing many "facets." Fully comprehending the rules of space means fully understanding only one of these facets.
The same is true for the rules of time.
"It's time to leave."
Lin Yuan looked at the remaining distance. He had not yet fully comprehended the rules of time, so he had no hope of passing through.
Whoosh.
Lin Yuan's figure appeared outside the Black Tower.
"Hmm?"
"Someone else is here?"
Lin Yuan immediately noticed the burly man's presence.
The spiritual will that had descended into the Devil Jade Space was shaped with a deliberately nondescript appearance, intending to conceal his true identity.
"Greetings... Greetings, Senior," the burly man said respectfully, his scalp tingling. To him, the young man before him was an ancient eleventh-rank being, and he didn't even dare look directly at him.
"Hmm."
Lin Yuan nodded slightly.
He could tell that the burly man was human.
That was good. If the burly man had been from another alien race, or even from a hostile group, Lin Yuan might have used his core member privileges to temporarily expel him.
But since the burly man was human? As a fellow member of his race, Lin Yuan didn't mind him attempting to challenge the Nine-Level Black Tower.
The rewards obtained from the Nine-Level Black Tower depended entirely on the talent one displayed, and the rewards most trial participants received were not particularly valuable.
"Senior."
The burly man kept his head down, not daring to release even a trace of his perception, fearing it might displease the eleventh-rank being who had just challenged the fifth level.
After a long time, the burly man finally gathered the courage to look up, only to find that the person in front of him had long since disappeared, leaving only the humanoid stone statue Shen Ji watching him.
"Senior has left?" The burly man breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "Was Senior also human?"
From the brief glimpse earlier, the burly man had also realized that Lin Yuan was human.
"I wonder which eleventh-rank evolver from our human alliance that was?" The burly man's shock hadn't completely subsided.
Had he just been fortunate enough to see an eleventh-rank evolver today?
Milky Way Main Star.
Lin Yuan was in a good mood after comprehending all the time rule models.
"Right."
"Xia Qin, the strongest one, told me to find him after comprehending all the time rule models." Lin Yuan recalled Xia Qin's instructions.
He immediately connected to the virtual world.
The Towering Evolution High Tower World.
Xia Qin, the strongest one, was sitting on his throne when his expression suddenly changed slightly.
"That little guy wants to see me. Could it be..." Xia Qin's thoughts were complex. How long has it been, and he's already comprehended all the time rule models?
Moments later.
Lin Yuan's figure appeared.
"Strongest one." Lin Yuan bowed slightly.
"You've comprehended all the time models?" Even though he had expected it, Xia Qin, the strongest one, still asked to confirm.
"Yes," Lin Yuan nodded. "So I came to see you."
"I see." Xia Qin nodded. On the surface, he appeared calm, but internally, he was quite unsettled.
"Comprehending all the time models still leaves a gap before fully understanding the rules of time. I need to figure out exactly where you are in that gap."
Xia Qin composed himself and spoke.
"Alright," Lin Yuan nodded. He, too, wanted to know how far he was from fully understanding the rules of time.
"In that case, I'll have Nalan spar with you, focusing solely on your understanding of the rules of time," Xia Qin suggested.
The simplest way to gauge Lin Yuan's position would be to spar, but Xia Qin, being a strongest one, naturally wouldn't engage in combat with Lin Yuan.
Instead, he intended to have Vice Tower Master Nalan test Lin Yuan.
As a tenth-rank Class A being who was close to fully comprehending all the time models, Vice Tower Master Nalan was a suitable opponent to gauge Lin Yuan's depth.
Soon.
Vice Tower Master Nalan appeared next to Lin Yuan.
"Strongest one." Vice Tower Master Nalan bowed slightly to Xia Qin, the strongest one, a look of puzzlement on his face.
"Nalan, I want you to spar with the Milky Way Star Lord, focusing solely on your understanding of the rules of time," Xia Qin, the strongest one, instructed directly.
"Spar?"
"With the Milky Way Star Lord?"
Vice Tower Master Nalan was taken aback.
He was a Class A tenth-rank being, and he was being asked to spar with the ninth-rank Milky Way Star Lord?
Isn't this bullying? No matter how powerful the Milky Way Star Lord is, no matter how exceptional he is at the ninth rank, he's still a ninth-rank being. What difference does it make if he's developed a few million layers of space?
And the strongest one's instructions were to spar purely based on their understanding of the rules of time, meaning the Milky Way Star Lord wouldn't even be able to use his most proficient space layers.
This... This is too much!
Vice Tower Master Nalan almost felt sorry for Lin Yuan.
"What is the strongest one thinking?" Vice Tower Master Nalan wondered. "Could it be that he thinks the Milky Way Star Lord's cultivation has been too smooth, so he wants to give him some setbacks and hardships, and he's asking me to toughen him up?"
...
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