The eleventh-rank beings in the depths of the universe, whether ancient gods or even ultimate beings, were all certain that it was a tenth-rank being who had comprehended the laws of time and was now breaking through to the eleventh rank.
This conclusion was based on the tear in the universe and the influx of chaotic void origin, which were both much smaller than those that occur when a peak eleventh-rank being attempts to reach the ultimate level.
However, Xia Qin and Yu Die knew that this was not the case.
What was causing such a significant commotion was simply the Master of the Milky Way Star Domain breaking through to the tenth rank.
Breaking through from the ninth rank to the tenth rank.
This left the two Strongest ones somewhat stunned.
Even though they had high expectations for Lin Yuan and believed that the tear caused by his breakthrough would be around ten million miles wide, which was already an overestimation, they never expected this. A normal ninth-rank being breaking through to the tenth rank would typically cause a tear of only about a million miles.
Some exceptional ninth-rank beings might manage a tear of two to three million miles, but that would be the limit.
And the tears caused by these breakthroughs were within the universe, with the infusion of universe origin.
However, a being who had comprehended the laws of time and whose internal world was completely independent would tear a gap connecting to the chaotic void.
The quality of the chaotic void's origin is far superior to that of the universe's origin. If the Master of the Milky Way Star Domain hadn't opened more than two hundred million layers of space, Xia Qin would have thought that the tear during the breakthrough would be less than a million miles.
"A tear in the universe over twelve light-years wide, with the chaotic void's origin pouring in, such a phenomenon shouldn't be happening during a ninth-rank breakthrough to the tenth rank, should it?"
Xia Qin and Yu Die were perplexed.
They weren't doubting Lin Yuan, but rather found the current situation somewhat unbelievable.
A tenth-rank being who had comprehended the laws of time might tear a gap in the universe ten light-years wide during their breakthrough to the eleventh rank.
But that's at the tenth rank, after a major transformation from the ninth rank, even if only the universe's origin was infused. This transformation enhances everything—body, soul, mind, will, and internal world.
Moreover, at the tenth rank, various fusion rules are constantly being comprehended and integrated into the internal world, greatly enhancing its foundation.
These enhancements far exceed what can be achieved by simply opening an extra billion or two space layers.
For a ninth-rank being, opening more space layers indeed adds to the foundation for stepping into the tenth rank, but only to some extent. The fusion of various rules, especially pillar rules, at the tenth rank contributes much more.
The Master of the Milky Way Star Domain had only comprehended the laws of time and hadn't even grasped a single pillar-level fusion rule. How could he bear so much of the chaotic void's origin infusion?
Xia Qin and Yu Die were full of doubts, but the commotion caused by the breakthrough was undeniably real, with an endless influx of chaotic void origin pouring down.
"This little guy."
"He must have some major secrets," Xia Qin and Yu Die exchanged glances, "I guess the power he displayed in the Mysterious Emperor's Secret Realm was just for show."
Given the amount of chaotic void origin Lin Yuan was bearing, the foundation he accumulated at the ninth rank must be astonishing.
If he had only opened two hundred million layers of space, how could he have withstood so much chaotic void origin infusion?
"Good, good, good!" Xia Qin looked bright-eyed.
Originally, he thought that Lin Yuan comprehending the laws of time at the ninth rank was already a huge surprise.
He didn't expect an even greater surprise to be waiting.
Based on the commotion caused by Lin Yuan's breakthrough, it's likely that upon reaching the tenth rank, he could rival those at the peak of the A-rank list.
Yu Die also smiled.
Neither of the two Strongest ones blamed Lin Yuan for hiding things from them.
It's necessary to keep some things hidden to grow.
Before the Star Era, during the long years of human civilization's dormancy, humanity also tried to hide itself as much as possible.
If they hadn't hidden, the weak human civilization would have long been divided and devoured by numerous alien races and Strongest ones.
As for the big secrets and opportunities surrounding Lin Yuan?
Xia Qin and Yu Die, the Strongest ones, didn't mind.
No secret could compare to the ones humanity had already discovered.
No opportunity could be greater than those humanity had already obtained.
In the depths of the space layers.
Lin Yuan sat cross-legged. The twelve light-year-wide tear connecting to the chaotic void above his head was rapidly closing.
The time for receiving the origin infusion when breaking through from the ninth to the tenth rank is fixed at 333 seconds.
So the more robust the foundation of the ninth rank, the larger the tear will be. In the same amount of time, to accommodate the origin infusion required for different ninth-rank breakthroughs, the only variable is the size of the tear.
The larger the tear, the more origin can be infused in those 333 seconds.
The tear in the universe caused by Lin Yuan's breakthrough reached twelve light-years, so even though the duration was still 333 seconds, the amount of origin he received was immeasurable.
At this moment, Lin Yuan felt as if he was "filled to the brim."
His true body and the two primordial spirits were all "completely full."
"I've finally stepped into the tenth rank," Lin Yuan opened his eyes, his mind filled with excitement.
Even the most ordinary tenth-rank being experiences a hundred or thousandfold increase in power after receiving the universe's origin infusion, compared to their ninth-rank state.
And Lin Yuan, having received the chaotic void's origin infusion, saw an even greater increase. His body, soul, mind, will, and internal world all reached new heights.
"But... the commotion during my breakthrough must have been quite substantial, right?" Lin Yuan glanced at the void above, where the tear had completely "healed."
Normally, a ninth-rank being breaking through to the tenth rank wouldn't cause such a large disturbance.
The universe origin infusion, which only opens a tear of about a million miles, wouldn't even be detected by eleventh-rank beings, let alone the Strongest ones.
When a tenth-rank being breaks through to the eleventh rank, if it still results in a universe origin infusion, the disturbance isn't that significant either.
Choosing a remote star domain to break through can easily go unnoticed.
But a tenth-rank being who has comprehended the laws of time breaking through to the eleventh rank? Since the beginning of this cosmic epoch, such occurrences have been rare. These tenth-rank beings usually seek the protection of a Strongest one before breaking through.
Just as Xia Qin and Yu Die isolated the space-time for Lin Yuan's breakthrough.
The peak clans like human civilization, the Insect Race, and the Tianyu Clan don't want to see an ultimate being emerge outside their own race, but the Star Alliance's twelfth-rank beings are different.
The Star Alliance is a force formed by many special lifeforms in the universe to resist the oppression of the peak clans. Its Strongest ones are very willing to protect powerful lifeforms with great potential but no significant background.
The disturbance caused by an eleventh-rank being attempting the ultimate leap is much greater than the one caused by Lin Yuan's breakthrough.
But during the ultimate leap, no external force can interfere; at that point, the eleventh-rank being will attempt to completely free themselves from the constraints of the River of Time.
If a Strongest one were to intervene during this process, it would be equivalent to opposing the entire River of Time.
The backlash from such an act would be unbearable, even for a Strongest one.
And once the ultimate leap begins, there are only two outcomes:
Success.
Or death.
"Strongest one..."
Lin Yuan walked out of the space layer on his own initiative.
Over ten years ago, when Xia Qin arrived in the Milky Way Star Domain, he had informed Lin Yuan to focus on his transformation.
Before the breakthrough, Lin Yuan was entirely focused.
But now that he had successfully reached the tenth rank, it was naturally time to meet with Xia Qin.
After all, this Strongest one had protected the Milky Way Star Domain for nearly twenty years, showing his immense regard for Lin Yuan.
Whoosh.
Lin Yuan took a step and appeared outside the Milky Way Star Domain.
At this moment, two figures were standing there quietly.
"Xia Qin... and Yu Die" Lin Yuan was slightly surprised.
Among the nine Strongest ones of human civilization, even if he hadn't seen all of them in person, he was naturally familiar with their appearances.
"Master Xia Qin, Master Yu Die," Lin Yuan bowed slightly.
The nine Strongest ones of human civilization each resided in one of the nine Evolution Towers and could also be referred to as "Tower Masters."
The two Strongest ones smiled as they looked at Lin Yuan and observed him for a moment.
"Lin Yuan, you've really surprised me," Xia Qin remarked with some emotion.
Yu Die also nodded slightly.
As Strongest ones, beings who had broken free from the River of Time at the twelfth rank, what scenes and events hadn't they witnessed?
But with this little guy, Lin Yuan, they had been "shocked" time and again.
"Strongest one, I..." Lin Yuan hesitated, planning to reveal a bit about the number of space layers he had opened.
As for the mysterious gourd? Lin Yuan vaguely felt that it was too significant, and no matter the circumstances, he should never admit to possessing it.
"No need to explain."
Xia Qin waved his hand, "It's normal to have secrets. I have secrets, and so does Yu Die."
Xia Qin looked at Lin Yuan with a smile.
At his level, he wasn't interested in digging into everything. As long as Lin Yuan was a human evolver, that was enough.
"Understood." Lin Yuan responded immediately.
"I can't even gauge your current strength," Xia Qin said, examining Lin Yuan thoughtfully before speaking, "But you should be comparable to an A-rank tenth-rank, right?"
The standard for an A-rank tenth-rank being is the comprehension of a new rule formed by the fusion of two pillar rules.
Although Lin Yuan hadn't yet comprehended such a fusion rule, his foundation was too strong, almost like overwhelming force.
"More or less," Lin Yuan nodded.
In fact, Lin Yuan felt that his current strength surpassed that of an ordinary A-rank tenth-rank being.
After comprehending the laws of time, his internal world became completely independent, and the infusion of chaotic void origin brought far greater improvements than he had anticipated.
"Very good."
A smile appeared on Xia Qin's face.
Given the scale of human civilization, gaining another A-rank tenth-rank being wasn't earth-shattering.
At most, it would influence local battles on large battlefields, and that's all.
But Lin Yuan's A-rank tenth-rank strength was different from that of a normal A-rank tenth-rank.
In human civilization, as well as among other alien races, all A-rank tenth-rank beings have reached the peak of their strength and potential.
There is no room for further improvement unless they break through to the eleventh rank.
But Lin Yuan?
Upon first reaching the tenth rank, he was already comparable to an A-rank tenth-rank being.
Once he mastered various fusion rules, and even a pillar-level fusion rule, what then? Without an eleventh-rank being intervening, who could be Lin Yuan's opponent?
"However, don't get complacent," Xia Qin changed his tone, his voice becoming slightly more serious, "Our expectations for you are not the tenth rank, nor the eleventh rank."
"We expect you to reach the ultimate, the twelfth rank."
Xia Qin looked at Lin Yuan, and Yu Die also restrained her smile.
In the vast universe, the true measure of a peak clan's strength lies solely in the combat power of its Strongest ones.
Without becoming a Strongest one, one is merely a lifeform within the River of Time, destined to eventually die of old age.
No matter how unprecedented Lin Yuan's talent and potential might be, only by reaching the twelfth rank can he achieve eternity.
"Understood."
Lin Yuan nodded.
He, too, longed to become an ultimate being.
First, only by reaching that level could he have the power to protect himself. As for now? He could rely on the power of human civilization to ensure his safety.
But relying on external forces and relying on oneself were two different things, and Lin Yuan preferred the latter.
"After reaching the tenth rank, your internal world will establish a connection with the universe's origin and will naturally undergo a slow transformation."
"So what you need to do now is comprehend as many fusion rules as possible, then integrate them into your internal world to enhance its foundation."
Xia Qin explained.
"Comprehend more fusion rules..."
Lin Yuan suddenly understood.
The more fusion rules a tenth-rank being comprehends, the stronger they become.
Theoretically, even among A-rank tenth-rank beings, there are significant differences in strength.
A tenth-rank being who has comprehended one pillar-level fusion rule compared to one who has comprehended two pillar-level fusion rules—there's an obvious difference in strength.
And there's also a clear distinction between a being who has comprehended a new rule formed by the fusion of three pillar rules and one who has comprehended a new rule formed by the fusion of two pillar rules.
Furthermore, if the time rule is fused with a basic rule, it can greatly enhance the abilities of an A-rank tenth-rank being.
"Exactly."
"Even at the eleventh rank, it's primarily about fusing more rules."
"But an eleventh-rank being fuses the time rule with the space rule, and if possible, the more pillar rules that are fused, the greater the benefits."
Xia Qin nodded.
"The chaos rule?" Lin Yuan couldn't help but ask.
"You actually know about the chaos rule?" Xia Qin was surprised. If human civilization hadn't obtained that great opportunity from beyond the universe, they wouldn't even know about the chaos rule.
"I obtained some information about the chaos rule from a place of opportunity within the Mysterious Emperor's Secret Realm," Lin Yuan said, half-truthfully.
The information about the chaos rule did come from the Mysterious Emperor's Secret Realm.
But it wasn't from a place of opportunity; it was something the six-armed figure, the spirit of the secret realm, had told him.
It came from the Mysterious Sovereign, who had vanished countless eons ago.
"The Mysterious Emperor's Secret Realm was indeed left behind by an extraordinary powerhouse. It's normal for him to know some information about the chaos rule." Xia Qin didn't think much of it.
Reflecting on the past, Xia Qin knew that Lin Yuan had greatly held back his strength within the Mysterious Emperor's Secret Realm.
Given this, it wasn't strange for Lin Yuan to have entered some extraordinary places of opportunity and obtained some high-level information.
"If an eleventh-rank being can comprehend the chaos rule, it would indeed be extremely beneficial for attempting the ultimate leap."
Xia Qin said with a slightly emotional tone, "But don't pursue this too much. It's almost impossible for an eleventh-rank being to comprehend the chaos rule."
"So that's how it is," Lin Yuan thought to himself.
The commotion caused by his breakthrough had already validated his talent and potential.
Even so, Xia Qin still didn't think Lin Yuan could comprehend the chaos rule, which clearly indicated its extreme difficulty.
"By the way."
"Let's keep your breakthrough to the tenth rank under wraps for a few more years," Xia Qin said, "The disturbance caused by your breakthrough was so great that those alien powerhouses all think that our human civilization has produced an eleventh-rank evolver who comprehended the time rule at the tenth rank."
"So I plan to go along with this misunderstanding and first announce to the public that a reclusive evolver from human civilization has comprehended the time rule and then broke through to the eleventh rank in the Central Star Domain."
Xia Qin looked at Lin Yuan.
Comprehending the time rule at the tenth rank, though astonishing, had precedents.
The alien powerhouses wouldn't react too strongly to this.
But if they learned that someone had comprehended the time rule at the ninth rank and caused such a massive commotion during the breakthrough?
Those alien Strongest ones would be restless, trying every possible means to attack Lin Yuan.
Although the human Strongest ones would pay more attention to Lin Yuan and wouldn't let those alien Strongest ones succeed, it was better to avoid such events if possible.
"Can it be hidden?" Lin Yuan was quite curious.
"If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe that a ninth-rank breakthrough to the tenth rank could cause such a huge commotion and phenomenon," Xia Qin glanced at Lin Yuan.
Yu Die also looked at Lin Yuan with a hint of surprise in her eyes.
Compared to the "illusion" that human civilization was about to present to the alien races, the real truth was far more incredible.
"Alright."
"Now that you've stepped into the tenth rank, it's time for me to return."
"Take your time getting familiar with the power you've gained at the tenth rank."
After saying this, Xia Qin disappeared.
When breaking through from the ninth to the tenth rank, even with an ordinary breakthrough, one would receive the universe's origin infusion.
Everything about oneself would be significantly enhanced, so the first thing a new tenth-rank powerhouse does is adapt to their surge in power.
Lin Yuan had received an infusion of chaotic void origin, which is a hundred times stronger than the universe's origin, and the quantity he absorbed was unknown. The magnitude of his power increase was far beyond that of a normal ninth-to-tenth-rank breakthrough.
Yu Die glanced at Lin Yuan and then disappeared as well.
Seeing this, Lin Yuan turned and returned to the main star of the Milky Way.
Due to the Strongest ones' actions isolating space-time, none of the evolvers in the Milky Way Star Domain had noticed anything,
Not even the eighth-rank managers on the main star of the Milky Way knew—
That their Star Lord had now become a tenth-rank evolver.
Whoosh.
Inside the Star Lord's Hall.
Lin Yuan's figure appeared.
Then he sat down cross-legged.
After breaking through to the tenth rank, Lin Yuan had immediately gone to meet with Xia Qin and Yu Die, and hadn't had a chance to carefully compare the changes in his strength. Now he finally had time to slowly feel and assess them.
...
20 chapters ahead on patreon: patreon.com/David_Lord
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