Twenty years in the two-dimensional world equated to only two or three months in the main universe.
Virtual World.
Lin Yuan was discussing information with Deputy Tower Master Nalan.
In the two-dimensional world, most of the strong beings from various major forces had essentially begun to join forces.
Even those unique special life forms were no exception.
In the main universe, those sixth-tier eleventh-rank special life forms were terrifyingly powerful.
But in the two-dimensional world, before the eleventh-rank pinnacle beings had fully matured, they might still die at the hands of a ninth or tenth-rank life form.
The power ceiling in the two-dimensional world wasn't high; even eighth-rank beings could easily reach it.
Given the same power ceiling, an eleventh-rank pinnacle being might be able to sweep through six or even eight beings of the same level using their strong spiritual will and mastery of techniques.
But what about a hundred or a thousand? It's important to remember that over a hundred million strong beings from the myriad races had fallen into the two-dimensional world.
If eleventh-rank beings haven't yet fully developed, they could very well stumble if they're careless.
Of course, given time, eleventh-rank beings are destined to surpass eighth-rank beings.
Eleventh-rank strong beings, with their mastery of power, can ultimately rise even if they have to start from scratch.
But they need time to grow.
Eleventh-rank pinnacle beings need time, and Lin Yuan also needs time.
With his Unrivaled Insight, given the same starting conditions, Lin Yuan was confident he could go further than those eleventh-rank pinnacle beings.
"Milky Way Star Lord, our human civilization's evolvers have already established a stronghold in the capital of the Mo Lan Ancient Kingdom. Are you interested in joining us?" Deputy Tower Master Nalan asked with a smile.
Although only one person could leave every time the Heavenly Gate opened in the two-dimensional world, the evolvers of human civilization were still very united before completely clearing out the other alien strong beings.
"Mo Lan Ancient Kingdom?" Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow.
In the vast continent of the two-dimensional world, ancient kingdoms were massive entities, surpassing gathering places and cities.
So far, Lin Yuan only knew of twelve ancient kingdoms, each founded by a Witch Ancestor, ruling over vast territories.
"I'm in too remote a location; the Mo Lan Ancient Kingdom is too far away," Lin Yuan shook his head slightly, casually making an excuse.
In reality, Lin Yuan simply didn't want to be around large groups of people.
As one of the twelve ancient kingdoms, the capital of the Mo Lan Ancient Kingdom was extremely prosperous.
This meant it was very likely that other strong beings from the myriad races would go there.
The probability of encountering strong beings from the main universe there was simply too high.
"That's a pity," Deputy Tower Master Nalan sighed, not pressing further.
The vast continent in the two-dimensional world was too large, and without the ability to use space rules for transportation, traveling was a significant problem.
The conversation continued.
Lin Yuan and Deputy Tower Master Nalan discussed various topics, mostly focusing on cultivation and the whereabouts of famous alien strong beings.
"So far, the Luo Chuan Gathering Place where I am is still very safe, with no signs of any alien strong beings," Lin Yuan thought to himself.
Although more than a hundred million strong beings from the myriad races had fallen into the two-dimensional world, they were so spread out across the entire continent that they seemed incredibly sparse.
While the Luo Chuan Gathering Place was large, it was far less prominent than a city-level force, let alone an ancient kingdom.
The truly powerful strong beings from the myriad races were mostly gravitating towards more prosperous areas because they offered more resources to enhance their strength.
"Milky Way Star Lord, if you have any issues, feel free to contact me anytime," Deputy Tower Master Nalan said in conclusion.
"Certainly," Lin Yuan nodded.
Luo Chuan Gathering Place.
Lin Yuan opened his eyes.
"Relying on external forces is still unreliable," Lin Yuan sighed inwardly.
For years, he had been waiting for news from the Strongest Ones. If they could refine that 'white paper,' they would have the power to pull him out.
But now it seemed that this hope was not very realistic.
"My biggest advantage compared to those eleventh-rank beings is still my insight," Lin Yuan thought to himself. Realizing that he couldn't rely on external help to leave, he began to assess himself.
In terms of thought processing speed and mastery of basic power, the eleventh-rank beings undoubtedly surpassed Lin Yuan.
But insight? Even with their superior starting point, Lin Yuan believed his insight far exceeded that of the eleventh-rank beings.
However, this advantage in insight couldn't directly translate into combat power.
Especially in the early stages of cultivation, following the cultivation system of this two-dimensional world, the demand for insight wasn't very high.
The five major realms of Witch, Witch King, Witch Emperor, Witch Sovereign, and Witch Ancestor—those eleventh-rank beings only needed to follow the cultivation methods of this two-dimensional world to progress.
The true need for insight would come after the Witch Ancestor realm.
Beyond the Witch Ancestor realm, there was no clear path, and to continue growing stronger, one would need to blaze a new trail using their own abilities.
At that point, Lin Yuan's Unrivaled Insight would reveal its massive advantage.
Simply put, before reaching the Witch Ancestor realm, Lin Yuan's cultivation speed wouldn't match that of the eleventh-rank pinnacle beings.
But once he reached the Witch Ancestor realm, Lin Yuan would easily surpass those eleventh-rank pinnacle beings.
This was also why Lin Yuan refused Deputy Tower Master Nalan's invitation and hid in the remote Luo Chuan Gathering Place.
As long as he could get through the early stages of cultivation, those eleventh-rank beings would be crushed by him.
Until then, Lin Yuan had no desire to interact too much with the strong beings from the myriad races.
"Twenty years have passed, and I've already cultivated to the peak of the Witch Emperor realm," Lin Yuan thought to himself.
In reality, if he hadn't stayed hidden here and had gone to a more prosperous area to leverage the abundant resources, he might have already reached the Witch Sovereign realm.
But the risk of doing so would have been premature contact with the strong beings from the myriad races.
Standing out too early would attract unwanted attention.
"The peak of the Witch Emperor realm... my true combat power should be no less than that of a Witch Sovereign," Lin Yuan estimated.
Compared to the native strong beings, Lin Yuan was an outsider with a broader perspective and a much better understanding of power than his counterparts in the same realm.
Over the years, leveraging his Unrivaled Insight, Lin Yuan had created various combat techniques, raising his lethality to an astonishing level.
"The upcoming Witch Sovereign realm... according to my deductions, it's a crucial stage, determining whether all my potential can be unleashed after reaching the Witch Ancestor realm."
Lin Yuan thought quietly to himself. From the start of his cultivation, Lin Yuan had already begun using his Unrivaled Insight to deduce the path beyond the Witch Ancestor realm, understanding the importance of the Witch Sovereign realm.
In fact, since reaching the Witch Emperor realm, Lin Yuan had gradually abandoned the original cultivation system of this world, instead creating a method completely tailored to himself and this world.
"I still need to reference a large number of cultivation methods from this world. Otherwise, crossing into the Witch Sovereign realm might waste a lot of time," Lin Yuan thought.
The martial evolution path he created was also based on observing numerous other evolution paths.
As Lin Yuan was lost in thought, a voice suddenly interrupted.
"Master."
"Come in," Lin Yuan glanced at the door.
Soon after, a small man entered.
This small man, named Cha Ran Gu, was the ruler of the Luo Chuan Gathering Place and a Witch King-level strong being.
Twelve years ago, when Lin Yuan reached the Witch Emperor realm, he easily subdued Cha Ran Gu, becoming the true master of this large gathering place.
Of course, Lin Yuan's identity was unknown to outsiders; everything was done in secret.
"Master," Cha Ran Gu greeted respectfully.
Only he knew the true extent of Lin Yuan's terrifying power.
When Lin Yuan first appeared and declared that he would take over the gathering place, Cha Ran Gu didn't take it seriously, but the events that followed left him trembling to this day.
The strength Lin Yuan displayed far exceeded that of a Witch King. Years ago, Cha Ran Gu had once seen a Witch Emperor, but even that Witch Emperor didn't seem as powerful as Lin Yuan.
"Have you found what I asked for?" Lin Yuan asked calmly.
Since he was hiding in the Luo Chuan Gathering Place, the entire gathering place had to be under his control, which was why he subdued Cha Ran Gu.
Becoming the true master of the Luo Chuan Gathering Place had at least alleviated some of the resource pressure during his cultivation at the Witch Emperor stage.
But it was only a temporary relief. For Lin Yuan to break through to the Witch Sovereign realm, the massive amount of resources required couldn't be met by the Luo Chuan Gathering Place alone.
So some time ago, Lin Yuan had instructed Cha Ran Gu to keep an eye on the surrounding area.
"Master, the whereabouts of the Eighteen Thieves of Yunshan have been confirmed," Cha Ran Gu said in a low voice.
The Eighteen Thieves of Yunshan were a notorious group of eighteen Witch Kings.
These eighteen Witch Kings, all at the peak of their realm, committed numerous heinous crimes and had high bounties on their heads.
If you added it up, the bounty for each Witch King exceeded two million Witch Crystals, making the total bounty for the Eighteen Thieves close to forty million Witch Crystals.
Lin Yuan needed a lot of resources for his cultivation, but where would those resources come from? The fastest way was through plunder, but that was too risky and high-profile.
So Lin Yuan had thought of the safest method: accepting bounties from ancient kingdoms and hunting down high-value fugitives.
First, killing those fugitives wouldn't result in any consequences later, and responding to an ancient kingdom's bounty would ensure that his identity was kept secret.
In this way, Lin Yuan could earn a large sum of reward money, perfectly in line with his expectations.
And this didn't even include the wealth carried by the Eighteen Thieves of Yunshan themselves.
"I see," Lin Yuan nodded.
The Eighteen Thieves of Yunshan had recently committed another major crime and were being hunted by a Witch Emperor, eventually fleeing to the surrounding area.
As the local power, Cha Ran Gu had been operating in the area for many years and was the first to pinpoint the general location of the Eighteen Thieves.
"Master, if you're going to deal with the Eighteen Thieves of Yunshan, please be cautious. They've trained in a joint attack technique, and even a Witch Emperor would have to retreat if they fight together," Cha Ran Gu warned in a low voice.
The bounty on the Eighteen Thieves of Yunshan amounted to nearly forty million Witch Crystals, a fortune that even a Witch Emperor would covet.
But over the years, despite numerous attempts by Witch Emperors to hunt them down, none had succeeded. In fact, a few Witch Emperors had been injured by the Eighteen Thieves, suffering significant losses.
Cha Ran Gu held deep respect for Lin Yuan's power, but when facing such fierce adversaries, one could never be too careful.
Dongyuan City.
This was the nearest city to the Luo Chuan Gathering Place, and it was a rare large city.
On the bustling streets, Lin Yuan strolled leisurely, his appearance and form greatly altered.
Since he planned to kill the Eighteen Thieves of Yunshan, Lin Yuan naturally accepted the bounty in advance.
If he killed them first and then accepted the bounty, there could be disputes.
Blood Rain Tavern.
This was a bounty posting location established by the Blood Rain Ancient Kingdom.
It was specifically used for posting bounties on dangerous fugitives, and anyone could also post a bounty here targeting a specific person.
Lin Yuan entered the Blood Rain Tavern, and soon someone came to greet him.
"Are you here to accept a bounty or post one?" the person who greeted Lin Yuan was a hunched old man, his eyes deep as he quietly observed Lin Yuan.
"Accept a bounty," Lin Yuan said, glancing at the hunched old man.
Although this person tried his best to conceal his power, Lin Yuan could tell at a glance that he was a Witch Emperor-level being.
Of course, this was not a Witch Emperor in their prime but one in the late stages of life, with declining strength.
In this two-dimensional world, there was no rule comprehension or the like, so the foundation of power was the physical body.
So once one entered old age, with the decline of blood energy, their power quickly diminished.
It was said that after reaching the Witch Ancestor realm, one's blood energy would remain at its peak until the moment of death.
"Whose bounty are you accepting?" the hunched old man asked.
"The Eighteen Thieves of Yunshan," Lin Yuan said. Only by accepting the bounty on the Eighteen Thieves at the Blood Rain Tavern could Lin Yuan later claim the reward after completing his mission.
The reward was directly issued by the Blood Rain Tavern in Witch Crystals, the currency of the twelve ancient kingdoms, ensuring no issues.
Hearing this, the hunched old man looked at Lin Yuan with slight surprise and couldn't help but ask, "Whose bounty did you say you're accepting?"
The Eighteen Thieves of Yunshan were all peak Witch Kings, and their joint attack technique could shake even a Witch Emperor.
To accept the bounty on the Eighteen Thieves of Yunshan, one would need at least the strength of a Witch Emperor.
But this young man in front of him—was he really a Witch Emperor?
"The Eighteen Thieves of Yunshan," Lin Yuan repeated.
"The bounty on the Eighteen Thieves of Yunshan has now reached sixty million Witch Crystals. To accept their bounty, you need to submit ten thousand Witch Crystals as a 'pledge,'" the hunched old man said.
You can't just accept a bounty at will.
Otherwise, someone could accept all the bounties at once, preventing those who genuinely wanted to hunt the targets from doing so.
So—
The Blood Rain Tavern had long established a rule.
Anyone accepting a bounty must submit a 'pledge' of Witch Crystals equivalent to one-sixtieth of the bounty.
As long as the target was successfully killed, the 'pledge' would be fully refunded.
If the target wasn't killed, part of the Witch Crystal 'pledge' would still be returned.
This was to raise the threshold for accepting bounties.
"Sixty million?" Lin Yuan was slightly surprised.
He remembered that the bounty on the Eighteen Thieves of Yunshan was just under forty million before.
An average of just over two million Witch Crystals per person.
But now?
Sixty million bounty?
"Half a year ago, the Eighteen Thieves of Yunshan plundered a treasure vault belonging to the Prince of the North from the Blood Rain Ancient Kingdom. The prince was furious and personally increased their bounty to sixty million," the hunched old man explained, looking at Lin Yuan with a hint of meaning.
"The Eighteen Thieves were able to break into the prince's treasure vault so smoothly; their strength is likely greater than expected."
"Are you sure you still want to accept their bounty?"
"Yes," Lin Yuan's expression remained unchanged.
The strength of the Eighteen Thieves of Yunshan is greater than expected? Even if all eighteen of them collectively advanced to the Witch Emperor level, with Lin Yuan's power comparable to that of a Witch Sovereign, he could still easily defeat them.
"Here is the bounty order."
"After killing the Eighteen Thieves of Yunshan, bring back their critical parts to claim the reward here."
The hunched old man no longer tried to dissuade him and simply handed over the bounty order according to the tavern's rules.
Lin Yuan took the bounty order and left the Blood Rain Tavern.
In a vast primeval forest, Lin Yuan appeared.
"According to the information obtained by Cha Ran Gu, the Eighteen Thieves of Yunshan were last seen entering this forest," Lin Yuan thought as he looked at the dense ancient trees before him.
For an ordinary Witch Emperor-level being, or even a Witch Sovereign, finding the Eighteen Thieves of Yunshan in such a large forest would not be easy.
The Eighteen Thieves of Yunshan, being on the run for so long, would naturally be extremely cautious, alert to any disturbance.
But Lin Yuan was different. As a tenth-rank evolver, although many of his abilities and techniques were suppressed, his sensitivity to auras remained.
Even from a considerable distance, he could sense them slightly—an advantage that all strong beings who descended into this two-dimensional world possessed.
"It'll take no more than half a day to search the entire area."
Lin Yuan's figure disappeared from the spot, moving silently as he began to sweep through the various locations in the primeval forest.
In a mountain valley within the primeval forest.
The Eighteen Thieves of Yunshan had gathered.
"Hahaha, we really hit the jackpot with this latest raid on the Prince of the North's treasure vault," the eighteen thieves laughed, their faces filled with excitement.
The Prince of the North of the Blood Rain Ancient Kingdom was a major figure in one of the twelve ancient kingdoms, and his treasure vault was coveted not just by Witch Kings but even by Witch Emperors and Witch Sovereigns.
"Big brother, with the resources from the treasure vault, at least three to five of us brothers will become Witch Emperors. When that happens, the reputation of the Eighteen Thieves of Yunshan will reach new heights," said the sixth thief, looking at a rough-looking man beside him.
This rough-looking man had a faintly violent expression, and he now looked quite satisfied.
As just eighteen Witch Kings, the Eighteen Thieves of Yunshan had already managed to leave many Witch Emperors of the Blood Rain Empire at a loss. If three to five of them became Witch Emperors, the entire Blood Rain Empire would be theirs to dominate, as long as they avoided a few particular individuals.
"Alright."
"Being able to escape from the Prince of the North this time was all thanks to big brother's special item."
"If not for that special item, no matter how strong we were, we couldn't have broken out," the second thief shook his head.
"Right."
"We owe it all to big brother."
"If it weren't for big brother's special item, we'd all be dead by now."
The others quickly agreed.
The Prince of the North's treasure vault wasn't easy to take.
If it weren't for the special compass in the leader's possession, which had guided them to safety at a critical moment, they would have been killed by the prince's men long ago.
Let alone escape to here?
"Hahaha."
The rough-looking man laughed heartily, feeling quite proud. "The Prince of the North is nothing. If you all stick with me, we'll be able to raid even the imperial vaults of the Blood Rain Empire."
"Big brother, you're incredible!"
"I've never regretted following you."
The thieves flattered him immediately.
"By the way, big brother, what's our next move?"
"Even though we've left the Prince of the North's territory, we can't be careless," the second thief said.
"Let me take a look."
The rough-looking man nodded in agreement.
The Eighteen Thieves of Yunshan hadn't survived this long on strength alone—they were cautious.
With that, the rough-looking man took out a bronze compass from his robe.
In the center of the compass floated a copper needle.
Whenever the rough-looking man found himself in a desperate situation, he would take out this bronze compass.
Following the direction indicated by the needle, they could always find a safe path.
"Compass, oh compass."
"Which direction should we take next for my brothers and me to remain free?" the rough-looking man asked as he offered a drop of blood to the compass.
Instantly, the copper needle floating in the center of the compass began to spin rapidly.
The rough-looking man waited patiently.
They were familiar with this process—within a moment, the compass needle would stop.
Then they would follow the direction it pointed to, which would surely be safe.
But as time passed, half an hour had gone by in the blink of an eye.
The rough-looking man and the other seventeen thieves began to feel puzzled.
Because the bronze compass before them was still spinning without stopping.
...
20 chapters ahead on patreon: patreon.com/David_Lord
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