"Don't worry, don't be afraid. They just want to meet you," the strongest Yu Die said softly.
In the two-dimensional world, Lin Yuan had dominated alien races, crushing even the likes of the Divine King, Rank Eleven legendary lifeforms, which had astonished even the strongest beings.
Thus, apart from the strongest Xia Qin, the other supreme beings had also become intrigued by Lin Yuan and were eager to meet him.
"Alright."
Lin Yuan nodded.
This was also a good opportunity to deliver the eleven rare artifacts.
These artifacts were treasures that Xuanyuan Duo and other human civilization evolvers had painstakingly obtained over more than ten thousand years, battling fiercely against other alien powerhouses. Lin Yuan had already taken half, which was more than enough, so he had no intention of being "greedy."
Lin Yuan had collected these treasures with ease, a testament to his overwhelming strength.
However, for the Rank Eleven evolvers of human civilization, acquiring such treasures, especially in the later stages, had been incredibly difficult due to fierce competition with other alien powerhouses.
"Stand behind me."
Yu Die glanced at Lin Yuan, and immediately the space around them began to shift.
"I can feel the distance between me and my true body widening by billions of light-years in an instant," Lin Yuan thought, shocked. Yu Die in front of him was not her true body but a mere insignificant avatar.
Soon enough, Lin Yuan followed Yu Die to an enormous palace.
"This is the third stronghold of human civilization," Yu Die explained with a smile.
The third stronghold was a gathering place for the nine supreme beings.
After the creation of the virtual world, this stronghold was rarely used, as most meetings between the strongest beings took place in the virtual world for convenience and simplicity.
"Understood."
Lin Yuan nodded, his expression solemn.
The palace gave off a heavy pressure, at least the power of a supreme weapon, and a very powerful one at that.
Among the hundreds of treasures Lin Yuan had collected in the two-dimensional world, none could match the oppressive might of this palace.
Following Yu Die into the palace, Lin Yuan soon arrived at its depths.
Seated on nine enormous thrones were the figures of the nine supreme beings.
As soon as Yu Die arrived, her figure quickly dissipated.
"Greetings to the nine supreme beings," Lin Yuan said respectfully, bowing deeply.
Lin Yuan held the supreme beings in great respect. After all, these individuals protected human civilization without expecting any reward.
Human evolvers at Ranks Eight, Nine, Ten, and Eleven fought fiercely on the alien battlefields, fulfilling their duty, but they were also rewarded generously with various benefits and rewards.
The merit system set by human civilization ensured that anyone contributing to the civilization would receive numerous benefits.
This balance of effort and reward had helped human civilization flourish.
But what about the supreme beings?
They guarded human civilization, dedicating vast amounts of time and effort without expecting to gain anything in return.
"The strength of his body is remarkable," commented Gu Li, one of the supreme beings, as he examined Lin Yuan.
As the supreme being of the Path of Strength, Gu Li valued physical power above all and believed in breaking through all obstacles with raw strength.
Lin Yuan listened obediently.
Indeed, his physical body far exceeded that of other Rank Ten evolvers.
The martial path naturally emphasized physical strength, and with the addition of the mysterious gourd, Lin Yuan's body was twenty-three times stronger than average.
Moreover, cultivating the Mysterious Emperor's Body had further enhanced his physical strength, and the infusion of the chaos void's primal essence upon breaking through Rank Ten had only added to his strength.
With all these factors combined, Lin Yuan's physical body had reached an extraordinary level. His physical strength alone could likely contend with ordinary Rank Eleven evolvers.
And this was just the physical body of Lin Yuan's Yang Primordial Spirit. His true body was even stronger.
"Physical strength is impressive, but it doesn't compare to rule comprehension," commented the Void God Supreme, seated on another throne.
"Hmm?" Gu Li glanced at the Void God Supreme.
The Void God Supreme was the master of space and was considered the most difficult to deal with among the nine supreme beings of human civilization because no one could ever find his true body.
"Without a body, how can you comprehend the rules?" another supreme being interjected with a kind smile toward Lin Yuan.
"Lin Yuan," Xia Qin, seated on a throne, spoke slowly, "we are very pleased with your performance in the two-dimensional world."
"Thank you, Supreme Being," Lin Yuan replied immediately.
To satisfy one or two supreme beings was already an incredible feat, but to have pleased all nine supreme beings was something that had never happened since the inception of the Star Sea Era in human civilization.
"Supreme beings, here are the eleven treasures."
With a thought, eleven rare artifacts appeared in front of Lin Yuan.
Among the eleven treasures, eight were twelve-star rare materials, and three were supreme weapons—two for offense and one for defense.
"Not bad."
The nine supreme beings glanced at the artifacts and nodded slightly.
Although these treasures didn't hold much value to them personally, they would at least enhance human civilization's reserves.
Moreover, Xuanyuan Duo and the other Rank Eleven evolvers had all perished in the two-dimensional world, and since they had worked so hard to obtain these treasures, it was only fair that they were put to good use.
"Lin Yuan, if you have any treasures that you cannot use, you can always exchange them for merit points and trade them for twelve-star rare treasures or weapons from human civilization's treasury," Xia Qin advised.
Lin Yuan had been the only one to survive the two-dimensional world, and given the power he had displayed there, it was certain that he had obtained a significant number of treasures. Xia Qin estimated that Lin Yuan had more than thirty rare artifacts.
Xia Qin had no interest in Lin Yuan's treasures, as they had been earned through his own strength and skill. However, not all treasures would be useful to him.
Human civilization's treasury contained a wealth of twelve-star rare treasures and weapons, available only in exchange for merit points.
Lin Yuan was free to choose what suited him best.
"Understood."
Lin Yuan nodded.
Of the nearly one hundred treasures he had obtained in the two-dimensional world, most were of no use to him. Rather than keeping them, it was better to exchange them for items that would be more beneficial.
Human civilization would certainly not shortchange him.
"I'll take these eleven treasures," Xia Qin said, and with a wave of his hand, the treasures in front of Lin Yuan disappeared.
"We called you here because we plan to work together to take you to the 'shore' of the River of Time once more, to deepen your understanding of the time rule and help you advance in your comprehension of the time-space fusion rule," Xia Qin continued.
Lin Yuan had already comprehended the time rule, but as with the space rule, "comprehending" a rule only meant grasping one aspect of it.
To fully master the time-space fusion rule, Lin Yuan needed to continue delving into the time rule.
If the nine supreme beings joined forces, they could extend Lin Yuan's time on the "shore" of the River of Time, giving him more time to comprehend the rule.
Of course, forcing a being from within the River of Time to the shore would provoke a backlash from the river and the universe itself.
But Lin Yuan's contributions in the two-dimensional world were so significant that, even after granting him the eleven treasures, Xia Qin and the other supreme beings felt they owed him more.
As long as the time was controlled well, and since Lin Yuan was only a Rank Ten lifeform, the backlash would be manageable.
"Go to the shore of the River of Time?" Lin Yuan hesitated slightly.
For most beings, standing on the shore of the River of Time and observing its flow would be an unprecedented opportunity.
But for Lin Yuan, his comprehension of the time rule was already at an extreme. Even if he went to the shore of the River of Time again, it wouldn't be that beneficial. After all, he was still just a Rank Ten lifeform. How far could he really see, even from the shore?
From an efficiency standpoint, absorbing the ball of light containing the myriad race powerhouses' time-space fusion rule insights would be far more beneficial.
More importantly, Xia Qin might have misjudged the difficulty of bringing Lin Yuan to the shore of the River of Time again.
Just as it was harder to revive more powerful beings, the cost of pulling stronger lifeforms from the River of Time was greater.
Reviving a Rank Six lifeform was very different from reviving a Rank Eleven lifeform, and the cost was accordingly different.
Similarly, extracting lifeforms from the River of Time also varied depending on their power level.
In the River of Time, the physical size and weight of a lifeform reflected its life essence.
The higher the life essence, the larger and heavier the lifeform. Rank Ten lifeforms were small fish, while Rank Eleven lifeforms were more like big fish.
And Lin Yuan? Even before entering the two-dimensional world, he had been as strong as Rank Eleven lifeforms, making him a big fish.
Now, after his experience in the two-dimensional world and his mastery of the time-space fusion rule, along with the evolution of his internal world, Lin Yuan had grown even more powerful. In the River of Time, he would be a behemoth, occupying a significant portion of the riverbed, rivaling the strongest Rank Eleven legendary lifeforms.
Xia Qin believed Lin Yuan was still a Rank Ten lifeform, only close to Rank Eleven, which is why he was confident about easily bringing Lin Yuan to the shore of the River of Time again.
But the reality was likely very different from what Xia Qin imagined.
"What's the matter?" Xia Qin noticed Lin Yuan's hesitation and raised an eyebrow.
"Supreme Being, can I choose a different reward?" Lin Yuan thought for a moment and then spoke.
"A different reward?" Xia Qin looked at Lin Yuan, puzzled.
What could be more valuable than observing the River of Time?
What could be more important than advancing toward mastering the time-space fusion rule?
"Actually, I've already comprehended the time-space fusion rule," Lin Yuan decided to be honest, as he couldn't think of another way to decline Xia Qin's "help."
"You've comprehended the time-space fusion rule?"
Xia Qin fell silent. He glanced at the other eight supreme beings around him, a trace of bewilderment in his eyes.
...
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