The Void Child stood tall and imposing, quietly gazing in the direction of the Azure World.
Even though most of his own power had already recovered at this moment, and he could now manipulate the entire Void Secret Realm.
If he wished, a single thought could suppress everything in the Boundless Void.
However, the Void Child remained focused on the source of the temporal fluctuations, observing with intense concentration, uncertain and troubled in his thoughts.
Behind him, the numerous Peak Evil God True Lords felt the same. Some among them were ancient, existing for far longer than even the Void Child, tracing their origins back to the time before the Void Secret Realm was created.
This temporal fluctuation caused the oldest of the Evil God True Lords to recall something from the past.
A hint of fear appeared on his face.
The Boundless Void had existed for countless ages, with many Evil God True Lords ruling their domains.
But even the strongest Peak Evil God True Lord of the ninth stage couldn't fundamentally shake the Boundless Void.
Throughout history, there had been only three instances when such an event, capable of affecting the entire Boundless Void's time and space, occurred.
The first was when the Boundless Void saw the birth of the first tenth-stage Evil God, who became one with the rules of the Boundless Void, a grand and overwhelming presence.
The second was when this tenth-stage Evil God created the Void Secret Realm, fundamentally altering the Boundless Void with far-reaching consequences.
The third was when the Void Child became the new master of the Void Secret Realm, and the secret realm's power exploded, causing another ripple through the Boundless Void.
And now...
This was the fourth time.
The temporal fluctuation from the direction of the Azure World was also beginning to sweep across all directions of the Boundless Void.
These four instances of temporal fluctuation affecting the entire Boundless Void had a common factor: they were all related to the tenth stage.
In the third instance, the Void Child became the new master of the Void Secret Realm. Although he had not yet reached the tenth stage himself, the Void Secret Realm had been painstakingly created by a tenth-stage being.
Thus, it was closely connected to the tenth stage.
"This temporal fluctuation..."
"Is it the tenth stage? Has my Boundless Void birthed another tenth-stage being?"
"That's right, this feeling... It's the same as when the founder of the Void Secret Realm entered the tenth stage and influenced time and space."
The many Peak Evil God True Lords were shocked in their hearts. Originally, they had thought that the next being to step into the tenth stage would be the Void Child.
After all, the Void Child controlled the Void Secret Realm, which had been created by a tenth-stage Evil God with all his might.
The Void Child, constantly able to sense the most fundamental fluctuations of the Void Secret Realm, had a far greater chance of reaching the tenth stage than any other Peak Evil God True Lord.
But now?
The Void Child stood right before them.
This meant that the one who had entered the tenth stage was someone else!
"The Azure World... Could it be the Martial Ancestor?"
The Wisdom Lord felt a shiver run down his spine. The source of the temporal fluctuation wasn't hidden at all—there was no need to hide it—any ninth-stage Evil God True Lord could clearly feel it.
The Wisdom Lord had personally been to the Azure World and could estimate that the source of the temporal fluctuation was close to the Azure World.
And in the Azure World, there was the Martial Ancestor. It was hard for the Wisdom Lord not to associate this event with him.
"The Martial Ancestor? The tenth stage?"
The Wisdom Lord was filled with anxiety and fear.
Not long ago, he had led a group of Evil Gods to try to kill the Lord of the Yin Realm, even boldly probing the Martial Ancestor's lair in the Azure World.
Now, in hindsight, that seemed like suicide.
"Great Void Child, what should we do now?"
An Evil God gathered his courage and cautiously asked.
He had almost devoured an entire world moments ago, but this temporal fluctuation had stopped him dead in his tracks.
The shock in his heart was unimaginable.
The God-Eye Lord's words caused all the other Peak Evil God True Lords to turn their gaze to the Void Child.
"What should we do?"
The Void Child remained silent.
Compared to the other Evil Gods, who could only sense the source of the temporal fluctuation, the Void Child, as the master of the Void Secret Realm, could perceive far more details.
With the power of the Void Secret Realm, his gaze had already fallen upon the Azure World.
If it weren't for the dense temporal power that filled the Azure World and his own cautiousness, the Void Child might have already tried to investigate further.
"Let's go and take a look."
The Void Child spoke slowly.
Whether or not the Martial Ancestor had stepped into the tenth stage, he was going to visit.
If the Martial Ancestor had truly become a tenth-stage being, the Void Child would have to lead the many Evil God True Lords in pledging his submission.
There was no choice. As the master of the Void Secret Realm, the Void Child knew all too well how terrifying a tenth-stage being was.
Admittedly, with the Void Secret Realm, the Void Child believed he could wield tenth-stage combat power.
But to contend with a true tenth-stage being... the Void Child had no confidence.
Since he couldn't resist, he would submit.
Among the Evil Gods, the weak submitting to the strong was perfectly normal.
If the Martial Ancestor hadn't stepped into the tenth stage, the Void Child still wouldn't plan to make an enemy of him. This visit was to ease relations with the Martial Ancestor.
Given this temporal fluctuation, even if it wasn't a sign of a breakthrough to the tenth stage, it might still involve the discovery of some treasure left behind by a tenth-stage being, similar to the Void Secret Realm.
Much like how the Void Child controlled the Void Secret Realm.
In this case, even if the Void Child gave his all, he still wouldn't be able to defeat the Martial Ancestor. It would be better to turn conflict into peace.
At the Void Child's level, all that mattered in the Boundless Void was reaching the tenth stage. Everything else was meaningless.
"Let's go."
The Void Child glanced at the many Evil God True Lords, then directly used the power of the Void Secret Realm to initiate a long-distance teleportation, heading toward the Azure World.
Azure World.
Deep within the Martial Hall.
At this moment, dense temporal fluctuations filled the air. Lin Yuan sat cross-legged, with the violent power of space and the obscure power of time behaving like obedient kittens in front of him, waiting to be manipulated.
"So this is the sixth realm of the Space-Time Fusion Rule?"
A smile appeared on Lin Yuan's face. Now, in his understanding of the Space-Time Fusion Rule, he had completely stepped into the sixth realm, entering the domain of the Strongest Ones.
Of course, this was only his understanding of space-time, barely reaching the level of the Strongest Ones. In terms of strength, the gap between him and them was still like a chasm.
If space-time fusion were compared to a skill, then the factors that influenced strength included not only the skill itself but also one's own power.
At the same level of skill, if one party had the strength of a hundred pounds, and the other had the strength of a hundred tons...
In a fight, it would be a complete and effortless crush. Furthermore, the sixth realm of space-time fusion was only the entry threshold to the Strongest Ones in the field of space-time rules.
Aside from this fusion rule, the Strongest Ones also mastered many other fusion rules, even transforming some of the foundational rules into their own personal paths.
"The sixth realm of space-time fusion is a qualitative change, involving power that frees one from the constraints of the river of time..."
Lin Yuan carefully observed the vastness of space-time, many insights flooding his mind.
At the sixth realm of space-time fusion, it was said that a micro river of time would begin to form.
Lin Yuan had no doubt that if he wanted, he now had the ability to challenge the ultimate level.
It was commonly accepted among the myriad races of the main universe's starry sky that only at the peak of the eleventh rank could one attempt to challenge the ultimate level. This was simply because eleventh-rank peak beings barely met the minimum requirements to attempt such a feat.
But Lin Yuan?
Though only at the tenth rank, he was already no different from those at the peak of the eleventh rank, and in some aspects, even stronger—such as his comprehension of the space-time fusion rule, and his mind and willpower index.
Of course, while Lin Yuan could attempt the ultimate challenge now, whether he would succeed was another matter entirely.
But at the very least, even if Lin Yuan attempted the ultimate challenge now, his chances of success would still be higher than that of legendary beings like the Four Divine King. His comprehension of the space-time fusion rule at the sixth realm and his high mind-will index played a crucial role in this.
"My internal world..."
Lin Yuan's consciousness descended into his internal world.
The greatest impact of reaching the sixth realm of the space-time fusion rule for Lin Yuan was manifested in his internal world.
In his internal world, space-time fusion was occurring, and a micro river of time was faintly forming.
Even though it was only in its embryonic stage, the appearance of the micro river of time caused a transformation in his internal world's aura.
"Unfortunately, my internal world still hasn't broken its limit, exceeding a radius of 230 million miles..." Lin Yuan felt a bit regretful but quickly accepted it.
In the main universe, across the myriad races of the starry sky, many powerful beings faced limitations based on their race's bloodline restrictions, and the size limit of their internal worlds was generally between several million to tens of millions of miles in radius.
Lin Yuan's internal world, reaching 230 million miles, had already far surpassed any lifeform in the main universe, including even the unique and extraordinary lifeforms.
"With my current understanding of the space-time fusion rule, if I were to challenge the eleventh rank and endure the infusion of the primal source of the Void of Chaos, could I break through the shackles of my internal world?"
Lin Yuan speculated in his heart.
Normally, when beings at the peak of the eleventh rank attempted the ultimate realm, they would undergo a significant transformation in their essence of life, breaking free from the constraints of the river of time. Their internal worlds would begin to evolve into internal universes.
At this point, all aspects of their internal worlds would break through their previous limitations. The internal universe of a Strongest One would start at a size of several thousand to tens of thousands of light-years in diameter.
This was why, even though Lin Yuan had comprehended the sixth realm of the space-time fusion rule, he had no thoughts of comparing himself to the Strongest Ones. The difference was simply too vast.
The internal universe of a Strongest One, with a diameter ranging from thousands to tens of thousands of light-years, would wield an unfathomable amount of power.
"I'll find out when I attempt to break into the eleventh rank."
Lin Yuan pondered for a moment before letting go of the thought.
His current situation was entirely without precedent. Not only in human civilization but across all the starry races of the universe and even in the countless cosmic eras that preceded this one, there was no example to follow.
Breaking into the tenth rank at the ninth rank while enduring the infusion of the primal source of the Void of Chaos?
Comprehending the sixth realm of the space-time fusion rule at the tenth rank?
Having a mind-will index exceeding 24 million points at the tenth rank?
An internal world with a diameter of 230 million miles?
And so on...
Any one of these factors, when applied to a being, would have made them stand out across one or even several cosmic eras.
And now, all these factors were concentrated in Lin Yuan. The future was utterly unpredictable.
Outside the Azure World.
The Void Child and many Peak Evil God True Lords began to appear.
"This is the source of the temporal fluctuation?"
"The being who has supposedly entered the tenth stage resides in such a small world?"
"How unbelievable."
The Peak Evil God True Lords whispered among themselves. Normally, the more powerful the being, the more space they required.
For Peak Evil God True Lords like themselves, they typically roamed the Boundless Void or resided within the Void Secret Realm. To be confined within a single world? That would be suffocating.
"The Azure World..."
The Void Child closely observed the small "azure-colored" world.
The dense temporal fluctuations were almost spilling out. Under these circumstances, the Void Child was completely unable to gather any information about the Azure World. He couldn't reverse time to glimpse its past.
"Has this being really stepped into the tenth stage, or are they, like me, the master of some treasure left behind by a tenth-stage existence?"
The Void Child couldn't be certain. Although no matter the case, he wouldn't be making an enemy of the Martial Ancestor, it would still affect how he treated him in the end.
"Great Void Child, should I go and inform the Martial Ancestor that we're outside?" The God-Eye Lord glanced around and cautiously asked.
"Inform the Martial Ancestor?"
The Void Child gave the God-Eye Lord a sidelong glance.
Even though he couldn't yet determine whether the Martial Ancestor had reached the tenth stage, the lowest possibility was that they were at the same level as the Void Child himself.
Under such circumstances, go and "inform" the Martial Ancestor?
The Void Child wasn't foolish. Faced with a weaker opponent, he would be domineering. But when confronted with someone at his level, or even someone who might surpass him, like the Martial Ancestor, the Void Child knew what to do.
"We'll wait here."
The Void Child spoke calmly.
With the Martial Ancestor's strength, he had surely already noticed their arrival.
If he wished to meet, he would appear.
If he didn't, even if the God-Eye Lord went to "inform" him, it wouldn't matter.
"Yes."
The God-Eye Lord steadied himself, knowing that his previous suggestion had been inappropriate.
Azure World.
Although the appearance of the Void Child and many Evil Gods had caused them to suppress their auras as much as possible, they were still far outside the world.
But their presence was still felt by the beings within the world. There was no other way—the oppressive force from these Evil Gods was simply too strong, especially from the Peak Evil God True Lords and the Void Child, the master of the Void Secret Realm.
Any one of these Evil Gods had the power to easily devour the entire Azure World.
"Are those... Evil Gods?"
High Priestess Qing Yao of the Martial Hall briefly connected with the Ancestral Demon Tree and sensed the faint outlines of the Void Child and the many Evil Gods. Her heart trembled with unease.
The intense temporal fluctuations originating from the depths of the Martial Hall were like a blazing sun in the sky to the Peak Evil God True Lords, extremely conspicuous. Yet to the beings within the world, they were utterly imperceptible.
The gap in levels was too vast. Ordinary beings couldn't even perceive basic spatial fluctuations, let alone the more profound temporal fusion fluctuations.
While High Priestess Qing Yao couldn't sense the changes in the depths of the Martial Hall, she could clearly feel the terrifying presence of the Evil Gods outside the world.
The aura of any one of these Evil Gods could easily destroy the Azure World a hundred or even a thousand times over.
"It's over."
High Priestess Qing Yao was filled with despair. Centuries ago, when faced with the invasion of the Evil Gods, she had at least felt confident in resisting them and even willing to go down fighting.
But now, the unspeakable outlines of the Evil Gods outside the world made it impossible for High Priestess Qing Yao to even entertain the thought of resistance.
The only thing High Priestess Qing Yao couldn't understand was why these overwhelmingly powerful Evil Gods were standing quietly outside the world, showing no signs of attacking.
Deep within the Martial Hall.
Lin Yuan carefully observed the changes in his body. The micro river of time forming in his internal world was causing his internal world to undergo a transformation.
This transformation of his internal world, in turn, was leading to a significant enhancement of his physical body and soul.
As for his mind-will?
The body nurtures the soul, and the soul nurtures the mind-will. In theory, the transformation of his internal world would also impact his mind-will.
But Lin Yuan's mind-will was already so strong that it had fully reached the level of the Strongest Ones, leaving almost no room for further change.
Lin Yuan's mind-will strength had now reached a point where it would likely only be affected when he broke into the eleventh rank or directly attempted the ultimate challenge.
The stronger the mind-will, the harder it became to enhance. This was especially true after reaching the level of millions of points. It wasn't something that could be improved merely through the passage of time.
Before reaching a million points, the length of one's life had a significant impact on their mind-will. But after surpassing a million points, this effect rapidly diminished.
"The Evil Gods are here?"
Lin Yuan glanced outside the world. At his current level, he had long since sensed the presence of the Evil Gods, including the Void Child.
To Lin Yuan, the Void Child was a rather special existence. He was connected to the Void Secret Realm, and the two could resonate with each other at any time.
"Forget it, I'll deal with them first."
Lin Yuan stood up and took a step, appearing outside the Martial Hall.
"Martial Ancestor."
High Priestess Qing Yao, seeing Lin Yuan, immediately spoke with utmost seriousness, "Many powerful Evil Gods have suddenly appeared outside..."
"No matter."
Lin Yuan shook his head. "They are here to pay their respects to me."
"Huh?"
High Priestess Qing Yao was momentarily stunned.
Those indescribably terrifying Evil Gods were here to pay their respects to the Martial Ancestor?
Pay their respects?
Outside the world.
The Void Child and many other Evil Gods waited quietly.
Including the Void Child, none of the Evil God True Lords showed any sign of impatience.
At that moment...
"Whoosh!"
An invisible ripple of temporal power descended, and before the eyes of all the Evil Gods, a figure of a perfectly formed young man materialized. His calm eyes, as vast as the ocean of time and space, gazed at the many Evil Gods.
The body Lin Yuan was currently inhabiting had been nurtured by the Azure World's essence for over a hundred thousand years by the Ancestral Demon Tree. In every aspect, it had reached ultimate perfection, without a single flaw.
"The Martial Ancestor has arrived."
The moment the many Evil God True Lords saw Lin Yuan, their tension skyrocketed, and they became extremely cautious.
...
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