Time flows like water.
Another year passed in the blink of an eye.
Lin Yuan's life hardly changed.
If he wasn't gaining insights from the wisdom left by Heavenly Masters of the past in the True Martial Dao Treasury,
he was atop Dragon Tiger Mountain watching the sea of clouds.
Aside from occasional talks with Qingping, he barely said a word.
The castle lord, Cangqing Zhenren, upon learning that Qingping's breakthrough to the Upper Three Grades was due to Lin Yuan's guidance, wanted to converse with Lin Yuan.
However, external events quickly diverted his attention.
The Ten Thousand Demons Sect was about to start a decisive battle.
The Sect Leader of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect, along with nine Deputy Sect Leaders, forty-three Protectors, one hundred twenty-six Helmsmen, and thousands of followers, were marching in grand formation, aiming to conquer Dragon Tiger Mountain.
Dragon Tiger Mountain was the ancestral ground of the Dao Sect, with the Heavenly Master's Manor being the leader among them, from where countless invincible Heavenly Masters had emerged.
As long as Dragon Tiger Mountain was flattened and the Heavenly Master’s Manor was destroyed, who in the world could stop the march of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect?
In the True Martial Great Hall,
the atmosphere was heavy.
Led by Cangqing Zhenren, all the experts of the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm gathered together.
Most of these experts came from various other forces across the land, summoned by the Heavenly Master's Manor.
Everyone understood the saying "if the lips are gone, the teeth will feel the cold."
If the Ten Thousand Demons Sect truly flattened the Heavenly Master's Manor,
the next to be eradicated would be the other righteous forces.
During peacetime, the righteous forces killed many demonic heads.
If the Ten Thousand Demons Sect gained power, their fate wouldn’t be any better than the Heavenly Master's Manor.
"The nine Deputy Sect Leaders of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect are all at the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm, and forty-three Protectors are at the Upper Three Grades. This is not easy to deal with,"
said a middle-aged woman who was at the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm.
The other Heavenly Phenomenon experts nodded slightly upon hearing this.
The combined strength of these experts reached eleven, outnumbering the Ten Thousand Demons Sect by two.
But the demonic experts of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect were not easy to deal with, and their killing techniques were inherently fierce.
Even if two righteous Heavenly Phenomenon experts worked together to attack a demonic expert, they might suffer a fatal counterattack and lose one member.
"These concerns are needless,"
Cangqing Zhenren spoke up.
In terms of combat strength, the Heavenly Phenomenon experts of the Heavenly Master's Manor, who traveled the paths of Lunar Extreme and Solar Extreme, were evidently stronger than those of the demonic sects.
This had been proven multiple times in past encounters.
Cangqing Zhenren had effortlessly repelled several Deputy Sect Leaders of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect in three confrontations.
Even the Sect Leader of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect chose to retreat when facing Cangqing Zhenren.
However,
given this situation,
how could the Ten Thousand Demons Sect dare to initiate a final battle intent on storming Dragon Tiger Mountain?
This gave Cangqing Zhenren a bad feeling.
Two possibilities existed:
Either the Ten Thousand Demons Sect had gone mad, planning to risk it all,
or they were confident enough to believe they could flatten Dragon Tiger Mountain.
Cangqing Zhenren found the former unlikely, having interacted with the Sect Leader of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect on several occasions.
He knew the Sect Leader’s character was extremely steady and would never act without certainty.
This was also why the Ten Thousand Demons Sect’s Leader chose to retreat without a fight against Cangqing Zhenren, contrary to what others might think.
While others might see it as fear, Cangqing Zhenren understood that the Sect Leader just didn’t want to waste time.
On this day, Qingping climbed Dragon Tiger Mountain in a panic.
"Elder Brother Shan Feng, something terrible has happened, Elder Changqing has..."
Qingping's face was pale as he cautiously looked at Lin Yuan.
"What... What happened to Uncle Changqing?"
Lin Yuan opened his eyes and turned towards Qingping.
"Elder Changqing was ambushed while chasing demonic heads. By the time we arrived, he was already heavily injured and unconscious. The sect leader and others checked and said the demonic energy had entered his lungs, making it difficult for him to wake up," Qingping explained in one breath.
"Take me to see him," Lin Yuan said directly.
After all, if it wasn’t for Daoist Changqing in the past, Lin Yuan wouldn’t be alive now.
Though for Lin Yuan, death wasn’t an end, merely a waste of a traverse opportunity.
In the Dao Institute,
Lin Yuan looked at the unconscious Daoist Changqing.
Qingping stood beside him, his face showing deep sorrow.
Daoist Changqing was well-liked in the Heavenly Master's Manor, and Qingping had received countless help from him.
In Qingping’s heart, Daoist Changqing was more a senior family member than just an elder.
“It’s nothing serious,” Lin Yuan concluded after a careful examination.
Daoist Changqing fought fiercely with a demonic head, and the demonic energy entered his body, causing unconsciousness.
Such internal influence was difficult for others to handle; even those at the peak of the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm could do nothing.
But once Lin Yuan broke through the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm using lunar and solar powers as his foundation, dispelling such demonic energy would be a mere trifle.
“Take good care of Uncle Changqing. I’ll come back to save him after some time,” Lin Yuan briefly instructed Qingping.
Now, with Lin Yuan only a step away from fully merging the powers of the lunar and solar, the heaven-defying comprehension he had was bringing him ever closer to the Heavenly Master level.
“Alright,” Qingping replied, dazedly.
Daoist Changqing's predicament didn’t distract Lin Yuan.
He remained constantly immersed in his path of enlightenment.
With his heaven-defying comprehension, Lin Yuan gained insights while awake and continued to do so even when asleep.
[Your heaven-defying comprehension is deepening your understanding of Yin and Yang.]
[Your heaven-defying comprehension is deepening your understanding of Yin and Yang.]
[Your heaven-defying comprehension is deepening your understanding of Yin and Yang.]
Lin Yuan, seated cross-legged on a large stone, continued to understand the power of Yin and Yang, entirely focused with no distractions in his heart.
It's fair to say that Yin and Yang was the highest level of power Lin Yuan encountered.
He spent nearly ten years grasping this power.
And this was with the help of his heaven-defying comprehension.
Of course, compared to the other strong experts of this world, or even the Heavenly Masters of past generations,
Lin Yuan’s speed was simply incomprehensible, beyond describing as monstrous or abnormal.
Hundreds of miles away from Dragon Tiger Mountain,
in a dark great hall,
a tall man in a black robe sat on the chief seat.
His eyes were pitch black, and merely looking into them could breed inner demons in an ordinary person, with desires rising within.
“Sect Leader,”
“Isn't it too early for a decisive battle with the Heavenly Master's Manor?” an elder with wrinkled skin cautiously inquired from the right side below.
The depth of foundation held by the Heavenly Master's Manor was unfathomable, having produced thirty-six invincible Heavenly Masters.
Adding to that, the other righteous forces would certainly fully support the Heavenly Master's Manor and wouldn’t stand by idly.
The Ten Thousand Demons Sect was indeed formidable but shouldn’t meet the Heavenly Master's Manor head-on.
“A bunch of useless fools.”
“If I didn't have the assurance.”
“Why would I make such a decision?" the Sect Leader of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect snorted coldly from the chief seat.
The many demonic officials below all broke out in cold sweat.
Even the nine Deputy Sect Leaders, with strength reaching the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm, felt a chill.
Those close knew too well that their potential had never held the promise of reaching the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm.
Yet it was the Sect Leader of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect who, using some unknown means, forcibly elevated them to this realm.
Although it required a significant sacrifice, costing them twenty to thirty years of life, none of the Deputy Sect Leaders regretted it.
This was the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm, a stage dreamed by many, touching the pinnacle of this world, and no one would reject the sensation.
“I know what you worry about,”
the Sect Leader slowly stood up from the chief seat.
“But I've already taken half a step beyond the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm. Without a Heavenly Master appearing from the Heavenly Master's Manor, with my strength alone, I can sweep through them.”
The Sect Leader’s eyes glinted darkly.
(End of Chapter)