"It's really tough," muttered Bing Yan, finding himself in a difficult spot.
The Taiji Domain around him felt like a spider's web, and he was nothing but an insect trapped within it.
Every move he made was met with immense resistance.
After his first explosive attack was effortlessly deflected by Lin Yuan, Bing Yan realized he had no chance of winning.
Time dragged on as the Taiji Domain held him captive, leaving him unable to even admit defeat.
He could only endure as Lin Yuan toyed with him for over half an hour before the battle concluded.
The spectators around exploded with thunderous cheers.
Before the match, most believed Bing Yan had a higher chance of winning—a third-tier evolver against a second-tier, after all.
But as the battle unfolded, Lin Yuan revealed his true third-tier strength, raising the excitement to a fever pitch.
What had started as a third-tier against a second-tier now morphed into a battle of equals, and the gap between them vanished.
Particularly during the fight, when Lin Yuan's Taiji Domain suppressed Bing Yan completely, the audience was filled with admiration and excitement.
A third-tier evolver was a force capable of city-wide destruction when unleashed.
Seeing two such powers clashing in front of them was an unparalleled experience.
"Lin Yuan!" "Lin Yuan is unbeatable!" "Come over here and torture me, Lin Yuan!"
Amidst the countless cheers, Lin Yuan faded from the arena and returned to the resting area.
"Phew," Lin Yuan exhaled lightly.
Thoughts of ice powers crowded his mind, reflecting upon Bing Yan's exhibition of ice abilities during their confrontation.
What seemed like terrifying killer moves to other evolvers provided Lin Yuan the opportunity for deep understanding and insight into ice-related powers.
The concept of "Ice of all things, freezing everything" surfaced in his mind.
While second-tier ice evolvers could only use ice power at a surface level, third-tier evolvers could delve deeper into its essence.
"Not bad," Lin Yuan nodded slightly.
Engaging with Bing Yan had been significantly beneficial, akin to his previous clash with a third-tier expert from the Dream Evolution Path.
But his expression suddenly grew serious.
As the rankings approached the top spots in the arena battles, Lin Yuan felt a growing pressure.
Fighting Bing Yan required Lin Yuan to reveal his third-tier strength, even if he hadn’t used his full trump cards.
If Bing Yan posed such a challenge, what about others ranking even higher among third-tier evolvers? Bing Yan was among the lower ranks of third-tier evolvers, after all.
While Lin Yuan was mulling over this pressure, he noticed something stirring within him.
His consciousness dove into the depths of his mind where a towering gate stood.
The margins of this gate were now fully illuminated.
"Can I traverse again?" Lin Yuan mused, spreading his thoughts.
Unknowingly, more than ten months had passed since his second traversal ended.
The Gate of Myriad Realms had accumulated enough power during this time for Lin Yuan's third traversal.
"What kind of world will it be this time?" With curiosity piqued, Lin Yuan sent a sliver of his consciousness into the gate, unlike previous full commitment attempts.
This tiny fraction represented only a ten-thousandth of his consciousness.
Even if this fragment was destroyed, it wouldn’t greatly affect him, recovering easily within an hour or two.
With a buzz, the moment his consciousness touched the gate, Lin Yuan glimpsed a vast, grand world.
Within it, he spotted a titanic silhouette resembling a weapon as large as a mountain.
"Is that... a weapon?" Lin Yuan thought in astonishment before his awareness snapped back to his body.
Simultaneously, he gained some information about this new world:
[Stay Duration: One hundred and sixty years]
"That world seems a tier above the Dragon-Tiger World. With a time flow difference of one hundred and sixty years there versus just two or three days here in the main world," Lin Yuan speculated, feeling somewhat prepared this time, unlike his prior clueless entries.
"In half a day, I have another match," he noted, deciding to traverse after concluding this upcoming battle.
Such a brief delay wouldn’t disrupt his plans.
While waiting, Lin Yuan did not idle.
He took time to watch other evolvers' fights.
The first involved a poison path evolver.
This evolver's opponent, also a third-tier, turned various shades of blue and purple, clearly succumbing to a lethal poison.
Ten minutes later, their body completely decayed, while the poison path evolver merely symbolically defended before watching their opponent fall.
Lin Yuan also observed ‘Thunder God's’ battle.
Another third-tier clash, Thunder God wielded thunder astonishingly, even transforming into lightning to crush his adversary.
Thunder God's matches were predictable—a mere gesture to end battles once he turned into lightning.
Lastly, Lin Yuan viewed 'Fang Qing's' encounter.
Fang Qing's opponent was top-ranked among third-tier evolvers, trailing only Thunder God.
Yet even this powerful foe couldn’t withstand five moves against Fang Qing.
The fifth move revealed a majestic ancient silhouette behind Fang Qing, whose aura filled the field.
The opponent, shaken to their core, was trampled underfoot by the ancient presence.
"Ancient God Evolution Path," Lin Yuan sighed deeply, recognizing its rarity and fame in the Crimson Leviathan Star Domain and beyond.
Images of Fang Qing's towering shadow left Lin Yuan with a heavy heart.
Truthfully, even if he revealed all his cards, he held no confidence against Fang Qing.
After witnessing Fang Qing's fight, Lin Yuan heard surprising news.
During a match, a second-tier peak evolver experienced a breakthrough mid-battle, ascending directly into the third-tier.
This bloodline evolver, initially assumed to have a regular third-tier bloodline, revealed a deeply hidden sixth-tier bloodline upon breaking through.
A sixth-tier bloodline—a legacy of Falling Star-level lineage—now awakened made this evolver a hot contender for champion, nearly overshadowing the 'Ancient God' path of ‘Fang Qing’.
Half a day later, after his match concluded, Lin Yuan returned to the resting area and sat cross-legged in deep thought.
The ongoing arena battles featured no simple competitors.
Thunder God’s unique physique allowed him to transform into lightning, highlighting his unmatched aptitude.
Fang Qing’s cultivation of the ‘Ancient God’ path, with ancestral guidance, bore immense potential.
The newly emerged bloodline evolver, boasting six-tier ancestry from a Falling Star-tier forebear, wielded enough latent talent to hold their own among the third-tier.
Compared to them, Lin Yuan seemed underwhelming—ordinary background, no powerful bloodline.
"On the path of evolution, background, resources, and bloodline are undoubtedly important, but not irreplaceable," Lin Yuan resolved.
"Even without extraordinary background, resources, or bloodline, my own efforts will ensure my achievements rival anyone's."
Severing his connection to the virtual world, Lin Yuan lay in the nutrient capsule, closing his eyes.
"Gate of Myriad Realms, take me through!"
Thank you to reader 'Bu Xiang Nian Ze Nian' for the donation of one hundred Book Coins.
Thanks for everyone's support.
(The End of This Chapter)