The thirty-six divine weapons are not just powerful artifacts; they embody a part of the world's essential rules.
For most people, even if they possess the ability to suppress these weapons, it is challenging to truly benefit from them.
After all, understanding the essence of world rules—much like solving a complex math problem, where even if the entire solution is laid out, not everyone can comprehend it—is beyond ordinary individuals.
Thousands of years ago, an ancient divine being managed to forcibly separate a hundred divine weapons from the world and gained significant insights from them.
However, Lin Yuan is different.
With his extraordinary comprehension, Lin Yuan excels at understanding things that require such deep insight.
"This is truly a great gain," thought Lin Yuan as his mind immersed in the Taiji Furnace.
During this journey, the divine weapons of this world have been Lin Yuan's most significant acquisition.
Other gains pale in comparison to the fundamental essence of rules.
"Unfortunately, these divine weapons originate from this world and cannot be taken away," Lin Yuan thought with some regret.
It's not the power of the divine weapons that he's after—his main world has many weapons with power that far surpasses that of these divine weapons.
If he could bring them back and sell them or offer them to the Goddess of Wisdom, he would surely earn a fortune.
Even other citizens, though not as capable as Lin Yuan in fully comprehending the divine weapons, would pay dearly for even a slight understanding.
However, the essence of the divine weapons represents the rules of this world.
As soon as they leave this realm, they will dissipate.
If it weren't for this, Lin Yuan would have tried to bring them back at any cost.
Though his presence in this world is only through a projection of consciousness, the Gate of Myriad Realms could potentially transport items back to the main world by accumulating 'energy.'
But the amount of 'energy' required is unknown to Lin Yuan.
"Never mind. First, I should focus on fully comprehending the essence of these divine weapons," Lin Yuan decided as he calmed his thoughts and began to immerse himself in contemplation.
The entire Taiji Furnace was an extension of his senses.
With just a thought, Lin Yuan could sense the position of the thirty-six divine weapons within it.
While Lin Yuan delved into the essence of the divine weapons, the Five Peaks Battlefield was in an uproar.
"How can the Great Flame Emperor be so powerful? That's a complete divine weapon we're talking about. The Great Flame Emperor has suppressed even the divine weapons—should we still fight against the Godslayer Society?" Countless people from the Thirty-Five Nations looked up at the vast furnace spanning across the heavens, utterly bewildered and astonished by the Great Flame Emperor's feat.
"There is no harm in submitting to the Great Flame. At least our descendants will be safe from being consumed by divine weapons," mused someone among them.
Previously, under the reign of divine weapons, even the bravest dared not harbor such thoughts.
But now, with the divine weapons subdued, there is no longer a threat of being consumed, regardless of the exploitation they might face.
"This can't be real. I don't believe it. This is all an illusion—just an illusion."
The emperors of the Thirty-Five Nations were in deep denial.
They had invested everything in the divine weapons, even engaging the Godslayer Society in a battle, expecting the divine weapons to turn the tide.
But now they were being told that the divine weapons had been suppressed? Moreover, they were crushed by the Great Flame Emperor, annihilating even the last hope for their revenge.
"Everyone," an elder emperor spoke, "we need to decide how we will deal with the Godslayer Society and the Great Flame Dynasty."
His words quieted the room.
"Should we surrender?" the emperor of the Great Chu Dynasty tentatively suggested, voicing a sentiment shared by the majority.
Despite the ancestral commitment to their countries, they had no cards left against the Great Flame Dynasty and the Godslayer Society.
Resisting would only drag out the inevitable, so surrendering might grant them better terms.
"Your Majesty," Sikong Lun gazed at the figure atop the furnace.
Although small, in Sikong Lun's eyes, the emperor seemed grander than the entire furnace.
"Everyone, His Majesty has dealt with the divine weapons for us. Now it's our turn to sweep through the Thirty-Five Nations and overthrow the divine weapon rule," Sikong Lun ordered his fervent troops to advance.
With Lin Yuan dominating the heavens and quelling the furnace, the Thirty-Five Nations lost all will to resist.
The Godslayer Society and the Great Flame Dynasty swiftly took over the battlefield.
Only three emperors managed to flee; the rest were captured.
Sikong Lun spared these emperors, considering their utility in ruling the captured lands.
"Did you see that? Is that Flame Emperor really on par with the Father God?" Beyond the Five Peaks Battlefield, a group of reclusive cursed weapon beings gathered.
Drawn by the showdown, they witnessed the astonishing event unfold.
"Even if not entirely, it's close," echoed a faint mental pulse from an umbrella-shaped weapon.
It retained a clear memory of the ancient divine being, understanding the great being's essence.
"Father God..." the umbrella-shaped weapon's mental pulse spread, its memories of the past faded, only remembering the divine being as its creator.
To such weapons, the Father God embodied everything.
Now, another being comparable to the Father God had emerged, unexpectedly surpassing the millennia-long accumulation of the thirty-six divine weapons with unbelievable speed.
High above, Lin Yuan sat on the Taiji Furnace, surveying the world below.
This presence facilitated the Godslayer Society and Great Flame Dynasty's unprecedentedly smooth conquest of the Thirty-Five Nations.
Normally, such conquests demanded extensive resources, time, policies, and effort, as long as people remained hopeful for restoring their nation.
But now, the power of the divine weapons, crushed by the Great Flame Emperor, extinguished any ambitions of rebellion.
In the following twenty years, Lin Yuan meditated atop the Taiji Furnace.
Finally, after two decades, he opened his eyes, his gaze sparkling.
"At last... it's complete," Lin Yuan smiled, having fully understood the essence of the thirty-six divine weapons.
In history, only the ancient divine being from millennia ago achieved this feat, and even they needed much more time and a few clever tricks than Lin Yuan.
Feeling the changes within, Lin Yuan knew that by integrating the rules of the thirty-six divine weapons and many cursed weapons into his Taiji Dao, he was still in the fourth stage but vaguely glimpsed the path to the fifth stage.
In his main world, the third stage, known as city-destroying level, could demolish half a city with a single blow.
The fifth stage was called land-sinking level, making an Evolver at this stage arguably the strongest lifeform on earth, just one step short of the sixth stage, the star-falling level.
"No rush, no rush," Lin Yuan calmed himself, refraining from dwelling on the fifth stage when he hadn't yet completed the fourth.
"The ancient divine being," Lin Yuan pondered, now having more insights into the being's history after mastering the thirty-six divine weapons.
While the Sun and Moon Spear had few memories of the divine being, other weapons, especially the tower-shaped one, carried much information about them, even knowing where the divine being vanished.
"There," Lin Yuan glanced towards the north, recalling the memory shared by the tower-shaped weapon.
Before disappearing, the divine being had spoken that they were not native to this world but had fallen from another after an accident.
Having healed their injuries, they planned to return.
They had torn a rift at the world's edge, and through turbulent space, they could reach their homeland by activating a secret art to summon their kin.
"Another world," Lin Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly.
Worlds are indeed interconnected, something Lin Yuan noticed back in the Dragon-Tiger World.
The Heavenly Master's True Martial Sword and the Primordial Demon Spirit hinted at connections to higher worlds.
"If I could reach the divine being's world, one journey might yield double the benefits," Lin Yuan mused.
Undoubtedly, the divine being's homeland surpassed the current world in tier.
Otherwise, the divine being wouldn't have been able to extract the world's essence millennia ago.
Should Lin Yuan succeed in reaching it, he would reap even greater rewards.
Crossing worlds, however, is inherently perilous—the divine being nearly perished during their fall.
But Lin Yuan's current journey is of his consciousness, free from the risk of death.
Even if he fails, he'd merely return to his main world.
With the insights gained from the divine and cursed weapons, Lin Yuan considered himself well-rewarded enough that a failed attempt held no significant loss.
"No rush. I'll wait until the last twenty years," Lin Yuan decided internally.
With thirty years left before his limit of a hundred and sixty years in this world, Lin Yuan planned to resolve remaining matters in the meantime.
"As for you?" Lin Yuan looked down at the furnace.
Twenty years of refinement had already erased the consciousness of the thirty-six divine weapons.
Birth of a new consciousness would take hundreds, if not thousands, of years.
"Shatter," Lin Yuan commanded.
Cracks spread across the divine weapons' surfaces, continuously expanding until they crumbled into pieces.
Although indestructible as manifestations of heaven and earth essence, Lin Yuan shattered them to ensure any future consciousness would pose significantly less threat than a complete divine weapon.
The Five Peaks Battlefield had become a sacred place in the eyes of many, especially post the Great Flame Emperor's overwhelming subjugation of the divine weapons twenty years prior.
People flocked to witness the legendary emperor who unified the Thirty-Six Nations, creating an unprecedented empire.
As long as the colossal black-and-white furnace remained, it was known that the Great Flame Emperor resided at its peak.
Yet, on a particular day, countless gazes were fixed as the black-and-white furnace gradually faded away. (End of this chapter)