C H L

Consciousness began to awaken. Lin Yuan gradually took control of the Martial Ancestor's golden body.

"Back in the Azure World..." Lin Yuan sent a thread of his spiritual energy into the Demon Tree. "The Ancestor Demon Tree is gravely injured?"

Just a brief scan revealed that the tree's injuries were deep and affected its very core. It was no wonder the message it had sent spoke of life and death for the Azure World.

"But it doesn't matter much," Lin Yuan thought to himself.

When the Martial Ancestor's golden body was being nurtured, the Ancestor Demon Tree had already become less important to him. The golden body had reached the eighth rank as soon as it was formed, surpassing the Ancestor Demon Tree even in its prime. After over 100,000 years of nurturing, the golden body had almost stepped into the ninth rank.

In other words, as long as Lin Yuan had half an hour, he could fully integrate with the Martial Ancestor's golden body.

Once he did, he would possess the basic strength of a ninth-rank being. With his profound understanding of the laws of the universe and his mastery of power, he could sweep through tenth-rank beings with ease. In a desperate fight, where he unleashed all his trump cards, he could even exert eleventh-rank power.

This golden body, nurtured over hundreds of thousands of years, was unfathomably strong. And with Lin Yuan, the creator of the martial path, taking control, he would be able to unleash its full potential.

Together, the combination of Lin Yuan and the golden body far surpassed the sum of its parts.

"Hmm?"

Lin Yuan fully connected with the Ancestor Demon Tree and began to absorb detailed information from the past hundreds of thousands of years.

Although he had received simplified reports from the Demon Tree while in the main universe, they were extremely brief—sometimes just a sentence to summarize major events. This was due to the difficulty of transmitting detailed information across dimensions, even with the Gate of the Myriad Realms as an intermediary.

Now, however, Lin Yuan could grasp every detail that had transpired.

"Hmm?"

"No wonder the Azure World attracted the attention of those two outer-realm evil gods, and why they invaded. No, this wasn't their idea—it was their master's."

With Lin Yuan's incredible processing speed, he absorbed hundreds of thousands of years' worth of information in just a dozen breaths.

He realized that the two evil gods who had attacked the Azure World had used techniques far beyond their strength to seriously injure the Ancestor Demon Tree and tear open the world's barrier. This confirmed that a much stronger evil god was behind them.

Based on the information Lin Yuan had gathered, the most powerful evil god in the nearby void had established a faction known as the "Black Demon Pavilion," and this being called himself the master of the pavilion, ruling over a large number of outer-realm evil gods.

There were, of course, other powerful evil gods scattered across the vast void, each establishing their own domains and factions.

"In the last several hundred thousand years, under my influence, the Azure World's essence has grown at least tenfold."

Through the perspective of the Ancestor Demon Tree, Lin Yuan observed the vast source energy of the Azure World. After replacing the world's heavenly law, he had begun tweaking the flow of its energy, ensuring it circulated more smoothly and efficiently.

After returning to the main universe, Lin Yuan had continued directing the Ancestor Demon Tree to refine the Azure World's energy circulation, modeling it after the main universe itself.

The main universe was incomparably vast, dwarfing both the Azure World and the endless void. Its source energy was managed far more efficiently than that of the Azure World.

The Azure World mimicking the main universe's energy flow wouldn't show results immediately, but over thousands or hundreds of thousands of years, the difference would become apparent.

Now, the Azure World's energy was ten times stronger than it had been hundreds of thousands of years ago. If not for the massive expenditure of energy required to nurture the Martial Ancestor's golden body, the difference might have been dozens or even a hundred times greater.

Such a drastic increase in energy naturally attracted the attention of the surrounding evil gods.

Originally, the Azure World's energy had been weak, and the Ancestor Demon Tree's presence had made it too costly to invade. Even if the evil gods had considered it, the price of conquering the world would have been too high.

But now, with the Azure World's energy tenfold stronger, it was an entirely different story.

The most critical issue was that the master of the Black Demon Pavilion likely wanted to understand how the Azure World had transformed so rapidly in just hundreds of thousands of years.

If this secret could be uncovered, it would significantly improve the efficiency with which they could devour the energy of other worlds.

That was why the Azure World had become a target.

"If it were the old Azure World, it would never have caught the attention of the Black Demon Pavilion's master."

"Although the world has been invaded, its inhabitants have not suffered any major losses."

Using the Demon Tree's perspective, Lin Yuan took on the role of the world's heavenly law, observing every detail of the realm.

The Demon Tree had acted quickly to command the inhabitants to gather around it for protection, preserving the majority of the Azure World's strength.

However, as time passed and the two evil gods continued their invasion, the Demon Tree's injuries worsened. The losses would soon start to escalate.

"Hmm?"

"The ritual has ended?"

Lin Yuan glanced toward the hall. The numerous worshippers were standing up, their movements syncing with the world's rhythm as a subtle current of energy flowed into the golden body.

This energy was the essence of the Azure World itself.

For hundreds of thousands of years, each ritual had been a process by which the Martial Ancestor's golden body absorbed the world's energy, solidifying its foundation to an unimaginable degree.

"I just need a little more time, and I'll fully control this body."

Lin Yuan could feel the profound strength within the golden body he had designed for himself. He was very satisfied.

Technically, he could take full control right now, but doing so might introduce minor flaws, and there was no need to rush.

The situation in the human world was dire, but the core of the Azure World remained intact. Lin Yuan could afford to wait.

Inside the Martial Hall, the many worshippers and martial practitioners gradually left, leaving only the high priestess behind.

The high priestess, Qing Yao, was a descendant of the first leader of the Azure Alliance, who had served Lin Yuan for many years. She had earned her place as the highest-ranking priestess in the world.

"Martial Ancestor..." Qing Yao gazed up at the towering golden body of the Martial Ancestor, her expression filled with worry.

"If those two evil gods continue like this, in less than a year, 70% of the human world will be completely overrun, and the entire world will be polluted."

As the high priestess, Qing Yao's soul was connected to the Demon Tree, and she could vaguely sense the critical state of the Azure World.

"We must stop the evil gods before it's too late."

Qing Yao had already made her decision. "I'll sacrifice half the life force of the world's beings to help the holy tree recover. With its power restored, we might stand a chance."

Her face grew calm.

The ritual to sacrifice half the world's beings would claim her life as well, as she would become part of the life force offered to the Demon Tree. But if it could save the Azure World, it would be worth it.

In the vast void beyond the Azure World, the two massive evil gods stood before the giant crack in the world's barrier, watching closely.

"Brother Demon Tree, if you hand over this world now and explain why its energy has grown so rapidly, we'll speak well of you to the master of the pavilion. You might even become one of his trusted subordinates."

The evil god on the left sent out a terrifying psychic wave, trying once again to communicate with the Ancestor Demon Tree.

Since the invasion began, they had been making these offers, hoping to avoid a direct battle, but without much success.

Moments later, the evil god on the left's expression darkened.

In the past, the Demon Tree would at least respond to these attempts, even if only to stall for time. But now, there was no reply at all.

"Arrogant. Even in this situation," the evil god on the right grumbled.

They believed they had an overwhelming advantage, and if not for their desire to minimize damage, they could have already conquered the Azure World and captured the Demon Tree.

"Enough."

"No more stalling."

"Let's enter the world ourselves."

The evil god on the left was growing impatient. After all their probing and testing, they were confident that the Demon Tree had little strength left.

Now, if they invaded directly, the Demon Tree wouldn't be able to inflict much harm on them.

At that moment, the inhabitants of the Azure World saw the horrifying rift in the sky tear even wider.

A colossal evil god, its body covered in countless tentacles, slowly forced its way into the world.

The entire Azure World trembled as the evil god entered, the land at the edges breaking apart.

On the other side, a second rift opened, as deep as an abyss, and a massive eye, surrounded by wings, began to push through, radiating an eerie, malevolent energy that quickly spread.

On the Crown Continent, within the Martial Hall, Qing Yao's face turned pale.

"This is bad."

She quickly stood up, sensing the terrifying presence of the two evil gods invading the world.

"There's no time to waste."

"We have to begin the sacrifice now."

Qing Yao immediately gave the order. Martial practitioners began gathering outside the Martial Hall, ready to be sacrificed to heal the Demon Tree's wounds.

They had long been prepared for this and were willing to die if it meant saving the Azure World.

"Martial Ancestor..."

"Please, Martial Ancestor, let this work."

Qing Yao was about to leave the hall to oversee the ritual when she turned to glance at the golden body she had revered her whole life.

Although the sacrifice of half the world's beings would heal the Demon Tree, there was no guarantee it would be enough to stop the evil gods.

After all, the Demon Tree had been struck down from its prime by these very gods, using some unknown means that had even torn the world's barrier apart.

However, when Qing Yao looked back, she froze in shock.

The golden body, which had stood in the deepest part of the hall for hundreds of thousands of years, had vanished.

"Where is the Martial Ancestor?"

Qing Yao was thunderstruck. The Martial Ancestor wasn't just her faith; he was the faith of the entire Azure World. His golden body disappearing was like the sky falling.

She staggered backward, ready to rush out and have the entire hall searched to find out who had taken the golden body.

But she stopped in her tracks.

Standing in front of the entrance to the Martial Hall was a towering man, his hands behind his back, looking out into the distance.

"You don't need to sacrifice half the world's beings," Lin Yuan said calmly, glancing at Qing Yao.

He was fully aware of her plan to sacrifice half the world's beings to heal the Demon Tree.

Naturally, he would not allow it. Half the world's beings? How many martial practitioners would that be?

"Martial Ancestor..."

Qing Yao trembled, tears welling up in her eyes.

The Martial Ancestor, the figure the people of the Azure World had worshipped for hundreds of thousands of years, had finally returned.

Lin Yuan, still facing away from her, took a step forward and exited the hall.

On the human world below, countless evil god puppets, which had been rampaging freely, were instantly obliterated. Crushed by an overwhelming force, they all vanished into nothingness, and their remaining essence was absorbed back into the Azure World.

The two evil gods, who had been pushing their way through the rift, suddenly sensed something.

They both turned their attention toward the Crown Continent, their expressions filled with fear. Without a moment's hesitation, they began to retreat, frantically trying to squeeze back through the cracks in the world's barrier.

The Martial Ancestor had left the hall and returned to the human world.

...

In the sky above, the two enormous outer-realm evil gods, with half of their bodies already squeezed into the Azure World, were now trembling. As beings that fed on worlds, their senses were exceptionally keen. But now, they both felt an overwhelming sense of impending doom.

That was why they immediately began to retreat, despite having already crossed half their bodies into the world. Even though retreating would cause them to collide with the world's barrier, leading to injuries, they didn't hesitate for a second.

"How could that demon tree have such a terrifying hidden power?"

Both evil gods were in disbelief. They hadn't identified the exact source of the threat, but since it originated from within the Azure World, it had to be connected to the Ancestor Demon Tree.

This only added to their confusion. If the demon tree had such a powerful card to play, why hadn't it used it earlier? Why wait until the world's barrier had been torn open?

In the depths of the boundless void, several other outer-realm evil gods were watching the invasion of the Azure World.

In just a few hundred thousand years, the energy of the Azure World had surged tenfold, making it an attractive target for many outer-realm evil gods. Unfortunately for them, the Black Demon Pavilion's master had already set his sights on it.

Over ten thousand years ago, the master of the Black Demon Pavilion had found an important opportunity in a void secret realm, greatly increasing his strength. He had since become the most powerful evil god in the region.

Since the Black Demon Pavilion's master had claimed the Azure World, none of the other evil gods dared intervene, despite their jealousy.

"I wonder what secrets that world holds."

"That demon really didn't obey the Black Demon Pavilion master's orders and chose to defend the world to the death. Now look at it."

The outer-realm evil gods were somewhat gleeful as they watched the situation unfold. Especially seeing the two evil gods stationed outside the world, ready to descend in person, many believed the Ancestor Demon Tree was doomed.

But soon, some of the outer-realm evil gods noticed something strange.

"Huh? Why are 'Devil Eye' and 'Ten Thousand Tendrils' retreating?"

Devil Eye and Ten Thousand Tendrils were subordinates of the Black Demon Pavilion master, tasked with conquering the Azure World. The other evil gods had been watching, assuming that the situation was under control as the two prepared to descend into the world.

But now, those same gods saw Devil Eye and Ten Thousand Tendrils retreating as if fleeing from some ancient beast.

"Interesting, has something unexpected happened?"

"Could the demon tree have a hidden trump card?"

"That makes sense. For the world's energy to grow so much, there must be something special about it."

The outer-realm evil gods immediately began speculating. While most of them were driven by madness, they weren't stupid and could think logically.

"We'll just keep watching."

"Exactly, let's just enjoy the show."

The outer-realm evil gods didn't seem too concerned. Though they feared the Black Demon Pavilion master, they were more than happy to see his subordinates run into trouble. It wasn't their problem anyway, so the gods continued to observe with amusement.

Inside the Azure World, Lin Yuan floated in the sky, watching as countless evil god puppets were reduced to ash.

These puppets were created by the evil gods' power, and just as evil gods could devour worlds, worlds could also devour evil gods. However, unlike the evil gods, world consciousnesses lacked the ability to directly fight back and could only resist through chosen champions like the "child of the world" or "child of destiny."

But under Lin Yuan's control, all the power left behind by the destroyed evil god puppets was absorbed by the world's energy.

"This body..."

Lin Yuan squinted slightly. The body he had taken over had been nurtured by the boundless energy of the Azure World. Its foundation was unfathomably strong, and within the world, it could command all its power.

"Trying to escape?"

Lin Yuan glanced at the two outer-realm evil gods, who were desperately trying to squeeze out of the world. With just a thought, he transformed the world's energy into sharp spatial blades, slashing toward them.

"This is bad."

Ten Thousand Tendrils was the first to be hit, as most of its body had already entered the world. If it were cut in half, only a small portion of its body would make it out. Though such injuries wouldn't be fatal for an outer-realm evil god, they would take a long time to heal.

"Master, please help!"

Without hesitation, Ten Thousand Tendrils took out a statue, a monstrous creature with eighteen arms, radiating an aura so maddening that it could drive countless beings insane just by being near it.

This was a trump card given to them by the Black Demon Pavilion master, usable three times. They had already used it once to break into the Azure World, leaving two uses remaining.

If they could conquer the Azure World with minimal effort, the statue would be theirs to keep. Ten Thousand Tendrils and Devil Eye had intended to use the statue only one more time, keeping the last use for a future emergency. But now, Ten Thousand Tendrils felt an overwhelming fear and didn't dare hold back.

"So that's the Black Demon Pavilion master's power?"

After fully absorbing the Ancestor Demon Tree's memories, Lin Yuan immediately recognized the statue.

It was thanks to this statue that the two evil gods had been able to gravely injure the Ancestor Demon Tree and tear open the Azure World's barrier, wreaking havoc on the human world below.

"Not bad."

"Roughly the strength of a tenth-rank being."

Through the statue, Lin Yuan could gauge the strength of the Black Demon Pavilion master.

Over hundreds of thousands of years ago, at its peak, the Ancestor Demon Tree had only reached the seventh rank. The Black Demon Pavilion master had strength approaching the tenth rank, which explained why he was so feared among the evil gods.

However, to the current Lin Yuan, this level of strength was insignificant.

In terms of life rank, Lin Yuan was now at the peak of the ninth rank. But his ninth-rank strength was far beyond that of an ordinary ninth-rank being. If necessary, he could even unleash the power of an eleventh-rank entity.

And the Black Demon Pavilion master was not here in person, only his statue.

Rumble.

In front of Ten Thousand Tendrils, the statue began to release black mist, quickly spreading across a radius of hundreds of thousands of miles.

"Break."

Standing in the void, Lin Yuan appeared insignificant compared to the massive outer-realm evil gods. But with a simple lift of his right hand and a point of his finger, the endless black mist emanating from the terrifying statue began to dissipate rapidly. Even the statue itself started to crack, fractures spreading across its surface before it finally collapsed.

With the statue's protection gone, Ten Thousand Tendrils was once again exposed.

"What? The statue given by the Pavilion master was shattered so easily? I didn't even use the third charge..."

Ten Thousand Tendrils couldn't believe it. The Black Demon Pavilion master's strength was beyond question, and the statue he left behind could easily sweep through many outer-realm evil gods.

But now, the statue it had placed its hopes on crumbled like paper.

"Hmm?"

Lin Yuan's mind stirred, and with a ripple of space, the statue appeared in his hand. If he hadn't held back, his earlier attack could have completely destroyed it. But Lin Yuan wanted to use the statue to gain insight into the Black Demon Pavilion master.

Not because the Black Demon Pavilion master posed any real threat, but because the outer-realm evil gods of this level possessed various innate abilities that intrigued Lin Yuan.

Using his understanding of the law of cause and effect, Lin Yuan could easily use the statue to locate the Black Demon Pavilion master's exact position.

Both Devil Eye and Ten Thousand Tendrils had been acting under the orders of the Black Demon Pavilion master to invade the Azure World, and Lin Yuan had no intention of letting their leader go.

With the statue collected, Lin Yuan turned his attention back to Ten Thousand Tendrils, who was frozen in fear, and pointed at it once more.

In an instant, Ten Thousand Tendrils' massive body evaporated by 90%, its core crushed under the weight of Lin Yuan's overwhelming power.

"Why are you so strong?"

Ten Thousand Tendrils trembled with fear. With just a few gestures, this being had completely neutralized all of its resistance. Even the Black Demon Pavilion master wasn't this powerful. In fact, compared to Lin Yuan, the Pavilion master seemed weaker.

But how could that be possible? The Black Demon Pavilion master was an existence built on the consumption of countless worlds and outer-realm evil gods. Such beings couldn't just be created overnight.

Before Ten Thousand Tendrils could react further, its core was completely suppressed, and its consciousness sank into oblivion, falling into Lin Yuan's hands.

"This is the core of that evil god?" Lin Yuan studied the cloud of mist before him.

"I'll research it later."

Lin Yuan sealed the mist away. He hadn't killed Ten Thousand Tendrils because he wanted to study the outer-realm evil god thoroughly.

In the past, Lin Yuan had lacked the strength to challenge these beings and had struggled to replace the Ancestor Demon Tree. Now, returning to the boundless void, he wasn't going to miss this opportunity.

In the main universe, Lin Yuan had studied the bodies and souls of many powerful beings, especially the special abilities of unique life forms. This had allowed him to develop the most complete version of the Martial Dao's tenth rank.

In the boundless void, the outer-realm evil gods who consumed worlds were no less fascinating than the special life forms of the main universe.

These outer-realm evil gods possessed all kinds of bizarre powers, which Lin Yuan believed would greatly benefit his understanding of the boundless void.

His goals in this descent were twofold:

First, to gain deeper insights into various fusion laws, especially reaching the fifth realm of the time-space fusion law.

Second, to explore the boundless void and the nature of the outer-realm evil gods.

Capturing Ten Thousand Tendrils alive was part of the second objective.

The statue left behind by the Black Demon Pavilion master had been shattered, and Ten Thousand Tendrils had been suppressed and captured in Lin Yuan's grasp.

Although it seemed like a long process, it all happened in an instant—just one breath's time from start to finish.

On the other side, Devil Eye, a massive eyeball, was utterly terrified. True fear now gripped its mind.

Ten Thousand Tendrils, a peer of its own strength, had been eliminated just like that, even after using the Pavilion master's statue.

"This kind of power... why didn't anyone say anything?"

The giant eyeball Devil Eye felt a pang of frustration and resentment. It had thought taking the Azure World would be an easy job, especially with the Pavilion master's statue.

If they hadn't been trying to minimize their losses, the Azure World would have fallen into their hands long ago.

But now, Lin Yuan, this utterly incomprehensible being, had appeared.

"Run!"

Devil Eye sensed the overwhelming figure who had just dealt with Ten Thousand Tendrils turning its gaze toward it. Without hesitation, it began to abandon the part of its body still inside the Azure World, transferring its consciousness to the portion of its body that remained outside, fleeing in panic.

Losing half its body was a terrible price to pay and would take ages to recover from.

But compared to ending up like Ten Thousand Tendrils, losing half its body seemed like the better option.

Throughout the entire ordeal, Devil Eye never considered fighting back. There was no point. Ten Thousand Tendrils had tried to resist, and look where that had gotten it.

Outside the Azure World, in the depths of the boundless void, the watching outer-realm evil gods had been eagerly anticipating the show.

But when they saw Ten Thousand Tendrils' enormous body crumble and dissolve into pure energy, which was then absorbed by the Azure World, they were all stunned.

What had just happened?

What had become of Ten Thousand Tendrils?

Was it dead? Or had it been captured?

The outer-realm evil gods had been hoping to see some trouble for Devil Eye and Ten Thousand Tendrils, but none of them had expected things to go this far.

The outer-realm evil gods had imagined that any twist would simply delay the conquest, forcing Devil Eye and Ten Thousand Tendrils to expend more effort and resources.

But being counterattacked and defeated?

No one had considered that.

Ten Thousand Tendrils and Devil Eye were powerful outer-realm evil gods armed with the Pavilion master's gifts. Who could defeat them? Let alone suppress them?

"Devil Eye?"

The demise of Ten Thousand Tendrils sent a shockwave through the ranks of the outer-realm evil gods, and their eyes quickly turned to Devil Eye.

They saw Devil Eye's half-body still stuck inside the Azure World, but then, without warning, it abandoned its trapped half and fled with the rest of its form, desperately escaping the world.

But before the other evil gods could fully process what was happening, a massive hand reached out from the Azure World.

A hand that spanned millions of miles, it easily grasped the fleeing half of Devil Eye, pulling it back into the Azure World.

In just a few breaths of time, the two enormous rifts in the world's barrier began to close, finally sealing completely.

Silence.

All the outer-realm evil gods observing from the void fell silent.

None of them had expected such a reversal.

There was something mysterious within the Azure World, a being that had subdued both Devil Eye and Ten Thousand Tendrils, two evil gods equipped with the Pavilion master's power.

The last image they saw, of the massive hand effortlessly snatching back the retreating Devil Eye, left the outer-realm evil gods in shock.

"What... what just happened?"

"What kind of being is in that world?"

The outer-realm evil gods were now trembling, their sense of the Azure World completely changed. To these beings, worlds were merely food, to be consumed. But now, the Azure World filled them with terror, and they wanted nothing more than to distance themselves from it.

"All the trouble has been dealt with."

Lin Yuan casually subdued Devil Eye and stored it away. He scanned the Azure World several more times, checking for any stragglers.

Satisfied that the danger had passed, Lin Yuan turned back and returned to the Crown Continent, walking toward the Martial Hall.

"Greetings, Martial Ancestor."

The high priestess Qing Yao bowed deeply before Lin Yuan, her voice filled with reverence.

From her vantage point in the highest reaches of the Azure World, Qing Yao had witnessed everything that had just transpired. The two fearsome outer-realm evil gods, who had wreaked havoc across the human world, had been helpless before the Martial Ancestor. They were like chickens waiting to be slaughtered, with no ability to fight back, easily subdued by Lin Yuan.

The scene had left Qing Yao's heart pounding. Only now did she fully grasp the true extent of the Martial Ancestor's power, the being they had worshipped for hundreds of thousands of years.

"I will enter seclusion. Do not disturb me unless it is absolutely necessary," Lin Yuan said simply, before stepping into the Martial Hall.

The massive doors of the hall slowly closed behind him.

"Martial Ancestor..."

Qing Yao's voice trembled as she watched him go. Then, she turned to face the countless martial practitioners and the masses below.

"We survived..."

Inside the Martial Hall, Lin Yuan sat cross-legged.

Before him hovered two clouds of mist—these were the life cores of Devil Eye and Ten Thousand Tendrils.

"These two evil gods..."

Lin Yuan's immense spiritual power allowed him to easily refine both cores, giving him complete access to their memories.

Both beings had spent the majority of their existence in a state of madness, wandering the boundless void, battling and devouring other evil gods, and discovering worlds to invade and consume.

Until they encountered the Black Demon Pavilion master and, realizing they couldn't resist, chose to submit to him.

"Their powers are quite interesting."

Lin Yuan carefully studied the two cores.

After a while, his expression became contemplative, and he stored the two clouds of mist away once more.

"This body, although inherently powerful and filled with immense potential, has not yet walked the Martial Dao evolutionary path," Lin Yuan mused.

It was like a person born with great physical strength but who hadn't yet learned any martial techniques.

"If I use this body to cultivate the Martial Dao evolutionary path, I'll be able to fully unlock its potential and might even awaken a fifth divine ability."

Lin Yuan's eyes gleamed with anticipation.

...