CHL

In a hazy moment.

Lin Yuan opened his eyes.

"I'm back."

Sensing the vast and unfathomable rule fluctuations of the main universe, Lin Yuan's face lit up with a smile.

In the last twenty-plus years of the boundless void, Lin Yuan's progress in comprehending the rules had been slow.

One of the main reasons was that the "ocean" of rules in the boundless void was too shallow.

You could see to the bottom at a glance.

But in the main universe?

Lin Yuan saw hope for a significant leap in his comprehension of the rules.

"In the boundless void, the sixth stage of time-space was already the limit. Reaching the seventh stage of time-space would theoretically be impossible."

Lin Yuan thought to himself.

In fact, reaching the sixth stage of time-space was already incredibly difficult.

The secret realm creator and the Void Child were able to reach the tenth rank largely due to their natural talent and abilities.

However, now.

Lin Yuan could sense the even more vast and profound fluctuations of time-space beyond the sixth stage.

Of course, sensing it was one thing.

Whether or not he could comprehend it was another.

It's like how an ordinary person can see a towering mountain in the distance, but seeing and actually climbing it are two different things.

After comprehending the sixth stage of time-space, Lin Yuan had not delved deeper.

Besides the limitations of the boundless void, it was also due to the fact that his current level was too low.

Comprehending the sixth stage of time-space at the tenth rank?

In the main universe, whether anyone would surpass him in the future was unknown, but he was certainly the first.

As for reaching the seventh stage of time-space? Lin Yuan had no such plans for now.

"The time-space of the cosmic starry sky is so vast."

At this moment, Lin Yuan's understanding of the cosmic starry sky had changed significantly compared to before his transmigration.

Before his tenth transmigration, Lin Yuan's comprehension of time-space was at the second stage, but now, having reached the sixth stage, every aspect of time-space lay clearly before him.

"So vast, so magnificent."

Lin Yuan carefully observed, marveling in his heart.

If the boundless void could be compared to a narrow space of just a few square meters, Lin Yuan could take just one or a few steps to reach any location.

But the entire cosmic starry sky was like a football field.

Even with his comprehension of the sixth stage of time-space, he couldn't achieve the same "arrive with a thought" ability as in the boundless void.

This was the difference in the breadth of time-space between the main universe and the boundless void.

In the cosmic starry sky, it wasn't just that Lin Yuan's time-space comprehension was at the sixth stage—no, even a twelfth-rank Strongest one wouldn't be able to achieve "arrive with a thought."

Within the vast territory of the main universe, there were occasionally time-space danger zones.

In those places, layers of time-space mazes existed.

Even with a comprehension of the sixth stage of time-space, it was impossible to traverse them directly.

"However, with my current control over time-space and the use of Nine Steps of Time-Space..."

"Unless I'm being personally pursued by a Strongest one, I'm practically invincible."

Lin Yuan's confidence grew.

Even if he couldn't be "everywhere" like in the boundless void, his ability to traverse space had far exceeded what it was before his last transmigration.

And with the Nine Steps of Time-Space...

Forget those below the Strongest ones—Lin Yuan had the feeling that even a twelfth-rank Strongest one would have trouble catching up with him.

The escape technique Nine Steps of Time-Space of the Mysterious Emperor lineage was unparalleled in speed.

This was a protective method specially created by His Majesty, the Mysterious Emperor, for the heirs of the Mysterious Emperor lineage, who had traveled through the chaotic void.

While Lin Yuan was confident that no Strongest one could catch up to him within nine steps, he wasn't foolish enough to provoke them.

A Strongest one didn't need to personally chase down a being below the twelfth rank to kill them—just a soul attack would be enough.

"My strength now..."

Lin Yuan began to assess himself.

Before his tenth transmigration, Lin Yuan had gauged his strength to be at the third or fourth tier of the eleventh rank.

But now, even against beings like the Divine King—those perfected legendary eleventh-rank beings—if they didn't wield a Strongest one's weapon, Lin Yuan could suppress them with ease.

The gap between the sixth and fifth stages of time-space was massive.

If the combat strength of a eleventh-rank being was ten, then a tenth-stage evil god in the boundless void had a combat strength between fifteen and twenty.

Lin Yuan's combat strength, on the other hand, was around one hundred.

And a twelfth-rank Strongest one's combat strength, using this scale, would be in the millions.

Although Lin Yuan was still far from matching a twelfth-rank Strongest one, he had already surpassed a normal perfected eleventh-rank legendary being.

In the two-dimensional world, Lin Yuan had relied on the environmental restrictions of the two-dimensional realm to crush those perfected legendary eleventh-rank beings.

But in truth, that had been a bit of a trick.

Now, however.

Lin Yuan's real combat strength had completely surpassed that of perfected legendary eleventh-rank beings.

Compared to the tenth-stage evil gods of the boundless void, perfected legendary eleventh-rank beings of the main universe had one huge advantage:

Weapons.

The Divine King could fuse with a Strongest one's weapon, causing his combat strength to soar.

Other perfected legendary eleventh-rank beings also had the chance to obtain a Strongest one's weapon.

Most of the perfected legendary eleventh-rank beings in the main universe were backed by peak races or Strongest ones.

To increase their chances of breaking through to the ultimate level, these peak races or Strongest ones would grant them a Strongest weapon to allow them to experience the power of the twelfth rank.

These Strongest weapons were temporarily lent to them. If they successfully broke through to the twelfth rank, they would keep the weapon. If they failed, the weapon would be returned to the race.

The reason the Divine King was so famous among the many perfected legendary eleventh-rank beings of the main universe was because the Strongest one's weapon he wielded was highly compatible with him.

A weapon that was perfectly suited to the user not only allowed them to comprehend more twelfth-rank powers but also to fully exploit the weapon's potential.

Unfortunately.

The Divine Kings' Strongest weapon had been completely lost in the two-dimensional world, along with his foundational soul will.

This had caused the Divine Kings to fall from the top echelon of perfected legendary eleventh-rank beings.

The increase in combat strength brought by a Strongest weapon cannot be understated.

Even if a perfected legendary eleventh-rank being were given a Strongest weapon that didn't suit them, they could still unleash several hundred times their combat strength with full effort. And this power surge didn't even involve any hidden tricks left behind by the Strongest one in the weapon.

With a base combat strength of ten, unleashing hundreds of times that power shows the might of a Strongest weapon.

From ten to hundreds? That's not just a tenfold increase—a perfected legendary eleventh-rank being with a Strongest weapon could completely crush a group of other legendary beings without such weapons.

Of course, while a perfected legendary eleventh-rank being with a Strongest weapon could unleash power far beyond their limits, the energy consumption was also terrifyingly large. They wouldn't be able to sustain the use of the weapon for long.

"A Strongest weapon... I have plenty of those."

With a thought, Lin Yuan sent his Yang Primordial Spirit into the Mysterious Emperor's realm.

In terms of the number of Strongest weapons, Lin Yuan was second to none below the twelfth rank in the main universe.

After his journey through the two-dimensional world, Lin Yuan had acquired nearly a hundred unique items.

Even though most of these items were materials rated at twelve stars, the number of Strongest weapons exceeded thirty.

Thirty Strongest weapons? Even though that might not match the treasure troves of peak races, it was still enough to leave any perfected legendary eleventh-rank being in awe.

In fact, awe wouldn't even begin to describe it.

Nearly all perfected legendary eleventh-rank beings only had their Strongest weapon temporarily "borrowed" from their race.

Whoosh.

Lin Yuan's figure appeared in the deepest part of the Mysterious Emperor's realm.

This was where he stored the many unique items he had acquired.

"Strongest weapons."

With a thought, thirty-two Strongest weapons appeared before him.

The thirty-two Strongest weapons were neatly arranged—swords, spears, cauldrons, towers—the variety was vast.

"Now, I can finally choose a few Strongest weapons."

Lin Yuan stroked his chin.

Previously, Lin Yuan hadn't selected a Strongest weapon because he wanted to refine them.

Even the initial refinement of a Strongest weapon required a comprehension level of the fifth stage of time-space.

Without reaching the fifth stage of time-space, one couldn't even activate the vast time-space within the weapon, let alone refine it.

In other words, to refine a Strongest weapon, one had to be at least at the fifth tier of the eleventh rank. In practice, most owners of Strongest weapons were in the sixth tier.

That is, perfected legendary eleventh-rank beings.

Before his tenth transmigration, Lin Yuan's comprehension of time-space was only at the second stage, so he hadn't considered refining any Strongest weapons.

But now? With his comprehension of time-space at the sixth stage, not only could Lin Yuan refine a Strongest weapon, but he could do it much faster than any perfected legendary eleventh-rank being.

Moreover, higher comprehension of time-space helped to unlock the full potential of a Strongest weapon.

In the hands of a Strongest one, a Strongest weapon could unleash millions of units of combat strength.

But in the hands of a perfected legendary eleventh-rank being, it could only release a few hundred units? Their understanding of the weapon barely scratched the surface.

"Let me see."

Lin Yuan began to carefully select from the thirty-two Strongest weapons.

Even though Lin Yuan's ideal weapon was the original bell, it was still far from evolving into a Strongest weapon.

In the meantime, Lin Yuan didn't mind using a few other Strongest weapons as a stopgap.

Even if these Strongest weapons weren't perfectly suited to him, their high intrinsic power would still greatly enhance his strength.

"This iron staff..."

Lin Yuan glanced at a black iron staff.

This iron staff was the first offensive weapon Lin Yuan had obtained in the two-dimensional world.

Even within the two-dimensional world, where it was suppressed, the aura of the staff was incredibly powerful, carrying the weight of a mountain.

After leaving the two-dimensional world and returning to the main universe, the staff's power had begun to recover. Lin Yuan estimated that wielding it would require enough strength to lift tens of thousands of stars.

"Let's see how it feels."

With a thought, Lin Yuan appeared in the sky of the Mysterious Emperor's realm.

In the two-dimensional world, Lin Yuan had used this black iron staff many times, but in that world, the staff and this one were completely different weapons.

At the twelfth-rank level, just holding the staff made Lin Yuan feel like he could crush a galaxy.

Whoosh!

Lin Yuan casually swung the black iron staff forward.

A terrifying black shadow from the staff ripped open the void of the Mysterious Emperor's realm, creating a black spatial rift tens of thousands of miles long.

Even without fully refining the Strongest weapon, if one's comprehension of the time-space fusion rule was high enough, they could still unlock some of its power.

But compared to refining it, the unleashed power would be much less, and the energy cost would be higher.

Of course, for Lin Yuan, that was no issue. He hadn't even used the full power of the Strongest weapon—he was just testing its feel.

Whoosh!

One black spatial rift after another appeared. Wherever these rifts touched, everything was obliterated.

In the distance.

The six-armed figure curiously watched, not knowing what Lin Yuan was doing.

As the spirit of the Mysterious Emperor's realm, the six-armed figure could sense something off about Lin Yuan's current actions, but couldn't pinpoint what it was.

Until—

Lin Yuan casually swung the black iron staff, creating a black spatial rift tens of thousands of miles long.

That single black rift made the six-armed figure's heart tremble with fear.

Compared to the main universe, the space in the Mysterious Emperor's realm was far more stable.

Ripping space within the Mysterious Emperor's realm would require the strength of a ninth-rank peak being.

But even at the ninth-rank peak, they could only rip through tens of thousands of spatial layers in an instant.

Even those special ninth-rank beings who could tear through millions of spatial layers couldn't surpass that number.

The same went for tenth-rank and eleventh-rank beings. If they were in the Mysterious Emperor's realm, they couldn't rip through more than a million spatial layers in an instant.

But Lin Yuan's staff swing had created a black rift.

Normally, spatial rifts were gray, while black rifts indicated that nearly all spatial layers had been torn through.

In other words, if Lin Yuan had added just a little more power, he could've completely broken through the Mysterious Emperor's realm.

How could the six-armed figure not tremble with fear? The Mysterious Emperor's realm had been created by His Majesty, the Mysterious Emperor. Even though its defenses were weaker inside, breaking through the realm wasn't an easy task.

At least no perfected legendary eleventh-rank being could do it—not even if they wielded a Strongest weapon.

But Lin Yuan?

The six-armed figure watched Lin Yuan tear through one black rift after another, each tens or hundreds of thousands of miles long, and couldn't stop trembling.

"How... how could the master unleash so much power with a Strongest weapon?"

The six-armed figure was in disbelief. He could see that Lin Yuan was tearing open the black rifts using the black iron staff, a Strongest weapon.

But using a Strongest weapon required a deep understanding of time-space, especially since Lin Yuan hadn't even refined the weapon. Even if he could activate it, the unleashed power should've been limited.

But Lin Yuan?

How was he doing this?

The six-armed figure had a guess—Lin Yuan's comprehension of time-space was likely at the twelfth-rank level. But how could this young master of the Mysterious Emperor's realm, still at the tenth rank, have reached such a level?

High in the Mysterious Emperor's realm.

Lin Yuan casually swung the black iron staff, feeling its power.

"With my current strength, if I fully refine this Strongest weapon, I could create a permanent spatial rift within the Mysterious Emperor's realm."

Lin Yuan thought to himself.

To create a permanent spatial rift, one had to tear through all the spatial layers.

Currently, with the Strongest weapon in hand, even without fully refining it, Lin Yuan could unleash power close to a thousand units. Since the spatial layers in the Mysterious Emperor's realm were far less numerous than those of the main universe, they could potentially be torn apart.

Of course, Lin Yuan could only achieve this within the Mysterious Emperor's realm. In the main universe, to create a permanent spatial rift would require at least a million units of power.

That was the threshold of the twelfth rank.

Only then could someone tear through all the spatial layers of the main universe.

"This iron staff isn't really for me."

After a while, Lin Yuan gave up on refining the iron staff.

Though the iron staff was powerful, it didn't match Lin Yuan's fighting style.

Moreover, Lin Yuan had used this Strongest weapon multiple times in front of the powerful beings of myriad races in the two-dimensional world.

If he were to refine this black iron staff and use it in the outside world, the powerful beings of the starry sky would quickly recognize it.

And they would deduce—

The human evolver named "Blood Rain" in the two-dimensional world was Lin Yuan.

Strongest weapons weren't unique, but there were only so many of them, and there weren't many staff-shaped Strongest weapons to choose from.

Next.

Lin Yuan continued testing the other thirty-one Strongest weapons.

In the end, for his offensive Strongest weapon, he chose a silver-white battle blade.

This silver-white battle blade contained the complete Space Dao—not just the rules of space. With a single slash, its sharpness reached the extreme.

For physical defense, Lin Yuan chose a golden armor, one of the best physical defense weapons among the thirty-two Strongest weapons.

As for soul defense, Lin Yuan had few options, as there was only one soul defense Strongest weapon among the thirty-two: a deep azure-colored bead.

Three Strongest weapons—one for offense, two for defense.

He was armed to the teeth. While other perfected legendary eleventh-rank beings struggled to obtain a single Strongest weapon from their race, Lin Yuan was equipped with three at once.

"Unfortunately, even with my comprehension of time-space, the energy required to wield Strongest weapons means I can only handle a maximum of three."

Lin Yuan shook his head slightly.

If he could, he would've loved to refine all the Strongest weapons.

But that wasn't realistic. Unless one became a Strongest one, wielding a Strongest weapon came with a huge burden. Even when Lin Yuan reached the eleventh rank, he wouldn't be able to wield too many at once.

"These three will do."

"Time to start refining."

Lin Yuan appeared once again in the deepest part of the Mysterious Emperor's realm. He picked up the silver-white battle blade, and his soul will began to infiltrate it, starting the refining process.

Refining a Strongest weapon wasn't simple. For a normal perfected legendary eleventh-rank being, it could take thousands to tens of thousands of years to complete even an initial refinement.

Lin Yuan, however, would be much faster—he could fully refine one in just a few years.

...

the task of refining the weapon was naturally given to yang Primordial Spirit.

Since Lin Yuan's true self and both Primordial Spirits shared the same will, no matter which part refined the weapons, the others would also benefit from the results.

Essentially, the true self and the Primordial Spirits were the same person.

Milky Way Main Star.

Lin Yuan sat cross-legged.

"After a few more months of adjustments, I should be able to break through to the eleventh rank," Lin Yuan thought to himself.

At this point, he had almost reached the peak in all aspects. The only thing left was to make the leap to the eleventh rank.

In fact, given Lin Yuan's current accumulation, not only had he reached an unprecedented level in the tenth rank, but he would also be unparalleled in the eleventh rank.

Since the creation of this universe, no eleventh-rank being had ever comprehended the sixth stage of the time-space rule.

"But now, I might as well try to become a Sequence Disciple of the Devil Jade Tower?" Lin Yuan's thoughts shifted.

The disciples, or rather members, of the Devil Jade Tower were divided into four categories:

Ordinary disciples/members.

Core disciples/members.

Sequence disciples/members.

Personal disciples/members.

Based on Lin Yuan's current path of joining the Devil Jade Tower, the first requirement for becoming a Sequence Disciple was to comprehend all of the magic evolution paths within the body of the deceased Strongest one.

The second requirement was that the disciple must still be a being below the twelfth rank.

To become an ordinary disciple of the Devil Jade Tower, one needed to comprehend 3,333 magic evolution paths.

To become a core disciple, one needed to comprehend 33,333 magic evolution paths.

To become a Sequence Disciple, however, one had to comprehend all magic evolution paths.

That was Lin Yuan's goal.

A Sequence Disciple of the Devil Jade Tower was already considered part of the elite foundation of the organization. According to the humanoid statue Shen Ji, if Lin Yuan became a Sequence Disciple, he would have the authority to take over that part of the Devil Jade space.

But becoming a Sequence Disciple was extremely difficult. Even Shen Ji, who had witnessed many miracles, didn't believe Lin Yuan had much hope.

Comprehending all the magic evolution paths? While still being a being below the twelfth rank?

For a being below the twelfth rank to comprehend the magic evolution paths from the body of a Strongest one, even if that Strongest one had fallen, it was nearly impossible.

When the Devil Jade Tower was at its peak, most beings who became Sequence Disciples did so by perfecting a single magic evolution path, rather than comprehending them all.

The rare few who managed to comprehend all the magic evolution paths did so by relying on a special inheritance foundation stone created by the Devil Jade Tower.

Directly comprehending the magic evolution paths from a Strongest one's body? Almost impossible.

The interference from the Strongest one's body was too great. The overwhelming presence of its will made comprehending the magic evolution paths exceedingly difficult.

But now, Lin Yuan was ready to attempt it.

The primary reason was that the rewards for becoming a Sequence Disciple of the Devil Jade Tower were quite tempting for him.

Additionally, gaining control of the Devil Jade space would allow Lin Yuan to fully enjoy the benefits of being a Sequence Disciple.

Lastly, his confidence in comprehending all the magic evolution paths came from his experiences during his tenth transmigration.

Virtual World.

In the space dedicated to comprehending the magic evolution paths.

The projection of the body of the fallen Strongest one still floated in the sky.

Countless human evolvers had come and gone, back and forth.

"The more I cultivate, the more I can feel the unfathomable depths of the Strongest level."

Lin Yuan sat cross-legged atop a mountain, gazing up at that portion of the Strongest one's body.

Even though Lin Yuan had already reached the twelfth-rank level in several aspects, there was still a considerable gap between him and a true Strongest one.

Not to mention, the internal universe of a Strongest one could span tens of thousands of light-years. How vast must their physical bodies and souls be?

Lin Yuan's internal world had already broken through the limitations of the main universe, but it was only two or three hundred million miles in radius, nowhere near the scale of a Strongest one's internal universe, which was measured in light-years.

"Let's start by comprehending the magic evolution paths."

Lin Yuan focused his mind and carefully observed the body floating in the sky.

Before his tenth transmigration, the biggest obstacle to comprehending the body was the omnipresent pressure of the Strongest one's will, emanating from the body.

This will constantly interfered with Lin Yuan's attempts to comprehend the magic evolution paths.

Crucially, when his soul will was below 100,000, this pressure helped to temper his will.

But once his soul will exceeded 100,000, the tempering effect of the will pressure became negligible.

With no benefit to his soul will and the constant interference from the overwhelming pressure, even with Lin Yuan's Unrivaled Insight, the prospect of comprehending all the magic evolution paths seemed out of reach in a short time.

The will pressure came from the Strongest one, and any being below that level would be affected. The more paths one comprehended, the greater the interference would become.

But now?

The reason Lin Yuan was confident in his ability to comprehend all the magic evolution paths was that he could now resist the interference of the will pressure.

The biggest benefit Lin Yuan had gained from his tenth transmigration wasn't just the sixth stage of time-space, but the massive increase in his soul will to 33.34 million.

Comprehending the sixth stage of time-space could have been done even outside the boundless void, but the increase in his soul will? That was something Lin Yuan never could have predicted before the transmigration.

With a soul will in the tens of millions, not only had he reached the level of the Strongest ones, but he was also on par with many of them. Facing the will pressure from a deceased Strongest one's body was no longer a challenge.

Without that interference, Lin Yuan's Unrivaled Insight made comprehending all the magic evolution paths only a matter of time.

[Your Unrivaled Insight allows you to comprehend ten magic evolution paths from observing the mysterious body.]

[Your Unrivaled Insight allows you to comprehend fifty magic evolution paths from observing the mysterious body.]

[Your Unrivaled Insight allows you to comprehend two hundred magic evolution paths from observing the mysterious body.]

As expected, this time the will pressure, which had previously caused such interference, now felt like a gentle breeze and no longer had any effect on him.

In just half a day, Lin Yuan had comprehended thousands of magic evolution paths.

"If I want to comprehend all the magic evolution paths, I might not be able to rely solely on this projection of the body. At some point, I may need to study the body itself," Lin Yuan thought while continuing his comprehension.

Currently, all the human evolvers were studying a projection of the body, recreated in the virtual world by several human Strongest ones. The projection contained part of the body's essence.

As for why they didn't directly study the body itself, it was because the contamination from the body was too intense. Even eleventh-rank evolvers couldn't approach it, let alone study it.

For evolvers below the eleventh rank, directly studying the body of a Strongest one could cause their minds to be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information contained within it.

If they weren't overwhelmed, they would likely collapse under the weight of the body's will pressure.

But for Lin Yuan, these issues were no longer a concern.

With his current soul will, he could face a living Strongest one without fear, let alone a dead one.

That portion of the body was undoubtedly kept in the human civilization's treasury.

Given Lin Yuan's current status within human civilization, all he had to do was ask Strongest one Xia Qin for permission to study the body directly.

After all, it wasn't as if he wanted to take the body—he only wanted to study it.

Lin Yuan divided a portion of his soul will to continue studying the magic evolution paths within the body.

Meanwhile, his true self remained on the Milky Way Main Star, adjusting his state to perfection.

"Before breaking through to the eleventh rank, I should probably meet with the Strongest ones."

Lin Yuan thought to himself, recalling the massive disturbance caused when he broke through to the tenth rank due to the infusion of the primal chaos origin. The commotion was still fresh in his mind.

Breaking through to the eleventh rank would undoubtedly cause an even bigger disturbance, so Lin Yuan wanted to inform the Strongest ones in advance.

The primal chaos origin infusion couldn't be hidden. Rather than have the Strongest ones discover it during his breakthrough, it would be better to tell them now.

At the very least, it would allow the Strongest ones of human civilization to prepare and not worry about interference from the alien races.

Lin Yuan trusted the Strongest ones of human civilization. As long as he was a human evolver, he believed he would receive their support.

Buzz.

With that in mind, Lin Yuan split off another portion of his will and entered the virtual world.

Virtual World.

Strongest one Xia Qin, sitting on his throne, suddenly opened his eyes.

"Lin Yuan wants to see me?" Xia Qin's expression became slightly serious. "Is it to discuss breaking through to the eleventh rank?"

Ever since Xia Qin had learned that Lin Yuan had comprehended the time-space fusion rule at the tenth rank, he had no doubts about Lin Yuan's ability to break through to the eleventh rank.

The second stage of a pillar-level fusion rule was enough to break through to the eleventh rank, and comprehending the time-space fusion rule also allowed one to reach the eleventh rank.

In terms of difficulty, the latter was countless times harder than the former.

"I can't believe our human civilization has produced such a genius in this era," Xia Qin marveled after granting Lin Yuan access.

Comprehending the time-space fusion rule at the tenth rank? Xia Qin had only read about such monstrous talents in records from outside the universe.

As for within the universe? Xia Qin didn't know of any such genius ever being born.

Not long after, Xia Qin saw Lin Yuan appear.

Since they were in the virtual world, both Xia Qin and Lin Yuan were using condensed forms of their soul will.

"Lin Yuan," Xia Qin began warmly, ready to ask what Lin Yuan needed.

But in the next moment, Xia Qin's smile vanished.

He stared at Lin Yuan with a mix of confusion and disbelief, studying him lcarefully, almost doubting his own senses.

"I have the feeling I'm facing another ultimate being."

Xia Qin, the Strongest One, was shocked. This was a sensation exclusive to the Strongest Ones, only experienced when confronting another of the same level.

Xia Qin would feel this way when interacting with the other eight Strongest Ones.

He would also experience it when negotiating with Strongest Ones from other races.

But now?

Lin Yuan?

A young fellow who had only just entered the tenth rank?

He was giving Xia Qin a similar feeling?

If Xia Qin hadn't been personally experiencing this, he would have never believed it.

It was too absurd.

"What's the reason?"

"Is it his soul will? Has the Lin Yuan's soul will surpassed the threshold of 18 million? No, it hasn't just surpassed it, it has far exceeded it."

Xia Qin's mind worked at lightning speed as he immediately deduced the most likely reason.

First of all, they were in the virtual world, where both Lin Yuan and Xia Qin were only present through a fragment of their soul will.

Secondly, this was Xia Qin's personal domain. Without his permission, even other Strongest Ones couldn't use any powers here.

In other words, the overwhelming sensation Xia Qin was feeling from Lin Yuan was purely the result of Lin Yuan's soul will.

Only a soul will at the level of the Strongest Ones could give Xia Qin this feeling.

But Lin Yuan?

A soul will at the level of the Strongest Ones?

Xia Qin didn't know what to make of it.

A tenth-ranked being? With a soul will on par with a Strongest One?

This could hardly be called a tenth-ranked being anymore.

Xia Qin fell silent.

"Strongest One?" Lin Yuan also noticed Xia Qin's repeated glances.

Under normal circumstances, Xia Qin would have already asked about the reason for Lin Yuan's visit.

"It seems he sensed the strength of my soul will," Lin Yuan thought to himself.

This was unavoidable. Although Lin Yuan's soul will had reached the twelfth rank, his rank was still at the tenth level, making it impossible to fully conceal it from a Strongest One.

Even if he hadn't visited Xia Qin, the Strongest One would have noticed it before Lin Yuan broke through to the eleventh rank.

"Has your soul will surpassed 20 million?" Xia Qin asked after a moment of silence.

Once the soul will surpassed the ten million threshold, it became difficult to measure precisely.

Xia Qin could only sense that Lin Yuan's soul will had definitely reached the twelfth-rank level, and not just barely.

"Pretty much," Lin Yuan nodded.

In truth, his soul will had reached 33.34 million, but it still fit within the "over 20 million" category.

"You..."

Hearing Lin Yuan's confirmation, Xia Qin was at a loss for words.

A freak.

An absolute freak.

At just the tenth rank, Lin Yuan's soul will had already entered the twelfth-rank domain. Was this something a human evolver could achieve?

Compared to other talents and traits, the soul will was the hardest to take shortcuts with. Even the unique and noble bloodlines of certain special lifeforms still had to cultivate their soul will from scratch. While a powerful body and soul might produce a slightly stronger soul will, it wasn't as overwhelmingly advantageous as in other aspects.

"I spent some time in seclusion recently and had a breakthrough in my understanding of the soul will," Lin Yuan explained, using the reason he had already prepared.

The soul will could be strengthened not only by time and experience but also through moments of "enlightenment."

This "enlightenment" referred to sudden insight into the workings of the universe and the nature of all things.

However, such moments were rare and often occurred between lower-level beings.

For example, a fourth or fifth-ranked being might experience a sudden enlightenment, causing their soul will to leap from several hundred points to several thousand.

There were also certain primitive lifeforms on wild planets that, without any evolutionary training, could have a soul will approaching ten thousand.

But for someone like Lin Yuan, whose soul will had skyrocketed beyond 20 million through such enlightenment? That had likely never happened before.

"Enlightenment..."

Xia Qin fell silent again. He suspected that Lin Yuan's recent increase in soul will wasn't just due to enlightenment.

The scale of the improvement was too great.

However, this was Lin Yuan's personal secret, and Xia Qin had no intention of prying.

Ever since Lin Yuan broke through to the tenth rank and caused the primal chaos origin to descend, tearing apart space across light-years, Xia Qin had known Lin Yuan had his own unique opportunities.

Xia Qin wouldn't ask about such things.

"A strong soul will... is always a good thing," Xia Qin finally said after some thought.

The higher one's rank as an evolver, the more they realized the importance of the soul will.

For beings ranked between the first and sixth stages, they might not even know what the soul will was.

But at the seventh rank, especially when attempting to break through to the eighth rank, one of the prerequisites was a soul will of at least 10,000 points.

Only then could they have a chance of overcoming the mental tribulations that awaited them.

From the eighth rank onward, the influence of the soul will became increasingly significant, and by the eleventh rank, a soul will of millions of points was essential for attempting the final leap to the ultimate stage.

In fact, the importance of the soul will extended far beyond that.

Although the physical bodies and souls of eleventh-ranked beings no longer decayed, they still had to rely on time manipulation to extend their lifespan.

In theory, eleventh-ranked beings shouldn't have a lifespan limit due to their physical and spiritual longevity.

Yet, the longer they lived, the more their soul will would twist and distort, eventually leading to their demise.

This was where the strength of the soul will became crucial.

The stronger the soul will, the more resistant one was to this kind of madness and distortion.

With Lin Yuan's current level of soul will, he could easily live through an entire cosmic era.

In fact, if not for the eventual collapse of the time stream when the universe itself ended, Lin Yuan could continue to live through one cosmic era after another.

A powerful soul will also provided substantial benefits in many other areas, especially in the defense of the soul. A strong soul will was often more effective than any soul defense treasure.

"Strongest One, I came here today because I'm preparing to break through to the eleventh rank."

Lin Yuan finally addressed the main reason for his visit.

"Breaking through to the eleventh rank?"

Xia Qin immediately refocused.

He had already anticipated that Lin Yuan's visit was related to this.

But when they first met, Xia Qin had been so overwhelmed by Lin Yuan's terrifying soul will that he hadn't recovered until now.

"When are you planning to break through?" Xia Qin asked seriously.

"Within the next few months," Lin Yuan replied.

He wanted to break through at his peak condition, and given his current rate of adjustment, a few months would be sufficient.

"No problem," Xia Qin nodded.

"I'll inform the others, and we'll all guard you during your breakthrough."

Xia Qin's tone became more solemn.

By "the others," Xia Qin was referring to the other eight Strongest Ones of human civilization.

A few centuries ago, when Lin Yuan broke through to the tenth rank, the commotion had been far greater than Xia Qin had expected.

If not for the combined efforts of himself and the Strongest One, Yu Die, the sheer force of the primal chaos origin would have alerted the other Strongest Ones of different races.

This time, Xia Qin planned to be fully prepared by involving all nine Strongest Ones of human civilization.

With the combined power of nine Strongest Ones, they could easily safeguard an eleventh-ranked breakthrough, or even the final leap to the ultimate rank.

"You can rest assured that my true self will be watching over the Milky Way Main Star. Just focus on your breakthrough," Xia Qin added.

Each of the nine Strongest Ones of human civilization was stationed at key points in their territory to deter the Strongest Ones of other races.

After all, the true self of a Strongest One represented the highest level of power in the universe.

But for Lin Yuan's breakthrough, Xia Qin was ready to act personally if necessary.

Ensuring Lin Yuan's successful breakthrough to the eleventh rank was currently the most important matter for human civilization, even if it meant paying some price.

Moreover, even if Xia Qin did act, it was unlikely the other races would take any drastic measures, unless they wanted to ignite a full-scale war. For now, the balance of power would likely remain stable.

"Thank you, Strongest One."

Lin Yuan expressed his gratitude.

This was the advantage of having a powerful backing. As long as Lin Yuan had the potential to grow, there would be no need to worry about external threats during his breakthrough. He could focus solely on his cultivation.

"No need to thank me," Xia Qin replied, shaking his head.

If the other peak races in the universe knew that human civilization had produced such a monster like Lin Yuan, they would likely be driven mad with jealousy.

"With your current strength, you should start considering the final leap to the ultimate stage."

"The final leap for an eleventh-ranked being is something that external help can assist with, but it will never be the decisive factor."

Xia Qin rarely offered advice.

Human civilization did possess certain treasures and techniques that could assist with the final leap, such as the "Cosmic Source."

But to break through to the twelfth rank and become a Strongest One, it ultimately came down to the individual.

Lin Yuan nodded, "Understood."

The most crucial treasure Lin Yuan had for the final leap was the "Heart of Time and Space."

This was prepared by the Master of Devil Jade Tower for his personal disciples, and it extended the duration of the final leap, allowing one to break free from the constraints of the time stream.

Compared to the "Cosmic Source," the effects of the "Heart of Time and Space" were far more powerful.

"Good to know," Xia Qin nodded.

Usually, such advice would be given to an eleventh-ranked being on the verge of making the leap.

But Lin Yuan, still at the tenth rank, was a complete exception.

"Strongest One, there's something else."

Lin Yuan spoke up again after exchanging a few more words with Xia Qin.

"Go ahead," Xia Qin said with a smile.

"I want to study that twelfth-ranked body directly."

Lin Yuan said.

In the virtual world, the projection of the body could only go so far.

To fully comprehend all the pathways of the magic evolution, he would need to study the body itself.

Before his tenth transmigration, Lin Yuan would not have attempted this. Facing a twelfth-ranked being's corpse posed great risks to anyone below the twelfth rank.

"That body, huh..."

"You... should be fine."

Xia Qin had initially intended to warn Lin Yuan about the mental pressure of the body's lingering soul will.

But then he remembered Lin Yuan's soul will was already at the level of a Strongest One. The lingering soul will in that corpse posed no real threat to beings of the same level.

This had already been confirmed multiple times by the nine Strongest Ones of human civilization.

In fact, Xia Qin himself had studied the body for a time and had comprehended most of its magic evolution pathways.

Unfortunately, the requirements for a Strongest One to join the Devil Jade Tower were vastly different from those for lower-ranked beings.

Even if a Strongest One comprehended all the evolution pathways from the body, they couldn't become even an ordinary member of the Devil Jade Tower.

For seventh- and eighth-ranked beings, the requirements were all about understanding the evolution pathways. But for Strongest Ones, the standards were entirely different and set by the Tower's Master.

However, the Tower's Master had been missing for several cosmic eras, so Strongest Ones could no longer join the Devil Jade Tower.

"But you still need to be cautious."

"If you sense anything unusual, pull back immediately."

Xia Qin thought about it carefully and, after confirming there was no real danger for Lin Yuan, nodded.

"Understood."

Lin Yuan replied.

"I've unlocked your access. You just need to head to Site 13, and someone will guide you to it."

Xia Qin closed his eyes briefly, then reopened them and looked at Lin Yuan.

Human civilization had twenty-two such restricted sites, and the twelfth-ranked body from the Devil Jade Tower was kept in Site 13 under the watch of the nine Strongest Ones.

"Site 13."

Lin Yuan nodded. He had once been to a grand hall, led by Yu Die, where he had stood before several Strongest Ones. That had been Site 3.

"How many merit points do I need to contribute?"

Lin Yuan asked.

Studying twelfth-ranked treasures always required the payment of merit points.

"That body has been there for ages, and no one's really studying it. You won't be in the way. There's no need for merit points," Xia Qin waved his hand dismissively.

Technically, Xia Qin could charge merit points for this, but with his level of authority, he could just as easily choose not to. And given how little merit points meant to him, he couldn't be bothered.

"Thank you, Strongest One."

Lin Yuan expressed his gratitude, knowing that this was Xia Qin looking out for him.

After chatting for a little longer, Lin Yuan took his leave.

As he watched Lin Yuan disappear from his personal domain, Xia Qin began to ponder.

Not long after, a figure materialized out of thin air.

It was Yu Die, the Strongest One.

"Xia Qin, have you lost your mind, allowing the Lin Yuan to study that body?"

Yu Die frowned.

Xia Qin's permission for Lin Yuan to access Site 13 and study the body had been transmitted through the virtual world.

As the creator of the virtual world, Yu Die had immediately noticed and rushed over.

Being a Strongest One herself, Yu Die was well aware of the dangers that body posed to beings below the twelfth rank.

This was evident in the fact that no eleventh-ranked evolver had dared to study it directly.

Even the seventh- and eighth-ranked evolvers were only studying a projection of the body. The mental pressure of the original body was far more overwhelming than the projection.

Yu Die couldn't understand why Xia Qin would make such a decision.

The Lin Yuan was the most talented genius human civilization had ever produced, with the potential to become the tenth Strongest One. Letting such an exceptionally gifted individual study that body?

Yu Die was baffled.

"Yu Die, there's no need to worry."

Xia Qin looked at her and began to explain, "The Lin Yuan's talent exceeds even our expectations."

"Talent is talent, but the Lin Yuan is still only at the tenth rank. Even if he has the potential to resist the mental pressure of that body, it's something he should do after reaching the twelfth rank. Have you really thought about the consequences?"

Yu Die retorted.

The Lin Yuan might have been a part of Xia Qin's evolution tower, but with such a monstrously talented genius, Yu Die wasn't going to stand by and let Xia Qin ruin him.

"The twelfth rank?"

Xia Qin's expression turned a little strange. Finally, he shook his head and said, "There's no need to wait that long. He can handle it now."

"What do you mean?" Yu Die was taken aback.

"The Lin Yuan's soul will has already reached the twelfth rank."

Xia Qin didn't beat around the bush and told her directly.

"His soul will has reached the twelfth rank?"

Yu Die fell silent.

She immediately sent a thread of her soul will through the virtual world's permissions and locked onto the fragment of Lin Yuan's soul will that had just appeared.

"It's true. His soul will surpasses 18 million. To be precise, it's over 20 million."

Yu Die's pupils contracted as she confirmed what Xia Qin had told her.

"Right?" Xia Qin smirked, sensing Yu Die's shock, just as he had been moments earlier.

"A tenth-ranked being with a soul will this strong?"

Yu Die muttered to herself.

With a soul will this powerful, there would be no problem with Lin Yuan studying the body.

After all, it was just a body, long dead for countless years. The fact that it retained any mental pressure at all was impressive. Besides, the nine Strongest Ones of human civilization had already suppressed it.

As long as Lin Yuan could withstand the mental pressure, there would be no danger.

"Who knows?"

Xia Qin shook his head, his face full of anticipation. "But now I'm even more curious to see how far this kid will go."

...