chl

Inside a Lower Beta-Class War Machine

Lin Yuan was fully immersed in comprehending the chaotic runes. With every passing moment, his understanding of the Chaos Rule deepened.

"Too perfect."

He sighed inwardly. The chaotic runes inside a lower Beta-class war machine already delved into the more profound parts of the second-level Chaos Realm.

"If I can keep up this pace of insight, no—at most within a thousand years, I'll reach peak second-level Chaos comprehension."

Lin Yuan thought to himself.

As for the third level of the Chaos Realm?

Currently, the chaotic runes in the Beta-class war machines didn't contain the essential structure of the third-level Chaos Rule.

Even Alpha-class war machines likely wouldn't touch upon third-level Chaos.

The third level of Chaos—this was the final frontier of Chaos Rule comprehension, and even many Supreme Saints in the Chaos Void had yet to reach it.

"One step at a time. Peak of the second level first."

For now, Lin Yuan had no thoughts about the third level of Chaos.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, something stirred within him. Lin Yuan stopped his comprehension and looked in a certain direction.

"Is the war beginning?"

He stepped out of the war machine.

Across the battlefield, enemy war machines were assembling. The aura of a Great Sovereign was faintly hidden among them.

"Sure enough, it's Sovereign Leige."

Lin Yuan immediately confirmed that the Great Sovereign leading the enemy side was indeed Sovereign Leige.

"Sovereign Leige… doesn't seem like an ordinary newly advanced Sovereign." Lin Yuan vaguely sensed that his aura was deeper than usual for someone newly ascended.

"Hiding his strength?"

He mused without much concern.

If Leige was hiding his strength, did that mean he wasn't?

Lin Yuan's hidden strength far exceeded Leige's. Even without using Sunborn Genesis, he was close to peak Great Sovereign level.

Whoosh.

As Lin Yuan watched the battlefield, one by one, Dominance-level warriors entered the war machines. The massive machines slowly powered up.

"Pity… I can't keep one for myself to study."

He felt a slight twinge of regret as he looked at the war machines poised for battle.

The number of war machines per defense sector was fixed.

Before the war broke out, hiding inside one to study wasn't an issue.

But once battle began, keeping one to himself would be far too blatant.

Chisong King might have his attention focused on the core battlefront, but that didn't mean he ignored the other sectors.

"Still, a full war usually lasts thousands—if not tens of thousands—of years. The time spent in actual combat is limited. The bulk of it is rest periods."

Lin Yuan thought calmly.

Rest periods came when both sides paused after intense clashes.

During those times, Lin Yuan would have ample opportunity to continue studying each war machine.

"Let that Milky Way Sovereign make the first move."

Sovereign Leige was also observing the battlefield. As he watched the war machines activate, he didn't underestimate them at all.

Even though intel said the Milky Way Sovereign was newly advanced—a mere thousand years into Sovereignhood, a rookie among rookies—

Leige hadn't made it this far by being arrogant. Even if confident in his strength, he planned to wait for the Milky Way Sovereign to act first before revealing himself.

Seeing the other party act first meant seizing the initiative.

Very soon—

The war machines on both sides clashed in full force.

Boom—

One war machine, its form blazing with chaos and flame, transformed into a massive fireball, unleashing endless fire in every direction.

"That's the mid-tier Beta-class war machine?"

Lin Yuan looked toward it. It was the highest-grade machine in this defense sector. When fully activated, it could form a blazing sun domain that suppressed all enemies within.

Whoosh—

On Zimeng Domain's side, their machines also powered up, unleashing force no less than Qingfen Domain's.

"Lock!"

A colossal war machine, entirely violet in color, suddenly surged forward. In the void, countless violet chains appeared, sweeping toward Qingfen Domain's side.

Their target: the sole mid-tier Beta-class war machine on Qingfen's side.

"Not good!"

The one-horned Luo Peng's face changed. He was one of the few peak Dominance-level cultivators capable of piloting that war machine.

Though the machine held over 3,000 Dominance-level warriors, only a few were truly capable of controlling it.

"Pull back."

At that moment, a voice echoed in Luo Peng's ear.

"It's the Great Sovereign."

He instantly recognized it as Milky Way Sovereign's voice.

The instructions guided him on how to counter the incoming violet chains.

Though Lin Yuan hadn't yet studied that mid-tier machine in depth, the machines he had studied already gave him a deep understanding.

An understanding at the most fundamental level—far beyond that of temporary operators like Luo Peng.

So the moment he saw the violet chains erupt from Zimeng Domain's machine, Lin Yuan knew exactly how to counter them.

Boom!!!

The giant fireball clashed violently with the violet chains. Flames exploded everywhere as the chains shattered one after another. In the end, the violet war machine was forced to retreat.

In that brief exchange, it had lost the upper hand.

"Thank you, Great Sovereign."

Inside the war machine, Luo Peng quickly expressed his gratitude to Lin Yuan.

If not for him, those chains would've at least stalled the machine, even if they didn't trap it completely.

And without the blazing sun domain, the other machines on the battlefield would've lost their biggest advantage—possibly leading to a full collapse.

"Hm?"

"They actually held out?"

Sovereign Leige also noticed. His brows furrowed as he watched the violet machine retreat.

Its move had been at his command. Leige thought he had chosen the perfect moment—just as the blazing sun domain formed.

That would have maximized their chances of victory.

"It's a stalemate now."

Watching the ongoing battle, Leige began to feel impatient.

He had hoped to make a dazzling display on the battlefield—to earn a good impression from Lingwei.

But at this rate, if he didn't act, there was no way to break through the opposing defenses.

"Forget it."

Leige sighed inwardly. He had wanted Milky Way Sovereign to act first.

Now it seemed he'd have to move.

Still, as long as the intel was correct—that Milky Way Sovereign was newly ascended—there was no way he could lose.

Rumble—

Leige's body vanished.

In his place, endless thunder filled the sky.

The path he walked was the Chaos Thunder—master of destruction.

"Sovereign Leige?"

Lin Yuan quietly appeared in front of him, blocking his path. "Your opponent is me."

"So this is Qingfen Marquis's disciple. Let's see what you've got."

Leige didn't waste words. The sooner he broke this defense—even just a peripheral one—the better Lingwei's evaluation of him would be.

Next moment—

Lin Yuan and Sovereign Leige clashed violently.

"Focus on defense."

Lin Yuan only revealed strength equal to Leige's. After all, that was Chisong King's strategy.

Both the core and peripheral lines were to focus on defense. As long as they could withstand Zimeng Domain's offensive, that was enough.

"Huh?"

After exchanging a few blows, Sovereign Leige was shocked.

He had already unleashed near-full strength—but still couldn't push Lin Yuan back.

"Milky Way Sovereign… you're hiding your strength too?"

His face turned grim. That was the only explanation.

Lin Yuan didn't respond. Part of his attention was on the core battlefront, where peak Sovereigns were already engaged in intense combat.

"This is bad."

Leige's expression darkened.

He had intended to crush Lin Yuan with overwhelming force and then break through the defense—earning points with Lingwei.

Lingwei, a royal with kingly rank—even if he didn't become emperor, his status would be immensely high. Supreme-level beings might not care, but Sovereigns like Leige yearned to establish ties.

But now… his plan was rapidly unraveling.

"There's still a chance to break through."

Leige quickly sorted through his available trump cards.

"Milky Way Sovereign may be hiding power, but it's comparable to mine. If I can just—"

His eyes turned to the battlefield below, where Zimeng's and Qingfen's war machines clashed in chaos.

"If I can destroy that mid-tier Beta-class machine and gain the upper hand below, then stall Milky Way Sovereign… I can still break the line."

He revised his plan.

Originally, he had planned to defeat Milky Way Sovereign, then support the machines below.

Now that wasn't realistic.

Instead, he'd help the machines first—then use their victory to assist him.

"That's the plan."

Thunder began to shimmer between his brows.

Then—

That thunder tore through space, streaking toward the battlefield below.

It grew rapidly—towering to the heavens. Its terrifying aura pierced through layer upon layer of space-time, heading straight for the mid-tier Beta-class war machine.

"This is the Origin Thunder I've cultivated for a million years."

Leige's aura dimmed slightly.

This Origin Thunder was his strongest offensive weapon. Against Milky Way Sovereign, it could only stall him for a while—no way it could crush him.

But if aimed at that war machine, it was guaranteed to tear it apart.

Once it was destroyed, Zimeng Domain would dominate the battlefield.

Then all he'd have to do was stall Lin Yuan—and the battle would be his.

Buzz…

The terrifying Origin Thunder descended instantly, aiming directly at the Beta-class machine.

Though it could threaten Great Sovereigns, against their ultimate attacks—especially one timed this precisely—it had no way to evade.

"Hmm?"

Lin Yuan, who had been casually tying up Leige, suddenly changed expression as he sensed the thunder descending.

"My chaos runes!"

He stretched out his hand. In an instant, it grew incomparably massive, tearing through layers of space-time. The Origin Thunder, cultivated for a million years and regarded as Leige's strongest attack, was like paper before Lin Yuan's hand—shredded effortlessly.

The Beta-class war machine, now towering to over ten billion li, was like a kitten in Lin Yuan's palm—shielded and untouched.

"What—?"

Sovereign Leige, whose face had just begun to form a victorious smile, froze in place.

...High above the battlefield.

Great Sovereign Leige watched as the Origin Thunder he had painstakingly charged up was effortlessly torn apart by Lin Yuan's sky-covering hand.

His eyes briefly froze.

To be honest, Great Sovereign Leige was quite confident in his Origin Thunder—this was a killing move he had nurtured for a million years.

If it weren't for wanting to impress Lingwei and break through the defenses as quickly as possible, he wouldn't have used it at all.

Why not use it directly against Lin Yuan?

Lin Yuan was also a Great Sovereign—and had clearly concealed his strength.

Compared to Lin Yuan, that Beta Intermediate War Machine was much easier to deal with.

A Beta Intermediate War Machine could house thousands of Dominance-stage experts, and its attacks could indeed threaten Great Sovereign-level powerhouses.

But at the end of the day, a war machine was still just a war machine—nowhere near as agile as a Great Sovereign.

To a Great Sovereign, war machines were clunky and rigid. If left uninfluenced by external forces, a one-on-one between a Great Sovereign and a war machine of the same level would always end in the Great Sovereign's favor.

The real strength of war machines lay in cooperation—working in tandem with other war machines and Great Sovereign-level powerhouses on the same side.

Therefore—

After careful consideration, Great Sovereign Leige had chosen to strike the Beta Intermediate War Machine.

It was the safest choice.

What he hadn't expected was that his full-power Origin Thunder would be shredded like paper before Lin Yuan.

"How is this possible?"

Leige's first instinct was disbelief.

For someone to destroy his Origin Thunder so easily—if not a peak Great Sovereign, then at least very close.

Milky Way Great Sovereign?

Wasn't the Milky Way Great Sovereign a newly ascended sovereign from just over a thousand years ago?

But then—

Great Sovereign Leige realized that the intel he'd received had to be wrong.

The claim that Milky Way Great Sovereign had only recently ascended came solely from Qingfen Marquis—there was no actual evidence to support it.

"Damn it."

"That Leige really has no shame."

Inside the Beta Intermediate War Machine, the one-horned man, Luo Peng, also felt the overwhelming pressure of the descending thunder.

Though it hadn't reached him yet, the instinctive fear brought by that thunder seeped through space and time.

If not for the war machine's protection, he might not have even been able to withstand the thunder's aura.

"It's going to be hard to stop."

In a flash of thought, Luo Peng came to a grim conclusion: the war machine itself might survive the thunderstorm, but the thousands of Dominance-stage powerhouses inside definitely wouldn't. Even the slightest thread of that thunder could wipe out swaths of them.

Losing that many Dominance-stage powerhouses would render the war machine practically useless.

And once the thunder penetrated, the war machine might even begin to self-destruct.

"We'll block what we can."

Luo Peng was filled with despair, but he didn't give up. At the very least, he could buy some time—divert some of Leige's focus to give Milky Way Great Sovereign a moment to react.

However—

Just then—

Luo Peng witnessed a scene he would never forget for the rest of his life.

Amid the boundless, terrifying thunder, a massive sky-covering hand reached down. The storm of thunder, so mighty and overwhelming, was utterly powerless before that hand—unable even to slow it down.

Whoosh!

The hand reached in and scooped up the entire massive Beta Intermediate War Machine, holding it protectively in its palm.

"Milky Way Great Sovereign made a move?"

Luo Peng was stunned. From the aura of the giant hand, he could confirm it was Milky Way Great Sovereign.

But was Milky Way Great Sovereign really this strong?

Though Luo Peng was only at the peak of Dominance, the fact that he could serve as an operator of a Beta Intermediate War Machine meant his status wasn't ordinary. He understood very well that even among Great Sovereigns, there were major power differences.

And the power of Milky Way Great Sovereign—it was overwhelming.

"The war machine is safe."

From afar, Lin Yuan looked toward the Beta Intermediate War Machine. The Chaos rune patterns contained within it were still only partially understood by him.

If it had been destroyed by Great Sovereign Leige, he couldn't guarantee another would be sent.

These war machines were his greatest hope for reaching the peak of Chaos Second Stage—and perhaps even the Third Stage—in the shortest time.

"I originally planned to just muddle through—hold this line, avoid any big waves, and focus on what happens at the core frontline."

Lin Yuan felt somewhat helpless.

His current strength was close to a peak Great Sovereign.

He didn't yet have the power to influence or change the war's outcome, so when faced with Leige's assault, he had only intended to hold the line.

As for pushing back the enemy?

Even if he could, what then? Chisong King's overall strategy was still defense-oriented—pushing the enemy back wouldn't mean launching a counteroffensive into Zimeng Domain.

And this was a border zone—strategically insignificant, even if overrun.

But Great Sovereign Leige had gone all out, acting like he was ready to die for Zimeng Domain, even aiming to destroy the war machine on Qingfen Domain's side.

Realizing this, Lin Yuan had no choice but to reveal his true strength.

In that situation, if he hadn't done so, the war machine would've been lost.

Even if Lin Yuan could bear watching it be destroyed, losing a Beta Intermediate War Machine would certainly put Qingfen Domain at a disadvantage.

So, if he wanted to hold this line, he had to show his true power.

Abandoning this frontline? That would betray Qingfen Marquis.

"But merely showing strength close to a peak Great Sovereign isn't that conspicuous."

Lin Yuan thought to himself, "As long as I don't activate the divine power 'Sunborn Genesis,' it's not that big a deal."

Veteran Great Sovereigns were indeed rare, but across a major domain—or even several, or dozens—their numbers added up.

In this war alone, just the peak Great Sovereigns on both sides numbered over ten—and that was just the known ones, not including any hidden trump cards.

But the divine power 'Sunborn Genesis'? Anything related to the Liyang Ancestor held immense significance—even more so than a Heavenly Sovereign.

If Lin Yuan dared to activate 'Sunborn Genesis,' only two outcomes were possible:

One, he'd be taken away for protection.

Two, he'd be taken away for control.

And maybe even targeted for assassination by ancient kingdom forces.

There was no third possibility.

Maintaining his current peaceful life would become basically impossible.

He might even draw the attention of the Liyang Ancestor.

Too risky. Too unpredictable. One misstep, and Lin Yuan would be forcibly recalled.

"Now that I've revealed my true strength…"

Lin Yuan looked at Great Sovereign Leige, who was bracing for battle, his gaze turning slightly cold.

"Milky Way Great Sovereign, what exactly is your strength?"

At that moment, Great Sovereign Leige had also recovered. As a Great Sovereign-level expert, no matter how shocking the scene, he maintained his composure.

"My strength?"

Lin Yuan raised his right hand and pressed down lightly. "Try it yourself and see."

Boom!!!

A terrifying crimson glow flooded the world. Centered on Lin Yuan, a blazing sun-filled world took shape.

"Blazing Sun Divine Body?"

Leige's expression turned grim, thunder trickling from his body.

As the undisputed top physique of the Liyang Ancient Kingdom, the power of the Blazing Sun Divine Body was beyond question.

Crackle!

Scarlet flames burned wildly, turning even space-time into fuel. Leige's face darkened—he could feel his own Chaos Thunder being rapidly consumed.

"This Milky Way Great Sovereign really does have power close to a peak Great Sovereign."

After clashing directly, Leige no longer had any doubts.

Earlier he'd wondered whether Lin Yuan had used a powerful trump card that couldn't be used again to tear through his Origin Thunder.

If that had been the case, the worst that would happen is some difficulty pushing forward. Even if he couldn't break into Qingfen Domain, he could at least maintain a stalemate.

But now—

Milky Way Great Sovereign's strength was simply beyond what he could handle.

"Retreat!"

Leige didn't hesitate. He immediately began retreating at full speed.

Given his level, against a veteran Great Sovereign nearing peak power, forget holding the line—he couldn't even stall.

If he stayed any longer, once the sunborn world fully materialized, he might be trapped entirely.

Although Leige had life-saving measures elsewhere to avoid total death, if his true body died here, the cost would be devastating.

And he'd be mocked by other Great Sovereigns.

"I was hoping to perform well in front of Lingwei…"

Leige sighed inwardly.

Though Milky Way Great Sovereign's strength had far exceeded expectations, making his loss justifiable, he knew Lingwei wouldn't be impressed.

Below—

The war machines from Zimeng Domain were still fiercely clashing with those from Qingfen Domain.

Just then—

All the war machine commanders from Zimeng Domain received the same command.

"Full retreat."

The order baffled many commanders. They were fighting well, showing no signs of losing.

Why retreat?

But on the battlefield, obedience was instinctual. No matter the confusion, the war machines from Zimeng Domain all began to retreat swiftly after receiving the order.

"They're retreating?"

Lin Yuan glanced at the retreating figure of Leige disappearing into the void.

Even with the Blazing Sun Divine Body fully unleashed and the oppressive world it created, he couldn't completely stop Leige's void traversal.

"The war machines are retreating too?"

Lin Yuan looked toward the battlefield below. The war machines from Zimeng Domain were also pulling back.

Crackle—

With a thought, the sunborn world spread forth, toppling every war machine from Zimeng Domain and pinning them in place.

"These war machines…"

Lin Yuan's gaze burned slightly. The Chaos rune patterns in the Zimeng Domain war machines were completely different from those on his side.

If he could capture these war machines alive and continue his research, the benefits to him would be enormous.

Even if he couldn't capture them, destroying them would still earn him massive merit.

This time, Chisong King had opened up his personal treasure vault to encourage Great Sovereigns to fight. Every treasure inside could be exchanged with war-earned merit.

"What's going on?"

"Why such intense space-time fluctuations on the border front?"

At the core frontline battlefield, the peak Great Sovereigns continued their clash.

Simultaneously, their gazes shifted toward the border frontline. The space-time fluctuations from the earlier battle had exceeded what a normal Great Sovereign could produce.

"Hm?"

"How is Milky Way Great Sovereign this powerful?"

"Leige actually turned and fled?"

"This Milky Way Great Sovereign has the strength of a veteran—combat power close to a peak Great Sovereign."

"Why assign such strength to a border defense?"

On the Zimeng Domain side, the expressions of several peak Great Sovereigns shifted.

A veteran Great Sovereign with near-peak combat power couldn't change the tide of war, but it would definitely increase the pressure on them.

"Hahahahaha!"

"Qingfen, you've hidden your disciple's strength well."

In contrast to Zimeng's silence, the Qingfen Domain side was much more relaxed.

Lin Yuan's unexpected strength gave them a greater chance at victory.

Most importantly, Leige's panicked retreat had dealt a heavy blow to Zimeng's morale.

"Hahahahaha!"

A smile spread across Qingfen Marquis's face. He had originally been concerned that Lin Yuan's strength might not be enough and had deliberately assigned him to the border front.

The border front had low strategic value, and the Great Sovereigns attacking it wouldn't be too powerful.

But now it seemed—he had greatly underestimated this disciple.

"Hm?"

Lingwei was also observing the battlefield and had noticed the clash between Milky Way Great Sovereign and Leige.

"Hmph!" Lingwei narrowed his eyes.

"This Milky Way fellow is stronger than I expected."

He had a clear impression of Lin Yuan. If not for Lin Yuan, Qingfen Domain might have already fallen.

Lingwei's eyes darkened as he took one last look at Lin Yuan, then turned away.

Though Leige's retreat left him slightly displeased, he understood the true key to victory lay at the core frontline battlefield.

As for Milky Way Great Sovereign? He couldn't change the outcome.

Even a peak Great Sovereign wouldn't be able to shift the war's direction, let alone someone just close to that level.

Don't be fooled by how unstoppable Milky Way Great Sovereign seemed on his assigned frontline—it was, after all, just the border.

If he were at the core frontline, facing Great Sovereigns equal to or stronger than him, it'd be lucky if he could even hold the line.

"Chisong, I want to see how you plan to stop me."

Lingwei focused his attention back on the core battlefield, his expression unreadable.

The war had only just begun. Both sides were still testing each other—neither had yet deployed their true trump cards.

Ding-Seven Warfront Sector.

Lin Yuan successfully suppressed all the war machines from Zimeng Domain. His expression shifted slightly as he looked down.

...

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