Chapter 28: The Descent

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"Can we proceed with the traversal?"

Lin Yuan felt a flicker of joy in his heart.

The ability of the Myriad Realms Gate to traverse dimensions was not without limitations.

It required time to accumulate energy, manifesting as getting "lit up" bit by bit.

Upon returning from his first traversal, Lin Yuan had received the relevant information from the Myriad Realms Gate.

The degree of illumination of the Myriad Realms Gate was divided into the periphery outer region illumination, inner region illumination, and core region illumination.

Illumination of the periphery outer region allowed for traversal, but the method was through consciousness descent.

Illumination of the inner region enabled physical body traversal.

As for the illumination of the core region, it was related to a certain transformation of the Myriad Realms Gate.

The information Lin Yuan obtained only described this briefly.

The time required for each illumination level varied from less to more.

Illumination of the periphery region took about eight months to a year.

Illumination of the inner region took several years to ten years.

As for the core region illumination... Lin Yuan calculated.

It probably required several decades, even centuries.

"I'll go with consciousness traversal directly."

Lin Yuan wasn't much interested in physical body traversal.

Firstly, accumulating sufficient energy for physical body traversal took far too long.

Secondly, the margin for error in physical body traversal was too low; if one died, it was a true death.

In contrast, the cost-effectiveness of consciousness traversal was much higher.

"But before traversing, it's still best to prepare."

Lin Yuan calmed himself, beginning to make arrangements.

The main task was to remind his parents that he might "disappear" for a period.

Although there was a time flow difference between high-level worlds and low-level worlds,

Lin Yuan was unsure about the level of the world he would traverse this time.

If the time flow difference was minimal, he could stay there for decades while only a few years would pass in the main world.

This could indeed be troublesome.

With everything prepared,

Lin Yuan left the underground training ground and came to a room door.

"After this traversal, I should be able to deduce the Martial Tao evolutionary path to the Second Layer."

"By then, uploading it to the Goddess of Wisdom should increase my citizen level to three, right..."

Lin Yuan thought to himself secretly.

Half a year ago, Lin Yuan had already uploaded the improved "Mythological Chapter" and "Carefree Chapter" of the Martial Canon,

and received a reward of three thousand merit points.

At the same time, the ranking of the Martial Tao evolutionary path on the Canglan Evolution Ranking had risen from ninety-third to seventy-eighth place.

The Canglan Evolution Ranking listed a hundred evolutionary paths, ranked by the Goddess of Wisdom based on her vast computing power, considering their potential, popularity, and difficulty of cultivation, among other factors.

When the Martial Canon only consisted of the Grandmaster Chapter and the Great Grandmaster Chapter, it ranked ninety-third; with the addition of the Mythological Chapter and the Carefree Chapter, its overall potential had further increased, naturally reflected in a higher ranking.

It could be predicted that once the Martial Tao evolutionary path officially broke through to the Second Layer, its ranking would rise once more.

After all, the leap from the First Layer to the Second Layer was considered a major revolutionary change in realm, a significant leap recognized by human civilization across the universe.

In summary, uploading the Martial Tao evolutionary path had provided Lin Yuan with a total of five thousand merit points.

Promoting to Second-Level Citizen consumed one thousand merit points.

He had four thousand merit points remaining.

To advance from a Second-Level Citizen to a Third-Level Citizen, five thousand merit points were required.

"Let's begin."

Lin Yuan pushed open the door.

He walked over to a two-meter-long nutrition chamber.

During his first traversal, Lin Yuan had no choice; compulsory recruitment weighed heavily on his shoulders, leaving him with no option but to muster the courage and traverse directly.

Fortunately, his luck was favorable, spending twenty years in the Martial World while only a few dozen minutes passed in the main world.

However, now there was no way Lin Yuan would do nothing.

This nutrition chamber was military-grade equipment purchased through Mr. Liao's connections.

Once activated, it could sustain life for up to two hundred years.

This meant that as long as Lin Yuan lay inside, unless he chose to exit voluntarily, the nutritional substances within could support Lin Yuan's body for two hundred years.

This gave Lin Yuan a considerable sense of security, ensuring he wouldn't return from traversing to find his body emaciated with hunger.

The method for using the nutrition chamber flashed through his mind. Lin Yuan opened the cover and lay inside.

"Traverse."

Lin Yuan immersed his mind into the depth of his consciousness where the Myriad Realms Gate resided.

In an instant, an invisible force of attraction emerged.

Lin Yuan only felt his consciousness begin to descend rapidly.

...

Zhang Family Fort.

The decorations were festive.

The atmosphere was joyous.

Everyone in the fort knew that Madam Zhang had given birth to a child, and it was a boy.

To be clear, before this, Madam Zhang had consecutively given birth to eight daughters, prompting a flurry of gossip.

"My lady, you've struggled."

In the room, Zhang Kun excitedly placed the swaddled baby down, looking at the weak woman lying on the bed with pained concern in his voice.

"It's not hard, Zhang Lang, this is our child..."

Madam Zhang's face was slightly pale, but she still mustered the strength to sit up, cradling the swaddle in her arms, her eyes full of gentleness.

The two shared a moment of tenderness.

Then Madam Zhang brought up the main issue.

"Husband, the Myriad Demons Sect has been rather restless lately, with a tendency to move in this direction. Have you notified the Daoist priest from Dragon Tiger Mountain?"

"Don't worry, my lady," Zhang Kun said, patting his chest.

"I've already sent someone to inform Changqing. He should be arriving soon."

Zhang Kun paused, then continued, "Besides, what is there to fear about the Myriad Demons Sect? Your husband is considered a first-rate martial artist. Why would I fear those demon spawn?"

Zhang Kun's voice was filled with intense confidence.

...

"It seems that this birth is not bad."

Unbeknownst to Zhang Kun and his wife, as they conversed,

the infant cradled in the swaddle opened his eyes, revealing a depth unbecoming of his age.

This baby was naturally Lin Yuan. Through the couple's brief conversation, Lin Yuan deduced that his father's social status in this lifetime seemed reasonable.

At least, at the moment of birth, there were no fewer than five midwives, and over a dozen maids tending to him.

This was not something ordinary people could afford, no matter the world.

As he pondered, Lin Yuan began to feel drowsy.

When Lin Yuan opened his eyes again, he was met with extremely noisy sounds.

The door was tightly shut, but the sounds of fighting could be heard from outside.

His mother wore a face full of anxiety.

"What happened?"

Lin Yuan widened his eyes.

Wasn't everything fine just now?

How had things turned out like this?

Seeing Lin Yuan awake,

his mother immediately sat over, tears in her eyes, and said, "Child, the eight Branch Masters of the Myriad Demons Sect have attacked. Your father and the experts in the fort have gone to battle."

"They will surely defeat the Myriad Demons Sect..."

His mother held Lin Yuan. It was more of an attempt to comfort herself than to reassure the child.

A moment later,

the door was pushed open.

Father Zhang Kun walked in, covered in blood.

"Zhang Lang, how are things outside?"

Mother Su Yun hurriedly asked.

"We can't hold them off. The Myriad Demons Sect didn't just send eight Branch Masters; they also have a protector hidden in the shadows. It's the end for Zhang Family Fort, Zhang Family Fort is finished..."

Zhang Kun's face was ashen.

He never imagined the Myriad Demons Sect would send a protector just to deal with Zhang Family Fort.

To be a protector of the Myriad Demons Sect, one had to be beyond a first-rate martial artist.

"What should we do now?"

Mother Su Yun remained silent for a while, then spoke.

"You should leave."

Zhang Kun went to the back of the bed and gently tapped, revealing a passageway.

"This passage leads ten miles away. Take the child, go far away, and never return."

After opening the passage, Zhang Kun seemed to lose all his strength, nearly collapsing to the ground.

"Zhang Lang, let's go together. Let's leave this place together."

Su Yun glanced at the passage, then immediately looked at Zhang Kun and said.

"I can't leave."

Zhang Kun shook his head and said, "I was struck by that Myriad Demons Sect protector's palm. My heart arteries are severed; I won't live much longer."

Zhang Kun looked at Lin Yuan, his voice softening, "I even had a name picked out for you, Shan Feng, to become the pillar of Zhang Family Fort."

"Unfortunately, there's no future anymore."

After Zhang Kun finished speaking, he took a jade pendant and tucked it into the swaddle.

The front of the jade pendant was engraved with two characters.

Shan Feng.

Having done all this, Zhang Kun looked up at his wife, Su Yun.

"When the child grows up, don't tell him about his origins."

"Just let him live ordinarily. Don't entertain thoughts of avenging me."

With that said, Zhang Kun directly pushed Su Yun into the passage.

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