Chapter 512

“Good, good.”

Xia Qin, the Strongest one, beamed. Lin Yuan reappearing before them meant he had successfully reached the 12th rank.

Hearing Lin Yuan personally confirm it made Xia Qin feel an unprecedented sense of relief.

It had been over a million years, and human civilization had finally birthed its tenth Strongest one?

Wait—

Lin Yuan’s existence far surpassed any mere Strongest one.

“My respect,” Void God, the Strongest one, murmured.

“Milky Way Star Lord, you have been an evolver for less than a thousand years and you’ve already stepped into the ultimate realm. Previously, I couldn’t even imagine such a thing.”

Setting aside Lin Yuan’s underlying combat potential, just reaching the 12th rank this quickly was enough to set a precedent across countless cosmic epochs.

What’s more, the path Lin Yuan took was one he pioneered himself from nothing—a far more difficult feat than cultivating a well-established, stable evolutionary path leading to the 12th rank.

“Under a thousand years? I wasn’t even at the 8th rank at age one thousand,” one of the human Strongest ones sighed. Though his words sounded self-deprecating, his expression was actually quite pleased.

After all, Lin Yuan was a part of human civilization.

“It was just a lucky chance,” Lin Yuan said modestly.

“Strength is strength—no need to talk about luck,” Xuanyuan, the Strongest one, replied, shaking his head.

“Exactly. Milky Way Star Lord, there’s no need to put it that way. It’s a fact that we’re nowhere near your level,” Void God, the Strongest one, agreed, nodding.

“Milky Way Star Lord, I have a request I hope you’ll fulfill,” Gu Li, the Strongest one, spoke up, eyeing Lin Yuan.

“Please, go ahead.” Lin Yuan’s expression grew a bit more serious.

“At the 11th rank, Milky Way Star Lord, you already possessed 12th-rank combat power. Now that you’ve stepped into the 12th rank, just how strong have you become?” Gu Li’s eyes flashed with battle intent.

He had entered the ultimate realm along the path of raw physical power, and stood almost on par with Xia Qin in terms of strength; naturally, he was curious about Lin Yuan’s true capability now.

“Yes, Milky Way Star Lord, what is your power level?” Void God, the Strongest one, looked hopeful as well.

Neither Gu Li nor Void God had any complaints about Lin Yuan, nor were they challenging him out of defiance. They simply wanted to know how far his power extended at this point.

Since the dawn of this universe, the total number of 12th-rank existences has been only a few dozen, most of whom could not really do much to one another.

“In this universe, it’s about on par with the peak of the Path-Clearing realm,” Lin Yuan answered casually.

He called it the peak of the Path-Clearing realm because of the universe’s suppression. In the Chaos Void, Lin Yuan could easily display Dominance-level combat strength.

“The peak of the Path-Clearing realm?”

“He just entered the 12th rank and already stands at its peak?”

Gu Li was astounded. Like other 12th-rank existences, the nine Strongest ones of human civilization had anticipated that once Lin Yuan crossed into the 12th rank, he would rapidly reach the realm’s peak.

But to do so immediately upon advancing?

Isn’t a new 12th-rank being supposed to be at their weakest right after the breakthrough?

“Let’s have a spar,” Lin Yuan suggested with a smile, not minding satisfying the curiosity of the human Strongest ones.

“Alright.”

“I’ll go first,” Gu Li said excitedly.

Within the universe, there are only two ultimate beings at the peak of the Path-Clearing realm, both belonging to the Calamity Race.

However, those two face many restrictions whenever they take action. If they do make a move, they must go all out—at which point they’d face a crackdown from the universe’s consciousness. Gu Li, not being a fool, certainly wouldn’t actively challenge them.

But Lin Yuan was another Strongest one of human civilization. Gu Li figured Lin Yuan wouldn’t unleash his full strength against a comrade.

“Are you going first, or shall I?”

Lin Yuan nodded in question.

“You first,” Gu Li said, bracing himself.

Clashing with a peak Path-Clearing realm being demanded caution and a defensive approach to best sense that level of power.

“I’ll only use my physical strength.”

Lin Yuan lifted his right hand and pressed down casually toward Gu Li.

Rumble.

A horrifying burst of raw physical force rippled through spacetime. Gu Li felt his scalp prickle. He tried his best to resist and slow Lin Yuan’s slowly descending right hand, but it was useless.

Then Gu Li attempted to flee, only to discover that spacetime had formed a cage. The mere blood and vitality Lin Yuan radiated passively was enough to pull on spacetime and create a domain that belonged solely to him.

Whoosh.

As Lin Yuan’s palm descended slowly, in Gu Li’s eyes, it was as if the entire universe was collapsing. Everywhere he looked, nothing existed but that palm.

“Stop, stop!”

Gu Li yelled immediately.

He still had many trump cards unused, but unleashing those would no longer be a simple spar, so he admitted defeat at once.

“Milky Way Star Lord, stop now, please,” Void God hurriedly chimed in, his mind reeling.

Originally, he had planned to test Lin Yuan himself after Gu Li finished. But now it was clear there was no need to humiliate himself.

“Is the peak of the Path-Clearing realm really so terrifying?”

With Lin Yuan withdrawing his palm, Gu Li couldn’t help sighing.

Under that palm strike, even if he had resorted to his strongest trump card, he would still have been injured. And that strike was merely a casual move from Lin Yuan.

“The peak of the Path-Clearing realm...”

Xuanyuan, the Strongest one, cast Lin Yuan a deep look.

In truth, normal peak Path-Clearing realm power is not so dreadful. The real difference lies in the Milky Way Star Lord himself.

“Since the Milky Way Star Lord has successfully crossed into the 12th rank, we’ll be on our way now,” Xuanyuan said.

They had originally intended to stay longer, since a new 12th-rank being is normally at their weakest, leaving an opening for other 12th-rank enemies to strike.

That was why the nine Strongest ones stood guard—to fend off any potential threats.

But after witnessing Lin Yuan’s demonstration, all desire to “protect” him disappeared.

Protect him?

Who would be protecting whom here?

Are they protecting the Milky Way Star Lord, or is he protecting them?

“I’ll look for you all in a while,” Lin Yuan said with a nod.

Having reached the 12th rank, he had many matters to handle.

“Understood.”

As Xuanyuan glanced at Lin Yuan, something came to mind.

“Milky Way Star Lord, you’ve just crossed into the 12th rank, so you should hurry to the space of the River of Time and climb ashore.”

When an 11th-rank pinnacle cultivator attempts the ultimate breakthrough and succeeds, their life essence changes and frees them from the River of Time’s restraints, allowing them direct entry to that space.

Afterward, the first thing every newly elevated 12th-rank does is climb ashore.

“Understood,” Lin Yuan replied.

Indeed, going ashore would be his top priority. Although a new 12th-rank lifeform is less affected by the River of Time, it’s still best to do it as soon as possible.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

Xuanyuan and the other eight Strongest ones departed one after another.

In an instant, Lin Yuan stood alone in the starry sky.

“Hmm?”

Lin Yuan sensed numerous gazes cautiously fixated on him—12th-rank beings from all directions.

“The Calamity Race?”

He turned toward the Calamity Race’s territory. His newly elevated life level let him perceive even more. The seemingly ordinary wooden hut there concealed all sorts of information that left him slightly stunned.

“The Calamity Race definitely has a mysterious background. Is that hut a Chaos realm-level treasure?” Lin Yuan speculated inwardly.

“Congratulations to the Milky Way Star Lord for entering the 12th rank.”

Just then, one of the Calamity Race’s ultimate beings sent a message across half the universe.

“Congratulations to the Milky Way Star Lord on reaching the 12th rank,” another Calamity Race ultimate being said.

“Their tone...” Lin Yuan picked up a hint of respect in their voices, which was rather unexpected. The two of them are peak Path-Clearing realm beings. Even if they cannot normally make a move, they shouldn’t fear Lin Yuan to this extent.

Never mind that wooden hut at the Chaos realm level?

“Milky Way Star Lord, if you have time, perhaps you could visit us for a chat. We’ll tell you everything we know,” one of the Calamity Race ultimate beings stationed outside the wooden hut said immediately.

“Alright.”

Lin Yuan nodded, not particularly concerned about traps.

At the 12th rank, he has no opponents left in this universe, and even if he visits their domain, he will do so with an avatar, not his true self.

“Time to go ashore.”

With that thought, Lin Yuan slipped into the River of Time’s space.

On the riverbank of the River of Time, many 12th-rank beings stood, keeping a close eye on the waters.

Since the Milky Way Star Lord had stepped into the 12th rank successfully, the next logical step would be going ashore. The various alien 12th-rank beings, lacking the direct connections enjoyed by human civilization, could only judge Lin Yuan’s strength by observing the scene of his ascent.

Within the River of Time, any lifeform appears in its most fundamental form, whether under the river’s waters or upon the surface.

The higher one’s life essence, the more colossal one’s body manifests in the River of Time.

“That is—”

Suddenly, an ultimate being of the Prison Race was stunned by what he saw at the center of the River of Time.

There stood an enormous figure slowly straightening up. That giant was unimaginably massive—colossally tall. When he stood, both legs were still submerged in the River of Time, yet the water barely reached his thighs. His legs alone seemed to fill the entire width of the river.

Rumble, rumble.

Once he stood, the giant lifted his right foot and stepped toward the riverbank.

His size was so immense that the 12th-rank beings on the shore barely came up to his knees.

During his ascent, vast size meant absolute weight, and the entire edge of the River of Time quaked under the giant’s presence.

That faint tremor spread outward with each step along the river’s course, extending ever farther.

In a flash, tremors in that section of the River of Time propagated to various tributaries, which in turn passed through other universes.

Within those universes, 12th-rank powerhouses sensed the tremor as well, stunned by towering waves of shock in their hearts. They all shared a single thought:

“Who is climbing ashore?”

...

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