Chapter 537

Burning Heaven Courtyard’s thirteenth floor. Each floor holds a vast collection of legacy texts. Their depth and subtlety progress from easier to more difficult, floor by floor.

The first floor is the easiest to understand; the thirteenth floor is the most obscure and challenging.

And to advance to the next floor, one must fully comprehend all the legacies of the current floor.

Marquis Qingfen set it up this way on purpose.

If there were no such restriction, Lin Yuan could enter any floor at will.

Even if he ran into legacy texts he could not understand, he might blame it on being on too high a floor.

If he failed to comprehend them, that would seem perfectly normal.

In Marquis Qingfen’s plan, Lin Yuan would be stuck on the first floor, moving forward with great difficulty, only to discover in the end that he was still on the first floor.

If the very first floor was already so abstruse, then how terrifying would the second, the third, or up to the thirteenth floor be?

Thus a sense of awe would naturally arise.

At that time, Marquis Qingfen would appear again and give Lin Yuan a talking-to.

In just one or two years, it would provide the greatest possible tempering of Lin Yuan’s mind and attitude.

“Thirteenth floor?”

Marquis Qingfen looked over everything within the Burning Heaven Courtyard. Lin Yuan was currently on the thirteenth floor, poring over the many legacy texts there with his full attention.

He could not help a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.

Were it not that all the restrictions in the Burning Heaven Courtyard were set by him, so no abnormality could evade his notice, Marquis Qingfen would have suspected Lin Yuan had used some trick to go directly from the first floor to the thirteenth.

“All the legacies on the first twelve floors have really been comprehended?” Marquis Qingfen found it hard to believe. Meanwhile, he used his power to make the scene rewind in his mind.

Over the past year, every detail of Lin Yuan going from floor one to two, two to three, and finally from twelve to thirteen flashed before his eyes.

“Just three days to comprehend everything on the first floor, sixteen days on the second, twenty-eight days on the third…”

Because the Burning Heaven Courtyard was his creation, everything that happened inside could be ‘rolled back’ at will. No information would be missed.

“Judging by how fast he went through the first twelve floors, he’ll probably finish off all the legacies on the thirteenth floor just as quickly.”

Marquis Qingfen was overwhelmed with shock. If he had not seen it with his own eyes, he would never believe such a being existed in this world.

Condensing scorching sun seeds? That is connected to natural talent, something you are born with.

Marquis Qingfen could still make sense of that.

But comprehending the innumerable legacy texts he compiled in just one year?

Thirteenth floor of the Burning Heaven Courtyard.

Lin Yuan was scanning through one legacy text after another at high speed.

Compared to the first twelve floors, the thirteenth floor’s legacy texts were far more advanced, basically involving the way chaos births the myriad Daos. ṙ𝘢ΝǑBĚ𝐬

“Chaos fire? Chaos water? Chaos metal? Chaos space? Chaos time?” Countless sparks of insight flickered through Lin Yuan’s mind.

The countless texts in the Burning Heaven Courtyard were helping him immensely. Without them, just getting to where he was now would have cost a lot more wasted time.

“So that’s it.”

Lin Yuan put down the last book, pondering.

“Maybe I can try using chaos rules as a foundation to create a specific type of rule-based power?” Lin Yuan thought quietly.

A simple “metal” rule, even if mastered, has a set limit to its attack power, definitely not as lethal as fusing rules at the same level.

But chaos metal—that is power derived from the chaos rules themselves! Chaos rules are not inherently rules of destruction, but they can give birth to offensive capabilities that nearly have no upper limit.

“Hmm?”

Lin Yuan looked up to see a figure in a blue robe standing not far away.

It was Marquis Qingfen.

“My Lord Marquis.”

Lin Yuan rose at once and greeted him.

He still held great respect for Marquis Qingfen; strong experts are teachers along the path of cultivation, and the marquis’ strength and rank both merited Lin Yuan’s regard.

Marquis Qingfen nodded, then after a few seconds asked tentatively, “You’ve finished reading everything?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you, Marquis. These legacy texts were a huge help to me.”

Lin Yuan spoke sincerely.

“A big help…” Marquis Qingfen fell silent for a moment.

“Well, as long as it helped you.”

He glanced around, then went on, “So you’ve read all the texts on the thirteenth floor; I suppose you now have a general sense of your cultivation path.”

Lin Yuan listened calmly.

“Starting today, put all your focus on understanding the rules,” Marquis Qingfen said.

“What about condensing more scorching sun seeds?” Lin Yuan asked, somewhat puzzled.

“Scorching sun seeds?” Marquis Qingfen shook his head.

“Right now, forming each new scorching sun seed is far harder than it was when you formed those thousands of seeds, isn’t it?”

“It is.”

Lin Yuan nodded.

“There are two uses for scorching sun seeds,” said the marquis, looking at Lin Yuan.

“First is enhancing the degree of your comprehension of rules; second is shifting your physical body toward the Blazing Sun Divine Body.”

“Currently your flesh and blood have already begun transforming. In at most ten thousand years, you will fully evolve into the Blazing Sun Divine Body. The two main benefits of scorching sun seeds are practically achieved. Forming more seeds won’t gain you that much.”

Lin Yuan understood then.

Marquis Qingfen was right; forming more scorching sun seeds now yields much less reward for him than before.

Not because the boost from a single seed has dropped, but because Lin Yuan’s basic comprehension of rules has multiplied many times.

At first, that basic comprehension level might have been “ten.” So forming one scorching sun seed yielded “one” level of increase. A tenth of the total. It was obvious, practically visible.

But now, his base comprehension measure might be “one hundred thousand” or even “one million.” Another scorching sun seed would still raise it by “one,” but that is just a one-hundred-thousandth or one-millionth fraction. And the effort required to form each new scorching sun seed far exceeds what it used to take for a single seed.

Normally, that is why in the Liyang Ancient Kingdom, once strong individuals surpass the Ji Dao (Path-Clearing) realm and form some hundreds or thousands of seeds, they slow down in favor of focusing more on comprehending the rules of cultivation.

A few ambitious powerhouses do keep forming more scorching sun seeds, aiming to transform their bodies fully into the Blazing Sun Divine Body.

The Blazing Sun Divine Body is acknowledged as the mightiest physique in the Liyang Ancient Kingdom.

Since Lin Yuan’s body was already heading that way and he had reaped all possible gains from scorching sun seeds, it made sense for Marquis Qingfen to advise shifting his attention.

Continuing to expend effort on forming scorching sun seeds would not pay off.

“My Lord, are there really only two uses for scorching sun seeds?” Lin Yuan mulled it over, then asked.

He posed this question because when his body began transforming toward the Blazing Sun Divine Body, he formed exactly 3,333 seeds.

That number was as familiar to him as ever, and the next probable threshold would be 33,333 seeds, which he suspected would produce something new.

Furthermore, Lin Yuan already had close to 20,000 scorching sun seeds in his body, and vaguely he felt that forming more seeds could bring huge benefits.

It was like the road was half-taken, and he could see faintly what the “destination” might look like.

“Well… it isn’t strictly limited to those two uses.” Marquis Qingfen paused, then explained:

“They say that among the royal lineage of the Liyang Ancient Kingdom, those with powerful bloodlines can form scorching sun seeds quite easily. And by basking in the founder’s radiance, forming seeds for them is simpler. If they gather a certain number, they gain certain abilities.”

“Basking in the founder’s radiance?” Lin Yuan picked up on this phrase.

“The Liyang royal clan is beyond imagination. Every royal member can bathe in the Liyang’s radiance. Even if they do absolutely nothing, their scorching sun seeds form on their own.”

“Hence the royal clan alone has the means to try for more scorching sun seeds. For them, it doesn’t take much effort."

“But for other ordinary beings, devoting yourself to that path would be rather foolish.”

Marquis Qingfen said.

That is the most sensible approach. Because of their link to the founding ancestor, the royals of the ancient kingdom keep gathering seeds, since for them it’s nearly effortless.

But for normal lifeforms, following their example is not wise.

“If I kept forming scorching sun seeds, what abilities would I gain?” Lin Yuan thought for a while, then asked.

It was indeed harder for him now than before, but at the start he was making a seed per breath, so even if the rate had dropped, it remained considerable.

“I don’t know what those abilities might be. That’s the royal clan’s top secret.”

Marquis Qingfen shook his head.

“If you still want to continue forming scorching sun seeds, that’s up to you. But don’t pour all your effort into it; you must keep focusing on comprehending the Great Dao of rules. That is fundamental.”

He perceived Lin Yuan’s interest in forming more seeds but did not stop him. For anyone who formed over ten thousand scorching sun seeds before turning five hundred, it was natural to wonder about the powers of the royal clan.

“Focusing on the Great Dao of rules is no weaker than following the path of the royal clan. Even Heavenly Sovereign-level experts can deal with the kingdom’s might.”

Marquis Qingfen cautioned.

“I understand.”

Lin Yuan answered respectfully.

He wanted both, after all—deepening rule comprehension and gathering more scorching sun seeds.

Forming seeds was not that hard for him, so he would do it slowly.

“If there’s anything else you’re unsure of, ask,” Marquis Qingfen said, looking at Lin Yuan.

“My Lord Marquis, I want to know… that eternal Liyang we see above the sky—what rank is it exactly?”

Lin Yuan asked the question he was most curious about.

From the moment he arrived in this source world, that eternal Liyang had illuminated everything.

Lin Yuan suspected it might be a thirteenth-rank time lifeform but lacked proof.

“That cannot be discussed,” Marquis Qingfen replied solemnly, offering no explanation.

Lin Yuan felt a momentary chill.

The marquis’s reaction seemed as though just speaking of it would be discovered? But this was the Burning Heaven Courtyard, the marquis’s own domain. If Lin Yuan said nothing, who would find out?

The only possibility was that the eternal Liyang would sense it.

No matter how far away, no matter where, if that entity was mentioned, it would be aware.

Judging by how cautious Marquis Qingfen was, it might not be limited to simple awareness. That eternal Liyang might be able to lock onto any faint trace and strike directly.

Of course, since the marquis was an officially recognized member of the Liyang Ancient Kingdom, that being would not kill him outright, but presumably it would punish him in some way.

“Remember, in the Liyang Ancient Kingdom, under no circumstances speak of that being’s name,” Marquis Qingfen warned sternly.

“Understood,” Lin Yuan nodded earnestly.

All the way back when he was in the Yu Family, Lin Yuan noticed no one dared mention the presence of the eternal Liyang; he had thought it was ordinary reverence.

Now it seemed less like reverence and more like intimidation.

“The path you’re going to walk is something I can only give you slight pointers on. The actual journey is up to you,”

Marquis Qingfen continued, “I’ll provide all the resources you need during your cultivation, and if you have questions, I’ll do my best to answer. But in the end, it’s up to you.”

“Thank you, Marquis,” Lin Yuan said gratefully.

“You’re my disciple. No need for that,” Marquis Qingfen waved a hand.

“Also, avoid going far from home for a while. The Qingfen Domain is slightly unsettled.”

“If you need anything done, send someone else.”

“All right,” Lin Yuan agreed at once.

He had no intention of leaving anyway.

“Unsettled?” Lin Yuan silently reflected. From reading the many texts in the Burning Heaven Courtyard, he understood that this source world does not belong solely to the Liyang Ancient Kingdom; other ancient kingdoms exist as well.

They loom over the lands of the source world like colossal behemoths, and they do not necessarily coexist in peace.

Marquis Qingfen exchanged a few more words with Lin Yuan, then departed.

Burning Heaven Courtyard remained Lin Yuan’s residence.

“These cultivation resources…”

Before long, Lin Yuan received a large batch of materials sent by Marquis Qingfen.

Time rolled on.

A few days passed in a flash.

“Fleshly body divine ability…”

Lin Yuan was seated cross-legged, sensing how, in the depths of his bloodline, certain root energies began quivering, weaving themselves together.

“My body is starting to produce a new divine ability,” Lin Yuan observed.

In this source world of abundant natural advantages, with powerful bloodlines, any fleshly divine ability awakened would be a huge boon to him.

Up till now, Lin Yuan had already awakened six fleshly body abilities, each giving him a massive boost in foundational strength.

Even the one that seemed the least useful, “Moving Mountain,” had significantly elevated his hand-to-hand combat power and improved his insight into the rules of force.

So he was eager to see the next ability.

Just like rule comprehension, once the body awakened a divine power, he could bring it back to the Chaos Void, letting all his true forms, souls, and avatars share in it.

“Hmm?”

“This time, the new fleshly body divine ability will take two thousand years to finish forming?”

Lin Yuan examined the slow refining of that root energy within his blood, estimating the timeline for its manifestation.

Having awakened six such abilities already, Lin Yuan was experienced enough to draw that conclusion.

“That long?”

He was taken aback.

When he awakened [Elemental Body], Lin Yuan realized that forming a divine ability in his fleshly body required a gradual process.

The reason being that any living creature’s blood contains countless threads of lineage; to find the strongest among them and condense it into a corresponding divine ability was no simple matter.

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