Chapter 572

“Milky Way?”

The black-robed youth was in disbelief.

He and Guming Venerable had speculated extensively about this "Milky Way," and had basically concluded that he was a reincarnated Great Saint.

But still, even if he was a reincarnated Great Saint, with no bottlenecks in cultivation, just a little over a thousand years ago, Milky Way wasn’t even at the Chaos rank.

Now, in barely a millennium, he had restored his strength all the way to the peak of the Chaos rank?

“I once projected a will from afar and vaguely felt that the being devouring the chaotic energy seemed familiar. For someone to feel familiar to me, and it happening in a nearby domain…”

Guming Venerable spoke up.

Chaos-rank peak Venerables were rare—often only one or two per domain. Wondrous lifeforms at the Chaos rank were even rarer.

He didn’t believe it was a coincidence that a Chaos-rank peak just happened to be devouring chaotic energy nearby—and also gave him a sense of familiarity.

“Thinking about it… it really could be him.”

The black-robed youth pondered for a while and gradually agreed.

Even if reaching the Chaos peak in a thousand years seemed impossible—

One could not judge a Great Saint-level existence by common sense.

Logic and reason existed only to be broken by reincarnated Great Saints.

Besides, in his eyes, Milky Way was no ordinary Chaos Great Saint—he was most likely a Supreme Saint above the rest.

“They say the cultivation speed of a reincarnated Saint is unbelievable, but this… this is beyond unbelievable.”

Guming Venerable was genuinely awed.

To reach the Chaos rank had cost him immeasurable time, effort, and fortune.

And even now, he still had some distance to the Chaos peak.

Even without major bottlenecks, that final stretch would still take an era or more to overcome.

“What do we do now?”

The black-robed youth asked after a moment’s thought.

“Well, if we didn’t know, then so be it—but now that we do, we should go pay our respects,” Guming Venerable said seriously.

In the chaotic void, whenever someone broke through from peak Dominance to Chaos rank, it was customary to hold a grand celebration.

It marked a fundamental transformation in status and power and was also a chance to forge ties with fellow Venerables.

Lin Yuan had silently returned to Chaos-rank power. Though others didn’t know, Guming Venerable felt he should express his acknowledgment.

Before, he hadn’t dared to approach this reincarnated Great Saint, fearing it might cause unnecessary suspicion.

After all, with his strength, he could pose a potential threat—regardless of his actual intentions.

But now? Lin Yuan had restored his Chaos peak strength. No matter how much Guming Venerable tried, he posed no threat at all.

“Let’s go now.”

He had made up his mind—and even felt slightly impatient.

Star Tear – Fragment World

Lin Yuan was immersed in constructing his internal universe—part of cultivating the second layer of The Infinite Void.

This legacy enhanced the universe at the most fundamental level, refining its microstructure for greater stability and perfection.

“Incredible.”

“Just tweaking this structure boosts my universe’s stability by sixty percent?”

“And changing this segment improves rule-flow efficiency by a whole level…”

Lin Yuan was completely absorbed. With the foundation of the first layer, his speed in cultivating the second was fast.

“The creator of this legacy truly was a 13th-rank time lifeform.”

With his now-elevated realm, Lin Yuan could grasp the vastness behind the legacy more deeply—and appreciated its brilliance even more.

In the source world, he could occasionally see the Liyang Ancestor, a 13th-rank being.

But that was only from afar—he had never directly perceived the other’s Dao or methods.

The source world’s cultivation leaned more on bloodline. The Liyang Ancestor’s Liyang Nurturing Spirit Method focused on condensing Seeds and passing on innate abilities through bloodline.

“With the second layer of The Infinite Void, I can suppress Chaos peak Venerables with my internal universe alone.”

As Lin Yuan continued his cultivation—

“Hm?”

“Guming Venerable wants to visit me?”

His brow lifted slightly. Xuanyuan had just messaged him that Guming Venerable had come to pay a visit.

“So he sensed something.”

Lin Yuan thought casually. During his breakthrough, he had devoured massive amounts of chaotic energy, catching the attention of several Venerables.

At the time, he had briefly swept his gaze—and among those watching was Guming Venerable.

Other Venerables had never interacted with him, so they had no idea who he was—only that he was not to be provoked.

But Guming Venerable? They had history, and faint traces of karma lingered between them. And Lin Yuan, being only Dominance-rank now, could not completely mask his aura—so recognition was possible.

“Let him in.”

Lin Yuan didn’t refuse.

He had nothing to fear now that he’d entered the Dominance rank and could contend with the Chaos peak. As long as he didn’t provoke a Great Saint, he was safe.

Plus, he was curious—why was Guming Venerable so eager to befriend him?

Whether it was granting him the Fragment World or assisting with trades via Wanqu Lord, Lin Yuan had always gained the upper hand. There had to be some hidden nods from Guming Venerable behind the scenes.

Outside the Fragment World

The humanity Strongest Ones were stunned.

Just now, the ruler of the Guming Chaos Continent, Chaos-ranked Guming Venerable, had come in person to visit Lin Yuan.

To pay respects?

To Lin Yuan?

The term “pay respects” was generally used when a lower or equal-ranking individual requested an audience with someone of superior status.

But Guming Venerable?

Even if Lin Yuan’s strength was comparable to Chaos rank, he was a newly advanced one.

While Guming Venerable was an old veteran.

Why would someone like him need to “pay respects”?

The Strongest Ones were uneasy.

Strictly speaking, their Fragment World was part of Guming Chaos Continent. All of humanity, including themselves, lived under Guming’s protection.

Soon after—

Xuanyuan received Lin Yuan’s response.

“Milky Way says you may enter.”

Suppressing his astonishment, Xuanyuan relayed the message.

“Alright.”

Guming Venerable nodded and stepped into the Fragment World.

Inside the grand reception hall built for guests of the human race—

Buzz.

A figure appeared—it was Lin Yuan.

Only the two of them remained in the hall. Xuanyuan had already withdrawn.

Although he didn’t understand why Guming was doing this, he knew that a Venerable’s personal visit must carry weighty matters.

“Greetings, senior.”

Guming Venerable gave a respectful bow.

A Chaos Great Saint might not easily kill a Venerable—but no Venerable would dare act arrogantly before one.

Unless they were sworn enemies, a Venerable still had to show proper reverence.

And in Guming Venerable’s eyes—Lin Yuan was undoubtedly a Great Saint.

There was no enmity between them, and he wished to build a good relationship. There was no reason to overstep.

“Senior?”

Lin Yuan remained expressionless—but immediately realized what Guming Venerable likely misunderstood.

“You think I’m a reincarnated Great Saint?”

With his rapid thinking, Lin Yuan quickly guessed Guming’s assumption.

The concept of Saint reincarnation had been brought up many times—from the Mysterious Emperor Lineage, Devil Jade Tower, and even those two ultimate beings of the Calamity Race.

They had concluded he was a reincarnated Great Saint simply due to how absurdly fast his growth was.

But why would Guming think the same?

“How did you recognize me?” Lin Yuan asked casually.

To which Guming Venerable replied at once: “Senior, I have a companion—he’s a wondrous lifeform with…”

He explained the premonition ability of his Chaos Dragon Beast partner in full.

“So that’s it.”

Lin Yuan nodded, and his regard for time-bloodline wondrous lifeforms grew.

That kind of foresight defied all logic.

“The Devil Jade Tower Master once allied with several Supreme Saints, paid a huge price, and hunted a Great Saint-level wondrous lifeform with powerful time bloodline…”

Lin Yuan understood the value of such a kill.

Great Saint-rank wondrous lifeforms might match Supreme Saints in strength—but were infinitely harder to kill.

They could predict, foresee, and evade. How do you kill something that knows its own future?

“I came to congratulate Senior on recovering to the Chaos rank.”

Guming Venerable declared his purpose and offered a jade bottle.

“A small gift.”

Since this was a congratulatory visit, he couldn’t come empty-handed.

And given that no one else knew Lin Yuan’s true identity, Guming Venerable knew this was his best chance.

To establish goodwill before this Saint reached full strength—even without seeking reward—would offer protection just from the association.

“Mm.”

Lin Yuan accepted the jade bottle without modesty.

He had just crossed into Dominance, having consumed nearly all his resources—how could he refuse free materials?

“In fact, once I openly reveal my Chaos-rank strength and declare myself a Venerable, I can host a celebration and rake in more gifts.”

He grinned inwardly. This was the fastest way to make a fortune—even faster than plundering.

Every new Venerable’s celebration would draw in neighboring powers—who all came bearing lavish gifts.

He’d done it many times before in his home universe—each one was immensely profitable.

“Senior, now that you’ve recovered to Chaos rank, do you plan to open a Chaos Continent?” Guming Venerable probed.

He knew humanity was now based in the Fragment World, and that development required trade with the outside.

“A Chaos Continent?”

Lin Yuan pondered, then shook his head.

“Not in a rush.”

While such a continent could become a trade hub and generate fees and revenue, it was a long-term investment.

The initial cost was high, and right now Lin Yuan preferred to focus entirely on growing stronger.

When he hit a bottleneck—then he could consider it.

For now, the Fragment World was sufficient for humanity’s growth.

After a bit more conversation—mostly Lin Yuan asking and Guming answering—the Venerable sensibly excused himself.

Once he was gone—

Lin Yuan took out the jade bottle and probed it.

“Hmm?”

“A thoughtful selection.”

He smiled.

The bottle contained a wealth of resources.

Guming had guessed that, as a reincarnated Great Saint, Lin Yuan’s primary need was raw energy accumulation—so all the resources were geared toward that.

And he was absolutely right.

With Lin Yuan’s Unrivaled Insight, no bottleneck could last long. It was energy accumulation that slowed him down.

“All in all… it’s worth between ninety million and a hundred million chaos stones.”

He estimated and was very satisfied.

This was more than enough to support long-term cultivation—especially finishing the second layer of The Infinite Void.

“Guming Venerable…”

He thought of all the man had done.

It was clear he sincerely wanted to befriend him.

Lin Yuan didn’t mind that the intent was transactional—he had, after all, received very real help.

If he got the chance, he wouldn’t mind returning the favor someday.

“Reincarnated Saint…”

A strange expression flickered across his face.

From the Calamity Race to Guming—everyone was sure he was one.

After all, who else could rise from rank one to twelve in just a few thousand years?

Who else could defy universal origin suppression and burst forth with power beyond Path-Clearing’s peak?

Who else could reach Chaos peak within a thousand years of entering the chaotic void?

There was no reasonable explanation for it—not even wondrous lifeforms could compare. Time bloodline or not, they too needed time to grow and faced bottlenecks.

Even royal descendants in the source world couldn’t match Lin Yuan’s speed.

“But I’m not a reincarnated Saint.”

He shook his head.

Everyone else thought he was—but only Lin Yuan knew: he was just a regular lifeform born from within the universe.

Outside the Fragment World

Xuanyuan and the other Strongest Ones watched Guming Venerable leave.

“Guming Venerable, a being of that level, came to pay respects to Milky Way?”

“Didn’t Milky Way just enter the Dominance rank?”

“Right? Even if he’s Chaos rank, Guming is a veteran Venerable…”

They murmured, astonished.

Earlier, when Guming visited, they’d been shocked—most Path-Clearing beings never even got to meet a Venerable.

Source World

Lin Yuan sat cross-legged.

“Dominance rank.”

His body here had broken through before his true body in the chaotic void.

The breakthrough of the true body had only happened after confirming this body succeeded without issue.

“This body didn’t receive three chaotic origin infusions, nor is it anchored by the Chaos Tree. Its internal universe is weaker than my true self’s.”

He assessed himself.

“But in terms of combat power… it’s about the same.”

He mused.

The greatest advantage here was the Blazing Sun Divine Body.

It boosted combat ability so significantly that it compensated for all deficiencies.

“Hm?”

As he was deep in contemplation, attempting to forge the thirty-three thousand three hundred thirty-third Seed—

A sudden tremor surged from the depths of his bloodline.

“What’s this?”

He focused inward.

After over a thousand years of refining through the martial path, the foundational force at the core of his bloodline had finally formed a complex, mysterious imprint.

“It’s awakening…”

Lin Yuan’s eyes lit up.

His seventh body divine ability was about to be born—and it had taken longer than any before, over a thousand years.

He was filled with anticipation.

Shhh—

Strands of primal bloodline power flowed toward the mysterious imprint, completing it.

In that instant—

The divine imprint seemed to come alive.

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