Outside the Mysterious Emperor Universe.
Many Chaos Venerables were stirred, their minds reeling for a long while before they could collect themselves.
âJust now, was that⊠a Supreme Saint who entered?â
âTo shape a void with a single thought, replacing the rules of chaotic void operationâthat must be a Supreme Saint. Only Supreme Saints can forge new rule Daos in an instant.â
âA Supreme SaintâŠâ
One after another, the Chaos Venerables discussed rapidly. The chaotic evolution path of a Supreme Saint possessed profound depth, capable of supporting countless rule Daos within the chaotic voidâonly then could one establish a new rule Dao.
To become a Supreme Saint, strength alone wasnât the deciding factor.
It meant the path they had chosen was vast enough, expansive enough.
Though itâs often said that all Daos lead to the same end, and no path is inherently superior...
A muddy footpath and a grand avenue both reach the destination, yet the journey is vastly different.
Simply put, for a Chaos Great Saint to become a Supreme Saint, it has little to do with talent or aptitude.
What matters is whether the path of power one treads is deep and broad enough.
Why did the Eye of Ten Thousand Laws, upon sensing that Lin Yuan's disseminated path of evolution stemmed from a branch of his own evolutionary path, immediately conclude that Lin Yuan could become a Supreme Saint?
Because the martial evolution path could, even at the Path-Clearing stage, branch out into so many offshootsâbranches with the potential to reach the Chaos stage.
That alone speaks volumes about the breadth and depth of the martial evolution path.
As long as he continues growing smoothly along such a path, becoming a Supreme Saint is all but inevitable.
âWere there two Supreme Saints just now?â
âTwo Supreme Saints?â
The Chaos Venerables exchanged words quicklyâone of them had caught a fleeting glimpse of two indistinct figures arriving from distant spacetime.
Supreme Saints Hun Xiao and Yu Lin never intended to enter the Mysterious Emperor Universe quietly.
As Supreme Saints, they should dominate the chaotic voidâhow could they act sneakily?
So they didnât even bother concealing their presence. Yet even so, most Chaos Venerables couldnât lift their heads under their overwhelming pressureâonly a few caught sight of their hazy figures.
âBoth Supreme Saints entered this acquired universe?â
âSeems this acquired universe holds a significant secret.â
âWhether it does or not, I donât care. It has nothing to do with me anyway.â
âTrue, but that Milky Way Great Saint⊠heâs in for it.â
Suddenly, many Chaos Venerables recalled the situation inside the Mysterious Emperor Universe.
After subduing Chaos Great Saints Heiyao, Savage, and six others, this acquired universe had been fully claimed by the Milky Way Great Saint.
Given his displayed power, no other Chaos Great Saint dared to enter. As for the Chaos Venerables who were already inside? The Milky Way Great Saint didnât drive them out, but they wisely kept to the outer regions.
In short, this acquired universe had become the Milky Way Great Saintâs private domain.
But now, with the arrival of two Supreme Saints, that situation was thoroughly shattered.
Though the Milky Way Great Saint was strongâhis domain could force the retreat of many rule Daosâafter deliberation by several Chaos Great Saints, it was concluded he hadnât yet reached the level of a Supreme Saint.
Under these conditions, with two Supreme Saints entering, the fate of the Milky Way Great Saint inside the universe was nearly certain.
If heâs lucky and the two are in good spirits, he might surviveâbut all his gains inside the universe would surely have to be handed over.
If not? He might be suppressed just like Heiyao and Savage wereâforced to pay a âransom.â
Worse still, if the two Supreme Saints disliked him, death was entirely possible.
Supreme Saints dwell on a level too highâtheyâre not overly concerned with âransoms.â
In a distant void domain.
Chaos Great Saint Savage met with many old friends, none of whom were willing to step in on his or the Milky Way Great Saintâs behalf.
Just thenâ
News reached Savage.
âTwo Supreme Saints also entered that acquired universe?â
Savageâs expression shifted, not with joy, but alarm.
One of his primary combat bodies was in the hands of the Milky Way Great Saint. He kept a close eye on developments there and knew instantly when the two Supreme Saints arrived.
âThis complicates things.â
Savage frowned. Though regaining his combat body from Lin Yuan would require a steep price, at least the cost was known.
For instance, the Milky Way Great Saint had agreed to return it in exchange for ten billion chaos stones.
A being of such strength usually keeps their word.
But now? With two more Supreme Saints involved, things were out of Savageâs control.
If the Milky Way Great Saint was suppressed, then their combat bodies would fall into the hands of those two Supreme Saints.
Just because the Milky Way Great Saint was willing to trade for ten billion chaos stones didnât mean they would do the same.
âMilky Way Great Saint, you must escape...â
Savage gazed into the Mysterious Emperor Universe, secretly hoping the one who had suppressed his combat body could escape from the hands of the two Supreme Saints.
Not just himâChaos Great Saints Heiyao and Tianlu felt similarly uneasy. The involvement of Supreme Saints had made the situation much more complicated.
Previously, they could safely recover their bodies by paying a fixed number of chaos stones.
But now? Who knew what the cost would be.
âTwo Supreme Saints?â
Chaos Great Saint Dual-Source, who had already reached another void domain, was stunned for a momentâthen inwardly rejoiced.
âMilky Way Great Saint, it seems I ought to thank you.â
Dual-Source thought to himself.
If not for the Milky Way Great Saint, heâd still be inside the Mysterious Emperor Universe exploring.
With two Supreme Saints entering now, what fate would await him?
He had only barely escaped Lin Yuan with his life.
But against Supreme Saints? No matter how hard he fought, there would be no escape.
His outcome wouldâve been far worse.
âThe Milky Way Great Saint held out against Hun Xiao for so long? Impressive.â
âMaybe Hun Xiao doesnât want to pay the priceâheâs trying to suppress him without losses.â
âEven so, itâs remarkable. The Milky Way Great Saint doesnât even have chaotic evolution power.â
Several special beingsâlike the broken sword, the ancient altar spirit, and the Eye of Ten Thousand Lawsâalso observed the situation in the Mysterious Emperor Universe.
A Supreme Saintâs âvoid-born thoughtâ could form a completely independent void world, beyond the observation of even these beings.
But based on faint spacetime ripples, they could infer quite a bit.
These entities had lived through countless cosmic eras, their eyes sharpâthey could deduce much from the smallest clues.
At this momentâ
The entire Mysterious Emperor Universe suddenly froze.
Not just space, but time itself had halted.
If before the universe was a flowing streamâ
Now, it had turned solid.
All energy fluctuations, auras, and rules vanished without a traceânothing escaped.
âWhat is this?â
The broken sword, ancient altar spirit, and other special beings changed expression simultaneouslyâthe same thought surfaced in their minds:
âMysterious Sovereign?â
A towering man appeared, standing silently with no aura at all.
But from the moment he appeared, the entire Mysterious Emperor Universe began to change. The Dao rules, previously suppressed by Hun Xiao and Yu Lin, began to surge and push back.
But compared to the universeâs changesâ
Hun Xiao and Yu Linâs attention was entirely on the towering man, their eyes locked in disbelief, as if witnessing someone who absolutely should not exist.
âMysterious Sovereign?â
âWerenât you attempting to break into the thirteenth rank?â
Hun Xiaoâs voice trembled with dread.
He was certain the towering figure before them was not some remnant willâbut the Mysterious Sovereign himself. Over thirty million cosmic eras ago, he was the Invincible Supreme Saint who had swept through his peers.
Back then, before attempting to breach the thirteenth rank, the Mysterious Sovereign had hunted down many Supreme Saints to eliminate future threats. Hun Xiao and Yu Lin were among them.
In the end, they had no choice but to reincarnate to escape his pursuit.
At the Chaos stage, one could reincarnate. A Chaos Great Saint who had perfected the stage could retain some memories after reincarnationâa Supreme Saint could retain even more.
Butâ
Even with memories intact, reincarnation is the weakest stage for any Saint. If reborn into a powerful race, itâs manageable; but if into a weak oneâitâs dangerous.
Reincarnation at the Chaos stage is randomâwhether one is a Supreme Saint or a mere Venerable.
In the vast chaotic void, with its countless natural universes and secret realms, the weak races made up 99.9%âthe powerful ones were extremely rare.
Which meant, unless one had truly absurd luck, even a Supreme Saint would most likely start from the bottom after reincarnating.
A low starting pointâdespite retained memoriesâmeant surviving in dangerous places would still be near impossible.
If the reincarnated form died, theyâd reincarnate againâwith far fewer memories. Eventually, the chance to return to being a Saint would become nearly nonexistent.
At the Chaos Great Saint levelâespecially for Supreme Saintsâtheir paths were broad and deep. They held the potential to become time-based beings. Unless they had no other choice, they would never reincarnate.
âYou broke into the thirteenth rank?â
Beside him, Yu Lin was shaken. Seeing the Mysterious Sovereign emerge from the time loop, he first assumed the man had reached the thirteenth rank.
âNo, wait.â
âYou havenât entered the thirteenth rank. The birth of a time-being always shakes the spacetime of the chaotic voidâwe would have noticed.â
Though filled with fear, Yu Lin forced himself to remain rational.
When a lifeform in the chaotic void breaks from rank eleven to twelve, they are infused with chaotic voidâs origin.
The same applies when crossing from twelve to thirteenâbut the shockwaves are far greater.
âYouâre right. You havenât reached rank thirteen.â
Hun Xiao also realized. They looked at the towering man before themâin the thirty million cosmic eras since, this man had become their inner demon.
Neither dared attempt the thirteenth rank, wishing only to erase all trace of the Mysterious Emperor Lineage to dispel that shadow.
âAfter all these cosmic eras, you two wastes still havenât changed.â
The towering man smiled and spoke to himself.
âMysterious Sovereign?â
Lin Yuan also turned toward the man, waves of emotion stirring within him.
Mysterious Sovereign?
He was the Mysterious Sovereign?
The founder of the Mysterious Emperor Lineage?
Though not an Invincible Supreme Saint, he was a Supreme Saint no less powerful than one?
Lin Yuanâs mind raced. Since stepping into the ninth rank and entering the Mysterious Emperor Secret Realm, heâd heard tales of this sovereignâhis lineageâs legacy had greatly aided Lin Yuanâs growth.
And now, he was seeing the true Mysterious Sovereign?
âCrushing that bead summoned His Majesty?â
Lin Yuanâs thoughts surged, but a deeper question emergedâ
If that was so, why had the tomb spirit urged him not to crush it unless absolutely necessary?
Hun Xiao and Yu Linâs faces were grim. Though still terrified, when they heard the Mysterious Sovereign call them âwastes,â their eyes turned dazed, as if theyâd returned to thirty million cosmic eras ago.
Back then, they too were Supreme Saints, destined to dominate the chaotic void and eventually challenge the thirteenth rank.
But in that era, the monstrous Mysterious Sovereign aroseâborn from a natural universe, a mere ant of a lifeform.
With no elder guidance or legacy.
Yet he rapidly grew to Chaos stage, perfected it, and became a Supreme Saint!
Hun Xiao, Yu Lin, and the other Supreme Saints of that era all lived in his shadow.
âMysterious Sovereign, itâs been over thirty million cosmic eras. Yu Lin and I have each reincarnated once, returned to our peak, and are far stronger than we were.â
Hun Xiaoâs voice rose, echoing through spacetime.
Yu Lin did the same, his gaze regaining calm.
âIs that so?â
The towering man smiled slightly, then raised his right hand from behind his back.
âRun!â
Hun Xiao and Yu Lin bolted like startled birds, fleeing toward the entrance. The Mysterious Emperor Universe was now fused as oneâthey couldnât tear open spacetime. Their only hope was to escape through the entrance.
Inside his bodyâs universe.
In the tomb, the tomb spirit sat with a somber expression, whispering, âYour MajestyâŠâ
âEven if thirty million cosmic eras werenât enough to escape the time loop⊠and the chance to reach the thirteenth rank is minuscule⊠itâs still a chance. The distant future may bring change.â
âEven without change, to be caught in the time loop is still to be aliveâas long as one lives, there is hope!â
Tears glistened faintly in the tomb spiritâs eyes.
âThen why give up that hope? Why abandon it?â
The tomb spirit trembled all over.
...
20 chapters ahead on patreon: /David_Lord