âThank you, Ancestors.â
Lin Yuan looked at the six Ancestors, including Liyang Ancestor. Every one of them had given him a gift.
And the value of these gifts was rare even among thirteenth-rank beingsâit was clear each Ancestor had put real effort into this.
âBut Iâd like to know⊠why are you all doing this? Is it because of my future?â Lin Yuan voiced his doubts.
He had initially thought their visit was a simple one. But Barbarian Wild Ancestor had openly spoken of being equalsâequals? That was nearly the same as recognizing him as a thirteenth-rank.
The other Ancestors, even Grand Void Ancestor, had presented precious gifts. This kind of treatment left Lin Yuan puzzled.
Even if his future potential was immense, was it really worth this level of favor? After all, the future held countless uncertainties and infinite possibilities.
The futures seen by the Ancestors werenât guaranteed to come true.
So Lin Yuan spoke up directly, wanting to understand the reason behind all of this.
âHahaha, Brother Milky Way, direct as always,â Barbarian Wild Ancestor said with a grin, glancing at the many attendants still moving about.
Liyang Ancestor waved his hand, and all the attendants were moved outside the hall. What they were about to discuss belonged to the level of thirteenth-rank time-beings.
âItâs simple,â Xuanyin Ancestor looked at Lin Yuan and said, âItâs because your future is almost guaranteedâyou will become a thirteenth-rank.â
âGuaranteed to reach thirteenth-rank?â Lin Yuanâs expression shifted slightly.
âAt least in the future timelines weâve seen, you always cross into the thirteenth-rank. Itâs only a matter of timeâmaybe tens of thousands of years, or hundreds of thousands to millions. But you always make it.â
âThatâs right,â Grand Void Ancestor nodded. âBrother Milky Way, donât take it the wrong wayâI specifically looked at timelines where someone tried to stop or kill you, but it was pointless. At most, it could only delay your breakthrough.â
âYes, I tried too. But in the end, you came back stronger and directly crushed me,â Grand Ling Ancestor nodded as well.
Thirteenth-rank time-beings could observe many future timelines, and if they were crushed in every one, it meant that in none of those futures did they survive. No chance of escape.
If even one timeline offered a way out, time-beings would try to choose that one.
âCame back stronger?â Lin Yuanâs thoughts churned.
He had no doubts about that. With the Gate of Myriad Realms, he had life-preserving methods from across different dimensional spacesârealms even time-beings found hard to reach.
Even if all six Ancestors tried, they might erase his presence from this source world, but they couldnât truly kill him.
And knowing his own temperament, if an Ancestor ever attacked him, he would certainly return after breaking through to the thirteenth-rank to settle the score.
The spatial-temporal coordinates of this source world had already been recorded by the Gate of Myriad Realms. He could return anytime.
The future timelines seen by the Ancestors could only tell them that Lin Yuan couldnât be killed. As for the reason, they didnât knowâand that was normal, as it involved the Gate.
But the idea that he was all but destined to become a thirteenth-rank?
âWe donât know the exact reason. Even Time Lords wandering between dimensional gaps have only ever narrowed down timelinesâtheyâve never spoken of a fixed future.â
Thunder Ancestor looked at Lin Yuan and continued, âBut whatever the reason, Brother Milky Way, youâre destined to cross into thirteenth-rank, and far in the future, youâll reach incredible heights. If we donât befriend you now, itâll be too late later.â
The other Ancestors nodded slightly. They werenât hiding anything, and they bore no malice. This was purely a gesture of goodwill.
And among all the timelines they observed, this was the best approachâif they tried to use hidden motives or exploit Lin Yuanâs ignorance, then once he became thirteenth-rank and understood everything, he wouldnât view them favorably.
Having confirmed that they absolutely couldnât be enemies with Milky Way Heavenly Sovereign, the Ancestors naturally chose to extend full goodwill to Lin Yuan.
âWe expect nothing in return, Brother Milky Way. Donât feel any pressureâjust consider us friends,â Grand Ling Ancestor said.
âI see.â
Lin Yuan nodded. He didnât have any negative thoughts about the Ancestorsâ gesture.
They had proactively come bearing gifts, clearing the way for his cultivation, and explained everything franklyâno matter their motive, Lin Yuan would remember this favor.
âEven a destined future isnât absolutely certain.â
Lin Yuan thought for a moment and said.
The future timelines the six Ancestors had seen were only a portionânot the whole.
All it really meant was that his odds of reaching thirteenth-rank were higher than most beings.
âThatâs true.â
The Ancestors exchanged glances and nodded.
Thatâs why they said âalmost guaranteed.â
If they were perfect fourteenth-rank time-beings, able to observe all timelines, then maybe they could be certain. But they werenât, and in timelines beyond their reach, Milky Way Heavenly Sovereignâs fate remained unknown.
âRegardless, thank you all,â
Lin Yuan said, looking at the Ancestors. âIf I really do reach the thirteenth-rank one day, I wonât forget your kindness.â
âHahaha.â The Ancestors looked at each other and smiled.
Wasnât this exactly why theyâd all come together? To build goodwill with Milky Way Heavenly Sovereignâso that when he rose in power, heâd remember their kindness and not turn against them.
âAlmost guaranteed to reach thirteenth-rank.â
Lin Yuanâs thoughts raced. At the very least, it confirmed that his current path was not wrong. More than that, it validated his efforts in spreading the martial path evolution branch.
âBrother Milky Way, if thereâs anything else you need, just say the word,â Barbarian Wild Ancestor offered.
Lin Yuan hadnât stepped into thirteenth-rank yet, so anything he asked, they could likely provide.
And if Lin Yuan made a request and they fulfilled it, that would deepen the bond and karmic ties between them.
This was practically free goodwill. But once Lin Yuan reached thirteenth-rank, any requests he made might be beyond their powerânot out of unwillingness, but true inability.
âYes, just say it,â Xuanyin Ancestor added.
âIâd like to study more supreme inheritances and guidance,â Lin Yuan said to the five Ancestors.
âMore supreme inheritances and guidance?â Grand Void Ancestor and the others immediately understood.
Each ancient kingdomâs treasury held many of these, but acquiring them required great meritâand once studied, they were forbidden from being shared. Swearing an oath in an Ancestorâs name was required.
Violating that oath would invite an Ancestorâs wrath.
So if Lin Yuan wanted to study the supreme inheritances of the five other kingdoms, he needed their direct permission.
âThis? Nothing at all.â Barbarian Wild Ancestor waved his hand, and a jade slip appeared, containing all of the Barbarian Wild Ancient Kingdomâs supreme inheritances and guidance.
These inheritances were extremely important. Since they couldnât be passed on, and were monopolized by the ancient kingdoms, they were highly sought after.
Yet in truth, they were easy to reproduce. Beyond the original creation, reproducing them carried almost no cost.
The other four Ancestors also took out their own supreme inheritances, some even annotated with their personal insights.
âThank you.â
A smile appeared on Lin Yuanâs faceâhe had been interested in these ancient inheritances for a long time.
Ever since entering the Black Jade Nest and detaining two Heavenly Sovereigns from the Xuanyin Kingdom, heâd noticed traces of their practice of the supreme inheritance and had wanted to see it for himself.
âThereâs one more thing,â Lin Yuan said as he stored away the many supreme inheritances, looking toward the Ancestors.
âGo ahead, Brother Milky Way,â Barbarian Wild Ancestor responded quickly.
The more Lin Yuan asked, the happier he was.
âI want to spread the martial cultivation path across the six ancient kingdoms,â Lin Yuan said.
Spreading the martial evolution branch was something Lin Yuan had long worked towardâeven now, having heard from the Ancestors that his breakthrough was almost certain, he wouldnât stop.
After all, who knew if this âalmost certainâ outcome didnât depend on the martial evolution branch?
And since the Ancestors could only see a portion of all timelines, even âalmost certainâ outcomes still contained variables. So Lin Yuan would do everything in his power to eliminate uncertainty.
âSpreading the martial path? No problem.â
âIâll give the order immediately.â
The five Ancestors all nodded. Having seen the future timelines, they knew how powerful this martial cultivation path wasâno weaker than their own.
In almost every future they saw, Milky Way Heavenly Sovereign was always spreading the martial path.
After chatting with Lin Yuan for a while longer and confirming he had no more requests, the five Ancestors rose and took their leave.
Once they returned to their respective kingdoms, orders related to Milky Way Heavenly Sovereign began rolling out.
The most important?
Do not provoke Milky Way Heavenly Sovereignâespecially for any Heavenly Sovereigns within the kingdoms.
Next came the full-scale promotion and propagation of the martial path he had created.
This left countless powerhouses across the six ancient kingdoms stunned.
âDonât provoke Milky Way Heavenly Sovereign? A direct order from the Ancestors?â
âWhy would high-and-mighty Ancestors care so much about Milky Way Heavenly Sovereign?â
âAnd this martial cultivation path? Itâs one thing if the Liyang Kingdom promotes itâheâs from there. But the other five?â
âI can feel it. The Ancestors are doing this because Milky Way Heavenly Sovereign is simply too extraordinary.â
âAll five Ancestors treating him like thisâjust how terrifying is he?â
The experts of the six ancient kingdoms were full of disbelief. The Ancestorsâ strange attitudes baffled many. Sure, Milky Way Heavenly Sovereign was powerfulâhe was the first Invincible Heavenly Sovereign.
But no matter how powerfulâwas he stronger than an Ancestor?
Still, confused or not, if even the Ancestors refused to offend Milky Way Heavenly Sovereign, the Great Sovereigns and Heavenly Sovereigns had no courage to do otherwise.
In truth, even without the Ancestorsâ orders, no one dared to provoke Milky Way Heavenly Sovereign. His title as Invincible Heavenly Sovereign wasnât for nothing. Even the strongest Heavenly Sovereign of the Grand Ancient Void Kingdom would feel despair before him, forced to rely on forbidden inheritances to resist.
Milky Way Palace.
Lin Yuan sat cross-legged. In front of him beat a heart like a bottomless abyss.
It was the Yuanlongâs heart.
As the first lifeform born of this source world, even though the Yuanlong hadnât reached the thirteenth-rank, its uniqueness made it nearly equal to a time-being.
The moment Grand Void Ancestor became thirteenth-rank, the first thing he did was suppress and slay the Yuanlongânot just due to personal enmity, but because the Yuanlong was too unique.
If not for his desire to befriend Lin Yuan, Grand Void Ancestor would never have given up the Yuanlongâs heart.
âSo perfectâŠâ
Lin Yuan gazed at the miniature source world within the heart, his expression dazed with awe.
By observing the source world within the heart, Lin Yuan vaguely understood why this world was called a source worldâwhy, despite the Chaos Void being no less vast, it wasnât one of the thirty-three source worlds.
âThe core of a source world lies in âperfection.ââ
Lin Yuanâs expression was thoughtful.
The boundless Chaos Void held many flaws and risks.
Thirteenth-rank time-beings had created unique realms to shield and compensate for those risks.
But this source world didnât need thatâor at least, based on the micro source world in the Yuanlongâs heart, Lin Yuan hadnât yet seen any flaws.
The source world gave him an overwhelming sense of perfection.
Even if it would still face an eventual Great Destruction, its lifespan far exceeded that of the Chaos Void.
Chaos Void.
Outside the Milky Way Chaos Continent.
Two figures appeared out of thin air. The one on the left was a bald man, the right a lean figure.
The aura they emitted was terrifyingâthe laws of the Chaos Voidâs Dao retreated before them. They were clearly Supreme Saints.
âThese past days, weâve reviewed every known enemy of Shadowfiend and Nine Phoenix with even the slightest karmic link. Nothing unusual. The only one left is this Milky Way Saint.â
The lean figure spoke in a low voice. They had come on Supreme Saint Rahuâs orders, to investigate why Shadowfiend and Nine Phoenix had been utterly erased from karma.
Milky Way Saintâs origins were mysterious, and he had only killed Shadowfiend and Nine Phoenix within the Mysterious Emperor Universe. That alone led them to believe there must be an unknown enmity between them.
âLetâs confirm it quickly, then report back.â
The bald figure spoke. He didnât believe Milky Way Saint had anything to do with the complete erasure of Shadowfiend and Nine Phoenix. No matter how strong he was, he hadnât displayed the power of a Supreme Saint.
To utterly erase both Saints without a trace? Impossible.
They had only come to go through the motions, to show Supreme Saint Rahu they had done their due diligence.
âAlright.â
The lean figure nodded and stepped forward, overlooking the Milky Way Chaos Continent.
âMilky Way Saint, show yourself immediately!â
A terrifying soundwave pierced through countless layers of spacetime, spreading across every corner of the Milky Way Chaos Continent in an instant.
...
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