The State of the Realm

Eight years later.

At the summit of Dragon Tiger Mountain.

Lin Yuan sat cross-legged atop a massive boulder.

Splash, splash.

A fine drizzle fell from the sky, only to evaporate into nothingness when it came within several yards of Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan opened his eyes and looked down at the sea of clouds drifting through the morning.

"Taiyin Limitless and Sun Limitless appear to be two completely opposing paths, yet in essence, both are parts of the vast heavens and earth. Taiyin can transform into Taiyang, and Taiyang can likewise transform into Taiyin."

Deep within Lin Yuan's Qi Sea dantian, Taiyin Power and Taiyang Power became black and white currents.

They collided without end, dispersed without end, and were reborn without end, as though there were no limit to the cycle.

Over the past eight years, Lin Yuan had devoted nearly all his focus to comprehending Taiyin Limitless and Sun Limitless.

Even his cultivation realm had not improved in the slightest; he remained at the Early Celestial Phenomenon Realm.

To Lin Yuan, once he had mastered Taiyin Limitless and Sun Limitless, there would be little difference between the Early Celestial Phenomenon Realm and the Peak Celestial Phenomenon Realm.

"This True Martial Sword."

With a thought from Lin Yuan, the True Martial Sword floated before him.

The more he comprehended it, the more Lin Yuan discovered how terrifying the True Martial Sword truly was.

It had compressed the essences of Taiyin Power and Taiyang Power into a single sword for later generations to comprehend. Such control was simply inconceivable.

Without this True Martial Sword over the years, Lin Yuan's progress in comprehension would likely have been slower.

"Mastering Taiyin Limitless and Sun Limitless is not difficult, but fusing the two is truly harder than ascending to heaven. An ordinary person would die the moment they tried."

Lin Yuan thought to himself.

No wonder Azure Lord and the other Celestial Phenomenon Realm experts believed this to be a dead end.

Even someone as powerful as a Celestial Master would face certain death if he dared attempt it. The Third Generation Celestial Master was proof.

As one of the second strongest tier among the thirty-six Celestial Masters of Celestial Master Manor, could the Third Generation Celestial Master truly have been unaware of the consequences of forcibly introducing Taiyin Power?

"I am different from the Third Generation Celestial Master."

"The Third Generation Celestial Master only intended to pursue a path balancing yin and yang after becoming a Celestial Master."

"But by then, his foundation had already been set. I am different. I have not yet become a Celestial Master. Balancing yin and yang first, then fusing yin and yang—it is entirely possible."

Lin Yuan silently thought to himself.

Of course, this "entirely possible" applied only to Lin Yuan, who possessed Heaven-Defying Comprehension.

For anyone else, even if their talent remained heaven-defying and they gained the recognition of the True Martial Sword, the hope of balancing yin and yang before fusing them would still be exceedingly remote.

The first challenge was how to gain entry into the other path after first entering Taiyin Limitless or Sun Limitless. The second was how to fuse the two while cultivating both Taiyin Limitless and Taiyin Limitless. Any slightest mistake along the way would result in one's body exploding.

With Heaven-Defying Comprehension, so long as it was not an inescapable death trap, Lin Yuan could seize a sliver of survival.

The terrifying aspect of Heaven-Defying Comprehension was that no matter what circumstances one faced, it could reveal the means most advantageous to oneself.

Just like eighteen years ago, when Lin Yuan was still an infant and about to be discovered by wild beasts, he had comprehended a Breathing Technique to conceal his aura.

When he was on the verge of starving to death, he had comprehended the Hibernation Breathing Technique.

Neither of these secret arts required any internal force or True Qi. They had been created entirely according to Lin Yuan's circumstances at the time.

When fusing yin and yang, Lin Yuan had likewise faced countless dangers, yet every time, related secret arts comprehended through Heaven-Defying Comprehension had saved him.

"Just a little more."

"Just a little more, and I can break through to the Celestial Phenomenon Realm using Taiyin Sun Power."

Feeling the Taiyin Sun Power constantly colliding and intertwining deep within his Qi Sea dantian, Lin Yuan felt a faint sense of anticipation.

According to his predictions, breaking through to the Celestial Phenomenon Realm with Taiyin Power and Taiyang Power would make him stronger than every Celestial Master Celestial Master Manor had ever produced.

How could Taiyin Power or Taiyang Power alone compare to the power produced after Taiyin and Taiyang fused?

After examining himself.

Lin Yuan could not help but glance beyond Dragon Tiger Mountain.

"These years, things outside have not been peaceful."

In truth, ever since the Myriad Demons Sect had resurged more than twenty years ago, the realm had never known peace.

Yet under the suppression of Celestial Master Manor and other Righteous Factions, the Myriad Demons Sect had not dared act too brazenly.

However, five years ago, news had suddenly spread from the Myriad Demons Sect.

The Myriad Demons Sect Master had obtained the inheritance of the Original Demon Sect.

The Original Demon Sect was an incomparably ancient force that, by all logic, should have vanished into history long ago.

Since Celestial Master Manor had been established six thousand eight hundred years ago.

The Celestial Masters of Celestial Master Manor had always been synonymous with invincibility.

But invincibility did not mean others could not come close.

Six thousand eight hundred years ago, the First Generation Celestial Master had burst onto the scene with the True Martial Sword in hand.

That era had belonged to the First Generation Celestial Master.

Yet in that same era, another powerful figure had emerged.

That was the Original Demon Lord.

Although the Original Demon Lord could not defeat the First Generation Celestial Master.

The First Generation Celestial Master had likewise been unable to kill him completely.

Thus, while the two remained locked in a constant stalemate, they respectively founded the lineage of Celestial Master Manor on Dragon Tiger Mountain and the lineage of the Original Demon Sect.

In the end, the First Generation Celestial Master risked his life in battle and finally slew the Original Demon Lord.

However, though the Original Demon Lord had died, the Original Demon Sect remained.

Over the following several hundred years, under the joint encirclement and suppression of the Second Generation Celestial Master and the Third Generation Celestial Master.

The Original Demon Sect was finally wiped out completely.

For the thousands of years afterward, the Original Demon Sect had vanished without a trace and never appeared again.

"Celestial Master Manor has gone far too long without producing a new Celestial Master—five hundred full years."

"Without a new Celestial Master to deter them, the Demon Sect forces developed rapidly. That is why the Myriad Demons Sect has become what it is today."

According to the customs of the Celestial Masters throughout the generations, after each became a Celestial Master.

The first thing he did was descend the mountain to purge demons and suppress the demonic path.

Now that no new Celestial Master had appeared for five hundred years, even though Celestial Master Manor and the other Righteous Factions still held the advantage.

It had undoubtedly given the demonic path ample time to develop.

Compared with the righteous path, demonic cultivation techniques were easier to master quickly. Some even allowed one to advance rapidly by consuming the Essence Blood of others.

That was also why Zhang Family Fortress had been massacred.

Aside from its vast wealth, it had possessed a sufficiently large population, including numerous experts.

And in the eyes of demonic path experts, those things were no different from irresistible delicacies.

"Whether the Myriad Demons Sect truly obtained the Original Demon Sect's inheritance or not, once this news spread, the prestige of the demonic path was bound to soar."

Lin Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly.

Come to think of it, he also had a grudge against the Myriad Demons Sect.

Eighteen years ago, when Lin Yuan had just been born, the eight Helm Masters of the Myriad Demons Sect had slaughtered everyone in Zhang Family Fortress.

Lin Yuan's biological parents had both died that day.

"Shan Feng Shixiong."

"Shan Feng Shixiong."

At that moment, a shout rang out.

A young Taoist came running over.

"I knew Shan Feng Shixiong would be here."

When the young Taoist saw Lin Yuan, he grinned.

"So it's Qingping."

Lin Yuan turned to look at him.

The young Taoist who had come looking for him was none other than Qingping, the little Taoist acolyte from back then.

Eight years had passed, and little Qingping had grown considerably. Combined with his cultivation, he was now almost no different from an ordinary adult man.