"When I was young, I studied astrophysics, not history, but I still know a little about cultivators' pasts. More than three thousand years have passed since the age of interstellar exploration began. Have you ever heard of anyone who broke through from the fifth ring to the Saint stage in just four months?"
Yu Lian thought, Good thing I've seen it all across two lifetimes. Otherwise, my back would've given out by now. Then he answered with a straight face, "Sure. Emperor Illyser of the opposite side."
To be fair, that man really was a true genius! Born into the Dawn Dragon family, where geniuses were a dime a dozen, he still ranked among the very best. Even Yu Lian, who had lived two lives, couldn't help marveling at the talent of the current master of the Void Crown. Of course, the fact that the next Supreme of the Empire was another genius of that caliber could only mean the Spirit of the Universe truly favored the Dawn Dragon family.
"He entered the Saint stage at twenty-five. I think it only took him two months to go from the fifth ring to the sixth."
Of course, he'd spent those two months in the dark world of the Spiral Great Cross Nebula. There, posing as a passing ranger, he'd charged through the entire nebula. Supposedly, he'd fought nearly a hundred battles, large and small, and killed dozens of underworld kingpins and top spirit users.
The idea of growing stronger through battle sounded reasonable, but in truth, it only suited protagonists with extraordinary strength, talent, and luck. In the two centuries before that, Emperor Illyser had been the quintessential protagonist. His story had become one of his most legendary exploits, and even today it remained a staple of the Empire's propaganda.
However,