Lin Chen pushed open the temple doors, and sunlight washed over him.
The spirit flowers on either side of the long staircase had bloomed for two seasons. Before his seclusion, they had been tender shoots with unopened buds. Now they climbed all over the railings, their flowers in full bloom, wrapping the entire temple in a pale golden halo.
His awareness sank slightly into his body. The pulse of the Heart of the Universe resonated with the laws of heaven and earth in the Divine Realm. In a single breath, Lin Chen confirmed that he had spent an entire year in seclusion.
One year.
Lin Chen lowered his gaze to his hands.
The ancient mark rested quietly in his palm. The Heart of the Universe had completely merged with his soul's core, becoming a part of him.
With a thought, every star in the Douluo Star Domain, every strand of law, and the breathing of every living being appeared clearly in his perception.
He seemed to have become a boundless ocean, with the entire Sea of Stars no more than waves surging across its surface.
He clenched his fist, feeling the power welling up from the depths of his soul, and murmured, "A year... it's time to go out."
He descended the long staircase and crossed the white jade walkway in the Divine Realm's forecourt. The patrolling guards and attendants bowed their heads as they saw him, and Lin Chen answered with simple nods. Just as he left the forecourt, he saw Qian Renxue waiting at the foot of the stone steps.
She was as cool and composed as ever, her long golden hair falling to her waist, her robes white as snow. Through the Heart of the Universe, Lin Chen could sense that her cultivation had grown considerably more