45: Five-year development

Five years, a mere flick of a finger, and Tianyuan had changed drastically.

Burial King City had completely become the most glaring thorn in Tianyuan! And it was the kind of thorn that was covered in barbs, smeared with poison, and constantly spewing fire and electricity!

The hundred-zhang tall pillar on the city wall, made from the spine of an Asura King, had deepened in color from wind and sun, its surface covered in the patina of sword cuts, axe chops, fire burns, and ice freezes. The half-lizard jawbone stuck on top of the pillar, after being tinkered with by Chu Xinghe and his array masters, had actually been transformed into an oversized spotlight! Every night, that thing would hum with red light, illuminating hundreds of miles around with perfect clarity. Any oblivious bug or Asura trying to sneak attack under the cover of darkness was simply asking for trouble.

The Merit Hall in the city had already been expanded for the third time. The queue of people at the entrance was still spectacular, but the order was much better. This was because General Manager Huang Yan had set a rule: anyone who cut in line would have their entire month's merit points deducted! This move was more effective than anything else. Miss Huang Yan had also become increasingly capable, her waist straight, directing a group of flower demon maidens to bustle about, managing the accounts flawlessly. However, her large eyes would occasionally glance towards the main hall, her gaze now containing not just resentment, but also an indescribable glimmer of light.

In these five years, the disciples of the All Heavens Star Palace had truly experienced explosive growth!

Those dangerous forbidden lands deep within Tianyuan had been forcefully turned into their own back garden! Bug crystals piled up into mountains, Asura bones paved the roads, and all sorts of strange Tianyuan ores and spirit herbs filled the warehouses. The million disciples, as a whole, saw their strength soar as if on a rocket! Foundation Establishment? That was ancient history! Now, even Outer Sect Disciples started at Golden Core! Nascent Souls walked everywhere, and Soul Transformation cultivators were as common as dogs! Even those crude Ancient Demon Battle Group brutes who used to carry door-panel axes were now all shimmering with demonic patterns, exuding fierce auras, and wielding even more exaggerated giant axes to mine in the abyss, with efficiency higher than that of burrowing worms.

Lin Xuan's beloved disciples, moreover, were all bursting with energy.

Yun Qingyao and Leng Yuechan, the 'Ice and Fire Twin Evils,' had forcefully occupied a mountaintop in the depths of Tianyuan, at the junction of a place called the Everfrost Cold Prison and the Scorched Earth of Lava. One used moonlight to freeze bugs, while the other used Nirvana Sword Intent to hack Asuras, cooperating tacitly. Under the dual assault of ice and fire, they had carved out a safe zone, their auras becoming more refined day by day. The bottleneck of late-stage Void Refinement had long been shattered by them, and they were on the verge of reaching the threshold of Body Integration.

Feng Qiqi, with her Divine Fire Army, simply plunged headfirst into the largest underground firepulse of Tianyuan. The temperature there was high enough to melt immortal gold, and fire-attribute insectoids and Asuras congregated. Qi Qi, however, was in her element, bathing in magma daily. She played with the Chaos Nirvana Divine Fire in myriad ways, its color growing deeper and deeper, full of a hazy, chaotic feel. Her fire qilin mount's fur had even turned from crimson to dark gold, and the sparks from its nostrils could burn through Nascent Soul-level shields.

Linglong and Kong Ming, the 'Buddhist-Demonic Adversaries,' opened a 'Large-Scale Mental Rehabilitation Center' in Burial King City. Linglong was responsible for brainwashing bugs and Asuras with demonic music, creating chaos; Kong Ming, with his Martial Monk Corps, was responsible for physical transcendence, and incidentally purifying contaminated ley lines. The two bickered constantly, but their efficiency was remarkably high. The bug souls and Asura demonic thoughts they transcended could fill several projections of merit pools. The Merit Golden Wheel illusion behind Kong Ming's head grew brighter and brighter, and Linglong's Myriad Transformation Demonic Heart became more perfectly rounded, making her control of demonic music even more adept.

Ye Chen, that lad, had completely become the Night Reaper of Tianyuan. Leading his Nirvana Walkers, he appeared and disappeared mysteriously, specifically targeting isolated bug commanders and Asura War Generals. With a single sword strike, Nirvana arrived; his ruthless and taciturn style was ingrained deep within him. The black iron sword Lin Xuan had casually given him had been nurtured by his Silent Extinction Sword Soul until it was completely black, radiating a chilling aura that seemed to devour all light.

Mo Sha and his Ancient Demon Battle Group became a veritable demolition team. Wherever there were tough ore veins, there they were! Their mountain-splitting, earth-cracking giant axes swung like they were cutting tofu. Their primordial demonic hearts pounded furiously, and myriad demonic blood crystals continuously provided power. These muscular brutes, relying purely on brute force, had smashed out several rich resource veins deep within Tianyuan.

As for Qing Xuan? This little master of life purification became the most popular person in Burial King City and even the entire front line. Once his Life Spring Water domain was activated, all bug poisons, Asura curses, and demonic energy erosions would vanish! Wounded soldiers would take a bath in it and emerge as good as new! He was always smiling, either saving people or on his way to save people.

And as for Lietian? That fellow had completely let himself go. As an ancient divine beast in the late growth stage, coupled with Lin Xuan's occasional feeding, his size hadn't changed much, still appearing childlike, but his crimson-gold divine flames and spatial travel abilities had become increasingly terrifying. His greatest hobby now was to perch on the battlements of Burial King City, and when he saw groups of bugs flying in the distance, he would let out a howl and pounce, spitting divine flames and tearing space, then carrying a few of the fattest bugs back as snacks, flying leisurely, eliciting howls of envy, jealousy, and hatred from below the city.

And Lin Xuan himself? In these five years, the main things he did were two.

First: feeding the zombie.

The black coffin in the isolation zone, ever since that Nirvana Destruction dual-core power reactor was stuffed into it, had finally quieted down a bit, no longer so violent. And Zombie Princess Yu Lin, soaking in the spiritual spring eye, had finally started eating!

Lin Xuan kept his word and truly prepared that millstone-sized Asura King's heart. He used the Chaos Nirvana Divine Fire as a grill, and painstakingly roasted that heart, which contained terrifying destruction essence, into a huge, dark-golden, sizzling slab of meat! Although the oil was condensed destruction essence, it looked terrifying.

When Lin Xuan handed this king-level destruction roasted heart slab to the spring's edge, Yu Lin, whose eyes had been hollow, instantly burst with silver light deep within her pupils!

"Hungry, eat."

The dry, cold voice resounded in Lin Xuan's mind again. Then, under Huang Yan's horrified and curious gaze, this pale-skinned little Zombie Princess, wearing a tattered wedding dress, extended her equally pale small hand and grabbed the edge of the meat slab, which was larger than her!

Sizzle!

The aura of destruction essence touched her small hand, emitting a faint burning sound. But Yu Lin seemed to feel no pain, opening her small mouth to reveal two sharp little fangs, and with a "gulp," she bit down!

There was no imagined splash of blood and flesh; that meat slab, whose hardness was comparable to immortal gold, was bitten off like tofu by her seemingly harmless little fangs! Her cheeks puffed out, and she chewed expressionlessly. As the destruction essence flowed down her throat, the Nirvana coldness around her seemed to become a little more active, and her eyes also became a little more spirited.

Huang Yan's eyes almost popped out: "Senior, is she really eating?!"

Lin Xuan folded his arms, an "I knew it" expression on his face: "Nonsense, otherwise why would I go to so much trouble to roast it? As a decoration? This little ancestor is picky; she disdains anything less than a king-level heart!" He watched Yu Lin slowly but steadily gnaw on the huge meat slab, and his mouth twitched. It was just her eating posture, tsk, like a little hamster, not at all like a princess."

Thus, in these five years, besides handling major sect affairs and researching the golden guiding light at the bottom of the abyss, Lin Xuan spent the rest of his time finding snacks for Yu Lin in various ways. Void Refinement-level bug commander's heart? A small snack! Body Integration-level Asura War General's core? Barely a main meal! King-level, well, he had only encountered one so far, not much in stock, so eat sparingly.

Second: making reactors.

That's right, making power reactors for the black coffin. One dual-core power reactor was clearly not enough for the black coffin's bottomless pit. In these five years, Lin Xuan fully embraced the spirit of scavenging andGet the best deal (literally 'shearing sheep,' meaning exploiting resources), collecting all the top-tier materials containing Nirvana or destruction attributes that could be found in Tianyuan. Abyss Cold Marrow, Soul-Corroding Demonic Crystals, Asura King bone powder, End Crystal fragments—all were put to use!

Then, in the main hall, like a big child obsessed with crafts, he tinkered and clanked, producing one power reactor after another, each with a different form but the core function of charging the black coffin—from the second and third generations all the way to the latest Nirvana Destruction Energy Aggregation Reactor MAX version! Each new reactor inserted reduced the black coffin's vibration and made the Nirvana aura it emitted more concentrated and profound.

Five years of accumulation, a thick foundation for explosive growth!

On this day, above Burial King City, the sky was clear for thousands of miles, no demonic mist for thousands of miles? Anyway, it was a rare clear day.

Boom! Boom!

Several powerful auras, strong enough to distort space, erupted like dormant volcanoes in various parts of Burial King City!

In the direction of the Everfrost Cold Prison to the west of the city, a pillar of moonlight, reaching the heavens and earth, shot up into the sky, within which the illusory palace of Guanghan seemed to float! The extreme cold instantly froze the demonic mist for hundreds of miles around, transforming it into shimmering ice crystals that drifted down! Yun Qingyao, broke through to Body Integration!

Almost simultaneously, above the Scorched Earth of Lava to the east of the city, a hazy, chaotic divine fire swept across the sky! Flames rolled, and faintly, the auspicious phenomenon of a divine phoenix being reborn in fire manifested! The scorching high temperature warped and distorted space! Feng Qiqi, broke through to Body Integration!

Immediately after, above the Mental Rehabilitation Center in the city, Buddha's Light and demonic music intertwined! A majestic Great Might Heavenly Dragon Dharma Idol and an enchanting Myriad Transformation Heavenly Demon illusion appeared simultaneously, colliding yet strangely merging, transforming into circles of peculiar light that cleansed the soul! Kong Ming and Linglong, both broke through to Body Integration!

In the shadows of Burial King City, an extremely condensed Nirvana Sword Intent silently pierced through the void. Wherever it passed, all things returned to stillness, and even light was devoured! Ye Chen, broke through to late-stage Void Refinement!

"Roar—!" A violent demonic roar shook the city walls! In the mining area north of the city, a giant figure, muscular and shimmering with demonic patterns, rose from the ground, its primordial demonic might spreading like a tangible force! Mo Sha, broke through to late-stage Void Refinement!

A gentle, life-filled white light rain silently sprinkled throughout the city. All injured and fatigued disciples instantly felt a surge of energy, and all hidden injuries vanished! Qing Xuan stood at the center of the light rain, a gentle smile on his face, his aura perfectly rounded, late-stage Void Refinement!

Even the Ghost Princess You Ye, who had been idle soaking in the spring, had her soul body solidified considerably, showing faint signs of awakening!

The disciples, a collective grand breakthrough!

The entire Burial King City was stunned by this sudden collective breakthrough phenomenon! Before the cheers could even escape, an even more terrifying, more profound pressure, seemingly transcending all else, erupted from the main hall!

The roof of the main hall was directly blown off! Lin Xuan's figure slowly ascended into the sky!

Around him, there were no dazzling phenomena, only endless chaotic currents surging and collapsing! As if a miniature universe was being born and destroyed within him! The barrier of mid-stage Mahayana, under five years of Tianyuan conquest, resource accumulation, and the feedback from his disciples' breakthroughs, was easily pierced like thin paper!

Late-stage Mahayana! Peak, Tribulation Transcending stage! Mid-stage Tribulation Transcending!

Rumble!

Just as Lin Xuan continuously broke through, it seemed to trigger a chain reaction! The Nirvana aura, which had been suppressed in the isolation zone behind the main hall for five years, like a lit powder keg, exploded with a roar!

The lid of that black coffin, which had been silent for five years and absorbed the energy of countless top-tier reactors, was violently flung open by an irresistible force!

A thick, undiluted Nirvana coldness, like a breached dam, instantly flooded the entire rear hall, even spreading towards the main hall! Wherever the coldness passed, everything was frozen and solidified, and even time seemed to slow down!

At the center of this extreme Nirvana cold wave, a petite figure, dressed in a tattered crimson wedding dress, slowly sat up from the coffin.

It was none other than Zombie Princess Yu Lin!

She slowly raised her head. On her pale, almost transparent little face, those once hollow, grayish-white pupils had now turned pure and flawless, like they contained an ancient cold abyss of silver-white! Her gaze was no longer dull, but held a nascent innocence, and a hint of aloof indifference.

Her silver-white eyes swept over the main hall's roof that had been blown off, then over the chaotic sky outside due to the collective breakthroughs. Finally, they landed on Lin Xuan, who had just finished his breakthroughs, still surrounded by chaotic currents, and wore a "what the hell" expression.

Yu Lin tilted her small head, seemingly identifying something. After a moment, she opened her bloodless little mouth. Her voice was still that dry, cold sound that resonated directly in the soul, but it was countless times clearer and more fluid than five years ago, and even carried a commanding tone?

"Hungry, Master wants to eat..."