17: I don't have time to play with ants.

As Lin Yuan followed the white-haired Head Instructor across the central square of the training camp, time seemed to hit the pause button. All the students, whether they were sweating profusely, engaged in fierce combat, or focused on cultivation, froze in unison.

Those geniuses, who usually looked down on everyone and considered themselves extraordinary, were now like a flock of dumb geese being strangled by an invisible hand. Their eyes bulged as they stared fixedly at the slowly walking figure—the aura permeating his body was like a tangible cold current, freezing the air and their thoughts alike.

"Hiss... Is that... the monster who broke through both towers?"

"Three days... from the First Heavenly Layer of the Awakening Realm straight to the peak of the Ninth... is he even fucking human?"

"Look! The ground beneath his feet!"

The whispers were instantly interrupted by a startled cry. Everyone looked down in horror, only to see that with every step Lin Yuan took, the hard bluestone slabs beneath him rippled like water, sending out circles of translucent energy!

The ripples condensed without dissipating, taking three full breaths before slowly merging into the void, as if the earth could not bear the surging primordial power within his body and was groaning silently!

The white-haired Head Instructor's peripheral vision caught this subtle yet earth-shattering scene. The fingers hidden within his wide sleeves trembled violently, unable to be suppressed.

As a powerhouse at the peak of the Gathering Origin Realm, he knew better than anyone what these seemingly calm ripples meant—the violent energy contained within this youth, in its purity and vastness, was likely enough to... crush an ordinary Gathering Origin Realm expert!

The two finally stopped before a magnificent palace constructed entirely of immortal jade flowing with misty purple clouds.

Above the palace gates, the three gilded characters "War God Hall" were not simply written, but seemed to be branded directly into the void using solidified martial will! Every stroke and every line radiated a terrifying true intent that could tear the heavens and suppress the eight directions!

An ordinary Awakening Realm student would suffer a soul-shaking shock and retreat while vomiting blood with just a single glance. However, Lin Yuan merely looked up calmly. Deep within his sea of consciousness, the slowly rotating Purple Pole Star Vortex trembled slightly, acting like a precision millstone to swallow the mountain-crushing invisible pressure and transform it into a trace of pure mental energy.

"Heh..." A microscopic curve appeared at the corner of Lin Yuan's mouth. "Even the lintel... is a trial ground."

The Head Instructor took a deep breath, adjusted his clothes with utmost solemnity before the palace gates, bowed, and spoke with unprecedented respect: "Lord Hall Master, Lin Yuan has been brought here."

"Enter."

A cold female voice, devoid of any worldly emotion, sounded directly in their seas of consciousness, as clear as an icy spring dripping onto a jade plate. Lin Yuan's pupils contracted suddenly—Divine Sense Transmission! This was a heavenly method only accessible when mental energy stepped into the 10-star domain!

The palace gates opened inward silently.

What greeted them was not the expected gold and jade splendor, but a boundless, vast starry sky!

Lin Yuan stepped inside, feeling as if he had been instantly thrown into deep space! Beneath his feet was a slowly flowing, dazzling Milky Way vortex, and all around him floated countless luminous celestial bodies of various brightness and shapes.

Every star radiated a unique and powerful energy fluctuation—be it blazing, icy, heavy, or ethereal. Upon careful perception, these were clearly the manifested projections of peerless cultivation techniques that could stir up bloodbaths in the outside world!

"This is the core of the War God Hall—the 'Universal Pavilion'. Those who come here for the first time will always be lost for a moment."

That cold voice came from the deepest part of the sea of stars. A figure, treading on invisible stellar tracks, approached slowly from the void.

A moon-white robe unstained by dust, with silver hair like the nine heavens' starry river falling down, almost touching her ankles. A cinnabar mole at the center of her brow was as vivid as solidified divine blood.

She possessed peerless beauty and appeared to be in her twenties, but those eyes, deep as an eternal cold pool, seemed to reflect the rushing river of time, containing an indifference that had seen through all the rises and falls of the ages.

Lin Yuan's heart constricted fiercely the moment he saw the newcomer's face! This was the Hall Master of the War God Hall, one of the seven branch halls under the Spirit Martial Hall of the Xuanmu District? She was... even more unfathomable than the rumors!

"Lin Yuan, bone age seventeen, peak of the Ninth Heavenly Layer of the Awakening Realm, basic combat power 40 stars."

Hall Master Mu Qingge lightly tapped the void with her jade finger. A string of data flickering with cold starlight emerged in the starry sky like a living thing. "Double record breaker, 8-star mental energy, Awakening Talent: Thunder Source (High-grade)... and a... special constitution that cannot be fully analyzed..."

As each piece of data was announced, it felt like a heavy hammer striking the white-haired Head Instructor's heart, causing his expression to shift dramatically and cold sweat to seep from his forehead.

These were all the training camp's highest secrets! However, Lin Yuan's heart was clear—the "cannot be fully analyzed" part referred precisely to his other two talent constitutions!

"I am Mu Qingge, the Seventh Branch Hall Master of the War God Hall." Her gaze, like two icy swords capable of piercing the soul, fell upon Lin Yuan. "Do you know why I have summoned you?"

Lin Yuan's back was straight as a pine, and his eyes were clear and firm, without a trace of fear. "Because my existence has exceeded the 'common sense' of the regular training sequence."

"Smart." A faint, cold curve seemed to pull at the corners of Mu Qingge's lips. "According to the iron laws of the Hall, a Level 5 talent must be evaluated for a specific grade. A seventeen-year-old Level 5—if rated 'Ordinary', you receive one Heaven-rank Low-grade cultivation technique; 'Excellent', one Heaven-rank High-grade; 'Outstanding', one Heaven-rank Peak-grade; 'Rare'..."

"I refuse the evaluation."

The clear voice rang out in the silent Universal Pavilion like a giant boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up a thousand ripples! it echoed clearly in every corner!

"Pfft—!" The Head Instructor almost choked, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets! What did he just hear? Refusal?! The glory and resources that countless geniuses fought for and dreamed of, this kid actually... refused?!

Mu Qingge's eyes, which were usually as calm as an ancient well, finally showed a tangible ripple, like a crack opening in a frozen lake. "Reason?" Her voice was still cold, but it carried a hint of unquestionable pressure, causing the surrounding stars to dim.

Lin Yuan did not back down. His gaze was like a torch as he looked directly at the woman who seemed like the ruler of the starry sky. "This disciple wishes to strike for the legendary... Ultimate Realm while in the Awakening Realm! As far as I know, the War God Hall once had a predecessor who pushed his combat power to... 50 stars in the Awakening Realm! This disciple is bold enough to wish to follow in his footsteps!"

"Buzz—!"

The entire Universal Pavilion seemed to freeze in an instant! Mu Qingge's ankle-length silver hair danced wildly without wind, and a terrifying pressure capable of making stars fall and space collapse erupted! Countless technique stars trembled under this pressure, their light flickering!

"The Ultimate Realm?!" For the first time, Mu Qingge's voice carried a trace of indiscernible solemnity. "Do you know what that means?! It is squeezing the potential of a mortal body beyond its limits to touch the forbidden zone of the Ultimate Realm! Throughout history, among billions of Awakened, hardly one emerges! A single mistake means your foundation is destroyed and your path ends in death!"

"This disciple knows!" Within Lin Yuan's body, his Bronze Physique was instinctively triggered. Beneath his skin, mysterious bronze Dao patterns suddenly lit up, flowing like living things to forcefully withstand that overwhelming pressure! A primitive will originating from the dawn of chaos, neither humble nor arrogant, radiated from him: "But this disciple has a reason why he must become stronger! Even if I die, I will have no regrets!"

The gazes of the two collided fiercely in the void! It actually produced the crackling sound of electric sparks! An invisible mental storm swept out! The white-haired Head Instructor had long since turned pale, sweating like rain, like a small boat in a storm; even breathing became extremely difficult. He didn't even have the qualification to be a bystander in an ideological clash of this level!

Time seemed to pass for a moment, and yet it also seemed like a century had gone by.

Finally, the terrifying pressure around Mu Qingge receded like a tide. She looked at the faint purple-gold patterns on Lin Yuan's body that even made her feel a trace of palpitations, and a deep look of inquiry and... admiration flashed through her eyes?

"Heh... interesting." A light laugh of ambiguous meaning spread through the starry sky. Mu Qingge waved her jade hand, and the three stars with the most ancient and dazzling auras flew before Lin Yuan like summoned subjects, floating quietly:

"Nine Heavens Thunder God Scripture" (Saint-rank remnant): Surrounded by lightning, it contains the world-destroying true intent of thunder. One must possess top-tier thunder talent to even begin to understand it.

"Great Void Body Refining Art" (Heaven-rank Peak-grade): Uses stellar power to cast the body, surrounded by runes. When cultivated to great success, the physical body can withstand void turbulence and cross the sea of stars!

"Chaos Visualization Method" (Grade unknown): A chaotic cyclone that constantly shifts and swallows light! Its aura is the most obscure and ancient, as if it contains the secrets of the universe's birth and death. A small line of characters beside it noted: For three thousand years, no one has been able to enter its threshold!

"These three methods are not recorded in the evaluation system. I grant you the choice of one."

Lin Yuan's gaze was instantly and firmly attracted by that chaotic cyclone! A throb originating from his bloodline and the deepest part of his soul made it almost impossible for him to breathe! Without the slightest hesitation, his fingertip lightly pointed toward that chaotic star:

"This disciple chooses the 'Chaos Visualization Method'!"

"Are you certain?!" The light in Mu Qingge's eyes surged like two stars suddenly igniting. "Since this technique was collected, three thousand winters have passed, and countless have tried, all... returning without success! Some even suffered soul backlash and became idiots!"

"Perhaps," Lin Yuan's spiritual energy had already quietly probed into the chaotic cyclone like a spirit snake. He looked up, his eyes filled with absolute confidence and calm, "this disciple is the... exception who will break the three-thousand-year curse!"

"Rumble—!!!"

The moment Lin Yuan touched the chaotic cyclone, the entire Universal Pavilion turned upside down! It was as if the sleeping will of the universe had been awakened!

All the floating technique stars, regardless of their grade, rushed toward the chaotic cyclone where the "Chaos Visualization Method" was located like subjects worshiping a king! The stellar tracks became chaotic, space distorted violently, and the entire "Universal Pavilion" actually showed signs of collapsing!

"Hmm?!" For the first time, a shock that could not be hidden appeared on Mu Qingge's exquisite face! She reacted extremely quickly, her jade hands flying as she instantly cast hundreds of mysterious seals, weaving a web of laws to barely stabilize the out-of-control space.

The way she looked at Lin Yuan changed completely! It was full of unprecedented inquiry and importance! This youth indeed hid a heaven-shaking secret that even she could not see through!

"Good! Good! Good!" Mu Qingge said 'good' three times, each word carrying the clanging power of metal striking stone. "I grant you permission to temporarily forgo the evaluation!"

"However," her tone shifted, becoming incredibly murderous, "within ten days, you must go to the 'Ultimate Combat Power Challenge Tower' and pass the fifth floor to obtain the 'Ultimate Realm Expert' title! If you succeed, you will be granted the qualification to enter the 'Ancient Battlefield'! If you fail..." her voice was icy, "your status as a Level 5 talent will be stripped, and you will be demoted to... Level 3!"

Lin Yuan bowed deeply, his posture respectful, but his eyes were as firm as a rock. "This disciple obeys! Thank you, Hall Master, for your fulfillment!"

When Lin Yuan left the suffocating "Universal Pavilion" with the almost collapsed white-haired Head Instructor, the instructor's back was already soaked with cold sweat, his clothes clinging to his body.

He stared at Lin Yuan like he was a monster, his voice trembling with lingering fear and confusion: "Kid! Do... do you know what you just refused?! Level 5 Outstanding treatment! Twenty thousand points per month! Any Heaven-rank Peak-grade technique of your choice! Core secret vault access! Are... are you crazy?!"

"I know." Lin Yuan stroked the inheritance jade slip in his hand—it was neither metal nor jade, cool to the touch, and seemed to have a chaotic nebula slowly rotating inside. His gaze was as deep as the sea. "But what I need is never a comfortable bed or easily obtainable resources. What I want... is a heavenly ladder that can help me step onto the pinnacle of martial arts and tear through all the mist!" His words were forceful, carrying the determination to cut through all hesitation.

As the two turned a corner in a corridor condensed from starlight, their path was blocked by a dozen figures radiating strong auras. The leader was dressed in an eye-catching gold robe, with four shining gold stars embroidered on his chest—a Level 4 talent! He had his arms crossed and his chin slightly raised, his face filled with unhidden arrogance and provocation:

"So you're that Lin Yuan who got lucky? I heard the Lord Hall Master made an exception and let you skip the evaluation for now? Heh, what a big face you have! This young master wants to see if you, a country bumpkin..."

"Noisy!"

Before the gold-robed youth could finish his biting sarcasm, Lin Yuan merely looked up indifferently and gave him a casual glance!

"Boom—!!!"

An invisible and intangible, yet terrifyingly heavy mental pressure, like a collapsing sky, descended instantly! The arrogance on the gold-robed youth's face was instantly transformed into extreme horror and pain. He didn't even have time to scream before his legs were hit as if by an invisible giant hammer. With two crisp "cracks," his knees smashed into the floor's jade!

Bright red blood snaked down from his seven orifices! The dozen or so people behind him fared even worse; without even a groan, they were like harvested wheat, rolling their eyes in unison and foaming at the mouth as they fainted on the spot!

Lin Yuan's footsteps did not pause for a second, as if he had merely brushed away a speck of insignificant dust. He stepped directly past the "corpses" on the ground and the gold-robed youth's painfully twitching body, without even letting his clothes be stained in the slightest. He spoke calmly to the white-haired Head Instructor, who was already petrified with his mouth wide enough to fit an egg:

"I have no time to play with ants. Please, Head Instructor, take me to an absolutely quiet cultivation room."

"I need... absolute silence for my cultivation."