48: First Encounter with the Pride of the Central Continent

The demonic bear was swallowed by the storm of Sword Qi, letting out a sky-shaking roar. When the storm dissipated, its ice armor was shattered, revealing the blue flesh beneath, but the wounds were healing at a speed visible to the naked eye, and new ice armor was rapidly forming.

"Regeneration ability?" Lin Yuan narrowed his eyes and leaped high into the sky. The chaos heaven-grade sword absorbed all the power of the Laws, its blade swelling into a hundred-zhang giant blade, slashing down with a momentum that could split heaven and earth!

"Chaos Heaven-Splitting!"

The moment the sword light slashed down, the demonic bear suddenly broke free from its restraints, pressing its palms together to precisely catch the blade. As two forces at the 5-million-star level collided, the space manifested spider-web-like distorted cracks, and the surrounding icicles shattered one after another.

"Crack... Snap," amidst the tooth-aching sound of shattering, the demonic bear's ice armor completely disintegrated. However, it also seized the opportunity to strike Lin Yuan's chest with a palm, blasting him into a hundred-meter-deep ice pit and kicking up ice shards everywhere.

When the ice and snow cleared, the chaos heaven-grade sword had already pierced the demonic bear's brow. Lin Yuan knelt on its head, panting heavily, yet wearing a victor's smile. The Law of Ice with a 90% comprehension level made the demonic bear exceptionally powerful; fortunately, his skill was superior, and he was the one who emerged victorious.

[Killed a Rank 5 Star Beast, Points +10,000]

[First Kill Reward: Points x5]

[Current Points: 1,120,100]

Before the Star Tree, Lin Yuan sat cross-legged. Fifty star fruits floated around him, emitting vast, sea-like fluctuations of spiritual power that distorted the surrounding air. Star-like patterns flowed on the surface of each fruit, as if a small Universe was contained within.

"Refine!"

As the Chaos Law operated, the fruits transformed into fifty torrents of spiritual power, surging into the acupoints within his body. The remaining ninety-eight acupoints were like hungry Taoties, madly devouring this pure energy. The first red spirit crystal soon formed within his body, followed by the second, the third... Every time a spirit crystal formed, it triggered a small spiritual power storm.

When the fifth spirit crystal condensed, Lin Yuan spent another million points to exchange for a hundred High Grade star fruits. When the last fruit was fully absorbed, seven-colored auspicious light suddenly descended from the Secret Realm's sky. Lin Yuan's aura climbed steadily, the sound of rushing rivers echoing from within his body, and his basic combat power reached the 1.6 million star level in one fell swoop! Faint golden patterns surfaced on his skin and quickly receded back into his body.

[Realm Breakthrough: Gathering Origin Realm Second Heavenly Layer]

[Basic Combat Power: 1.6 Million Stars]

[Current spirit crystals: 16 (Red)]

Standing before the light screen leading to the top-tier area, Lin Yuan looked back at the ice plains. The trials here could no longer satisfy him; the true challenge lay higher up. Complex spatial runes flowed on the light screen, emitting heart-palpitating fluctuations.

"Time to stretch my muscles." He chuckled softly and stepped into the light screen. His robes fluttered in the spatial turbulence, and the chaos heaven-grade sword let out an excited hum.

Starlight fell like a waterfall, and the Void Realm trembled.

When Lin Yuan stepped out of the teleportation light pillar, twelve gazes pierced toward him like sharp swords. Beneath his feet were transparent psionic crystals, and the figures floating around him each emitted a suffocating sense of pressure. The air was thick with the pressure formed by the intertwining of various Law powers, making even breathing difficult.

"Someone from the Lower Realm actually managed to enter the top-tier area this year?"

A contemptuous voice came from the right. A youth in golden robes floated in the void, nine crimson halos rotating behind his head, each confining the phantom of a Yao Beast that let out a shrill wail. A white-hot flame danced at his fingertips; with a casual flick, the flame transformed into a chain that coiled toward Lin Yuan's neck, the terrifying heat within the flame warping the very space.

[Flame Without Limit · Seventh Saint of the Flame Clan]

[Golden spirit crystals: 75]

[Basic Combat Power: 800,000 Stars]

[Law of Fire: 15% (+150,000 Stars)]

[Title: King of the Extreme Realm (+800,000 Stars)]

[Martial Skill: Ten Desolations of Blazing Flames (+800,000 Stars)]

[Mental Energy: 50,000 (+250,000 Stars)]

[Physique: Pure Yang Physique (+200,000 Stars)]

[Lifebound Treasure: Heaven-Burning Wheel (+500,000 Stars)]

[Total Combat Power: 3.45 Million Stars]

Lin Yuan didn't even lift an eyelid. The Heart-Burning Chain suddenly shattered three feet away from him as 25% of his Law of Sword automatically protected him, grinding the flames into a sky full of sparks.

A few soft exclamations of surprise sounded around him. Twelve men and women dressed in luxurious clothes emerged from the void, each with a complete golden Dao foundation mark flashing on their brow. Their clothing shimmered with light, clearly all top-tier Magic Treasures.

"Interesting." The white-clothed man carrying a bronze sword box chuckled, seven stars lighting up in sequence on the box. "To be able to withstand Flame Without Limit's Heart-Burning Chain, you can be considered someone of note in the Lower Realm."

[Ye Lingxiao · Direct Descendant of Heavenly Sword Villa]

[Basic Combat Power: 760,000 Stars]

[Law of Sword: 18% (+180,000 Stars)]

[Seven-Star Sword Casket (Damaged Secret Treasure): +800,000 Stars]

...[Total Combat Power: 3.7 Million Stars]

Lin Yuan scanned the scene. For these prodigies of the Central Continent, even the simplest robe was embroidered with defensive array patterns capable of strangling a Gathering Origin Realm Cultivator. The way they looked at him was like looking at an ant that had accidentally wandered into the Immortal Realm, full of high-and-mighty pity and contempt.

"Senior Brothers of the Spirit Martial Hall Main Hall," Lin Yuan suddenly cupped his hands toward the southeast, his voice clear. "Are you just going to watch your Junior Brother be troubled?"

Ripples appeared in the void, and three people in purple robes appeared. The leader had a sinister face, and his cuffs were embroidered with three golden stars—the mark of a Core Disciple of the Spirit Martial Main Hall in the Central Continent. Their aura was as vast as the abyss and the sea, a notch stronger than most of these twelve people.

"Someone from a branch hall?" Xiao Xuan frowned, sizing Lin Yuan up. "Which world are you from?"

"Xuanxiao Great World."

"Not from a Nine-Star Great World?" The purple-robed woman, Liu Qingli, chuckled while covering her mouth, her eyes full of sarcasm. "Could it be a native from an even lower-level world? I didn't expect a little Genius to emerge from the natives..." She intentionally dragged out her tone, drawing a burst of laughter from the surroundings.

"Zheng!"

A clear sword hum suddenly interrupted Liu Qingli's words. The chaos heaven-grade sword unsheathed three inches, and the Law patterns flowing on the blade suddenly lit up. A mixture of 25% Law of Sword and 40% Law of Thunder plowed a hundred-meter-long trench in the ground, stopping exactly in front of Liu Qingli's gold-embroidered shoe tips. Purple-gold electrical sparks flickered along the edges of the trench, and the air was filled with a scorched scent.

"Junior Sister Liu." Xiao Xuan reached out and pressed the woman's shoulder, his fingers exerting slight force to stop her imminent outburst of anger. He turned to Lin Yuan, his gaze as cold as ten-thousand-year-old ice: "For the sake of being fellow disciples, I'll give you a piece of advice—crush your token and get out immediately." His voice was low and dangerous. "The competition here is not something a Cultivator from the Lower Realm can participate in."

Lin Yuan smiled, a smile filled with undisguised sarcasm. He suddenly said, "So the Spirit Martial Hall Main Hall can also raise such trash. Could it be that the environment of the Central Continent is just bad?" This sentence was like a loud slap in the face, causing everyone present to change their expressions.