57: Chapter 57 The Sword Emperor's Dao Heart Collapses!

The core zone of the Myriad Laws Smelting Furnace Valley.

Exactly half a month has passed since Lin Yuan stepped into this place.

The hideous phantom condensed from the Taotie Artistic Conception had long since faded away.

In its place was the outline of an even larger and heavier giant beast.

A symbiosis of turtle and snake, with dark and heavy mysterious armor, the snake's head held high, and the turtle's back like a mountain.

Black Tortoise!

As the medicinal effect of the last returning to origin dao fruit burned out, the final piece of the puzzle for this Black Tortoise phantom was completely filled.

Buzz!

The phantom suddenly solidified, as if piercing through ancient myths, descending with a majestic will that suppressed the Nine Netherworlds and remained eternally immovable!

Another top-tier martial path, the Xuanwu Martial Way, had reached the stage of Intent Manifestation!

At this moment, Lin Yuan's interior had already undergone earth-shaking changes.

Within the sea of vegetation grotto-heaven.

His will swept over that mysterious black lotus inlaid with gold, the guixu black lotus.

The enhancement of the Taotie Artistic Conception turned the wisp of flame in the lotus heart into an extreme darkness that swallowed all light and heat, and its innate characteristic of devouring all things surged by more than ten times.

His will turned again, falling upon that emerald giant tree that blotted out the sun.

Above the million spirit blades, a layer of pale halo had been stained at some point, emitting endless sharpness and Geng Metal Malignant Qi.

The White Tiger Martial Path gave every willow leaves an indestructible armor-piercing divine power.

With a single thought, a million White Tiger Geng Metal Blades could strangle everything!

Next was that boundless sea of blood-colored flowers, the Immortal Blood Begonia.

Beneath the surface of Lin Yuan's skin, countless blood-colored lines as fine as hair were quietly outlined, forming a magnificent and eerie Phoenix Totem.

The Phoenix Martial Path governs nirvana and rebirth.

It perfectly fused with the power of the Immortal Blood Begonia, constructing an unreasonable ultimate line of defense for life.

As long as the heart and head are not shattered, any injury can be healed in an instant.

Finally, his will sank into that deathly silent Netherworld Prison Suppressing Scholar Tree.

The newly manifested Xuanwu Martial Way Artistic Conception actually took root within it of its own accord.

Boom!

The moment the two merged, Lin Yuan's spiritual sea of consciousness underwent a third qualitative change!

Every wisp of his Psychic Power became incredibly heavy and indestructible, carrying a bone-chilling cold from beneath the Nine Netherworlds.

If the previous Psychic Power was an invisible storm,

then now, it was like ten-thousand-foot icebergs rising from the Netherworld Ice Sea!

Suppress! Crush! Freeze!

The Four Symbols Divine Beast Martial Paths and the Taotie's power of devouring were all for his own use!

Lin Yuan slowly stood up.

All his aura instantly withdrew, and his whole being returned to that excessively clean appearance.

Rumble—

The moment he stood up, the violent storm of will around him, which was enough to tear apart the spirit of someone in the Monarch Realm, actually let out a fearful wail.

The thunder died out.

The gale stilled.

Flames and ice dissipated simultaneously.

The colorful torrent of death automatically retreated before him, opening an absolutely safe passage.

Like ministers welcoming their monarch.

Lin Yuan turned a blind eye to this, simply strolling along the path toward the exit of the valley.

...

Outside the Myriad Laws Smelting Furnace Valley.

The Azure Nether Sword Emperor still sat in meditation; half a month of wind and frost had left a thin layer of dust on him, making him look like a stone statue.

His heart had long since lost its calm.

That was a purgatory of will, a forbidden land where even those in the Emperor Realm dared not tread lightly.

Lin Yuan had been inside for half a month.

The best-case scenario would be that he had exhausted all his trump cards, suffered severe spiritual damage, and barely escaped with his life.

The worst-case scenario...

He dared not think about it.

He was even prepared to rush in at any moment to retrieve a mangled corpse from that storm of will.

Shh.

An extremely faint footstep sounded from behind him.

The Azure Nether Sword Emperor's body shook violently.

He suddenly turned his head!

He saw it.

A slender figure was slowly walking out from that distorted and chaotic valley entrance.

Spotless.

Unscathed.

Those eyes remained deep, but they now held a deathly silence that devoured all things, more so than before he entered.

All the comfort, regret, and encouragement the Azure Nether Sword Emperor had prepared were instantly stuck in his throat.

He couldn't utter a single word.

He felt his centuries of knowledge as an Emperor Realm expert being completely crushed into powder by an invisible giant hand.

A miracle?

No.

This is a divine miracle!

"Lin..."

He opened his mouth with difficulty, his Adam's apple bobbing, but he couldn't produce a complete syllable.

However, Lin Yuan had already walked up to him.

He bowed slightly to him, performing a salute.

A standard etiquette from a student to a teacher.

Then, his words, as flat and emotionless as could be, rang out clearly.

"Principal."

He spoke as if stating an established fact.

"When does the Grand Competition begin?"

"This trip is not only to take the top spot for Yuanwu Academy."

He paused and completed the second half of the sentence.

"But also to personally crush the arrogance of Heavenly Dome Academy and the Imperial Clan."

After speaking, he brushed past the Azure Nether Sword Emperor and walked into the distance without another word.

The Azure Nether Sword Emperor froze on the spot.

It was a long time before he slowly turned around to look at Lin Yuan's departing back.

He suddenly caught a wisp of aura in the air that had not yet completely dissipated.

It was a... netherworld-like chill, combined with a protective intent as heavy as a mountain.

The Azure Nether Sword Emperor's body suddenly trembled violently!

His clear and stainless Sword Heart identified the source of this aura!

"Black Tortoise... Xuanwu Martial Way?!"

"And it's... Intent Manifestation?!"

The heart of this Emperor Realm expert was tightly gripped by an invisible hand, and even his breathing stopped.

Half a month!

Starting from scratch!

To directly comprehend an ancient martial path that had long been lost to the level of 'Intent Manifestation,' something only Sect Realm experts could touch?!

How is this possible!

This is simply not a power that a Heaven Realm martial artist can master!

The starting point of this martial path is ridiculously high!

The Azure Nether Sword Emperor's body began to tremble uncontrollably; it wasn't fear, but a tremor woven from extreme shock and wild joy.

Trembling, he uttered a whisper that even he found unfamiliar.

"This... this is not just the potential of a Great Emperor..."

His pupils suddenly contracted, reflecting Lin Yuan's distant back, as if he saw some kind of forbidden future.

"Is this... touching the God Realm?"