Chapter 1: 1
Black Planet.
Life and Death Reincarnation Rule Guidance Space.
The cycle of life and death, endlessly repeating, seemed to have no end.
Lin Yuan sat cross-legged, deeply immersed in his comprehension. Compared to directly understanding the universe's original rules of life and death, the continuous intertwining and merging of the life and death rules before him gave Lin Yuan a feeling of observing the "standard answer" directly.
Every moment, his understanding of the Life and Death Reincarnation Rule deepened.
"The life rule is filled with endless vitality, while the death rule is permeated with infinite death energy. The most fundamental aspect of the Life and Death Reincarnation Rule, formed by their fusion, lies in the word 'reincarnation,'" Lin Yuan thought as he raised his right hand, causing the life and death rules to similarly intertwine and merge in his palm.
"So, to create a stable reincarnation model within the Life and Death Reincarnation Rule, one must allow the life and death rules to freely interchange and merge," Lin Yuan analyzed the Life and Death Reincarnation Rule using the rule model of human civilization.
Even the most basic five-element rules manifest differently for different people, and this is even more true for fusion rules. The final form of a fusion rule can vary greatly depending on the slight differences in the rules being merged.
"A stable and perfect reincarnation model!"
Before Lin Yuan, the life and death rules constantly shifted and eventually formed a structure resembling a dark vortex, subtly beginning to affect time and space.
Lin Yuan remained oblivious, still deeply engrossed in his comprehension.
[Your unrivaled insight has allowed you to observe the fusion of life and death, leading to the understanding of the first stable reincarnation model.]
Lin Yuan, still seated cross-legged, felt his mind buzz as the Life and Death Reincarnation Rule advanced to the second level.
"I finally managed to cultivate this fusion rule to the second level," Lin Yuan said with a smile.
Comprehending fusion rules is far more difficult than one might imagine, especially when advancing from the first to the second level. Countless tenth-rank beings have been stuck at this level for their entire lifespans without progressing.
Vice Tower Master Nalan, Black Star Lord, and Glazed Lord were all examples of such beings. While they might have had the hope of advancing to the eleventh rank, it was only hope, with a much greater likelihood that they would not make it.
Even Lin Yuan, when he first comprehended the Life and Death Reincarnation Rule and felt the vastness of life and death energy, thought it would take him five to six hundred years to cultivate this fusion rule to the second level.
But now, only fifty years had passed, and he had already reached the second level.
Theoretically, Lin Yuan could now use the second-level Life and Death Reincarnation Rule to attempt to break through to the eleventh rank.
"The Life and Death Reincarnation Rule… at the second level, combined with my physical body, soul, internal world, mind, will, Mysterious Emperor Strike, and other foundations, might allow me to unleash power reaching the peak of the third level, or even close to the fourth level of the Life and Death Reincarnation Rule," Lin Yuan speculated.
When he first comprehended the Life and Death Reincarnation Rule, Lin Yuan had relied on his many accumulated foundations to forcibly elevate the rule from the early first level to the second level, or even the early third level.
Now, having reached the second level in his understanding of the Life and Death Reincarnation Rule, Lin Yuan felt that his regular maximum attack power should be close to the fourth level.
It is worth noting that a pillar-level fusion rule at the fourth level is considered strong even among eleventh-rank beings, with the seventh and eighth levels typically being the domain of the Strongest Ones.
Of course, the methods of eleventh-rank beings are far more complex than just fusion rules, but this at least indicates that Lin Yuan has reached the normal level of an eleventh-rank being in some aspects.
He was no longer in that awkward initial level.
"Second-level Life and Death Reincarnation Rule," Lin Yuan muttered as he activated the now "constructed" reincarnation model, attempting to influence the surrounding balance of life and death.
Rumble.
In the guidance space, the vast life and death rules continued to intertwine, and the faint shadow of a large, stable reincarnation model emerged.
However, under the influence of Lin Yuan's smaller reincarnation model, an insignificant local area of the larger model began to show slight disturbances, but it quickly returned to normal.
Lin Yuan was not surprised by this. The large reincarnation model in the guidance space represented the fourth-level Life and Death Reincarnation Rule, while he was only at the second level, making it difficult to shake.
This attempt was merely to gauge how far he still had to go to reach the fourth level.
Outside the Guidance Space.
The black-robed man suddenly appeared.
"Hmm?"
"Has the balance of life and death within the space been affected by an external force?" The black-robed man's expression changed slightly. As the spirit of the altar and the black planet, he was aware of all changes within the guidance space.
"The balance of life and death in the Life and Death Reincarnation Rule Guidance Space can only be affected by the Life and Death Reincarnation Rule itself. Has that little guy cultivated the Life and Death Reincarnation Rule to the second level?" The black-robed man quickly deduced the cause.
"Second level?"
"In such a short time?"
The black-robed man was stunned. The second-level Life and Death Reincarnation Rule might not have impressed him—it's just the entry level for an eleventh-rank being—but what shocked him was that, fifty years ago, Lin Yuan's understanding of the Life and Death Reincarnation Rule had only been at the beginning level.
Yet now, in just fifty years, he had skyrocketed to the second level?
"The flow of time hasn't changed." The black-robed man confirmed that the time Lin Yuan spent comprehending the rule was consistent with the main time flow.
"The guidance space alone couldn't have had such a dramatic effect," the black-robed man thought gravely.
The essence manifestation of the Life and Death Reincarnation Rule in the guidance space was meant to make it a bit easier for those who came after to comprehend the fusion rule. A bottleneck that could take ten thousand years to break might be reduced to seven or eight thousand years.
It was only supposed to make things a little easier, not to lower the difficulty to zero.
Even so, such guidance spaces made countless tenth-rank beings fervent. At a critical moment, a little bit easier could make a world of difference, not to mention something being a lot easier.
For instance, by comprehending a pillar-level fusion rule to the second level a bit earlier, one might break through to the eleventh rank before the end of their lifespan.
This isn't just the difference between the eleventh and tenth ranks; it's the difference between life and death.
However, Lin Yuan's current performance left the black-robed man somewhat puzzled.
Over the past fifty years, Lin Yuan had successively comprehended other pillar-level fusion rules, sending his avatars into other guidance spaces behind several of the black planet's gates.
In other words, the time Lin Yuan had actually spent on the Life and Death Reincarnation Rule might only have been a portion of those fifty years.
"Are the beings in the outside world these days really this unreasonable?" The black-robed man remained silent for a long time, suddenly harboring this thought.
He had large gaps in his memory but vaguely remembered that Lin Yuan's comprehension speed was absurdly fast.
Milky Way Main Star.
"I can attempt to break through to the eleventh rank now," Lin Yuan thought to himself.
The biggest hurdle in advancing from the tenth to the eleventh rank is raising a pillar-level rule to the second level.
In addition, there are other requirements related to the physical body, soul, internal world, and so on, but with Lin Yuan's accumulated foundation, he naturally met all these conditions.
In other words, as long as Lin Yuan wanted to break through to the eleventh rank, he could do so.
To go from just entering the tenth rank to stepping into the eleventh rank in just fifty years—if word got out, it would drive countless tenth-rank beings crazy, and even eleventh-rank beings wouldn't believe it.
Crossing from the tenth to the eleventh rank is a major leap, a fundamental transformation of life. It is not uncommon for tenth-rank beings to remain at that level for millions or tens of millions of years.
"But there's no need to rush."
"I've only explored six of the twelve guidance spaces behind the black planet's gates," Lin Yuan thought, suppressing the urge to break through to the eleventh rank.
The main reason is that there wouldn't be much benefit.
Currently, Lin Yuan felt no pressure. Human civilization was incredibly powerful, so he could afford to delay his breakthrough to the eleventh rank.
Because once he broke through to the eleventh rank, he would no longer be able to enter the remaining six gates on the black planet.
The black planet is a tenth-rank Inheritance Star and only allows tenth-rank beings to enter—ninth or eleventh ranks are not permitted.
The best course of action for Lin Yuan was to comprehend all the fusion rules corresponding to the twelve gates on the black planet and then send avatars into the guidance spaces to occupy the slots for enlightenment.
As long as the avatars occupied the guidance spaces, even if Lin Yuan broke through to the eleventh rank, he wouldn't be expelled.
Moreover, the more fusion rules Lin Yuan comprehended at the tenth rank and the higher the level of these rules, the greater the benefits to himself.
From any perspective, Lin Yuan had no reason to rush to the eleventh rank.
Other peak tenth-rank beings, upon raising a pillar-level fusion rule to the second level, would immediately attempt to break through to the eleventh rank.
This is because they have exhausted their potential at the tenth rank, and delaying further would be pointless.
But Lin Yuan was different—he still had plenty of room to grow.
"In fifty years, besides the Life and Death Reincarnation Rule and the Great Destruction Rule, I've comprehended four other pillar-level rules, all of which correspond to the twelve gates on the black planet," Lin Yuan thought.
Pillar-level fusion rules are far more numerous than just twelve, but after realizing the effectiveness of the guidance spaces behind the twelve gates on the black planet, Lin Yuan naturally focused his comprehension on those twelve pillar-level rules.
"Of the six pillar-level fusion rules I've comprehended so far, they're all relatively simple, involving the fusion of two pillar rules."
"The remaining six pillar-level fusion rules are much more difficult, involving the fusion of three, four, or even five pillar rules."
Lin Yuan shook his head slightly.
Even among pillar-level fusion rules, there are distinctions in power.
Setting aside the inherent properties of the pillar rules themselves, the number of pillar rules being fused also determines the ultimate height of the fusion rule.
For example, a fusion rule involving the pillars of space, life, and destruction would naturally be stronger than one involving just space and life.
"Take it slow."
"I have plenty of time," Lin Yuan thought to himself.
A tenth-rank Evolver can easily live for hundreds of millions of years; he was still in the early levels.
"The fusion of time and space rules is particularly challenging," Lin Yuan reflected on his attempts to merge the time and space rules over the years.
The time rule is a pillar-level rule but also transcends other pillar-level rules. Trying to merge time and space? So far, Lin Yuan's progress in this area has been slow.
With the mighty power of the time rule, even fusing it with an ordinary rule would result in a fusion rule far stronger than a typical pillar-level fusion rule.
"To merge time and space, and then elevate the time-space rule to the fifth level, is one of the thresholds for eleventh-rank beings attempting to reach the ultimate level."
Lin Yuan's thoughts spread out. At his level, once highly classified information was now known to him, including intelligence about eleventh-rank beings attempting to break through to the ultimate level.
The most critical aspect of becoming an ultimate being is breaking free from the constraints of the river of time, which requires mastery over time and space.
Of course, the more rules one can merge, the greater the benefits. If one can comprehend the legendary chaos rule, it would provide an enormous advantage in reaching the ultimate level.
"This Chaos Crystal…" Lin Yuan thought, taking out a gray crystal infused with many dispersed rule auras.
"If it were ten or a hundred times larger, its help might surpass even that of the black planet." The Chaos Crystal was too small, and the depth of the rules it contained wasn't high.
Of course, if the Chaos Crystal were ten or a hundred times larger, Lin Yuan likely wouldn't have obtained it.
In the Devil Jade Tower's judgment, the Chaos Crystal is classified as an eleven-star rare item. If it were ten or a hundred times larger, it would undoubtedly be a twelve-star rare item, or even a top-grade twelve-star rare item.
Battlefield No. A098.
The Yang Primordial Spirit sat cross-legged under the thousand-mile-wide permanent spatial rift.
"Recently, the Insect Race has been making moves, inviting several eleventh-rank special beings to join. It seems they're planning to escalate the intensity of the war."
Although Lin Yuan had never left the range of the permanent spatial rift above his head, his true body remained highly attuned to the intelligence and information about this large alien battlefield.
So far, he was very satisfied with the rate at which he was accumulating Boundary-breaking Source Power on this battlefield.
Unless absolutely necessary, Lin Yuan had no intention of leaving.
"I now have nearly five hundred strands of Boundary-breaking Source Power, most of which I've accumulated on this battlefield," Lin Yuan thought with satisfaction. Nearly five hundred strands of Boundary-breaking Source Power—it was the richest he had ever felt.
"I hope the increase in the intensity of the war won't be too drastic," Lin Yuan mused. In the highest-intensity battles in history, large battlefields were almost completely devastated, with even the Strongest Ones personally intervening.
If things reached that level, Lin Yuan naturally wouldn't have the time to peacefully accumulate Boundary-breaking Source Power here.
"But what did the Strongest Ones do with that aurora from fifty years ago?" Lin Yuan suddenly wondered.
The power of that aurora had reached an unimaginable level, easily shattering a large alien battlefield. If not for the combined efforts of more than ten ultimate beings, the impact would have been even greater.
The more powerful the aurora, the more valuable it is. The Strongest Ones who intercepted it surely gained a substantial reward.
"Did the Strongest Ones leave the permanent spatial rift unsealed for this moment?" Lin Yuan thought, his expression contemplative.
Permanent spatial rifts contain extreme destructive power. The main universe's self-repair mechanisms can't heal them.
But if the Strongest Ones were willing, they could easily dissipate the destructive power within the rift.
Once the destructive power is gone, the main universe's strong self-healing abilities could easily repair the rift.
Milky Way Main Star.
After resting briefly, Lin Yuan resumed his cultivation.
"Great Destruction Rule," he whispered as strands of destructive energy appeared before him. In terms of pure killing power, the Great Destruction Rule surpasses even the Life and Death Reincarnation Rule.
Among the six pillar-level fusion rules Lin Yuan currently masters, the Life and Death Reincarnation Rule is the most advanced, having reached the second level.
The Great Destruction Rule follows closely, just a step away from the second level. Lin Yuan estimated that it would take anywhere from a few days to a few months to elevate this fusion rule to the second level.
At that point, Lin Yuan would possess two fusion rules at the second level, significantly boosting his combat power.
Great Destruction Rule.
In the Great Destruction Rule Guidance Space on the black planet, Lin Yuan was deeply immersed in understanding the essence of the Great Destruction Rule.
At the same time, in addition to comprehending the Great Destruction Rule, Lin Yuan was also studying other fusion rules, drawing on their insights and mutually influencing them.
In the depths of the cosmic starry sky.
In a twisted region of space-time, more than ten towering figures stood in all directions. In the center of them floated a radiant, hundred-mile-long aurora.
"This aurora is a rare twelfth-rank material and can serve as the main ingredient for crafting an ultimate weapon. How should we divide it now?" A figure with a single horn on its forehead spoke up. All the beings present were Strongest Ones.
Fifty years ago, more than ten Strongest Ones had worked together to intercept this aurora from beyond the universe. After fifty years of suppression, they had finally removed the alien aura from it.
Now it was time to divide the aurora.
In truth, each of the Strongest Ones present wanted to claim the aurora for themselves.
But if any of them tried, it would undoubtedly provoke the others into action.
Under such circumstances, the more than ten Strongest Ones were wary of each other and ultimately proposed a relatively peaceful division of the aurora.
There was no other choice.
At the level of the Strongest Ones, it wasn't worth fighting to the death over a single external item.
The aurora was indeed precious, a top-grade twelfth-rank material, but it wouldn't significantly enhance the combat power of a Strongest One until it was forged into an ultimate weapon.
"Battlefield No. A076 was one of the main battlefields for human civilization, and it was pierced by this aurora. Our human civilization suffered heavy losses, so…"
Among the more than ten Evolvers, a Strongest One from human civilization named Gu Li spoke, his gaze sweeping across the others. "We demand one-fifth of this aurora."
"One-fifth?"
The other Strongest Ones' expressions darkened.
There were more than ten of them present, and even dividing it evenly wouldn't give each of them a tenth. Yet Gu Li wanted one-fifth?
"Gu Li, you're going too far," the single-horned Strongest One who had first spoken said.
"Too far?"
"What about the heavy losses my human civilization suffered?" Gu Li narrowed his eyes.
"Those lost were the elite of my human civilization, our future. Without one-fifth, I can't persuade the others."
As soon as he finished speaking, eight more auras belonging to Strongest Ones tore through the barriers of time and space, forcibly joining the fray.
(We humans are badass!! :D)