*000000*

Qingyou Immortal City, Drunken Dream Tower.

As the most famous location in Qingyou Immortal City and even the entire Qingyou Immortal Domain, Drunken Dream Tower's unique Drunken Dream Immortal Brew can briefly immerse Golden Immortals and Jade Immortals in a carefully woven dream.

This immersion is not merely a simple dream state; during that time, there are great benefits in nurturing one's mind and will, and one can break free at any moment.

Because of this, every day Immortals from all over the thirty-three Immortal Domains specially travel to Drunken Dream Tower to taste this legendary Drunken Dream Immortal Brew.

"The Martial Dao cultivation system really isn't simple: opening up an inner world, drawing upon the essence of the outer world, and using the physical body as a foundation. In many respects, it's not inferior to our Immortal Dao cultivation system—perhaps even…"

"Indeed. I have a son, born with divine strength and a sturdy physique, but his spiritual roots are lacking, so I let him train in the Martial Dao. Now he's already stepped into the sixth rank of Martial Dao."

"I wonder what sort of figure the Founder of Martial Dao, who developed this entire cultivation system, really is."

"It's a pity. Over a thousand years ago, the Founder of Martial Dao gave public sermons several times, but I was in seclusion and didn't go. I never got to see the Founder in person."

Inside Drunken Dream Tower, large numbers of Immortals from across the Immortal Realm gathered. While enjoying the Drunken Dream Immortal Brew, they discussed major events in the Immortal Realm.

Among these events, the topics that stirred the most discussion were the Martial Dao cultivation system and that Founder of Martial Dao, who emerged out of nowhere.

There is no need to elaborate on the Martial Dao system. Once it spread far and wide, it gained approval from various Jade Immortals, who rated it to be on par with the Immortal Dao system.

In truth, that assessment underestimates the Martial Dao system. After all, the Jade Immortals giving those comments are Immortal Dao experts and naturally view their own Immortal Dao system through a certain "filter."

As for the Founder of Martial Dao? In a little over a thousand years of spreading this art, the Founder has already become recognized as the third Dao Ancestor–level expert in the Immortal Realm and Abyss of Demons.

Single-handedly spreading the Martial Dao system and ending the war between Immortals and Demons, the Founder made it so that countless disciples of the Immortal Dao Ancestor's lineage dared not utter a word. Although the Founder of Martial Dao has not acted again since the Immortal-Demon war over a thousand years ago, one can glean a great deal from the way the Immortal Dao Ancestor's disciples behave.

"It's said that in the Xuantian Immortal Domain, a Martial Dao expert specially established an Immortal City called Kaiyuan Martial City, bringing together many Martial Dao experts. All the Founder's disciples reside there."

"I've heard the same. When Kaiyuan Martial City was first founded, signs of heaven and earth appeared, and even those core disciples of the Immortal Dao Ancestor's lineage went to offer their congratulations."

"I wonder where the Founder of Martial Dao is now."

One by one, the Immortals spoke with a tone of marvel. Many of these ancient Immortals had lived for eons, witnessing innumerable brilliant experts.

Yet as for the Founder of Martial Dao, remaining hidden until emerging as a Dao Ancestor in one step was undoubtedly beyond all Immortals' imaginations.

That is a Dao Ancestor, after all.

Since the founding of the Immortal Realm, counting even that one in the Abyss of Demons, there have only been two Dao Ancestors in total. Many Immortals believed that a third Dao Ancestor–level expert would never appear at all.

Within the Grade A palace in Drunken Dream Tower—

This was a section reserved for receiving distinguished guests at Drunken Dream Tower; without being a top-level Jade Immortal, one could not enter.

Lin Yuan sat inside, naturally aware of the many conversations among the Immortals in Drunken Dream Tower.

Over these thousand-plus years, Lin Yuan's true body and his two major Primordial Souls had of course been painstakingly cultivating and seeking enlightenment. Additionally, he would send out a portion of himself to roam the Immortal Realm.

Seated now in the Grade A great hall of Drunken Dream Tower was one of Lin Yuan's incarnations, who came upon hearing the reputation of the Drunken Dream Immortal Brew.

"The Martial Dao evolution path has developed quite nicely," Lin Yuan mused silently, sitting cross-legged.

One could tell from all the discussion in Drunken Dream Tower that over the past thousand years, while the Martial Dao evolution path had not produced many Martial Dao experts—Lin Yuan still being the strongest aside from Li Qing—it had already expanded to nearly all thirty-three Immortal Domains in terms of practitioners and reach.

Lin Yuan was very satisfied with this. Given the current foundation of the Martial Dao evolution path, as long as there was enough time, in a million or tens of millions of years, it would be in no way weaker than the Immortal Dao system and would produce Martial Dao experts at the eleventh rank.

Lin Yuan gently closed his eyes. His vision suddenly darkened, and countless sparks of starlight appeared in the darkness. Each spark of light represented a Martial Dao cultivator.

He sensed these sparks extending endlessly, even beyond the Immortal Realm.

Lin Yuan was not just spreading the Martial Dao within the Immortal Realm. In the three thousand three hundred thirty-three subordinate worlds under the Immortal Realm, such as the Spirit Realm, the Martial Dao evolution path was also spreading.

Although the Spirit Realm was far inferior to the Immortal Realm, and even if all three thousand three hundred thirty-three subordinate worlds were combined, they would not equal a single Immortal Domain, even a small addition is still a gain. In order to boost his final leap to the highest level, Lin Yuan would not forgo any chance to strengthen himself.

If time allowed, Lin Yuan even intended to spread the Martial Dao in worlds like Immortal World. Immortal World was a subordinate world of the Spirit Realm. Apart from that, the Spirit Realm had millions of subordinate worlds.

The same applied to each of the other three thousand three hundred thirty-two Immortal Realm subordinate worlds.

"By now, the total number of living beings cultivating the Martial Dao evolution path might even exceed all those practicing the nine supreme evolution paths of human civilization combined."

Lin Yuan thought to himself.

Just the Immortal Realm alone was already the size of about one percent of the main universe.

Human civilization is one of the twelve peak powers of the main universe and occupies territory roughly equal to one-twentieth or one-thirtieth of the main universe.

By area, human civilization's domain is three or four times bigger than the Immortal Realm.

But human civilization has nine supreme evolution paths, whereas in the Immortal Realm there are only the Immortal Dao system and the Martial Dao system, plus the evolution paths Lin Yuan spread over ten previous transmigrations, and the people in the main universe who also cultivate the Martial Dao evolution path.

In total, if you gathered all those practicing the nine supreme evolution paths of human civilization, they might still not surpass the number of Martial Dao cultivators.

After all, the Martial Dao evolution path does not limit itself to the main universe but extends across the infinite dimensions of the myriad worlds.

Lin Yuan's total time training was still quite short, and he had not transmigrated that many times. In the future, as he entered higher-level worlds through transmigration, the Martial Dao evolution path would spread even more widely.

"I can feel that the more beings who cultivate the Martial Dao evolution path, the lighter the pressure the River of Time exerts on me."

Lin Yuan silently reflected on this.

This sensation had not been obvious prior to his journey in the Immortal Realm, but once the Martial Dao evolution path thoroughly spread there, countless Martial Dao cultivators collectively supported Lin Yuan. Not in the sense of godly worship, but in a manner fully under Lin Yuan's control.

Just as Lin Yuan was reviewing his own condition, a graceful female Jade Immortal quietly entered the palace.

She was none other than the Tower Master of Drunken Dream Tower, who had personally welcomed Lin Yuan when he arrived, prompted by the faint Jade Immortal aura he had intentionally released.

Even Drunken Dream Tower did not receive Jade Immortal–level experts every day; wherever one went, a Jade Immortal was an honored guest.

"Immortal Lord, this is our Tower's 'Dream'-level Drunken Dream Immortal Brew. Are you certain you wish to drink it?" the Tower Master asked softly, smiling at Lin Yuan with gentle eyes.

Drunken Dream Tower's famed Immortal Brew is divided into various grades. The Dream level is considered the brew's "raw extract." Even a top-level Jade Immortal, if careless enough to drink a single mouthful, might be unable to resist falling completely into the dream.

That is total immersion, with external awareness dropping to its lowest.

Thus, even if a Jade Immortal wanted to sample Drunken Dream Immortal Brew, they typically avoided the Dream-level variety—too risky. No matter how reliable Drunken Dream Tower's reputation was, becoming totally lost in a dream there would be quite embarrassing.

"It's fine."

Lin Yuan gave a small wave of his hand.

Thus, the Tower Master personally presented the brew to him.

"Please enjoy, Immortal Lord," she said expectantly.

The recipe for Drunken Dream Immortal Brew gets adjusted over time based on the reactions of those who drink it.

For the lower-grade versions, many Immortals come to try them, giving the Tower Master frequent chances to observe and refine her approach.

As for the Dream-level brew, even if someone at the Jade Immortal level wanted to experience it, they would usually buy it and then drink it back at their own cave dwelling for safety.

After all, if they did happen to fall into a dream there, at least they could be sure of their surroundings.

Those who dared to order the Dream-level Drunken Dream Immortal Brew in Drunken Dream Tower and then drink it on the spot were extremely rare.

The Tower Master was loath to give up this extraordinary opportunity to observe.

"Hmm?"

Lin Yuan looked at the Drunken Dream Immortal Brew before him, then drank it straight away.

"Tastes alright."

He savored it briefly. Indeed, the Dream-level brew did nurture mind and will, yet Lin Yuan's mental strength was so vast that its slight hallucinatory effect almost made no difference at all.

He had come to sample Drunken Dream Immortal Brew simply for the novelty, akin to trying a new cuisine.

"My mind and willpower just grew a bit stronger?"

Lin Yuan raised his eyebrows. He wondered if it was because of the brew, but at that moment, his mental strength rose by a barely perceptible fraction.

In the thousand-plus years he had spent cultivating in the core of the Immortal Realm's source, studying the rules of the Immortal Realm itself, his mental strength had already reached over thirty-three million points.

"Tastes…alright?"

The Tower Master was slightly stunned. She even suspected she had served the wrong brew—maybe she had brought out an ordinary drink instead of the Dream-level version.

Otherwise, how could Lin Yuan remain so composed and merely comment "it tastes alright"?

From the Tower Master's perspective, anyone who drank the Dream-level Immortal Brew would normally be drawn rapidly into a dream state, giving her the perfect chance to observe them.

"Here are the immortal crystals."

Lin Yuan placed down the payment for the Dream-level brew and vanished from the palace.

With his current strength—residing in the heart of the Immortal Realm's source—he could conjure as many immortal crystals as he pleased simply by exerting his will.

"He really didn't fall into a dream?"

The Tower Master found it unbelievable. She stared at the cup Lin Yuan had used, then subconsciously picked it up and took a gentle sip.

Immediately, an intense sense of falling into illusion overwhelmed her.

Even that faint taste was enough to pull her under; the Tower Master had to struggle not to lose herself.

"Drunken Dream Immortal Sutra, essence of the self."

She swiftly circulated her immortal power. Being the creator of the Drunken Dream Immortal Brew, she already had significant resistance to hallucinatory methods.

Moreover, she had only consumed a tiny amount. Even so, it took her several days to fully recover.

"It really is the Dream-level brew."

Realizing this, she felt not the slightest joy but rather a deep shock.

Given her tremendous resistance to illusions, she was far above most top-level Jade Immortals. Yet just that small sip almost toppled her. Meanwhile, Lin Yuan had downed a full cup and showed no sign of being affected.

"He withstood the Dream-level Immortal Brew…who in the world is he? Not even a top-level Jade Immortal could manage that."

She could not settle her feelings for a long time. Vaguely, she sensed that the young man who drank that cup had a fearsome background.

In another Immortal City several Immortal Domains away from Qingyou Immortal City—

Lin Yuan was strolling along a wide thoroughfare.

"For all these thousand-plus years, I still haven't grasped the rule of Chaos," Lin Yuan reflected as he walked.

"I'm certain I'm incredibly close to it now."

A thousand years ago, the consciousness of the Immortal Realm compromised and allowed Lin Yuan into its core area for direct contact with numerous fundamental rules.

From that point on, Lin Yuan's comprehension of rules advanced at an unprecedented rate. Every moment, he gained a new pillar-level fused rule.

This explosive progress continued for a full thousand years.

In that time, Lin Yuan gained more than three million pillar-level fused rules, raising them all to the seventh level.

Normally, stepping into the seventh level of a pillar-level fused rule is something only beings at the twelfth-rank Ultimate can achieve.

Lin Yuan not only achieved it but did so for over three million such rules simultaneously.

In terms of depth of rule comprehension, even excluding his mastery of time and space fused rules, Lin Yuan believed that many twelfth-rank Ultimates might not match him.

Even so, Lin Yuan still had yet to fully grasp the rule of Chaos.

"To be fair, I've already been incredibly fortunate," he mused.

"If I hadn't arrived in the Immortal Realm and entered the core of its source, it might have taken tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of years to get here."

He reined in his wandering thoughts.

The help he received from the Immortal Realm's source core was immense.

Of course, that was also because Lin Yuan's insight was extraordinary. Anyone else—even if it were the Immortal Dao Ancestor, spending a thousand years in the core—would not be capable of understanding three million pillar-level fused rules and pushing them to the seventh level.

Even if they had a hundred billion or a trillion years, they still could not accomplish it.

Comprehending so many pillar-level fused rules takes far more than just time. There are countless bottlenecks and constraints; merely one pause could span hundreds of millions of years.

"My inner world…"

With a shift of consciousness, Lin Yuan descended into his internal world.

Though this body was just an incarnation, they shared the same mind, and his rule comprehension was synchronized.

Hence, his internal world was also suffused with an endless surge of rule fluctuations.

Those fluctuations converged into a colossal, towering "egg," looming beneath the sky.

...