Lin Yun and Gong Yi continued along the passage until they reached a tree hollow at its end.
Lin Yun didn’t see Xin Yu or the immortal from the Taixu Tavern, suggesting they had already moved ahead to face the next trials.
“You two, it’s time to choose your rewards for passing this stage. This round offers Heavenly Dao-level secret manuals,” the tree spirit’s voice echoed.
“Heavenly Dao-level secret manuals?”
Gong Yi and Lin Yun’s eyes lit up.
Such manuals, whether in the four empires or other major forces like Xiaoyao Tower, were treasures of the highest order.
“Sit on the prayer mats ahead,” the tree spirit instructed.
Lin Yun and Gong Yi stepped forward, sat on the mats, and closed their eyes.
Lin Yun’s consciousness entered a chaotic space.
Ahead stood a row of bookshelves.
“Those must be the Heavenly Dao-level secret manuals!” Lin Yun’s gaze burned with excitement.
“Little one, didn’t you ask me about opportunities to break through to the Myriad Realms? This stage’s reward offers such a choice,” the tree spirit’s voice resounded.
“Really, Senior? I can choose it at this stage?”
Lin Yun’s blood surged, overwhelmed with joy.
“But you must choose between a Heavenly Dao-level manual and the opportunity. You can’t have both. It’s your call,” the tree spirit said.
“I’ll choose the opportunity,” Lin Yun decided instantly.
While Heavenly Dao-level manuals were valuable, breaking through to the Myriad Realms was his top priority.
If he remained stuck at this realm, unable to advance, his strength would stagnate.
When a realm halts, progress in other areas like spiritual sense and physical realm slows and eventually caps, stalling overall growth.
Even now, with his realm stagnant, improving his spiritual sense, physical realm, or swordsmanship was increasingly difficult, and his strength would plateau.
Moreover, Lin Yun’s ‘Shadow Sword Art’ was already a Heavenly Dao-level sword technique, sufficient for now.
When he first acquired it, he thought it was a Saint Spirit-level manual, but later realised its superiority, a key factor in his ability to fight above his level during the Tribulation Realm.
“Your choice is wise. Heavenly Dao-level manuals are valuable, but the realm is the foundation!” the tree spirit approved.
Then, it added, “However, I must warn you: this opportunity only aids your comprehension. Whether you reach the Myriad Realms depends on your fortune. Are you sure about this choice?”
Choosing a manual guaranteed a gain, but the opportunity carried no certainty of reaching the Myriad Realms.
“I’m sure!” Lin Yun answered without hesitation.
“Good. Your opportunity lies ahead. Look forward,” the tree spirit said.
Lin Yun looked up.
A massive projected scene appeared.
It showed chaos, darkness, and nothingness. The chaos split, giving rise to heaven and earth, expanding continuously. Mountains, seas, and stones formed, followed by plants. Life began to emerge, along with the rules and mysteries of the world…
It was mesmerising, and Lin Yun was utterly absorbed.
This was the birth of a world, the emergence of all things from nothing!
Entranced, Lin Yun lost track of time, remaining dazed even after the scene vanished.
Witnessing the birth of a world and the emergence of all things profoundly impacted Lin Yun.
It broadened his perspective and reshaped his understanding.
Though his past travels and insights into all things had yielded gains, they paled in comparison to this experience.
This time, Lin Yun truly grasped the emergence of all things.
After the scene disappeared, Lin Yun exclaimed, “So that’s how it is!”
He closed his eyes, replaying the images in his mind.
After some time, Lin Yun sensed a change in his inner sea, vast as a galaxy, which had previously reached its limit.
Now, that bottleneck began to loosen.
The galaxy-like inner sea surged with massive fluctuations, boosting his inner energy.
The vast inner sea expanded rapidly again.
This change, like a storm, spread through Lin Yun’s body, transforming his organs, bones, flesh, and skin in a remarkable qualitative leap.
Unlike minor realm advancements, this was a comprehensive transformation from head to toe, inside and out.
When the fluctuations settled, Lin Yun slowly opened his eyes.
His gaze was sharp, his body brimming with vitality.
He released his realm aura.
The powerful aura of the First Layer of the Myriad Realms was unmistakable!
Both its quantity and quality far surpassed his previous state.
“This is the Myriad Realms!”
Lin Yun raised his hand, a surge of powerful inner energy rippling in his palm.
The sensation was exhilarating!
“I did it… Haha! I succeeded!”
Gazing at the energy in his palm, Lin Yun laughed loudly, his hands trembling with excitement.
Under normal circumstances, reaching the Myriad Realms could have taken centuries or even millennia, which would still be considered fast.
His master had hoped he’d achieve it within a thousand years.
If progress stalled, some immortals remained stuck for millennia, or even forever, unable to break through.
Yet, in this relic, Lin Yun found the opportunity to break through!
“Master, congratulations on reaching the Myriad Realms. You’ve taken a huge step forward, no easy feat,” the artifact spirit’s voice rang out.
“Congratulations, Master,” Xiao Bai added.
“I owe it to this opportunity,” Lin Yun grinned, suppressing his overwhelming joy.
