“Old Black, what are the rewards for becoming a Heavenly Fire Leader?” Lin Yun asked, his voice brimming with anticipation.
Since the black mist figure had told him to call it Old Black, Lin Yun didn’t hesitate.
“I thought you’d first ask about the ultimate test, or say you’d wait to claim all rewards after passing it,” Old Black said.
“Uh… I wouldn’t dare think about that for now,” Lin Yun said with a dry laugh.
When Lin Yun passed the intermediate test, he had immediately asked about the advanced test because he still had some tricks and trump cards unused, so he felt confident to try.
But now, having barely passed the advanced test by exhausting all his means, Lin Yun didn’t dare consider challenging the ultimate test.
He had no trump cards left.
Besides, the ultimate test was surely the hardest. Even Palace Master Mo Bai hadn’t passed it yet.
“I didn’t expect you to have things you’re afraid of. I thought you were fearless,” Old Black said with a laugh.
Lin Yun’s face flushed with embarrassment at the comment.
Old Black continued, “Since you brought up the ultimate test, I’ll give you a heads-up. The ultimate test has a fixed difficulty. It won’t be lowered just because you’re in the Myriad Things Realm.”
“So, if you want to attempt it, you’d better reach the Sovereign Realm, ideally the third stage. Otherwise, you have no chance at all. With the strength you just showed against me, you’d be crushed in the ultimate test.”
“I see,” Lin Yun nodded, understanding.
Old Black’s words gave him a clearer picture.
The ultimate test was indeed beyond his current reach.
After all, passing it would earn the qualification to be received by the Heavenly Fire Temple.
The temple’s reception came at a significant cost, so they only extended it to those truly worth the investment.
“Old Black, can you tell me about the rewards for passing the advanced test? Right now, what I want most is an opportunity to break through to the Sovereign Realm,” Lin Yun said eagerly.
“For passing the advanced test, you get one hundred thousand Bright Moon Crystals, a set of Heavenly Fire Leader armour, and the privilege to enter the Chamber of Laws for comprehension,” Old Black said.
“The Chamber of Laws? What’s that?” Lin Yun asked, puzzled.
“It’s a place to help you comprehend the laws of heaven and earth. It can aid your breakthrough to the Sovereign Realm and even offer some help for the Saint Realm beyond it, though it mainly depends on you. It just makes comprehension a bit easier,” Old Black explained.
“The Saint Realm?”
Lin Yun froze, then quickly asked, “Old Black, is the Saint Realm what comes after the Sovereign Realm?”
“Exactly. But it’s an enormous gap. Crossing it to enter the Saint Realm is incredibly difficult, like moving from the Tribulation Realm to Immortality. The Saint Realm gap is even larger. Once you reach it, you can even alter the rules to some extent,” Old Black said.
Old Black continued, “Because of this, the laws of heaven make it nearly impossible for humans to reach the Saint Realm in a continent like yours. In the ancestral lands, where the laws of heaven can’t interfere, it’s somewhat easier, but even there, reaching the Saint Realm is extremely hard. I couldn’t do it, so my path ended. In the ancestral lands, a Saint Realm cultivator is a major powerhouse.”
Lin Yun’s eyes widened, his doubts finally clarified by Old Black’s words.
“Old Black, didn’t you say the Chamber of Laws can help with breaking through to the Saint Realm? Why didn’t you use it to comprehend and attempt the breakthrough?” Lin Yun asked curiously.
“I said it can help with comprehension, but how much you grasp and whether you can fully understand it isn’t guaranteed. Get it? It’s just an aid. The Saint Realm isn’t easy to reach; it’s a massive gap,” Old Black said.
“I understand,” Lin Yun nodded.
It was like carving a piece of art: a good carving knife helps, but the quality of the work depends on the craftsman. Or like a teacher explaining a problem and imparting knowledge; whether you get into a top university still depends on you.
“There’s no point talking about what comes later. For now, focus on reaching the Sovereign Realm,” Old Black said.
Old Black continued, “Compared to the absurd difficulty of reaching the Saint Realm, getting to the Sovereign Realm is much easier.”
Lin Yun gave a wry smile. For him, reaching the Sovereign Realm was already a monumental challenge.
But Old Black’s words highlighted just how vast the gap to the Saint Realm was.
Old Black produced one hundred thousand Bright Moon Crystals and handed them to Lin Yun, along with a gleaming golden set of armour.
Lin Yun returned his silver armour to Old Black, then accepted the crystals and the new armour.
“Fourth, take him to the Chamber of Laws,” Old Black instructed.
“Yes,” the silver-armoured statue replied, approaching Lin Yun.
“Captain Lin, follow me,” the statue said.
Since Lin Yun was now a Heavenly Fire Leader, the statue treated him with the respect due a superior.
The statue led Lin Yun to a stone chamber in the divine palace.
“Captain Lin, this is the Chamber of Laws. You can come here to comprehend and cultivate anytime, and you’re free to enter and exit the divine palace,” the statue said.
“Thank you,” Lin Yun said.
He pushed open the stone door and entered the chamber.
Inside, Lin Yun immediately felt a strange sensation, as if he could more clearly perceive the mysteries of various laws.
“This chamber must be constructed with a formation,” Lin Yun murmured.
Though his talent in formations was modest, he had studied them for a while and could recognise their presence.
Because of his studies, Lin Yun knew how intricate this formation was and how challenging it must have been to create.
