Lin Yuan returned to the Great Zen Temple without causing much stir.
Besides the abbot and a few heads of departments, no other monks knew.
On the third floor of the Sutra Pavilion, Lin Yuan sat cross-legged.
"Eight years left."
Lin Yuan glanced at the ethereal screen below his line of sight,
aware that his time in this world was not much longer.
"It should be enough..."
Lin Yuan nodded slightly.
Having a concrete direction and thoughts on the pathway beyond the Mythical Realm,
with the efficiency of Against-Heaven's Understanding, eight years was more than sufficient.
"The path of Martial Tao..."
Lin Yuan's gaze deepened.
The path of Martial Tao in this world relied on the human body as the foundation, combined with spirit, undergoing continuous transformation.
While the advancement was slow, it was advantageous in having no weaknesses.
At least, it had much more potential than the 'Genetic Warriors' evolutionary path of the Cosmic Human Civilization.
Genetic Warriors represented a strictly physical evolutionary path,
and once they faced 'Supernatural Sorcerers', 'Mental Masters', and other Evolvers...
Without prior preparation, they were generally swept aside.
The Genetic Warriors' evolutionary path was probably created specifically by the upper echelons of Human Civilization,
for the evolution of their own descendants.
Purely dependent on genetic potions, as long as one could purchase potions of the appropriate level, one could keep improving indefinitely.
"I wonder what kind of evolutionary path Martial Tao is classified as, and how it's rated by the Goddess of Wisdom..."
Lin Yuan thought to himself.
The Cosmic Human Alliance encouraged its citizens to develop new evolutionary paths,
and the Goddess of Wisdom even offered substantial contributions as rewards to attract more human citizens to invest in this area.
The value of an evolutionary path depended on two factors:
one was its accessibility,
and the other was its potential.
Accessibility was easy to understand—
if the path allowed only one person to cultivate, then it would be of little value to Human Civilization as a whole.
As for potential... it was the theoretical limit of that evolutionary path.
Having arrived in this world more than a decade ago, Lin Yuan, with his Against-Heaven's Understanding, had been deducing martial studies, paving the way above Grandmasters to the Mythical Realm, and even surpassing the Mythical tier...
He was enhancing the ultimate potential of the Martial Path Evolutionary Path as much as possible,
in order to get a higher evaluation from the Goddess of Wisdom and gain sufficient rewards.
Lin Yuan was clear about his priorities; this world was just a stop in his journey,
and once his twenty years of residence was up, he would still return to the Cosmic Human Alliance.
"Continue the enlightenment."
After pondering for a moment, Lin Yuan closed his eyes and once again immersed himself in the state of Enlightenment.
His trip to the Dali Imperial Palace this time had been of great help to Lin Yuan.
The myriad martial arts housed in the Martial Hall and the various exquisite techniques mastered by the warriors of the world.
With the catalysis of Against-Heaven's Understanding, countless strands of Spiritual Light burst forth in Lin Yuan's mind, steadfastly progressing toward the realm beyond Mythical Realm.
...
Time passed.
Eight years elapsed in the blink of an eye.
With the passage of time, the real identity of the mysterious monk who had broken through the Dali Imperial Palace was finally revealed to the world.
The Buddha Child of the Great Zen Temple, Hui Zhen.
Back then, Lin Yuan's utterance 'This poor monk is Hui Zhen' outside the imperial palace had been heard by many.
Moreover, the Great Zen Temple had long since distributed the Buddha Child's portraits to temples across the world, and Lin Yuan had shown up at several martial arts tournaments held in the Dali imperial capital.
A comparison of before and after was not difficult to make.
The exposure of the mysterious monk's identity led to an immediate consequence:
The Great Zen Temple started bustling with activity, with a large number of martial artists arriving at the foot of Mount Shaoshi every day.
That mysterious monk had only stayed in Dali for a year before his whereabouts became unknown; many speculated that the monk might have returned to the Great Zen Temple.
The many martial artists who came to the Great Zen Temple were eager to meet Lin Yuan.
After all, Lin Yuan was recognized as a Great Grandmaster and even called the greatest of all time by a few Grandmasters.
There is no first in literature, no second in martial arts.
To be universally recognized by all Grandmasters without any doubts raised meant only one possibility:
That Hui Zhen, the Buddha Child, was truly inconceivably powerful.
He had convinced all the Grandmasters.
That was what attracted a multitude of martial artists.
Even if they couldn't meet him, just getting a distant glimpse was wonderful, who knows, they might even be fancied by that nameless monk, right?
Wasn't such an opportunity bigger than a carp leaping over the dragon gate?
As for the possibility of being highly regarded by the Buddha Child and needing to shave one's head and become a monk...
As long as one could step into the Grandmaster Realm, not to mention becoming a monk, if one had to sever all emotional ties and desires, there were many who were willing.
...
On the narrow mountain path of Mount Shaoshi, a burly man carrying a heavy sword walked slowly forward.
Behind the stout man was a young man in his twenties following.
"Master, master."
"Are you here to challenge the Buddha Child again?"
The young man asked curiously as he walked.
The man carrying the heavy sword was the Sword Saint of the Southern Sea.
If there were Grandmasters nearby, they would notice that the Sword Saint of the Southern Sea's aura was profound, and by looking into his eyes, one could feel a spirit force as sharp as a sword's edge.
Great Grandmaster.
This Sword Saint of the Southern Sea had indeed taken that step and become a Great Grandmaster.
In any other era, the birth of any Great Grandmaster would be an extremely sensational event.
Celebrations from all directions.
Millions upon millions bowing down.
Those were the minimum to be expected.
However, the Sword Saint of the Southern Sea found it all rather dull and tasteless.
Ever since his encounter with Lin Yuan eight years ago, the Sword Saint of the Southern Sea realized that there were people beyond him and heavens beyond his reach.
Great Grandmaster? So what?
In front of that Buddha Child, even a Great Grandmaster would have to die.
"I'm just here to take a look."
The Sword Saint of the Southern Sea shook his head.
"Also, don't compare your mentor to that Buddha Child."
"That Buddha Child was no longer a Great Grandmaster eight years ago."
The Sword Saint of the Southern Sea took a deep breath and said quietly.
Suddenly.
The Sword Saint of the Southern Sea's expression dramatically changed.
He looked up sharply toward the summit of Mount Shaoshi, in the direction of the Great Zen Temple.
Hum!!!
A terrifying aura began to shake, sweeping across the entire Mount Shaoshi in an instant.
And it spread at an appalling speed in all directions.
"What's that?"
The Sword Saint of the Southern Sea turned pale.
In his perception, an ocean-like aura rose from the depths of the Great Zen Temple, shining upon the world like the blazing sun.
...
"Finally... it's finally done..."
In the third floor of the Sutra Pavilion, Lin Yuan slowly opened his eyes and got up to walk out of the Sutra Pavilion.
After nearly a decade, he finally stepped into a level above the Mythical Realm.
Outside the Sutra Pavilion.
Elder Long Eyebrow, the Abbot, and the heads of the various departments had been waiting for a long time.
The commotion caused by Lin Yuan's breakthrough was simply too great. Even the Sword Saint of the Southern Sea, who was on the mountainside, felt the disturbance, not to mention the many monks within the Great Zen Temple.
"Buddha Child..."
"We greet the Buddha Child."
Upon seeing Lin Yuan emerge from the Sutra Pavilion, Elder Long Eyebrow and the others immediately bowed.
"Mm."
Lin Yuan nodded, his mood was good.
"The Buddha Child's strength must have already surpassed that of a Great Grandmaster, right?"
Abbot Huaiyuan hesitated for a moment, then ventured to ask.
He had long had this suspicion, but had never been sure about it; after all, becoming a Great Grandmaster had always been the ceiling for martial artists since ancient times, and surpassing a Great Grandmaster was anything but easy.
However, just now, they felt the disturbance of Lin Yuan's breakthrough.
Even if Abbot Huaiyuan was dull, he had realized something.
An aura as vast and mighty as that, even ten or a hundred Great Grandmasters could not come close.
The reason Abbot Huaiyuan knew this so clearly was because Elder Long Eyebrow had also successfully advanced to the Grandmaster Realm a year ago.
"Almost..."
Lin Yuan's eyes were calm as he spoke lightly.
"Really surpassed the Grandmaster Realm?"
Even with their expectations, Abbot Huaiyuan and the others felt turmoil within upon hearing this confirmation.
The holy monk, who was already a Great Grandmaster, had even more complex thoughts—he had personally witnessed Lin Yuan's growth step by step and, over ten years ago, had even acted as his mentor.
"Above the Great Grandmaster... what is it like?"
Abbot Huaiyuan's voice trembled as he asked.
The others, upon hearing this, immediately stared at Lin Yuan with burning eyes.
Even though they could not possibly reach Lin Yuan's heights, or even hoped to become Great Grandmasters, they at least wanted to hear about it. That was better than the Great Grandmasters who had dominated an era in the past.
"Above the Great Grandmaster is known as the Mythical Realm, where Inner Qi is sublimated into 'Yuan Power'..."
Lin Yuan patiently introduced the many mysteries of the 'Mythical Realm'.
Having said this, Lin Yuan paused for a while, then continued, "Above the Mythical Realm... I haven't thought of a name for it yet, but where Qi, blood, and spirit merge, one can sense the Qi of heaven and earth..."
"Hmm?"
"Above the Mythical Realm?"
Abbot Huaiyuan and the others were deeply shocked and did not react for a long while.
They had just been immersed in the many wonders of the Mythical Realm, imagining its various characteristics, and then Lin Yuan mentioned something above the Mythical Realm?
Could it be that the young Buddha Child before them was now not in the Mythical Realm? Otherwise, how could he know the mysteries above the Mythical Realm?
Following that, Lin Yuan patiently explained a few more sentences and then sent Abbot Huaiyuan and the others away.
It wasn't that Lin Yuan didn't want to say more.
But with their realms not yet reached, saying more would be useless.
On the contrary, it might affect one's own cultivation.
"It should have reached the limit."
Lin Yuan pondered for a while, already faintly feeling an oppressive force between heaven and earth.
The level he was at had reached the ultimate in the world, and to go further... while not impossible with his Against-Heaven's Understanding, Lin Yuan simply didn't have enough time left.
...
"It's about time."
Inside the Sutra Pavilion, Lin Yuan looked at the dozens of books piled in front of him.
Recorded on them were the details of the process from the Acquired Realm to the Mythical Realm and even beyond.
Of course, the deeper into martial arts one went, the more incomprehensible it appeared to ordinary people.
This was also the reason Lin Yuan was reluctant to go into detail with Abbot Huaiyuan and the others.
But should there come a day when the Great Zen Temple produced a disciple with even one ten-thousandth of Lin Yuan's talent, these books could at least point them in the right direction.
Only, thinking of that day, it was likely to be hundreds if not thousands of years away.
...
After stepping into a level above the Mythical Realm, Lin Yuan stopped practicing and started to roam the mountains and enjoy the waters instead.
Nevertheless, he could feel the pressing force of the world growing stronger, like a beached whale, extremely uncomfortable.
Several months later.
Lin Yuan suddenly opened his eyes.
Because...
The Door to the Myriad Realms deep in his mind suddenly burst into bright light.