"Is it time for the shuttle?"
Lin Yuan's heart leapt with joy.
The shuttle capability of the Door to the Myriad Realms wasn't without limits.
It needed time to accumulate energy, which manifested as points being 'lit' up one by one.
When Lin Yuan returned from his first shuttle, he obtained related information from the Door to the Myriad Realms.
The illumination level of the Door to the Myriad Realms was divided into three: the peripheral edge region, the inner region, and the core region illumination.
Once the peripheral edge region was lit, shuttling could be performed, but only as a Consciousness Descent.
If the inner region was lit, physical body shuttling was possible.
As for the core region illumination, it was related to some kind of metamorphosis of the Door to the Myriad Realms.
The information Lin Yuan received only briefly described it.
The three levels of illumination required increasing amounts of time.
The peripheral region took about eight months to a year to light up.
Lighting up the inner region would take several years to a decade.
As for the core region illumination... Lin Yuan speculated.
It would likely require several decades, or even centuries.
"Let's just go with Consciousness Descent."
Lin Yuan wasn't particularly interested in physical body shuttling.
Firstly, accumulating energy sufficient for a physical body shuttle took too long.
Secondly, physical body shuttling had a very low margin for error; death meant true death.
In contrast, the cost-effectiveness of Consciousness Descent was much higher.
"However, some preparations are in order before shuttling."
Lin Yuan steadied his mind and began to make arrangements.
His main concern was to inform his parents that he might 'disappear' for a while.
Although there was a difference in the flow of time between higher and lower worlds,
Lin Yuan wasn't sure what level the world he was about to shuttle into would be.
If the flow of time wasn't significantly different, and he spent decades there while only a few years passed in the Main World,
it would be problematic.
Once everything was ready,
Lin Yuan left the underground training field and arrived in front of a room door.
"After this shuttle, I should be able to advance the Martial Path Evolutionary Path to the Second Layer."
"Then, after uploading it to the Goddess of Wisdom, the Merit Points I obtain should be enough to raise my Citizen Rank to level three..."
Lin Yuan thought to himself.
Half a year ago, Lin Yuan had uploaded the improved "Mythological Chapter" and "Carefree Chapter" of the Martial Canon.
He received a reward of three thousand Merit Points.
Also, the Martial Path Evolutionary Path moved up in the Canglan Evolution Ranking from ninety-third to seventy-eighth.
The Canglan Evolution Ranking listed a hundred evolutionary paths, which the Goddess of Wisdom ranked, using her vast Computational Power, based on their potential, popularity, difficulty of cultivation, and many other factors.
When the Martial Canon only included the "Grandmaster Chapter" and the "Great Grandmaster Chapter," it was ranked ninety-third, but with the addition of the "Mythological Chapter" and the "Carefree Chapter," its overall potential improved, naturally raising its ranking.
One could predict that when the Martial Path Evolutionary Path advanced to the Second Layer officially, its ranking would rise to an even higher level.
After all, the leap from First Rank to Second Layer was a qualitative change of a Great Realm, a significant stride recognized by the cosmos and human civilization.
In total, the upload of the Martial Path Evolutionary Path had provided Lin Yuan with five thousand Merit Points.
Advancing to a Second Rank Citizen cost one thousand Merit Points.
Four thousand Merit Points remained.
To go from a Second Rank Citizen to a Third Rank Citizen required five thousand Merit Points.
"Let's start."
Lin Yuan pushed open the door.
He walked to a two-meter long nutrient pod.
During Lin Yuan's first shuttle, he had no choice but to go through it due to the compulsory conscription looming over his head.
Fortunately, he was lucky. Although he had spent twenty years in the Martial World, only about ten minutes had passed in the Main World.
But now, naturally, Lin Yuan wouldn't proceed without taking precautions.
This nutrient pod, an item of military-grade quality, was something Lin Yuan had purchased through Mr. Liao's channels.
Once activated, it could maintain functions for no less than two hundred years.
Meaning, as long as Lin Yuan lay in it, unless he chose to get up himself, the pod's nutritional substances could sustain Lin Yuan's bodily needs for two hundred years.
This gave Lin Yuan a great sense of security; at least he wouldn't return from the shuttle to find his body emaciated to skin and bones.
Recalling the usage of the nutrient pod in his mind, Lin Yuan opened the hatch and laid down inside.
"Shuttle."
Lin Yuan's consciousness merged with the Door to the Myriad Realms deep in his mind.
In an instant, an invisible suction force came.
Lin Yuan felt his consciousness start to fall rapidly.
...
Zhang Family Fort.
The place was festooned with lanterns and streamers.
What a joyful occasion.
Everyone in the fort knew that Mr. Zhang's wife had given birth to an heir, and it was a boy.
Before this, Madam Zhang had delivered eight daughters in a row, and various gossips filled the air.
"Madam has worked hard."
In the room, Zhang Kun put down the infant in the swaddling clothes excitedly and looked toward the frail woman lying on the bed, speaking with heartfelt concern.
"It wasn't hard, my dear Zhang, this is our child..."
Madam Zhang's face was somewhat pale, but she still forced herself to sit up and cradled the swaddling clothes in her arms, her eyes filled with tenderness.
The couple had a tender moment.
Then Madam Zhang brought up a serious matter.
"Husband, that Myriad Demons Sect has been restless lately and seems to be moving in our direction. Have you notified the Daoist from Dragon Tiger Mountain?"
"Don't worry, my dear," Zhang Kun said, patting his chest.
"I sent someone to deliver a message to Changqing a while ago. He should be arriving soon."
As Zhang Kun said this, he paused for a moment then continued, "Moreover, what is there to fear from the Myriad Demons Sect? I, your husband, am also considered a first-rate expert in the martial community. How could I fear those demonic brats?"
As he spoke, Zhang Kun's voice was filled with strong confidence.
...
"It seems, this birth isn't bad."
What Zhang Kun and his wife did not know was that, while the two of them were talking,
the infant being held in the swaddling clothes opened his eyes, revealing a depth that did not belong to his age.
This infant was naturally Lin Yuan. From the brief conversation between his parents, Lin Yuan deduced that his father in this life should have a decent social status.
At least at the time of his birth just now, there were no less than five midwives called in, in addition to over a dozen maidservants attending.
Any world you put that in, it's definitely not something ordinary people could afford.
As he thought about it, Lin Yuan began to feel sleepy.
When Lin Yuan opened his eyes again, he heard a cacophony of noise.
The door was shut tight, but he could hear the sounds of fighting outside.
His own mother was full of anxiety.
"What's going on?"
Lin Yuan opened his eyes wide.
Weren't things going well just a moment ago?
How did it turn into this?
His mother saw Lin Yuan waking up,
Immediately came over to him, and with tears in her eyes, she said, "Child, eight helmsmen from the Myriad Demons Sect have come to kill us, and your father has gone to fight them along with the fort's masters."
"We will definitely be able to fend off the Myriad Demons Sect..."
As his mother held Lin Yuan, it was more like she was comforting herself than the child.
A moment later.
The door was pushed open.
His father, Zhang Kun, entered covered in blood.
"My dear Zhang, what's the situation outside?"
Mrs. Su Yun quickly asked.
"We can't hold them off. The Myriad Demons Sect didn't just send eight helmsmen, but there's also a protector hiding in the shadows. Our Zhang Family Fort, Zhang Family Fort is finished..."
Zhang Kun's face was ashen.
He had never imagined that to deal with his Zhang Family Fort, the Myriad Demons Sect would actually deploy a protector.
To become a protector of the Myriad Demons Sect, one must at least surpass the level of a first-rate expert.
"What do we do now?"
After a moment of silence, Mrs. Su Yun asked.
"You two go."
Zhang Kun came to the back of the bed and gently tapped it, revealing a secret tunnel.
"This tunnel leads ten miles out. Take the child and go far away. Never come back in this lifetime."
After opening the tunnel, Zhang Kun seemed to have lost all his strength and nearly collapsed to the ground.
"Let's leave together, Zhang, let's leave this place together,"
Su Yun glanced at the tunnel and immediately said to Zhang Kun.
"I can't go."
Zhang Kun shook his head, "I was struck by the palm of the Myriad Demons Sect's protector. My heart veins are shattered, and I don't have long to live."
Zhang Kun looked at Lin Yuan, his voice turning gentle, "I even thought of your name, it was to be Shanfeng, to become the peak of our Zhang Family Fort."
"Sadly, there's no future now."
After speaking, Zhang Kun took out a jade pendant and tucked it into the swaddling clothes.
The pendant had two characters engraved on it.
Shanfeng.
Having done all this, Zhang Kun looked up at his wife Su Yun.
"When the child grows up, don't tell him about his origins."
"Just let him live an ordinary life, don't even think about avenging me."
With that, Zhang Kun pushed Su Yun into the tunnel.