Chapter 181: Tai A Scholar: Which Evolutionary Grand Scholar Are You Exactly?

Inside the spatial entrance.

It was a vast, open 'grassland.'

A gentle breeze blew, swaying large swathes of 'green grass.'

However, looking closely, one would find that every single blade of 'green grass' was composed of ultimate spatial power.

The moment Lin Yuan entered.

Countless blades of 'green grass' shook, and a terrifying spatial storm quickly took shape.

"This…" Lin Yuan's expression turned grim. A spatial storm of this intensity was something even an ordinary seventh-order Evolver could not survive.

"I'm on your side!"

Lin Yuan hurriedly released the aura of his battlefield pass.

Battlefield passes were created by the Three Goddesses and could not be imitated by alien races, serving as crucial proof that one belonged to the Human Race.

Hum.

As the aura of the Human Race battlefield pass spread out.

The spatial storm that had almost fully formed quickly began to dissipate.

The next moment.

The surrounding scenery began to change.

Lin Yuan found himself at the Peak of a mountain.

A cold-looking man with black hair draped over his shoulders stood with his back to Lin Yuan, gazing down at the landscape below the mountain.

"Is he the master of this small spatial domain?"

Lin Yuan cautiously evaluated the back of the cold man, thinking silently to himself.

With Lin Yuan's discernment, he could tell that this cold man was merely a lingering wisp of power. As for his main body, he must have died long ago; otherwise, he wouldn't remain stuck here.

Seventh-order and Eighth-Order Evolvers possessed powerful life essences, so even in death, their residual lingering thoughts and power could endure for vast ages.

"You should have realized by now that my main body died long ago. What remains is merely a lingering obsession."

The cold man spoke, his back still turned toward Lin Yuan.

"What year is it currently according to the Star Sea Calendar?"

The cold man continued.

The Star Sea Calendar was the standard time-keeping system of Human Civilization.

"It is the year 2,126,845 of the Star Sea Calendar."

Hearing this, Lin Yuan immediately answered.

"So much time has passed…" Emotional turbulence stirred within the cold man's voice.

"My name is 'Ou Yin.' Since you are of the Human Race, you should have heard of me," the cold man said after a moment of silence.

"Ou Yin? The Eighth-Order Evolver 'Ou Yin'?"

Lin Yuan's mind moved slightly. In the interstellar era, recording information had become incredibly easy. Unless it was classified information, most things could be found on the network.

And the Eighth-Order Evolver 'Ou Yin' was a lone Evolver who had been active around the 900,000s era of the Star Sea Calendar.

What was a lone Evolver? Someone who joined no factions, came and went alone, unfettered and free.

According to the records of Cosmic Human Civilization, Ou Yin's last recorded location was roughly in the southeastern region of Human Civilization's territory.

Who would have thought he had come to the Alien Race Battlefield and fallen in this place?

"The C24763 Alien Battlefield is merely a Small Alien Battlefield. Although I, Ou Yin, couldn't match those top-tier Eighth-Order Evolvers, I wasn't weak either. I just didn't expect to encounter Black Abyss * Qing Yu on this battlefield…"

The cold man Ou Yin let out a light chuckle filled with self-mockery.

"Black Abyss * Qing Yu?"

Lin Yuan's expression shifted.

Those who bore Black Abyss as their surname were essentially high nobility within the Black Abyss Clan.

As far as Lin Yuan knew, Black Abyss * Qing Yu was currently a top-ten figure within the Black Abyss Clan.

"That Black Abyss * Qing Yu had long stepped into the eighth order and specialized in Soul attacks. With just a single strike, my Soul collapsed by more than half. If I hadn't activated a life-saving secret technique, forget leaving behind this small spatial domain, I wouldn't have even escaped…"

The cold man said.

"Even after escaping, I couldn't hold on for long. Unable to establish contact with the Goddesses on the battlefield, I could only use my last wisp of power to create a small spatial domain and leave behind a few backup measures."

The cold man spoke in a calm tone.

Lin Yuan remained silent after listening.

Even among eighth-order powerhouses, there were clear tiers. That Black Abyss * Qing Yu was definitely among the strongest of the eighth order, far surpassing ordinary eighth-order Experts.

Red Kun Star Lord was also near the top of the eighth order. His main body was a Star Sea Roaming Kun, a Peak cosmic Bloodline. Being at the eighth order as well, he shouldn't be much weaker than Black Abyss * Qing Yu.

"Alright, enough of this nonsense."

The cold man chuckled softly. "After so many years, you are the first member of the Human Race to enter this small spatial domain, so all the treasures I left behind naturally belong to you."

"Throughout my life, I preferred enjoying myself, so I didn't leave behind many treasures. What remains now includes one eighth-order defensive armor, one eighth-order Soul defensive weapon, various seventh- and sixth-order weapons, one thousand cubic meters of cosmic crystal, and one bottle of Bloodline essence serum from the special life form Three-Headed Ice Wolf. The rest of the treasures are worth far less; you can look through them yourself later."

"Of course, that eighth-order Soul defensive weapon is severely damaged from Black Abyss * Qing Yu's strike. However, Soul defensive weapons have always been precious. Even severely damaged, it can easily be traded for several eighth-order weapons of the same tier."

Lin Yuan couldn't help holding his breath.

The treasures mentioned by the cold man were exceedingly precious even to eighth-order powerhouses—especially the eighth-order Soul defensive weapon, which was priceless and virtually impossible to find on the market.

As for cosmic crystals, they were the raw material used to produce cosmic coins and could be directly used as 'currency' to trade with other powerhouses.

One thousand cubic meters of cosmic crystal was roughly equivalent to one hundred billion cosmic coins.

And the exchange rate between cosmic coins and the civilization coins of the Human Civilization Alliance was a staggering one to ten thousand.

Then there was the Bloodline essence serum of the Three-Headed Ice Wolf. The Three-Headed Ice Wolf was a special life form from the depths of the Universe, reaching the fourth order upon adulthood. Its Bloodline essence could be integrated into descendants, easily founding an Evolver Family with a powerful Bloodline.

Bloodline essence serums of such special life forms were highly sought-after commodities in Human Civilization, selling out immediately whenever they appeared.

To create a single bottle of such Bloodline essence serum, who knew how many Three-Headed Ice Wolves had to be drained of their blood essence.

"All of this is yours now."

The cold man still stood with his back to Lin Yuan.

"Thank you, Senior."

Lin Yuan said solemnly and earnestly.

Although any human who discovered this spatial entrance and entered would have received the cold man's gifts…

…Lin Yuan had indeed gained immense benefits.

"Senior, is there anything you require this Junior to do?"

Lin Yuan asked tentatively.

"Anything required?"

The cold man froze briefly, then laughed. "I have been dead for so long and have no old friends left. What could I possibly need done?"

Rumble…

Right at that moment.

The small spatial domain Lin Yuan was in began to shake violently.

"Hurry and leave."

"This small spatial domain is on the verge of collapse."

The cold man raised his right hand.

A beam of streaming light flew out and landed in Lin Yuan's hand.

It was a storage bracelet.

Inside were the numerous treasures owned by the cold man, 'Ou Yin'.

"Yes."

Taking the storage bracelet, Lin Yuan immediately flew toward the entrance.

The cold man Ou Yin looked at Lin Yuan's departing back as his figure rapidly disintegrated.

"Looking Moon Star Region… Tianchen Star…"

The cold man Ou Yin muttered softly, and in the next moment, he shattered completely.

Crimson Kun Main Star.

Thirteen Mountain Peaks main hall.

Lin Yuan sat cross-legged.

Regarding everything experienced by his Yang Spirit, Lin Yuan naturally knew it synchronously; the two shared a single consciousness, and perspectives could be switched at any time.

"The Alien Race Battlefield is fraught with danger. Apart from Supreme Powerhouses, no one can guarantee they won't die."

Lin Yuan thought secretly to himself.

The experience of Eighth-Order Evolver Ou Yin raised his vigilance.

Even on a Small Alien Battlefield like C24763 Alien Battlefield, it was possible for an Eighth-Order Evolver to suffer a fatal setback.

"However… current Human Civilization is vastly better than before."

Lin Yuan felt a slight touch of emotion.

During the era Ou Yin lived in, the war between the Human Civilization Alliance and various surrounding alien races was quite grueling, and its Foundation in all aspects was somewhat lacking.

The most obvious indicator was that Clone techniques were extremely rare during that era. Even an Eighth-Order Evolver like Ou Yin had not cultivated a Clone.

Unlike today, where the Chi Kun lineage alone recorded more than a dozen Clone techniques.

Although cultivating a Clone technique required sacrificing a small portion of one's Soul, and not every Evolver was suited to Cultivate one…

…it was still far better than several hundred thousand years ago.

"Forget it."

"Time to continue cultivating."

After sighing with emotion for a moment, Lin Yuan immersed himself once again in comprehending spatial models.

In his spare time from cultivation, Lin Yuan occasionally connected to the Virtual World to communicate with other Evolvers.

The collision of differing perspectives and insights, combined with his Heaven-Defying Comprehension for deduction, often provided Lin Yuan with unexpected assistance.

"This person's insights shouldn't be inferior to Teacher's…"

Lin Yuan entered the founder circle of the Virtual World and chatted briefly with the founder named 'Tai A', thinking secretly to himself.

Lin Yuan had met this 'Tai A' under a thread titled "Is it better to comprehend a single rule or multiple rules?"

This thread had been posted on the founder forum twenty-three thousand years ago by the founder named 'Tai A'.

Lin Yuan frequently communicated with him and faintly felt that this 'Tai A' possessed vast breadth of vision.

However, when Lin Yuan tried searching on the Virtual World network, he couldn't find any information related to 'Tai A'.

Just as Lin Yuan was deep in thought.

The founder named 'Tai A' sent another message.

"Among the various evolution paths of Human Civilization, which stage do you think is the most important?"

Lin Yuan read through the message, his expression thoughtful.

Numerous details passed through his mind regarding the Martial Dao Evolution Path from the first to the sixth order, as well as the seventh order he was currently deducing and pioneering.

"The seventh order, I suppose."

After thinking for a moment, Lin Yuan gave his answer.

As he fully comprehended more and more fundamental spatial models…

…Lin Yuan had faintly perceived the specific direction for the seventh-order chapter of Martial Dao.

Once Lin Yuan truly pioneered the seventh-order chapter, the transformation it brought to himself would far surpass the previous six orders combined.

"It should be about time for it to return, right?"

After replying to 'Tai A's' message, Lin Yuan glanced toward the direction of the Alien Race Battlefield.

According to Lin Yuan's plan, he dispatched his Yang Spirit to the Alien Race Battlefield to comprehend the Origin of rules escaping from spatial fluctuations.

However, plans could never keep up with changes.

Lin Yuan had intended to stay detached from worldly conflict and avoid contact with alien races, yet he ended up inheriting the legacy of an Eighth-Order Evolver.

Even on a Medium Alien Battlefield, obtaining the treasure legacy of an eighth-order powerhouse was an extremely rare Opportunity.

Lin Yuan hadn't expected this at all.

Because the probability was simply far too low.

However, since it had happened, Lin Yuan could only accept it with a mix of helplessness and gratitude.

Under these circumstances, leaving the legacy of the Eighth-Order Evolver Ou Yin on the Yang Spirit while letting the Yang Spirit remain in the peril-ridden Alien Race Battlefield…

…made Lin Yuan feel uneasy.

If the Yang Spirit perished, Lin Yuan wouldn't care much, as it would only take some time to condense a new one.

However, that legacy of an Eighth-Order Evolver—that eighth-order armor, the eighth-order Soul defensive weapon, the one thousand cubic meters of cosmic crystals…

If all of these were lost along with the demise of the Yang Spirit, Lin Yuan reckoned he would feel sick about it for a long time.

Therefore, as soon as the Yang Spirit left that small spatial domain, Lin Yuan instructed it to rush back, deposit all the treasures with his main body, and only then return to the Alien Race Battlefield.

In any case, the round trip would only take a little over a month, which Lin Yuan could easily afford.

Incalculable distances away, on a massive research planet.

Tai A Scholar watched the complex characters rapidly scrolling across the screen before him.

A moment later.

A tinge of fatigue appeared on Tai A Scholar's face.

"Let's see if that question has been answered."

Tai A Scholar decided to take a brief rest, entering the founder circle of the Virtual World and opening his chat history with Lin Yuan.

"The seventh order?"

Seeing Lin Yuan's reply, a smile broke out on Tai A Scholar's face.

"Hahahahaha, this time you're definitely wrong."

"Among the various stages divided across the many evolution paths of Human Civilization, the most important is undoubtedly the eighth order."

"To step into the eighth order, one must master the method of 'World Creation.'"

"Creating a world inside one's body."

"Only with a world as the Foundation can one continue to ascend; otherwise, relying solely on the Physical Body makes it nearly impossible to advance further."

Tai A Scholar looked smug, yet he was also somewhat puzzled.

He remembered that Lin Yuan should have already mastered the embryonic form of the 'World Creation' method; that concept of using one Dao to command ten thousand Daos had the 'World Creation' method at its core.

That being the case…

…even if he didn't know the 'World Creation' method, he should understand the massive gap between the eighth and seventh orders. How could he still think the seventh order was the most important?

"It shouldn't be?"

"How could he make such a mistake?"

Tai A Scholar rubbed his chin.

"Why the seventh order?"

After pondering for a moment, Tai A Scholar chose not to immediately 'mock' Lin Yuan, instead sending a message to ask.

Crimson Kun Main Star.

Lin Yuan was just preparing to resume cultivating…

…when he received another question from the founder named 'Tai A'.

"Why the seventh order?"

Lin Yuan blinked.

His belief that the seventh order was the most important was entirely based on the Martial Dao Evolution Path.

Because in Lin Yuan's concept, the seventh-order chapter created by combining Taiyin, Taiyang, Taiji, and Space Rules would undergo the greatest transformation. With the blessing of Space Rules, the Taiji Domain would evolve into a Taiji Small World.

This was why Lin Yuan felt the seventh order was the most important.

"Using a single Dao to accommodate ten thousand Daos, command ten thousand Daos, and then fusing Space Rules…"

Lin Yuan casually shared a few portions of the theories behind the seventh-order chapter of the Martial Dao Evolution Path.

These theories were what Lin Yuan had comprehended in recent days. Even if others learned of them, it would be meaningless; without Lin Yuan's foundational research preceding it, outsiders could hardly delve deeply into these theories.

Incalculable distances away, on a massive research planet.

Tai A Scholar stared at the chat box, waiting patiently.

He decided that no matter what response Lin Yuan gave, he would counter it with the method of World Creation, making him realize that the importance of the eighth order was beyond doubt.

Beep—

A message arrived.

Tai A Scholar checked it immediately.

"This…?"

Tai A Scholar was somewhat stunned.

The reams of rhetoric he had prepared were swallowed back down.

Because the message Lin Yuan had sent him was itself a kind of 'World Creation' method.

Only—

Why could one use the World Creation method at the seventh order?

Tai A Scholar found it hard to believe.

Almost instantaneously, Tai A Scholar began calculating and deducing.

Countless characters flashed through his eyes as he attempted to verify the possibility of success based on the theories Lin Yuan sent.

Over an hour later.

Tai A Scholar closed his eyes.

After a long silence, Tai A Scholar opened his eyes.

"There really is hope for success."

Tai A Scholar reined in his thoughts, his expression grave, as he replied in the chat box with Lin Yuan:

"Which Evolutionary Grand Scholar are you exactly?"