Chapter 196: Fifty Years Later

"Over there."

Lin Yuan focused his mind.

Ever since his consciousness descended into this world,

Lin Yuan had only encountered various Yao Beasts and Vicious Beasts.

As for anything else, he had barely come into contact with them.

This was mainly because Lin Yuan's current location was the Cloud Mist Mountain Range, which was originally a paradise for Yao Beasts and Vicious Beasts.

"Someone is coming?"

Lin Yuan spread his perception and discovered that several li away,

a young man and woman were walking towards this direction.

"Senior Brother, is choosing the Cloud Mist Mountain Range as our training location a bit too risky?"

The young woman's eyes were vigilant as she spoke in a low voice.

"How can you catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger's lair? Junior Sister, to resist the invasion of the Extraterrestrial Evil Gods, our Sect has brought out much of its foundational Legacy."

"As long as we pass this trial, we will obtain immense benefits and great Opportunities."

The young man continued, "Although the Cloud Mist Mountain Range is dangerous, those Yao Beasts are much easier to deal with than the Puppets of the Extraterrestrial Evil Gods. If we are afraid of even these Yao Beasts, how will we face the Extraterrestrial Evil Gods in the future?"

"Senior Brother, you speak so well."

Hearing this, a ray of admiration flashed in the young woman's eyes as she looked at the young man.

Several li away,

Lin Yuan cautiously observed the young pair.

Due to the language barrier, Lin Yuan did not know what they were talking about.

However, judging by their expressions and attire, he inferred that the young man and woman likely belonged to some faction from the outside world.

"Equivalent to Tier 2, they should be ordinary Disciples…"

Lin Yuan speculated in his heart. The time ratio between this world and the Main World was six hundred to one, so it definitely could not be underestimated; the strongest Experts here might reach the Peak of Tier 7.

Ever since discovering the young pair,

Lin Yuan spent most of his time observing them.

As for attacking and capturing them? Before thoroughly understanding their trump cards, Lin Yuan would not make a move at all.

Heaven knows if this young pair had some powerful elder behind them.

If he killed them, would it attract the attention of that elder?

Lin Yuan observed the young pair mainly to learn the language they spoke.

With his Heaven-Defying Comprehension Ability, no matter what Lin Yuan learned, seeing or hearing it once was basically enough.

Learning a completely new language presented no difficulty at all.

He only needed to remember their pronunciation, along with the tone and expression when uttering it, to deduce most of its meaning.

"Azure Sky World?"

"Grand Azure Sky Alliance?"

Half a month later, Lin Yuan overheard a lot of useful information from the young pair.

First, this world was named the Azure Sky World, and the most powerful faction in this world today was the Grand Azure Sky Alliance.

The Grand Azure Sky Alliance was a behemoth formed by countless factions in the Azure Sky World to fight against the invasion of the Extraterrestrial Evil Gods.

"As expected, the Extraterrestrial Evil Gods have already begun to move…"

Lin Yuan had a thoughtful expression. Perhaps many years ago, the Extraterrestrial Evil Gods had already begun invading this world, but had simply never succeeded.

That was why the Ancestral Demon Tree scattered countless seeds into the Azure Sky World to attempt other methods of invasion.

"The Alliance Leader of the Grand Azure Sky Alliance should have reached Tier 7, and he is no ordinary Tier 7."

Lin Yuan had repeatedly heard admiration for the Alliance Leader from the young man.

During these years of the Extraterrestrial Evil Gods' invasion, if the Alliance Leader hadn't turned the tide multiple times, the situation would likely be far worse than it was now. How could they leisurely enter the Black Mist Mountains to train?

"They are going back."

Lin Yuan 'looked' at the young pair from afar.

After hunting several Tier 2 Yao Beasts, the two completed their training mission and intended to return to their Sect to claim their rewards.

Lin Yuan did not stop them because there was no need. The other party had not discovered him yet, and taking action would instead expose flaws and traces.

"Continue, continue."

Lin Yuan waited until the young pair had left completely before resuming his hunting of Yao Beasts.

Once his height reached seven to eight meters, ordinary Tier 1 and Tier 2 Yao Beasts within a hundred-meter radius could not escape, all becoming food for Lin Yuan.

A few days later,

"It's time to leave."

By now, the surrounding Yao Beasts had basically been completely hunted down. To maintain his current Cultivation speed, he had no choice but to head to other regions and repeat the hunt.

Lin Yuan looked toward the depths of the Cloud Mist Mountain Range, planning to shift toward that location.

The closer he got to the depths of the Cloud Mist Mountain Range, the denser the natural spiritual energy became, and the Yao Beasts grew correspondingly stronger, offering naturally greater benefits to Lin Yuan.

"However, before leaving, I can solve those guys underground."

Lin Yuan's heart stirred slightly as he looked at the ground.

The Cloud Mist Mountain Range was one of the Ten Great Mountain Ranges of the Azure Sky World, vast and boundless, harboring countless Yao Beasts and Vicious Beasts.

A large portion of these Yao Beasts and Vicious Beasts lived on the surface.

However, under the ground, there were still plenty of traces of Yao Beasts living.

The 'guys underground' Lin Yuan referred to were a group of Earth Rock Rats.

These rat-type Yao Beasts liked to live underground, using their own abilities to dig out countless tunnels, and even building a rat underground palace a hundred meters below the surface.

It was practically a rat Dynasty.

The reason Lin Yuan was able to discover these Earth Rock Rats was that while extending his roots underground to explore, he accidentally entered a tunnel and discovered their traces.

"There are about three hundred Earth Rock Rats, and the Rat King has Tier 2 strength."

Lin Yuan thought to himself. The size of an Earth Rock Rat was no smaller than a Purple-Eyed Rabbit, nearing half a meter, while the Earth Rock Rat King was two meters long,

like a wild bull.

The reason Lin Yuan held off until now to act was that he didn't have much confidence before.

He was afraid that once he acted, it would startle the rat swarm and allow most of them to escape.

Over three hundred Earth Rock Rats—with so much flesh and Soul, even without counting the Earth Rock Rat King, it could boost Lin Yuan's strength significantly.

What's more…

"The reason that Earth Rock Rat King established its nest here is because of an earth-attribute Spirit Medicine?"

Lin Yuan sensed carefully and found that a hundred meters underground within the rat Dynasty, extremely pure earth-attribute spiritual energy was permeating outward.

Lin Yuan guessed that the reason the Earth Rock Rat King could grow to a length of two meters was inextricably linked to that earth-attribute Spirit Medicine.

"Mine."

"It's all mine."

Lin Yuan's gaze turned fervent. With a slight thought, hundreds of branches and roots began approaching that rat Dynasty.

Dozens of meters underground.

Tunnels crisscrossed in all directions. Grey, half-meter-long Earth Rock Rats scampered back and forth along the tunnels, transporting all the food they found back to the Rat King.

Suddenly,

at this moment,

an Earth Rock Rat suddenly stopped.

It sniffed the air lightly with its nose, as if sensing something.

The next moment,

before this Earth Rock Rat could react,

a black branch, like refined iron, pierced through it.

"Squeak, squeak!"

The Earth Rock Rat let out a miserable shriek, and soon its flesh and Soul were completely devoured by the branch.

What followed

was doomsday for the Earth Rock Rats.

Black branches continuously pierced one Earth Rock Rat after another, devouring their essence blood and Souls to transform into Lin Yuan's own foundational strength, creating a virtuous cycle.

"Exhilarating!"

On the surface, Lin Yuan felt extraordinarily satisfied as a vast amount of essence blood and Souls from the Earth Rock Rats turned into surging power to enrich him.

If it were just a normal Demon Ancestor Tree seed, it would be impossible to devour so many Earth Rock Rats at once.

It would burst from overeating.

But Lin Yuan was different. As a Tier 7 Evolver, under his mastery of Realms, he could rapidly absorb all the power.

"The Extraterrestrial Evil Gods do have some skill after all…"

Lin Yuan thought to himself while devouring the Earth Rock Rats.

The devouring ability he demonstrated now came from the instinct of the Demon Ancestor Tree seed, which was the ability of that Ancestral Demon Tree.

This ability had almost no lingering side effects. One had to know that even devouring-type Evolutionary Paths in the Main World, which devoured flesh and Souls, would affect the purity of one's own Soul.

But the devouring ability of the Demon Ancestor Tree was extremely domineering; flesh or Soul alike were nothing but nourishment.

"Pity, once reaching Tier 7 or Tier 8, what matters is comprehension of the rules. As for the accumulation of energy, it isn't actually that important."

Lin Yuan shook his head slightly.

The 'scarlet spirit liquid' of the Chi Kun lineage was the best example.

Abilities like that of the Demon Ancestor Tree seed had an almost cheat-like effect below Tier 7, but once reaching Tier 7, they became much weaker.

"Hmm?"

"Almost at that Rat King's underground palace."

Lin Yuan's expression turned slightly serious.

A hundred meters underground.

A low, small palace stood across.

Built entirely of earth, although lacking fine details, it was already a remarkably good structure for rats.

However,

*Chii!*

A black branch swept across like a black Dragon, instantly crushing a tenth of the underground palace.

"Squeak squeak squeak—"

A two-meter-large Earth Rock Rat King shot out. Looking at the collapsed palace, faint anger welled up in its eyes.

As a Tier 2 Yao Beast, the Earth Rock Rat King had already developed some intelligence; otherwise, it wouldn't have built a palace specifically for itself to live in.

Seeing its palace destroyed now, emotional waves naturally arose in its heart.

However, just as the Earth Rock Rat King observed that black branch resembling a black Dragon, pondering how to attack,

*Boom, boom, boom!*

Black branches swept over once again.

Scared out of its wits, the Earth Rock Rat King hastily retreated in panic.

"Squeak squeak squeak!"

The Earth Rock Rat King frantically squeaked a few times,

signaling other Earth Rock Rats to come to its defense.

But no matter how the Earth Rock Rat King called out,

only a few Earth Rock Rats arrived.

And shortly after arriving, they were pierced by black branches, rapidly turning into powder.

"Flee!"

Although the Earth Rock Rat King possessed Tier 2 strength,

seeing this scene, how could it dare to stay any longer?

Instinctively, it wanted to flee.

Deep in the palace, there was a tunnel dug out by the Earth Rock Rat King itself.

It connected to another area; as long as it squeezed out through that tunnel, the Earth Rock Rat King had a chance to escape alive.

*Slash!*

Before the Earth Rock Rat King could run far,

it was surrounded by the black branches rushing over.

The Earth Rock Rat King instinctively activated its life-saving means.

Earth-yellow light flared up from its body.

But facing the continuous strikes of hundreds of black branches,

in the end, the earth-yellow light on the Earth Rock Rat King's body shattered, and the two-meter-large Earth Rock Rat King became nourishment for Lin Yuan's growth.

"Ah…"

"Truly comfortable."

Lin Yuan let out a soft sigh of satisfaction as his branches swayed gently.

The Tier 2 Earth Rock Rat King was definitely the most delicious creature Lin Yuan had devoured since descending here.

Its abundant vitality and fearful Soul brought pleasure to Lin Yuan's entire mind and body.

"That's about it."

"Let's see what that earth-attribute Spirit Medicine is."

Controlling the black branches, Lin Yuan cleaned up the underground battlefield, finally reaching the deepest part of the palace where the Earth Rock Rat King resided.

He saw a palm-sized spirit plant growing there.

Hanging beneath the leaves of the spirit plant were several spirit fruits the size of a pinky finger, faintly giving off subtle fluctuations of earth-attribute spiritual energy.

"This is that earth-attribute Spirit Medicine? The one that cultivated a Tier 2 Rat King?"

Lin Yuan looked closely; he didn't recognize what this Spirit Medicine was.

But it didn't matter, since he would directly devour it anyway—there was no difference.

Lin Yuan was just curious about what profound mystery such a tiny Spirit Medicine possessed.

"Time to eat."

Without hesitation, Lin Yuan swept his black branches forward, completely devouring all the spiritual energy and essence of that Spirit Medicine.

"All done."

"Everything is wrapped up."

"I can leave now."

After devouring the Earth Rock Rat swarm and that Spirit Medicine,

Lin Yuan was well satisfied and began controlling his roots to slowly shift toward the depths of the Cloud Mist Mountain Range.

Although the Demon Ancestor Tree wasn't confined to a single spot and could move proactively, its speed wasn't very fast.

To avoid attracting the attention of other Yao Beasts and Vicious Beasts, Lin Yuan chose to move when there were no Yao Beasts passing nearby as much as possible.

Half a month later,

Lin Yuan successfully entered the depths of the Cloud Mist Mountain Range.

This was already the outer layer of the mountain range's depths. Along with abundant spiritual energy, the number of Yao Beasts increased as well.

*Rustle rustle.*

Lin Yuan's branches rustled. After devouring hundreds of Earth Rock Rats, the Earth Rock Rat King, and the earth-attribute Spirit Medicine,

Lin Yuan's size surpassed ten meters in one go.

His jet-black trunk and leaves exuded a chilling aura.

As an offspring of the Demon Ancestor Tree, Lin Yuan inherently belonged to the 'evil' faction.

"This won't do."

"I still need to disguise my aura."

Lin Yuan thought about it. If he continued emitting an evil aura, he could forget about hunting—what Yao Beast would dare approach?

"It shouldn't be hard to comprehend a secret technique to conceal and disguise my aura."

Lin Yuan began to comprehend again, creating an aura-concealment secret technique unique to this kind of lifeform based on the characteristics of the Demon Ancestor Tree.

[With your Heaven-Defying Comprehension Ability, you sensed the flow of your own aura and attempted to create an aura-concealment secret technique.]

[With your Heaven-Defying Comprehension Ability, you sensed the flow of your own aura and attempted to create an aura-concealment secret technique.]

[With your Heaven-Defying Comprehension Ability, you sensed the flow of your own aura and attempted to create an aura-concealment secret technique.]

A few days later,

Lin Yuan successfully comprehended an aura-concealment secret technique.

Upon executing it, his evil aura began to retract.

Instead, a harmless aura exuded from him.

Under these circumstances, some passing birds even instinctively landed on Lin Yuan's branches to rest.

"Not bad, not bad."

Lin Yuan had no interest in those scrawny birds; they barely had any vitality, and he didn't even bother to devour them.

"That wolf yao?"

Lin Yuan expanded his perception and found a wolf pack's nest several li away.

The leading wolf yao reached a length of seven to eight meters, looking like a small hill.

Just like that,

time passed rapidly.

In the blink of an eye, fifty years had passed since Lin Yuan descended into this world.