Chapter 691: Eternal Painting

"This sword strike?"

The man in white felt his scalp tingle; his strength surpassed that of the Experts inside the previous two giant paintings.

Therefore, when facing the sword strike slashed out by Lin Yuan, he did not fail to even react before his form was severed and obliterated, returning to the painting.

The man in white reacted, and within an instant, he mounted a defense as runes similarly filled the Void Realm.

The runes condensed by the man in white were incomparably heavy and exuded an aura of infinite light.

But it was of no use.

Before that black-and-white sword light that parted the Yin and Yang of heaven and earth, all the runes were slashed apart and obliterated.

In an instant.

The black-and-white sword light arrived right in front of the man in white.

The man in white sighed softly and closed his eyes.

Swish, swish.

Following that.

Just like the Experts in the previous two giant paintings, the form of the man in white collapsed and scattered.

However, compared to the golden-armored youth and the charming woman, the collapsed form of the man in white did not return to the painting.

Instead, it condensed once more.

"Hm?"

Lin Yuan looked toward the man in white.

His expression inevitably held surprise.

Although the strike just now could not be considered his strongest ultimate move, it still belonged to a full-strength strike.

A full-strength strike under conventional states.

According to Lin Yuan's estimation, the might of this strike was such that even ten or a hundred Abyssal Dragons would find it impossible to block.

Moreover, this strike contained the Chaotic Yin Yang Taiji Path and possessed infinite destructive power. Under a single strike, the Physical Body, Soul, and mind were all severed and obliterated, making it impossible for at least this true body to recover.

In Lin Yuan's comprehension, if his Chaotic Yin Yang Taiji Path were cultivated to the third level, it would encompass Karma. Enemies killed by this Dao would, under the traction of Karma, have even their true self's life-saving methods affected.

Simply put, Experts below the Thirteenth Order were equivalent to ants without any life-saving methods in front of Lin Yuan.

"Do not overthink."

"You have already passed the trial."

Looking at Lin Yuan as if he had perceived something, the man in white spoke: "I condensed once more by borrowing the power of the giant painting. Without the giant painting, under that sword strike of yours, I should have been completely annihilated."

The man in white carefully examined Lin Yuan.

As the most perfect and powerful lifeform painted by the Lord of Wu Mountain, he had never been defeated head-on by any existence since his birth.

Even those Eternal Children were no exception.

The trial spaces opened up by the Lord of Wu Mountain were numerous. Since the great upheaval of heaven and earth, many Experts had entered to accept the trials. Among them were some Eternal Children, as well as the Children of Destiny born under the threat of the Demon Disaster.

But even those few who passed the trial did so by using some desperate methods to forcibly bypass the man in white, entering the entrance to pass the trial.

Like Lin Yuan, directly obliterating the man in white with a single sword strike—or rather, annihilating him with an instantaneous sword strike—had simply never occurred before.

The man in white himself had never imagined that one day, when facing a living being below the Eternal Lord, he would be so vulnerable. Even those Source Demons could not achieve this extent.

"You flatter me."

Lin Yuan immediately understood.

He looked toward the man in white and nodded slightly.

Needless to say, the man in white was the strongest lifeform below the Thirteenth Order that Lin Yuan had encountered so far.

That Abyssal Dragon of the First Source World appeared somewhat lacking before the man in white.

But unfortunately, the man in white met Lin Yuan.

A millennium ago, Lin Yuan's strength already surpassed the Abyssal Dragon, not weaker than the current man in white.

Let alone after experiencing a millennium of cultivation, where his rule comprehension and methods had greatly improved, and he had opened up ten billion particle worlds.

Ten billion particle worlds, and moreover, ten billion particle worlds reshaped through Infinite Void, the blessing they brought to Lin Yuan could be called terrifying.

After descending to this Origin World, Lin Yuan gathered all resources, gave up on cultivating his two Primordial Spirits, and concentrated on opening up particle worlds, which also demonstrated the enhancement this method brought him.

"That cannot be considered flattering."

The man in white shook his head. "I am indeed not your opponent, far from it."

The man in white openly admitted it.

The gap between him and Lin Yuan was simply too vast.

The sword strike slashed out by the latter, after annihilating the golden-armored youth of the first giant painting and the charming woman of the second giant painting, was still able to completely obliterate him.

This meant that he could not even block the residual might of that sword strike.

"You are the strongest among the six challengers who passed the trial, and presumably the most powerful lifeform below the Eternal Lord. I hope you can fulfill the expectations of the Lord of Wu Mountain and completely sweep away the 'Demon' Disaster."

Looking at Lin Yuan, not knowing what he was thinking, the man in white's figure collapsed and scattered, returning to the painting.

The reason he condensed once more with the help of the giant painting's power was simply to see what the existence that defeated him with a single sword strike actually looked like.

That was all.

"Completely sweep away the Demon Disaster?"

Lin Yuan did not respond.

According to the meaning of the Golden Figure.

The purpose of the Lord of Wu Mountain opening up numerous trial spaces.

Was to Cultivate a new Eternal Lord.

In other words, if one wanted to sweep away the 'Demon' Disaster, they had to become a new Eternal Lord.

As for the Eternal Lord—although in the future timeline seen by the Six Ancestors of the First Source World, Lin Yuan was almost bound to become a Thirteenth Order.

But without ten percent certainty, Lin Yuan always felt unsure.

This was also the reason why Lin Yuan shuttled and descended to the Second Source World before attempting to break through to the Thirteenth Order.

He wanted to gain more accumulation for breaking through to the Thirteenth Order.

If Lin Yuan, like other Experts, only had a slim hope of breaking through to the Thirteenth Order,

he might have just braced himself and gone for it since he had nothing to lose.

But the higher his certainty, the more cautious Lin Yuan was, because he was not someone with nothing to lose anymore.

Whoosh.

Lin Yuan took a step forward.

He arrived right in the center of heaven and earth, before that small entrance door.

Swish!

The Golden Figure appeared, standing beside the small entrance door.

"Congratulations on successfully passing the trial." The Golden Figure looked at Lin Yuan with a complex expression.

In the past, if a cultivator who passed the trial appeared, he would surely feel joyful, as this meant the arrangements of the Lord of Wu Mountain had taken effect.

If none of the challengers passed to acquire the Legacy left behind by the Lord of Wu Mountain, then what was the meaning of the existence of so many trial spaces?

However, the scene of Lin Yuan passing the trial caused the Golden Figure's cognition to begin shattering.

Even though the commotion caused when Lin Yuan's true body descended into the trial space had already made the Golden Figure overestimate him enough.

But to obliterate the Experts in the three giant paintings with a single sword strike—especially the last giant painting, which was considered by the Lord of Wu Mountain to be the most perfect and strongest lifeform below the Eternal Lord—

The man in white was the most perfect and strongest lifeform below the Eternal Lord.

Then what was Lin Yuan considered?

Did this mean that the Lord of Wu Mountain was wrong?

But how could an Eternal Lord, who stood high above and gazed across numerous future timelines, possibly be wrong?

"I wonder if the Lord of Wu Mountain saw this current scene."

The Golden Figure said with a hint of emotion.

An Eternal Lord could clearly see numerous future timelines. When the Lord of Wu Mountain opened up the numerous trial spaces, he probably glanced through them and perhaps long ago knew how many challengers would pass the trial in the billions of years to come.

"Probably he didn't see it." Hearing this, Lin Yuan muttered inwardly.

He descended to this Origin World through the Gate of Myriad Realms, and the Gate of Myriad Realms transcended all timelines, remaining outside the observation of various Time Lifeforms.

In the First Source World, before Lin Yuan descended, the Six Ancestors could not foresee Lin Yuan's future appearance, not even a single timeline, because they could not observe the Gate of Myriad Realms and even less could they determine that Lin Yuan would descend.

Until Lin Yuan completely descended into the First Source World and appeared within that Origin World's timeline, only by viewing from the timeline of Lin Yuan's descent could one observe timelines containing Lin Yuan.

As for looking backward from the timelines before Lin Yuan's descent, the existence of Lin Yuan could not be seen.

The same principle applied to this Origin World.

Lin Yuan had descended into this Origin World for over a thousand years, whereas the Lord of Wu Mountain opened up the numerous trial spaces before the great upheaval of heaven and earth. Viewing the future from that time, it was certain that no trace of Lin Yuan could be detected, let alone seeing the scene of Lin Yuan passing the trial.

Of course.

Only Lin Yuan knew the fundamental principles behind this.

As for how it appeared in the eyes of those Time Lifeforms? Perhaps it was just that their strength was limited? That the timelines they could view were limited, and they simply hadn't discovered the timelines where Lin Yuan existed?

In reality, as long as Lin Yuan had not descended into a certain Origin World, even if one viewed all timelines of that Origin World, not a single trace of Lin Yuan would exist.

"Where on earth is the Lord of Wu Mountain right now?" Lin Yuan inquired.

Just before entering this trial space, the Golden Figure had answered some of Lin Yuan's doubts, such as whether the Demon God was not the true source of the 'Demon' Disaster?

But what Lin Yuan wanted to know more about, the Golden Figure found it inconvenient to tell him.

"The Lord of Wu Mountain." The Golden Figure fell silent. After pondering for a moment, it spoke: "Since you have already passed the trial, which shows that there is hope to sweep away the 'Demon' Disaster, many secrets can now be told to you."

The Golden Figure looked at Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan immediately listened attentively.

"The Lord of Wu Mountain was trapped in a certain spacetime at the time of the great upheaval of heaven and earth, on the day the 'Demon' Disaster descended," said the Golden Figure.

"Trapped in a certain spacetime?"

Lin Yuan's heart gave a start.

A dignified Thirteenth Order Time Lifeform could actually be trapped?

"It cannot exactly be said that he was trapped; rather, the Lord of Wu Mountain chose to be trapped."

The Golden Figure thought for a moment and spoke.

"I see."

Lin Yuan nodded.

A Thirteenth Order Time Lifeform could view future timelines and would certainly be able to see the scene of themselves being trapped.

The reason the Lord of Wu Mountain was trapped should be the result of weighing numerous timelines, determining that the ending where he was trapped was the best, which was why he willingly allowed himself to be trapped.

"Not only the Lord of Wu Mountain, but all other Eternal Lords are also trapped. They cannot directly interfere with heaven and earth and can only exert influence through the backup plans arranged before the great upheaval—"

The Golden Figure continued to speak.

"All Eternal Lords are trapped? Or did they willingly choose to be trapped?"

Lin Yuan's thoughts spread out. What on earth was the reason that could make all Eternal Lords actively choose this ending?

"What are they trapped because of?" Lin Yuan pressed.

"About that, I truly do not know."

The Golden Figure shook its head and said, "But as long as you become a new Eternal Lord, you will surely understand."

Having finished speaking, the Golden Figure looked toward the small entrance door beside it. "Since you have passed the trial, you can acquire the Legacy left behind by the Lord of Wu Mountain."

After the Golden Figure finished speaking,

The small entrance door emitted an intangible fluctuation.

Lin Yuan's mind integrated into it, and in a daze, he saw a giant painting.

An eternal painting encompassing heaven, earth, the universe, and all living beings.