Outside a highly secretive valley, elite soldiers in armor were scattered inside and out, the area completely sealed off, allowing no one to approach.
Within the valley, a group of men and women, old and young, gathered with expressions of fear and despair, yet not daring to resist in the slightest, only able to wait for the final judgment to come.
"Didn't expect the last remnants of the previous dynasty to be hiding here, it certainly made our search worthwhile."
The leader was a fierce-looking man named Lv Ju, who eyed each person in the valley and instructed the elite soldiers beside him, "Keep a close watch, don't let a single one escape."
"Yes."
The soldiers on both sides nodded, then hesitated, "Sir, how long should we keep watch?"
"I've already reported to the court, surely someone will soon arrive to take away these remnants of the previous dynasty."
Lv Ju scanned the area, "Discovering the remnants of the previous dynasty is a great merit, you'll all be rewarded."
Since the establishment of the Great Yan Ancestor's rule, a bounty had been placed for the search for remnants of the previous dynasty. Over the past eighty years, many had risen to high status upon such discoveries.
Unfortunately, with the passage of time, there were fewer and fewer remnants, and in the last decade, there has been no news at all.
Lv Ju believed that the remnants in the valley he discovered were likely the last of the Da Feng dynasty.
"Every time remnants were found in the past, the court always sent people to take them away, it's puzzling why it's so troublesome."
Lv Ju privately thought that in his view, discovering remnants meant they should be killed outright to prevent future troubles, why bother taking them away?
However, this was an order from the Emperor of the Great Yan Ancestor, and Lv Ju naturally did not dare to object. In today's world, the Great Yan Ancestor was akin to a divine being.
This status didn't derive from power but from a series of policies implemented after the founding of Greater Yan.
Compared to the previous dynasty, Greater Yan was far more lenient to the people, not only reducing taxes and labor but also proactively educating the masses, something unimaginable in previous dynasties.
Lv Ju also admired the Great Yan Ancestor greatly; during the thirtieth anniversary of Great Yan's founding, he traveled to the capital just to catch a distant glimpse of the Great Yan Ancestor.
…
A moment later.
Outside the valley, an unknown young man appeared.
The young man was dressed in plain clothes, his expression calm, showing no fear despite the elite soldiers sealing the valley inside and out.
"This should be where 'Liang' the Eunuch from the former Da Feng palace and his descendants are hiding." The young man was Lin Yuan, who looked distantly at the valley.
'Liang,' who served the last emperor of Da Feng for decades, was exiled from the palace due to a single mistake before the capital was besieged and then disappeared.
Not long ago, while traveling the world, Lin Yuan learned of this matter and rushed over personally.
"Who are you? This area is sealed off, leave immediately." The patrolling soldiers quickly noticed the young man's presence and harshly reprimanded him.
Lin Yuan glanced at the soldiers without difficulty and took out a token from his bosom.
The token was crimson with the character 'Yan' inscribed on its surface.
Since the founding of Greater Yan, Lin Yuan spent most of his time traveling the world, searching for the true Emperor of Da Feng's whereabouts.
Traveling the world naturally required a protective identity to command nearby forces at any time, so he carried this token instead of revealing his imperial identity.
This token represented the Greater Yan Dynasty and could command local authorities at any moment.
"The Great Yan Order?" All the soldiers' expressions slightly changed, quickly bowing to Lin Yuan.
"This must be the person sent by the court to take away the remnants of the previous dynasty." A soldier thought privately.
Only those at the court's higher echelons could possess the Great Yan Order; it was a token issued personally by the Ancestor, symbolizing an indescribably prestigious status.
Soon enough.
Lv Ju hurried out upon the report from his soldiers.
Upon seeing Lin Yuan, his expression quivered, and he dropped to his knees, "Lv Ju, garrison commander of Qiong State, greets Your Majesty."
"You recognize me?" Lin Yuan looked at Lv Ju slightly longer.
As the Great Yan Founding Ancestor, Lin Yuan rarely appeared in front of others, often journeying through the world.
"In Great Yan's thirtieth year, I was fortunate to catch a glimpse of Your Majesty from afar at the capital." Lv Ju quickly explained.
Although it was only a distant glance, it left an incredibly deep impression on Lv Ju, and even after fifty years, he recognized Lin Yuan at a glance.
"Hmm."
Lin Yuan nodded.
In Great Yan's thirtieth year, he indeed made a visit to the capital.
"Are they all inside?"
Lin Yuan didn't waste words.
"They are all inside."
Lv Ju immediately replied.
"Have everyone withdraw, wait outside."
Lin Yuan ordered.
In the past, when discovering Da Feng remnants, they were escorted to the capital before Lin Yuan personally interacted with them.
"Yes."
Lv Ju nodded, then hesitated, "Your Majesty, these remnants of the previous dynasty were somewhat unruly when I first sealed the site, encountering resistance…"
Lv Ju worried for Lin Yuan's safety, as if all soldiers withdrew, wouldn't Lin Yuan face the remnants alone?
If anything were to happen, even being torn apart wouldn't suffice as punishment for Lv Ju.
"Rest assured, I know my limits."
Lin Yuan said casually.
Even eighty years ago, his power had reached the pinnacle of this world.
It was the pinnacle of this world, not just the extremity of Dao Masters throughout history.
Now, eighty years later, Lin Yuan's power had improved significantly, with few creatures in the world able to harm him.
"Very well."
Lv Ju hesitated for a moment but complied with Lin Yuan's instructions to withdraw all the soldiers.
When Lin Yuan walked into the valley, the many soldiers guarding outside immediately stirred.
They all witnessed Lü Ju's behavior just now.
His Majesty?
Lü Ju addressed that young man as His Majesty?
In the entire Greater Yan Dynasty, the only one eligible to be called His Majesty is the Great Yan Ancestor.
In the eighty years since the Greater Yan was founded, the Ancestor has always been in power, and there has not been a second emperor in the Greater Yan Dynasty.
"General, was that the Ancestor just now?"
"The Ancestor looks so young, how does he look even younger than me?"
"The Ancestor overthrew the former regime and established the Greater Yan eighty years ago, and now eighty years have passed, yet he still looks so young?"
…
The soldiers were all exhilarated, being able to see the Ancestor personally was enough for them to boast for a lifetime.
"Keep it down, His Majesty is still inside."
Lü Ju frowned as he glanced at the many soldiers, and the area immediately quieted down.
"His Majesty…"
At this moment, Lü Ju's heart was also exceptionally shocked, as he realized that the His Majesty he saw was unusually young, not different from fifty years ago?
Fifty years ago, he was only nineteen, and as fifty years passed, he was now sixty-nine, already showing signs of old age.
And His Majesty? Having overthrown the former regime eighty years ago, he should have been at least over twenty years old, now at least over a hundred years old, even for an Entering Dao Master, approaching the limit of lifespan.
…
Inside the valley.
Several hundred men, women, old and young trembled with fear.
At this moment, they realized that all the soldiers had withdrawn.
Then a young man walked in.
This young man had completely restrained his presence, making the men, women, old and young feel he wasn't even as strong as a random elite soldier from earlier.
Yet now all the elite soldiers had withdrawn, and it was this young man who came in, evidently indicating that the latter held a high rank, able to command all the soldiers.
"Who are you?"
At this moment, an old man with graying hair stepped forward from among the men, women, old, and young, looking at Lin Yuan, inquiring cautiously.
"You don't need to know who I am."
Lin Yuan shook his head slightly, "Who knows 'Liang Qin'?"
'Liang Qin' was the eunuch who had served the last emperor of Da Feng.
It was said that 'Liang Qin' had served from when the last Da Feng emperor was still a crown prince until twenty years before Da Feng's fall, when he was expelled from the palace, his life and death unknown.
"I know him."
The graying-haired old man was silent for a while, then opened his mouth: "I was an adopted son of Liang Qin, intending to return to our hometown together, but later heard that Da Feng had fallen, so I hid here."
"Did Liang Qin tell you anything? About the last Da Feng emperor?"
Lin Yuan asked.
In fact, at this moment, Lin Yuan was already observing the other party's past timeline, thereby locking onto the parts related to 'Liang Qin'.
Perhaps from this eunuch who served the last Da Feng emperor for decades, he could detect some traces of the other party.
"He said a few things."
The graying-haired old man said, "I can tell you everything, but as for the Da Feng dynasty, it has nothing to do with these people, you may kill me if you'd like."
"Speak."
Lin Yuan looked at him.
"During his return to his hometown, my foster father told me that during the decades he served, the personality of the Da Feng emperor underwent two subtle changes."
"Two subtle changes?"
Lin Yuan's expression became contemplative.
"The first was two years after his accession, initially highly interested in state affairs, the Da Feng emperor suddenly became immersed in Daoist cultivation, spending most of his time in the Dao Pavilion."
The graying-haired old man said.
The Dao Pavilion was where Da Feng stored a multitude of Entering Dao secret techniques.
"Afterward, when my foster father cleaned the Dao Pavilion, he found that besides studying the normal cultivation methods, the emperor was very interested in some secret techniques, such as those for restraining one's presence and reducing the fluctuations of vitality and mind."
"He spent a lot of time watching these types of secret techniques."
The graying-haired old man said.
"Continue."
Lin Yuan nodded.
"The second change happened about ten or twenty years later; after serving the emperor for decades, my foster father vaguely felt that the emperor seems to have been replaced, even though the behavior and personality were identical, there was just that sense."
The graying-haired old man said.
When 'Liang Qin' told him about this matter, he had specially exhorted him never to let it spread, otherwise there would be the disaster of beheading.
But now that the Da Feng Dynasty had fallen for eighty years, saying it was no longer a problem.
Lin Yuan's expression fell into brief thought.
According to the graying-haired old man, based on the second subtle change in the Da Feng emperor, he could speculate the cause.
It was exactly at the time when a substitute had taken the place.
No matter how much a substitute resembled the original.
Ultimately, they are not the same person.
Ministers or even close relatives might not be able to perceive.
But as the eunuch attending to the emperor, 'Liang Gonggong' certainly wouldn't be utterly ignorant.
"Understood."
Lin Yuan nodded.
He had already obtained the key information he wanted to know.
As for whether the graying-haired old man was lying or hiding anything? Lin Yuan had already observed the other's past timeline several times, ensuring there was nothing overlooked.
"Sir, indeed I had connections with the former regime, but none of the other people did, they were all born after the Greater Yan was established, they are people of the Greater Yan."
The graying-haired old man immediately pleaded.
"Don't worry."
"You can all live."
Lin Yuan glanced at the trembling crowd and spoke.
He was not a person who revels in killing, and if it didn't concern his own interests, he wouldn't kill innocently.
From the beginning to now, Lin Yuan was only targeting the Da Feng emperor.
As for the numerous remnants of Da Feng sent to the court over the last eighty years? Once confirmed that these people also knew nothing about the Da Feng emperor, Lin Yuan did not kill them all but instead housed them in a small town.
…
Outside the valley.
Lv Ju watched Lin Yuan walk out, immediately moving closer, "Your Majesty."
"I'm leaving first."
Lin Yuan glanced at him.
"What about the people inside?" Lv Ju asked in a low voice.
"Don't worry, let them all go."
Lin Yuan said.
"Yes."
Lv Ju immediately bowed and said.
When he looked up again, he found that Lin Yuan had already vanished.
"Your Majesty…" Lv Ju composed himself, staring into the empty distance, feeling somewhat dazed.
Did he really just see the Taizu of the Greater Yan Dynasty?
…
Atop a mountain peak, where it was steep and rugged, even an Entering Dao Master would find it hard to reach.
But at this moment, a young man was sitting on a giant rock at the peak.
The young man looked downwards, his thoughts rather complex.
"That Da Feng emperor used all the Original Divine Gold, not to follow the Taizu's will to forge nine cauldrons, but to make a coffin?" Lin Yuan pondered.
Over eighty years, he exerted the power of the entire world and roughly figured out what the Original Divine Gold was ultimately forged into.
No matter how the Da Feng emperor tried to hide it, even erasing all craftsmen who participated in the forging.
But once it's done, traces remain, and with Lin Yuan's ability to view past timelines, after spending some time, he finally uncovered everything.
The fact that the Da Feng emperor forged a coffin instead of the nine cauldrons left Lin Yuan speechless.
A coffin forged with a large amount of Original Divine Gold, once completely sealed, is almost impossible to open by external forces.
Even if thrown back into the Earth Fire Cave and melted by the scorching earth fire, due to the coffin's size, it would take at least hundreds of years to melt halfway.
To fully melt it, it would take an estimated six to seven hundred years.
"Moreover, he also comprehended numerous Secret Techniques to conceal his aura and reduce spiritual and physical fluctuations, trying to comprehend the art of feigned death?"
Lin Yuan speculated deeply.
If that Da Feng emperor operated the art of feigned death and hid inside the coffin made entirely of Original Divine Gold, then placed the coffin somewhere…
Who in the world could kill him?
But…
Why would this Da Feng emperor do such a thing?
Using the art of feigned death to hide in the Original Divine Gold coffin, how is that different from true death?
"Rather cling to life in such a way, than be killed by me—it's not just as simple as knowing in advance that I want to kill him."
Lin Yuan gently shook his head, "This Da Feng emperor, like me, has fallen into this time-loop world, but my trial is to kill him, while his trial is to survive?"
In eighty years, with the help of various clues and his observations, Lin Yuan finally reached this incredibly astonishing conclusion.
If the Da Feng emperor were a native of this time-loop world, he would certainly not behave this way. He could have negotiated with me, exchanging his life for the continuation of the Da Feng dynasty.
Instead of ending up like now, with the Da Feng dynasty perishing and the Da Feng emperor hiding in a coffin, clinging to life, akin to being dead.
"Is this the real test I'm facing?"
"Someone like me, from the outside world, who knows in advance that I will definitely be able to kill him?"
Lin Yuan also felt troubled. If he had known these things earlier, he would have infiltrated the imperial palace when he first traversed, establishing a connection with the Da Feng emperor beforehand.
That way, no matter where the opponent hid, he could know.
…
A month later.
On the eastern coast.
The East Sea is also known as the deep sea, called the Endless East Sea or the Endless deep sea.
Lin Yuan looked out with his hands behind his back.
For eighty years, he had traversed almost every corner of the land.
At each location, he would observe future timelines, attempting to conduct a comprehensive search of that position within that time line, including digging tens of thousands of miles underground and so on.
Now, on the continent beneath Lin Yuan's feet, in billions of timelines he observed in the past eighty years, virtually every part has been turned over dozens of times, with no trace of the Original Divine Gold.
That is to say.
If the Da Feng emperor really hid in the Original Divine Gold coffin, the final location of the coffin certainly isn't on the continent.
"Deep sea…"
Lin Yuan looked at the endless deep blue ocean.
Not to mention that he is very close to his life limit; in two months, Lin Yuan's physical body would completely die of old age.
Even if he still had ample lifespan, trying to search the endless deep sea like he did on the continent would take thousands and thousands of years.
The area of the endless deep sea is a thousand times, ten thousand times that of the continent.
Not to mention the sea floor of the endless deep sea—the environment there is so harsh that Lin Yuan simply cannot approach it and would undoubtedly be crushed by the infinite sea pressure.
In this world, no matter how Lin Yuan cultivates, no matter how much he surpasses limits, the upper limit of the physical body has been fixed; Lin Yuan cannot break through the limit of life, nor can he break through the shackles of the physical body.
Until now, if Lin Yuan's heart and brain were shattered, he would still die. However, relying on powerful spiritual power, he would die a bit later, but he would certainly die.
"Remarkable."
Lin Yuan admired from the bottom of his heart.
At this moment, he even felt some respect for that Da Feng emperor.
He left no opportunity for him.
"Even if I had infiltrated the imperial palace upon arrival, established a causal relationship, and knew where he sank into the deep sea, there would be little point."
Lin Yuan thought silently.
The seabed environment is too harsh; he simply has no means to retrieve it.
The other used the Original Divine Gold to resist the endless sea pressure, what would he rely on?
Even if he found the same amount of Original Divine Gold, once sealed inside, he could not come out; even if he could appear, after diving into the seabed, as soon as he dared to surface, he would be instantly crushed by the sea pressure.
…
"Only two months left until my lifespan limit."
"I have to use that method."
Lin Yuan withdrew his gaze from the dark blue deep sea.
Twenty years ago, Lin Yuan had searched almost the entire land, yet still could not find the position of the Da Feng Emperor. He had speculated that perhaps the Emperor wasn't hiding on land at all.
Searching the deep sea wasn't realistic either. Even if he started over, with a full hundred and fifty years, it was far from possible to explore every part of the deep sea.
Back then, Lin Yuan was already contemplating other ways.
To comprehend the endless deep sea, or the entire world, in a short time.
It's not impossible, but it requires incredibly powerful spiritual power.
As long as one's spiritual power is strong enough, in a single thought, it can envelop the entire world.
But this is almost impossible to achieve.
Spiritual power needs to be nurtured by a physical body, and given this world's suppression on the flesh, it's impossible to generate that level of spiritual power.
This is due to the limitations of the world, or rather, the limitations of the supreme rules.
Lin Yuan couldn't break them.
However.
Lin Yuan couldn't enhance his physical body.
But he could replace his physical body.
If Lin Yuan's flesh wasn't this current body of flesh and blood, but this world…
At Lin Yuan's level, the view of the physical body as a vessel had long surpassed being confined to flesh and blood.
All things in the world can become spiritual, and the body can be all sorts of bizarre forms, with the world itself being a kind of body.
Lin Yuan simply needed to replace the world's consciousness with his own spiritual will.
However.
Replacing the world consciousness is extremely dangerous.
Especially in this world with extremely strict rules, Lin Yuan's spiritual will could very likely be counterattacked by the world consciousness and be utterly obliterated during the replacement.
Even if successful in the end, it wouldn't last long.
But Lin Yuan didn't need it to last long, just a single breath would suffice.
With Lin Yuan's level, as long as he completely replaces the world consciousness, his spiritual power will rise without limit, reaching a level easily covering every part of the world.
Then, as long as the Da Feng Emperor remains in this world, he can be easily targeted.
By relying on the massively increased spiritual power after replacing the world, even with the isolation of the Original Divine Gold, it can forcibly pierce through to kill him.
"Let's do it this way."
Lin Yuan had made a decision in his heart.
If the final replacement fails, he'll directly utilize the World-Breaking Origin Force to kill him.
With the strength of Lin Yuan's spiritual power, even if the replacement fails and suffers the world consciousness's backlash.
He can still hold on for a few moments, enough to activate the World-Breaking Origin Force to 'clear the level'.
Of course.
Lin Yuan hopes to succeed in replacing the world consciousness.
Not only to save four million World-Breaking Origin Force.
But also to account for the past hundred and fifty years.
If he has to rely on the World-Breaking Origin Force to break through the time cycle in the end, why didn't he use it as soon as he descended?
"Find for the last two months."
Lin Yuan didn't plan to immediately replace the world consciousness.
Whether successful or failed in replacing the world consciousness, he certainly wouldn't survive.
It should naturally be reserved for the last moment.
As for now?
He can still try to continue searching.
Although the chances are slim.
He has to try.
…
Time passed.
In the blink of an eye, two months had gone by.
Lin Yuan sat cross-legged atop a mountain peak.
He could clearly feel that his physical body was infinitely nearing its limit.
In one more hour, he would completely die of old age.
"It's time!"
Lin Yuan took a deep breath, his spiritual power suddenly ignited.
After igniting, his spiritual power soared infinitely, vaguely piercing through the clouds, reaching above the sky.
Losing the control of the spiritual conscious, Lin Yuan's body was aging at a visible pace.
Previously, Lin Yuan was able to maintain a youthful appearance due to his powerful spiritual power control.
Now, with all spiritual power leaving the body, the latter naturally couldn't sustain its previous state.
Rumble.
As Lin Yuan's spiritual power continuously rose, merging deeply into the world.
The originally slow-operating world consciousness began to gradually awaken.
"Replacing the heart of Heaven with one's own."
Lin Yuan's vast spiritual power continuously intertwined and operated, numerous runes emerged, merging toward the world consciousness.
Regarding the replacement of world consciousness, Lin Yuan had already experienced it during his earliest few traversals, when he descended into Tianqing World in the Boundless Void.
He had considerable experience.
Buzz buzz buzz ~ Lin Yuan's spiritual power continuously merged into the world consciousness, the latter fiercely struggled, but still couldn't resist.
Lin Yuan's replacement of the world consciousness was too sudden, the world consciousness had no preparation at all, coupled with burning all spiritual power in a desperate attempt, resulting in a great enhancement.
Finally, at a certain moment.
Lin Yuan's spiritual power completely replaced the world consciousness.
"This is…"
After replacing the world consciousness, Lin Yuan's spiritual power began to increase boundlessly.
Since descending into this world, compared to his original body, Lin Yuan's spiritual power was exceedingly weak.
But this was due to the limitations of the physical body, the feeble physical body simply couldn't endure overly powerful spiritual power.
Now that Lin Yuan's body is replaced with this world, the strength of a world certainly far exceeds that of an individual body. Even if it still falls short of the true power of Lin Yuan's body outside, it can still to some extent unleash the might of true spiritual power.
Whish ~ With the support of the entire world, Lin Yuan's spiritual power surged without limit, sweeping across the entire world effortlessly.
The Central Plains, ninety-nine provinces, numerous small countries, tribes, and all were under Lin Yuan's spiritual power.
In the past, Lin Yuan spent eighty years to survey these regions, but now it happened in an instant.
Whoosh!
The terrifying spiritual power continued to spread, covering toward the endless deep sea.
Quickly.
The endless deep sea was also under Lin Yuan's control.
Within the deep sea, massive sea beasts seemed to sense something. After being swept by the spiritual power, they became terrified, trembling.
"There it is…"
Lin Yuan gazed toward a certain spot on the ocean floor of the endless deep sea, the deepest part nearly untouched by any signs of life.
At this moment, at the bottom of this deep sea, a pitch-black coffin lay there.
Rumble~
The terrifying spiritual power swept over, Original Divine Gold isolating everything, but it couldn't block the spiritual power after taking the world as a body, the invisible force swept through, soon penetrating the Original Divine Gold, covering the figure lying inside.
"What is this?"
The Da Feng Emperor, who had been sleeping, seemed to sense something and abruptly opened his eyes.
"Die!"
Without any hesitation, Lin Yuan prompted spiritual power to utterly obliterate the Da Feng Emperor within the coffin.
At the moment of the Da Feng Emperor's death.
The whole world fell into a certain stagnation.
Lin Yuan pondered, his spiritual will returning to his body.
Now his physical body was already extremely aged, but it wasn't dead yet, with less than an hour to his lifespan limit.
Lin Yuan stood up, looking at the world around him.
From the edge of the world, everything material began to collapse and disintegrate.
As if everything was like an illusion that would ultimately dissipate completely.
"I broke through the time cycle."
Lin Yuan looked up to the sky.
In the depths of his mind, he already knew that he had passed the test of the time cycle.