Chapter 33: Chapter 30 Sword Tomb
Dragon Tiger Mountain, dusk.

Lin Yuan, dressed in a gray standard Daoist robe, stopped in front of a large boulder.

“Ten years already…”

Lin Yuan sat on the boulder, falling into a brief contemplation.

In ten years, Lin Yuan had come to deeply understand this world.

The cultivation system of this world was divided from the Ninth Grade to the First Grade.

The Ninth Grade was the lowest, the First Grade the highest, and above the First Grade was the Celestial Phenomena Realm.

Practitioners of the Celestial Phenomena Realm were said to be one with heaven and earth, perceiving the vital energies of all things, capable of moving mountains and splitting stones with a mere gesture.

Even within the Cosmic Human Alliance, they’re considered a formidable Second Layer combat power.

From this aspect, Lin Yuan also confirmed that the hierarchy of this world was higher than that of the Martial World he had traversed through for the first time.

“Seventy more years to stay.”

Lin Yuan glanced at the illusory text below his line of sight.

[Name: Zhang Shanfeng (Lin Yuan)]

[Identity: Holder of the Myriad Realms Gate]

[Bound Talent: Against-Heaven’s Understanding]

[Current Status: Consciousness Descent]

[Residence Time: Eighty Years]

Perhaps due to the enhancement of strength and the different world ranking.

This time, Lin Yuan’s residence time had changed from twenty years to eighty years.

Regarding this, Lin Yuan was quite satisfied, naturally the longer the residence time the better, under the background of Consciousness Descent.

“Celestial Phenomena Realm…”

Lin Yuan’s eyes were slightly closed as he felt the slowly circulating true force within his body.

In ten years, Lin Yuan naturally hadn’t been idle.

With his Against-Heaven’s Understanding, Lin Yuan had cultivated to the First Grade realm in just three years.

That corresponded to the level of the Free and Unfettered Realm in the Martial World.

Then, five years later, Lin Yuan smoothly stepped into the Celestial Phenomena Realm, becoming one of the top powerhouses of the current era.

Of course, all of this was done secretly by Lin Yuan; the others on Mount Longhu were not aware.

“Still, I should keep a low profile.”

Lin Yuan breathed out softly, thinking to himself.

The Mount Longhu Celestial Master’s Mansion was the ancestral court of Daoism in the world, with unfathomable depths.

At least, after Lin Yuan broke through to the Celestial Phenomena Realm, he vaguely sensed that there were several spots within Mount Longhu that harbored a presence surpassing the Celestial Phenomena Realm.

“Cultivate slowly.”

“Since there’s still plenty of time for this residency, there’s no need to rush.”

As he thought this, Lin Yuan left from beside the boulder.

Before long.

Lin Yuan arrived at a Daoist convent halfway up the mountain.

This convent was where the Daoist boys on Dragon Tiger Mountain lived.

There were a total of eight such convents throughout Dragon Tiger Mountain.

The Celestial Master’s Mansion normally didn’t strictly supervise the Daoist boys; as long as they completed their daily lessons, they could do as they wished.

Lin Yuan had only been back a short while when he saw numerous young Daoist boys, around his age, gathering together.

“Taoist Pingyang?”

Lin Yuan’s eyebrows slightly raised.

The one surrounded by many young Daoists at that moment was an elderly Taoist dressed in worn robes.

This old Taoist usually loitered around Dragon Tiger Mountain, liked to mingle with the young Daoists, and the many Taoists of the Celestial Master’s Mansion did not bother with him when they saw him.

Over time, everyone became familiar with him.

The reason Lin Yuan paid such attention to Taoist Pingyang was because this man was unmistakably a practitioner of the Celestial Phenomena Realm.

Mount Longhu Celestial Master’s Mansion publicly announced only its Master Cang Qing to be a practitioner of the Celestial Phenomena Realm.

In fact, there were three practitioners of the Celestial Phenomena Realm in the mansion.

The somewhat unkempt Taoist Pingyang before him was one of them.

Lin Yuan guessed that Taoist Pingyang was likely to be in a role similar to a protector.

Only when the Celestial Master’s Mansion fell into crisis would he appear.

“Old Taoist, old Taoist, who do you think is the strongest person in the world?”

Among the young Daoists gathered around Taoist Pingyang, a younger-looking Daoist boy asked in a milky voice.

“The strongest person in the world?”

Taoist Pingyang was slightly startled, then immediately laughed, “That’s naturally the successive Celestial Masters of our mansion.”

“The Celestial Master Mansion has a heritage of six thousand eight hundred years, producing thirty-six Heavenly Masters,” each an unparalleled genius, invincible in the world.”

“Even those in the Celestial Phenomena Realm must bow their heads in the presence of a Heavenly Master.”

Pingyang Taoist’s tone slightly elevated, quite proud of himself.

Upon hearing this, the other little Taoist disciples were all invigorated.

After all, everyone was a Taoist disciple of the Celestial Master Mansion, and it was exhilarating to hear that their own Heavenly Master was unmatched under the heavens.

Their hearts naturally filled with joy.

“So, who is the Heavenly Master of the Celestial Master Mansion now?”

Another innocent little Taoist disciple asked.

As soon as these words were spoken,

all the little Taoist disciples turned their eyes towards Pingyang Taoist.

“The current Heavenly Master…”

Upon hearing this, Pingyang hesitated but answered, “Our generation of the Celestial Master Mansion has not yet produced a Heavenly Master.”

Pingyang Taoist had more to say but didn’t.

It wasn’t just this generation that had failed to produce a Heavenly Master.

It had been a full five hundred years since a Heavenly Master had emerged.

The Celestial Master Mansion had a heritage of six thousand eight hundred years, producing thirty-six Heavenly Masters.

This meant that not every era would produce a Heavenly Master.

Even so, generally at most two to three hundred years would pass before a Heavenly Master emerged.

But now, five hundred years had passed since the last Heavenly Master passed away.

“Heavenly Master…”

Not far away, Lin Yuan gazed calmly.

Based on his understanding over the past decade,

the true realm of the Celestial Master Mansion’s Heavenly Master should surpass the Celestial Phenomena Realm.

As for how one becomes a Heavenly Master, it requires passing some kind of test.

Exactly what the test entails, Lin Yuan did not yet know.

This was among the core secrets of the Celestial Master Mansion, likely only accessible to those in the Celestial Phenomena Realm.

“How to surpass the Celestial Phenomena Realm…”

Lin Yuan’s brow furrowed slightly.

Since stepping into the Celestial Phenomena Realm two years ago, Lin Yuan had felt his cultivation speed decrease significantly.

At this rate, even with his Against-Heaven’s Understanding, it would take Lin Yuan at least fifty years to break through the Celestial Phenomena Realm.

This was strange indeed.

With Lin Yuan’s Against-Heaven’s Understanding, it would take fifty years to break through, but for others, even the most astonishingly talented wouldn’t it take at least two to three hundred years, if not five hundred?

Yet all the past Heavenly Masters that Lin Yuan knew of were not older than one hundred.

“Could there be a shortcut?”

Lin Yuan speculated quietly, glancing surreptitiously in several directions again.

Those directions were where Lin Yuan had sensed the presence that surpassed the Celestial Phenomena Realm.

“It is the mountains…” Pingyang Taoist looked up at Lin Yuan and smiled, “Counting the days, in half a month, it will be the once-every-twenty-year pilgrimage to the Sword Tomb.”

“You should perform well when the time comes; it will greatly benefit your future.”

Pingyang Taoist said meaningfully.

“The journey to the Sword Tomb?”

Ripples stirred in Lin Yuan’s heart.

If it were someone else speaking, Lin Yuan might not have cared much.

But Pingyang Taoist was a guardian of the Celestial Master Mansion and one of the three Celestial Phenomena Realm powerhouses.

His understanding of the Celestial Master Mansion certainly far exceeded Lin Yuan’s.

Such a person stressing the pilgrimage to the Sword Tomb and advising Lin Yuan to perform well clearly carried a deeper implication.

“Thank you, Taoist Pingyang, for the reminder.”

Though Lin Yuan was unclear about the true significance of the journey to the Sword Tomb,

he respectfully bowed to Taoist Pingyang.

Over these ten years, Pingyang Taoist had taken good care of him, especially when he was first brought to Mount Dragon Tiger.

In addition to Taoist Changqing’s care, Pingyang Taoist had secretly used his Celestial Qi several times to cleanse Lin Yuan’s meridians and marrow.

Pingyang thought Lin Yuan was too young to know about this.

But Lin Yuan, having descended in consciousness, was well aware of everything that happened since his birth.