"That was quite a quick escape."
Lin Yuan glanced at the nineteen True Lord evil gods fleeing in a frenzy, quickly disappearing into the distance.
He didn't pay much attention to them.
Most of his focus was on the three Void Creatures trapped within the cage in his right palm.
More specifically, it was on the golden Void Creature King.
The other two Void Creatures didn't require much of Lin Yuan's energy to control.
The main concern was the Void Creature King.
This Void Creature King was far more powerful than the average Evil God Lord.
If Lin Yuan hadn't arrived in time, the nearly twenty True Lord evil gods would have likely stormed the Void Creatures' nest, relying on their numerical advantage.
The Void Creature King had been hiding its strength all along.
It gave the impression that it could be handled, waiting for the True Lord evil gods to come in and be caught all at once.
The True Lord evil gods thought they were the hunters, not realizing they had already become the prey of the Void Creature.
However, once Lin Yuan showed up, the Void Creature King sensed that something was wrong.
It tried to escape early.
But Lin Yuan struck immediately, catching it.
This is why Lin Yuan hadn't bothered with the nineteen True Lord evil gods.
Even the slightest delay might have let the Void Creature King escape.
"Not lacking in intelligence."
Lin Yuan studied the Void Creature King in his palm with great interest.
From the outside, the Void Creature King seemed weak, tightly bound in Lin Yuan's palm.
But from the Void Creature King's perspective, it was trapped in a vast void, as if it were a small secret realm, incomparably spacious.
No matter how much the Void Creature King struggled or attacked, it couldn't escape this vast void.
After reaching the Fifth level of the Time-Space Fusion Rule, Lin Yuan could briefly create a relatively complete space-time.
This was one of the cornerstones he would rely on when aiming to break free from the long river of time at the peak of the Eleventh Rank.
Moments later, the power of time and space turned into annihilation power.
The two other Void Creatures beside the Void Creature King quickly disintegrated, and eventually, the golden Void Creature King began to crumble as well.
"Ah, that feels good."
Killing a ninth-stage Void Creature brought a significant improvement to Lin Yuan's mental will.
After continuously killing eight ninth-stage Void Creatures, Lin Yuan's overall mental will had increased by at least twenty percent.
In other words, his original mental will, which had an index of ten million points, had now reached at least twelve million points.
The increase was substantial, but within Lin Yuan's expectations.
When the golden Void Creature King died, the resulting power caused Lin Yuan's mental will index to nearly double in an instant.
Lin Yuan's mental will index shot up to twenty million points.
It's important to understand that the higher the mental will index, the harder it is to improve. Raising it from ten million to twelve million points is far more easier than increasing it from twelve to fourteen million, even though both increases are by two million points.
Furthermore, Lin Yuan's mental will index jumped directly from twelve million to twenty million points.
This showed just how terrifying the golden Void Creature King was—the stronger the Void Creature, the more the mental will increases upon its death.
"Twenty million points in mental will... In the main universe, very few beings below the Twelfth Rank can achieve that. Even those special lifeforms born at the dawn of the universe, living to this day, usually only reach a mental will index of around ten million. But twenty million?"
"Difficult, difficult, difficult!"
A smile appeared on Lin Yuan's face.
If it weren't for the countless Void Creatures in the Void Secret Realm, who knows how long it would have taken him to achieve his current level of mental will?
According to the main universe's classification system for mental will, eighteen million points is the limit for an Eleventh Rank lifeform.
Surpassing eighteen million points in mental will puts one in the realm of the Twelfth Rank.
That's the level only the Strongest Ones can achieve.
The Strongest Ones break free from the long river of time, with mental will far exceeding eighteen million points after being tempered by the 'aura of the shore.'
"To think the first ability I would reach the threshold of the Twelfth Rank with would be my mental will?"
Lin Yuan sighed. Before his tenth transmigration, he had thought it would be his Time-Space Fusion Rule.
With the insights from many strong beings into the Time-Space Fusion Rule, coupled with Lin Yuan's Unrivaled Insight, even if he didn't achieve the Sixth Stage of the Time-Space Fusion Rule by the end of this transmigration, he had a good chance of crossing into it upon his return.
Even if it wasn't the Time-Space Fusion Rule, it could have been one of his other pillar-level fusion rules.
During his journey through the two-dimensional world, Lin Yuan had emerged as the ultimate victor, gaining not only insights into the Time-Space Fusion Rule from many strong beings but also many other fusion rules.
The insights into the Time-Space Fusion Rule were merely the easiest to absorb, having been refined and organized by 'Senior White Paper.'
Besides the Time-Space Fusion Rule, Lin Yuan's Reincarnation Rule, Great Destruction Rule, and other pillar-level fusion rules had also reached the Sixth Stage.
Typically, these pillar-level fusion rules only reach the Seventh Stage in the realm of the Strongest Ones.
"However... with my current mental will index, killing ninth-stage Void Creatures won't be of much help anymore. Will I have to search for Void Creature Kings from now on?"
Lin Yuan sighed inwardly.
In over three hundred years of exploring the Void Secret Realm, this was the first time he had encountered a Void Creature King. All the other times, he had only heard of them.
For most True Lord evil gods, encountering a Void Creature King was not a good thing.
For instance, without Lin Yuan's intervention this time, the fate of the nineteen True Lord evil gods was almost certain.
"The stronger the mental will, the greater the combat power, and the higher the soul defense. Overall, mental will affects many aspects of a being."
Lin Yuan thought to himself.
When two strong beings of the same level fight, if their mental will is similar, things are relatively balanced.
But if there's a significant difference, then in a direct confrontation, the one with weaker mental will would be suppressed, assuming their other abilities are comparable.
If the gap is large enough, no actual combat is even needed—a single glance can defeat the opponent.
With Lin Yuan's current mental will index of twenty million, if he harbored killing intent, a being below the Eleventh Rank would only need one look to perish.
Compared to material or soul-based attacks, mental will oppression is much more subtle.
A fragment of a Strongest One's body, even isolated by a virtual world, can drive countless low- to mid-rank evolvers insane.
Although Lin Yuan hadn't fully reached the realm of the Strongest Ones, at least in terms of mental will, he was close to comparable.
"It's just... these Void Creatures."
Lin Yuan's gaze grew slightly heavy as he looked toward the Void Secret Realm.
Three hundred years ago, when Lin Yuan's Time-Space Fusion Rule was only at the Third Stage, he had entered the Void Secret Realm through a map token.
At that time, he didn't understand much about the formation of the secret realm. He only knew that the being who created this secret realm must have had at least a Sixth Stage mastery of the Time-Space Fusion Rule.
Lin Yuan's Time-Space Fusion Rule had reached the Fifth Stage. Although he still wasn't on par with the secret realm's creator, he could now see through some of its essence.
In Lin Yuan's view, the so-called Void Secret Realm was merely a 'net' in the boundless void.
And Void Creatures were beings from the dimensional gaps beyond the boundless void.
These gap-dwelling beings theoretically should never be able to enter a dimension like the boundless void.
But because of the 'net' of the Void Secret Realm, they were able to come in. Once inside, however, they were like fish on the chopping block, unable to escape.
The fate of these gap-dwellers was either to barely survive or to be slaughtered by True Lord evil gods, turning into nourishment for their advancement.
Lin Yuan marveled at the technique. While it was impressive, the real genius lay in attracting and trapping these gap-dwellers, giving True Lord evil gods an endless supply of prey to kill, thereby enhancing their advancement within the boundless void.
In some ways, Lin Yuan was also a beneficiary.
"Beings from within the dimension and those from outside are fundamentally different, but they can complement each other."
"True Lord evil gods can improve their mental will by killing Void Creatures."
"And if Void Creatures manage to kill True Lord evil gods, they too gain some form of enhancement."
"But because the Void Secret Realm exists within the boundless void, and the True Lord evil gods are endless, the Void Creatures are constantly being slaughtered."
As Lin Yuan pondered this, the Three Yin Domain Lord approached quickly.
The Three Yin Domain Lord was trembling with fear, as the aura emanating from here had been too terrifying, and he had seen the True Lord evil gods flee like scared dogs.
After arriving, the Three Yin Domain Lord immediately noticed the massive nest in the distance, as well as a dark, imposing hole filled with a barbaric aura.
The entire nest had almost been pierced by the hole, and although he didn't know how the hole had formed, he could vaguely sense the terrifying traces left behind.
It was as if an unprecedented titan had reached out its right hand toward the massive nest, obliterating everything in its path.
The more he looked, the more the Three Yin Domain Lord trembled.
And now, there was only Lin Yuan left on the battlefield, with the other True Lord evil gods having fled in panic. This allowed the Three Yin Domain Lord to infer that Lin Yuan's power surpassed that of the True Lord evil gods.
After thinking for a moment, Lin Yuan moved in another direction.
With all the Void Creatures killed, this place no longer held any value for Lin Yuan, so there was no reason to stay.
In another part of the Void Secret Realm.
The Eight-Armed True Lord and the Heavenly Python True Lord had reunited.
The nineteen True Lord evil gods had fled in different directions, and when they realized that the Yang True Lord wasn't pursuing them, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Especially the Heavenly Python True Lord, who had been directly exposed to a glance from Lin Yuan.
The pressure from that gaze, as if the void itself were collapsing, had made him give up all his prepared arguments and attempts to 'coerce' Lin Yuan with the advantage of numbers. Instead, he had bowed his head without hesitation and fled as fast as he could.
"Heavenly Python True Lord, what happened? Why did you act so cowardly?" The Eight-Armed True Lord asked with some dissatisfaction.
If the Heavenly Python True Lord hadn't led the retreat, the other eighteen True Lord evil gods wouldn't have scattered so quickly. They could have held out for a while longer.
The Eight-Armed True Lord could tell that the Yang True Lord was preoccupied with suppressing the three Void Creatures in his right palm, which should have been their opportunity.
The Heavenly Python True Lord remained silent.
If you ignored the very real pressure he had faced, his actions might indeed seem cowardly.
"If I hadn't been 'cowardly,' I would have died."
The Heavenly Python True Lord said bluntly.
Evil Gods are known for their sharp instincts, especially those who have reached the Ninth Stage and become True Lord evil gods.
In that moment when Lin Yuan's glance fell upon him, the Heavenly Python True Lord had truly felt the threat of his own demise.
If it hadn't been for that, he would never have acted that way.
The Eight-Armed True Lord's expression became more serious.
He had known the Heavenly Python True Lord for a long time and understood that he wouldn't exaggerate on such a matter.
"Is the Yang True Lord really that powerful?"
The Eight-Armed True Lord found it hard to believe. True Lord evil gods require vast amounts of time to grow, and in that time, they inevitably come into contact with other True Lord evil gods.
But the Yang True Lord?
From the time of his first appearance until now, it had only been three to five hundred years.
Three to five hundred years? That's nothing even for a Sixth or Seventh Stage Evil God, let alone an Evil God True Lord.
"He must be an Evil God True Lord at the peak of the Ninth Stage."
The Heavenly Python True Lord said seriously.
"The peak of the Ninth Stage?"
The Eight-Armed True Lord was stunned.
In the boundless void, there were quite a few Ninth Stage True Lord evil gods, thanks to the Void Secret Realm.
But an Evil God True Lord at the peak of the Ninth Stage was exceedingly rare.
Such a being had the power to kill ordinary True Lord evil gods.
For them, the ultimate goal was to reach the legendary Tenth Stage of the Evil Gods.
In the vast boundless void, you could count the True Lord evil gods at the peak of the Ninth Stage on one hand, and there wouldn't be more than a hundred of them.
"What should we do now?"
The Eight-Armed True Lord asked, unable to contain his anxiety.
He hadn't realized how serious the situation was. The Yang True Lord they had just faced turned out to be an Evil God True Lord at the peak of the Ninth Stage?
The Heavenly Python True Lord glanced at the Eight-Armed True Lord.
"What else? If we encounter the Yang True Lord again, we must avoid him at all costs."
The Eight-Armed True Lord was startled and quickly agreed.
Among ordinary True Lord evil gods, the difference in strength isn't that drastic. Even if you're outmatched, retreating is usually enough.
But an Evil God True Lord at the peak of the Ninth Stage could completely kill an ordinary Lord, and that was a different story altogether.
Among Evil Gods, the weak are devoured by the strong, and even at the Ninth Stage, cannibalism wasn't entirely meaningless.
Some True Lord evil gods simply enjoyed devouring their peers.
The scene outside the Void Creatures' nest had been witnessed by all nineteen True Lord evil gods.
As a result, news of the Yang True Lord's power spread rapidly among the True Lord evil gods.
In particular, the claim that he was an Evil God True Lord at the peak of the Ninth Stage caused widespread alarm among them.
"The Yang True Lord is that powerful?"
"That nest was home to nine ninth-stage Void Creatures? One of them was even a Void Creature King?"
"It was a trap! That Void Creature King was probably close to the peak of the Ninth Stage. With the home-field advantage, if you had stormed the nest, you would have been wiped out."
As the details spread, many True Lord evil gods were shocked by the revelation of the Void Creature King's power, which further heightened their fear of the Yang True Lord.
"A Void Creature King close to the peak of the Ninth Stage? And the Yang True Lord just dragged it out of the nest without any resistance?"
"The Yang True Lord's power isn't just suspected to be at the peak of the Ninth Stage; it's confirmed."
"Who else but an Evil God True Lord at the peak of the Ninth Stage could treat a Void Creature King at that level like a toy?"
True Lord evil gods everywhere were stunned, and the nineteen who had been at the scene, including the Heavenly Python True LordLord and the Eight-Armed True Lord, were especially filled with dread.
Strictly speaking, the Yang True Lord had been their savior.
The discussions among the True Lord evil gods in the Void Secret Realm and across the boundless void placed the Yang True Lord in the spotlight.
But Lin Yuan had expected this. As his power grew and the number of Void Creatures he killed increased, it was only a matter of time before his strength was exposed.
Now, Lin Yuan's power had reached the pinnacle of the boundless void. He wasn't afraid of anything and didn't mind the attention.
Even if something went wrong, it would only affect his Yang Primordial Spirit. And even if the Yang Primordial Spirit perished, Lin Yuan could quickly create another one.
"The fortieth world."
In the dark void, Lin Yuan's Yin Primordial Spirit quietly entered a world and planted the seed of a demon tree deep in the earth.
For over three hundred years, Lin Yuan's Yin Primordial Spirit had been conquering world after world, spreading the martial arts cultivation system and establishing his martial arts stronghold in this dimension.
"However, my actions of occupying worlds have already attracted the attention of many Evil Gods, including some True Lords," Lin Yuan thought to himself.
To the Evil Gods, the worlds were merely food. Even if they didn't consume the worlds immediately, they would never act like Lin Yuan, protecting the inhabitants and even spreading a cultivation system.
Such abnormal behavior couldn't escape the Evil Gods' notice. Some of their abilities were quite unique, allowing them to observe the happenings within the worlds.
In recent decades, the worlds Lin Yuan had occupied often faced interference and attacks from other Evil Gods.
"Fortunately, my mental will has grown strong enough to maintain multiple powerful incarnations at once."
Lin Yuan thought to himself.
Incarnations are not the same as clones. To maintain the combat power of an incarnation, a sufficiently strong mental will is required.
With Lin Yuan's mental will surpassing ten million points, and now reaching twenty million after killing the Void Creature King, he could keep his incarnations at a high level of power.
Moreover, the demon trees in each world nurtured physical bodies. Although they hadn't had enough time to become perfect like his Martial Ancestor's Golden Body, they were comparable to the bodies of Evil Gods.