A bonfire blazed, crackling in the still night. Lin Xun sat beside it, personally turning the roasting meat over the flames. The rich, mouthwatering aroma drifted through the Fangchun Ruins. Xia Zhi, Zhao Jingxuan, and Lin Fan sat nearby, enjoying the simple meal together.

From time to time, Lin Fan’s gaze drifted toward Xia Zhi. He had known of her since he was a child and understood that this ‘Aunt Xia Zhi’ had accompanied his father from a very young age and the two had long been inseparable.

He felt no hostility toward her, but he couldn’t help but worry for his mother, Zhao Jingxuan. Xia Zhi was breathtakingly beautiful. She possessed an otherworldly, flawless beauty beyond compare. Before her, all other women seemed to fade into dullness. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

“Mother, aren’t you worried?” Lin Fan sent his voice through transmission.

Zhao Jingxuan shot him a glance, her expression unmoved. “Do you think children can interfere in adults’ matters? Behave, if you cause trouble, I’ll be the first to discipline you.”

Lin Fan shrugged and wisely dropped the subject. In the world of cultivation, taking multiple wives and concubines was nothing out of the ordinary. Even ancient cultivators still married countless beautiful concubines. Such things were considered perfectly normal.

After all, cultivators could preserve their youth and command unfathomable power. Concepts like age and worldly restraint meant nothing to them.

“Fan’er.” Lin Xun said as he sat down beside him. “When I returned today, I captured all the experts of the seven great forces at the entrance of the Return Dominion. Many of them are supreme Emperor Ancestors. In the coming days, you’ll use them as sparring partners to temper yourself.”

Lin Fan blinked in surprise, then laughed, “Father, among those of the same cultivation stage, no one can match me anymore.”

His words were casual, yet filled with unshakable confidence. In Zhao Jingxuan’s eyes, that expression and tone were exactly like Lin Xun’s in his youth.

“You might be able to defeat them one by one, but what if you face ten at the same time?” Lin Xun asked.

“If I go all out, that shouldn’t be a problem.” Lin Fan answered without hesitation.

“And what if it’s one against a hundred?”

Lin Fan paused for the first time. “I’ve never fought in such a large group battle before. I won’t claim I’d definitely win...but I don’t think I’d lose easily either.”

Zhao Jingxuan let out a soft laugh. “Your father never loses to anyone in the same realm. Numbers mean nothing to him.”

Lin Fan’s eyes widened as he turned to Lin Xun, “Is that still true?”

He already knew that his father now stood at the pinnacle of the Transcendence Realm, a being of heaven-defying power.

Lin Xun nodded. Before his son, there was no need for false modesty.

Lin Fan fell silent for a moment, then said, “Father, I know you’re worried about how fast I cultivate...but honestly, tests like this won’t mean much to me anymore. They’ll be finished in no time.”

Lin Xun nodded. “I know. Combat is only one aspect. What I truly want to temper is your mind.”

Lin Fan’s eyes lit up with curiosity. “Father, then what kind of training will that be?”

Lin Xun smiled. “You’ll find out.”

A grin spread across Lin Fan’s face. “Then I’ll look forward to it.”

Lin Xun reached out and placed a hand on Lin Fan’s shoulder. In that instant, Lin Fan felt his cultivation seal shut. No matter how he cultivated, no further progress could be made.

“That restriction will remain until I am satisfied,” Lin Xun said quietly.

Lin Fan gave a wry smile. “Father...is that really necessary?”

Lin Xun blinked and said, “I’m worried you won’t be able to restrain yourself. So I’ll do it for you.”

Zhao Jingxuan pursed her lips and smiled. With Lin Xun beside her once more, her heart finally felt at ease.

......

The next day, Xuan Jiuyin departed the Return Dominion together with Jintian Xuanyue, heading back toward the Xuan Clan.

Lin Xun had originally intended to accompany them, but Xuan Jiuyin declined. Equipped with numerous killing weapons given to him by Xuan Feiling, he was confident that he could contend with not only those of the same realm, but even perfect Transcendence Stage experts.

For the time being, Lin Xun remained within the Fangchun Ruins, staying by Zhao Jingxuan and Lin Fan’s side. He dragged out the supreme Emperor Ancestors he had captured from the seven great forces and declared that whoever could defeat his son, Lin Fan, would be spared and allowed to leave alive.

Although being treated as whetstone was a crushing humiliation for these supreme Emperor Ancestors, the possibility of survival ignited a desperate fighting spirit within them. Thus, battles unfolded within Fangchun Ruins every single day.

Unfortunately for them, every one of the supreme Emperor Ancestors was defeated. They stood no chance against Lin Fan. One-on-one was useless, and ten against one was no better.

Only when all thirty experts were mobilized together could they barely manage to withstand Lin Fan’s onslaught. When forty of them joined forces at once, only then did Lin Fan begin to feel real pressure.

Throughout the process, Lin Xun observed every subtle detail of Lin Fan’s performance. He knew that, for now, sheer numbers at the same cultivation level could still restrain his son. But judging by this momentum, it would not be long before Lin Fan became truly invincible in this cultivation level, able to even disregard the number of his opponents entirely.

“With the Grand Abyss Heaven Devourer and the True Dragon bloodline, this child’s talent truly defies the heavens...” Lin Xun murmured in awe. However, this only strengthened his resolve to temper and refine Lin Fan’s state of mind.

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. During those fifteen days, Lin Xun learned of everything that had happened within the New Genesis Sect through Zhao Jingxuan. His understanding of the upheaval within the Return Dominion also grew deeper and clearer.

The outside world believed that this disturbance originating from the Return Dominion had only begun ten years ago. However, according to Zhao Jingxuan, signs of the change had already started to appear as early as twenty years ago.

Back then, violent spatial fluctuations would often erupt deep within the Return Dominion, rumbling like muffled thunder. Soon after, a boundless surge of vitality would burst forth like a colossal tide. Among that surge of vitality were countless rare and precious divine herbs and treasures, as though they had been cast up from the very depths of the world itself.

If the Return Dominion were likened to a vast ocean, then that surging vitality was its tide, and the treasures carried within it were like fish, shrimp, and shells washed up on the shore. It was during that time that Toady and A’lu, who had already stepped onto the Immortal Path, personally ventured into the depths of the Return Dominion to investigate. However, they were forced to turn back halfway.

The upheaval in the depths of the Return Dominion was far too terrifying. The surging vitality erupted out of control, and the sheer power it unleashed was simply beyond what they could withstand.

Even so, the Fangchun Secret Realm within the Return Dominion still reaped unimaginable benefits. Not only did the laws and order of heaven and earth undergo transformation, but the great dao aura within the realm also surged at a staggering pace. This was, naturally, a heavenly blessing for the New Genesis Sect that resided there, and every cultivator within it reaped extraordinary benefits.

Ten years ago, the depths of the Return Dominion erupted in a tremendous explosion of vitality, sending a shockwave through the entire lower world and even across the Ancient Nebula Road! It was then that a dao sword imbued with an Eternal aura burst forth from the depths of the Return Dominion, shaking the world and drawing the attention of countless forces in the Great Thousand Worlds.

By now, innumerable external forces had gathered in the Ancient Nebula Road, all drawn there by the upheaval in the Return Dominion. Anyone with keen insight could see that the Ancient Nebula Road was no longer the same as before. Whoever managed to claim this place would be blessed by heavens and reap immeasurable fortune from this great upheaval.

Naturally, all of this ignited endless turmoil and bloodshed. In less than a decade, war swept across the Ancient Nebula Road, stirring up countless storms of slaughter and despair. The worst of it unfolded around the Return Dominion!

The dao sword imbued with an Eternal aura was seized by A’lu and ultimately fell into Zhao Jingxuan’s hands. As she spoke of these events, she took out the sword and handed it to Lin Xun for examination.

The blade was just over two feet long and four fingers wide. Its surface was a dull bluish-gray, and on the corroded hilt, the two characters ‘Dark Absolute’ could barely be made out. The sword was clearly in terrible condition, with its edge chipped and its body laced with cracks.

However, an astonishing aura of eternity still emanated from it. There was no doubt that this was once the weapon of an Eternal figure, lost in the depths of the Return Dominion for countless ages, only to reemerge now due to the upheaval in the Return Dominion.

This discovery only deepened Lin Xun’s curiosity. What exactly would cause the Return Dominion, a place whose origin power was said to have long since dried up, undergo such an upheaval?

Originally, Lin Xun had planned to depart with everyone of the New Genesis Sect and return to the Eternal True Realm. In the end, however, he decided to remain a while longer.

......

That day, Lin Zhong arrived at the Fangchun Ruins and reported, “Young Master, there are people waiting outside the Return Dominion, seeking an audience.”

“Who are they?” Lin Xun asked

Lin Zhong’s expression turned strange. “There are many of them...cultivators from various factions in the Ancient Nebula Road. They have come to beg you to take action, Young Master, to quell the chaos and bloodshed sweeping the world, and return peace and clarity to all under heaven.”

Lin Xun was taken aback for a moment. “They really think highly of me.”

Lin Zhong said in a low voice, “Young Master, in these past years, it is not only the worlds across the starry heavens that have fallen into chaos, but even the Spirit Burial Sea near the Return Dominion has also been soaked in blood. Slaughter is everywhere and if nothing is done, the number of innocent lives lost will only continue to rise.”

Lin Xun fell silent for a moment, then asked, “Uncle Zhong, do you want me to help them?”

Lin Zhong quickly shook his head. “That is for you to decide, Young Master. I only know that the millions of ordinary people across the world are innocent, yet they are being swept into an unimaginable calamity. When cultivators wage war, a single clash can erase a city, even an entire region. Over these past ten years, who knows how many lives have already vanished...”

A heavy sorrow lingered in his voice. He then gave a self-mocking smile, “Originally, none of this had anything to do with me. I just thought...if no one cared about the fate of the common people, how unbearably tragic that would be...”

Lin Xun said, “Uncle Zhong, leave this matter to me.”

As he spoke, he rose and walked out of Fangchun Secret Realm.

He thought of the ancient great sages, such as Sword Emperor Taixuan, Battle Emperor Mo Yang, and Dragon Elephant Battle Emperor. Each of them possessed a spirit vast enough to embrace the world and a courage beyond measure. They were all figures truly worthy of reverence and admiration.

He also thought of the peerless heroes who had guarded the Great Emperor Pass year after year, willing to stake their lives to defend it against enemies of the Eight Domains!

“When my dao was proven, I realized the suffering of all beings.” Unconsciously, Lin Xun recalled the words of Saint Buddha Xingjia, so filled with compassion and boundless mercy.

He also remembered the grand vow once made by the golden cicada: May all beings in the world become Saints one day!

At that moment, Lin Xun sensed a subtle yet profound transformation taking place within his state of mind.