Chapter 311 - 310: The Ancient Dongtian and the Secret of the Sacred Grounds (8)

"The Sacred Grounds appear to possess a self-sustaining circulation system. Their spiritual Qi moves through the land in a continuous cycle, while the temporal and spatial laws seem to be connected across vast distances. Yet, I have also detected what appear to be discontinuities in that structure."

He raised his head.

"If this realm was once a complete Dongtian, then those discontinuities may be the result of damage to its foundations."

Ku Ming nodded slowly.

"That is possible."

Lin Yuan continued.

"But if the Sacred Grounds are an ancient world that suffered a catastrophe, then the damage may not be limited to the circulation of spiritual Qi or the stability of its temporal laws. The spatial boundaries supporting the realm may also have been affected."

His gaze became increasingly profound.

"And if the ancient calamity involved multiple realms, then the damage to this place might be connected to the boundaries separating those realms."

Ku Ming’s expression grew solemn.

Lin Yuan’s deduction was still a hypothesis, but it was not an unreasonable one.

The monk had spent years exploring the Sacred Grounds, yet he had never considered the possibility that their damaged foundations might be connected to the fractures in the Nine Heavens Ward.

He had always regarded the Sacred Grounds as an extraordinary cultivation environment, a place where ancient laws remained preserved and cultivators could pursue breakthroughs that would be difficult to achieve elsewhere.

But Lin Yuan was looking beyond the immediate benefits.

He was examining the relationship between the realm’s structure and the greater world around it.

Bai Qingyue turned toward her husband.

"Yuan, are you suggesting that the Sacred Grounds may be connected to the boundary between the Nine Provinces and the Hollow Beyond?"

"Not necessarily the boundary itself."

Lin Yuan shook his head.

"At least, I cannot make that claim yet. But consider the nature of a Dongtian Realm. If it is an independent world with its own spatial structure, then its relationship with the outside world must be maintained through some form of connection or boundary."

He paused.

"If that boundary was damaged during the ancient calamity, it is possible that the consequences extended beyond the realm itself. The damage might have affected the surrounding spatial structure, creating weaknesses that could eventually influence other boundaries."

Ku Ming’s eyes narrowed.

"You believe the ancient calamity may have weakened the barriers separating different realms?"

"That is one possibility."

Lin Yuan looked toward the distant mountains.

"However, I suspect the matter may be more complicated than a simple weakening of spatial barriers. If the Sacred Grounds truly preserve an ancient structure that no longer exists in the outside world, then studying that structure might reveal how the boundaries between realms were originally maintained."

His voice became quieter.

"And if we can understand how those boundaries were formed, we may eventually discover how to repair them."

For a moment, silence settled over the stone platform.

The waterfall continued to descend from the cliff, its silver waters striking the pool with a steady roar.

Ku Ming stared at Lin Yuan.

Then, slowly, he brought his palms together.

"Amitabha Buddha."

There was no longer any trace of casual amusement in his expression.

"Almsgiver Lin, you have raised a possibility that this poor monk has never seriously considered."

He looked toward the distant mountains.

"The Hollow Beyond has threatened the Nine Provinces for countless years. The Nine Heavens Ward was established to prevent the strongest demons from entering our world, but its condition has deteriorated over time. Many cultivators believe that the only solution is to strengthen the ward through greater cultivation and more powerful formations."

He paused.

"But what if the ward is merely a barrier placed over a deeper problem?"

Lin Yuan’s eyes flashed.

"That is precisely what I am wondering."

Ku Ming continued.

"If the ancient calamity damaged the foundations of the world itself, then the Nine Heavens Ward may be treating the symptoms rather than the cause. No matter how powerful the ward becomes, it may eventually weaken again if the underlying structure remains damaged."

Bai Qingyue’s expression grew serious.

"Then even if the strongest cultivators of the Nine Provinces reinforce the ward, the Hollow Beyond may continue threatening us as long as the original problem remains unresolved."

"Indeed."

Ku Ming nodded.

"However, we must not leap to conclusions. The relationship between the Sacred Grounds and the Hollow Beyond has not been established, and the ancient records do not provide enough information to determine whether they were affected by the same catastrophe."

He looked at Lin Yuan.

"Still, your reasoning is worth investigating."

Lin Yuan smiled faintly.

"That is all I intended to establish."

He turned toward the waterfall once more.

The faint spatial fluctuations beneath the water had not disappeared. They continued to pulse at irregular intervals, as though the structure beneath the mountain were struggling to maintain its original arrangement.

His Dao Fruit trembled faintly.

Thunder, Rain, and Three Rebirths.

Destruction.

Nourishment.

Rebirth.

The three principles were not merely tools for battle. They represented different aspects of a greater cycle, and through their intersection, Lin Yuan had gained a faint understanding of the Origin.

Now, as he examined the ancient Dongtian, he began to recognize a familiar pattern.

The realm had suffered damage.

Yet, it continued to function.

Its spiritual Qi circulated, its temporal laws remained active, and its ancient formations continued operating despite the passage of countless years.

Something within its structure was preserving what remained.

And if the damaged portions could be understood, perhaps they could eventually be restored.

Lin Yuan did not believe he possessed the ability to repair an entire Dongtian Realm. His current comprehension was nowhere near sufficient for such an undertaking.

However, he did not need to accomplish that immediately.

He only needed to understand the principle behind the damage.

If the same principle governed the deterioration of the Nine Heavens Ward, then the Sacred Grounds might contain clues that no ordinary formation master could discover.

Perhaps the ancient realm was not merely a place where cultivators could accelerate their cultivation.

Perhaps it was also a record of how the world had once been structured.

And perhaps, hidden within that record, lay the means to repair what the ancient calamity had broken.

Lin Yuan slowly exhaled.