Chapter 313 - 312: The Ancient Dongtian and the Secret of the Sacred Grounds (10)

However, the most important question remained unanswered.

Why had the ancient Dongtian been damaged?

And what did that damage have to do with the Hollow Beyond?

Lin Yuan’s gaze gradually became colder. His eyebrows drew together slightly as he considered the implications, his earlier curiosity giving way to a more serious line of thought. Although he had only uncovered fragments of the truth, those fragments seemed to point toward something far more significant than he had initially imagined.

He thought of the demons waiting beyond the fractured Nine Heavens Ward. He had killed three Demon Kings, and ancient Demon Lords had witnessed their deaths, and the Ten Thousand Devil Kill Order had been issued by Bai Sha.

The memories surfaced one after another, reminding him that his recent progress had not eliminated the dangers waiting beyond the Sacred Grounds. His fingers tapped lightly against his knee as he recalled the strength of the enemies he had encountered. Even with his current cultivation and the advantages provided by his Merged Dao, he could not afford to underestimate what lay beyond the boundary.

The conflict would not end simply because he had formed a Dao Fruit.

Even if he became strong enough to defeat every Demon Lord who crossed into the Nine Provinces, the Hollow Beyond would remain a threat as long as the boundary continued to deteriorate.

Lin Yuan exhaled softly through his nose. Defeating individual enemies was one thing, but resolving the source of an endless invasion was another. As long as the underlying problem remained, there would always be another battle waiting for him, regardless of how powerful he became.

The cultivators of the Nine Provinces had spent countless years strengthening their defenses.

But what if the problem could not be solved through strength alone?

What if the Nine Heavens Ward was merely a barrier covering a wound in the world’s foundations?

And what if the Sacred Grounds preserved the very principles needed to understand that wound?

Lin Yuan’s fingers slowly curled.

His expression remained composed, but the light in his eyes grew sharper. He had encountered enough mysteries throughout his cultivation journey to understand that the most obvious explanation was not always the correct one. Sometimes, what appeared to be an isolated problem was merely a symptom of something much greater.

He could not yet prove any of these possibilities.

But the connection was too important to ignore.

If the ancient calamity had damaged both the Sacred Grounds and the boundaries separating different realms, then studying the former might reveal how to repair the latter.

Lin Yuan’s breathing gradually steadied as he examined this possibility from several different angles. He did not allow excitement to cloud his judgment. A connection between two events did not necessarily mean that one could provide the answer to the other, but dismissing the possibility without investigation would be equally foolish.

The Sacred Grounds might contain the key to ending the threat posed by the Hollow Beyond.

Not through a single treasure.

Not through an ancient weapon capable of killing every demon.

But through an understanding of the principles that governed the boundaries between worlds.

A faint crease appeared between Lin Yuan’s eyebrows as he considered the difference. Treasures could be taken, and weapons could be destroyed, but an understanding of the world’s fundamental laws could remain useful long after the objects themselves had disappeared. If he could grasp the principles behind the ancient Dongtian’s structure, he might find a way to address the problem at its source.

Lin Yuan looked down at the tri-colored Dao Fruit within his Primordial Spirit.

Thunder could destroy.

Rain could nourish.

Three Rebirths could transform what had ended into something new.

His Merged Dao had taught him that destruction and renewal were not necessarily opposing forces. They could be different stages of a greater process, and their relationship might reveal principles that neither could express alone.

As he contemplated his Dao Fruit, a subtle understanding stirred within his mind. He had already experienced how seemingly different principles could coexist and complement one another when brought together through a sufficiently profound understanding of the Dao.

Perhaps the same idea applied to the Sacred Grounds.

A damaged world did not necessarily need to be abandoned.

A broken boundary did not necessarily need to remain broken.

And a calamity that had endured for countless years might not be impossible to resolve if its underlying cause could finally be understood.

Lin Yuan smiled faintly.

The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, and the tension that had gathered between his eyebrows finally eased. For a moment, his attention shifted away from the countless dangers waiting beyond the Nine Heavens Ward. Instead, he found himself looking forward to the discoveries that might await him.

For the first time since entering the Sacred Grounds, he felt that he had discovered something more important than a cultivation opportunity.

He had found a question worth pursuing.

He turned toward Bai Qingyue.

She was still meditating, the dense spiritual Qi slowly gathering around her body. Her expression was peaceful, and the faint fluctuations of Heaven and Earth Luck surrounding her remained stable.

Lin Yuan watched her for several breaths, carefully observing the circulation of spiritual Qi around her. There were no signs of disturbance, and her breathing remained even. Seeing that she was cultivating without any problems, the faint concern that had lingered in the back of his mind gradually subsided.

Lin Yuan’s gaze softened.

Whatever secrets the Sacred Grounds concealed, he would uncover them carefully. He would not gamble with Bai Qingyue’s safety, nor would he rush into the deeper regions merely because his comprehension had revealed a possible connection to the ancient calamity.

His expression became gentler as he considered his next steps. The mysteries of the ancient Dongtian might be important, but they were not worth risking everything he had built with Bai Qingyue. He had never believed that cultivation required him to abandon everything else in pursuit of strength, and discovering a potentially world-changing secret would not cause him to forget that principle.

There was no need to hurry.

The Dao was endless, and the truth would not disappear simply because he took the time to understand it properly.

He returned his attention to the waterfall.

The silver water continued to descend.

Lin Yuan watched the flowing water for a moment, his eyes following the countless droplets as they struck the pool below. The continuous sound filled the surrounding area, providing a quiet contrast to the complicated thoughts moving through his mind.

Beneath it, the spatial fluctuations pulsed faintly.

His divine sense extended toward them, brushing against the subtle distortions without attempting to interfere with their operation. The fluctuations remained elusive, appearing almost insignificant when compared with the powerful spiritual Qi surrounding the waterfall. Yet he knew better than to judge their importance by their apparent strength.

Farther away, the ancient mountains stood in silence, their foundations connected by a network of laws that had survived the passage of countless years.

Lin Yuan could not yet see the entire structure.

But he had found its outline.

And that was enough for now.

The Sacred Grounds were not merely a place where cultivators could advance more quickly.

They were likely the remains of an ancient Dongtian Realm, a surviving fragment of a world that had once belonged to the Chosen Immortal Clan.

The clan’s descendants now resided in the Imperial Domain, while their ancestral homeland remained here, preserving the traces of an era that the outside world had long since forgotten.

Lin Yuan’s gaze lingered on the distant mountains as he recalled the information he had gathered. The Chosen Immortal Clan had once possessed a connection to this place, yet their descendants now resided elsewhere. Whether that separation had been a consequence of the ancient calamity or the result of some other event remained unknown.

The realm had suffered damage, but it had not completely collapsed.

Its ancient laws continued to function.

Its spiritual Qi continued to circulate.

And somewhere within its surviving structure, there might be clues concerning the catastrophe that had changed the cultivation world.

Lin Yuan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

’If I can understand how this realm was formed, how its laws are connected, and how its damaged foundations continue to function, then perhaps I can discover something that the cultivators of the Nine Provinces have overlooked for countless years.’

He silently repeated the thought, allowing its implications to settle in his mind. The more he considered it, the more convinced he became that the Sacred Grounds deserved a much closer examination than he had initially intended.

His Dao Fruit revolved slowly within his Primordial Spirit.

At its center, the faint radiance of the Origin flickered once before settling into stillness.

Lin Yuan’s consciousness brushed against the subtle radiance, and he could faintly sense the profound mysteries concealed within it. However, he did not attempt to force a deeper understanding. His current comprehension was still insufficient to uncover everything, and impatience would accomplish nothing.

Lin Yuan turned away from the waterfall and walked toward the place where Bai Qingyue was cultivating.

His footsteps were unhurried, and his expression had returned to its usual calm. Although his mind was occupied with the mysteries he had uncovered, he did not allow them to distract him from his surroundings. His divine sense remained alert, quietly monitoring the area as he approached her.

He had come to the Sacred Grounds to strengthen himself before the next confrontation with the Hollow Beyond.

He had expected to find ancient inheritances, dense spiritual Qi, and opportunities to deepen his comprehension.

Instead, he had discovered the possibility of something far greater.

A world that had survived a catastrophe.

A civilization whose descendants had moved to the Imperial Domain.

And an ancient structure that might hold the answer to a question the Nine Provinces had been unable to solve.

How could the boundary between the Nine Provinces and the Hollow Beyond be permanently restored?

Lin Yuan looked toward the distant mountains one final time.

For a brief moment, he remained still, his eyes tracing the ancient peaks that rose beyond the waterfall. The mountains had witnessed the passage of countless years, perhaps even the catastrophe that had damaged this realm. Yet they continued to stand, silently preserving whatever secrets had survived the destruction.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"Interesting."

His voice was quiet, but his eyes shone with unmistakable determination.

"Very interesting indeed."