Chapter 376 - 375: Imperial Guard (2)

The Golden Gate looming at the zenith of the Floating Mountains was an edifice of incomprehensible majesty, its enormous structure humming with the foundational laws of the universe.

It represented the absolute separation between the Nine Provinces, a world now descending into chaos, and the pristine Imperial Domain, where the most powerful cultivators had secluded themselves from the troubles of the lower realm.

Standing before the gate, shielded by the Three Thousand Great Dao Barrier, the Imperial Guard looked down upon Lin Yuan and his companions with eyes devoid of even the slightest trace of mortal empathy.

Lin Yuan did not cower beneath the suppressive pressure radiating from the guard’s starlight armor. He did not bow his head, nor did he allow the overwhelming aura of a Void Refinement expert to force him to his knees. Instead, he stepped forward, the heavy soles of his boots grinding against the indestructible jade platform as his deep purple eyes remained fixed on the arrogant figure before him.

"Stand down?" Lin Yuan repeated, his voice carrying the cold authority of someone who had just survived the destruction of an ancient Dongtian and slain several Demon Kings. "The earth below us is bleeding into the Hollow Beyond. The Barrier Realm is actively fusing with the lower world, threatening to shatter the very foundation that keeps your precious Imperial Domain afloat.

"We did not ascend this mountain to beg for sanctuary. We came to inform the cowards behind that gate that their walls are about to fall."

The Imperial Guard’s perfectly sculpted features remained motionless for a moment. Then a cold, mocking smile curved his lips, and he lowered his starlight spear until its tip rested against the polished jade beneath his feet. Rather than showing even the slightest concern about Lin Yuan’s warning, he seemed amused that a cultivator from the lower world would dare address him with such confidence.

"The Nine Provinces is always screaming about the end of days," the guard sneered, sweeping his gaze over Lin Yuan with deliberate, insulting slowness. "Every generation produces cultivators who believe their little world is the center of existence.

"The Imperial Domain has stood eternal since the Great War, and it will continue to stand long after your insignificant realm has been reduced to dust. Do you truly believe that the frantic thrashing of demonic beasts in the lower world concerns the masters of the true heavens?"

Lin Yuan’s expression did not change, but a faint chill settled within his eyes. He had already suspected that the Imperial Domain might be unwilling to help, yet hearing the guard dismiss the destruction of the Nine Provinces so casually still revealed something important. The man was not merely unaware of the danger. He considered the lives of those living beneath the Golden Gate too insignificant to warrant his concern.

As the guard continued to observe him, his divine sense suddenly swept across Lin Yuan’s body. The intrusion was sharp and deliberate, carrying the absolute authority of the Imperial Domain’s laws. He intended to examine the young cultivator from head to toe, identify the limits of his foundation, and crush whatever confidence had allowed him to speak so boldly.

However, the instant his divine sense penetrated Lin Yuan’s aura, the mocking smile froze on his face.

His eyes widened slightly as his perception encountered something that should not have existed within a cultivator from the Nine Provinces. Beneath Lin Yuan’s crimson and black robes, there was no ordinary foundation dependent entirely upon the surrounding spiritual Qi. Instead, his body contained a self-sustaining circulation of elemental principles, each reinforcing the others in a cycle that appeared almost impossibly complete.

The Vermilion Bird, Azure Dragon, Qilin, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise circulated through the Five Great Secret Realms, forming a foundation that maintained its balance without relying upon the ordinary limitations of a mortal cultivator’s body. The guard recognized the structure from ancient records, although he had never expected to encounter it in person.

A True Elemental Body.

The Five Great Secret Realms were an ancient physical foundation believed to have disappeared from the lower world countless years ago. Even within the Imperial Domain, where cultivation resources were abundant and ancient inheritances remained accessible, obtaining such a foundation was extraordinarily difficult. The existence of a cultivator who possessed it was already enough to attract the attention of powerful orthodox sects.

Yet that was not what truly shocked the Imperial Guard.

His divine sense continued deeper, reaching toward Lin Yuan’s Primordial Spirit, where he encountered a crystalline, three-colored sphere suspended within the depths of his consciousness. The sphere rotated slowly, radiating an aura that made the guard’s perception tremble. Golden-purple lightning flashed across its surface, silver-blue rain flowed through its interior, and profound currents of an unfamiliar Dao intertwined with the other two principles.

It was a Dao Fruit.

More than that, it was a perfectly formed crystallization of philosophical comprehension that combined three distinct aspects of the Great Dao into a single, harmonious whole. The guard could sense the destructive authority of thunder, the nourishing principles of rain, and the mysterious cycle of Three Rebirths, each reinforcing the others without losing its individual characteristics.

Even within the Imperial Domain, where the resources available to cultivators far surpassed those of the lower world, a youth at the Early Stage of Soul Transformation possessing such a foundation would be considered an extraordinary anomaly. Many talented cultivators spent thousands of years attempting to comprehend a single Dao, yet Lin Yuan had already formed a Dao Fruit that united three profound principles.

The guard’s expression slowly changed.

"Well, well," he murmured, his initial disdain giving way to a darker form of amusement. He chuckled, although there was no warmth in the sound. "You possess the Five Great Secret Realms, a foundation that has eliminated the ordinary weaknesses of the mortal body, and a Dao Fruit encompassing three distinct Daos.

"With that lingering aura of rebirth surrounding you, you must truly be the greatest talent the Nine Provinces has produced in countless years."

His smile widened as he tilted his head.

"The undisputed king of the dirt."

The words were delivered with deliberate contempt, and the guard seemed particularly pleased with his own assessment. Discovering Lin Yuan’s extraordinary foundation had not inspired respect. Instead, it had convinced him that the young cultivator’s confidence came from being accustomed to standing above ordinary people in an insignificant world.

The guard raised his chin, and the starlight armor covering his body flared with blinding intensity. He tapped the shaft of his spear against the jade platform, producing a sharp sound that echoed across the celestial peak.

"You believe that because you are a dragon among earthworms, you have earned the right to knock on the gates of heaven?" he asked with a mocking laugh. "Your ignorance is almost entertaining. The Three Thousand Great Dao Barrier behind me cannot be breached by the likes of you. Your precious Dao Fruit may be impressive in the lower world, but it is nothing more than a curiosity here."

He paused, allowing his divine sense to sweep across Lin Yuan one final time before withdrawing it.

"However, it has been centuries since I last witnessed a mortal attempt to claw his way out of the Nine Provinces. I am feeling generous today, so I shall offer you an opportunity that you should consider yourself fortunate to receive."