Chapter 2333 The Most Familiar Stranger

Kaboom!

The entrance to the spring turned into what seemed to be a tornado, shooting out the turbulence of spacetime.

Lin Xun was able to avoid this disaster as he had vanished into the depths of the spring a step earlier. Otherwise, even an Emperor Ancestor would be instantly ground to powder by the turbulence.

Only a long time later did the area of the spring return to calm, but compared to before, the spacetime power in the air had clearly become weaker...

As the stars whirled and the sky spun before him, Lin Xun only felt burning hot as he was uncontrollably teleported away. Nothing but distorted and colorful light filled his vision.

It was unknown how much time had passed when Lin Xun's physical state gradually became normal again. His drowsy mind also gained a trace of clarity.

Examining himself, the first thing he noticed was the change in his Origin Aeth Artery. As if crystallized, it had become shiny and translucent, and within it, a powerful force of time was surging.

It reminded one of a glass bottle that was filled with water...

Lin Xun even had the sensation that his originally starving Origin Aeth Artery had finally had a satisfactory meal.

This change didn’t lead to a metamorphosis, but he felt that one was very imminent. This wonderful feeling instantly allowed him to realize something.

Perhaps, when his Origin Aeth Artery completely refined the time power that it had just devoured, it would welcome its third metamorphosis!

It was also known as the third stage of the Grand Abyss Heaven Devourer!

“But the situation was too dangerous. If the smallest thing had gone wrong, then I would have...” Lin Xun’s heart palpitated, feeling as though he had just survived a catastrophe as he recalled the mad, chaotic time and space around the spring.

“Little friend, how are you feeling?” rang the concerned voice of the Dao Ruleless Bell.

“I’m okay.” Lin Xun took a deep breath. Looking around, he found himself in front of a swirling portal.

“Beyond this portal is the entrance to the Return Dominion,” said the bell. “But be mentally prepared. Outside of the dominion is Spirit Burial Sea, your power will be restricted by its law power to below the Emperor Stage. However, it’ll be normal again once you enter the Return Dominion.”

Lin Xun nodded.

Spirit Burial Sea!

Connected to the backmost area of the East Sea, which was in the territory of the Ziyao Empire, Spirit Burial Sea was thus considered a part of the lower plane.

A long time ago, when Lone Man and the old seer had been laying low in the Forbidden City of the Ziyao Empire, their power had also been restricted.

Otherwise, they would have been able to poke a big hole through the sky with their cultivation!

From what Lin Xun knew, after the Dao War of Ten Directions erupted in the primeval era, the Ancient Wasteland Domain, also known as the birthplace of all daos, had sunk under the impact. Going down with the domain was its origin power that had later transformed into the lower plane.

In other words, the lower plane was the core of the world where all daos originated from!

Mysterious places such as the Return Dominion, Spirit Burial Sea, Dao Burial Sea Mound, and Blood Kill Battlefield were all located in the lower plane.

With all this knowledge, how could Lin Xun not understand that the lower world was by no means just a barren and forsaken place, but instead one with a great origin?!

The thought that he was now at Spirit Burial Sea when he had just been in the Kunlun Dominion shortly ago sent him into a trance.

Calculating the time, it had already been several decades since Lin Xun had first entered the Ancient Nebula Road. Even he hadn’t expected to have this opportunity to return to the lower plane under such special circumstances.

Without further delay, he dashed into the swirling portal.

The first thing that came into view was a vast, turquoise sea. As far as the eye could see, the sky was infinite, the clouds were gauzy, and the waves rolled into the horizon.

Lin Xun simultaneously detected a great dao power that weighted itself on his power, dampening down the latter. Only after his aura fell below the Emperor Stage to the peak of the Supreme Quasi-Emperor Stage did it finally stabilize.

The great dao oppression also disappeared at that same instant.

“The law power of this realm is definitely not simple,” lamented Lin Xun as he stood above the blue sea with his hands on his back.

During his youth, when his cultivation was shallow, he had been unable to appreciate the marvels of this world. Now, however, having returned here as the nebula-renowned Emperor Daoyuan, he finally perceived how extraordinary it was.

The Dao Ruleless Bell said, “The boundless Ancient Nebula Road encompasses countless heavens, but there is only one path leading to the Kunlun Dominion, which is the Ancient Star Path. Meanwhile, this lower world appears to host the Return Dominion comfortably, so it's naturally very special.”

Lin Xun looked around. Memories from when he was a teenager resurfaced bit by bit.

He remembered being invited by Zhao Jingxuan to go on a journey with a group of disciples from Spirit Treasure Holy Land. Setting out from the Ziyao Empire, they had crossed Spirit Burial Sea, and arrived at the Return Dominion without any real danger.

It was also at Dao Burial Sea Mound that he had met Toady, also known as Jin Duyi, a descendant of the Three-Legged Golden Toad...

Later, he and Toady had barged into Deva Secret Domain together and competed with the young successors of Dragon Whale, Golden Luan, Herculean Demon Bull, Mysterious Ao, Cloud Hou, Winged Spirit, and various other clans.

He had faced many perils, and had reaped many fortunes.

Afterward, he had found Fangchun Ruins. There, by virtue of the Dao Endless Pagoda, he had obtained the daoist verse of teachings left by the Lord of Fangchun Mountain.

It was also at that time that he had seized the legacies of his eldest senior brother, the Sacred Combat Art, in the midst of a fierce battle between a group of rivals!

Lin Xun’s mind wandered as he walked down the memory lane.

Youth...

Before he had realized it, over a hundred years had passed. He, himself, was no longer that young man...

After the matter with Fourth Senior Brother is resolved, I’ll definitely go back to the Ziyao Empire to take a look.

Lin Xun secretly made this decision.

Suddenly, there was a noisy clamor in the distance.

“Everyone, do not panic. The entrance to the Return Dominion has been opened for over a month on end. Moreover, the Venerable Dao Lord said that for three months, all the beings in this world can go to Fangchun Ruins and listen to him expound the wonders of the great dao.”

“There is such a great thing in this world?”

“This is called a fortunate opportunity!”

“Hurry up!”

On the far horizon of the turquoise sea, many figures had appeared, either riding spirit birds and huge sharks or driving a flying treasure. The group amounted to roughly a hundred beings of all kinds, making it quite a grand scene.

The leader was a refined elder in a black robe. He looked ethereal and dashing, standing on an ancient flying sword.

Lin Xun recognized at a glance the origins of those figures.

The waters here had been inhabited by thousands of races who had migrated here since the primeval era. Each of them had formed their own force and survived to this day.

When Lin Xun had first come here during his youth, he had witnessed for himself their power, and had even defeated an unknown number of their dazzling geniuses in the process.

For instance, Niu Tuntian of Herculean Demon Bull Clan, Kong Xiu of Cloud Hou Clan Saint, Meng Lianqing of Golden Luan Clan, and so on.

Those figures who were whistling from the distance in his direction were obviously from those primeval migrant clans. Belonging to different ethnic groups, their appearances greatly varied.

When they saw Lin Xun standing alone above the sea, everyone including the black-robed leader looked surprised. However, they didn’t find his presence strange.

During this period of time, the sea area around the Return Dominion had been bustling like never before, attracting numerous experts every day.

None of the black-robed old man’s group was willing to delay more than a mere glance for Lin Xun. They immediately resumed flying away.

“Huh?” A slender figure among them suddenly came to a stop and looked at Lin Xun in a daze.

It was a woman clad in a long, light-golden dress. She was tall and strikingly beautiful. Her skin was so fair that it shone, and her black hair cascaded down to her slim waist. Her entirety emanated a stunning, cold, and lofty demeanor.

As she stood still, some of the people around her also followed suit and clustered around her with visible confusion.

“Miss Lianqing, do you know this person?” someone asked.

The group all sized up Lin Xun.

At the same time, Lin Xun was also caught off guard as he recognized the beautiful woman.

Meng Lianqing![1]

Back then, in the Deva Secret Domain, Meng Lianqing had been like a peerless goddess, performing excellently amongst the crowd of Saints.

It was only that everyone had been rivals, and Lin Xun had even had a fierce clash with her over the Sacred Combat Art.

At that time, he had dominated Niu Tuntian, Xuan Luozi, Kong Xiu, and a host of other Saints in a one-against-many. Meng Lianqing had chosen to retreat after realizing that she could not win.

Lin Xun had never thought that he would run into such an ‘old acquaintance’ just after returning to the sea around the Return Dominion.

He also had no idea that after so many years, Meng Lianqing had long flourished into a dazzling figure among all the races inhabiting this realm.

She was the first junior of the Golden Luan Clan to reach the Quasi-Emperor Stage. Her current status was so high that she could stand shoulder to shoulder with many old monsters who had lived for thousands of years.

Recently, Meng Lianqing had become an expert that no major lineages here could ignore.

Coupled with her stunning appearance, she stood out like a crane would from a flock of chickens. Many outstanding young experts regarded her as the other half of their dream.

In fact, all the reacting young men around Meng Lianqing were her admirers. They either came from extraordinary backgrounds or had impressive attainments in cultivation.

However, Meng Lianqing was in her own little world at the moment, sometimes frowning, sometimes dazed. The emotions in her eyes kept changing as she seemed to reminisce about something.

A long time later, with a hint of doubt, she opened her mouth to speak, “You are...”

She had traveled to the Return Dominion today in order to listen to the Venerable Dao Lord’s teachings. Seeing a familiar figure here really took her aback, and she was reminded of the experience in Deva Secret Domain many years ago when she had first been in the Return Dominion.

It had been haunting Meng Lianqing like a nightmare. Such a long time had passed, but whenever she remembered it, she still felt a little unwilling and bitter.

“Is something the matter?” asked Lin Xun.

He had no intention of revealing his identity. Their past competition was no more than a trivial scuffle to the current him.

Even though his strength was currently suppressed, his appearance and facial features had undergone substantial transformations. If he didn’t want people to recognize him, then even a Great Emperor who was familiar with him wouldn’t be able to.

Meeting Lin Xun's clear and calm eyes, Meng Lianqing was hesitant, “I'm sorry, you just look very much like an old acquaintance of mine. I probably have the wrong person, but may I know your name?”

“Daoyuan.” Lin Xun casually gave his dao name.

“Daoyuan? Sure enough, it isn’t him...” Meng Lianqing was stunned and seemingly relieved, but she also looked slightly lost, her eyes were clouding with subtle, complicated emotions.

1. Not sure if you recall her, but she first showed up in 591. She later on shows up in the Blood Kill Battlefield and she actually died in 1445. Not sure why she is miraculously alive and has 0 recollection of being killed by Lin Xun on the Dao Observation Mountain. Will chalk this up to the author having a giant brain fart, which is unlike him and I’m honestly surprised by it. ☜