180: Chapter 180 A Strange Change in the Grotto-heaven, Two Trees Grow Together

Outside the mountain gate, the air solidified.

Ancestor Chi Yang stared fixedly at Lin Yue, flames flickering in his eyes.

A junior at the Late Nascent Soul Stage dared to publicly challenge a Spirit Transformation Ancestor?

This was a blatant humiliation!

"Good! Good! Good!"

He laughed out of extreme rage and said the word "good" three times. "Since you're looking for death, this old man will fulfill your wish!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he took a step forward, and his figure instantly appeared a hundred Zhang high in the sky.

"Come up!"

Lin Yue's expression was calm as he stepped into the air and ascended.

The two faced each other in the air, separated by a thousand Zhang.

Below, everyone held their breath.

Mid stage Soul Transformation vs Peak Late Nascent Soul Stage.

A battle that seemingly had no suspense.

But Lin Yue's casual dissolution of the pressure using his Domain just now made everyone... a bit more expectant.

"Young Friend Lin, be careful."

The Star Track Pavilion Master sent a voice transmission: "Ancestor Chi Yang has a fiery temper, but his strength is extremely great. He is especially skilled in the 'True Fire of the Scarlet Sun,' which can burn mountains and boil seas."

Lin Yue nodded slightly.

He naturally knew how formidable Ancestor Chi Yang was.

But he had to fight this battle.

Not only did he have to fight, but he also had to win decisively.

Because this wasn't just about personal victory or defeat; it was a struggle for the right to speak between the Southern Border and the Central Region!

"Boy, don't say this old man is bullying the small with my seniority."

Ancestor Chi Yang said coldly, "I'll give you three moves. If you can touch the corner of my robe within three moves, you win!"

Arrogance!

But at the Mid stage Soul Transformation, he had the capital to be arrogant.

Lin Yue shook his head, "No need."

"No need?"

"I am injured, and time is precious. Let's decide the winner in one move."

"What?!"

Ancestor Chi Yang thought he had misheard.

Decide the winner in one move?

This wasn't just arrogance anymore; it was madness!

Even Sword Origin Master and Xuan Mingzi frowned.

"Sect Master Lin, it's just a spar; there's no need for this..."

Sword Origin Master spoke to persuade him.

But Lin Yue had already moved.

He didn't draw his sword.

Instead... he closed his eyes.

He slowly raised his hands and formed hand Seals in front of his chest.

The movement was very slow, so slow that everyone could clearly see every detail.

But Ancestor Chi Yang's expression gradually changed.

Because he felt that the aura around Lin Yue... was undergoing some kind of strange change.

Even though his cultivation was still at the Late Nascent Soul Stage, he faintly emitted a fluctuation that made his heart palpitate.

In that fluctuation, four completely different Laws were contained—

The vastness of the stars, the majesty of the dragon soul, the heaviness of the earth, and the mystery of space.

Although the four sources were imbalanced, at this moment... they were forcibly fused!

"This is..."

Ancestor Chi Yang's pupils shrank suddenly.

He finally understood where Lin Yue's confidence came from.

The Fusion of the four sources, even if only temporary, was enough to unleash power that surpassed his Realm!

"I can't let him finish!"

Ancestor Chi Yang made a prompt decision, no longer acting arrogant, and clapped his hands together!

"True Fire of the Scarlet Sun—Heaven Incineration!"

Boom—!!!

Flames filled the sky out of nowhere, turning into a thousand-Zhang-long fire dragon that roared and lunged at Lin Yue!

Wherever the fire dragon passed, space distorted, the air steamed, and the mountain forest below was instantly turned to scorched earth!

A full-strength strike from the Mid stage Soul Transformation was terrifying indeed!

But Lin Yue still had his eyes closed, and his hands forming the Seals did not stop.

It wasn't until the fire dragon was only a hundred Zhang away from him.

He opened his eyes.

Within his eyes, four-colored light flowed.

"Starry Sky Domain—Time Acceleration."

Buzz!

The flow of time within three Zhang of Lin Yue's body suddenly accelerated tenfold!

To outsiders, his movements instantly blurred, leaving only an afterimage.

But in his perception, the fire dragon's pounce... was as slow as a snail.

"Threefold acceleration is already the limit. But combined with the space folding within the Domain..."

Lin Yue took a step forward.

Not forward, nor backward.

But... to the left.

Yet in the eyes of outsiders, his figure strangely appeared on the right side of the fire dragon, easily dodging the pounce.

Then, the second step.

He appeared above the fire dragon's head.

The third step.

He had already reached Ancestor Chi Yang!

The entire process took no more than a single breath.

Ancestor Chi Yang didn't even see clearly how Lin Yue had gotten there!

"You..."

He was just about to speak.

Lin Yue's right hand had already lightly pressed against his chest.

No force was used.

It was just a light press.

But Ancestor Chi Yang's whole body stiffened.

Because he felt a strange power coming from Lin Yue's palm, instantly sealing his Meridians and even briefly imprisoning his Nascent Soul!

Although it was only for an instant.

But that instant was enough for Lin Yue to kill him ten times!

"I yield."

Lin Yue withdrew his hand and stepped back three paces.

The Starry Sky Domain was deactivated, and the flow of time returned to normal.

Ancestor Chi Yang stood dazed on the spot, his face turning various shades of blue and white.

He had lost.

He lost... inexplicably.

He didn't even understand how he had lost.

"Time... You actually mastered the Law of Time?!"

Sword Origin Master stared intently at Lin Yue, his voice filled with disbelief.

The Law of Time is one of the most difficult to master among the three thousand Great Daos.

Even Soul Transformation cultivators rarely manage to touch its threshold.

But Lin Yue, at the Late Nascent Soul Stage, could actually briefly accelerate his own time!

This talent... was too terrifying!

"I only know a little bit."

Lin Yue said indifferently, but his face grew even paler.

Forcibly activating time acceleration and mobilizing the power of the four sources made his already imbalanced injuries... even worse.

But it was worth it.

He won this battle.

He won cleanly and decisively.

He won... such that no one dared to question him again.

Ancestor Chi Yang opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but it finally turned into a long sigh.

"This old man... is convinced."

He turned around and cupped his hands to Sword Origin Master. "Sect Master Sword Origin, the defense of the Southern Border... shall be led by the Luoxia Sect. This old man has no objections."

Since even the most hot-tempered Ancestor Chi Yang had backed down, the others naturally had nothing to say.

Sword Origin Master gave Lin Yue a deep look and finally nodded:

"In that case, we shall do as Sect Master Lin says. The allied forces will coordinate defense, and the final decisions... will be made by the Luoxia Sect."

The general situation was settled.

Lin Yue breathed a sigh of relief and was about to return to the Sect to heal his injuries.

But just then—

Inside the Grotto-Heaven, Hao Tian's urgent voice suddenly rang out:

"Master! The World Tree... is undergoing a mutation!"

"What?"

Lin Yue's consciousness sank into the Grotto-Heaven.

Then, he saw a shocking scene.

In the center of the Grotto-Heaven, the World Tree, which was originally just one, had actually... split into two!

The main tree was still tall and majestic, with stars flowing among its branches and leaves, and roots deep in the earth, controlling the three Laws of Stars, Earth, and Space.

Beside the main tree, a newly born sapling was breaking through the soil.

The sapling was only three feet tall, silver-gray all over, with crystal-clear branches and leaves, emitting a faint but clear... fluctuation of time!

"Twin World Trees..."

Hao Tian's voice was excited: "Master, this is a mutation triggered by the void dao fruit! The main tree controls the Stars, Earth, and Space, while the secondary tree... is a newly born sprout of the Law of Time!"

"At this moment, the secondary tree is resonating with the time pool. The maximum flow rate of the time pool has increased from fifteen times to... a hundred times!"

A hundred times?!

Lin Yue's heart pounded wildly.

But Hao Tian's next words calmed him down:

"However, the restrictions are immense. It can only be opened once every hundred days, for a maximum of three people at a time, lasting for one day (outside time)."

"In other words, one day outside is a hundred days in the Secret Realm. This is the final opportunity for time acceleration."

A hundred days... Lin Yue immediately calculated.

One day outside, a hundred days in the Secret Realm.

If they could enter the Secret Realm to Cultivate for a hundred days, combined with the hundredfold flow rate, it would be equivalent to... a hundred days outside, ten thousand days in the Secret Realm!

Ten thousand days, nearly thirty years!

Thirty years was enough for him to repair his injuries, stabilize the four sources, and even... impact the Soul Transformation stage!

"But this requires three people..."

Lin Yue already had a decision in his heart.

Himself, Little Star, and Lin Mo.

The three of them would enter to charge toward Peak Late Nascent Soul Stage, Tier 4 Formation Master, and Late Golden Core Stage.

"Hao Tian, prepare to open the Secret Realm. Three days from now, the three of us will enter."

"Yes!"

His consciousness returned to reality.

Lin Yue suppressed the excitement in his heart and looked at Sword Origin Master and the others:

"Since you all have come from afar, please enter the Sect and rest. In three days, I will enter secluded cultivation to heal my injuries. At that time, the defense of the Southern Border will be temporarily discussed among the Star Track Pavilion Master and all of you."

Secluded cultivation?

Everyone was startled.

But thinking of Lin Yue's pale face just now, they were relieved.

Even though he won that battle, the price was not small.

"Sect Master Lin, please heal your injuries with peace of mind. We will be stationed at the front line."

Sword Origin Master said solemnly.

Lin Yue nodded and, without saying more, turned and returned to the Grotto-Heaven.

He needed to regulate his injuries as soon as possible to prepare for the Secret Realm cultivation in three days.

And after he left.

Sword Origin Master and Xuan Mingzi looked at each other, both seeing the shock in each other's eyes.

"The Law of Time... and despite the source imbalance, he could still defeat Ancestor Chi Yang..."

Xuan Mingzi murmured, "If this boy grows up, he will surely... shock the entire cultivation world."

Sword Origin Master was silent for a moment and said slowly:

"Order the allied forces to fully cooperate with the Luoxia Sect. This battle... might truly be won."

And at this moment.

Inside the Grotto-Heaven, Lin Yue had arrived beside the newly born world tree sapling.

He reached out and lightly touched the sapling's branches and leaves.

The branches and leaves trembled slightly, and time fluctuations rippled out like waves.

In a daze, Lin Yue seemed to see a surging, ceaseless river.

That was... the river of time.

"The Law of Time..."

Within Lin Yue's eyes, starlight flowed.

"Perhaps this is the... ultimate answer to countering the Spirit Devouring Clan."