Vol 5 Chapter 1: Origin Realm

The first Tianyuan Grand Event gathering talents from across the continent concluded in a manner that defied all expectations of the cultivation world. First, the Demon Court unified most demonic beast factions, empowering their Holy Maiden Xu Qingyao to such an extent that she seemed poised to dominate all young talents through beast taming. Then, the two prodigies from the Ancient Clan cultivated Postnatal Immortal Physiques, decisively defeating the previously unstoppable Xu Qingyao.

Just when everyone assumed the event would conclude with these immortal physiques reigning supreme, a Heavenly Demon descended unexpectedly. The Holy Son of the Demon Court, wielding secret demonic arts, suppressed the immortal physiques and demonstrated the terrifying might of the Heavenly Demons to the world. This revelation forced both supreme experts and young geniuses across the continent to completely reevaluate their understanding of Heavenly Demon cultivators.

To prepare the talents for confronting Heavenly Demon practitioners in the Origin Realm, Lin Jing subsequently allowed each participant to repeatedly experience the demonic techniques until they could barely withstand some of the Heavenly Demon's power. "This should suffice," Lin Jing mused. "According to Elder Mo Pine, true Heavenly Demon practitioners with demonic bloodlines are rare. Now that they've all developed countermeasures against demonic arts, the Origin Realm expedition should proceed safely." During this period, Lin Jing had actually been using battles with these top talents to temper his Heavenly Demon avatar.

Since these geniuses were all at the Nascent Soul Transformation Stage, the fights remained balanced as long as Lin Jing's avatar didn't break through to that realm using the Heavenly Demon Physique. Ironically, this restraint made Lin Jing increasingly aware of the overwhelming dominance of demonic bloodlines. He recalled the Two Realms Cavern's description of the Demon God Physique—a perfected form could rival immortal energy with its demonic power.

Immortal energy—a force only obtainable after transcending tribulations and ascending. Even immortal physiques didn't inherently possess it, merely guaranteeing eventual ascension. This realization fueled Lin Jing's anticipation for perfecting his demonic bloodline. While the Demon God Physique lacked the exotic abilities of other immortal physiques, its sheer energy quality seemed capable of overwhelming most of them.

One year after the Tianyuan Grand Event concluded, the gathered talents prepared to depart for the Origin Realm. During this interval, Lin Jing's avatar continued sparring while his true body focused on absorbing the Dragon's Saliva Wine gifted by the Sea God Palace to recover expended lifespan. Remarkably, by the time of their departure, not only had Lin Jing fully restored all consumed lifespan, but his vitality actually surpassed its previous levels.

Unexpectedly, the wine's aftereffects proved formidable. While his avatar only consumed a small amount, his main body frequently battled drowsiness—an effect that might require decades of sleep to fully dissipate. With no time for such prolonged rest, Lin Jing relied on sobering pills crafted by the Dragon Carp to maintain alertness daily. Though slightly inconvenient, recovering his burned lifespan made this side effect acceptable. Barring accidents, the pills would gradually neutralize the lingering influence.

"It's finally beginning," Lin Jing declared, standing atop a mountain peak in the Ancient Nation. Having settled all Tianyuan Continent affairs, his sole focus now was substantially improving his strength in the Origin Realm, breaking through to the Void Mystical Stage, then being expelled back to Tianyuan. Only by reaching that realm could he truly establish a foothold in this lower world—no matter how chaotic the situation became, Void Mystical cultivation would ensure his safety.

With a whoosh, Lin Jing's figure vanished from the peak. Reappearing outside ancient ruins, he joined the other top ten talents from the Destiny Rankings who arrived in succession. The Eldest Senior Sister and Cold Moon Sword Immortal had come earlier, nodding slightly upon seeing Lin Jing. The other talents' gazes, however, flickered unnaturally when looking at him—clear evidence of the psychological shadows cast by their experiences with demonic power.

Lin Jing had shown no mercy against these talents, unleashing demonic energy like an emotionless machine during their encounters. How much they comprehended depended entirely on their own capabilities. However, for familiar faces like Gu Xinghe and Gu Youran, Lin Jing patiently explained the intricacies of demonic arts—a privilege few enjoyed.

Soon the remaining eight talents arrived as scheduled, ultimately accompanied by the Second Ancient Emperor personally escorting Gu Xinghe and Gu Youran. These two were the only ones Lin Jing's Heavenly Demon avatar couldn't confront while maintaining its Core Formation realm, forcing it to temporarily ascend to Nascent Soul during their sparring sessions—with the Second Ancient Emperor compensating the resulting losses.

"The Origin Realm teleportation array will activate shortly," the Second Ancient Emperor announced upon arrival. "The Pathseekers must also take their positions. Before your departure, I shall reiterate the current situation in the Origin Realm!"

"In ancient times, cultivators from each realm operated independently, divided into countless factions competing for immortal energy-producing Origin Sources within the realm—even practitioners from the same world might not cooperate. Every cultivator pursued a single goal: obtaining Origin Sources by any means necessary."

"However, after the Heavenly Demon Sect disrupted the lower realms and the Cultivation Alliance formed, the Origin Realm's landscape changed significantly. Most realm cultivators now gather collectively, though some independent practitioners remain. Essentially, the realm's forces divide between the Heavenly Demon Sect and the Cultivation Alliance's talents."

"Upon arrival, your primary mission involves contacting and joining the Cultivation Alliance—with one exception: Lin Jing. His avatar will infiltrate the Heavenly Demon Sect as a spy. Therefore, none of you nine may ever mention his demonic avatar within the Origin Realm." Producing a scroll, the emperor continued, "This Pathseeker Scroll contains powerful restrictions crafted by multiple Pathseekers. By signing, any revelation about the Demon Court Holy Son's demonic avatar will trigger contractual backlash!"

The Second Ancient Emperor understood perfectly—having Lin Jing, versed in demonic arts, infiltrate their enemy's ranks to gather intelligence represented the most advantageous strategy for Tianyuan Realm. The talents nodded unanimously;

an embedded spy within enemy lines naturally provided greater security. After all signed the contract, the emperor delivered his final warning: "What follows is most critical. Historical records indicate all realm teleportations arrive randomly in the Origin Realm. None can predict your initial circumstances, so remain extremely vigilant. However, you can rest assured—no threats exceeding the Void Mystical Stage should emerge there."