Chapter 657: Epiphany and Breakthrough
Outside the Suppressing Demon Tower.
Under countless watching eyes, the massive tower hovering in the sky suddenly shuddered and rapidly shrank. A streak of light shot out from it, landing within everyone's line of sight.
"It's the Palace Master!"
When Ying Xiaoxiao and the Anti‑Yuan Alliance experts saw the figure appear, they could not help but cry out in excitement, wild joy filling every face.
They had clearly not expected the outcome between Lin Langtian and the Demon Hawk King to be decided so quickly.
In stark contrast to their jubilation, the Otherworldly Demon camp had fallen into utter silence. Even Four Kings Hall stared at the scene in disbelief, his face dark and stormy.
None of them had imagined that a true king who had passed a Samsara Tribulation would fall to Lin Langtian.
This youth was truly a calamity in the making.
"Hehe, Four Kings Hall, it seems you've lost again this time," Flame Master said with a cold smile as he looked at the victorious Lin Langtian, a hint of shock flickering in his gaze before he turned it on Four Kings Hall.
"It's only one true king. Who said I've lost?" Four Kings Hall replied through clenched teeth, his expression icy.
"Is that so?" Flame Master did not bother to argue.
With the Demon Hawk King's death, the situation on the field had been completely overturned. Even the remaining three Demon Kings now found themselves in dire straits.
Four Kings Hall was no fool. He understood the gravity of his situation. With Lin Langtian's overwhelming slaying of the Demon Hawk King, the tide had turned against him.
A bitter reluctance flickered in his eyes. But things had already gone too far. There was no salvaging the situation.
With a sweep of his sleeve, his figure gradually turned illusory before fading from sight altogether. As he vanished, his lingering voice echoed across the land.
"Retreat!"
The three remaining Demon Kings immediately broke off from their respective battlefields. Expressions twisting, they hesitated only a moment before gritting their teeth and dissolving into nothingness.
"Flame Master, just you wait. In this World War, my Otherworldly Demon race will wipe out your entire plane!"
Four Kings Hall's vicious voice continued to roll across the heavens even after he had disappeared.
Flame Master's expression did not change. He simply turned around to face Lin Langtian, his eyes flashing with a hint of admiration. "Well done," he said.
Lin Langtian smiled faintly, sweeping his gaze across the surroundings. His eyes brushed over Lin Dong's trio and Zhou Tong's trio as he replied humbly, "All I did was exert my full strength. Everyone here has contributed greatly."
Flame Master chuckled softly and said no more. His gaze shifted to Ying Huanhuan. "Now that the Ice Master's identity has been exposed, I will remain by her side until she fully awakens," he said.
With that, he closed his eyes, falling silent.
Not far away, Lin Dong's face immediately darkened. A very bad feeling welled up in his heart.
Lin Langtian simply shook his head with a smile, then turned to the army behind him. With Yuan Gate destroyed, there was no longer any need to linger here. After a brief discussion, the army set off, heading back to the Heavenly Mansion.
As for the hastily assembled Anti‑Yuan Alliance, its purpose had been fulfilled, and it now held little meaning. Many experts took their leave.
Lin Langtian did not try to stop them. Although recruiting them now would greatly boost the Heavenly Mansion's strength, he had little desire to do so.
His sect was still young, its growth pure and vigorous. Introducing such a large number of unfamiliar experts at once would inevitably change its atmosphere—and that was the last thing he wanted.
He would rather see the Heavenly Mansion advance steadily, growing stronger step by step, than have its very nature warped by a sudden influx of outsiders.
Lin Dong also took this opportunity to bid farewell to Lin Langtian. Having been away from Dao Sect for years, he naturally had to return.
Noticing Zhou Tong's hesitant expression, Lin Langtian understood and gave him leave as well.
After all, Zhou Tong was from Dao Sect and shared a deep bond with Ying Xuanzhi. Even as the Heavenly Mansion's Great Elder, he could not forget his roots.
This loyalty was precisely what Lin Langtian valued most in Zhou Tong. With his talent, upright character, and devotion to relationships, he was the ideal right‑hand man.
When Lin Langtian and his forces returned to the Heavenly Mansion, they were greeted by countless sparkling eyes and an earth‑shaking cheer that echoed for thousands of li.
Every disciple of the Heavenly Mansion poured out of the sect to welcome their Palace Master, who had returned like a peerless hero.
So young, yet he had destroyed the once‑unassailable Yuan Gate and led the Heavenly Mansion to an unprecedented height—a feat that filled every disciple with pride.
Though the disciples who had remained behind had not witnessed the battle against Yuan Gate, they had never doubted that, under Lin Langtian's leadership, the Heavenly Mansion would rise like a comet.
He had not disappointed them. He had led their forces out and returned carrying the very victory they had all dreamed of.
From that moment on, Lin Langtian and the Heavenly Mansion would leave an indelible mark upon the East Xuan Region.
The Heavenly Mansion's celebrations lasted for five full days. In those same five days, news of Yuan Gate's destruction spread like wildfire across the East Xuan Region, and the joy of the Heavenly Mansion soon swept through the entire land.
The entire East Xuan Region was thrown into an uproar.
Yuan Gate's war had engulfed the region. Countless sects and dynasties had been ground to dust beneath its iron heel.
Yet, facing Yuan Gate's overwhelming might, even those who loathed it had been forced to hide like rats.
None of them had imagined that the seemingly unrivaled Yuan Gate would collapse in the blink of an eye—and so completely at that.
With Yuan Gate's fall, the fractured East Xuan Region suddenly found its attention drawn to a young force less than five years old—the Heavenly Mansion—whose fame soared to unprecedented heights.
If even Yuan Gate could be destroyed by the Heavenly Mansion and Lin Langtian, which sect in the East Xuan Region could still vie with them?
Even Dao Sect, which had preserved its strength the best and had produced the greatest prodigy in its history, Lin Dong, now seemed to fall a step behind the Heavenly Mansion.
With so many super‑sects wiped out by Yuan Gate, the old balance of power lay in ruins. Only three true super‑sects remained: the Heavenly Mansion, Dao Sect, and Nine Heavens Supreme Purity Palace.
Clearly, in the aftermath of war, these three would become the greatest beneficiaries.
At the same time, as the Heavenly Mansion's fame peaked, Lin Langtian's name resounded throughout the East Xuan Region.
Everyone knew who had truly led the Heavenly Mansion's counterattack. Everyone knew that it was Lin Langtian who had cast off the humiliation of the past and annihilated Yuan Gate.
The war had also cast light upon the Great Yan Dynasty, thanks to its two monstrous geniuses, Lin Langtian and Lin Dong.
Once an insignificant, low‑rank dynasty, it was now a name no ruler in the East Xuan Region dared to provoke.
Within the Great Yan Dynasty, the Lin Clan flourished. With the Heavenly Mansion at their back and Lin Langtian as their clan head, it was easy to imagine that in time, they would shine across not just the East Xuan Region, but the entire Xuan Domain Continent.
Over the following months, new super‑sects slowly rose from the ruins, but none could match the strength or renown they had once enjoyed.
Wisely, they all maintained great respect toward the Heavenly Mansion, clearly positioning themselves beneath it. Having seen its terrifying might, they had long discarded any thought of rivalry.
Lin Langtian remained indifferent to these shows of deference.
He had none of Yuan Gate's ambition to force every sect in the East Xuan Region to bow at his feet. He knew that only true strength was unshakable. Everything else was merely empty reputation.
Chasing after such vanity at the cost of one's foundation was the act of a fool.
In any case, the war‑torn East Xuan Region was gradually settling. The long‑devastated land would eventually bloom brighter than ever.
Within the Heavenly Mansion, however, life soon returned to normal after the initial waves of celebration.
Though a relaxed pride lingered in the air, the wild revelry quickly faded.
Cultivation, recruitment, and training of new disciples all proceeded as before—only now on a much grander scale than ever.
Strolling through the Heavenly Mansion, Lin Langtian was frequently passed by hurrying disciples. Some of the young female disciples blushed as they snuck curious, shy glances at him.
Cries of "Palace Master!" echoed constantly in the distance, filling the sect with lively energy.
Among the faces, Lin Langtian recognized several members of the Lin Clan.
This had been his arrangement from the start: using the Heavenly Mansion's resources to cultivate the Lin Clan's younger generation.
As their clan head, he knew they would be absolutely loyal to him, making them the ideal foundation for his inner circle of trusted followers.
Lin Langtian returned their greetings with a warm smile and slight nods. As he watched the excited, even worshipful looks in the disciples' eyes, a deep sense of accomplishment rose within him.
He had endured countless brushes with death over the years. At times, he felt weary. But he knew he could not stop.
Because in this lawless, chaotic world, those who failed to climb higher were doomed to be consumed by the strong. One day, they might not even know how they died.
Such a fate was something Lin Langtian would never accept.
Fortunately, after walking a razor's edge for so long, he had finally reached the summit of the continent and carved out a powerful domain of his own.
With an unusually relaxed mind, he stepped onto a cultivation platform by the Dan River and sat down cross‑legged at its edge.
Many Heavenly Mansion disciples were already seated nearby, quietly cultivating as they absorbed and refined the river's yuan power.
A peaceful, harmonious atmosphere pervaded the place, filling Lin Langtian with a rare sense of tranquility.
It had been ten days since Yuan Gate's annihilation, and he had spent that time in complete rest.
He ignored all external matters—no unrest, no aftermath, no Otherworldly Demons.
No one dared disturb him. So, for the first time, Lin Langtian simply lazed around the Heavenly Mansion.
It became something of a running joke among the disciples.
By the Dan River, Lin Langtian sat there idly, gazing at its flowing current. After a long while, his eyelids grew heavy, and he slowly closed them, letting darkness enfold his sight.
Though his vision dimmed, his mind shone brighter than ever.
He could clearly sense every corner of the Heavenly Mansion, and even each individual disciple within it—their excitement, their pride.
The burning emotions washed over him, stirring something warm and radiant in his heart.
The feeling was… comfortable.
And because it felt so comfortable, his body soon became completely still.
Time slipped by. When the nearby disciples finished cultivating and rose to leave, they noticed that Lin Langtian still sat there motionless, as steadfast as stone.
They stared at his relaxed back with dazed expressions. For some reason, it felt as though his presence had merged with the heavens and earth themselves—intangible, unreachable.
Puzzled murmurs began to spread. More and more disciples gathered, drawn by curiosity. Their eyes were filled with wonder as they looked upon that still figure.
When some Heavenly Mansion experts arrived and sensed that Lin Langtian's aura was completely silent—his yuan power and spiritual energy both motionless—their expressions grew solemn.
With their experience, they understood that their Palace Master had entered an extremely profound state.
On the path of cultivation, bitter effort was the foundation. But fortune and insight were equally important.
A single epiphany could rival ten years of hard cultivation.
Lin Langtian now seemed to have stumbled into such a wondrous state.
They did not fully understand it, but they knew it was crucial to him.
So they quietly dispersed the disciples and sealed off the cultivation platform, ensuring no one would disturb him.
And thus, Lin Langtian began his process of enlightenment…
(END CHAPTER)
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