"Fane," the Martial God Sect's eldest disciple, finished speaking, then rose and walked to the edge of the peak, letting the mountain wind whip his long robe until it snapped and billowed. Lin Lei, meanwhile, was digesting everything he had just learned.
From Huo Dan, the Plane Guardian, Lin Lei had learned that upon reaching the Saint Realm, one could leave the Yulan Continent's plane.
And from Fane, Lin Lei now knew that the Yulan Continent's plane held a great secret—one that had drawn numerous powerhouses from other planes over five thousand years ago.
In truth, for a mere twenty-seven-year-old, Lin Lei's current achievements were already extraordinary. After all, those supreme powerhouses hidden throughout the Yulan Continent had all undergone countless years of cultivation.
"Phew." Lin Lei let out a long breath.
"Why worry about all that? As long as my brothers live happily, and I can destroy the Church of Light to avenge my parents—that's all that matters."
The goals in Lin Lei's heart required sufficient strength to support them.
And Lin Lei himself was equally passionate about cultivation.
The path of cultivation was inherently filled with hardships, trials, and dangers. Many powerhouses had lost their lives along the way—how many truly reached the summit?
Across the entire Yulan Continent, there were only five god-level powerhouses.
Ever since setting foot on this path, Lin Lei's goal had been to stand at the pinnacle of the Yulan Continent. When he had first embarked on this journey in his youth, he had already accepted the possibility of failure and death.
"When I was six, unable to cultivate Dragon Blood Battle Qi, I dreamed of becoming a seventh-level warrior, an eighth-level warrior... In the end, not only did I become a Dragon Blood Warrior, but I also became the Holy Alliance's magical genius."
"As a youth, I dreamed of one day reaching the Saint Realm. And now I've reached the peak of the Saint Realm."
A faint smile played at the corner of Lin Lei's lips.
Confidence.
"Fane? Before long, I will defeat him too." Lin Lei felt himself filled with passion—it was in surpassing one powerhouse after another, in reaching the summit, that the sense of achievement grew ever greater.
What truly moved a person was not the final success, but the process of overcoming setback after setback, breakthrough after breakthrough, along the road to triumph.
Fane turned his head and looked at Lin Lei.
"Rest here for a while. When evening comes, I'll take you to see the teacher," Fane said with a smile.
"The Martial God?" Lin Lei raised an eyebrow.
The Martial God wanted to see him in person?
"The teacher has his reasons for seeing you. I'll be meditating nearby—if you have any questions, you can ask me." Fane had no intention of wasting time on Lin Lei and walked directly to a flat stone, sat cross-legged, and closed his eyes.
Lin Lei watched the meditating Fane.
"I wonder what the Martial God really wants." Lin Lei stopped overthinking, moved to a quiet spot, sat cross-legged, and began cultivating.
Time passed, and in the blink of an eye the sun had set.
Fane's body, which had been seated cross-legged on the stone, suddenly blurred and vanished from the rock. An instant later, his figure reappeared beside the stone.
Seeing that Lin Lei had been quietly cultivating the entire time, Fane nodded to himself in approval.
A true powerhouse must be able to endure solitude.
Like Olivia, who had meditated alone on that desolate mountain for a full three years, and Lin Lei himself, who had likewise trained for three years in the Magic Beast Mountain Range—if one could not endure solitude, even the greatest talent was wasted.
"Lin Lei, it's about time. Come with me to see the teacher," Fane said with a smile.
Lin Lei opened his eyes, rose at once, and followed Fane.
Fane walked to the edge of the mountain path and then flew straight down. Though Lin Lei couldn't fly in his human form, he tapped the ground and descended gracefully.
By controlling the wind, Lin Lei was able to slow his fall.
In moments, Fane had landed at the mountainside, and Lin Lei landed beside him.
"Follow me." Fane headed straight for a natural cave ahead. Lin Lei felt a twinge of curiosity—the Martial God actually lived in a cave?
The cave twisted and turned, and after some time they came to a shaft that plunged straight down into the depths. It was bottomless—peering down, all one could see was pitch-black darkness.
"Down we go." Fane jumped straight in, and Lin Lei followed.
"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!"
The two plummeted downward at great speed. Lin Lei was inwardly astonished: "This depth has to be over two thousand meters—I'm already underground."
After a long fall, Fane and Lin Lei finally touched down as gently as drifting leaves.
Then, Lin Lei followed Fane deeper into the cave, though the temperature within rose higher with every step.
"Such intense heat."
Even with his body's natural defenses, Lin Lei dared not endure this heat unprotected. He had to wrap his feet in Battle Qi, and streams of dark cyan Battle Qi circulated across his skin and hair.
Without the protection of his Battle Qi, Lin Lei's hair would have simply caught fire.
The surrounding walls were all crimson. After walking for a while, Lin Lei spotted a pitch-black stone door ahead. Even in this extreme heat, the door showed not the slightest hint of turning red—clearly, it was made of no ordinary material.
"Whoosh, whoosh~~"
Scorching air currents flowed out from beyond the stone door, along with a faint yet palpable pressure. Facing that pressure, Lin Lei felt an overwhelming urge to kneel in reverence.
"Teacher, I've brought Lin Lei," Fane said respectfully.
The Martial God?
The Martial God was right behind that stone door!
Lin Lei, who had been fairly calm, could not help but feel his heart racing. After all, the supreme powerhouse standing at the pinnacle of the Yulan Continent was separated from him by nothing more than a stone door.
"Very well, Fane. You may withdraw," a detached voice echoed from within.
"Yes, Teacher." Fane respectfully withdrew.
Lin Lei stood in place, silently awaiting the Martial God's words.
"Lin Lei, twenty-seven years old, ninth-level Grand Magician, already set upon the path of comprehending elemental laws..." The Martial God's voice remained detached. "Lin Lei, you are quite impressive."