Chapter 349 – All at Peak Fourth-Order, Mental Link Super Evolution

Half a day later,

The upgrade of Tianyuan Territory from level 4 to 5 was finally completed.

The territory ceased expanding, the troop Secret Realms no longer changed, and all supernatural phenomena gradually calmed down.

“Next, it’s time to welcome the Heaven and Earth Baptism.”

Mu Yuan’s initial urgency to upgrade the territory was precisely for this Heaven and Earth Baptism.

Like the previous level 3 and level 4 baptisms, the effects on high-level experts were relatively weak—being able to raise them by one minor level was already quite good.

The promotion baptism of a level 5 territory typically couldn’t be several times stronger than the level 4 baptism. However, as long as the Lord achieved a high rating during the trial, the baptism power bestowed by Heaven and Earth would correspondingly increase.

“Isloria, Lu Liu, Rakshasa, and other officers will likely be elevated to the peak of the Fourth Order after this baptism. Now, with the ultimate breakthrough method in hand, they only need to refine themselves for another one or two months to successively advance to the Legendary Realm.”

They were all ‘future legends’ who already possessed both Domain and Willpower Light, only needing to fill the final gap.

Two months later, Tianyuan Territory might enter an ‘era of legendary proliferation.’

By then, punching Jackal Fang and kicking Blood Serpent Embrace would no longer be a problem.

He wouldn’t have to tread so carefully, as if walking on thin ice!

Without this baptism, Tianyuan Territory might have had to wait seven or eight months to give birth to its third Legendary. The difference was significant.

The Heaven and Earth Baptism had come at just the right time.

「Prompt: Begin the Heaven and Earth Baptism?」

「Prompt: Begin the Heaven and Earth Baptism?」

「Prompt: …」

The prompts were already urging him. With the territory upgrade complete, the Heaven and Earth Baptism had to descend and could no longer be delayed.

However, delaying for half a day was sufficient.

During this half day, Mu Yuan first spent a large amount of Soul Crystals to upgrade several ‘Breakthrough Dojos’ to LV5. Then, he recalled batches of elites who were patrolling and exploring outside.

The latter was more troublesome.

After all, Tianyuan Territory was currently at war with Jackal Fang and Blood Serpent Embrace. While there were no large-scale battles, small-scale conflicts and skirmishes occurred from time to time.

Without the elites blocking the claws of the overlords at the front lines, it wouldn’t be long before the enemy’s forces reached the foot of Wolfhead Mountain, or even discovered the main Tianyuan Territory located in the hinterland.

They had to constantly snipe at the enemy to maintain strategic depth and, of course, to gather intelligence on Jackal Fang.

Once he recalled the elites, the battle lines would collapse.

Fortunately, they weren’t fighting alone; Tianyuan Territory had two major allies: Nature’s Garden and Giant’s Ridge. However, before recalling these elites, Mu Yuan had to notify his allies.

He also had Deadbone dispatch the undead creatures nurtured in his sacred mountain to temporarily fill the gap. The undead creatures were far inferior to the elites, but their large numbers allowed them to put on a show of strength.

Dolai also made a few sorties, sweeping through several areas suspected of having Legendary traces.

This was to pressure the enemy.

At this time, Deadbone was in the north, and Dolai wasn’t within the territory either, but in the south, keeping a vigilant eye on the claws of Blood Serpent Embrace.

Both of them had already reached the Legendary Realm and didn’t particularly need this Heaven and Earth Baptism.”Lord, all units are prepared. The soldiers at the high stage and peak of Second Order, as well as those at the peak of First Order, have all entered the Breakthrough Dojo.”

After delivering her report, Isloria recalled all eleven of her Incarnations scattered outside and entered one of the cultivation platforms within the Iceheart Lotus Platform structure.

She took a deep breath, lighting three sticks of rare-grade cultivation incense for herself.

Mu Yuan sat down on the adjacent cultivation platform. A glowing screen obscured his vision as his mind gradually settled. All worries and anxieties dissipated like smoke, leaving only the wispy tendrils of incense smoke drifting before him.

The baptismal light of heaven and earth descended.

The sky seemed to shower with a rain of light, falling in gentle profusion, warming both body and soul.

The residents of Tianyuan Territory, having been notified in advance, now emerged from their homes. Tentatively catching droplets of the light rain, their expressions soon shifted to astonishment.

“Praise the Lord!”

“Is this a gift from the heavens? Our Lord carries the Mandate of Heaven.”

While ordinary citizens couldn’t truly experience the heavenly baptism, bathing in the light rain still refreshed their spirits. Physical fatigue vanished instantly, their legs feeling stronger as if they could climb eight flights of stairs with ease.

Those citizens who had undergone warrior or mage transformations received the true baptism.

The falling light rain transformed into precise beams of light that descended upon them. Their strength genuinely increased, their spirits refined, as if they could punch a giant wolf to death with a single blow.

「Rank: Zero Order Level 4 → Zero Order Level 9」

Naturally, the higher-ranked elites gained greater benefits.

First Order breaking through to Second Order, Second Order advancing to Third Order.

Mu Yuan felt power surging through his entire body. The lake of energy within him split open inch by inch, expanding in all directions.

An invisible storm erupted around him, causing the cultivation incense sticks to sway continuously.

He had grown stronger.

“I’ve reached the Peak of Fourth Order!”

At this moment, the heavenly baptism still hadn’t ended.

The heavens had given too much.

He was already full, overflowing.

Mu Yuan felt regretful, but then an idea struck him. He quickly loaded Deadbone’s template and began practicing the ‘Limit Cultivation Method’.

His bones and muscles crackled and popped as cells throughout his body underwent transformation.

He converted the heavenly baptism into the nourishment required by the Limit Cultivation Method, using it to temper and strengthen himself.

This method… indeed worked!

“Emergency notice: Those who have reached the Peak of Fourth Order, try the Limit Cultivation Method.”

“Lord, the Limit Cultivation Method can be used in conjunction with the heavenly baptism.”

Mu Yuan sent the message via mental communication to his main officers.

Simultaneously, he received a transmission from Isloria in the adjacent room.

Unfortunately, not all officers had mastered the Limit Cultivation Method.

Bone Two, Xiliu, Uta and others couldn’t even see the threshold of the breakthrough method. A few like Red Robe and Lu Liu had touched the threshold or made slight progress, but their cultivation efficiency remained low at this time.

Then there was the heaven-blessed Isloria, who despite handling twelve positions simultaneously, had still cultivated the Limit Cultivation Method to the second realm. She now seized the opportunity to temper her body for further advancement.

This physical tempering progress, while not as immediately noticeable as rank advancement, remained remarkably rapid.At the very least, it was faster and more efficient than daily cultivation with auxiliary treasures.

No cultivation treasure could compare to the baptism of heaven and earth!

Mu Yuan went all out, continuously absorbing the overflowing baptism energy, ceaselessly strengthening his body, refining his spirit, and expanding his energy reserves.

After a while,

The power of the heavenly and earthly baptism began to decline and dissipate.

Mu Yuan could only reluctantly withdraw, still craving more.

“What a pity, what a pity. If I could bathe in such a heavenly and earthly baptism for a long time, I feel like I could reach perfection in less than two days and immediately step into the Legendary Realm!”

After all, he, Lord Mu, was a powerhouse who had long since created his Domain and ignited his Willpower Light.

Stepping into the Legendary Realm would be as easy as lifting a hand.

But the heavenly and earthly baptism couldn’t last that long. This time, the baptism bestowed by heaven and earth had already far exceeded his expectations.

He had only absorbed about half of it.

In the latter half, he used the heavenly and earthly baptism for cultivation, tempering his body. During this process, a large amount of the baptism energy still overflowed and dissipated, returning to heaven and earth.

Mu Yuan opened his panel and arranged his generals and troops in descending order of Rank.

Isloria, Lu Liu, Red Robe, Tree Spirit Grandma, Rakshasa, Sario, and others—the main force generals had all reached the Fourth Order Peak.

This didn’t surprise Mu Yuan.

What surprised him was…

「Holy Light Sage ‘Laney’: Fourth Order Level 9」

「Nature Spirit ‘Flower Spirit’: Fourth Order Level 8」

「Frost Lord ‘Azure Frost’: Fourth Order Level 8」

Laney struggled to even make it into the second tier in Tianyuan Territory. Of course, she wasn’t a frontline combatant but rather a civil official similar to Isloria.

Epic powerhouses like Flower Spirit and Azure Frost had ample potential but extremely low Ranks. Before this, their levels were only around the mid-stage of the Third Order.

Mu Yuan had long prepared Perfect Breakthrough Stones for Laney and the others, anticipating they could advance to the Fourth Order. However, he hadn’t expected them to directly sprint to the high stage of the Fourth Order, not far from the Fourth Order Peak.

“This heavenly and earthly baptism was truly too generous, too generous! It’s even stronger than the previous Pure Soul Source Pool baptism.”

The Pure Soul Source Pool baptism also had a limit on the number of participants; with more people, the baptism effect was greatly reduced.

As for the heavenly and earthly baptism? There’s just one word for it: extravagant.

No matter how many elites or powerhouses were within the territory, every single one received the baptism.

At this moment, Mu Yuan felt sorry for Seventeen, Sophia, Sickle Moon, and others who were outside.

They missed out big time this round!

This time, Tianyuan Territory’s improvement was indeed massive. A large number of Third Order elites emerged, and a new batch of Fourth Order Peak or near-peak powerhouses was promoted.

With the peak already reached, could the Legendary Realm be far behind?

Well…

It actually could be far behind.

Setting aside ‘quasi-legendary’ figures like Isloria, Lu Liu, and Tree Spirit Grandma, the normal Fourth Order Peak was still a long, uncertain journey away from the Legendary Realm.

Frost Lord ‘Azure Frost’ might seem to be at Fourth Order Level 8 at a glance, but she had neither created a Domain nor ignited her Willpower Light. When she would step into the Legendary Realm was uncertain.

Bone Two, who had already reached the Fourth Order Peak, had ignited its Willpower Light through sheer brute force in life-and-death battles. However, Bone Two repeatedly hit walls on the path of creating a Domain.

In two months, Bone Two might be able to temper its body to the limit. But as long as it failed to create a Domain, it would remain stuck at the Fourth Order limit.

And this, in fact, was the norm.Ordinary experts may remain stuck at the peak of the Fourth Order for their entire lives, unable to glimpse the dawn of the legendary realm.

Epic-level experts… those who receive systematic training and have ample resources for development generally have over a 99% probability of stepping into the legendary realm.

However, taking one year to advance counts as entering the legendary realm; taking two or three years, or even six or seven years to advance, also counts as entering the legendary realm.

Epic-level beings can also get stuck at the chasm of the legendary realm for a period of time.

Being stuck is the norm; not being stuck, and instead creating a Domain and igniting the Willpower Light early on, is the exception.

Not long ago, during the promotion trial, among the three angels under the prince of the Holy Griffin Empire, two had reached the peak of the Fourth Order. Was it because they did not want to break through? They simply could not break through yet.

Isloria, Lu Liu, and others were able to meet the conditions early due to their innate talent, as well as… evolution and rank.

“Based on big data probabilities, Epic-level beings will indeed get stuck at the peak of the Fourth Order for a while. But if I evolve my subordinates to Epic Two-Star or Epic Three-Star, will they still get stuck then?”

“Moreover, when bathed in the light of evolution, my subordinates can briefly enter a mysterious state, which provides direct and significant assistance in creating a Domain.”

Mu Yuan pondered.

Before this, he had thought that evolving Epic Two-Star and Epic Three-Star beings was less cost-effective than evolving Epic One-Star beings. However, if his subordinates were stuck at the peak of the Fourth Order, then continuing to evolve them to Epic Two-Star and Three-Star would also be highly cost-effective.

Of course, Mu Yuan did not arrange evolution baptisms solely based on cost-effectiveness; he also considered his subordinates’ contribution rankings.

After the baptism ended, there were still many matters in the territory that needed to be arranged.

Mu Yuan decisively delegated tasks such as upgrading territory buildings and planning Secret Realm sites to Isloria and the others.

He was not lazy.

He also had many important matters to attend to, and these matters could not be delegated—he had to handle them himself.

“Talent, Lord Power, evolution power…”

Mu Yuan had vaguely noticed changes before, but he suppressed the urge to examine them carefully and focused on tasks like troop deployment.

Now that troop redeployment had also been handed over to Deadbone, Lu Liu, and others, he could calmly ponder.

“First, talent…”

Lords without innate talent, if they could pass the trial and advance to the ‘City-Level Lord,’ could also awaken special talents, even strategic talents.

Mu Yuan did not awaken a new talent, but his previous ‘Mental Link’ talent seemed to have undergone a dramatic transformation.

His Mental Energy spread out like a vast net and interfered with the surrounding reality.

「Your Mental Energy can interfere with reality, manifesting as hands, flames, or frost. It can also link to enemies, directly interfering with their minds and consciousness.」

The former was merely decent, but the latter was somewhat absurd.

The Mental Link was originally a purely supportive skill for linking allies and facilitating communication. Now, it could not only link to hostile units but also directly channel Mental Energy into their consciousness? That was somewhat unreasonable.

These changes were merely secondary.

The core of the Mental Link talent remained linking and communication.His mental web continued to spread outward. Once it extended beyond a certain distance, it could no longer influence reality, leaving only the purest communication network. Yet, the coverage of this vast web grew increasingly expansive.

One hundred meters, one thousand meters, ten thousand meters, one hundred thousand meters…

Mu Yuan realized that incorporating thousands of soldiers into this network now required no effort at all.

As a mere Fourth Order, he should have been incapable of bearing the consumption of linking thousands of units across tens or even hundreds of kilometers.

However,

The current mental frequency network no longer required him to shoulder the burden alone. The soldiers within the network were both users and bearers of its cost.

The individual burden on each soldier was minimal, negligible even, yet together, they supported this immense and astonishing mental network.

“This is far from the limit of the Mental Link.”

“Or perhaps, this talent no longer has a conventional limit.”

“Not only that, but this talent holds many areas worth exploring. For instance, can I solidify this mental network, enrich it, and build a true network system?”

The Mental Link talent was not particularly rare; at best, it could be considered a decent talent.

But now…

The mental web was as vast as the sea, and with a single thought, consciousness could traverse the heavens and the earth.

Was this still the Mental Link?

Mu Yuan found it absurd, but since it was happening to him, it was fine.

He immersed himself in experiencing and studying it.

Suddenly, he faintly detected a familiar frequency fluctuation, drifting just beyond the edges of his mental web.

This was…

The Mind Seed!

He had once condensed Mind Seeds for some of his commanders to enable ultra-long-distance communication.

Though “ultra-long-distance” back then had only meant a few hundred kilometers.

And now?

As Mu Yuan sensed the few Mind Seeds, he felt they were incredibly far away—so distant that he couldn’t estimate the distance or determine their direction. Yet…

He had a vague sense that he could resonate with their frequencies and establish a connection.

And so,

He connected.

(End of Chapter)