The God of Heavens

Chapter 154 The Thirty-Six Heavens

At the ancestral temple gate, pairs of eyes, like blue lamps, flickered in the darkness before gradually fading and disappearing into the depths of the temple. Enveloped in demonic mist for two hundred thousand years, no one knows what kind of eeriness this ancient temple has nurtured.

Lin Yu stepped into the ancestral temple with his hands behind his back. His divine battle robes fluttered gracefully, smooth and steady as a mountain, as if a deity had descended, exuding an extraordinary composure and calmness.

What I initially thought was just an ordinary ancient temple turned out to be a terrifying microcosm. Each courtyard was a self-contained world, interconnected with one another, its scale far exceeding any imagination.

Such a feat is truly astonishing. It's not hard to deduce that back then, the Feathered Divine Dynasty must have had incredibly powerful figures who were willing to sacrifice their own essence to create these countless small worlds. The foundation of the ancestral temple is unfathomable.

The adjacent courtyards are separated by only one wall, but unless you go inside yourself, you will never know what is happening in the ancient temple on the other side.

This seemingly short distance actually separates a complete microcosm. The entire ancestral temple is like a vast, boundless labyrinth, with ancient temples and microcosms intertwined and intricately connected.

"what--"

A shrill scream suddenly shattered the silence, and an incredibly terrifying aura surged from above Lin Yu's head, heading straight for the top of his head.

Lin Yu looked up and saw that on the tall courtyard wall and under the dark eaves, there were corpses with disheveled hair hanging down.

At that moment, all the corpses opened their eyes, which gleamed with an eerie light, like a blue lamp. Then, they fell headfirst to the ground; these were the descendants of the Yin God.

Those who possess extraordinary strength in life have immortal flesh after death. If they happen to be buried on a ley line, their flesh may "revive" after countless long years.

These newborn beings are entirely different life forms, representing the highest level of zombie transformation, a miraculous birth from the ultimate state of death. If they learn to cultivate, they could very well grow powerful enough to become invincible in the world.

These beings are called Yin Gods, and they possess the ability to copulate and reproduce. The creatures before us are the offspring of Yin Gods whose bloodline is extremely diluted.

Unfortunately, they didn't seem very smart. As soon as they saw Lin Yu, this outsider, they all swarmed together and let out a shriek.

This shriek is their innate ability. Once unleashed, it can directly imprison the opponent, and then suck out the opponent's essence, blood, bones and flesh mouth to mouth, making them extremely ferocious and terrifying.

"Shh!"

A wisp of Celestial Pure Fire instantly leaped from Lin Yu's fingertip. This crystal-clear Pure Fire was as pure and dazzling as crystal.

Although these Yin spirits could kill powerful beings when they joined forces, they were still useless against the Heavenly Pure Fire. Wherever the Pure Fire went, human skin instantly turned to ashes, and the Yin spirits howled mournfully before turning into wisps of green smoke and disappearing.

In just three breaths, the ominous aura that permeated the entire ancestral temple was burned away completely, leaving only a few Yin God Pearls rolling onto the jade bricks with a "clinking" sound.

Lin Yu gently beckoned, and the Yin Spirit Pearl landed steadily in his palm. The pearl was as black and lustrous as ink jade. Having been refined by the Heavenly Realm's Pure Fire, its Yin impurities had been removed, making it suitable for refining elixirs to greatly replenish vital energy.

However, these descendants of Yin Gods were merely minor figures with very weak bloodline power. Given Lin Yu's powerful physique, the divine pearls they transformed into would be of little use.

He remembered that later in the Dragon Vein Land, there were two Yin Gods who had nurtured corpses for more than 200,000 years. Their origins were transformed into divine pills, and taking one pill could extend one's life by 3,000 years!

The Feathered Divine Dynasty, though its name sounds otherworldly, is known for its sinister and bizarre practices. Legend has it that many of their enemies mysteriously "ascended" to immortality, vanishing without a trace, sometimes leaving only a few strands of hair or beard. It's no wonder they would resort to such a mad method as sacrificing blood to the Ascension Cauldron.

Lin Yu strolled forward, the sparks of fire behind him lingering, illuminating the flying immortals on the mural with a dazzling, dreamlike glow.

He strode confidently through the empty first floor and headed straight for the entrance to the second floor.

Each courtyard here is a small world in itself, and the ancestral temple has a total of thirty-six levels. The entrance to the second level is also a temple. The temples here are nested in layers, and passing through each level is like ascending to a new heaven. The temples are the mysterious passages connecting the two small worlds.

Lin Yu stepped into the second courtyard, surrounded by gusts of eerie wind, where ghostly descendants of Yin spirits drifted about. He swept through, turning all the Yin spirits in his path to ashes, breaking through three layers of worlds and acquiring countless divine pearls.

Lin Yu pushed open the palace door of the fifth courtyard, and a dazzling divine light suddenly shone before his eyes. The four walls of the palace were engraved with ancient runes, each character flowing with crystalline light, illuminating the entire palace as if it were daytime.

These stone carvings exude a sacred and peaceful aura, seemingly recording the true essence of the supreme Dao. However, beneath this holy appearance lies a deadly danger. Those runes that appear to be the insights of sages actually contain the power of transformation. If a cultivator rashly comprehends them, their flesh and blood will dissolve and their Dao power will vanish like rain in an instant.

Lin Yu focused his gaze, noticing the hidden mechanisms within the palace walls. Grooves, like veins, extended outwards, guiding the essence of cultivators after they had achieved enlightenment to the central shrine. Above the shrine, a half-foot-tall stone statue sat quietly, its appearance unremarkable, resembling both a Buddha and an old farmer, its features indistinct and difficult to discern.

Ancient records state that this stone figure is suspected to be the progenitor of the Feathered Divine Dynasty, the Feathered Emperor. Originally, many things were offered to his sacred stone embryo. Later, for unknown reasons, the Feathered Emperor went to the Feathered Ancient Star, this place became obsolete, and the Divine Dynasty was eventually destroyed by the Ruthless Emperor.

These stone figures could forcibly strip people of their life force, spirit, and flesh. Over two hundred thousand years ago, such shrines were ubiquitous in the Central Plains, and countless lives were ravaged by their cruelty.

Lin Yu left without stopping. After that, there was a luminous building on each of the five temple floors, enshrining the same rough half-foot stone statue.

He ventured through ten levels of the ancient temple and stepped into the eleventh level of the small world, where a vast and boundless space suddenly opened up before him. This place was completely different from the previous ones; it had transformed into a true temple-like small world, and from this level onwards, the space was immense and limitless.

This realm was far more vast than the previous levels, with towering ancient trees rising from the ground, continuous mountain ranges stretching into the distance, lush vegetation, and vibrant life. Though devoid of sun and moon, it formed its own lively little world. "Roar—"

A deafening roar suddenly rang out, and dozens of strangely shaped ferocious beasts rushed out of the dense forest. Some of them resembled Qilin but had dragon horns, while others looked like Shenhou but had wings on their backs, seemingly a hybrid offspring.

These ancient beasts were covered in jet-black scales, their claws and teeth gleaming coldly, each exuding the oppressive aura of the second level of the Immortal Ascension Realm. Lin Yu's gaze narrowed slightly as he recognized them as descendants of the temple's guardian beasts, having lived here for over two hundred thousand years.

The colossal beast roared and pounced, a foul wind sweeping through the mountains and forests. Lin Yu neither dodged nor avoided it. The Hell Furnace flew out from between his eyebrows, and holy light cascaded down like a waterfall. The first colossal beast crashed into the barrier of holy light, its scales scattering sparks, yet it could not shake it in the slightest.

"roar--"

Dozens of scarlet beast eyes suddenly lit up from the depths of the dense forest, some of them particularly dazzling, like divine lamps piercing the darkness. Those were beast kings who had reached the Immortal Third Stage of the Dao-Slaying Realm, their aura as deep and boundless as the ocean.

The entire forest began to tremble, and herds of beasts surged forth like a tidal wave. The dark, overwhelming herds of beasts came from all directions, breaking ancient trees and cracking rocks wherever they went.

"Hmph!" Lin Yu snorted coldly upon seeing this. These ferocious beasts had been placed under a restriction in their bloodline, guarding this place for generations, and even the destruction of the divine dynasty could not free them.

"Roar--"

A divine bird soared through the sky, its wings slicing through the void like celestial blades. Lin Yu remained unmoved, raising his hand to hurl the Spear of the Underworld God. A flash of dark light, and the divine bird instantly exploded and died.

Seeing this, the other ferocious beasts became even more frenzied, roaring as they pounced. Something was imprinted on their souls and bloodlines, enslaving them for eternity.

These ferocious beasts are controlled by the restriction, and even if Lin Yu kills them, they will keep coming back. The real control center is in a deeper world, so getting entangled with them now is undoubtedly a waste of time.

"Buzz!"

A terrifying aura suddenly erupted as Lin Yu summoned the Devouring Demon Jar, which hovered above his head, radiating boundless divine light.

The magic jar trembled slightly, and strands of dark light fell down, unleashing a chaotic aura. At that moment, all things fell silent, and countless ancient beasts knelt in fear.

In an instant, the surging, roaring, and earth-shaking beast tide was silenced by the Devouring Demon Jar. The space, which had just been filled with howls and agitation, became quiet, as if all the noise had been swallowed up by the jar.

Lin Yu then left, and then he flew directly over the empty twelfth level and arrived at the thirteenth level.

Stepping into the thirteenth-level hall, a breathtaking view unfolds before you. The entire hall is bathed in holy light, resembling a kingdom of light. In the center stands a hundred-foot-tall stone statue, radiating a soft glow, its surface covered with profound runes, each rune containing the essence of the Great Dao.

Lin Yu examined it carefully and saw a faint light emanating from the slightly open mouth of the stone statue. He flew forward and explored it, discovering a square five-colored iron essence treasure chest about one foot in size, with spatial Dao patterns flowing on its surface.

"Could this be the container used by the Feathered Divine Dynasty to cultivate the God-Slaying Insects?"

Lin Yu pondered for a moment, then activated his Eye of the Lord to comprehend the Beast Taming Talisman within the hall.

Before long, as the talisman was inserted, countless holes appeared on the surface of the treasure chest, and hundreds of thousands of golden light spots gushed out, converging in the air to form a dazzling galaxy.

Lin Yu stared at the swarm of insects hovering in the air. They were golden in color, shaped like hornless dragons, covered in tiny golden scales, and exuded a terrifying aura. A thoughtful look flashed in his eyes.

Although these God-Devouring Insects are ferocious, they are of little use to him now. However, he can bring them back to the Yao Guang Holy Land and make them one of the sect's foundational assets.

"The God-Slaying Insect race has amazing potential; if properly nurtured, it could be quite good."

Lin Yu recalled ancient records stating that the God-Slaying Insect race was only the size of a thumb when it was first born, yet it possessed the ability to devour all things. Legend has it that the pure-blooded ancestral insect could even devour gods. In later generations, there was even a God-Slaying Insect that attained the Dao and became an emperor, ruling over all living beings for eight thousand years.

Although it ultimately attempted to take over the Heavenly Court, it was flicked away to the edge of the universe by Ye Fan's chaotic finger and died in obscurity. But reaching that point already proved the extraordinary potential of this race.

Under the control of the Beast Taming Talisman, these infamous divine insects became as docile as lambs, changing formations according to Lin Yu's will. With a thought, the swarm transformed into a golden torrent, precisely avoiding all restrictions within the hall.

This is also a talisman from the Feathered Divine Dynasty. If an ordinary person opens this box, they will be devoured instantly.

"With this swarm of insects, we can intimidate the surrounding area." Lin Yu put away the treasure chest with satisfaction. These God-Devouring Insects have the Feathering Secret Technique imprinted in their bloodline, and they will become the most loyal warriors.

The rest of the journey went smoothly, and Lin Yu quickly passed through each floor, reaching the thirtieth floor. The stone door leading to the thirty-first floor was tightly closed, and behind it seemed as if a prehistoric beast was lurking, exuding a sinister aura.

Lin Yu knew that the dangers of the first thirty levels were minor compared to this; the real treasures and crises were hidden in the last six levels. Without hesitation, he kicked open the stone door, and a damp, decaying smell rushed out.

(End of this chapter)