this infinite world

"...So you've come here again."

Countless planes, endless adventures... When Jieyin shouted those words in a fit of rage, Yang Yun's consciousness had already transcended his physical form, once again standing in that mysterious and profound sacred realm.

Gazing at the celestial membrane before him—a sight he had seen once before, yet never before witnessed in this multiverse—Yang Yun couldn't help but sigh. Even he himself hadn't expected to so quickly set foot once more in this wondrous realm, accessible only to those who had achieved sainthood. The countless planes reflected in the membrane, rising and falling like bubbles, now held a touch of fateful familiarity and strangeness in his eyes.

—What's so special about this? The first time was incredibly difficult, requiring immense effort to barely make it into the top ranks; the second time, with experience, a little effort was all it took to break through.

Having had the experience before, Yang Yun was not shocked by the scene before him. He even had time to make a small joke to himself... However, even though he wasn't particularly good with numbers, he could clearly see the difference between this multiverse and his home.

There are far too few saints here.

If we compare attaining sainthood to parking a car, then the multiverse where Yang Yun originally resided was like a popular tourist attraction during a holiday. Not only were every parking space completely occupied, marked with the indentations of saints, but countless powerful individuals with enough strength to attain sainthood also lingered outside the parking lot, eagerly waiting for an opening to swarm in. The scene was truly one where finding a spot was extremely difficult.

The multiverse before Yang Yun now resembled a deserted parking lot during the off-season. The indentations representing saints were sparse, and large areas of the "parking spaces" were empty. The number of seekers waiting outside the membranes was even smaller, highlighting the desolation and the overall scene was so bleak it was heartbreaking... Looking around, of the more than 3,900 saintly positions, less than two-thirds were currently occupied.

"...The immortals of the Primordial Heavenly Court should really see this scene."

Seeing the deserted scene before him, Yang Yun couldn't help but recall the grand spectacle the Primordial Heavenly Court had displayed during the final battle. Thousands of immortals had marched out in formation, their various magical treasures illuminating the heavens—a truly awe-inspiring sight.

It's important to understand that every immortal possesses the qualifications to become a saint, but the limitations of the saintly position prevent them from advancing further. Those who cultivate both immortality and sainthood, like Yang Jian, are the envy of all immortals… If those other immortals knew this, they would likely be so envious that their Dao hearts would waver.

Only now did Yang Yun truly realize the incredible opportunities that could be gained by "exploring" and "developing" a new multiverse... Putting aside everything else, if the Central Continent Team after the final battle were brought here, wouldn't it be possible to stage an unprecedented spectacle of "everyone becoming a saint on the spot" in the blink of an eye? This is by no means an exaggeration.

"Huh? That's..."

Just as Yang Yun was contemplating what a magnificent scene it would be if all members of his Central Continent team became saints, his senses suddenly detected an unusual fluctuation.

In the far distance, a ball of light suddenly shone brightly, its radiance so intense that it clearly possessed the power to inscribe sacred principles onto the embryonic membrane. What surprised Yang Yun even more was that the ball of light emanated a faint, familiar aura, as if a familiar face from another world were gazing upon him…

"Zheng Zha?" Yang Yun stared in astonishment. Although he had never seen that fleeting radiance before, it stirred a familiar resonance deep within him. But before he could do anything, the ball of light extinguished again, disappearing from his perception without leaving a trace.

"Never mind, if that really is Zheng Zha, we'll meet again someday..."

With a slight smile at this unexpected encounter, Yang Yun set aside this small coincidence for the time being. He turned his gaze back to the multiverse membrane before him, which was inscribed with the teachings of many sages, and with a slight thought, he noticed the corresponding differences from his previous experience.

Under normal circumstances, attaining sainthood requires enduring countless hardships to embed one's own sacred path into the membrane of the multiverse. But at this moment, Yang Yun felt an unprecedented ease, as if his sacred path could be naturally engraved on it with just a thought, without any effort at all.

No, this cannot be simply described as "easy". Rather than saying that Yang Yun could embed the Holy Path into it at will, it would be more accurate to say that this multiverse was actively opening its arms to him, welcoming Yang Yun's ascension to sainthood!
Of course, becoming a primary saint was far from Yang Yun's limit, so he didn't pay much attention to it. He simply took a leisurely step forward, and his aura suddenly sublimated. In an instant, he stepped into the mysterious realm that only advanced saints could reach, and the scenery before his eyes immediately changed.

Similarly, the sacred paths inscribed here are extremely rare. The vast space, which was originally enough to accommodate more than a hundred high-level saints, is now mostly empty, with only a few forty or fifty indented marks scattered like stars. Yang Yun only needed to scan it slightly to sense the sacred path mark of Ilúvatar, the first high-level saint he had seen since arriving in this multiverse.

Once Yang Yun fully entered this realm, the will of this multiverse became much clearer. Yang Yun could even clearly see an idle high-level saintly position actively shifting as if in worship, clearly welcoming his arrival!

"One of them is truly indifferent, while the other is someone you can't afford to associate with..."

Glancing at the holy wills behind him, each one aspiring to break through the initial saint realm and become an advanced saint, yet tightly bound by the multiverse membrane, they appeared to be "wriggling"; then looking at the butler who seemed to be holding a golden key, practically begging him to move into this magnificent hall of advanced sainthood, Yang Yun couldn't help but mutter, "Does it have to be this realistic... the difference between saints is practically greater than the difference between a person and a dog."

...This situation is a perfect illustration of the saying "some are dying of drought, while others are dying of floods."

However, regardless of whether the multiverse itself is opportunistic or selective, Yang Yun merely shook his head meaningfully in the face of this overly eager "proactive recruitment." Instead of taking the opportunity to inscribe the Holy Path onto the embryonic membrane and become a high-level saint, he took a slight step back.

"Let's skip the 'move in with your bags' thing and 'voluntarily leave'... I'm too stubborn to live off a woman."

As he spoke, Yang Yun gently reached into his robes, and when he reached out again, there was something in his palm—

Indeed, it was the fragment of the Haotian Mirror that he obtained from Chu Hao. (End of Chapter)