Lin Fei's eyes snapped open. Without a moment's hesitation, the three flowers above his head swayed ever so slightly.

"Merge!"

In the very next moment, the trio of blossoms atop Lin Fei's head began to merge seamlessly. These flowers, in essence, symbolized the Qi, energy, and spirit of a martial artist – the foundation of their prowess.

"Boom."

The merging process was smoother than Lin Fei had ever imagined. Once the three flowers converged, a power, unparalleled and novel, coursed through Lin Fei. He felt as if he could reach out and "touch" the Life Wheel. Even the shackles binding that wheel seemed palpable.

A low "hum" resonated.

In the next instant, a vast luminous circle materialized behind Lin Fei. It was reminiscent of the luminous halo he'd seen behind the Wind Sovereign. That was the Life Wheel – the very heart of a martial artist.

However, unlike the Wheel behind the Wind Sovereign, Lin Fei's Wheel was ensnared by streams of dark energy, binding it tightly. These were the shackles of the Life Wheel.

Through the merger of the three flowers, Lin Fei had forcefully drawn out the Wheel from within him, letting it hover where the blossoms once did. This was Lin Fei's golden opportunity. His sole chance is to shatter the shackles and fully reveal the Life Wheel.

"Break!"

With a fierce roar, Lin Fei's Qi, energy, and spirit converged into the form of a blade. Not that he intended to manifest a blade. However, following the merger of the three flowers, a blade was naturally formed. This blade was the crystallization of Lin Fei's martial prowess, integrated and singular. This very blade bespoke of Lin Fei's path – the Dao of the saber.

Once, Lin Fei harbored the intent of the fist. But as his journey evolved, he realized the saber's way was the path meant for him. Thus, the blade birthed from the merger of the three flowers became Lin Fei's most formidable saber.

"Slash!"

With unmatched ferocity, the blade slashed toward the shackles on the Life Wheel. In this singular strike lay the culmination of countless saber techniques that Lin Fei had learned. His vitality, saber essence, saber momentum, willpower, enlightenment, and much more were all embedded within.

With this strike, Lin Fei's journey through the Nine Profound Sect, his initial ventures into saber techniques, body cultivation, the birth of his inner power, his first brush with true essence, his awakening to saber intent, the evolution of his saber momentum, and myriad other milestones flashed before him. All these formative moments led him to this pivotal day.

"The Life Wheel is the self..."

At that moment, a profound epiphany washed over Lin Fei. He understood. The reason behind severing the shackles of the Life Wheel was that the Wheel itself embodied one's true self. And those very shackles? They were the many veils obscuring one's true self, both from external and internal sources. All that clouded the self must be decisively cut away!

"Boom."

As Lin Fei's blade struck the shackles of the Wheel, what seemed like a simple, ordinary slash resonated with profound power. Against the Life Wheel's vast array of dense shackles, it appeared inconsequential. Yet, this unassuming strike upon the Wheel's shackles caused the entire Wheel to quiver ever so slightly.

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"Crack."

It felt as if something had "shattered". As if something had been "severed."

Atop Lin Fei's head, the Life Wheel, which was once shrouded in a dark miasma, now saw that very miasma recede. Upon closer inspection, the darkness had been "broken", severed cleanly by Lin Fei's singular strike.

"Boom."

In the next instant, the Life Wheel behind Lin Fei expanded dramatically. Its terrifying visage even pierced through his dwelling, manifesting in the vast expanse of the void.

The skies of the Ancient Origin Sect seemed to suddenly accommodate an enormous, luminous wheel.

The moment it appeared, it felt as if the entirety of the Ancient Origin Sect was suppressed. Even the Limit Martial Saints, those who had formed the Energy Flower and Qi Flower, felt an existential dread. It was as though deep within their souls, something was suppressing them with overwhelming force.

This sensation was one of sheer terror; it made their very souls tremble.

"Is that... the Life Wheel?"

"It truly is! The Wheel of a Martial Sovereign!"

"Whose terrifying Life Wheel could that be?"

"That direction... It's Elder Lin's dwelling."

"Yes, the Wheel hovers right above Elder Lin's abode."

"Could it be that Elder Lin successfully shattered the shackles of the Wheel, manifesting it and thus achieving the stature of a Martial Sovereign?"

"Has the Ancient Origin Sect birthed a new Martial Sovereign?"

Everyone could clearly see the Life Wheel hovering in the void.

"Whoosh, whoosh."

Two figures appeared in the void.

The Sect Master of the Ancient Origin Sect and the Head of the Law Enforcement Hall, Wind Sovereign! Both of them were Martial Sovereigns!

Gazing upon the Life Wheel above Lin Fei's dwelling, the Sect Master and Wind Sovereign exchanged glances, their eyes filled with astonishment and joy.

"Just one year! In merely one year! Lin Fei truly broke the shackles of the Life Wheel and advanced to Martial Sovereign. It's incredible! Wind Sovereign, you're right. With Lin Fei, our Ancient Origin Sect might truly rise to prominence."

"Hahaha, Lin Fei, you didn't disappoint me! Breaking the Wheel's shackles and advancing to the Sovereign Realm so quickly."

It had been centuries since the last Martial Sovereign was born in the Ancient Origin Sect. The youngest Sovereign was Wind Sovereign, but even he was several centuries old. If the Ancient Origin Sect didn't produce another Martial Sovereign soon, the Sect Master would have grown anxious.

Yet, who could have expected that the one to advance to Martial Sovereign wouldn't be a core disciple or even a Martial Sovereign seed, but an elder of the Law Enforcement Hall? And not just any elder, but one who had risen from the outer sect, step by step, to become an elder of the Enforcement Hall.

At this moment, Lin Fei sensed that the Life Wheel within him had materialized. As the Life Wheel manifested, a mysterious power flowed from it into his body, causing earth-shattering changes. His skin began to molt rapidly, his vital essence roared within him, and every bone, every piece of flesh underwent monumental transformations.

But even more notable was the "Force of Life" or, to put it differently, lifespan. Intuitively, Lin Fei could sense his lifespan skyrocketing. It surged from 500 years to a staggering 1,000 years!

Martial Saints had a lifespan of 500 years. Martial Sovereigns possessed a lifespan of a millennium!

This meant that the emergence of a Martial Sovereign could potentially ensure the prominence and prosperity of a martial arts sect for a thousand years. This was the true significance of a Martial Sovereign.

While Lin Fei's physical body was undergoing transformations, so was his saber essence. However, the transformation of the saber essence seemed to gradually integrate into the Life Wheel and then vanish.

Indeed, his saber essence had disappeared. Moreover, Lin Fei could sense a subtle movement in the Life Wheel inside him.

"Boom."

The Life Wheel seemed to transform into a black hole, drawing in the Spiritual Qi of the surroundings. The Spiritual Qi from tens of miles around was being forcefully absorbed by the Life Wheel. Massive amounts of this energy entered the Life Wheel and then disappeared as if the Life Wheel was nurturing something.

Lin Fei wasn't hasty. He waited patiently, sensing that the longer the Life Wheel nurtured this new essence, the more powerful and astounding it would become. This could potentially benefit him greatly. So, he waited.

Time passed by slowly.

An hour, two hours, three hours...

Lin Fei had no idea how long he'd waited. The sky was almost dark. The amount of Spiritual Qi he'd absorbed was vast. He could even sense that the Sect Master of Ancient Origin and Wind Sovereign were aiding him from the void, capturing even more Spiritual Qi for him.

The vast amounts of spiritual energy and the saber essence continuously entered the Wheel, nurturing something within.

"Boom."

Finally, the Wheel quivered slightly. A brand-new power had been nurtured and born. It flowed from the Life Wheel into Lin Fei's body, infusing him with newfound strength and potential.