In the Eternal Life Alliance, Feng Ling, with the aid of the phoenix, managed the affairs of the alliance.
Recently, the alliance had been relatively peaceful. However, some, restless due to Lin Fei's disappearance, had started causing minor disturbances. These were trivial and easily handled by the alliance's elders, not even necessitating the phoenix's intervention.
Yet, Lin Fei's prolonged absence was becoming a cause for concern.
Though Feng Ling appeared calm, inwardly she was anxious for Lin Fei's return, or at least for news of him.
Where had Lin Fei gone? Feng Ling was eager to know.
At that moment, faint ripples of space appeared in the grand hall. Suddenly, a figure burst forth from the void in an instant.
"Lin Fei?" Feng Ling looked up, joy rising in her heart as she recognized the figure. She had been worried during this time, especially since Lin Fei had vanished without leaving any message or word.
Although the Ancient Continent had recently undergone some changes—such as something obscuring the sky and bearing Lin Fei's aura, leading Feng Ling to speculate—it remained just speculation. Without seeing Lin Fei, her worries persisted.
Lin Fei, facing Feng Ling, sighed deeply and said, "Feng Ling, you've had a hard time during this period. And the phoenix elder, thank you for your efforts in overseeing the Eternal Life Alliance."
Yet the phoenix stared intently at Lin Fei as if seeing something unbelievable.
"Lin... True Monarch Lin, your aura seems... different. Could it be..."
The phoenix stuttered, overcome with unparalleled shock. As an ancient exotic beast, immortal and eternal, knowing far more than any ordinary Martial God or True Monarch, it immediately perceived the change.
Lin Fei was not the same; he had undergone a complete and thorough transformation. Even standing in the void, his presence seemed subdued. Yet, in the eyes of the phoenix, the myriad laws around Lin Fei seemed to be forcefully pushed aside by his mere presence.
And with every movement Lin Fei made, the void itself bore tremendous pressure, as if carelessness could tear it asunder.
This restraint by Lin Fei was intentional. Unrestrained, his sheer presence could stir up void storms wherever he passed. Such power was beyond what any True Monarch could achieve; even the strongest among them could not manifest such might. This kind of force, to a martial artist, indicated only one possibility: the Martial Ancestor!
Lin Fei had ascended to become a Martial Ancestor, possessing terrifying powers that not even a True Immortal, who merged with the Dao, could manifest.
True Immortals might blend with the Dao subtly, without the overt display of fearsome power seen in Lin Fei. Only a Martial Ancestor, with all his mighty power intrinsic to himself, could possess such formidable might.
"Martial Ancestor?" Feng Ling was equally shocked but her surprise was tinged with amazement. She naturally believed the phoenix's words, but Lin Fei's ascension to Martial Ancestor was bewilderingly rapid.
Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!
Perhaps previously, she did not fully grasp what being a Martial Ancestor meant. However, as Lin Fei returned from the Divine Realm, she came to understand the profound significance it held—essentially representing the pinnacle of the Divine Realm.
Moreover, like Dao Integration True Immortals, Martial Ancestors were immortal and indestructible, capable of stepping out of the river of time, truly living endlessly.
Even more, Martial Ancestors held an advantage over True Immortals; while a Dao Integration True Immortal could fall if their integrated world was destroyed, a Martial Ancestor, with all power residing within himself, feared no world's demise.
Lin Fei glanced at the stunned phoenix and the astonished Feng Ling, then nodded affirmatively, "Indeed, I have achieved the rank of Martial Ancestor!"
The phoenix's mind went blank, while Feng Ling, despite finding it almost inconceivable, felt overwhelming joy. "Truly becoming a Martial Ancestor is incredible. True Monarch Lin, no, Ancestor Lin, you only spent about two or three years in the Divine Realm."
"In less than three years, advancing from Martial God to True Monarch? That's utterly unbelievable." It was no wonder the phoenix was skeptical; if becoming a Martial Ancestor were so straightforward, they wouldn't be so rare across the entire Divine Realm.
"Lin Fei, is a Martial Ancestor truly immortal? Does it possess an endless lifespan?" Feng Ling finally couldn't help but ask.
Lin Fei was somewhat surprised, but after sensing carefully, he realized the truth about his lifespan. Whether as a Martial God or a True Monarch, one could usually sense their own life expectancy.
For example, even a robust True Monarch, despite powerful regenerative abilities, would face the erosion of their physical essence when their time limit approached.
This irreversible destruction is due to the sheer passage of time, which deactivates the life force, thus leading to the inevitability of death for a True Monarch. Maintaining an immortal and indestructible physical form is exceedingly challenging.
Lin Fei's knowledge of Martial Ancestors includes the Great Dream Ancestor, whose true form he has never seen. According to rumors, the Great Dream Ancestor's true form exists between dream and reality, making it a combination of the tangible and the intangible.
While the tangible can be destroyed, the intangible cannot. By harnessing the power of dreams, the Great Dream Ancestor achieves immortality, existing eternally.
Other Martial Ancestors, too, have achieved immortality to varying extents through their mastery over their respective Daos. As for Lin Fei, his Dao is the World Dao. His physical body has transformed into a Minor World. The particles of any body, no matter how robust, will eventually disintegrate when their time comes.
However, Lin Fei's physical particles have become a world unto themselves. Should these particles approach disintegration, the world within Lin Fei can rejuvenate them with a fresh influx of life force, thereby maintaining and even revitalizing his physical form. As long as the inner world exists, Lin Fei's physical particles will not collapse.
What if this internal world were to collapse? After all, worlds can come close to destruction, whether they are Minor Worlds, True Monarch-level worlds, or even True Immortal-level worlds.
However, Lin Fei's inner world differs from a typical Minor World or True Monarch-level world. A world collapses typically due to the prolonged operation of its laws, excessive life, or rampant conflict.
Initially, these may have little impact, but over time, the cumulative effect of broken laws can fundamentally destabilize a world. Once a world's foundation is shaken, collapse is imminent.
But Lin Fei is different. He controls the World Dao, and his consciousness merges with that of his inner world. Should any aspect of his inner world falter, Lin Fei can immediately adjust it.
Moreover, as long as the World Dao endures, his inner world will not be destroyed. If his world remains, Lin Fei remains immortal. In this sense, Lin Fei truly is immortal and indestructible!
In fact, this could be said of all Martial Ancestors. While others may not control the World Dao, they master other Daos. Lin Fei relies on his inner world for immortality, and other Martial Ancestors rely on their respective Daos to achieve the same state of undying existence.