Yuan’s Ascension

Redmoon City stood as the heart of the Redmoon Immortal Continent, its sprawling expanse home to a staggering number of immortal cultivators.

The city boasted hundreds of teleportation arrays. Some connected directly to first-rate sects and first-tier cities, while others were large-scale teleportation arrays capable of transporting users to distant immortal continents.

There was even a teleportation array leading to the Silvermist Continent, the very core of the Silvermist Immortal Nation. The sheer scale of Redmoon City's connections spoke volumes about its prosperity and influence.

Amidst this bustling metropolis, Wu Yuan moved with purposeful steps. He had taken care to disguise himself, blending seamlessly into the throngs of immortal cultivators despite possessing a vital aura that nearly matched that of a Void Refiner cultivator.

He navigated the city's vibrant streets calmly. Having been to Cang Feng City, Redmoon City's grandeur did not leave too shocking an impact.

A thought occurred to Wu Yuan as he walked: Slaying large numbers of powerful immortal cultivators will be challenging in other expedition sites.

It wasn't a question of power – even if he possessed the strength, the circumstances did not allow for it.

While life and death was a matter left to fate, killing a powerful immortal cultivator with solid backing could incur the wrath of their seniors. Wu Yuan sighed, acknowledging the harsh realities of the world of exploration.

The most suitable place for me is still the Eldritch-Immortal Battlefield. This place, created and tightly controlled by two major factions, offered a unique opportunity. Here, one could kill without fear of repercussion, regardless of the body count.

Though dubbed a battlefield, it served as a crucible where countless immortal cultivators could temper themselves in life-or-death scenarios.

Much like the Bloodforge Battle, even cultivators from the Eternal Sun Immortal Nation lineage are permitted to participate.

Wu Yuan recalled the intelligence he'd gathered. Of the seven major factions, the other five can apply or even directly enlist to join the battle. However, they're restricted to the entry-level and mid-level battlefields.

The reasoning was simple yet pragmatic. The entry-level and mid-level battlefields were populated by immortal cultivators. No matter how many fell, it would hardly affect the relationships between the upper echelons of each major faction.

But the high-level battlefields, dominated by Archimmortals and Astral Lords, raised the stakes exponentially. Too many casualties there could easily ignite a war between major factions.

Hence, the other five major factions were not allowed to participate in the high-level battlefields.

As Wu Yuan understood it, among the seven major factions, those from the Eternal Sun Immortal Nation, Bloodforge Devil Hall, Eight Mountains Alliance, and Desolation Divine Court typically aligned themselves with the Eldritch Court, represented by the Cang Feng Eldritch World.

Conversely, most immortal cultivators from the Greenridge Immortal World tended to side with the Voltari Temple.

The two camps kept each other in check.

This delicate balance of power revealed the underlying biases of the seemingly neutral major factions in the macrocosm.

The Eternal Sun Immortal World leans more towards the Eldritch Court. Wu Yuan concluded.

This alignment explained why Master Kua Chi allowed him to let his qi refiner self remain a part of the Eternal Sun Immortal Nation.

Before heading to the Eternal Sun Immortal Nation, I should see what Master has left for me in the Eternal Sun Immortal Voidrealm. Wu Yuan made his way towards the enormous teleportation array at Redmoon City's far end.

A single strand of his consciousness entered the voidrealm jade, arriving at the Eternal Sun Immortal Voidrealm.

This place seemed even more distant and inscrutable than the Redmoon Immortal Voidrealm. It gave Wu Yuan a similar feeling to when entered the Cang Feng Eldritch Voidrealm.

…

Eternal Sun Immortal Voidrealm, Wu Yuan’s personal hall.

A core member of the Huo Cang Region? A member of an Astral Monarch's core territory? Master managed to secure such a status for me? Wu Yuan was taken aback as he looked through the information his master had sent him.

The content was simple: Hide your identity.

The Huo Cang Region, encompassing nine immortal continents, was directly governed by a powerful Astral Monarch, Astral Monarch Huo Cang, and produced numerous powerhouses generation after generation.

Because the region was under the Astral Monarch’s direct rule, all internal news and information was strictly controlled. It was difficult for outsiders to obtain information about the Huo Cang Region, allowing it to raise many geniuses in secret.

This was the new identity that High Immortal Nan Yin had prepared for Wu Yuan. Someone with neither a high nor low status.

Unremarkable, yet an individual most people would not dare to offend casually.

Name? Wu Yuan pondered for a moment, then quietly said, "From today onwards, I shall be Ming Jian."

Ring, homophonic with bright! [1]

Shadow Blade Wu Yuan.

Bright Sword Li Xia. [2]

Head to the gathering place of the Huo Cang Region’s immortal cultivators, join a team there, then send a team application to the Cang Feng Eldritch World, before proceeding to Battlefield 36 together? Wu Yuan read the information left by his master.

In this manner, I stand out less and it's safer in the initial stages.

Wu Yuan understood his master’s intentions. Battlefield 36 was the territory of the Cang Feng Eldritch World. Who would treat an ordinary Amethyst Cradle cultivator with importance? If his qi refiner self were to charge in recklessly, perhaps he might be thrown into a dangerous area right from the start.

But as a member of the Huo Cang Region, things would be different. He would be considered a direct subordinate of an Astral Monarch, thus the Cang Feng Eldritch World would treat him with greater importance.

Just how vast is Master's network? He’s residing in the immortal continent, yet he could even secure me the identity of a core member of an Astral Monarch's territory?

Wu Yuan couldn’t understand how his master did it!

Forget it. Master has always been mysterious. Let's head to the Huo Cang Region.

Wu Yuan quickly arrived at the massive teleportation array in Redmoon City and handed over hundreds of catties of ethercrystal. The crowd here had thinned out quite a bit.

The spacetime territories of different immortal continents spanned hundreds of thousands to millions of light years. The cost of traveling between them via teleportation was naturally exorbitant.

Ordinary Golden Core cultivators couldn’t afford it, and even most Amethyst Cradle cultivators would wince at the cost.

…

Wu Yuan made several transfers during his journey to the Huo Cang Region.

Meanwhile, in a separate plane of the Eternal Sun Immortal Voidrealm, two figures stood within a towering shrine.

One was clad in white robes, exuding an aura as pure as jade. The other burned brightly like fire, resembling a deity.

"Senior Brother Huo Cang, my apologies for the trouble," the youth in white robes said, a smile gracing his face.

"Ha, we're fellow disciples under the same master, there’s no need to mention it. Junior Brother Dong Yang, in all these hundred thousand years, this is the first time you've asked for my help," the figure, as magnificent as a deity, spoke with a booming voice, "Moreover, it's a trivial matter. I’m your disciple’s Senior Uncle after all. There was no need for you to make a personal trip."

"It's only right," Sword Immortal Dong Yang chuckled.

"Haha, Junior Brother, overcome your Tribulation soon," the figure laughed, "None of your Senior Brothers managed to walk the path of our master, only you managed to obtain a portion of his inheritances."

"Everyone says that Jiang Huan is a once-in-a-million-year genius of our Greenridge Macrocosm. In my view, Junior Brother, you are by no means inferior to Jiang Huan."

"We’re walking different paths, there’s no comparison," Sword Immortal Dong Yang smiled faintly, "Alright, Senior Brother, I'll be going ahead."

…

After two transfers within a span of two hours, Wu Yuan arrived at the Huo Cang Immortal Continent, located more than ten million light years from the Silvermist Immortal Continent.

This was an Astral Monarch’s territory.

The teleportation array here was gargantuan, spanning ten thousand li and bustling with immortal cultivators. One could occasionally spot an Earth Immortal or two.

Truly befitting of an Astral Monarch's stronghold. Wu Yuan thought in awe as he walked out through one of the passages, surveying the scene below.

"Childe Ming Jian!" A black-armored figure called out from a distance. His aura was incredibly domineering.

"Huo Cang Army? Earth Deity?" Wu Yuan recognized the badge on the chest of the black-armored figure and sensed the powerful vital aura radiating from him.

Earth Immortal was an honorific for Divided Soul cultivators. Earth Eldritch and Earth Deity were honorifics for body refiners who had reached the Dharma Body phase.

The Huo Cang Army was the core military force under the command of Astral Monarch Huo Cang.

Given that this Earth Deity before him had managed to join their ranks, his strength was certainly extraordinary.

"You know me?" Wu Yuan asked, puzzled.

"Haha, I identified you via your voidrealm jade’s aura. This voidrealm jade originated from our Huo Cang Region. The general ordered me to wait here to welcome you, Childe." The burly man in black armor smiled, a hint of respect in his voice.

"Please follow me, Childe. The Huo Cang Reserve Army is ready."

General? Huo Cang Reserve Army? Wu Yuan blinked, perplexed.

Swish! The burly man in black armor flew off. Wu Yuan had no choice but to follow. Facing a powerful Earth Deity, he dared not resist.

However, a strand of Wu Yuan's consciousness was already swiftly gathering information about the Huo Cang Army within the Eternal Sun Immortal Voidrealm.

Reserve Army Soldiers - Amethyst Cradle/Shambhala Cultivators.

Reserve Army Commanders - Void Refiner/Elysian Field cultivators.

Regular Army Soldiers - Earth Immortals/Earth Deities.

Commanders - High Immortals/High Deities.

Generals - Archimmortals/Archdeities.

According to this black-armored soldier, a general of the Huo Cang Army, an Archimmortal, ordered him to escort me? A wave of unease swept over Wu Yuan.

Did his master steal someone's voidrealm jade? Or did his master truly have such an extensive network?

The first possibility is unlikely. My master wouldn't harm me. Wu Yuan pondered. But my master is only a Sixth-Tribulation High Immortal.

If it were Sword Immortal Dong Yang, I could understand. But how did my master do it? Wu Yuan was at a loss.

A Sixth-Tribulation High Immortal with such a great influence?

…

The Huo Cang Army, stationed on the Huo Cang Immortal Continent, had high standards for its recruits. Thus, it was a gathering place for the strong. Those who could join the Huo Cang Army were far from ordinary, and all members were true elites and geniuses.

At this moment, the Huo Cang Reserve Army’s camp sprawled across tens of millions of li.

On the eastern side of the camp was a towering, super-large teleportation array that stretched for thousands of li.

Beside the teleportation array were around three hundred Amethyst Cradle/Shambhala cultivators, standing in groups of twos or threes. Each one of them was clad in silver armor, emanating an extraordinary aura. These groups were all engrossed in hushed discussions.

In one corner.

"Big Brother, you should have been the one to lead our team into Battlefield 36," a burly man said with a hint of frustration, "In terms of strength, you definitely rank in the top hundred among the millions in the reserve army."

"You’ve already passed the necessary tests, yet half an hour before departure, they suddenly inform us of a switch in commander?"

"Where did this so-called Ming Jian spring up from? I’ve never heard of him! None of the strong Amethyst Cradle or Shambhala cultivators go by such a name!" ranted the burly man.

"Shut up! This is the decision of the High Immortals, what right do we have to object?" A silver-armored young man with a noble demeanor furrowed his brow, "Also, stop referring to him as Ming Jian. Call him ‘Commander’."

"Don't forget the rules of the Huo Cang Army," the silver-armored youth said coldly.

The burly man seethed in silence, yet no longer uttered another word.

"Brother Pei He," a bearded, burly man spoke in a low rumble, "You were previously chosen to take on the role of Commander due to your superior strength and mastery of arrays."

"In the Eldritch-Immortal Battlefield, our chances of surviving and returning from this dangerous assignment are much higher under your leadership."

"But this Ming Jian?" The bearded man shook his head, "I suspect he might be some pampered privileged young master, whom we’ll have to protect instead."

1. in Chinese ☜

2. Ok so basically, the name he settled on was 鸣剑 (Ming Jian) which is a metaphorical term for the whistling or ringing sound a sword makes when drawn or swung through the air.

鸣 (ming) which means ring, sounds the same as 明 (ming) which means bright. ☜