Yuan’s Ascension

Whoosh~ Like a drop of ink spreading through water, the Origin Blood Droplet instantly dispersed, its blood-red light saturating Wu Yuan's soul essence.

The soul essence contained the vast majority of a qi refiner's soul; it was the very core of a qi refiner. At higher cultivation levels, a qi refiner could theoretically abandon their physical body and still achieve rebirth with just their Yuan Soul.

In that moment, Wu Yuan felt his soul ravenously absorbing the power of the Origin Blood Droplet as it dispersed within his essence. His spirit felt purified and liberated, while his soul experienced an incomparable sense of relaxation.

The perception range of my soul. Wu Yuan noticed with astonishment the rapid transformation of his soul, as his Soul Will expanded over an increasingly vast range.

At the same time, his soul’s perceptive abilities grew more acute. One’s clarity of perception with Soul Will was more than ten times sharper than one’s Soul Force at the Yang Soul. Ordinary mind confusion arrays would now be utterly ineffective against Wu Yuan, and more than ninety-nine percent of the secrets within the Material Spatial Layer were laid bare before him.

It was precisely because of his powerful Soul Will that Wu Yuan dared to rampage freely across the Eldritch-Immortal Battlefield. Now, with the Origin Blood Droplet’s power merging into his being, Wu Yuan could clearly feel his soul’s perception range steadily expanding, nearing the peak of the Soul Will level. At the same time, he could perceive his environment with far greater clarity.

After what seemed like an eternity, the power contained in the single Origin Blood Droplet was finally exhausted, and the rapid transformation of Wu Yuan's soul ceased.

This! This...! Wu Yuan, who had been closely monitoring the changes in his soul, felt waves of shock ripple through his heart.

Soul Will. His soul’s perception range had leaped from just over thirty thousand li to more than eighty thousand li! The transformation was nothing short of miraculous.

One had to understand that even when Elysian Field powerhouses gradually nurtured their souls to the peak of the Soul Will level, their souls’ perception range typically reached just around one hundred thousand li.

In the early phases of cultivation, many treasures could assist in strengthening the soul, but as one advanced, progress became exceedingly difficult, relying mostly on the slow accumulation of time.

During the Bloodforge Battle, Wu Yuan had encountered a few Golden Core cultivators at the Spiritual Body phase who had reached the Yang Soul level. However, in the Fourth Origin Eldritch Field, where peerless geniuses were as common as clouds, those who had reached the Soul Will level were exceedingly rare.

The reason? Their cultivation periods were too brief. Without special opportunities, even the most exceptional geniuses needed more time to reach the next soul level. As a result, many peerless geniuses had souls that were not significantly stronger than those of other cultivators at the same cultivation phase.

For instance, in the Origin Eldritch Fields and Immortal Halls, it was rare for peerless geniuses to advance to the Soul Will level before reaching the Amethyst Cradle/Shambhala phase unless they had extremely rare and special constitutions.

Theoretically, the further one progresses, the harder it becomes for the soul to surpass the mana cultivation phase. Wu Yuan mused.

Soul Will at the Void Refiner/Elysian Field phase.

Yuan Soul at the Divided Soul/Dharma Body.

This was practically set in stone!

Even the demanding Eldritch Sovereign Kua Chi had praised Wu Yuan for his strong soul.

The so-called Origin Blood Droplet is at least a hundred times more potent than the Dragonsoul Crystal Bead. Wu Yuan marveled silently.

Even ordinary Archimmortals and Astral Lords could not easily obtain Dragonsoul Crystal Beads, and something a hundred times more precious was beyond imagination.

Perhaps only someone at Eldritch Sovereign Kua Chi's level would have such treasures, but whether they could be used by Amethyst Cradle/Shambhala cultivators was another question entirely.

It was best to give the right treasure to the right person.

I’ve been visualizing the black pagoda day and night, inducing non-stop transformation of my soul. This advantage grows more prominent the further I progress. Wu Yuan was deeply shaken. According to my earlier estimations, it would have taken at least several decades for my soul to advance from to the peak of Soul Will.

Yet in less than a day, a single Origin Blood Droplet had saved him at least thirty years of Visualization effort.

Now, in terms of soul strength, I’m probably not inferior to those ninth-stage Void Refiner cultivators who have been cultivating for seven to eight thousand years. Wu Yuan mused inwardly.

A soul perception range of over eighty thousand li meant he was close to the peak of the Soul Will level.

Soul enhancement is just one aspect. Wu Yuan continued to reflect. There’s also a change in the clarity of perception. Wu Yuan felt his Soul Will perfectly harmonizing with the world.

Within the range of his soul’s perception, every thread of spiritual qi, every strand of heaven and earth's power beneath the surface layer of space, and the chaotic yet perfectly woven profundities of the Dao were all crystal clear—more than ten times clearer than before.

I can control and sense everything in the Material Spatial Layer within the range of Soul Will. Wu Yuan realized.

Beneath the stable surface of space, he sensed a surging, boundless, and terrifying power—a force capable of tearing apart the entire Material Spatial Layer.

It is the Fragmentary Spatial Layer. Wu Yuan immediately confirmed, growing increasingly astonished. At the Soul Will level, I can sense the Fragmentary Spatial Layer? This is characteristic of a Yuan Soul!

To step into the higher Fragmentary Spatial Layer with one’s physical body using mana was extremely difficult, usually achievable only by Archimmortals.

But to merely sense it? Even Earth Immortals or High Eldritches might detect it, though they could not yet step into it. Sensing it alone was already unattainable for most.

At the peak of the Soul Will level, my soul has acquired a hint of a Yuan Soul’s characteristics. Even if it cannot be compared to a true Yuan Soul, it's still astonishing. Wu Yuan marveled at the wondrous changes in his soul.

The Origin Blood Droplet was truly an ultimate treasure, surpassing even Wu Yuan's wildest imagination.

I feel my perception of the Celestial Body Dao’s essence growing ever clearer. Wu Yuan noted as his Soul Will melded perfectly into the Material Spatial Layer, his perception becoming even more distinct.

I can even faintly sense the presence of the Space Dao’s essence. When he calmed his mind, he could feel mysterious powers he had never detected before.

Why was the Space Dao so elusive? Daos like Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Wind, and Thunder formed the foundation of all things. Their profundities were naturally observed through their workings of heaven and earth, making them easier to comprehend.

Of course, being easy to grasp did not mean these Daos were weak. Any Dao, if fully comprehended, led to great achievements.

But why was the Space Dao so difficult to grasp? It was too enigmatic, encompassing and supporting all Daos. Only with space's existence could all matter exist.

The heavens and earth operated perfectly and stably, with no tangible trace of the Space Dao. Naturally, ordinary immortal cultivators couldn’t even sense its existence. How could one comprehend it?

Generally, one had to reach the level of an Earth Immortal or Earth Eldritch, advance to the Yuan Soul level, and sense the existence of Space to hope to grasp the Space Dao.

But at merely the Amethyst Cradle phase, I have sensed the presence of Space’s essence through my Soul Will, which now contains additional characteristics of the Yuan Soul. Though faint, I have perceived it. Wu Yuan's eyes flickered with hope.

At this moment, Wu Yuan truly saw the possibility of passing Master Kua Chi's test within three hundred years.

However, though I can barely sense the existence of higher spatial dimensions and the essence of the Space Dao, it is too vague. Wu Yuan immediately furrowed his brow.

In theory, he could comprehend it, but who knew how long it would take to meet his master's requirements? A hundred years? A thousand years?

Understanding the Space Dao’s profundities was just the beginning. [1] One then had to attempt to integrate multiple Daos to truly grasp the cryptic patterns of the silver sphere.

As he contemplated, Wu Yuan's soul essence gazed upon the distant stone column atop the black pagoda. After it was saturated with blood mist, the stone column of the black pagoda had produced an Origin Blood Droplet.

Is it limited to just one drop, or can it be produced without limit, like the blood mist? Wu Yuan wondered. The Origin Blood Droplet was likely the concentrated essence of the blood mist.

Wu Yuan couldn't understand the principle behind the production of the Origin Blood Droplet, nor could he control the black pagoda’s stone column. He had only one way to verify it—collect more blood mist!

If I can accumulate blood mist, reaching the upper dantian lobe’s carrying limit once more, I will naturally know if Origin Blood Droplets can be produced without limit. Wu Yuan resolved himself to find out.

He would continue his slaughter on the Eldritch-Immortal Battlefield.

My Soul Will is strong, but I’ve yet to familiarize myself with it. Wu Yuan silently cultivated. Once I am accustomed to my Soul Will’s power, I'll begin the hunt.

From start to finish, Wu Yuan never considered that his previous reckless actions would make him a wanted target of the Immortal Court.

In fact, with Wu Yuan rapidly rising in rank over the past two years, the Immortal Court had likely tried to dispatch powerhouses to kill him. The most brutal battle was when four Void Refiner/Elysian Field powerhouses attacked their team; Zhang Shan had died in that battle, and the fighting was fierce on both sides.

Yet Wu Yuan didn't care if they targeted him. He just kept killing anyone who stood in his path.

Should a genius from the Immortal Hall descend? Wu Yuan had only one response—kill them without hesitation!

Years of training in the Origin Eldritch Field and tempering on the Eldritch-Immortal Battlefield had strengthened Wu Yuan's heart immensely, giving him extreme confidence in his strength. Even if the top genius of the Amethyst Cradle/Shambhala phase from the Immortal Hall came, he wouldn’t back down without a fight.

...

Another two days passed.

"Have you all rested well?" Wu Yuan asked as he emerged from the meditation chamber, his gaze sweeping over the gathered five captains.

The invisible pressure emanating from his calm gaze caused even Pei He and Bing Roushui, both Void Refiner cultivators, to shiver subtly, not to mention the others.

Pei He and Bing Roushui exchanged a glance, a hint of astonishment in their eyes. Though they didn't understand what changes Wu Yuan had undergone, they felt that his strength had grown even more terrifying.

"Commander, we’ve rested more than enough," Pei He smiled. "In fact, we've been getting a little restless."

"Mm." Wu Yuan nodded slightly, his gaze falling on Bing Roushui. "Roushui, I see you’ve broken through."

With a wave of his hand, an artifact flew out, landing in front of Bing Roushui. "This is your congratulatory gift, take it," Wu Yuan smiled faintly.

Bing Roushui accepted it and, upon a quick inspection, was slightly surprised: "Commander, this?"

"Haha, don’t mind it. When Pei He broke through, I also gave him a gift. Just a few pieces of spirion equipment," Wu Yuan smiled slightly. "With spirion equipment, you’ll be able to fully utilize your Void Refiner phase strength."

These pieces of spirion equipment were all spoils of previous battles.

"Yes," Bing Roushui said respectfully.

"I will also prepare a gift for anyone else who breaks through," Wu Yuan's gaze swept over the other three captains.

"Let's go, it’s time to hunt." Wu Yuan gave the order, eager to verify if he could form a second Origin Blood Droplet.

Soon, three battleships silently left the planet.

...

Six hours later.

Within a massive battleship, seven figures sat in lotus position, patiently waiting for many days.

Suddenly, the elderly man in red robes, Yin Hou, opened his eyes. His pupils flashed with excitement. "They've appeared. Your Highness, Ming Jian’s team has appeared."

"They have just annihilated an ordinary team; the war base has sent the news."

In an instant, the other six figures all opened their eyes. His Highness Feng Sheng, who was sitting to one side, also opened his eyes. Lightning seemed to dance within his pupils.

"Moreover, the team they just annihilated is only sixteen million li away from us!" Yin Hou exclaimed animatedly.

1. Not the entire Greater Law, referring to subsidiary Laws ☜