Yuan’s Ascension

"Sixteen million li?"

"That close?" The excitement quickly spread to the other five Void Refiner/Elysian Field powerhouses.

They had anticipated being hundreds of millions, if not billions, of li from their target. Unexpectedly, it was only sixteen million li!

"Sixteen million li is still quite a distance," Feng Sheng remarked, standing up with a composed demeanor. "Our battleship would take some time to reach him even at full speed, and there's a significant chance he'll slip away." He turned his sharp gaze to the elderly man in red robes. "Yin Hou, based on your judgment, which route will Ming Jian take after this?"

"Your Highness, please observe," Yin Hou replied as he waved his hand, conjuring a vast star map projection marked with eight potential routes.

"Ming Jian has remained within the predicted range instead of returning to the Eldritch Court war base. His continued slaughter suggests a high probability—over ninety percent—that he will press on rather than retreat," Yin Hou declared solemnly.

Feng Sheng and the others nodded in agreement.

Indeed, if Ming Jian had intended to return to the war base, he would have done so long ago, leaving the Danger Zone far behind.

"He’s likely to continue hunting in this Danger Zone to minimize his risk," Yin Hou said in a low tone. "However, there's a slim chance that, given Ming Jian's disregard for safety, he might charge into the Death Zone again."

"Yin Hou, what do you propose?" Feng Sheng asked, his voice calm.

"We wait!" Yin Hou uttered.

"Wait?"

"Keep waiting?" The suggestion left the others momentarily stunned.

"Yes, wait," Yin Hou affirmed. "If Ming Jian makes another move, we can deduce his subsequent direction from his trail of battles, narrowing down the eight predicted routes to two. It would be far more effective to pursue him then."

"If we move now, we might head in the wrong direction. It’s wiser to stay here and be ready to move out," Yin Hou continued.

After a moment of consideration, Feng Sheng gave a decisive nod. "We'll follow Yin Hou's proposal. There’s no need to rush. The more reckless Ming Jian becomes, the more careless he will be. Then, we will strike him down."

"Continue waiting," Feng Sheng commanded, sitting down with an air of unhurried confidence.

It wasn’t long before their patience paid off. Just twelve hours later, several of them, too distracted to meditate, opened their eyes simultaneously.

"Ming Jian has struck again!"

"This time, the battle occurred twenty-four million li from us," Yin Hou reported, standing abruptly with disbelief flickering in his eyes. "This Ming Jian is a madman—a complete madman! He’s heading straight toward our Immortal Court's war base."

"He’s actually charging into the Death Zone! Absolutely insane," Yin Hou said in a low voice, as if he couldn't believe Ming Jian's audacity.

On the light screen, he drew a line between the two coordinates of Ming Jian's battles. Extrapolating it further, it intersected with the Immortal Court’s war base.

"Excellent! His madness will lead him to destruction," Feng Sheng said, a predatory smile spreading across his face as his eyes gleamed with killing intent. "Yin Hou, calculate the optimal interception point based on his route and speed."

“Right away.” Without wasting a moment, Yin Hou swiftly performed the calculations, and a red area appeared on the star map projection.

"As long as Ming Jian doesn't deviate from course, there’s a ninety percent chance we’ll intercept him within this million-li area if we leave now," Yin Hou said, his voice steady but with a hint of urgency. "The estimated time to interception is four hours."

Feng Sheng didn’t hesitate. With a mental command, the previously hovering spirion battleship lurched forward as it accelerated – two thousand li per second, three thousand, five thousand. It shot forward at full throttle.

A first-grade spirit battleship typically maintained speeds of a thousand li per second, and was capable of reaching three thousand li per second if one chose not to spare any fuel. Higher speeds? That necessitated burning the ship's essence.

But a spirion battleship could comfortably cruise at five thousand li per second, easily breaking ten thousand li per second at full speed, with defenses far surpassing those of a spirit equipment battleship.

...

Meanwhile, Wu Yuan led his team forth, oblivious to the deadly hunting party closing in on them.

In less than four hours, the six Void Refiner/Elysian Field powerhouses aboard the spirion battleship were fully armed and ready for battle. Only Feng Sheng remained seated in lotus position, his eyes closed in deep concentration.

"Your Highness, Ming Jian's team is engaging another group," Yin Hou's eyes brightened. "They're just over a million li ahead of us."

"He’s very close." Yin Hou's voice was urgent.

Just over a million miles? Feng Sheng's eyes snapped open.

Buzz~ The battleship shimmered, and its surface seamlessly blended into the surrounding space, camouflaging itself against the vastness of outer space.

A million li ahead, lights flickered intensely against the dark expanse, clearly marking the site of a fierce battle.

A battleship in stealth mode, employing methods like light distortion, was difficult for even Void Refiner/Elysian Field cultivators to detect from a million li away.

But once a battle erupted, things were different. Even ignoring the actual battle, the violent fluctuations of heaven and earth’s power and spatial vibrations alone would allow any Void Refiner/Elysian Field powerhouse within a million li to sense them clearly.

"Your Highness, we should approach, but reduce our speed to avoid detection as much as possible," Yin Hou advised, his excitement barely contained.

"Mm." Feng Sheng stood, his eyes now sharp and serious.

The battleship slowed to three thousand li per second, creating minimal spatial disturbances as they rapidly closed the gap.

...

Far out in space, tens of thousands of li away, Wu Yuan’s team was busy cleaning up the aftermath of their battle.

"Battles are a breeze with the commander around. Nearly a hundred Amethyst Cradle cultivators, wiped out with ease," Lie Shier said with a laugh, leading the Amethyst Cradle battle array as they swiftly collected the spoils.

The other captains, like Shi Ji and a few others, were also busy on the battlefield.

Since Pei He and Bing Roushui had advanced to the Void Refiner phase, they no longer led the Amethyst Cradle battle arrays, opting instead to fight independently.

High above the battlefield, Wu Yuan, Pei He, and Bing Roushui hovered, surveying their surroundings.

"Commander, are we really heading into the Death Zone?" Pei He asked, his voice tinged with concern. "Our killing efficiency may increase in the Death Zone, but it's far too dangerous. We’re being reckless. Our previous incursion likely angered the Immortal Court."

Wu Yuan smiled, shaking his head slightly. "Our team is not small, Pei He. If we don't enter the Death Zone, where else can we gather so many ethercrystal laurels?"

"The Death Zone carries risk, but staying in the Danger Zones or Ordinary Zones will slow us down," Wu Yuan continued calmly.

Most Void Refiner/Elysian Field powerhouses wouldn't dare to make such bold moves, but Wu Yuan wasn't afraid. In fact, he welcomed the challenge.

I will storm the Death Zone. Wu Yuan thought, his resolve hardening.

"Commander, it’s safer to remain on the edge of the Death Zone," Pei He persisted, trying to convince him. "Charging too close to the war base could provoke the Immortal Court into sending their geniuses after us."

Bing Roushui remained silent, sharing Pei He’s concerns but choosing to trust Wu Yuan’s judgment.

Hmm? Wu Yuan’s usually composed expression suddenly shifted as he turned, eyeing the depths of space they had just crossed. His eyes narrowed, a hint of killing intent surfacing. "Pei He, we might not need to enter the Death Zone after all."

"Perhaps the Immortal Court's geniuses are already here," Wu Yuan said quietly.

His Soul Will had a vast perception range of eighty thousand li and was attuned to the Material Spatial Layer, allowing him to detect even the faintest spatial disturbances caused by an enemy's battleship.

Thus, though the spirion battleship was still over two hundred thousand li away, Wu Yuan already sensed the spatial fluctuations it caused.

So soon, and moving at such speed? Wu Yuan quickly deduced that this approaching group had surely detected the battle that had just ended. Yet, they came without hesitation. Either they were overconfident or dangerously competent.

"Hm?"

"What? They’ve arrived?" Pei He and Bing Roushui exchanged stunned glances, following Wu Yuan’s gaze.

But there was nothing there. The vast expanse of space was utterly calm.

Both had recently advanced to the Void Refiner phase, but their Soul Will sensing range was limited to about ten thousand li. Even in a higher void dimension, their range wouldn’t be much greater.

Still, after hundreds of life-and-death battles, they trusted Wu Yuan implicitly.

"Prepare for battle!"

"Enemies." Pei He and Bing Roushui immediately sent the alert to Lie Shier, Shi Ji, and the others.

"What?" Shi Ji, Yu Zhuo, Lie Shier, and the rest, who had just begun to relax after the earlier battle, instantly went on high alert.

Without hesitation, they equipped their weapons and formed their battle arrays.

Six battle arrays turned into streaks of light, converging on Wu Yuan's location. The team assembled with precision and speed.

"Where are the enemies?"

"Where are they?" Shi Ji and Yu Zhuo scanned the surroundings but saw nothing.

But they soon noticed Wu Yuan standing in the void, eyes half-closed, waiting in silence. This scene quickly calmed everyone, and they realized the enemy had not yet arrived.

Boom! A few breaths later, space trembled slightly as a massive battleship materialized before their eyes. Its overwhelming presence sent a wave of dread through them.

"A spirit battleship?"

"No! It’s a spirion battleship," Pei He’s voice trembled with urgency.

Their expressions shifted in an instant. A spirion battleship? Even the most basic model was worth tens of billions of catties of ethercrystal.

Such a vessel was typically owned by Earth Immortals or Earth Eldritches—a clear indication that the newcomers were far from ordinary.

Swoosh~ The battleship vanished as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by seven powerful figures who transformed into streaks of light. They halted three thousand li away, each radiating intense killing intent.

"Void Refiner phase! Elysian Field phase!"

"Six of them!"

"Six Void Refiner-level powerhouses," Pei He, Bing Roushui, and Lie Shier’s faces drained of color.

In the past two years, their most brutal battle had been against four Void Refiner/Elysian Field powerhouses. They had won, but it had been a pyrrhic victory.

Since then, Bing Roushui had broken through to a higher level, but her power was still not fully stabilized.

Facing six Void Refiner/Elysian Field powerhouses in a life-and-death struggle, even if they emerged victorious, the cost in lives would be unbearable.

Most of the group focused on the six enemies before them, but Wu Yuan’s gaze remained fixed on a seemingly unremarkable figure clad in black armor. A sense of immense danger radiated from him.

He was the true threat.