Yuan’s Ascension

After a moment, Wu Yuan browsed through the entire catalog, feeling as if his eyes had been opened to a world of treasures he had never encountered before.

"Redeem 10 Dao Temple points," Wu Yuan finally spoke.

"One hundred million ethercrystal laurels will be deducted, exhausting your entire exchange quota. Confirm?" The indifferent voice echoed in his personal hall.

"Confirmed," Wu Yuan replied without hesitation.

He had meticulously planned how he would use his ethercrystal laurels. Ordinary treasures, special items, and opportunities to enter certain realms were all valuable, but they were still within reach through other means, especially given the strength and status of his body-refiner self. But the Dao Temple points? Those were extraordinarily difficult to acquire.

After becoming Master Kua Chi's disciple, he had only been granted sixty Dao Temple points. Each point was invaluable.

"One hundred million ethercrystal laurels deducted, Dao Temple access granted. Access will be revoked once points are exhausted," the voice informed him. "You may enter the Dao Temple as long as you are within the macrocosm and holding the voidrealm jade."

Immediately after, Wu Yuan saw that his ethercrystal laurels had dropped by one hundred million, but he wasn’t too hung up on it. Those laurels were earned to enhance his strength, after all.

Let’s give it a try. In both Dao Temples of the Eternal Sun Immortal World and the Cang Feng Eldritch World, I chose the Celestial Body Dao simulation. This time, I should choose the Longevity Dao. Wu Yuan thought, feeling a surge of anticipation.

Though his qi-refiner self's soul was powerful, bolstered by Faith, his progress on the Longevity Dao had been slower compared to the Celestial Body Dao in recent years. The primary reason was simple: he had never encountered a particularly special opportunity while cultivating the Longevity Dao, only proceeding methodically.

With a mental command, Wu Yuan felt his consciousness leave his personal hall, swiftly arriving at a mysterious location within a higher spatial dimension.

The Eldritch Court's Dao Temple! The higher spatial dimension was reflected onto the endless river of space and time.

As with previous visits, the Dao Temple didn’t seem to connect the dots between Wu Yuan's two true selves, calculating their point tallies independently.

In the midst of the mystical illusory realm stood a towering black pagoda. Wu Yuan found himself standing in the plaza before it.

"I want to experience the Longevity Dao comprehension simulation," Wu Yuan stated directly.

"Two points deducted, eight remaining," the indifferent voice responded, and the second floor of the pagoda slowly opened.

Without hesitation, Wu Yuan flew straight in.

In past Celestial Body Dao simulations, he had observed celestial bodies, perceiving myriad saber arts imbued with the profundities of the Celestial Body Dao. But the Longevity Dao simulation was entirely different.

The origin of life! Wu Yuan's consciousness immersed itself fully in the simulation. He felt as though he had become a tiny seedling, experiencing the wonders of growth—rain and dew nourishing him, sunlight warming him, plants flourishing around him.

It seemed like only an instant, yet also decades passed.

He lived as an infinitesimal plankton, a gazelle sprinting across a boundless prairie, and a bird freezing to death in winter…

Cycle after cycle of life.

Wu Yuan lived those lives yet remained an observer, unable to unleash any secret arts. He lost himself in the simulation, overwhelmed by these unprecedented sensations that illuminated the Longevity Dao's profundities.

The so-called longevity was simply to live a long life!

"Awaken!" A faint voice echoed in Wu Yuan's mind, pulling his consciousness back.

He left the black pagoda, still feeling dazed. The myriad versions of life he had just experienced surged through his mind.

Hum~ Wu Yuan's consciousness exited the Eldritch Court's Dao Temple.

…

The Longevity Dao! Unfolding the profundities of life. Wu Yuan sat in lotus position, his eyes brimming with tears.

His mind remained engrossed in contemplation, lost in the insights he had gained. It took him a long time to pull himself out of this trance.

After what felt like an eternity, Wu Yuan finally regained his focus.

Although I haven’t broken through to the next stage, I have a clear sense of how to proceed from the seventh-level Domain stage to the ninth-level, and even break through to True Intent. Wu Yuan's mind buzzed with clarity.

The profundities of the Longevity Dao were not just the ineffable, elusive profundities of heaven and earth. They were deeply intertwined with the evolution and growth of myriad lives.

However, as Nan Yin Master said, the Longevity Dao is part of the Wood Dao. But why do I feel it has a connection to the legendary Life Dao? Wu Yuan's thoughts raced.

The Life Dao was profoundly unfathomable, something that even ordinary immortal cultivators could hardly grasp. Wu Yuan had only heard of it, never witnessing anyone able to cultivate it. Even High Immortals seemed to struggle with deciphering its profundities.

Days passed, nearly ten in total, with Wu Yuan remaining immersed in this state of deep contemplation, continuously accumulating insights into the Longevity Dao and breaking through previous barriers.

On the tenth day, Wu Yuan received a notification.

"Esteemed ninth-rank fighter Ming Jian, a general from the war base wishes to meet you. He has arrived outside your residence," the message was sent directly to him via the eldritch voidrealm.

In the meditation chamber, Wu Yuan exhaled and opened his eyes.

A general from the war base? Wu Yuan frowned slightly in puzzlement. Here to visit me? For what reason?

After a moment’s thought, Wu Yuan left the meditation chamber and made his way to the reception hall of the manor.

"Hahaha, our young friend Ming Jian, it is my great honor to have a peerless genius like yourself join the war base I command," greeted a portly elderly man in crimson armor. His smile deepened the folds of fat on his face, giving him a ferocious look.

As an Earth Immortal, such a respectful attitude was unusual.

Two Void Refiner soldiers in black armor flanked him.

"General Tao, you're too kind. I can hardly be called a genius," Wu Yuan replied coolly. "May I ask why the General has come to see me so suddenly?"

"Hahaha. I see that our young friend is straightforward, so I won’t beat around the bush," General Tao chuckled. "Your strength is formidable. You must be one of the Eternal Sun Immortal World's core peerless geniuses, correct?... Of course, I won't pry into your background."

"I have an opportunity for you to earn a tremendous amount of ethercrystal laurels. Would you be interested?"

"A tremendous amount of ethercrystal laurels?" Wu Yuan maintained a neutral expression. "What opportunity?"

For a general of a war base to call it 'tremendous', it had to involve at least tens of millions of ethercrystal laurels.

"Hunting," General Tao said with a grin.

Wu Yuan paused, then understood.

"You should know that some super geniuses and Elysian Field-level powerhouses from the Immortal Court camp have been running rampant across the battlefield, killing our fighters indiscriminately and causing grievous losses," General Tao explained. "In response, we dispatch experts to hunt down their top experts, especially those geniuses at the Amethyst Cradle level."

"I wish to invite you to become a hunter for our war base."

"I'll provide intelligence, notifying you of the tracks of top experts on this battlefield through the eldritch voidrealm," General Tao continued, his smile widening. "You just need to hunt them down."

"If the hunt is successful, you will receive bonus ethercrystal laurels in addition to the usual rewards," General Tao's eyes gleamed with anticipation.

Wu Yuan understood completely now.

Over the past two years, he had been the one hunted. The Immortal Court camp must have sent numerous teams after him, finally resorting to sending their Immortal Hall genius, Feng Sheng, when all else failed. But they were all defeated by him.

And now, the Eldritch Court faction was inviting him to become a hunter instead?

"General Tao, after roaming through the battlefield for years, I wish to cultivate in seclusion for now. Allow me to consider it," Wu Yuan responded calmly.

"Haha, very well," General Tao laughed. "Then I won't disturb your cultivation. I'll take my leave first. Once you've made up your mind, you can come to me directly."

Wu Yuan nodded.

Soon, General Tao left with his two subordinates.

Hunting? Wu Yuan shook his head slightly, activating the array to seal off the entire manor before returning to his meditation chamber.

…

On the third floor of the war base stood an enormous hall—the general's residence.

"General, will Ming Jian agree?" one of the black-armored soldiers asked.

"Highly likely," General Tao replied confidently. "From what I've observed of his actions, he enjoys killing. With such a great opportunity, how could he refuse?"

The black-armored soldiers nodded in agreement.

"Hahaha, let's wait and see. Once he agrees, he'll go hunt the top experts from the Immortal Court camp," General Tao said with a laugh. "When that happens, our camp will easily gain an overwhelming advantage in this war zone."

"But if Ming Jian's actions grow too frenzied, it might prompt the Immortal Court to send experts to assassinate him," one of the soldiers remarked with concern.

With their level of authority, they could only view Wu Yuan's ethercrystal laurel count, not witness the battles directly. They were unaware that the Immortal Court camp had already attempted to eliminate him.

"If he gets killed, then it just means his strength is inadequate," General Tao said indifferently. "As long as he helps us remove some obstacles, that's enough."

He was merely an Earth Immortal, and the higher-ups had never given him any specific instructions.

The soldiers nodded in agreement.

But just three days later.

"General!"

"General, bad news!" A black-armored soldier burst into the hall in a panic.

"What is it?" General Tao frowned.

"Ming Jian has just activated the teleportation array with his authority as a ninth-rank fighter and teleported to Mainland War Base 93," the soldier reported hurriedly.

General Tao froze, teacup still in hand.

Ming Jian had left?

…

A mere Earth Immortal wants to use me as a spear to hunt the Immortal Court's experts?

Unfortunately, I have no interest in that. Wu Yuan thought with a trace of disdain as he stepped out of the teleportation array, immediately noticing the throng of immortal cultivators in the corridor outside.

Their numbers far exceeded those of Outer Space War Base 1294.

Indeed, it is just as the intelligence reports described. The mainland is the true heart of this battlefield, where the fighting is most intense. Most major decisive battles also take place on the main continent.

Within this continent less than a hundred billion li wide, the two camps have established a total of four thousand war bases, with an enemy base every few billion li on average.

In terms of powerhouse density, it averages dozens of times that of the outer space war zones. The area just a few million li from the war base is as dangerous as the Death Zones in the outer space war zones.

I’ll be able to accumulate blood mist much faster here.

At the same time, if I don't intentionally hunt powerhouses, the chances of the Immortal Court targeting me are minimal. Wu Yuan strode down the corridor, leaving the war base behind.