Yuan’s Ascension

In the special observation hall, the black-robed figure remained invisible to all but the three Astral Monarchs, concealed from the gaze of the other Archimmortals and Archeldritches.

As his eyes fell upon three Astral Monarchs, the surrounding light distorted, ensuring none of the others could perceive his presence.

“Sir," The three Astral Monarchs immediately rose, bowing slightly in deference.

Despite all sharing the title of Astral Monarch, their statuses varied greatly. These three, tasked with overseeing the mid and entry-level Eldritch-Immortal battlefields, were among the least prominent of their peers.

They were acutely aware of the formidable power and status of the black-robed figure standing before them, who controlled the entire intelligence network of the Eldritch World, marking him as one of the top Astral Monarchs in strength and influence.

"This Ming Jian has broken the billion-year battlefield record, rendering a significant contribution. He should be granted the rank of king," the black-robed figure's voice was otherworldly.

The three Astral Monarchs listened intently.

King? Typically, a fighter needed to accumulate one billion ethercrystal laurels and lead a great army to breach an enemy war base to earn such a title. However, Ming Jian’s invincibility on the battlefield and his record-breaking kills made it reasonable to warrant this title.

"Moreover, this battle has demonstrated the might of our Eldritch Court camp. It should be widely publicized to boost the morale of the entire eldritch world," the figure continued.

While a peerless genius breaking a kill record in the entry-level battlefields might not shift the broader balance of power between the Cang Feng Eldritch World and the Voltari Temple, publicizing it would undoubtedly bolster morale.

The competition between the two great powers had raged for endless years, spanning from minor skirmishes in small worldlets to grand battles in vast immortal nation planes. The conflict extended from the battles of Golden Core and Amethyst Cradle geniuses to duels between top powerhouses.

This was an all-encompassing competition from the microscopic to the macroscopic level, each side striving to accumulate small victories to build unstoppable momentum toward ultimate victory.

On a larger scale, the war between the Cang Feng Eldritch World and the Voltari Temple spanning trillions of years was just a fragment of the endless warfare between the Eldritch Court and the Immortal Court. Yet, both sides fought with relentless determination, understanding that every advantage, however small, mattered.

The fact that Ming Jian broke the kill record was a testament to the Eldritch Court's growing advantage on the entry-level battlefields.

"Sir, should we recall Ming Jian?" one of the Astral Monarchs asked cautiously.

"Recall?" The black-robed figure shook his head slightly. "He is ultimately not a genius of our eldritch world. Whatever choice he makes is his own business.

If the Eternal Sun Immortal World wishes to recall him, they will notify us.

Your only concern should be ensuring that the Voltari Temple adheres to the rules and does not bully the weak. We established the Eldritch-Immortal Battlefield, and we must uphold its rules," the black-robed figure said softly.

"Beyond that, everything depends on Ming Jian himself. If he dies, it will be the Eternal Sun Immortal World that will have cause for outrage."

The three Astral Monarchs understood the implicit meaning.

If the Immortal Court amassed a force of geniuses and Void Refiner/Elysian Field powerhouses, and Ming Jian chose to fight to the death without retreating, his demise would be seen as a natural consequence of battle, with no one to blame. Furthermore, there was a deeper implication: if Ming Jian were to fall, it would likely escalate the conflict between the Eternal Sun Immortal World and the Voltari Temple.

The Eternal Sun Immortal World’s decision to send most of its immortal cultivators to the Eldritch Court camp for tempering already spoke volumes.

The hatred between these factions, built up over long ages, would only deepen until it eventually erupted in full.

…

In the observation hall of the Voltari Temple Voidrealm, the atmosphere was starkly different. The Archimmortal Astral Lords exchanged uneasy glances, none daring to speak.

If Wu Yuan had simply broken the record through gradual accumulation of kills, it might have been easier to accept. But he had annihilated their hunting squads and claimed the top spot with undeniable dominance, an outcome that was deeply humiliating.

Should other Archimmortals or Astral Lords of the Voltari Temple hear the news, they might discuss how ‘the younger generation of the temple can’t compare to ours’, or 'the youngsters these days are lacking', without giving it much further thought.

After all, the rise of one or two Amethyst Cradle phase geniuses from the Eternal Sun Immortal World had no significant impact on them. Even a prodigy like Jiang Huan, capable of challenging Archimmortals, wouldn’t affect the broader situation or shift the overall balance of power.

But the Archimmortals and Astral Lords present in this observation space couldn’t remain indifferent. They were responsible for the mid and entry-level battlefields, ensuring that the Immortal Court camp maintained superiority in these areas. Yet, an opponent from the Eldritch Court camp had shattered the billion-year kill record, an event that starkly highlighted their glaring incompetence!

"This is a disgrace!" Finally, the silver-robed Astral Monarch, one of the two seated at the highest position, spoke with icy anger. "I will request the Immortal Sovereign for ten thousand years of service as penance."

"I will do the same," the other Astral Monarch added, his voice equally resolute.

The atmosphere in the great hall grew even more oppressive, the tension palpable. Even a needle falling would likely make the nearly one thousand Archimmortals and Astral Lords jump.

Those directly responsible for supervising Battlefield 36 felt their hearts pounding with such intensity that it threatened to burst from their chests. If even the two Astral Monarchs overseeing the entire Eldritch-Immortal Battlefield were voluntarily accepting punishment, how could they expect any leniency?

"And you Archimmortals responsible for supervising the entry-level battlefields will be penalized with fifty thousand years of service," the silver-robed Astral Monarch declared coldly.

Not a single Archimmortal dared to object.

"The Archimmortals responsible for supervising Battlefield 36 will participate in Battlefield 1 as fighters for a million years before they may return," the silver-robed Astral Monarch issued the final punishment.

The faces of those Archimmortals drained of color. Among the dozens of Eldritch-Immortal battlefields, Battlefield 1 was the most terrifying, a high-level battlefield. Throughout history, how many Archimmortals had fallen there? Even many Astral Lords had perished.

Fighting for a million years in such a place meant facing a death probability exceeding fifty percent.

"Understood," these Archimmortals responded, their voices laced with resignation. At least they hadn’t been sentenced to immediate death.

As for the other Archimmortals, they felt a wave of relief wash over them. Everyone knew that the blame didn’t rest solely on these few Archimmortals, but someone had to be held accountable for the loss in what could be considered the most crucial entry-level battle in ten billion years.

With the punishments dispensed, the next matter at hand was determining their strategy for dealing with Ming Jian.

"This Ming Jian," the silver-robed Astral Monarch began, his voice resonating with cold fury, "no matter which Astral Monarch or Immortal Sovereign of the Eternal Sun Immortal World he serves under, he must be punished for daring to provoke our Voltari Temple like this.

At the very least, as long as he remains on the battlefield, we must do everything in our power to deal with him.

His strength is formidable, but an Amethyst Cradle cultivator dominating the battlefield unchallenged? That is unacceptable.

Relay my order: the remaining twenty-one teams on the mainland are to gather as quickly as possible, unite, and eliminate him.

Furthermore, increase the bounty for killing Ming Jian to ten thousand divine crystals and twenty Dao Temple points."

…

As the higher echelons of the Eldritch Court and Immortal Court camps began coordinating their responses, news of Ming Jian breaking the highest kill record spread like wildfire, sending shockwaves across the eighteen entry-level Eldritch-Immortal battlefields.

Every participant in the Eldritch Court camp received this news in their personal hall within the eldritch voidrealm.

"Ming Jian?"

"A peerless genius from the Eternal Sun Immortal World broke the billion-year ethercrystal laurel record?"

"The ethercrystal laurel record—that’s the kill record!"

"3.2 billion ethercrystal laurels! How many powerhouses from the Immortal Court camp did he kill?"

"That’s equivalent to single-handedly slaughtering millions of Amethyst Cradle cultivators!"

"And he did it in just over ten years."

"Unbelievable!"

"The eldritch world is directly granting him the title of king. It’s been announced across the entire battlefield."

"Ming Jian is the most extraordinary Amethyst Cradle cultivator I’ve ever seen!"

"King-rank fighter." The trillions of participants across the eighteen entry-level battlefields buzzed with fervent discussion.

Even for those who couldn’t fully grasp the magnitude of 3.2 billion ethercrystal laurels breaking the billion-year entry-level battlefield kill record was enough to explain everything.

One billion years—a span of time so vast it made even Archimmortals tremble. More than 99% of Archimmortals didn’t live to a billion years of age.

…

"What?"

"Teng Duo, Jin Ming, Yin Ming, and their team of over a dozen Void Refiner-level powerhouses actually lost?"

"How is that possible?" The news rippled through the many geniuses of the Fourth Immortal Hall like a shockwave.

Their first reaction was disbelief. Yes, Teng Duo wasn’t the strongest in the Fourth Immortal Hall, but with their team’s configuration, even the number one genius of the Fourth Immortal Hall would struggle to defeat them.

Yet they had been soundly defeated by Wu Yuan.

Swiftly, dozens of geniuses from the Fourth Immortal Hall, along with numerous Void Refiner/Elysian Field powerhouses, descended upon Battlefield 36. TAll of them received detailed intelligence.

"First-degree immortal root!"

"Confirmed first-degree immortal root, soul suspected to have reached the Yuan Soul level. All fighters must possess soul defense spirion equipment to participate in the battle against Ming Jian." This news left these peerless geniuses from the Immortal Court dumbfounded.

A first-degree immortal root, dual Intermediate Laws, and a Yuan Soul?

"This is the most monstrous type of genius, one that might not appear even once in a million years across the entire macrocosm."

"Innate first-degree immortal root?"

"His Dao comprehension aptitude isn’t overly terrifying. The most monstrous prodigies in history, like Chang Hong of the eldritch world, spent hundreds of years cultivating at the Amethyst Cradle phase to reach the sixth-level True Intent stage of a single Intermediate Law."

"No, judging by his rapid progress in the Longevity Dao, this Ming Jian’s cultivation period is likely not long—probably no more than 200 years."

"Regardless of his age, just in terms of soul—Yuan Soul at Amethyst Cradle phase? In the past billion-year history of the macrocosm, this Ming Jian is likely among the absolute top, at least in the top ten."

"We’re dealing with one of the top geniuses in history?" This realization weighed heavily on the Amethyst Cradle/Shambhala geniuses of the Immortal Hall.

Indeed, they were all geniuses, the cream of the crop selected by the Voltari Temple from millions of immortal continents, each capable of defeating enemies at higher phases. Barring premature death, they were almost certain to become Archimmortals.

But even among geniuses, there were differences. Ming Jian was one who could contend with the most monstrous prodigies in the long history of the Greenridge Macrocosm.

"Kill him."

"Whether for the rewards or for the glory of our Voltari Temple, we must kill him." The Immortal Hall geniuses were equally incensed by Ming Jian’s final, arrogant words.

Their upbringing had instilled in them an unyielding loyalty to the Immortal Court and a deep-seated hatred for their enemies, cultivated over trillions of years of war.

"One-on-one, we’re no match for him."

"Let’s join forces."

"With dozens of us united, plus over 300 Void Refiner-level powerhouses, we’ll overwhelm him. He can’t possibly have enough mana to defeat us all."

"Kill!"

Quickly, the Immortal Hall geniuses who had been scattered across the mainland battlefield began to converge on a single point. Once they were fully assembled, they would launch an all-out assault on Ming Jian’s location.