Yuan’s Ascension

The process of Wu Yuan's breakthrough was swift. The true time-consuming aspect lay in the days of cultivation preceding his advancement to the True Intent stage. Having already comprehended the Longevity Dao to the ninth-level Domain stage, he needed only a spark of enlightenment during battle to propel him forward in one seamless breakthrough.

In just two days, they've all rushed over. They sure are fast. Wu Yuan mused.

His Soul Will, actively maintained within a radius of one million li, quickly detected the formidable team from the Immortal Court approaching his position.

In fact, over the past two days, several teams had crossed through Wu Yuan’s perception range, though most were relatively weak. The largest of these groups comprised merely dozens of Amethyst Cradle cultivators.

However, as Wu Yuan was at a critical juncture in his breakthrough and the blood mist had reached its saturation point, he chose not to act. Having already shattered the kill record, there wasn’t much point in further confrontation.

But now, this incoming team was different. The imposing auras of its members were impossible to ignore.

41 Amethyst Cradle/Shambhala cultivators, 327 Void Refiner/Elysian Field cultivators. Quite the massive team. Wu Yuan observed through his Soul Will.

Hmm, Teng Duo is among them, but despite his strength, he’s at the very back? Could those Amethyst Cradle cultivators be stronger than Teng Duo? Wu Yuan found it hard to believe.

Teng Duo, with a second-degree immortal root and Dao comprehension at the third-level True Intent stage of an Intermediate Law, was already a top-tier genius within the Amethyst Cradle phase under normal circumstances.

According to Wu Yuan's intel, no Amethyst Cradle genius in this era had comprehended the fourth-level True Intent of an Intermediate Law, whether in the Origin Eldritch Field or the Immortal Hall.

Even in the Third Origin Eldritch Field, where countless Void Refiner/Elysian Field cultivators had trained for millennia, fewer than a hundred had reached the fourth-level True Intent stage of an Intermediate Law. The threshold between the third and fourth levels of True Intent was notoriously difficult to cross.

In the Fourth Origin Eldritch Field, producing even one Amethyst Cradle/Shambhala cultivator who has comprehended the fourth-level True Intent stage of an Intermediate Law would take thousands of years. Wu Yuan had learned this from historical cultivation records.

Knowing this, Wu Yuan was confident that his talent ranked among the most elite in the history of the macrocosm from the day he overcame the Apotheosis Yuan Soul Tribulation. His abilities were comparable to those of Luo Gu and Senior Brother Jiang Huan, if not superior.

Yan Dan and An Heng are at the forefront? Wu Yuan noticed two familiar faces, both geniuses he had previously detected on the mainland with his Soul Will. In terms of strength, both ranked in the top ten within the Fourth Immortal Hall.

In the beginning, Teng Duo, Yan Dan, and An Heng each led a squad to Battlefield 36 to capture Wu Yuan. Unfortunately, they couldn’t find any trace of him.

Teng Duo must be frightened of me now, unwilling to take the lead. Wu Yuan thought, smiling. Some cultivators were naturally cautious.

The Voltari Temple truly spared no expense. Wu Yuan reflected. Though not an overwhelming army, they certainly didn’t hold back on dispatching Immortal Hall geniuses.

Wu Yuan was certain that, after the last battle, the Void Refiner/Elysian Field cultivators confronting him this time had likely all developed Soul Wills. As for those dozens of geniuses? Their protective artifacts would only be stronger.

The Voltari Temple's higher-ups probably feared that sending too many would scare me off. Wu Yuan muttered to himself.

For this battle, the initiative was entirely in Wu Yuan’s hands. Whether to fight or flee was up to his whims.

The Longevity Dao and Celestial Body Dao both stem from the same mysterious Greater Law; this is undoubtedly good news. Wu Yuan’s eyes gleamed. Afterward, I’ll seek verification from my two Masters.

For now, let’s handle the immediate threat. Wu Yuan sensed that the vast incoming army of the Immortal Court was nearing the previous battleground.

Before my breakthrough, I’d have no hope of winning against so many peerless geniuses without unleashing my Yuan Soul’s power. Wu Yuan smiled, eyes gleaming with killing intent. But now? This is perfect!

Master wants me to showcase my talent, so I’ll use your blood to demonstrate my aptitude for the Longevity Dao. Wu Yuan stowed away his spirion battleship, activated voidrealm surveillance, and exited the cave.

Although his qi refiner self was a member of the Eternal Sun Immortal World, given a perfectly justifiable opportunity, Wu Yuan didn’t mind slaying a few more geniuses from the Voltari Temple.

The more such geniuses he killed, the fewer future Archimmortals or Astral Lords would join the ranks of the Voltari Temple, thereby increasing the odds of the Cang Feng Eldritch World’s ultimate victory.

...

In the Cang Feng Eldritch Voidrealm, within a special observation space, a group of Archimmortals, Archeldritches, and several Astral Monarchs gathered. With their prowess, splitting their focus to observe the battle was effortless.

News of Ming Jian breaking the entry-level battlefield kill record had piqued the interest of many Archeldritches and Archimmortals from the eldritch world. Now, over three thousand Archeldritches and Archimmortals were observing the battle in real time.

"It has begun."

"Ming Jian has appeared."

"Ming Jian is still on the mainland. Is he truly going to fight?”

"With his power, the Voltari Temple’s forces won’t be able to stop him from leaving if they’re weak." When the images appeared on the massive light screen, the observation space buzzed with discussion.

But soon, the Archeldritches and Archimmortals were stunned.

"What? Is that Teng Duo? And so many others?"

"Of the Immortal Hall’s top hundred geniuses, nearly half have joined the battle, plus hundreds of Void Refiner-level cultivators!!"

"Can Ming Jian win?"

"Is he really planning to fight? Is he mad?" Some Archeldritches and Archimmortals were puzzled.

They didn’t care whether Ming Jian lived or died. At the end of the day, he wasn’t a genius from the eldritch world. But the news of Ming Jian breaking the kill record had just been publicized. If he was killed shortly after that by dozens of Immortal Court geniuses, it would be truly laughable.

"Let’s watch and see."

"Such peerless geniuses are prideful and won’t retreat without a fight."

"With Ming Jian’s strength, he should survive even if things go south." Over three thousand Archeldritches and Archimmortals shared the same thought.

...

In the Voltari Temple Voidrealm’s observation space, the atmosphere was different.

"Ming Jian has appeared."

"He’s really here, bold indeed. Kill him."

"Kill him." Nearly a thousand Archimmortals from the Voltari Temple muttered under their breaths, their gazes filled with malice.

As the cause of their punishment, it was only natural that they harbored unadulterated resentment toward Wu Yuan.

...

The higher echelons of both factions observed the battlefield through the voidrealm, yet neither side intended to break the rules. Everything was to be settled within the boundaries of the rules.

In the end, Ming Jian was a peerless genius of the Eternal Sun Immortal World. No matter how dazzling his performance, it wasn’t worth starting a war between the Voltari Temple and Cang Feng Eldritch World.

Battlefield 36, on a vast desolate plain.

After two days, the damage and destruction from the previous clash had already been automatically repaired by the battlefield.

Swish! Swish! Swish! 41 Amethyst Cradle/Shambhala geniuses and 327 Void Refiner/Elysian Field cultivators all transformed into streaks of light, swiftly approaching.

"Where is Ming Jian?"

"Haven’t found him. Where could he be? Is he toying with us?"

"His soul is strong. It’s likely a Yuan Soul, with a vast perception range. Perhaps after seeing our numbers, he got scared and fled..." The hundreds of powerhouses of the Immortal Court discussed amongst themselves.

But soon, they halted in their tracks, falling silent.

Swish! A streak of blood-red light tore across the sky, revealing a red-cloaked figure sixty thousand li in the distance. He gazed down at them with cold eyes.

"He’s still here! It’s Ming Jian."

"It’s him."

"Truly audacious. Even after seeing our numbers, he dares to wait here alone?" The dozens of geniuses and hundreds of powerhouses from the Immortal Court camp burst into commotion after a brief silence.

Their eyes were all fixed on Wu Yuan.

Only a few geniuses and Void Refiner/Elysian Field powerhouses sensed the immense danger posed by Wu Yuan, maintaining their vigilance.

The two sides didn’t exchange words; there was no need.

"Kill!" Dongli Zhen, the number one genius of the Fourth Immortal Hall in this era and commander of the team, gave the order!

Boom! Dozens of geniuses from the Immortal Hall, and hundreds of Void Refiner/Elysian Field cultivators, transformed into streaks of light, charging toward Wu Yuan.

Yin Ming, whose strength was average among these geniuses, was one of the fastest.

A bunch of fools. Even after seeing our overwhelming numbers, Ming Jian dared to take his stand. He must be confident in his survival. This reckless bunch. Teng Duo, despite being one of the strongest, lingered at the back with the Void Refiner and Elysian Field powerhouses, ready to run at the slightest sign of trouble.

Even if there was only a one percent chance that Wu Yuan could win, Teng Duo wasn't willing to take that risk.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Sixty thousand li wasn’t far for Void Refiner and Elysian Field powerhouses. In just a few breaths, they had closed the distance, stopping only ten thousand li from him.

Wu Yuan, cloaked in red robes and surrounded by nine lifebound flying swords, quietly watched them from afar.

The time has come. Peerless geniuses? Today, I, Wu Yuan, will slay them all. His gaze turned icy cold.

A genius? A dead genius was no genius.

“Kill!”

Boom! Massive cauldrons materialized around Dongli Zhen, erupting into a maelstrom of fire. A tidal wave of searing heat and blinding light surged forward.

"Go!" An Heng, one of the top ten peerless geniuses of the Immortal Hall, commanded. Golden lights erupted from his body, spreading out over ten thousand li. Within the golden glow, countless swords interwove, instantly forming a massive sword array.

Boom! In an instant, the two prodigies of the Immortal Hall, positioned nearly ten thousand li apart, simultaneously deployed their domains, launching a devastating attack on Wu Yuan.

"Attack!" At the same time, 36 Amethyst Cradle cultivators and 307 Void Refiner Eminences spread out in formation. Not a single one of them was a weakling. They collectively unleashed a barrage of arcane arts that blanketed the sky, bombarding Wu Yuan.

Without assembling a proper array, the arcane arts executed by hundreds of cultivators interfered with each other, yet their combined might was still terrifyingly potent, capable of overwhelming any ordinary ninth-stage Void Refiner cultivator.

Boom! Wu Yuan suddenly erupted like a supernova. His flying swords materialized, moving with blinding speed. The massive Thousand Swords Array expanded rapidly—one hundred li, one thousand li, three thousand li!

In the blink of an eye, the Star Ruins Sword Array, resembling a celestial body, covered an area three thousand li wide. This array was renowned for its defensive capabilities.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Almost simultaneously, a layer of hazy green light spread from within, permeating every part of the celestial body until it reached the surface, merging with the entire structure. It was as if the celestial body had transformed from earthy yellow to a pale green.

If one could peer inside, they would notice countless green threads resembling vines intertwined with the earthy-yellow aura emanating from each flying sword, forming an intricate network. The entire star formed by the sword array no longer appeared illusory but almost tangible!

Wu Yuan stood protected at its very core.

Rumble! A fiery dragon and a golden sword array, two powerful domains, were the first to crash against the array, followed by hundreds of arcane arts raining down.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Countless waves of essentia and mana clashed, and myriad Laws of the Dao collided, their shockwaves reverberating a hundred thousand li into the distance, yet seemingly to no effect.

It was like a massive waterfall crashing against an unyielding boulder—water splashing wildly, impressive in sight and sound, yet unable to make the boulder budge even slightly.

Whoosh! The overwhelming arcane arts slowly dissipated, while the domains of fire and golden light each occupied a section of the space, continuing their relentless assault.

However, the celestial body, three thousand li in diameter, stood firm, suffering only slight indentations on its surface. Even those were rapidly repaired, as if the great collision had been nothing but an illusion.

"What?"

"Impossible!"

"How could Ming Jian withstand the combined might of hundreds of us alone?" In an instant, Dongli Zhen, Teng Duo, Yan Dan, An Heng, and the other peerless geniuses, along with the hundreds of Void Refiner and Elysian Field cultivators, were utterly dumbfounded!

They knew Ming Jian was powerful, surpassing any one of them in strength. They also understood that Ming Jian must have a reason for his confidence.

But they had only expected Ming Jian to execute some high-level movement skills or other special means to fight while retreating, delaying for a while before withdrawing—that would have been extraordinary enough.

Yet with their own eyes, they witnessed Ming Jian standing alone in the air, his sword array resembling a celestial body directly withstanding the combined assault of hundreds of Amethyst Cradle geniuses and Void Refiner-level cultivators.

What sort of outrageous defense was this?

Their combined attack was capable of crushing ordinary ninth-stage Void Refiner cultivators, yet he had withstood it with ease.

Without a doubt, Ming Jian's strength had far surpassed that of a ninth-stage Void Refiner. An Amethyst Cradle cultivator displaying power beyond a ninth-level Void Refiner?