Yuan's Ascension - Chapter 1319: The Name Saint Yuan (1)
Chapter 1319: The Name Saint Yuan (1)
Wu Yuan offered a measured smile, keeping his thoughts to himself.
The self-created Daos of Dao Zenithel powerhouses neared perfection, and their perception was extremely keen.
Without revealing one’s ultimate techniques, there was simply no way for others to discern them. However, Wu Yuan’s body refiner self had already cultivated a Xuanhuang Body, and he possessed three thousand times a True Saint’s ether power. The wellspring of mana or ether power came from the Eternal Realm’s essence and the Eternal Psyche. Even if he had the best concealment methods, Wu Yuan might still fail to hide his strength completely from such perceptive beings.
“Eldritch Progenitor Zhu Rong is too kind,” Wu Yuan replied with a gentle smile. “But in terms of true strength, I remain far behind you.”
“Enough,” Zhu Rong waved his hand dismissively. “No need for empty flattery. I’ve studied recordings of your battle against True Saint Luan Hai and the others. The ultimate technique you’ve created likely surpasses my own, and you wield a Xuanhuang Dao Treasure.” He laughed heartily. “It’s only natural that your strength exceeds mine. In fact, your power may be approaching that of Big Brother Di Jiang.”
“Approaching Eldritch Progenitor Di Jiang?” Wu Yuan smiled again, neither confirming nor denying the statement.
“Ah, I just realized something,” Zhu Rong’s expression brightened. “Now that you’ve ascended to Dao Zenithel, you needn’t address me as Eldritch Progenitor or Senior anymore. Simply call me Zhu Rong from now on. After all, I’m neither your guide nor your direct elder.”
The candor in Eldritch Progenitor Zhu Rong’s manner was refreshing.
“You’ll always be my Senior,” Wu Yuan responded, naturally respecting one who had aided him in the past.
“Haha, as you wish,” Zhu Rong chuckled. “By the way, when you have some time to spare, I’d like to visit your Eternal Realm to observe your Xuanhuang Dao Treasure.”
“Observe the Xuanhuang Dao Treasure?” Wu Yuan couldn’t hide his surprise.
“Yes.” Zhu Rong nodded firmly. His body was wreathed in dancing flames, his eyes gleaming with interest. “Xuanhuang Dao Treasures bear striking structural similarities to Chaos Treasures, yet their Dao essences contain inconceivable power along with some truly exceptional qualities. I understand that this stems from the Primordial Rules, but I’ve never accepted that Chaos Treasures represent the pinnacle of equipment forging.
“For countless ages, I’ve pondered this, attempting to forge supreme weapons that might rival Xuanhuang Dao Treasures.
“But references have been scarce. I’ve studied Hou Tu’s and Di Jiang’s Xuanhuang Dao Treasures numerous times.” Zhu Rong’s lips curled into a grin. “Now that I finally have a chance to examine another one, I naturally can’t let this opportunity slip away.”
“Of course. When I have some free time, I’ll send word to you, Eldritch Progenitor Zhu Rong,” Wu Yuan replied with an understanding smile.
Eldritch Progenitor Zhu Rong clearly recognized Wu Yuan’s concerns, which explained his suggestion to conduct the examination within Wu Yuan’s Eternal Realm. Under those conditions, there was naturally no cause for worry.
Inwardly, Wu Yuan couldn’t help but think about how Eldritch Progenitor Zhu Rong, with his unparalleled equipment forging skills throughout the cosmic sea, was clearly a maniac obsessed with his craft.
Without such obsession, how could anyone achieve true greatness?
“Hmm?” A gleam flashed in Zhu Rong’s eyes. “It seems our time is up. Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu has sent me a message requesting your presence. She’s already arrived to receive you.”
With a casual wave of his hand, Zhu Rong conjured a spacetime bridge woven from interlacing red, black, and purple energies. It stretched deep into the Eldritch Progenitor Hall, toward the unfathomable depths of space.
“Very well, I’ll meet with Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu immediately,” Wu Yuan said, cupping his hands respectfully.
Stepping onto the bridge, Wu Yuan’s body refiner self swiftly strode into the depths of the Eldritch Progenitor Hall. As he departed, the surrounding space returned to its normal state.
How peculiar. Zhu Rong murmured to himself.
Not long ago, reports indicated Wu Yuan’s true self remained trapped in the Tenth Chaos Void. Confusion creased his brow. Yet here he appears today, already a Dao Zenithel?
Could he have escaped in secret? Doubt filled Zhu Rong’s mind.
A mana body or ether body cultivating an Eternal Psyche? Such a thing was unprecedented in the cosmic sea. Apart from the Five Elements Dao Master’s ether bodies, which could unleash power at the Threshold Dao Zenithel level, there were no other exceptions. But even that power was granted by the Authority of the Great Dao’s essence.
So Eldritch Progenitor Zhu Rong never considered that it was Wu Yuan’s ether body that had entered the Tenth Chaos Void.
No matter. It’s fortunate he emerged safely. Zhu Rong shook his head, then his expression shifted to surprise. Hmm? Hou Tu has sent another message, requesting my presence at the Saint Hall?
The Saint Hall served as the gathering place for the Dao Zenithel Eldritch Progenitors of the Eldritch Court.
Let’s go. Transforming into a streak of light, Eldritch Progenitor Zhu Rong swiftly departed.
…
By now, Wu Yuan had entered a vast and boundless realm, radiant and magnificent beyond measure.
In the void hung six enormous, perfectly rotating wheels of light, each seemingly holding infinite power.
The Six Paths of Samsara? The eternal cycle of rebirth. Wu Yuan instantly recognized the special artistic conception of the six massive wheels of light.
Their perfection was absolute, captivating to behold.
Spacetime rippled as a towering figure emerged from the nearby void. Her countenance was sacred, involuntarily evoking reverence, yet simultaneously exuding an overbearing aura of one who could support the heavens and stand firm upon the earth.
An ancient, two-winged great serpent coiled around her arm, not appearing ferocious but rather adding to her sense of majesty.
“Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu.” Wu Yuan bowed slightly in greeting, then calmly met the gaze of the towering figure before him.
The newcomer was none other than Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu’s true self.
“Wu Yuan, congratulations on finally reaching the pinnacle of cultivation,” she said with a faint smile. “You’ve changed.”
Wu Yuan couldn’t help but smile in return.
Changed? He had indeed changed.
Once, he could barely look directly at Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu’s projection. A prolonged gaze would affect his spirit and consciousness.
Later, he became able to converse normally with her incarnation.
Now, he could finally look her true self in the eye, unmoved by her overwhelming majesty.
With changes in strength naturally came changes in perspective and status.
“Congratulations on becoming a Dao Zenithel. This is a blessing for our Eldritch Court,” the great serpent on Hou Tu’s arm spoke, its voice filled with genuine respect.
“Teng Snake?” Wu Yuan acknowledged with a slight smile.
This great serpent was none other than the Teng Snake Progenitor, once a terrifying deity that had shaken the cosmic sea.
As far as Wu Yuan knew, this Teng Snake Progenitor had also reached the Dao Zenithel level and often accompanied Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu.
“Your lifebound eldritch beast is also a Teng Snake, sharing the same source as your Eternal Realm. It too can become a Dao Zenithel in the future, though the journey will take some time,” Hou Tu remarked with a knowing smile.
Wu Yuan nodded slightly.
The path to eternity was exceedingly difficult. Little Black had already grown to the Saint stage, a terrifying speed compared to other cultivators. But there was still a long way to go before it could truly be of help to Wu Yuan.
“Now that you’ve broken through, how much stronger is your body refiner self’s ether compared to a True Saint?” Hou Tu inquired, a hint of anticipation in her voice.
Even Eldritch Progenitor Zhu Rong had sensed the special nature of Wu Yuan’s vital aura. Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu was naturally no exception. In fact, she already had formed several conjectures and was eager to confirm them.
After a moment’s contemplation, Wu Yuan answered simply: “Three thousand.”
“Three thousand times is quite impressive… Three thousand!” Hou Tu’s composure cracked, showing a rare expression of shock as she stared at Wu Yuan. “How many times? Say it again.”
“Three thousand times,” Wu Yuan repeated calmly. Perhaps he needed to conceal this from other Dao Zenithels of the Eldritch Court, but there was no need to hide it from Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu.
“Are you certain?” Hou Tu still struggled to believe it. Her strength was immense, her insight unparalleled, privy to countless secrets of the cosmic sea. But at this moment, the number Wu Yuan uttered truly shook her.
Wu Yuan responded by waving his hand. A stream of ether light flew from his fingertip, darting before Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu.
“This?” She reached out instinctively, a gleam of light appearing in her palm, enveloping that streak of azure mana.
The two streams of mana intertwined and clashed, hissing like serpents. The mana Wu Yuan released was infinitely sharp, causing Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu to feel somewhat alarmed.
In this collision of equal quantities of ether, her power was at an absolute disadvantage.
Hou Tu took a deep breath as she finally confirmed it. “It really is three thousand times!”
She regarded Wu Yuan with new complexity in her gaze.
It was utterly inconceivable.
She knew that her Dao was not the strongest, having evolved step by step as her Eternal Realm gradually strengthened. Her current mana power was also less than two thousand times that of a True Saint.
Yet Wu Yuan? He had just broken through and already possessed three thousand times a True Saint’s mana power.
“In terms of ether alone, you can indeed stand above all others in the cosmic sea,” she acknowledged sincerely.
“That’s encouraging,” she continued. “It seems that after some time, your strength will approach mine. No wonder you insisted on going ahead with this battle. The various factions will likely never anticipate that your strength has grown this immense. A decisive battle is indeed necessary to instill fear in all sides.”
Wu Yuan listened attentively. Once his strength was exposed, it would serve as a deterrent. But in turn, he would lose the element of surprise. Therefore, this first battle was critical.
“How about your qi refiner self?” Hou Tu asked. “How does it compare to the Dream Emperor?”
The Dream Emperor was someone who excelled at psyche dream illusions.
“The Dream Emperor…” Wu Yuan hesitated before answering, “My qi refiner self has obtained a Xuanhuang Dao Treasure. In terms of soul class power, I should almost be able to match the Dream Emperor.”
“Almost match the Dream Emperor?” A glimmer flashed in Hou Tu’s eyes. She instinctively felt that Wu Yuan was being somewhat boastful.
But then she considered his character. If he weren’t confident, he definitely wouldn’t phrase it that way.
“Good, I believe you. That considerably improves our odds in this battle,” she smiled faintly. “Now that your strength has reached such heights, what other assistance do you need? If you require anything, just say the word.”
“I’ll need more Chaos Treasure divine swords and Chaos Treasure sabers,” Wu Yuan replied directly. “I’m willing to trade equivalent treasures or other Chaos Treasures with those from the Eldritch Court’s vault.”
Powerhouses like True Saint Luan Hai, Cloud Saint, and True Saint Yin Yu had all carried Chaos Treasures with them, not to mention vast arrays of ordinary treasures. The total wealth Wu Yuan now possessed, if converted to Xuanhuang merits, would be an astonishingly large sum. He simply hadn’t had the opportunity to convert them into Chaos Treasures suited to his needs.
“Chaos Treasures? Certainly! Follow me,” Hou Tu smiled.
With a sweeping gesture, she tore open the void and flew directly into another realm. Wu Yuan hastily followed behind.
We’re going even deeper into the Eldritch Progenitor Hall? He wondered.
As soon as he set foot inside, Wu Yuan felt waves of unique energy radiating outward. In the dim void, he beheld treasures emitting dazzling light. There were Chaos Treasures, Xiantian Instruments, and countless other rare and precious ultimate treasures.
They filled the space densely, numbering perhaps over ten thousand, spread throughout the entire void.
“So many treasures?” Wu Yuan held his breath as he surveyed them, understanding that this was likely the true core of the Eldritch Court.
Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu stood nearby, watching his reaction.
“Wu Yuan, this is one of the Eldritch Court’s Saintdoms, the Nüwa Realm,” she explained, her eyes reflecting complex emotions. “It was single-handedly established by Goddess Nüwa in the distant past.
“It houses a vast collection of precious treasures accumulated ever since the Eldritch Court was founded.
“Later, it was passed on to Eldritch Progenitor Di Jiang.
“Then, it came under the joint control of myself and Eldritch Progenitor Di Jiang.” Hou Tu fixed her gaze on Wu Yuan. “Now, I’ve decided that you will become the fourth controller of the Nüwa Realm.”
“Controller of the Nüwa Realm?” Wu Yuan couldn’t hide his astonishment.
Being a controller meant he could take any of the countless treasures here at will.
“Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu, this… doesn’t this require Eldritch Progenitor Di Jiang’s agreement?” he asked cautiously.
“I agree,” a gruff voice suddenly resonated through the space. Countless motes of light coalesced, forming a black-armored figure not far away.
It was Eldritch Progenitor Di Jiang’s incarnation.
“Eldritch Progenitor Di Jiang.” Wu Yuan cupped his hands respectfully.
“Wu Yuan, Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu is your guide. You must always respect her,” Di Jiang said with a smile. “But I’m not. Your strength now approaches mine, so there’s no need for such formalities.
“From now on, you can call me Di Jiang.
“If you think well of me,” the imposing figure added with a slight tilt of his head, “you may choose to address me as ‘Brother Di Jiang.'”
