Yuan’s Ascension

Chapter 1073: I Will Recover What Was Lost (2)

“It’s not your fault,” Wu Yuan shook his head gently.

No one could have predicted the Abyssal invasion. After all, the universe and the Abyss were two sides of the same coin.

Macrocosms were places where essence power gathered during the evolution of the universe, allowing for the birth of vast numbers of living beings. But similarly, once a passage to the Abyss was torn open, the Abyssal race could directly infiltrate various macrocosms.

Because of this, whenever an Abyssal invasion erupted, it was always incredibly devastating.

“During an Abyssal invasion, the Abyssal side usually doesn’t intend to occupy territory in outer space,” the elderly man in black robes said. “After all, the Abyssal Devil race doesn’t adapt well to the environment of outer space here.

“They come for the sake of slaughter. The flesh and blood of countless living beings, especially their souls, are nourishment to them. These will be completely devoured, just like in this catastrophe in the Gu Cang Macrocosm.”

“The Overlord leading this invasion was Devil Emperor Xue Gu from the Abyss, though the one who actually attacked the Huanggu World should have been Sovereign Gui Chi under his command,” the elderly man in black robes said. “This is the intelligence I’ve gathered.”

As the Creation Emissary, the elderly man in black robes had access to information that Sovereign Yan Xin couldn’t uncover.

“Devil Emperor Xue Gu? Sovereign Gui Chi?” A flash of killing intent gleamed in the depths of Wu Yuan’s eyes as he committed these two names to memory.

In the Abyss, those who held the title of Overlord were referred to as Devil Emperors. As for Sovereigns, Astral Monarchs, and the like, their titles remained the same.

At the same time, information about Devil Emperor Xue Gu surfaced in Wu Yuan’s mind, all sourced from the Eldritch Court’s intelligence archives. The details weren’t extensive, but it was enough to roughly gauge that he should be at the peak of the second-stage Overlord level.

As for the Sovereign Gui Chi? There was no intelligence on him at all.

The Abyss was endless and utterly chaotic. Unless a member of the Abyssal Devil race broke through to become an eternal lifeform, most of their powerhouses would not enter the cosmic sea.

Because of this, it was extremely difficult for the Saintdoms of the River of Universes and the cosmic sea to gather intelligence on the Abyss. Even the Samsara Rankings didn’t include Abyssal powerhouses.

Suddenly Wu Yuan seemed to realize something and asked in a low voice, “Senior, you mentioned earlier that the flesh and even the souls of these deceased beings were all devoured?”

“That’s right,” the elderly man in black robes nodded.

“Then, does that also mean they won’t enter the cycle of reincarnation?” Wu Yuan asked softly.

The elderly man in black robes’ pupils constricted slightly. With his vast perspective, he instantly understood what Wu Yuan was implying.

“You want to resurrect them?” the elderly man in black robes asked.

“Senior, you once said that if I became a sempiternal lifeform, even the Spacetime Dao Master would find it difficult to resurrect me.” Wu Yuan spoke slowly.

“But if I have yet to become a sempiternal lifeform, even if I died, a True Saint would have hope of resurrecting me,” Wu Yuan looked at the elderly man in black robes.

“Indeed, that’s correct.” The elderly man in black robes sighed lightly. “A True Saint indeed has the ability to resurrect deceased beings.

“Legend has it that the Spacetime Dao Master, wielding the Authority of a Great Dao, excels at reversing the flow of time.

“Even if an Overlord were to perish, the Spacetime Dao Master could reverse time in the real world and awaken them from the river of space and time… However, these are all just stories I’ve heard. I’ve never actually witnessed a True Saint resurrect any being.

“Resurrecting the deceased comes at an extremely high cost,” the elderly man in black robes said solemnly.

Wu Yuan remained silent.

What the elderly man in black robes had said aligned closely with what he had learned from the Eldritch Court’s intelligence archives. However, there was quite a bit of information in the intelligence archives that the elderly man in black robes hadn’t mentioned.

“Wu Yuan, let it go,” the elderly man in black robes shook his head. “Life and death are preordained. All of this is destiny.”

“I don’t believe in destiny,” Wu Yuan shook his head gently, his eyes revealing a hint of terrifying resolve. “Senior, I wish to see the True Saint.”

“See the True Saint?” The elderly man in black robes was taken aback.

He hadn’t expected Wu Yuan to make such a request.

“Wu Yuan, calm down,” the elderly man in black robes shook his head repeatedly. “I’ve already reported your arrival here to the True Saint, but the fact that he hasn’t summoned you means it’s not yet time for him to meet you…”

Suddenly, a look of astonishment flashed across his face. He couldn’t help but look at Wu Yuan.

“What is it?” Wu Yuan asked.

“The True Saint has just sent me a message,” the elderly man in black robes said, an inexplicable expression on his face. “He ordered me to bring you back to the Creation Divine Hall. He can help you resurrect the deceased beings of the Huanggu World.”

The elderly man in black robes was inwardly shocked beyond words.

The news he had reported only mentioned Wu Yuan’s arrival, not including any information about the Huanggu World. But the True Saint had directly sent a message, mentioning the matter of resurrection. This could only mean one thing – the True Saint had been silently observing them all along.

But what the elderly man in black robes found most unbelievable was that the True Saint was willing to take action. Multiple Overlords from the Immutable Land had sought audiences with the True Saint in the past, hoping he would resurrect certain mortal beings, but the True Saint had paid them no heed.

Yet when it came to Wu Yuan, True Saint Bu Xiu actually took the initiative to propose resurrection.

“Help me? True Saint Bu Xiu?” Wu Yuan was stunned, but a glimmer of hope ignited in his heart.

He had been pondering how to beseech True Saint Bu Xiu to assist him. Unexpectedly, this nominal master had voluntarily offered to help.

“Senior, time is of the essence. Let’s go now,” Wu Yuan said directly.

“Alright,” the elderly man in black robes nodded.

With a hum, accompanied by a ripple of spatial distortion, the two instantly vanished from the dark void.

…

They soon returned to the Creation Divine Hall. As they stepped into the temple, they saw that the interior of this vast hall had undergone a mysterious transformation.

An aura of eternity washed over them. At the far end of the temple, spacetime seemed to warp subtly, as if projecting a scene from boundless spacetime away.

There, another temple stood, within which sat a man in cerulean robes. His features were somewhat blurred, but one could see a faint smile on his face.

At this moment, his gaze seemed to pierce through infinite spacetime, falling upon Wu Yuan and the elderly man in black robes.

“True Saint.” Upon seeing this, the elderly man in black robes immediately knelt down in agitation.

He hadn’t expected the True Saint to open a spacetime passage, just a step below manifesting his true body.

“Disciple Wu Yuan pays respects to Master,” Wu Yuan also bowed respectfully.

The Spacetime Dao Master said he wouldn’t take disciples, thus Wu Yuan could only be called the Spacetime Dao Master’s successor.

But back then, Wu Yuan’s body refiner self had been confirmed as a nominal disciple of True Saint Bu Xiu.

“Both of you, rise,” the man in cerulean robes spoke, his voice rather gentle. “Little Long, you may leave first. I would like to speak with Wu Yuan alone.”

“Yes,” the elderly man in black robes respectfully withdrew from the temple.

Little Long? Wu Yuan mused inwardly, so this was the Creation Emissary’s true name?

“Master,” Wu Yuan remained standing, his posture respectful.

“I truly never imagined that my casual actions would give rise to someone like you. In a mere hundred thousand years, you have become an Overlord listed in the Eternal Register, earning praise from numerous True Saints of the cosmic sea who believe you will one day stand alongside us,” True Saint Bu Xiu’s gaze was distant as he looked down upon Wu Yuan, his voice tinged with amusement.

“Without Master’s grace in imparting the Dao back then, this disciple could not have grown so quickly,” Wu Yuan said respectfully.

“I did indeed help you somewhat, but you’ve reached this point primarily due to your own efforts,” True Saint Bu Xiu said with a smile. “I know what you seek—you hope to revive the Huanggu World?”

“Master is perceptive,” Wu Yuan answered respectfully.

“Resurrection. One can say it is difficult, but one can also say it is not,” True Saint Bu Xiu said. “As you are now an Overlord of the Eldritch Court, you should be aware of some of the conditions required for resurrection.”

“I understand.” Wu Yuan nodded and said, “First, the weaker the deceased being, the better. If the resurrected is a sempiternal lifeform, the difficulty would skyrocket.

“Second, the time of death cannot be too long ago. Otherwise, if they have already reincarnated in the cycle of samsara, resurrection becomes impossible.

“Third, resurrecting the departed goes against the flow of the river of space and time. The resurrector must withstand the backlash from the universe’s essence.

“Fourth, the place of resurrection must be somewhere the resurrected had visited while alive.”

“Mm.” True Saint Bu Xiu cast an approving glance at Wu Yuan. “You’re quite well-informed.

“The difficulty of resurrecting an Overlord is so high that, apart from the Spacetime Dao Master, perhaps only Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu or the Heavenly Imperator could manage it.

“I can resurrect mortal lifeforms,” True Saint Bu Xiu looked at Wu Yuan. “Though the backlash from the universe’s essence is formidable, I can withstand it. As you are my disciple, I don’t mind helping you once without compensation.”

Wu Yuan’s eyes lit up at these words.

Originally, Wu Yuan’s greatest concern was that True Saint Bu Xiu would be unwilling to help.

“But is it worth it?” True Saint Bu Xiu asked calmly. “In the grand scheme of things, all things and beings have their predestined fate. The beings from that world you wish to resurrect, even if brought back, would struggle to become sempiternal lifeforms, let alone achieve eternity. They would ultimately perish again.”

Wu Yuan was momentarily stunned.

Then he nodded firmly. “Master, I believe it’s worth it. Most beings in this world will eventually return to dust. The path to eternity is but an illusion for countless lives.

“But for countless beings, whether they strive and struggle, or indulge in pleasure, there’s not much difference in the end. It doesn’t necessarily need to have some grand meaning.

“To have existed at all – that is the greatest meaning!”

True Saint Bu Xiu smiled faintly, neither refuting nor agreeing with Wu Yuan’s words.

“Wu Yuan, even if I wish to resurrect them, I cannot do so right now,” True Saint Bu Xiu said softly. “There’s something you must accomplish first.”

“Please tell me, Master,” Wu Yuan said solemnly.

“In truth, they’ve been dead for a very long time – sixty thousand years. Under normal circumstances, most of them should have already re-entered the cycle of samsara,” True Saint Bu Xiu said slowly. “However, they were devoured by a Sovereign of the Abyss, their souls and animus consumed entirely.

“In a sense, this is equivalent to their souls being scattered to the winds, never to enter samsara again.

“Therefore, before I can act, you must first slay the Abyssal Sovereign who consumed them,” True Saint Bu Xiu said. “When that Devil Sovereign dies, the countless beings it has devoured, if not fully assimilated, will be freed to re-enter samsara.”

Wu Yuan understood.

The souls and animus of Hou Tong, the Snake Ancestor, Eldritch Deity Zhu Jiu, and the others had been completely consumed, essentially becoming part of that Devil Sovereign. To resurrect them, their souls must first be set free.

“Merely sixty thousand years,” True Saint Bu Xiu said calmly. “It’s not enough time for their soul imprints to be completely obliterated. Usually, it takes at least a hundred and eighty thousand years, sometimes even several hundred thousand years.

“Which means, to ensure a successful resurrection, you must completely destroy the true self of that Devil Sovereign within a hundred and twenty thousand years. Only then can your task be considered complete.” True Saint Bu Xiu said.

“In the Abyss?” Wu Yuan nodded slightly. “This disciple will certainly accomplish it.”