Yuan’s Ascension

Chapter 1224: Tian Chan’s Proposal, The Path Of One’s Dao (2)

In the aftermath, the formerly opposed Qian Yang Holy Sect, Tian Luo Holy Sect, and Jian Ming Holy Sect swiftly forged an alliance.

“We revere the Heavenly Venerable as our highest leader. We stand resolute in our determination to overthrow the tyrannical rule of the six Holy Emperors and restore vitality to the entire Nine Realms.” This became their public declaration.

In truth, this alliance formed out of necessity—the Saints of the three holy sects feared retribution from the remaining Holy Emperors and their followers. They began meticulous preparations for the war they believed inevitable.

However, as time passed—one day, ten days, one month, two months—neither the three remaining Holy Emperors nor the Heavenly Venerable made any appearances.

Meanwhile, the Tai Heng Holy Sect and the other two major holy sects maintained absolute silence, offering no response to these dramatic developments.

The entire Nine Realms simmered with unseen currents of tension and anticipation.

…

Wu Yuan, traversing the void, remained oblivious to the turmoil his actions had created.

Two months after setting his course, he arrived at a patch of murky void where spatial turbulence roiled in chaotic patterns.

Come! Wu Yuan’s hand expanded, growing vast as a world unto itself. He plunged it into the depths of the chaotic currents, stirring waves of spatial distortion that rippled outward like disturbed water. Then, as suddenly as it had expanded, his hand shrank back to normal.

In Wu Yuan’s palm lay an azure token, its face intricately etched with the relief of a tower.

The fourth Grand Supreme Token. Wu Yuan observed, shaking his head at the cleverness of his target. Seeing no possibility of avoiding me before reaching the Grand Supreme Realm, they simply severed their vital imprint from the token, abandoning it here while fleeing alone.

This explained why, throughout his two-month journey, the Grand Supreme Token’s position had barely shifted whenever he tracked it.

Four Grand Supreme Tokens. Wu Yuan reflected, sensing each one now securely stored in his storage artifact. The remaining five must lie within the Grand Supreme Realm itself.

He lifted his gaze, peering into the vast depths of the Nine Realms’ void.

It’s there. Wu Yuan sensed it clearly, the position of the Grand Supreme Realm revealed through the resonance of the tokens.

Given the distance, it would require decades to reach.

This journey may be one of no return. Wu Yuan contemplated silently. Perhaps it’s time to settle some karmic debts first.

He turned and strode through the spatial turbulence, setting course directly for the headquarters of the Tai Heng Holy Sect in the Third Realm.

Four months went by.

The news thundered across the Nine Realms like a violent tempest: “Overlord Wu Ji and his mysterious companion breached the Tai Heng Holy Sect’s headquarters, tearing through their defenses and leaving a trail of destruction—eleven Saints and one hundred seventy-nine Perennials were slaughtered.” Every faction throughout the realms trembled.

After receiving the news, the Qian Yang Holy Sect made a public announcement: “Overlord Wu Ji is none other than the great Heavenly Venerable himself.”

Another five months passed.

“The Zi Ming Holy Sect has fallen to Overlord Wu Ji’s onslaught. Eleven Saints and one hundred twenty-seven Perennial powerhouses perished in the assault.” As word spread of yet another holy sect headquarters conquered by force, the various powers were no longer merely shocked—raw terror had begun to take hold.

When Wu Yuan set his sights on the final holy sect—the Gong Yan Holy Sect—it crumbled before he even arrived. The mere prospect of him coming sent Saints and Perennial powerhouses scattering to the winds, fleeing in every direction.

Such was the force of his reputation. Even before Wu Yuan set foot on their grounds, an ancient and mighty holy sect that had endured for countless ages simply dissolved like mist. Powerful Eternals who had once strutted proudly now cowered, terrified to reveal themselves.

…

One year later.

Within the newly established Wu Ji Holy Sect headquarters—formerly the Qian Yang Holy Sect’s base of operations.

The Nine Realms had undergone a transformation that could only be described as cataclysmic. Three Holy Emperors had fallen. Three holy sects had been reduced to ash.

The Nine Realms had unquestionably entered an era where the Heavenly Venerable ruled supreme; no power that dared challenge his authority remained.

Saints Shang Yue and Jiu Xing had swiftly convened and renamed their sect the Wu Ji Holy Sect. The decision required no explanation. Recognized throughout the Nine Realms as ‘the sect from which the Heavenly Venerable emerged’, they had subtly positioned themselves as the number one power in all the realms.

The two remaining holy sects dared not make any objection.

Within the Wu Ji Holy Sect, the figure with the highest status was neither Saint Shang Yue nor Saint Jiu Xing, but an Overlord.

Wu Ji. Overlord Shang Cai murmured, flipping through the numerous intelligence reports spread before her. These past years, he’s been waging war across the Nine Realms, hunting down the Holy Emperors like prey. Her emotions swirled like currents beneath a placid surface.

Others believed her intimately connected to the Heavenly Venerable. Only she knew the truth.

According to Father, Wu Ji already possessed the strength to overpower the Holy Emperors before joining our sect. She reflected, a sharp ache blooming in her heart. Joining the holy sect was merely a facade. Could it be that everything over the past millions of years was all just… an act?

Her naturally decisive personality helped her accept that her feelings had been largely one-sided all these years. She could bear Wu Ji’s rejection.

What she couldn’t endure was the possibility that the person who had captured her heart might have been nothing but an elaborate illusion.

Father says the Holy Emperors have all fled to the Grand Supreme Realm above the Nine Realms, and Wu Ji will follow. She sighed, a heaviness settling in her chest. Will we ever cross paths again?

As this thought drifted through her mind, the space before her trembled subtly. A figure in flowing black robes materialized from thin air, appearing in the hall. He smiled warmly as his gaze settled on Overlord Shang Cai seated upon her jade platform.

“Wu Ji!” she gasped, whirling around to face him, her eyes widening in shock at the familiar yet somehow changed figure before her. “Hea… Heavenly Venerable!”

“Just call me Wu Ji,” Wu Yuan replied, his smile gentle. “Shang Cai, I’ve come to bid you farewell.”

Farewell? Her body trembled slightly as she fought to maintain her composure, fixing her gaze on Wu Yuan. “The Grand Supreme Realm?”

“Yes,” Wu Yuan nodded simply.

“Your strength is truly immense,” she said, her voice steadying. “Though an Overlord, you can already vanquish Holy Emperors. The Nine Realms is indeed too small for someone of your caliber.” She straightened her shoulders. “You should go to the Grand Supreme Realm. Were I in your position, I would make the same choice.”

Wu Yuan felt a tug of emotion. His judgment had been correct—in many ways, Overlord Shang Cai’s personality mirrored Zhuo Haiyue’s.

“I must tell you the truth,” Wu Yuan said, his voice softening. “I am not a being of the Nine Realms. My journey to the Grand Supreme Realm is simply… returning home.”

“Returning home?” Surprise flickered across her features.

“The world beyond is vast. The Nine Realms is too small,” Wu Yuan explained. With a casual wave of his hand, an azure token materialized and floated through the air, coming to rest before Overlord Shang Cai.

She stared at the token, sensing its extraordinary nature even before deciphering it. “What is this?”

“A Grand Supreme Token,” Wu Yuan replied. “Possessing it grants entry to the Grand Supreme Realm. A path to the world outside might lie there.”

Before she could respond, Wu Yuan made another gesture. A brilliant stream of light shot forth, entering Overlord Shang Cai’s mind. An ocean of information cascaded into her consciousness—eternal ultimate techniques, profound inheritance insights, everything Wu Yuan could transmit.

The torrent included basic knowledge about the Nine Megaverses Spacetime.

“This is…” she gasped as understanding dawned. “So there’s an endless cosmic sea beyond our world, and the Nine Realms is merely a small pocket within the Azure Saint Tomb?” Her voice trembled with realization. “So Saints are only second-step Eternals, with third and fourth steps beyond them?”

She couldn’t help but ask, “Can one reach the cosmic sea through the Grand Supreme Realm?”

“I don’t know,” Wu Yuan admitted, shaking his head. “But if there exists any path from the Nine Realms to the world outside, it would certainly lie within the Grand Supreme Realm.”

Overlord Shang Cai nodded slightly, absorbing this revelation.

“One more thing,” Wu Yuan added. “I once encountered a young man in the Seventh Realm named Tu Yun. We share a karmic connection. If you’re willing to watch over him discreetly, I would be grateful. If not, let fate take its course.

“Shang Cai, I must go now,” Wu Yuan said, his smile tinged with something indefinable. “If fate allows, perhaps we’ll meet again someday.”

With a whisper of displaced air, Wu Yuan’s figure vanished from the hall.

“Wu Ji, what is your true name?” Overlord Shang Cai blurted impulsively.

“Yuan!” came the distant reply, echoing in her ears before fading into silence.

“Yuan?” she whispered to herself.