Yuan’s Ascension

Chapter 1235: Dao Enlightenment (1)

“The flight speed of a Dao Zenithel is truly remarkable,” Wu Yuan observed with a measured smile.

True Saint Tian Chan shook his head. “My flight speed ranks among the elite of True Saints, yet compared to Dao Zenithels, I barely scrape the bottom.” He gestured toward Wu Yuan before continuing, “Master’s self-created Dao possesses extraordinary power—encompassing all and accommodating the myriad Daos. This foundation grants you the capacity to develop countless powerful secret arts and ultimate techniques. It merely requires time.”

“I believe that when Master ascends to the Dao Zenithel stage, you will stand at the absolute pinnacle in numerous aspects, from flight and evasion techniques, to sealing methods and domain manipulation,” True Saint Tian Chan added.

Wu Yuan’s lips curved into a wan smile. “Your confidence in me is appreciated.”

Throughout these past millions of years, besides exploring the profundities of his self-created Dao, he had indeed made certain achievements in various ultimate techniques. Most, however, had only reached Saint level, their effectiveness modest at best.

“Master,” True Saint Tian Chan said, “after your return, you will soon step into eternity, so I shall not accompany you further. I am unable to enter the River of Universes, so I intend to depart and establish my own Saint Realm.

“I will enter seclusion, focusing entirely on breaking through to the Dao Zenithel stage.

“By my estimation, this will consume at least a hundred million years,” he explained. “My goal is to evolve my Saint Realm directly into an Eternal Realm in one push.”

Wu Yuan nodded slightly. “Very well.”

True Saint Tian Chan had demonstrated strength at the absolute limit of the True Saint level. Undeniably impressive, yet it wasn’t sufficient to truly stir Wu Yuan’s excitement. After all, according to Wu Yuan’s plans, when his two true selves eventually emerged from the River of Universes again, they would have cultivated to the level of True Saints themselves at minimum.

At that juncture, his qi refiner self would seek out the Samsara Sword, while his body refiner self would truly merge with the Great Dao’s Authority. Their combined strength would inevitably skyrocket, positioning them among the top powerhouses across the vast cosmic sea.

However, if True Saint Tian Chan successfully broke through to become a Dao Zenithel, the significance would be entirely different, and the role he could play would expand exponentially.

From Wu Yuan’s knowledge, throughout the immense cosmic sea, second-rate factions were typically presided over by one or two Dao Zenithels, with the more formidable ones counting perhaps three or four in their ranks at most.

Among the fourteen first-rate factions of the Nine Megaverses Spacetime, the less prominent had approximately a dozen Dao Zenithels, while the more powerful boasted just over twenty.

Even the Eldritch Court and Immortal Court, the two greatest factions, commanded only marginally more Dao Zenithels than the others.

In essence, Dao Zenithels represented the absolute highest echelon of power within the cosmic sea.

“Tian Chan,” Wu Yuan said, flipping his palm to produce a token, “this is the Eldritch Court Voidrealm token. I’ve already communicated with Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu, who has consented to you joining the Eldritch Court. You’ll receive the same treatment as other Eldritch Court True Saints. This token will allow you to enter the voidrealm, facilitating communication.”

“Got it,” True Saint Tian Chan responded, accepting the token. A broad grin spread across his face as he added, “Master, I’ll take my leave now. Once I locate a suitable position to establish my Saint Realm, I’ll let you know right away.”

With that, True Saint Tian Chan transformed into a brilliant streak of light. Ripples of spacetime flowed around him, and he vanished into the dim, star-flecked void.

He’s gone. Wu Yuan thought, watching the empty space where True Saint Tian Chan had stood just moments before.

For Tian Chan, coming to the cosmic sea represents his long-awaited freedom. Wu Yuan reflected silently. Following me for a hundred samsara cycles of heaven and earth? That is sufficient.

After a hundred samsara cycles, Wu Yuan knew that he would have ascended to unimaginable heights.

Time to return to the River of Universes. He decided.

Wu Yuan retrieved his personal token, and his ether body switched places with his mana body, returning to the grotto-heaven. He activated the connection to the Taiyuan Saint Realm, and immediately, powerful ripples of spacetime surged around him as he entered the Saint Realm passage.

The journey back to the Taiyuan Saint Realm would take a hundred and fifty years.

…

Within the Immortal Court Universe, inside a mysterious realm belonging to Imperial Majesty Dong Huo, a figure materialized.

The white-robed figure appeared out of thin air, as if stepping from one dimension of spacetime into another.

Not far away stood an imposing figure clad in gleaming silver armor, his bearing reminiscent of an ancient war god, already waiting in the void.

“Jiu You, you’ve arrived,” Imperial Majesty Dong Huo remarked, turning to face the newcomer.

“Dong Huo, you summoned me?” Immortal Eminence Jiu You questioned, slight puzzlement evident in his tone.

“Didn’t you make a report to the Heavenly Imperator, expressing your desire to resurrect True Saint Xiao Yao and True Saint Jiu Fang?” Imperial Majesty Dong Huo stated calmly, his voice betraying no emotion.

“What is his verdict?” Immortal Eminence Jiu You asked. “Is the Heavenly Imperator willing to intervene in this matter?”

Throughout the cosmic sea, cultivators widely acknowledged that Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu, the Spacetime Dao Master, and Dao Zenithel Wan Yu were the most skilled at reviving fallen eternals. Even when True Saints perished, if they were willing to pay a substantial price, they possessed methods to facilitate their revival.

By comparison, figures like Immortal Eminence Jiu You and Eldritch Progenitor Di Jiang demonstrated somewhat inferior capabilities. They simply couldn’t revive True Saints.

This limitation was partially related to power. But more crucially, it depended on one’s Dao. Some Daos were innately more adept at resurrection techniques than others.

However, only the Dao Zenithels within the inner circles of the Immortal Court knew a closely guarded secret: if the Heavenly Imperator chose to take action, he too could revive fallen True Saints, though at a significantly greater cost.

Such an extraordinary price could only be borne by the Heavenly Imperator personally.

With the recent fall of True Saint Xiao Yao and True Saint Jiu Fang, Immortal Eminence Jiu You recognized his error in judgment. To prevent demoralizing the numerous True Saints under his command, he had specifically petitioned the Heavenly Imperator, hoping for direct intervention from the supreme ruler.

“They cannot be revived,” Imperial Majesty Dong Huo pronounced slowly. “Not just Xiao Yao. Even Jiu Fang cannot be brought back.”

“How can that be?” Immortal Eminence Jiu You exclaimed, shock rippling across his features. “True Saint Xiao Yao’s situation aside, True Saint Jiu Fang should have sufficient accumulation. Even without the Heavenly Imperator’s intervention, he should theoretically be capable of self-revival, albeit requiring an extraordinarily long period of time.”

Confusion clouded his expression. He simply couldn’t comprehend this development.

“Could Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu have taken direct action against them?” Immortal Eminence Jiu You ventured, then immediately shook his head. “But the numerous timelines of a True Saint are etched deep within the Primordium itself. Even Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu, the Spacetime Dao Master, and others of their caliber don’t possess the ability to completely erase them.”

Eternal powerhouses invariably left their distinct imprints within the Primordial Rules.

While beings like Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu and the Spacetime Dao Master could theoretically erase traces of fallen eternal powerhouses, essentially removing their imprints from the Primordial Rules, such actions directly defied the natural operation of those Rules. There were inherent limitations to such interference.

Throughout countless ages, there had never been a documented case of a fallen True Saint having their past traces directly and completely erased from existence.

“It wasn’t Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu’s doing,” Imperial Majesty Dong Huo stated flatly.

“The Heavenly Imperator personally intervened, yet couldn’t locate any traces of their self-created Daos within the Primordial Rules, as if they had never existed at all.” His eyes narrowed slightly. “A profoundly mysterious force has completely annihilated their self-created Daos.”

“This? How could such a thing be possible?” These words stunned Immortal Eminence Jiu You even more deeply than before.

When an eternal powerhouse created their own Dao, this self-created Dao invariably left indelible traces within the Primordial Rules, essentially merging into those Rules and further strengthening the Rules as a result.

When an eternal powerhouse fell, the imprints of their self-created Dao would gradually dissipate. But this process occurred with excruciating slowness, typically requiring several samsara cycles of heaven and earth to fully fade from existence.

Barely any time had passed since True Saint Xiao Yao and the others had fallen!

“The Heavenly Imperator believes this phenomenon must be connected to that mysterious True Saint Tian Chan,” Imperial Majesty Dong Huo continued. “We must be extremely cautious when dealing with True Saint Tian Chan. But regardless of the underlying cause, the result remains unchanged—True Saint Xiao Yao and True Saint Jiu Fang have completely perished.

“There exists no hope for their revival,” Imperial Majesty Dong Huo concluded with a soft sigh, turning to Immortal Eminence Jiu You. “Jiu You, you must let this matter rest for now. Until Wu Yuan achieves eternity, you are not to concern yourself with him further.

“This is not a suggestion, but a direct order from the Heavenly Imperator himself.”

“Understood,” Immortal Eminence Jiu You responded, realizing with sinking clarity that the complete and irrevocable demise of two True Saints had already provoked the Heavenly Imperator’s displeasure.

Or perhaps, more troublingly, in the Heavenly Imperator’s assessment, Jiu You was now completely incapable of effectively dealing with Wu Yuan.

Wu Yuan? Immortal Eminence Jiu You silently mouthed the name, a feeling of profound helplessness washing over him.

…

Completely fallen? Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu murmured to herself, having observed these events vigilantly.

The radiance of True Saint Xiao Yao and True Saint Jiu Fang’s self-created Daos has truly dissipated? She remained unaware that the Heavenly Imperator had already attempted resurrection, but she could confirm with absolute certainty that the two True Saints could never be revived.

They had fallen forever, erased from existence.

True Saint Tian Chan? she pondered, her mind turning over the possibilities. It seems this True Saint’s Dao possesses truly exceptional qualities to wield Dao-destroying power. Her brow furrowed slightly in concentration. Is this a normal ability that he can employ at will, or are there specific restrictions governing its use? The other Immortal Court Saints he defeated don’t appear to be similarly affected.

Encountering such an unprecedented phenomenon made even Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu, who had witnessed countless wonders across eons, genuinely curious.

If Tian Chan could employ this ability continuously? The implications would be nothing short of terrifying.

Throughout the cosmic sea, it was considered entirely normal for eternal powerhouses to fall occasionally during their conflicts with one another. The ability to continually revive and return was the fundamental reason eternal powerhouses were willing to fight with their lives at stake.

We shall wait and observe. Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu decided patiently. Attempting to force such a powerhouse to reveal his secrets would be unwise. Once he formally joins the Eldritch Court, we will come to understand the true nature of his abilities in time.

In its earliest stages, the Eldritch Court had been a purely human faction, essentially rejecting all other races from its ranks.

But later, with the establishment of the rival Immortal Court and the meteoric rise of the Heavenly Imperator, the two greatest factions engaged in endless struggles for supremacy. Under Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu’s leadership, the Eldritch Court had finally relaxed its restrictions completely, widely accepting powerful cultivators from various races, gradually evolving into the greatest faction centered on humanity, while including eternal beings from all races.

…

Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu wasn’t the only one to sense the disturbance.

As Wu Yuan made his way to the Taiyuan Saint Realm, news of the battle outside the Azure Saint Tomb erupted from the Wan Yu Tower, spreading like wildfire across the cosmic sea.

“True Saint Xiao Yao and True Saint Jiu Fang have both fallen? Not just defeated, but completely annihilated?”

“They ambushed Overlord Wu Yuan of the Eldritch Court, yet were slain instead?”

“This mysterious Eldritch Court powerhouse, True Saint Tian Chan—they say his strength approaches the Dao Zenithel threshold!”

The news reached every major faction across the cosmic sea with unprecedented speed. When two True Saints perished completely in a single battle, an event rare even in the vast expanse of the cosmic sea, word naturally traveled fast.

“Who is this True Saint Tian Chan?”

“I’ve never heard his name!”

“The Wan Yu Tower placed him fourth on the True Saint Rankings without hesitation. They must truly regard him highly.”

Through the subtle fluctuations of the Primordial Rules, True Saints and Dao Zenithels across the cosmic sea sensed the changes in the Eternal Register.

The Eternal Rankings! Among sempiternal beings, it was a legend.

Similar to how the Samsara Rankings were divided into primary and secondary rankings, the Eternal Rankings was likewise split into two: the Dao Zenithel Rankings and the True Saint Rankings, cataloging the mightiest beings across all Nine Megaverses Spacetime.

“To climb directly to fourth place after a single battle. How powerful indeed.”

“Fourth place doesn’t necessarily reflect his true standing. The convention prevents newcomers from directly entering the top three without proper challenges.”

The Dao Zenithel Rankings remained relatively static, as new Dao Zenithels only emerged after vast eons, most having refined their self-created Daos to their ultimate heights.

On the contrary, the True Saint Rankings drew more frequent attention.

The top three positions on the True Saint Rankings only changed when these top-ranking True Saints engaged in direct confrontation, with rankings shifting only after decisive victories.

“First place on the True Saint Rankings? He might possess the strength to claim that position.”

Discussions blazed across factions and realms. Many eternal powerhouses believed True Saint Tian Chan possessed the strength to claim first place, but he hadn’t yet challenged the current holders of the top three positions.

Of course, the Eternal Rankings served merely as a diversion for immortal beings in their endless years; it did not truly move them to take action. A true powerhouse proved their strength through battle, not their position on some ranking.

Nevertheless, through the machinations of the Wan Yu Tower, the name True Saint Tian Chan echoed throughout the cosmic sea.

…

While True Saint Tian Chan’s fame spread, Overlords Wu Yuan and Ming Jian, both involved in the same incident, remained low-key by contrast, drawing little attention.

The countless powerhouses across the cosmic sea focused their interest on Wu Yuan and Ming Jian solely for one reason: when would these two monstrous prodigies undergo Dao Enlightenment?