Yuan’s Ascension

Chapter 1247: The First Chaos Treasure (2)

Each of the eight Chaos Treasures possessed unique attributes, containing power beyond imagination. Any one could serve as a Dao Zenithel’s primary weapon.

For Standard True Saints, possessing even a single Chaos Treasure would allow them to unleash power approaching that of a Full True Saint. And if a Full True Saint wielded one? They would approach invincibility among their peers.

How I wish I could take them all. Wu Yuan sighed under his breath. But he understood that these Chaos Treasures represented the finest of the Creation Dao Master’s collection, accumulated over countless eons. Many Dao Zenithels with shorter cultivation histories might not even have amassed one.

I will soon venture into the Nine Chaos Voids. Wu Yuan thought. Self-preservation should be my primary concern. If it were my qi refiner self making the choice, the Stealth Feather might be ideal… it could improve my escape abilities even further.

But my body refiner self lacks the same affinity for spacetime manipulation. I should prioritize maximizing physical defense instead.

Wu Yuan methodically analyzed his options, deciding to enhance his natural strengths. His body refiner self excelled in direct combat, so reinforcing his physical defenses took precedence.

“I’ll choose you then,” he declared finally, his gaze settling on a robe that emanated auroral light. As his decision crystallized, the boundless void around him began to tremble violently.

Boom! Dazzling radiance erupted from the robe, illuminating the entire expanse. Even the imposing temple at the void’s edge seemed dim by comparison.

With a synchronized rush, the other seven Chaos Treasures seemed to sense Wu Yuan’s choice. They vanished swiftly into the void, no longer within his perception.

“Come!” Wu Yuan commanded, extending his hand. A torrent of True Saint mana poured forth, surging into the radiant robe and rapidly imprinting it with his vital aura.

In an instant, the robe retracted its aura and streaked across the void. It settled directly over Wu Yuan’s outer battle armor, transforming into a set of black armor that enveloped him entirely. His aura became deeper, more withdrawn.

The Robe of Creation? Wu Yuan raised his hand, noting how the armor perfectly covered his palms and fingertips. He clenched his fist tightly.

Boom!

Slightly activating the Robe of Creation’s power, Wu Yuan thrust his fist forward. Immediately, outer space vibrated subtly, as though it were merely a sheet of paper about to be torn apart.

This? Wu Yuan couldn’t hide his shock. This was his first experience with a Chaos Treasure; he finally understood the power of an artifact at this level.

I’ve just claimed ownership, so I can only access the first level of power. Yet combining mana and physical strength for a simple attack, without even employing an ultimate technique, produces such might? He marveled inwardly.

It truly lived up to the reputation of a Chaos Treasure. A weapon fit for a Dao Zenithel.

This Robe of Creation may be battle armor, primarily designed for physical defense, but the power bestowed by its Dao essence has already significantly enhanced my offensive capabilities. A smile of satisfaction spread across Wu Yuan’s face. Then how formidable must its defensive properties be?

Wu Yuan made a mental calculation. Though he had just claimed ownership, the enhancement of his physical defense by the Robe of Creation likely already surpassed the Cosmic Equilibrium Armor he had fully mastered.

This is the first Chaos Treasure acquired by my body refiner self. Wu Yuan thought. May it accompany me through countless battles across endless eons, until I cross into the fifth step of eternity.

The difference between Chaos Treasures was not vast. In the future, should Wu Yuan become a Dao Zenithel, he might expend considerable effort to reforge the Robe of Creation anew, tailoring it to his self-created Dao. But for now, this magnificent armor represented his most powerful artifact.

With the Robe of Creation,I’d like to see which True Saint in the Nine Chaos Voids could force me to yield… No! In the entire cosmic sea. Wu Yuan’s eyes glinted with confidence.

In terms of personal strength, Wu Yuan believed he already stood at the pinnacle among countless True Saints in the cosmic sea, just one tier below True Saint Tian Chan. Now, equipped with a Chaos Treasure, he was like a tiger that had grown wings.

…

After departing the Creation Dao Realm and sending Hong Qin and Bai Sui back to their homes in the Saint Realm, Wu Yuan made his way to a special spacetime in the deepest part of his Saint Realm, the Yuan Realm! This place served as a meditation sanctuary for Wu Yuan’s body refiner self.

In truth, the Wu Yuan who typically traveled outside was merely his ether body. But since this ether body had cultivated an Eternal Psyche, others couldn’t distinguish it from his true self.

Eldritch Progenitor Hall. His ether body arrived at the center of the Yuan Realm, where spacetime twisted around the projection of a majestic tower, the Eldritch Progenitor Hall.

After establishing his Saint Realm, Wu Yuan had employed his divine abilities to create a special connection between his Saint Realm’s essence and the Eldritch Progenitor Hall, enabling transmissions through spacetime. This arrangement allowed the numerous eternal powerhouses and sempiternal lifeforms under Wu Yuan’s command to redeem treasures from the Eldritch Court headquarters through the projection. Naturally, it facilitated Wu Yuan’s own transactions as well.

“Greetings, True Saint Wu Yuan,” a gentle voice echoed throughout the Hall’s projection.

“Appraisal,” Wu Yuan commanded.

With a wave of his ether body’s hand, dense clusters of Xiantian artifacts, Xiantian Instruments, and various rare treasures materialized in the void. These were all his recent acquisitions from the Creation Dao Realm.

Hum~ An invisible wave methodically swept over the treasures. The appraisal process continued for a full quarter hour before concluding.

“True Saint Wu Yuan, these treasures are valued at approximately 140 million Xuanhuang merits in total. Do you wish to contribute them to the Eldritch Court treasury?” the gentle voice inquired.

One hundred and forty million? Even combined with Wu Yuan’s existing holdings, the sum fell short of 200 million Xuanhuang merits, far from enough to exchange for a Chaos Treasure.

“No need,” Wu Yuan declined with a shake of his head, gathering the treasures with a sweep of his hand before departing the Eldritch Progenitor Hall.

Indeed, I was too naive. Acquiring a Chaos Treasure through redemption isn’t nearly so simple. Wu Yuan reflected ruefully. I would need at least another ten or twenty Xiantian Instruments, or treasures of equivalent value.

And this was after he had thoroughly plundered the Creation Dao Realm. No wonder Chaos Treasures remained so rare among True Saints.

Moreover, redeeming a Chaos Treasure from the Eldritch Court required not only wealth but also significant contributions to the faction.

Great contributions? Wu Yuan mused. We’ll see what opportunities arise during my journey into the Nine Chaos Voids. His ether body swiftly transferred a large number of Xiantian Instruments to his body refiner self.

Shortly thereafter, Wu Yuan’s ether body, now equipped with the Robe of Creation, the Limitless Saber, and several other useful Xiantian Instruments, rapidly departed the Long Shan Universe.

…

The cosmic sea stretched boundless and vast, consisting of bizarre spacetime dimensions.

Wu Yuan’s ether body waited patiently. Suddenly, spacetime trembled as a rift tore open. A white-robed figure emerged—Wu Yuan’s mana body.

“Greetings, Fellow Daoist,” his mana body said with an enigmatic smile.

His mana body and ether body looked at each other, both wearing inexplicable smiles.

With a swift motion, Wu Yuan’s ether body absorbed his mana body into a grotto-heaven artifact, then quickly distributed several suitable Xiantian Instruments to his mana body.

When venturing into the Nine Chaos Voids, I represent the Eldritch Court in battle. My mana body shouldn’t reveal itself unless absolutely necessary. Wu Yuan reasoned. However, as my ether body carries a Chaos Treasure, truly dire circumstances may force me to set aside such caution.

His mana body represented his ultimate trump card, to be revealed only in life-or-death scenarios.

To the Di Jiang Eternal Realm.

His ether body tore through the membrane of the River of Universes, returning directly to the Long Shan Universe, then immediately rushed along the Saint Realm passage toward the Di Jiang Eternal Realm, the Eldritch Court’s foremost Eternal Realm in the cosmic sea.

Saint Realm passages had limitations on transmission distance, thus one couldn’t directly access certain exploration sites from them. Only through Eternal Realm passages could one swiftly reach and enter the Nine Chaos Voids.

…

Three thousand and four hundred years went by.

Deep within the cosmic sea, ruins were scattered across the dark void—broken worlds, shattered celestial bodies, countless remnants and debris. Xiantian qi streams drifted aimlessly through the emptiness, while gaping spacetime rifts occasionally tore open.

With a sudden disturbance, a spacetime vortex appeared. A black-robed figure emerged, hovering above an endless, gloomy expanse.

Is this the Ninth Chaos Void? Wu Yuan murmured, his piercing gaze sweeping the area. His powerful perception expanded outward, encompassing the vast spacetime in an instant.

It’s truly chaotic. He observed. The spacetime coordinates here should be… I didn’t expect the Eternal Realm passage to transport me so far off course. A slight frown creased his brow.

When Saint Realms and Eternal Realms established transmission coordinates for normal exploration sites and treasure grounds, the positions remained relatively fixed. Even errors typically resulted in minor deviations. But the Nine Chaos Voids was different.

Within the Nine Chaos Voids, only the first six Chaos Voids had achieved relative stability. The remaining three Chaos Voids existed as special spacetimes without fixed coordinates, constantly shifting in spacetime dimensions.

This meant that even when departing from the same Eternal Realm and being transmitted to the Seventh, Eighth, or Ninth Chaos Void, two individuals could end up in wildly different positions.

Leaving these Chaos Voids presented its own challenges; one couldn’t simply return to the same Eternal Realm passage coordinates. First, one had to exit the influence of these three Chaos Voids entirely.

It doesn’t matter. Wu Yuan thought calmly. The original plan was to explore regardless, so my specific arrival location makes little difference. According to reports, the powerhouses active in this region should primarily be from the Nine Desolations Megaverse and Eastmoon Megaverse.

The Nine Chaos Voids occupied a region near the center of the cosmic sea, attracting powerhouses from all nine megaverses who came to hunt for treasures. Encountering forces from other megaverses was therefore inevitable.

I’ll first head for the spacetime where the Eldritch Court powerhouses typically operate. Wu Yuan decided. After assessing the situation, I’ll begin hunting Immortal Court powerhouses.

With a wave of his hand, a massive black battleship materialized in the void. Wu Yuan boarded it immediately.

The Xiantian Instrument—Umbral Cosmic Ark.

This vessel was one of the many Xiantian Instruments he had inherited from the Creation Dao Master, valued at over ten million Xuanhuang merits. It was certainly a top-tier Xiantian Instrument.

Navigating through space in such a battleship offered significant advantages. While it couldn’t withstand a coordinated assault from multiple powerhouses, it gave one precious time to react when encountering unexpected traps. More importantly, it possessed the invaluable ability to mask its occupant’s presence from the perception of other powerhouses.

This ensured that no one could tell Wu Yuan was on board at just a glance.

The black vessel shuddered as it glided into the murky emptiness of the void. Rather than pushing the ship to maximum velocity, Wu Yuan maintained a moderate pace of just ten times light speed.

Scan. Wu Yuan gave a mental command, stretching his perception to its limits. Invisible fluctuations rippled outward, sweeping across the surrounding emptiness and the jagged remnants of one shattered continent after another.

My perception range has been greatly reduced. Wu Yuan observed, a slight furrow creasing his brow. Within the River of Universes, I could perceive an entire universe with a single thought. Even accounting for the suppressive nature of the cosmic sea, my awareness shouldn’t be restricted to a mere radius of several billion li.

This limitation felt suffocating, claustrophobic.

Truly, the Chaos Voids lived up to their reputation.

spacetime rifts ahead. Wu Yuan murmured, skillfully guiding the battleship to circumnavigate the visible tears in the fabric of spacetime.

The Nine Chaos Voids harbored three main dangers that travelers routinely encountered, beyond the presence of other eternal powerhouses and exploration sites.

First were the Void Spirits, terrifying entities born within the Chaos Voids themselves. These beings manifested in countless forms, with the mightiest among them possessing power to rival Dao Zenithels.

Second came the spacetime tides that swept through vast regions without warning. Anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in such a natural disaster faced almost certain death, with even Full True Saint powerhouses rarely surviving the experience.

Third were the spacetime rifts, treacherous portals that could drag the unsuspecting into nightmarish exploration sites. Prudent travelers gave these tears a wide berth unless absolutely necessary.

Wu Yuan advanced at this measured pace for several centuries, covering great distances through the cosmic wilderness.

Though minor dangers occasionally arose along his journey, he resolved them easily. As for encounters with other eternal powerhouses? Not a single one crossed his path.

This was the usual experience for eternal powerhouses embarking on adventures in the cosmic sea. Sometimes they could wander for hundreds of millions of years without engaging in significant conflict, testament to the truly incomprehensible vastness of the cosmic sea.

Each exploration site sprawled across immense expanses of spacetime as well.

No wonder Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu suggested that these nine great Chaos Voids likely remained from the Primordial Epoch. Wu Yuan reflected silently.

Throughout his journey, he had witnessed countless abandoned continents and ruined celestial bodies. Many bore the unmistakable traces of vanished civilizations, their architectural styles and cultural markers inconsistent with any intelligence known to Wu Yuan’s extensive knowledge from various factions.

If not relics from the previous Primordial Epoch, what could explain these countless artificial structures, clearly designed by intelligent beings?

Wu Yuan pressed onward, traversing one peculiar spacetime region after another, steering deliberately toward the sector where Eldritch Court powerhouses frequently operated.

Shortly thereafter, he saw a remarkable sight.

The Nine-Star Celestial Tree. Wu Yuan breathed as he passed through a section of void, spotting the legendary tree at the edge.

The colossal tree towered approximately six light-years high, its verdant canopy lush with foliage. Nine massive celestial bodies, each blazing like a sun, orbited around its trunk, illuminating the surrounding void in all directions.

This renowned landmark of the Ninth Chaos Void appeared to be merely impressive in size at first glance. However, Wu Yuan knew that this tree was actually a Void Spirit, a native entity of the Ninth Chaos Void, possessing combat power that matched a Threshold Dao Zenithel.

This spirit preferred stillness, having remained rooted in this section of the void for countless ages. Eternal powerhouses from beyond the realm generally remained safe from its aggression, provided they maintained a respectful distance.

At that precise moment, approximately ten billion light-years from the Nine-Star Celestial Tree, within an unremarkable ruined celestial body…

“An eternal powerhouse has arrived,” announced a cold voice. “They appear to be traveling in a Xiantian artifact battleship.”