Yuan’s Ascension

Chapter 1253: Wu Yuan’s Strength (2)

After six full hours of non-stop combat, Wu Yuan’s repeated all-out assaults had honed his saber techniques to near perfection. Each strike grew more powerful than the last, rendering True Saint Mu Jiang’s defenses progressively less effective. The gap between their capabilities continued to widen.

His power is still increasing? Mu Jiang realized with dawning horror.

This! Is this the talent of the greatest prodigy since the Primordium? True Saint Mu Jiang’s pride crumbled into bitter ash.

In his prime, he too had been the greatest genius of his generation within the River of Universes. He had dazzled an entire era, dominated the Samsara Rankings as an Overlord, and stepped triumphantly into eternity.

Back then, he considered himself no less talented than Overlord Yue Shan.

Indeed, who among those who ascended to True Sainthood hadn’t shone brightly during their time as sempiternal lifeforms? It was simply that when comparing legends to legends, the differences became painfully apparent.

Wu Yuan was the most extraordinary prodigy since the dawn of the Primordium itself.

I cannot wait for Yan Huo’s arrival. True Saint Mu Jiang finally admitted. He glared at Wu Yuan, eyes burning with defiance as he roared, “Wu Yuan, I will return!”

“Return?” Wu Yuan’s voice remained calm, but carried a sharp edge.

“I await your return,” he continued, “but I should also warn you: When you resurrect and face me again, my power will only have grown. Since I stepped onto the path of cultivation, no one I’ve surpassed has ever managed to catch up to me again.”

True Saint Mu Jiang’s heart constricted painfully.

He could not refute these words, for it was indeed the truth.

Boom~ Finally, within the vast Chiaroscuro Domain, beneath the overwhelming tidal wave of Wu Yuan’s blade rays, True Saint Mu Jiang’s aura flickered before extinguishing. Only a scattered assortment of artifacts and numerous storage artifacts remained where he had fallen.

True Saint Mu Jiang was dead.

At last, this region of the void grew still.

This should count as the first True Saint I’ve slain in the truest sense. Wu Yuan remarked quietly, waving his hand to collect the many treasures dropped by his fallen opponent.

Though he had defeated True Saint Xiao Yao and others in the past, those victories were earned within the River of Universes under different conditions.

And outside the Azure Saint Tomb, it had been True Saint Tian Chan who delivered the decisive blow.

Only now, in Wu Yuan’s battle with True Saint Mu Jiang, did he and his opponent fight at full strength.

However, when True Saints battle to the death, scoring a kill becomes extraordinarily difficult if their strengths are comparable. Wu Yuan mused.

Eternal powerhouses, especially True Saints who had opened Saint Realms, all drew support from their Saint Realms’ essence. Their recovery abilities were terrifyingly potent.

Thus, if their strengths were evenly matched and neither could inflict lasting damage upon the other, it was quite normal for True Saints to clash for years without reaching a conclusive outcome.

To slay an opponent in mere hours could already be considered remarkably swift.

And this was with the domain working in his favor.

Without the domain? Wu Yuan estimated it might have taken him ten full days to eliminate True Saint Mu Jiang successfully.

Of course, if the disparity in strength was overwhelmingly vast, obliterating the opponent’s Eternal Psyche in one hit would also result in an immediate kill.

For example, True Saint Tian Chan had eliminated True Saint Jiu Fang, True Saint Xiao Yao, and others precisely in this manner.

This True Saint Mu Jiang proved quite formidable, interweaving water and fire. Wu Yuan acknowledged thoughtfully. If I were to battle a Standard True Saint now, I believe I could finish them within dozens of moves.

Whoosh! The thought flashed through Wu Yuan’s mind in an instant before he transformed into a streak of brilliant light, darting into the distance.

Now that the Immortal Court knows both my strength and identity, those who come next will certainly be those confident in their ability to defeat me. Wu Yuan reasoned coolly.

Wu Yuan remained rational, not allowing victory to breed overconfidence.

If it had been ten True Saints joining forces against him, he would not cower in fear either. After all, this encounter had been unexpected, and his opponents likely hadn’t prepared countermeasures to face him.

But now that his capabilities and identity were exposed, and knowing the Immortal Court was no bunch of fools, those who appeared next would undoubtedly be exceptionally powerful True Saints with specific strategies in mind.

There’s no need to engage in direct confrontation for now. He decided.

First, I’ll journey to the Third Chaos Void to safekeep this ore vein. Perhaps I can exchange it for an offensive Chaos Treasure. When my strength increases further, I’ll then truly test the Immortal Court’s mettle. Such were Wu Yuan’s thoughts.

Time flowed onward.

With Wu Yuan’s departure, this region of the void gradually returned to tranquility. Even the shattered continents began slowly reconstituting themselves according to the mysterious rules that governed the Nine Chaos Voids.

…

“True Saint Mu Jiang is dead?”

“Indeed, he has perished.”

A ripple of shock and fury swept through the True Saints of the Immortal Court. They exchanged glances, their expressions a mixture of disbelief and rage—astonished by Wu Yuan’s strength, yet incensed by his audacity to slay one of their own.

Though True Saint Mu Jiang possessed the ability to resurrect, each rebirth diminished his remaining chances. The implications were severe. If Wu Yuan could kill Mu Jiang today, any one of them might fall to his blade tomorrow.

“We must eliminate Wu Yuan at any cost.”

“Under no circumstances can we permit his escape.” This sentiment echoed unanimously among the gathered True Saints.

Imperial Majesty Dong Huo’s commanding voice cut through the discussions: “Mu Jing, join the pursuit immediately. Hunt down Wu Yuan and end him. Order Hui Jiu and the other two to return and safeguard our Twin Purple Mountain stronghold.”

He turned to address the remaining True Saints. “The rest of you, activate all tracking and detection arrays at full capacity. Locate Wu Yuan’s position without delay. No one is to act alone. A minimum of three True Saints must team up before engaging in any confrontation with him.”

“As you command, Imperial Majesty.” Over twenty True Saints within the Immortal Court Voidrealm bowed respectfully, acknowledging their orders.

Among the Immortal Court’s True Saints stationed in the Ninth Chaos Void, only True Saint Mu Jing and True Saint Yan Huo possessed the necessary strength to challenge Wu Yuan with any reasonable expectation of victory. The others, while powerful, lacked the raw capability to face him individually. Their only hope lay in a unified strategy and combined effort.

…

The Fourth Chaos Void had stabilized long ago. Its spacetime had condensed into remarkable solidity, its boundaries shrinking to less than one ten-thousandth the size of the Ninth Chaos Void. This was a key factor in the Immortal Court’s complete dominion over the region.

At the heart of this realm, beneath a magnificent five-colored divine tree that stretched over a hundred million li toward the heavens, sat a solitary figure. Clad in pristine white robes with hair loosely flowing, he gazed downward in deep contemplation. A clay wine jug rested beside him, completing the picture of serene detachment.

Suddenly, a silvery flash illuminated the void as countless points of light coalesced, forming a projected figure encased in gleaming armor.

The white-robed figure lifted his head, rising to his feet with unhurried grace. He offered a slight bow in greeting.

“Imperial Majesty Dong Huo?”

“Qing Yan,” the projection acknowledged, studying the white-robed cultivator. “There is trouble in the Ninth Chaos Void. True Saint Mu Jiang has fallen.”

Had any witnesses been present to hear the projection address the white-robed figure, they would have been astonished.

True Saint Qing Yan, ranked fifth on the True Saint Rankings! The Immortal Court boasted only two figures among the top ten, and Qing Yan was one of them. He had previously held the fourth position until True Saint Tian Chan’s meteoric ascent displaced him by one rank. Yet this minor repositioning did nothing to diminish his fearsome capabilities.

In terms of power, True Saint Qing Yan vastly outstripped both True Saint Yan Huo and True Saint Mu Jing, along with the others.

“Mu Jiang?” A flicker of surprise crossed Qing Yan’s normally impassive features.

As the Immortal Court’s top powerhouse stationed in the Nine Chaos Voids, he was familiar with the nearly one hundred True Saints serving there.

“How did he meet his end?” True Saint Qing Yan remained unaware of recent developments, having not entered the Immortal Court Voidrealm recently. It was a characteristic of his detached nature.

“He was slain by Wu Yuan, who now wields the might of a Full True Saint,” Imperial Majesty Dong Huo replied solemnly.

True Saint Qing Yan’s pupils contracted slightly.

“I hope that you will proceed to the Ninth Chaos Void to hunt down and eliminate Wu Yuan,” Imperial Majesty Dong Huo continued. “While Mu Jing and Yan Huo together may manage to contain him, I fear that without your intervention, actually destroying him will prove exceedingly difficult.”

“I understand completely, Imperial Majesty,” True Saint Qing Yan inclined his head. “I shall depart immediately.”

With a casual wave of his hand, the towering five-colored divine tree behind him, extending over a hundred million li skyward, began to contract and transform. Within moments, it had turned into a divine sword radiating prismatic light, settling effortlessly into True Saint Qing Yan’s grasp.

Had Wu Yuan been present, he would have instantly recognized the extraordinary nature of this five-colored divine weapon. It emanated an unmistakable aura that matched the legendary Robe of Creation—a genuine Chaos Treasure.

…

Time flowed relentlessly onward.

Wu Yuan fled at extraordinary speed, his velocity nothing short of miraculous. Yet for all his swiftness, he remained disadvantaged by his unfamiliarity with the Twin Purple Mountain’s landscape.

Furthermore, the Immortal Court’s numerous True Saints had operated within this spacetime for countless years, establishing elaborate networks of tracking arrays throughout the region.

Consequently, Wu Yuan constantly felt the watchful scrutiny of Immortal Court powerhouses. Periodically, he would stumble into hidden arrays.

This sensation of having my movements monitored and controlled is truly infuriating. Wu Yuan thought with mounting frustration, yet found himself unable to fully evade their surveillance.

Fortunately, Wu Yuan’s overwhelming strength proved sufficient. He smashed through obstacles with brutal efficiency, annihilating any Immortal Court Saint he encountered with a single strike from afar. It didn’t matter whether they were true selves, mana bodies, or ether bodies.

As for the arrays themselves? Though they might briefly ensnare him, Wu Yuan invariably shattered their constraints and continued his flight.

…

“True Saints! We cannot contain him!”

“His power exceeds our calculations.”

“Even our well-concealed mana bodies and ether bodies are detected effortlessly and destroyed instantly.” Throughout the realm, Saints reported their failures with increasing desperation.

…

“Imperial Majesty, he’s unstoppable.”

“The arrays we’ve established possess insufficient power. They pose far less danger to him than the Chaos Void itself.”

“Even our attempts to lure him into treacherous exploration sites within the Chaos Void fail. He sees through every deception. We cannot impede his progress.”

“Containment appears impossible.” The numerous True Saints stationed beyond Twin Purple Mountain delivered their reports to Imperial Majesty Dong Huo.

As each hour passed, they gained a deeper understanding of Wu Yuan’s terrifying capabilities.

In terms of domain mastery, speed, perceptive acuity, and array-breaking techniques, he seemed utterly without peer among True Saints.

Not a single vulnerability could be detected.

“What a monster.”

“How can he be a newly advanced True Saint with only slightly more than a hundred million years of cultivation? He has mastered countless techniques to profound depths, perfectly matching the most exceptional and well-rounded True Saints.”

“I couldn’t match him even after ten samsara cycles of cultivation. It’s as though all my efforts were for nothing.” The Immortal Court’s True Saints felt increasingly helpless, truly comprehending what it meant for Wu Yuan to be hailed as the Primordium’s foremost genius.

Moreover, during his flight, the true selves of three True Saints had combined forces, ambushing him from concealed arrays in a coordinated attempt to block his path.

The ensuing battle had rocked heaven and earth.

In the end, the three True Saints had been single-handedly routed by Wu Yuan, scattering in disarray. Though none had perished, the encounter elevated Wu Yuan’s fearsome reputation to unprecedented heights, instilling even greater trepidation among the remaining Immortal Court True Saints.

Twenty-six days after his initial flight, just as Wu Yuan neared the outer boundary of the Immortal Court’s core territory in the Ninth Chaos Void…

“Wu Yuan has been caught in another array!”

“It’s an illusion-type construct, estimated to hold him for at least two hours.” A True Saint reported with barely contained excitement.

“I shall arrive in half that time,” True Saint Yan Huo declared, his low voice vibrating with barely suppressed fury.

He had been the earliest to set out in pursuit of Wu Yuan, yet his opponents’ incredible speed and constant course alterations had thwarted him repeatedly. After more than twenty days of relentless pursuit, Yan Huo was finally about to intercept his quarry.

…

Within a dimly illuminated void, thick layers of mist obscured all visibility.

Another illusion array? Wu Yuan muttered in exasperation. How many traps has the Immortal Court embedded throughout this region?

Over the past few days, he had already triggered three killing arrays and four illusion arrays, all calibrated to True Saint level. And this was despite his best efforts to evade them.

One could only imagine how many formidable arrays the Immortal Court had established throughout their territory over countless ages.

No wonder powerhouses from other factions fail to infiltrate the core operational areas of these major powers. Wu Yuan reflected. The danger was simply too great.

Time to dismantle this array. Wu Yuan calmed his mind and extended his senses, probing the operational profundities underlying the vast construct surrounding him.

The fundamental nature of such arrays involved combining profound Dao principles with the power of heaven and earth, all operating according to the Primordial Rules.

Throughout the last hundred million years of cultivation, Wu Yuan had occasionally diverted his attention to array cultivation, using it as a reference for other cultivation aspects. Though he hadn’t specifically focused on this specialization, relying instead on the power of his self-created Dao, he had nonetheless attained rudimentary True Saint-level proficiency in array dismantling.

After an hour of careful analysis, Wu Yuan nodded with satisfaction.

The focal point lies here. His hand suddenly expanded to a colossal size spanning a million li, and he struck a seemingly empty section of space.

A thunderous rumble shook the void as the distorted spacetime began normalizing. Countless tendrils of mist dissipated, their density reduced by more than half.

Still haven’t fully dismantled the array? Wu Yuan frowned slightly, though the illusion’s power had largely dispersed.

Boom! At that moment, an overwhelmingly powerful aura descended upon the void. Following this pressure wave, a towering figure materialized beyond the thinning mist, clothed in vibrant fiery red robes. His presence radiated immense power as he fixed Wu Yuan with a piercing, frigid gaze.

A True Saint? Wu Yuan considered, a subtle smile playing across his lips. And alone, at that? Could this be True Saint Yan Huo?