Yuan’s Ascension

Chapter 1270: Revised Rankings (2)

The sight froze the blood of the remaining True Saints, while Shen Yan’s expression turned grave. The observing True Saints in the surrounding void remained speechless, unable to process what they had witnessed.

A Full True Saint, eliminated with a single thought across such a vast expanse of spacetime? Such power was beyond comprehension; perhaps even beyond a Dao Zenithel’s abilities.

“Go!”

True Saint Shen Yan’s roar split the silence as he swept his hand to gather the remaining True Saints. His Divine Eye blazed with protective light, enveloping them as they tore through the Primordial Golden Lotus domain, vanishing into the twisted fabric of spacetime.

Wu Yuan’s mana body remained motionless in the void, his expression impassive. He made no move to pursue.

The vast Primordial Golden Lotus domain, which had sprawled across hundreds of millions of li, contracted rapidly. Tranquility returned to the void.

“Everyone,” Wu Yuan turned his head deliberately, addressing the powerful presences hidden in all four directions. “Have you satisfied your curiosity? The battle has concluded.”

After a long pause, voices responded from the darkness.

“Haha, True Saint Ming Jian jests. We shall take our leave.”

“Facing six opponents alone and forcing True Saint Shen Yan to retreat; True Saint Ming Jian, your name will echo across the cosmic sea. We stand in awe.”

“We’ll be on our way.”

“True Saint Ming Jian is truly worthy of being called a peerless prodigy, rivaling True Saint Wu Yuan himself.”

The voices, alternating between flattering and genuinely impressed, faded as their owners retreated hastily into the depths of space.

Who could blame them? If Ming Jian could obliterate True Saint Jing Qiu with a single thought, what chance did Standard or even Peak True Saints stand? Even True Saint Shen Yan had withdrawn. Who would dare linger?

Soon, silence reclaimed the void completely. Wu Yuan approached the towering maze mountain that stretched across hundreds of millions of li.

With several flashes of light, True Saint Dong Cang, True Saint Ming Sha, True Saint Taiyuan, and True Saint Bu Xiu emerged from the mountain.

“Senior Taiyuan, Senior Bu Xiu.” Wu Yuan offered a respectful bow before turning toward the others. “Dong Cang, Ming Sha, your reputations precede you.”

True Saint Taiyuan and True Saint Bu Xiu exchanged pleased smiles. Taiyuan felt particularly satisfied. Hadn’t he supported Wu Yuan all those years for precisely this outcome? Despite his now vastly superior strength, Wu Yuan maintained his respectful demeanor.

“True Saint Ming Jian jests,” True Saint Dong Cang replied with a laugh.

“We owe you our gratitude for the rescue,” True Saint Ming Sha added, his attitude humble and his admiration evident.

“Senior Taiyuan and Senior Bu Xiu sought my assistance,” Wu Yuan replied, redirecting their gratitude. “If thanks are due, it should go to them.”

“We all serve the same Dao Master,” True Saint Taiyuan smiled warmly. “Supporting each other is only natural. Ming Jian, after this display, your reputation will soar. You will surely break into the top ten of the True Saint Rankings.”

“Slaying both True Saint Wan Hai and True Saint Jing Qiu, even forcing True Saint Shen Yan to retreat,” True Saint Dong Cang shook his head in amazement. “Truly remarkable.”

All four still felt as though they were dreaming, the transition from near death to safety having occurred with bewildering speed. It was a truly unbelievable battle.

“I wouldn’t claim to have forced Shen Yan’s retreat,” Wu Yuan said with a modest smile. “In a battle to the death, victory would not be certain. He simply calculated that the risk outweighed any potential reward.”

This was the truth. Being able to eliminate True Saint Jing Qiu with his psyche weapon, the Netherworld Sword, had been a lucky alignment of circumstances. Defeating True Saint Shen Yan in a direct confrontation? Wu Yuan harbored no such illusions.

Furthermore, his mana body’s repeated use of the Myriad Rebirths Tribulation wasn’t without limitations. Each activation drained his psyche power tremendously, and the duration remained finite.

If True Saint Shen Yan remained standing after his psyche power reserves were depleted, Wu Yuan’s death would follow swiftly.

Of course, in such dire circumstances, Wu Yuan could summon his ether body to intervene. But even then, victory remained uncertain. Even with both his mana body and ether body unleashing their full potential, True Saint Shen Yan might still prevail.

Since this confrontation wasn’t centered on the Chaos Nucleus, there had been no need to reveal his ultimate trump card.

“Haha, Ming Jian, there’s no need for such modesty.” True Saint Bu Xiu smiled. “Victory speaks for itself. Whatever his excuse, True Saint Shen Yan’s retreat reveals his fear plain as day.”

“Indeed!”

Wu Yuan allowed a slight smile to cross his face, no longer contesting the point. He smoothly redirected the conversation: “What treasure was True Saint Shen Yan so desperate to seize from you?”

His question cast a palpable silence over the gathering. True Saint Taiyuan and True Saint Bu Xiu maintained their composure, their expressions betraying nothing. Meanwhile, True Saint Dong Cang and True Saint Ming Sha exchanged uneasy glances, hesitation evident in their demeanor. Fresh chapters posted on noveⅼfire.net

“Well,” True Saint Dong Cang finally broke the silence with a bitter smile, “we owe our lives to True Saint Ming Jian, so there’s little point in secrecy. This conflict arose because of a token.” With a fluid motion, he turned his palm upward. A crystalline sphere materialized in his hand, hovering just above his skin.

The sphere gleamed with an intense purple radiance, pulsing with waves of invisible energy that rippled through the surrounding space.

This sphere? Wu Yuan kept his expression carefully neutral, but beneath his calm exterior, his heart thundered.

The moment the purple sphere manifested before his mana body, the Eternal Psyche of his ether body began to tremble with unmistakable yearning. A profound resonance vibrated through him as if he’d encountered a long-lost piece of himself.

Wu Yuan could perceive with absolute clarity that the imprint his body refiner self had left upon the essence of the Great Dao of Creation was resonating with the sphere.

In that instant, Wu Yuan’s decision solidified: he had to obtain this token.

“Based on the energy fluctuations when the treasure appeared, this item is exceptionally precious,” True Saint Dong Cang explained, “but we can only determine that it’s some type of token. As for its specific nature? We’re still in the dark. None of us are able to decipher its profundities.”

“Oh?” Wu Yuan’s lips curved into a faint smile. “I find myself quite intrigued by it. Dong Cang, would you consider trading this token with me?”

Having made his decision, Wu Yuan decided to be direct, laying his interest bare.

The silence that followed was thick enough to slice.

None present were fools. True Saint Taiyuan, True Saint Dong Cang, and the others immediately guessed that True Saint Ming Jian must have discerned some hidden secret of the token, explaining his sudden eagerness to acquire it.

True Saint Dong Cang’s instincts screamed at him to refuse, but caution made him hold his tongue.

After all, with the power True Saint Ming Jian had displayed, he could easily crush him like an insect beneath a boot. Incidents of faction members turning on one another to seize coveted treasures were hardly unprecedented.

Moreover, True Saint Taiyuan and True Saint Bu Xiu would almost certainly align themselves with True Saint Ming Jian should conflict erupt.

“Haha, a small matter indeed,” True Saint Dong Cang forced his face into a congenial smile. “What sort of exchange does True Saint Ming Jian propose?”

“Treasures worth one hundred million Blood Dream points,” Wu Yuan replied with an easy smile. “How does that sound?”

A stunned silence descended immediately.

All four True Saints gaped at Wu Yuan in undisguised shock. Then, as one, True Saint Bu Xiu and True Saint Taiyuan turned their astonished gazes toward True Saint Dong Cang.

“One hundred million?” True Saint Dong Cang’s voice caught in his throat.

Aware of his disadvantageous position, he would have been thankful if Wu Yuan offered just twenty or thirty million Blood Dream points.

“Very well,” True Saint Dong Cang agreed, recognizing that the purple sphere was extraordinarily valuable beyond any doubt.

Yet, one had to be alive to claim the treasure.

True Saint Ming Jian’s willingness to offer one hundred million Blood Dream points spoke volumes about his determination. To refuse? That path likely led only to bloodshed.

True Saint Taiyuan and the others raised no objections. Their four-person agreement stipulated that even if this were a great treasure, they could only share authority over it, not the right to trade it independently.

In the end, after transferring treasures worth one hundred million Blood Dream points over, Wu Yuan successfully acquired the token.

“Well then, everyone,” Wu Yuan said with a satisfied smile as he carefully secured the purple crystal sphere, “I have some pressing matters to attend to. I’ll take my leave now.”

“Farewell.”

“Safe travels, True Saint Ming Jian,” True Saint Dong Cang, True Saint Ming Sha, and the others called out.

Whoosh! Wu Yuan departed swiftly, leaving the four True Saints alone in this expanse of spacetime.

“One hundred million Blood Dream points…Given True Saint Ming Jian’s generosity, his gains must be substantial,” True Saint Ming Sha couldn’t help but remark, his voice tinged with wonder. “What in the world is that token?”

“Best not to ask such questions,” True Saint Dong Cang shook his head firmly. “It’s merely a token, not a treasure in itself… Perhaps it serves as one of the entry passes for claiming the Chaos Nucleus.”

True Saint Ming Sha visibly started at this suggestion.

“But let’s maintain perspective,” True Saint Dong Cang continued, his voice measured. “Is such a great treasure truly something we should covet? A bird in hand outvalues ten in the bush. True Saint Ming Jian’s choice to trade rather than simply seize it likely stems from his respect for Taiyuan and Bu Xiu.”

“One hundred million Blood Dream points is no small sum,” True Saint Taiyuan said. “Combined with our previous spoils, each of us should now be able to redeem approximately ten Xiantian Instruments.

“We should return to the Saint Realm,” True Saint Taiyuan suggested, his gaze sweeping over his companions.

“Yes, it’s time we withdrew,” True Saint Bu Xiu agreed with a nod.

“Indeed, our return takes precedence. Losing these treasures now would be a far greater setback,” True Saint Dong Cang concurred.

Their mindset reflected that of the vast majority of True Saints. Even when venturing into the perilous Tenth Chaos Void, most True Saints harbored modest ambitions.

Acquiring a handful of Xiantian Instruments already represented a significant windfall worth celebrating.

Shortly thereafter, the four powerful True Saints swiftly vacated the special spacetime expanse as one and charted a course toward the entrance of the Tenth Chaos Void.

…

“To think we’d be defeated by True Saint Ming Jian,” True Saint Chou Lie remarked with a bitter smile.

After confirming that True Saint Ming Jian had abandoned pursuit, True Saint Shen Yan released Chou Lie and the other two survivors following several days of desperate flight.

“That Ming Jian is truly formidable.”

“His domain is terrifying and his physical attacks are decent. But most frightening were his psyche dream illusions. Never have I encountered such a horrifying psyche dream,” the two surviving True Saints confessed, their voices still quavering with residual fear.

In just one brief clash, two of their companions had perished.

“Indeed, he is no easy opponent. His physical defense proved equally impressive,” True Saint Shen Yan’s brow furrowed in frustration. “This expedition has been a great loss for us; no treasures acquired, Wan Hai and Jing Qiu dead, and I was forced to expend one use of Divine Eye.”

The bitter taste of defeat lingered in his mouth.

“Shen Yan, word of our battle has spread like wildfire,” True Saint Chou Lie’s expression darkened as new information reached him. “The True Saints who witnessed the fight are claiming that True Saint Ming Jian defeated all six of us single-handedly, and that even you lost to him.”

“They claim I lost?” True Saint Shen Yan’s brow creased with indignation. “In a genuine life-or-death confrontation, that Ming Jian might not necessarily emerge victorious against me.

“Forget it! Reputation matters little, and rumors deserve even less attention,” True Saint Shen Yan declared coldly. “Let us continue our treasure hunt.”

…

The violent confrontation within the mysterious spacetime had been witnessed by numerous True Saints from several major factions. Consequently, news of the battle spread with remarkable speed.

In particular, many were interested in True Saint Ming Jian.

“True Saint Ming Jian is utterly terrifying!”

“As expected of one mentioned alongside True Saint Wu Yuan. His cultivation progresses at an astonishing pace, and his strength likely approaches comparable levels.”

“To think his psyche dream could instantly slay True Saint Jing Qiu?”

“His domain is frighteningly strong.” Countless True Saints and Dao Zenithels across various factions gradually received detailed accounts and witnessed battle recordings, all left stunned by what they observed.

True Saint Ming Jian’s strength far transcended their predictions.

“Within the Psyche Dream class, he reigns supreme among True Saints! Ming Jian!”

“The might of his domain likely approaches Cloud Saint’s level.” True Saints and Dao Zenithels from various factions conducted their assessments, developing a clearer understanding of True Saint Ming Jian’s true capabilities.

…

As time flowed onward, the emergence of increasingly precious treasures triggered more frequent clashes between top-ranking True Saints. Even the top ten True Saints began engaging in regular battles.

Over the following centuries, two more major confrontations erupted.

In the first battle, True Saint Luo Quan and True Saint Dong Yi clashed with ferocious intensity. After a protracted struggle, True Saint Luo Quan ultimately claimed victory.

The second confrontation occurred when True Saint Bai Bing of the Eldritch Court encountered Cloud Saint. True Saint Bai Bing suffered a catastrophic defeat.

In merely a few dozen exchanges, True Saint Bai Bing, ranked among the top ten of the True Saint Rankings, perished at Cloud Saint’s hands. This shocking development reverberated throughout the cosmic sea, sending tremors through the Eldritch Court.

In the immediate aftermath, Wan Yu Tower released the revised True Saint Rankings:

True Saint Luan Hai (First, Ancient Megaverse)

Cloud Saint (Second, Immortal Court, suspected to have taken the fourth step)

True Saint Luo Quan (Third, Eastmoon Megaverse, suspected to have taken the fourth step)

True Saint Tian Chan (Fourth, unknown faction, suspected to have taken the fourth step)

True Saint Wu Yuan (Fifth, Eldritch Court)

True Saint Dong Yi (Sixth, Eldritch Court)

True Saint Qing Yan (Seventh, Immortal Court)

True Saint Yin Yu (Eighth, Wan Yu Tower)

True Saint Meng Guan (Ninth, Blood Dream Alliance)

True Saint Ming Jian (Tenth, Blood Dream Alliance)

True Saint Yan Huo (Eleventh, Immortal Court)

True Saint Shen Yan (Twelfth, Nine Saints Alliance)

True Saint Sha Yin (Thirteenth, Demon Glory Alliance)

True Saint Pu Yang (Fourteenth, Eldritch Court)