Novel Full Chapter 1300: Frostheaven Peak (2)
Chapter 1300: Frostheaven Peak (2)
“You six,” the azure-robed youth’s gaze sharpened as he addressed Wu Yuan and the others, “why have you not properly paid your respects to High Saint Hai Ling?”
“We pay our respects to High Saint Hai Ling,” the six True Saints responded immediately, offering bows.
“Such formalities are unnecessary.” The white-robed woman’s aura radiated tranquility, her smile benevolent. “Your arrival at Frostheaven Peak is a result of the workings of fate, and signifies that the ultimate secrets of the Chaos Void now stand open before you.”
Frostheaven Peak? The name settled in the minds of the six True Saints. Was this the name of the mysterious peak that loomed before them?
“Countless eons ago, even before your Primordial Era, Frostheaven Peak was the dwelling place of the Great Leader,” the white-robed woman continued with a smile. “With his own hands, he brought an end to an era of calamity.
“He quelled the tumult, and ushered in an unprecedented golden age…” Her voice softened slightly. “Of course, all of this has been buried beneath the sands of time and holds little relevance to you. As for his name, it is better that you remain unaware. When the moment arrives, that knowledge will come to you naturally.”
The six True Saints listened in stunned silence.
Wu Yuan, who knew the most secrets among those present, found his thoughts immediately drawn to the Azure Saint and the Origin Saint, both of whom had emerged and risen to prominence before the Primordial Era.
The Great Leader? Could she be referring to the Origin Saint? Did the Origin Saint create the Chaos Voids? The possibility flickered through his mind like lightning, though he couldn’t confirm it.
“Countless eons have passed, and the Primordium has cycled through the ages. Though all else may fade into oblivion, the Chaos Voids and Frostheaven Peak remain eternal,” the white-robed woman continued. “As the Primordium turns, a Xuanhuang Dao Treasure will always be nurtured within the heart of Frostheaven Peak.
“Now, the time has come for its emergence, and its master shall be chosen from among you six.”
Instantly, the hearts of the six True Saints quickened, thundering with anticipation.
The hidden secrets behind Frostheaven Peak’s existence? They didn’t know much about it, and even if they did, such ancient history offered minimal practical value.
Only the Xuanhuang Dao Treasure held immediate, tangible significance.
“The rules for claiming the treasure are simple.” The white-robed woman extended her palms outward, then swept them gracefully to either side.
The entire Frostheaven Peak trembled in response, a subtle quake that Wu Yuan and the others could feel rippling through them.
With a thunderous crack, the mountain walls flanking the plaza split apart as if rent by some frightening force, revealing three mountain paths on each side, six in total.
“Each of you will take one path,” the white-robed woman explained, her smile unchanging. “Follow your designated path forward. Whoever reaches the end of their path will claim the Xuanhuang Dao Treasure.”
In that moment, fervent desire blazed in the eyes of Wu Yuan, True Saint Luan Hai, and the others, only to be quickly tempered by caution.
The instructions sounded simple. Yet could the acquisition of a Xuanhuang Dao Treasure truly be so straightforward? Were the six paths identical in nature? Or was there more that met the eye?
For a long moment, none dared to step forward.
“You shall take the first path,” the white-robed woman suddenly raised her hand to point at True Saint Chen Yu.
Instantly, the first path on the right bloomed with light, marking it clearly.
“Me? First?” True Saint Chen Yu startled, unable to contain her question. “High Saint, may I inquire if the order of entry is random? Or does it follow some specific rule?”
The white-robed woman’s smile remained enigmatic. “Go. If destiny favors you, the Xuanhuang Dao Treasure will be yours.”
“Enough chatter,” the azure-robed youth beside her interjected with a cold snort. “The six paths will test you according to your individual characteristics. Those who enter earlier possess weaker potential. Of course, potential is merely one factor. What ultimately matters is your compatibility with the Xuanhuang Dao Treasure.
“If fortune smiles upon you and you happen to resonate with the particular Xuanhuang Dao Treasure nurtured by Frostheaven Peak, you might claim it with surprising ease.”
Potential? Compatibility?
True Saint Chen Yu’s expression immediately soured. Didn’t this assessment imply that, in the High Saint Hai Ling’s judgment, her potential ranked lowest among the six?
Of course, this wasn’t surprising. True Saint Chen Yu wasn’t weak, but the other True Saints each possessed extraordinary qualities that set them apart.
Compatibility? An uncomfortable thought crept into the minds of True Saint Luan Hai, True Saint Luo Quan, and the others. What if this Xuanhuang Dao Treasure emerged specifically because Wu Yuan has become a Dao Master? Their gazes instinctively shifted toward Wu Yuan, measuring his reaction.
“Wu Yuan,” True Saint Dong Yi transmitted excitedly, “If they’re evaluating potential, your chances appear the greatest.”
Though True Saint Dong Yi coveted the Xuanhuang Dao Treasure himself, he would be just as happy if Wu Yuan claimed it.
“Let’s do our best,” Wu Yuan replied with a gentle smile. “We must all pour our full strength into this challenge.”
“Indeed. Let us strive with everything we have to ensure the Xuanhuang Dao Treasure falls into the hands of our Eldritch Court.”
One by one, they were each designated a path.
True Saint Dong Yi was to take the second path.
True Saint Luo Quan was to take the third path.
True Saint Luan Hai was to take the fourth path.
True Saint Yin Yu was to take the fifth path.
Wu Yuan was to take the sixth path.
“Yin Yu’s potential ranks second only to Wu Yuan’s?” This revelation surprised everyone present.
It was indisputable that Wu Yuan possessed the greatest potential. But True Saint Yin Yu’s ranking was unexpected.
Of course, those who had cultivated to such heights clearly understood that potential held diminishing significance at their level. Nearly all who had taken the fourth step of their self-created Daos had repeatedly shattered their own perceived limitations.
Whether one would plateau as a Standard Dao Zenithel or ultimately become a Peak Dao Zenithel depended primarily on oneself.
“Do not delay further. Go,” the white-robed woman commanded. “Remember this well—you have a time limit of one hundred million years. Should none of you six claim the Xuanhuang Dao Treasure within that span, it will signify that the treasure is not destined to emerge in this cycle. It will then return to dormancy for fifty samsara cycles of heaven and earth before emerging again.”
One hundred million years?
To mortal perception, such a timeframe would seem nearly eternal, but for True Saints, it represented a relatively modest duration.
Without further hesitation, the six True Saints transformed into streaks of radiant light, each rushing headlong into their assigned mountain path.
Wu Yuan plunged into the sixth path. As his foot landed, he felt the subtle shift of spacetime around him before he vanished.
“High Saint Hai Ling,” the azure-robed youth inquired, “among the six challengers, that True Saint Wu Yuan should possess the highest probability of success, correct?”
The white-robed woman nodded almost imperceptibly. “His Dao is indeed special, and he manifests certain qualities of a natural leader…He has also earned Tian Xu’s regard. Yet the Primordium remains incomplete. Should he aspire to take that final, ultimate step, he will confront difficulties similar to those that challenged Jin Yi.
“Whether he can claim the Xuanhuang Dao Treasure depends entirely on his own capabilities.”
…
Within the narrow mountain passage, spacetime shifted, expanding into a vast, boundless dimension.
No way back? Wu Yuan immediately noticed that the entrance behind him had vanished completely.
Now, he stood within an independent expanse of spacetime.
Wu Yuan quickly dismissed his concerns. At this juncture, the only viable option was to press forward.
Reaching the path’s end would grant him the opportunity to claim the Xuanhuang Dao Treasure.
Jade tablets? Wu Yuan’s gaze fell upon the mountainside walls where jade tablets lined the path. Unlike before, these tablets bore densely packed text rather than images.
The first jade tablet’s contents were relatively straightforward:
1. Pass through three realms within one hundred million years to obtain the Xuanhuang Dao Treasure.
2. After one hundred million years have elapsed, you will be transported out of Frostheaven Peak.
3. If another eternal powerhouse obtains the Xuanhuang Dao Treasure within the allotted time, you will likewise be transported out of Frostheaven Peak.
Wu Yuan contemplated these rules thoughtfully.
Not only must he overcome the obstacles of the three realms within the given timeframe, but he also needed to outpace his competitors.
The framework resembles the rules for claiming the Chaos Nucleus, though the difficulty is higher. Wu Yuan observed silently.
His gaze swept across the seemingly endless array of jade tablets extending deeper into the mountain on both sides.
After a brief examination, shock flashed across his features.
Does each tablet contain an eternal ultimate technique? Wu Yuan could scarcely believe what his senses revealed.
As his consciousness brushed against the tablets, streams of information flooded his mind, unveiling the profundities of eternal ultimate techniques.
True Saint ultimate techniques? Does each jade tablet hold a distinct True Saint ultimate technique? Wu Yuan’s gaze shifted along the mountain path. Over ten thousand tablets adorned each side. There were tens of thousands of True Saint ultimate techniques preserved here.
And they appear to be more than mere ultimate techniques. Wu Yuan murmured as his thoughts probed the second jade tablet more deeply.
As his consciousness gathered sufficient strength, his awareness descended into a peculiar space where a powerful presence wielding a gleaming long spear awaited.
“A visitor has arrived?” The black-robed figure suddenly opened piercing eyes. “I am the spirit of the ultimate technique created by Yan Yang!”
The spear danced in his hands with breathtaking speed. A spear-light sliced through the dim spacetime, blasting directly toward Wu Yuan’s consciousness.
An ultimate technique spirit? Wu Yuan instantly comprehended the nature of this realm—a consciousness realm.
Such methods existed within every major faction, facilitating the combat skill development of disciples.
However, those were typically designed for mortal lifeforms and sempiternal beings.
For eternal powerhouses? Maintaining a consciousness realm that could demonstrate True Saint-level ultimate techniques required extraordinary power. Even the Eldritch Court lacked such capabilities.
In this moment, Wu Yuan’s appreciation for Frostheaven Peak’s power deepened significantly.
Saber! With a thought, Wu Yuan manifested a battle saber within his consciousness, its radiance unfurling to meet the black-robed figure’s assault.
Their clash ignited the surrounding space as Wu Yuan’s consciousness engaged in fierce combat with the black-robed figure. The moves executed by his opponent were none other than the ultimate technique recorded on the jade tablet.
Books may be lifeless, but this spirit brought knowledge to life.
Merely studying an ultimate technique without proper guidance made grasping its essence extraordinarily difficult, with true mastery nearly impossible to achieve.
This arrangement, however, transformed the experience completely.
The ultimate technique spirit before him commanded perfect knowledge of this ultimate technique. Sparring with it resembled receiving personal instruction from a master, allowing Wu Yuan to comprehend the core principles at unprecedented speed.
This isn’t mere combat, it’s a practical training lesson. Wu Yuan realized with growing excitement.
Recognizing this, he held back from unleashing his full power.
His body refiner self had made his breakthrough before obtaining the Chaos Jade Crystal. He had since utilized the Crystal while in secluded cultivation, equivalent to spending tens of billions of years refining his self-created Dao’s ultimate technique.
His current strength vastly surpassed what he had demonstrated during his confrontation with Cloud Saint.
If he were to unleash his full might, he could defeat this ultimate technique spirit with a single strike.
No need to rush. This opportunity is invaluable. Since Frostheaven Peak has given me one hundred million years, it likely won’t be easy to complete the trials. I should accumulate as much knowledge as possible. Wu Yuan thought.
I’ll strive to create even more powerful techniques, ensuring absolute confidence when the crucial moment arrives.
Although the ultimate technique demonstrated by the spirit before him differed fundamentally from Wu Yuan’s self-created Dao, he recognized that all Daos were interconnected.
At the highest levels of cultivation, only by absorbing the essence of myriad Daos and ultimate techniques could one continue to advance.
With sufficient accumulation, I can take my body refiner self’s self-created Dao from the third step to the fourth. Wu Yuan established this clear objective.
While the Xuanhuang Dao Treasure was important, advancing his self-created Dao to the fourth step was even more so.
Time flowed like water.
Wu Yuan’s body refiner self had now reached an extremely high Dao cultivation level, no longer ranking at the bottom among Dao Zenithels. His ether body was exactly on par with his body refiner self.
Moreover, his self-created Dao, crafted specifically to encompass and embrace all, enabled him to absorb these True Saint ultimate techniques with exceptional efficiency.
The most crucial factor remained his talent.
In terms of raw talent, I believe none in the entire cosmic sea can surpass me.
In a matter of months, Wu Yuan studied all ten thousand-plus ultimate technique jade tablets, gaining a preliminary understanding of their principles.
He fully comprehended only a select handful of techniques.
Simultaneously, he had reached the end of the first realm.
With a blazing slash of his saber, dazzling blade rays cut through the air, shattering the stone gate that marked the path’s conclusion.
“You have completed the trial of the first realm,” a gentle voice announced in his mind. “You may enter the second realm.”