Yuan’s Ascension

Chapter 1312: Target, Wu Yuan (2)

“I invited them. They didn’t come,” the ethereal figure in white robes replied. “Yan Tuo didn’t respond. As for the Blood Emperor and Dream Emperor, they made excuses. I suspect they’re unwilling to offend the Eldritch Court, and it’s likely related to True Saint Ming Jian as well.

“After all, once Ming Jian breaks through, his power will rival theirs. And Ming Jian is on good terms with Wu Yuan. Given multiple factors, it’s understandable that they’re unwilling to act,” the white-robed figure concluded.

The silver-armored figure frowned slightly but said no more.

“Eastmoon, why don’t you explain?” Dao Zenithel Wan Yu looked at the towering figure with the full moon at his back.

That towering figure with a full moon behind him was none other than the leader of the Eastmoon Megaverse, Ancestral Saint Eastmoon. He too was a Full Dao Zenithel in strength, on par with the Blood Emperor and Dream Emperor.

“Very well.” Ancestral Saint Eastmoon’s gaze swept over the group as he spoke deliberately: “Since you’ve all come, you likely wish to know my thoughts. Wan Yu, Bai Lian… you both owe me a karmic debt from that time at Yonder Cliff. This time, I’d like to ask for your help. Whether we succeed or fail, consider that debt repaid.”

“Mm.” Dao Zenithel Wan Yu nodded lightly. “I’ll do what I can.”

“I shall give it my all,” the beautiful figure atop the lotus platform also spoke, her voice melodious and ethereal.

Any other Dao Zenithel would instantly recognize the figure seated upon the lotus platform: Dao Zenithel Bai Lian, ruler of the Azure Lotus Megaverse, whose power rivaled that of Ancestral Saint Eastmoon himself.

“Dong Huo.” Ancestral Saint Eastmoon turned to the silver-armored figure. “I intend to seize the Xuanhuang Dao Treasure from Wu Yuan, which means directly opposing the Eldritch Court. For this, I require your Immortal Court’s assistance.”

Imperial Majesty Dong Huo replied bluntly, “Without my Immortal Court’s aid, I doubt you could defeat Wu Yuan with your forces alone.”

The gathering consisted of four leaders of major factions, three of which wielded the greatest authority in their respective factions. Though Dong Huo wasn’t the supreme leader of the Immortal Court, as a Full Dao Zenithel, his strength matched theirs. He had no reason to show deference.

“You are right,” Ancestral Saint Eastmoon admitted candidly. “I had originally planned to invite Yan Tuo, but unfortunately…If I obtain the Xuanhuang Dao Treasure, I will fulfill the promise I made to your Immortal Court. In exchange, your Court must agree not to compete with me for the treasure.”

Ancestral Saint Eastmoon fixed his gaze on Imperial Majesty Dong Huo.

Dao Zenithel Wan Yu and Dao Zenithel Bai Lian also turned to him, their intentions clear. They aided Eastmoon to repay karmic debts, not merely to oppose the Eldritch Court. If the Immortal Court intended to play opportunist, they would rather abandon the endeavor entirely.

From their perspective, it made little difference whether the Eldritch or Immortal Court claimed the Xuanhuang Dao Treasure.

After a weighted silence, Dong Huo spoke.

“Alright. On behalf of the Immortal Court, I swear a Primordial Oath,” he declared in a measured voice. “In this contest for the Xuanhuang Dao Treasure, all Dao Zenithels of my Immortal Court will assist Eastmoon with our full might. We will not compete for the treasure.”

Ancestral Saint Eastmoon nodded slightly, naked desire flashing in his eyes. After eons of waiting, he had finally found his opportunity. This was perhaps his best chance yet; the target was merely a True Saint.

As for the Eldritch Court? With the combined forces of the Immortal Court, Wan Yu Tower, Azure Lotus Megaverse, and Eastmoon Megaverse, they could surely stand against a single faction.

“Bai Lian, Dong Huo,” Ancestral Saint Eastmoon said. “Go ahead. Wait with the other Dao Zenithels outside the Tenth Chaos Void. When the time comes to take action, I will notify you.”

Dao Zenithel Bai Lian and Imperial Majesty Dong Huo exchanged glances, then cast sidelong looks at Dao Zenithel Wan Yu.

They all understood the truth. To ambush Wu Yuan, overwhelming force wasn’t the crucial factor; divination was. Without knowing Wu Yuan’s whereabouts, all else was meaningless. Even the formidable Immortal Court couldn’t accomplish this task.

Clearly, Dao Zenithel Wan Yu was the key to their plan. He was already skilled in divination to begin with, and on top of that, he possessed the Eternal Register, a Xuanhuang Dao Treasure of unfathomable power. By asking the others to leave first, Eastmoon clearly wanted to keep certain secrets from them.

Whoosh~ Whoosh~ The consciousness projections of Imperial Majesty Dong Huo and Dao Zenithel Bai Lian dissipated instantly.

In the vast void, only Ancestral Saint Eastmoon and Dao Zenithel Wan Yu remained.

“Wan Yu, whether we fail or succeed, it all depends on you,” Ancestral Saint Eastmoon said, his gaze intense. “You are the only one who can divine Wu Yuan’s whereabouts. Without that, all my scheming amounts to nothing.”

“Rest assured. I owe you a karmic debt, so I will give this my all,” Dao Zenithel Wan Yu replied softly. “If Wu Yuan ascends to Dao Zenithel or abandons the Xuanhuang Dao Treasure, even I would struggle to locate him.”

He continued, “However, the Eternal Register is one of the thirty-six Xuanhuang Dao Treasures classified as Charts and Registers. It records the secrets of all Xuanhuang Dao Treasures and can sense when any emerge. A mere True Saint cannot perfectly conceal the aura of a Xuanhuang Dao Treasure. As long as he possesses it, he cannot escape my divination.

“Unless he remains hidden in the Tenth Chaos Void, he cannot evade me,” Wan Yu concluded with quiet confidence.

Ancestral Saint Eastmoon nodded, desire gleaming in his eyes. The Eternal Register, while not suited for combat, possessed extraordinary auxiliary functions. Had Wan Yu not wished to repay his karmic debt, he likely wouldn’t have revealed this secret.

“Good. I will lead my Dao Zenithels to the Ten Chaos Voids as soon as possible,” Eastmoon said. “I await your good news.”

Whoosh! Ancestral Saint Eastmoon departed silently.

This Eastmoon is too simple-minded. Dao Zenithel Wan Yu murmured, shaking his head. Seizing Wu Yuan’s Xuanhuang Dao Treasure? That’s like snatching treasure from Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu’s hands. How can it be easy?

He gazed into the distance. Still, I’ve repaid my karmic debt. When the final battle begins, Eastmoon and Dong Huo will be the main fighting force. Win or lose, it no longer concerns me.

If we fail? The Eldritch Court won’t expend significant effort to take revenge on me over this minor conflict. If we succeed? They’ll resent me, certainly, but they’d need to find my Eternal Realm first. Moreover, they’ll have the Immortal Court to contend with, not to mention Eastmoon with his new Xuanhuang Dao Treasure. They likely won’t have time to bother with me.

For Dao Zenithel Wan Yu, who stood at the pinnacle of power, he feared neither the Eldritch nor Immortal Court. He was a force capable of shaping the cosmic sea’s fate. Today, he allied with the Immortal Court against the Eldritch Court. Tomorrow,he might join the Eldritch Court against the Immortal Court.

Hmm? He’s still moving. Wan Yu sensed Wu Yuan’s position from afar. At this pace, it will take roughly 1300 years before he leaves the Tenth Chaos Void.

I wonder if he’ll depart directly from the Tenth Chaos Void, or exit through the Ninth.

Over the past hundred million or so years, the Tenth Chaos Void had gradually stabilized, with many areas having been preliminarily explored. Besides the original passage to the Ninth Chaos Void, several channels linking to other Chaos Voids had appeared, including a spacetime corridor leading directly into the cosmic sea.

…

Wu Yuan’s ether body stood alone in a dark expanse of void near the five-colored realm within the Tenth Chaos Void. Suddenly, space warped, and a white-robed figure emerged. It was his mana body.

Wu Yuan’s ether body gestured, sending dozens of storage artifacts flying toward his mana body, which caught them deftly before concealing itself and departing.

Only his ether body remained in the void.

As instructed by Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu, I’ve handed over all treasures to my mana body except for the Creation Origin Armor and a few battle artifacts. Wu Yuan murmured. I should meet with Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu again.

With a thought, his consciousness entered the Eldritch Court Voidrealm, arriving at Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu’s hall within the Eldritch Progenitor Hall.

“Eldritch Progenitor.” Wu Yuan’s avatar materialized with a respectful bow.

“You’ve come,” Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu acknowledged. Clad in white, her aura radiated sacredness, her gaze gentle.

“As instructed, I’ve transferred my treasures to my mana body,” Wu Yuan reported, then asked, “But why not have my mana body take the Xuanhuang Dao Treasure with it?”

He had already communicated with Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu previously and knew that many major powers in the cosmic sea might join forces against him.

“It wouldn’t change much,” Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu replied. “If only the Immortal Court were targeting you, that might work. They can divine your ether body’s location at most, not confirm who possesses the Xuanhuang Dao Treasure. And normally, you wouldn’t dare entrust such a treasure to another True Saint.”

Wu Yuan nodded in agreement. The Xuanhuang Dao Treasure was far too precious to entrust to anyone, even True Saints like Qi Guang or Dong Yi. Human hearts were unfathomable, and even a Primordial Oath wasn’t entirely binding. The more powerful a being, the more they believed only in themselves.

Wu Yuan’s two true selves should have made this a non-issue, yet Hou Tu had cautioned him otherwise.

“But this time, things are different because Dao Zenithel Wan Yu has decided to take action,” Hou Tu explained patiently. “He’s not tracking you, but the Xuanhuang Dao Treasure itself. Unless you abandon it entirely, you cannot escape his detection.”

“Is he truly that formidable?” Wu Yuan asked, surprised.

“The Eternal Register is profoundly mysterious,” Hou Tu sighed. “I learned only fragments of its secrets under extraordinary circumstances. As a mere True Saint, you cannot fully conceal the Xuanhuang Dao Treasure’s aura.”

Wu Yuan considered this carefully. He could only activate the first level of the Creation Origin Armor’s power, not achieve perfect control. Still, that should normally be enough to mask its aura from detection. When he battled True Saint Luan Hai’s group, they never identified what sort of Xuanhuang Dao Treasure he possessed.

“Then what should I do now?” Wu Yuan asked, uncertainty creeping into his voice.

“That depends on your intentions,” Hou Tu replied with a knowing smile. “When you emerge from the Tenth Chaos Void, you’ll struggle to maintain fixed coordinates under the distortion of spacetime, making it difficult for Eldritch Progenitor Di Jiang or myself to get to you immediately.”

“This is precisely the opportunity the Immortal Court and Dao Zenithel Wan Yu are waiting for. They’re gambling on reaching you before we can,” she explained.

Wu Yuan listened intently.

“My suggestion is that your ether body should remain in the Tenth Chaos Void for now,” Hou Tu advised with a smile.

“Delay?” Wu Yuan began to grasp her meaning.

“They believe your true self is trapped in the Tenth Chaos Void, unable to ascend to Dao Zenithel. This is why they dare move against you,” Hou Tu revealed. “But in reality, both your true selves reside within your Saint Realms’ essence spaces, ready to break through at any moment.

“Both your true selves could break through right away. Once your qi refiner self breaks through, wielding a Xuanhuang Dao Treasure, its power will approach the Dream Emperor’s level, excelling particularly in psyche dream illusions. That will be ideal for large-scale battles,” Hou Tu continued. “Of course, your qi refiner self doesn’t need to expose itself.

“The main focus is still your body refiner self. Even without the Xuanhuang Dao Treasure, its strength after breakthrough will be extraordinary. I’ll coordinate with other Eldritch Court Dao Zenithels to receive you. Of course, if both your true selves join the battle, our chances increase significantly,” Hou Tu smiled. “Once we meet up with your ether body and your body refiner self obtains the Xuanhuang Dao Treasure armor, its power will rival Eldritch Progenitor Di Jiang’s. We can then launch a direct counterattack and exact our revenge.”

Wu Yuan’s eyes brightened as he grasped Hou Tu’s strategy. Both true selves would break through immediately, adding two powerful Dao Zenithels to their forces. No, three, as his mana body could return to the Saint Realm undetected and undergo its transformation right after his qi refiner self.

His qi refiner self could greatly influence the battle if it retrieved the Samsara Sword first. And his body refiner self, even without the Xuanhuang Dao Treasure, could match powerhouses like the Blood Emperor once it ascended to Dao Zenithel.

“The greatest drawback is that many of your secrets will be exposed,” Hou Tu cautioned. “At minimum, the fact that your ether body can cultivate an Eternal Psyche will certainly be revealed.

“If you prefer not to risk this, Eldritch Progenitor Di Jiang and I can head over to escort you now, with about a seventy percent chance of success,” she added, leaving the choice to Wu Yuan.

“I shall break through first,” Wu Yuan decided with a smile. “It was necessary to hide secrets when I was weak to avoid unwanted attention. Now that I have sufficient strength, there’s no need for secrecy.”

His eyes flashed coldly. “Most importantly, these Dao Zenithels seek to steal my treasures; letting them leave unscathed would be too generous. They must pay a price.”

Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu smiled faintly. She understood Wu Yuan’s character well and had anticipated this choice. If he weren’t thinking of revenge, he wouldn’t be Wu Yuan.

“Good. The Saint Realm’s evolution into an Eternal Realm won’t cause an excessively large disturbance. Transform its essence first, but don’t rush to expand the Saint Realm,” Hou Tu instructed. “That way, the Heavenly Imperator won’t sense it immediately.”

Wu Yuan nodded. Whether a miniature River of Universes was classified as a Saint Realm or Eternal Realm depended primarily on external observation. Both his Saint Realms existed within the River of Universes dimension, which served as an excellent layer of concealment. Apart from Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu and the Heavenly Imperator, other Dao Zenithels could only perceive it vaguely.

“Go and break through now. When both your true selves have ascended to Dao Zenithel and are ready to leave, notify me,” Hou Tu said. “I’ll coordinate with the other Eldritch Court Dao Zenithels, and we’ll set out for the Tenth Chaos Void.”

“Understood,” Wu Yuan nodded before departing.