Yuan’s Ascension

Chapter 1120: Even Perennials Can Be Killed (2)

Boom! Boom! Boom! The three explosions ripped through the void like detonating celestial bodies. Each blast sent terrifying shockwaves rippling outward in all directions, causing Wu Yuan’s River Ring to waver slightly.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! The nine swords orbiting Wu Yuan’s body sprang into action. Their gleaming blades pulsed with brilliant light as sword qi erupted from their surfaces, forming a powerful domain that effortlessly absorbed the explosive force. Within moments, the disturbed region of spacetime settled back into calm.

They’re quite stubborn, choosing destruction over capture. Wu Yuan thought, observing the aftermath. If only my Five Elements Sealing Hand were more powerful. If I had Perennial level mana, I could have suppressed them directly.

However, the detonation of three second-stage Overlord powerhouses couldn’t shatter the River Ring? Wu Yuan nodded slightly.

His qi refiner self had indeed grown dramatically stronger over the last thirty thousand years ago.

With a casual wave of his hand, Wu Yuan collected the various treasures the three Overlords had dropped.

He understood their desperate choice. The destruction of mana and ether bodies wasn’t a big deal—they could return a million years later after cultivating new ones. The treasures they carried were also ordinary.

But if their mana and ether bodies were completely immobilized, even self-destruction would be difficult, it would leave them vulnerable to targeted karmic attacks.

This explained the consensus among countless powerhouses throughout the cosmic sea: better to destroy one’s mana or ether body than allow them to be captured by an enemy.

A Perennial powerhouse from the Que Luo race is coming? Wu Yuan mused, recalling their final words. I wonder how formidable their combat power will be.

If a Perennial’s true self appeared, their power would be overwhelming, though such an occurrence was highly improbable. If only their mana or ether body arrived, they would be considerably weaker.

However, what kind of treasure could Sovereign Lan Yan possibly be involved with for the Que Luo race to deploy so many powerhouses? Confusion flickered in Wu Yuan’s eyes.

A rare treasure capable of upgrading one’s root from first-degree to Apotheosis-degree would certainly be precious to Sovereigns, but for Overlords and Eternals, such an item held virtually no value.

Let’s go. With a thought, Wu Yuan dispersed the River Ring, and vanished swiftly into the surrounding fog.

…

Nearly a hundred billion li from where Wu Yuan had confronted the three Que Luo Overlords, a massive black mountain floated in space. It towered over a hundred million li high, wreathed in thick, swirling mist.

Nine Que Luo powerhouses had gathered here. Their forms resembled lightning stars, their attention fixed on the imposing black mountain.

Seven of the figures stood approximately ten thousand li tall, with only minor variations between them. The remaining two possessed exceptionally enormous bodies reaching an astonishing thirty thousand li. Their auras radiated incomparable majesty, far surpassing that of sempiternal lifeforms—these were Perennials.

“Ge Long, are you certain she’s hiding inside this mountain?” One of the Que Luo Perennials asked, his voice resonating deeply.

“Yes.” Perennial Ge Long nodded. “According to Overlord Ge Ku’s report, when he competed with that Overlord of Spacetime for the six fragments, she managed to seize one. They should belong to the same component.”

He continued solemnly, “The fragments resonate with each other, allowing Overlord Ge Ku to confirm that the final piece lies within this black mountain.”

“But the mountain presents no simple challenge,” the other Que Luo Perennial replied, staring at the mountain with visible wariness. “Its internal spacetime overlaps unpredictably. We can’t determine where it ends. One wrong step might lead us into the core region.”

Perennial Ge Long nodded in acknowledgment.

Though the mountain before them appeared merely over a hundred million li tall, the spacetime distortions meant some passages inside might connect directly to the main body of Ancient Dream Mountain. Even as Perennial powerhouses, they hesitated to enter rashly.

“But Yong Hun, we cannot afford to wait indefinitely,” Perennial Ge Long said, shaking his head. “The longer we delay, the more variables emerge. If word spreads, even Saints might descend.”

Had Wu Yuan been present to hear their names—Perennial Ge Long and Perennial Yong Hun—he would likely have recognized them. Despite the vastness of the cosmic sea, after numerous samsara cycles of heaven and earth, with constant conflicts between various factions, information about powerful figures from rival factions was meticulously documented. This was especially true for ancient Eternal powerhouses, making it harder for them to conceal their identities.

“Hmm?” Suddenly, anger flashed in Perennial Ge Long’s eyes as he growled, “How dare he!”

Immediately, Perennial Yong Hun and the seven Overlords turned toward Ge Long, confused. Their expressions quickly shifted to shock and rage as they learned that Overlord Qiong Gao and the others had been killed.

After the mana and ether bodies of Overlord Qiong Gao and his companions were destroyed, their true selves in the Saint Realm had naturally transmitted this information to their other faction members without delay.

“Guang Yan, you three stay here and guard the mountain,” Perennial Ge Long commanded, his voice cold as ice. “Don’t let that Overlord of Spacetime escape.”

“Yes,” three of the Que Luo Overlords responded with deference.

“You four, come with us,” Perennial Ge Long ordered.

In an instant, Perennial Ge Long and Perennial Yong Hun, accompanied by four Overlords, sped toward the location where Overlord Qiong Gao and the others had perished.

…

A white-robed figure streaked through the layers of mist at tremendous speed.

Where exactly is it? Wu Yuan soared through the void, constantly scanning the surrounding spacetime.

He had already passed several black mountains in this area. Though Sovereign Lan Yan had not yet been captured, Wu Yuan suspected she had hidden in one of the smaller mountains. Uncertain which one it might be, he dared not enter any of them carelessly.

It’s a pity. If I had captured those Que Luo powerhouses earlier, I could have questioned them further. Wu Yuan thought regretfully.

Hmm? Suddenly, his eyes brightened as he detected six figures approaching at alarming speed, seemingly pursuing him.

Que Luo powerhouses? They must be seeking revenge. A cold glint flashed in Wu Yuan’s eyes.

He made no attempt to conceal himself. Instead, Wu Yuan transformed into a streak of light and charged directly toward the six Que Luo powerhouses.

…

“He’s actually coming toward us?”

“Did he fail to sense our presence?”

Perennial Ge Long and Perennial Yong Hun exchanged surprised glances.

They had deployed over a dozen Overlords throughout this spacetime region, divided into several teams to patrol the area while simultaneously establishing numerous detection arrays. This strategy had allowed them to quickly lock onto Wu Yuan’s position.

After all, if Wu Yuan intended to rescue Sovereign Lan Yan, he couldn’t leave this spacetime region.

Yet they never anticipated that this mysterious Overlord, rather than fleeing their approach, would actively charge toward them.

“According to Overlord Qiong Gao’s report, he should be an Overlord of Spacetime,” Perennial Yong Hun said icily. “His combat power likely reaches the fourth-stage Overlord level. He must be quite confident.”

“A fourth-stage Overlord of Spacetime is exceedingly rare. Currently, there isn’t a single one in our Que Luo race,” Perennial Ge Long noted, wariness flickering in his eyes. “We may not necessarily be able to kill him.”

“We might not kill him, but we must defeat him,” Perennial Yong Hun stated firmly. “Force him to leave this area.”

Among universe-born lifeforms, typically one in several dozen Overlords could reach the fourth stage. Creating eternal ultimate techniques didn’t appear particularly difficult for them.

For naturally-born eternal lifeforms, however, creating eternal ultimate techniques at the sempiternal lifeform stage was as impossible as scaling the heavens—perhaps one in thousands of Overlords might achieve it. This was due to a gap in comprehension aptitude.

This explained why Overlord Wu Huang dominated the Taiyuan Saint Realm, tyrannizing other Overlords–not merely because of his background, but through his own formidable strength.

“Charge.”

“Let’s go!” As Eternals, Perennial Ge Long and Perennial Yong Hun naturally harbored no fear of a mere Overlord. They headed straight for Wu Yuan, following the fluctuations.

Moments later, the two parties met in the void.

Wu Yuan stood in the void, his gaze sweeping across the six distant figures—two Perennials and four Overlords.

The vital auras of sempiternal lifeforms and eternal lifeforms differed fundamentally, even those of mana or ether bodies. This was because eternal powerhouses, even the most ordinary Perennials, had fully comprehended a complete Great Dao.

“Were you the one who killed Overlord Qiong Gao and the others?” Perennial Yong Hun’s voice cut through the silence, cold as ice. “You’ve got nerve, killing a powerhouse of our Que Luo race. Don’t you fear death?”

“You hunted my friend. Don’t you fear death?” Wu Yuan countered with a sneer.

The two Perennials faltered momentarily. The four Overlords exchanged startled glances. None had expected this mysterious Overlord to address eternal powerhouses so boldly.

“What nonsense. Your friend stole a treasure from our race. We asked her to return it, yet she dared to flee. Who should we hunt if not her?” Perennial Yong Hun’s voice remained glacial. “Brat, your strength is considerable. You’re likely a core member of some Saint Realm, but our Que Luo race doesn’t fear you. Leave while you can.”

Both Perennial powerhouses felt a measure of wariness toward Wu Yuan, instinctively reluctant to engage him directly.

Most crucially, a fourth-stage Overlord of Spacetime was virtually impossible for them to kill.

“Hand over my friend, or reveal her whereabouts,” Wu Yuan fixed his penetrating gaze on the two Perennials, twin gleams of deadly intent flashing in his eyes. “Otherwise—die!”

Wu Yuan dismissed their claims about stolen treasures as meaningless.

Throughout the cosmic sea’s vast expanse, treasures formed naturally and had always belonged to those with the power to claim them. Wu Yuan saw no fault in Sovereign Lan Yan fleeing after the Que Luo race failed to secure the treasure.

But in a world where the strong devoured the weak, if they dared obstruct him from saving Sovereign Lan Yan, then he would simply eliminate them.

This was the principle Wu Yuan adhered to. He was no paragon of virtue, nor did he care to proclaim himself a good person.

“Die!… Die!… Die!” The cold declaration echoed through heaven and earth.

A moment of silence followed.

“You court death.”

“No matter which faction you belong to, you’re dead!” Perennial Yong Hun and Perennial Ge Long seethed with fury.

They believed they had shown sufficient restraint, even swallowing the loss of their race’s Overlord mana and ether bodies. Yet Wu Yuan continued his arrogant defiance.

“So what if you’re an Overlord of Spacetime?” Perennial Yong Hun glared at Wu Yuan. “Fourth-stage Overlord power merely allows you to dominate other Overlords. Eternal powerhouses, even mana or ether bodies, possess combat power equal to fourth-stage Overlords.”

With a step forward, Perennial Yong Hun took a step forward, his body like lightning and starlight. With a surge of power, a pair of arms formed from energy materialized. These arms swung forward, and a Xiantian artifact appeared, thrusting forth with devastating force.

As the spear struck, spear lights expanded instantly to over a hundred million li. The vast heaven and earth seemed to dim before their brilliance.

Eternal ultimate technique—Lightning Pierces Shadow! For those who had fully comprehended a Great Dao, creating eternal ultimate techniques came naturally. They could even develop multiple sets of such techniques.

“Suppress!” Perennial Ge Long charged forward with a thunderous rumble. His body, originally spanning about thirty thousand li, suddenly expanded to a million li in width. Countless lightning bolts surged and crashed in all directions as spacetime twisted and collapsed in rippling layers.

In an instant, the lightning bolts intertwined and converged, forming two terrifying electric whips that swept across hundreds of millions of li, scattering mist to both sides. One lashed from the left, one from the right, both converging viciously upon Wu Yuan—another eternal ultimate technique deployed in full force.

“This—”

“The two Perennials have launched their attacks.”

“We’ll probably die in a single strike from that.” The four accompanying Overlords maintained their distance, watching with tense anticipation.

As second-stage Overlords, they lacked the capacity to intervene in a battle of this magnitude. Unrestricted Perennial powerhouses, even their mere mana or ether bodies, could easily defeat or kill Overlords.

“Such powerful might. Worthy of being Perennial powerhouses,” Wu Yuan observed with unnerving calm. “It’s unfortunate you’ve only dispatched your ether bodies. If these were your true selves, I might find it quite challenging to kill you.

“But mere ether bodies? Die.” With a mental command, Wu Yuan summoned the Origin Saint Pearl, which erupted with countless rays of light.

Spacetime trembled as the River Ring formed. The miniature river of space and time attempted to encompass the two Perennials but encountered resistance from their attacks, quickly showing signs of imminent collapse.

As expected, relying solely on the Origin Saint Pearl isn’t enough to suppress them. Wu Yuan wasn’t surprised by this limitation.

If Perennial powerhouses could be so easily contained, they wouldn’t be considered eternally indestructible.

Heavenrending Sword Array, suppress them. Wu Yuan gestured, and the nine Heavenrending Swords orbiting him merged into the River Ring.

Instantly, layers of sword qi radiated outward, stabilizing the River Ring and completely enveloping the two Perennials.

The Heavenrending Sword Array and the two Perennial powerhouses collided in a series of deafening, cataclysmic impacts.

“Brat, your domain is formidable, but it cannot harm us,” Perennial Yong Hun thundered.

He and Perennial Ge Long had regained their composure soon after the initial alarm. Though temporarily unable to break free from the contained spacetime, they sensed their opponent couldn’t truly injure them either.

“Is that so?” Wu Yuan’s gaze hardened to ice as a hazy Dao resonance finally descended, enveloping the nine Heavenrending Swords.

The Samsara Sword’s Dao resonance—Wu Yuan had finally deployed his strongest technique.