Yuan’s Ascension

Chapter 1203: Azure Saint Tomb (4)

Having engaged with several True Saints in the last battle, Wu Yuan noticed many flaws in his body refiner self, such as only excelling in close combat, while being quite weak in soul secret arts, domain secret arts, and the like.

It’s fortunate that my strength was sufficient to shatter all techniques. Otherwise, in the cosmic sea, if I encounter a few Full Saint powerhouses who excel in domains, I might not be able to defeat them. Wu Yuan pondered inwardly.

However, Wu Yuan’s body refiner self had only broken through on the path of matter so far, forging a supremely powerful deity body. But to cultivate various secret arts, it would be best to have eternal mana – the evolution of vital ether and mana.

All paths converged into one. After stepping into eternity, the early divergence between the paths of body refining and qi refining would ultimately lead to the same destination, with no distinction remaining.

I’ll first deduce and ponder. Wu Yuan was in no rush. I can create corresponding ultimate techniques now, and after stepping into eternity in the future, I’ll be able to cultivate them quickly.

Wu Yuan now had full access to the Eldritch Progenitor Hall of the Eldritch Court, with a vast amount of eternal inheritances and insights into ultimate techniques all made available to him. This was a great treasure trove.

Wu Yuan could draw upon and learn from the inheritances within, and then create his own ultimate techniques.

…

Time flowed on, year after year.

Decades later, the headquarters of the five Saintdoms in the Ling Jiang Universe gradually disbanded, once again shaking the entire universe and causing countless Overlords and Sovereigns under the five Saintdoms to panic.

But soon, these Sovereigns and Overlords discovered that although the Saintdom headquarters had disbanded, they could still retain their existing territories. The Eldritch Court Saintdom had not attacked.

When this news spread, it finally allowed the Sovereigns of the Saintdoms to breathe a sigh of relief.

As for the next samsara cycle of heaven and earth? It held no meaning for sempiternal lifeforms – purely needless worry.

However, the Immutable Land and Taiyuan Divine Court still remained, which also led to countless rumors spreading throughout the universe and even the cosmic sea.

But those Dao Zenithels standing at the pinnacle of the cosmic sea remained very calm, finding that all of this was to be expected.

“The Eldritch Court doesn’t dare to touch the Immutable Land or the Taiyuan Temple.”

“They are part of the Blood Dream Alliance, and the Spacetime Dao Master is one of the founders of the Blood Dream Alliance.”

“The Eternal Realm of the Spacetime Dao Master has always existed within the Ling Jiang Universe. Should he descend, he could wield his otherworldly power even within Ling Jiang, likely possessing True Saint level strength, or perhaps even greater.”

“To risk offending the Spacetime Dao Master over mere territory? That would be extremely unwise.”

“Moreover, it’s possible the Eldritch Court has already made special arrangements with the Spacetime Dao Master in secret.” Such was the consensus among the many Dao Zenithels.

…

As a thousand years passed, the Ling Jiang Universe finally settled into a state of calm.

The entire universe, no, the countless factions across the cosmic sea, all had their eyes fixed on Wu Yuan, awaiting the moment he would undergo Dao Enlightenment.

After all, in the eyes of innumerable powerhouses, Wu Yuan’s mastery of his self-created Dao had likely already reached the level of a True Saint. There was simply no need for further delay.

Yet, ten thousand years passed, then twenty thousand, then thirty thousand… over a hundred thousand years slipped by, and still there was no sign of Wu Yuan stepping into eternity, leaving the myriad powerhouses of the cosmic sea perplexed.

The tempest of speculation gradually subsided.

…

In the blink of an eye, nearly three hundred thousand years had passed since the battle at the Immortal Court’s Ling Jiang Saintdom.

In the cosmic sea, on the mainland of the Taiyuan Saint Realm.

Wu Yuan’s mana body emerged from the temple, coming to rest at the railing. He gazed down upon the vast expanse of land, his heart swelling with contentment. “Truly beautiful,” he mused.

“Master,” the alluring yet pure Mei Ye greeted respectfully.

“Your strength has indeed grown,” Wu Yuan remarked with a faint smile. “You’ve likely reached the seventh-level Dao Field stage, haven’t you?”

“It’s all thanks to Master’s guidance that I’ve made such progress,” Mei Ye replied, inwardly astonished that her master could see through her so easily, even before she had revealed her cultivation progress.

Little did she know that in the million years since returning from Ancient Dream Mountain, coupled with his fortuitous encounter in the Xuanhuang Cosmiris, Wu Yuan’s qi refiner self had made tremendous strides. Though his self-created Dao had not been advanced to the third step, it drew ever closer. To see through a mere Sovereign? Naturally, it took nothing more than a glance.

“Continue to cultivate diligently,” Wu Yuan said with a smile. “You are my sole follower. It would be rather embarrassing if you can’t even attain Overlord-level strength.”

“This servant shall strive with all her might,” Mei Ye replied, falling to her knees in trepidation, mistaking Wu Yuan’s words for anger.

Wu Yuan chuckled, waving his hand to help her up.

With a soft rush of air, Wu Yuan’s mana body took a single step, soaring towards the massive spacetime vortex at the center of the continent. Alas, the familiar figure of an old companion would no longer be found here.

Saint Shen Shui? Wu Yuan sighed inwardly, recalling their joint adventures spanning eight hundred thousand years, fraught with numerous brushes with death.

Saint Shen Shui had possessed a truly admirable character. Wu Yuan had fervently hoped he would break through, but in the end, it was not to be.

Eternity? An endless lifespan… perhaps it is its own form of torment. Wu Yuan murmured to himself. Perhaps, if I were to reach the pinnacle and find myself trapped for endless eons, I too would know such anguish.

Wu Yuan pondered these thoughts as he plunged into the spacetime vortex, swiftly selecting one of its passages—the route to the Azure Saint Tomb.

In 150 years, he would arrive at his destination.

With a faint ripple of disturbance, Wu Yuan’s mana body set off along the Saint Realm passage, bound for the incomprehensibly distant Azure Saint Tomb.

Naturally, his ether body hid within a grotto-heaven artifact of his mana body. Only True Saint Taiyuan was aware of Wu Yuan’s mana body’s movements, with no other soul privy to this knowledge.

…

One hundred and fifty years passed in the blink of an eye.

In the vast, boundless void, spacetime twisted and warped, with occasional wisps of Xiantian spiritual qi drifting lazily by.

Amidst the void stood an impossibly massive azure structure, stretching across untold light-years in its sprawling majesty.

Near this azure edifice, countless ‘small fragments of stone’ hung suspended in the void.

Upon one such stone fragment.

Hum~ Accompanied by an invisible ripple of energy, a figure clad in white robes materialized atop the vast celestial body. It was none other than Wu Yuan’s mana body.

Immediately, he beheld the colossal azure tower looming at the edge of the void.

How immense! He breathed, awestruck.

It was truly massive. The towering azure structure was divided into six levels, each appearing to span hundreds of light-years to the naked eye. The tower was encircled by surging, roiling streams of Xuanhuang qi. Its aura was boundless and unfathomable.

Most eye-catching of all was an unimaginably terrifying metallic fissure that ran along the tower’s immense form… as if some inconceivably powerful being had struck the entire structure with a single, devastating blow.

This fissure extended from the tower’s second level all the way up to the sixth, nearly bisecting the entire structure—a jagged, horrifying wound.

Rumble~ Vast quantities of Xuanhuang qi poured into the tower through this enormous crack, a ceaseless torrent of energy.

Hundreds of light-years? Wu Yuan shook his head slightly. That’s merely an illusion.

Armed with intelligence on the Azure Saint Tomb, Wu Yuan knew full well that the tower influenced spacetime itself. The fabric of spacetime itself was warped here. Though it appeared to be hundreds of light-years tall, any attempt to fly closer would prove futile. Even if Wu Yuan’s body refiner self were to make the attempt, trillions of years of flight would fail to bring him any nearer.

There was no helping it—his strength was simply insufficient. Only a Dao Zenithel could manage such a feat!

According to Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu’s information, a Dao Zenithel can tear through the spacetime distortions and penetrate deep into the Azure Saint Tomb with their own power, directly entering its core. Wu Yuan mused. Those who have yet to reach that level must dutifully enter through the ground floor entrance and fly upwards.

In the earliest days, when eternal powerhouses first discovered the Azure Saint Tomb, it was known simply as the Azure Tower, for its striking azure hue. Later, as numerous powerhouses explored its mysteries, it came to be called the Azure Saint Tower, and later still, the Azure Saint Tomb.

The name ‘Azure Saint Tomb’ was likely spread by Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu, the Heavenly Imperator, and the others. Perhaps because the innermost forbidden zone holds a coffin? Wu Yuan pondered, marveling at the structure’s history.

Without a doubt, the Azure Saint Tomb held great secrets, with a ninety-nine percent chance of being artificially created.

And yet, who could possibly craft such an azure tower? This was the cosmic sea, where myriad spacetime dimensions converged. Even the most perilous exploration sites and terrifying celestial bodies paled in comparison to its sheer scale.

Even beings as mighty as Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu and the Heavenly Imperator couldn’t so much as scratch this Azure Saint Tomb. Wu Yuan mused in quiet awe.

The higher one’s perspective, the more Wu Yuan understood why Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu and the others speculated that there must have been an era that predated even the Primordium. The cosmic sea concealed far too many secrets.

I hope this Azure Saint Tomb doesn’t disappoint. Wu Yuan thought as he flew forward.

His ether body led the way, while his mana body remained nestled within the grotto-heaven.

He soared toward the entrance at the tower’s base, estimating that it would take over a hundred years just to reach the entryway.