Yuan’s Ascension

Chapter 1207: The Nine Realms (4)

Controlling a Sovereign’s mind wasn’t difficult for Wu Yuan, but controlling him completely would certainly affect Wu Yuan.

An early-stage Sovereign wasn’t worth such effort from Wu Yuan, so he only deluded him temporarily with an illusion. Only a Saint or higher-level being would be able to help Sovereign Xue Lou regain clarity.

“Go on, invite the Vermilion Devil Master here.” Wu Yuan said with a faint smile, sending Sovereign Xue Lou millions of li away with a wave of his hand.

Sovereign Xue Lou seemed to return to normal, not even glancing back as he flew off into the distant void.

At this moment, Sovereign Xue Lou had only one thought in his mind: invite the Vermilion Devil Master here!

In the city.

Extinguish. Wu Yuan’s gaze swept across, and in an instant, the eyes of the remaining hundred-plus Vermilion Devil Sect disciples dimmed, all perishing silently.

Whoosh! Only then did Wu Yuan release his suppression and restraints. Instantly, the multitude of native inhabitants in the city regained their freedom, looking at Wu Yuan with both shock and trepidation.

Thud~ The black-robed Tu Yun, however, fell to his knees. “Thank you, Senior! Thank you for saving my life.”

“Thank you, Senior.” Many native inhabitants knelt down as well.

“No need to thank me. All of you, flee for your lives.” Wu Yuan said with a faint smile, “I estimate that the Vermilion Devil Master will arrive in about two days. If you stay here, you’ll certainly die.”

“What?”

“The Vermilion Devil Master?” Terror flashed in the eyes of the native inhabitants. That would be a true nightmare.

Even the entire Yue Kingdom had fallen, let alone their small city? These native inhabitants were weak, and in their eyes, Wu Yuan might be strong, but likely couldn’t compare to the Vermilion Devil Master.

“Thank you for the warning, Senior.”

“Let’s go.”

“We must leave!” Many of the natives hastily gathered their belongings and fled, quickly turning the entire city into a ghost town.

Only one person remained—Tu Yun.

“Senior,” Tu Yun remained prostrate before Wu Yuan, repeatedly knocking his head against the ground.

“Stop kowtowing. You wish to take me as your master?” Wu Yuan’s face bore an enigmatic smile.

Tu Yun’s eyes widened; he hadn’t even spoken yet.

“What you thought in the past, what you’re thinking now, and what you’re about to think next—I know it all,” Wu Yuan said languidly. “I understand you better than you understand yourself.”

Indeed! A mere Astral Monarch, without any special artifacts to protect him, had no secrets before Wu Yuan.

Tu Yun grew increasingly terrified, not doubting Wu Yuan’s words for a moment.

“Senior’s insight is profound,” Tu Yun said respectfully.

“You believe I’m stronger than the original ruler of the Yue Kingdom and their top-tier experts?” Wu Yuan smiled. “You also think I can handle the Vermilion Devil Master?”

“Senior can immobilize a Sovereign with a mere thought. Only the legendary Overlords are capable of such feats,” Tu Yun said through gritted teeth.

With his limited knowledge, he was unaware of eternal powerhouses. Even in the vast expanse of the Nine Realms, Eternals were legends among ordinary beings.

“You have good judgment. Meeting you is indeed a stroke of fate,” Wu Yuan said with a faint smile.

“Senior has agreed?” Tu Yun’s eyes lit up, and he kowtowed repeatedly. “Disciple Tu Yun pays respects to Master.”

“When did I agree?” Wu Yuan shook his head. “You’ve likely comprehended the Great Dao of Destruction… Yet after over a hundred thousand years of cultivation, you’ve only reached the first-level Dao Field stage. You’re far too weak to qualify as my disciple.”

Tu Yun clenched his jaw.

Not qualified? He was the most monstrous prodigy born in the Yue Kingdom in ages. Even across the vast lands, he was undoubtedly among the top-tier geniuses. If not for this calamity befalling Yue Kingdom, he would have become an Overlord’s disciple in the future.

“At the very least, you’re not even one percent as strong as I was at your age,” Wu Yuan said flatly.

Tu Yun remained silent, instinctively feeling that Wu Yuan was lying. Not even one percent? How could that be possible?

“However, your personality rather suits my taste,” Wu Yuan smiled, having perused all of Tu Yun’s memories.

Tu Yun’s rise to power was somewhat similar to his own, also starting as a lonely youth who constantly cultivated and grew, with a particularly tenacious character.

In this great calamity of the Yue Kingdom, his first master and Dao companion had both died at the hands of Sovereign Xue Lou.

Before Tu Yun could continue speaking, Wu Yuan pointed from afar, and a stream of light shot into Tu Yun’s mind, flooding his consciousness with a large quantity of information.

After a while, Tu Yun finally came to his senses, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief. “This! Senior?”

Wu Yuan had imparted to him dozens of ultimate techniques and insights, each one a direct path to the eternal level. All were related to the Great Dao of Destruction.

Some of these ultimate techniques were from inherited divine slips Wu Yuan had obtained after slaying True Saints and Saints, while others were of his own creation. Each ultimate technique was beyond Tu Yun’s wildest imagination.

“This junior will never forget the grace and kindness Senior has shown in imparting these teachings,” Tu Yun immediately prostrated himself. “I humbly request Senior to reveal his name. If Tu Yun achieves anything in the future, he will surely repay Senior’s kindness.”

“My name?” A mysterious smile flickered across Wu Yuan’s face before he chuckled, “Heavenly Venerable!

“You can call me Heavenly Venerable!” Wu Yuan smiled.

In the boundless cosmic sea, the legendary fifth step of eternity that no one could reach was known as the Heavenly Venerable stage.

Ever since his two true selves pioneered their self-created Daos, Wu Yuan had begun to aspire to this level.

“Heavenly Venerable?” Tu Yun was inwardly astounded. Such boldness, daring to give oneself such an alias.

He immediately had a guess—the mysterious senior before him was likely an eternal powerhouse mentioned in the teachings and texts he had obtained. Only an eternal powerhouse would dare to claim to be venerated as heaven’s equal, right?

“This junior has committed it to memory,” Tu Yun said solemnly.

“Go now. You need not involve yourself in what comes next.” Wu Yuan waved his hand. “I won’t kill Sovereign Xue Lou. I’ll leave that to you in the future. As for the Vermilion Devil Master… we’ll see if he shows up.”

Tu Yun grew increasingly alarmed. From Senior Heavenly Venerable’s tone, it seemed that if the Vermilion Devil Master came, he was as good as dead.

“On behalf of countless lives in Yue Kingdom, this junior thanks Senior,” Tu Yun said respectfully, a glint of murderous intent in his eyes. “When I become a Sovereign, I will personally slay Sovereign Xue Lou.”

Wu Yuan nodded slightly.

He had high hopes for Tu Yun. Moreover, in his vague divinations of the future, Wu Yuan could sense that in many potential branches, Tu Yun had the possibility of reaching the Overlord level… The future was unpredictable, and one could only extrapolate based on current information, but this was enough to demonstrate Tu Yun’s talent.

Soon, Tu Yun departed, leaving only Wu Yuan to wait for the Vermilion Devil Master’s arrival.

Wu Yuan could never have known that his inadvertent actions would bring great changes to the future of the Nine Realms.

After countless ages, the name ‘Heavenly Venerable’ would become a legend in the Nine Realms, and a vast force called the Heavenly Venerable Temple would rise… But that’s a tale for another time.

…

The bustling streets and halls that once lined the capital of the Yue Kingdom were now deathly silent. The city lay in ruins, permeated with a thick aura of blood qi, as if trillions of vengeful spirits wailed in anguish.

Whoosh! A figure in blood-red robes tore through the void, flying into the capital unimpeded. Disciples of the Vermilion Devil Sect bowed along his path.

A Xiantian artifact! Quick, I must report to the Devil Master. Sovereign Xue Lou’s eyes were filled with excitement, truly believing he had found a great treasure trove concealing a Xiantian artifact.

In the former royal palace of the Yue Kingdom.

Outside the palace was a sea of blood qi, but inside, song and dance continued unabated. Numerous songstresses and musicians performed while trembling, fearing they might displease the devils above.

“Vermilion Devil, how much of your gains do you plan to give me this time?” A man in silver robes lazily swirled his wine cup.

The cup contained not fine wine, but crimson blood.

“Sageling jests,” the man in black robes, skeletal in appearance, said rather humbly. “All the Devil Blood Pearls refined from slaughtering the Yue Kingdom’s populace are naturally offered to the Sageling to aid in cultivation.”

The black-robed man was none other than the Vermilion Devil Master.

“Oh?” A hint of surprise flashed in the silver-robed man’s eyes before he smiled. “A gentleman doesn’t take what others cherish. I’ll take eighty percent; you should keep twenty for yourself.”