Yuan's Ascension

"Young Master?" Wu Yuan looked at the three Sovereigns, stunned. Various thoughts surfaced in his mind.

"Young Master, pay it no mind," Sovereign Lan Yan, immaculate as ever, rose with a smile. "As the Sovereign Custodians of the Dao Realm, we are all aware that you have become a successor of the Dao Master. Senior Zi Kong has transmitted some information about you to us."

"Oh?" Wu Yuan realized, recalling Zi Kong's earlier reminder.

Now it seemed that the core guardians of the Dao Realm were Zi Kong plus the three Sovereign Custodians.

"Why address me as Young Master?" Wu Yuan asked.

"As a Dao Master successor, you are naturally our Young Master," smiled the demonic red-robed Sovereign beside him. "To be precise, Ming Jian, you are our Fifth Young Master."

Wu Yuan nodded.

In this samsara cycle of heaven and earth, there had been four Dao Master successors before him, and he was the fifth.

Although there were many Dao Master successors in previous cycles, those successors who had not transcended before the end of each cycle all perished.

"There will only be seven successors of the Dao Master at most. The selection of each one is a joyous event that excites us all," chuckled the Sovereign in black battle armor. "We're always looking forward to the emergence of each new young master. Young Master Ming Jian, you likely have the greatest talent and potential among the five young masters so far."

"That's not true," Wu Yuan shook his head. "Some of the previous successors are already Overlord-level powerhouses, just a step away from the supreme level."

At the Overlord level, talent and potential didn’t mean much. Even for someone as extraordinary as Wu Yuan, he only dared say he might become an Overlord in the future. As for transcendence? The chances were slim.

Seven successors? Wu Yuan pondered briefly and understood. He was the fifth successor, and only two ultimate treasures remained at the final trial ground of the inheritance trial.

In this samsara cycle of heaven and earth, the Dao Master would indeed only have seven successors.

"Young Master Ming Jian." Sovereign Lan Yan smiled, "This is Sovereign Hong Yi, a Sovereign of Karma. He's a qi refiner with late-stage Sovereign combat power, extremely skilled in karmic curses. In terms of strength, he's considered top-tier among the Sovereigns of the Dao Realm."

"Sovereign Hong Yi," Wu Yuan greeted, inwardly shocked.

A late-stage Sovereign of Karma who was also a qi refiner would surely have terrifying power.

"Young Master can simply call me Hong Yi," smiled the demonic red-robed Sovereign.

"Young Master, this is Sovereign Hei Zhen," Sovereign Lan Yan continued. "He's a Sovereign of Earth, a body refiner with late-stage Sovereign combat power and extremely strong defensive capabilities." 𝘙𝘢ŊồＢƐ𝙎@@novelbin@@

"Sovereign Hei Zhen," Wu Yuan greeted.

It seemed the three Sovereign Custodians of the Dao Realm were all late-stage Sovereign powerhouses. None of them were to be trifled with.

…

As he conversed with the three Sovereign Custodians, Wu Yuan came to learn of some secrets.

For example, the cause of Sovereign Black Devil's death.

Back then, he was incredibly powerful, dominating the Dao Realm. Even late-stage Sovereign powerhouses were no match for him. He was suspected to have become an Overlord, though not as overwhelming as one.

He waged war against numerous factions in the Dao Realm simultaneously, attempting to unify it and convert the Faith of countless beings toward himself.

With each battle, Sovereign Black Devil slew a great number of powerhouses. The various factions of the Dao Realm were helpless against him.

Eventually, during the final battle, Sovereign Black Devil attacked the Spacetime Island, attempting to uncover its secrets, which prompted the three Sovereign Custodians to take action.

Unexpectedly, even the combined might of the three Sovereign Custodians was no match for Sovereign Black Devil.

"In the end, it was actually Senior Zi Kong who intervened. Within the Dao Realm, Senior Zi Kong's combat power rivals a supreme being. He subdued Black Devil with a single move!" Sovereign Lan Yan sighed.

"However, Senior Zi Kong is extremely mysterious and no one knows about this, so the various factions of the Dao Realm believe it was the Dao Master who took action."

Wu Yuan nodded in understanding. So that's how it was. He couldn't help but think of that seemingly harmless cat-like beast in the final trial ground.

"But the Black Devil Blood Hollow was indeed left behind at the Dao Master's behest," said Sovereign Hong Yi.

Wu Yuan nodded slightly.

In his speculation, the Dao Master left the Black Devil Blood Hollow intact probably because of that strand of the Ancestral Pagoda’s essence.

"Young Master Ming Jian," Sovereign Hei Zhen smiled, "Senior Zi Kong never leaves the Dao Realm and the Dao Master never makes an appearance. As Sovereign Custodians, we were actually selected by Senior Zi Kong, and we've only met the Dao Master a few times."

Wu Yuan was speechless.

It sounded like Senior Zi Kong was the grand steward of the Dao Realm.

"Young Master, as of now, your strength is still weak," Sovereign Lan Yan smiled. "When you leave the Dao Realm and grow powerful in the future, traversing the endless rivers of space and time, we may have the chance to join forces."

"Indeed!"

"Young Master, the mana bodies and ether bodies of us Dao Realm Sovereigns frequently venture out of the Dao Realm," Sovereign Hei Zhen laughed. "Among the Dao Realm Sovereigns, only we three know that you’re a successor. The others can only make guesses, but can't be certain."

Wu Yuan's mind stirred.

"Young Master, you're about to leave the Dao Realm, but since this is our first meeting, I've prepared a small gift for you," Sovereign Hong Yi smiled. "With this treasure, your future journey through the Megaverse Crossroads may be smoother, helping you claim a Saintcrest."

As he spoke, the red-robed Sovereign flipped his palm, revealing a rather large silver sword disc. Numerous streams of light danced within the disc like silver-colored fish, dazzlingly beautiful.

Upon closer inspection, one would realize these were not silver-colored fish at all, but rather flying swords with sharp auras.

"This?" Wu Yuan was slightly surprised.

A gift for him? Wu Yuan could sense that this sword disc was very special and extraordinary.

Surprise flashed through the eyes of Sovereign Lan Yan and Sovereign Hei Zhen.

"Young Master, this is called the Hundred Swords Silver River, containing a hundred flying swords. Each sword's attack power is no less than a mid-grade Dao Instrument flying sword, though they don't contain Dao essence, so their value isn't too high," Sovereign Hong Yi smiled.

"However, the hundred swords in the disc can be perfectly integrated, which is its major advantage. The disc itself is a mid-grade Dao Instrument.

This Hundred Swords Silver River is of little use to me, but I think it's very suitable for you right now, Young Master," said Sovereign Hong Yi.

"This is too valuable," Wu Yuan shook his head.

From Sovereign Hong Yi’s words, it didn’t sound like much. But the current Wu Yuan was quite knowledgeable. With some calculations, he understood that this Hundred Swords Silver River was definitely a top-tier mid-grade Dao Instrument. In terms of value, it could certainly rival the Nine Star Lotus Platforms, or even surpass it.

Even Sovereign Hong Yi's mana body might not be willing to carry such a treasure when venturing on expeditions.

"If converted to divine crystals, the Hundred Swords Silver River should be worth tens of trillions of divine crystals," Sovereign Hei Zhen beside him smiled. "Of course, no one would exchange such a treasure for divine crystals.

Young Master, this treasure isn't essential for us, but its construction is quite ingenious and its abilities are most suitable for your journey through the Megaverse Crossroads. After all, one’s true self must participate in the Crossroads."

The most common mid-grade Dao Instruments, such as flying swords or throwing knives, were worth about a hundred billion divine crystals.

"Young Master, take it," Sovereign Lan Yan also smiled. "Even if this treasure doesn't suit you, you can exchange it for other suitable treasures when you return to the Taiyuan Divine Court."

"Alright. Sovereign Hong Yi, I do indeed need this treasure, so I won't refuse anymore," said Wu Yuan.

He could see that refusing again would actually displease Sovereign Hong Yi. The other party was hoping to establish a good relationship.

Whoosh! Wu Yuan waved his hand and accepted the Hundred Swords Silver River.

"Young Master, I've also prepared something as a welcome gift," Sovereign Hei Zhen smiled. "This item is called the Myriad Stars Celestial Chain. It excels at binding and capturing, and can also be integrated into sword domains to enhance defense, though it may be quite difficult to control."

As he spoke, Sovereign Hei Zhen flipped his palm, revealing a black sphere that resembled a miniature star. Upon closer inspection, one could see extremely fine chains wrapped around the sphere.

The black sphere hovered, emanating a majestic aura.

"Is this... a high-grade Dao Instrument?" Wu Yuan was stunned.

He had seen many high-grade Dao Instruments before. Although this Myriad Stars Celestial Chain appeared to be sealed, he could still sense a thing or two. Such a treasure would be of great use even to ordinary Sovereigns.

In terms of absolute value, the Myriad Stars Celestial Chain was worth much more than the Hundred Swords Silver River.

But in terms of functionality, the Hundred Swords Silver River was more useful to Wu Yuan for his current situation. It was very suitable for carrying into battle, and would definitely augment his mana body's strength greatly.

As for the Myriad Stars Celestial Chain, he would need to wait until he reached the Astral Monarch level at least to unleash its full power.

However, treasures like the Hundred Swords Silver River or Myriad Stars Celestial Chain were not something one could easily purchase or trade for. Even Wu Yuan's body refiner self faced many restrictions when trying to redeem mid-grade Dao Instruments in the eldritch world’s treasury.

The more powerful the artifact, the rarer it was.

“This gift is too precious.” Wu Yuan shook his head, not daring to accept it lightly. He was even considering returning the Hundred Swords Silver River as well.

If it were some low-grade Dao Instruments or high-grade celestial artifacts, that would be fine. For Sovereigns, those would indeed be casual gifts.

But for such precious treasures, accepting them meant incurring a karmic debt! And karmic debts always had to be repaid, just like how Wu Yuan's qi refiner self received the Hundred Stars Saber from Astral Monarch Wan Lei, but had to pay back the karmic debt in the future.

"Young Master, don't worry too much," Sovereign Lan Yan finally spoke. "We have given similar gifts to each successor. It's just that the gifts for you are a bit more valuable.

For the other four successors, we mostly gifted treasures worth tens of billions of divine crystals," Sovereign Lan Yan smiled.

Every successor received gifts?

Wu Yuan's pupils contracted slightly. He wasn't a fool, and vaguely understood why the three Sovereigns were so enthusiastic.

"Young Master, these treasures are indeed valuable for ordinary Sovereigns. Most ordinary Sovereigns don't even have ten high-grade Dao Instruments," Sovereign Hong Yi smiled. "But we possess late-stage Sovereign strength and are Sovereign Custodians of the Dao Realm. Our wealth far surpasses that of ordinary Sovereigns, so these treasures aren't much to us."

Wu Yuan listened intently.

The three Sovereign Custodians were indeed extraordinary.

"The three earliest successors of the Dao Master have all become Overlords," Sovereign Hei Zhen chuckled. "And we believe that you, Young Master, possess the greatest talent. Therefore, we are convinced that becoming an Overlord in the future is a foregone conclusion for you.”

“Gifting you some treasures will help you grow faster and more steadily, and it will be worthwhile for us once you become an Overlord in the future," Sovereign Hong Yi smiled.

"The leap from late-stage Sovereign to Overlord level is extremely difficult to cross," Sovereign Lan Yan said softly. "Take the Taiyuan Divine Court for example, their territory spans two thousand macrocosms, with tens of thousands of Sovereigns under their command. Yet, even with guidance from a supreme being, only eight Overlords have emerged so far.

And you, Young Master, are likely to become an exceptionally powerful existence even among Overlords in the future."

Wu Yuan now understood completely.

Other Sovereigns were uncertain whether he had become a successor of the Dao Master, so they might not be willing to pay a great price. But the three Sovereign Custodians had a deep understanding of his background.

Thus, they were willing to invest in him early on.