Yuan's Ascension

In Inconstance's view, it was understandable that Wu Yuan had surpassed him, given that Wu Yuan’s cultivation speed was considerably faster than his own and their Dao comprehension levels were quite similar.

But Ming Jian? Ming Jian was indeed extremely talented, but he hadn't reached the Dao Field stage of Spacetime.

Though the path of matter and the path of Laws had fundamental differences, upon closer examination, they were intricately connected - higher Dao comprehension meant a clearer understanding of heaven and earth. Therefore, when cultivating the Primordial Doctrine, Supreme Genius generally progressed faster.

How could I fall behind Ming Jian? Inconstance felt confused and unsettled.

Several breaths passed.

I must remain calm. On the path of cultivation, the enemy has never been others, but oneself. Inconstance's mind returned to peace, and a slight smile reappeared on his face: Destiny is inconstant, what’s fast isn't necessarily fast, and what’s slow isn't necessarily slow.

What does it matter if they're fast? What I need to do is focus on myself. He had already let go of this attachment.

Wu Yuan? Ming Jian? They were merely passersby in his life.

Continue cultivating. Inconstance closed his eyes, his mind as still as water as he analyzed the next Life Foundation Diagram.

This was a dark, infinite expanse stretching endlessly in every direction. Suspended in the void was an unimaginably massive star, its surface engulfed in flickering purple flames. At a glance, it was unmistakably a vast Primordial Star, radiating an ancient and majestic presence.

Beside this large Primordial Star were two jade platforms, one of which was occupied by a black-robed figure. It was Wu Yuan's body refiner self, who had been meditating here for nearly a hundred years.

Hum~ As a silent spatial ripple passed by, a white-robed figure with a distinctly different aura appeared, sitting on the other jade platform.

After spending nearly eight hundred years, my qi refiner self has finally analyzed 1000 diagrams of the Three Thousand Foundation Diagrams from the Spacetime Chapter. Both of Wu Yuan's true selves revealed smiles. Both had succeeded.

He felt relieved; during the previous hundred years, he had worried that his qi refiner self would hit a bottleneck and fail to break through. Its progress in the Primordial Doctrine was indeed slower, and its previous rapid progress was purely due to spending more time in the Primordial Doctrine Temple.

They say the Great Daos are singular, but more accurately speaking, it should be that eternity is singular. Wu Yuan's body refiner self mused.

He suddenly raised his hand, his fingertip flickering with azure light that contained no trace of Dao fluctuations, yet concealed terrifying power.

Primordial Power. Wu Yuan sighed inwardly.

He now fully understood why this life-or-death treasure ground had set the requirement of comprehending one thousand of the Three Thousand Foundation Diagrams.

When cultivating the Great Daos, crystallizing True Intent was an important milestone, representing truly understanding the internal workings of the Great Dao.

This was similar to cultivating the path of matter.

The nine chapters of the Primordial Doctrine were largely similar, all following the sequence of Three Thousand Foundation Diagrams, Five Thousand Primal Force Diagrams, and Nine Thousand Primordial Diagrams.

The beginning stages of each chapter were very similar, but the further one went, the more fundamental differences emerged.

Comprehending one thousand Foundation Diagrams represented achieving a small degree of success in understanding the Primordial Doctrine, allowing one to crystallize a trace of Primordial Power based on this understanding.

Acquiring Primordial Power represented truly stepping onto this path toward eternity.

Wu Yuan let out a deep, inward sigh. When my body refiner self deciphered the first 999 diagrams, my qi refiner self could utilize the shared understanding. But the 1000th diagram? That was no longer the case.

Once one of his true selves grasped the life primordial path, it rendered his other true self incapable of grasping it too. Just as one could only walk the path of a singular Great Dao, each path was unique. With the Life Chapter closed to his qi refiner self, only the spacetime primordial path remained.

This was something Wu Yuan's body refiner self only realized after achieving a breakthrough—eternity was singular.

One’s cultivation journey to eternity had to be unique for each true self. This truth underpinned why Wu Yuan's two true selves needed to occupy two jade platforms to pass the Primordial Trial.

My qi refiner self has just crossed the initiate threshold, managing to crystallize a faint trace of Primordial Power. Hopefully, it can advance further in the next two hundred years or so. Wu Yuan mused as both of his true selves gently closed their eyes, diving deeper into comprehension.

Compared to his qi refiner self, his body refiner aspect had spent nearly a century longer in cultivation here, progressing much further along the primordial path. He was now close to grasping the Primordial Technique.

The guiding effect of this large Primordial Star is vastly superior to that of the smaller star. Both of Wu Yuan's selves noted with keen awareness.

Upon exiting the second trial ground and arriving at this new stage, they received a message: Only by crystallizing Primordial Power could one observe the large Primordial Star. Otherwise, one's Yuan Soul would collapse before long.

This life-or-death trial would span a thousand years. Wu Yuan's two true selves had already passed, with the option to leave at any time. However, such an exceptional cultivation environment, why would he willingly depart? He would naturally stay until the time was up.

There’s no rush! Even after the thousand years are up, there are still around seven thousand years to go until the Divine Domain stage ends. Wu Yuan silently thought. Moreover, both true selves have now qualified for the Heavenly Domain stage.

There were three requirements one could meet to qualify for the Heavenly Domain stage.

The so-called cultivation of the Primordial Doctrine to gain recognition from the Primordial essence meant analyzing one thousand diagrams of the Three Thousand Foundation Diagrams from any chapter.

This was something Wu Yuan's body refiner self only learned upon meeting the requirement.

The Megaverse Crossroads places such importance on the Primordial Doctrine. If I comprehend it to a high enough level, it should greatly help me in claiming a Saintcrest later. Wu Yuan pondered.

My two true selves have been comprehending Great Daos for several centuries. In the short term, I’m unlikely to see a qualitative change in strength.

However, delving into the Primordial Doctrine holds the promise of significant progress. Mastering the Primordial Technique could dramatically enhance my abilities. He was filled with anticipation.

Given that his body refiner self had just successfully crystallized Creation Dao Field, raising his strength by another huge margin was a difficult task, such as requiring him to successfully comprehend the final part of Creation Saint Prohibition.

As for his qi refiner self, breaking through to Spacetime Dao Field was even more difficult. So far, his qi refiner self had yet to accumulate sufficient insights.

But the Primordial Technique could elevate his current capabilities to fearsome heights.

Primordial Power, Primordial Technique. He mused silently, continuing to cultivate.

Unlike the much more complicated path of Laws—divided into body refining and qi refining, and including arrays, artifacts, secret arts, and treasures—the path of matter was straightforward in combat. It followed a singular directive: crystallize Primordial Power and strengthen one’s mastery of the Primordial Technique.

Primordial Power was a pure energy that all matter in heaven and earth could be converted into. The Primordial Technique, a secret art applying this power, wasn’t as intricate or profound as Dao techniques. Instead, it channelled and unleashed Primordial Power in explosive displays of strength.

Analyze matter, reconstruct it, maximize its energy, then attack. Wu Yuan reflected inwardly.

All superficialities were discarded. It fully embodied the concept of strength shattering all laws.

Ultimately, those who cultivated the path of matter aimed to gain greater mastery of the Primordial Technique to a degree where they could shatter all constraints, even breaking free from the confines of heaven and earth, thus transcending the cycle of samsara to become supreme and eternal.

Cultivating the eternal Primordial Technique was a formidable challenge, and the current Wu Yuan still had a long way to go.

Yet, once mastered, the Primordial Technique offers the potential to transform my body further, amplifying my power beyond what supreme burst secret arts can accomplish. Wu Yuan was looking forward to it.

Supreme burst secret arts couldn’t fundamentally alter the fundamental nature of life itself, but the Primordial Technique could.

Moreover, successfully mastering the Primordial Technique also aided his cultivation by diminishing the influence of Dao Assimilation. Its transformative power extended across all facets—body and Yuan Soul—enabling them to evolve ever closer to Primordial Matter and naturally weakening Dao Assimilation's hold.

...

The years passed as Wu Yuan's two true selves continued cultivating silently in this mysterious place.

On this day, another formless fluctuation rippled across this area, and another jade platform appeared beside the large Primordial Star. A figure in cerulean robes materialized on it – Inconstance.

After over nine hundred years of analysis and contemplation, Inconstance finally met the Primordial Trial's requirements and arrived here.

What's this? Inconstance was startled at first when he saw Wu Yuan and Ming Jian nearby. Then, upon receiving a message from the treasure ground, he understood the situation.

I can only contemplate this large Primordial Star for less than a hundred years? Inconstance thought silently, glancing at Wu Yuan's body refiner self in the distance. Wu Yuan has already been contemplating it for over a hundred years? What level has he progressed to?

In Inconstance's view, Wu Yuan's progress was already extremely swift before, and now his comprehension must have deepened greatly again.

A major threat! He was already able to defeat Mi Tian, and now, he might even threaten me. Inconstance frowned slightly. However, he didn't think too much about it, simply closing his eyes and continuing to cultivate.

His choice was the same as Wu Yuan's, to stay here and continue cultivating.

Wu Yuan wasn't surprised by Inconstance's arrival, given his formidable strength and exceptional talent. In fact, Inconstance's rate of progress was slightly slower than Wu Yuan had anticipated.

In a true life-or-death battle right now, I might not be able to defeat him. Wu Yuan thought to himself. When I'm stronger, I must face him again.

Though Inconstance's background remained a mystery, Wu Yuan didn’t forget how he had attacked both his true selves during the life-or-death trial.

Fortunately, Wu Yuan's two true selves were powerful enough to withstand his attacks without harm. But what if they weren’t? Given Wu Yuan's nature, if the opportunity arose, he would surely exact his revenge.

…

Time flowed by as Wu Yuan's two true selves and Inconstance continued to contemplate and cultivate the Primordial Doctrine in this mysterious, quiet realm.