Yuan's Ascension

Chapter 927: Leader Of The Eldritch World (1)

Though Wu Yuan’s Dao comprehension had reached astounding heights, his Yuan Soul and mana reserves still lagged behind, limiting him to a vague sensing of the artifact’s controls.

To harness even a fraction of a Xiantian artifact's might, one needed Sovereign-level mana coupled with Sovereign-level Dao comprehension. Even mighty Overlords struggled to fully unleash the power of such treasures.

Wu Yuan's gaze drifted to a set of armor suspended in the void before him - a complete suit of azure plate that shimmered with an otherworldly luster. Gauntlets, helmet, leg guards... every piece pristine and intact.

At first glance, it hardly resembled armor at all. Rather, it appeared as an azure-clad figure radiating a majestic aura. The armor hung motionless, yet seemed to draw one in - an eternal masterpiece of breathtaking beauty that captivated the senses and stirred the soul.

Wu Yuan sensed that this azure armor far surpassed even the Black Rock Saber in level and power. Of course, every Xiantian artifact contained vast reserves of power that dwarfed even top-grade Dao Instruments like the Black Devil Blood Hollow.

The armor is called Azure Origin. Wu Yuan mused. Its Dao essence appears to be the Great Dao of Creation. His consciousness probed the armor piece by piece, each contact making his spirit quiver.

More precisely, the Azure Origin Armor was a set of fourteen interlocking pieces. The Black Rock Saber also contained profundities of the Creation Dao, perhaps one-tenth. But the Azure Origin Armor's Dao essence was bottomless, stretching far beyond Wu Yuan's perception. This was why Wu Yuan judged the Azure Origin Armor to be even more precious.

A gift from Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu herself - one of the supreme beings of the megaverse. Her gifts are naturally far from ordinary. Wu Yuan marveled inwardly. It appears to be a single treasure, yet it can protect every part of the body flawlessly.

Removing even one piece from the set would drastically weaken its power. Each individual component held little strength on its own, lacking a complete Dao essence. Only united as fourteen could they manifest their full, terrifying potential.

Though unable to fully grasp the Azure Origin Armor's nature, Wu Yuan had deduced some of its profundities and gleaned partial insights.

A Xiantian artifact set appeared to hold limitless power, but it also demanded the simultaneous activation of over a dozen Xiantian artifacts - the strain on one's body and the drain on one's ether was nearly unimaginable.

Ether alone could hardly sustain such a burden. Only by walking the path of matter and forging a body of unparalleled strength could one hope to bear the crushing pressure of so many Xiantian artifacts.

For now, even activating it is beyond me. Wu Yuan shook his head ruefully. He possessed two Xiantian artifacts, yet could only look at them, unable to convert their power into true combat strength.

Soon enough. He reassured himself. After I return to the Ling Jiang Universe and break through to Astral Monarch, the simultaneous mastery of both paths should allow me to wield Xiantian artifacts.

This was the advantage of cultivating two eternal paths in parallel. If Wu Yuan only cultivated the path of Laws, he would gain Apotheosis-level Astral Monarch mana when he advanced to Astral Monarch. This granted a hundredfold increase over base-level Astral Monarch mana, but he would still fall short of Sovereign-level mana.

Advancing from Astral Monarch to Sovereign represented a fundamental transformation of life - a chasm so vast that even an Apotheosis root could not bridge it. After all, those who became Sovereigns possessed at least first-degree immortal roots, not so far removed from an Apotheosis root.

But the path of matter will render my physical body inconceivably powerful. By unleashing both physical power and ether simultaneously, I may match a Sovereign's base strength even as an Astral Monarch. Wu Yuan reasoned.

To rival a Sovereign while still an Astral Monarch - this was Wu Yuan's ambition. And should he later ascend to Sovereign while cultivating both paths, his might would grow truly terrifying. This was why the Heavenly Domain Emissary had once told Wu Yuan that his battle prowess as a future Overlord would be utterly horrifying.

Of course, pursuing two eternal paths in tandem posed immense challenges. It demanded far greater time and effort to make continuous breakthroughs in both.

With the Primordial Imprint from the Megaverse Crossroads, combined with the mysterious gift bestowed by the Heavenly Domain Emissary which allows me to cultivate both paths without interference, I've built a solid foundation. Wu Yuan reflected.

As he continued to meditate, Wu Yuan contemplated his two new Xiantian artifacts while simultaneously immersing himself in the profundities of the Great Dao of Creation.

For tens of thousands of years, Wu Yuan's body refiner self had outpaced his qi refiner self in Dao comprehension. But after the Crossroads, especially during his thousand-year seclusion at the end, his qi refiner self had surged ahead.

His qi refiner self had already reached the fourth-level Dao Field stage of Spacetime. Meanwhile, his body refiner self remained at the second-level Dao Field stage. If he continued to cultivate methodically, even with the aid of the Primordial Imprint, it would take at least fifty thousand years to close the gap.

Of course, in terms of raw combat power, his body refiner self currently held the advantage.

Hmm? Suddenly, Wu Yuan's eyes flashed. His aura vanished entirely as he rose to his feet, having detected a faint spatial fluctuation.

A stunningly beautiful woman in black robes materialized within the meditation chamber. "As expected of a Saintcrest Prodigy. Wu Yuan, you've truly undergone an astonishing metamorphosis," she remarked, standing a short distance away.

Overlord Hou Jue was no ordinary being. From the moment she'd received Wu Yuan, she'd been secretly observing him, acutely aware of the changes he had undergone.

So-called prodigies were rarely predestined from birth. Natural talent played only a small role - the trials and tribulations one faced were far more crucial.

Even those of average talent, if nurtured without regard for cost and tempered through countless ordeals, could rise to become figures of legend.

How much more so for Wu Yuan, a peerless genius who had received meticulous nurturing and weathered innumerable challenges, growing ever more resplendent?

Ten thousand years ago, when Wu Yuan first departed the Ling Jiang Universe for the Eldritch Court Universe, Overlord Hou Jue's initial impression of him was of boundless potential tempered by youthful inexperience.

But after participating in the Megaverse Crossroads, clashing with countless geniuses from across various universes and seizing first place against all odds, Wu Yuan had forged an indomitable Dao Heart and an aura of invincibility!

Wu Yuan's gains defied imagination. His Dao comprehension now rivaled that of a Sovereign. His Dao Heart and force of will approached the Sovereign level as well. And his breadth of experience and insight surpassed many Sovereigns.

In Overlord Hou Jue's perception, the Wu Yuan before her already bore the presence of a Sovereign powerhouse. And yet, he had cultivated for a mere thirty thousand years.

"Overlord," Wu Yuan bowed slightly in respect.

"Let us enter the Eldritch Court Voidrealm first," Overlord Hou Jue smiled. "There are matters I must discuss with you."

Wu Yuan nodded, instantly sending a sliver of his consciousness into the Eldritch Court Voidrealm.

As the highest-grade voidrealm of the Eldritch Court, its coverage was unimaginably vast, encompassing any location within the infinite megaverse save for a handful of special regions like the Megaverse Crossroads. One could enter the Eldritch Court Voidrealm from virtually anywhere at any time.

Of course, one's rank within the Eldritch Court determined the extent of one's authority and access.

…

The Eldritch Court Voidrealm unfolded as an impossibly vast plane. At its heart stood a city of unrivaled splendor.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Two figures materialized on one of the bustling streets, their sudden appearance drawing curious glances from passersby. They were, of course, Wu Yuan and Overlord Hou Jue.

"Where are we?" Wu Yuan asked, momentarily confused.

"This is the Ling Jiang Plane within the Eldritch Court Voidrealm. We are in Luan Jiang City, the heart of the entire Ling Jiang Saintdom of the Eldritch Court," Overlord Hou Jue explained with a smile.

"Ling Jiang Plane... Luan Jiang City?" Wu Yuan nodded slightly. It was clearly named after Eldritch Progenitor Luan Jiang.

Suddenly, Wu Yuan's eyes widened as a torrent of information flooded his mind - details on the various privileges and restricted knowledge available to eighth-rank members. With his formidable Yuan Soul and consciousness, he absorbed it all in the blink of an eye.

With that, he now possessed a comprehensive understanding of the entire Ling Jiang Saintdom of the Eldritch Court and Luan Jiang City itself.

"Who is that?"

"I don't recall seeing him before. They just appeared out of thin air."

"That one is an eighth-rank member - a Sovereign, perhaps? I've never seen him. And the other is... wait, the tenth rank?!"

"The tenth rank - an Overlord!!" The powerful cultivators strolling by, initially at ease, suddenly started in shock. They hastily bowed from afar.

Entry to Luan Jiang City was restricted to the core members of the Ling Jiang lineage of the Eldritch Court. They were either monstrous prodigies from various macrocosms who had come to cultivate in the Ling Jiang Saintdom, or Astral Monarch powerhouses.

Even so, an Overlord! Within the Eldritch Court Universe, Overlords occupied the highest echelons. In the Ling Jiang Saintdom, they were among the supreme authorities. To Wu Yuan's knowledge, there were fewer than thirty Overlords in the entire Ling Jiang Saintdom of the Eldritch Court.

"I believe that's Overlord Hou Jue."

"It does appear to be her." Swiftly, two Sovereigns passing by at the end of the street seemed to recognize her. They bowed deeply in respect.

"Wu Yuan, come with me," Overlord Hou Jue commanded.

"Yes," Wu Yuan nodded.

Whoosh! Whoosh! The two swiftly flew towards the core of Luan Jiang City. Above the city, suspended in the void, one could vaguely discern a vast world. At its heart stood an infinitely majestic tower, wreathed in flowing seven-colored light. It was dazzling, radiating a subtle hint of eternity.

With the tower as its nucleus, countless void rivers flowed outwards in all directions. These grand rivers stretched into the depths of the void, their destinations unknown.

Floating between the rivers were magnificent halls. Astral Monarchs emanating powerful auras frequently entered and exited many of these halls.

Is this... the Myriad River Realm? Wu Yuan gazed into the distance.

At this moment, Wu Yuan stood with Overlord Hou Jue at the entrance to this world. With Wu Yuan's authority, he was qualified to enter the Myriad River Realm.

In the intelligence briefing he had just received, there was mention of the Myriad River Realm being the core of the Eldritch Court Ling Jiang Saintdom.

"Indeed," Overlord Hou Jue smiled. "Each hall here is the residence of a late-stage Sovereign powerhouse of our Eldritch Court’s Ling Jiang Saintdom. Only late-stage Sovereign powerhouses have the right to establish a hall in the Myriad River Realm.

“The halls that orbit the divine tower, hidden within the light, are the residences of the Overlords.

“As for the divine tower, it is the dwelling place of the Saintdom's supreme being—Eldritch Progenitor Luan Jiang—within the Ling Jiang plane," Overlord Hou Jue explained. "Ordinary Sovereigns have their residential halls within Luan Jiang City.

“In fact, the core area of the Eldritch Court’s Ling Jiang Saintdom headquarters in the real world has a similar layout and division."

Wu Yuan nodded slightly.

This place truly embodied the grandeur of a Saintdom. In comparison, the Taiyuan Divine Court seemed somewhat inferior.