Yuan’s Ascension

Foolish?Wu Yuan inwardly shook his head, bewildered by the assessment. He felt that the Creation Dao Master's scheme had been nothing short of brilliant; a masterful maneuver that allowed him to successfully shed the burden of his Dao Master status.

Only someone like the Spacetime Dao Master could dismiss the Creation Dao Master's ingenuity as foolishness.

"Senior Tian Xu," Wu Yuan ventured, his curiosity overcoming his hesitation, "I'm still struggling to comprehend something. My body refiner self can wield the Great Dao of Creation's Authority because I fused with a strand of the Great Dao's Authority while I was a sempiternal lifeform. Sempiternal lifeforms face relatively weaker rejection from the Great Dao's essence.

"But I've never fused with the Great Dao of Spacetime's Authority. How did you accomplish this?" He was genuinely perplexed

The process of him succeeding the Spacetime Dao Master's position had been utterly imperceptible. There was no fanfare, no gradual transition. It simply happened without warning.

A faint smile played across the black-haired elderly man's weathered face. "Do you recall the Sempiternal Temple? That mysterious temple where Zi Kong had you merge with an aura imprint when you became a Dao Master successor."

The Sempiternal Temple?

Recognition flashed through Wu Yuan's mind like lightning. Countless fragments of memory collided, and everything fell into place.

"You're saying that the Sempiternal Temple is actually..." Wu Yuan's voice trailed off with belated realization.

"Correct!" The elderly man's eyes glinted.

"All of my successors, during their sempiternal lifeform stage, are granted one opportunity for revival. That is the Sempiternal Temple's true purpose," he explained. "Regardless of when or where death claims you during the sempiternal stage, I have the power to restore your existence."

The elderly man's smile took on a mischievous edge. "Consider Overlord Peng Shi, whom you so ruthlessly killed. I have already revived him, though he has yet to reappear. You showed remarkable callousness, with little regard for me."

"Overlord Peng Shi?" Wu Yuan offered an awkward smile, memories flooding back.

During that fierce battle in the River of Universes, Overlord Peng Shi had been one of the many Overlords escorted by the Immortal Court Saints to the Xuanhuang Cosmiris. There, he had fallen victim to the coordinated assault of Wu Yuan's two true selves.

When eliminating the numerous Overlords of the Immortal Court, Wu Yuan had shown no hesitation, striking Peng Shi down without mercy.

He hadn't imagined that the Spacetime Dao Master had already revived the fallen Overlord.

"The Sempiternal Temple serves dual purposes: revival and activation," the black-haired elder continued. "I merged your aura imprints into the essence of the Great Dao of Spacetime without your knowledge.

"Once the moment came, I triggered this embedded imprint, facilitating your control over the Authority of the Great Dao of Spacetime seamlessly."

Wu Yuan nodded slowly as understanding dawned. So that was how he had done it. The foundations of this plan were laid with such subtlety that he had never detected them, unlike the Creation Dao Master's approach, which had become common knowledge throughout the realms.

Undoubtedly, every Dao Zenithel in the boundless cosmic sea had caught wind of the Creation Dao Master's scheme.

"To accomplish this required somewhat greater... finesse... than Mountain Daoist employed," the black-haired elder stated, his voice calm. "A Dao Master exists as both master and servant of the Great Dao, bound by its nature. I imagine you've already perceived this yourself."

Wu Yuan nodded in affirmation. Indeed, he had.

Even now, Wu Yuan sensed the essence of the Great Dao of Spacetime coursing through him constantly. Innumerable insights cascaded into his consciousness, propelling his qi refiner self's self-created Dao forward at a terrifying pace.

This explained why Wu Yuan had instantly advanced to the True Saint stage upon receiving Primordium's baptism.

In truth, even if Wu Yuan's qi refiner self merely lay dormant, doing nothing, he would inevitably advance to the Dao Zenithel stage by the conclusion of this samsara cycle of heaven and earth.

Such was the formidable nature of a Dao Master! Once one claimed this mantle, reaching the Dao Zenithel stage became virtually guaranteed.

Yet this power came as both a privilege and burden. The constant deluge of insights for refining his self-created Dao wasn't entirely aligned with Wu Yuan's desires.

It represented a passive form of advancement. The path became predetermined, the Dao resistant to alteration. If one's foundation wasn't meticulously established from the beginning, by the time his self-created Dao progressed to the fourth step, opportunities for adjustment or correction would have vanished.

Other Dao Zenithels might develop and refine their Daos more gradually, but they enjoyed ample opportunity for revision. Dao Masters were denied such flexibility.

Thus, the first generation of Dao Masters could be considered pioneers of their respective Daos, but ultimately functioned more as vessels driven by the Great Daos themselves.

Fortunately, before assuming control of the Great Dao of Spacetime's Authority, Wu Yuan's qi refiner self had already attained a high enough Dao cultivation level, standing at the pinnacle of the second step. The self-created Dao he had pioneered possessed sufficient power that it wouldn't be completely subsumed by the Great Dao of Spacetime.

"Of the thirty-six Xuanhuang Dao Treasures, the Spacetime lineage possessed three, which I have painstakingly gathered," the elder continued.

"Each Xuanhuang Dao Treasure embodies a strand of the Primordium's characteristics. Uniting these three Dao Treasures constitutes an alternative manifestation of the Great Dao of Spacetime's essence.

"I harnessed the power of these three Xuanhuang Dao Treasures, coupled with the fact that you and all my successors were mere mortal lifeforms upon your selection, to deceive the essence of the Great Dao of Spacetime. This deception allowed me to embed the imprints of all my successors throughout the ages deep within the Dao's essence."

Wu Yuan's understanding crystallized, and he marveled at Senior Tian Xu's ingenuity. A truly magnificent scheme spanning countless eons.

"No wonder you and Master Mountain Daoist both once unified the universe and established Eternal Realms within it, yet ultimately abandoned everything," Wu Yuan sighed softly.

Previously, Wu Yuan had thought that figures like the Spacetime Dao Master and Creation Dao Master, who had once unified the universe, would logically have established the foundations for great factions. Of course, lacking absolute dominion over the universe as with the Eldritch Court Universe or Immortal Court Universe, it would be accomplished at greater cost.

Now he understood—there were no greater heights to be achieved through such means.

Perhaps it benefited their factions broadly, but for the Spacetime Dao Master and Creation Dao Master themselves, it offered no pathway through their personal bottlenecks.

"Senior Tian Xu," Wu Yuan questioned, still puzzled, "didn't the spirit of the Samsara Sword claim you couldn't utilize its power?"

"What does it know?" The black-haired elder smiled. "It knows only what I permit it to know.

"It has always been under my surveillance. At that juncture, I simply wished to shield you from excessive knowledge, so naturally, the sword's spirit remained equally ignorant."

Wu Yuan found himself speechless.

Indeed, regardless of a weapon spirit's power, it could never rival a true Dao Master.

"Of course, all these preparations were merely groundwork," the black-haired elder continued, his expression thoughtful. "If I truly intended to relinquish my identity as Dao Master, the critical element was selecting a successor of sufficient power.

"After all, I sought to shed my Dao Master identity without that mantle becoming a new constraint upon the next Spacetime Dao Master."

"However, to achieve true freedom, one must pioneer a top-tier self-created Dao. And for a Dao Master to pioneer such a Dao, it must be done during the sempiternal stage..." His eyes grew distant. "Legends of the River are exceedingly rare, and I was compelled to search within the Ling Jiang Universe, as my Eternal Realm resides there.

"It's largely a matter of fortune, which is why the Spacetime Island gathered talented individuals from diverse factions."

Wu Yuan sighed inwardly as the pieces fell into place.

Legends of the River were indeed scarce. Even a Dao Master couldn't guarantee the successful nurturing of such a rare individual.

"In the end, I discovered you," the black-haired elder fixed Wu Yuan with penetrating eyes. "Your ascension involved opportunity, providence, guidance from Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu and True Saint Bu Xiu, as well as your own tenacity.

"But regardless of these factors, you succeeded and became my successor.

"Subsequently, your brilliance only intensified. From the moment your qi refiner self pioneered its Dao, I have been vigilantly awaiting you to undergo Dao Enlightenment. It had to occur precisely at Dao Enlightenment for you to seamlessly assume the mantle of Spacetime Dao Master."

"Seamlessly?" Wu Yuan's surprise was evident.

"Because I still live. While I draw breath, I maintain control over the Great Dao. How could you become the Spacetime Dao Master otherwise?" The black-haired elder smiled faintly. "Mountain Daoist chose suicide to escape his Dao Master identity, which is precisely why I deem him foolish.

"Once dead, even if merely feigning death, one surrenders control during that period of dormancy. Unable to determine future successors, one can only wait passively. Whereas I maintained active control throughout.

"The reason for selecting the moment of Dao Enlightenment is this—when stepping into eternity, the Primordial Rules themselves come to pay homage. In that instant, your power briefly surpasses the Great Dao's essence.

"At that precise moment, I activated the strand of your imprint deep within the Dao's essence, wielding the Primordium's power to suppress the Great Dao's fluctuations. This allowed your fusion to proceed flawlessly without your awareness, while I successfully broke free to achieve true liberation." His smile widened with genuine happiness.

Wu Yuan's mind reeled with sudden comprehension. Using the power of the Primordial Rules at the moment of Dao Enlightenment? The concept was truly innovative.

Most Overlords only dreamed of using such power to become a Heaven's Stowaway.

But Senior Tian Xu had conceived something far more audacious—the perfect Dao Master Stowaway.

"Spacetime Dao Master." Even now, Wu Yuan's heart pounded with the implications. Each true self would wield the Authority of a Great Dao.

Such a thing was beyond imagination, perhaps unprecedented since the dawn of the Primordium.

"Senior Tian Xu, is your purpose the same as Master Mountain Daoist's?" Wu Yuan couldn't resist asking, his curiosity piqued.

The black-haired elderly man laughed. "Partially, yes." A mysterious smile stretched across his face. "After our conversation concludes, I will swiftly reenter the cycle of samsara to begin my cultivation anew. In this coming lifetime, I will definitely pioneer a top-tier self-created Dao."

His eyes gleamed. "However, my aspirations extend far beyond that simple goal."

"Beyond that?" Wu Yuan's pupils contracted slightly.

"Some truths must wait until your power matures," the black-haired elder said candidly. "I can only divulge that it relates to the Ancestral Pagoda."

"The Ancestral Pagoda?" Wu Yuan's voice barely concealed his mounting astonishment.

The Ancestral Pagoda had always inspired profound reverence in Wu Yuan. The three Supreme Divine Objects possessed might beyond comprehension. Ancient texts of the Eldritch Court described them as entities that transcended even the Xuanhuang Dao Treasures, existing alongside the Primordium itself. They influenced the operation of the Primordial Rules, yet remained beyond anyone's control.

"When your qi refiner self ascends to the Dao Zenithel stage, understanding will come naturally," the elder assured him. "By then, I should have returned, and I will reveal everything to you."

Wu Yuan nodded slightly, though an inexplicable wave of shock rippled through his heart. Compared to the Spacetime Dao Master's intricate machinations, the Creation Dao Master's methods did indeed seem unrefined, even crude.

"Enough said for now," the black-haired elder said with a gentle smile. "In truth, from the moment you assumed the mantle of Spacetime Dao Master, your path forward became entirely your own to determine. I merely hope you won't harbor resentment toward me."

"This junior would never," Wu Yuan replied, shaking his head firmly. The Dao Master identity was simultaneously a constraint and a blessing. Having already pioneered a top-tier self-created Dao, becoming the Spacetime Dao Master offered him far more advantages than disadvantages.

"You possess two true selves, both Legends of the River," the elder marveled. "Your body refiner self is an even more extraordinary prodigy, with a self-created Dao of unparalleled magnificence. Now both will become Dao Masters." He exhaled a long, contemplative sigh. "Such an achievement surpasses anything I dared imagine.

"I suspect neither Mountain Daoist, Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu, nor even Goddess Nüwa ever conceived that the boundless cosmic sea could produce such an unprecedented prodigy."

Wu Yuan remained silent at this lavish praise.

"You are destined to stand at the pinnacle of Dao Zenithels," the black-haired elder continued, his eyes boring into Wu Yuan's. "Reaching the heights of Nüwa and Hou Tu is merely a matter of time. Even though your body refiner self lacks a Xuanhuang Dao Treasure, as a Dao Master, you will obtain at least one. This is an ironclad law."

"A Dao Master will definitely obtain a Xuanhuang Dao Treasure?" Wu Yuan couldn't hide his surprise.

"Indeed. It is destiny—how else could one truly bear the title of Dao Master?" The elder's lips curved into a faint smile. "Of course, this assumes the Creation lineage's three Xuanhuang Dao Treasures haven't all emerged. If they have, disregard my words."

Wu Yuan found himself speechless again. Senior Tian Xu had quite the humorous streak.

"To my knowledge, one of the Creation lineage's three Xuanhuang Dao Treasures remains undiscovered," the elder continued. "I cannot predict its form or when it will fall into your hands. Such matters lie beyond my divination. Naturally, it won't materialize before you from thin air. When the opportunity presents itself, simply give your utmost effort, and success should follow."

"I understand, Senior," Wu Yuan nodded with firm resolve.

Heaven helps those who help themselves. Only fools expect treasures to fall from the sky. Senior Tian Xu had made it clear that in the future, his body refiner self would be guided by the Primordial Rules as the Creation Dao Master, encountering a significant opportunity. If seized properly, it would yield a Xuanhuang Dao Treasure. If missed, he could blame no one but himself.

It's enough.Wu Yuan reflected silently.In the vast cosmic sea, over a hundred Dao Zenithels exist, and the overwhelming majority don't possess Xuanhuang Dao Treasures. Is this due to insufficient strength? No! It's because they lack opportunity.

Providence sometimes outweighed raw power. Without question, as Dao Masters, both his true selves enjoyed the highest degree of providence, blessed by destiny itself.

"Your eventual rise to the pinnacle of Dao Zenithels doesn't concern me," the black-haired elder said. "However, you mustn't slack off. Surely you comprehend the expectations that Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu and I harbor for you?"

Expectations? Wu Yuan felt momentarily bewildered.