Yuan’s Ascension

Wu Yuan flew out of the meditation chamber and arrived outside the hall. Two figures stood in the air waiting for him.

One was Overlord Xin Ya. Shrouded in black mist, his features were indistinct.

The other was a massive black-armored giant, standing about a hundred zhangs tall with a pair of wings on his back. He emanated an aura as vast as outer space while gazing down at Wu Yuan. In terms of aura intensity, he was no less formidable than Overlord Xin Ya. Clearly, this was another Overlord.

Such an enormous physique? An Overlord? Wu Yuan mused silently.

Though mighty body refiners could grow to tens of thousands of zhangs during battle, that was only during combat. Usually, they maintained a normal human height. Moreover, since human cultivators were the mainstream, even beast shapeshifters like Hu Biao generally maintained human forms.

"Ming Jian pays respects to the two Overlords," Wu Yuan bowed respectfully.

"Haha, if you immediately recognized that I am an Overlord, your eyesight must be pretty keen," the black-armored giant laughed, his majestic voice echoing through heaven and earth.

Wu Yuan's residence spanned tens of thousands of li, and any sound was contained within the array barrier around the hall grounds. Thus, the geniuses in other halls remained unaware of their conversation.

"Ming Jian's Dao comprehension approaches the Sovereign level. Discerning your cultivation level is only natural," Overlord Xin Ya glanced at the black-armored giant before turning to Wu Yuan, "Ming Jian, how do you find Taiyuan Island so far?"

"Very good. Taiyuan Island's cultivation environment surpasses the Spacetime Island's," Wu Yuan replied.

Over the last two thousand years, Wu Yuan hadn't merely cultivated, but also accessed many inheritances and treasures through the Taiyuan Voidrealm.

Secret arts at the Sovereign level, and even those created by Overlords, were far more abundant within the Taiyuan Divine Court than the Spacetime Island. Many rare and precious treasures were easily obtainable through the Taiyuan Voidrealm, requiring only the corresponding divine crystals or items in exchange.

After all, while the supreme being of the Taiyuan Divine Court might not surpass the Spacetime Dao Master in terms of personal strength, he had far more subordinate Sovereigns and Overlords and a vastly larger territory, naturally accumulating more treasures and common secret arts.

Though Wu Yuan possessed the ‘Spacetime Secret Codex’, he had gradually purchased many formidable secret arts over the past two thousand years with his privileges, using them as cultivation references.

With numerous powerhouses in the divine court headquarters, Wu Yuan frequently sparred with the other twelve geniuses as well.

Occasionally he would visit other regions of the divine court headquarters, befriending various Astral Monarch powerhouses, as well as dueling and exchanging pointers with them in the Divine Court Arena.

Through constant battle and sparring, continuous reflection and insight, Wu Yuan's rate of progress over these two thousand years was faster compared to his time on the Spacetime Island.

And through repeated battles with other Astral Monarchs, Ming Jian’s fame grew throughout the Taiyuan True Realm, and most super powerhouses of the divine court came to know of him.

"Good, I'm glad you find it satisfactory," Overlord Xin Ya smiled, "I had thought the True Saint would summon you quickly, but unexpectedly it took two thousand years."

"It's no matter," Wu Yuan smiled.

"This is Overlord Shan Jin, one of our divine court's eight Overlords, with strength no less than my own. He will escort you to the True Saint," Overlord Xin Ya introduced the black-armored giant beside him.

"Ming Jian pays respects to Overlord Shan Jin," Wu Yuan bowed again.

Across all territories of the Taiyuan Divine Court combined, there were over ten thousand Sovereigns, but only eight Overlords.

The status of Overlords was evident. Even when visiting other macrocosms, suppressed by their essence, an Overlord could still unleash late-stage Sovereign power.

"Don't be nervous, young one. The True Saint's dwelling can only be reached with an Overlord's guidance," Overlord Shan Jin looked at Wu Yuan, smiling, "Throughout our divine court's history, most so-called Supreme Geniuses rarely earned an audience with the True Saint while they were still High Immortals or High Deities.

“Most Sovereigns only get to meet the True Saint once upon becoming Sovereigns, receiving a single blessing," Overlord Shan Jin said, "I've reviewed your information and observed you personally. You are indeed exceptional, even more promising than I was in my youth."

"The Overlord is too kind," Wu Yuan hastily replied.

"Wu Yuan, you may not have heard of Overlord Shan Jin," Overlord Xin Ya smiled, "But in his youth, Overlord Shan Jin was also a peerless genius renowned throughout the river of space and time, unrivaled among countless High Immortals and High Deities of that era.

“Moreover, he shares some similarities with you," Overlord Xin Ya said.

"Oh?" Wu Yuan was slightly surprised.

"Eleven billion years ago, during the second-to-last opening of the Megaverse Crossroads, Overlord Shan Jin participated as a High Immortal," Overlord Xin Ya smiled.

"The second-to-last?" Wu Yuan looked at Overlord Shan Jin in amazement.

This meant Overlord Shan Jin's cultivation period was not particularly long. A ten billion-year-old Overlord was considered quite young.

"Haha, I only managed to rank in the top ten," Overlord Shan Jin laughed, "Far from claiming a Saintcrest. You must work hard."

Wu Yuan was astonished.

Top ten? In a competition among peerless geniuses across the entire megaverse, getting into the top ten was already incredibly formidable.

"That was because your cultivation years were short," Overlord Xin Ya shook his head, then looked at Wu Yuan, "Later, among the countless geniuses from that Megaverse Crossroads, many Sovereigns emerged, but to this day, only two became Overlords.

“One was from the Abyss Devil race, who had claimed a Saintcrest.

“The other was Overlord Shan Jin," Overlord Xin Ya said.

Wu Yuan listened quietly.

Different eras, different heroes, different glories.

In that era, Overlord Shan Jin's renown throughout the realms was likely comparable to Yu Xiang’s and himself in the present age. But after ten billion years, countless beings had perished, and the younger generation knew little of those times.

"Ming Jian, let's go." Overlord Shan Jin took a single step, arriving at Wu Yuan’s side: "We shouldn't keep the True Saint waiting too long."

Whoosh~ Space seemed to distort around him as an invisible force enveloped Wu Yuan, and both instantly vanished from Taiyuan Island.

…

They weren't flying. Rather, they were ascending through the spatial dimensions. Wu Yuan perceived them breaking through the Fragmentary Spatial Layer, the Turbulent Spatial Layer...until they reached the Spacetime Intersection Layer.

Wu Yuan could somewhat perceive the Vacuum Spatial Layer with his current power, but the Spacetime Intersection Layer was far more bizarre, where space and time were distorted.

They intertwined and separated, and Wu Yuan could sense dramatic changes in the flow of time. His perception of the various Dao essences blurred.

"This way," Overlord Shan Jin guided Wu Yuan through the Spacetime Intersection Layer.

A few breaths later, they arrived before an ancient hall that wasn't particularly tall, spanning only a radius of hundreds of li.

On either side of the hall lay various strange beasts, some with massive bodies like lions or tigers magnified hundreds or thousands of times, others as small as butterflies. Some were beasts Wu Yuan could not recognize.

But these beasts all emanated powerful auras, though their eyes were closed. They lined both sides of the hall gates, numbering ten thousand in total.

Their combined pressure made Wu Yuan hold his breath. While he could easily resist the pressure from a single beast, their combined aura and pressure far exceeded an Overlord's.

"These beasts?" Wu Yuan's eyes flashed with confusion as he asked, "Overlord Shan Jin, are they still alive?"

Though Wu Yuan's qi refiner self couldn't utilize the Great Dao of Creation, he had reached the Dao Field stage in the Law of Death, and after his initial surprise, he had a vague inkling.

"They're all dead." Overlord Shan Jin said solemnly, "This is Taiyuan hall, the True Saint's dwelling, eternal and indestructible. These beasts you see, nearly ten thousand of them in total, were all Sovereigns followers of the True Saint in previous samsara cycles of heaven and earth."

Wu Yuan listened in shock, scanning the beasts again. All of them were Sovereigns?

"In samsara, all become sacrifices! These Sovereigns sought refuge in the True Saint's dwelling, hoping to escape samsara," Overlord Shan Jin sighed, "But while the True Saint could preserve their bodies eternally, he couldn't prevent their souls from being claimed by samsara.

“In the end, only their bodies remained. Not one survived."

Wu Yuan held his breath as he listened.

He could faintly envision countless mighty beings struggling here, trying to escape the suffering of samsara by relying on a supreme being's might in ages past, before heaven and earth were formed. Alas, they all failed in the end.

"Ming Jian. Follow me into the hall," Overlord Shan Jin instructed, leading Wu Yuan through the main gates and into the hall.

Inside, they first entered a long corridor lined with more powerful bodies.

They too were strange beasts. Their eyes were similarly closed, seemingly deceased, but their auras were even more powerful, each with a hint of eternity that inspired awe.

The corridor held far fewer beasts, only fourteen.

"These were all Overlords who perished," Overlord Shan Jin sighed, "The True Saint tried to protect them by bringing them inside the hall, but still failed.

“Overlords represent the peak of sempiternal life. We can sense the river of space and time, and it seems as if we could step out of it with just a bit more effort, breaking free of its constraints. But our attempts all prove futile," Overlord Shan Jin sighed, his eyes flashing with melancholy.

Wu Yuan listened silently, sensing the yearning in Overlord Shan Jin's heart.

Overlord Shan Jin led Wu Yuan past the corridor and through a side hall where numerous powerful treasures floated.

Finally, they arrived before the main hall.

"True Saint," Overlord Shan Jin stood before the main hall, bowing respectfully in reverence.

"True Saint?" Wu Yuan looked into the hall. It was completely empty, with no figure in sight.

Suddenly, as if conjured from thin air—or perhaps in a fleeting blur before his eyes—a gaunt figure in white robes appeared. His gaze, dark and profound, seemed to hold an entire universe within.

He stood silently in the temple.

Boom! Wu Yuan’s perception shifted instantly—the white-robed figure before him seemed to expand, growing infinitely grand and vast.

Wu Yuan had encountered numerous powerhouses before: Overlord Xin Ya, Overlord Shan Jin… yet none could compare, not even in the slightest, to this being before him.

This figure was the ultimate embodiment of heaven and earth.

Time, Space, Karma, Life—under the Great Daos, every Dao and Law Wu Yuan had studied seemed to coalesce within this white-robed figure, merging into a seamless whole.

In his presence, there was no Karma, no Time—everything returned to an eternal state.

Immeasurably vast. Utterly supreme.

Even though Wu Yuan's Yuan Soul rivaled a late-stage Astral Lord and his mental willpower rivaled an Astral Monarch, he was completely overwhelmed in an instant.

Before such a supreme and magnificent being, Wu Yuan's thoughts and consciousness completely froze.

This was a natural result of the immeasurable gap between these two vastly different orders of life.

Moreover, If this state persisted, Wu Yuan's understanding, will and consciousness would gradually distort, slowly contorting toward the mysterious aura released by this gaunt white-robed figure.

This was because the white-robed figure would become the concept of ‘supreme’ and ‘ultimate’ in Wu Yuan's cognition, never to be changed.

"True Saint? Your true body descended?" Overlord Shan Jin, though less affected, was equally shocked.

Supreme beings rarely allowed their true bodies to manifest in the river of space and time.

Whoosh! Fortunately, this special state lasted very briefly.

In the blink of an eye, Wu Yuan felt his mind clear. His consciousness swiftly returned to normal, his thoughts functioning properly once again.

The white-robed figure in the temple had transformed into an ordinary middle-aged man, yet he seemed to stand in an infinitely distant spacetime, existing in a different spacetime dimension from Wu Yuan and the others.

Wu Yuan's emotions were in turmoil; just thinking about his previous state made his heart tremble.

So this was what being supreme meant?

"Shan Jin, wait outside the temple," the white-robed middle-aged man's voice was ethereal, seeming to penetrate into the depths of one's spirit. "I need to speak with Ming Jian alone. It will not take long."

"Yes," said Overlord Shan Jin.

Inwardly, his emotions were also turbulent. Previously, after shining brilliantly in the Megaverse Crossroads, he too had been summoned by the True Saint upon his return. But they had exchanged merely two sentences before he was given a treasure and sent away.

Yet the True Saint wanted to speak privately with Ming Jian?

Overlord Shan Jin realized that Ming Jian must be special. In truth, he didn't know that Ming Jian was only a qi refiner self.

"Ming Jian, don't be discourteous. It's extremely rare for the True Saint to personally converse with a mortal being," Overlord Shan Jin reminded.

"Yes," Wu Yuan replied.

Swoosh! Overlord Shan Jin departed, leaving only the gaunt white-robed figure and Wu Yuan in the hall.

"Come into the temple," the white-robed figure's voice drifted ethereally.

Wu Yuan entered obediently.

Upon entering, his heart jolted slightly. He sensed the connection with his body refiner self rapidly weakening, just like it did back then in the Creation Divine Hall. However, the connection between his two true selves wasn't completely severed.

Is this main hall also a special place? Wu Yuan thought silently. As he arrived inside, he greeted, “I pay my respects to the True Saint.”

Even within the temple, Wu Yuan felt that the white-robed figure was infinitely distant from him.

"Your body refiner self could defeat Mu Long by itself – you are quite exceptional," the white-robed figure looked down at Wu Yuan. "To maintain your authentic self before my true body also shows that you have special qualities."

"It was just luck," Wu Yuan quickly replied.

He wasn't surprised - how could True Saint Taiyuan not know his background? Still, Wu Yuan was shocked. The True Saint's true body had actually descended earlier?

"You have immense talent, and have hope of transcendence in the future. Though you appear to be a High Immortal now, you can be treated as an Astral Monarch in truth," True Saint Taiyuan spoke slowly.

"However, you are also deeply entangled in many matters. Originally, I was unwilling to accept you into the Taiyuan Divine Court."

"Unwilling? Then?" Wu Yuan was startled.

"It was the Eldritch Progenitor who gave me an offer I couldn't refuse," True Saint Taiyuan looked down at Wu Yuan. "Lucky youngster."