Chapter 1021: Revered By All Quarters (2)

Overlord Bei Zhen's lips curved into a faint smile. "Overlord Ming Jian, you must be quite busy today. We shall speak more once the celebration concludes."

"Certainly." Wu Yuan nodded.

Inwardly, he felt puzzled. Rumor painted Overlord Bei Zhen as an utterly domineering figure who looked down on the vast majority of Overlords. Yet today, not only had he attended Wu Yuan's celebration, but his demeanor was remarkably amiable. It was truly out of character.

However, Wu Yuan couldn't be bothered to investigate the cause. If the number one Overlord of the Ling Jiang Universe wished to befriend him, how could he refuse? The Taiyuan Divine Court and Desolation Divine Court had no particular grudges.

"Bei Zhen, this way please." Overlord Xin Ya took the initiative to guide him to the seat of highest honor.

Given the vast might of the Desolation Divine Court and Overlord Bei Zhen's immense strength, his claim to the highest seat was beyond question. No one dared challenge it.

"Overlord Bei Zhen actually came?"

"He's here?"

"Overlord Ming Jian is truly extraordinary." The tens of thousands of Sovereigns from the divine court headquarters and Overlords from various Saintdoms marveled silently. This was an exceedingly rare sight.

Overlord Bei Zhen was renowned not just in the Ling Jiang Universe, but the endless megaverse.

Among the countless Overlords of the endless megaverse, Overlord Bei Zhen was universally acknowledged to be among the top ten in strength.

...

Time flowed on as one super powerhouse after another arrived, mostly Sovereigns. However, few required Wu Yuan's personal reception. Most were delegations from various Saintdoms, typically led by Overlord mana bodies or ether bodies. He exchanged a few words with each group of attendees.

This gave Wu Yuan deeper insight into the most powerful Overlords of the Ling Jiang Universe, and even those from Saintdoms of other universes.

Today, everyone seemed to converse pleasantly, as if forging new friendships. Yet should conflict erupt one day over some precious treasure or opportunity, war between the various Saintdoms would be entirely normal.

These Overlords, each standing at the apex of sempiternal life, all yearned for one thing above all else: transcendence. What they valued most were personal benefits.

Soon after, a delegation that Wu Yuan had not anticipated arrived— the Eldritch Court.

Leading the group was none other than Overlord Hou Jue, accompanied by Sovereign Kua Chi, Sovereign Cang Feng, Sovereign Zi Yang, and Sovereign Xuan Rong.

Indeed, among the Eldritch Court delegation was another of Wu Yuan's old acquaintances from the Megaverse Crossroads—Xuan Rong.

The arrival of the Eldritch Court delegation immediately drew the attention of the other attendees. After all, everyone knew of the enmity between Overlord Ming Jian and the Immortal Court, and the enemies of the Immortal Court were often friends of the Eldritch Court.

"Overlord Ming Jian." Overlord Hou Jue, typically cold and aloof, wore a smile today.

"Overlord Hou Jue, I've long heard your illustrious name." Wu Yuan's qi refiner self smiled, inwardly amused.

He could only pretend that this was his first encounter with Overlord Hou Jue.

"Master." Wu Yuan's qi refiner self's voice echoed in Sovereign Kua Chi's mind.

"Don’t mind me. Make sure not to expose yourself," Sovereign Kua Chi transmitted back.

"Greetings, Overlord." Sovereign Kua Chi, Sovereign Cang Feng, Sovereign Zi Yang, and Sovereign Xuan Rong bowed respectfully.

“Five late-stage Sovereign armies of the Immortal Court surrounded Overlord Ming Jian at the Greenridge Continent, only to be annihilated with a wave of his hand—what a stirring battle!" Overlord Hou Jue praised effusively. "That Immortal Court is truly tactless."

Her praise seemed utterly sincere. In reality, as members of the Eldritch Court, they delighted in the Taiyuan Divine Court and Immortal Court becoming mortal enemies. The more vicious and frenzied their mutual slaughter, the better.

"Overlord Ming Jian, this is a congratulatory gift from our Eldritch Court. Please accept it as a token of our respect." Overlord Hou Jue smiled.

With a flip of her palm, she presented a storage artifact containing the gift.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"A gift?" Wu Yuan was slightly surprised, but didn't refuse. He reached out and accepted it, his Soul Force surging forth to inspect its contents.

This cursory inspection left Wu Yuan astounded. Within this seemingly unremarkable storage artifact lay two Spacetime-type Dao Instrument flying sword arrays.

Each sword array consisted of a full eighteen flying swords, each one a top-grade Dao Instrument in its own right.

The value of these two sword arrays could certainly rival the 36 Constellation Swords. They could be considered among the top treasures short of Xiantian artifacts.

"Overlord Hou Jue, this gift is far too precious," Wu Yuan said, shaking his head slightly as if to refuse.

The congratulatory gifts from other Saintdoms had been mostly ordinary, with only Overlord Bei Zhen's gift being slightly more valuable—a single top-grade Dao Instrument. It could be said that the Eldritch Court's offering was equivalent to all the gifts Wu Yuan had received thus far combined.

"Haha, such a small gift is hardly precious." Overlord Hou Jue laughed. "Your willingness to honor the agreement with Wu Yuan, ceding half the territory of the Greenridge Macrocosm, has earned the admiration of many Overlords in our Eldritch Court. Naturally, we must respond in kind.

“There's no need to refuse. Please accept it," Overlord Hou Jue insisted.

Seeing this, Wu Yuan's mana body smiled helplessly. "Very well then. Many thanks to Overlord Hou Jue and the Eldritch Court for your generosity."

This caused Overlord Hou Jue's smile to widen further. In her view, Ming Jian's acceptance of such a weighty gift established a karmic tie, signifying a greater degree of closeness to the Eldritch Court.

Little did Overlord Hou Jue know that while other powerhouses might worry about karma and such, Wu Yuan’s karma with the Eldritch Court was hardly a concern for him.

"This way, Overlord." Wu Yuan took the initiative to guide Overlord Hou Jue into the temple.

...

Time flowed on, and delegations from numerous Saintdoms continued to arrive. Over twenty Saintdoms had come from beyond the Ling Jiang Universe, mostly led by Overlord mana bodies or ether bodies. They were naturally received with courtesy by Wu Yuan and Overlord Xin Ya.

This scene left the various factions marveling in secret. When had there ever been such a spectacle at an ordinary Overlord's advancement celebration?

Only a monstrous prodigy like Ming Jian, believed to have a real chance at achieving eternity, could command such respect from countless Saintdoms across the endless megaverse.

The delegations sent by Saintdoms from other universes were mostly dispatched on orders from the eternal beings behind them. After all, in the eyes of those eternal existences, if Ming Jian truly broke through in the future, he would swiftly become a second-step or even third-step Eternal.

On the path to eternity, universe-born lifeforms who broke through purely by their own power, shattering the shackles of the river of space and time, would become a second-step Eternals— Dao Pioneers. More than half had the potential to become True Saints, and were naturally worthy of attention.

As the temple grew increasingly crowded with guests and the stream of new arrivals dwindled, the reception gradually approached its conclusion.

At this moment, two figures with unremarkable auras appeared in the distant void. One was a graceful silhouette in blue, the other clad in fiery red robes.

Wu Yuan's eyes lit up and he proactively went over to greet them: "Sovereign Lan Yan, Sovereign Hong Yi."

The new arrivals were two of the three Sovereign Custodians of the Spacetime Dao Realm.

"Greetings, Overlord Ming Jian. We come representing the Spacetime Dao Realm." Both Sovereigns bowed respectfully.

"Young Master, congratulations. We knew you were destined for greatness, but never imagined you'd break through to Overlord so swiftly." Sovereign Lan Yan's voice, melodious as a spring breeze, resonated in Wu Yuan's mind.

"Young Master, congratulations. Even the legendary Sovereign Black Devil pales in comparison to you," Sovereign Hong Yi likewise transmitted with a smile. "Among the Dao Master's five disciples in this samsara cycle of heaven and earth, Young Master's cultivation speed is unmatched."

Wu Yuan couldn't help but smile.

"Young Master, besides offering congratulations, we've come on orders from Senior Zi Kong. There are matters we must discuss with you," Sovereign Lan Yan continued her mental transmission.

"Senior Zi Kong?" Wu Yuan nodded slightly, recalling that terrifying existence hidden within the Spacetime Dao Realm.

Seemingly just a spirit, its power was undoubtedly at the Overlord level, perhaps even more frightening. Zi Kong was the true master of the Spacetime Dao Realm, a fact known only to the three Sovereign Custodians.

Years ago, Sovereign Black Devil had been annihilated with a mere wave of Zi Kong's hand.

"Very well, we'll discuss the details at my temple after the celebration," Wu Yuan transmitted his reply.

...

The flow of arriving delegations from the Saintdoms finally ceased.

All twelve Saintdoms of the Ling Jiang Universe, save for the Immortal Court, had sent representatives. Several independent Overlords from the Ling Jiang Universe had also come. Delegations from twenty-seven Saintdoms from beyond the universe were in attendance as well.

Including the Overlords of the Taiyuan Divine Court, nearly sixty Overlords had gathered for the celebration.

Meanwhile, over forty thousand Sovereigns from across the vast domains of the Taiyuan Divine Court had converged within the grand temple.

This magnificent assembly left the various factions in awe, and the numerous divine court Sovereigns felt their horizons expanding.

It wasn’t just the Taiyuan Divine Court; the entire Ling Jiang Universe hadn't seen so many Sovereigns and Overlords gather in person for a long time.

The banquet officially commenced, and Astral Monarch attendants brought forth an array of rare wines and delicacies from the Taiyuan Divine Court's private collections.

Many of these exotic delicacies would have been life-changing opportunities for ordinary immortal cultivators. For the Overlords and Sovereigns, however, they merely satisfied their palates.

Of course, none of these super powerhouses had come purely for the food.

At last, as a procession of stunningly beautiful Astral Monarchs withdrew, the banquet reached its climax.

"Congratulations, Overlord Ming Jian," Overlord Xin Ya rose first, raising his cup.

"Congratulations, Overlord Ming Jian," dozens of Overlords stood in unison, followed by tens of thousands of Sovereigns.

"You have ascended to the pinnacle within our universe."

"May you soon achieve eternity, breaking through samsara, never to perish!" Tens of thousands of Overlords and Sovereigns offered their well-wishes to Wu Yuan, who sat in the host seat.

An Overlord was one revered by all quarters.

...

The celebration continued for a long time, as such grand gatherings were rare even for Overlords and Sovereigns.

Wu Yuan's qi refiner self conversed with one Overlord powerhouse after another, engaging in casual chats or deep discussions.

Most of the information was trivial, but some insights truly broadened Wu Yuan's horizons. Tales of the vast and mysterious cosmic sea, perilous immutable relic sites, and experiences of life-or-death battles against eternal lifeforms. All of these filled Wu Yuan with curiosity about the unknown cosmic sea.

In truth, upon reaching the Overlord level, many Overlord powerhouses no longer cared much about factional differences. Conflicts within the universe? They posed little challenge to them.

It was common for Overlords from different factions to form friendships and venture through the cosmic sea together, facing life-and-death situations. All of them pursued eternity.

After more than ten days, the delegations from various Saintdoms gradually departed, as did the Sovereigns from across the vast territories of the divine court headquarters.

The Ming Jian Temple was Wu Yuan's Overlord Temple, and was fully under his control. No one could spy inside. Within, Wu Yuan received Sovereign Lan Yan and Sovereign Hong Yi.

"Young Master Ming Jian," Sovereign Lan Yan said, "We've been ordered to inform you about the Dao Master's other four successors. It's time for you to learn their identities."

"The other four Dao Master successors?" Wu Yuan's eyes flickered with interest.

"Actually, one of them attended this celebration," Sovereign Hong Yi smiled.

"Oh?" Wu Yuan was startled.