Chapter 1041: Wu Yuan Appears, Saber Unsheathed (2)

In the Eldritch Court Voidrealm, on the Ling Jiang Plane.

"Overlord." Wu Yuan swiftly arrived at Overlord Hou Jue's temple in the Myriad River Realm.

"Wu Yuan, are you on your way to the Windstorm Labyrinth?" Overlord Hou Jue, who had been waiting for some time, asked.

"Yes," Wu Yuan nodded. "There's a high possibility of a Xiantian artifact emerging in the Windstorm Labyrinth. Naturally, I must vie for it."

If Overlord Hou Jue hadn't inquired, Wu Yuan wouldn't have elaborated further. But since she asked, there was no need to conceal anything.

"You mustn't go. Leave immediately or find a place to hide," Overlord Hou Jue shook her head.

"Hmm?" Wu Yuan was taken aback.

"I didn't stop you before because countless Sovereign powerhouses from the two Saintdoms were scattered about. Even if you encountered an ambush, you'd face a few hundred Sovereigns at most, a manageable risk," Overlord Hou Jue fixed her gaze on Wu Yuan. "But now, with innumerable Sovereigns from both sides converging, if you reveal yourself, you might face an onslaught from a thousand, or even several thousand Sovereigns.

"Moreover, there are Overlords present. Overlord Huan Jin is on her way there, and the Immortal Court likely has an Overlord en route as well," Overlord Hou Jue said urgently. "And who knows how many other Overlords from the Long Shan Universe are secretly heading there?"

Wu Yuan was slightly startled. Overlord Huan Jin had already set out? How swift!

"It's far too dangerous." Overlord Hou Jue shook her head. "Even if your true self truly possesses first-stage Overlord strength, it's still too much for you to handle.

"With first-stage Overlord power, you could very well be annihilated if you encounter a late-stage Sovereign legion," Overlord Hou Jue looked at Wu Yuan.

Wu Yuan nodded in agreement.

Indeed. Any late-stage Sovereign legion at full strength could match a third-stage Overlord, albeit with somewhat inferior defenses and mobility.

Wu Yuan smiled faintly. "I don't have first-stage Overlord strength."

"Then it's even more dangerous," Overlord Hou Jue urged.

"But I do have second-stage Overlord strength," Wu Yuan decided to be more forthright.

According to Wu Yuan's plan, he would reveal at most second-stage Overlord strength in this battle.

"Then you should be even more..." Overlord Hou Jue began, when she suddenly froze.

She stared at Wu Yuan, utterly shocked.

"Second-stage Overlord?" Overlord Hou Jue's voice was tinged with disbelief.

Overlord Hou Jue, Overlord Ming Zhun, Overlord Huan Jin, and the others had all speculated about whether Wu Yuan possessed Overlord-level strength.

Overlord Hou Jue, for one, leaned towards believing Wu Yuan had Overlord strength. Otherwise, how could he be so confident? But she only thought Wu Yuan had first-stage Overlord strength.

As for second-stage Overlord? Overlord Hou Jue couldn't even fathom it. After all, Wu Yuan's cultivation period was far too brief.

Yes, Wu Yuan was a Saintcrest Prodigy. But among the hundred or so Saintcrest Prodigies produced since the samsara cycle of heaven and earth began, only Ming Jian had attained Overlord strength in a mere hundred thousand years. That was why when Ming Jian became an Overlord, it shocked numerous Overlords across the megaverse. Even a monstrous prodigy like Zhu Shan only had ninth-stage Sovereign strength now.

𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

In Overlord Hou Jue's view, although Wu Yuan had surpassed Ming Jian on the Megaverse Crossroads, being faster at one point didn't guarantee being faster at every step.

Wu Yuan possessing first-stage Overlord strength was already the limit of Overlord Hou Jue's comprehension. And this was with Ming Jian as a precedent. Without Ming Jian's example, Overlord Hou Jue would never have believed Wu Yuan had first-stage Overlord strength.

As for second-stage Overlord? It was utterly preposterous.

If someone from Wu Yuan's previous life on the Blue Planet claimed a five-year-old child had become a doctor, what would be the average person's first reaction upon hearing such news? Would they believe this child was an extraordinary genius? No! They'd either think it was fake news or that there was some sort of 'behind-the-scenes manipulation'. This was the same concept.

"Second-stage Overlord?" Overlord Hou Jue stared at Wu Yuan. "Do you realize what you're saying? Even my true self, with a Xiantian artifact, only has second-stage Overlord strength."

No matter how phenomenally talented she believed Wu Yuan to be, she subconsciously thought Wu Yuan was lying. It was just too absurd.

Ninth-level Dao Field stage comprehension, dual Apotheosis, and possession of a Xiantian artifact – only with all these could one be considered to have second-stage Overlord strength. The vast majority of Overlords would only reach this level at the end of their lives, if ever.

"I understand," Wu Yuan smiled. "But I truly do have second-stage Overlord strength."

Wu Yuan could comprehend Overlord Hou Jue's thoughts. Words alone weren't proof. If even Overlord Hou Jue reacted this way, other Overlords would only be less likely to believe him. Only actual battle achievements would suffice.

"You really do?" Overlord Hou Jue fell silent, looking at the earnest Wu Yuan.

A long silence passed.

"Fine. If you truly have such strength, then I won't stop you anymore," Overlord Hou Jue shook her head. "Go and prove your strength then."

"Thank you, Overlord Hou Jue," Wu Yuan smiled, his figure swiftly retreating from the temple.

Alone, Overlord Hou Jue grew lost in thought.

“A hundred thousand years? Second-stage Overlord? Is it true or false?" Overlord Hou Jue murmured to herself.

"If it's true?" She shook her head gently, her eyes gleaming with an indescribable light. "Is our Ling Jiang Universe truly about to produce an Eternal?"

If it were true, she couldn't imagine anything that could hinder Wu Yuan's rise to eternity.

"I hope... it's true."

...

Time flowed on, and vast numbers of powerhouses from the Eldritch Court and Immortal Court began pouring into the Windstorm Labyrinth over the years.

One hundred...One thousand...Three thousand!

The Windstorm Labyrinth was quite expansive, with the Windstorm Sea's maximum diameter being roughly two light-years, and the entire exploration site spanning over a hundred light-years. Thus, it was able to accommodate this many powerhouses.

But with such a multitude of powerhouses gathered, the probability of encounters increased dramatically.

Intense battles erupted throughout the Windstorm Labyrinth, with the rate of Sovereign mana and ether body casualties from the two Saintdoms more than ten times that of the past ten thousand years.

This was despite the top tier of Sovereigns from the Eldritch Court and Immortal Court exercising relative restraint. The Xiantian artifact had yet to emerge. The time for the decisive battle had not yet come.

Over eighty years, more than eight thousand Sovereigns from the Eldritch Court converged, while the Immortal Court amassed over nine thousand Sovereigns.

The waves of terrifying fluctuations emanating from the depths of the Windstorm Sea continued to persist for a full eighty years.

After extensive probing, searching, and slaughter, the tens of thousands of Sovereigns from the two Saintdoms came up empty-handed. Thus, they all concluded that the Xiantian artifact must be deep within the Windstorm Sea. It hadn't truly emerged yet.

Enter the Windstorm Sea to search for it? Even ninth-stage Sovereign powerhouses didn't dare to do so.

"Even Overlords would fall if they dared to venture into the deepest reaches of the Windstorm Sea."

"Let's wait!"

"The fluctuations are still spreading throughout the entire Dao Realm. It's certainly not yet time for the Xiantian artifact to emerge." The tens of thousands of Sovereigns from the two Saintdoms were patient. A Xiantian artifact was an ultimate treasure that was more than worth waiting for.

After a series of clashes and probing, the numerous Sovereigns from the Eldritch Court and Immortal Court laid down a multitude of arrays at the periphery of the Windstorm Sea, serving as their temporary camps.

An array laid down by a single Sovereign wasn't frightening, but layers of arrays laid down by thousands of qi refiner Sovereigns working together?

With their combined might, even most Overlords would hesitate before trespassing, let alone Sovereigns. Neither side dared to launch an attack on the other's camp. They could only patiently seek opportunities.

...

Deep within the Windstorm Sea, a celestial body about a million li in diameter was spinning rapidly amidst winds that seemed capable of destroying worlds.

Whoosh!

Wu Yuan, sitting motionless on the ground in black robes, suddenly opened his eyes and stood up, muttering to himself.

Eighty years of quiet cultivation has brought me one step closer to the ninth-level Dao Field stage.

For the last eighty years, Wu Yuan had been hiding here. This place was somewhere ordinary Sovereigns wouldn't dare to set foot.

As for Overlords? They could indeed find this place. But their methods of detection, like domains and Yuan Soul power, would be torn apart among the black gales that covered the sky, rendering them practically useless. Their range of detection would be pitifully small. Thus, no one could find Wu Yuan's whereabouts.

According to intelligence from the Eldritch Court's Long Shan Saintdom, nearly ten thousand Immortal Court Sovereigns have gathered by now.

A cold glint flashed in Wu Yuan's eyes.

It's time to bring in the net.

The longer he delayed, the more unpredictable things would become.

Whoosh!

Wu Yuan took a step forward, leaving this celestial body and quickly disappearing into the endless black winds.

...

About one light-year from the Eldritch Court army's camp and about two trillion li from the Immortal Court army's camp, a team of nine Sovereigns was flying slowly against the gale. Such teams were now a common sight in the Windstorm Labyrinth.

The reason was simple – no one knew where the Xiantian artifact would emerge, so they could only patrol various regions, with numerous Sovereigns from both sides spontaneously forming teams.

In a sense, this was also a tacit understanding between the countless Sovereigns of the Eldritch Court and Immortal Court Saintdoms. Since neither side dared to attack the other's camp, Sovereigns formed small teams to battle each other.

"How long do we have to patrol like this?" A large man in blood-red armor shook his head and sighed, "We've already waited eighty years. If the treasure doesn't appear, are we just going to keep waiting forever?"

"Don't be impatient, Luan Guang." Another man in silver robes said calmly, "Given our strength, the chances of us obtaining a Xiantian artifact are low to begin with. What we should do is ambush and kill Sovereigns from the Eldritch Court.

"The Eldritch Court Sovereign we killed last time already gave us quite a harvest," the silver-robed man said.

"Mm. Yin Feng is right," the other Sovereigns chimed in agreement.

Although there were two late-stage Sovereign powerhouses in their team, the silver-robed man was the stronger one. His status was thus somewhat higher.

"With Yin Feng here, things are much easier."

"Haha, Yin Feng's detection methods are incredible. Even a ninth-stage Sovereign would be detected before they can get close, giving us more than enough time to flee or call for help."

"That's why we have yet to take a single casualty so far." These Sovereigns all showered him with praise.

The silver-robed man was quite pleased with the flattery. But despite their chatter, the nine Sovereigns guarding this area of space remained extremely vigilant.

Caution ensured a thousand-year voyage. When it came to their own lives, no Sovereign would be careless.

"Hm?" Sovereign Yin Feng seemed to sense something and suddenly turned his head, shouting angrily, "Enemy!"

As a Sovereign of Space, his perception was extremely sensitive. Yet, someone was able to evade his detection to this extent?

Boom!

The space for hundreds of millions of li around Sovereign Yin Feng suddenly erupted with surging currents of qi streams, roaring and billowing with terrifying might. It was a domain!

Is it a ninth-stage Sovereign? Or an eighth-stage Sovereign skilled in domains?

Various thoughts flashed through Sovereign Yin Feng's mind. Immediately, he began to call for reinforcements from their camp.

"Enemy?"

"Where?" The other eight Sovereigns were also shocked and angered. As Sovereign Yin Feng's domain extended, they too sensed the location of the target through his domain.

About fifty million li away, a figure ten thousand zhangs tall and clad in azure armor stood in space with a saber on his back. A fierce-looking serpent coiled around his body, and an overwhelming aura spread out from him. He looked at the nine of them coldly, as if staring at nine dead men.