Chapter 1053: The Greatest Prodigy In The River of Universes (1)

News of this battle reached the highest echelons of the Immortal Court instantly, prompting many Immortal Reverends and even an Immortal Eminence to convene and deliberate on Wu Yuan’s matter.

But in the end, their conclusion was merely to strategize and attempt to slay Wu Yuan when he ventured into the cosmic sea. That was all.

Why? Wu Yuan, having revealed the strength of a late-stage Overlord, was no longer someone the eternal lifeforms of the Immortal Court could deal with casually. Without dispatching an eternal lifeform, it would be nearly impossible to kill Wu Yuan.

Sending an eternal lifeform back into the River of Universes? Putting aside whether they could even kill Wu Yuan, the moment an eternal lifeform descended into the River, it would cause immediate tremors throughout, dispersing the universe’s essence. In an instant, all the Overlords of that universe would sense it, and the Eldritch Court would surely know and respond accordingly.

That would no longer be an assassination, but war—igniting the highest level of conflict between the Eldritch Court and Immortal Court. The Immortal Court's upper echelons were not yet ready for such an escalation. Thus, the methods they could employ had to be less extreme.

Moreover, the order issued by the Immortal Eminence was known only to those thirteen Immortal Reverends for now.

...

In truth, this was also why Wu Yuan felt no urgency. Possessing such strength was his true assurance.

With late-stage Overlord power, Wu Yuan could face almost any powerhouse within the River of Universes without fear. Even if he acted arrogantly, what can they do to him? Power was what really mattered.

Time flowed on.

As Wu Yuan made his way through the Dao Realm, seeking to rendezvous with Overlord Huan Jin more swiftly, news of this earth-shattering battle that had erupted in the Creation Dao Realm finally began to spread from the Immortal Court's Long Shan Saintdom, the Eldritch Court's Long Shan Saintdom, and the Immortal Court's Ling Jiang Saintdom.

The Immortal Court knew they couldn't keep it hidden. The Eldritch Court, having achieved such a great victory, actively spread the news, propagating it extremely quickly.

Over four thousand Sovereign mana and ether bodies perished, along with the ether bodies of two Overlords—what an astounding feat.

Within a single day, the news had spread to every corner of the Long Shan Universe.

"Single-handedly slaying thousands of Sovereigns? Even killing Overlords? Heavens above!"

"I saw the battle footage. With one saber strike, hundreds of Sovereigns fell. Truly magnificent."

"Late-stage Overlord strength. Even Overlord Wan Du was slain. He’s an Overlord renowned for eons." The entire Long Shan Universe was in an uproar.

Countless Sovereigns from over a dozen Saintdoms were astounded, and even the Overlords among the upper echelons of those Saintdoms sighed in amazement. They had assumed this Saintdom war would swiftly conclude with the Immortal Court's victory. Never did they imagine Wu Yuan could be so remarkably dauntless.

And this was just the beginning. In less than three days, this news rapidly spread from universe to universe—the Ling Jiang Universe, the Eldritch Court Universe, the Immortal Court Universe, the Violet Night Universe... Numerous Overlords and countless Sovereigns across the thirty-six universes of the River of Universes all came to know of it.

In the truest sense, this single battle had shaken the entire River of Universes!

"A hundred thousand years!"

"His growth is too rapid, too inconceivable."

"He attained late-stage Overlord strength in just a hundred thousand years. If he cultivates for millions or billions of years, what then? Could the River of Universes truly give rise to a fifth-stage Overlord?"

"Fifth-stage Overlord?"

"Who knows! A fifth-stage Overlord is a monstrous prodigy who has pioneered a Dao. How incredibly difficult is it for a sempiternal lifeform to pioneer a Dao?"

"Whatever the case, Wu Yuan now has the potential to contend for the title of greatest prodigy in the River of Universes."

"The greatest prodigy of the River of Universes? Indeed, he is qualified to vie for that title." Overlords from various universes sighed and marveled.

Such an earth-shattering battle was not unprecedented in this samsara cycle of heaven and earth. Overlord Bei Zhen had once slain six Overlords in a single battle, a feat equally dazzling. Those fourth-stage Overlords who stood at the pinnacle each had extraordinary battle achievements as well.

But none could compare to the shock and awe inspired by Wu Yuan's battle, nor the sighs of wonder and admiration it evoked!

Why? He was merely a hundred thousand years old!

Even among mortals, this was not an overly long time for many High Immortals and High Deities, let alone eternal lifeforms or sempiternal lifeforms.

Yet in such a brief span, an unrivaled prodigy had risen to the highest ranks of the entire River of Universes. He now stood shoulder to shoulder with Overlords who had cultivated for eons, and could even be considered a late-stage Overlord.

Like a meteor streaking across the vast sky, his radiance made the entire universe shimmer.

Another notable aspect was the context behind the battle. Twenty thousand years ago, the Immortal Court instigated the Saintdom war to hunt down Wu Yuan's true self, forcing him to flee in panic and disappear for twenty thousand years. Now, twenty thousand years later, Wu Yuan staged a king's return, single-handedly turning the tide. What a tale!

...

This was a special realm within the Eldritch Court Universe, where countless streams of lava flowed, and flames surrounded the world. A single spark here could instantly kill an Astral Monarch.

Wu Yuan? Late-stage Overlord strength?

Zhu Shan was currently making his way through this exploration site. Upon receiving the news, he was utterly stunned, his mind in a daze for a long while.

Previously, when he learned that Ming Jian had become an Overlord, he was somewhat surprised. Nevertheless, he still remained full of fighting spirit. He believed Ming Jian merely relied on powerful treasures, and that his Dao comprehension level couldn't be much higher than his own.

But this was different. Late-stage Overlord strength—this was no longer something that could be reached by external objects alone. Even if one had unbelievable treasures, sufficient personal strength was required to fully unleash their power.

Ninth-level Dao Field stage?

The towering Zhu Shan stood amidst the lava, seemingly oblivious as molten rock washed over his feet.

Has the gap between us truly grown so vast?

Zhu Shan sighed inwardly, recalling that figure he hadn't seen in tens of thousands of years.

Whoosh!

Countless motes of light coalesced, and a slightly blurry figure in white robes materialized not far from Zhu Shan. The figure seemed to stand beyond the bounds of spacetime, its form ethereal.

"Eldritch Progenitor." Zhu Shan bowed slightly in respect.

"I imagine you've heard the news about Wu Yuan." The white-robed figure gazed down at Zhu Shan, eyes filled with affection.

"Yes." Zhu Shan nodded heavily, his voice low as if ashamed: "Zhu Shan has disappointed the Eldritch Progenitor."

"Disappointed? No, I am very pleased with you." The white-robed Eldritch Progenitor smiled faintly. "There's no need to compare yourself to Wu Yuan. Instead, you should compare yourself to your past self.

“When I first began guiding you, you had only the slightest hope of becoming an Overlord. Later, your progress accelerated, and you even claimed a Saintcrest. Barring mishap, reaching third-stage Overlord in the future should not be difficult given that you comprehend the Great Dao of Five Elements. You even have an excellent chance of attaining fourth-stage Overlord combat power." The white-robed Eldritch Progenitor smiled. "Only breaking free of the shackles of samsara poses some challenge for you.

"As I see it now, most Overlords in the Eldritch Court are inferior to you."

Zhu Shan listened silently.

Third-stage Overlord? Fourth-stage? He was certainly confident in reaching that stage, and he could also sense that the Eldritch Progenitor had placed great faith in him.

"How do I compare to Wu Yuan?" Zhu Shan couldn't help but ask.

"Don't bother asking." The white-robed Eldritch Progenitor shook his head gently. "He is a myth of this era."

Myth? Zhu Shan's pupils contracted slightly.

"Focus on being the best version of yourself. If you achieve eternity in the future, then perhaps after many samsara cycles of heaven and earth, you may have a chance to catch up to him." The white-robed Eldritch Progenitor said.

Soon after, the white-robed Eldritch Progenitor's form dissipated.

Many samsara cycles of heaven and earth? Perhaps? Zhu Shan pondered the Eldritch Progenitor's words silently.

The Eldritch Progenitor's meaning was quite clear—in all likelihood, he would never catch up.

I'll never catch up? As long as I progress step by step, there's always hope.

Zhu Shan quickly regained his composure.

Stay calm. His incredible talent is also beneficial for our Eldritch Court.

I have two true selves. As long as I keep improving, there's always hope.

...

"Wu Yuan? Late-stage Overlord strength?"

"A hundred thousand years? How did he manage it?" When peerless geniuses like Mu Long, Li Guang, Gamang, Bai Shui, Inconstance, Zhuo Haiyue and others who had once contended with Wu Yuan received this news, they were all dumbfounded.

Ming Jian's earlier accomplishment had already shocked them, but the impact of Wu Yuan's achievement was ten or a hundred times greater.

Of course, among that group of prodigies who had once explored the Megaverse Crossroads, some were also incredibly excited.

Haha, so Brother Wu Yuan has become an Overlord?

Xuan Rong was quite thrilled.

He was currently an early-stage Sovereign. Previously, he had accompanied Overlord Hou Jue to attend Ming Jian's Overlord advancement celebration.

When he received news of Wu Yuan's battle, he was first stunned, then overjoyed.

But...Will Brother Wu Yuan still remember me?

Xuan Rong felt a twinge of anxiety.