Chapter 1071: The Destruction Of The Huanggu World

Wu Yuan’s qi refiner self once ventured into the Eldritch-Immortal Battlefield, sweeping through the geniuses his age from the Voltari Temple. Ultimately, by a stroke of luck, he obtained a Bronze Immutable Token.

His body refiner self used the token to enter the Immutable Land. After hundreds of years of cultivation there, he became a nominal disciple of True Saint Bu Xiu.

Great Dao imprint, Life Dao Body, supreme ultimate techniques imbued with an eternal will... It could be said that the true rise of Wu Yuan's body refiner self began in the Immutable Land.

Wu Yuan spent a few hundred years in the Immutable Land, an unforgettable time for him.

He made many friends, such as the Snake Ancestor, Eldritch Deity Zhu Jiu, Eldritch Deity Hou Lu, and others. It was with their help that Wu Yuan finally passed the trials.

Of course, Wu Yuan also aided the eldritch race in defeating the immortal race in the Huanggu World.

When leaving the Creation Divine Hall, the Creation Emissary had gifted Wu Yuan a Divine Jade Immutable Token, saying that when Wu Yuan became a sempiternal lifeform, he could activate the token to enter the Immutable Land again as long as he was in the Greenridge Macrocosm.

Yet, the changes in the world are beyond one's control. Wu Yuan's rise was too swift, especially his transformation in the Creation Dao Realm, which led him to become an Overlord in an extremely short time.

The Divine Jade Immutable Token had remained unused all this while.

That was, until today.

Hum~

Wu Yuan did not resist as an invisible fluctuation of spacetime enveloped him. But with his current strength, he could easily sense that this power was transporting him to an infinitely distant spacetime.

It should be sending me to the Immutable Land.

Wu Yuan thought to himself.

The Immutable Land was one of the twelve Saintdoms of the Ling Jiang Universe. However, this Saintdom faction was quite mysterious. Established by a True Saint, it occupied a vast territory, and powerhouses from other factions found it nearly impossible to enter that mysterious region via the usual way of navigation.

For other factions, only the few powerhouses who possessed Immutable Tokens could enter it smoothly. As for the native powerhouses of the Immutable Land, only some Sovereigns and Overlords would venture out to explore, but most of them only appeared in the cosmic sea.

Whoosh~

After a long while, Wu Yuan felt the spacetime fluctuations around him dissipate.

He found himself at the foot of a flight of stairs leading to a majestic temple.

Divine pillars stood on either side of the temple, ancient and towering. The surfaces of the pillars were engraved with numerous mysterious patterns, seemingly narrating the rise of a super powerhouse.

Creation Divine Hall?

Wu Yuan gazed at this unfamiliar yet somewhat familiar temple.

For a moment, he was lost in thought, involuntarily recalling many events from years past.

Let's go in.

Wu Yuan stepped onto the stairs.

As soon as he entered the hall, countless beams of light appeared out of thin air at the far end of the hall, converging to form a massive, illusory jade platform.

On the platform sat a figure in black robes, in lotus position. His cheeks were gaunt, with faint black scales growing on the sides of his face. His eyes, however, were extremely piercing. An aura of immense power spread out from him.

"Senior, I have arrived," Wu Yuan smiled at the black-robed elderly man.

The pressure emanating from the black-robed elderly man, which had once seemed terribly frightening to him, now felt like a gentle breeze, unable to disturb his mind in the slightest.

With Wu Yuan's current level and perception, he could see that the black-robed elderly man before him was likely a form of spirit, though he couldn't discern how powerful it might be.

To date, the most powerful spirit Wu Yuan had encountered was Zi Kong from the Spacetime Dao Realm, who was suspected to be even more formidable than a fourth-stage Overlord.

"You? Wu Yuan?" The black-robed elderly man looked at him with considerable shock. "You've become a Sovereign?"

His eyes betrayed a hint of disbelief.

"Yes, I became a Sovereign not long ago," Wu Yuan smiled.

The entire hall suddenly fell deathly quiet.

"Are you the legendary Overlord Wu Yuan from the Eldritch Court?" The black-robed elderly man's voice was filled with endless shock.

"If you're referring to the newly emerged Overlord from the Eldritch Court, that would be me," Wu Yuan said candidly, then smiled and added, "Senior is aware of this?"

"So it really is you." The black-robed elderly man stared at Wu Yuan, as if trying to see through him.

After a while, he finally let out a long sigh, "How could I not know? The highest echelons of Overlords and Sovereigns throughout the Immutable Land have long since spread the word, calling you a living legend.

"When I first received news of this battle, I had my suspicions, but I dared not be entirely certain," the black-robed elderly man shook his head helplessly. "Claiming a Saintcrest, becoming an Overlord in a hundred thousand years... It’s truly inconceivable.

"Compared to you, True Saint Bu Xiu's other disciple, Sovereign Jian Huang, is far too weak," the black-robed elderly man remarked.

Wu Yuan nodded slightly.

True Saint Bu Xiu had taken three successors, including Wu Yuan. One successor had perished, while the other, Sovereign Jian Huang, was a ninth-stage Sovereign, ruling over a macrocosm with considerable renown.

"Wu Yuan, what you've achieved far exceeds what True Saint Bu Xiu had hoped for," the black-robed elderly man sighed. "If True Saint Bu Xiu knew of this, he would likely be overjoyed."

Wu Yuan couldn't help but smile. With his name listed in the Eternal Register, True Saint Bu Xiu probably already knew.

"You're using the Divine Jade Immutable Token to claim the opportunity I promised you back then?" The black-robed elderly man stood up and walked down the steps.

He came to Wu Yuan's side, a strange smile on his face.

"Yes," Wu Yuan nodded lightly, but sensed something amiss about the elderly man's smile.

"Haha," the black-robed elderly man laughed. "Do you know what that opportunity is?"

Wu Yuan shook his head.

"A set of offensive top-grade Dao Instruments, or a top-grade Dao Instrument for soul defense," the black-robed elderly man shook his head and chuckled. "It was originally prepared for the day you became an Astral Monarch. I didn't expect you to come only after you became an Overlord."

Wu Yuan was left speechless. So, they were just some trinkets?

If he had truly been stuck at the Astral Monarch phase for a long time as the black-robed elderly man had predicted, these treasures might have been of some use. Unfortunately, he had already become an Overlord.

"Do you still want them?" the black-robed elderly man asked.

"Yes, I would like the set of top-grade Dao Instruments," Wu Yuan said straightforwardly. Since he was here, he couldn't possibly leave empty-handed.

The black-robed elderly man chuckled. Without hesitation, he produced a set of top-grade Dao Instrument sabers, nine blades in one sheath, and handed them to Wu Yuan.

Wu Yuan didn't stand on ceremony and accepted them.

This set of top-grade Dao Instruments was worth about five or six Xuanhuang merits. Even mosquitoes were still meat.

"These treasures are of little use to you," the black-robed elderly man looked at Wu Yuan. "If you have any other requests, feel free to speak up. I'll do my best to fulfill them if I can."

Requests? At this thought, ripples stirred in Wu Yuan's heart.

Wu Yuan pondered briefly before saying, "Can I return to the Huanggu World from back then and take a look?"

Only a hundred thousand years had passed. For the Huanggu World, it wasn't too long. Beings like the Snake Ancestor and Eldritch Deity Zhu Jiu had all cultivated for millions of years or even longer. Even ordinary High Eldritches had terrifyingly long lifespans.

"The Huanggu World where you took your trial back then?" The black-robed elderly man was taken aback for a moment, then nodded. "That's easy, but the power of your true body is now so great that the entire world might collapse if you enter.

"The world's essence cannot accommodate you. So, you can only send in an incarnation without any power," the black-robed elderly man explained.

"That's fine, I just want to see it again," Wu Yuan smiled.

Dao Zenithel Eternals had all transcended the River of Universes and could hardly return to the rivers of space and time. Even True Saints found it difficult to return to the rivers of space and time. Now, if Wu Yuan wished to enter the Huanggu World with his true body, the same principle would apply.

"Alright, Wu Yuan, please wait a moment," the black-robed elderly man said. He was now quite courteous towards Wu Yuan, his attitude completely different from when Wu Yuan had left years ago.

After all, back then, it was uncertain whether Wu Yuan would even survive to become a Sovereign. He was only nominally a successor of True Saint Bu Xiu. But now it was entirely different; he was very close to achieving eternity.

As for the black-robed elderly man, although his status was extremely high within the entire Immutable Land, he was ultimately just a spirit. In True Saint Bu Xiu's heart, he was certainly far less important than Wu Yuan now.

Wu Yuan waited silently.

Suddenly, the black-robed elderly man's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise, then a rather unpleasant expression arose on his face.

"What's wrong?" Wu Yuan noticed the change in the black-robed elderly man's expression. A sense of unease flashed through his heart.

"Wu Yuan, I'm sorry," the black-robed elderly man's face showed a trace of apology. He sighed, "I just used the Creation Divine Hall to survey the countless worlds operating within the entire Immutable Land, and discovered that the Huanggu World where you took your trial back then has been completely destroyed."

Wu Yuan was stunned.

"Completely destroyed?" This left Wu Yuan's mind in a daze.

Destroyed? Before this, Wu Yuan had imagined many possibilities, but he never thought the entire world would be destroyed.

"How was it destroyed? Who did it? Was it an Astral Monarch or a Sovereign? Or was it one of the Overlords?" Wu Yuan turned to the black-robed elderly man, his voice seemingly calm, yet unnervingly so.

Utterly destroying an entire world was not something an Archimmortal or Archdeity could accomplish. It would take at least an Astral Monarch.

The black-robed elderly man shivered inwardly, sensing the hardly contained fury beneath Wu Yuan's tranquil gaze. This was a fury that could shake the heavens.

"Wu Yuan, allow me to explain in detail," the black-robed elderly man said. "The Immutable Land was created by the True Saint, encompassing numerous macrocosms.

"Many of these macrocosms serve as experimental grounds or trial worlds, similar to the Huanggu World you once visited.

"These worlds are mostly sealed off, with many operating under rules different from those outside," the black-robed elderly man patiently explained.

"Normally, the super powerhouses of the Immutable Land are not allowed to enter these trial worlds. In theory, these worlds should be absolutely safe."

"If they're safe, then how could one be destroyed?" Wu Yuan asked in a low voice, a glint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes.

Indeed, killing intent! At this moment, scenes from his time in the Huanggu World flashed through his mind – those friends and seniors who had helped him so earnestly, with whom he had formed deep bonds.

And that woman! Although Wu Yuan had severed the threads of emotion in his heart years ago in pursuit of the Great Dao, it didn't mean he would completely abandon them.

Or rather, Wu Yuan had hoped for Hou Tong to live peacefully, and for the entire Huanggu eldritch race to continue prospering without issue.

"This act wasn't committed by a powerhouse from the Immutable Land," the black-robed elderly man sighed. "It was the Abyssal Devil race."

"The Abyssal Devil race?" Wu Yuan was stunned.

"Yes. Sixty thousand years ago, an Abyssal rift opened in the Gu Cang Macrocosm where the Huanggu World was located. Countless Abyssal Devils surged through the Abyssal passage, swiftly annihilating world after world, with innumerable lives perishing," the black-robed elderly man sighed. "The Huanggu World was among them. The entire world was completely devoured.

"Later, several Overlords from the Immutable Land led an army of Sovereigns to intervene. After numerous great battles, they finally drove the Abyssal Devil race back into the Abyss, but nearly half of the Gu Cang Macrocosm was destroyed. Even now, it has only regained a fraction of its original prosperity," the black-robed elderly man looked at Wu Yuan.

He said no more, but Wu Yuan fully understood – it was the Abyssal Devil race that had invaded and destroyed the Huanggu World.

The Abyss. It was a special region that was linked to every universe and macrocosm. [1]

The vast universe nurtured normal lifeforms, mostly growing, reproducing, and comprehending the Daos in a natural way.

Meanwhile, the lifeforms nurtured in the Abyss were devils! Only through endless slaughter could they hope to become sempiternal lifeforms.

Every Devil Sovereign had emerged from countless acts of slaughter.

Over the years Wu Yuan had cultivated, he had little contact with the Abyssal Devil race. This was because the Abyssal Devil race rarely appeared in the universe. When they emerged from the Abyss, their abilities would be noticeably restricted, but once they appeared, they brought mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Wu Yuan's last encounter with them was at the Megaverse Crossroads, where he met many super geniuses from the Abyssal Devil race.

However, from the intelligence archives of the Taiyuan Divine Court and Eldritch Court, Wu Yuan knew that many macrocosms occasionally suffered from Abyssal invasions.

Whenever they occurred, the resulting damage and casualties were always catastrophic.

The Greenridge Macrocosm had experienced one such invasion in its history. It had taken the combined efforts of numerous Sovereigns from the Taiyuan Divine Court, Eldritch Court, Immortal Court, and other Saintdoms, to thoroughly annihilate and drive back the Abyssal Devil race.

"Did anyone from the Huanggu World survive?" Wu Yuan suddenly asked.

"No. The Huanggu World was sealed off, and normally, inhabitants aren’t allowed to leave," the black-robed elderly man sighed. "I know who you're most concerned about. That young girl, she's also dead."

Wu Yuan fell silent. The last glimmer of hope in his heart was extinguished.

"Senior, I want to go see the Gu Cang Macrocosm," Wu Yuan said in a low voice.

"No problem, I'll take you there," the black-robed elderly man said, understanding Wu Yuan's thoughts. He wouldn't be able to let it go unless he saw it with his own eyes.

If Wu Yuan were still an Astral Monarch, the black-robed elderly man wouldn't be so accommodating. But now, with late-stage Overlord strength, things were different.

In the Immutable Land, the many trials and training grounds prepared for the Dao Master's successors were now useless to him.

The black-robed elderly man felt that he should help Wu Yuan set down his emotional burden if he could.

"Wu Yuan, follow me," the black-robed elderly man said, walking directly out of the hall.

Wu Yuan followed closely behind.

As they left the hall, the two quickly vanished into the void outside.

...

The Immutable Land was vast, encompassing three hundred macrocosms. The Gu Cang Macrocosm was just one unremarkable macrocosm among them.

Designated by the black-robed elderly man as a trial ground for foreign lifeforms, many worlds in this macrocosm were quite special. But no matter how special, it was only relative to mortal lifeforms.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The black-robed elderly man and Wu Yuan traversed spacetime, swiftly arriving at the Gu Cang Macrocosm.

It was a dark expanse of outer space, with many floating, shattered stars and collapsed temples nearby in the void–evidence of once-flourishing civilizations.

"This is where the Huanggu World once stood," the black-robed elderly man sighed.

Witnessing this scene before him, Wu Yuan's heart tightened. If even the world no longer existed, what could be said of the lifeforms that had lived within it?

"Senior, I want to glimpse the truth of what happened in the past. Is there an Overlord of Spacetime in the Immutable Land?" Wu Yuan suddenly asked.

1. TL note: During this arc, it is written that the Abyss is part of the universe, whereby the non-Abyss part is called the ‘outer space of the universe’. However, during later arcs it is clear that the Abyss is a completely separate level of spacetime that is only linked to each universe. To ensure consistency I will simply be taking the Abyss and universe as separate places. ☜