Chapter 1108: Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu's Guidance (1)

At this precise moment, it wasn't Wu Yuan's body refiner self wielding the Origin Saint Pearl technique, but rather his mana body. Though the difference in combat power between his mana body and qi refiner self was primarily attributed to the lifebound flying swords, it was not particularly pronounced. Their mana reserves and Dao comprehension remained identical.

There's no significant gap between the true self and mana or ether body of a sempiternal lifeform.

Wu Yuan mused inwardly.

But once one becomes an Eternal, the disparity between an eternal lifeform's true self and its mana or ether body grows vast.

The special nature of eternal lifeforms lay in the formation of the Eternal Psyche. And since the Eternal Psyche was unique, it rendered the mana and ether bodies of Eternal powerhouses considerably weaker.

The combat power of Saint Hong Yun's mana body was only equivalent to that of a Perennial Eternal. Thus, when returning to the River of Universes, her true self had to come, ultimately leading to her permanent demise.

Eternal powerhouses escaped the suffering of samsara and gained eternal lifespans, but in some ways, they also lost many privileges of sempiternal lifeforms.

River Ring

. Wu Yuan multitasked. As his mana body felt the immense power of the Origin Saint Pearl, he was unable to suppress a smile.

This so-called River Ring was essentially an absolutely independent spacetime, a miniature river of space and time, cycling endlessly.

Within this ring of spacetime, beginning is end and end is beginning, an endless cycle.

Wu Yuan marveled inwardly.

Unless one breaks out of the spacetime constraints with absolute power, or has extremely deep comprehension of the Great Dao of Spacetime, it's impossible to leave the ring of spacetime no matter how far one flies.

In terms of offensive power, the River Ring wasn't as strong as some extremely powerful spacetime domain killing techniques. But as a supporting move, its effects were truly heaven-defying.

The Origin Saint Pearl has similar functions to the Origin Realm Pearl. I can integrate other Xiantian artifacts and divine swords into the Origin Saint Pearl, enhancing the attack power of the miniature river of space and time.

Wu Yuan's mana body gave a mental command.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Nine flying swords radiating eternal Dao resonance materialized, merging seamlessly into the spacetime ring.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Instantly, sword qi surged throughout the miniature river of spacetime. A mysterious fluctuation descended, dramatically intensifying the divine swords' power.

These nine divine swords—all mid-grade Xiantian artifacts—were those Wu Yuan had obtained from Saint Hong Yun. Combined with the Origin Saint Pearl and enhanced by the Samsara Sword's Dao resonance...

This truly represents heaven-defying power, far surpassing Devil Emperor Jian Long's technique.

Wu Yuan thought, sensing the River Ring's might reaching terrifying heights.

Trapped within the River Ring, even a fourth-stage Overlord cannot escape. A peak fourth-stage Overlord would struggle tremendously to break free.

His eyes gleamed with appreciation.

The technique's potency was undeniable. Had his mana body possessed the River Ring during his confrontation with Saint Hong Yun and the others, Saint Da Yang would never have escaped.

It makes perfect sense. The Origin Saint Pearl is a high-grade Xiantian artifact, and I've enhanced it with the Samsara Sword's Dao resonance.

His thoughts gradually settled.

In Dao comprehension, his qi refiner self ranked merely average among Overlords, but with the Samsara Sword's Dao resonance added, it reached the absolute pinnacle, approaching those powerhouses capable of creating eternal ultimate techniques.

Though the Origin Saint Pearl was a top-tier treasure, this heaven-defying technique had clear limitations. Wu Yuan's comprehension remained insufficient, making each deployment equivalent to simultaneously activating ten powerful Xiantian artifacts. The mana and mental energy consumption proved extreme, rendering prolonged battles impossible.

Why didn't Saint Hong Yun deploy all her Xiantian artifacts in battle? She would have to control the immense power of each one, and it wasn't easy to bring out their full might.

Treasures are external aid. The Dao is fundamental.

Wu Yuan reflected.

Yet when external objects possess extreme power, they can still manifest heaven-defying might.

This principle applied equally to the Samsara Sword and Origin Saint Pearl.

Moving forward, even if my qi refiner self creates a limitbreak Overlord ultimate technique, the combat power increase might not be substantial. However, it will greatly enhance my endurance in combat.

Wu Yuan considered.

After all, once my qi refiner self wields the Origin Saint Pearl, its combat power will likely rival Overlord Bei Zhen.

Even if not exactly on par, the gap would remain negligible.

Without fully realizing it, Wu Yuan's qi refiner self had already reached this level. To grow stronger?

I must create an eternal ultimate technique.

Wu Yuan's eyes reflected this longing.

His body refiner self had already created such a technique, glimpsing the path ahead. His qi refiner self still had a long way to go.

Beyond allowing Wu Yuan to master an incredibly powerful technique in advance, the Origin Saint Pearl provided invaluable inspiration, generating numerous insights about limitbreak Overlord ultimate techniques and even eternal ultimate techniques.

The path is walked one step at a time. After returning to the Ling Jiang Universe, I'll contemplate and cultivate at my own pace.

Wu Yuan felt no urgency. He had cultivated for merely 250,000 years—a brief moment for Overlords and Eternals.

In such a short span, the combined combat power of his two true selves could already shake the endless megaverse. This achievement satisfied him.

Let's go.

His mana body issued a mental command, and the vast River Ring dissipated, restoring spacetime to normal.

His mana body rejoined his body refiner self, which transformed into a streak of light, vanishing at the ends of heaven and earth.

The Abyssal Void was already faintly visible in the distance.

...

Wu Yuan's first time crossing the Abyssal Void from the universe had caused considerable suffering.

This time, the void's corrosive power felt like mere tickles, utterly incapable of affecting him.

Soon after, Wu Yuan traversed the Abyssal Void, emerging into a vast, boundless universe where countless stars glittered beautifully against endless darkness.

I'm finally back.

Emerging from that unending darkness, Wu Yuan broke into an involuntary smile.

Even in a foreign universe, he felt tension drain from his body. Only after dwelling in the Abyss could one truly appreciate the beauty of the universe. The constant killing and madness within the Abyss eroded the hearts of every Abyssal lifeform.

This should be the Violet Night Universe.

Wu Yuan recognized. The Eldritch Court's intelligence archives had clearly mapped the correspondences between the Abyss's 36 sectors and the 36 universes.

This is the universe of the Law of Thunder. When Haiyue was mortal, she appears to have dwelled here.

Wu Yuan considered, though he had no desire to investigate further.

However, if an opportunity arises, I could help resolve her karma with Saint Lei Xing.

He mused.

As his power grew, Wu Yuan perceived karmic threads of destiny with increasing clarity. Saint Lei Xing, once seemingly invincible in his eyes, now appeared trivial.

How powerful can a dead Saint's remnant aura imprint truly be?

Wu Yuan murmured to himself.

He could slay living Saints in the River of Universes, let alone dead ones.

Back to the Ling Jiang Universe.

Wu Yuan stepped into the Spacetime Intersection Layer.

Just half a day after leaving the Violet Night Universe, he entered the River of Universes—filled with endless Xiantian spiritual qi, surging and flowing. Wu Yuan felt truly at ease.

In a month, I'll reach the Ling Jiang Universe.

He smiled.

If he traveled through the Abyssal sector worlds, it would take at least a thousand years. How could that compare to the efficiency of traveling through the River of Universes? In the Abyss, one relied solely on slow, unaided flight.

As Wu Yuan soared through the River of Universes, he suddenly received a message.

Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu is summoning me?

Surprise flashed in his eyes.

Apart from that time when he claimed a Saintcrest, Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu had never actively summoned him before.

Wu Yuan dared not delay, instantly entering the Eldritch Court Voidrealm.

...

In the familiar majestic hall of the Eldritch Progenitor Hall, Wu Yuan bowed respectfully. "Wu Yuan pays respects to Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu."

"Rise," Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu responded without looking up. Clad in white robes with no visible aura, her hands worked inside a massive black box before her.

Wu Yuan rose, standing respectfully to one side.

"Slaying an Eternal—you've certainly forged quite a legend, Devil Emperor Xia," Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu's voice carried a hint of teasing.

"The Progenitor jests," Wu Yuan smiled awkwardly.

Others might believe it, but Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu clearly understood his true circumstances.

"You've performed admirably. Though the Flower of Sin represents a first-rate treasure in the River of Universes, similar treasures exist throughout the vast cosmic sea," Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu finally raised her head, her face radiating maternal warmth as she regarded Wu Yuan.

"Unleashing its power to such an extent and creating an eternal ultimate technique in one attempt is truly impressive."

Wu Yuan listened attentively.

While other Abyssal True Saints might believe he had pioneered a Dao, it wasn't surprising that Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu saw right through him.

"Wu Yuan, you should understand that a gap still exists between you and historical figures like the Heavenly Imperator and Great Emperor Yan Tuo," Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu smiled faintly. "Your current power stems from simultaneously cultivating two paths to eternity.

"This provides a tremendous advantage at the sempiternal lifeform stage, but once you achieve eternity, this advantage will gradually diminish," she continued, looking down at him. "Pioneering a Dao remains your most critical priority."

"I understand," Wu Yuan nodded slightly.

Sempiternal lifeforms, barring exceptional cases, could advance along only one path to eternity.

Meanwhile, pioneering a Dao represented mastery of one eternal path. Thus, most eternal powerhouses, especially those who had pioneered their Daos, went on to cultivate additional eternal paths. However, the Eternal Psyche's influence made achieving great success in multiple paths extremely difficult.

Most sempiternal lifeforms born in the River of Universes comprehended the path of Laws, so those who pioneered a Dao typically cultivated the path of matter afterward, strengthening their physical bodies.

"Of course, the advantage diminishes but doesn't vanish," Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu said softly. "Eternal bodies are classified into four major levels: Eternal Law Body, Eternal Saint Body, Eternal Matter Body, and Xuanhuang Body.

"Powerhouses who walk the path of matter immediately attain an Eternal Matter Body upon achieving eternity, possessing unimaginable vitality," she explained.

Wu Yuan nodded slightly.

According to the Eldritch Court's intelligence archives, many True Saint Eternals in the cosmic sea had never forged an Eternal Matter Body. As for the Xuanhuang Body? This was entirely new information.

"What are your cultivation plans moving forward?" Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu asked gently.

Wu Yuan's heart quickened.

Previously, Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu had stated she wouldn't summon him again until he became an Eternal. It seemed his rapid growth had apparently prompted her to offer proactive guidance.

"This disciple plans to wait until the Abyss's turmoil fully subsides, then have both true selves enter the Azure Saint Tomb together," Wu Yuan responded. "I've obtained two sempiternal lifeform tokens for the Azure Saint Tomb.

"After emerging, I'll enter the Xuanhuang Cosmiris.

"These experiences will lay the groundwork for pioneering my own Dao," Wu Yuan concluded solemnly.

These were indeed the plans he had formulated during his return journey.

"No!" Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu gently shook her head.

Wu Yuan's surprise was evident.

"The Azure Saint Tomb harbors dangers beyond your imagination," her voice seemed to float on the wind. "Barely one hundred thousand years remain until the Xuanhuang Cosmiris opens. Entering the Azure Saint Tomb now might cause you to miss this critical opportunity."

Wu Yuan's pupils constricted slightly.

This possibility hadn't occurred to him. The Azure Saint Tomb remained so mysterious that even the Eldritch Court's intelligence archives lacked detailed records.

"Then?" Wu Yuan asked hesitantly.

"Wait until after you emerge from the Xuanhuang Cosmiris," Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu advised softly. "After truly pioneering your own Dao, the Azure Saint Tomb will still await you."