Chapter 1123: Dream? Dead End?

These five stone fragments didn’t seem to form a complete whole.

As Wu Yuan examined the mysterious shards, he mused

. They look like just a small part of something far greater—perhaps from a vast stone shattered into hundreds or even thousands of pieces.

Wu Yuan could only vaguely surmise that these five fragments likely originated from the same mystical object.

I'll try crushing one.

He decided, gripping one of the shards with his fingers. He exerted a surge of power drawn from his physical strength as a Matter Overlord.

Even a mid-grade Dao Instrument would have shown visible damage from Wu Yuan's grip.

The surrounding void trembled faintly. Yet this seemingly ordinary white fragment remained utterly unscathed. If anything, its sharp edges made Wu Yuan's palm ache slightly.

Incredibly durable.

Wu Yuan noted, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

This material must be at least on par with Xiantian artifacts.

Even a True Saint's true self would struggle to shatter a low-grade Xiantian artifact.

It's unlikely to be a component from a Xiantian artifact either.

Wu Yuan reasoned silently.

The Azure Origin Armor, for instance, consisted of fourteen pieces. Though each was incomplete, they at least contained traces of information and could be equipped normally. But these five stone fragments, while clearly extraordinary, yielded no useful information to Wu Yuan's probing.

A vital aura? Could this be an artifact related to the Great Dao of Creation?

Wu Yuan contemplated. Despite his cultivation level, he could discern nothing of the fragments' origins.

The Que Luo race made quite a commotion.

He mused.

There's a small chance Sovereign Lan Yan obtained some great treasure, like a mid-grade Xiantian artifact.

But there's at least a 50% probability that she has other fragments that are part of the same object.

Wu Yuan reasoned, raising his gaze to the endless dark void as he focused on the shard in his hand.

He couldn't be certain which scenario was true. But Wu Yuan had no other options at the moment.

I'll have to gamble and see where the other fragments might be.

He decided.

It's my only lead right now.

The region mentioned in Sovereign Lan Yan's message was vast. With over a dozen pitch-black mountain peaks, each rising billions of li high, it would take Wu Yuan millions of years to search them all thoroughly if he didn't follow this clue.

Whoosh!

Wu Yuan transformed into a streak of light, hurtling at five times the speed of light through layers of mist, following the subtle resonance from the fragments in his hand.

As he traveled, another Mist Dream suddenly materialized, attempting to invade Wu Yuan's mind. But once again, he easily repelled the assault.

The invasive power of these Mist Dreams grows as I enter the depths of the outer region.

Wu Yuan noted warily.

I must remain vigilant.

Within Ancient Dream Mountain, the greatest dangers came not from other cultivators, but from the innate perils of the mountain itself.

After traversing tens of billions of li, Wu Yuan finally neared a towering black mountain that rose over a hundred million li high.

Though immense, it was merely a speck orbiting the main body of Ancient Dream Mountain, like a tiny moon circling a massive star.

Other fragments of the object are present within this black mountain.

Wu Yuan concluded, hovering in the void. His nine Heavenrending Swords orbited him as he gazed up at the colossal peak which emanated a vast, mysterious aura.

The mountain was not perfectly formed, but riddled with countless fissures and cracks of varying sizes. The largest crevasse stretched for a million li. Peering through the gaps, Wu Yuan sensed only darkness and chaos within. The details were unclear.

Should I enter?

Wu Yuan furrowed his brow slightly. Suddenly, his eyes turned dark as he scanned the surrounding spacetime.

Whoosh!

The scenery began to shift. Numerous phantom images appeared as reality seemed to flow backwards.

Retracing the past! Wu Yuan was employing one of the Overlord of Spacetime's most effective investigative techniques.

But the surroundings only rewound for an instant before Wu Yuan felt an immense, opposing force. The spacetime fluctuations grew chaotic.

Has another powerhouse disrupted the spacetime in this area?

Wu Yuan smiled faintly.

I can only peer back to a few hours ago?

What did this imply? Not long ago, a mighty cultivator had scrambled the local spacetime, preventing later arrivals from scrying the past.

Destruction was far simpler than creation. Whoever had muddled the timestream wasn't necessarily stronger than Wu Yuan, but he would struggle to undo their work.

Judging by the timing, this likely happened after I slew the two Que Luo Perennials’ ether bodies.

Wu Yuan reasoned.

The spacetime here was then thoroughly scrambled.

The most probable culprits were other Que Luo powerhouses.

There’s a chance it was other Que Luo Overlords who received the retreat orders from the two Perennials. They disrupted the spacetime here before departing.

Wu Yuan mused inwardly.

There's an 80% chance Sovereign Lan Yan fled into this black mountain, and she's probably carrying the other fragments.

Wu Yuan glanced at the five mysterious shards in his palm.

This also explained why the Que Luo race had remained unable to locate Sovereign Lan Yan even after a century.

All peaks within Ancient Dream Mountain were part of the core region - incredibly dangerous areas where even True Saints risked perishing if they entered rashly. These Perennial powerhouses naturally wouldn't dare to venture inside recklessly.

Wu Yuan had now pieced together the likely sequence of events. When these mysterious fragments emerged, one or more Que Luo Overlords fought Sovereign Lan Yan for the treasure. Relying on her mastery of Spacetime, she managed to snatch a portion and flee desperately. Pursued by many Que Luo powerhouses, she was ultimately forced to escape into this mountain before them.

Those two Que Luo Perennials probably weren't present initially.

Wu Yuan deduced.

Otherwise, Sovereign Lan Yan couldn't have escaped.

With two Perennials present, even if it were only their ether bodies, capturing Sovereign Lan Yan would have been trivial.

This suggests that these mysterious fragments are likely far more valuable than I first imagined.

He turned the shards over in his hand before putting them away.

Now that the ether bodies of two Perennials have fallen, the Que Luo race may not let this slide. They might even send Saints.

Wu Yuan considered.

He understood the temperament of Que Luo powerhouses well. Unlike most factions, where cultivators accepted their fate if they perished while on expeditions, the Que Luo race was different. Offend one, and you risked drawing the ire of the entire group.

Saints? If they don't come in person and only send mana bodies or ether bodies, I'm not afraid. But it would still be troublesome.

Wu Yuan mused as he transformed into a streak of light, flying directly into a fissure in the mountain's surface.

The moment Wu Yuan truly entered the mountain's crevice, an invisible ripple of spacetime washed over him, causing Wu Yuan to vanish instantly from that point in space. He disappeared without a trace, as if he had never arrived in that slice of spacetime at all.

...

In the Nine Saints Alliance, True Saints abounded. Their sphere of influence stretched across the cosmic sea, with Saint Realms established in various locations.

The Zhu Ye Saint Realm was one of the nine Saint Realms of the Que Luo race.

Within an incredibly ornate hall on the mainland of this Saint Realm, several towering figures had gathered. Each resembled lightning stars and radiated an eternal Dao resonance. The largest had a diameter exceeding a million li, while even the smallest spanned over a hundred thousand li across. They were all eternal powerhouses.

Perennial Ge Long and Perennial Yong Hun, whose ether bodies had been slain by Wu Yuan, were present. But their auras were the weakest, and their attitudes the most humble.

"We pay our respects to Saint Ye Xing and other esteemed Saints," Perennial Ge Long and Perennial Yong Hun bowed reverently.

Saint Ye Xing was their direct superior, a figure of considerable renown within the Que Luo race.

"Fellow Daoists," Saint Ye Xing's voice boomed through the temple as his gaze fell upon the other two Saints beside him. "The news regarding the white Nüwa stone was brought by these two Perennials under my command."

"Oh?"

"Ye Xing, according to your message, all six fragments were seized by Devil Emperor Xia of the Abyss within Ancient Dream Mountain."

"To encounter a white Nüwa stone - that's quite the fortuitous occasion for your subordinates." The two Saints' gazes swept over the two Perennials in the hall as they casually discussed the matter.

Nüwa stones came in several varieties: red, green, yellow, white, and black. Each type of Nüwa stone possessed different properties, with the white stone being among the more exceptional. At the very least, it was enticing enough to capture the interest of these Saints.

"I invited you here for good reason," Saint Ye Xing said. "Ge Long, Yong Hun - project the scene of your battle with Devil Emperor Xia for our two fellow Saints to observe."

"Yes, sir." The two Perennials nodded. With a wave, a memory projection appeared.

Soon, the projection concluded, leaving the temple in silence.

"What terrifying saber techniques."

"Devil Emperor Xia is truly worthy of being called a Legend of the River." The two newly arrived Saints were visibly shaken.

Saint Ye Xing remained calm, though he too had been shocked when first viewing the battle footage. Could a sempiternal lifeform truly be so formidable?

"Dong Luan, what's your assessment?" Saint Ye Xing turned to one of his peers.

"This is likely Devil Emperor Xia's ether body. However, for sempiternal lifeforms, the gap between the ether body and true self is minimal. If there is a difference, it's mainly in terms of artifacts and weaponry," Saint Dong Luan replied in a deep voice.

"Judging by his saber techniques and the battle's outcome, his offensive power likely reaches the Peak Perennial level. As for physical defense... Based on the intelligence our alliance has gathered on the Abyss, his durability has probably reached the Threshold Dao Pioneer level. His soul defenses remain unknown."

The two Saints nodded in agreement, both feeling somewhat daunted. Such strength was truly formidable.

"My assessment is similar," Saint Ye Xing said coolly. "If we send our mana or ether bodies, we might be slain by him in a one-on-one fight."

As Saints, their true selves were incredibly powerful. But when deploying mana or ether bodies, their strength often only reached the Peak Perennial level. Reaching the Threshold Dao Pioneer level was considered quite impressive.

"Shall we go in person?" Saint Ye Xing's gaze swept over his two companions.

Both Saints hesitated inwardly. Eternal powerhouses rarely deployed their true selves lightly. Was it worth the risk for a single white Nüwa stone?

A moment of silence went by.

"Very well," Saint Ye Xing smiled faintly. "Fellow Daoists, if you're hesitant, then there's no need for us to take the risk.

"Elder Brother Zhu Mu." Saint Ye Xing looked to the far end of the temple.

At the entrance, a figure streaked by, revealing another colossal form spanning a million li. Lightning crackled across his body, and his aura was so overwhelming that the other Saints in the hall paled slightly.

Perennial Ge Long and Perennial Yong Hun in particular felt their breath catch, crushed by an unprecedented pressure.

"Saint Zhu Mu."

"Zhu Mu has arrived." Saint Dong Luan and his companion both stepped forward as a show of respect.

Among the Saints, power determined status. Without question, Saint Zhu Mu stood at the pinnacle among Saints, ranking in the top three throughout the entire Zhu Ye Saint Realm.

"Ye Xing, Dong Luan..." Saint Zhu Mu's gaze swept over the many figures in the hall. "I will dispatch my ether body to accompany you for this battle. With your assistance as well, subduing a Devil Emperor will be effortless."

"Excellent."

"With Zhu Mu leading us, defeating a sempiternal lifeform will be a walk in the park. No matter how formidable, he stands no chance." Saint Dong Luan and the others couldn't help but smile.

Saint Zhu Mu's ether body could unleash Dao Pioneer-level combat power. With the three of them assisting, it would undoubtedly be a simple task.

"How shall we divide the treasures?"

"Let's wait until we've seized the treasures to discuss that," Saint Ye Xing said solemnly.

The other Saints naturally had no objections.

Soon after, the mana or ether bodies of the four Saints, carrying numerous treasures, swiftly made their way toward Ancient Dream Mountain via the Saint Realm passage. In just sixteen years, they would reach Ancient Dream Mountain.

On the other hand, to conceal information about the white Nüwa stone, the Que Luo race did not leak any news of the battle that had erupted earlier.

...

Wu Yuan was unaware of the actions of the Que Luo race's upper echelons. At this moment, he was exploring the inside of that black mountain.

The instant he entered the mountain's crevice, Wu Yuan felt an intangible wave of power envelop him, and he found himself transported to a mysterious place.

This was a black passage over a hundred million li wide. Black walls surrounded him on all sides, with only a single corridor stretching endlessly into an indistinct blur.

My perception is very hazy.

Wu Yuan was inwardly alarmed.

I was teleported in instantly?

I can't find the way back?

Just moments ago, he had been making his way through the dense fog in the outer region. He had barely entered the crevice when, in the next instant, he was transported here.

Moreover, the mountain is only a hundred million li tall. But the width of this passage is more than a hundred million li?

Wu Yuan shook his head.

The intelligence reports were indeed correct. Many areas of the cosmic sea dimension were bizarre, with overlapping spacetime. It was quite normal for a speck of dust to contain vast worlds, and these were all part of regular spacetime, unlike Space Dao Instruments.

Boom!

Wu Yuan suddenly lunged forth, striking the uneven black wall beside him with his fist. The wall merely trembled slightly, with no other changes.

How sturdy. It seems I can only follow this passage into the darkness.

Wu Yuan peered into the endless black passageway, his mind vigilant.

Most importantly, he could no longer feel any resonating sensation from the fragments.

I just hope I haven't been transported too far from Sovereign Lan Yan.

Wu Yuan thought to himself. The operation of cosmic sea exploration sites held too many secrets; he truly had no control over it.

In fact, forget about rescuing Sovereign Lan Yan—if Wu Yuan were unlucky enough, both his mana body and ether body might perish in this mysterious passage.

Let's go.

Wu Yuan carefully advanced along the corridor, heading into the endless, gloomy depths.

Wu Yuan withdrew his mana body, letting his ether body take the lead. His ether body's self-preservation ability was far stronger.

One hundred million li, two hundred million li... one billion li... Wu Yuan advanced at the speed of light, not daring to accelerate for fear of encountering some danger and being unable to react in time.

It was extremely quiet along the way, and the passage seemed endless. Even after Wu Yuan had flown over ten billion li in one breath, he hadn't encountered any dangers, nor had he detected the existence of any living beings or objects.

Just how far does this passage go?

Wu Yuan grew increasingly perplexed, yet he dared not relax for even a moment.

Whoosh~

Just then, a mysterious wave suddenly manifested, instantly sweeping over Wu Yuan's body. A flicker of fear flashed through his eyes, followed immediately by confusion.

A dream? Reality?

Wu Yuan murmured to himself before falling into a deep slumber.

At this moment, it wasn't just him who fell asleep. Even his qi refiner self, far away in the Saint Realm, succumbed to the power and likewise fell into slumber.

Only his body refiner self in the Ling Jiang Universe maintained consciousness, perhaps due to the vast separation of spacetime.

A dream? Can I endure this?

Wu Yuan's body refiner self's expression had turned extremely grim.