Chapter 1142: Thirty Thousand Years Later

True Saint Taiyuan spoke with utmost courtesy and sincerity, not forcing Wu Yuan's hand in any way.

Yet Wu Yuan could sense the deep yearning behind True Saint Taiyuan's words–he desperately hoped for Wu Yuan to assist Saint Shen Shui.

Wu Yuan understood the reason–the relationship between Saint Shen Shui and True Saint Taiyuan was likely similar to Wu Yuan’s bond with Sovereign Bei You.

This was evident from Saint Shen Shui's lofty status within the Taiyuan Saint Realm alone. And those Scorched Tribulation Grounds likely held a rare opportunity for Saint Shen Shui's advancement.

Cultivated for over a hundred samsara cycles of heaven and earth? Saint Shen Shui is truly ancient.

Wu Yuan mused inwardly.

Only a few hundred samsara cycles of heaven and earth had passed from the Primordial Era until now. Though those who underwent transcendence were eternal, time possessed remarkable power. Eternity was what countless beings tirelessly pursued, yet eternity, in a sense, could also be a form of torment.

The vast majority of eternal powerhouses, unable to endure the boredom of endless ages, would venture out to explore and seek adventure time and again. Occasionally, they might encounter great danger that could threaten their true selves, like Saint Zhu Mu.

At times, certain opportunities required the true self to brave dangers personally, greatly increasing the risk of death, as with Saint Shen Shui's desire to enter the Scorched Tribulation Grounds.

For these many reasons, numerous eternal powerhouses would ultimately fall. Only those of sufficient strength could endure, such as the Dao Zenithels. In the vast cosmic sea, very few things or beings could threaten them. Their self-created Daos were mighty enough to fortify their spirits and wills, making them far less susceptible to external influences.

Therefore, barring some especially cautious figures, most Perennials and Saints found it extremely difficult to survive through a hundred samsara cycles of heaven and earth.

But what if one were too cautious?

The heart changes. Actions influence thoughts. Constantly seeking stability and safety is an extreme that will naturally erode one's drive to advance.

Wu Yuan clearly understood this point.

One couldn’t simply cling to life, nor could one be too reckless.

Wu Yuan spent a long time deliberating.

"True Saint, I can accompany Saint Shen Shui on this journey," Wu Yuan slowly replied. "However, I have three conditions."

"By all means, state them," True Saint Taiyuan's face flickered with joy.

In his view, Wu Yuan's agreement was already an excellent outcome. Such requests were only natural.

"First, Saint Shen Shui must swear a Primordial Oath to never harm me," Wu Yuan said. "But I will not swear such an oath in return."

"Agreed," True Saint Taiyuan nodded.

Primordial Oaths held great binding power even over eternal powerhouses. Many powerhouses were reluctant to swear them. But in this case, Saint Shen Shui needed Wu Yuan's help, so it was reasonable for Wu Yuan to seek some assurance.

"Second, I require all the intelligence he possesses regarding the Scorched Tribulation Grounds," Wu Yuan continued.

True Saint Taiyuan pondered for a moment before replying, "That can be arranged, but you must promise not to interfere with his breakthrough opportunity."

"Naturally," Wu Yuan nodded.

He only wanted the information to better understand the risks to his own safety.

"Third, I cannot depart immediately. We must wait until the Xuanhuang Cosmiris concludes at least," Wu Yuan stated.

Though he was absolutely confident in sweeping through the Xuanhuang Cosmiris, Wu Yuan still wished to enter at his peak strength. Currently, only about 80,000 years remained before the Xuanhuang Cosmiris opened.

"That's simple enough." True Saint Taiyuan smiled and said, "In fact, the timing is entirely up to you. Saint Shen Shui has waited this long already; a few hundred thousand or million years more makes little difference. As long as you go before undergoing Dao Enlightenment, that will suffice."

Wu Yuan nodded slightly.

"Very well, then I shall summon Saint Shen Shui now, so he can swear the oath immediately," True Saint Taiyuan said.

He wanted to finalize the arrangement in one go, to prevent Wu Yuan from potentially changing his mind later.

Soon after, a figure in purple robes strode in. His bearing was rather extraordinary - it was none other than Saint Shen Shui.

"True Saint," Saint Shen Shui bowed respectfully first, then greeted, "Overlord Ming Jian."

Wu Yuan nodded slightly.

"Old Shui," True Saint Taiyuan looked at him and said, "Overlord Ming Jian has agreed to assist you. Share your intelligence on the exploration site with him, then swear the Primordial Oath."

"Understood," Saint Shen Shui nodded, but then turned to Wu Yuan and said, "Overlord Ming Jian, it's not that I don't trust you, but this intelligence is of great importance. Before I swear the oath, I'd like to test the level of your Dream World. After all, given the many dangers I've faced, if your soul secret art is too weak, your help may not amount to much.

"I hope you'll forgive my caution," Saint Shen Shui added quite politely.

"I understand. When it comes to opportunities for Dao advancement, anyone would be careful," Wu Yuan smiled faintly.

How could he not comprehend Saint Shen Shui's concerns? He wanted Wu Yuan's help, yet also feared Wu Yuan might leak his secrets.

"Saint Shen Shui, my secret art is quite formidable. You should be care-" Wu Yuan spoke casually, but imperceptibly, an invisible ripple had already spread from him. It struck Saint Shen Shui's Yuan Soul, spirit, and will.

"Mm, I'll-" Saint Shen Shui was in the midst of responding when a flicker of confusion flashed through his eyes.

"Hm?" Saint Shen Shui's gaze cleared an instant later, and he stared at Wu Yuan in shock. "I- I was struck."

"Impressive," True Saint Taiyuan revealed a smile. "Shen Shui, do you now believe in Overlord Ming Jian's abilities?"

"Indeed, I believe it now," Saint Shen Shui gazed at Wu Yuan with a hint of awe.

Though he had only succumbed for an instant before swiftly regaining clarity, and Wu Yuan likely stood little chance of success if he were to attack again, the fact remained that Wu Yuan was merely an Overlord!

Even with an Eternal Psyche, his Yuan Soul was quite weak. Yet Saint Shen Shui's true self, protected by soul-type Xiantian artifacts, had still fallen victim. If it were a Saint's mana body or ether body instead? They'd likely remain unconscious for a long while.

"Overlord Ming Jian, with this soul secret art of yours alone, you deserve to be called a Legend of the River," Saint Shen Shui sighed in admiration. "You could annihilate an ordinary Overlord with nothing but a thought."

"You're too kind," Wu Yuan replied modestly.

"I'll swear the Primordial Oath right away," Saint Shen Shui said hurriedly, quickly making the oath.

Afterwards, Saint Shen Shui proceeded to tell Wu Yuan everything he knew about the Scorched Tribulation Grounds.

"What? The Scorched Tribulation Grounds held such an opportunity?" Even Wu Yuan was astonished upon learning the details.

Ordinary treasures no longer caught Wu Yuan's eye, but he had to admit that Saint Shen Shui's opportunity was truly astounding–enough to drive many Saints mad with desire.

"I hope Overlord Ming Jian will keep this a secret," Saint Shen Shui said solemnly. "As payment for this journey, I've prepared 10,000 Blood Dream points, already transferred to Overlord Ming Jian's name through the Blood Dream Voidrealm."

"10,000 Blood Dream points? That's far too much," Wu Yuan shook his head repeatedly.

Ordinary high-grade Xiantian artifacts were worth twenty to thirty thousand Blood Dream points.

"Ming Jian, just accept it. If you don't, Shen Shui will feel ill at ease," True Saint Taiyuan finally spoke up. "10,000 Blood Dream points may be a lot for ordinary Saints, but Saint Shen Shui has accumulated his wealth over long ages.

"If he fails and perishes, those Blood Dream points would be useless anyway. If he succeeds and becomes a True Saint, what are a few Blood Dream points worth then?" True Saint Taiyuan persuaded.

With the True Saint putting it that way, Wu Yuan nodded and accepted.

Afterwards, the three conversed a while longer before True Saint Taiyuan and Saint Shen Shui took their leave.

10,000 Blood Dream points?

Wu Yuan shook his head inwardly.

Once my mana body and ether body return and I combine all my treasures, I might be able to exchange them for a high-grade Xiantian artifact through the alliance.

This ability to amass wealth and treasures was certainly beyond what most Saints could even dream of.

...

Time flowed on, and the commotion of the battle at Ancient Dream Mountain gradually faded. Conflicts between eternal powerhouses in the cosmic sea never ceased.

Wu Yuan's two true selves continued their steady cultivation.

My body refiner self must keep accumulating insights, studying the inheritances of those eternal powerhouses and integrating the insights from the Abyss into them.

Wu Yuan pondered silently.

Great Destruction, Great Creation... the Great Dao of Creation, as well as the Greater Laws of Space, Time, the five elements and other Greater Laws can all be fully incorporated.

His body refiner self did not make huge progress during the hundreds of millions of years spent within the Dream River of Universes, but its analysis of its own cultivation path grew clearer. Encompass all! Transform all!

The Blade of the Abyss primarily evolved the destructive aspect of the Abyss, forming a rudimentary concept of Great Destruction.

Wu Yuan mused.

But yin cannot exist alone, nor can yang. Focusing solely on Great Destruction is too extreme.

I must create a new ultimate technique. One that embodies the rudimentary concept of Great Creation.

Wu Yuan's body refiner self had a vague idea in mind, and silently cultivated.

𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

The process of Dao pioneering was arduous. Even with Wu Yuan's talent, it would still require endless ages and an immense accumulation of insights to have any hope of success.

...

The Eternal Dream Codex contains many ultimate techniques and secret arts.

Wu Yuan's qi refiner self had a relatively easier time by comparison.

It only needed focus on the Eternal Dream Codex, which held insights into the world, universe, spacetime and more, along with a multitude of killing techniques.

My Myriad Rebirths Tribulation is still too direct–when invading the enemy’s soul, it mostly just drags them in forcefully.

Wu Yuan shook his head inwardly.

If the enemy lacks an Eternal Psyche, it's fine. But if they have an Eternal Psyche, they can quickly break free and regain clarity.

It's best to use the surrounding environment as a blueprint, imperceptibly luring the enemy into the Myriad Rebirths Tribulation, and to set up multiple layers of dreamscapes.

Wu Yuan mused thoughtfully, beginning to further refine his Myriad Rebirths Tribulation technique.

This way, even if they break out, believing they've escaped, they'll find themselves trapped in yet another layer of the dream.

Meanwhile, Wu Yuan selected several more powerful secret arts from the Eternal Dream Codex left behind by Goddess Nüwa. These were the top soul secret arts within the dream codex.

Psyche Annihilation, Psyche Radiance, Psyche Domain!

Psyche Annihilation is an extremely powerful karmic killing technique.

Wu Yuan contemplated silently.

If one can cultivate it to profound levels, one could instantly annihilate weaker enemies with a single strike, even erasing their traces across spacetime.

Upon achieving a small degree of mastery, one could directly eliminate many Perennial powerhouses.

Psyche Radiance was a soul defense secret art. When employed, one's Yuan Soul would emit a crystalline divine light, their spirit radiantly illuminating the Destiny Voidscape. When cultivated to profound levels, countless beings would be forced to avert their gaze, with most soul attacks disintegrating before even touching the body. It was an incredible soul defense secret art.

Psyche Domain

. Wu Yuan pondered the final eternal secret art, which transformed one's spirit into a domain, enveloping all directions. Any powerhouse who entered this vast spirit domain would unconsciously experience changes in their mind and consciousness.

This was considered a group battle technique. Upon achieving a great degree of mastery, there would be no need to target enemies separately.

Once I successfully cultivate these three soul secret arts and combine them with my Myriad Rebirths Tribulation, it will be enough for me to sweep through countless powerhouses, whether in group battles or one-on-one fights.

Wu Yuan thought, calming his mind and silently cultivating.

Sometimes, there were no tricks or shortcuts in cultivation. It was simply a matter of grinding away over time, practicing again and again. Even with mediocre talent, one would eventually achieve something.

...

Decades passed. On the outskirts of Ancient Dream Mountain was a relatively calm pocket of the void.

"Lan Yan, I'll see you off here," Wu Yuan said with a smile.

"Young Master, thank you," Overlord Lan Yan replied gratefully. "In the future, if Young Master requires any assistance, please send word. I will spare no effort to repay Young Master's kindness."

Overlord Lan Yan was well aware that Wu Yuan had taken an enormous risk by coming here.

"Very well," Wu Yuan smiled casually. "When the day comes, I certainly won't be polite."

"Young Master, I'll be off." Overlord Lan Yan activated the token in her hand.

Whoosh~

Surging spacetime fluctuations converged, swiftly enveloping her. Overlord Lan Yan stepped into the Saint Realm passage, quickly vanishing from Wu Yuan's perception.

Heading to the Meng Guan Saint Realm?

Wu Yuan muttered to himself.

Technically, I should call him Senior Brother Meng Guan?

They were both successors of the Dao Master, though logically speaking there shouldn't be any hierarchy between them.

After completing Dao Enlightenment, I'll go meet this Senior Brother.

Wu Yuan thought as he turned to leave, swiftly heading to the Saint Realm passage connected to the Taiyuan Saint Realm.

Twelve years later, Wu Yuan's mana body and ether body stepped into the Saint Realm passage.

Another ten years later, his mana body and ether body silently returned to the Taiyuan Saint Realm. Wu Yuan didn't alert any powerhouses to his presence.

...

One thousand years, two thousand years... Wu Yuan spent a peaceful time in secluded cultivation. This was the norm–most super powerhouses spent their time in quiet cultivation, only unleashing their power at crucial moments.

The entire cosmic sea was tranquil.

The top-tier major factions were focused on events within the River of Universes. For beings like the Spacetime Dao Master, True Saint Taiyuan, True Saint Bu Xiu and others, as long as their Saint Realms remained in the Heartland region, they could clearly sense wave after wave of tremendous fluctuations transmitted from the essence of the River of Universes.

The Xuanhuang Cosmiris was about to open.

In the blink of an eye, another thirty thousand years passed.

On this day, an invisible ripple swept through Wu Yuan's hall within the Taiyuan Saint Realm.

Inside the meditation chamber, Wu Yuan's qi refiner self began to undergo a subtle, inexplicable change. His aura became faintly more divine and ethereal, while his eyes brimmed with excitement and joy.

Haha! The Samsara Sword has finally consumed half of the White Stone Essence, manifesting one hundred percent in reality!

A gleam of light shone in Wu Yuan's eyes.

It had taken far too long. Previously, when the Samsara Sword devoured the essence of those Dao Instruments, the process was usually finished within a few years or decades.

But this time, starting from the breakthrough to seventy percent manifestation, the Samsara Sword's evolution had slowed to an excruciating crawl.

Perhaps the final stage of the process was destined to be slow, or perhaps the White Stone Essence was difficult to absorb. In any case, it had taken a full thirty thousand years.

Only after consuming over half of the White Stone Essence did the Samsara Sword finally recover its full power.

One hundred percent.

Wu Yuan perceived the Samsara Sword within his inner space, now dazzlingly resplendent.

It had fully manifested.