Chapter 1149: Battle In The River Of Universes

They’re finally here. Five Saints? It appears the Eldritch Progenitor is still worried.

Wu Yuan thought to himself.

Understandably so. The size of the force dispatched by the Immortal Court is uncertain, so caution is wise.

Though Wu Yuan was confident, he did not object to the Eldritch Court dispatching additional Saints as reinforcements. Establishing his reputation was secondary. Securing victory in this battle was the top priority.

In a swift motion, Wu Yuan's body refiner self soared into the sky, having already placed his ether body in his internal world. This was a battle destined to forge a legend, demanding his utmost effort.

In mere moments, his body refiner self traversed billions of light-years, reaching the edge of the macrocosm. There awaited a figure in a white robe—his mana body had been waiting for a long time.

Whoosh!

His mana body took flight and entered the grotto-heaven artifact of his body refiner self.

The Netherworld Sword has been fully mastered by my qi refiner self, forged into a psyche weapon.

Wu Yuan mused calmly.

The domain of the psyche is the virtual and illusory facet of the Primordium, surpassing spacetime, truly omnipresent.

As for the Netherworld Sword, it's a fully illusory soul-class secret treasure, rivaling a Lifebound Psyche Weapon.

In simple terms, whether it was his qi refiner self or mana body, even separated by endless spacetime, they could wield the Netherworld Sword that existed in the Dream World to execute soul attacks.

However, compared to true Psyche Arsenal class powerhouses, there was a slight flaw—the Netherworld Sword was, after all, an external artifact. There was only one, so it could only attack one target at a time. This meant that when his qi refiner self wielded the Netherworld Sword, his mana body could not, and vice versa.

Yet, this was already heaven-defying. After all, the qi refiner self of Wu Yuan was originally just a Psyche Dream class powerhouse.

It’s enough to have just my mana body accompany me.

Wu Yuan silently contemplated.

He had two principal considerations.

Firstly, the identity of Ming Jian. Although known as a brother in life and death to Wu Yuan, this was a life-or-death battle with the Immortal Court. From Ming Jian's perspective, sending just one mana body to join the battle was the limit—sending his true self into battle would be absurd.

Exposing my mana body carries some risk. But at the very least, it's within reasonable bounds.

Wu Yuan quietly considered.

My qi refiner self? It shall wait just beyond the Xuanhuang Cosmiris.

Secondly, neither his qi refiner self nor mana body was particularly strong in physical attacks; they were both at the Perennial level, so having one more or less made little difference.

As for soul attacks? A single mana body would suffice. After all, they were not facing hundreds or thousands of powerhouses. For a soul class powerhouse, there was no fundamental difference between dealing with ten or twenty adversaries.

Even if the Immortal Court goes completely mad, they would send only thirty or forty Saints at most.

Wu Yuan's body refiner self, along with his ether body and mana body, vanished into the endless void.

The entire Greenridge Macrocosm remained a serene paradise. Ever since Wu Yuan's two true selves completely took over the macrocosm thirty thousand years ago, it had swiftly entered an era of peace.

The innumerable beings of the macrocosm could not begin to imagine that the two Overlords they revered were on the brink of igniting a battle that would shake the entire cosmic sea.

...

Wu Yuan took just a few hours to get from the Ling Jiang Universe to the River of Universes.

Onward he journeyed, crossing one macrocosm after another, traversing the vastness of outer space.

When Wu Yuan finally stepped out of the Ling Jiang Universe, the once boundless Ling Jiang Universe began to dramatically collapse within his sight and perception. Then, overwhelming spatial suppression descended upon him.

All spatial dimensions collapsed into one. Surges of Xiantian spiritual qi appeared before Wu Yuan's eyes, assaulting his body, though inflicting no harm.

In Wu Yuan's perception, the entire Ling Jiang Universe transformed into a celestial body with a diameter of merely one light-year, wrapped and nurtured by endless Xiantian spiritual qi.

This was the true River of Universes, located in a place between the cosmic sea dimension and the River of Universes dimension.

Different strengths reveal different vistas. The higher one stands, the farther one sees; each visit to the River of Universes unveils new sensations.

Wu Yuan inwardly reflected as his gaze swept across his surroundings, his perception extending. A flood of information surged into his mind.

The essence of the River of Universes?

Wu Yuan faintly discerned, deep within the River of Universes, an immeasurable, mysterious region brimming with a vast, profound power.

There lay the very essence of the entire River of Universes, giving rise to the expansive River and nurturing countless celestial bodies, engendering the sprawling Abyss...

How did Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu and Heavenly Imperator manage to withstand the backlash of the entire River of Universes’ essence and wield control over an entire universe?

Wu Yuan wondered.

The more profound his grasp of the Primordial Rules, the more Wu Yuan was awed.

Take it slow. In due time, I shall also achieve it.

Swish~

Wu Yuan tore through the layers of Xiantian spiritual qi, vanishing rapidly into the chaotic and bizarre void.

The environment of the River of Universes bore similarities to the cosmic sea, where space was highly stable, and the maximum speed one could reach was a hundred times the speed of light.

Before long, Wu Yuan sensed the presence of five mighty figures waiting in the nearby void.

Their auras were similar in strength to Saint Hong Yun and Saint Da Yang, among others.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Tremendous fluctuations rippled forth as the five Saints detected Wu Yuan, swiftly making their way through streams of qi to meet him.

"Overlord Wu Yuan."

"Overlord Wu Yuan." The five Saints greeted Wu Yuan.

"Saint Lei Dao, Saint Hong Jun..." Wu Yuan greeted them with a smile.

On his way here, he had been briefed by Eldritch Progenitor Luan Jiang on the five Saints who would be accompanying him. There were two Peak Saints and three Standard Saints.

"Overlord Wu Yuan, you have arrived late,” spoke Saint Lei Dao, a burly figure enveloped in ceaseless lightning, his voice booming as he gazed at Wu Yuan.

"Late?" Wu Yuan smiled. "According to our intelligence, the Immortal Court's group has just departed. With the direction calculated through the Eldritch Progenitors' destiny divinations, they will only arrive more than ten days later."

The team for this mission consisted of Wu Yuan and the five Saints. But their intelligence was supported by the Eldritch Court's Eldritch Progenitors. Informant messages, destiny divination, combat power analysis—nothing was overlooked.

"We are to prepare an ambush," Saint Lei Dao frowned subtly. "The earlier we're prepared, the better."

"Preparing too early increases the chances of discovery through divination," Wu Yuan countered, shaking his head.

Both sides had valid points.

"Lei Dao," the exquisitely handsome Saint Hong Jun suddenly spoke, "Since Overlord Wu Yuan is here, let's not delay any longer."

"Very well," Saint Lei Dao frowned slightly before adding, "Overlord Wu Yuan, is your companion here? Can we meet him? It would make issuing commands easier for both Hong Jun and me during the battle."

"I shall take command in this battle. I believe the Eldritch Progenitor has already given the order,” Wu Yuan said with a gentle smile.

When Eldritch Progenitor Luan Jiang gave his orders to the Saints, he only informed them that Wu Yuan had the strength of a fifth-stage Overlord. The fact that his qi refiner self and mana body were joining the battle remained undisclosed. The later such secrets were unveiled, the better.

The five Saints exchanged glances. Saint Lei Dao frowned, "Overlord Wu Yuan, the Eldritch Progenitors ordered us to respect your opinion. However, this battle involves our lives and safety... We should discuss this mutually."

The expressions of the other Saints turned serious.

Had they only dispatched mana or ether bodies, they would have willingly yielded to Wu Yuan’s authority. However, they had sent their true selves, and there was a real risk to their lives – they couldn’t place blind faith in Wu Yuan merely on an Eldritch Progenitor’s order.

The mightier one became, the more one only trusted oneself. Some of the Saints here might not have been eager to participate in the first place.

"I understand," Wu Yuan smiled benignly, "Which is precisely why I need you to follow my orders, esteemed Saints.

"Saint Lei Dao, attack me," Wu Yuan stated calmly.

And suddenly, an eerie silence enveloped the space.

The five Saints stared back in shock, though Saint Lei Dao’s eyes flickered with a hint of anger. From his viewpoint, he had extended every measure of respect to Wu Yuan, even willing to cooperate.

"Go ahead," Wu Yuan shook his head and urged, "Don't waste time."

"Very well! Let me gauge Overlord Wu Yuan's prowess," Saint Lei Dao's eyes flared with indignation, his form transforming instantaneously as he became a radiant entity, illuminating a section of outer space, akin to a celestial body of lightning.

Boom!

In the next instant, a mighty strike of lightning sped toward Wu Yuan with terrifying velocity.

"Lei Dao refrained from using his weapon."

"He’s holding back," observed the other four Saints calmly, witnessing the scene.

Although Eldritch Progenitor Luan Jiang had mentioned that Wu Yuan was a fifth-stage Overlord, these Saints were not easily convinced without seeing it firsthand. After all, Wu Yuan had cultivated for a mere four hundred thousand years.

Out of nowhere, a blinding blade ray seared through the boundless lightning, splitting it into two, sending Saint Lei Dao hurtling back.

He was forced back tens of millions of li before finally finding his footing. Saint Lei Dao lifted his gaze, astonishment written across his face as he locked eyes with Wu Yuan, "How could this be possible?"

A profound silence covered the scene.

The other four Saints, their eyes riveted with shock, watched Wu Yuan intently.

Wu Yuan stood within the void, slowly withdrawing his palm. Once his breath was calm again, he smiled gently and spoke, "Saint Lei Dao, everyone, are you now willing to heed my command?"

This single palm strike had left the five Saints astounded. From the intelligence reports, Wu Yuan was known for his mastery of the saber. Yet he had not even drawn his weapon. Even so, he had completely suppressed Saint Lei Dao.

One had to understand that Saint Lei Dao was a Peak Saint, possessing power at the limit of the Perennial level, even when greatly suppressed within the River of Universes. But Wu Yuan had still managed to gain the upper hand. What then, was the extent of his power?

"I concede," the Saint Lei Dao said as he landed gracefully, shaking his head. "Overlord Wu Yuan, we’ll follow the Eldritch Progenitor’s orders. For this battle, we will act as you direct."

The other four Saints did not protest further. While strength didn’t necessarily translate to the ability to lead others in battle, immense power could compensate for many shortcomings.

"Excellent. With your aid, we shall surely prevail," Wu Yuan smiled. "Come, let us capture the Saints of the Immortal Court."

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Wu Yuan, along with the five great Saints, swiftly made their way to the target coordinates, updated frequently by the Eldritch Progenitor.

This time, the Immortal Court had dispatched three Saints, who were bringing several thousand Overlords to the Xuanhuang Cosmiris.

...

Seventeen days passed.

Deep within the River of Universes, in an expanse of void not far from the Xuanhuang Cosmiris, a great torrent of Xiantian spiritual qi roiled like river water, causing the entire void to churn chaotically.

With each opening of the Xuanhuang Cosmiris, a vast amount of Xuanhuang qi would gather. The convergence of Xuanhuang qi would naturally attract a large quantity of Xiantian spiritual qi; hence, the closer one got to the Xuanhuang Cosmiris, the denser the Xiantian spiritual qi became.

"The Xuanhuang Cosmiris has opened, yet there’s no word from Wu Yuan."

"Could it be that Wu Yuan sensed something and is avoiding the area?"

Figures emitting a vast and eternal aura restrained their aura, waiting silently within the void.

Among them was a man in white robes, noble as jade and with an extraordinary demeanor. His status was clearly above the other Saints.

It was none other than Saint Zhu Guang. He was also the sole Full Saint involved in this Immortal Court operation.

"Such a monstrous prodigy, even if aware of the risks, would not retreat so easily. Their Dao Heart would not permit it," Saint Zhu Guang said softly. "Moreover, we've been cautious enough; they shouldn't have noticed us yet.

"Let's wait a bit longer. According to the destiny divinations, the team from the Eldritch Court should still be on the way. Most likely, Wu Yuan is meeting up with that group right now," Saint Zhu Guang noted.

"Agreed, Saint Zhu Guang is right."

"Wu Yuan is most likely still at the peak third-stage Overlord. He cannot enter the Xuanhuang Cosmiris by himself." The Saints laughed and chatted.

Suddenly, a female Saint in blue turned pale. "Something’s wrong, Saint Teng Chong and his group are in danger."

There was no need for her to elaborate further. Saint Zhu Guang and the other Immortal Court Saints had already received the news, and their expressions changed drastically.

"The True Saints have miscalculated," Saint Zhu Guang's eyes glowed coldly, his face stormy, voice low and grim, "We meant to ambush Wu Yuan, but never expected the Eldritch Court to seize this chance to ambush our Immortal Court Saints instead.

"The Eldritch Court has revealed five Saints. Go, we must rescue them."