Chapter 1186: Eight Hundred Thousand Years (3)

Physical attack and defense essentially came down to the combination of three aspects: ultimate techniques, foundation or base mana, and artifacts.

The biggest gap between myself and True Saint Xiao Yao and the others lies in our foundations.

Without achieving eternity, my internal world cannot evolve further, and my vital ether won't transform to the next level.

Wu Yuan mused.

The only path available to me is — Matter Eternal!

How did Wu Yuan rival many Perennials in foundation despite possessing the body of an Overlord? It was precisely through the combination of vital ether and physical strength.

Similarly, once Wu Yuan fully comprehended the profundities of eternal matter, his body would undergo another transformation, allowing him to forge an Eternal Matter Body.

After achieving eternity and breaking free from the constraints of the River of Universes, one could cultivate multiple Eternal Daos simultaneously. But being a Matter Eternal remained beyond the reach of most True Saints.

Once the Eternal Matter Body is forged, not only will my physical defense and soul defense skyrocket, but the power unleashed by the divine body alone will be comparable to that of a Saint.

My self-created Dao surpasses the Great Daos! My Eternal Matter Body will be further boosted with the radiance of my self-created Dao.

A gleam shone in Wu Yuan's eyes.

With Saint-level combat power and True Saint-level ultimate techniques, I'll be able to fully unleash two Xiantian Instruments...

This was the only way Wu Yuan could envision slaying a True Saint as a sempiternal lifeform.

Of course, once Wu Yuan broke through and possessed an Eternal Matter Body, he would fundamentally become an eternal lifeform. For a normal powerhouse, reaching this step would mean achieving eternity, and they would face rejection and suppression from the River of Universes.

But with the Ancestral Pagoda's projection and my identity as an Ancestral Pagoda Archon, it's enough to block the River of Universes' perception.

Wu Yuan smiled faintly.

Ultimately, the path of matter relies purely on one's own power rather than drawing upon the essence of the River of Universes, which is why it can be concealed.

This was a mystery of the Ancestral Pagoda's projection that Wu Yuan had discerned after pioneering his own Dao.

The Ancestral Pagoda, shrouded in utmost mystery, transcended the River of Universes and could coexist alongside the all-encompassing Primordial Rules.

As an Ancestral Pagoda Archon, the Ancestral Pagoda didn't directly enhance Wu Yuan's strength, offering only extremely powerful soul defense. Yet it had many special uses.

Perhaps even Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu doesn't know this secret of the Ancestral Pagoda Archons.

Wu Yuan pondered.

The prerequisite for all of this was that Wu Yuan had to fully comprehend the profundities of matter and forge an Eternal Matter Body in one fell swoop.

If I hadn't pioneered my Dao, I wouldn't have had an ounce of confidence.

Wu Yuan smiled slightly.

But now? I should be able to break through within a million years.

Wu Yuan quieted his mind and began to cultivate silently.

Whoosh~

In the Life Chapter of the Primordial Doctrine that Wu Yuan had obtained, information regarding the Three Thousand Foundation Diagrams, Five thousand Primal Force Diagrams, and Nine Thousand Primordial Diagrams surged into his mind.

The Primordial Doctrine is truly an inconceivable teaching. Just this Life Chapter alone, one of nine chapters, is in no way inferior to the Eternal Dream Codex.

Wu Yuan marveled inwardly.

The stronger he became, the more Wu Yuan could appreciate the profound depth of the Primordial Doctrine. This path was truly extraordinary.

And the one who created this teaching must have been an even more incredible existence, certainly no less than Goddess Nüwa.

But who was its creator?

This was bestowed by the Heavenly Domain Emissary, originating from the Megaverse Crossroads and the Path of Ancients in the Xuanhuang Cosmiris.

Wu Yuan could sense that this vast cosmic sea still held many secrets.

Where did the Origin Saint, Azure Saint, and the others come from?

Was Goddess Nüwa alive or dead?

When my strength grows, I believe all secrets will be revealed.

Wu Yuan reflected.

As of now, I've fully comprehended the first two parts of the Life Chapter of the Primordial Doctrine.

The Three Thousand Foundation Diagrams, when fully understood, allowed one to construct the strongest mortal body.

The Five Thousand Primal Force Diagrams, when fully comprehended, allowed one to call themself a Matter Overlord.

Of the Nine Thousand Primordial Diagrams, comprehending just the first thousand was sufficient to forge an Eternal Matter Body.

In the past, I could barely grasp the first Primordial Diagram even after spending a great deal of time.

Wu Yuan's lips curled into an enigmatic smile.

But now, looking at these Nine Thousand Primordial Diagrams, how similar they are to my Dao?

Wu Yuan's Dao fused myriad Daos into one, incorporating the profundities of the River of Universes and the Abyss, bearing all and encompassing all.

Similarly, how could understanding these Nine Thousand Primordial Diagrams allow one to craft such a powerful body? It was due to their absolute perfection and flawlessness, sharing similarities with Wu Yuan's self-created Dao.

In the entire cosmic sea, I might be the individual most suited to cultivating the Primordial Doctrine.

Wu Yuan felt quite confident.

In the future, when my body refiner self takes the fourth step, I'll have the opportunity to fully comprehend all Nine Thousand Primordial Diagrams.

As long as there was enough time, there was hope.

Whoosh!

Wu Yuan's body refiner self divided its mental energy, one part contemplating his self-created Dao technique, the other part pondering the Primordial Doctrine, focusing on two tasks simultaneously.

Meanwhile, Wu Yuan's qi refiner self meditated in stillness, and his mana body silently departed, embarking on a journey to the Taiyuan Saint Realm.

...

Three hundred years passed in the blink of an eye.

Within the Heartland region of the cosmic sea, on the mainland of the Taiyuan Saint Realm.

"Saint Shen Shui." Wu Yuan's mana body flew out from his hall. He had returned to the Taiyuan Saint Realm two hundred years ago, and had been waiting for Saint Shen Shui all this time.

Whoosh!

Saint Shen Shui, clad in azure robes, descended swiftly, expressing his apologies: "Daoist Ming Jian, I'm sorry for keeping you waiting so long."

"It's no trouble," Wu Yuan replied with a smile.

"With Daoist Ming Jian's assistance on this journey, my confidence has greatly increased," Saint Shen Shui said. "Given your strength, you'll surely be able to help me overcome this challenge."

Saint Shen Shui was well aware of Wu Yuan's exploits in the River of Universes, which further bolstered his confidence.

"Haha," Wu Yuan laughed. "Rest assured, this is merely my mana body. At critical moments, I will spare no cost to aid you, Saint Shen Shui."

Wu Yuan had previously obtained all intelligence regarding the Scorched Tribulation Grounds from Saint Shen Shui. Thus, he was acutely aware of how arduous this journey would be.

However, a gentleman's word is his bond. Though Wu Yuan did not consider himself a gentleman, he would still strive to fulfill his promises.

"Excellent, then I thank you in advance," Saint Shen Shui said gratefully. "Shall we depart?"

Whoosh!

Saint Shen Shui waved his hand, drawing Wu Yuan's mana body into a grotto-heaven artifact before transforming into a streak of light and plunging into the Saint Realm passage.

Located in the outer region of the cosmic sea, the Scorched Tribulation Grounds were an extremely perilous exploration site.

The journey there alone was an incredibly long one. Even traveling through the Saint Realm passage, it would take a full two thousand years for them to arrive.

In the deepest part of the Saint Realm.

"They've gone?" True Saint Taiyuan, seated high upon a jade platform, gently opened his eyes, a hint of complexity flashing through them. "Old Shui, I hope you’ll succeed."

The path of Dao pioneering was fraught with hardship and obstacles.

Though Saint Shen Shui possessed the strength of a Full Saint, the Dao he had pioneered was merely an ordinary self-created Dao. Taking that third step was truly too difficult.

Though True Saint Taiyuan had aided him to the best of his ability, when it came to that final step, even he was powerless to help further.

...

Time flowed like water.

For sempiternal lifeforms, the passage of years was insignificant—let alone for eternal powerhouses, to whom time held even less meaning.

The last hundreds of thousands of years were a tumultuous time, where the River of Universes witnessed the rise of a group of monstrous prodigies including Zhu Shan, Wu Yuan, Ming Jian, and others.

Most notably, two Legends of the River were born. The Devil Emperor Xia incident, the battle in the River of Universes' void, the fall of Overlord Yue Shan, the Xuanhuang Cosmiris... It was certainly nothing less than spectacular.

This was undoubtedly a great era that would be celebrated by countless future Astral Monarchs and Sovereigns.

However, with the conclusion of the Xuanhuang Cosmiris, the entire River of Universes entered a long-awaited period of tranquility.

Over eight hundred thousand years passed. Neither Overlord Ming Jian nor Overlord Wu Yuan stirred up any further commotion, seemingly vanishing without a trace.

However, there were still some events that gained the attention of the masses.

First, Overlord Jiang Meng erupted with fourth-stage Overlord strength, shocking all factions. The Ling Jiang Universe had produced yet another fourth-stage Overlord powerhouse.

Then, there was Zhu Shan of the Eldritch Court. In a mere one million years, he had reached the ninth-level Dao Field stage of the Great Dao of Five Elements. In a battle against an Overlord of the Immortal Court, he unleashed the power of a third-stage Overlord when his five ether bodies worked together, astounding all sides.

Though far from matching the two Legends of the River, Wu Yuan and Ming Jian, it was still incredible.

In the past, these accomplishments would have been enough to cement Zhu Shan’s fame throughout the cosmic sea, drawing the attention of many True Saints.

But in this era? It barely caused a ripple. The legends created by the two Legends of the River were simply too awe-inspiring, overshadowing all else.