Chapter 1187: Eight Hundred Thousand Years (4)

In the Greenridge Macrocosm.

Within the Yuan Realm, two figures flew through the void, gazing down at a flourishing world below. Yet, no one could perceive their presence.

"The entire Summerpeak World has undergone great changes once again," said Wu Yuan, clad in black robes, with a smile.

"Brother, it's been over three hundred thousand years since you last appeared. That was when Mother ascended to Archimmortality. Of course, the Summerpeak World has changed greatly since then," Wu Yijun said helplessly beside him. "Over these years, Summerpeak alone has produced quite a few Archimmortals and Archeldritches."

"Mm," Wu Yuan nodded with a smile.

Over eight hundred thousand years had passed. Those once-close friends and relatives, like Fang Xia, his sister, his mother Wanqin, and others, had all successively become Archimmortals.

Among them, Fang Xia had accomplished the most, becoming a seventh-stage Archimmortal, equivalent to an Astral Lord.

As for his sister, she was currently only at the sixth-stage Archimmortal phase.

And his mother? Even with Wu Yuan's immense help, overcoming her Tribulations had been rather difficult, but she had ultimately succeeded.

Before his mother's Tribulations, Wu Yuan's ether body would occasionally make appearances while body refiner self remained in secluded cultivation.

But once his friends and family had successfully completed their Tribulations, gaining long lifespans, Wu Yuan could finally set his mind at ease and fully devote himself to cultivation.

It was only recently that he had appeared once more.

"Don't neglect your cultivation either," Wu Yuan said with a smile. "Remember to frequently urge Mother onward. Only by cultivating to the level of an Astral Monarch will she truly have a near-endless lifespan and an absolutely powerful Dao Heart."

"Yes, I understand. Mother is also cultivating diligently," Wu Yijun nodded.

Having governed the Summerpeak World for a million years, her personality and mental fortitude were extremely resilient. She understood the efforts her brother had made for them. It was enough to leave countless Sovereigns dumbfounded.

Moreover, Wu Yijun vaguely sensed that her brother was likely on the verge of undergoing Dao Enlightenment.

This could be seen from the attitudes of the numerous Sovereigns and Overlords of the Eldritch Court towards the Summerpeak faction over the past hundreds of thousands of years.

"Zishan and Zimu came to see me a few days ago. Many from their grandchildren's generation have passed away, leaving them feeling quite melancholic," Wu Yijun said softly.

"Oh? Are Zishan and Zimu dissatisfied?" Wu Yuan's brow furrowed slightly.

"No, not at all. It's just that, with the limits of their lifespan approaching, a million years of emotional bonds are naturally hard to let go," Wu Yijun shook her head. "After all, they've become Archimmortals and Archeldritches, yet can only watch as their descendants pass away one by one."

Wu Yuan nodded gently.

Wu Zishan and Wu Zimu were Wu Yijun's twin children, whom Wu Yuan had watched grow up.

He had aided them considerably, ultimately helping them attain the levels of Archimmortal and Archeldritch. Similarly, Wu Yijun's husband had become an Archimmortal with Wu Yuan's assistance.

But that was the extent of it. As for the later generations of the Wu Clan? Though Wu Yuan still provided some support, he couldn't supply unlimited resources. Those Wu Clan descendants would have to rely more on their own efforts.

In reality, as early members of the Wu Clan, they had already received tremendous help. With enough determination, they had the opportunity to become Archimmortals.

Unfortunately, though the Summerpeak World had produced quite a few Archimmortals, several of whom emerged from the Wu Clan, most were from over a thousand generations later. The journey from mortal lifeform to sempiternal lifeform was indeed difficult.

"The path to eternity is truly arduous," Wu Yuan said calmly. "That's why we must strive harder."

Wu Yijun nodded firmly.

Suddenly, Wu Yuan's brow furrowed slightly. "Yijun, you should head back first. I have some matters to attend to."

"Yes," Wu Yijun obediently nodded.

...

In the Blood Dream Voidrealm stood the Taiyuan Temple, the residence of True Saint Taiyuan.

Whoosh!

Wu Yuan's avatar appeared out of thin air outside the temple.

"We pay our respects to Overlord Ming Jian," a group of Sovereign guards bowed respectfully. "The True Saint has instructed you to enter upon arrival."

Wu Yuan nodded slightly and flew into the temple.

Inside the hall, all was deathly silent.

Thump~

Wu Yuan deliberately created some noise with each step as he approached the end of the hall. He bowed slightly and sighed, "True Saint, I've let you down. I was unable to help Saint Shen Shui."

A long sigh echoed as a white-robed figure descended from the jade platform. It was True Saint Taiyuan. His face was filled with regret.

"It's not your fault. I know you did your best, even sacrificing your mana body," True Saint Taiyuan sighed. "If anything, I've implicated you instead."

"It's no matter. Once I redeem some medicinal pills, I can cultivate a new one in a hundred thousand years," Wu Yuan shook his head.

Then, Wu Yuan hesitated, pondering for a moment before finally saying, "Before his death, Saint Shen Shui said... If he ultimately failed to break through, it would mean he was destined never to break through in this lifetime.

"He asked that the True Saint not resurrect him, and said he had lived long enough."

True Saint Taiyuan fell silent. After a long while, he finally sighed, "Very well, I understand. You may go now."

"I will compensate for the loss of your mana body with ten thousand Blood Dream points. Do not decline," True Saint Taiyuan looked at Wu Yuan.

"Yes," Wu Yuan nodded and turned to leave.

...

In the Greenridge Macrocosm, at the very core of the Yuan Realm.

In the end, we failed.

Wu Yuan's body refiner self stood up with a soft sigh.

Over these past eight hundred thousand years, Wu Yuan's mana body had been adventuring alongside Saint Shen Shui. The Saint's strength was indeed formidable, and with the many treasures specially bestowed by True Saint Taiyuan, they had been practically unstoppable.

During two particularly perilous encounters, Wu Yuan's mana body had intervened, wielding his psyche weapon to sweep away hordes of flame devils and allowing them to avert disaster.

After Wu Yuan and Saint Shen Shui made their way deep inside the Scorched Tribulation Grounds, they were ensnared in a powerful array, spending over six hundred thousand years to break free despite their combined efforts.

At last, they had reached their destination.

Saint Shen Shui began his attempt to break through, while Wu Yuan remained outside the final forbidden zone, observing the special restrictions and arrays of the Scorched Tribulation Grounds, gaining many insights.

Ten thousand years ago, Saint Shen Shui expended everything he had, yet still failed to open a path forward. In the end, his internal world collapsed and he perished utterly.

Before his death, he burst out from the depths of the forbidden zone to leave his final words.

But this also drew a great host of ancient flame devils, leading to the ultimate demise of Wu Yuan's mana body in battle. They were endless. It was simply impossible to kill them all.

Wu Yuan felt little grief over the loss of his mana body. He had been prepared for its potential demise before embarking on this venture and hadn't brought many treasures, keeping the losses within an acceptable range.

However, over eight hundred thousand years, he had formed a deep friendship with Saint Shen Shui.

In the end, he could only watch as his companion failed and passed away.

The path of eternity. If he had wished, he could have lived on indefinitely.

Wu Yuan mused inwardly.

But after more than a hundred samsara cycles of heaven and earth, he had grown weary of existence and was determined to break through at any cost.

Dao pioneering carried risks. From the second step to the third, and the third to the fourth, breaking through forcefully without sufficient accumulation often led to backlash and death.

If someday, I too am trapped at a bottleneck, will I have Saint Shen Shui's courage and resolve?

Wu Yuan murmured to himself, then a glint flashed in his eyes.

I will!

On the path of eternity, I shall surely reach the pinnacle.

Saint Shen Shui's demise deeply affected Wu Yuan, spurring his two main bodies to cultivate even more diligently.

But to the cosmic sea as a whole, this was but a trivial matter, causing barely a ripple.

The path of cultivation was long. Even eternity was but a journey.

...

Time flowed on, and in the blink of an eye, another hundred thousand years passed.

On this day, an invisible fluctuation suddenly enveloped the expansive Greenridge Macrocosm, spanning ten billion light years. This fluctuation was majestic and boundless, as if the entire heaven and earth were exerting pressure.

Throughout the macrocosm, whether in the various immortal nations and continents, or among the countless stars, all living beings sensed it.

Although this grand and immense fluctuation lasted for a single instant, it was enough to set countless powerhouses across the macrocosm ablaze with excitement and shock!

"What happened?"

"What was that just now?"

"That fluctuation nearly forced me to my knees."

"It was far more terrifying than encountering a Sovereign."

"How frightening! What could it have been?"

Countless Archimmortals, Archdeities, and Astral Monarchs discussed animatedly. Their strength placed them in the upper echelons of the macrocosm, and with their extensive networks, they confirmed that this fluctuation had permeated every corner of the macrocosm, leaving them deeply shaken.

"Eternal! It was an eternal Dao resonance!"

"Present throughout the entire macrocosm, without exception."

"Could it be that Overlord Ming Jian, Overlord Wu Yuan, or one of the others has undergone Dao Enlightenment?" The group of Sovereigns in the Greenridge Macrocosm was the most astounded. They had sufficient power and insight to comprehend the implications of what had just transpired.

But moments later, these Sovereigns received urgent orders from the Overlords to suppress the news immediately.

...

Yuan Realm Headquarters.

In a dark expanse of void specially carved out by Wu Yuan, a colossal figure, nine hundred million li tall, emanated boundless, majestic energy.

His aura alone was enough to make countless Overlords grow pale with fear, struggle for breath, and tremble as they prostrated themselves. It was an aura of eternity.

I didn't expect to lose control momentarily upon reconstructing my body to an Eternal Matter Body, causing a trace of my aura to leak out.

Wu Yuan shook his head, feeling rather helpless.

I nearly drew the attention of the River of Universes' essence.

Wu Yuan could hardly be blamed. The power of an Eternal Matter Body was simply too terrifying, surpassing that of a Matter Overlord by thousands upon thousands of times!

The Eternal Matter Body is truly formidable.

Wu Yuan marveled at his newly evolved body. Within, his Eternal Psyche was slowly transforming.

Now, even a casual punch from me likely carries the might of a Peak Saint. And this is just pure physical strength.

Wu Yuan waved his hand.

The surrounding void felt as fragile as paper. The slightest exertion would reduce the entire void to nothingness.

It's time to prepare for the assault on the Immortal Court's Ling Jiang Saintdom.