Chapter 1196: Wu Yuan’s Reputation (1)

The clash with the three True Saints had seemed to push Wu Yuan to his limits, but in truth, he was entirely at ease. He had deliberately held back, probing them to determine which one to kill first.

They were all True Saints after all. Even suppressed within the River of Universes, they might possess some extraordinary means of survival. Thus, Wu Yuan dared not assume he could slay all three with certainty.

However, to strike fear into all corners, a sufficiently impressive battle record was necessary. Merely forcing back a few True Saints? That would lack conviction!

A throne was dyed in blood! A reputation of invincibility throughout the universe can only be forged through the bones and blood of True Saints.

Among these three True Saints, Wu Yuan's hazy assessment was that True Saint Xiao Yao possessed the greatest strength and True Saint Yun Hai had the strongest physical defense. True Saint An Yu was the weakest.

Moreover, according to Wu Yuan's intelligence, True Saint An Yu had originally been a qi refining cultivator. Thus, she became Wu Yuan's target.

Erupting with full power, a single saber strike caused her immediate demise.

Boom!

A full nine blade rays manifested, seven of which targeted True Saint An Yu.

While the remaining two blade rays were not imbued with Wu Yuan’s peak power, they still sent True Saint Yun Hai and True Saint Xiao Yao flying backward. Their vital qi churned, their vital auras noticeably weakened.

An Yu is dead!! In a single exchange, he knocked me and True Saint Xiao Yao back while killing An Yu?

True Saint Yun Hai's heart trembled uncontrollably.

He killed An Yu in a single saber strike? Even a mere fraction of his blade ray’s power could completely overwhelm and injure me?

True Saint Xiao Yao felt an icy chill run through his body, his heart filled with both shock and terror.

Just half a breath ago, he had been dreaming of the moment the three True Saints destroyed Wu Yuan in a joint attack. Yet, not only was that beautiful dream shattered in an instant, but he was plunged directly into a nightmare.

The mighty True Saint An Yu was annihilated in a single move right after descending into the River of Universes. It was truly horrifying.

This scene involuntarily reminded True Saint Xiao Yao of an encounter he had with a Dao Zenithel in the cosmic sea, evoking nearly the same sense of despair.

“How can Wu Yuan's strength be so immense?” True Saint Xiao Yao struggled to comprehend it.

If Wu Yuan had erupted with Peak Saint level power, it could just barely be explained through treasures or extremely powerful self-created Dao ultimate techniques... But now, True Saint Xiao Yao could no longer rationalize it. It defied common sense! A sempiternal lifeform should not be this powerful.

"Xiao Yao, never mind the reason, flee! Let's split up and escape quickly, we are no match for him." True Saint Yun Hai frantically transmitted, transforming into a streak of light as he attempted to flee.

𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"Flee? Yun Hai, do you think splitting up will allow us to get away? We must fight with everything we have." True Saint Xiao Yao's voice carried a tone of desperation.

"It will take at least thirty breaths to reach a weak point in the River of Universes' spacetime. Over such a long period, if we split up, we'll just be picked off one by one by Wu Yuan. At that point, none of us will escape.

"If we join forces and burn our Saint Realm's essence to fight Wu Yuan to the death, we might still have a glimmer of hope for survival." True Saint Xiao Yao transmitted.

"Such an eruption of power can't possibly be maintained for long. This is definitely not his usual state. If we two fight with all we have, we might even be able to turn the tables and kill him." True Saint Xiao Yao attempted to persuade the other.

True Saint Yun Hai simply glanced at him, saying nothing more.

Boom!

True Saint Yun Hai's Saint aura began to surge violently as he streaked into the distance, not only fleeing far from Wu Yuan but also distancing himself from True Saint Xiao Yao without the slightest hesitation.

You’re thinking of dragging me down? If Wu Yuan has to choose a target between the two of us, he'll definitely come after you. I’m not stupid enough to stay behind and die with you.

True Saint Yun Hai's gaze was ice-cold, but his thoughts were crystal clear.

He didn't need to be stronger than Wu Yuan. He just needed to escape faster than True Saint Xiao Yao. If he could reach a weak point in the River of Universes' spacetime, he could tear through the spacetime dimension and enter the cosmic sea. Then he could survive.

Moreover, the moment he made his escape, a jade talisman appeared in True Saint Yun Hai's palm. As he crushed the talisman, a hazy energy enveloped his body.

Whoosh!

True Saint Yun Hai's speed exploded, his form blurring through spacetime, instantly vanishing an immense distance away. Clearly, he was wielding a formidable treasure crafted by a Dao Zenithel, specifically designed for making a quick getaway.

Damn that treacherous bastard!

True Saint Xiao Yao seethed, instantly recognizing True Saint Yun Hai's intentions. Rage burned through his veins.

True Saint Yun Hai could have easily brought him along during his escape. Instead, he'd chosen to flee alone, effectively sacrificing True Saint Xiao Yao as bait to distract Wu Yuan.

I will extract payment for this betrayal with interest.

True Saint Xiao Yao swore, his teeth clenched.

He had always been the one to set others up, yet now found himself used as a disposable shield. Somehow, he'd conveniently forgotten that this confrontation had originated between him and Wu Yuan in the first place.

Still, True Saint Xiao Yao harbored no illusions. Even if True Saint Yun Hai hadn't abandoned him, Wu Yuan would have targeted him first regardless.

Boom!

True Saint Xiao Yao's vital aura surged violently around him as he swung his staves in wide arcs. He launched himself forward with desperate speed, a golden comet streaking through the void. Though he possessed several spacetime treasures of his own, none could maintain their full potency within the suppressive nature of the River of Universes.

Wu Yuan glanced at True Saint Yun Hai's retreating form with unnerving tranquility.

A spacetime treasure.

He noted, his mind steady despite the alarming speed of his prey's escape.

These True Saints were nothing if not well-prepared, each carrying trump cards and life-saving techniques. True Saint An Yu, who had fallen moments earlier, likely had similar life-preservation measures at her disposal. Unfortunately for her, the River of Universes naturally limited such techniques, and coupled with the abruptness of Wu Yuan's strike, she'd been slain before she could deploy them.

Her death, however, had brought precious seconds for both True Saint Yun Hai and True Saint Xiao Yao to activate their escape treasures.

I am ultimately not adept at Spacetime.

Wu Yuan reflected as various thoughts cascaded through his mind.

My body refiner self's Dao, while formidable in many aspects, falls short in its control over spacetime.

His brief cultivation time had not afforded him the opportunity to create heaven-defying secret arts, particularly domain techniques. While his self-created Dao approached perfection and held potential to reach the pinnacle in numerous aspects, such mastery in application required time.

With a casual wave of his hand, Wu Yuan collected the various treasures True Saint An Yu had dropped. Then he stepped forward, causing ripples in the void as he accelerated, rapidly narrowing the gap between himself and True Saint Xiao Yao.

"True Saint Xiao Yao." Wu Yuan's voice echoed across the emptiness. "Accept your death!"

Between the two fleeing True Saints, True Saint Xiao Yao was indeed his priority target.

Another miniature chaotic spacetime manifested under Wu Yuan's command, grand and terrifying. The void trembled, and even the universe's essence quivered faintly in response.

In no time, the chaotic spacetime transformed into nine blade rays that tore through the darkness, streaking toward True Saint Xiao Yao.

"The boundlessness of Gold, transform the universe!" True Saint Xiao Yao gritted his teeth, forcing himself to overcome the fear threatening to paralyze him. He swung his golden staves with every ounce of strength he possessed, as if summoning celestial pillars to his defense.

Nine enormous golden pillars manifested simultaneously, merging into an intricate golden vortex. Its power reached the zenith as it collided head-on with the sky-blanketing blade rays.

The collision was catastrophic.

Boom!

Countless golden fragments disintegrated into nothingness as the massive golden vortex was cleaved apart. The nine staves shattered almost completely.

Whoosh!

The blade rays, their power diminished by half, sliced viciously through True Saint Xiao Yao's body, sending him tumbling backward through the void. The terrifying impact damaged his divine body, causing his vital aura to plummet once again.

Flee!

The thought pounded through True Saint Xiao Yao's mind.

I must escape quickly!

Horror dawned as he assessed his condition.

This saber strike... even though I unleashed my full power, my vital aura has still decreased by nearly half?

Panic consumed him as he continued his desperate flight.

With a frantic wave of his palm, he activated a pendant-like treasure. It transformed into boundless black mist that surged toward Wu Yuan, attempting to occupy and delay his pursuer.

"You actually withstood it?" Wu Yuan's voice carried a hint of surprise.

"Ah, True Saint Xiao Yao, it seems you've burned your Saint Realm's essence," he observed, pressing through the void at an exaggerated speed.

He was using raw strength to shatter all laws. The operating laws of the universe could no longer restrain him. The vast and seemingly powerful mist that True Saint Xiao Yao had deployed rapidly melted away like snow under the summer sun when faced with the blade rays Wu Yuan casually sent out.

Even treasures forged by Dao Zenithels proved ineffective against him as he swiftly closed the distance once more.

"So what if you burn your Saint Realm's essence?" Wu Yuan's aura surged skyward as he rapidly closed in for the kill. "I'll kill you all the same."

When the Eternal Psyches of True Saints transformed to their limit, they were able to open Saint Realms. With the exception of the most gifted Dao Masters, other eternal powerhouses could only open a Saint Realm once in their lifetime.

The Saint Realm served as the source of power for True Saints, functioning like a miniature River of Universes. In desperate moments, True Saints could burn their Saint Realm's essence to increase their strength, elevating their power from Peak True Saint to Full True Saint level.

Of course, within the River of Universes, the suppression they faced would also intensify. The consequences were severe—burning one's Saint Realm essence even once would require at least one complete samsara cycle of heaven and earth for recovery. During this period, mana recovery would sharply decrease, and operating the Saint Realm would become extraordinarily difficult.

Worse still, burning the essence too frequently could permanently prevent the Saint Realm from evolving into an Eternal Realm, forever blocking advancement to the Dao Zenithel level.

For this reason, True Saints would only burn their Saint Realm's essence when facing utter annihilation.

As for True Saint An Yu? She had perished too quickly, without even the opportunity to burn her Saint Realm's essence.

Whoosh!

Wu Yuan swung his sabers again, once more sending True Saint Xiao Yao flying backward, his vital aura diminishing dramatically.

The battle had become entirely one-sided. Burning his Saint Realm's essence? It merely delayed the inevitable.