Chapter 1198: Wu Yuan’s Reputation (3)

Boom!

Wu Yuan arrived like a storm breaking. Without preamble or posturing, he swung his saber in a single, fluid motion. Blade rays blossomed across the void, each carrying a destructive power that sent True Saint Yun Hai reeling in disbelief.

In that moment, he understood why True Saint Xiao Yao had perished so swiftly.

How did Xiao Yao even last that long?

The thought flickered through his mind like lightning.

Even with my Eternal Matter Body, I cannot withstand it for long.

Fury and fear mingled in his heart.

Damn this suppression! It's crippled my vitality and physical defenses.

His frustration mounted.

In the cosmic sea, such an attack wouldn't even scratch my skin.

Whoosh!

Another lightning-fast exchange erupted, and Wu Yuan's blade struck True Saint Yun Hai, nearly extinguishing his vital aura completely. Death's shadow fell across him.

True Saint Luan Jiang's assistance proved crucial, occupying the enemy just enough to allow Wu Yuan to unleash his full power without needing to first whittle his opponent down with complex saber techniques.

Just then, a subtle fluctuation rippled through spacetime. A black-robed incarnation coalesced in the void nearby, its aura ephemeral. From above, this newcomer surveyed Wu Yuan, Eldritch Progenitor Luan Jiang, and the beleaguered True Saint Yun Hai.

"Hmm?" Wu Yuan's eyes narrowed as he sensed something extraordinary about this projected figure.

"Dao Zenithel, save me," True Saint Yun Hai transmitted repeatedly, a desperate hope flaring within him. "Save me!"

"Wu Yuan," Eldritch Progenitor Luan Jiang transmitted privately, "this is Dao Zenithel Huang Yue of Nine Peaks—one of the nine Peak Masters."

Wu Yuan frowned slightly. Dao Zenithel Huang Yue? In an instant, a wealth of intelligence about this individual surfaced in his mind.

Nine Peaks had earned its name from the nine Dao Zenithels who had founded this powerful faction—they were the original leaders, revered internally as Peak Masters. According to Wu Yuan's intelligence, Dao Zenithel Huang Yue wasn't considered particularly formidable among his peers.

"Wu Yuan, my young friend," the Dao Zenithel began, his voice gentle, his smile unwavering. "True Saint An Yu is dead—surely your anger has been appeased. Could you perhaps spare True Saint Yun Hai? Our Nine Peaks would like to cultivate a friendship with you."

"Friendship?" Wu Yuan's sneer carried cold contempt. "Is this how you make friends?"

"You jest," the Dao Zenithel continued, seemingly oblivious to the razor's edge in Wu Yuan's voice. "To express our sincerity and apologies, Nine Peaks is prepared to offer five Xiantian Instruments as compensation. What do you say?"

"Five?" Wu Yuan's voice hardened to ice. "Not enough! Fifty Xiantian Instruments, or one Chaos Treasure. That will settle the grudge for your Nine Peaks interfering in my conflict with the Immortal Court." His tone brooked no negotiation. "Otherwise, once I step into eternity, I will repay your 'kindness' in my own way."

Stunned silence fell. Eldritch Progenitor Luan Jiang and True Saint Yun Hai stared at Wu Yuan in shock. Fifty Xiantian Instruments? A Chaos Treasure?

When did I become so valuable?

True Saint Yun Hai thought, momentarily dumbfounded.

The smile on Dao Zenithel Huang Yue's face froze as he stared at Wu Yuan. He hadn't expected such an outrageous demand. Five Xiantian Instruments was already a hefty price; perhaps ten might have been negotiable. But fifty?

"Wu Yuan, my young friend," the Dao Zenithel tried again, "our Nine Peaks sincerely wishes to befriend you. How about ten Xiantian Instruments? This is already our utmost—"

"Get lost!!" Wu Yuan's roar split the void as he swung his war saber with savage force. The blade ray sliced through space, shredding Dao Zenithel Huang Yue's projected incarnation instantly.

Eldritch Progenitor Luan Jiang's astonishment deepened. Such audacity! Wu Yuan showed not the slightest regard for a Dao Zenithel's dignity—something Luan Jiang would never dare without explicit orders from his superiors.

Dao Zenithel? Hmph!

Wu Yuan's heart turned cold as steel.

After this battle, the Immortal Court will hate me to the bone. How many Dao Zenithels will hunger for my death? What does one Dao Zenithel Huang Yue matter?

He harbored no illusions that Nine Peaks would risk war with the entire Eldritch Court. The political calculus was clear.

"True Saint Yun Hai," he pronounced with glacial finality, "die." Wu Yuan charged without hesitation.

Despair engulfed True Saint Yun Hai completely. What use was begging for mercy from one who dared cleave a Dao Zenithel's incarnation? He struggled desperately, but ultimately fell beneath Wu Yuan's relentless assault, leaving behind only scattered treasures.

With a casual wave, Wu Yuan collected the spoils of his victory. All three True Saints who had descended to join the battle now lay dead.

Without pause, Wu Yuan proceeded to the Xiao Yao Temple, unleashing his full might to cleave the entire structure asunder with a single saber strike.

This anchor point of the Saint Realm collapsed completely. Even if True Saint Xiao Yao were to eventually revive and return, descending into the Ling Jiang Universe again would prove nearly impossible.

As for the three Saints from the Immortal Court who had accompanied them? They had nowhere to flee when Wu Yuan descended. Fearing capture more than death, all three chose self-destruction without hesitation.

With that, the Immortal Court's forces within the Ling Jiang Universe were utterly annihilated.

In the boundless void, only Wu Yuan and Eldritch Progenitor Luan Jiang remained. As for True Saint Taiyuan and True Saint Bu Xiu, they had not even approached the battlefield.

"Eldritch Progenitor Luan Jiang," Wu Yuan said, gesturing with an open hand, "these treasures are yours—half of what True Saint Yun Hai dropped. Without your assistance, I couldn't have slain him. It's only right that you receive your share."

This was no empty flattery. Without Luan Jiang keeping the opponent busy, True Saint Yun Hai would certainly have escaped.

"Alright. Then I won't stand on ceremony." Eldritch Progenitor Luan Jiang accepted the treasures without hesitation. The wealth of a True Saint's true self was an astounding fortune.

In this battle, Wu Yuan had slain three True Saints and three Saints, while completely looting the Immortal Court's Ling Jiang Saintdom. The spoils were so vast that ordinary Saints couldn't begin to fathom their value. With so little time having passed, Wu Yuan hadn't yet had the opportunity to thoroughly inventory everything.

"Wu Yuan, what now?" Eldritch Progenitor Luan Jiang inquired, unconsciously adopting a more humble attitude than before.

This deference wasn't surprising—on the path of cultivation, strength determined everything. Though Wu Yuan might still be marginally weaker at present, once he stepped into eternity, he would likely become a True Saint right away, with a tremendous surge in power.

"It's time to speak with the other True Saints," Wu Yuan said calmly, his gaze sweeping the dark void. "Either they voluntarily withdraw from the Ling Jiang Universe, or I'll kill them until they do."

"Let's go!"

The two transformed into streaks of light, racing toward the depths of the universe.

...

"True Saint An Yu, True Saint Yun Hai, and True Saint Xiao Yao have all been killed!"

"The Immortal Court's Ling Jiang Saintdom has been completely destroyed."

"Dao Zenithel Huang Yue's incarnation was shattered by Wu Yuan."

"Overlord Wu Yuan's strength has definitely reached the True Saint level. Within the Ling Jiang Universe, he is now truly invincible."

"Absolutely invincible—even True Saints cannot match him."

"The most powerful sempiternal lifeform in history, without equal!"

The few True Saints of the Ling Jiang Universe who had secretly observed the conflict quickly spread news of this battle to countless powerhouses across their respective factions.

In truth, they needn't have bothered—during the confrontation, innumerable figures from both the Eldritch Court and Immortal Court had watched from the voidrealms. The explosive news spread like wildfire throughout the cosmic sea the moment the battle ended.

The shock was immense, the reaction verging on madness! Not just those Dao Zenithels with vested interests, but even reclusive ancient Dao Zenithels and Dao Masters quickly received word of these events. From the depths of the cosmic sea, across megaverses and spacetimes, Dao Zenithels and True Saints alike heard the astounding tale.

A sempiternal lifeform, cultivating for barely more than a million years, had slain three True Saints in a single battle within the River of Universes? The implications staggered the mind.

...

In the Eldritch Progenitor Hall deep within the cosmic sea, Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu and Eldritch Progenitor Di Jiang had monitored the battle closely. Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu had been ready to intervene at any moment if necessary.

"Wu Yuan's strength..." Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu mused. "Threshold True Saint level? His body refiner self is truly heaven-defying."

Though Wu Yuan had mentioned his capabilities beforehand, the strength he ultimately displayed had deeply shocked both Eldritch Progenitors.

"There must be a reason," Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu continued softly. "I suspect it's related to his identity as an Ancestral Pagoda Archon."

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Haha, what's this?" Eldritch Progenitor Di Jiang laughed. "You're starting to feel uncertain? You've finally sensed his growth slipping beyond your control?"

Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu nodded slightly.

"I fear it's not just me. That one probably feels the same," she said with a faint smile. "It's good that he's beyond my control. If he always remained within my grasp, how could he ever surpass me in the future?"

Eldritch Progenitor Di Jiang nodded in agreement.

"Wu Yuan can be arrogant—it's in his nature," Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu said calmly. "But the Immortal Court is our true enemy. There's no need to fight Nine Peaks to the death. You should speak with the White Emperor."

"I'll go negotiate," Eldritch Progenitor Di Jiang agreed. "White Emperor won't fail to understand the situation."