Chapter 1214: My Tribulation, My Burden (1)

Nine Voids Essence Serum?

Wu Yuan looked at the storage artifact, sensing the treasure stored within.

This treasure was indeed highly valuable, its effects exceptional. Even in the treasure-abundant megaverse, its worth might rival that of a mid-grade Xiantian artifact.

As for the Nine Realms? Its reputation was even greater, universally acknowledged as the second-best treasure for cultivation support in the Nine Realms.

Why second? Because the Nine Voids Essence Serum was only useful for Overlords, with minimal benefit for eternal powerhouses. The top-ranked treasure was a cultivation support-type treasure used by eternal powerhouses.

But judging solely by the enhancement of cultivation efficiency, the Nine Voids Essence Serum actually came out on top.

If I were truly an Overlord native to the Nine Realms, obtaining this Nine Voids Essence Serum would likely send me into raptures.

Wu Yuan shook his head privately.

Unfortunately, this Nine Voids Essence Serum is useless to me.

The megaverse held too many similar treasures, with several varieties offering even better effects.

And as a Creation Dao Master candidate, the strand of the Great Dao's Authority he had merged with already surpassed countless cultivation-support treasures.

When I leave, I'll prepare some treasures for Shang Cai.

Wu Yuan viewed all this with detachment.

This Overlord Shang Cai’s temperament is quite different from Hou Tong's.

Hou Tong's personality was relatively gentler. As for Shang Cai? Her character resembled Zhuo Haiyue's in certain aspects—both had their convictions. When they liked or resented someone, they did so with complete decisiveness.

At their core, individuals like Overlord Shang Cai and Zhuo Haiyue believed only in themselves.

Even though Wu Yuan had clearly refused Overlord Shang Cai’s advances numerous times, she remained steadfast in her choice, making no effort to conceal it, believing that Wu Yuan would eventually change his mind.

He suppressed these thoughts.

I am merely passing by; my goal is to uncover the secrets of the Nine Realms, but I've already searched through numerous exploration sites.

Wu Yuan pondered.

There are indeed several suspected True Saint relic sites in the upper three realms, but they're of no use to me.

Moreover, this Nine Realms is so bizarre, with certain rules transcending even the Primordium. I don't believe it could be this simple.

Wu Yuan frowned slightly.

The longer he stayed in the Nine Realms and the more he learned, the more convinced he became that great secrets lay here. The extraordinary longevity of sempiternal lifeforms, the intangible rules, the numerous relic sites left by fallen True Saints...

Since the upper three realms and lower six realms have yielded no clues, my qi refiner self must venture deeper into the void of the Nine Realms.

A cold glint flashed through Wu Yuan's eyes.

If exploring the void proves fruitless, I'll have to implement my final plan.

Beyond the nine core worlds of the Nine Realms stretched a vast, boundless void, where countless worldlets formed and perished in endless cycles.

However, the void of the Nine Realms was extremely dangerous. Even ordinary Overlords would face certain death there. Perennial powerhouses caught within could barely do more than drift with the currents. At minimum, Peak Perennial level strength was required to explore the void of the Nine Realms.

Despite Overlord Wu Ji’s lofty position in the Qian Yang Holy Sect, he still knew precious little about the Nine Realms' void.

Wu Yuan's ether body operated openly, exploring various relic sites and exploration sites controlled by the six holy sects.

His mana body worked in secrecy; with his profound mastery of Spacetime, even Saints struggled to detect him when he refrained from attacking, allowing him to investigate some of the Nine Realms' remote regions.

After five million years, he had essentially explored the entirety of the Nine Realms.

The core secrets of the six holy sects are known only to Eternals. Though I am the top Sageling of the holy sect, my actual status isn't that high.

Wu Yuan thought to himself.

Or rather, in the eyes of the holy sect's highest echelons, they'll wait until I reach the Perennial or even Saint stage before telling me.

However, Wu Yuan had only sent his mana body and ether body here, making it impossible to cultivate an Eternal Psyche. He was destined to remain an Overlord.

I'll wait. If this still proves fruitless, I'll have to demonstrate greater strength to attract further attention from the holy sect and access more hidden intelligence.

Wu Yuan frowned.

For instance, displaying Saint-level Dao comprehension.

If even that failed? Then he'd have to resort to his final move—using absolute power to try and pressure the weaker holy sects.

But that would be extremely dangerous. The Nine Realms had multiple True Saint relic sites like the Eternal Darkness Domain and Nine Shadows Territory. This suggested that the six Holy Emperors might well be True Saints themselves.

If the Holy Emperors truly are True Saints, I'll have to accept it. My mana body and ether body cannot stay here forever.

A gleam flashed in Wu Yuan's eyes.

Ten million years is the absolute limit.

My qi refiner self should be preparing to undergo Dao Enlightenment soon.

During these five million years, though neither of Wu Yuan's true selves had taken the third step of eternity, both had made tremendous progress. In fact, according to Wu Yuan's calculations, his qi refiner self might take the third step sooner.

The reason was simple—the path forged by his qi refiner self was relatively narrower and weaker, allowing for faster progress. Meanwhile, the Limitless Dao of his body refiner self, all-encompassing and perfectly balanced, made stepping into the third step more challenging.

𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Of course, once his body refiner self finally took the third step, its power would surge to even more astonishing heights.

No need to rush; take it slow.

Wu Yuan wasn't particularly anxious.

...

Time flowed on, and the years passed.

Overlord Wu Ji continued to bear the title of Sageling of the Qian Yang Holy Sect, roaming the upper three realms, occasionally intervening in affairs, and displaying power that astonished all who witnessed it.

Six hundred thousand years later, at the Sky Valley River in the Third Realm, Wu Yuan battled a Perennial powerhouse from the Tian Luo Holy Sect and defeated them. With that, his name resounded throughout the Nine Realms.

He became recognized across the Nine Realms as the strongest Overlord in recorded history, spanning hundreds of trillions of years.

Within the Qian Yang Holy Sect, he was considered extremely likely to become a legendary Supreme Overlord.

Of course, all this occurred under Wu Yuan's careful control.

With his current Dao cultivation level and power, he could rival a True Saint. His plan was to gradually reveal his strength, both impressing the highest echelons of the six holy sects while ensuring he didn’t make abrupt displays to avoid suspicion.

During these long years, Overlord Shang Cai sought Wu Yuan out repeatedly. Despite his many rejections, she persisted, so he simply allowed her to continue.

The void of the Nine Realms is truly chaotic, boundless and vast. Who knows where its origin lies?

Wu Yuan mused to himself.

His mana body had torn through space to venture into the Nine Realms' void, discovering numerous treasures and exploring many celestial bodies.

Yet he found no great treasure trove, and his explorations took him increasingly further from the Nine Realms' mainland.

The sheer vastness of the Nine Realms' void amazed Wu Yuan. It far exceeded any single Eternal realm, making the Nine Realms ever more mysterious.

...

In Wu Yuan's 6,340,000th year in the Nine Realms.

The Third Realm, Dao Comprehension City.

The entire Third Realm was jointly ruled by the Zi Ming Holy Sect and Tai Heng Holy Sect. The Zi Ming Holy Sect aligned with the Qian Yang Holy Sect, while the Tai Heng Holy Sect supported the Tian Luo Holy Sect.

This caused constant warfare throughout the Third Realm, with even eternal powerhouses occasionally clashing.

Dao Comprehension City was part of the Zi Ming Holy Sect’s territory, located relatively close to the border between the two holy sects' domains.

Legend had it that at the beginning of the Nine Realms, countless eons ago, Holy Emperor Zi Ming had achieved Dao Enlightenment here, hence the name Dao Comprehension City.

The truth of this tale could no longer be verified. But Wu Yuan had indeed spent over ten thousand years here, exploring the regions surrounding Dao Comprehension City.

"Wu Ji, try my newly created Nine Heavens technique again." Overlord Shang Cai waved her hand, and the sword array behind her instantly transformed into streams of elongated sword lights, resembling a river of swords as they swept toward Wu Yuan.

The sword lights flowed like water, yet instantly reached light speed, showing signs of potentially breaking the light-speed barrier.

"Suppress!" Wu Yuan said with a faint smile as he extended his hand, which expanded to hundreds of thousands of li. A majestic aura surged from his body, and the colossal hand—like a vast world in itself—descended with overwhelming force.

This sight left the distant group of Overlords utterly astonished.

Rumble~

His palm descended like the fall of heaven, effortlessly suppressing Overlord Shang Cai's ultimate sword technique and shattering her sword array.

"I've lost again." Overlord Shang Cai shook her head and withdrew her sword array with a wave of her hand. She didn't look at Wu Yuan, instead falling into contemplation, seemingly reflecting on the flaws in her ultimate technique.

Wu Yuan stood nearby, smiling. He stayed quiet so as not to disturb her.

When Overlord Shang Cai occasionally visited over these years, Wu Yuan would spar with her, dismantling her techniques while subtly guiding her.

In terms of Dao cultivation level, Wu Yuan far surpassed even Shang Cai's father. Offering pointers was a trivial matter for him.

The training environment provided by the six holy sects for their disciples and successors still falls short compared to the major powers in the megaverse.

Wu Yuan silently lamented.

To say nothing else, in the megaverse, top-tier geniuses often received numerous True Saint-level inheritances and insights. Some even received guidance from Dao Zenithels.

But in the Nine Realms? Even Saint-level ultimate techniques were pitifully rare, with Saints reluctant to share their insights. The Holy Emperors never appeared in person, let alone offered guidance to the younger generation.

The rise of a powerhouse depended not only on personal effort, but also on their environment. Just as the ultimate size of a fish was influenced by its bloodline, it also depended on whether it lived in a fish tank, a lake, or the vast ocean.

If the megaverse was an ocean, then the Nine Realms was merely a small lake–it was almost impossible to produce a jiaolong here.

A long while passed.

Overlord Shang Cai emerged from contemplation, her eyes carrying a hint of delight. "Wu Ji, every time I battle with you, I gain tremendous insights. It’s even better than my father's guidance. I feel my ultimate technique still has room for improvement."

"It’s good that you’re improving." Wu Yuan smiled slightly. "As long as you continue perfecting your ultimate technique, you'll eventually achieve a breakthrough."

As the two conversed, a hearty laugh rang out. "Haha. Young friend Wu Ji, young friend Shang Cai, thank you for agreeing to this public sparring match." A purple-robed man approached them, his aura remarkably powerful. He was a Perennial powerhouse.

"Perennial Gan Hou flatters us," Wu Yuan smiled at the purple-robed man.

Perennial Gan Hou was the guardian of the Dao Comprehension City, a Peak Perennial with formidable strength dispatched by the Zi Ming Holy Sect.

As a stronghold of the Zi Ming Holy Sect, three Perennials were stationed in Dao Comprehension City. Correspondingly, many Overlord disciples came here to train and hone their skills.

"You lot," Perennial Gan Hou turned to reprimand the group of Overlords watching from afar, "I tell you to focus on your cultivation, but you never listen. Now you should understand that there are always greater heights to aspire to."

Those dozens of Overlords were all disciples of the Zi Ming Holy Sect. Usually, Wu Yuan and Overlord Shang Cai would spar in secluded locations, but this time they had fought openly at Perennial Gan Hou's invitation.

"Perennial Gan Hou, we shall take our leave now. We must return to our cultivation," Wu Yuan said with a smile.

"Very well, cultivation takes priority. I won't detain you further," Perennial Gan Hou replied cheerfully.

Wu Yuan and Overlord Shang Cai departed together.

"They're too powerful."

"Overlord Shang Cai's swordsmanship—I wouldn't have the slightest chance of withstanding it. Even a casual sword light from her could crush me."

"But at the end of the day, Overlord Shang Cai's strength still falls within the realm of comprehension. Overlord Wu Ji? He's simply heaven-defying! No wonder he could defeat a Perennial powerhouse."

"Truly worthy of being called the number one Overlord of the Nine Realms." The group of disciple from the Zi Ming Holy Sect continued to sigh in admiration, profoundly shaken.

...

Several billion li from Dao Comprehension City, amidst boundless clouds and mist, more than ten figures lurked, each emanating a powerful aura.

They wore identical azure battle armor, each bearing an emblem on their chest that resembled a sun.

Any powerhouse from the six great holy sects would recognize that sun-like symbol at a glance – the emblem of the Tian Luo Holy Sect.

There were thirteen figures in total, led by a black-haired giant of a man.

"It's time to inform you of our mission," the black-haired man said, his voice cold as ice. "We've come from the First Realm to this place because we’ve received intelligence that the two peerless geniuses of the Qian Yang Holy Sect, Overlord Wu Ji and Overlord Shang Cai, are currently in Dao Comprehension City. This is our perfect opportunity to eliminate them.

"The Saint has ordered us to capture Overlord Shang Cai alive, but Overlord Wu Ji's talent is too terrifying. He must be killed. Given time, he could potentially disrupt the balance between our six great holy sects," the black-haired man said coldly. "Is that clear?"

"Yes!" the Perennial powerhouses answered in unison.

"With thirteen Peak Perennials working together, dying at our hands would be an honor for him."

"He's just an Overlord after all. The Saint is being too cautious, sending all of us here."

"Hmph, what do you know? If the Saint could intervene personally, he would probably be here to ensure absolute success." These Perennial powerhouses exchanged words, revealing shocking information.

The six great holy sects maintained an unspoken agreement that, given the Saints' terrifying power and destructive capabilities, they rarely intervened in the upper three realms.

As for the lower six realms? Even Perennial powerhouses weren't allowed to interfere. The six great holy sects engaged in both open and covert conflicts. In particular, the Qian Yang Holy Sect and the Tian Luo Holy Sect fought most bitterly, often dispatching powerhouses to target each other's Sagelings.

Of course, in a sense, this was also a tacit understanding among the various holy sects—a blade grows sharper through grinding.

Without sufficient trials, without enough pressure and motivation, even a peerless genius would struggle to reach their peak.

As for Wu Yuan? Under the alias of Overlord Wu Ji, the talent he had revealed was too terrifying, which prompted the Tian Luo Holy Sect to go all out.

In reality, many higher-ups in the Qian Yang Holy Sect had warned him to stay close to the sect headquarters until he became a Perennial... but Wu Yuan had politely declined with various excuses.

His public reason was that until he pioneered his Dao, he wouldn't undergo Dao Enlightenment.

In the Nine Realms, there was no concept of becoming a Heaven's Stowaway—one had to become a Perennial through one's own efforts.

"Let's go. Move out!" At the black-haired man's command, the dozen-plus Perennial powerhouses concealed their auras and headed straight for Dao Comprehension City.