Chapter 1221: The Grand Supreme Realm (1)

In a one-on-one battle, Wu Yuan's ether body would find it nearly impossible to slay Holy Emperor Qian Yang. After all, this was a genuine, Full Saint powerhouse whose power was completely unrestricted.

Wu Yuan's ether body appeared to gain the upper hand once he unleashed the sixth step of his self-created Dao, but the gap in foundations was vast, and his consumption of vital ether was far greater. In a fight to the death, Wu Yuan would certainly be the one forced to retreat.

But with his mana body's assistance, things were naturally different.

Holy Emperor Qian Yang succumbed to illusions time and again, only able to muster the combat power of a Threshold Saint. Naturally, he was swiftly suppressed and slaughtered by Wu Yuan.

As the battle's reverberations rapidly dissipated, Wu Yuan's ether body collected the treasures dropped by the Holy Emperor with a wave of his hand. A flicker of surprise crossed his face before he carefully masked his reaction.

The reason for his surprise? Many of the Xiantian artifacts still bore their owner's vital aura imprint. When the owners of Xiantian artifacts died or lost connection to them, their vital aura imprints typically weakened considerably, making it simple to replace with a new owner’s. Yet Wu Yuan could clearly sense vibrant, intact vital aura imprints on the armor and storage artifacts he'd collected.

This could only mean one thing—Holy Emperor Qian Yang somehow still lived.

This shouldn’t be.

Wu Yuan thought, his mind racing with bewilderment.

Even with another mana body or ether body, this physical form was unquestionably his true self—a Saint

. When he'd slain True Saint Xiao Yao and others hundreds of thousands of years ago, no such anomaly had occurred.

Wu Yuan shook his head and suppressed his concerns for the moment, shifting his attention to the dozen Saints watching from a distance.

With a flash, his white-robed mana body materialized beside his ether body. His mana body's frigid gaze swept over the assembled Saints, causing Saint Jiu Xing, Saint Shang Yue, Saint Fei Hua, and the others to shudder involuntarily.

Having witnessed the battle and experienced the illusory techniques firsthand, these Saints understood the terrifying capabilities of the white-robed Overlord; he was no weaker than Overlord Wu Ji. Working in concert, the two had defeated Holy Emperor Qian Yang with astonishing speed. Should they choose to slaughter the remaining Saints, their deaths were virtually assured.

"Wu Ji... Overlord Wu Ji." Saint Shang Yue gathered his courage to speak. "Are you truly an Overlord?"

All the Saints fixed their attention on Wu Yuan, their faces reflecting both curiosity and disbelief. Could an Overlord truly wield such unfathomable power?

"I am indeed an Overlord," Wu Yuan replied evenly. "And my companion, Overlord Li Xia, is likewise an Overlord."

This old alias of his was used once more.

Silence descended upon the group.

The assembled Saints stared wide-eyed at him, stunned beyond words. Overlords could slay a Holy Emperor?

"Do you intend to avenge the Holy Emperor?" Wu Yuan's ether body asked coolly. "I presume your blood contract oaths have dissolved, revealing Holy Emperor Qian Yang's true nature."

The Saints exchanged uneasy glances but remained silent.

Blood contract oaths and soul-control each had their distinct advantages and limitations. Blood contract oaths, intricate and binding, ensured absolute loyalty while allowing control over vast numbers of individuals without taxing the master. Their one weakness: they dissolved completely upon the master's death.

Soul-control, by contrast, meant that if the master perished, those controlled would likewise die.

This realization spawned fresh doubts in Wu Yuan's mind.

The blood contract oaths binding these Saints have clearly dispersed, indicating Holy Emperor Qian Yang's death is genuine. Yet his artifacts suggest he still lives. How can this be?

The contradictions left him deeply wary.

"Overlord Wu Ji, Overlord Li Xia," Saint Shang Yue finally broke the silence, meeting Wu Yuan's gaze. "Holy Emper—" he caught herself, "Qian Yang treated us as mere slaves. Our sudden awakening and freedom is a gift in some sense, for which we should thank you."

He shifted his weight slightly. "But we must know your purpose behind infiltrating our Qian Yang Holy Sect. Was slaying the Holy Emperor your aim? And what fate do you intend for us?"

His question revealed he'd already deduced that Wu Yuan must have possessed extraordinary power before entering the sect, his prior behavior merely part of his disguise.

The other Saints leaned forward subtly, equally anxious for answers. While the Holy Emperor's death had awakened their resentment for their enslavement, they harbored no desire for vengeance. Their primary concern now was what Wu Yuan’s ether and mana body might do.

"Saint Shang Yue, Saint Jiu Xing... I'll always cherish your kindness toward me," Wu Yuan said with a faint smile. "As for why I eliminated Holy Emperor Qian Yang, the answer is simple—he wanted to kill me. I entered the Qian Yang Holy Sect merely to uncover the Holy Emperor's secrets.

"As for you? I have no interest in the conflicts plaguing the Nine Realms.

𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"The Nine Realms are too small. Even unifying them would hold little significance for me," Wu Yuan stated plainly.

The assembled Saints exchanged glances.

"Fellow Daoist Wu Ji," said Saint Fei Hua, her presence reminiscent of ancient glaciers, "Do you also hail from the Grand Supreme Realm?"

"The Grand Supreme Realm?" Wu Yuan's eyes glinted with sudden interest.

Aside from Saint Shang Yue, confusion clouded the other Saints' faces, suggesting they knew nothing of this mysterious place.

"Now that we’ve all regained our freedom, I'll speak plainly," Saint Fei Hua continued, her voice crisp. "The six Holy Emperors are not native to the Nine Realms—they come from the Grand Supreme Realm."

"The Grand Supreme Realm transcends our Nine Realms, residing in the deepest void beyond, harboring the ultimate secrets of our existence."

Wu Yuan's eyes brightened with realization.

Intuition told him that this Grand Supreme Realm might be the very place he'd been searching for all these years—the great opportunity hidden within the Azure Saint Tomb.

The name "Grand Supreme" alone revealed much.

"Saint Fei Hua, how did you come by this knowledge?" Wu Yuan asked calmly, betraying no emotion.

"I journeyed there once," she replied, fear flickering in her eyes. "Qian Yang took me. Saint Pu He accompanied us, but he..." her voice faltered, "he perished in the Grand Supreme Realm.

"Qian Yang murdered him," she added, shaking her head as if trying to dislodge an unbearable memory.

"What?"

"Saint Pu He died in the Grand Supreme Realm?"

"Pu He?!" Shock rippled across the faces of most Saints—clearly, this news was entirely new to them.

They were hearing about the Grand Supreme Realm for the first time. The true fate of Saint Pu He was another shocking revelation.

"Bound by the blood contract oath, I felt that it was nothing unusual," Saint Fei Hua explained bitterly. "Only now can I think and speak freely. The Grand Supreme Realm harbors danger at every turn. I remained in its outermost regions only briefly."

Wu Yuan listened intently, recalling the name Saint Pu He from texts within the Qian Yang Holy Sect.

He had apparently been a prodigy of unparalleled talent, widely acknowledged as the greatest genius in the sect's history before Wu Yuan’s arrival. Later, he had mysteriously vanished, reportedly entering the depths of the Nine Realms' void, never to return.

Now the truth emerged—Holy Emperor Qian Yang had taken him.

"Actually," Saint Shang Yue interjected with a heavy sigh, "Saint Pu He and Saint Fei Hua weren't the only ones. I went there as well."

The other Saints were visibly startled at this.

"Consider carefully," Saint Shang Yue continued slowly. "Throughout the history of the six holy sects of the Nine Realms, haven't the most exceptional prodigies among the Saints mysteriously disappeared one by one?"

Wu Yuan tensed slightly, and the Saints exchanged troubled glances.

"Saint Pu He, Saint Kou He, Saint Bo Nan..." Saint Shang Yue recited with a bitter smile. "I've harbored suspicions for ages, and Saint Fei Hua's words only strengthen my certainty.

"The establishment of the six holy sects is likely a mere facade. The true agenda of the six Holy Emperors is the enslavement of the entire Nine Realms.

"All eternal powerhouses fall under their control. All formidable Saints, those powerful enough to threaten them, have vanished... They were almost certainly taken to the Grand Supreme Realm." He shook his head solemnly. "Being taken there likely serves some specific purpose we can only guess at.

"Saint Fei Hua and I barely qualified by whatever metric they used, yet ultimately failed to meet Qian Yang's requirements."

His gaze swept across the other Saints. "As for the rest of you, in Qian Yang's estimation, you are likely weaker than Saint Fei Hua and myself, not even qualifying to enter the Grand Supreme Realm."

The Saints stood dumbfounded, uncertain whether to feel relieved or insulted.

Had their weakness actually preserved their lives? Had the most extraordinary Saints in the Nine Realms' history perished because of their exceptional talent?

Cultivating gu?

Wu Yuan pondered.

Are the six holy sects' endless wars merely the Holy Emperors' method of tempering beings within the Nine Realms, fostering increasingly powerful geniuses? If so, what precisely is their ultimate aim?

If their goal was simply domination of the Nine Realms, the six Holy Emperors could have controlled all eternal powerhouses directly and eliminated any opposition without such elaborate schemes.

These machinations must serve some greater purpose.

As time passed, Wu Yuan conversed extensively with the Saints, gaining deeper insight into the Nine Realms’ void and the six Holy Emperors.

Finally, Saint Shang Yue stepped forward. "Fellow Daoist Wu Ji, we have deliberated among ourselves and wish to pledge our allegiance to you and Fellow Daoist Li Xia as our new leaders—the new rulers of our holy sect."

"We willingly accept your leadership," echoed Saint Fei Hua, Saint Jiu Xing and the others in near-unison.

Evidently, these Saints had communicated privately before reaching this unified decision.

In their eyes, Overlord Wu Ji was the leader between the two heaven-defying Overlords. The mysterious Li Xia remained aloof, having not uttered a single word throughout their exchange.

"Accept leadership?" A cryptic smile played across Wu Yuan's lips. "You fear the other five holy sects uniting against you, am I right? You seek to use me as a shield."

The Saints, their motives laid bare, shifted uncomfortably.

Their fear was genuine. If the six Holy Emperors were indeed allied, the fall of Holy Emperor Qian Yang would certainly reach the others' ears. With the Qian Yang Holy Sect vulnerable, the remaining Holy Emperors would hardly remain idle.

"We implore Daoist Wu Ji to save the countless lives in the holy sect—to save the Nine Realms," Saint Shang Yue bowed deeply. "Should the holy sect fall, not only will we perish, but even Overlords like Shang Cai cannot escape."

Saint Jiu Xing and the others' eyes gleamed with hope, aware of the special connection between Overlord Shang Cai and Overlord Wu Ji.

"Overlord Shang Cai?" Wu Yuan murmured thoughtfully.

After a moment's contemplation, he nodded. "From this moment, seal off the holy sect’s headquarters and withdraw into seclusion. I will address the threat posed by the other Holy Emperors. At minimum, I shall ensure the Qian Yang Holy Sect retains a chance at survival."

Joy immediately brightened the faces of the gathered Saints.

"Daoist Wu Ji," Saint Fei Hua ventured, "To continue addressing you as Overlord seems inadequate. Might we call you Holy Emperor instead?"

"We pay our respects to the Holy Emperor," Saint Shang Yue promptly bowed.

"We pay our respects to the Holy Emperor," the others chorused, bowing deeply.

Though Wu Yuan's ether and mana bodies were technically at the Overlord level, the power he'd demonstrated warranted the title of Holy Emperor within the Nine Realms.

"Holy Emperor?" Wu Yuan smiled enigmatically and shook his head. "I find that title distasteful."

The Saints exchanged confused glances. He disliked being called a Holy Emperor?

"Address him as Heavenly Venerable," the white-robed mana body broke its silence. "From this day forward, Overlord Wu Ji exists no more—only the Heavenly Venerable remains.

"The one who slew Holy Emperor Qian Yang was the Heavenly Venerable.

"As for my deeds," the white-robed figure added coldly, "there's no need to broadcast them."

Heavenly Venerable?

The Saints recoiled at such audacity, but beneath the mana body's icy stare, none dared object.

"We pay our respects to the Heavenly Venerable."

"We pay our respects to the Heavenly Venerable." The Saints bowed deeply in succession.