Chapter 1232: Tian Chan’s Dao Devouring (2)

A century passed.

The Azure Saint Tomb stood as it had for countless ages—a majestic spire piercing the endless void.

Wu Yuan and True Saint Tian Chan streaked through emptiness toward the entrance of the Saint Realm passage.

"This Dao Devouring, is it truly as you describe?" Wu Yuan asked, clearly stunned.

As they traveled, they exchanged information. True Saint Tian Chan revealed one of the techniques he had mastered—Dao Devouring.

"When I capture another eternal being's true self, I can consume their Dao, integrating portions of their insights into my self-created Dao," True Saint Tian Chan explained wistfully. "In the Nine Realms, after endless waiting, I merely found six worthy Saints with superior self-created Daos."

Wu Yuan's heart sank. Those six, he suspected, were likely the prodigies taken from the six holy sects. Creating superior Daos in the Nine Realms represented a remarkable achievement, yet they'd become mere fuel for True Saint Tian Chan's advancement.

This confirmed Tian Chan's ruthlessness, though Wu Yuan had never mistaken him for a benevolent being. Had Wu Yuan been weaker during their encounter, he too might have been consumed.

Such was the harsh reality of cultivation; the strong devoured the weak, and True Saint Tian Chan possessed that strength.

"Naturally, Dao Devouring has limitations," True Saint Tian Chan continued. "If the consumed Dao surpasses my comprehension, I cannot assimilate its higher insights. Furthermore, I may only devour nine Dao-creators in my lifetime."

"Curse that Old Yin!" Hatred flashed across True Saint Tian Chan's face. "His inflexibility forced me to waste opportunities on those weak Saints from the Nine Realms! Had I come to the cosmic sea earlier, I could have found True Saints to devour instead. My Dao might already have evolved to a top-tier self-created Dao!"

"Old Toad, your self-created Dao hasn't evolved yet?" Wu Yuan inquired, interest kindling.

"Master, I've asked you to call me True Saint Tian Chan," True Saint Tian Chan grimaced, his already unappealing features twisting further. [1] "No, it hasn't evolved yet—though I’m currently at the threshold of the top-tier level."

"Evolving a self-created Dao demands immense effort," True Saint Tian Chan sighed. "Those who create top-tier Daos in a single attempt invariably possess Dao Zenithel potential. Even in the Azure Saint's era, Dao Zenithels stood at the pinnacle."

Wu Yuan nodded thoughtfully. Dao Zenithels from that ancient time must have commanded even greater reverence than today's True Saints.

"However, Master stands apart from the rest," True Saint Tian Chan's eyes gleamed. "I recognized your extraordinary talent immediately. Now with the Xuanhuang Essence, you're like a tiger growing wings—a Grand Supreme in the making."

"You place such faith in me?" Wu Yuan asked curiously.

True Saint Tian Chan grinned. "Absolutely. Trust me, Master, the Xuanhuang Essence's power exceeds your imagination. Though I am its primordial spirit, I retained a tenth of its spirituality upon achieving independence.

"Regrettably, my sworn oath prevents revealing its second function," he added. "When you grow powerful enough, you will naturally understand."

Wu Yuan gave a resigned smile. Having failed to learn the Xuanhuang Essence's second function from the silver-robed figure, he'd hoped True Saint Tian Chan might enlighten him. It was another disappointment.

Suddenly, True Saint Tian Chan stiffened, a strange gleam flashing in his eyes. "Master, I sense six Saints approaching—all true selves. They move slowly, as if searching..."

"Saints? Searching?" Wu Yuan frowned.

This was the Azure Saint Tomb. Here, beyond the Tomb's treasures and opportunities, there was nothing, as recognized by major powers for ages. Travelers typically flew directly to the entrance and departed swiftly afterward.

Six Saint true selves seemed excessive.

"Could they be looking for you, Master?" True Saint Tian Chan chuckled. "If your whereabouts leaked, wouldn't the Immortal Court mobilize its forces frantically?"

"That seems extreme," Wu Yuan responded with a frown, though remaining inwardly composed. "Surely the Immortal Court would realize I wouldn't dispatch my true self. Would they expend such resources hunting an ether body?"

"It’s difficult to say," True Saint Tian Chan shook his head. "Were I your enemy, Master, I'd deploy Dao Zenithels without hesitation."

"No Dao Zenithel will come," Wu Yuan replied confidently.

"Oh? You sound certain, Master."

"Even if one arrives, it would be merely their mana or ether body," Wu Yuan explained mysteriously. "However, the true selves of True Saints might appear.”

Wu Yuan continued with a half-smile, "You once claimed that as long as a Dao Zenithel doesn’t appear, we’d have nothing to fear, not even a dozen True Saints."

This assurance underpinned Wu Yuan's confidence.

"Naturally," True Saint Tian Chan declared confidently. "Master, don't be misled by my incarnations’ apparent weakness in the Nine Realms. My true self was suppressed then... True Saints? I'm curious just how formidable these Immortal Court Saints might be."

Whoosh!

Wu Yuan and True Saint Tian Chan transformed into streaks of light, flying directly toward the group of Saints rather than avoiding them.

Wu Yuan's curiosity about whether these truly were Immortal Court Saints overrode his caution. True Saint Tian Chan could sense their presence but not their affiliations from afar.

...

Across the void, six Immortal Court Saints maintained a vigilant patrol, sweeping the area.

Among them stood a white-robed man, his bearing regal and commanding. His presence alone marked him as superior to the other Saints.

"Zhu Guang," the lone female Saint among them transmitted telepathically, her voice tinged with doubt. "Do you truly believe we can locate Wu Yuan's ether body in this endless void?"

"It all depends on luck," replied the white-robed man serenely.

This was Saint Zhu Guang, the top Saint serving under True Saint Jiu Fang, and one who wielded Full Saint power. Moreover, as a Dao-Enlightened Eternal born in the universe, he possessed the rare potential to ascend to True Sainthood.

Saint Zhu Guang had been the one commanding the ambush against Wu Yuan during the battle in the River of Universes. Yet when Wu Yuan's mana and ether bodies revealed their overwhelming might, Zhu Guang and his forces had wisely chosen retreat over annihilation.

"So many Saint true selves gathered for this hunt," muttered a golden-robed Saint, his voice low and tinged with discontent. "Isn't this excessive? Why are the True Saints making such a commotion over this?"

When assembling his forces, True Saint Jiu Fang had been deliberately vague about their mission. Only after arriving at the Azure Saint Tomb more than a decade ago had they learned their true task.

"Any matter concerning Wu Yuan is no small affair," Saint Zhu Guang replied sternly. "Even True Saints have committed their true selves to this hunt. We are merely Saints—cease your complaints." His eyes narrowed. "If we discover even a trace of Wu Yuan, it will constitute a great contribution."

The others fell silent, returning to their vigilant scanning of the void.

"Wait!" The golden-robed Saint's eyes widened suddenly, blazing with excitement. "Zhu Guang! Everyone! I believe I've spotted Wu Yuan!" His voice quickened. "He's on my flank, approximately eight billion li from us!"

"What?"

"Eight billion li? That close?"

Saint Zhu Guang and the others started in unison, immediately rushing in the direction indicated. Within moments, they sensed two figures billions of li away—an Overlord and a Perennial, matching the description provided by the two Overlords who had first reported the sighting. The Overlord was unmistakably Wu Yuan.

"It's them," Saint Zhu Guang's eyes flashed with triumph. "Send word to the True Saints immediately. Request their presence with all haste."

"A great contribution!"

"Who would have thought we'd be the first to uncover Wu Yuan's whereabouts?" Another Saint's voice trembled with excitement. "But who is that Perennial accompanying him?"

"Unknown," replied another. The Saints conferred rapidly among themselves, none giving True Saint Tian Chan even the slightest consideration.

This oversight would lead to their downfall.

"Danger!" The golden-robed Saint's expression shifted abruptly to alarm. "Wu Yuan is charging directly toward us. He's attacking!"

"Charging at us?" Saint Zhu Guang's face flickered with momentary hesitation before he spoke with renewed resolve. "We shall engage.

"With six Saints united—one Full Saint and three Peak Saints among us—surely we can restrain a mere ether body of Wu Yuan?"

His confidence grew. "If we can entangle him, or better yet, capture him outright, our contributions will be even larger."

Boom! Boom!

The six Saints hesitated only briefly before moving as one cohesive unit. Their boldness wasn't born of recklessness but from the intelligence provided by True Saint Jiu Fang, which had clearly stated that only Wu Yuan's true self posed a formidable threat.

His ether body? Merely Peak Saint level at best.

...

In a stretch of void unimaginably distant from Wu Yuan and Saint Zhu Guang's confrontation, two colossal figures soared through the emptiness. Each stood a million li tall, their bodies radiating eternal Dao resonance.

They were none other than True Saint Xiao Yao and True Saint Jiu Fang.

"Hmm?" True Saint Jiu Fang's austere features brightened suddenly. "Saint Zhu Guang’s team has discovered Wu Yuan's trail."

"Indeed?" A flicker of anticipation crossed True Saint Xiao Yao's face.

After more than a decade of relentless pursuit, the Perennials and Saints under their command had scattered in all directions, searching for traces of Wu Yuan.

Not a single lead had emerged, until now.

"Wu Yuan will likely flee," True Saint Xiao Yao said. "Order all Perennials and Saints to converge immediately on his location. By tightening our net, we can continuously track Wu Yuan's position."

The first sighting of Wu Yuan was largely a matter of fortune. But once they had locked onto his trail, even if he escaped this encounter, the convergence of numerous eternal powerhouses would dramatically increase their chances of locating him again.

"Wu Yuan isn't running," True Saint Jiu Fang observed, his eyes gleaming. "He's engaging in battle. The projection should be visible to you as well."

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Upon sending his initial message, Saint Zhu Guang and his team had transmitted their real-time memory projections through the Immortal Court Voidrealm—not just to the two True Saints, but to all the Saints and Perennials under their command.

Mere moments later, within the hall of the Immortal Court Voidrealm, True Saint Xiao Yao and True Saint Jiu Fang stared with ashen faces at the six memory projections that had abruptly ceased.

The assembled Saints and Perennial powerhouses were struck with shock and terror.

The projections had lasted less than ten breaths, yet all six of the Immortal Court's Saints, including Zhu Guang, had fallen.

"Overlord Ming Jian's mana body was present as well?" True Saint Jiu Fang's voice was frosty. "They truly are brothers in life and death."

"And three Full Saint level powerhouses?" True Saint Xiao Yao's gaze remained fixed on the three Saints who had appeared in the projection.

They were none other than the three surviving incarnations of True Saint Tian Chan—Gong Yan, Zi Ming, and Tai Heng.

"All Perennial powerhouses, disperse immediately and converge on the indicated location," True Saint Xiao Yao commanded, his voice frigid. "Investigate every trace of Wu Yuan with utmost thoroughness. As for the remaining Saints, gather in groups without delay. Make sure to have at least fifteen Saints to a group before continuing the search."

"Understood!"

The avatars of countless Saints and Perennial powerhouses bowed in acknowledgment, their true bodies already racing through the void.

Meanwhile, True Saint Xiao Yao and True Saint Jiu Fang accelerated to maximum speed, making their way to the spacetime coordinates.

...

In a dimly lit expanse of void, six figures convened amidst a scene of utter devastation. Fluctuations of self-created Daos still lingered in the darkness, yet to dissipate.

"Master," True Saint Tian Chan shook his head, a hint of frustration in his voice. "Why bother having my incarnations participate in the battle? It only complicates matters unnecessarily. Had my true self acted, I could have annihilated all six of them with a single gesture."

"What do you know?" Wu Yuan cast him a sidelong glance, his tone casual. "If we had revealed our full strength immediately, would the Immortal Court True Saints still take the bait? They might simply withdraw instead."

True Saint Tian Chan's expression froze in sudden realization.

Wu Yuan's eyes darkened. "The Immortal Court understands my capabilities all too well. They know that mere Saint true selves would struggle to destroy me. The Immortal Court has undoubtedly dispatched True Saints for this hunt."

A cold smile played at the corners of his mouth. "Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu's predictions are never wrong.

He turned, gazing into the infinite void. "Let us proceed.

"This time, we may encounter some old acquaintances."

1. 天蟾 means Heavenly Toad ☜