Chapter 1233: The Number One True Saint (1)

"An acquaintance?" True Saint Tian Chan's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Master, could it be one of the True Saints from the Ling Jiang Universe?"

Given the extensive intelligence Wu Yuan had shared with him, he knew much of Wu Yuan's extraordinary achievements. Beyond the Eldritch Court True Saints, Wu Yuan would have only encountered True Saints from the Ling Jiang Universe.

Whoosh!

Wu Yuan's ether body and mana body, alongside True Saint Tian Chan's Perennial incarnation, streaked through the void like shooting stars. They maintained a deliberate pace: neither racing forward nor dawdling, perfectly calibrated to lure the Immortal Court's True Saints over.

Not long after, the bait was taken.

"There! Wu Yuan and his group are over there." A lone Perennial powerhouse, his mana body shaped like an iridescent seashell, hovered at a distance, watching Wu Yuan's party through narrowed eyes.

With great excitement, he immediately began transmitting urgent messages through the Immortal Court Voidrealm.

Mission accomplished, the Perennial powerhouse turned and fled.

Fleeing? Must be from the Immortal Court.

Wu Yuan had detected this individual long ago.

In a blur of motion, Wu Yuan's ether body surged forward, his form rippling as he accelerated to a hundred times the speed of light.

What? A hundred times light speed?

The Perennial radiated panic. Though capable of unleashing Threshold Perennial power, his flight speed reached only a few times that of light; the gap was too vast.

Within ten breaths, Wu Yuan's ether body closed the vast distance between them.

Whoosh!

A blade ray cleaved through the darkness, brilliant and deadly, slashing across space toward its target.

"Close!" The Perennial’s shell snapped shut like a clam as it mounted a desperate defense.

Boom!

The massive shell shattered instantly under the blade ray's assault, disintegrating into motes of light that scattered across the void.

He was dead!

Wu Yuan's ether body stood motionless in the emptiness, shaking his head slightly.

A Perennial mana body?

It was almost disappointingly weak.

With a flick of his wrist, Wu Yuan collected the scattered treasures and swiftly confirmed his opponent's identity through the items left behind—he was indeed an Immortal Court powerhouse.

As long as they’re from the Immortal Court, they aren’t killed in vain.

Wu Yuan thought coldly

...

Though the shell-shaped Perennial's mana body had fallen, his message had successfully reached the others, relaying the precise spacetime coordinates.

"Quickly! We've confirmed Wu Yuan's last position."

"Perennial Bei Huan's mana body has fallen."

"Group up there at once."

True Saint Xiao Yao and True Saint Jiu Fang adjusted their target coordinates, slightly altering their course. Then, they continued their flight toward Wu Yuan's location.

...

The two True Saints of the Immortal Court had mobilized a sizeable force for this decisive battle: nearly a thousand Perennial mana and ether bodies, accompanied by almost a hundred Saints. They had already narrowed their search to this general area. And now, as their advance scouts fell one after another, the remaining forces charged forth in a frenzy.

Merely half a day later, another blade ray illuminated the void.

Whoosh!

Another Perennial powerhouse crumpled and dissolved into nothingness.

Wu Yuan waved his hand, collecting the meager treasures and examining them with disappointment.

Hmm? Not even a single Xiantian artifact. How impoverished.

Though ordinary Xiantian artifacts no longer held significant value for him, it didn’t hurt to accumulate more of them. But these Perennial powerhouses carried nothing of worth.

What Wu Yuan didn't realize was that True Saint Xiao Yao and True Saint Jiu Fang had deliberately ordered their forces to travel light. Knowing these Perennial powerhouses were mere cannon fodder, they had ordered them not to carry valuable treasures.

It seems I'll need to target as many Saints as possible.

Wu Yuan mused, recalling his recent encounter with Saint Zhu Guang and five other Saints. That battle had yielded treasures worth several hundred thousand Xuanhuang merits.

Every little bit would eventually add up.

If I kill several more True Saints and amass enough treasures, I might finally be able to exchange them for a Chaos Treasure.

Wu Yuan had outgrown the need for high-grade Xiantian artifacts or Instruments. His previous battle against three True Saints had yielded an impressive haul worth over ten million Xuanhuang merits—yet still far short of what he needed.

A single Chaos Treasure cost hundreds of millions of Xuanhuang merits, and they weren't items one could simply purchase at will. As far as Wu Yuan understood, True Saints in the Eldritch Court who possessed such treasures had performed extraordinary services for the faction and paid staggering prices to have Dao Zenithels craft them.

Xuanhuang Dao Treasures existed in limited numbers, thus Chaos Treasures represented the pinnacle of craftable artifacts in the entire cosmic sea.

Once I undergo Dao Enlightenment, I will quickly become a True Saint.

Wu Yuan contemplated.

Then, my mana and ether bodies will cultivate Eternal Psyches, requiring Xiantian Instruments as well... I’m truly poor.

Where normal powerhouses might consider three or four Xiantian Instruments sufficient, Wu Yuan's four combat bodies would require at least a dozen such ultimate treasures.

I can't rely solely on Eldritch Progenitors Hou Tu and Di Jiang for everything.

He muttered, sheathing his sabers.

I should secure my future with my own hands.

With a flash of movement, Wu Yuan's ether body rejoined the group as they pressed onward through the endless void.

...

As their journey continued, Wu Yuan and True Saint Tian Chan encountered no more Immortal Court Saints—only Perennials, and only their mana or ether bodies at that. Though Wu Yuan's mana body could have annihilated them all with a single thought, he deliberately dispatched only his ether body for each kill.

His reasoning was straightforward—to avoid intensifying the enmity between his qi refiner self and the Immortal Court.

Days passed in this rhythm.

"Over eighty Perennial mana and ether bodies have fallen. Only six Saints have perished."

"We've locked onto his spacetime coordinates. Escape is no longer an option."

"Proceed with caution. We cannot rule out the possibility of a Saint Realm passage anchored nearby."

The Immortal Court powerhouses exchanged messages, far more careful than before. Wu Yuan's reputation for ruthlessness had caused many to hesitate. Though they had formed several large teams, each with over a dozen Saints, they advanced warily.

Not every Saint was indifferent to death, nor did each possess absolute confidence in revival.

...

𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

In truth, Wu Yuan had numerous escape routes available. He could have detected enemies from afar and dispatched his mana body to strike silently, then vanish from encirclement without a trace. Alternatively, True Saint Tian Chan could have employed his power, concealing their auras while carrying Wu Yuan's bodies to safety.

Instead, Wu Yuan had chosen the more “stupid” approach.

The Immortal Court True Saints understand strategy.

He thought coldly.

They certainly recognize my attempt to lure them, but as long as they want to kill me, they’ll have no choice but to come.

A gleam flickered in his eyes.

Through intangible karmic threads, Wu Yuan sensed the enemy's approach. Though the cosmic sea's merged spacetime dimensions made precise location impossible as karmic threads were far less clear than in the River of Universes, two beings who shared great karma could sense each other’s presence when their proximity was close enough.

This was precisely why Immortal Eminence Jiu You had dispatched True Saint Xiao Yao. Within the Immortal Court, whose karma with Wu Yuan could possibly match his?

"Tian Chan," Wu Yuan suddenly broke the silence.

True Saint Tian Chan, who had been tagging along lazily, immediately straightened. "Master."

"They're coming." Wu Yuan smiled faintly. "Prepare yourself. One of them is an old acquaintance of mine."

He fixed Tian Chan with a measured look. "Don't disappoint me."

"Rest assured, Master." True Saint Tian Chan's lips curved into a confident smile. "As long as we're not facing a Dao Zenithel, victory is guaranteed." His expression sobered slightly. "If a Dao Zenithel does arrive... Then I shall perish alongside you."

Wu Yuan started at these words, then shook his head firmly. "Don’t say such inauspicious things."

...

Under the lightless expanse of the void, True Saint Xiao Yao and True Saint Jiu Fang arrived on an irregular metallic celestial body. More than thirty Saint true selves had already gathered there.

True Saint Xiao Yao's eyes suddenly lit up. "Jiu Fang," he said in a low voice, "I can sense Wu Yuan through our karmic connection. He waits directly ahead of us."

"A karmic thread?" True Saint Jiu Fang's face brightened instantly. They had received no word of Wu Yuan for days, and he had feared their quarry had somehow slipped through their net.

Karmic threads were impossible to counterfeit.

"Follow me," commanded True Saint Xiao Yao.

His form erupted with cascading golden radiance that unfurled across the endless void. The brilliance enveloped not only True Saint Jiu Fang but also the thirty-plus Saint true selves accompanying them.

Whoosh!

True Saint Xiao Yao's velocity surged exponentially. Spiraling streams of golden light coiled around his form, accelerating him to a hundred times the speed of light.

As he channeled his full power, his velocity showed signs of transcending even that of the hundred-fold light speed limit.

Guided by the karmic thread, True Saint Xiao Yao led True Saint Jiu Fang as they tore madly through the depths of the void.

Less than two hours later, the space around them shuddered.

Rumble~

Waves of terrifying fluctuations of self-created Daos announced their arrival as True Saint Xiao Yao, True Saint Jiu Fang, and their subordinates finally closed in on their target. At the periphery of the void stood three figures: Overlord Wu Yuan, Overlord Ming Jian, and a hideously ugly, toad-like Perennial.

"True Saint Xiao Yao," Wu Yuan's voice resonated through spacetime, dripping with mockery. "I didn't expect you to come back to life. It's been quite some time. Have you come to deliver more treasures into my hands?"

The assembled Immortal Court Saints exchanged alarmed glances. None had anticipated that Wu Yuan would maintain such a brazen attitude even when confronted by two True Saints.

"Wu Yuan." True Saint Xiao Yao's voice cut through the void. Clad in black armor, his body emanated endless streams of light. Eternal Dao resonance radiated from him, his aura vast and unfathomable, embodying the full majesty of a True Saint.

He outshone the Wu Yuan standing across the void by hundreds, perhaps thousands of times, causing even the contingent of Immortal Court Saints to hold their breath in awe.

This was the true magnificence of a True Saint! One who traversed the cosmic sea unhindered, virtually invincible below the Dao Pioneer stage.

"I lost our battle at the River of Universes," True Saint Xiao Yao continued, his voice cold, suffused with murderous intent that seemed to freeze the void around them. "But today, this ether body of yours will die."

"Wu Yuan," added True Saint Jiu Fang, who stood beside True Saint Xiao Yao in flowing white robes, appearing almost serene amid the tension. "For a single ether body to draw two True Saints to this remote location... even if you perish, you may take pride in that achievement."

"You're Jiu Fang?" Wu Yuan shifted his gaze to the white-robed figure.

"Indeed. It seems my reputation precedes me, to be remembered by Overlord Wu Yuan," True Saint Jiu Fang replied with a faint smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

His demeanor remained gracious, almost detached from the impending violence.

Where True Saint Xiao Yao emanated the oppressive aura of a war deity, True Saint Jiu Fang projected the tranquil presence of an enlightened recluse.

"Reputation? No!" Wu Yuan shook his head. "I've simply come to the conclusion that the only soul willing to accompany True Saint Xiao Yao to his death again would likely be you.

“I hear you two are inseparable friends unto death. Sending you together to the afterlife should save you from loneliness on the journey."

True Saint Jiu Fang's expression froze, his calm fracturing.

The assembled Immortal Court Saints recoiled in shock. Even now, with two True Saints confronting him, Wu Yuan spoke with such audacious contempt?

"Jiu Fang, save your breath. Words are wasted on him," True Saint Xiao Yao gaze seemed to pierce through Wu Yuan's mana body. "Overlord Ming Jian, our Immortal Court genuinely wished to avoid conflict with you, yet you've repeatedly provoked us... This is something you've brought upon yourself."

His eyes narrowed to golden slits. "Time for you both to die."

Boom!

One moment, True Saint Xiao Yao stood still; the next, he stepped forward as the golden light surrounding his body erupted like a newborn sun, condensing to form nine colossal golden staves, each as massive as a pillar supporting the heavens themselves.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The nine staves sliced through the void like golden heavenly pillars, each imbued with unending killing intent. They crashed down toward Wu Yuan and his companions.

This demonstration of might exceeded his showing at the River of Universes a hundredfold. After all, True Saints faced no constraints within the cosmic sea.

"Nine Divine States," True Saint Jiu Fang intoned, his figure becoming increasingly ethereal.

Hum~ Hum~ Hum~

A series of ghostly figures materialized throughout the boundless void, seemingly from nothing.

Nine phantoms arranged themselves in a vast circle that encompassed Wu Yuan's mana and ether bodies along with True Saint Tian Chan. They sealed the area completely, isolating spacetime and trapping them inside.

Boom!

The nine phantoms attacked in perfect unison, their fists blurring as they struck. Nine punches—some real, some illusory—streaked toward their targets like shooting stars, carrying such force that they threatened to shatter spacetime.

In this breathtaking moment, the two True Saints unleashed their full, unbridled power. Their combined might was cataclysmic, earth-shattering in its intensity.

"True Saints!"

"So this is their genuine strength..."

"Wu Yuan’s ether body and Ming Jian's mana body are finished." The dozens of Immortal Court Saints observed the spectacle with rapt attention, scarcely daring to breathe.

They believed that even Wu Yuan's true self wouldn’t survive such overwhelming force.

So this is True Saint Xiao Yao’s full power? His strength is indeed terrifying.

Wu Yuan remarked with genuine appreciation.

Throughout millions of years, though his body refiner self had advanced considerably, he still lacked the necessary power to battle a True Saint to the death in the cosmic sea, let alone his ether body.

Rumble~

The terrifying golden pillars and hazy fist silhouettes descended with inexorable force.

As the two True Saints' ultimate techniques reached their crescendo, the horrifying pressure they generated caused even Wu Yuan's mana and ether bodies to falter visibly. He felt as if he might crumble under this onslaught.

This was beyond what the power of his self-created Daos could compensate for.

As mighty as Dao Zenithels were, their mana and ether bodies possessed only the strength of Threshold True Saints.

When a True Saint unleashed their full power, no sempiternal lifeform could resist it. The gap in fundamental strength was simply too vast.

"Tian Chan," Wu Yuan transmitted, "are you still going to sit back and watch?"