Chapter 1241: Eons Of Cultivation (1)

"Wan Xuan, Overlord Wu Yuan, what exactly does your Eldritch Court intend to do?" asked a True Saint, his voice low and menacing. His ominous aura seemed to churn around him as he spoke.

The assembly of True Saints shifted their attention toward the pair, their gazes sharp and probing.

Wu Yuan's lips curved into a smile. "True Saint Wan Xuan, perhaps you should explain," he suggested.

Throughout Wu Yuan’s meteoric rise through the ranks of the Eldritch Court, True Saint Luan Jiang was his closest confidant among the True Saints, with True Saint Wan Xuan a close second. After all, Wu Yuan had once caused considerable upheaval in the Long Shan Universe.

"Indeed," Wan Xuan replied with a nod. He addressed the gathering, his voice ringing with clarity: "Esteemed Fellow Daoists, we've summoned you here today to inform you of an important matter: our Eldritch Court's Overlord Wu Yuan will soon undertake the step into eternity in the Long Shan Universe."

The announcement dropped like a stone into still water. Absolute silence followed.

True Saint Tao Hu alone maintained his composure. The other eight True Saints, True Saint Yao Yue among them, stared at Wu Yuan with undisguised shock, their expressions frozen in disbelief.

"Wu Yuan," True Saint Yao Yue finally broke the silence, her startled gaze fixed upon him, "weren’t you born in the Ling Jiang Universe? How could you possibly step into eternity in the Long Shan Universe?"

The assembled True Saints scrutinized Wu Yuan, incredulity etched across their faces. Everyone knew that beings of the River of Universes could only achieve eternity in their universe of origin. This was an inviolable law. Since the dawn of the Primordium, no one had ever defied this.

Unbeknownst to them, Wu Yuan was an Ancestral Pagoda Archon. Since there were only two others in this era, their privileges naturally went beyond common understanding. Combined with the Long Shan Universe's uniqueness as the realm once unified by the Creation Dao Master, and Wu Yuan's growing command of the Great Dao of Creation’s Authority, his capabilities far exceeded normal boundaries.

While Wu Yuan's body refiner self might have struggled to achieve eternity in other universes, in the Long Shan Universe, such a transition would be as natural as breathing.

"There's no need for further questions, Yao Yue," Wu Yuan stated, his voice devoid of emotion. "I extended this invitation, hoping to resolve matters peacefully. I trust you'll withdraw of your own accord rather than compelling me to act."

He continued, "Before I arrived, Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu advised me to avoid conflict with you.

"I informed the Eldritch Progenitor that it would depend entirely on whether you chose to oppose me," Wu Yuan said coolly. His eyes held a threatening gleam. "You may believe my words or disregard them, but you must accept the consequences of your choice."

As his declaration hung in the air, another presence silently materialized in the distance. The figure cloaked in black robes unleashed a punch imbued with boundless, majestic power. The sharpness of his self-created Dao erupted outward, instantly sweeping across trillions of li of spacetime.

The impact was cataclysmic. Layers of spacetime shattered like glass, and countless stars and celestial bodies vanished into nothingness. The punch tore through the very fabric of the River of Universes, penetrating the barrier between outer space of the universe and the cosmic sea beyond.

An eternity seemed to pass before the void finally settled back into tranquility.

"What?"

"True Saint level power? Wu Yuan has grown even more formidable in the last hundreds of thousands of years.”

"This is...He can truly undergo Dao Enlightenment in the Long Shan Universe?" The assembled True Saints stood dumbfounded, their doubts rapidly dissolving.

First, Wu Yuan had no logical reason to deceive them. Any deception at this time would eventually be revealed, offering him no lasting advantage.

Second, as a sempiternal lifeform suppressed by the Long Shan Universe, Wu Yuan should have been incapable of manifesting True Saint power. The evidence before them pointed to one conclusion: Wu Yuan was beyond conventional understanding.

He truly possessed the capacity to undergo Dao Enlightenment in the Long Shan Universe.

"What would you have us do, Daoist Wu Yuan?" asked the True Saint with the ominous aura, his teeth clenched in barely concealed frustration.

All eyes turned to Wu Yuan, awaiting his answer.

"Within a hundred years, you will abandon your Saintdom anchor points," Wu Yuan declared, his voice ethereal yet commanding. "I will establish my Saint Realm and Eternal Realm within this universe, eventually controlling it in full. That, however, is a matter for the next samsara cycle of heaven and earth.

"For this current cycle, I will permit the countless Sovereigns under your command to cultivate as they have always done, similar to the various Saintdoms of the Ling Jiang Universe. Your territorial boundaries will remain intact."

His gaze hardened as he swept his eyes across the assembly. "But your Saintdom anchor points must be relinquished. This is non-negotiable." He paused. "I've stated my terms. Does anyone object?"

The True Saints exchanged meaningful glances. Object? Had Wu Yuan not demonstrated his overwhelming strength, had he not proven his capacity for Dao Enlightenment, they might have risked returning later to interfere with his Saint Realm's establishment. But now? By unspoken consensus, they abandoned any thought of resistance.

"Daoist Wu Yuan, your power is undeniable. I concede," announced a bald True Saint in purple robes, spreading his hands in a gesture of surrender. "I will disband my Saintdom shortly. I trust you will honor your promise."

"Rest assured, True Saint Zi Long," Wu Yuan replied flatly.

"I concede as well."

"Daoist Wu Yuan, you have my admiration."

"For a sempiternal lifeform to reach such heights, it truly defies comprehension." One after another, the True Saints voiced their capitulation.

The alluring True Saint Yao Yue sighed, her exquisite features twisted in reluctant acceptance. "Daoist Wu Yuan, your journey to the Long Shan Universe appears calculated to avoid conflict with True Saint Ming Jian. The friendship between you two is truly enviable." She shook her head. "I concede as well."

With this, eight of the nine True Saints had astutely chosen to back down.

Though resentment simmered within them, they were pragmatic beings above all. For True Saints, the cosmic sea represented their primary battlefield. Abandoning their Saintdoms, while painful, would not affect their personal Saint Realms. While significant, such a sacrifice was not fatal.

Even as they conceded, these True Saints were already dispatching messages to their respective Dao Zenithels, reporting the shocking news of "Wu Yuan's imminent Dao Enlightenment in the Long Shan Universe."

This revelation would send shockwaves through the cosmic sea. It signaled not only the resolution of the fundamental conflict between Wu Yuan and Ming Jian but also heralded the imminent rise of two super powerhouses equal to Great Emperor Yan Tuo in the cosmic sea. This would inevitably reshape the balance of power throughout the entire realm.

"And what about you, True Saint Tao Hu?" Wu Yuan turned his attention to the final holdout.

Conversation ceased as all eyes shifted to Tao Hu's projection.

"If I say I concede, will you spare my Saintdom?" True Saint Tao Hu shook his head slightly. "If not, why waste my breath on empty words?"

With a violent burst of energy, True Saint Tao Hu's incarnation dispersed, effectively ending the conversation.

The remaining True Saints exchanged knowing glances, their attention drawn to the distant void. They all sensed that Wu Yuan's combat body that had unleashed that devastating punch had already vanished.

Most likely, he had departed to destroy the Immortal Court's Long Shan Saintdom.

"You may wait here for news or disperse as you see fit," Wu Yuan stated coolly. "In a hundred years, I will personally visit each of your Saintdoms. I trust you won't disappoint me."

Whoosh!

With that, Wu Yuan's form also departed, leaving only the nine True Saints behind in contemplative silence.

Soon after, news spread like wildfire: Overlord Wu Yuan had single-handedly invaded the Immortal Court's Long Shan Saintdom!

With merely two saber strikes, he had wrought unimaginable destruction.

The first strike shattered the Saintdom's defensive array, slaughtering trillions of sempiternal lifeforms in an instant.

The second strike obliterated the anchor point True Saint Tao Hu had established within the Saintdom.

Only a handful of Overlords and Sovereigns escaped the massacre, narrowly fleeing with secret treasures after receiving True Saint Tao Hu's warning. The vast majority of the Immortal Court's leadership in the universe perished where they stood.

The slaughter was nothing short of apocalyptic.

The battle erupted with terrifying swiftness and concluded just as abruptly. Throughout the entire conflict, not a single eternal powerhouse from the Immortal Court appeared to offer resistance.

As if they had accepted this Saintdom’s inevitable doom.

"First the Ling Jiang Universe, now the Long Shan Universe. Overlord Wu Yuan's methods are truly iron-blooded," murmured one True Saint, his incarnation still lingering in the void.

"Truly domineering," remarked another.

"Best to avoid his enmity," agreed a third, as the remaining True Saints exchanged hushed observations.

They now understood Wu Yuan's character far more clearly than before.

Domineering and merciless in slaughter—that was his nature. In the Ling Jiang Universe, he had annihilated three Saintdoms in breathtakingly swift succession. Today, he had obliterated the Immortal Court's Long Shan Saintdom without hesitation.

His temperament was undeniable, his reputation forged through rivers of blood. Through this display of overwhelming force, he had instilled awe in the hearts of these True Saints.

"Fellow Daoists, I'll take my leave," True Saint Wan Xuan said with a meaningful smile. "I trust you all comprehend Overlord Wu Yuan's disposition. When one hundred years have elapsed, I advise against forcing his hand."

With that, True Saint Wan Xuan's incarnation dispersed. One by one, the remaining eight True Saints followed suit.

...

News of the events in the Long Shan Universe cascaded through the cosmic sea like a violent tempest, reaching every corner. Major factions erupted in uproar as the information swept through their ranks.

"Overlord Wu Yuan is stepping into eternity? And he's chosen the Long Shan Universe to undergo Dao Enlightenment?"

"Is there any doubt? Look at what remains of the Immortal Court's Long Shan Saintdom; nothing but ruins and corpses.”

"Another bloodbath at his hands. Exactly what we'd expect from Overlord Wu Yuan." Countless eternal powerhouses throughout the cosmic sea could only shake their heads in awe and trepidation.

What confounded these eternal beings most was the impossibility of Wu Yuan's accomplishment.

"His power is undeniable, but how can anyone defy the fundamental rules governing the River of Universes?"

"How did he achieve this?" The question echoed through gatherings of True Saints and even among the Dao Zenithels, all equally mystified.

Soon, two announcements flowed from the highest echelons of the Immortal Court in rapid succession:

"Overlord Wu Yuan is a disciple of the Creation Dao Master and shall soon wield the Authority of the Great Dao of Creation.”

"Following Dao Enlightenment, he will succeed as the new Creation Dao Master."

This earth-shattering information spread with unprecedented speed. Within a single day, it swept the Nine Megaverses Spacetime, reaching the various megaverses.

A new Dao Master! Wu Yuan, the new Creation Dao Master!

Only the highest-ranking Dao Zenithels within the Immortal Court know that this pronouncement had descended from the Heavenly Imperator himself and was therefore incontestable.

Simultaneously, the Heavenly Imperator had declared Wu Yuan's rise unstoppable. Unless the Imperator dispatched his true self, any attempt to target or encircle Wu Yuan would bring catastrophic losses with minimal gain.

...

Within the Blood Dream Alliance, the assembly of True Saints and Dao Zenithels absorbed this intelligence with growing excitement.

"Overlord Wu Yuan has chosen the Long Shan Universe? Does this mean True Saint Ming Jian's control over the Ling Jiang Universe lies uncontested?"

"Does the Ling Jiang Universe truly belong to True Saint Ming Jian now?" The Blood Dream Alliance erupted in speculation.

Even the lofty Blood Emperor and Dream Emperor appeared, their satisfaction evident.

From their perspective, regardless of future events, True Saint Ming Jian would inevitably join their ranks.

Previously, they had harbored concerns about competition between Wu Yuan and Ming Jian, given Wu Yuan's fearsome reputation as the sole sempiternal lifeform to have slain a True Saint. Who could possibly stand against such overwhelming might?

Even if Ming Jian achieved Dao Enlightenment first, they couldn't confidently assert his superiority over Wu Yuan.

Yet now, Wu Yuan had unexpectedly abandoned his claim to the Ling Jiang Universe, choosing the Long Shan Universe instead—an action the Blood Dream Alliance powerhouses interpreted as intentional accommodation.

"We still cannot establish contact with the Spacetime Dao Master," the Blood Emperor noted with frustration.

"And True Saint Ming Jian remains equally unreachable," added the Dream Emperor, his brow furrowed.

The two figures most critical to their plans had stubbornly withdrawn from communication.

...

"Dao Master!"

"Wu Yuan, successor of the Creation Dao Master and wielder of the Great Dao’s Authority!"

"Inconceivable."

"His self-created Dao is terrifying enough. Once he completes Dao Enlightenment, he will likely emerge as history's most formidable Dao Master, with an entire universe at his command."

"Wu Yuan will eclipse even Great Emperor Yan Tuo in might." The Dao Zenithels at the pinnacle of the cosmic sea quickly grasped the horrifying implications of Wu Yuan's potential.

First, controlling a universe would bestow upon him immense regenerative and self-preservation capabilities, mirroring Great Emperor Yan Tuo's resilience.

Second, Dao Masters possessed extraordinary advantages: swift resurrection after defeat, boundless providence, and each wielding a Xuanhuang Dao Treasure. Though most lacked overwhelming direct combat prowess, Wu Yuan did not have this weakness.

This prospect sent shivers through the Dao Zenithels across the cosmic sea. Such a formidable existence might possess direct combat strength slightly inferior to the Heavenly Imperator or Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu, yet would remain no less terrifying.

The crucial point remained: Given Wu Yuan's demonstrated prodigious talent and formidable self-created Dao, augmented by the dual enhancements of Dao Mastership and control over a universe, how could he fail to reach the pinnacle of the fourth step?

While the Abyss Alliance, Blood Dream Alliance, Nine Saints Alliance, and other major powers felt mere unease, the Dao Zenithels and True Saints of the Immortal Court felt their hearts seize with dread.

This invincible existence’s rise was unstoppable.

He was destined to become another Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu, perhaps even stronger!

"We can only place our trust in the Heavenly Imperator!"

"The Heavenly Imperator remains invincible." Many eternal powerhouses of the Immortal Court reassured themselves, clinging to their faith in their great leader, hoping he could once again guide them from weakness to supremacy, as he had in eras past.