Chapter 1244: Zhuo Haiyue And The Thunder Saint (2)

Passing through the outer hall's corridor, the two finally entered the inner hall. Here, decorative elements vanished entirely.

Only the endless vista of outer space stretched overhead, stars glittering against infinite darkness.

At the far end of the temple stood an immense jade platform. Upon it sat a colossal figure, nearly a hundred million li in height.

His aura expanded beyond comprehension, his Dao resonance eternal and profound.

Within this hall, neither Greater Laws, eternal Great Daos, nor the fluctuations of the universe’s essence existed. The enormous white-robed figure seemed to embody the source of all Daos, the living manifestation of every Dao.

Before him, even Overlord Lan Yan appeared infinitesimally small, a mere speck of dust.

This was the True Saint's true self.

"Greetings, True Saint." Lan Yan bowed deeply, reverence illuminating her features.

"Zhuo Haiyue pays her respects to the True Saint." Zhuo Haiyue instinctively began to bow as well.

Despite her naturally proud temperament and her memories of her friendship with Ming Jian, everything she had witnessed since entering the Saint Realm today had unconsciously caused her to place herself in an inferior position. In her heart, a sense of reverence had taken root.

Whoosh~

An invisible force gently lifted Zhuo Haiyue, preventing her from completing her bow.

"Lan Yan, you may withdraw," Wu Yuan said calmly. Though soft, it carried an authority that vibrated through one's very spirit, resonating through the temple. "I have matters to discuss with Haiyue."

"As you command." Lan Yan nodded respectfully before retreating from the temple.

Now, only Wu Yuan's qi refiner self and Zhuo Haiyue remained within the hall.

"Haiyue," Wu Yuan said with a gentle smile, "it has been a long time." His enormous true body began to contract rapidly.

From Zhuo Haiyue's perspective, Wu Yuan's qi refiner self seemed to condense from the vastness of the universe into human proportion, finally stabilizing at a height similar to her own. The overwhelming aura he projected likewise diminished to an ordinary level.

𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Yet his eyes remained unchanged.

Under Wu Yuan's penetrating gaze, Zhuo Haiyue felt utterly transparent, as though every secret she harbored lay exposed to his sight.

"Indeed, it has been too long," she replied, struggling to maintain her composure.

"I've observed your cultivation journey throughout these hundreds of millions of years," Wu Yuan said with a warm smile that softened his countenance. “Initially, I chose not to interfere. You charted your own unique path, and I believed you would eventually become an Overlord through your own efforts.

"My reason for summoning you now is simply to alleviate the burden you've carried," he continued. "I now possess the means to eradicate all traces and remnants of Saint Lei Xing, eliminating the threat that has haunted you for so long."

"Saint Lei Xing?" Zhuo Haiyue's entire body trembled at the name.

Those three words had weighed upon her heart like a mountain of stone. Years ago, with Wu Yuan's assistance, she had temporarily escaped his influence.

Yet the shadow had never truly lifted. The power of Saint Lei Xing's imprint had trailed her like a persistent specter through countless millennia.

It had never fully dissipated.

Back then, the Taiyuan Divine Court had exhausted numerous resources. Overlord Xin Ya, Overlord Shan Jin, and others had attempted various methods to free her, all without success. They could only advise that liberation would ultimately depend on her own strength.

Yet how could a sempiternal lifeform hope to contend with a Saint's power, even a fallen one?

The challenge seemed insurmountable.

Throughout the ages, Zhuo Haiyue never knew whether a True Saint powerhouse could erase all traces of Saint Lei Xing. Overlord Shan Jin and the others had never brought her predicament to True Saint Taiyuan's attention.

After all, while significant to Sovereigns and Overlords, what did her troubles amount to for True Saint Taiyuan? Would he deign to trouble himself with her plight? Thus, the matter had remained unresolved...until today.

"Is it truly possible?" Zhuo Haiyue's voice quavered as she posed the question.

Wu Yuan smiled. "A Standard Saint would find it impossible," he explained. "Even when I first ascended to True Sainthood, such a feat would have been beyond my capabilities.

"But now? I believe I can succeed."

"What works in our favor is that Saint Lei Xing's numerous imprints are connected to the Ling Jiang Universe's essence. This connection provides me the perfect opportunity to eradicate him completely."

Wu Yuan's expression grew contemplative. "Had he originated from another universe, I wouldn't speak with such certainty. Nevertheless, we have nothing to lose by attempting it.

"Even if we aren’t able to succeed the first time, purging the imprint embedded deep within your soul should be well within my power."

"Very well," Zhuo Haiyue nodded eagerly, a flicker of excitement kindling in her heart.

"Then let us begin. Do not resist." With a gesture from him, invisible fluctuations of power enveloped Zhuo Haiyue's form.

Whoosh~

Wu Yuan's Dream World unfurled in its full glory. Within an instant, a boundless expanse materialized. Heaven and earth stretched infinitely, encompassing countless worlds, innumerable star fields, and multiple macrocosms... a truly limitless vista.

This was far beyond a mere Dream World; it was a fully realized Dream Universe!

After cultivating for a hundred million years, I’ve finally transformed my Dream World into a Dream Universe.

Wu Yuan reflected with quiet satisfaction.

Among practitioners of the Psyche Dream class across the cosmic sea, I must rank among the top-tier.

His confidence was not unfounded. Soul cultivation practitioners were exceedingly rare compared to those who focused on physical cultivation, and achieving mastery in the soul class was more challenging still.

The evolution to a Dream Universe represented an immense achievement for Psyche Dream practitioners. Even many Dao Zenithels specializing in soul cultivation failed to reach this level. That even Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu had only created a Dream Universe spoke volumes about Wu Yuan's extraordinary level of attainment.

Of course, having only recently established his Dream Universe, the power Wu Yuan could channel remained significantly inferior to that of Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu. Nevertheless, among True Saints, Wu Yuan had already become a formidable existence.

Psyche dream!

Destiny! Karma!

Wu Yuan's gaze grew misty, his eyes containing infinite depths of wisdom and power.

Any ordinary Saint who dared meet that gaze would likely lose themselves within its unfathomable expanse.

In that singular moment, the Dream Universe completely enveloped Zhuo Haiyue's soul. Wu Yuan seized full control of her spirit world, swiftly identifying that unique imprint buried deep within her spirit.

Truly remarkable.

He observed silently.

Even if other True Saints detected its presence, they would likely struggle to remove it.

Wu Yuan noted to himself. Destruction was simple; creation was the true challenge.

Unfortunately for you, Saint Lei Xing, you've encountered me.

With a mere thought, Wu Yuan deployed an eternal ultimate technique—The Other Shore.

Silently, Zhuo Haiyue's spirit world was perfectly reflected like a mirror. Immediately after, that special imprint was carefully extracted from the depths of her spirit and integrated into the reflected illusory spirit world.

Secured.

Wu Yuan's gaze turned glacial as he probed this special aura imprint, instantly detecting countless vital aura imprints scattered throughout the vast River of Universes. These imprints varied in strength, most weak and hidden.

These represented Saint Lei Xing's few remaining aura imprints.

Since you've already fallen, then die for good.

Wu Yuan murmured coldly.

Why continue this futile struggle?

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Invisible fluctuations, guided by the intricate threads of karma and destiny, struck across spacetime, targeting each imprint with precision.

No! Who are you?

The fragments of Saint Lei Xing's consciousness embedded within those imprints barely registered the threat before waves of destructive force crashed upon them.

Pop! Pop!

In the blink of an eye, almost every trace and imprint Saint Lei Xing had left within the River of Universes was annihilated.

Saint Lei Xing had fallen—completely and irrevocably.

I still sense two or three imprints somewhere in the endless River of Universes.

Wu Yuan noted. A pity I haven't yet reached the Dao Zenithel stage. I cannot erase everything.

But it was sufficient. Without these anchoring imprints within the River of Universes, the few remnants drifting in the void would rapidly dissipate on their own.

There was no alternative outcome.

I wonder how many True Saints across the entire cosmic sea could accomplish such a feat?

Wu Yuan mused with quiet satisfaction as he swiftly retracted his Dream Universe.

Whoosh!

Zhuo Haiyue rapidly regained consciousness, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief.

What had seemed like a mere instant on the outside had been an eternity wandering through countless worlds within the Dream Universe for her. The experience had been overwhelmingly real, and she had been utterly helpless to break free.

"It is done," Wu Yuan announced with a gentle smile. "Saint Lei Xing has essentially fallen and can no longer pose any threat to you."

"I'm... safe?" Zhuo Haiyue's voice trembled with emotion she could barely contain, tears glistening at the corners of her eyes. With visible effort, she regained her composure, blinking back the wetness.

"Thank you, True Saint," she said respectfully, bowing deeply. This time, Wu Yuan accepted her gratitude.

"From this day forward, you may reside within the Saint Realm," Wu Yuan offered with a warm smile.

"I am grateful," Zhuo Haiyue nodded, her voice steadier now.

After conversing for a while longer, Zhuo Haiyue withdrew from the temple.

Wu Yuan's qi refiner self watched her depart, his expression returning to its customary detachment. A shadow of complexity flickered through his eyes.

Is this the paradox of gaining and losing?

Eternal and indestructible, supreme and peerless. And yet my old friends and family grow increasingly distant. They either worship or fear me... Even mother and sister are turning into strangers as time goes on.

Time wielded great power. The fundamental difference in the order of life created an unbridgeable divide.

Perhaps this growing estrangement wasn't the intention of his loved ones, but it was nevertheless inevitable. As an eternal being, a single period of seclusion might span hundreds of millions of years or more.

How could mere Sovereigns, let alone weaker relatives, comprehend this reality? Even the most passionate and fervent bonds would eventually cool under the relentless march of time.

It's not that the Great Dao is unfeeling.

Wu Yuan sighed inwardly.

It's simply that on this endless path, one must ultimately walk alone. On this road, there exist only fellow Daoists—no family, no friends.

Wu Yuan could theoretically employ various methods to strengthen his loved ones, granting them extraordinary longevity or even eternal life. But the vast gulf between them would always remain.

The path ahead remains shrouded in fog. In the end, I can only seek peace within myself.

Wu Yuan's Dao Heart was incomparably resilient. The emotional ripples stirred from his meeting with Zhuo Haiyue quickly subsided.

He resumed cultivation.

The Primordium's baptism had concluded, and Wu Yuan's perception of those supreme, matchless Primordial Rules had faded to mere impressions. Nevertheless, his gains from these hundred million years of cultivation were immeasurable.

The initial success in evolving my Dream World to a Dream Universe has raised my qi refiner self’s Dao cultivation level to the Peak True Saint level.

Wu Yuan reflected.

With just a bit more refinement, I should be able to rival a Full True Saint in power.

Initially, Wu Yuan had hoped the Primordium's baptism might propel him directly to the Dao Zenithel stage. But as he cultivated, he recognized that he had been naive.

One hundred million years, however vast to mortal comprehension, was woefully insufficient.

From the perspective of eternal powerhouses, Dao Masters were able to reach the Dao Zenithel stage ‘rapidly’, but this speed was measured in hundreds of billions of years.

Under normal circumstances, Dao Masters were certain to reach the Dao Zenithel stage within a single samsara cycle of heaven and earth. Wu Yuan's self-created Dao was even stronger and more complex, naturally requiring a longer time.

The Primordium's baptism has elevated my qi refiner self from newly ascended True Saint to Peak True Saint.

The future journey from the third step of my self-created Dao to the fourth will be arduous.

Wu Yuan acknowledged silently.

It will likely demand extraordinary patience.

Yet in a mere hundred million years, my qi refiner self has reached Peak True Saint and will soon become a Full True Saint. I should be content with such progress.

He reminded himself.

Suddenly, his contemplation was interrupted.

Hmm?

A flicker of surprise crossed Wu Yuan's face.

Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu seeks my presence? What could be the matter?

Throughout these hundred million years, both his true selves had remained in secluded cultivation. After stabilizing his foundation, he had spoken with Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu once, but had received no further communication since.

Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu surely knows I'm at a critical juncture in my cultivation.

Wu Yuan mused.

Never mind, I’ll see what she has to say.

Different levels of power naturally bred different mindsets. Wu Yuan still felt sincere gratitude toward Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu, but he no longer viewed her from a perspective of pure reverence.

...

In the distant, boundless Eldritch Court Universe, within the Saintdom, stood Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu's true dwelling.

Outside the core temple of the Saintdom, a strange phenomenon began to unfold.

Hum~

An invisible fluctuation seemed to emanate from infinitely distant spacetime, followed by myriad streams of light and shadow converging, stirring the spiritual qi of heaven and earth.

This spectacle immediately captured the attention of the numerous Perennials and Saints gathered outside the temple.

"A projection is manifesting?"

"It must be a Dao Zenithel Eldritch Progenitor. Only Dao Zenithels possess this ability."

"Which Dao Zenithel could it be?" The Perennials and Saints murmured among themselves.

These were the elite of the Eldritch Court, individuals of vast experience who often encountered the highest echelons of power within the Eldritch Court.

A figure in flowing black robes materialized before them. His indifferent gaze swept over the gathered Eternals before he strode directly into the temple.