Chapter 1254: The Wan Yu Tower’s Rankings (1)

After Wu Yuan’s series of battles with the Immortal Court's True Saints, the upper echelons had surely gotten a measure of his abilities by now. Not long ago, he had forced three powerful True Saints to retreat, undeniable proof of his capabilities. Given that someone still dared to approach him, and alone at that, they must possess overwhelming confidence in their strength.

The Immortal Court stationed only a handful of Full True Saints in the Nine Chaos Voids. Based on the appearance of the figure before him, Wu Yuan immediately recognized him.

"True Saint Wu Yuan, your eyesight is good indeed. This is our very first encounter, yet you are able to recognize me," True Saint Yan Huo's voice cut through the air like winter frost. "You are quite the elusive quarry. I've hunted you for over twenty days, yet you've managed to slip through my grasp."

His tone darkened. "But now, I've finally caught up to you.

"Now that I'm here, there's no need for you to run anymore." As he spoke, True Saint Yan Huo's figure expanded until it towered a million li high. Waves of overwhelming aura radiated outward as endless flames blossomed around him, engulfing the vast void in a sea of fire.

Under the onslaught of these boundless flames, the already weakened confusion array shuddered and then collapsed.

What a powerful domain secret art.

Wu Yuan murmured in genuine admiration, though his vigilance never wavered.

This was, after all, the True Saint ranked 12th on the True Saint Rankings, a being who stood at the pinnacle among tens of thousands of True Saints across the cosmic sea. His power far surpassed True Saint Mu Jiang and True Saint Xiao Yao’s.

It could be said that below the Dao Zenithels, almost no one could guarantee True Saint Yan Huo's defeat. Even someone as mighty as True Saint Tian Chan, while capable of besting him, would likely lack absolute confidence in delivering a killing blow.

Wu Yuan recognized that he still fell short compared to these apex True Saints in terms of Dao cultivation.

"Haha, of course I won't run," Wu Yuan's laughter rang out clear and confident. "My true self came to the Nine Chaos Voids precisely to test my mettle against the most powerful True Saints of the cosmic sea."

His eyes glinted with anticipation. "With True Saint Yan Huo willing to serve as my whetstone, I couldn't be more delighted. Why would I flee?" Despite recognizing his opponent's strength, not a shred of fear tinged Wu Yuan's expression.

Wu Yuan publicly announced that his true self had come to make a name for himself—a calculated display of arrogance and dominance.

"Furthermore," Wu Yuan's grin widened, "this marks my first battle since ascending to True Saint. I've heard that real-world combat experience is an important component of the True Saint Rankings.

"Slaying just one True Saint Mu Jiang would likely only earn me a spot in the top hundred on the Wan Yu Tower's rankings."

Battle lust ignited in Wu Yuan's eyes, mingled with a hint of bloodthirsty madness. "I wonder...If I were to defeat or even kill you, could I vault into the top ten right away?"

"You’re truly full of yourself," True Saint Yan Huo's voice dripped with icy contempt, his gaze so murderous it seemed almost tangible. "I suppose that's to be expected from the prodigy who succeeded the Creation Dao Master, destined to become a Dao Zenithel someday... But you should understand one thing. I've never thought the Dao Masters were anything special."

Wu Yuan wasn't surprised by this sentiment. The top tier of True Saints and Dao Zenithels looked down on the Dao Masters, believing they had taken shortcuts to reach the Dao Zenithel stage. Of course, these super powerhouses had earned their arrogance, having pioneered top-tier self-created Daos through their own abilities.

Boom!

True Saint Yan Huo reached out, and nine fiery red short staves simultaneously materialized within his nine hands.

The staves burned with a crimson glow, but upon closer inspection, one could discern minute golden patterns etched into their surfaces, enhancing their extraordinary aura.

The Xiantian Instrument, Blazebringer Staves? Nine staves of the same source?

Wu Yuan's interest was piqued as he recognized the weapons.

They were True Saint Yan Huo’s signature artifacts, the weapons he had wielded as he established his reputation throughout the realms. A single offensive Xiantian Instrument was worth several million Xuanhuang merits. But undoubtedly, the most valuable were those from the same source that formed a complete set. These were treasures of extreme rarity.

Such a set of artifacts surpassed the value of twenty or thirty individual Xiantian Instruments, easily worth over ten million Xuanhuang merits.

Legend has it that this set of Blazebringer Staves was specially forged for True Saint Yan Huo by an Immortal Eminence of the Immortal Court, perfectly compatible with his self-created Dao.

Wu Yuan reflected.

Over countless years, details about the signature weapons of these powerful True Saints had become common knowledge.

In terms of artifact quality alone, True Saint Yan Huo's set surpassed Wu Yuan's nine Xiantian Instrument sabers. After all, Wu Yuan's sabers weren't crafted as a unified set but individual pieces he had acquired from the Eldritch Court's treasury.

This was the disadvantage of a short cultivation period; Wu Yuan lacked the time to forge a set of powerful artifacts perfectly aligned with his attributes.

When it came to confronting Standard True Saints, his current weapons sufficed for his ether body. But against the apex powerhouses among True Saints? They fell somewhat short.

No rush!

Wu Yuan thought.

If I can't forge a Xiantian Instrument set, I'll redeem a Chaos Treasure saber later. The difference won't be significant.

If the quality of his artifacts proved insufficient, he would simply upgrade to higher-grade weapons.

"Die!" True Saint Yan Huo moved with blinding speed. The flames covering tens of millions of li surged violently as the nine staves in his hands simultaneously expanded to several million li in length, crashing directly toward Wu Yuan.

His attack seemed to shatter heaven and earth itself.

"Haha, come on then!" Wu Yuan's figure likewise expanded to a million li in height as he swung his saber, roaring as he charged to meet the onslaught without the slightest hesitation.

Wu Yuan immediately unleashed his strongest technique—Worldforge!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Blade rays manifested throughout the surrounding void, then blossomed outward like a vast chaotic world being born. Even True Saint Yan Huo's powerful flame domain momentarily faltered before this assault.

Wu Yuan refrained from employing the Chiaroscuro Domain. That technique worked well against Standard True Saints, but against someone of True Saint Yan Huo's caliber, it would prove utterly insignificant and only invite ridicule.

True Saint Yan Huo was renowned precisely for his domain mastery and devastating attacks.

"The battle has begun."

"True Saint Yan Huo versus Wu Yuan. Wu Yuan's techniques appear terrifyingly powerful."

"It looks like True Saint Yan Huo's domain will soon be unable to suppress him." At this moment, over a hundred True Saints of the Immortal Court observed the clash between the two Full True Saint powerhouses through the Immortal Court Voidrealm.

...

Wu Yuan's saber techniques flashed savagely, his blade rays cleaving through space with the ferocity of the primordial splitting of heaven and earth.

Against such an onslaught, most Full True Saints would first deflect the force and evade the brunt of the attack.

But True Saint Yan Huo was different. He had pioneered his self-created Dao from the Fire element of the Great Dao of Five Elements. His personality was domineering, his Dao even more so.

You're strong? He’s stronger!

Boom! Boom!

The staves, seemingly capable of shattering the very spacetime of the cosmic sea, collided directly with the blade rays like pillars supporting the heavens. Instantly, the resplendent void trembled as if facing annihilation.

In that critical moment, True Saint Yan Huo's figure paused, his offensive momentarily halted. Meanwhile, Wu Yuan, saber still clutched firmly in hand, was sent flying back a million li before stabilizing his form.

"Wu Yuan, your strength doesn't seem to match your grand proclamations." True Saint Yan Huo's voice remained frigid. "However, being able to withstand my killing strike without losing your composure does indeed qualify you for a place among the top hundred of the True Saint Rankings."

"As expected of True Saint Yan Huo, to be able to suppress me," Wu Yuan laughed heartily, utterly unconcerned by his apparent disadvantage.

That his opponent had gained the upper hand didn't surprise Wu Yuan in the slightest. In terms of Dao cultivation, his opponent had pioneered a top-tier self-created Dao and stood merely a hair's breadth from taking the fourth step. The secret arts True Saint Yan Huo had created represented the pinnacle among True Saints, surpassing Wu Yuan's by no small margin.

In terms of artifacts, his opponent possessed superior weapons. Regarding foundations, his opponent had also mastered an Eternal Matter Body to a large degree, only falling short of Wu Yuan in raw ether reserves.

So finding himself at a disadvantage was perfectly normal.

This was precisely why Wu Yuan had told Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu earlier that he could rank among the top hundred of the True Saint Rankings, but not the top ten. He truly recognized his current limitations.

However, being slightly inferior in attack power didn't necessarily determine the final outcome of their clash.

"True Saint Yan Huo has the upper hand."

"As expected of True Saint Yan Huo. With his domain advantage, Wu Yuan can't escape. He might truly be able to slay him."

"This Wu Yuan is remarkably formidable as well." The numerous True Saints observing from the Immortal Court Voidrealm marveled at the spectacular confrontation.

...

Deep beneath the oppressive gloom of the Ninth Chaos Void, a battle of cosmic proportions unfolded.

Rumble~

After probing each other's defenses, True Saint Yan Huo and True Saint Wu Yuan abandoned all pretense, escalating into a frenzied combat to the death. Both combatants fought with palpable killing intent, each determined to end the other's existence.

Yet despite the ferocity of their exchange, Wu Yuan found himself at a clear disadvantage. Time and again, True Saint Yan Huo's Blazebringer Staves sent him hurtling backward through the void.

These Blazebringer Staves lived up to their fearsome reputation as a complete set of Xiantian Instruments. In True Saint Yan Huo's capable hands, they manifested terrifying power.

Each smash threatened to shatter the fabric of the universe. Each thrust pierced forward with the precision and force of a divine spear. When used defensively, they effortlessly deflected Wu Yuan's blade ray assaults, displaying effectiveness in both offensive and defensive applications.

Yet, after more than a thousand exchanges between the two combatants, True Saint Yan Huo's expression shifted suddenly to one of bewilderment.

"Your vital aura?" he exclaimed, finally registering Wu Yuan's unusual state. Shock colored his voice as the realization dawned on him.

By all rights, after their repeated violent clashes and constant deployment of eternal ultimate techniques—maneuvers that should have severely depleted their mana reserves—Wu Yuan should have shown signs of fatigue. Even with an Eternal Matter Body and Xiantian Instrument battle armor, the toll should have been immense.

True Saint Yan Huo himself had witnessed a clear depletion in the mana stored within his own Eternal Psyche. Yet, in stark contrast, Wu Yuan's vital aura remained virtually unchanged.

"Haha, you've only just realized?" Wu Yuan's lips curled into a self-assured grin. "Don't you know that I achieved eternity through the Great Dao of Creation? Moreover, I am the Creation Dao Master."

True Saint Yan Huo's expression subtly shifted. He was familiar with Wu Yuan's background and naturally knew this detail about his adversary.

But something wasn't adding up.

Wu Yuan's physical defense and mana recovery rate vastly exceeded True Saint Yan Huo's expectations. It seemed excessively powerful.

This isn't right!

True Saint Yan Huo's thoughts raced.

Even though he is the Creation Dao Master, he’s still only at the True Saint stage and shouldn't possess such overwhelming power.

His vast experience led him to this disturbing conclusion.

Without hesitation, True Saint Yan Huo launched another attack, but this time, his form transformed.

"Fire! Absolute Realm."

True Saint Yan Huo unleashed an eternal ultimate technique that Wu Yuan was seeing for the first time. In the blink of an eye, the surrounding spacetime warped and distorted, becoming chaotic and unstable. The movements of his staves became erratic, unpredictable, and impossible to track.

A spacetime attack? His offensive incorporates spacetime manipulation?

Wu Yuan instantly recognized the nature of this assault.

The spacetime attacks wielded by eternal powerhouses were uniquely dangerous. For Dao Masters who controlled the most fundamental eternal Great Daos, like Wu Yuan's qi refiner self who was the Spacetime Dao Master, their power stemmed from the essence of the Great Daos themselves.

But the radiance of the self-created Daos of eternal powerhouses transcended the Great Daos, connecting directly to the Primordium. This type of spacetime attack couldn't be fully constrained or controlled even by a Spacetime Dao Master.

Moreover, the entity fighting now was merely Wu Yuan's ether body, not his mana body.

Wu Yuan immediately assessed that blocking all of his opponent's staff strikes would be virtually impossible.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

In a heartbeat, blade rays and staff silhouettes collided countless times. Then, one particularly powerful staff strike penetrated layers of blade rays and connected with the outer layer of armor protecting Wu Yuan's body.

Clang!

Wu Yuan was blasted backward, but after the impact was weakened by both the Robe of Creation and his Eternal Matter Body, this attack felt like little more than a tickle against his defenses, incapable of inflicting any real harm. It merely sent him flying backward through the void.

In a flash of movement, True Saint Yan Huo retreated hundreds of millions of li, widening the distance between himself and Wu Yuan. Nevertheless, his domain still encompassed Wu Yuan completely, preventing any possibility of escape.

This domain is truly aggravating.

Wu Yuan thought, now understanding True Saint Mu Jiang's previous frustration.

Controlling such a domain granted one the freedom to attack and retreat at will, maintaining constant pressure on one's opponent.

Of course, if Wu Yuan's mana body were to engage, while it might not necessarily breach the opponent's domain entirely, it could at least neutralize the vast majority of its power. The mana body excelled not only in spirit and soul attacks. After reaching the True Saint level and compensating for its mana deficiency, it could deploy an even stronger spacetime domain, though its physical attacks still couldn't rival the body refiner self.

"Your physical defense is truly formidable," True Saint Yan Huo remarked, gripping his staves as he studied Wu Yuan intently. "My attack connected directly, yet it couldn't even shake your divine body?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Have you already achieved complete mastery of an Eternal Matter Body?"

Wu Yuan offered only a faint smile in response, revealing nothing.

Complete mastery of an Eternal Matter Body? Such an achievement was extraordinarily rare among True Saints, even rarer than Full True Saint powerhouses. Those who cultivated their divine bodies to such heights were invariably Full True Saint powerhouses.

The Robe of Creation Wu Yuan wore, while unable to provide the powerful foundational strength of the Eternal Matter Body as a physical defense-type Chaos Treasure, offered unparalleled pure physical protection.

There were two well-known sayings throughout the cosmic sea:

A Full True Saint powerhouse wielding an offensive Chaos Treasure could launch attacks nearly rivaling a Dao Zenithel.

With a physical defense-type Chaos Treasure, one's durability could similarly approach that of a Dao Zenithel.

This understanding had given Wu Yuan the confidence to venture alone into the Ninth Chaos Void. As he had told Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu, even if ten or twenty True Saints joined forces against him, his defeat would remain improbable.

He had survived the Spacetime Tide earlier, a phenomenon that would have certainly claimed the lives of most Full True Saint powerhouses, all thanks to the protection of the Robe of Creation.

"Yan Huo," Wu Yuan said with a measured smile. "Your strength is impressive. But you cannot kill me, nor can I kill you. I believe we should conclude this battle here."

Wu Yuan genuinely lacked the ability to defeat his opponent decisively.

"One billion years ago, I truly would have been unable to deal with you," True Saint Yan Huo replied, his voice cold as the void itself. "However, during the long eons I've presided over the Ninth Chaos Void, I've created an even more powerful ultimate move."

His eyes gleamed. "This ultimate move is the strongest I've ever created in my life. With this move, I'm confident that I can claim a position in the top five of the True Saint Rankings."