Chapter 1256: Billions Of Years

The Ninth Chaos Void, youngest of all the Chaos Voids, had the most turbulent spacetime and stretched across the largest expanse. This distance provided a natural buffer between the strongholds of the various factions scattered throughout the endless cosmic sea, allowing them to maintain peaceful coexistence for the most part.

While the Immortal Court established its core in the Twin Purple Mountain region, the Eldritch Court claimed the Darklight Sea as its stronghold within the Ninth Chaos Void.

Here, in the dark void, spread an ebony ocean that extended for several light-years. Powerful waves constantly surged and rolled across its surface, occasionally erupting into terrifying swells that could swallow worlds. Floating majestically above this endless black expanse were ornate halls radiating powerful mystical auras, each the dwelling of an Eldritch Court powerhouse.

Two figures streaked across the darkened sky. One was a man wrapped in black robes whose perceptive abilities allowed him to sense the formidable auras emanating from the obsidian waters easily.

So many arrays.

Wu Yuan murmured.

He could detect countless defense arrays both above the Darklight Sea and hidden within its murky depths. Even from this distance, many of these arrays made him wary. They were clearly powerful enough to threaten him.

"True Saint Wu Yuan, we've arrived at the Darklight Sea," the purple-robed man beside him announced with respectful deference.

"Thank you," Wu Yuan replied with an appreciative smile.

This purple-robed figure, named Sha Lai, possessed a vital aura at the Saint level and served as one of the Eldritch Court's Saints stationed in the Ninth Chaos Void. Months earlier, when Wu Yuan had first approached the Darklight Sea, it was Saint Sha Lai who had come to welcome him, guiding Wu Yuan into the deepest reaches of the Darklight Sea.

"True Saint Qi Guang and the others are approaching," Saint Sha Lai suddenly announced, pointing toward the distance.

Wu Yuan turned his gaze, though his heightened senses had detected their presence long before.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Above the dark ocean, majestic figures soared toward them, each radiating powerful auras.

"Wu Yuan!"

"Brother Wu Yuan!"

"Haha, Brother Wu Yuan, we've waited thousands of years for your arrival!" a chorus of hearty voices called out in greeting.

This spectacle left Saint Sha Lai secretly shocked. A full eight True Saint true selves had come! As far as he knew, fewer than ten True Saint true selves were stationed year-round at the Darklight Sea stronghold. It seemed every True Saint present had left their halls to welcome Wu Yuan, a clear indication of Wu Yuan's status among these Eldritch Court True Saints.

Leading the eight True Saints was True Saint Qi Guang. Beside him walked a True Saint resembling a great roc, whose extraordinary bearing marked him as a figure of extremely high status as well.

"True Saint Qi Guang, True Saint Tian Peng..." Wu Yuan smiled warmly, acknowledging each by name. "You honor me too much by coming here personally."

The Eldritch Court boasted numerous True Saints, over three thousand in total. But for someone like Wu Yuan, memorizing detailed information on thousands of True Saints required minimal effort. With True Saint Qi Guang sending advance notice, he naturally recognized everyone present.

"Haha!" True Saint Qi Guang laughed. "In terms of strength, you outrank us on the True Saint Rankings. Even setting aside your power, if any other True Saint true self visited for the first time, we would still come to welcome them.

"Our Eldritch Court now has many True Saints in the Ninth Chaos Void, but the number of true selves here, including you, Brother Wu Yuan, totals only twenty-seven," True Saint Qi Guang continued. "The others aren't at Darklight Sea, so they couldn't come personally, but their incarnations are all waiting for you in the main hall."

"No need for special arrangements on my account," Wu Yuan replied with an understanding smile.

Wu Yuan comprehended the situation perfectly. The Eldritch Court's ability to occupy this vast spacetime region and claim most of the treasures that emerged from it depended entirely on the True Saint true selves stationed throughout various locations. Most remained busy establishing arrays or monitoring specific areas, making it impossible for them to move freely.

"Let's proceed to the main hall," True Saint Tian Peng, the roc-like being, suggested with a deep, resonant laugh. "Brother Wu Yuan, we've prepared a welcome feast in your honor."

The gathering of True Saints then flew toward the main hall.

...

Inside, besides Wu Yuan, True Saint Qi Guang, and the other eight True Saint true selves, numerous True Saint incarnations had also assembled, filling the space with their powerful presences.

"Today is truly a momentous occasion," True Saint Qi Guang declared from the host seat as he presided over the banquet. "Previously, we were constantly locked in conflict with the Immortal Court, but only Tian Peng and I were Full True Saint powerhouses, placing us at a slight disadvantage."

All the True Saints listened attentively.

Wu Yuan couldn't help but glance appreciatively at True Saint Tian Peng. True Saint Qi Guang ranked 17th on the True Saint Rankings, while True Saint Tian Peng occupied the 63rd position. Although this seemed like a significant gap, he would only be at a slight disadvantage in actual combat, since both had reached the Full True Saint level.

In truth, True Saint Tian Peng's strength placed him solidly among the top ten of the thousands of Eldritch Court True Saints. He was an extraordinarily powerful being by any measure. Regarding pure attack power, even Wu Yuan's body-refiner self wouldn't dare claim superiority.

"But from this day forward, our circumstances will improve dramatically," True Saint Qi Guang announced with undisguised enthusiasm. "Brother Wu Yuan has arrived! In just a single battle, he secured the 15th position on the True Saint Rankings.

"Besides that mysterious True Saint Tian Chan, only Brother Wu Yuan has shone so brilliantly, rising through the rankings with such remarkable speed," True Saint Qi Guang proclaimed. "I firmly believe that under Brother Wu Yuan's leadership, our Eldritch Court will ultimately claim the entire Ninth Chaos Void!"

"Come!" True Saint Qi Guang raised an oversized wine cup. "Let us all raise our wine cups to congratulate Brother Wu Yuan!"

"Congratulations, Brother Wu Yuan!" the assembled True Saints responded in unison.

Wu Yuan lifted his cup repeatedly in acknowledgment. He could sense the extraordinary unity among the Eldritch Court True Saints. Even True Saint Tian Peng, though not of human origin, fought devotedly for the entire Eldritch Court, displaying a remarkably generous spirit.

The Immortal Court claims to represent a coexistence of myriad races.

Wu Yuan pondered silently.

Yet our Eldritch Court, under the leadership of Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu, hardly seems different.

While Wu Yuan supported Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu's ideals, in his heart, he still firmly believed in the supremacy of the human race.

...

After the banquet concluded, Wu Yuan had truly established his position among the Eldritch Court powerhouses in the Ninth Chaos Void. Moreover, based on his ranking and status, he stood as an equal to True Saint Qi Guang who held the highest status, an arrangement that drew no objections. Even True Saint Tian Peng considered this natural, given Wu Yuan's demonstrated power.

"Wu Yuan," True Saint Qi Guang said solemnly, "As Eldritch Court powerhouses, we enjoy the Eldritch Court's provisions, so we must naturally contribute to the Eldritch Court. The stronger one is, the greater the responsibility."

"Brother Qi Guang, please speak freely," Wu Yuan nodded.

True Saint Qi Guang and True Saint Tian Peng exchanged meaningful glances before True Saint Tian Peng smiled and explained, "Previously, one of us was responsible for guarding the stronghold while the other patrolled the outer territories. If we received distress calls from other True Saints, we had to rush to their aid.

"It was rather exhausting," he admitted. "But we had no choice. When the sky falls, the tall must prop it up. Now that Brother Wu Yuan is stationed long-term in the Ninth Chaos Void, we hope that you can share some of this burden."

True Saint Tian Peng spoke with exceptional politeness, carefully avoiding a commanding tone. After all, although Wu Yuan had come to the Ninth Chaos Void, Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu had never ordered him to assume any specific duties, considering his special circumstances. Simply put, Wu Yuan's actions remained entirely at his own discretion.

"Even if you hadn't mentioned it, I would have brought it up myself," Wu Yuan replied with a warm smile. "In this Ninth Chaos Void, the few of us stand at the summit. I cannot shirk responsibilities that rightfully fall to me.

"From now on, let us take turns standing guard."

Wu Yuan raised no objections to this arrangement. Even if the setting differed, it was still cultivation. Whether guarding or patrolling, all were a form of cultivation.

"That's settled, then," True Saint Qi Guang said with evident satisfaction. "Tian Peng and I used to alternate every hundred million years. Now with Brother Wu Yuan joining us, our duties will be considerably lighter."

...

Time flowed like a silent river.

Within the depths of the Darklight Sea, Wu Yuan's ether body had settled into a comfortable rhythm. Each three hundred million year cycle followed the same pattern: one hundred million years devoted to guardianship, another hundred million spent patrolling, and the final hundred million left to himself, free to wander as he pleased.

This arrangement brought Wu Yuan satisfaction.

For an eternal powerhouse, the years stretched incomprehensibly long, each advancement on the path requiring monumental effort. After reaching the True Saint level, his pace of cultivation had slowed to a crawl. While the previous hundred million years had seen Wu Yuan progress rapidly thanks to the Primordium's baptism, the coming eons promised only incremental growth, even for a Dao Master.

Nevertheless.

Wu Yuan reflected, his spirit untroubled.

I continue to advance, however slight the progress might be. Many True Saints remain trapped at their bottlenecks for countless samsara cycles of heaven and earth. That I can still improve, however gradually, is proof of how fortunate I truly am

.

As long as forward momentum persists, regardless of how minute, a breakthrough awaits me on the distant horizon.

A hundred million years passed. Then two hundred million.

Four hundred million years flowed by, followed by eight hundred million more.

...

In what seemed a mere blink, nearly two billion years had elapsed since Wu Yuan's ether body first arrived in the cosmic sea. His former mortal or even sempiternal self might have lamented time's relentless march. But as an eternal being, billions of years appeared insignificant, merely droplets in the vast river of space and time.

...

Grandmaster Bei You has finally advanced to the Overlord level.

Wu Yuan's ether body mused, his thoughts momentarily drifting from cultivation and exploration.

While his body refiner self remained in meditation within the Long Shan Universe, his attention regularly turned toward his loved ones in the Ling Jiang Universe. Wu Yuan's qi refiner self had given Master Dong Yang, Master Kua Chi, and Grandmaster Bei You Great Dao imprints perfectly tailored to them.

Combined with the resources Wu Yuan had redeemed from the Eldritch Court's treasury and his boundless support, their advancement had been nothing short of meteoric.

Billions of years had gone by, and Master Dong Yang and Master Kua Chi had already become Overlords. Grandmaster Bei You, though slower in his journey, had at last reached the ninth-level Dao Field stage of the Great Dao of Spacetime, also becoming an Overlord.

My mother and sister, though...

Wu Yuan sighed, a wisp of resignation clouding his otherwise serene thoughts. Despite Great Dao imprints and countless precious opportunities, both remained stuck at the peak of the Sovereign level.

Neither Great Dao imprints nor external treasures could fundamentally reshape one's inner spirit. Even his sister, Wu Yijun, after billions of years of subtle tempering by Wu Yuan himself, possessed a spirit that rivaled most Sovereigns but still fell short of an Overlord's.

There's no need to rush.

Wu Yuan reminded himself to be patient.

Just a mere few billion years, there is abundant time.

If he could nurture his mother and sister to the Overlord level within a trillion years, he would consider it a triumph worthy of celebration.

For a powerful True Saint willing to pay any price, cultivating even a late-stage Overlord remained within the realm of possibility.

If only my qi refiner self could discover a truly monstrous prodigy with the potential to step into eternity.

Wu Yuan knew that this was the most crucial step to his plans.

Even if Wu Yuan poured every resource at his disposal into their cultivation, expecting Master Dong Yang and the others to step into eternity through their own power remained unrealistic. The difficulty was simply too vast, the gulf too wide to cross.

The most practical path forward was for Wu Yuan to personally nurture a true monstrous prodigy. Yet even after billions of years of searching, though he'd discovered several promising prodigies with Overlord potential, none possessed the sort of talent needed to create an eternal ultimate technique.

Reaching Overlord Bei Zhen's level would prove challenging enough, let alone approaching the heights of a super Overlord like Overlord Yue Shan.

Even at the fourth-stage Overlord level, the probability of stepping into eternity remains vanishingly small.

Wu Yuan considered.

One would need to reach Overlord Yue Shan's level at least to stand even a fifty percent chance of success.

For absolute certainty? That would require pioneering a Dao at the sempiternal stage. Wu Yuan dared not even dream of encountering such a monstrous prodigy. The chances of one being born were infinitesimal.

All I can do is give my all, and harbor no regrets!

...

In the depths of a shadowy void, amid towering mountain ranges that stretched across outer space, three powerful True Saints clashed in brutal combat.

The battle raged with merciless intensity.

"Long Que, surrender the treasure. With the two of us united against you, you can't possibly hope to retain it. Don't throw your life away pointlessly."

"Relinquish the artifact, or we'll have you to kill you.” The two attacking True Saints growled.

"This region falls under my Eldritch Court's domain," True Saint Long Que spat back, gritting his teeth as he maintained his defensive stance. "Duo Xia, you dare attempt to plunder here?" Bitter rage coursed through his veins.

After patiently waiting for a hundred billion years, he had finally witnessed the emergence of a great treasure. Yet his prize had drawn the unwelcome attention of two Peak True Saints from Nine Peaks. Worse, they were both true selves. The entire situation reeked of a carefully orchestrated ambush.

"What’s this nonsense about your Eldritch Court’s territory?"

"When has the Ninth Chaos Void ever recognized defined borders?" The two Nine Peaks True Saints sneered in unison, utterly dismissive of Long Que's threats.

In the lawless expanse of the Chaos Void, might alone made right. Backgrounds and affiliations held no substance.

Boom!

Suddenly, an overwhelmingly powerful aura erupted from the edge of the void. A towering figure shrouded in black robes materialized, descending the mountain range one step at a time.

Each footfall resonated through the very souls of the three True Saints, leaving them trembling to their cores.

"It's Wu Yuan!"

"True Saint Wu Yuan, ranked thirteenth on the True Saint Rankings."

"He's here?" Naked fear etched itself across the faces of the two Nine Peaks True Saints as recognition dawned.

"True Saint Wu Yuan." Long Que, in stark contrast, could barely contain his elation. He never thought Wu Yuan would arrive with such perfect timing.

Over the past two billion years, Wu Yuan's reputation had grown to truly staggering heights. He had journeyed across more than half the Ninth Chaos Void, pitting himself against powerhouses from every major faction of the Nine Megaverses Spacetime. He had crossed blades with over ten of the top hundred True Saints.

Battle after battle, clash after clash.

Each confrontation had only burnished Wu Yuan's legend, propelling him ever higher in the rankings until he claimed the thirteenth position.

It was common knowledge that climbing the True Saint Rankings grew exponentially more difficult the higher one went. After all, these were super powerhouses who had emerged from among tens of thousands of True Saints over hundreds of samsara cycles.

Nearly every faction now acknowledged that True Saint Wu Yuan stood mere steps away from the Dao Zenithel stage.

He hovered just a hair's breadth from becoming a true Creation Dao Master.

A person’s reputation was like a tree’s shadow. His mere presence sent terror coursing through the veins of the two Nine Peaks True Saints. They trembled visibly, fearing Wu Yuan might unleash a bloodbath from which there would be no escape.

"Duo Xia, Tai Qing..." Wu Yuan's voice carried a subtle hint of amusement as his penetrating gaze settled upon the two Nine Peaks True Saints. Though his tone remained mild, his eyes glinted with glacial coldness. "Will you dispute my claim that this region of spacetime falls under Eldritch Court jurisdiction?"

"We wouldn't dare!" True Saint Duo Xia shook his head frantically.

"Very well." Wu Yuan's expression remained impassive. "Each of you will surrender three high-grade Xiantian artifacts, then depart immediately. Do so, and I shall spare your lives." His gaze hardened imperceptibly. "Refuse, and I won’t show mercy."

Three high-grade Xiantian artifacts?

The two Nine Peaks True Saints felt their hearts clench painfully. Even for their true selves, accumulating such treasures required countless years of effort and risk-taking.

Yet they dared not voice a whisper of protest.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

After reluctantly relinquishing six high-grade Xiantian artifacts between them, the two True Saints fled.