Chapter 1257: The Birth Of The Tenth Chaos Void (1)

"Brother Wu Yuan, are we simply letting them walk away?" True Saint Long Que asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.

Wu Yuan's lips curved into a patient smile. "Long Que, it won’t hurt to show mercy. They never attempted to take your life, after all. Why make eternal enemies when there's no need? The Eldritch Court and the Nine Peaks have no true grudge."

True Saint Long Que nodded slowly, the heat of battle finally cooling. Now, with clear thoughts returning, Wu Yuan's wisdom became apparent.

Among True Saints, battles to the death were rare, reserved for blood feuds or treasures of unimaginable value. Anything less simply wasn't worth the consequences.

Even if one succeeded in slaying another True Saint, resurrection remained possible; and with it came the certainty of an implacable enemy for all eternity.

This was why Wu Yuan refrained from delivering a killing blow.

Over two billion years, Wu Yuan's perspective had expanded greatly. His temperament had grown far more tranquil. He truly embodied a being who stood at the pinnacle of the cosmic sea, gazing down upon all with detached serenity. Even life-or-death struggles between True Saints barely registered as ripples in his vast awareness.

This wasn't to say Wu Yuan's hands remained unstained by blood.

Over billions of years, he had killed two other True Saint true selves besides True Saint Mu Jiang. As for the mana bodies and ether bodies of other eternal powerhouses? An uncountable number had died at his hands..

After all, to build up a reputation, one required blood as mortar.

But now, when encountering powerhouses from rival factions, Wu Yuan practiced restraint. If they chose retreat, he would extract some benefit from the encounter at most before letting them go.

"Long Que," Wu Yuan asked curiously, "what treasure provoked such a determined pursuit from Duo Xia and the others?"

True Saint Long Que's face brightened with pride as he flipped his palm. "The Crimson Zephyr Source."

Dancing red light flickered above his hand, vibrant and alive, seeming to pulse with its own heartbeat. The ethereal light darted and swirled as though yearning to break free and soar through the void.

"Oh?" Wu Yuan leaned closer.

"Impressive indeed!" He praised. "The essence profundities it contains run remarkably deep. By my estimation, it's worth approximately five million Xuanhuang merits."

The Crimson Zephyr Source was a treasure born in the depths of the cosmic sea. It had numerous miraculous properties, though its two most common applications were well known: Dao Zenithels coveted it for forging unique secret artifacts, while others used it as an auxiliary material in crafting Chaos Treasures with specific properties.

Its rarity could scarcely be overstated.

"I've waited an eternity for this," True Saint Long Que sighed, his eyes never leaving the dancing light. "I've spent most of this samsara cycle of heaven and earth guarding this region of spacetime, watching and waiting until it finally revealed itself."

"A worthy achievement," Wu Yuan acknowledged with a nod.

For eternal powerhouses seeking treasures, two paths lay open: overwhelming strength to enter realms rich with treasure, or the investment of time.

With sufficient patience, most would eventually uncover something of value.

Long Que's expression softened as he met Wu Yuan's gaze. "Brother Wu Yuan, I must express my gratitude for your timely intervention. I've transferred one hundred thousand Xuanhuang merits to your name. Please accept this small token of appreciation."

"There's no need—" Wu Yuan began to protest, raising a hand.

"Haha!" Long Que interrupted him with a laugh. "Brother Wu Yuan, you may decline, but I cannot withhold what is rightfully earned. Don't waste your breath refusing."

Wu Yuan could only smile wryly and accept with grace.

After their exchange, Wu Yuan and True Saint Long Que traversed the dim void for several hundred years before finally returning to the Darklight Sea.

...

In the depths of the Darklight Sea, halls stretched beyond sight.

At the very center stood the most magnificent structure, an azure hall that served as Wu Yuan's residence.

When he first arrived at the Darklight Sea, the other True Saints of the Eldritch Court had regarded him as Qi Guang's equal. But after billions of years, his status had risen subtly yet unmistakably higher.

Not long after returning to his residence, as Wu Yuan's ether body sat in deep meditation...

Whoosh!

An invisible ripple disturbed the silence. Wu Yuan's eyes snapped open instantly. With a mere thought, countless motes of light coalesced in the temple, forming the image of an imposing figure wreathed in dancing flames.

Though merely an illusory projection, the piercing gaze and distinctive spiritual resonance it emanated were unmistakable.

"Eldritch Progenitor Zhu Rong." Wu Yuan rose and bowed with genuine respect.

The newcomer was indeed one of the highest leaders of the Eldritch Court, Eldritch Progenitor Zhu Rong. Once known as a Legend of the River, he was now a super powerhouse whose name sent tremors of awe throughout the cosmic sea.

"Wu Yuan." Eldritch Progenitor Zhu Rong's aura radiated might and dominance, his gaze sharp as steel. "The Chaos Treasure saber I promised to forge for you is complete.

"I've placed it in the Eldritch Progenitor Hall's treasury. When time permits, make your way to the Third Chaos Void to claim it," he continued.

The Chaos Treasure saber? It's finished?

Wu Yuan's eyes brightened instantly, anticipation surging through him.

After all this time, the wait had finally ended.

Long ago, Eldritch Progenitors Hou Tu and Di Jiang had pledged to bestow Wu Yuan a Chaos Treasure once he stepped into eternity.

When Wu Yuan's ether body had spent over a hundred million years in the Ninth Chaos Void, Eldritch Progenitor Di Jiang had summoned him to discuss this matter.

However, Chaos Treasure sabers were scarce even in the Eldritch Court's vast treasury, and Wu Yuan had found none that resonated with him.

Left with no alternative, Eldritch Progenitor Di Jiang had ultimately entreated Eldritch Progenitor Zhu Rong to personally forge a Chaos Treasure saber tailored precisely to Wu Yuan's attributes.

The crafting process had consumed over one billion years.

This timeline was only possible because the Eldritch Court's treasury had opened its stores of rare treasures and Chaos Orichalcum for Eldritch Progenitor Zhu Rong's unrestricted use.

Moreover, Eldritch Progenitor Zhu Rong's equipment forging skills ranked among the top three in the entire cosmic sea.

Without such advantages, a Dao Zenithel might labor for ten billion years to complete a single Chaos Treasure.

"Thank you, Eldritch Progenitor," Wu Yuan said gratefully.

"No thanks are necessary." A faint smile softened Zhu Rong's stern features. "Chaos Treasures are not easily forged. I trust you will cherish this weapon, and that this saber will manifest its full potential in your hands, honoring the effort invested in its making." His eyes gleamed with expectation. "Continue working hard, Wu Yuan. I await the day you stand among the foremost Dao Zenithels."

Whoosh!

The projection of Eldritch Progenitor Zhu Rong dissolved into motes of light, leaving Wu Yuan alone in the silent hall.

Eldritch Progenitor Zhu Rong.

Wu Yuan reflected quietly, feeling the weight of expectation the Eldritch Progenitor had placed upon his shoulders.

In truth, throughout the billions of years since becoming a True Saint, Wu Yuan had interacted with several Dao Zenithel Eldritch Progenitors, all of whom had shown genuine interest and sincerity toward him just as Eldritch Progenitor Zhu Rong had done.

Had he not truly desired to assist Wu Yuan, even Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu could not have compelled him to action.

The forging of a Chaos Treasure? Even if he had taken a trillion years to present it to Wu Yuan, countless legitimate excuses would have been at his disposal.

Yet he spent merely a billion years.

Wu Yuan could envision Eldritch Progenitor Zhu Rong pouring his heart and soul into the forging process without respite.

Chaos Treasures represent the pinnacle of forgeable artifacts within the cosmic sea.

Wu Yuan mused.

Crafting one demands no less than battling top powerhouses without pause. The mental burden defies comprehension.

Wu Yuan himself had studied the art of equipment forging extensively, yet could only craft low-grade Xiantian artifacts at best.

Only after immersing himself in the discipline did he truly grasp the complexity of artifact creation.

Tian Peng patrols the boundaries and Qi Guang stands guard elsewhere, leaving me momentarily free.

Wu Yuan considered.

This is a perfect time to return to the Third Chaos Void and claim the saber.

Anticipation coursed through him.

Once the saber came into his possession, he would wield two Chaos Treasures. His overall strength would increase dramatically.

Could he challenge for a position among the top five of the True Saint Rankings? It was hard to say. The higher one ascended, the more arduous further advancement became. Wu Yuan had confronted True Saint Yan Huo again in recent years and still found himself at a slight disadvantage.

However...my body refiner self is nearing the third step of its self-created Dao.

Wu Yuan sensed with growing certainty.

He seemed to have encountered a bottleneck between the second and third steps, no longer experiencing those moments of sudden, brilliant epiphanies that marked significant progress.

Yet time wielded its own subtle magic. With two billion years of steady accumulation, combined with Wu Yuan's unparalleled talent, his gradual progress had imperceptibly brought him to the threshold of breaking through this bottleneck.

The breakthrough might occur in the very next instant, or perhaps require another hundred million years at most.

A breakthrough is inevitable.

Wu Yuan thought, confidence and eagerness mingling in his heart.

Once his body refiner self's self-created Dao advanced to the third step, would he advance directly to the Dao Zenithel stage?

...

After departing his hall, Wu Yuan swiftly navigated to the deepest region of the Darklight Sea.

Countless golden lights permeated the depths like innumerable golden dragons swimming through currents of power, emanating an awe-inspiring aura. These myriad dragons were, in fact, manifestations of the defense array's tremendous power.

The Thirty-Six True Dragon Pearls Realm is the core of the Eldritch Court in the Third Chaos Void.

Wu Yuan observed, his senses extending outward.

Whoosh!

With the highest level of authority, Wu Yuan effortlessly passed through layers of golden light, arriving at the defense array's core where an enormous spacetime vortex spanning ten million li awaited.

Through this vortex lies a direct path to the Third Chaos Void.

Wu Yuan smiled faintly.

The journey will require... a mere one thousand years.

This spacetime vortex was constructed with the combined efforts of over a hundred True Saints from the Eldritch Court. They had incorporated countless rare treasures in its creation, at tremendous cost to the faction.

Its purpose was to provide a stable spacetime passage connecting two Chaos Voids, allowing Eldritch Court powerhouses to traverse quickly between these distant realms.

Unless disrupted by a spacetime tide, nothing could destabilize this passage.

Under normal circumstances, traveling from the Ninth Chaos Void to the Third Chaos Void would take at least tens of thousands of years.

Wu Yuan reflected.

Not to mention the necessity of passing through numerous perilous regions. Yet through this spacetime passage, it will only take a thousand years.

This efficiency meant that, should any catastrophe threaten the Ninth Chaos Void, reinforcements from the Third Chaos Void could arrive swiftly.

Whoosh!

Wu Yuan plunged directly into the swirling vortex.

...

Having visited the Third Chaos Void previously, the journey held few surprises. He emerged after just over a thousand years of transit.

At the heart of the Third Chaos Void, the massive spacetime vortex suddenly trembled.

A figure clad in black robes flew from the disturbance, his arrival immediately drawing the attention of the numerous Saints guarding the spacetime passage.

"A True Saint approaches!"

"It's True Saint Wu Yuan." Recognition sparked in their eyes as the gathered Saints bowed. "We pay our respects, True Saint."

"We pay our respects, True Saint Wu Yuan." The chorus of greetings echoed.

Wu Yuan acknowledged them with a slight nod, then shot skyward in a blur of motion, swiftly entering the towering spire at the void's edge—a projection of the Eldritch Progenitor Hall.

"True Saint Wu Yuan's aura radiates such dominance."

"That's a real True Saint!"

"It is said that more than one True Saint has fallen by True Saint Wu Yuan's hand. Truly remarkable."

"A living legend! They say that True Saint Wu Yuan stands among the very pinnacle of True Saints across the entire cosmic sea." The meditating Saints whispered among themselves, their voices hushed with awe and reverence.

They were not privy to the precise rankings on the Eternal Register, thus limiting their perspective.

Most True Saints wouldn’t share their position on the rankings with their subordinates.

Yet even these scattered rumors spoke volumes about Wu Yuan's terrifying might.

...

The reason for Wu Yuan’s journey to the Third Chaos Void was that the coordinates of the Eldritch Progenitor Hall lay here, offering direct access to its treasury.

Wu Yuan stepped through the illusory temple entrance, his footsteps echoing softly against stone that seemed both virtual and solid. The walls, floors, and ornate decorations possessed a startling realism that made him pause in wonder.

The legends were right.

Wu Yuan thought.

The Eldritch Progenitor Hall is indeed a Xuanhuang Dao Treasure under Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu's control. No ordinary artifact could possess such wondrous abilities.

A Xuanhuang Dao Treasure is truly formidable beyond measure.

When will I be able to wield such a treasure myself?

His thoughts drifted to the Samsara Sword. Billions of years ago, his ether body and mana body had secretly headed to the coordinates provided by Senior Tian Xu.

Though he'd discovered the sword's location and briefly attempted to claim it, Wu Yuan had ultimately abandoned the effort. The drain on his energy proved too severe, making it impractical despite his ability to forcibly activate it. More concerning still, neither his qi refiner self nor his mana body could perfectly conceal the Samsara Sword's aura.

After careful consideration, Wu Yuan had chosen to leave the Samsara Sword in its mysterious hiding place deep within the cosmic sea. He would return for it once his qi refiner self became a Dao Zenithel.

As for his body refiner self?

Senior Tian Xu once said that as the Creation Dao Master, I am destined to acquire a Xuanhuang Dao Treasure.

Wu Yuan reflected with a wistful smile.

Yet billions of years have passed without fulfillment of that promise.

Still, he remained patient. He was still a True Saint, not yet the true Creation Dao Master. The opportunity to claim a Xuanhuang Dao Treasure would come in due time.