Chapter 1273: Resurrected True Saint (1)

The blade rays that Wu Yuan released swept outward in all directions. Each stroke cleaved through layers of distorted spacetime.

One True Saint who had incredible luck thus far and was one of the furthest into the array, found himself directly in the path of Wu Yuan's attack. The blade rays tore through his defenses, inflicting grievous wounds.

"Ah!" The wounded True Saint cried out in anguish, his face contorted with pain as he turned back. As his gaze met Wu Yuan’s, his eyes were filled with abject terror.

Even the aftershocks of Wu Yuan's attack blasted two other True Saints backward, their vital auras visibly diminishing.

"How frightening.”

"How can this saber technique be this powerful?" These two True Saints felt a mixture of shock and outrage.

It was truly overwhelming. Those who dared contend with powerhouses like Wu Yuan, True Saint Luan Hai, and the others for such coveted treasure generally possessed substantial confidence. Most were Peak True Saints or at least boasted formidable self-preservation abilities.

Yet to be gravely wounded by a single casual strike? It defied belief! With such terrifying power, two or three direct hits would almost certainly prove fatal.

"True Saint Wu Yuan's strength!"

"The power of his attacks seems to have grown even more frightening than before."

Numerous True Saints witnessed Wu Yuan's display. True Saint Tian Peng, positioned closest to Wu Yuan, observed everything with the greatest clarity and felt his mind tremble in response.

The two had interacted frequently over billions of years, and it seemed that each time they encountered one another, Wu Yuan's strength would increase by yet another notch. His progress truly defied all conventional understanding.

Wu Yuan's saber techniques... Even Dong Yi may not be his equal.

A thought flashed through True Saint Tian Peng's mind.

He had personally sparred with True Saint Dong Yi before and understood his capabilities well.

Yet what True Saint Tian Peng failed to comprehend was that Wu Yuan's ether body's Eternal Psyche was extremely strong. When combined with his fully mastered Eternal Matter Body, his foundational strength reached the absolute pinnacle among True Saints. In this aspect, he completely outclassed True Saint Dong Yi, Cloud Saint, and the others.

Though the current level of his self-created Dao remained slightly lower, reaching only the pinnacle of True Saints, he now wielded a Chaos Treasure saber. The power of his attacks, while not quite at the Threshold Dao Zenithel level, was no longer far.

Boom!

Like a thunderbolt from the heavens, Wu Yuan smashed through layer upon layer of obstacles before him. In no time, he had closed the distance to the three True Saints who were leading the race.

"Scram." Wu Yuan's voice was as cold as frost, reverberating through the spacetime fluctuations.

"Quick, move!"

"Dodge!" Among the three True Saints, two panicked and hurriedly scrambled aside.

After witnessing that single strike earlier, they had been thoroughly frightened, dreading that Wu Yuan might simply end their existence on a whim.

Only one beast-like True Saint remained. With six wings and astonishing agility, his speed was terrifyingly swift.

Fortune favors the bold. I'll hold nothing back.

This beast True Saint gritted his teeth and raised his hand with sudden determination. A strange, pitch-black crystal materialized in his palm before shattering.

Rumble~

Endless torrents of blackness materialized from thin air, moving like liquid organisms with seemingly conscious purpose, surging toward Wu Yuan from all directions.

Killing intent ignited within Wu Yuan instantly. Blade rays erupted from his saber, splitting the black torrents before him in moments. But immediately after, these black tendrils rapidly reconverged.

These black torrents completely enveloped Wu Yuan. Their attack power was surprisingly low, posing no genuine threat to Wu Yuan's life, yet they contained astonishing tenacity and binding power.

For a moment, they actually prevented Wu Yuan from breaking free, drastically reducing his momentum.

A Dao Zenithel secret treasure?

Wu Yuan's brow furrowed slightly, a flicker of annoyance crossing his features.

True Saints who dared venture on such expeditions often possessed some manner of trump card. This was expected.

However, for someone of Wu Yuan's caliber, the so-called trump cards of most True Saints were essentially worthless trinkets. After all, Wu Yuan himself nearly approached the Dao Zenithel level; why would he fear some secret treasures?

But evidently, the trump card this beast True Saint possessed was extraordinary, actually managing to restrain Wu Yuan for the moment.

Such secret treasures have limits to their effective duration.

Wu Yuan calmly assessed.

Once the energy within is depleted, they invariably lose their effect.

Blade rays erupted from him, fiercely slashing at the tendrils entangling him.

...

While Wu Yuan struggled against his momentary restraints, his speed drastically reduced, nearly all True Saints had rushed into the array’s interior, swarming toward the central core like hungry predators.

Meanwhile, True Saint Luan Hai, True Saint Yan Huo, and the other top rankers had already unleashed their burst states. Besides them, several exceptionally powerful Full True Saints were also taking action, either blasting away weaker True Saints blocking their path or striving to break through the distorted spacetime that hindered their advance.

Great battles erupted continuously across the vast expanse.

However, this defensive array proved far more formidable than anticipated. It covered an area spanning over ten billion li, with a radius of five billion li. In theory, at the full speed of a Full True Saint powerhouse, crossing such a distance should require only a few breaths.

But the layers upon layers of distorted spacetime greatly impeded their progress, creating much resistance.

Nearly ten full breaths passed before any True Saint approached the array core, nearing the location of the coveted Chaos Jade Crystal.

Surprisingly, the first to draw near wasn’t True Saint Luan Hai, True Saint Yan Huo, or True Saint Tian Peng. Instead, it was a purple-robed youth of relatively ordinary strength. His body emanated faint flames, and his aura was modest.

It's mine! The Chaos Jade Crystal belongs to me!

This purple-robed youth was overwhelmed with feverish excitement, charging forward with reckless abandon.

He had already sensed the unmistakable aura of the Chaos Jade Crystal. In at most another breath, he would grasp the prize.

"Stop him!"

"It's True Saint Feng Jiao. He’s way too lucky; he barely encountered any spacetime distortions!"

"We absolutely cannot let him seize it!" The dozens of True Saints following closely behind grew frantic, rushing en masse toward True Saint Feng Jiao.

...

Boom!

Wu Yuan finally shattered the black torrents completely, breaking free from their restraints. During those few critical breaths when he was bound by the secret treasure, his advance had been painfully slow. Now he remained over two billion li from his goal. [1]

𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

He had covered barely half the distance.

The situation has changed.

He assessed coldly.

I won't be the first to arrive.

Wu Yuan's perception extended across the vast spacetime, instantly grasping the battlefield's dynamics.

True Saint Mu Yi hasn't wasted the treasure he deployed. He's secured his position in the fastest batch.

True Saint Mu Yi, the beast True Saint who had just used a Dao Zenithel secret treasure to restrain Wu Yuan, had already been silently added to Wu Yuan's must-kill list.

However, the one with the greatest hope of seizing the Chaos Jade Crystal first appears to be True Saint Feng Jiao.

Wu Yuan analyzed the situation as he sped forward, his piercing gaze falling upon the purple-robed youth leading the charge.

True Saint Feng Jiao? Ranked within the top thousand on the True Saint Rankings, he just barely qualified as a Peak True Saint.

He won't be able to keep it.

Wu Yuan concluded.

This wasn't merely a melee between dozens of True Saints, but a contest among over a thousand True Saints. Without absolutely overwhelming strength, being the first to snatch the Chaos Jade Crystal would only make oneself a target for all others.

One would face attacks from a multitude of True Saints simultaneously.

Except for True Saints of the same faction, those from other allegiances would all converge upon the winner with deadly intent.

Unless one possesses physical defense and soul defense approaching the Dao Zenithel level, retaining the prize would be virtually impossible.

Wu Yuan calculated.

There's no need to rush. I'll wait for the optimal opportunity before making my move.

Wu Yuan observed the unfolding chaos calmly. He took particular note of the positions of True Saint Luan Hai, True Saint Yan Huo, and the other top rankers.

Of course, Wu Yuan understood the desperation driving most True Saints. With their comparatively weaker strength, their only hope lay in seizing the prize first.

If they managed to grab it, there remained some slim chance of escaping with the treasure.

If it fell directly into the hands of super powerhouses like Wu Yuan or True Saint Luan Hai, Standard True Saints would have no hope whatsoever of snatching it from them.

Hmm? Who is that?

Wu Yuan suddenly noticed a peculiar figure, an emaciated elderly man who seemed utterly unremarkable at first glance. Yet his movements were bizarre and unpredictable, and he evaded True Saint after True Saint with apparent ease.

He rapidly closed the distance to True Saint Feng Jiao.

Who is that? He doesn't even appear in our intelligence archives.

Wu Yuan grew instantly wary. Though the elderly man’s aura was concealed, the nebulous guidance of destiny warned Wu Yuan that he was capable of posing a genuine threat to him.

A super powerhouse lurking around in secret?

Wu Yuan mused inwardly. He quickly transmitted a warning. “Tian Peng, be extremely wary of that True Saint who resembles an emaciated elderly man.”

True Saint Tian Peng, the swiftest among the many True Saints of the Eldritch Court, was also part of the fastest batch, positioned very close to True Saint Feng Jiao.

"Oh? Understood!" At Wu Yuan's urgent warning, True Saint Tian Peng finally noticed the mysterious figure, also sensing something extraordinary about him. He immediately heightened his vigilance.

In terms of raw strength, I rank quite average among Full True Saints. My only advantage is speed. This may be my closest chance to claim the Chaos Jade Crystal.

True Saint Tian Peng's heart burned with desire.

If I can seize it, there's every chance of escaping once Wu Yuan arrives to support me.

He believed with absolute certainty that Wu Yuan would provide assistance. But the prerequisite was that he had to grab the prize first.

"Tian Peng, do you really think you can seize this treasure? Keep dreaming!" A series of long staves, resembling pillars that supported the heavens, smashed viciously toward True Saint Tian Peng from multiple angles.

True Saint Tian Peng's face paled instantly. He spread his magnificent wings, which transformed into gleaming blades, fiercely slashing at the barrage of staves crashing toward him.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The two combatants clashed like colliding thunderclouds. True Saint Tian Peng's forward momentum plummeted, his towering body sent flying backward.

"Yan Huo!" True Saint Tian Peng gnashed his teeth and roared.

The one blocking his path was none other than the Immortal Court's True Saint Yan Huo, who had started later but managed to close the gap. More remarkably, he seemed willing to sacrifice his own chances at being first, solely to obstruct True Saint Tian Peng's advance.

"Anyone else may seize this treasure. But your Eldritch Court will never obtain it." True Saint Yan Huo, wielding nine gleaming Blazebringer Staves, sneered with contempt. "If Wu Yuan himself stood before me, he might be able to fight me to a stalemate. But you?" His voice dripped with disdain.

"Get lost."

True Saint Yan Huo moved once more. Countless flames erupted around his body, wreathing him in a corona of destruction. His nine staves expanded to millions of li in length, smashing toward True Saint Tian Peng with overwhelming force, driving him further back.

"Damn it!" True Saint Tian Peng raged, yet found himself utterly helpless. In direct combat, he was hopelessly outmatched by True Saint Yan Huo. Blocked by his vastly superior opponent, he simply couldn't break through.

...

The thunderous clash between True Saint Yan Huo and True Saint Tian Peng sent shockwaves in all directions, forcing numerous True Saints to retreat from the vicinity.

None dared approach the two combatants.

First, ordinary True Saints could hardly hope to intervene in such an exchange. Second, everyone remained focused on seizing the ultimate prize. Who would willingly entangle themselves in another battle?

At that moment, True Saint Feng Jiao charged into the innermost region of the vast array. He immediately laid eyes upon the crystal suspended in mid-air, emanating unusual ripples of power. It radiated a faint purple glow, dazzlingly beautiful and irresistibly alluring to all who beheld it.

"The Chaos Jade Crystal." True Saint Feng Jiao's voice trembled with excitement. He instinctively attempted to collect it into his grotto-heaven artifact, only to discover it wouldn't budge from its place.

Boom!

His arm expanded to hundreds of thousands of li in length. Holding the Chaos Jade Crystal in his grasp, he could feel the seal holding it in place. It was difficult to overcome through brute force alone.

"Open for me!" True Saint Feng Jiao roared, his heart pounding like a war drum. In that instant, he chose to burn his Saint Realm’s essence. His vital aura surged dramatically, and his power soared.

Once more, his hand closed around the crystal.

Crack~

The sound echoed as though space itself had shattered. The Chaos Jade Crystal was finally wrenched free.

It's mine.

Pure exultation filled True Saint Feng Jiao as he immediately stored the artifact within his grotto-heaven artifact. Swiftly, he imprinted it with his vital aura. Instantly, a flood of information surged into his mind.

1. reminds me of the squid ink thingy in mario kart. ☜