Chapter 1279: The Third Step of My Self-Created Dao, Chosen One (1)

My Dao is the heaven's Dao.

Wu Yuan's declaration wasn't mere arrogance, but the fundamental truth of his path.

His Primordial self-created Dao interwove Great Destruction and Great Creation in perfect harmony. In terms of sheer potential, it outstripped virtually every self-created Dao pioneered by eternal powerhouses throughout history. Even at its initial stages, it approached the True Saint level.

Upon taking the second step, it truly stood at the True Saint level. At the pinnacle of this second step, Wu Yuan’s Dao reached the peak of the True Saint level, his Eternal Psyche forged to a resilience that surpassed most True Saints.

Yet such immense potential made his breakthrough extraordinarily challenging.

While his qi refiner self, who also pioneered top-tier self-created Dao, had smoothly taken the third step with Primordium's baptism, reaching its peak and progressing toward the fourth, his body refiner self's Dao remained stuck at this step despite countless fortuitous encounters.

Over billions of years, Wu Yuan traversed the expanse of the Ninth Chaos Void, crossing blades with numerous formidable True Saints, including True Saint Yan Huo. Each confrontation honed his skills and deepened his understanding.

When the Tenth Chaos Void opened, he engaged in several fierce battles, including life-or-death struggles against super powerhouses like True Saint Luan Hai. These experiences profoundly transformed him. Yet breakthroughs born from the precipice of death remained unpredictable.

Despite Wu Yuan's desperate yearning for advancement, invisible shackles seemed to constrain him, preventing further progress.

That was, until these past thousand years.

While his mana body analyzed the Chaos Jade Crystal, still stuck before the fourth step, his ether body wandered leisurely through the endless void. He traversed ruined continents and shattered stars, occasionally toying with powerful but dim-witted Void Spirits. The Tenth Chaos Void, a realm of extreme peril to ordinary True Saints, was little more than a pleasant stroll for Wu Yuan.

As long as he avoided deliberately venturing into truly treacherous regions, he faced no real danger.

In this profound tranquility, he unknowingly shattered the final barrier, comprehending the last thread of mystery regarding the third step of his self-created Dao.

Radiance of my self-created Dao.

He murmured.

Limitless Dao, third step...

Wu Yuan sensed his Eternal Psyche undergo a remarkable transformation, becoming more powerful and resilient with each passing moment.

Countless insights flooded his consciousness.

In the distant Long Shan Universe, within the essence of his Saint Realm, Wu Yuan's body refiner self sat in lotus position.

Having disguised his ether body as his true self, his body refiner self could not afford to reveal its existence. Even the faintest trace of aura could not be permitted to escape.

Thus, both his body refiner self and qi refiner self had concealed themselves within the essences of their Saint Realms.

The Saint Realm's essence has grown.

Wu Yuan's body refiner self observed, noting the rapid transformations occurring throughout the realm.

The Saint Realm represented another facet of a cultivator, its essence reflecting an eternal powerhouse's self-created Dao. The more magnificent the Dao, the mightier the Saint Realm itself.

A thunderous rumble echoed as Wu Yuan's body refiner self took the third step of its self-created Dao. The Saint Realm's essence underwent a profound metamorphosis. The Dao essence it contained grew increasingly magnificent, radiating greater pressure as its foundation grew more stable. The entire Saint Realm faintly exuded an aura of perfection.

The Saint Realm's essence now exists without flaw.

He pondered thoughtfully.

Before, my Saint Realm could only draw power from the universe's essence, relying on the River of Universes' spacetime.

But now, my Saint Realm possesses such might that it can directly harness the Primordial Rules, strong enough to face Primordium itself... It now has the foundation to evolve into an Eternal Realm.

Wu Yuan recognized the profound significance of this development.

Indeed! Having taken the third step of his self-created Dao, his cultivation now reached the Dao Zenithel level.

In essence, should Wu Yuan desire it, his body refiner self's Saint Realm could swiftly transform into an Eternal Realm, truly becoming indestructible from that moment forward, beyond the influence of the samsara cycles of heaven and earth.

Moreover, when the next samsara cycle dawned at the universe's rebirth, he could merge his Eternal Realm with the universe, becoming the universe's rightful master.

Once it evolves into an Eternal Realm...

He contemplated.

Using the Eternal Realm's essence as a foundation, the derived ether channeled through the Eternal Psyche can transform my body into a Dao Zenithel Body. My ether will become a thousandfold stronger, representing a fundamental upgrade in the order of life itself.

Dao Zenithel!

Wu Yuan felt a bittersweet wonder washing over him. Without fully realizing it, he stood merely one step removed from the apex of the cosmic sea—Dao Zenithel!

With one more breakthrough, he could truly stand as an equal beside those legendary figures of the cosmic sea: Eldritch Progenitor Di Jiang, Great Emperor Yan Tuo, and the Blood Emperor himself.

A mysterious smile rose on Wu Yuan's body refiner self's face.

Soon, no power in the entire cosmic sea will inspire fear within me.

In truth, even now, Wu Yuan's destruction was nearly impossible. Yet he could only claim invulnerability, not absolute fearlessness.

The ninth Chaos Jade Crystal and the Chaos Nucleus haven't manifested yet, so there's no need to rush my breakthrough.

Wu Yuan's mind remained tranquil.

Even mighty powerhouses like True Saint Luo Quan, Cloud Saint, and True Saint Luan Hai hadn't achieved their breakthroughs yet.

A breakthrough in my self-created Dao.

He mused.

𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

This presents the perfect opportunity for secluded cultivation. Let’s see if I can cultivate a Dao Zenithel ultimate technique in one go.

Wu Yuan felt genuine anticipation stirring within him.

With his self-created Dao's advancement, his saber techniques, domain, and sealing ultimate techniques would all experience dramatic improvements in effectiveness.

Furthermore, even without a transformation in his fundamental nature, his Eternal Psyche, soul, and mana would all be strengthened noticeably.

This was all part of progressing along one’s self-created Dao.

Time to cultivate.

Wu Yuan's body refiner self continued its quiet cultivation within the Saint Realm's essence.

His ether body in the Tenth Chaos Void casually settled on a ruined continent, sitting down to cultivate within a dilapidated city. He didn't even bother seriously establishing defensive arrays, merely laying down a simple concealment array.

Wu Yuan genuinely believed no powerhouse in the current Tenth Chaos Void posed any meaningful threat to him.

...

Wu Yuan's breakthrough was a silent one, a complete secret. He didn’t inform any True Saint of his achievement, not even close allies like True Saint Dong Yi and True Saint Qi Guang.

There was no point.

In Wu Yuan's mind, true strength was meant to be unveiled at pivotal moments, and the emergence of the Chaos Nucleus would represent the most critical juncture of all.

For eternal lifeforms, a few hundred years passed like the blink of an eye, hardly worth mentioning in their long existence.

Yet at this crucial stage of the Tenth Chaos Void's emergence, even a few hundred years carried immense significance. The ninth Chaos Jade Crystal was nowhere to be seen, and as time stretched on, rumors proliferated wildly.

"Could it be that this Tenth Chaos Void will only produce eight Chaos Jade Crystals?"

"It’s hard to say!"

"The belief that a Chaos Void's birth must produce nine Chaos Jade Crystals merely reflects patterns from previous emergences; it's not absolute law. Perhaps this Chaos Void follows different principles."

"Even if there are only eight Chaos Jade Crystals, what of the Chaos Nucleus? Surely that hasn't vanished as well." Countless powerhouses engaged in these debates, offering myriad perspectives.

The truly top-ranking powerhouses, however, waited patiently in the shadows. Cloud Saint and True Saint Luan Hai, ranked first and second on the True Saint Rankings, had both failed to secure a Chaos Jade Crystal.

Yet someone like True Saint He Wu with relatively modest strength had managed to claim one for himself.

How could they accept such results?

Many top True Saints harbored similar thoughts, all frantically searching through the void.

As for the multitude of Standard True Saints, especially those ranked within the top three hundred of the True Saint Rankings, they all nursed quiet hope.

In their estimation, if True Saint He Wu could succeed, surely they had a chance as well.

As for Wu Yuan himself, he harbored little hope for the ninth Chaos Jade Crystal.

After all, he had sensed the emergence of both the first and sixth Chaos Jade Crystals. Statistically, encountering yet another seemed improbable.

Then suddenly, one fateful day.

A resonant hum shattered the silence as vast spacetime fluctuations erupted without warning, surging with incredible velocity in all directions. This phenomenon instantly captured the attention of the True Saints throughout this vast expanse of spacetime.

"It's a Chaos Jade Crystal!"

"It must be a Chaos Jade Crystal. The emergence of ordinary treasures don't create spacetime fluctuations of such magnitude. Is the final Chaos Jade Crystal finally manifesting?"

Immediately, the True Saints across this vast region of spacetime erupted into frenzied activity. Every True Saint who sensed these fluctuations across the vast spacetime rushed headlong toward their source.

The overwhelming majority recognized this as their final opportunity.

The Chaos Nucleus? Most Full True Saints daring to compete for it would serve as mere cannon fodder.

Simultaneously, countless True Saints rushing toward the site exchanged frantic messages, seeking the latest intelligence from faction allies, attempting to determine which powerful True Saints might join the impending battle.

Judging from the contests for the previous eight Chaos Jade Crystals, once powerhouses ranked among the top twenty or even top ten of the True Saint Rankings entered the fray, the chances for ordinary contenders plummeted to virtually nothing.

The reason was simple: the top True Saints possessed overwhelming power. A single one could easily handle dozens of weaker cultivators. In a relatively fair competition, Standard True Saints had no realistic hope.

Soon after, two pieces of news spread, crushing the hopes of countless True Saints:

"Cloud Saint! Cloud Saint is occupying this region of spacetime. He's racing toward the source of the fluctuations. I witnessed him myself."

"True Saint Luo Quan has arrived as well. He's extremely close and approaching rapidly."

These new pieces of information cast a deep shadow over many True Saints' hearts.

Whether Cloud Saint or True Saint Luo Quan, their strength was simply too formidable. They were simply on another level compared to ordinary True Saints.

Competing against such beings? Their chances were nearly nonexistent.

Nevertheless, whether clinging to some final thread of hope or simply wishing to witness the spectacle, most True Saints refused to abandon their pursuit, still rushing forward with every ounce of their power.

...

As news of the ninth Chaos Jade Crystal's emergence spread like wildfire in all directions, whipping numerous True Saints into a frenzy...

Wu Yuan stood completely stunned.

His current situation proved extraordinarily peculiar.

This? I?

Wu Yuan stared in disbelief at his surroundings. Across the nearly ruined continent, endless light suddenly erupted. Streams of purple divine radiance materialized from nothingness, enveloping the shattered landmass spanning tens of billions of li, completely surrounding Wu Yuan, who had been meditating quietly on its surface.

Moreover, Wu Yuan easily perceived that he occupied the very core of this massive formation.

The Chaos Jade Crystal's defense array?

Am I... truly sitting inside it?

Wu Yuan remained dazed, as though trapped in some surreal dream.

A tremendous fluctuation erupted from thin air. Wu Yuan's gaze snapped toward it instinctively. Tens of millions of li distant, hovering above a faraway mountain peak, a spacetime rift tore open. A peculiar crystalline object emerged from within.

It was undeniably the Chaos Jade Crystal itself.

So close?

Wu Yuan could scarcely believe it. During his previous two encounters, he had exhausted himself traveling for centuries, enduring countless battles before finally claiming victory.

Yet this final Chaos Jade Crystal appeared practically at his doorstep?

The defense array is activating.

Wu Yuan sensed, not daring to act rashly.

This entire Tenth Chaos Void truly defies comprehension. Even at my current Dao cultivation level, countless secrets remain beyond my grasp.

The cosmic sea held innumerable mysteries.

As one of the eight elite exploration sites within the cosmic sea, the Tenth Chaos Void remained equally inscrutable. It operated according to rules beyond anyone’s understanding.

Nevertheless, with Wu Yuan's current perspective and power, he could discern certain facets of its mysteries.

The void's operations...

He mused.

This defense array must have been generated by the essence of the Chaos Void itself. After operating for a certain duration, its power will largely dissipate.

With sufficient strength, one could break it prematurely and seize the Chaos Jade Crystal.

However, Wu Yuan recognized his own current limitations.

If my Eternal Psyche had evolved to the Dao Zenithel level, I might attempt such a feat. But now? The risk remains too great.

He thought silently.

He refrained from taking such a dangerous gamble.

Though reports indicated that Cloud Saint and True Saint Luo Quan were rapidly approaching, with other powerful True Saints racing toward his position, Wu Yuan remained remarkably calm.

Even if they arrive, they can only wait at the array's edge. Crossing billions of li to my position will take them at least six breaths' worth of time.

Wu Yuan smiled faintly.

By the time they reach me, I will have long since claimed the Chaos Jade Crystal.

Once the treasure rested in his grasp, Wu Yuan doubted anyone could wrest it away.

Compared to the danger of being surrounded and attacked, recklessly triggering the array's restrictions now poses a far greater risk.

Wu Yuan reasoned, waiting patiently.

As soon as the defense array's power dissipated sufficiently, he would claim the treasure in an instant, then escape.

However, it seems Brother Dong Yi's promise will go unfulfilled.

Wu Yuan chuckled softly.

If I obtain this Chaos Jade Crystal, I won't need to insist that he help me acquire the Chaos Nucleus.