Chapter 1299: Frostheaven Peak (1)

Wu Yuan couldn’t help but smile at Meng Guan's words. The True Saint clearly possessed many secrets, yet remained unaware of Daoist Tian Xu's return or the private arrangement between Wu Yuan and Tian Xu regarding the Chaos Nucleus.

"Indeed, Senior Tian Xu has not only returned but has regained True Saint power," Wu Yuan confirmed with a nod. "I expect he'll soon ascend to Dao Zenithel once more, emerging with even greater strength than before." He extended the Chaos Nucleus toward Meng Guan. "Senior Brother, please accept this. May it help you take the fourth step of your self-created Dao."

"Very well. Since this is the case, I won't refuse," True Saint Meng Guan finally relented, accepting the ultimate treasure coveted by countless True Saints throughout the cosmic sea.

Whoosh!

After securing the Chaos Nucleus within his grotto-heaven artifact, Meng Guan drew a deep, satisfied breath. Joy illuminated his face.

"Just saying ‘thanks’ is not enough to repay this kindness," True Saint Meng Guan said. "I'll carry this debt eternally. Should you ever require assistance, you need only say the word."

"You honor me, Senior Brother," Wu Yuan replied with a smile. "As a reminder, it is best that this exchange remains between us. Should others discover that you possess a Chaos Nucleus, other factions might unite against you.

"You should depart the Tenth Chaos Void without delay."

"Mm. I'll return with all haste," Meng Guan nodded repeatedly, his excitement barely contained. "Once home, I intend to enter closed-door cultivation until I reach the Dao Zenithel stage."

Meng Guan had cultivated for countless eons, utilizing every conceivable method to advance. He had previously obtained a Chaos Jade Crystal, yet failed to break through despite its power. This Chaos Nucleus represented his final opportunity. Should this attempt fail, his path to Dao Zenithel might remain forever closed in this lifetime.

"Closed-door cultivation?" Wu Yuan acknowledged with a slight nod.

"Brother, will you remain here to wait for your body refiner self?" Meng Guan transmitted privately.

"Mm," Wu Yuan confirmed.

He felt no surprise that Meng Guan knew of his two true selves.

"How is the competition progressing?" Meng Guan's eyes sparked with curiosity.

"I'm ninety percent certain of success, though it seems I must still confront True Saint Luan Hai and the others," Wu Yuan replied with quiet confidence. "I hope they’ll be sensible. Cultivating to their level couldn’t have been easy. I’d like to avoid needless bloodshed."

Meng Guan stood momentarily stunned before raising his thumb in admiration. "You’re too cool, Junior Brother."

Of the six True Saints competing for the Xuanhuang Dao Treasure, four would specifically target Wu Yuan. Maintaining such confidence against these odds revealed Wu Yuan's extraordinary self-assurance.

"Then I shall await your good news. I’ll take my leave now," True Saint Meng Guan clasped his hands and departed silently.

Watching as Meng Guan left, Wu Yuan murmured to himself.

Daoist Tian Xu seems to hold Senior Brother Meng Guan in high regard.

The True Saints from the major factions are continuing to withdraw?

Wu Yuan continued to receive regular reports about the situation in the Tenth Chaos Void, though he no longer concerned himself deeply with these matters.

It was mainly thanks to luck that I obtained the Chaos Nuclei.

He reflected quietly.

Or perhaps it was simply my deep accumulation that led to breakthroughs in both ultimate techniques.

But the competition for the Xuanhuang Treasure will come down to raw strength. Frostheaven Peak? The abode of the Great Leader?

Wu Yuan frowned slightly.

When I challenged the void temple, those puppets mentioned that they were creations of their Great Leader. Who exactly is this mysterious figure?

Curiosity stirred within him.

My mana body will stay here to wait for my ether body.

Wu Yuan assumed the lotus position.

Among the two remaining Chaos Nuclei, one was promised to the Eldritch Court, though its delivery would have to wait until he departed the Tenth Chaos Void. As for the last? Wu Yuan remained undecided. It could be traded for treasures or utilized by his body refiner self.

Though its effects on my body refiner self are limited, it can still accelerate my cultivation somewhat.

He reasoned.

Unlike his qi refiner self, his body refiner self possessed tremendous room for growth. At least, while developing his self-created Dao, he had encountered no significant obstacles.

Moreover, this competition for the Xuanhuang Dao Treasure presents a valuable opportunity in itself.

Wu Yuan thought.

His mana body gently closed its eyes, directing all attention toward his ether body.

...

Several months earlier, when Wu Yuan's mana body began competing for the Chaos Nucleus, his ether body, alongside True Saints Luan Hai, Luo Quan, Chen Yu, Yin Yu, and Dong Yi, traversed an impossibly long spacetime corridor.

After months of travel, they arrived in a mysterious, sealed expanse of spacetime. It was endlessly dark, with spacetime stabilized to an extreme degree. This realm spanned a hundred billion li in radius.

"Where have we been brought to?" True Saint Dong Yi and Wu Yuan's ether body stood close together, eyeing the other four competitors warily.

Among the remaining True Saints, Luo Quan and Chen Yu positioned themselves near each other. Unsurprising, as they were Dao companions with inherent trust. Luan Hai and Yin Yu, meanwhile, appeared calm.

The Xuanhuang Dao Treasure had yet to manifest, so despite their intention to target Wu Yuan, True Saints Luo Quan, Luan Hai, and the others refrained from acting prematurely.

"This entire spacetime is perfectly sealed. How mysterious," Wu Yuan observed, gesturing toward the distance. "There appears to be a single mountain peak over there. Shall we investigate together?"

"Let's proceed."

"It’s worth examining." The others nodded in agreement.

They had arrived half a day earlier, yet detected no anomalies. The distant peak was their only visible lead.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The six transformed into streaks of light, flying toward the distant mountain. Yet spacetime suppression here proved terrifyingly powerful, reducing their speed to a mere ten thousand li per second.

"What frightening suppression."

"Where is this place?" All six True Saints registered shock, Wu Yuan included.

This reaction was justified. These cultivators had all taken the fourth step of their self-created Dao, with Wu Yuan and Luan Hai reaching the Threshold Dao Zenithel level. Throughout the cosmic sea, few places could suppress them to this degree. Even the most treacherous regions of the eight elite exploration sites could hardly restrain them to such a level.

It was like a mortal attempting to subdue another mortal without injuring or killing them, yet at the same time leaving them utterly helpless to retaliate.

"Dong Yi, exercise caution," Wu Yuan transmitted privately. "Alert me immediately if danger arises."

"Mm." Dong Yi nodded, appreciating Wu Yuan's concern. Among the six, Wu Yuan possessed the strongest self-preservation abilities.

After nearly a month of flight, Wu Yuan and the others finally arrived before the solitary mountain peak. This proximity only heightened its terrifying nature.

The entire peak radiated five-colored streams of light, gleaming like glazed jade. It was brilliant and resplendent. A faint yet vast and supreme majesty emanated outward, as if from a single entity.

Beneath this majestic and profound pressure lurked an underlying sharpness that all six could sense.

"What a piercing aura," True Saint Dong Yi transmitted uneasily. "Though faint, it makes my very soul tremble."

The others silently acknowledged the same sensation.

"Mm." Wu Yuan's expression grew solemn. He too felt this sharp pressure.

Vaguely, he had the feeling that it transcended everything, even the Primordium. It evoked an instinctive terror.

This mountain feels like a battle saber sheathed in its scabbard.

Wu Yuan pondered, finally finding an apt description.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The six finally reached the mountain's base, following some unseen force of guidance.

"There," True Saint Chen Yu suddenly pointed, "It appears to be a mountain path."

She stood out as the only female True Saint among them.

"A path?" Luan Hai said softly. "The opportunity to claim the Xuanhuang Dao Treasure is likely connected to this mountain. We wandered aimlessly yet arrived precisely at this path, probably through its guidance."

He continued, "I suggest we stop exploring at random and follow this mountain path instead."

Everyone nodded, acknowledging the logic in his words.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The six landed on the mountain path, immediately feeling the suppression intensify.

"We can no longer fly," True Saint Yin Yu remarked with astonishment.

"Indeed, flight is impossible now." All six were taken aback. Earlier, the unseen restrictive force had merely reduced their flight speed. That was alarming enough. But now they couldn't fly at all.

What sort of method could accomplish this?

"Jade tablet carvings?" Wu Yuan noticed countless jade tablets lining both sides of the path, each covered with intricate engraved patterns.

At first glance, the patterns seemed utterly ordinary. Upon closer inspection, they remained...quite ordinary!

"There's nothing remarkable about these engravings. They contain no profound Dao or techniques," Dong Yi frowned in confusion. "They simply appear to narrate a cultivator's life journey."

Wu Yuan listened silently.

The six began advancing along the mountain path, all studying the patterns carved into the jade tablets along their route.

The techniques of the carver were clearly extraordinary. Whoever made these engravings possessed some remarkable power; Wu Yuan doubted he could produce such work himself. Yet strangely, the patterns themselves contained no profundities, merely telling a story.

"This depicts a powerhouse who wields a saber," Dong Yi observed quietly. "Wu Yuan, look, according to these images, he followed an unusual cultivation path, distinct from the countless other cultivators shown. A pity there's no explanatory text."

Wu Yuan nodded slightly.

The jade tablet diagrams bore only patterns without explicit text. Even these patterns contained limited information, leaving the six True Saints to make their own conjectures.

They could determine he was a saber powerhouse who had participated in numerous great battles, apparently leading an immensely powerful faction.

Time flowed onward as Wu Yuan, Dong Yi, and the others continued their ascent, gradually scaling past the mountain's base. Finally, they beheld the culmination of these myriad jade tablets, numbering over ten thousand.

Before them stretched a vast plaza carved into the mountain's foot, spanning a full ten thousand li. At the plaza's forefront stood a colossal stone wall against the mountainside. Upon it, a blurred figure wielding an enormous war saber was depicted.

A single slash rent the air.

Endless chaos began to transform. In that hazy moment, a vast and wondrous universe seemed to take shape.

Saber intent pierced the heavens! Sovereign over heaven and earth!

This slash?

Wu Yuan gazed at the scene, breathless. Though the figure remained indistinct, he could faintly sense the terrifying nature of the strike captured on the jade tablet.

Its sharpness and brilliance made his heart tremble, evoking a profound sense of reverent worship.

Rend the sky and earth? Invert the heavens?

Wu Yuan murmured. He began to sense the extraordinary aspects about this jade tablet.

Sharp and perfect! From this single slash, Wu Yuan glimpsed both Destruction and Creation. He perceived Spacetime, the Five Elements, Karma... Every profundity he had ever comprehended or encountered, he caught glimpses of in this single strike.

This one slash seemed to encompass everything, containing all that existed—exhausting the Great Daos, embracing all things, flawless and complete.

How is this possible?

Wu Yuan's heart surged with irrepressible awe. It defied comprehension.

What kind of ultimate technique or saber method could encompass everything?

Is this a saber technique that transcends the Primordium? Or does it coexist alongside it?

Wu Yuan felt a spark of understanding kindling within.

In truth, all six True Saints experienced similar sensations, though the others' impressions paled in comparison to Wu Yuan's, their self-created Dao lacking the profound depths he had achieved.

As the six True Saints pondered their situation, the world transformed

Whoosh!

A brilliant cascade of multicolored light erupted from the summit of the towering, seemingly boundless peak. The radiance flooded the entire world, commanding the attention of the six True Saints.

Whoosh~

The infinite streams of light began to converge with purpose, swirling and coalescing until they formed two distinct spectral figures that hovered above the plaza.

One was a woman draped in white robes.

The other, an azure-robed youth.

"Seniors." Wu Yuan, True Saint Luan Hai, and the other four bowed respectfully, curiosity flickering within their hearts.

They recognized the azure-robed youth as the mysterious figure who had first manifested in the five-colored realm. He was evidently the controller of the Tenth Chaos Void.

But the white-robed woman remained a mystery. Who was she? Their relative stances suggested she held a higher status.

"High Saint Hai Ling, these six are the challengers who seek to undertake this trial," the azure-robed youth said with surprising reverence, bowing deeply like a servant addressing his master.

This unexpected display jolted the six True Saints into heightened alertness.

High Saint Hai Ling? What a mysterious being.

Hai Ling? The Eldritch Court's intelligence archives contain no record of such an existence. What manner of being is she? A true living being, or some form of spirit?

The questions multiplied in Wu Yuan’s thoughts as he studied her. I cannot perceive her true nature at all.

Too many mysteries shrouded the Tenth Chaos Void since its opening, or rather, the entire realm seemed woven from enigmas. Those countless ruined worlds, the wildly diverse stars, the abandoned structures that spoke of forgotten civilizations...

And what of the innumerable shattered Chaos Treasures, Xiantian Instruments, and other artifacts? Where did they come from?