Chapter 1322: The Zenithels Gather, The Great Battle Begins (2)

In the dim expanse of the void, reminiscent of the endless Abyss, Wu Yuan's qi refiner self sat cross-legged in meditation.

I'll continue to conceal my mana body's true capabilities in this coming conflict.

He mused.

Revealing that my ether body can cultivate an Eternal Psyche should be enough.

He shook his head gently.

If it’s revealed that my mana body has also cultivated an Eternal Psyche? Even with Senior Tian Xu and Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu's best efforts to shield this knowledge, keeping such power hidden would prove nearly impossible.

Though nothing in the cosmic sea posed a genuine threat to him now, Wu Yuan preferred to guard the secret of having two true selves. There was simply no advantage in unnecessary exposure.

Counting my qi refiner self, that makes six Dao Zenithel-level combat bodies on our side.

He calculated.

I wonder how many Dao Zenithels are lying in wait to ambush me?

Ten? Perhaps twenty?

His thoughts raced.

How many Full Dao Zenithel powerhouses will participate in this trap?

He felt a spark of anticipation.

Will the Heavenly Imperator himself make an appearance?

The Heavenly Imperator! This supreme being of the cosmic sea inspired both intense vigilance and profound curiosity in Wu Yuan's heart.

I wonder how large a gap remains between me and the Heavenly Imperator now?

His qi refiner self closed his eyes gently.

Even now, he continued perfecting his Dream Megaverse, deducing ever more powerful Dao Zenithel ultimate techniques.

Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu and my body refiner self will require over 500 years to travel from the Di Jiang Eternal Realm to the Tenth Chaos Void.

He calculated.

My ether body's journey to the exit will take nearly 600 years.

He smiled faintly.

But my qi refiner self will merely take two days. There’s no rush. I'll wait for my body refiner self to reach the destination before my qi refiner self travels there.

By then, my mana body's Eternal Psyche transformation will be complete. Should we face unexpected challenges, my mana body can join the battle.

Several hundred years was enough time for his qi refiner self's Dream Megaverse to evolve to completion. When that moment arrived, Wu Yuan's qi refiner self would experience another substantial leap in power.

Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu hesitates to gather too many Dao Zenithels, likely fearing information leaks.

Wu Yuan pondered.

Logically, Dao Zenithels represented the core of major factions, with minimal risk of betrayal. Yet nothing prevented Dao Zenithels of different factions from maintaining cordial relations and exchanging intelligence. In fact, this was common practice.

Take Daoist Tian Xu. He was the founder of the Blood Dream Alliance in name, yet he had guided Goddess Nüwa and collaborated with Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu to nurture Wu Yuan.

And to think he maintains an exceptional relationship with the Heavenly Imperator.

Wu Yuan sighed softly.

Does Senior Tian Xu truly have no concern for factional boundaries?

As Wu Yuan's power grew and his understanding deepened, Daoist Tian Xu seemed increasingly enigmatic. It was as though he was veiled in mist, fundamentally inscrutable.

No matter.

He decided.

In this coming battle, after drawing out the hidden Dao Zenithels, my qi refiner self will appear and secure my ether body first.

This would ensure the Xuanhuang Dao Treasure remains absolutely secure.

In truth, if not for the necessity of staging this confrontation, Wu Yuan's abilities as a Spacetime Dao Master would have given him overwhelming odds of retrieving his ether body first, far exceeding other Dao Zenithels.

...

In the Tenth Chaos Void, Wu Yuan's ether body streaked through one void after another, hurtling toward an exit that led to a certain location in the cosmic sea.

...

Not far from the Chaos Voids, several formidable consciousnesses had already extended their reach to this location.

"Dong Huo."

"Bai Lian."

"Eastmoon." Dao Zenithel Wan Yu sat in the void, his white hair flowing like a waterfall, resembling a benevolent elder. "Wu Yuan has begun his journey. My divination results indicate he'll emerge from the second entrance in approximately 580 years. Prepare accordingly."

"Finally."

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

“It’s about time.” Dao Zenithel Bai Lian and Imperial Majesty Dong Huo breathed a sigh of relief.

Though a few thousand years wasn't objectively long, this endless waiting had tested their patience severely.

"At last, my Xuanhuang Dao Treasure," murmured Ancestral Saint Eastmoon, desire flickering in his eyes.

"Wu Yuan is only making his move after such a prolonged wait," Dao Zenithel Wan Yu said gravely. "My predictions indicate that a terrifying storm approaches. The Eldritch Court has likely dispatched Dao Zenithels as escorts. I must warn you—if Hou Tu personally accompanies him, exercise extreme caution. Should any of you fall, I bear no responsibility."

"Hou Tu?"

"She's coming?"

"Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu." Immediately, these mighty Dao Zenithel powerhouses, each a ruler of their own domain, displayed unmistakable seriousness.

Some even showed fear. Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu's legendary reputation was forged through battle. Throughout history, numerous Dao Zenithels had fallen by her hand.

"Remain calm," Imperial Majesty Dong Huo said coldly. "If Hou Tu comes, Di Jiang won't. At most, Dao Zenithel Fu You will accompany her. The four of us are enough to check their advance.

"Our Dao Zenithel subordinates will then join forces to attack. Are you truly concerned about the Eldritch Court's other Dao Zenithels?"

Everyone present nodded in agreement. Whether Wan Yu Tower, Eastmoon Megaverse, or the Azure Lotus Megaverse, each only had one leader surpassing the Peak Dao Zenithel level.

"I'll use the Eternal Register to conceal your auras," Dao Zenithel Wan Yu said. "As long as you suppress your mana, even Hou Tu will struggle to detect your presence. Whatever comes, we shall commit our full strength."

"Our full strength."

"Annihilate Wu Yuan." With four allied factions, each pursuing distinct objectives, their motivations naturally differed.

Ancestral Saint Eastmoon coveted the Xuanhuang Dao Treasure.

The Immortal Court sought to eliminate Eldritch Court powerhouses.

As for Wan Yu Tower and the Azure Lotus Megaverse, they aimed primarily to muddy the waters, unwilling to fight to the death.

...

The cosmic sea stretched boundless and vast.

For Dao Zenithel powerhouses, travelling for several hundred years was as effortless as drawing breath for mortals.

Over 500 years later, Wu Yuan's body refiner self, alongside Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu and Dao Zenithel Fu You, arrived in that dim void outside the Tenth Chaos Void.

Though his qi refiner self possessed the ability to traverse spacetime far quicker by merging into the essence of the Great Dao of Spacetime, Wu Yuan hesitated to reveal such a trump card to others, even his allies.

In critical moments, such secrets could mean the difference between survival and death.

In the gloomy void, streams of Xuanhuang qi meandered like rivers of energy. A massive, endless spacetime vortex hung suspended, with twisted spacetime and countless rifts extending outward. Meanwhile, streams of Xuanhuang qi vanished into its maw, creating the impression of an unfathomable abyss.

This was one entrance to the Tenth Chaos Void.

"We cannot advance further.”

"The Primordial Rules are active, preventing us from entering."

"The deeper we venture, the more severely we'll be suppressed."

Beneath the seemingly tranquil void stood several towering figures—Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu, Wu Yuan's body refiner self, Dao Zenithel Fu You, and others.

At Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu's feet rested a massive Dao platform radiating ethereal light, with six shining wheels rotating slowly.

This was her Xuanhuang Dao Treasure that struck fear into all factions across the cosmic sea—the Samsara Platform.

Wu Yuan and the others now stood upon this platform.

Logically, to receive Wu Yuan's ether body, the five should have spread out. However, once separated from the Samsara Platform, even someone as powerful as Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu would struggle to conceal the others' whereabouts and auras.

"Where is Dao Zenithel Ming Jian?" Eldritch Progenitor Gong Gong inquired.

"Dao Zenithel Ming Jian has already arrived and occupies another section of the void," Wu Yuan replied. "As the Spacetime Dao Master, he can conceal his aura well enough to remain nearly undetectable."

"Why can't I sense any Dao Zenithels from other factions?" Eldritch Progenitor Zhu Rong asked, perplexed. "Have they detected our arrival and retreated in fear?"

Across the endless cosmic sea, Dao Zenithels possessed extraordinary perceptive abilities, often sensing each other from vast distances.

"They haven't retreated. They're likely shielded by the Eternal Register's aura," Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu said quietly. "However, I can faintly detect the Eternal Register's presence. Its true form lurks nearby.

"They are also waiting near this entrance."

At these words, everyone's hearts constricted, realizing this confrontation was now inevitable.

Wu Yuan felt startled. Both his qi refiner and body refiner selves had been straining to sense the presence of their opponents, yet detected nothing.

The Eternal Register's aura? Even my qi refiner self couldn't perceive it. Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu still surpasses me.

Wu Yuan acknowledged silently.

Yet he felt no discouragement. His qi refiner self had only recently attained Dao Master status. With time and further cultivation, its perceptive abilities would not necessarily remain inferior to Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu's.

"Saint Yuan, how much longer until your ether body emerges?" Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu asked.

"One day," Wu Yuan replied.

...

"Approximately one day?"

Beneath the quiet void, a blurred divine book was flipped open, enveloping a section of space. Beneath this book stood nearly thirty figures. They were densely packed, each radiating terrifying power.

All were Dao Zenithels!

At the forefront stood Dao Zenithel Wan Yu, Imperial Majesty Dong Huo, Ancestral Saint Eastmoon, and Dao Zenithel Bai Lian.

"My perception is not absolutely precise," Wan Yu admitted. "The spacetime vortex at the entrance is vast. Wu Yuan could emerge anywhere from it. To strike the moment he appears demands swift action. That's where you come in."

"Indeed, Dao Zenithel Wan Yu's strategy is flawless," Immortal Eminence Jiu You smiled.

"I shall exert my utmost effort," intoned a black-robed figure.

This was the Dao Zenithel Mo Wu under Ancestral Saint Eastmoon's command. He possessed Peak Dao Zenithel strength.

Dao Zenithel Wan Yu, Immortal Eminence Jiu You, and the Dao Zenithel Mo Wu were most adept at spacetime techniques and could act with the greatest speed.

For this battle, the Eastmoon Megaverse had mobilized its entire force; all ten of its Dao Zenithels were present. The Immortal Court had dispatched nine Dao Zenithels, while Wan Yu Tower and Azure Lotus Megaverse contributed four each.

In total, twenty-seven Dao Zenithels stood ready, a force rivaling the entire Immortal Court or Eldritch Court.

Time passed.

Though neither the Eldritch Court powerhouses nor the allied faction forces could precisely sense each other's positions, each knew the other waited nearby, poised to erupt into action at any moment.

Both sides had made their preparations.

This battle, once begun, would shake the entire cosmic sea and potentially alter the balance of power.

...

It happened without warning.

With a rumble, the vast spacetime vortex trembled, and a black-robed figure materialized from nothingness.

Wu Yuan's ether body had arrived.

Against the backdrop of the enormous spacetime vortex, he seemed no larger than a speck of dust. Yet to the dozens of watching Dao Zenithels, he shone brilliantly, like a beacon piercing the endless night.

Hm?

The moment Wu Yuan's ether body emerged from the spacetime vortex, he sensed several powerful threats descending upon him, instilling an involuntary feeling of despair.

This foreboding sense of imminent danger was beyond compare, and perilously close.

I've emerged far from both my qi refiner and body refiner selves.

Wu Yuan assessed quickly.

How unlucky.

Had he appeared closer to them, they could have swiftly secured him. But fate had placed him far from both, leaving Wu Yuan feeling helpless. He couldn’t control where his ether body would end up at the moment of emergence from the spacetime vortex.

Defend!

Wu Yuan's ether body moved instantly; not fleeing, for he knew escaping from a group of Dao Zenithels with merely his ether body's power was futile.

I just need to hold on for a moment

. He reminded himself.

My qi refiner self will arrive, followed by Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu and the others.

Wu Yuan's ether body instantly expanded to a colossal size spanning over a hundred million li. His aura erupted, vast and overwhelming. Layers of azure scales materialized across his body's surface, completely encasing him.

In that same instant, he gave a mental command.

Abyss transformation.

His ether body shifted, and countless streams of destructive black qi surrounded him, enveloping his massive form. At first glance, it resembled an enormous black sphere.

This was his defensive ultimate technique cultivated to the Dao Zenithel level—Domain of the Abyss.

The moment he emerged from the Tenth Chaos Void, Wu Yuan's ether body prepared his defenses.

And it was just in the nick of time..

Whoosh~

A terrifying misty light burst from the void, nearly the same instant Wu Yuan prepared his defenses. It streaked fiercely toward his ether body.

Where the misty light touched, the Domain of the Abyss instantly dissipated, rushing directly toward Wu Yuan's towering form.

Their strengths were simply not on the same level.