Chapter 1329: The Path of Cultivation (1)

Wu Yuan's qi refiner self began looking through the Eternal Rankings:

1st: Heavenly Imperator (Imperator Mountain, Immortal Court)

2nd: Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu (Samsara Platform, Eldritch Court)

3rd: Great Emperor Yan Tuo (Armor of Myriad Origins, Ancient Megaverse)

4th: Saint Yuan (Nameless Battle Armor, Eldritch Court)

5th: Eldritch Progenitor Di Jiang (Eldritch Progenitor Hall, Eldritch Court)

6th: Dao Zenithel Ming Jian (Sword-shaped psyche weapon, Blood Dream Alliance)

7th: Dao Zenithel Wan Yu (Eternal Register, Wan Yu Tower)

8th: Imperial Majesty Dong Huo (Immortal Court)

9th: Blood Emperor (Blood Dream Alliance)

10th: Imperial Majesty Nan Guang (Immortal Court)

11th: Dao Zenithel Bai Lian (Azure Lotus Megaverse)

12th: Dao Zenithel Fu You (Eldritch Court)

13th: White Emperor (Nine Peaks)

14th: Ancestral Saint Eastmoon (Eastmoon Megaverse, fallen)

15th: Lord of the Abyss (Abyss Alliance)

16th: Dao Zenithel Tu You (Night Ripper Megaverse)

17th: Dao Zenithel Dao Mo (Bladeborn Megaverse)

18th: Dao Zenithel Jiu Huang (Nine Desolations Megaverse)

19th: Dream Emperor (Blood Dream Alliance)

20th: Dao Zenithel Tai Long (Demon Glory Alliance)

21st: White Devil Lord (Nine Saints Alliance)

22nd: Dao Zenithel Wan Ling (Twin Wood Megaverse)

23rd: Dao Zenithel Guang You (Duskreach Megaverse)

24th: Daoist Tian Xu (Blood Dream Alliance)...

The list continued, encompassing a total of 218 ranked individuals.

In this boundless cosmic sea, there are only 218 Dao Zenithels in total, including my two true selves?

Wu Yuan contemplated.

This wasn't the complete tally of all Dao Zenithels since the Primordium. According to the Eternal Register and the Eldritch Court's intelligence archives, approximately three hundred had emerged throughout history. Since eternal powerhouses could revive repeatedly, their deaths were treated as temporary.

For example, even though Ancestral Saint Eastmoon had fallen, he still remained on the Eternal Rankings, which differed from the True Saint Rankings.

Wu Yuan could understand this. Unlike the True Saint Rankings where half of the top-ranking powerhouses changed after several dozen samsara cycles, the Eternal Rankings had remained largely static since the Primordium.

A fallen Dao Zenithel is only removed from the Eternal Rankings if no traces of them can be found even after thirty samsara cycles from their deaths.

Wu Yuan noted.

Since the Primordium, nearly a hundred Dao Zenithels have ceased to exist, either fallen or completely vanished.

Thirty samsara cycles represented an unfathomable span of time. Such a long absence was practically equivalent to a permanent death. Dao Zenithel Wan Yu's rule seemed reasonable.

However, not all who disappeared were necessarily dead.

According to Senior Tian Xu, Goddess Nüwa must have reached the fifth stage, yet the major factions seem unaware.

Wu Yuan pondered.

How did Senior Tian Xu know? And where did Nüwa and other Grand Supremes like the Origin Saint go? The depths of the cosmic sea?

The Eldritch Court's archives contained accounts of the cosmic sea’s depths from Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu's explorations. Those were regions beyond the reach of the Primordial Rules, highly dangerous even for Dao Zenithels. The environments there were harsh and yielded no treasures, eventually causing Hou Tu to abandon further exploration.

According to Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu, if she had ventured even deeper, she would have faced the risk of falling, just like when she entered the Azure Saint Tomb...

If Hou Tu were a lone cultivator, she might have continued exploring.

Wu Yuan reflected.

But as a leader of the Eldritch Court, she couldn't risk her own death.

With only Eldritch Progenitor Di Jiang remaining, the Eldritch Court would struggle to withstand the Immortal Court's attacks.

When I have time in the future, I can send my mana and ether bodies to explore them. As long as they don’t bring too many Chaos Treasures, the losses would be minimal even if I fall.

Given his current strength and accumulated resources, losing some Chaos Treasures remained entirely acceptable.

Wu Yuan returned his attention to the Eternal Rankings.

According to the Eldritch Court’s intelligence, before Senior Tian Xu relinquished his position as Spacetime Dao Master, he ranked twenty-fourth in direct combat, inferior only to Full Dao Zenithel powerhouses.

Wu Yuan smiled.

Including my two true selves, there are twenty-three Full Dao Zenithel powerhouses in the entire megaverse.

The endless cosmic sea was dominated by the two greatest factions, the Eldritch Court and Immortal Court, followed by the fourteen first-rate factions.

Only those with Full Dao Zenithel powerhouses can be called first-rate factions.

Wu Yuan observed.

Though it’s called the Nine Megaverses Spacetime, the majority of Full Dao Zenithel powerhouses originated from the Central Megaverse.

Wu Yuan had to acknowledge that Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu's earlier assessment was correct. Though the nine megaverses were vast, the core remained the Central Megaverse, nurturing the greatest number of top-ranking powerhouses. Goddess Nüwa, the Heavenly Imperator, and Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu all came from the Central Megaverse.

The twenty-three Full Dao Zenithels can be divided into three major tiers.

Wu Yuan analyzed.

First tier: Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu and the Heavenly Imperator.

Second tier: my two true selves, Dao Zenithel Wan Yu, Great Emperor Yan Tuo, and Eldritch Progenitor Di Jiang.

Third tier: the remaining Full Dao Zenithel powerhouses.

The differences in strength within each tier were minimal. Even if Imperial Majesty Dong Huo and Dao Zenithel Guang You who ranked twenty-third fought one-on-one, the former would have only a slight advantage.

Even the weakest is still a Full Dao Zenithel who has refined their self-created Dao to the limit.

Wu Yuan thought to himself.

Below the Full Dao Zenithels were approximately sixty Peak Dao Zenithel powerhouses from various factions.

Lastly were the hundred-plus Standard Dao Zenithels.

Throughout different eras, every Dao Zenithel had carved their own extraordinary path, each one creating tempests of change during their time. Many were Legends of the River. Yet when these heroes from disparate ages gathered together, many who once seemed peerless appeared merely ordinary by comparison.

Super genius? Monstrous prodigy?

Wu Yuan shook his head slightly.

Those titles are merely entrance tickets to eternity, let alone becoming a Dao Zenithel.

After a brief analysis of the Eternal Rankings, Wu Yuan didn’t dwell on it further. He saw little reason to investigate why his body refiner self ranked fourth while his qi refiner self ranked sixth. It didn’t mean much. Ranking among the top seven was already a dazzling achievement.

𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

For me, the next step is simply to grow stronger. Then, defeat the Heavenly Imperator!

He thought.

Wu Yuan recognized his current standing. Throughout the vast cosmic sea, only Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu and the Heavenly Imperator posed genuine threats to him now. The other Dao Zenithels could hardly challenge his power.

I'll meditate in seclusion for a while.

He decided.

My qi refiner self needs to recover, and I must complete the metamorphosis of the ether body's Eternal Psyche. After the celebration concludes, my body refiner self will journey to the Ancestral Pagoda Spacetime.

He felt no urgency. The Ancestral Pagoda wasn’t going anywhere, whether he arrived sooner or later. In fact, delaying his journey might allow him to increase his strength further, improving his chances of success.

With a single step, Wu Yuan's qi refiner self traversed spacetime, returning to the essence space of the Eternal Realm.

Essence space.

Wu Yuan murmured, sensing its majestic power that surpassed his body’s by a thousandfold, filling him with warmth. Within this space, Wu Yuan felt instinctively at ease.

With a thought, the aura of his Eternal Psyche spread outward, merging with the essence space’s profundities. The power of the essence space began nurturing Wu Yuan's soul essence through his Eternal Psyche.

One session of secluded cultivation will take over a hundred million years?

Wu Yuan was startled at this realization.

The required time was far longer than he expected. As a True Saint, employing his psyche weapon's killing move had only required ten days of rest. Ten days versus a hundred million years; the difference was incomparable.

I understand now.

He realized.

My comprehension of the Samsara Sword’s controls is still too limited. During this battle, I forcefully activated it with my soul essence, wielding it through the Dream Megaverse. My psyche feels fatigued because this isn't simply about depleted essence power.

The Samsara Sword was too powerful, damaging my soul essence.

Wu Yuan acknowledged.

When an eternal powerhouse suffered damage to their soul essence, recovery proceeded extremely slowly. Slumbering for a hundred million years was quite normal under such circumstances.

But I didn't notice earlier, so the damage can't be severe.

Wu Yuan considered.

Yet, it still requires a hundred million years? My Eternal Realm must be too weak.

First, I'll expand the Eternal Realm.

Only the essence spaces of the Eternal Realms of Wu Yuan's two true selves had metamorphosed, but the entire Eternal Realm had yet to expand. It was like a nation whose territory had grown. But to strengthen the nation itself, it needed to utilize its resources for further development.

Previously, I suppressed its expansion to maintain a low profile, but that's no longer necessary.

Wu Yuan decided, beginning the process without hesitation.

No longer constraining the Eternal Realm, power began gathering at its edges, surging outward in all directions. As it expanded, spacetime coalesced and matter formed. The rules of the Eternal Realm's essence naturally enveloped the new void.

At this moment, both his qi refiner self and his body refiner self's Eternal Realms expanded simultaneously, though the latter had yet to return to the Long Shan Universe.

...

Rumble!

The expansion of the two Eternal Realms began. Though the original spacetime territories remained untouched, the disturbances were startling enough that every powerhouse within both Eternal Realms instantly felt the changes.

"What's happening?"

The entire Eternal Realm quaked, sending countless powerhouses into a state of confused alarm. Their questions would soon be answered.

"Expansion!"

"The boundaries of the Eternal Realm are extending outward." This news swept rapidly through both great Eternal Realms like a gale.

"What? Expansion?"

"Could a True Saint have advanced to Dao Zenithel?" The possibility ignited frenzied excitement throughout both realms.

For these lifeforms in the Eternal Realms, even True Saints existed as distant, unreachable figures of reverence. Dao Zenithels? Those were invincible legends, the supreme existences within the endless cosmic sea.

Their jubilation stemmed from their limited perspective; they had no knowledge of the massive battle that had just erupted in the Tenth Chaos Void, which was why this news struck them with such wonder.

When the same reports reached the True Saints of the Blood Dream Alliance and the Eldritch Court, they only reacted with mild surprise. "Dao Zenithel Ming Jian and Saint Yuan actually delayed the expansion of their Eternal Realms until now?"

The True Saints, always well-informed, already knew that Ancestral Saint Eastmoon had perished.

...

The Dao Zenithels themselves barely acknowledged the expansion. Instead, they discussed the Eternal Rankings with keen interest.

"The endless cosmic sea once had two supreme powerhouses and three titans.”

"Now even Dao Zenithel Wan Yu has ranked himself seventh, acknowledging his inferiority to Saint Yuan and Dao Zenithel Ming Jian."

"From now on, the cosmic sea will have two supreme powerhouses and five titans." Numerous Dao Zenithels sighed emotionally.

A Full Dao Zenithel had the power to lead a major faction, but terms like “supreme powerhouse” and “titan” were designations used in private conversations among the Dao Zenithels of the endless cosmic sea. For most Dao Zenithels, encountering any being at these levels meant giving way immediately. A confrontation with them was simply unthinkable.

Direct combat? Their defeat was inevitable.

Powerhouses like Dao Zenithel Wan Yu and Eldritch Progenitor Di Jiang were capable of killing Peak Dao Zenithels in a one-on-one confrontation. One had to be a Full Dao Zenithel at minimum to qualify to challenge a titan.

And now, two more titans had emerged among the ranks of pinnacle-stage Dao Zenithel combat power.

...

Deep within the vast expanse of the Blood Dream Voidrealm, the Blood Emperor's patience wore thin.

"Still no contact?" he demanded.

"None." The Dream Emperor shook his head slightly. "I've attempted to communicate with Dao Zenithel Ming Jian multiple times through the Blood Dream Voidrealm, but he hasn't responded."

"What about Tian Xu?" The Blood Emperor's teeth clenched in frustration.

"No response from him either." The Dream Emperor's brow furrowed. "He's likely concealed in that mysterious place. Years ago, Tian Xu invited me there once, but after departing, I could never locate it again."

Waves of helplessness washed over the Blood Emperor. They sought to request Dao Zenithel Ming Jian to take over as First Alliance Leader, yet couldn't even establish contact with him.

"What about Meng Guan?" the Blood Emperor pressed. "I understand he maintains a favorable relationship with Dao Zenithel Ming Jian."

"Meng Guan has entered closed-door cultivation," the Dream Emperor replied with a soft sigh.

The Blood Emperor fell silent. Throughout his proud existence, he'd never encountered such difficulty. How could paying respects to a new leader prove so challenging?

"Must it be him?" the Blood Emperor finally asked, his voice low. "Even without him, we could still dominate the endless cosmic sea."

Among the major factions across the endless cosmic sea, aside from the Immortal Court and Eldritch Court, only the Blood Dream Alliance boasted two leader-level powerhouses.

Other factions, like the Ancient Megaverse, lacked Full Dao Zenithel powerhouses despite Great Emperor Yan Tuo's considerable strength.

Full Dao Zenithel powerhouses, having refined their self-created Daos to their limits, maintained tremendous pride and rarely submitted to others. Only Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu and the Heavenly Imperator could command the willing allegiance of other Full Dao Zenithel powerhouses.

"We're merely inviting him to be our faction’s First Alliance Leader, not submitting to him," the Dream Emperor said with a brief smile before sighing. "My real concern is the Heavenly Imperator."

"The Heavenly Imperator?" The Blood Emperor's pupils contracted as memory stirred. "The Realm of Destruction?"

"Yes." The Dream Emperor nodded, wariness flashing in his eyes. "In that battle years ago, I died while you barely escaped with your life. The Heavenly Imperator won't easily let us go.

"He's waited all this time, seeking the perfect opportunity to destroy us completely."

The Blood Emperor grew quiet. The world only knew that the Heavenly Imperator had killed the Dream Emperor, but not why.