Chapter 1350: The Insights From Samsara (2)

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Wu Yuan's three psyche weapon attacks encountered no resistance from the six wheels of light, piercing directly into the Heavenly Imperator's Eternal Psyche.

The two forces began frantically annihilating the Heavenly Imperator's soul essence.

The Heavenly Imperator's soul is at least ten times stronger than Ancestral Saint Eastmoon's or Dao Zenithel Biao Huo's.

Wu Yuan realized this as soon as they clashed, his mind greatly shaken.

A Dao Zenithel's soul essence power was closely related to many aspects: their Eternal Realm, self-created Dao, and mana. For most Dao Zenithels, the difference wasn't extreme. A Peak Dao Zenithel possessed about twice that of a Standard Dao Zenithel, and a Full Dao Zenithel about twice that of a Peak Dao Zenithel.

Wu Yuan's qi refiner self and mana body, having opened such a vast Dream Megaverse, possessed soul essence power about seven times that of a Standard Dao Zenithel. His body refiner self and ether body, with three thousand times the mana of a True Saint, had only about six times the soul essence power of a Standard Dao Zenithel, already astonishing.

Meanwhile, Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu's soul essence was about five times that of a Standard Dao Zenithel.

With a longer health bar, one naturally survived longer. Thus, Wu Yuan's psyche weapons easily annihilated Standard Dao Zenithels but struggled against Full Dao Zenithel powerhouses.

Yet the Heavenly Imperator's soul essence was ten times stronger than a Standard Dao Zenithel's, making his soul's vitality extraordinary.

No wonder Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu warned me against attacking immediately.

Wu Yuan realized, his thoughts racing.

She must have foreseen that my mana body's attacks would have little effect on the Heavenly Imperator.

After centuries of combat, Hou Tu understood her opponent's strengths and methods with great clarity.

Wu Yuan's mana body had unleashed three psyche weapon strikes with full force, yet they'd only managed to destroy less than twenty percent of the Heavenly Imperator's soul essence. Its resilience was staggering.

If Ancestral Saint Eastmoon's soul essence had been like soft tofu, then the Heavenly Imperator's was hardened steel—unyielding, powerful, and radiating a corrosive force that dissolved everything around it.

This isn't merely the Imperator's natural defenses.

Wu Yuan concluded.

Some unseen force is shielding him from my killing blows.

His thoughts turned to the Original Sword and the Ancestral Pagoda.

As an Archon of the Ancestral Pagoda, Wu Yuan enjoyed its constant protection, drawing upon its essence to reinforce his soul defenses. Surely the Heavenly Imperator who controlled the Original Sword itself could harness similar power, amplifying his resistance tenfold. Furthermore, they were currently in the Realm of Destruction.

Nevertheless, Wu Yuan's desperate attacks had wounded the Heavenly Imperator, further weakening his ability to break free from Hou Tu's sacrificial attack.

Hou Tu's final attack...

Wu Yuan observed as his psyche weapon's power waned. His fading consciousness detected the unique composition of her ultimate technique.

This power contains soul power and mana, along with Void power of the Dream Megaverse.

He observed. The various energies fused perfectly together in her attack.

A revelation struck him.

Isn't this exactly what I've been desperately pursuing, the third level of Psyche Destruction?

Samsara Sacrificial Annihilation, which formed that massive cage, was essentially a variant of the third level of Psyche Destruction Wu Yuan had envisioned for so long.

Yes. This is the feeling.

Wu Yuan's mana body consciousness perceived, albeit vaguely.

For billions of years, he had pondered this ultimate technique, thoroughly comprehending the Samsara Sword's essence yet unable to break through his stubborn bottleneck. Now, Hou Tu's ultimate move, which belonged to the same class of techniques, provided invaluable reference.

Breakthroughs required not just inspiration but long-term accumulation. Had Wu Yuan witnessed this move when he first became a Dao Zenithel, it would have meant little to him. Back then, he hadn't deeply researched the combination of various powers.

But now, after endless deduction and accumulation, and the foundation of the Psyche Dream Domain firmly established, even this brief glimpse of Hou Tu's technique provided the spark he needed.

Samsara! So that's how it is.

Wu Yuan grasped the key point, immediately understanding the next step of his qi refiner self’s cultivation. With time to contemplate quietly, he had a strong chance of creating the third level of Psyche Destruction.

The last remnant of consciousness imbued in Wu Yuan's three psyche weapon attacks faded completely from the Heavenly Imperator's body.

...

Wu Yuan's mana body, having completed its psyche attack, attempted a physical assault, manipulating his artifacts once more.

Imperial Majesty Nan Guang streaked over like lightning, his imposing aura easily blocking Wu Yuan's attack. In normal circumstances, Wu Yuan's mana body could match Nan Guang physically. But with his soul essence depleted, the power behind his artifacts weakened greatly.

"Ming Jian, are you courting death?" Imperial Majesty Nan Guang fixed him with an icy stare. "Wu Yuan has already fled, yet you dare loiter around. Are you tired of living?"

The world outside remained unaware that Dao Zenithel Ming Jian's mana body could cultivate an Eternal Psyche. In Nan Guang's eyes, the white-robed figure before him was Dao Zenithel Ming Jian’s true self.

Seeing no further opportunity, Wu Yuan's mana body released a cold snort. He transformed into a streak of light and departed, accelerating to ten thousand times light speed in an instant.

He left?

Imperial Majesty Nan Guang didn't pursue. Even if he suspected Ming Jian was gravely wounded, he couldn’t be certain he could kill someone wielding a Xuanhuang Dao Treasure. More importantly, his primary task remained protecting the Heavenly Imperator.

...

Deep in the cosmic sea, in a vast Eternal Realm inaccessible to ordinary Dao Zenithels, Dao Zenithel Wan Yu sensed vibrations from the Eternal Register. His heart trembled involuntarily.

Hm? Has a Dao Zenithel perished?

He wondered.

It seems... an extremely powerful Dao Zenithel has fallen.

He frowned.

I cannot divine it immediately?

Throughout the cosmic sea, few could match Wan Yu in divining destiny.

It's no matter if I cannot divine it directly. I can simply divine the state of each Eternal Realm.

He decided.

When a Dao Zenithel fell, their Eternal Realm didn’t collapse immediately but underwent subtle changes, its essence slowly unravelling. Unless the Dao Zenithel revived, the realm gradually weakened until it shattered completely.

Swiftly, Wan Yu scanned every Eternal Realm across infinite spacetime, finding nothing amiss.

All Eternal Realms are normal?

He was taken aback.

Could the Eternal Register have made a mistake?

He immediately dismissed this thought.

No! Over the eons, the Eternal Register has never erred.

A terrifying possibility surfaced in his mind. Without hesitation, he began perceiving the universes in the Ancient Megaverse and Central Megaverse. If the Eternal Realms in the cosmic sea were intact, then one of the titans or supreme powerhouses must have fallen.

Deducing the essences of Eternal Realms in the River of Universes dimension proved extremely difficult, even for someone of Wan Yu's caliber.

A full day later, he confirmed his suspicion.

Hou Tu has fallen!

His eyes filled with shock and fear.

As a titan standing at the cosmic sea's pinnacle, he knew Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu's strength well.

How could Hou Tu die?

Wan Yu struggled to believe it.

Who could kill her?

She wielded the Samsara Platform, with both offensive and defensive capabilities. The Eldritch Court possesses numerous ultimate techniques inherited from Goddess Nüwa. She pioneered a Dream Universe, and her Eternal Realm had merged with a universe.

Countless possibilities raced through his mind.

Even the depths of the Azure Saint Tomb or Yonder Cliff... the dangers there are only theoretically able to kill her. Over long ages, she's explored countless perilous regions. If she were weak, she would have fallen long ago.

The Realm of Darkness beyond the nine megaverses might cause her to lose her sense of direction, but not perish outright.

The Realm of Destruction? The Heavenly Imperator holds special power there, but Hou Tu ventured deep inside years ago and merely retreated. Surely she wouldn't be killed there?

Wan Yu grew increasingly alarmed. He desperately needed to understand the truth behind Hou Tu's demise, for whatever killed her might someday threaten him too.

I'll ask the Eldritch Court directly.

He decided, sending a message to Eldritch Progenitor Di Jiang inquiring about Hou Tu's death. They had each others’ tokens.

Moments later, Di Jiang replied with just one word: "Scram!"

Eldritch Progenitor Di Jiang was already filled with rage. Why would he bother being polite to Dao Zenithel Wan Yu?

Wan Yu wasn't angered. This confirmed his divination: Hou Tu had indeed fallen.

Logically, Hou Tu should be able to revive even after falling. It shouldn't enrage Di Jiang so.

He pondered.

Could there be more than what meets the eye? Has the Samsara Platform been lost?

Or perhaps.

He considered boldly.

Hou Tu can no longer revive and return?

After long contemplation, he smiled faintly.

Hehe. Since the Eldritch Court refuses to discuss this with me, I'll spread the news and observe how other factions react.

He entered the information directly into the Eternal Register, ensuring all Dao Zenithels across the infinite cosmic sea would learn of it.

This was how he usually did things.

...

When news of Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu's fall spread through the Eternal Register, Dao Zenithels across the cosmic sea initially doubted their senses.

"Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu has fallen?”

“That’s impossible, right?" Many instinctively didn’t believe it, including Full Dao Zenithel powerhouses.

Their skepticism made sense. Since the Primordium, from the time Hou Tu ascended to the pinnacle and earned recognition as a supreme powerhouse, she had never fallen. Even when the Heavenly Imperator later surpassed her slightly, he only held a marginal advantage, not enough to slay her.

Over countless ages, Standard Dao Zenithels and even Full Dao Zenithels occasionally fell and revived. Even titans like Di Jiang had fallen before. Fall too many times, and permanent demise became a possibility. To date, nearly a hundred Dao Zenithels were suspected to have fallen permanently.

But Hou Tu and the Heavenly Imperator had never fallen, not even once. They were truly supreme; the most dangerous places in the cosmic sea could at most temporarily trap them.

...

In the Immortal Court Voidrealm, the avatars of Immortal Court Dao Zenithels were gathered.

"Wan Yu Tower has spread news that Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu has fallen, though we don't know if it's true.”

"But the Heavenly Imperator is indeed trapped.”

"Days have passed, but the Heavenly Imperator has yet to awaken. Wu Yuan and Ming Jian have already fled," a Peak Dao Zenithel observed.

Imperial Majesty Nan Guang and Imperial Majesty Dong Huo remained silent.

Finally, Dong Huo spoke. "With Nan Guang standing guard, the injured Wu Yuan and Ming Jian pose no threat to the Heavenly Imperator," he said gravely. "I'm rushing to the Realm of Destruction now. The Heavenly Imperator's situation remains unclear."

He continued thoughtfully, "Though Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu was formidable, she must have paid a price to launch a strike across such a vast expanse of spacetime, especially one powerful enough to trap the Heavenly Imperator in slumber for so long. If she were that powerful, she could have killed the Heavenly Imperator long ago."

The Immortal Court Dao Zenithels nodded, concern for their leader evident.

"Wan Yu Tower's intelligence has rarely been wrong," Dong Huo added. "Given such a major event, Dao Zenithel Wan Yu would understand its gravity.

"I suggest we spread the following: ‘In a battle at the Realm of Destruction, the Heavenly Imperator killed Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu and gravely wounded Saint Yuan.' This will probe the Eldritch Court's reaction. What do you think?"

"Agreed!"

“Agreed!” The Immortal Court Dao Zenithels responded in unison, eager to confirm Hou Tu's death.

...

Within a day, the Immortal Court's announcement spread throughout the cosmic sea.

The news stunned Dao Zenithels of every faction. Could the Heavenly Imperator truly be so formidable?