Chapter 1365: Heavenly Venerable Yuan (Grand Finale Part 2)

It was too fast.

If the flight capabilities of Wu Yuan's qi refiner self and the Heavenly Imperator represented the upper limit of a Dao Zenithel's speed, then this technique Wu Yuan now executed transcended even that, approaching some fundamental limit of Void laws.

It was so blindingly fast that the Heavenly Imperator couldn't even react. Or rather, even if he could perceive it, he couldn't mount a defense in time. His combat power had reached the Grand Supreme level, but his fundamental nature as a lifeform had not evolved to match that level.

Facing Wu Yuan's strike, launched at the expense of his mana body’s life, the Heavenly Imperator had only one option: to meet it directly! This was the standard approach against soul-class attacks.

Survive it and live. Fail and perish.

Hum~

The Heavenly Imperator felt a wave of soul power flood his Eternal Psyche.

Original Sword, guard.

He gave a mental command, instantly activating the defensive power of his weapon.

Each of the Three Supreme Divine Objects possessed protective capabilities that could shield the soul, though each had distinct strengths and weaknesses. The Original Sword's protection was technically the weakest, but after the Heavenly Imperator had fully mastered it, this “weakness" was merely relative to the other Supreme Divine Objects. While not equal to specialized Xuanhuang Dao Treasures designed for soul protection, it came remarkably close.

But Wu Yuan's attack proved overwhelmingly tyrannical. In one moment, expending only a fraction of its power, it engulfed the Heavenly Imperator's soul essence like a raging flood.

Hiss hiss~

The two forces began frantically consuming one another, both born for destruction yet strangely not opposing each other.

This attack!

The Heavenly Imperator was taken aback, instantly recognizing its nature.

Wu Yuan's technique resembled Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu's Sacrificial Samsara Annihilation, but with a fundamental difference. Hou Tu's attack primarily focused on binding through psyche dreams, as she hadn't pursued the Psyche Arsenal class. Psyche Destruction, however, was pure Void annihilation, amplified by the Samsara Sword, making it devastatingly potent.

Rumble~

The Heavenly Imperator felt his immensely powerful soul essence disintegrate. At the same time, the power of Wu Yuan's attack was also rapidly depleted. It had become a simple contest of who had a larger reservoir of power.

Argh!

Though his consciousness remained intact, the excruciating pain radiating from his soul essence made the Heavenly Imperator lose some measure of control, his face betraying a flicker of agony.

The pain was unbearable. This suffering wasn't diminished by higher Dao cultivation levels or stronger power. In fact, the more powerful the soul, the more intense the torment.

"This?"

"Heavenly Imperator?" All the Dao Zenithels stared in shock. Imperial Majesty Dong Huo and Imperial Majesty Nan Guang's expressions showed hints of panic.

Though they couldn't comprehend the full depth of Wu Yuan's technique, they understood its significance. When they witnessed Wu Yuan's mana body perish in a blink, every Dao Zenithel knew this move must be catastrophically powerful.

Killing oneself even before the enemy died! Such a desperate attack, executed by Wu Yuan at the brink of defeat—how could its power not be extraordinary? The Heavenly Imperator's pained expression and rapidly diminishing vital aura revealed much.

Less than half a breath of time passed.

Huff!

The Heavenly Imperator finally stabilized his declining vital aura.

He opened his eyes, pupils tinged red with traces of madness, and fixed his gaze on Wu Yuan. "Saint Yuan! Impressive technique! To create such a terrifying move...You have my admiration."

The Immortal Court's Dao Zenithels exhaled in relief. The Heavenly Imperator appeared to have weathered the assault without critical damage.

"This?"

"Wu Yuan's mana body sacrificed its life, yet couldn't inflict a serious injury?" Eldritch Progenitor Di Jiang, Dao Zenithel Fu You, and the others felt despair creeping into their hearts. They could no longer envision a path to defeating the Heavenly Imperator now.

"What a pity! With a move like that, you still can't kill me." The Heavenly Imperator glared at Wu Yuan, his killing intent soaring skyward as he gripped the Original Sword tightly.

"Can't kill you? Is that so?" Wu Yuan's eyes remained cold, showing no emotion.

Boom!

From a distant corner of the void, Wu Yuan's qi refiner self, which had fled far away earlier, suddenly erupted with endless radiance. Its majestic form, spanning over a hundred million li, lit up the void. Above its head, the black divine sword appeared once more.

But this time, it was no longer an illusory—it had transformed into a completely real and tangible sword!

Wu Yuan now burned his qi refiner self, completely incinerating his own Dream Megaverse, destroying his own Dream World. With the Dream Megaverse obliterated, the Samsara Sword could no longer exist in illusion and had to manifest in reality.

Sacrifice and destroy, qi refiner self.

Wu Yuan's gaze remained icy.

With this sacrifice, his qi refiner self would perish. If his Eternal Realm were destroyed later, he wouldn't even have a chance to revive.

Yet Wu Yuan's heart didn't waver in the slightest. His resolve was absolute. The future? If he couldn't kill the Heavenly Imperator today, there would be no future.

In an instant, Wu Yuan's qi refiner self sacrificed itself completely, endless radiance pouring into the Samsara Sword. The power far surpassed the previous attack by his mana body.

After all, the earlier strike had merely invoked the Samsara Sword, while now the Samsara Sword was truly manifesting for a final, decisive blow.

"Wu Yuan?"

"He is sacrificing his qi refiner self?" All the Dao Zenithels held their breath.

They could sense Wu Yuan's determination and desperate fury.

A flash of sword light cut through spacetime; the blade was entirely black, containing a heart-stopping power capable of destroying most Dao Zenithels instantly.

This time, as the real Samsara Sword attacked, its speed wasn't quite as fast as before. But it still matched the attack velocity of the Original Sword.

Dao Zenithel Wan Yu, Great Emperor Yan Tuo, Imperial Majesty Dong Huo, and the others all instinctively sensed that facing this sword would mean certain death for them.

There was only one question in their minds: Will the Heavenly Imperator survive it?

Again? Madman!

The normally confident Heavenly Imperator's expression finally changed. Remembering the pain he'd just endured, he felt a flicker of fear—not cowardice, but the natural instinct of self-preservation.

Nevertheless, he was the Heavenly Imperator after all. He clearly sensed that he couldn't evade this sword strike from Wu Yuan's qi refiner self.

"Die!" The Heavenly Imperator roared, swinging the Original Sword fiercely, unleashing trillions of sword silhouettes to intercept the Samsara Sword.

Clang!

The two weapons collided, sending terrifying shockwaves in all directions. The Samsara Sword trembled repeatedly, seemingly blocked by the Original Sword.

But before the Heavenly Imperator could celebrate, the intangible fluctuation imbued within the Samsara Sword flowed through the Original Sword and invaded his Eternal Psyche, frantically annihilating his soul.

"Die!" At that moment, Wu Yuan's body refiner self transformed into a streak of light, slashing toward the Heavenly Imperator like lightning, a dazzling blade ray cleaving downward.

His qi refiner self and mana body had both fallen.

Wu Yuan had staked everything.

...

In the Long Shan Universe, within the essence space of Wu Yuan's body refiner self's Eternal Realm, streaks of his self-created Dao's radiance blossomed.

Within this radiance floated a purple sphere that had remained inconspicuous for countless ages. It was the strange ultimate treasure Wu Yuan had obtained from the Azure Saint Tomb: the Xuanhuang Essence.

Inside the Xuanhuang Essence existed two imprints with the same fundamental soul nature, yet never merging. One originated from Wu Yuan's qi refiner self, the other from his body refiner self. These imprints had allowed Wu Yuan's two true selves to harness the Xuanhuang Essence’s power, continuously cultivating Eternal Psyches for his mana bodies and ether bodies that roamed the cosmic sea.

Boom!

The moment Wu Yuan's qi refiner self completely perished, the Xuanhuang Essence which had lain dormant for trillions of years suddenly trembled. His qi refiner self’s imprint shattered with a thunderous rumble.

Immediately after, endless light surged from the void, carrying special fluctuations like countless shattered soul fragments, pouring into the Xuanhuang Essence.

Hiss~

Inside, the imprint of Wu Yuan's body refiner self blazed with brilliant light and began frantically absorbing the shattered fragments of the qi refiner self's imprint.

The myriad strange energies rushing in from the world outside continued to be devoured, causing the body refiner self's imprint to grow increasingly powerful.

...

In the distant River of Universes, outside the Eldritch Court Universe.

𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Boom!

Thunderous impacts echoed as Wu Yuan's body refiner self unleashed a barrage of attacks. Each strike sent the Heavenly Imperator's majestic divine body hurtling backward through the void. The Imperator's vital aura, already compromised, continued to fade at an alarming rate.

Ravaged by the third level of Psyche Destruction, the Heavenly Imperator could barely defend himself against Wu Yuan's relentless onslaught. The physical attacks, powerful as they were, weren't his greatest concern; it was the insidious force eroding his soul essence that truly threatened his existence.

The Heavenly Imperator's once-pristine Eternal Psyche now bore countless fractures, spiderwebbing across its surface. His condition deteriorated rapidly. Wu Yuan's mana body had destroyed less than twenty percent of his soul essence, but his qi refiner self's attack had swiftly claimed another thirty percent.

Now, as the life-sacrificing move of the qi refiner self finally ran its course, over seventy percent of the Heavenly Imperator's soul essence lay in tatters.

"Ah!" The Imperator released a primal roar of rage, his heart seething with unbridled fury and killing intent.

With a swift flick of his wrist, he summoned the Original Sword, its radiance cutting through space like lightning to intercept a blade ray from Wu Yuan's body refiner self.

Boom~

The collision sent both combatants reeling backward.

The successive devastating injuries had significantly diminished the Heavenly Imperator's strength. Against Wu Yuan's body refiner self, he now found himself at a slight disadvantage.

"Saint Yuan, your ruthlessness is impressive," the Heavenly Imperator acknowledged. His voice regained its calm, but it was now laced with deadly intent. "But in the end, you couldn't kill me. You failed, and now you're bound to fall."

A hazy aura suddenly enveloped the Heavenly Imperator as he brandished the Original Sword. His vital aura began regenerating at a rate hundreds, perhaps thousands of times faster than those who only controlled a universe or Eternal Realm, drawing on the incomparable power of the Primordial essence.

"It's over."

"We're done for!"

"Saint Yuan sacrificed both his mana body and qi refiner self in succession, yet even that wasn't enough to destroy the Heavenly Imperator?" Waves of hopelessness crashed through the Eldritch Court army as they witnessed the devastating scene unfold.

All hope had vanished. Earlier, even with Wu Yuan's two true selves fighting in perfect harmony, they had been overwhelmed by the Heavenly Imperator's might, forced to retreat in desperation. Now, only Wu Yuan's body refiner self remained to face their enemy.

The Heavenly Imperator, though gravely wounded, was healing at an alarming rate. Soon, he would stand at full strength once more. What force in existence could halt his advance?

Have I lost? After everything, am I still unable to claim victory?

Wu Yuan's body refiner self burned with bitter reluctance.

After sacrificing so much! After risking everything! Was it all for nothing? Would he be forced to watch, powerless, as countless Eldritch Court members perished and Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu faded into oblivion?

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Refusing surrender, Wu Yuan swung the Saber of Oblivion again and again, each strike desperate to end the Heavenly Imperator. Yet every blow met the unyielding edge of the Original Sword, deflected.

"Fall," commanded the Heavenly Imperator. His swordsmanship grew stronger as his wounds sealed, eyes gleaming with cold resolve. "Don’t worry, I won't exterminate humanity."

He continued, his voice penetrating Wu Yuan's consciousness: "When I control the Ancestral Pagoda, I will restore the Nine Megaverses Spacetime to its natural state, with samsara cycling as intended. I'll create a more balanced world, not one where humans dominate the others... But if humans prove themselves worthy through strength, they may still rise to prominence."

Despite enduring endless suffering from Wu Yuan’s attack and harboring murderous intent toward him, the Heavenly Imperator couldn't help but admire his opponent. He knew that victory would have been impossible if not for his longer cultivation period.

"The Primordium operates fairly and justly," Wu Yuan growled in response. "My human race and the Eldritch Court didn't rise to prominence through destiny, but through generations of sacrifice and effort by our ancestors. Heavenly Imperator, you have your grand vision, and I have mine."

"Then let our strengths decide." The Heavenly Imperator's voice rang with finality.

Boom!

The two apex beings collided once more in frenzied combat. As time passed, Wu Yuan weakened noticeably while the Heavenly Imperator's aura grew increasingly terrifying. Having recovered to seventy percent of his full power, the Heavenly Imperator's Original Sword now inflicted damage on Wu Yuan despite the Creation Origin Armor's protection.

As injuries to his Eternal Psyche accumulated, Wu Yuan faced his inevitable death.

Hmm?

Mid-battle, Wu Yuan paused, his battle saber slowing a beat.

Boom!

An endless torrent surged into his spirit and consciousness. Countless insights, familiar yet strange, flooded his mind: Psyche Dream Rebirth, Psyche Destruction, the essence of the Great Dao of Spacetime, the laws of Void! Insights from his qi refiner self mysteriously merged with the consciousness of his body refiner self.

This?

Wu Yuan froze in astonishment.

Whoosh!

A sword strike sent Wu Yuan flying backward, but the injury barely registered in his mind.

How is this possible?

Though his two true selves had shared memories, their insights into their Daos had been imprinted on separate Eternal Psyches—visible to each other but veiled, impossible to utilize directly.

Now, that barrier had shattered completely. The countless insights previously belonging to his qi refiner self merged seamlessly into his body refiner self's consciousness, transforming his Eternal Psyche in mysterious ways.

Xuanhuang Essence?

Understanding dawned instantly.

Dao Devouring... So this is the Xuanhuang Essence's second ability.

Wu Yuan fully understood what was happening.

He recalled Dao Zenithel Tian Chan, who had begun cultivating after breaking free from his role as the Xuanhuang Essence's spirit. One of his two innate divine abilities was devouring the Dao of other True Saints.

I've merged with the Xuanhuang Essence.

Wu Yuan realized.

When either my body refiner self or qi refiner self perishes completely, our consciousnesses and Dao insights fully merge into one.

Boom!

In a single instant, the myriad insights regarding the Perfect Dao from his body refiner self collided with those concerning Void laws from his qi refiner self, birthing a profound new understanding.

Yes! That's it.

The physical, Reality!

The soul, Void!

The two are inherently one; this is the ultimate origin of everything.

Though still blasted backward by the Heavenly Imperator's relentless attacks, Wu Yuan's self-created Dao underwent an unprecedented transformation.

He had long pondered the combination of Reality and Void, completing the Perfect Dao and merging it with Void laws, yet success had always eluded him. The insights within his two true selves' Eternal Psyches could never fully unite, until now. With his qi refiner self's demise, the Xuanhuang Essence had fused those countless insights into his body refiner self's spirit.

As the two paths collided, Wu Yuan finally understood.

The union of Reality and Void, the ultimate end of the Dao.

At last, he glimpsed the final profundity.

The fourth step of my self-created Dao.

Boom!

Within his body, the Eternal Psyche transformed rapidly. Ten Great Daos merged perfectly into one, evolving toward a higher level. When the transformation was completed, this perfect Eternal Psyche began to dissolve at visible speed.

Control the Ancestral Pagoda!

Having comprehended the profound union of Reality and Void, Wu Yuan perceived that mysterious place holding that towering black pagoda.

Hum~

With remarkable ease, Wu Yuan's consciousness, carrying his self-created Dao's radiance, merged completely with the Ancestral Pagoda. Without facing any resistance, he controlled it fully.

Ancestral Pagoda! Primordium!

Wu Yuan's consciousness, perfectly merged with the Ancestral Pagoda, expanded instantly through the Primordial essence to every corner of the Nine Megaverses Spacetime. The vast, boundless realms fell under his complete control, the terrifying power of the entire Nine Megaverses Spacetime now at his command.

My will is that of the Primordium.

My Dao is the heaven's Dao.

I am the Primordium.

Wu Yuan had finally comprehended the true mystery of the Ancestral Pagoda.