Chapter 725: Summerpeak And The Wu Clan (1)

"I've sent the relevant information to your personal hall. You can review it there," said Eldritch Sovereign Kua Chi.

Wu Yuan nodded, receiving it with a thought.

He quickly read through the various details about serving in the Eldritch Court.

Holding a position, completing assigned tasks from the Eldritch Court, voluntarily applying for missions, or making significant contributions—all these would allow one to earn eldritch merits and determine one’s rank.

Divine crystals, circulating among countless factions across the vast river of space and time, were considered hard currency. However, in reality, many special resources couldn't be obtained with divine crystals.

Eldritch merits, on the other hand, were the hard currency of the Cang Feng Eldritch World and even the entire Eldritch Court—a currency backed by the Eldritch Court.

Among the many ways to obtain eldritch merits, there were three main methods. First was bestowals, most often granted to junior disciples. As a disciple of an Eldritch Sovereign, Wu Yuan was given an allowance of ten thousand eldritch merits.

Before entering the Immutable Land, Wu Yuan had mobilized many resources through the Blood Shadow Plane by expending eldritch merits.

The second method was completing missions. The most common were guard tasks and nurturing assignments—guarding territory or nurturing large numbers of junior disciples.

The third was through contributions—voluntarily offering rare treasures to the Cang Feng Eldritch World or the Eldritch Court. Donating divine crystals was the most basic form of contribution.

One can exchange eldritch merits for all sorts of resources.

Wu Yuan mused.

Even inheritance techniques of supreme beings, on par with the ‘Nine Swords of Spacetime’ and the ‘Will of Life and Death’, can be obtained?

These were things that divine crystals simply couldn't buy.

There were also treasures like the Nine Transformations Longevity Immortal Pill, which could extend a mortal's lifespan to a million years—a priceless item that even ordinary Sovereigns couldn't refine.

They could even be exchanged for Faith power.

Of course, some precious resources were limited. Having eldritch merits alone wasn't enough; another crucial factor was one's rank.

The higher one's rank in the Eldritch Court, the greater their authority, granting them access to certain special resources. Otherwise, no matter how many eldritch merits one possessed, they could only exchange them for common resources.

One’s ranking is determined through strength and achievements?

Wu Yuan pondered.

One needs sufficient personal power and must complete specific tasks or render contributions to qualify for certain high positions?

Wu Yuan instantly understood.

The so-called specific contributions and tasks were, in essence, tests of loyalty. For a super faction like the Eldritch Court, they wouldn't simply accept any Sovereign who wanted to join them.

Loyalty was the top priority!

"Ranks are divided from one to ten," Eldritch Sovereign Kua Chi explained with a smile. "Astral Lords usually range from rank one to three, with a rare few reaching rank four.

Astral Monarchs typically fall between ranks four and six.

Sovereigns generally occupy ranks seven through nine," Eldritch Sovereign Kua Chi looked at Wu Yuan. "I am an eighth-rank member—considered average among the many Sovereigns in the Eldritch Court."

"What about the tenth rank?" Wu Yuan couldn't help but ask curiously.

This was something his master's information hadn't mentioned.

"Overlord!" Eldritch Sovereign Kua Chi spoke solemnly, "This is a title that is only conferred to the top Sovereigns in the Eldritch Court. Each of them possesses unfathomable power, and only by making immense contributions can one hope to advance to the tenth rank."

"Overlord?" Wu Yuan's pupils constricted slightly.

So that was it. One had to possess the strength of an Overlord and render great meritorious service to stand a chance of promotion to the tenth rank in the Eldritch Court. No wonder his master hadn't bothered to mention it.

For Wu Yuan himself, the tenth rank seemed quite distant.

"For geniuses, there's additional nurturing provided, and the requirements won't be too stringent," Eldritch Sovereign Kua Chi continued.

"For instance, if you conquer the final level of the Eldritch Deity Tower and become a High Eldritch, you'll qualify as a first-rank member. Further promotions, however, will require you to contribute to the Eldritch Court and accumulate sufficient eldritch merits.

In a sense, from the day you receive a rank in the Eldritch Court, you'll no longer be merely a genius, but a true powerhouse! One worthy of being called a powerhouse even across the endless river of space and time." Eldritch Sovereign Kua Chi said solemnly.

"That will also be the time you graduate from my tutelage," Eldritch Sovereign Kua Chi added.

"Disciple understands," Wu Yuan nodded slightly.

In his master's eyes, or rather, in the eyes of the various factions across the vast river of space and time, one needed to possess the strength of an Astral Lord to cross the threshold into the realm of true powerhouses, qualified to make certain contributions to their respective factions.

To fully conquer the Eldritch Deity Tower, one needed to possess Dao comprehension on par with an Astral Monarch. High Eldritches and High Immortals with such Dao comprehension levels could generally unleash power equivalent to the seventh-stage Archimmortal level.

It was clear the Eldritch Court had its reasons for establishing such rules.

"Moving forward, I'll do my best to allocate some Faith power for you. Countless worldlets are born and destroyed, so the Eldritch Court doesn't place too much emphasis on the Faith of worldlet inhabitants," Eldritch Sovereign Kua Chi said. "But if you truly want to obtain Faith power on a large scale, it'll depend on your own efforts."

"Understood," Wu Yuan nodded repeatedly.

Though there were numerous worldlets, the Faith power from billions of worldlets couldn't compare to that of a single eldritch mainland continent.

"When do you think you'll be able to return?" Eldritch Sovereign Kua Chi inquired.

"Disciple still needs to seclude himself for cultivation for some time," Wu Yuan replied. "Also, the Thunder Marsh World seems to hold some secrets hidden by Astral Monarch Wan Lei... Disciple wishes to investigate further before returning."

There was no need to conceal this from his master. Moreover, as his strength grew, so too would the enemies he might provoke. Sometimes, informing his master of his whereabouts in advance could increase his chances of survival if he needed to call for help at a critical moment.

"Astral Monarch Wan Lei?" Eldritch Sovereign Kua Chi pondered briefly before replying, "Very well. He once comprehended the Great Dao of Creation. Though he never matched a Sovereign, his combat prowess surpassed that of a ninth-stage Astral Monarch, ranking him among the top hundred Astral Monarchs in the macrocosm.

The Thunder Marsh World he left behind seems to hold some mysteries that haven't been fully unraveled over the years. Perhaps the Sovereigns of the Greenridge Immortal World were unwilling to remove all the treasures. Since you're comprehending the Great Dao of Creation, you might gain some insights.

However, you must still be cautious. It is, after all, a relic site left by a powerful Astral Monarch. Killing you would be quite easy for such a being," Eldritch Sovereign Kua Chi looked at Wu Yuan.

"Yes," Wu Yuan nodded repeatedly.

Even among Astral Monarchs, there were differences in strength. Clearly, Astral Monarch Wan Lei had been a terrifyingly powerful existence. The Thunder Marsh World alone was evidence enough of that.

"Alright, go then. If you encounter any trouble, come see me again," Eldritch Sovereign Kua Chi said.

"Oh, and before breaking through to High Eldritch, don't rush to challenge the Eldritch Deity Tower. Although the information within the Eldritch Deity Tower is absolutely confidential, we can't rule out the possibility of spies secretly controlled by the Voltari Temple gaining access to your secrets.

Once the Voltari Temple is aware of your talent, they will certainly go all out to assassinate you. It’s likely that even Sovereigns would take action.

After becoming a High Eldritch, your self-preservation ability will significantly improve," Eldritch Sovereign Kua Chi said gravely.

"Understood," Wu Yuan's heart tightened.

Then, Wu Yuan's avatar dissipated as Eldritch Sovereign Kua Chi sent him out of this plane.

…

Wu Yuan returned to his personal hall in the Cang Feng Eldritch Voidrealm, where numerous virtual immortal slips hovered in the air.

"Six hundred years, and I'm back here again," Wu Yuan's gaze swept over these immortal slips.

Wu Yuan hadn't managed to read them all before his master had summoned him. Now he finally had the time to do so.

Wu Yuan swiftly scanned through the immortal slips one by one. Most contained trivial matters, mainly responsibilities and mission updates for Origin Eldritch Field members transmitted from the Origin Eldritch Field.

Come to think of it, I've missed quite a few Heaven and Earth Tournaments in the Origin Eldritch Field.

Wu Yuan muttered to himself.

I also haven't completed many of the tasks for the Elysian Field phase. Regaining membership in the Second Origin Eldritch Field might be a bit troublesome.

Of course, Wu Yuan didn't care too much. Given his current strength and perspective, he wasn't particularly concerned about his status as a member of the Origin Eldritch Field. Even Master Kua Chi hadn't specifically mentioned it.

The purpose of the Origin Eldritch Field was to nurture a large group of top-tier geniuses for the Cang Feng Eldritch World, while Wu Yuan was already considered the top genius to emerge from the entire Eldritch Court in countless ages—they simply weren't on the same level.

Besides the immortal slips, Wu Yuan also began reviewing the numerous messages he hadn't read over the years.

There were inquiries from several Astral Monarch powerhouses like Astral Monarch Hou Qu and Astral Monarch Xue Ying, who had always paid close attention to Wu Yuan but hadn't received any news from him.

There were messages from fellow disciples like Senior Brother Jiang Huan and Senior Brother Chang Hong.

There were also many from friends he had crossed paths with in the Fourth and Fifth Origin Eldritch Fields. Most of these friends had now become Void Refiner/Elysian Field cultivators and entered the Third Origin Eldritch Field.

There were messages from Cen Jiang, Fang Xia, and others as well.

Of course, these were just a small portion. The majority of messages came from his sister, Wu Yijun.

In addition to detailed immortal slips sent about once every hundred years, describing her own situation and various happenings in the Summerpeak World, there were also numerous brief messages.

Even though he had anticipated this, Wu Yuan couldn't help but sigh. Before his qi refiner self left for the Spacetime Island, he had read through a few immortal slips, but to conceal his identity, he had ultimately chosen not to reply. Not until his body refiner self returned.

…

Senior Brother Jiang Huan still cares about me, sending messages once in a while.

Wu Yuan shook his head slightly.

Senior Brother Chang Hong just messaged me once to ask how I was doing, probably because he didn't hear any news from me for some time.

He read through them one by one. The vast majority of the messages were well-intentioned.

Cen Jiang actually broke through to become a High Immortal?

Wu Yuan couldn't help but recall the alluring woman in red robes who had sworn an oath before him years ago.

After more than six hundred years, she had become a High Immortal. Even as a High Immortal, she remained Wu Yuan's servant, diligently executing the various plans Wu Yuan had put in place before his departure.

Even though Wu Yuan had never replied, her messages had never ceased, informing him about various developments once a decade.

Little Sister? She's already reached the ninth-stage Amethyst Cradle phase?

Wu Yuan read through some of Cen Jiang's status reports.

Over the centuries, the overall impact of Wu Yuan’s departure on the Summerpeak World wasn't significant. In fact, it had grown far stronger than before.

An Archimmortal from the Eldritch Court had taken his sister, Wu Yijun, under her wing as a disciple. Under the Archimmortal's guidance, and with access to abundant resources, her cultivation speed was fast. However, she wasn’t too talented, so she didn't qualify to cultivate in the Origin Eldritch Field.

At the same time, his sister had also gotten married. More accurately, her husband had married into her family.

Her husband was a cultivator of considerable talent who had emerged from the Summerpeak World. He was now also a Shambhala cultivator, and they had two sons together.

They all bore the Wu surname now, carrying on the Wu Clan lineage.

It was only now that the Wu Clan had truly begun to flourish in Summerpeak, and the entire Summerpeak World had become more prosperous.

Mother actually took a special kind of medicinal pill? Her lifespan is no longer a concern?

Wu Yuan was likewise slightly surprised.

Was this Master’s arrangement?

The abilities of his master, a Sovereign, were surely extraordinary. In Wu Yuan's heart, a sliver of gratitude towards his Master arose, realizing that he had already helped resolve his lingering concerns.

Now, the Middle Land and the Summerpeak mainland had fully merged and completed their Faith conversion to Wu Yuan. The Summerpeak World had also truly integrated into the order of the eldritch world.

A multitude of cultivators from the Summerpeak World had chosen to leave their homeland, venturing into the nearest eldritch continent. Some gradually grew into formidable immortal cultivators. With the support of abundant resources, nearly a hundred Amethyst Cradle/Shambhala cultivators had emerged.

As he perused this information, the smile never left Wu Yuan's lips.

But suddenly, the smile on his face froze.

Hmm? Fang Xia?

A flicker of surprise flashed in Wu Yuan's eyes, quickly followed by a hint of anger.

Old Fang!

The message was very clear – Fang Xia had disappeared!

I should go see my sister first and ask for the specifics.

Wu Yuan decided

With a thought, he sent a message to Wu Yijun and Cen Jiang.