Chapter 754: Stirring Up A Storm (2)

Yield? My attacks were still too weak.

Wu Yuan frowned slightly.

If his qi refiner self were here, wielding multiple lifebound flying swords, his attack power would have been far higher, greatly increasing his chances of killing Archimmortal Li Shu.

With nine lifebound celestial flying swords, Wu Yuan believed he could contend with an Astral Lord.

Right now, it's still very difficult for me to kill a sixth-stage Archimmortal. Li Shu's strength is also greater than I imagined.

Wu Yuan made his own assessment.

Archimmortal Li Shu worried about depleting her mana in a prolonged battle. But in reality, Wu Yuan's mana consumption was even higher. Unable to break through the opponent's defense after a series of consecutive attacks, he had already considered leaving.

"Very well. Li Shu, I accept. Five hundred thousand divine crystals to resolve this karmic debt." Wu Yuan agreed after brief consideration.

By agreeing, he could gain some treasures.

"Here!" Archimmortal Li Shu waved her hand, and a storage artifact immediately flew out, arriving before Wu Yuan seconds later. "Inside are treasures worth five hundred thousand divine crystals. You may inspect them."

Wu Yuan reached out and grasped it, sweeping it with his Soul Will to confirm the amount. "All good."

Whoosh!

Wu Yuan recalled the two sword arrays, finally allowing Archimmortal Li Shu to relax slightly.

"Ming Jian. There aren't many who can earn my sincere admiration, but you are one of them," Archimmortal Li Shu gazed at Wu Yuan from afar. "For an Earth Immortal to possess such strength... I've never heard of such a thing.

But your actions are so reckless. The Astral Lords of Space in the Dao Realm won't stand idly by. I hope you can weather the coming storm.

"I'll take my leave now." Archimmortal Li Shu hadn't fully recalled her arcane arts, still maintaining her lotus world.

Whoosh!

She swiftly departed.

Storm? Astral Lords of Space?

Wu Yuan thought to himself.

This Archimmortal Li Shu, she’s giving me a warning?

Even without her warning, Wu Yuan could anticipate that the various major factions of the Dao Realm might not let the matter rest after he had killed so many Archimmortals and Archdeities.

Whoosh!

Wu Yuan turned back, flashing to a spot several million li away, above the massive ice river vortex.

The vortex churned and expanded, clearly indicating that the treasure's emergence was near.

Hum~

After a moment, a fist-sized black crystal appeared, emanating strands of sinister energy.

Star Vein Black Crystal? One of this size should be worth at least several hundred thousand divine crystals.

Wu Yuan smiled, waving his hand to collect it.

This trip had yielded quite a harvest.

Wu Yuan had perused various materials and intelligence reports over the years, especially those concerning treasures. If he encountered precious treasures but failed to recognize them, it would be a tremendous regret for him.

Let's go!

Wu Yuan's form flickered and vanished, entering the Turbulent Spatial Layer.

Only a handful of dazed Archimmortals and Archdeities lingered, their expressions frozen in astonishment.

"Incredible!"

"Ming Jian actually forced Archimmortal Li Shu to yield, and he's only an Earth Immortal."

"A monstrous prodigy!"

"When has such a monstrous Earth Immortal ever emerged in the history of the Dao Realm?" These Archimmortals and Archdeities weren't disappointed about failing to obtain the treasure. Instead, they were exceptionally excited.

"We must spread this news."

"I fear this Ming Jian won't stop at this battle. He's bound to stir up even greater waves."

Their long years of cultivation, coupled with their true selves being in no danger of perishing, made them particularly keen to watch clashes between powerhouses. Perhaps they could glean some unique insights from these confrontations between the mighty.

Moreover, personally witnessing such a clash between powerhouses would serve as a topic of conversation in their respective social circles.

With their long lifespans and slow progress in strength, most Archimmortals and Archdeities placed great importance on such bragging rights.

...

This battle has been incredibly beneficial for me. My swordsmanship still has many weaknesses.

Wu Yuan walked through the Turbulent Spatial Layer, carefully recalling the recent battle.

Only in real-world battles could one discover their own shortcomings and subsequently work to address them.

Regarding the fourth step of the ‘Nine Swords of Spacetime’, Wu Yuan could only say he had grasped the basics, still far from complete mastery.

The further one progressed in cultivation, the slower their progress naturally became. In fact, each step of the Nine Swords of Spacetime consisted of thousands of variations, with different moves for different situations, all of which Wu Yuan needed to master one by one.

There's no rush to seek the next opponent. First, I'll reflect and digest the gains from this battle.

Wu Yuan casually found a spot in the Fragmentary Spatial Layer to cultivate.

Clashing with powerhouses to temper himself was his primary goal.

...

The fierce battle between Wu Yuan and Archimmortal Li Shu quickly spread among the numerous Archimmortals and Archdeities. But since no one had perished, the news wasn’t disseminated to a large extent, and naturally, its impact wasn't as significant.

After resting for several days, Wu Yuan set out once more, this time targeting an Archdeity whose strength rivaled that of a sixth-stage Archimmortal.

The battle ended in another draw between the two combatants.

In truth, Wu Yuan knew that his chances of defeating or killing his opponent were slim even before the fight began.

An Archdeity's self-preservation ability far surpassed that of an Archimmortal; even if Wu Yuan's sword techniques struck true, his opponent could withstand the assault. Not to mention, this Archdeity could parry with his weapon time and time again.

"I've heard about Archimmortal Li Shu's situation, but I refuse to yield. Ming Jian, if you have the ability, come kill me if you can," declared the powerful Archdeity, showing no sign of submitting.

Archimmortal Li Shu had conceded due to concerns about insufficient mana for prolonged combat and the possibility of being struck by Wu Yuan's sneak attacks. But an Archdeity's life force was robust, rendering them fearless of ambushes.

In the end, Wu Yuan had no choice but to retreat, seemingly gaining nothing from the encounter.

It wasn't a complete loss.

He mused.

Engaging an Archdeity of this caliber provides an even greater opportunity to hone my skills.

Wu Yuan reflected, his mind perfectly calm.

Crossing swords with top-tier powerhouses and using them to refine his swordsmanship was his primary objective.

...

Days passed, and Wu Yuan sought out targets at his own pace.

He focused mainly on sixth-stage Archimmortals and Archdeities who pursued him previously and remained within Snowlight Mist Realm thereafter.

He hunted them down one by one, engaging in fierce battles!

After each major confrontation, Wu Yuan would find a place to seclude himself and cultivate for a time, digesting the insights gained from the clash.

In one year, Wu Yuan fought forty-two battles.

In most, there was no clear victor; even when he held the upper hand, he could often only suppress his opponent, at most forcing them to concede.

Previously, Wu Yuan focused on secluded cultivation and had little real-world battle experience. Thus, as the battles continued, he saw his sword techniques enter a period of explosive growth.

His swordsmanship grew increasingly profound, and the power he could unleash grew ever more terrifying. As a result, his victory rate climbed higher in later battles, even leading to the deaths of some sixth-stage Archimmortal powerhouses at his hands.

Indeed, in the last dozen or so of the forty-plus battles, three sixth-stage Archimmortal powerhouses with slightly inferior defenses ultimately perished by his sword.

Moreover, he would occasionally look for weaker Archimmortal enemies to exact his vengeance.

Thus, the number of powerhouses below the sixth-stage Archimmortal level he had killed eventually exceeded five hundred! This was an utterly staggering figure.

Through frenzied combat and slaughter, his reputation spread.

"He's merely an Earth Immortal."

"Yet even sixth-stage Archimmortal powerhouses have fallen to him? His strength is truly terrifying."

"Few below the Astral Lord level can withstand his attacks."

"He's already slain five or six hundred Archimmortals and Archdeities."

"This Ming Jian is just an Earth Immortal, yet already this formidable. Once he breaks through to High Immortal, how much stronger will he become?" Within the year, the name Ming Jian had spread throughout the entire Snowlight Mist Realm, and even among the countless immortals and deities of the nine major factions across the Dao Realm.

An Earth Immortal, slaying sixth-stage Archimmortals.

Wu Yuan forged his resounding reputation through his battle record, striking fear into countless Archimmortals and Archdeities across the Dao Realm, and catching the attention of numerous Astral Lords.

The Astral Monarchs who had originally ordered the hunt for Ming Jian to seize the Black Devil Star were not only shocked by his strength, but also extremely infuriated. Those fallen Archimmortals and Archdeities were all subordinates under their command.

Ming Jian's rampage was, without a doubt, a slap to their faces.

"Although most of those he killed were merely mana bodies and ether bodies, inflicting minimal losses to us, the impact is far too negative."

"This is an affront to our dignity."

"His attacks aren't overwhelmingly powerful; he hasn't sought targets at the Astral Lord level yet."

"Let's gather the Astral Lords of Space under our command to enter the Snowlight Mist Realm and slay Ming Jian."

"Yes, that's right."

"We must kill him once more to make him understand that we, the nine major factions, are the true core of the Dao Realm." The powerful Astral Monarchs from various factions, including Astral Monarch Ya Hei, reached a decision after deliberation–they would mobilize a large number of Astral Lords of Space.

Only Astral Lords of Space had any hope of catching and killing Ming Jian within the Turbulent Spatial Layer.

...

In the Core Region of the Snowlight Mist Realm, amidst endless blizzards.

A message from the Astral Monarch?

Ordering me to hunt down Ming Jian?

A figure in purple robes, whose skin was nearly transparent, gazed at the message in his hand.

He was Astral Lord Gu Shou, a subordinate of Astral Monarch Ya Hei, a powerful Archdeity with strength equivalent to a ninth-stage Archimmortal. He was also an Astral Lord of Space.

Decades ago, during the Black Devil Star incident, he was the first Astral Lord of Space to arrive at the Snowlight Mist Realm.

In that battle, Wu Yuan's mana body ultimately perished, primarily due to his relentless pursuit, which had left Wu Yuan with nowhere to flee.

Capable of killing so many sixth-stage Archimmortals? And several hundred Archimmortals and Archdeities?

Astral Lord Gu Shou's eyes flickered.

Though most weren't true selves, it's enough to demonstrate this Ming Jian's strength.

He can even enter the Turbulent Spatial Layer. He's become truly formidable.

Previously, Astral Lord Gu Shou had slain Wu Yuan's mana body effortlessly.

But now? He felt that Wu Yuan's strength warranted his full attention; even if not yet at the Astral Lord level, he was close. And he was skilled in the Spacetime Dao.

If he hasn't returned to the Spacetime Island, he must be carrying treasures worth at least tens of millions of divine crystals, possibly even hundreds of millions.

Astral Lord Gu Shou speculated.

He felt that such a wealth of treasures was worth putting in some effort.

Let's go!

Astral Lord Gu Shou plunged into the Turbulent Spatial Layer, beginning his search for Wu Yuan.

...

The Astral Monarch has orders for me? Very well, let's search for Ming Jian.

Another Astral Lord of Space in the Snowlight Mist Realm, Astral Lord Xiang Xiao, also chose to join the hunt for Wu Yuan.

His sole purpose in the Snowlight Mist Realm was treasure hunting. If he could slay Ming Jian, he would acquire treasures worth at least tens of millions of divine crystals, naturally tempting him.

...

There were many Astral Lords exploring the Snowlight Mist Realm, but the vast majority never considered going after Ming Jian. They simply had no hope of success; once Wu Yuan escaped into the Turbulent Spatial Layer, these Astral Lords could only helplessly watch him go.

Only Astral Lords of Space had the ability to catch up to him.

Besides Astral Lord Gu Shou and Astral Lord Xiang Xiao, several other Astral Lords of Space received orders from their respective Astral Monarch superiors and began converging on the Snowlight Mist Realm from various parts of the Dao Realm.

Indeed, Wu Yuan had displayed great potential and formidable strength. But this didn't mean the Astral Monarchs of the Dao Realm's nine major factions would allow Wu Yuan to run rampant and slap their faces. It was time for them to counterattack!

After all, historically, no Spacetime Island imprint bearer had ever returned to the Dao Realm after completing their Tribulations.

Even the rumored potential successors of the Dao Master had never returned to the Spacetime Island.

...

In the Spacetime Immortal Voidrealm was a special plane belonging to the Spacetime Island.

Inside the private room of a tavern in the Taiyuan Court, only two people were present: Wu Yuan and Zhuo Haiyue.

"Ming Jian, you've stirred up quite a storm this time." Zhuo Haiyue smiled faintly. "I suspect those Dao Realm Astral Monarchs won't let this slide. They're sure to dispatch Astral Lords of Space to hunt you down. Are you confident?"