Chapter 785: A Bountiful Inheritance (1)

This?

"Senior Black Devil?" Wu Yuan called out, his voice echoing in the void. But the silence that answered was deafening.

Realization dawned upon him.

Has he chosen to disperse his consciousness already?

Wu Yuan realized that his successful fusion with that wisp of the Ancestral Pagoda's essence must have granted Sovereign Black Devil his long-awaited wish to be released.

After countless eons of imprisonment, who could blame that ancient being for seizing freedom at the first opportunity?

To Sovereign Black Devil, my future accomplishments are likely of little consequence.

Wu Yuan mused, a wry smile tugging at his lips.

Why would one who has already passed on care for such trivial matters?

In the grand scheme of things, they were strangers, bound only by circumstance and the whims of fate. Had the Sovereign not died, their meeting would have ended in bloodshed the moment Wu Yuan's identity as a fellow imprint bearer was revealed.

Wu Yuan's gaze swept across the roiling darkness that surrounded him.

He promised to make me the new master of the Black Devil Blood Hollow.

But how am I to do so when I can't even leave this special space?

Despite the trials he had endured and the power he had gained, Wu Yuan felt insignificant in the face of the Black Devil Blood Hollow's might.

His attempts to enter a higher spatial dimension were met with unyielding resistance, the spatial fluctuations around him completely suppressed.

Even with my comprehension of the Great Dao of Spacetime at the fifth-level True Intent stage, I can't find a single flaw to exploit?

The realization was humbling, a testament to the unfathomable power of the Black Devil Blood Hollow.

In the process of merging with that strand of the Ancestral Tower's essence, Wu Yuan had comprehended the Dao resonances and divine lights of those fifty-five sacred mountains. Yet, he unknowingly made tremendous progress in the Great Dao of Spacetime as well.

Whoosh~

As Wu Yuan pondered his predicament, the surrounding darkness began to coalesce, streams of inky black mist converging before him. The swirling vortex of shadow compressed, condensing into a perfectly spherical orb of deepest black.

The surface of the orb pulsed with an inner light, holding unfathomable power.

Hm?

Wu Yuan's brow furrowed as he instinctively reached out, his fingers closing around the black sphere. His Soul Will, now rivaling that of a late-stage Astral Lord, surged forth, probing the orb’s interior.

In that instant, it was as though the Big Bang occured in Wu Yuan's mind. Within the upper dantian lobe of his qi refiner self, his twelve Yuan Souls trembled, each Yuan Soul suddenly emblazoned with intricate cryptic patterns of pure black.

These markings seemed to sink into each Yuan Soul, vanishing from sight. To an outside observer, nothing would have appeared to change. But Wu Yuan felt it – a monumental expansion of his perceptive abilities.

His consciousness stretched across vast distances, touching upon hidden realms. The sensation was dizzying, intoxicating.

Control over the Black Devil Blood Hollow. I am truly its new master?

Wu Yuan marveled as information flooded his mind.

So, that black orb was the core essence of the entire Black Devil Blood Hollow.

Understanding bloomed within him.

By merging with and claiming ownership of the orb, I have become the master of this entire realm. The Black Devil Blood Hollow is an extraordinarily powerful spatial Dao Instrument, a self-contained world, an independent expanse of heaven and earth

.

Having successfully claimed ownership, everything Sovereign Black Devil had left behind now belonged to Wu Yuan.

Yet, the Black Devil Blood Hollow was a masterpiece among Dao Instruments, standing at the pinnacle of even high-grade Dao Instruments. Wu Yuan, in his current state, was far too weak to fully control such an artifact.

Moreover, Sovereign Black Devil's abrupt departure had left many questions unanswered, many secrets still shrouded in mystery.

Therefore, if Wu Yuan wanted to learn more about the Black Devil Blood Hollow, he would still need to expend considerable energy and time.

This Black Devil Blood Hollow is at least ten times more valuable than the Hundred Stars Saber.

Wu Yuan mused inwardly.

The comparison was stark. While both were high-grade Dao Instruments, the gulf between them was vast. The Hundred Stars Saber, impressive as it was, paled in comparison. Of course, it was still precious enough to drive countless Astral Monarchs mad with desire.

I should go see Big Devil.

Wu Yuan decided.

His knowledge of the Black Devil Blood Hollow surely surpasses my own.

With that thought, Wu Yuan took a step forward.

...

Greenridge Macrocosm, Cang Feng Temple

.

Wu Yuan's body refiner self, which had been seated in lotus position atop a jade platform, slowly exhaled and opened his eyes.

His gaze immediately fell upon the two Sovereigns standing nearby.

"Master, Sovereign Cang Feng," Wu Yuan rose swiftly, bowing with respect.

Sovereign Cang Feng's voice carried a hint of concern as he asked, "Are you unharmed?"

"This junior is unscathed," Wu Yuan replied. "Thank you for your concern, Sovereign."

Sovereign Cang Feng shook his head. "There's no need to thank me. I'm ashamed, Wu Yuan. While I don't know what you encountered, it seems my Cang Feng Temple was of little help to you."

Usually, he was quite confident in his own abilities, but this time his efforts were all futile.

"Your safety is what matters most," Sovereign Kua Chi interjected, his eyes twinkling with a mixture of pride and curiosity. "Tell me, my disciple, have you managed to evolve your soul to an Apotheosis Yuan Soul?"

“Mm,” Wu Yuan nodded.

This fusion with a sliver of the Ancestral Pagoda's essence had been no simple task. Though it appeared that only his qi refiner self had undergone the process, in truth, both of Wu Yuan's true selves had been drawn into that mysterious, transcendent realm.

Both true selves had undergone the fusion simultaneously. Success meant triumph; failure would have meant the annihilation of both his true selves.

Even now, Wu Yuan's memories of that place were growing hazy, as if some greater power was actively suppressing the knowledge he had gained.

He recalled spending what felt like an eternity there, his two consciousnesses merging into one, wielding the power of both Great Daos he had comprehended in perfect harmony.

In the end, he had succeeded, but upon returning to his physical forms, each Great Dao remained bound to its respective true self, and the insights gained in that higher realm were fading like the remnants of a vivid dream.

Nevertheless, this fusion has propelled my comprehension of both Great Daos to the fifth-level True Intent stage. My mastery of the Great Dao of Creation is likely not far from reaching the sixth level.

Wu Yuan mused silently.

Such progress was nothing short of miraculous. Under normal circumstances, advancing from the fourth to the fifth-level of Creation True Intent would require numerous years of dedicated cultivation.

Wu Yuan had thoroughly examined the upper dantian lobes of both his true selves, finding the black pagoda unchanged. But his Yuan Souls and immortal roots had all reached the Apotheosis level. This fundamental evolution filled Wu Yuan with excitement.

My body refiner self, already blessed with guidance from True Saint Bu Xiu’s will and the Life Dao Body, was progressing at an astonishing rate. Now, with an Apotheosis Yuan Soul...

His eyes gleamed.

Wu Yuan knew that his comprehension of the Great Dao of Creation would only accelerate from this point forward. Many of the minor bottlenecks that might have impeded his progress would likely fall apart before his newfound abilities.

In Wu Yuan's estimation, only two major hurdles remained on his body refiner self's path of Dao comprehension: crystallizing Creation Dao Field and fully comprehending the Law of Life.

Advancing to the ninth-level True Intent stage of Creation was merely a matter of time.

"Master," Wu Yuan spoke respectfully, "this disciple is truly fine now. Perhaps it would be best if I returned to Summerpeak?"

He carefully avoided any mention of the Ancestral Pagoda, knowing that some secrets were best kept hidden.

"Very well, you may return," Sovereign Kua Chi nodded, choosing not to press for details. With a wave of his hand, Wu Yuan's body refiner self vanished from the temple.

Within the now-quiet hall of the Cang Feng Temple, Sovereign Cang Feng turned to his fellow Sovereign with an amused expression. "Your disciple undergoes such a transformation, and you don't even question him further?"

Sovereign Kua Chi shook his head, a knowing smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "If he wishes to speak of it, he will do so of his own accord. Why force the issue? You should understand, Cang Feng, that monstrous prodigies are often extremely confident beings. The stronger they become, the less they tolerate others questioning their actions.

As long as his actions do not harm our eldritch world, why should we interfere? Do you truly believe we can shape a Sovereign through mere guidance?"

Sovereign Cang Feng found himself at a loss for words.

"Moreover," Sovereign Kua Chi added, his voice dropping, "the Eldritch Court has relayed a message – it’s a direct order from the Eldritch Progenitor."

Sovereign Cang Feng's eyes widened in surprise. "An order from the Eldritch Progenitor? What did it say?"

Under normal circumstances, orders from the Eldritch Court to the Cang Feng Eldritch World were typically handled by Sovereigns or, at most, Overlords. As such, Sovereigns like Cang Feng held little fear. Overlords from beyond their realm held little sway over them. But the Eldritch Progenitor was an entirely different matter.

"The Eldritch Progenitor spoke but a single sentence," Sovereign Kua Chi revealed. "Wu Yuan's path is his own to walk."

"Such a swift response... The Eldritch Progenitor must have a keen interest in Wu Yuan," Sovereign Cang Feng instantly grasped the significance of this development.

Sovereign Kua Chi nodded in affirmation.

What remained unsaid was that Sovereign Kua Chi's decision to take Wu Yuan as a disciple all those years ago had been at the Eldritch Progenitor's behest.

"It seems that in a few hundred thousand years, our eldritch world may well give rise to a truly extraordinary being," Sovereign Cang Feng mused, shaking his head in wonder.

"Cang Feng," Sovereign Kua Chi suddenly smiled, changing the subject, "perhaps now you can give me an answer regarding the matter we discussed in our last meeting?"

"Last meeting?" Sovereign Cang Feng frowned momentarily before realization dawned. "Ah, you mean about the Faith power?"

Sovereign Kua Chi's smile widened, but he remained silent.

"Very well," Sovereign Cang Feng agreed after a moment's hesitation. "I'll make arrangements to allocate Faith power equivalent to that of an eldritch nation as soon as possible. It's best not to reveal Wu Yuan's talent as far as possible. The more people who know, the higher the chance that the Voltari Temple might discover something through their divinations of destiny.

However," he added thoughtfully, "it may be necessary to allow him to display some of his abilities at times. It would help appease the frustrations of those Astral Monarchs."

"A small matter!" Sovereign Kua Chi responded. "A sword gains its sharpness from tempering. When he reaches the level of a Sixth Tribulation High Immortal, his true potential will naturally be revealed. He's only a First Tribulation High Eldritch now, so there's no rush."

Sovereign Cang Feng nodded in agreement.

"I'll take my leave then," Sovereign Kua Chi announced. With a slight ripple in the surrounding space, he vanished from the hall, returning to his own Sovereign temple.

Wu Yuan's body refiner self was waiting respectfully within the temple.

"Master, I have received the inheritance from Sovereign Black Devil," Wu Yuan reported. "However, there are some deep secrets involved that I cannot speak of..."

Wu Yuan wasn’t intentionally lying. He simply felt that the fewer people who knew about the Ancestral Pagoda, the better.

Even if he told Master Kua Chi, what could he do? Would he be able to help?

"There's no need. As I once said, regarding matters of your qi refiner self, tell me as little as possible unless absolutely necessary. The fewer who know, the safer you'll be," Sovereign Kua Chi advised. "You're growing stronger and your talent is becoming more apparent. Many dangers will gradually come knocking, and even I may struggle to protect you from all threats. You must be extra cautious yourself.

Divinations of destiny, spacetime reversal... there are many methods to pry into your secrets. So, try to expose as few secrets as possible," Sovereign Kua Chi warned gravely.