The river of space and time stretched without limit.

Though the Taiyuan Divine Court’s influence permeated thousands of macrocosms, only a small number was under its full control, while in most macrocosms it only held a fraction of control. For instance, the Taiyuan Divine Court's influence extended to only a part of the Greenridge Macrocosm.

Across the entire river of space and time, there were quite a few other super factions on par with the Taiyuan Divine Court. These super factions all paid close attention to developments throughout the river of space and time.

Battles between super powerhouses, the emergence of treasure troves, the rise of peerless geniuses, and other such events would all attract the notice of these factions. Their intelligence networks likewise spanned various corners of the river of space and time.

Therefore, the news of Sovereign Black Devil's inheritance trial, followed by Ming Jian's meteoric rise to prominence in the Dao Realm, spread at an astonishing pace.

In a distant region of spacetime, far removed from the Greenridge Macrocosm, there existed a vast and prosperous macrocosm.

Within it lay a continent shrouded in black mist, teeming with countless strange beasts.

"Kill!" A roar that shook millions of li rang out, followed by dazzling blade rays slicing through space.

Each strike warped space itself, sending a beast with a terrifying vital aura plummeting, and rending heaven and earth asunder.

Blood sprayed and corpses littered the ground, nearly turning the entire world crimson.

Finally, all fell silent.

A muscular youth wearing only a pair of shorts appeared in space, his hair disheveled and unkempt. His bronze skin rippled with power. But the most striking feature was his golden eyes, reminiscent of an ancient beast's gaze. They struck fear into one’s heart!

He held a war saber, its edge still dripping with fresh blood, a violent aura radiating outward.

Suddenly, countless points of light coalesced from the thin black mist, forming the silhouette of a figure in white robes. His aura was unfathomably vast.

He gazed down at the muscular youth below.

"Cang!" The white-robed figure spoke, his melodious voice echoing through heaven and earth.

"Sovereign," the muscular youth bowed slightly.

"The Overlord is very pleased with your rate of progress and achievements... Your next trial battle has been arranged. Your opponent will be an Astral Monarch," said the white-robed figure.

"An Astral Monarch?" The muscular youth's expression remained unchanged.

"Additionally, you have another rival in the Megaverse Crossroads," the white-robed figure pointed.

Whoosh~

Light converged to form a projection, revealing the scene of Wu Yuan slaughtering his way through the Snowlight Mist Realm. The muscular youth watched calmly.

"His name is Ming Jian. He displayed Astral Monarch-level combat power in the Spacetime Dao Realm. His Dao comprehension should be at the mid-stage Astral Monarch level. He comprehends both Space and Time, and is suspected to comprehend the Great Dao of Spacetime," the white-robed figure explained. ℞ἁNô𝔟Ɛś

"Mid-stage Astral Monarch? Even if he comprehends the Great Dao of Spacetime, he's far from being my match," the muscular youth frowned. "With such strength, he must have also cultivated some heaven-defying secret art. Is it a Saint Prohibition Art?"

He immediately made several deductions.

"It's likely a Saint Prohibition Art, or some other equally powerful burst secret art," the white-robed figure said. "But what's most eye-catching about him is the duration of his cultivation.

He has only been cultivating for just over two thousand years," the white-robed figure revealed.

"Just over two thousand years?" The muscular youth, who had given off an indifferent air before, suddenly fixed his gaze on the figure in the light screen projection, his eyes flashing with a cold light.

"Ming Jian, was it?"

…

The river of space and time stretched vast and boundless, with each macrocosm separated by immense distances, like isolated islands in a vast ocean.

Within an ocean, there would always be chaotic regions. Similarly, within the river of space and time, there existed some very special areas.

For example—the Abyss!

It was the source of destruction, giving rise to the most aberrant and crazed beings in the entire heaven and earth—devils!

The Abyss did not exist within the normal Material Spatial Layer, but rather at the 'end' of this river of space and time.

Through the Abyss, one could swiftly reach various parts of the entire river of space and time, including different macrocosms.

Occasionally, when a spatial connection was established between the Abyss and a new macrocosm, it would spark a terrifying war that upended the lives of countless immortals and deities.

Many macrocosms had been destroyed as a result, with countless living beings becoming fodder for the devils.

Deep within the Abyss, in an extremely harsh environment, there paradoxically existed a world of unparalleled beauty, where countless hell devils lived normal lives. Even some worm devils could be seen.

A naked crystal figure walked through this world, his body seemingly carved to perfection, flawless in every detail, like an incomparably beautiful work of art.

The Megaverse Crossroads is opening. Indeed, it's an era of great contention.

The crystal man murmured to himself.

To achieve such power after only two thousand years of cultivation, a crop of peerless geniuses is truly emerging.

This Ming Jian should be counted among those with the greatest talent. It's a pity he was born too late, with less than twenty thousand years left, his chances of claiming a Saintcrest are very slim.

Hmm. For now, I'll place him at number nine on my Current Danger Index.

The crystal man muttered, looking down at the seemingly harmless multitude of hell devils below.

Saintcrest!

I must give my all to seize a Saintcrest in the Megaverse Crossroads.

…

In a brief span of time, various super factions throughout the river of space and time had all taken note of the name 'Ming Jian' and marked him as a person of interest.

His current strength, it seemed, still fell short of competing for a Saintcrest. But his brief cultivation period hinted at astonishing potential.

What heights would he reach after ten thousand more years of cultivation? The future was uncertain. Naturally, they regarded him with great seriousness.

As time flowed onward, news of Wu Yuan's battle spread to distant and mysterious realms beyond.

"A monstrous prodigy named Ming Jian has been born in the Ling Jiang Universe?"

"In terms of talent, he should rank among the top three of this era in the Ling Jiang Universe, perhaps even first, though his power still lags slightly behind."

"The Megaverse Crossroads is filled with countless geniuses. Ming Jian? He's but one among many."

…

Wu Yuan vaguely sensed the commotion and shock his battle had caused, and was somewhat affected by it.

However, he paid it no mind. He simply followed his plan, first obtaining a mid-grade Dao Instrument from the Myriad Waves Palace for soul protection. Then, he waited for the Spacetime Treasure Hall to deliver the treasures he had spent over 80 billion divine crystals on.

On the Spacetime Island, within his hall.

Golden River... What an odd name.

Wu Yuan mused to himself, sitting in lotus position atop a jade platform as he sensed the artifact within his upper dantian.

The twelve Yuan Souls had converged and a faint golden light seemed to shimmer around them, but upon closer inspection, it was not light at all. Rather, countless tiny droplets flowed like a hazy and ethereal river.

This was the mid-grade Dao Instrument that Wu Yuan had just acquired, Golden River.

Golden River may be a strange name, but its power is indeed formidable.

Wu Yuan pondered silently.

He had just managed to decipher it. With his current Dao comprehension and Yuan Soul strength, he found it difficult to control perfectly.

Typically, only a late-stage Astral Monarch could hope to fully unleash the power of a mid-grade Dao Instrument, truly revealing its might.

The Golden River excels at defending against illusion-type soul attacks.

Wu Yuan noted as he gradually familiarized himself with it.

Compared to the Nine Star Lotus Platforms, it's more specialized, while the Lotus Platforms are more versatile, particularly adept at blocking soul-extinguishing attacks.

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Soul attacks came in many forms. Illusion art interference and soul annihilation were but two examples. Thus, different soul defense artifacts often specialized in different aspects of protection.

In terms of pure value, the Nine Star Lotus Platforms should be worth more.

Wu Yuan mused.

But the Golden River is not bad at all, and its Dao essence is the Law of True Domain. Sovereign Mo Lang didn't deliberately choose an artifact that is incompatible with me.

The more an artifact’s Dao essence aligned with the Dao comprehended by its user, the greater its power when wielded.

This resolves our karmic connection. It's for the best.

Wu Yuan thought.

He was still displeased with Sovereign Mo Lang's actions. Without sufficient strength, Wu Yuan would have perished long ago under Sovereign Mo Lang's repeated assaults. However, reconciliation was the best choice for Wu Yuan at present.

I've gained a powerful Dao Instrument and removed a Sovereign-level enemy. Both can be considered benefits.

Wu Yuan reflected.

On the path of cultivation, there were times when compromise was necessary.

As for the Golden River, an artifact of this caliber would require gradual deciphering.

Next, I must focus on upgrading my nine lifebound flying swords to mid-grade celestial artifacts. It will take a thousand years.

My qi refiner self will remain on the Spacetime Island, cultivating the lifebound flying swords while receiving the spacetime inheritances.

Wu Yuan mapped out his cultivation plan.

About sixteen thousand years remained until the opening of the Megaverse Crossroads.

It seemed like a long time, but Wu Yuan knew that if he wished to compete for the greatest opportunities and even seize a Saintcrest, he would have to give it his all.

There was no room for the slightest complacency.

Though I now comprehend a Great Dao, in the future, even with extremely deep Dao comprehension, I may still be trapped at the Astral Monarch level.

Wu Yuan pondered.

If I wish to smoothly become a Sovereign, an Overlord, and even break free from the shackles of the samsara cycle of heaven and earth, this Megaverse Crossroads is of utmost importance.

Wu Yuan's body refiner self had already perused vast amounts of information.

Throughout history, countless monstrous prodigies had risen to prominence in the Megaverse Crossroads. After each opening, a great number of Sovereign powerhouses would emerge, and even several Overlords would be born.

It was a grand event in all of heaven and earth. The great opportunities it held even surpassed what a True Saint could bestow.

I’m indeed fortunate to be born in this era. Since I'm here, I must strive to become the strongest.

Wu Yuan's heart burned with endless yearning.

His family? He had already made the necessary arrangements, so there was no need to worry.

Now, what he truly yearned for was to reach the pinnacle of cultivation, to become a supreme existence.

Ambition was a great driving force.

Lifebound flying swords.

Wu Yuan cultivated slowly, following the guidance of the teachings.

The methods for upgrading lifebound flying swords were not a great secret. Following normal or inferior evolution pathway methods incurred little cost, but they all had limits to their potential.

The ultimate goal is to advance to Sovereign, upgrading them into high-grade Dao Instruments lifebound artifacts along the most optimal path.

Wu Yuan mused.

The power of high-grade Dao Instrument lifebound artifacts far surpassed that of normal high-grade Dao Instruments.

If one failed? For instance, if a powerhouse previously following the optimal evolution pathway was trapped at the late-stage Astral Monarch level, the losses were devastating!

Therefore, unless one displayed terrifying potential like Wu Yuan, ordinary geniuses would find it difficult to convince Sovereigns to invest such immense resources.

Geniuses of Jiang Huan and Nie Zhen's caliber mostly upgraded their lifebound artifacts along the superior evolution pathway.

Even geniuses like Astral Monarch Gui Yi and Sword Immortal Dong Yang, who were just a step below the Supreme Geniuses, often struggled to persuade Sovereigns to make that decision.