First, I must strive with all my might to break through. If successful, my strength would rank among the top-tier elite talents in the megaverse. Right now? I'm probably in the third or even fourth tier.

Wu Yuan acknowledged grimly.

Second, to increase my power, I need to focus on artifacts and secret arts, including the ‘Will of Life and Death’. Even if my Dao comprehension doesn't reach the Sovereign level, I might still master Sovereign-level techniques.

Wu Yuan's mind raced with possibilities.

Many formidable Astral Monarchs, on the edge of a breakthrough, would focus their efforts on deduction and contemplation. Though unable to cross the bottleneck, they could still grasp some of Sovereign-level profundities, mastering one or two techniques of that level. This naturally boosted their power greatly.

Such top-tier Astral Monarchs, if also possessing a first-degree immortal root, would wield quasi-Sovereign combat power. Astral Monarch Wan Lei, Astral Monarch Gui Yi, and Astral Monarch Second Devil were prime examples.

Lastly,

Wu Yuan's thoughts continued.

I must strive to cultivate part three of ‘Creation Saint Prohibition’ to a great degree of mastery. Then, my ether would rival a ninth-stage Archimmortal.

A flicker of desire sparked in Wu Yuan's heart.

Other geniuses of the Eldritch Court require Sovereign-level comprehension to cultivate supreme burst secret arts to this level. But I have the guidance of True Saint Bu Xiu's Great Dao imprint... I can achieve it now.

𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

This was the greatest advantage of Wu Yuan's body refiner self.

With the aid of a supreme being, ‘Creation Saint Prohibition’ was perfectly customized for him. Once mastered, and employing Beast Fusion with his Teng Snake, Wu Yuan's body refiner self would surpass the baseline of a ninth-stage Archimmortal, approaching the level of Astral Monarchs.

In this aspect, he could overpower many of the geniuses in the megaverse.

By then, even if my Dao comprehension lags, my foundation will be stronger, giving me a fighting chance. Plus, I have two true selves. Working in tandem, I could truly contend with that group of Supreme Geniuses.

He wouldn't be utterly outmatched.

An era of great strife! Across the entire megaverse, a batch of Supreme Geniuses might emerge, but how many will have an Apotheosis root? And happen to be successors of supreme beings?

Wu Yuan shook his head, knowing the probability was minuscule.

Most so-called Supreme Geniuses weren't qualified to become successors of supreme beings. This had been proven true in both the Immutable Land and the Spacetime Dao Realm.

Moreover, even if a genius was a successor of a supreme being, they might not possess a Great Dao imprint. Each supreme being had only nine Great Dao imprints in total. Once used up, they were gone.

Time to cultivate.

Wu Yuan calmed his mind and continued to contemplate part three of ‘Creation Saint Prohibition’.

If he had Sovereign-level comprehension, he could easily master it. Now, however, there were numerous obstacles to overcome.

…

Within the Eldritch Court Voidrealm was an incredibly vast plane. This plane was the core of the entire Ling Jiang Saintdom of the Eldritch Court.

Whoosh!

A purple-robed young woman appeared out of thin air, displaying only a fourth-rank status.

"Fourth rank?"

"Only fourth rank, yet able to come here?" The numerous powerhouses passing by all cast glances at the purple-robed young woman.

These powerhouses were mostly at the Astral Monarch level.

The Eldritch Court, with its influence spanning the entire megaverse, allowed countless powerhouses to enter the Eldritch Court Voidrealm. But separated by different universes, communication was extremely difficult. ꞦÀN𝐨ꞖÈ𐌔

Usually, one needed to be tenth rank to freely contact super powerhouses across other rivers of space and time. Often, only Overlords or some special Sovereigns could reach the tenth rank.

As for those below Sovereign? Without seventh-rank status, they weren't even qualified to directly contact all the powerhouses in their own universe.

Fifth-rank status was normally required to apply for entry into the Ling Jiang plane.

Whoosh!

The purple-robed young woman, however, soared skyward, directly flying into one of the temples.

"Oh?"

"Entering a Sovereign's temple?"

"Wonder which late-stage Sovereign's disciple she is, looks like a youngster." The many Eldritch Court powerhouses passing by muttered amongst themselves.

Those qualified to establish individual Sovereign temples in the Ling Jiang plane were at least late-stage Sovereign powerhouses.

Whoosh!

The purple-robed young woman entered the hall complex, quickly making her way into an inconspicuous hall where a blue-robed young man was leisurely enjoying tea.

"Senior Uncle," the purple-robed young woman greeted respectfully.

"Nan Yin, you've arrived. Sit down and have a cup of tea first," the blue-robed young man said with a smile.

This purple-robed young woman was none other than High Immortal Nan Yin. She sat down obediently.

"You've reached the Greenridge Macrocosm? How do you find it?" The blue-robed young man radiated an extraordinary aura, yet it carried no sense of intimidation. Instead, it felt like being gently warmed by the rays of spring sunlight.

"The great battle should still be some time away," High Immortal Nan Yin said. "I met Sovereign Kua Chi today, and he didn't give us any trouble."

"Mm." The blue-robed young man nodded. "This time, the Greenridge Macrocosm is recognized as one of the top ten macrocosms with the strongest providence in the entire Ling Jiang Universe.

There's no shortage of people who desire to head there. Within our Ling Jiang Saintdom of the Eldritch Court alone, there are no fewer than ten geniuses hoping to go, and their strength may not be inferior to yours."

High Immortal Nan Yin listened attentively. Though proud, she wasn't a Supreme Genius yet, and naturally didn't dare claim she could overwhelm countless geniuses in the Ling Jiang Universe.

"I recommended you firstly because your strength is sufficient, and secondly out of consideration for your master," the blue-robed young man said.

"Thank you, Senior Uncle," High Immortal Nan Yin said.

"Don't thank me yet." The blue-robed young man shook his head and said, "You should understand that you are not yet sempiternal, only mortal. You may only condense providence in one macrocosm, preferably your home macrocosm."

High Immortal Nan Yin nodded slightly.

One capacity for providence wasn't unlimited. This wasn’t a particularly great secret, with many supreme beings already aware.

Mortals could mostly only choose one macrocosm to condense providence from. Only by becoming sempiternal, borrowing the power of Dao essence, could one bear and condense greater providence.

Because of this, whether powerhouses from the Eldritch Court or Immortal Court, they would only choose one macrocosm to participate in battles, make a name for themselves, and condense providence.

One’s home macrocosm was the best choice. After all, if one was born in a particular macrocosm, one would have a natural compatibility with it, giving one an advantage.

The reason High Immortal Nan Yin came from the Eldritch Court Universe to the Ling Jiang Universe was that there were simply too many geniuses in the Eldritch Court Universe, with not enough providence to go around. She wasn’t strong enough to compete for the few macrocosms with the greatest providence either.

"So, there was controversy within the Ling Jiang Saintdom of the Eldritch Court this time," the blue-robed young man said. "Many Sovereigns and even Overlords believe we shouldn't compete with Wu Yuan. Wu Yuan's talent is of the highest caliber, he needs sufficiently strong providence."

"Then?" High Immortal Nan Yin hesitated slightly.

"But his strength is insufficient," the blue-robed young man said. "His talent is immense, but his cultivation time is too short. If we don't send someone with top-tier strength to compete, there's a high chance the Immortal Court will stand to benefit from the situation.

However, amidst the various controversies, many Sovereigns of the Ling Jiang branch of the Eldritch Court are unwilling to offend Wu Yuan. He has the potential to reach the late-stage Sovereign level in the future, and even has a sliver of hope to become an Overlord." The blue-robed young man smiled. "So, in the end, you were chosen."

Late-stage Sovereign? Overlord? High Immortal Nan Yin was inwardly shocked. The Eldritch Court certainly held Wu Yuan in high regard.

She also understood what her Senior Uncle meant. Coming from the Eldritch Court headquarters, Wu Yuan's future achievements would have little impact on her, no matter how outstanding.

"Senior Uncle, what should I do?" High Immortal Nan Yin asked.

"Show some goodwill towards Wu Yuan, don't be too proud," the blue-robed young man advised with a smile. "During the great battle, give Wu Yuan more opportunities to shine. "In a battlefield with billions of powerful beings, victory won’t depend on you alone."

"This disciple understands," High Immortal Nan Yin said.

…

The Immortal Hall of the Voltari Temple was where the geniuses of the younger generation were trained.

In the eastern part of this world, within a temple suspended in the void, a figure exuding an aura of boundless might sat upon a lofty throne. Lightning crackled around his form.

Below the throne stood over ten Astral Monarchs, each radiating immense power. At the temple's entrance, ten High Immortals and High Deities stood respectfully.

"Jiang Ming, why have we been summoned here by the Astral Monarchs?" A High Immortal in black robes at the entrance transmitted his thoughts. "Even a Sovereign is present. What could warrant such attention?"

Among the ten High Immortals/High Deities. the tall, slender youth in white robes at the forefront shook his head, "Stop asking and stand quietly. Everything will be answered in due time."

This white-robed youth, Jiang Ming, was the number one genius in the current generation of the Voltari Temple, possessing Dao comprehension at the Astral Monarch level.

For the past several hundred thousand years, he had consistently been the Voltari Temple's most dazzling talent, rivaling Jiang Huan of the Cang Feng Eldritch World in renown.

The other nine High Immortals and High Deities exchanged glances, falling silent.

These nine were all ranked among the top ten geniuses of the Immortal Hall, yet their Dao comprehension remained stuck at the late-stage Astral Lord level. Compared to Jiang Ming, they seemed but a single step behind, yet the gap was as vast as that between heaven and earth.

Time flowed on.

A subtle fluctuation rippled through space, instantly drawing the attention of the Astral Monarchs beneath the throne.

"They've arrived?"

"Who could it be?" The High Immortals and High Deities who had been waiting respectfully raised their heads to look.

Whoosh! Whoosh

! Suddenly, eight figures materialized within the temple. Save for one Astral Monarch, the other seven were all High Immortals or High Deities, each exuding an extraordinary aura.

The purple-robed youth at the front had cryptic patterns etched into his garments. The patterns emanated a peculiar energy, imbuing him with an innate air of nobility, as if he were born to rule over countless beings. Even compared to the Astral Monarchs present, he stood as their equal.

"Reporting to the Sovereign, Mu Long and the six other geniuses from the Saintdom have arrived," the accompanying Astral Monarch in black armor announced respectfully.

"Mu Long pays his respects to Sovereign Voltari," the purple-robed youth bowed slightly.

"We pay our respects to the Sovereign," the other six High Immortals and High Deities echoed, bowing reverently.

As their voices echoed through the hall, Jiang Ming's expression grew complex. The nine High Immortals/High Deities' expressions subtly shifted, inwardly filled with shock.

"Mu Long?"

"The number one genius of the Saintdom! It's said he's cultivated for a mere two hundred thousand years, yet already stands unrivaled among his generation in the Saintdom. Truly the epitome of a Supreme Genius."

"Why has he suddenly come here?" The nine High Immortals/High Deities exchanged thoughts, all astounded by this development.

The various Saintdom factions all trained and nurtured geniuses. While the Eldritch Court nurtured talents on a large scale, the Immortal Court also gathered elites from various macrocosms to compete, then selected the strongest among them.

Figures of Jiang Ming and Jiang Huan's caliber often only gained fame within their home macrocosms.

Only those of unparalleled talent, widely recognized as nearly impossible to surpass, had their names resonate across multiple macrocosms, firmly embedding themselves in the minds of countless powerhouses.

Ming Jian and Zhuo Haiyue were two examples. Though the strength they displayed had yet to reach its zenith, their youth and potential ensured their renown.

As for Mu Long, he was a prodigy with both talent and strength, having cultivated for over two hundred thousand years and long since established his reputation.

To rise above millions of geniuses from thousands of macrocosms in the talent-rich Ling Jiang Saintdom of the Immortal Court, becoming the undisputed number one of his generation, Mu Long's strength was beyond question.

He was still incredibly young, and with several hundred thousand more years left before the end of his lifespan, he undoubtedly had a chance to become a Supreme Genius.

However, time waited for no one, and only a few thousand years remained before the opening of the Megaverse Crossroads.

Even so, this did nothing to diminish his reputation. At the very least, according to intelligence from various Saintdoms across the Ling Jiang Universe, among the current generation of geniuses in the entire universe, Yu Xiang of the Desolation Divine Court ranked first in terms of strength. Mu Long was widely acknowledged to rank second.

"This time, Mu Long and the six other geniuses from the Saintdom have come to aid our Voltari Temple in winning the great battle at the high-level Eldritch-Immortal Battlefield," Sovereign Voltari spoke calmly from his lofty throne.

"Jiang Ming, you and the others are the most outstanding of the current generation in our Voltari Temple. You shall all participate in the battle as well."

"Yes," Jiang Ming responded, his expression calm.

"Understood," the other nine High Immortals/High Deities acknowledged.

They couldn't help but glance towards Mu Long and his companions, only to find that Mu Long hadn't even spared them a single look. It was as if he deemed them entirely beneath his notice.