Chapter 921: Heaven And Earth Returns To Nothingness, The Final Curtain (1)

In Zhu Shan's estimation, only Wu Yuan had a high probability of meeting the conditions to achieve a first-grade Saintcrest so swiftly.

Ming Jian? There was a possibility, but not a large one.

As for the others? Peerless geniuses like Li Guang and Qin Yuan weren't even on Zhu Shan's radar.

In this Megaverse Crossroads, the only ones he truly regarded seriously were Wu Yuan, Ming Jian, and Inconstance. And among them, only Wu Yuan could be viewed as a genuine rival and threat.

If it's Wu Yuan, it's understandable.

Zhu Shan mused inwardly.

His talent for the path of matter is truly astonishing. Even I pale in comparison. His breakthrough to the Primal Force Diagram level was far swifter than mine.

Zhu Shan had no true gauge of Wu Yuan's talent for the path of matter.

He pondered the transmission for a moment.

If it's Wu Yuan, he's a worthy opponent and it is a boon for our Eldritch Court.

Zhu Shan's mind remained tranquil.

If it's someone else? Having another rival in this era is not a bad thing.

He was shocked, for he knew well the immense difficulty of meeting the requirements of a first-grade Saintcrest on the path of Laws.

A first-grade Saintcrest? With just over a hundred years left, Zhu Shan wasn't confident in his own success. Yet he felt no discouragement, nor did he doubt himself.

I shall walk my own path, step by step, to the very pinnacle.

This was Zhu Shan's indomitable spirit.

Third-grade Saintcrest, first-grade Saintcrest—he would strive for them, but never question himself based on such external evaluations.

Onward!

Zhu Shan gently closed his eyes.

Though I may lag slightly, perhaps I can still claim two Saintcrests.

...

In another space within the Saintcrest trial grounds.

Clad in purple robes, Qin Yuan sat in lotus position in the void, silently sensing a fluctuation within his heart.

Destruction! Slaughter, death... the ultimate destruction. The origin, propagation, and destruction of all things form a complete cycle.

Qin Yuan contemplated silently as he continued his contemplation.

Within his upper dantian lobe, a bronze cauldron shimmered between reality and illusion. It radiated a faint light, its hazy aura enveloping him.

A Saintcrest has already been awarded?

Qin Yuan sighed inwardly.

Who could it be? Zhu Shan? Wu Yuan? Have they reached the requirements for a first-grade Saintcrest? Is the gap truly so vast?

I fear even achieving a second-grade Saintcrest will be difficult within the thousand-year limit.

Qin Yuan's brow furrowed slightly before he resumed his contemplation.

Since the opening of the Megaverse Crossroads, Li Guang had dominated the competition and shone as the representative of the Immortal Court, one of the two greatest factions.

Qin Yuan, the perpetually low-key prodigy of the Immortal Court, had initially been an unremarkable figure among their dozen or so Supreme Geniuses. But step by step, he had erupted onto the scene, breaking into the top forty, then the top twenty, and finally the top ten.

Now, he had surpassed even Li Guang, meeting the baseline requirements for a Saintcrest Prodigy – a third-grade Saintcrest!

In the past dozens of Megaverse Crossroads, this would have been a top-tier achievement.

Yet though he remained unaware of the progress of other geniuses, Qin Yuan could clearly sense that it would still be extremely difficult to claim a Saintcrest in this iteration of the Megaverse Crossroads at his current level.

...

In the trial grounds of the path of matter, within the realm occupied by Wu Yuan's body refiner self.

As the black pagoda underwent its transformation, radiating light, an invisible force permeated the twelve Yuan Souls of Wu Yuan's body refiner self. His comprehension of the Primal Force Diagrams soared rapidly.

This mystical process lasted nearly a full day. When Wu Yuan's aura finally stabilized, he opened his eyes once more, their brilliance hinting at the knowledge of many secrets.

The 1732nd Primal Force Diagram?

Wu Yuan marveled inwardly, a trace of awe in his heart.

This unexpected breakthrough filled him with joy, but also a hint of trepidation.

The final trial ground? The Primordial ground?

Wu Yuan mused internally, his emotions complex.

Now, he could clearly recall his two previous experiences, which even the workings of heaven and earth could no longer obscure from his memory. The first was in the Black Devil Blood Hollow, when he merged with a sliver of the black pagoda's essence. The other was when he fused with the Samsara Sword.

When he received these two momentous opportunities, his consciousness had arrived at an extremely mysterious and vast realm. Even now, Wu Yuan remained unsure of its location, but suspected it might be a final trial ground on par with the Megaverse Crossroads, harboring ultimate secrets.

In that final trial ground, Wu Yuan's consciousness had observed the ultimate Dao patterns of fifty-five divine mountains in a hazy, semi-conscious state. This led to him fusing the Great Dao of Spacetime and the Great Dao of Creation, creating a few strands of the mystical and supreme Primordial Dao patterns! This transcended mere Dao comprehension.

When Wu Yuan's consciousness departed from that place, the workings of heaven and earth suppressed everything, even blocking his consciousness, memories, and awareness.

That was, until today.

Through the Primordial Technique, Wu Yuan reshaped his physical body via the path of matter. As he evolved in the order of life, it triggered the black pagoda’s activation, which resisted the suppression of heaven and earth and awakened a portion of his memories and insights. But only a portion!

The ultimate end of all things, the primordial beginning of all things.

Wu Yuan mused.

The strand of Primordial Dao patterns I comprehended originates from the Great Dao, yet surpasses it. It not only encompasses the Great Dao but also the profundities of the path of matter, and must be intricately linked to the Ancestral Pagoda.

Even with the partial recovery of his memories and perceptions, Wu Yuan could not replicate that mystical, supreme insight.

In the normal realm of heaven and earth, even Great Daos could hardly manifest, let alone a concept beyond them. At least, Wu Yuan was not yet capable of such feats. Moreover, what Wu Yuan had recovered were merely hazy insights and memories, far from complete.

Yet even this faint trace of Primordial Dao resonance was enough to propel him to swift breakthroughs on the path of matter. It was as if the two were naturally complementary.

In the end, it allowed Wu Yuan's body refiner self’s comprehension of the Primal Force Diagrams to skyrocket, and he claimed a first-grade Saintcrest right away. The sense of familiarity he had experienced while comprehending the Primal Force Diagrams earlier all stemmed from this.

However, though his body refiner self had claimed a Saintcrest, Wu Yuan's mind was filled with even more confusion and curiosity.

The Primordial Dao patterns are constrained by heaven and earth, with all insights suppressed.

Wu Yuan pondered.

Did they manifest today because I’ve evolved to a sempiternal lifeform in terms of my physical body? Or is there another reason?

What is the relationship between the path of matter, the path of Laws... and the Primordial Dao patterns?

Wu Yuan wondered silently.

The Primordial Dao patterns were born from the fusion of insights from two Great Daos, logically unrelated to the path of matter. Yet in reality, the Primordial Dao patterns seemed to have a profound connection to the path of matter.

Where exactly did my consciousness go when I comprehended the Primordial Dao patterns?

Merging with the Ancestral Pagoda's essence allowed my consciousness to reach that mysterious realm, but what about the Samsara Sword? What exactly is this sword? How could it also reach that place?

Wu Yuan's mind brimmed with questions, yet he could find no answers.

These puzzles will likely only be solved when I reach the Well of Life.

Wu Yuan mused.

The Well of Life. This was a message the black pagoda transmitted to him when it behaved abnormally in his upper dantian lobe a day ago. It was also a place Wu Yuan had to visit.

To break free from the Ancestral Pagoda, I must first thoroughly understand it.

Wu Yuan's body refiner self gazed around. Primordial Stars wreathed in flames orbited him.

𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

He continued his contemplation. These hundred-odd years shouldn't be wasted. Once he left this place, such rapid progress would be extremely difficult to achieve.

A portion of my suppressed memories has awakened. My qi refiner self is progressing extremely quickly as well.

A glimmer flashed in Wu Yuan's eyes.

...

Wu Yuan's two true selves could not share their comprehension of the Great Daos, yet that trace of Primordial Dao resonance they had grasped was mysteriously shareable. It also guided the progress of Wu Yuan's qi refiner self.

Perhaps due to the lack of reaction from his qi refiner self's black pagoda, his qi refiner self’s perception was hazier. Moreover, this Primordial Dao resonance offered far less aid in comprehending the Great Daos.

Even so, it accelerated Wu Yuan’s progress, allowing him to quickly grasp insights and make deductions.

The years passed.

He silently broke through to the third-level Dao Field stage in the Great Dao of Spacetime, yet still failed to meet the requirements for a second-grade Saintcrest.

Must I truly break through to the fourth-level Dao Field stage?

Wu Yuan frowned.

Advancing from the first to second, then second to third-level Dao Field stage was challenging, but could be achieved gradually with ample time.

Meanwhile, progressing from the third to fourth-level Dao Field stage represented a qualitative change. The difficulty rivaled the great bottleneck from the ninth-level True Intent stage to the first-level Dao Field stage.

The challenges he faced on the path of Laws made Wu Yuan feel that the path of matter seemed far easier by comparison.

Of course, Wu Yuan knew this was an illusion caused by his body refiner self's rapid progress.

As time continued to flow, the thousand-year deadline for the Saintcrest Trial drew ever nearer. Every Supreme Genius was going all in.

Prodigies like Zhu Shan and Qin Yuan had met the Saintcrest requirements, yet still yearned to reach even greater heights. As for geniuses like You Feng, Li Guang, and Yan Xiao, though they had not yet met the Saintcrest requirements, they were all advancing at breakneck speed.

This was especially so for peerless geniuses like Li Guang and Yan Xiao who chose the path of Laws; all reached the third-level Dao Field stage of a Great Dao.

Once they left this place, they would be strong enough to be considered the genuine top ten geniuses.

...

Year after year went by.

Under the influence of the Primordial Dao resonance, and more importantly, with the help of those mysterious fluctuations, Wu Yuan's insights into the Great Dao of Spacetime had already reached the limit of the third-level Dao Field stage.

He was currently searching for a way to break through.

Spacetime!

The consciousness of Wu Yuan's qi refiner self perceived the scenes and images contained in those mysterious fluctuations.

The creation of heaven and earth.

Wu Yuan's consciousness was immersed in it, as if wandering in that world, where heaven and earth were created from a vast chaos, and Spacetime was thus born, evolving into myriad Daos and all things.

This was the beginning of everything.

From Wu Yuan's perception, the painting of heaven and earth's creation was like one entity. He vaguely saw different scenes within. There were streaks of sword light, some ethereal and unpredictable, some vast as an abyss, some as violent as fire, endlessly complex... but these strands of mysterious and varying sword lights all originated from the fundamental nature of heaven and earth, originating from Spacetime...

He observed again and again, perceiving again and again.

Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth... Karma, Life... many Greater Laws, and even numerous Intermediate Laws and Lesser Laws.

Wu Yuan made one deduction after another, and countless thoughts surged into his mind.

The many Laws coexisted in heaven and earth, evolving and operating, thus forming all things, and allowing the myriad beings to multiply and thrive.

But when tracing all things and all beings to the source, it led back to space and time.

Spacetime was the root. Spacetime was the source.

Wu Yuan observed again and again, and in his perception, everything seemed to transform into spacetime, everything seemed to evolve into sword lights, interweaving and converging.

As he immersed himself wholeheartedly in comprehension, an unknown span of time passed.

Perhaps it was an epiphany, or perhaps it was the accumulation of long years of contemplation, but in a certain instant, Wu Yuan finally grasped that fleeting feeling.

So that's how it is. The fourth-level Dao Field stage of the Great Dao represents truly surpassing the Greater Laws, truly advancing and sprinting towards the pinnacle of sempiternal life.

Wu Yuan had seen through everything, vaguely perceiving destiny’s guidance. He had already reached a higher level.

Spacetime gives rise to all things. If I wish to reach a higher level beyond time and space, I must reverse all this, transforming all things into my own body!

Wu Yuan's qi refiner self stood in the void. [1]

Whoosh!

A flying sword appeared before Wu Yuan. It was unremarkable, but in the next moment, it burst forth with terrifying radiance.

A sword light arose! It spread out vast and mighty, and within the radiance, there were wondrous sights of the universe's evolution, of myriad beings multiplying and living within, and even scenes of worlds being destroyed... The wheel of samsara turned silently, life continued endlessly.

Boom!

When the sword light streaked across the sky, the many scenes vanished like illusory bubbles. Only a gleam of sword light remained, as if eternal, never dissipating.

A sword strike surpassing the Greater Laws.

A sword strike surpassing the rules of heaven and earth’s workings.

One sword strike, leaving a mark in heaven and earth, never to fade.

Wu Yuan gently closed his eyes, grasping this move.

The eighth step of the Nine Swords of Spacetime - All Things Return To Nothingness.

The moment this sword strike was unleashed, Wu Yuan's qi refiner self had reached an entirely new realm– the fourth-level Dao Field stage of Spacetime.

"The requirements for a second-grade Saintcrest on the path of laws have been met." A gentle voice sounded in the spirit of Wu Yuan's qi refiner self.

1. TL explanation: Wu Yuan recognizes that time and space are the foundation for all existence, but he aims to reach a state beyond these constraints. To achieve this, he proposes a radical reversal of the normal order, suggesting that instead of time and space creating all things, he will absorb all things into himself. ☜