Chapter 941: Eruption, Supreme Astral Monarch (1)

Attacking outright?

Wu Yuan was slightly startled, his heart plummeting.

Encountering an Immortal Court Sovereign was already the worst-case scenario. On top of that, the opponent had attacked him without hesitation.

Unfortunately, this was the norm. Sovereigns and Astral Monarchs had fundamental differences in their vital aura. Sovereigns had always been high and mighty; once encountered, they would casually kill if displeased.

This Sovereign Xiong Guang is just an ordinary Sovereign. If it comes to a fight, with my true self and ether body joining forces, I should be no weaker than him. But once a battle breaks out, the situation will become unpredictable.

Countless thoughts flashed through Wu Yuan's mind.

Sovereign Xiong Guang hadn't recognized him yet. But as a Sovereign, he certainly had access to the entire Immortal Court's intelligence database. If Wu Yuan were to erupt with full power, there was a high probability he would compare it against the powerhouses in the database one by one. The chances of his identity being uncovered would skyrocket.

After all, there were hundreds of millions of Astral Monarchs in a universe, with at least 100,000 Astral Monarch powerhouses possessing quasi-Sovereign strength. Such a vast number naturally made it difficult to investigate.

But those who could face a Sovereign head-on? Only Supreme Astral Monarchs could do so. They made up fewer than one per one hundred million Astral Monarchs. Looking across the boundless megaverse, Supreme Astral Monarchs were rarely seen. Each additional one was quite eye-catching.

Whoosh!

Wu Yuan suddenly darted away, applying the Law of Space. His speed abruptly soared.

“Hmm? How fast. This level of movement skill is likely the top among Astral Monarchs. With such movement skill, you could run rampant among countless Astral Monarchs. It's a pity you've encountered me." Sovereign Xiong Guang's two heads spoke simultaneously, his voice echoing through heaven and earth.

Boom!

He transformed into a streak of flame, shooting across heaven and earth and rapidly closing in on Wu Yuan.

Among Sovereigns, Sovereign Xiong Guang was very ordinary, but even the most ordinary Sovereign possessed a first-degree immortal root.

In terms of ether capacity, his was a hundred times that of first-level Astral Monarch ether. Even Apotheosis-level Astral Monarch ether was ten times weaker than his. On top of that, he had fully comprehended a Greater Law. With advantages in all aspects, Sovereigns had an overwhelming edge when facing Astral Monarchs.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

In this chase, Wu Yuan couldn't shake off Sovereign Xiong Guang. Instead, the gap between them was rapidly closing.

I can't hold back anymore.

Wu Yuan had to admit that no Sovereign was an easy target.

Wu Yuan’s physical strength surged, his vital aura flaring up. His strength unfurled in a mighty burst as he harnessed his ether and the Law of Space, launching himself forward at breakneck speed, his form blurring.

In terms of his control over spacetime, Wu Yuan was top-tier even among Sovereigns. Yet, exposing his body refiner self's proficiency in Spacetime was as dangerous as revealing his true identity.

Whoosh!

Wu Yuan's full power, combined with the deep insights of the Law of Space, propelled him to a speed that slightly outpaced even Sovereign Xiong Guang.

What is this?

Sovereign Xiong Guang muttered, astonished.

His vital aura—it rivals my own. And that speed?

His shock was palpable. Wu Yuan's initial velocity had been impressive, placing him in the top-tier of Astral Monarchs, yet now it soared to levels deemed respectable even among Sovereigns.

Sovereign Xiong Guang quickly assessed the situation.

I can't match his speed.

Despite this realization, he remained composed, a smile playing on his lips.

This is intriguing. I'm even more curious now. Luckily, I always set up a defense array wherever I reside. Originally meant as an alert system, it's now proving quite useful.

Array, activate!

He commanded.

A rumble echoed as everything within a ten-billion-li radius transformed. The skies, once vast and boundless, erupted into flames and swirling auroras. The world around them became a fiery realm.

A hum resonated as the array came to life, and an invisible pressure emanated from all directions, closing in on Wu Yuan. His speed abruptly slowed, his advancement stifled.

An array?

He thought, narrowing his eyes. He understood that he was in trouble. The array, though hastily assembled and not too powerful, was designed for restraint. Given enough time, he could break free. However, Sovereign Xiong Guang was relentless, his speed increasing within the array as he swiftly closed the distance.

The gap between the two men narrowed at a frightening pace.

The sky trembled as an enormous array enveloped the heavens and earth, conjuring two colossal fire dragons that spanned hundreds of thousands of li. These mighty beasts roared fiercely as they surged toward Wu Yuan from the void.

"Begone!" Wu Yuan bellowed as his saber sliced through the void. Blade rays cut through the realm of fire, parted it like a searing curtain before him and scattered the flames of the array with a deafening boom.

With a swift, decisive motion, the two majestic fire dragons were split into three parts by the razor-sharp blade rays. Their fiery forms disintegrated instantly.

"Sovereign Xiong Guang, we bear no enmity, so why do you hunt me?" Wu Yuan's voice echoed, cold as steel. "This is merely an ether body. Even if you destroy it, you don’t gain anything."

Sovereign Xiong Guang's hearty laughter boomed through the void. "Gain? Perhaps I won’t gain much, but my curiosity is insatiable. Your power is immense, and whether or not you're a Supreme Astral Monarch, you're certainly close. There are few Supreme Astral Monarchs in the universe, yet I don't recognize you.

“Reveal yourself. If you aren't an adversary of the Immortal Court, I might consider sparing you," he offered.

…

Meanwhile, far from the battleground of Wu Yuan and Sovereign Xiong Guang, an expanse of void amidst towering mountain ridges stood undisturbed. Here, Sovereign Niu Can wandered.

I've been searching for such a long time, yet have yet to find a single lead.

He mused, shaking his head in resignation.

It seems fortune doesn't favor me this time. I must not be fated to obtain this high-grade Dao Instrument.

He wasn’t too disappointed; among the numerous expeditions he had gone on over the years, many were fruitless.

Suddenly, Sovereign Niu Can halted, turning his gaze to the distance where waves of formidable spatial fluctuations emanated.

Such potent fluctuations. A Sovereign-level battle, perhaps?

Who could be clashing over treasures? No matter who they are, this old ox must join in the fun.

He decided with a wry smile. [1]

With a thunderous boom, his form surged forward, racing toward the source of upheaval.

…

Back within the array, Sovereign Xiong Guang closed in on Wu Yuan.

"Reveal your lineage or meet your end, boy," Sovereign Xiong Guang's voice thundered across the heavens, his patience worn thin. He was indifferent to Wu Yuan's backing or affiliations. Supreme Astral Monarch? It meant little against the might of an Immortal Court powerhouse. Furthermore, he was renowned for his ruthlessness.

"Sovereign Xiong Guang, do not push me," Wu Yuan's voice resonated, a deep, simmering anger beneath his calm exterior. He had been journeying peacefully, yet now faced an unprovoked assault.

𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"Push you? Let’s see what you’re capable of," mocked Sovereign Xiong Guang, laughter laced with menace.

In an instant, he transformed into a towering figure ten thousand zhangs stall. Nine arms moved, each hand encased in fiery red gloves, his presence akin to a flame-wreathed god. Nine flaming palms descended from all directions, initially modest in size but rapidly expanding.

Wu Yuan's eyes narrowed, pupils contracting at the sight.

Gigantic! Each palm brimmed with overwhelming power, the Sovereign's ether combined with the Law of Fire. They each looked like a fiery world, each billions of times more fearsome than blazing stars.

A full nine worlds of flame erupted simultaneously. This time, Wu Yuan truly witnessed the power of a Sovereign-level powerhouse.

No wonder Supreme Astral Monarchs are so rare.

Wu Yuan sighed inwardly.

The gap in strength between Astral Monarchs and Sovereigns is indeed too vast. Facing these nine palm strikes, even a thousand Astral Monarchs united would be annihilated if they didn't form an array.

“Xiong Guang, I hope you don’t regret your choice.” Wu Yuan was also driven to desperation. He too unleashed his full power, transforming into a colossal figure ten thousand zhangs tall.

Nine battle sabers materialized in his hands – a full nine high-grade Dao Instrument sabers! The Hundred Stars Saber was merely an inconspicuous one among them.

Beast Fusion! Ether arts! Physical strength! All were unleashed to their limits!

At this moment, aside from his Xiantian artifact saber and his ether body, Wu Yuan had employed every method at his disposal. His combat power soared. The nine sabers gleamed with boundless radiance, Dao patterns flowing across their blades, the sharpness of their edges limitless.

“Slash!" Wu Yuan roared in fury.

Whoosh!

Dazzling, endless blade rays streaked forth. It was the fourth step of the Will of Life and Death, Wu Yuan's strongest technique. The profoundness of this move was enough to rival the ultimate techniques of countless early-stage Sovereigns.

Boom!

Heaven and earth shook as blade rays collided with the flaming worlds. They shattered and exploded, generating shockwaves that battered the array. The array encompassing tens of billions of li shook, on the verge of collapse.

In the end, the nine flaming worlds completely dissipated, while Wu Yuan's blade rays likewise were extinguished. The two sides were evenly matched in this massive collision.

No! With the aid of the array, Sovereign Xiong Guang had the advantage. But in terms of raw power, Wu Yuan actually had a slight edge.

And this was with only his true self attacking. If his ether body also joined the fray, the two combat bodies combined could overpower Sovereign Xiong Guang. His ether body and true self were almost identical in combat power, only his lifebound eldritch beast could not empower both simultaneously.

It was not surprising that Wu Yuan could unleash such terrifying combat power.

In terms of techniques, Wu Yuan’s saber techniques were no weaker than Sovereign Xiong Guang's palm techniques.

In terms of foundations, Wu Yuan was somewhat weaker even with Apotheosis-level Astral Monarch ether combined with the full power of his physical body, but the gap was no longer tenfold.

As for artifacts, Wu Yuan's nine high-grade Dao Instrument sabers far surpassed his opponent's, as most mana/ether bodies of Sovereigns rarely carried high-grade Dao Instruments when leaving their territories.

In the end, Wu Yuan naturally held a slight advantage.

…

The vast array permeated with flames began to waver under the aftershocks of such an immense battle.

Within the array, Wu Yuan stood ten thousand zhangs tall, facing off against Sovereign Xiong Guang in the distance, who was wreathed in layers of flame. Both exuded incomparably powerful vital aura.

"Good! I underestimated you." Sovereign Xiong Guang's four eyes flashed intensely, fixated on Wu Yuan. "You, an Astral Monarch, actually possess the strength of a Supreme Astral Monarch? Have you grasped Creation Dao Field? Just who are you?"

If Sovereign Xiong Guang had been toying with him before, now he was truly curious and wary. Those who could become Supreme Astral Monarchs were all monstrous prodigies. They had all comprehended a Great Dao and possessed Apotheosis roots. Once they broke through, they would often possess late-stage Sovereign level combat power.

Even among those with late-stage Sovereign combat power, there were differences. The seventh-stage Sovereign-level was considered late-stage, but so was ninth-stage Sovereign-level. How could they be the same?

Such monstrous prodigies were naturally highly valued and were key figures of various Saintdoms. After all, an Apotheosis root and near-complete comprehension of a Great Dao were the two prerequisites for becoming an Overlord.

"Who I am is none of your concern," Wu Yuan's eyes flickered with a trace of coldness. "Sovereign Xiong Guang, I'll say it once more - disassemble the array."

1. Ox because his name Niu means cow ☜