Chapter 951: The Apex Of Sempiternal Life (2)

Meanwhile, within the Bei You Realm, the turbulence of the world outside went unnoticed by Wu Yuan. For him, aside from events concerning a select few individuals, the myriad conflicts within the Greenridge Macrocosm were insignificant.

Wu Yuan's qi refiner self’s decision to return to the Greenridge Macrocosm for his breakthrough was motivated by a simple desire: to secure an unassailable stronghold for the future.

Over ten days went by.

In the void of the Bei You Realm.

Apotheosis-level Sovereign mana.

Drawing from the experience of his body refiner self's breakthrough, he adeptly harnessed the Dao essence of the Law of Space as his foundation, forging a perfect immortal body.

Indeed, it was flawless. An Apotheosis deity body, or an Apotheosis immortal body forged with the Greater Law as its foundation, represented the ultimate physical form—the limit that sempiternal life could attain. He was millions of times mightier than before, vastly surpassing his body refiner self in terms of ether, physical body, and other aspects.

Life truly is unpredictable.

Wu Yuan murmured to himself, reflecting on his journey.

Once, I was constrained by mortal limits. Now, I find myself at the very pinnacle of sempiternal life.

Is this what Apotheosis-level Sovereign mana feels like?

Wu Yuan marveled. The amethyst cradle lake had expanded into an endless, boundless expanse. No longer tangible, it now possessed an ethereal, dreamlike quality.

This was because Wu Yuan's qi refiner self's mana had grown so immense and boundless that it had opened into another void. Not just the mana, but also his Yuan Soul, Voidspace, and others resided within this void. A void of his own creation, a realm born from his power alone—an ability unique to qi refiner Sovereigns.

Wu Yuan's gaze swept outward, feeling an unprecedented clarity in his perception.

My mana has reached Apotheosis-level Sovereign mana. With just a single thought, I could unleash this mana and obliterate the entire Bei You Realm.

Even if countless Astral Monarchs combine their strength, unless one has the power of a Supreme Astral Monarch, they would all be obliterated by my mana.

Astral Monarch mana was categorized into three distinct levels, while Sovereign mana was only divided into first-level and Apotheosis levels. Apotheosis-level Sovereign mana was ten times greater than first-level Sovereign mana in both quality and quantity, and a staggering thousand times more powerful than first-level Astral Monarch mana.

In terms of mana alone. I should stand as the most formidable in the Greenridge Macrocosm, far exceeding Master Kua Chi, Grandmaster Bei You, and others, making me a match for many Overlords.

Wu Yuan mused silently.

He knew that the Overlords all wielded Apotheosis-level Sovereign mana. His powerful mana, coupled with his comprehension of the complete Law of Space, allowed Wu Yuan to enter the Spacetime Intersection Layer with a mere thought.

He directed his vision toward the distance. His sight transcended layers of spatial barriers, unveiling scenes beyond the vast expanses of spacetime.

His potent mana nurtured his Apotheosis Yuan Souls, elevating them to unimaginable heights in an impressively short time. With a mere thought, Wu Yuan could clearly discern the presence of Sovereign Bei You, who seemed barely aware of him.

River of space and time.

Wu Yuan thought, his vision growing hazy. His perception began to surpass the Vacuum Spatial Layer, transcending even the Spacetime Intersection Layer, reaching an even higher level.

He 'saw' a river—a vast, boundless current, originating from and flowing into an infinitely far place, filled with countless lives struggling, rising, and falling within its embrace.

Wu Yuan perceived numerous figures within this river, countless Archimmortals, Archdeities, and Astral Monarchs like Gu Lai and Grandmaster Bei You. The Archimmortals and Archdeities resembled plankton adrift in the current, while the Astral Monarchs appeared as small fish. The Sovereigns moved about like massive fish, swimming freely, unfettered by the river’s constraints.

And what about me?

Wu Yuan pondered, observing himself. He saw a colossal beast, far larger than any Sovereign, seemingly capable of stirring up titanic waves with the slightest movement, as if able to leap out of the river with a single bound, but ultimately falling back in.

What lies above the river?

Wu Yuan strained his senses upward, but the view remained blurred and indistinct. In a vague impression, he sensed towering figures radiating boundless light, too intense to look at directly, standing above the river and watching as the waters surged past, never to return.

Each time a samsara cycle of heaven and earth begins, it signals the start of a river of space and time.

He realized.

When this cycle ends, so does the river. No matter how large or powerful one becomes within the river, if one cannot escape its confines, death is inevitable when the river collapses.

Freedom lay on the shore, beyond the river’s constraints. Only by reaching it could one escape the suffering of the samsara cycles of heaven and earth.

Transcendence! Eternity!

Wu Yuan had never felt so close to achieving eternity. Yet, paradoxically, it never felt so far away.

This proximity made him realize the vastness of the gap, a chasm beyond measure. Eternal life and sempiternal life were truly separate worlds, no mere difference in levels.

No wonder they say achieving Apotheosis in both immortal root and Yuan Soul early on is immensely beneficial for becoming an Overlord.

Wu Yuan reflected inwardly.

It would be far too challenging to become a Sovereign first, then attempt to upgrade one’s root to the Apotheosis degree.

The more powerful a lifeform, the harder it became to alter its foundation. From what Wu Yuan knew, many late-stage Sovereign powerhouses had Dao comprehension rivaling Overlords, yet struggled to upgrade their roots.

As for Overlords? In truth, they were beings who had reached the zenith of sempiternal life in all aspects - immortal root, Yuan Soul, spirit, and Dao comprehension. They represented the very limits of sempiternal life, flawless in every regard.

What typically created disparities in combat power between Overlords were artifacts, or the natural counters between their comprehended Daos.

In terms of immortal root, my qi refiner self now stands on equal footing with Overlords.

Wu Yuan pondered.

It's just that the gap in Dao comprehension remains vast.

But without relying on Xiantian artifacts, or even employing the Dao resonance of the Samsara Sword, I should be able to defeat most Sovereigns now with little difficulty.

Wu Yuan turned his palm upward, revealing nine nearly transparent flying swords. Their presence was otherworldly, radiating vast sword intent that surged toward the sky. The blades exuded a sharpness so intense it could make anyone's heart quiver, and they trembled slightly, as if rejoicing.

Nine lifebound flying swords, upgraded via the optimal evolution pathway. Each was a high-grade Dao Instrument, the result of consuming vast quantities of Space Essence Stones over time. Their materials had long surpassed the threshold of high-grade Dao Instruments, lacking only the Dao essence itself.

When Wu Yuan fully grasped the Law of Space, the lifebound swords transformed swiftly into high-grade Dao Instruments. Most Sovereigns didn’t possess nine high-grade Dao Instrument lifebound swords. Many Sovereigns began their journey as Astral Monarchs, while true Supreme Geniuses like Wu Yuan were a rarity.

With a swift motion, Wu Yuan withdrew the nine swords. A single step carried him through warped spacetime, and he materialized silently at the far end of the Bei You Realm.

Awaiting his arrival were two figures: one real, the other illusory.

"Grandmaster, Overlord," Wu Yuan greeted them with a slight bow.

"Ming Jian, congratulations," Sovereign Bei You replied, his face lighting up with a smile. "We've long awaited your breakthrough. Once your Master achieves the same, our lineage will boast three Sovereigns—a tale that will echo throughout the Ling Jiang Universe."

"Master possesses extraordinary talent; he is destined to succeed," Wu Yuan responded with a smile.

"Becoming a Sovereign of Space in under forty thousand years, this is a first within our Taiyuan Divine Court." Overlord Xin Ya chimed in, chuckling.

A first? Wu Yuan acknowledged with a gentle nod.

"Ming Jian, now that you've broken through, much about you has been made public," Overlord Xin Ya continued. "However, we've kept your origins in the Redmoon Immortal Continent a secret, simply stating that you are a disciple taken in by High Immortal Dong Yang during his travels."

"I understand," Wu Yuan acknowledged with another nod. Instantly, he received news of the myriad events that had unfolded in the Eternal Sun Immortal World over the past several days. As a Sovereign, he now wielded such authority.

Overlord Xin Ya's decision to maintain some secrecy didn't surprise him. Concealment was often a precursor to revelation. Now, with the might of Wu Yuan's two true selves, he was virtually unkillable – barring intervention from supreme beings, even the Immortal Court would find an assassination attempt challenging.

"Breaking through to become a Sovereign means you're now part of the divine court's upper echelons. You're no longer merely a genius to be protected, but a pillar of the divine court. You now have two choices," Overlord Xin Ya continued. "First, return to the divine court headquarters and take up the position of Heavenly Sentinel."

"Heavenly Sentinel?" Wu Yuan listened attentively.

Just moments earlier, Overlord Xin Ya relayed substantial information to Wu Yuan regarding the responsibilities held by Sovereigns within the Taiyuan Divine Court.

As a major faction in the Ling Jiang Universe, the Taiyuan Divine Court managed expansive spacetime territories that spanned multiple macrocosms and included numerous valuable lands scattered throughout the boundless outer space.

These lands were fertile grounds for the spawning of treasures, attracting intense competition among powerhouses from various Saintdoms. Consequently, Sovereigns were stationed there permanently. The so-called Heavenly Sentinels were tasked with patrolling these treasure lands. This duty was fraught with danger, yet the array of treasures garnered was plentiful.

"And the second option?" Wu Yuan asked, his power continuing to surge rapidly. While his body refiner self was compelled by necessity to seek out opportunities, Wu Yuan found little need for his qi refiner self to engage in such risky endeavors. The benefits seemed minimal.

"Serve as the highest leader of the Eternal Sun Immortal World," Overlord Xin Ya proposed. "Safeguard the Eternal Sun Immortal World, and when required in the future, split the macrocosm with the Cang Feng Eldritch World."

"Guard the Eternal Sun Immortal World? As the highest leader?" Wu Yuan murmured, his brow creasing slightly. "Will Sovereign Heng Yang agree to this?"

"They've been waiting outside the Bei You Realm for quite some time now. Strength is paramount. The strongest naturally assumes leadership," Overlord Xin Ya continued coolly. "If you can defeat them and demonstrate your potential, you'll earn their genuine loyalty.

"Ming Jian, are you willing?" Overlord Xin Ya shifted his gaze to Wu Yuan. Though it was a suggestion, the ultimate decision rested with Wu Yuan.

"Grandmaster," Wu Yuan addressed his grandmaster, seeking his counsel.

"As the highest leader of the immortal world, the rewards in terms of Faith power and other aspects would be substantial," Sovereign Bei You remarked with a knowing smile. His meaning was clear.

"Very well," Wu Yuan agreed softly. Having just advanced to the Sovereign phase, he indeed needed significant quantities of Faith power.

"Overlord, Grandmaster, please invite Sovereign Heng Yang to join us," Wu Yuan said.