Chapter 956: Ten Thousand Years Later (1)

Over the thousands of years his qi refiner self spent creating a world in the Silvermist Immortal Nation, Wu Yuan's body refiner self had also been making steady progress in the Creation Dao Realm, without haste or impatience.

Stele after stele, he gained insights and made breakthroughs one at a time. Such was the path of cultivation - never smooth sailing, always filled with obstacles and setbacks. All one could do was strive to overcome them and keep moving forward.

Overlord Xia Zhou’s technique is ultimately too profound. To fully comprehend it might take tens of millions of years of contemplation, with no guarantee of success.

Wu Yuan mused inwardly.

Grasping even a sliver of its core principles is enough.

Dao comprehension grew increasingly difficult the further one progressed. Though it seemed he had reached the third-level Dao Field stage of Creation in just tens of thousands of years, that was due to his previous opportunities and accumulated insights.

Going forward, advancing from the third to the fourth level of Creation Dao Field would be far more challenging than reaching the third level from scratch. It would also take much longer. Thus, Wu Yuan had no intention of fully comprehending the techniques here. He couldn't afford to spend that much time here.

Let's continue.

He thought.

After gaining insights from the steles of all the Sovereigns and Overlords, I'll accumulate a deep enough understanding to comprehend the three steles left by the Dao Master.

Wu Yuan remained patient and unhurried.

With his two true selves each pursuing a different path, their insights intertwined and collided, allowing for much faster cultivation than a single true self alone.

Within the newly created world, Wu Yuan pointed at the void, and matter converged rapidly, forming a majestic divine hall.

On the plaque of the divine hall, the characters 'Spacetime Sword Hall' were engraved.

Simultaneously, beneath this divine hall, rows upon rows of halls began to appear out of thin air, slowly rotating around the pinnacle of the Spacetime Sword Hall.

"I have already established the rules for the Ming Jian Hall going forward and transmitted them to you through the Taiyuan Voidrealm," said Wu Yuan. "You may choose any place to reside in."

"Yes," the eight Astral Monarchs responded respectfully. Having understood the rules, they transformed into eight streaks of light and swiftly departed.

The so-called hall rules were actually compiled by Wu Yuan based on some regulations from the Bei You Realm and Taiyuan Divine Court headquarters. Wu Yuan naturally saw no need to modify rules that had stood the test of billions of years.

Whoosh!

Wu Yuan took a single step and crossed into the cloud-enshrouded Spacetime Sword Hall.

Within the hall, various decorations, meditation cushions, jade platforms and the like naturally materialized. At Wu Yuan's level of cultivation, creating objects from the void with a mere thought was effortless.

As long as I remain in the Spacetime Sword Hall, even an Overlord would have to retreat.

Wu Yuan smiled faintly.

Though he seemed to have casually established the hall, it was in fact the location of this world's essence.

The core of this newly created Ming Jian Realm was made up of the fusion of the world's essence and the Black Devil Blood Hollow, along with numerous high-grade Dao Instruments and defense arrays, allowing Wu Yuan to perfectly integrate his power with the entire world.

Presiding over this world, Wu Yuan could wield extraordinary power with just a thought. It far surpassed the Bei You Realm.

Of course, it wasn't that Wu Yuan had reached a much higher level than Sovereign Bei You - in fact, it was slightly inferior. However, his mana and the treasures and resources he possessed far exceeded Sovereign Bei You's.

…

Before long, he invited Sovereign Bei You, Sovereign Heng Yang, Sovereign Zhen Guang, and Sovereign Zhu Yue over.

"This is...?"

"The Ming Jian Realm?"

"Entering this world feels like stepping into a death zone."

"The world created by Sovereign Ming Jian is truly..." Sovereign Heng Yang, Sovereign Zhen Guang, and Sovereign Zhu Yue were all shocked as they entered the world and perceived their surroundings briefly.

The white clouds floating in the void and the mountain ranges scattered throughout the world filled them with a sense of trepidation. This was a sensation they had never experienced in the Bei You Realm.

Wu Yuan couldn't help but smile. These Sovereigns, with their acute perception of destiny, weren't wrong. If anyone dared to forcibly invade this world without first dismantling the outer arrays, Wu Yuan was confident he could capture even a late-stage Sovereign with a single thought.

"It's far more formidable than my Bei You Realm. I fear even the cores of the two great factions, the Cang Feng Eldritch World and the Voltari Temple, would pale in comparison." Sovereign Bei You was also quite astonished.

He had imagined Wu Yuan would create a powerful world. But he hadn't expected it to be this formidable.

"If you're willing, you're more than welcome to reside here permanently," Wu Yuan said with a smile.

"That will be great."

"I hope Sovereign Ming Jian won't mind." Sovereign Heng Yang, Sovereign Zhen Guang, and Sovereign Zhu Yue quickly made their decisions to move into the Ming Jian Realm.

"I'll stay in the Bei You Realm," Sovereign Bei You shook his head slightly, still maintaining his pride.

Wu Yuan smiled, not insisting.

Though the Bei You Realm wasn't as secure as the Ming Jian Realm he had created, it was still incredibly safe. No one but Sovereigns of Space could find it.

The Sovereigns chatted among themselves.

"Brother Ming Jian, are you ready to hold the celebration?" asked Sovereign Heng Yang. His attitude had grown increasingly deferential. By now, he was practically treating Wu Yuan like Overlord Xin Ya.

"Mm, I'll trouble you with the preparations, Brother Heng Yang," Wu Yuan replied with a smile.

…

Soon, news of his Sovereign advancement celebration spread rapidly from the Eternal Sun Immortal World to every corner of the macrocosm. Not only the Astral Monarchs, but countless Archimmortals and Archdeities learned of it.

"Sovereign Ming Jian!"

"A new Sovereign has emerged in the Eternal Sun Immortal World?"

"That peerless genius, Ming Jian?"

"Impressive!"

"I heard that Sovereign Ming Jian was already more powerful than Sovereign Heng Yang the moment he broke through."

"Impossible. Sovereign Heng Yang is an ancient figure. No matter how talented Sovereign Ming Jian is, he just broke through, how could he catch up right away?" The entire macrocosm was instantly abuzz, with countless immortals and deities discussing the news.

In fact, although word of Sovereign Ming Jian's breakthrough had previously spread in the Eternal Sun Immortal World, no celebration had been held, so many immortals and deities were half-skeptical. Now, they finally received confirmation.

…

"Sovereign Ming Jian?"

"The Saintcrest Prodigy Ming Jian has broken through?"

"The celebration will be held in three months?"

"Prepare a congratulatory gift."

"We'll have to make a trip to the Greenridge Macrocosm." News of the celebration quickly spread among the Sovereign circles of the Taiyuan Divine Court headquarters, and many Divine Court Sovereigns learned of this event.

Once this news fully spread within the Taiyuan Divine Court headquarters, it could no longer be concealed. Moreover, the Taiyuan Divine Court had no intention of hiding it, so it immediately spread even further.

"He broke through so quickly?"

"Becoming a Sovereign in less than 40,000 years of cultivation?"

"Too fast. It's been less than 10,000 years since he claimed a Saintcrest, right?"

"He possesses a Xiantian artifact, so his combat power must be extremely formidable. With his Apotheosis root, he likely has near late-stage Sovereign strength."

"He might already be at the late-stage Sovereign level."

"After a few hundred thousand more years of cultivation, he might approach Overlord-level combat power."

"Ming Jian's breakthrough speed seems even faster than Wu Yuan's and Mu Long's." Sovereigns from various Saintdoms across the Ling Jiang Universe discussed and speculated. All of them took this very seriously.

Saintcrest Prodigy, Apotheosis root, Xiantian artifact - these three factors combined said it all.

In the near future, even if Ming Jian didn't become an Overlord, he was destined to be one of the most powerful Sovereigns, second only to the Overlords. Naturally, he attracted a great deal of attention.

…

The Sovereign advancement celebration unfolded as planned in the Ming Jian Realm, nestled within the Greenridge Macrocosm. The event was a massive one—a convergence of formidable powerhouses from across the universe.

Unlike his body refiner self’s breakthrough to Astral Monarch, his qi refiner self’s advancement to Sovereign was a different story. The gap between an Astral Monarch and a Sovereign was immense.

Typically, powerhouses who stood at the peak of the universe were filled with pride. While they might acknowledge peerless geniuses, they rarely sought to curry favor.

In the Eldritch Court's Ling Jiang Saintdom, many Sovereigns had a lukewarm reaction to Wu Yuan’s advancement. However, should Wu Yuan's body refiner self ascend to Sovereign, perceptions would shift markedly.

Having become a Sovereign, Wu Yuan's qi refiner self wielded formidable might, thus the dynamic had shifted dramatically.

"Overlord Xin Ya, Master Shan Jin, Overlord Xue Li, Overlord Yan Kui..."

"Representatives from the Eldritch Court, the Immortal Court, Desolation Divine Court, Nine Phoenix Alliance, Eight Mountains Alliance…"

“This! This!” Astral Monarch Gu Lai, Astral Monarch Huo Cang, and thirty-six other late-stage Astral Monarch powerhouses responsible for guest reception were left utterly astonished.

Initially, these Astral Monarchs harbored doubts, even dissatisfaction, at being assigned as receptionists. Why enlist so many Astral Monarchs for this task? Yet, the attendees surpassed their wildest expectations.

Numerous Overlords sent their mana or ether bodies, or at least dispatched emissaries.

The Sovereigns? Over a thousand sent their mana or ether bodies, and more than five thousand sent gifts. The sheer scale and magnitude of the event were unprecedented, leaving the Astral Monarchs from the Eternal Sun Immortal World extremely excited. Witnessing Overlords and Sovereigns in such numbers was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

"Eight Overlords have sent congratulatory gifts.”

"Four Overlords have attended in person." Even Sovereigns from various macrocosms of the Taiyuan Divine Court found themselves in awe.

This was a Sovereign advancement celebration, not an Overlord one. Historically, it would be remarkable if a single Overlord sent a gift for such an occasion.

"Every Saintdom in the universe has sent gifts.”

"Even the Eldritch Court and Immortal Court have extended their congratulations."

“They must believe that Ming Jian is destined to become an Overlord.

"Indeed." The Sovereigns sighed in awe. Even if an average Supreme Genius advanced to late-stage Sovereign, it did not typically garner such attention.

True, late-stage Sovereigns were powerful, yet the universe was vast. Most Saintdoms, aside from the Spacetime Dao Realm, boasted many late-stage Sovereigns accrued over eons.

Only Overlords could command the notice of the highest echelons across Saintdoms. The widespread participation from various Saintdoms underscored the Taiyuan Divine Court's neutral stance and its non-involvement in inter-Saintdom conflicts.

…

Wu Yuan's mana body received the various Sovereigns, conversing with them one by one.

The reason for holding the celebration was actually for the Taiyuan Divine Court to help the newly ascended Sovereign better integrate into the circle of Sovereigns.

However, Wu Yuan's qi refiner self was meeting with some friends at a corner of the temple.

"Haiyue," Wu Yuan smiled.

Zhuo Haiyue still wore her silver armor, cutting a heroic and dashing figure.

"Congratulations," Zhuo Haiyue smiled. "You've broken through to Sovereign in one go. I've also heard you suppressed Sovereign Heng Yang to become the leader of the Greenridge lineage. In the future, I'll have to follow your orders."

"Don't tease me," Wu Yuan shook his head with a wry smile.

"I casually wiped out the Fang Family on my way back earlier," Zhuo Haiyue smiled. "The Silvermist Immortal Nation is your territory, you won't blame me, right?"