Chapter 985: Taking Over The Full Imprint (2)

Deep within the Creation Dao Realm, inside that mysterious hall, stood the towering black pagoda.

Finally, the imprint is complete. With the imprint unified, there's no turning back.

A glimmer of anticipation flashed through the four eyes of the Origin Spirit.

What follows is the true challenge. One must successfully bear the Archaea imprint. Success means survival, becoming an Archon, with hope for the future. Failure means certain death.

The current Origin Spirit was not the most complete version of itself, not privy to all secrets, but from what it did know, the Archaea imprint was absolutely terrifying. If the attempt failed, even eternal beings might not be able to withstand the backlash.

I hope he succeeds. If successful, I too could...

The Origin Spirit suddenly shook its head, muttering softly.

It's been too long, far too long. I've forgotten so much.

On the second floor of the black pagoda was an unremarkable hall.

Wu Yuan sat motionless in lotus position at the center of the hall, a hint of pain etched on his face. Simultaneously, waves of vast energy pulsed from his body, radiating in all directions.

Within his body, the Samsara Sword’s imprint had completely vanished. After Wu Yuan's body refiner self took over the full imprint, the second level of the black pagoda in his upper dantian lobe had opened. His Yuan Soul had likewise entered the somewhat illusory second floor of the black pagoda’s projection.

Strands of mysterious blood light from the void poured into Wu Yuan's Yuan Soul, gradually merging with every thread of his Yuan Soul’s power.

At the same time, outside Wu Yuan's physical body, circles of blood light impacted his flesh, gradually infusing into his physical form.

The so-called Ancestral Pagoda imprint bearers were merely those with a projection of the Ancestral Pagoda in their upper dantian lobes. It provided some benefits, but as the imprint bearer's strength increased, its influence would diminish.

An Archon, however, carried the Ancestral Pagoda’s Archaea imprint, representing the most ancient aspects of the Ancestral Pagoda's power and profundities. This process was incredibly difficult and excruciatingly painful.

Bearing the Ancestral Pagoda's Archaea imprint is this challenging? Damn it!! Argh!

Wu Yuan felt as if he were enduring hell’s torment itself.

No! It was undoubtedly ten, or even a hundred times more horrifying than being tortured in hell.

This process targeted Wu Yuan's physical body, soul, and even his spirit... It was an all-encompassing form of torture and trial. Only a lifeform that was utterly flawless in all aspects had any hope of success.

Fortunately, Wu Yuan was not weak himself. As a Matter Sovereign, his physical body was exceptionally robust, his soul had reached the Apotheosis Yuan Soul level, and the resilience of his spirit could rival that of a Sovereign.

On top of that, due to the format of the previous two stages set by the Creation Dao Master, his comprehension of the Primordial Rules had deepened considerably.

The Ancestral Pagoda's Archaea imprint transcends heaven and earth, surpasses samsara, and is the most supreme and wondrous thing in the infinite megaverse. It is no less profound than the Primordial Rules.

As a sempiternal lifeform, I cannot wield the Primordial Rules, but my comprehension of them has been imperceptibly influencing my fundamental nature.

While cultivating, Wu Yuan had perceived many truths.

He also began to understand why he was able to cultivate and evolve so rapidly in the past. A significant reason was his early comprehension of the Primordial Rules. The influence of the Primordial Rules was intangible. Only by comprehending the Primordial Rules to a certain level could one hope to bear the Ancestral Pagoda's Archaea imprint.

Moreover, Wu Yuan's lifespan was still very short, having cultivated for less than a hundred thousand years.

The longer one lives, the more cluttered the spirit becomes with various thoughts, making it harder to maintain purity.

Simultaneously, the more one is entangled with countless lives in the river of space and time, the more difficult it becomes to break free from its constraints... The younger, the better.

Wu Yuan gradually came to understand this.

The Dao Master had urged him to break through quickly because sempiternal lifeforms were bound by fewer constraints than mortal lifeforms, granting them a degree of autonomy.

The black pagoda's previous instructions, urging him to arrive within a hundred thousand years, were for the same reason.

One could liken this to a drowning person. Mortal lifeforms were like those who had sunk to the bottom of the water. The longer they stayed there, the lower their chances of being rescued and revived when finally pulled ashore.

Sempiternal life forms, on the other hand, were like those who could occasionally surface for a breath of air, increasing their survival probability. But in either case, the longer one was submerged, the lower the chances of revival. The same principle applied to cultivation.

These various factors greatly increased Wu Yuan's chances of successfully bearing the Ancestral Pagoda's Archaea imprint.

Endure! I must survive at all costs!

Wu Yuan roared in the depths of his spirit.

As time went on, his thoughts dwindled, leaving him with a single, unwavering resolve: endure. Endure a little longer.

...

Time flowed like water, and in the blink of an eye, several thousand years had passed.

Outside the black pagoda.

He's borne two-tenths of the imprint?

The Origin Spirit silently observed, a glimmer of hope flashing in its eyes.

Very good. At least he's stronger than the previous two.

The previous two successors who had passed the Creation Dao Master's nine trials to reach the third stage were exceptionally talented. Both were Overlords, their strength surpassing Wu Yuan's by a considerable margin. But strength did not necessarily correlate with chances of success.

As long as he bears five-tenths, the probability of success will increase dramatically.

The Origin Spirit anticipated eagerly.

Once five-tenths of the imprint is coalesced, the process will continue automatically.

It was filled with expectation. If an Archon emerged, its endless ages of waiting would not have been in vain.

...

In the Long Shan Universe, within the Eldritch Court's Long Shan Saintdom.

We’ve received no news from Wu Yuan for over ten thousand years?

Overlord Ming Zhun sat in his hall, his brow slightly furrowed.

Could he really have perished?

He felt a twinge of concern.

In truth, Overlord Ming Zhun harbored some frustration towards Wu Yuan. After all, the Eldritch Court's Long Shan Saintdom had been relatively peaceful for many years, yet the moment Wu Yuan arrived, he had stirred up numerous problems.

But Overlord Ming Zhun also clearly understood Wu Yuan's importance, evident from the Eldritch Progenitor's attitude.

I should report this to Eldritch Progenitor Wan Xuan.

Overlord Ming Zhun's thoughts shifted.

He immediately sent word.

Not long after, he received a message from Eldritch Progenitor Wan Xuan—Wu Yuan had not perished, he was merely trapped.

Not dead? How does the Eldritch Progenitor know?

Overlord Ming Zhun was bewildered.

Even the Eldritch Court Voidrealm couldn't find his traces. How could the Eldritch Progenitor confirm it so quickly? To his knowledge, the Eldritch Progenitor's true body hadn't returned to the universe recently. If an eternal being returned, it would cause the entire river of space and time to quake. As an Overlord, he couldn't possibly be unaware of such an event.

It seems this Wu Yuan still harbors many secrets.

Overlord Ming Zhun mused inwardly, then dismissed the thought.

As long as he wasn't dead, that was enough. As for being trapped? For Sovereigns and Overlords, it was quite normal for their true bodies to venture out occasionally and get ensnared in some exploration site for tens of millions of years.

...

In the Ling Jiang Universe, within the Taiyuan Voidrealm, inside the hall belonging to Wu Yuan.

"Is your body refiner self truly unharmed?" Overlord Xin Ya couldn't help but ask.

"It's still alive, just trapped and unable to return for now," Wu Yuan smiled and said, "As for the previous situation in the Spacetime Sword Hall, I was practicing a secret art. Everything's fine now."

"Alright, as long as there's no problem. I'll take my leave then," Overlord Xin Ya nodded before departing.

He sensed that Wu Yuan was reluctant to say more, not even willing to explain the Spacetime Sword Hall incident further, so he didn't press the matter.

This is the second time the True Saint has inquired after me, isn't it?

Wu Yuan thought to himself.

A few hundred years ago, Wu Yuan's qi refiner self managed to gain some degree of control over the Samsara Sword, suppressing its sword intent and pressure, and could allocate some mental energy to communicate with the external world.

Overlord Xin Ya's recent inquiry about his body refiner self had been carried out under the orders of True Saint Taiyuan.

It's likely the Eldritch Progenitors asking the questions. They seem concerned.

Wu Yuan mused to himself.

A flicker of worry crossed his mind.

I wonder how my body refiner self is faring. There’s been no news for over ten thousand years.

Wu Yuan's qi refiner self pondered anxiously.

Though its aura imprint remains remarkably strong.

In fact, it seemed to be growing even stronger. This astounded Wu Yuan's qi refiner self.

My comprehension of the Great Dao of Spacetime has accelerated dramatically. I'm unsure if it's due to my body refiner self, or the influence of the Samsara Sword.

Wu Yuan's qi refiner self reflected.

With a Great Dao Body, Wu Yuan's comprehension of the Great Dao of Spacetime had always been incredibly swift. He had already reached the fifth-level Dao Field stage tens of thousands of years ago.

Several hundred years ago, when Wu Yuan’s qi refiner self was able to divide his focus, he continued exploring ways to control the Samsara Sword while deepening his understanding of the Great Dao of Spacetime. To his astonishment, he found that his rate of comprehension and deduction had accelerated even further.

Within ten thousand years at most, I may well break through to the sixth-level Dao Field stage.

Wu Yuan had a vague feeling that once his Dao comprehension advanced, he would see an all-encompassing increase in power.

Even now, with the Samsara Sword growing stronger and its Dao resonance bolstering my power, my qi refiner self's strength has grown significantly compared to when I first became a Sovereign of Space.

Wu Yuan murmured to himself.

Once I truly control the Samsara Sword, it will be time to go treasure hunting, to strengthen the Samsara Sword even further.

He gently closed his eyes and resumed his cultivation.

...

The tumultuous changes of Wu Yuan's two true selves had little impact on the countless beings of the Greenridge Macrocosm.

In fact, over the last tens of thousands of years, the establishment of the Yuan Realm and Ming Jian Realm had minimal effect on the innumerable cultivators below the Astral Monarch level in the Cang Feng Eldritch World and Eternal Sun Immortal World.

As for major factions like the Greenridge Immortal World and Voltari Temple, the impact was even smaller. Many Archimmortals and Archdeities remained unaware of the changes at the highest echelons of other great factions.

The Sacred Flame Ravine was a treacherous region of outer space situated at the border of the spacetime domains of the Greenridge Immortal World and Eternal Sun Immortal World.

Deep within this region, a colossal spatial storm was forming. Three Archimmortals and Archdeities were cautiously advancing through it.

The Sacred Flame Ravine was quite renowned. This area of spacetime was quite special–a naturally formed exploration site that occasionally yielded universal rarities. Over the long ages, numerous Archimmortals and Archdeities from the Greenridge Immortal World and Eternal Sun Immortal World came to explore it. Occasionally, even Astral Monarchs would arrive.

"Big Brother, something's not right. How did the Sacred Flame Ravine suddenly turn so dangerous and volatile?" A golden-haired man, ten thousand zhangs tall and clad in battle armor, asked. Using his shield, he knocked away the obstacles ahead.

𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Two Archimmortals stood on his shoulders, exerting all their strength to cast arcane arts.

Around them, scorching currents surged. Celestial bodies wreathed in flames hurtled about at high speeds, bombarding them from all directions. The entire expanse of outer space seemed to have transformed into an inferno.

"It is indeed strange," said the black-robed man standing on the right shoulder of the golden-haired giant.

His expression was grim as he maintained a powerful domain to ward off most of the dangers. Among the three, he had the greatest strength.

"We brothers have been exploring the Sacred Flame Ravine for such a long time, yet we've never encountered a situation like this," the black-robed man frowned.

Over the ten thousand years they had spent exploring the core region, they found the danger level Sacred Flame Ravine manageable. With all three of them at Astral Lord strength, they had the means to protect themselves.

They had slain many enemies from the Greenridge Immortal World and reaped great rewards. Currently, they were on their return journey to exchange the treasures harvested for the artifacts and cultivation resources they required.

Unexpectedly, they encountered great peril. Mountain ranges that stretched for over a hundred million kilometers suddenly began to crumble one after another, and an unprecedented spatial storm swept in.

Under the spatial lockdown, even attempting to enter a higher spatial dimension to escape became a pipe dream.

"Big Brother, Second Brother, look over there!" The bald Archimmortal's expression changed as he pointed to a spot in the distant void where space was distorting. There, an incomparably massive mountain range stretching over a hundred billion li across outer space suddenly collapsed and disintegrated.

This mountain range was one of the main ranges of the entire Sacred Flame Ravine, incredibly sturdy and unchanged for billions of years.

Today, it crumbled.

As the mountain range fell, it revealed the scene deep within. There, suspended in space, was an earthy-yellow mountain, exuding a vast and terrifying pressure. The mountain was perhaps ten thousand li tall.

Such a celestial body would be nothing special in the endless expanse of outer space, but this mere ten-thousand-li-tall mountain emitted an incomparably terrifying aura, its pressure diffusing in all directions. This level of pressure was enough to make even an Astral Monarch pale.

In the distant void, the three Archimmortals/Archdeities were stunned.

"What is that?"

"I don't know." The bald Archimmortal and golden-haired giant were both shocked and puzzled.

This is...?

A flicker of trepidation flashed through the black-robed man's eyes.

It seems like... yes, that's it. This is just an ore vein, consisting mostly of impurities. It can't possibly be that kind of refined, pure ore.

But, ten thousand li tall?

The black-robed man's heart was pounding. He had recognized it—Earth Essence Stone.

The black-robed man felt somewhat dazed. Essence stone! Even if the percentage of impurities was so high that only one catty could be extracted from a hundred million, it didn't change the fact that this was a majestic ten-thousand-li-tall ore vein.

As the direct disciple of an Astral Monarch, the black-robed man was quite knowledgeable. With a quick mental calculation, he understood that if this entire ore vein were fully refined and purified, it would yield a pile of Earth Essence Stone at least several hundred zhangs tall.

While Earth Essence Stone was far less valuable than Space Essence Stone, ten catties of the former could still be exchanged for one catty of the latter.

Moreover, besides Earth Essence Stone, large quantities of other special ores were surely present as well. Otherwise, it couldn’t possibly emit such terrifying pressure.

The ore vein had formed an essence, becoming a single entity that could not be easily moved.

A treasure trove! An opportunity! This is absolutely the greatest opportunity I've encountered in my entire life. All of my treasures and wealth combined don't amount to even one hundred millionth of this ore mountain.

The black-robed man's heart grew feverish with excitement.