At the edge of an unremarkable lake in Divine Domain World 7.
The lake's surface was mirror-smooth, beautiful under the sunlight.
"Wu Yuan, I believe this is our first meeting. Thank you for helping me," Zhuo Haiyue smiled. "If there's a chance in the future, I will certainly repay this favor."
"Alright," Wu Yuan smiled.
In the past, all of Zhuo Haiyue's interactions with him had been with his qi refiner self, first as Li Xia, then as Ming Jian. The names changed, but they were all essentially his qi refiner self.
As for his body refiner self? Initially, it remained in the Summerpeak World, then arrived in the eldritch world, with no contact between them at all.
Now, even Overlords couldn't sense any connection between Wu Yuan's two true selves. Naturally, Zhuo Haiyue couldn't recognize him either.
"I'll take my leave then," Zhuo Haiyue cupped her hands.
Wu Yuan nodded.
Whoosh! Zhuo Haiyue transformed into a streak of light and swiftly departed, though she secretly wondered why Wu Yuan had helped her without reason. But since Wu Yuan didn't explain, she didn't bother to investigate further.
Their parting was also normal - only weaker geniuses would choose to band together for protection. Top-tier geniuses like them usually adventured alone.
The reason was simple - opportunities! If they encountered a major opportunity or important treasure, and there was only one, how would they divide it?
Rather than argue and damage their relationship then, better to venture forth alone from the start.
First, I'll review this battle and recover my ether. There’s no rush. Wu Yuan thought to himself, sitting down in lotus position beside the lake. Meanwhile, his true self continued to analyze and ponder this battle in secluded cultivation.
Though brief, the battle with Gamang had greatly impacted Wu Yuan, revealing many shortcomings in his saber techniques.
From mastering Sovereign-level techniques to breaking through to Sovereign-level comprehension, it was essentially a process of continuous accumulation, gathering enough insights to break through.
The deeper the accumulation, the more explosive the growth one would experience when the breakthrough occurred.
…
After Wu Yuan's ether body and Zhuo Haiyue left the scene, the geniuses who had observed the battle swiftly reported the news to their respective forces, causing quite a stir.
“To fight Gamang to such an extent, Wu Yuan's strength exceeds what the intelligence suggests."
"In direct combat power, he's likely first among those below the Supreme Genius level."
"He must be very close to a breakthrough." The highest echelons of various Saintdoms were shocked, recognizing the immense threat Wu Yuan posed.
He was already this powerful before breaking through. Once he broke through? He could likely defeat many Supreme Geniuses right away. Even among Supreme Geniuses, there were differences in strength.
"The Eldritch Court already has Zhu Shan. We absolutely cannot allow Wu Yuan to grow to maturity."
"All participants are to head to Divine Domain World 7."
"Find an opportunity to locate Wu Yuan's true self and kill him." The highest levels of the Immortal Court issued direct orders to their Supreme Geniuses.
In the minds of the Immortal Court's highest echelons, Wu Yuan's threat level was rising rapidly, completely surpassing the Eldritch Court's other Supreme Geniuses. He was now second only to Zhu Shan.
"Wu Yuan?"
"Kill his true self?" Over ten Supreme Geniuses of the Immortal Court began dispatching their mana or ether bodies to Divine Domain World 7.
However, the spatial passages led to random Divine Domain Worlds. There were no fixed routes. Therefore, these Supreme Geniuses needed both luck and time to reach Divine Domain World 7.
…
Time marched relentlessly forward, and in what seemed like the blink of an eye, more than a thousand years slipped by.
An unending series of battles unfolded, where super geniuses clashed fiercely, each vying for supremacy.
With each conflict, new prodigies rose to fame, establishing their reputations. Yet, just as many met untimely ends, some vanishing mysteriously after exploring treasure grounds, while others had their true selves discovered and forced into deadly combat.
Such was the harsh reality of the Megaverse Crossroads. Theoretically, these geniuses could cultivate a constant stream of mana and ether bodies, sending them into battle. However, accidents still happened. Over time, more and more truly perished.
These participants were no ordinary beings; they were destined for greatness, able to become Astral Monarchs at least. Yet, in death, their potential faded into obscurity.
Within Divine Domain World 9, Wu Yuan's ether body walked through the void. Even Hu Biao is gone. He mused, an inward sigh escaping him.
A thousand years spent within the Megaverse Crossroads had hardened him to the realities of constant strife and the ever-present shadow of mortality. He had witnessed the deaths of many he considered friends—like High Eldritch Wu Jian of the Eldritch Court, who had succumbed to the perils of a deadly treasure ground.
Hu Biao, from the Taiyuan Divine Court, had also fallen. With his peak-stage Astral Monarch-level comprehension, Hu Biao was held in high esteem by the divine court and was expected to become a Sovereign in the future. Yet, a Supreme Genius discovered his true self and hunted him with relentless determination, leading to his demise.
Overlords Xin Ya and Shan Jin were incensed by the loss; geniuses of Hu Biao's caliber were rare and invaluable to the Taiyuan Divine Court.
But so what if they were furious? So what if he was talented? In the end, death rendered everything void.
I'm just one step away from breaking through to the Dao Field stage of Creation, but I can't seem to cross this final gap. Wu Yuan's ether body frowned slightly.
A thousand years had gone by. He had started off in Divine Domain World 7. Following his battle with Gamang, he encountered two Supreme Geniuses from the Immortal Court, each conflict a frenzied clash. Despite their efforts, neither could defeat Wu Yuan.
After his ether body brought all the treasures from his exploits to his body refiner self, it continued his journey through the spatial passages connecting various Divine Domain Worlds.
His ether body traveled through worlds 17 and 9, where he engaged in relentless battles with powerful participants. With each victory, Wu Yuan's reputation as a formidable body refiner grew, rippling across the Megaverse Crossroads.
On the other hand, the thousand years his body refiner self spent cultivating in the Divine Domain World was equivalent to three to four thousand years of cultivation thanks to the invisible influence of Primordial Matter.
Their combined efforts allowed Wu Yuan to accumulate ever more profound insights and greater strength.
In the recent hundred years, Wu Yuan's body refiner self had clearly hit some kind of limit. Perhaps a single opportunity or flash of insight would be enough for a breakthrough.
However, if my luck is poor, I might be stuck at this level for more than ten thousand years. Wu Yuan's ether body frowned slightly.
Even for the most extraordinary genius, none would dare guarantee that they could swiftly break through to the Sovereign level of comprehension.
However, my qi refiner self is very close to reaching the requirement. Wu Yuan's ether body mused silently.
Over a thousand years of slaughter, Wu Yuan's ether body had eliminated just over twenty thousand mana/ether bodies, with efficiency declining over time.
Meanwhile, both his qi refiner self and mana body had several opportunities to enter the Primordial Doctrine Temple. One could say that Wu Yuan's qi refiner self and mana body spent half their time in the Megaverse Crossroads within the Primordial Doctrine Temple, contemplating the ‘Primordial Doctrine’.
And in the remaining time, leveraging their mastery of the Great Dao of Spacetime, they had still managed to slay over eighty thousand mana/ether bodies. They were getting ever closer to the hundred thousand kills required for entering the second stage.
On the path of cultivation, life and death are unpredictable. Wu Jian, Hu Biao and the others can only serve as warnings. Wu Yuan's ether body silently reflected. One must gain greater strength - with power like Zhu Shan's, what dangers would one fear?
One could charge through the Megaverse Crossroads unopposed.
More and more Supreme Geniuses clashed over the thousand years. In doing so, their relative strengths grew increasingly apparent.
Among them, Zhu Shan stood unrivaled.
He had ventured through different Divine Domain Worlds, facing nearly twenty Supreme Geniuses. However, almost none could last ten moves against him. Most were slain within a few moves.
Inconstance was the only Supreme Genius to escape alive from Zhu Shan's hands. Furthermore, Inconstance had maintained an undefeated record against nearly ten other Supreme Geniuses besides Zhu Shan, establishing his reputation.
Now, Zhu Shan was universally acknowledged as the strongest. Second only to Zhu Shan was Inconstance.
Destiny is inconstant. Those who comprehend the Great Dao of Destiny are truly terrifying. Wu Yuan pondered quietly. According to the intelligence, this Inconstance typically ends his fights in one move, with some Supreme Geniuses unable to withstand even that - I wonder if I could withstand his special attack.
The other party was too mysterious and powerful. To date, even the Eldritch Court had failed to uncover Inconstance's background.
Though Wu Yuan was confident in his Yuan Soul and will, he dared not claim he could certainly withstand the other's attack.
Hmm? Wu Yuan's ether body suddenly sensed tremendous spiritual qi fluctuations some distance away.
A treasure ground? A mid-grade Dao Instrument? Wu Yuan's eyes lit up - such intense fluctuations likely indicated a major treasure.
Wu Yuan charged forward with lightning speed. In the distance, a jade tablet began to appear over a barren wasteland. It was shrouded in thick mist that was slowly dissipating. Around it, chaos reigned as more than a hundred High Immortals and High Deities clashed in frenzied combat, divided into five or six groups.
The treasure hasn’t emerged yet? Wu Yuan's eyes gleamed with anticipation. If someone had already snatched it, it would have been too late. But now, he had a chance—he just needed to eliminate these contenders.
Boom! Wu Yuan transformed into a colossal giant, towering ten thousand zhangs high, and plunged into the melee. His immense, overpowering aura immediately caught the attention of those battling below.
"Not good, it's Wu Yuan!"
“It’s him.”
"Run!" Some participants who recognized Wu Yuan were immediately struck with panic.
“Flee!”
“Quick, go!” The combatants scattered in all directions like mice before a prowling cat. None dared to remain.
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Over a thousand years of battle, Wu Yuan had forged a fearsome reputation with his battle record, proving that mere numbers were useless against him.
Whoosh! With swift, lethal precision, blade rays slashed through the air, gleaming against the sky. Wu Yuan struck, cutting down several High Immortals who were too slow to escape.
His legend was written in blood. Without killing, how could one strike fear into the hearts of others?
Upon reaching the jade tablet, Wu Yuan found that the mist surrounding it had largely thinned, though an invisible barrier still blocked Wu Yuan from inspecting it.
This jade tablet. He pondered. He kept his distance as he examined it, finding the tablet as inscrutable as the surrounding mist. Though mysterious, it was undeniably a treasure.
"What is that treasure?"
"Not sure."
Among the fleeing geniuses, some chose to depart entirely from the area, while others, driven by reckless curiosity, lingered at a safer distance of a hundred thousand li, hoping to uncover the tablet's secrets.
Time moved on, and more geniuses arrived, drawn by disturbances in spiritual qi. Yet none dared to approach with Wu Yuan standing guard.
A full hour elapsed before the mist finally lifted, and the invisible barriers fell away.
In one swift motion, Wu Yuan reached out and seized the jade tablet, its surface ice-cold under his touch. Instinctively, he channeled a strand of his Soul Will into it, eager to unravel its mysteries.
Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind, crisp and chilling: "Life-or-death treasure ground. Only those who pass the trials can leave alive! In this battle, the true self will enter with the mana body or ether body—victory brings opportunity, defeat brings death. Prepare yourself. Three, two..."
Wu Yuan's eyes widened in shock. A life-or-death treasure ground? Wu Jian and other formidable geniuses had perished precisely in such a place. If the jade tablet was indeed a key to this perilous realm, what fate awaited him?
But he had no time to ponder further.
"One!" The final count rang out, and Wu Yuan's ether body vanished along with the jade tablet.
Simultaneously, back in Divine Domain World 7, beneath the Soul Will-blocking array, Wu Yuan's body refiner self disappeared as well, leaving no trace behind.