Yuan’s Ascension

Chapter 1132: Success

Once, Wu Yuan had struggled to comprehend how Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu could slay a Dao Zenithel. Now, understanding dawned on him.

The most heaven-defying aspect of eternal powerhouses lies in their countless imprints and marks scattered across infinite spacetime. Physical attacks can only destroy their bodies, yet fail to eradicate the source.

Only through the elusive destiny can one pursue and erase all of an opponent’s imprints and marks, utterly annihilating them.

Soul attacks, while potent, had their flaws. Once ineffective, they rarely troubled the target again, unlike physical assaults, which could accumulate minor wounds into mortal injuries, gradually wearing down even the mightiest foe.

Yet soul attacks possessed a unique advantage.

Even now, in the eyes of countless sempiternal lifeforms, I must appear as an entity of inconceivable might. Wu Yuan mused silently. This qi refiner self of mine is likely the most formidable soul class sempiternal lifeform in all of history.

Indeed, his power was truly awe-inspiring. Among sempiternal lifeforms, those capable of creating soul-type eternal ultimate techniques were exceedingly rare. To construct a Dream World was rarer still.

Over a hundred million years of cultivation. Now, with but a thought, even Overlords would succumb to my illusions. Few Perennial powerhouses could resist.

And against ordinary Sovereigns? I could likely slay their true selves through their mana or ether bodies as long as we inhabit the same expanse of spacetime. Wu Yuan contemplated, his mind racing through possibilities.

When facing Saints, my qi refiner self would unleash soul secret arts, while my body refiner self executes physical attacks.

Wu Yuan was confident that with his two true selves working in concert, he could hold his own against a Saint, provided they couldn’t fully negate his soul techniques.

It’s curious, though. Since I began cultivating here, my qi refiner self has made tremendous strides, yet the progress of my body refiner self seems glacially slow. A flicker of confusion passed through Wu Yuan’s mind.

While Dao pioneering was inherently challenging, especially for sempiternal lifeforms, his body refiner self’s progress over the last 160 million years had been perplexingly slow. It was as if his very thoughts and cognition in that aspect had been severely hampered.

Could it be the nature of this environment? Wu Yuan’s brow furrowed slightly. Does it solely enhance the cultivation of soul secret arts?

Wu Yuan had grown far beyond his former self, his keen senses detecting a subtle wrongness in his surroundings. Yet he couldn’t quite pin down the source of his unease.

It’s time to depart. Wu Yuan’s qi refiner self and mana body rose simultaneously. Two streaks of light flashed over, resolving into his body refiner self and ether body.

The breakthrough of my qi refiner self’s spirit has catalyzed a transformation in my body refiner self’s spirit as well. Wu Yuan remarked, a faint smile playing across his lips.

With a singular consciousness, spiritual cultivation naturally progressed as one. A breakthrough in one true self inevitably propelled the other forward, though his body refiner self, less adept in Spacetime, lagged far behind in mastery of soul secret arts.

Wu Yuan’s four combat bodies turned their attention to the towering black-armored giant standing at the edge of the Path of Light.

“Damned brat! Scum! Have you tortured me enough? Aaargh! It’s been over a hundred million years!” The colossal black-armored giant roared, his enormous eyes blazing with unquenchable fury. His rage was palpable, a force unto itself.

For over 160 million years, Wu Yuan’s qi refiner self and mana body had ceaselessly employed the World of Dreams. In the first few million years, the guardian could swiftly regain clarity, but as time wore on and Wu Yuan’s soul secret arts grew ever more potent, the periods of lucidity grew shorter and farther between.

He sank deeper and deeper, only occasionally surfacing to awareness before being dragged back down into the abyss of illusion.

What torment could compare? Even a true Overlord would likely be driven to madness under such relentless assault.

“Are you angry? Enraged?” Wu Yuan’s lips curved in a slight smile, before he sighed softly. “You are not truly alive. Your spirit world is an amalgamation of countless resentful consciousnesses. Your very existence is a form of suffering.

“Today, allow me to end it.”

Whoosh! Wu Yuan’s four combat bodies flew forward, crossing the threshold into the Path of Light.

“End me? You’ll be the one to die!” The towering black-armored giant bellowed in fury, swinging his massive fist.

The punch tore through the fabric of heaven and earth, its power terrifying to behold.

“Sink into oblivion,” Wu Yuan whispered, an otherworldly light flickering in the eyes of his qi refiner self.

A wave of soul energy surged outward, enveloping this expanse and engulfing the black-armored giant.

Hum~ The giant’s eyes glazed over, his raised fist halting mid-swing. Pain etched itself across his features as he cried out, “No! No! I don’t want to live anymore. Life… is agony…”

Whoosh! The black-armored giant’s form trembled. The light in his eyes finally dimmed, his vital aura dissipating into nothingness.

His soul was extinguished, and death claimed him at last.

That titanic body sank to one knee in the void before settling into stillness, never to move again.

“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. May you find peace from your torment,” Wu Yuan murmured.

He harbored a faint suspicion that should others breach this Path of Light in the future, this guardian might be resurrected once more. In essence, he was but a humanoid weapon.

But for now, at least, Wu Yuan had granted him respite.

In a flash, Wu Yuan’s four combat bodies surged forward. Without obstacles, the journey of 900 million li passed in an instant.

In the blink of an eye, Wu Yuan arrived before the second guardian, the purple-robed woman. Her expression remained serene. Even after 160 million years, her demeanor hadn’t changed.

“So you managed to slay Ah Hei.” The purple-robed woman’s aura radiated sanctity, though her posture was bewitchingly alluring.

She smiled coyly, “Throughout countless samsara cycles of heaven and earth, you’re the second to kill Ah Hei in a direct match.”

Ah Hei must have been the name of the first guardian.

In truth, Wu Yuan’s victory was partly due to luck. After all, he had created his eternal ultimate technique by analyzing the opponent’s spirit world and understanding it perfectly. Slaying him, therefore, proved relatively simple.

“Who was the first?” Wu Yuan couldn’t help but ask.

“Her name was Hou Tu,” the purple-robed woman replied.

“Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu?” Wu Yuan’s expression remained impassive, but his mind stirred. Had Hou Tu truly come here? Could it be someone else with the same name? Yet upon reflection, how many sempiternal lifeforms could have slain the first guardian since the Primordial Era? The odds were that it was truly Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu.

“Will you step aside willingly, or must I resort to lethal measures?” Wu Yuan smiled.

Having created a new eternal ultimate technique, Wu Yuan brimmed with confidence.

“I am no match for you,” the purple-robed woman smiled in return. “However, you learned much from the first guardian. My spirit world likewise contains secrets. Perhaps you might find them worth exploring.”

This response caught Wu Yuan off guard, as if she were saying, “I’m quite remarkable, you know. Worth a thorough investigation.”

A moment of silence went by.

“Then I shall,” Wu Yuan uttered before an invisible ripple emanated from him, instantly enveloping the purple-robed woman.

A fleeting look of confusion passed through her eyes, quickly replaced by struggle, as if she might snap out of it at any moment.

As expected. I studied the first guardian for over a hundred million years, allowing me to completely counter him. Wu Yuan mused. This second guardian’s resistance is far stronger.

By Wu Yuan’s rough estimation, both guardians possessed soul defenses on par with Perennial powerhouses.

Time went by.

“Hmm?” The purple-robed woman finally regained clarity, instinctive fear flashing in her eyes. “What a terrifying illusion art. Layer upon layer, seemingly without end.”

She had come perilously close to being utterly subsumed.

The Myriad Rebirths Tribulation, one life connected to the next in an endless chain, required an indomitable will to fully awaken from. The longer one remained trapped, the harder it became to break free.

“Your spirit world is indeed special,” Wu Yuan’s eyes betrayed a hint of surprise, tinged with delight.

Wu Yuan had sensed that her spirit world was an amalgamation of countless consciousnesses like the first guardian’s, yet fundamentally different.

If the first guardian’s myriad consciousnesses were suffused with destruction and hatred, then the purple-robed woman’s spirit world was a realm of tranquility, filled with joy, contentment, and fulfillment.

I see now. Wu Yuan began to understand. Of the seven emotions, the first guardian embodied anger, sorrow, hate, and desire. The second guardian represents joy, pleasure, love, and desire.

Both possessed desire, yet of diametrically opposed natures. One the epitome of great evil, the other of supreme good.

You are indeed worthy of thorough exploration. Wu Yuan’s lips curved into a smile.

Before the purple-robed woman could react, Wu Yuan’s qi refiner self and mana body once again employed the Myriad Rebirths Tribulation, causing the purple-robed woman’s eyes to glaze over once more. Immediately, Wu Yuan began to probe the depths of her spirit world.

Wu Yuan instantly realized that this second guardian, like the first, represented a rare opportunity – one he couldn’t afford to squander.

Though my current strength would allow me to swiftly get past her, thoroughly examining her spirit world could propel my growth in the Psyche Dream class even further. Wu Yuan reasoned. If I miss this chance, who knows how long it might take to achieve similar progress?

And so, Wu Yuan halted his advance once more. His body refiner self and ether body stood vigilant, keeping a lookout for unexpected developments.

Meanwhile, his qi refiner self and mana body began to explore the purple-robed woman’s spirit without restraint.

Faced with Wu Yuan’s soul secret arts, the purple-robed woman was utterly defenseless, an open book waiting to be read.

Time flowed on.

Wu Yuan perceived the other’s spirit world, immersing himself in those threads of consciousness, once again experiencing numerous lifetimes.

A second-generation young master born to wealth and status, dying naturally of old age…

An emperor presiding over a rising empire, with wise ministers internally and no strong enemies externally, peace reigning across the four seas…

A farmer in a tranquil mountain village, free from illness and calamity, surrounded by children and grandchildren…

A martial arts prodigy, training from youth and becoming unrivaled in the martial world by his prime, all enemies slain and every sect looking up to him in reverence…

One life after another, all filled with happiness, joy, and delight, effortlessly drawing one into their depths.

However, now that Wu Yuan’s spirit cultivation reached the eternal level, his will was incomparably strong and utterly unshakable. The lifetimes he experienced were incredibly real – love, family, friendship, delicious food, beautiful companions, power, martial might… all manner of worldly pleasures came in waves, yet they could not move him in the slightest. He simply observed calmly, perceiving everything.

In the blink of an eye, a million years passed.

Endless resentment and hatred make one desperately crave revenge and release, ultimately sinking into an inescapable abyss. Wu Yuan mused, his mind growing ever clearer the more he experienced. While love, joy, and the like are the ultimate luxurious indulgences, making one linger and unwilling to leave.

Hatred at its extreme cannot be forgotten. Joy at its zenith was equally inescapable.

At its root, it all comes down to desire. Wu Yuan murmured to himself. Vengeance is desire, love is desire, the pursuit of power is desire… Only by mastering one’s desires can one truly master everything.

Gradually, Wu Yuan’s Dream World began to change. The original Myriad Rebirths Tribulation evolved further, becoming more intricate, real, and profound.

Through immersing himself in the spirit worlds of the two guardians and cultivating for nearly two hundred million years, Wu Yuan had begun to comprehend the seven emotions and six desires. The soul secret art he created naturally grew even more terrifying.

When nearly a hundred million years had passed, Wu Yuan finally completely observed all the consciousnesses in the purple-robed woman’s spirit world, far faster than before.

Then, it took another ten million years for Wu Yuan to perfect this self-created eternal ultimate technique to its absolute limit. There was almost no room left for improvement.

“Sink,” Wu Yuan’s qi refiner self unleashed the improved version of the Myriad Rebirths Tribulation.

This time, the purple-robed woman was utterly unable to escape, instantly sinking into its depths.

Whoosh! Wu Yuan’s qi refiner self and mana body rose once more.

“Your spirit is now complete. Why not sink eternally within? Is that not a form of happiness in itself?” Wu Yuan’s gaze swept over the seemingly slumbering purple-robed woman.

He leapt past her, neither killing the purple-robed woman nor waking her.

Whoosh! Wu Yuan’s four combat bodies flew past the purple-robed woman, and before long, he finally arrived before the third guardian – the white-robed elderly man.

“Senior,” Wu Yuan bowed slightly, showing great politeness. Of the three guardians, the white-robed elderly man was the one he understood least. He couldn’t see through him before. Even now he remained inscrutable, appearing like a haze of mist to Wu Yuan’s senses.

“Congratulations on reaching me in such a short time,” the white-robed elderly man smiled instead. “Originally, I had some things to impart, but since you’ve already opened your Dream World, I won’t say much.

“I hope you prove worthy what Goddess Nüwa left behind.”

Before Wu Yuan could speak, an invisible ripple passed by, and the white-robed elderly man along with the slumbering purple-robed woman vanished simultaneously from within the Path of Light.

With this, it was as if the three guardians had never appeared.

They just left like that? Wu Yuan stood in the Path of Light, somewhat bewildered.

Originally, he thought he would spend tens of millions of years to defeat the third guardian. But after exchanging a few words, he had left with the second guardian.

Is it because I’ve gotten too strong, and they felt further obstacles would be meaningless? Wu Yuan pondered silently.

Whatever the reason, he had succeeded.

Let’s go! Wu Yuan’s four combat bodies instantly merged, leaving only his mana body and ether body on the outside as he flew at high speed through the Path of Light.

After advancing another ten billion li, he felt the spacetime before him tremble slightly.

He found himself within a somewhat illusory temple.

I’ve finally crossed the Path of Light? Wu Yuan’s gaze swept across the temple, majestic yet simply decorated.

Then, Wu Yuan saw the white-robed figure at the far end of the temple, leisurely playing chess alone.

“Senior White Emperor.” Wu Yuan bowed slightly.

“Two hundred and fifty million years. Congratulations, Wu Yuan,” White Emperor turned with a smile, setting down his chess piece and rising. “You are qualified to receive what Goddess Nüwa left behind. Thinking back, among the many samsara cycles of heaven and earth, you are the youngest to reach this temple, as well as the fastest.”

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