Yuan’s Ascension

Ming Jian is Li Xia? Zhuo Haiyue had a deep and vivid impression of Li Xia.

It wasn't due to any profound emotional connection between them. Rather, before her true rise to power, only Li Xia could rival her in their entire home immortal continent. Moreover, Li Xia's growth was, to some extent, related to her. They even had an agreement.

However, after participating in the Amethyst Cradle Bloodforge Battle, she not only completed the Thunder Saint Imprint, but also evaded the detection of the Bloodforge Overlord’s soul fragment, obtaining the core legacy left by the Thunder Saint. Then, upon reaching the divine court headquarters, her power truly soared to great heights.

She never spared Li Xia another thought after that.

In fact, even the prince-rank Fang Family of the Redmoon Immortal Continent had long been dead to her.

Now, if she wished, she could completely annihilate them through various means. However, with the hatred deeply ingrained in her bones, she wanted to accumulate more strength before returning to the Greenridge Macrocosm to finish them off personally. That was the only reason she had not taken action yet.

“Haiyue, are you saying that this Ming Jian is the Li Xia you mentioned before? Wasn't Ming Jian born with extraordinary talent, not someone who rose in strength step by step?” A childish voice echoed in her mind.

"Mm," Zhuo Haiyue responded.

"Unbelievable! How is this possible? Back then, he wasn't even close to the top of his generation in the macrocosm. How could he possibly catch up to you?" The childish voice exclaimed, filled with incredulity.

"Your soul essence perfectly aligns with the Thunder Saint's inheritance. In the past few hundred years, you've been at the divine court headquarters, completing three hell-level trial missions in succession.

In recent decades, you've become a core member of the divine court, and even had a Sovereign personally guide you.

He's been staying within the macrocosm all this time, what kind of heaven-defying opportunity could he have? How could his cultivation speed match yours?"

"I'm not sure," Zhuo Haiyue replied.

"Could it be that he also obtained the essence imprint of some dead old fogey?" The childish voice suggested.

"Perhaps it's his natural talent," Zhuo Haiyue said.

"It can't be natural talent alone. If he truly possessed such talent, his power would have risen rapidly long ago. It's impossible for him to gradually reveal his potential only after reaching the Amethyst Cradle phase.

He must have gotten some great opportunity unknown to others, possibly no less significant than yours. Others may not know, but this young master sure does. Inside the Spacetime Dao Realm, find a way to kill him and see if we can seize this opportunity," the childish voice cackled.

"Shut up," Zhuo Haiyue reprimanded in her mind.

She frowned slightly.

This Thunder Spirit was fine in every other aspect. The main reason she could progress so quickly, apart from her compatibility with the Thunder Saint Imprint, was thanks to his guidance.

However, his flaw was that he constantly urged her to kill others. In two out of the three hell-level trial missions at the divine court headquarters, she had nearly lost her life due to this Thunder Spirit's suggestions.

"Each person has their own destiny, some things cannot be forced. I will walk my own path," Zhuo Haiyue said coldly. "This time, I will likely spend thousands or even tens of thousands of years cultivating in the Spacetime Dao Realme. You need to behave yourself. This isn't the divine court."

"Don't worry. Even at my peak, when I followed the Thunder Saint, I couldn't match the Spacetime Dao Master. I certainly won't risk exposing myself. Besides, the old Spacetime Dao Master probably can't be bothered with me.

As for you, you came here to comprehend the Law of Space, but don't immerse yourself too far into it. Although the Thunder Saint Imprint has granted you extremely high aptitude for the Daos of Space and Wind, they are far inferior to the Thunder Dao," the childish voice prattled on.

"As long as you cultivate step by step, there's a ninety-nine percent chance you'll fully comprehend the Law of Thunder.

You needn't worry too much about this Ming Jian. Calculating the time to clear level one hundred of the one-star tower, he did conquer it faster, but you cleared level one hundred of the three-star tower first.

When you become a High Immortal and complete your Yuan Soul, fully fusing with the imprint, your cultivation speed will increase by another large margin. You're destined to leave him far behind."

"Mm," Zhuo Haiyue responded indifferently.

A flicker passed through the depths of her eyes. It was unclear what she was thinking.

…

Although Wu Yuan and Zhuo Haiyue had sensed each other's soul auras, they hadn't seen each other for hundreds of years and had no idea what the other had experienced to become so terrifyingly powerful.

Moreover, given the special environment they were in, neither of them rashly attempted to communicate telepathically. With tacit understanding, they exchanged a glance, pretending not to know each other, and then averted their gazes.

Time passed.

Hua Zhu, Pei Shi, and the others gradually became acquainted with the geniuses from other macrocosms, and slowly gathered some intelligence.

"Ming Jian? He cleared level one hundred of the two-star tower over a hundred years ago?"

"Truly heaven-defying!"

"He's only been cultivating for fewer than five hundred years."

"Such terrifying talent, why hasn't he gone to the divine court headquarters?"

"He might be comparable to Zhuo Haiyue from the divine court headquarters. Zhuo Haiyue is also from the Greenridge Macrocosm?"

"The Greenridge Macrocosm has produced two potential Supreme Geniuses in succession?" The over ten thousand immortal cultivators from various macrocosms broke into excited discussion, with occasional shocked gasps.

They were all outstanding individuals from their respective macrocosms, with extremely broad perspectives, and belonged to various affiliated forces under the Taiyuan Divine Court.

However, due to the vast distances between macrocosms, these immortal cultivators had been unaware of the names Ming Jian and Zhuo Haiyue until now.

"Zhuo Haiyue is also from our Eternal Sun Immortal World?"

"What a coincidence. She cleared level one hundred of the three-star tower even faster than Ming Jian? Ming Jian hasn't cleared it yet, right?" Pei Shi, Hua Zhu, and dozens of other geniuses were equally shocked.

They had been unaware of Zhuo Haiyue's achievements before this.

Level one hundred of the three-star tower? When Wu Yuan heard this news, he was also astonished.

I've been able to progress so quickly thanks to the guidance of two Sovereigns, two bestowals from the black pagoda, and the great opportunity in the Immutable Land. What is Zhuo Haiyue relying on? Wu Yuan was equally shocked.

He pondered silently.

Wu Yuan knew very well that even if she had been cultivating at the divine court headquarters, she shouldn't have progressed so quickly in theory.

When he cleared level one hundred of the one-star tower, Immortal Sovereign Bei You had said that even at the divine court headquarters, he would be considered the number one genius.

The Taiyuan Divine Court ruled over numerous macrocosms, indeed teeming with geniuses. Throughout history, many benchmark Supreme Geniuses had cleared level one hundred of various star towers. Several of them had even cleared level one hundred of the seven-star tower. However, Supreme Geniuses were not guaranteed to emerge in every era.

The reason why the Supreme Geniuses were called 'supreme' was because they truly set an extremely high standard for geniuses.

One must neither be arrogant nor self-deprecating. Wu Yuan quickly calmed himself, his heart regaining tranquility.

I have indeed had many opportunities. But in this vast heaven and earth, how many great opportunities are there? Throughout endless ages, the river of space and time is filled with countless secrets. Wu Yuan thought to himself.

The Taiyuan Divine Court is a top-tier major faction in heaven and earth. Its stronghold is home to countless powerful beings. It's perfectly normal for Zhuo Haiyue to have encountered some great opportunity there.

Just as he had two Sovereigns to guide him, perhaps in the divine court, Zhuo Haiyue might have received guidance from even more powerful beings. Anything was possible.

There's no rush. If I really wanted to attempt it, I could also clear level one hundred of the three-star tower, but there's no need to draw so much attention. Wu Yuan's mind was already at peace.

Indeed, Zhuo Haiyue's strength shocked Wu Yuan, yet it didn't affect him. What did the strength of others have to do with him?

I’ll walk my own path, stick to the plan, become stronger step by step, and naturally reach the pinnacle.

…

Time flowed on.

This spacetime battleship seemed to traverse the vast river of space and time without end. Every so often, a few or dozens of immortal cultivators would board the ship.

This speed astonished Wu Yuan, Pei Shi, and the others.

From what they knew, the distances between different macrocosms were unimaginably vast, often spanning tens of billions of light-years or even further... How could they arrive so quickly?

The number of immortal cultivators on the battleship continued to grow.

As they interacted, newcomers would initially be surprised by the large crowd, then gradually integrate with the earlier arrivals. They would also eventually learn about the deeds of Ming Jian and Zhuo Haiyue, and be amazed by them.

"Supreme Geniuses?"

"The Greenridge Macrocosm is truly extraordinary."

The various affiliated forces under the Taiyuan Divine Court had different circumstances, but the standards of the Seven Star Luminaries Tower were uniform across the board. Everyone understood the significance of reaching level one hundred of a star tower.

In terms of raw strength, Wu Yuan and Zhuo Haiyue were certainly not the strongest among the tens of thousands of immortal cultivators. Those few High Immortals who had cultivated for a long time were undoubtedly more powerful. But the two of them were, without question, the most eye-catching.

Finally, when the number of immortal cultivators on the battleship exceeded thirty thousand, an invisible ripple enveloped the entire space.

"A total of 1821 macrocosms affiliated with the Taiyuan Divine Court have dispatched immortal cultivators fused with Spacetime Imprints. A total of over thirty-one thousand people have been received," an indifferent voice echoed throughout the battleship.

We will soon depart for the Spacetime Dao Realm, and will arrive in four hours. All immortal cultivators, please make preparations," the indifferent voice said.

Clearly, this voice belonged to the Sovereign piloting the battleship. However, from beginning to end, he never appeared in person.

Everyone who heard this was secretly shocked. Wu Yuan was equally amazed. Over 1800 macrocosms, and from the sound of it, this might not even be all the macrocosms with regions under the Taiyuan Divine Court's rule? The Taiyuan Divine Court was indeed an incredibly vast and unfathomable faction.

That Astral Monarch of Space previously said it would take him seven months to reach the fixed spacetime coordinates of the Spacetime Dao Realm. Yet this mysterious battleship can arrive in just two hours? Wu Yuan marveled silently.

This vast universe was truly beyond comprehension. The more Wu Yuan's horizons expanded, the smaller he felt in comparison.

…

As the spacetime battleship cruised, the passengers were not disturbed whatsoever. Wu Yuan and the tens of thousands of others aboard did not feel the slightest tremor.

"Ming Jian."

"Fellow Daoist Ming Jian."

"Once we reach the Spacetime Island and get settled in, perhaps we could team up for spacetime missions?"

"I've already conquered level eighty of the five-star tower, haha." From time to time, immortal cultivators from other macrocosms would approach Wu Yuan, striking up conversations and even extending invitations.

"Alright, I'll consider it."

"Very impressive indeed, you have my admiration." Wu Yuan responded politely to each one, but refrained from making any true commitments.

Knowing that they were venturing to the Spacetime Dao Realm, everyone had gathered at least some relevant intelligence.

Many dangerous missions within the Spacetime Dao Realm required teamwork, but Wu Yuan wasn't in any particular rush. He hadn't even reached the late-stage Earth Immortal phase in terms of mana cultivation, so why the need for such haste?

Nevertheless, faced with these immortal cultivators from various macrocosms who were all part of the Taiyuan Divine Court's faction, Wu Yuan didn't want to offend anyone and played along.

Though I'm not part of the divine court headquarters' inner circle, I'm still an affiliate member of the divine court. Besides, forging good relationships with powerful figures from my own faction could prove beneficial on the Spacetime Island. Wu Yuan reasoned to himself.

Networking with powerful individuals from all corners could sometimes yield unexpected rewards.

In stark contrast to Wu Yuan, as soon as the battleship set off, Zhuo Haiyue sat cross-legged in midair, lightning crackling faintly around her body as she began cultivating, utterly ignoring her surroundings.

No one dared approach her.

Even the hundreds of geniuses from the divine court headquarters who had come with her kept their distance, clearly unwilling to provoke her. Her demeanor radiated an unmistakable ‘do not approach’ signal.

Zhuo Haiyue's attitude was the polar opposite of Wu Yuan's.