Yuan's Ascension

At Wu Yuan's reply, the realm master found himself at a loss for words. Time and time again, Wu Yuan surpassed his expectations. When they first met, Wu Yuan was merely sixteen or seventeen years old. Back then, he had seen potential in Wu Yuan, and hoped that he would advance to the Shambhala phase and restore the Hou Feng Tribe.

But then, Wu Yuan received heavenly endowed eldritch tattoos and established a second-degree immortal root. And later, in his early twenties, he grasped a Domain and eliminated a juvenile worm devil.

Now, just a little over a decade later, Wu Yuan had reached the Spiritual Body phase. But what truly astounded the realm master was the fact that Wu Yuan had created a qi refiner self. This went beyond mere talent.

"Wu Yuan." After a pause, the realm master finally spoke, drawing a deep breath. "Did you come to claim your reward for reaching the Spiritual Body phase?"

Wu Yuan nodded, touching down on the ground. Little Black winded around his arm and gazed about curiously.

On its first visit here, it was newly hatched and still somewhat naive. And since Wu Yuan had kept it within his soul chamber, it knew little about the Fourth Eldritch Realm.

"So this is the Teng Snake? It appears quite intelligent," the realm master remarked, a rare smile gracing his features as he observed the snake around Wu Yuan's arm. He had nurtured this Teng Snake egg for millennia, forming a deep bond with it.

"Mm," Wu Yuan nodded. "Its name is Little Black."

The realm master's expression stiffened. Little Black?

"Your talent for naming seems to be lacking," the realm master couldn't resist casting a glance at Wu Yuan. "Much like your skill in finding a Dao companion."

At this, Wu Yuan could only manage a sheepish grin.

"Reaching the fifth-stage Communion phase in a mere few years is something I can still comprehend," the realm master began, shaking his head. "But to then cultivate two paths simultaneously and reach the Spiritual Body phase in just over ten years? Frankly, I am perplexed. Such rapid cultivation seems implausible by relying solely on the Luminous Immortal Soil."

Wu Yuan simply smiled in response, choosing not to offer an explanation.

Under normal circumstances, he should only have reached the eighth-stage Communion phase, but the realm master was unaware of the blood-red mist's influence. This mysterious mist had significantly hastened Wu Yuan's cultivation speed, rendering his progress several times quicker.

However, upon reaching the ninth-stage Communion phase, the blood mist acquired from slaying the worm devil and Jin Quan was nearly depleted. Therefore, Wu Yuan had to rely on himself to break through to the Spiritual Body phase.

Observing Wu Yuan's reticence, the realm master chuckled. "Where is your qi refiner self? You visit once every decade or so; is there something you wish to discuss with me?"

Understanding that Wu Yuan was no longer a naive youth, the realm master refrained from pressing further. Since he didn’t wish to speak, there had to be a valid reason.

"Indeed, there are matters I seek your guidance on," Wu Yuan smiled.

He quickly recounted the significant events of the past decade. Apart from matters related to the black pagoda, he withheld no details, including the inheritance of Reverend Qing Yan. When dealing with different people, the degree of confidentiality also varied.

The realm master's astonishment was palpable as he absorbed Wu Yuan's words. "Acquiring a Star Embryonic Body from an Amethyst Cradle Reverend’s inheritance? Among the spiritless body vessels, this is a decent one. I don’t even possess the most ordinary spiritless body vessel here.”

Wu Yuan just nodded slightly. The purpose of the Fourth Eldritch Realm was to train new eldritches, why would it hold such unique treasures?

"Since you have obtained it, then it is simply meant to be," the realm master declared solemnly. “Among the numerous Shambhala powerhouses who desperately seek spiritless body vessels, many see their efforts end up in vain, ultimately resigning themselves to abandoning the path of qi refining."

“As for you.” He turned his gaze towards Wu Yuan, his eyes glittering. "Before reaching 50, you already possess two true selves, paving the way for a boundless future. Two true selves, two lives, two souls - your progress will greatly surpass that of a single true self."

Wu Yuan listened intently.

"The progression of your soul is truly unbelievable," the realm master stated, gazing at Wu Yuan with awe. "Even compared to other Amethyst Cradle cultivators, your soul might not be at the bottom tier. If you hadn’t informed me, I may not have even realized that you recently utilized the Soul Split Secret Art."

"My soul is indeed a little weak," Wu Yuan said.

This was true. Despite Visualizing the black pagoda for over ten days, his soul had yet to fully recover. However, this wasn’t an obvious fact.

"It’s already impressive that you were able to stabilize your soul in such a short time," the realm master remarked with a smile. "Don’t be too greedy."

The realm master genuinely felt joy at Wu Yuan's progress. The stronger Wu Yuan became, the closer he would be to the resurgence of the Hou Feng Tribe.

"Realm Master, my main concern is the teleportation array," Wu Yuan admitted.

With Wu Yuan's current power, he had almost full control over the situation in the Middle Land, so he wasn't too worried. But beyond its borders, it was a different story. The so-called ‘coming of immortals’ briefly mentioned in the Middle Land's ancient texts made Wu Yuan wary.

"I have been contemplating the teleportation array you mentioned earlier," the realm master replied. “I have never heard of the term ‘Li Tian’, but it likely represents the name of a region of a certain large faction. And ‘0068’ should refer to a city, base, or teleportation array that is numbered '68' in this region.

"However, there is a 99% chance that this teleportation array does not lead to a different location within the Summerpeak World," the realm master continued. "The size of a worldlet does not necessitate the presence of four spatial mithril towers. Just one would suffice at most."

Wu Yuan pondered this information. He had considered these points, but not as thoroughly as the realm master.

"Should I take a risk and attempt it?" Wu Yuan inquired.

"Hehe, with so many qi refiners at your disposal, why not get one to be your test subject?" the realm master chuckled.

"I have considered that option before," Wu Yuan admitted with a bitter smile. "But activating the teleportation array requires a massive quantity of ethercrystal."

"Thus far, aside from a small portion reserved for my cultivation, the remaining ethercrystal is only sufficient for a single activation of the teleportation array. I fear there won’t be enough for a second attempt," Wu Yuan shook his head.

To conduct a proper experiment, he needed enough ethercrystal for at least three activations. Two for the round trip of the test subject, and one more for Wu Yuan to make the journey there after confirming the safety level of the destination. This was the bare minimum. If not for the scarcity of ethercrystal, Wu Yuan would have conducted the experiment long ago.

"That won’t be a problem. The reward I have prepared for you for reaching the Spiritual Body phase includes a significant amount of ethercrystal," the realm master grinned slightly. "Enough for you to activate the teleportation array dozens of times."

Wu Yuan's eyes lit up. The realm master was generous indeed.

"You need not worry about ethercrystal for now," the realm master assured. "Instead, you must think carefully about the risks. The teleportation array may lead to a macrocosm or some other mysterious realm. Do you still wish to proceed? And if so, will both of your true selves journey together, or just one?"

Wu Yuan delved deep into thought. Indeed, this was a decision that required careful consideration.

"My suggestion is that, if all goes smoothly, your qi refiner self should set out first, with your body refiner self following shortly after," the realm master advised.

"Why is that?" Wu Yuan questioned.

"Based on what you said, numerous cultivators reside outside the Middle Land in the other regions of Summerpeak World, and they may visit the Middle Land in the future. Is that right?" the realm master inquired.

"Yes," Wu Yuan affirmed.

This wasn’t a secret among Heavenly Rankers. He had learned a bit about this when he first became an eldritch warrior. After defeating Jin Quan and uniting the Middle Land, he gradually took control of the Starcom Consortium and the Wu Sect, and read the records from their archives, thus expanding his understanding.

The Middle Land was a gargantuan landmass surrounded by vast bodies of water on all sides. Those who dared to venture in any direction across the waters would eventually find themselves at the very edge of the world. The closer one drew to the edge, the thinner the spiritual qi grew, until it vanished entirely. Thus, the furthest reaches across the four oceans became known as the Spiritless Regions, desolate and unforgiving places where no cultivator or ordinary creature could easily survive.

The Middle Land resembled a colossal cage, isolating its inhabitants. This was what drove Daoist Wan Xing and the others to such great lengths during the worm devil calamity. There was simply no way out.

This made Wu Yuan’s claims that he brought Fang Xia with him from across the ocean when he masqueraded as Wan Liu all the more confounding to the Heavenly Rankers. Throughout the history of the Middle Land, no outsider had ever made it across the Spiritless Regions into the Middle Land.

However, this did not mean that no outsider had ever set foot within the Middle Land. This was what the coming of immortals meant. The Spiritless Regions, which acted as a barrier between the Middle Land and the outside world, experienced periodic spiritual tides every thousand years or so. During these periods, the concentration of spiritual qi would rise, causing the Spiritless Regions to recede.

Nestled within the Xin Continent, adjacent to the Spiritless Region, lay an area where the spiritual qi remained somewhat dense. This was the most vulnerable point of connection between the Middle Land and the world beyond. When the spiritual tides arrived, a passage would be revealed in this area, linking the Xin Continent, and thus the Middle Land, to the rest of the world.

The term ‘immortal epoch’ denoted the periods when foreign cultivators entered the Middle Land. According to the annals, three such spiritual tides had occurred in the past. The first tide had brought no outsiders, but the subsequent two had ushered in foreign cultivators. Each incursion of these foreign cultivators had wrought havoc upon the Middle Land.

Why did the records of the Starcom Consortium indicate that they had re-established the 'Heavenly Rankings' and 'Land Rankings' a thousand years ago? Because that was the period of civilization’s resurgence following an immortal epoch.

Despite the destruction these foreign cultivators often caused, they also imparted knowledge and advancements, sparking a renaissance within the Middle Land. Various factions, including the Starcom Consortium, the Pleiades Guild, and the Ninedeaths Circle, had been founded by foreign cultivators from the last immortal epoch, who had left behind a legacy of rudimentary cultivation texts.

"Based on historical patterns, the spiritual tide is due to arrive once more. It might come anytime between now and 100 years.” Wu Yuan said.

The realm master nodded, "No wonder I sensed the presence of formidable qi refiners nearby on multiple occasions, which vanished swiftly. It should be none other than the coming of immortals."

Wu Yuan nodded.

As recorded by the Starcom Consortium, foreign cultivators ventured to the Middle Land primarily to pillage resources. While they did bring ruin to certain top-tier sects, they refrained from the widespread slaughter of mortals, leaving the populace largely unaware of their existence.

Only selected Heavenly Rankers possessed knowledge of these foreign threats.

"In previous spiritual tides, there were no Golden Core cultivators among the intruders," Wu Yuan stated. "However, we know very little about them. The Middle Land's civilization is currently in a period of resurgence, and the other regions of Summerpeak are even larger. We must not underestimate them."

If the next spiritual tide ushered in the same level of adversaries as before, Wu Yuan wouldn’t have anything to fear. Fang Xia alone was enough to deal with them. The current strength of the Middle Land was far superior to that of a thousand years ago.

On top of that, there was Wu Yuan himself. If his qi refiner and body refiner selves joined forces, he wouldn’t shy away from a battle, even if the intruders were late-stage Golden Core cultivators.

Yet, the known information was scarce; who could say what perils lurked in the distant corners of the Summerpeak World? An encounter with an Amethyst Cradle Reverend was not outside the realm of possibility.

Hence, the teleportation array held a pivotal role in Wu Yuan's plans—a vital escape route during moments of crisis.

"That is why I suggested that your qi-refiner self go forth to explore the place where the teleportation array leads first," the realm master spoke slowly. "100,000 years have passed; the state of the macrocosm remains a mystery, much like Reverend Qing Yan's hatred for eldritch cultivators."

"In truth, I speculate that the ancient conflict may have been waged between the Archeldritches and the Celestial Soldiers of the Immortal Court."

"I do not know the outcome of the war. However, the Immortal Court's dominion has stood unyielding for eons."

"If the macrocosm is currently under the control of the Immortal Court and your body refiner self heads over now, you might be killed the moment your eldritch identity is revealed," the realm master cautioned gravely. "In the Summerpeak World, the worst possible scenario is the birth of an Amethyst Cradle Reverend. However, this is a manageable threat, and the Fourth Eldritch Realm can always offer you sanctuary."

"But in the macrocosm, powerhouses abound. There exist peak powerhouses who can snuff out life across billions of li with a mere thought."

Wu Yuan's astonishment was palpable.

These were revelations that the realm master had withheld from him until now. The great war that ravaged myriad worlds 100,000 years ago might have been sparked by the clash between Archeldritches and the Immortal Court?

"I can only surmise based on fragmentary evidence," the realm master said lightly. “Given how weak you were in the past, what good would such knowledge serve? It would only cause you to overthink unnecessarily."

Wu Yuan found himself momentarily speechless.

"Of course, everything hinges on whether the teleportation array still functions," the realm master continued, "If it fails, it would be wise to survey other regions of the Summerpeak World before deciding on your next steps."

Wu Yuan nodded in acknowledgment.

"Alright, I have explained everything you need to know," the realm master concluded with a wave of his hand, releasing several streams of light.

"It’s time to give you your reward."

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