Yuan's Ascension

Chapter 236: Surge of Power (2)

As Wu Yuan returned to Archeldritch Mountain from the sect’s forbidden zone, he saw a white-robed figure awaiting him. Spotting Wu Yuan, the figure immediately came forward to welcome him.

"Old Fang," greeted Wu Yuan with a smile.

"Young Master, you’ve made a breakthrough?" asked Fang Xia, his expression a mixture of surprise and joy as he sensed the powerful vital aura bursting from Wu Yuan without any restraint. After the breakthrough, Wu Yuan’s body underwent a profound metamorphosis, hence he had yet to fully control his newfound strength.

"Mm," Wu Yuan nodded.

"Haha, splendid!" Fang Xia chuckled, "With your breakthrough, I can finally relax. From what I can perceive, I believe you can easily overpower numerous Heavenly Rankers with your current strength."

"If Wu Jianzhong were here, I could kill him effortlessly now," Wu Yuan stated calmly.

Wu Jianzhong was a fourth-stage Qi Sea cultivator who lacked any powerful artifacts. It would take Wu Yuan a single exchange of blows to kill him. As for stronger adversaries? For Wu Yuan who had only just broken through, the prospects seemed unfavorable.

"Haha," Fang Xia laughed, "Though you are only at the first stage of the Communion phase, you already possess such formidable power. With time, you will undoubtedly be able to match a late-stage Qi Sea cultivator."

"Cultivators from the Middle Land are all weak," Wu Yuan shook his head, "They lack inheritances."

An inheritance made a world of difference.

It was only after Wu Yuan communicated with Qiong Sea King via spiritual telepathy that he realized how pitifully weak the jiaolong’s lifebound divine beast was, even after Qiong Sea King had spent hundreds of years raising it. And as for ether arts? It was nonexistent!

The same applied to qi refiners like Fang Xia, who, despite cultivating for a little over two centuries, excelled in various disciplines, surpassing the late-stage Qi Sea cultivators of the Middle Land in artifact forging, pill refining, and array crafting.

Was it due to his comprehension abilities? No! Even at 60 years old, Fang Xia had yet to enter the Heavenly Rankings. His natural aptitude for comprehension was weaker compared to Jin Quan, Wan Xing, Niu Hao, and Arctic King at the outset. However, guided by the realm master and inheriting the Eldritch Codex, he naturally underwent huge improvements.

Now, as long as Fang Xia cultivated regularly, he would almost certainly reach the Golden Core phase! This was the power of inheriting knowledge.

"Young Master, you have just reached the first-stage Communion phase. At the beginning of this phase, your progress is bound to be rapid. With your exceptional talent, I dare say you will reach the fourth stage in no more than a decade," Fang Xia declared with a serious tone. "Once that milestone is reached, we will have a fighting chance against Great Jin in the impending conflict."

A decade? Wu Yuan couldn't help but chuckle, "Old Fang, I’ve only just completed the breakthrough. I must continue to cultivate my ether and ether arts. Let’s discuss this matter once my power is stabilized.

"Very well, Young Master’s cultivation should indeed take precedence," Fang Xia nodded. In the end, his primary concern was for Wu Yuan's safety.

He returned to the meditation chamber alone.

Array, shield! Wu Yuan commanded silently. A ripple of invisible waves cascaded out as the array activated, enshrouding Archeldritch Mountain in an impenetrable veil.

On most days, Archeldritch Mountain was devoid of humans. And now, with the power of Wu Yuan's soul and Soul Force, he could immediately tell if Fang Xia dared to pry into his affairs. It wasn't that he doubted Fang Xia's loyalty. It was simply that Wu Yuan refused to place absolute trust in anyone other than himself.

With a flip of his hand, the ethereal and translucent Luminous Immortal Soil gleamed in his palm. Next to it floated a palm-sized egg that brimmed with a powerful aura. It was the Teng Snake egg.

Lifebound eldritch beasts must be cultivated during the Communion phase. The selected eldritch beast must complete the lifebinding contract with its master while newly born or before birth. Wu Yuan gently cradled the Teng Snake egg in his hand.

Amongst the pantheon of divine beasts, the Teng Snake bloodline was extremely strong, but not the strongest. From his inherited memories, Wu Yuan knew that the beasts who truly stood at the pinnacle included the True Dragon, Divine Phoenix, Golden Crow, Qilin, World Ringworm, Cosmic Beast, and Chronos Wood among others.

But how can I, a first-stage Communion cultivator, hope to encounter the young of a pinnacle-tier divine beast?

Forget the Summerpeak World. Even in vast macrocosms, such pinnacle divine beasts could rarely be found. The Teng Snake was Wu Yuan's best choice.

Moreover, selecting the Teng Snake as my lifebound eldritch beast presents three distinct advantages. Wu Yuan smiled faintly. Firstly, the Teng Snake’s strength is in flight, compensating for my disadvantage.

One’s choice of lifebound eldritch beast was extremely important. Take for instance Qiong Sea King's lifebound eldritch beast, a great turtle. As its abilities were weaker than that of the Qiong Sea King, it was not too useful to him.

Secondly, this Teng Snake egg is still unhatched. As long as I nurture it diligently and forge a strong bond between us, it is entirely possible to reach the point of innately sharing feelings and Dao comprehension.

Thirdly, the Teng Snake Progenitor still lives. Should I have the fortune of becoming an Archeldritch, I have a real chance of meeting the Eldritch Progenitor and seeking guidance for my lifebound eldritch beast.

While some divine beasts had strong bloodlines, their progenitors had long passed away.

Of course, the day he became an Archeldritch was still distant. However, the mere prospect of the first two benefits filled Wu Yuan with eager anticipation for the arrival of his lifebound eldritch beast.

As Wu Yuan gently placed his hand on the snake egg, ether surged from his soul chamber to his palm, then into the egg.

Lifebound eldritch beast! Wu Yuan's soul chamber radiated with a resplendent glow, its cryptic symbols rippling.

Boom! The Teng Snake egg which had been sealed in dormancy suddenly stirred, releasing fearsome waves of aura. If Wu Yuan had yet to break through, this aura would have caused him to pale. But now, he was barely able to withstand it.

Hold fast. Wu Yuan gritted his teeth in determination. The vital ether from his soul chamber poured ceaselessly into the Teng Snake egg. Simultaneously, vital qi was converted to vital ether in his soul chamber.

This isn’t a Teng Snake, it’s a glutton! Wu Yuan clenched his teeth, fighting to maintain the flow of vital ether as his face turned pale.

After a long time, the Teng Snake egg’s aura slowly receded, revealing a cryptic symbol on its outer shell. On Wu Yuan's chest, a cryptic symbol also surfaced. It was the lifebinding contract. A mere moment later, Wu Yuan could feel a faint link forming between himself and the Teng Snake egg, as if he could sense the delicate existence of life taking shape within it.

With a swift motion, Wu Yuan tore open his shirt, revealing his glowing chest. After the lifebinding contract was completed, the Teng Snake egg and Luminous Immortal Soil both entered his body. The symbol on his chest gradually faded.

Within his soul chamber, Wu Yuan now sensed the Teng Snake egg and the Luminous Immortal Soil slowly orbiting around Wu Yuan’s soul phantom.

The soul chamber was a microcosm that possessed storage capabilities far surpassing the qi sea of a qi refiner. Truly powerful body refiners did not need any external storage artifacts; their soul chamber would gradually evolve into a grotto-heaven, perhaps even a full-fledged world.

Hum~ A small stream of earthy-yellow vital ether flowed steadily into the Teng Snake egg. Concurrently, the spiritual qi emitted by the Luminous Immortal Soil was promptly absorbed by the illusory channels within the soul chamber, and then converted into vital qi.

I am truly fortunate to have established a second-degree eldritch root and have this mystical Luminous Immortal Soil to cultivate my vital ether. Otherwise, as a first-stage Communion cultivator, it is uncertain how long it would take to incubate the Teng Snake. Even if those who lacked strength, established weak immortal roots, or were deprived of an optimal cultivation environment were given a divine beast cub, the process of nurturing it into a lifebound eldritch beast would span countless years, and would also hinder their cultivation progress.

If not for the Teng Snake, I might have reached the third-stage Communion phase in merely a year or two with the aid of the Luminous Immortal Soil. Wu Yuan shook his head slightly. With the Teng Snake, it will take far longer.

A lifebound eldritch beast consumed its master’s vital ether in order to grow.

It seems that my cultivation plans will be delayed. But once the Teng Snake hatches, all these sacrifices will be worth it. Wu Yuan eagerly anticipated that day.

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