Yuan’s Ascension

"Haha, Senior Brother Li Xia indeed lives up to his reputation."

"He's got guts."

"First place! Senior Brother Li Xia will surely take first place in the Dragon Star Tournament." The five hereditary disciples all broke into smiles. Their excitement was palpable.

"Senior Brother Li Xia." Kuang Long's voice was low, "We all became hereditary disciples the moment we entered the sect, and all of us consider ourselves geniuses. To be honest, even if other Golden Core hereditary disciples defeat us, we still won’t accept that we are inferior to them."

"We only lack time," Kuang Long added.

Shi Yun, Qing Guang, Luo An, and the others all nodded in agreement.

Geniuses were filled with pride. The upcoming Dragon Star Tournament was a guaranteed loss for them. The gap in their ages and length of cultivation was just too wide.

Time held an incredible power.

From Wu Yuan’s understanding, Kuang Long was the strongest among the five. Despite joining the sect relatively later, he was already extremely powerful when he entered.

However, under normal circumstances, it would be hard for him to make it to the top 32. After all, the Golden Core hereditary disciples were the most outstanding disciples selected from millions of Golden Core disciples by the Dragon Star Immortal Sect.

And among those present, the weakest was Luo An who had just turned thirty. He was much younger than Wu Yuan, how strong could he possibly be with just a short length of cultivation?

Even in the next Dragon Star Tournament thirty years later, Luo An would likely still find it difficult to become a hereditary disciple with his own strength.

“Senior Brother Li Xia, you are the only one whose superiority we are willing to acknowledge," Kuang Long said with a laugh. His eyes shone brightly, and he seemed truly sincere.

"Senior Brother Li Xia, you are younger than us, yet you’ve already achieved so much," Qing Guang said. Her eyes gleamed, and her figure was enchantingly beautiful.

"Alright, thanks for your well wishes." Wu Yuan smiled, "I believe that by the time the next Dragon Star Tournament rolls around, all of you will have accumulated enough strength."

Wu Yuan was well aware of why everyone was behaving this way. For one, all of them were about the same age as him, fostering a sense of closeness. Secondly, it was his strength and status: an unparalleled genius, and an Archimmortal’s disciple.

Anyone with a brain would realize that, as long as his life was not cut short, he was destined to rise to greatness in the future.

How many immortals emerged from the ranks of hundreds and thousands of hereditary disciples over countless generations? Most hereditary disciples would only reach the Void Refiner or Elysian Field phase at most, or even die prematurely.

Hence, Kuang Long, Shi Yun, and the others naturally wanted to befriend Wu Yuan. In the future, when Wu Yuan rose to the upper ranks of the sect, they might reap unexpected rewards.

Of course, mixed in with the flattery and interest, there might also be genuine feelings. Who could say for sure?

Take for example Qing Guang, an exceptional beauty with an extraordinary temperament. Her intentions towards Wu Yuan were clear to everyone present.

But Wu Yuan didn't show a hint of interest.

As long as I continue to remain strong, such compliments and friendliness will continue. Why should I bother discerning what's real and what's not? Wu Yuan downed his drink.

In the blink of an eye, an hour passed.

“Time is almost up, let's continue with the banquet, but remember to send a strand of your consciousness into the Dragon Star Immortal Voidrealm.”Kuang Long reminded them.

"Mm."

"Let's go." Everyone present nodded in agreement.

With their strength, maintaining their consciousnesses in two voidrealms simultaneously was a piece of cake, which was why Kuang Long had chosen to hold the banquet in the Redmoon Immortal Realm – the banquet wouldn’t be interrupted.

…

Dragon Star Immortal Voidrealm, Greendragon City.

The Hereditary Disciple Tower was a sprawling complex. With few hereditary disciples, the tower rarely received visitors. Consequently, only a handful of custodians and servants remained stationed here throughout the year.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Wu Yuan, Kuang Long, Shi Yun, Qing Guang, and the others entered the main hall of the Hereditary Disciple Tower.

It was a place of immense proportions. Extending over ten li in length and several li wide, it could easily accommodate tens of thousands of people.

"It’s crowded." Luo An murmured quietly.

Wu Yuan and the others looked around as well. They could see hundreds of figures within the main hall, most of whom had strong souls.

Amethyst Cradle! Most of them were Amethyst Cradle hereditary disciples.

"There are more coming."

"It's the Golden Core hereditary disciple, Li Xia!"

"Which one is Li Xia?"

"Is that Li Xia? It's my first time seeing him. He certainly has an extraordinary air." The hundreds of hereditary disciples who had arrived earlier turned to look at the newcomers.

Most of their gazes landed on Wu Yuan.

Li Xia! After entering the sect thirteen years ago, he was taken as a disciple by an Archimmortal.

The numerous protectorates and elders recognized him as the foremost genius of the sect in the last hundreds of thousands of years.

To be honest, many powerful Amethyst Cradle hereditary disciples were not necessarily convinced that Wu Yuan's meteoric rise was justified. Many peerless geniuses started out dazzling, but they didn't necessarily continue to shine.

Of course, with all eyes on them, these Amethyst Cradle hereditary disciples didn't trouble Wu Yuan. Instead, many greeted him.

After all, even those unsatisfied with Wu Yuan wouldn't be foolish enough to offend him, not unless their interests were threatened.

Wu Yuan responded to each one politely.

The number of Amethyst Cradle hereditary disciples far exceeded the Golden Core hereditary disciples. Yet, their strength was not to be underestimated. Each one was a formidable adversary.

Soon after, Wu Yuan and his group arrived at the front of the main hall. More than twenty individuals had already gathered there, their soul auras noticeably weaker. They were Golden Core hereditary disciples.

"Li Xia has arrived."

"Li Xia." All the Golden Core hereditary disciples turned their gazes toward Wu Yuan, each one showing complicated expressions. A few stepped forward to greet him.

During the Dragon Star Tournament, Golden Core and Amethyst Cradle disciples competed separately. Thus, everyone present was seen as direct competition.

Wu Yuan too, was observing these Golden Core hereditary disciples.

In total, there were twenty-seven individuals, all placing in the top thirty-two from the last Dragon Star Tournament.

And the other five Golden Core hereditary disciples? They had already advanced to the Amethyst Cradle phase, and were naturally no longer participating in their category.

"Xing Luo, Chen Jing, Hao Shanjing, Ku Fang, Dong Shan…" Wu Yuan's gaze swept over the seven figures that posed a threat to him in the tournament.

In terms of Dao comprehension, these seven were able to clear level fifty of the one-star tower.

Of course, six of them were already over a hundred years old, and were challenging the two-star tower, a significantly tougher challenge compared to the one-star tower.

From their progress in the towers, he could roughly gauge their strengths.

Chen Jing. Reached level forty-three of the two-star tower, equivalent to level fifty-three of the one-star tower. Specializes in array cultivation. Has been cultivating for over 120 years. Wu Yuan's gaze drifted over a woman dressed in purple robes.

She had a pleasant face but her appearance fell short when compared to Qing Guang.

The path of array cultivation was bizarre, and cultivators of this class excelled at turning the tables on stronger opponents.

"Junior Brother Li Xia, if I happen to be your opponent, please show mercy to your senior sister," Chen Jing said with a slight smile.

"Senior Sister, you jest. During the last Dragon Star Tournament, you claimed third place," Wu Yuan chuckled with a shake of his head. "I have long heard of your mastery of arrays. This time, you might just claim first place."

"Haha," Chen Jing shook her head. Then, she gave a sigh of resignation, "Whether it’s you or Junior Brother Xing Luo, I don't have the confidence to say I’ll win."

Wu Yuan smiled but said nothing more.

Xing Luo. Wu Yuan's gaze shifted to a young man in white robes.

His eyes were closed, his expression serene. It was as if he hadn't heard the exchange between Chen Jing and Wu Yuan. This was Xing Luo!

Before Wu Yuan arrived, Xing Luo was the universally acknowledged top prodigy of the Dragon Star Immortal Sect.

Eighty-nine years old, same age as Kuang Long. Cleared level fifty-four of the one-star tower. Wu Yuan recalled his profile. A young appearance, yet a character as profound as water. Also an artifact cultivator.

Wu Yuan had heard of Xing Luo before.

The one-star tower only permitted entry to those below a hundred years of age.

As for the hereditary disciples of the Dragon Star Immortal Sect, entry was restricted to those under two hundred.

Quite a few Golden Core hereditary disciples had cleared level fifty of the one-star tower – a total of seven. Yet, the majority were overaged. Their skills were comparable to those who cleared level fifty-four of the one-star tower.

Xing Luo was the only exception.

This Xing Luo has a third-degree immortal root and is rumored to have cultivated seven lifebound artifacts. He might just be my greatest adversary. Wu Yuan contemplated.

If they were the same age, Wu Yuan wouldn’t be afraid. But, having started cultivating far later, he was naturally cautious.

Artifact cultivation referred to choosing artifacts as one's lifebound objects. To some extent, sword cultivation also fell under this category.

Hao Shanjing. Wu Yuan's gaze fell on a bulky man clad in bronze armor, towering over three meters tall. He resembled a small mountain.

Hao Shanjing was a body refiner, at the ninth-stage Spiritual Body phase. He had a third-degree immortal root, and cleared level forty-two of the two-star tower.

He had mastered several ether arts, and his full strength was terrifying once unleashed.

According to Wu Yuan's intelligence, if it weren't for Chen Jing restraining him with her array, resulting in his early elimination, he wouldn't have dropped out at the top sixteen during the last Dragon Star Tournament.

Thirty years had passed since then, and Hao Shanjing had undoubtedly grown stronger.

"Junior Brother Li Xia," Hao Shanjing greeted with a beaming smile, his chubby cheeks giving him the look of a simple and honest fool.

"Hello, Senior Brother Hao," Wu Yuan returned the greeting with a smile.

Anyone who thought him a fool was the real fool.

As for the other Golden Core hereditary disciples? Wu Yuan observed each one, but assessed that they barely posed a threat to him.

…

As time passed, all Amethyst Cradle hereditary disciples and Golden Core hereditary disciples gathered.

A black-robed figure appeared out of thin air. He had a stern, long face and exuded a mighty aura. His gaze swept over all the hereditary disciples in the main hall.

"Greetings, Elder."

"Greetings, Elder." All the hereditary disciples including Wu Yuan bowed respectfully, and the entire hall quieted down.

"In the upcoming Dragon Star Tournament, the Amethyst Cradle Battle and the Golden Core Battle will be held simultaneously," Earth Immortal Xu You announced indifferently.

"After preliminary screening and registration, a total of over 9,600 Amethyst Cradle inner disciples are eligible to participate in the Dragon Star Tournament."

"There are a total of 792 Amethyst Cradle hereditary disciples. You will compete with these Amethyst Cradle inner disciples for the 840 Amethyst Cradle hereditary disciple positions."

"Arrive punctually at the sect gate tomorrow at noon. Latecomers will be considered to have forfeited, understood?" Earth Immortal Xu You's voice was cold.

"Understood." Several hundred Amethyst Cradle hereditary disciples chorused.

Wu Yuan, Xing Luo, and other Golden Core hereditary disciples listened quietly.

Not everyone was eligible to participate in the Dragon Star Tournament. Even if a disciple voluntarily signed up, they had to be strong enough.

Among the tens of thousands of Amethyst Cradle cultivators in the sect, those who met the criteria for participation often numbered less than ten thousand.

"As for you thirty-three Golden Core hereditary disciples."

"The six newly admitted hereditary disciples will advance directly to the top thirty-two places.”

“The remaining twenty-seven hereditary disciples will battle with over eight thousand Golden Core inner disciples selected from more than a million. You will vie for the remaining twenty-six Golden Core hereditary disciple positions." Earth Immortal Xu You's voice was cold and detached. "Do you understand?"

"Understood." Wu Yuan and the others responded in unison.

Silence fell.

"Remember this, maintaining your hereditary disciple status is the first step." Earth Immortal Xu You spoke coldly. "If you wish to receive mentorship from an immortal, or obtain more rewards of ethercrystal and dragon crystals, then fight!"

"Do not settle for top 840 of the Amethyst Cradle disciples or top 32 of the Golden Core disciples. Instead, strive to take the top ten or even first place!"

"The better you perform, the more rewards the sect will grant you," Earth Immortal Xu You spoke indifferently. "The respective tournament rules have been transmitted to each of you via the Dragon Star Immortal Voidrealm."

"You may disperse."

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