Yuan’s Ascension

Boom~ Hundreds of li above the ocean waves, a black jiaolong over a kilometer long cruised forward.

How comfortable. Previously, the forbidden regions isolated various parts of the Summerpeak World, restricting our activities to a radius of three million li from the mainland. Daoist Long looked down upon the vast ocean beneath him.

Now that the world’s essence has recovered, the entire world is open for exploration. Daoist Long felt exhilarated.

In his eyes, the entire Summerpeak seemed so small, like a prison.

But the Bloodforge Devil Hall had rules. Unless one was a formal member, they were not allowed to leave their native world.

Having witnessed the strength of the Bloodforge Devil Hall, Daoist Long dared not escape.

A thousand years ago, the Starcom Consortium had sent immortal cultivators to the Middle Land, so Daoist Long easily obtained information about the Middle Land's location.

Daoist Long raced forward with great speed, passing by the immortal cultivators of the Huoyan Sect.

At full speed in their burst state, Shambhala powerhouses could travel thousands of li in a single breath. Four million li was nothing.

Less than two hours later, the extensive landmass that was Huang Island was nothing more than a faintly visible speck in the distance.

This must be the Middle Land. Daoist Long’s colossal figure shrank rapidly to a hundred li in length.

Simultaneously, he distorted the light around him to conceal himself, and began his descent.

Hm? There are flying boats here? Mortals are operating flying boats? Daoist Long immediately understood that the Middle Land was no ordinary place.

In an instant, Daoist Long's Soul Force dispersed over a wide area, and all information and events within hundreds of li swiftly poured into his mind.

One town after another…numerous immortal cultivators…countless conversations… A torrent of information rapidly flooded Daoist Long's brain.

This was a truly terrifying ability of high-level immortal cultivators. Resources were not required to gather intelligence before invading a weak civilization. It could be accomplished simply with their powerful Soul Force. Within the range of their Soul Force, no secrets could be hidden.

The Middle Land civilization and Wu Yuan, how impressive.

Monitoring arrays have been set up along all entry points. It seems they were prepared in advance. Golden Core cultivators would likely find it hard to evade detection.

In just a few breaths, Daoist Long obtained a general impression of the entire Middle Land civilization, far more detailed than the information provided by the elder of the Huoyan Sect.

They most likely unearthed the ruins of an ancient sect. Daoist Long concluded.

From these disseminated teachings alone, he could roughly determine that this was the case.

However, Daoist Long wasn’t too concerned. He was well aware that the peak powerhouses of these so-called ancient sects were only Amethyst Cradle Reverends.

After a hundred thousand years, most of the treasures had probably rusted or decayed. How powerful could they be after so much time had passed?

For Golden Core cultivators, these could be considered great treasures. But for someone like him who stood at the peak of the Summerpeak World, the treasures of Amethyst Cradle Reverends meant very little.

At least, in his Soul Force perception, the objects utilized by the beings of the Middle Land were just novelties and weren’t of much use.

I’ll go meet Wu Yuan right away. He should be situated in the heart of Middle Land civilization, the Cloud Capital. Daoist Long thought to himself.

Whoosh! He quickly headed in the direction of the Cloud Capital in the Jiang Continent.

The arrays he encountered along the way failed to detect his presence.

Shambhala cultivators, while inferior to the Amethyst Cradle Reverend in some auxiliary abilities, were still far superior to Golden Core cultivators.

...

The Jiang Continent, Cloud Capital, the Middle Land Guard Headquarters.

When the team scouting the region beyond the Xin Continent was wiped out, the entire Middle Land Guard raised its alert level to the highest degree.

At the same time, Wu Yuan's body refiner self stored the Yanqing Hall and the teleportation array away, leaving the Zhong Continent and returning to the Jiang Continent.

After years of waiting, and then learning about the Bloodforge Devil Hall from High Immortal Nan Yin, Wu Yuan had given up on the idea of leaving Summerpeak by himself.

Firstly, he couldn't do it. Secondly, even if he could escape, what about his friends and family? And the rest of the Middle Land?

One had to remember that Wu Yuan's memory was integrated with that of his body’s predecessor. To him, the Blue Planet in his past life was home, but the Middle Land was also home!

When he faced the worm devil catastrophe previously, Wu Yuan couldn't just turn a blind eye to the plight of his fellow inhabitants of the Middle Land. Back then, he told the realm master, "I am also Wu Yuan of Middle Land."

During that battle, Wu Yuan led the charge, fighting till the end. Now, facing a possible upcoming disaster, how could Wu Yuan, who had become the leader of Middle Land, turn tail and run?

Inside Wu Yuan’s meditation chamber on Archeldritch Mountain.

As expected, body refiners are not very proficient in soul cultivation. Wu Yuan's body refiner self sat in lotus position, quietly cultivating.

My qi refiner self easily reached the initiate threshold of 'Sword Soul Sourcelight' and has now cultivated to the third source realm. Yet, my body refiner self has not even fully reached the first source realm. Wu Yuan frowned slightly.

His qi refiner self resided safely in the Dragon Star Immortal Sect, so he could focus on comprehending the Dao.

But his body refiner self was different - he could only rely on himself!

Therefore, besides comprehending Dao, Wu Yuan placed great importance on combat teachings. He invested a great deal of time and effort to cultivate ether arts to a high level.

Similarly, Wu Yuan also greatly valued soul teachings. Body refiners were naturally resistant to soul attacks. However, with gains, there were also losses, and this meant they were not very proficient at cultivating soul teachings.

Although it was partly due to a weak soul, talent was also an important reason.

Old Fang, Arctic, and Hai Feizhang, all three of them have returned to Cloud Capital. Wu Yuan pondered as he cultivated. I wonder what lies at the other end of the Xin Continent...

Buzz~ An invisible yet overwhelmingly powerful Soul Force swept across the world. In an instant, it swept through hundreds of li, across Cloud Capital and over Archeldritch Mountain!

Hmm? A Yang Soul? An unfamiliar one? Wu Yuan's eyes instantly turned ferociously sharp.

The formidable soul within his body erupted forth with power.

Boom~ A Soul Force equally grand and powerful swept out from Wu Yuan, dispersing across a radius of hundreds of li.

The two great Soul Forces collided.

In a split second, Wu Yuan locked onto the origin of the powerful Soul Force — a black jiaolong in the air three hundred li away, radiating an endless and robust vital aura.

Shambhala!

Wu Yuan was completely shaken. He had never expected that the first foreign immortal cultivator to arrive would be a Shambhala powerhouse.

Roughly equivalent to a fifth-stage Shambhala cultivator with a sixth-degree immortal root.

Wu Yuan had encountered many powerful Shambhala cultivators in the Dragon Star Immortal Sect. Thus, he was able to gauge the opponent's approximate cultivation level.

However, for a body refiner, cultivation was only one aspect. One’s Dao comprehension, artifacts, ether arts, and more, all held equal importance.

Some seemingly insignificant immortal cultivators were actually hiding immense power. For example, Wu Yuan’s body refiner self was capable of unleashing power at the Shambhala level.

However, judging solely based on Soul Force strength, it shouldn't be too strong. Wu Yuan thought, his mind racing.

In clashes between powerful immortal cultivators, especially when neither party knew each other's capabilities, both sides would analyze their opponents’ strengths rapidly from the moment of contact.

Knowing yourself and the enemy is the key to victory.

"Fellow Daoist, I believe this is our first meeting. May I inquire as to the purpose of your visit to the Middle Land?" Wu Yuan transmitted his voice via Soul Force.

Without absolute certainty, he wouldn't act rashly.

But at the same time, Wu Yuan's voice echoed in the minds of Fang Xia, Arctic, and Hai Feizhang, "Activate the defensive array immediately. A Shambhala powerhouse has arrived. Notify the Middle Land Guard to be on full alert!"

"What?"

"Shambhala?"

"The legendary Shambhala?" Fang Xia, Arctic, and Hai Feizhang were all momentarily stunned, not expecting such a powerful figure.

A Shambhala powerhouse! With their individual strength, obliterating the entire Middle Land would be a piece of cake.

However, despite their panic, Fang Xia and the others were able to sense Wu Yuan's composure, which slightly eased their anxiety as they activated the array.

Hum~ A hazy glow quickly enveloped the area within a thousand li of the Cloud Capital.

This was the upgraded defensive array constructed over the past decade, capable of withstanding multiple full-force attacks from an Amethyst Cradle Reverend.

At least, the aftermath of a battle between cultivators at the Amethyst Cradle/Shambhala phase would barely impact the region within the array.

Wu Yuan didn’t expect the array to halt an Amethyst Cradle, only that his loved ones in the Cloud Capital wouldn’t be caught up in the aftershocks of the battle.

"Little Black, get ready," Wu Yuan communicated through his spirit.

"Master, don't worry." Little Black was brimming with battle intent. "A fifth-stage Shambhala cultivator? If it comes down to a fight to the death, the outcome is uncertain."

These days, Little Black had been staying by Wu Yuan’s side. The full potential of eldritch warriors could only be unleashed when accompanied by their lifebound eldritch beast.

Boom! In a flash, Wu Yuan departed from the meditation chamber and traversed hundreds of li instantly. Fierce winds buffeted him as he stood high in the sky.

…

At this altitude, one was nearing the Heavenly Lightning Stratum of the Summerpeak World, where thunder and lightning would occasionally spawn from air.

Yet, this lightning would do nothing more than tickle a Shambhala cultivator.

At this moment, Daoist Long cared little for these bolts of lightning, as he was still reeling from the shock of the terrifying Soul Force that had erupted just moments ago.

In terms of power, it was on par with his own! Yet, he was completely unfamiliar with it.

Who could it be? Was there a hidden Amethyst Cradle Reverend in the humble Summerpeak World? Or another Shambhala Reverend?

Whoosh! A figure clad in white appeared, moving with a speed matching that of a typical Shambhala cultivator. He soared across the sky, covering hundreds of li in mere moments, coming face to face with him.

Ninth-stage Spiritual Body phase? Such a powerful soul. Was it you? Daoist Long's pupils contracted slightly, his gaze fixated on the white-robed young man before him.

So young, yet he radiated an overwhelmingly intense vital aura.

Although he couldn't pinpoint the youth’s age, his instincts told him that the young man in front of him was probably very young.

He had no idea that Wu Yuan was actually at the seventh-stage Spiritual Body phase. It was his strong eldritch root that gave his vital aura an overwhelming vigorousness.

"Are you Wu Yuan?" Daoist Long asked.

"Yes." Wu Yuan nodded.

He had no qualms about revealing his name. The other party had already arrived at his doorstep and called out his name. He must have gathered a great deal of information.

Trying to conceal his identity would just be a waste of time.

"Fellow Daoist, how may I address you?" Wu Yuan stared at the Daoist Long. His expression was indifferent, but a hint of frost lingered deep in his eyes.

Wu Yuan was prepared to strike. So what if he were at the fifth-stage Shambhala phase? As long as something posed a threat to the safety of the Middle Land, Wu Yuan would not back down without a fight.

After decades of cultivation, Wu Yuan's strength was not what it used to be. In terms of overall strength, Wu Yuan's body refiner self was a lot stronger than Hao Shanjing.

"Daoist Wu Yuan, you are truly an unrivaled prodigy, ten times or even a hundred times more talented than what the reports mentioned."

"After just a few decades of cultivation, your soul has reached the Yang Soul level." Daoist Long cracked a smile, "My name is Long Guang. You can call me Daoist Long. I come from the Starcom Consortium of the Summerpeak mainland. I am the overseer of the Starcom Consortium and also an affiliate member of the Bloodforge Devil Hall."

"The Starcom Consortium that I command is the origin of your Middle Land's former Starcom Consortium."

"The Bloodforge Devil Hall... Hm, you probably aren't familiar with this faction."

"I bear no ill intent toward you, on the contrary, I am here to save you." Daoist Long, shaking his massive draconic head with a smile, "An army of cultivators from the Huoyan Sect is on its way to annihilate your Middle Land."

"I came here to give you an advance warning. You should be thanking me."

In Daoist Long's initial plan, as long as Wu Yuan's talent proved up to standard, he would take him away directly.

As for the others in Middle Land? He spared no thought for their salvation. Daoist Long had no intention of clashing with the Huoyan Sect.

However, his perspective changed upon witnessing Wu Yuan's cultivation level, speed, and formidable soul, as well as the massive array on the ground below.

And there was also Wu Yuan's attitude towards himself. Showing no fear in front of a Shambhala cultivator? If he wasn’t foolhardy, there had to be something he was basing his confidence on.

In a short span of time, Daoist Long realized that Wu Yuan’s talent and power might go beyond his imagination. The Summerpeak World might have just given birth to an unimaginable genius.

In a flash, Daoist Long changed his strategy—befriend Wu Yuan and incite a fight between him and the Huoyan Sect!

Overseer of the Starcom Consortium? Affiliate member of the Bloodforge Devil Hall? Wu Yuan kept his face emotionless, but massive waves stirred within his heart.

Was it finally here?

"Daoist Long, I believe you come with good intentions," Wu Yuan said calmly. "But how am I to trust you?"

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