Yuan’s Ascension

Within the battle space of the Dark Star, a low rumble echoed as black liquid materialized from thin air once again. It coalesced swiftly, forming another black-robed guardian. Unlike its predecessor, this entity was no longer a body refiner, but a qi refiner.

With a sharp whistle, dozens of flying swords streaked towards Wu Yuan, their blades glinting ominously.

Fourth-stage Golden Core phase? Wu Yuan thought, shaking his head slightly. The vital aura and mana pool he sensed were based on a sixth-degree immortal root, the most ordinary kind among Golden Core/Spiritual Body cultivators and Amethyst Cradle cultivators.

"Little Black, go!" Wu Yuan commanded.

A black blur shot out from his left arm, transforming into a gigantic serpent hundreds of zhangs long. Its scales gleamed like polished obsidian as it unfurled its massive wings, blotting out the artificial sky of the battle space.

"Kill!" Little Black's voice resonated with unbridled excitement. It had been far too long since it last experienced such a life-or-death battle. As a descendant of ancient savage beasts, the thrill of blood-soaked combat ran deep in its veins.

Its wings trembled, and like a bolt of midnight lightning slashing through the sky, Little Black's speed soared to terrifying heights.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Its two wings, sharp as giant sabers, instantly sent the flying swords careening off course and sliced clean through the black-robed guardian.

The two combatants were simply not on the same level. With a sickening splat, the guardian met instant death.

…On level three, Little Black stepped in once more, clearing it with the same ease as before.

…On level four of the Dark Star, the guardian's power skyrocketed to the ninth-stage Golden Core phase, and his Dao comprehension had reached the sixth-level Domain stage. Such strength would be considered formidable within the Golden Core phase, a one-in-a-thousand talent.

Yet in this battle, Little Black dispatched the guardian of the fourth level in a mere ten moves, without even unleashing its ether art.

…Level five was another increase in difficulty. While the guardian's Dao comprehension remained at the sixth-level Domain stage, its mana now rivaled that of a Golden Core cultivator with a fourth-degree immortal root. In the Dragon Star Immortal Sect, such an entity would rank among the top tier of inner disciples.

Little Black finally unleashed its ether art. The moment it cast its advanced ether art, Realm Crossing, its speed skyrocketed once more.

The increase in velocity brought with it a formidable boost in attack power. After three consecutive, bone-shattering collisions, the guardian fell.

"Master, how exhilarating! Truly exhilarating!" Little Black exclaimed, its voice bubbling with childlike enthusiasm.

Wu Yuan laughed, understanding the source of Little Black's elation. Teng Snakes innately craved battle, and for decades, both of them had remained in the Middle Land with no worthy opponents. Even Fang Xia couldn't last two moves against it.

The constant need to conceal its existence had left Little Black feeling isolated and restless. Now, the Bloodforge Devil Hall was finally satisfying Little Black's primal desire for combat.

The natural talent of Teng Snakes is truly incredible. Wu Yuan mused inwardly as he watched Little Black's speed escalate to its peak.

Teng Snakes were naturally favored by the Wind Dao. Much like how Wu Yuan's body refiner self was naturally a Terranean Divine Body, the Teng Snake could be considered a natural Wind Dao Body.

Moreover, the Dao comprehension aptitude of a lifebound eldritch beast was intrinsically linked to its master's strength. The more powerful and talented the master, the greater the potential increase in the beast's strength.

Over the past few decades, Little Black had not only accumulated vast amounts of mana but also delved deep into the contemplation of the Gale Dao, a Lesser Law, reaching the eighth-level Domain stage of comprehension. While it might not match up to a peerless genius, it could certainly rival an ordinary Amethyst Cradle cultivator.

Furthermore, Little Black possessed a third-degree immortal root. Though currently only at the seventh-stage Spiritual Body phase, its strength was nothing short of extraordinary.

…

At the entrance to the Dark Star, the elderly man in white robes, Old Luo, stared at the light screen projection in utter disbelief. Even Protectorate Xiong Yuan, who was already aware of Wu Yuan's strength, found himself shocked as he watched the same projection.

Protectorate Xiong Yuan had known Wu Yuan was powerful, but to clear level five of the Dark Star with just his spirit beast? It seemed impossible. If his spirit beast was this formidable, what untold power did Wu Yuan himself possess?

"Impossible!" Old Luo exclaimed, his composure shattered. He turned to Protectorate Xiong Yuan, his eyes wide. "Where did this Wu Yuan come from? What manner of lifebound spirit beast is this?"

Little Black, shielded by the dual concealment effects of eldritch armor and the Veiled Serpent Plume, remained unidentifiable as a Teng Snake based on appearances alone.

"I don't know," Protectorate Xiong Yuan admitted, shaking his head.

Old Luo shot him a skeptical glare. "You're still hiding things from me at this point?"

"I truly don't know," Protectorate Xiong Yuan insisted, a bitter smile crossing his face. "I knew Wu Yuan was formidable, but I didn't expect him to be this powerful."

"He's too strong," Old Luo muttered, more to himself than to Xiong Yuan. "His spirit beast alone is this powerful, executing advanced ether arts. It must have a third-degree immortal root at least. Wu Yuan hasn't even reached the ninth-stage Spiritual Body phase? Unbelievable."

"Once he activates Beast Fusion and truly launches an attack, he can definitely clear level ten," Old Luo continued, his voice filled with awe.

"He's not even sixty years old? A peerless genius indeed." The elderly man shook his head, his voice barely above a whisper. "I've never seen a genius like this before. This is a genius destined to make history."

Old Luo had seen cultivators clear level ten of the Dark Star before, but none so young. After all, he had only been supervising the Golden Core in the Dark Star for a mere thousand years or so.

"In the past, I only read about such geniuses in ancient texts. Now, I'm witnessing one in the flesh." The elderly man in white stared at the light screen projection, his voice filled with anticipation. "Level six. I refuse to believe his spirit beast is strong enough to clear it alone."

Protectorate Xiong Yuan fell silent, his gaze fixed on the light screen. Before Wu Yuan set out to challenge the Dark Star, he had worried that the young cultivator wasn't as strong as the reports suggested. But now? He suspected that Wu Yuan was hiding his true power.

...Level six of the Dark Star.

The guardian of this level was once again a body refiner, but his power was on a completely different scale.

The moment he clashed with Little Black, the guardian unleashed an astonishing level of strength. While his comprehension of the Dao remained at the sixth-level Domain stage, his mana capacity approached that of a first-stage Shambhala phase cultivator (sixth-degree immortal root).

From afar, Wu Yuan's face tightened as he watched the battle unfold. A ninth-stage Spiritual Body cultivator with a second-degree immortal root.

For immortal cultivators, the closer their strength approached the limit of a cultivation phase, the harder it became to increase it further.

Consider an average Golden Core cultivator. Once their mana reached the ninth stage, they could only increase their strength through Dao comprehension and the study of secret arts.

Time was limited, talent was limited. Therefore, there was a limit to how much one’s strength could be increased.

Wu Yuan finally understood why level seven of the Dark Star was the assessment for Bloodforge Seed candidates. Level six alone was already a formidable challenge.

The strength of the guardian on level six has reached the level of an Amethyst Cradle cultivator.

If one can clear level six of the Dark Star, it would mean they have reached the threshold of the Amethyst Cradle phase in power. Wu Yuan mused. In the Dragon Star Immortal Sect, such strength is close to that of the hereditary disciples.

Little Black is in trouble.

This was a colossal hurdle. The ability to battle opponents from higher cultivation phases had always been exclusive to peerless geniuses.

As Wu Yuan had predicted, Little Black initially held its own against the guardian. But when the guardian unleashed three ether arts simultaneously, its power skyrocketed, and Little Black found itself immediately on the defensive, losing ground rapidly.

In terms of Dao comprehension, Little Black is superior, but the constraints of being a lifebound eldritch beast make it difficult for it to practice multiple ether arts. Wu Yuan sighed inwardly. If I had advanced to the ninth-stage Golden Core phase, Little Black would have a fighting chance. But now?

The gap in their foundations is too vast.

"Little Black, come back," Wu Yuan communicated through spiritual transmission.

Little Black growled and shook its wings, seeming reluctant, but it obediently complied, swiftly retreating to Wu Yuan's side. Its enormous body rapidly shrank and merged into Wu Yuan, ready to perform Beast Fusion.

"You've been relying on your lifebound spirit beast to get this far. Now, die!" The towering hundred-zhang-tall guardian roared, wielding its saber and charging ferociously at Wu Yuan.

"Is that so?" Wu Yuan grinned, extending his palms. His hands, white as the finest jade, began to grow dramatically. Both arms instantly stretched to hundreds of zhangs long, sweeping across the sky.

Eldritch Form! True Celestial Body! Two grand ether arts erupted simultaneously, their power radiating through the battle space.

A body refiner was known for their massive physique. For those Archeldritches and Archdeities who rivaled Archimmortals, their bodies could easily rival a worldlet in size, capable of turning heaven and earth upside down with a mere flick of a finger.

Wu Yuan, despite being only at the seventh-stage Spiritual Body phase, could practice multiple ether arts and easily expand his body when he unleashed his power.

Size is synonymous with power! Wu Yuan thrust both palms forward. They expanded with a thunderous boom. Two raging streams of earthy yellow qi flowed like dark clouds, one left and one right, striking the incoming guardian at a startling speed.

"Get lost!" The guardian roared, swinging its saber in defense.

Bam! It was as easy as swatting a mosquito. Wu Yuan clapped his palms together, smacking the guardian to death in an instant.

Weak. Wu Yuan thought, shaking his head slightly. Amethyst Cradle level strength? When Wu Yuan fully unleashed his power, he could kill an enemy at this level with a single slap.

"Next level.”

…

Back at the entrance, Old Luo stammered in shock, his composure completely shattered. "This! This! This! Impossible! It shouldn't be!"

"Based on his foundation and ether capacity, Wu Yuan should be outclassed," the elderly man muttered, hardly able to believe his eyes. "How could he kill the guardian with a single slap?"

Protectorate Xiong Yuan shook his head, equally incredulous. "It's the ether art. The ether art that Wu Yuan exhibited is more powerful. Could it be a grand ether art?"

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