Yuan’s Ascension

Although Wu Yuan's qi refiner self was considered one of the top-tier geniuses of the era on the immortal continent when it came to Dao comprehension talent, he still paled in comparison to his body refiner self.

The latter, blessed with an innate Terranean Body, stood as a first-rate prodigy throughout the storied history of the Redmoon Immortal Continent.

Moreover, Wu Yuan's body refiner self had the privilege of guidance from several reputable masters. With guidance from the Celestial Body Law Codex, an inheritance left by the Great Eldritch Kua Fu, his progress naturally zoomed along at breakneck speed.

However, after his qi refiner self obtained the mystical Dragonsoul Crystal Bead, his soul underwent a transformation, reaching the Soul Will level. This metamorphosis dramatically enhanced his Dao comprehension speed, narrowing the gap between his two selves.

Thus, Wu Yuan's qi refiner self managed to keep pace, grasping the Extended Life Sword Codex in a mere decade.

When the Lesser Laws of Eternal Spring, Spiritual Evolution, and Wood Origin are combined, they form the Intermediate Law of Longevity. Wu Yuan reflected inwardly.

These three Lesser Laws were all considered separate specializations and far from easy to comprehend.

Wu Yuan had long since crossed the initiate threshold of the Wood Origin Dao, but wasn’t particularly adept at the Spiritual Evolution Dao or Eternal Spring Dao. Only now did he truly reach the initiate threshold level.

Wu Yuan was clear that no matter which Greater Law he contemplated, the fundamentals were those numerous Lesser Laws; numerous Lesser Laws intertwined to form Intermediate Laws, and many Intermediate Laws merged to form a complete Greater Law.

Above all, the Longevity Dao excelled in recovery, followed by resilience. Among those who comprehended the Wood Dao to a high degree, the Longevity Dao was the most commonly studied Intermediate Law.

For instance, the Extended Life Sword Codex leaned inherently towards defense rather than offense.

However, comprehending it is only the first step. Simultaneously executing Lesser Laws and Intermediate Laws belonging to the same Greater Law is relatively easy, but true integration? Extremely difficult. Wu Yuan mused silently.

And if they belong to different Greater Laws? True integration is a fool's dream!

At least, none of the numerous books Wu Yuan had read mentioned that different Greater Laws could be integrated.

Of course, Wu Yuan's goal was not true integration, but a subtle fusion. As long as he could unleash greater power due to the reaction of the two coming together, that was enough for him.

The Celestial Body Dao is proficient in defense, yet overly rigid and lacking in resilience. While the Longevity Dao lacks rigidity, yet is highly resilient. Wu Yuan’s mind was filled with longing. Once combined in execution, my defensive power?

It would be catapulted to new heights, at least several times stronger than now.

Once my qi refiner self deploys a Thousand Swords Array of the Star Ruins Sword Array, those at the same cultivation phase as me can bombard my defenses as much as they want. It will be extremely difficult for them to break through. Wu Yuan's eyes sparkled.

Master's plans are truly visionary.

Only after truly stepping through the threshold of the Longevity Dao did Wu Yuan understand his master's intentions back then.

Without an affinity for the Wood Dao, forcibly pursuing it is indeed not worthwhile, potentially wasting hundreds or thousands of years without accomplishing anything. Wu Yuan silently noted. But with such aptitude, I ought to pursue it.

Next, both true selves will continue to study the Longevity Dao and the Celestial Body Dao, each carving out some time to ponder methods to combine the two laws. Wu Yuan silently planned.

While the execution of the combined laws would largely apply to combat, boosting his overall strength, each true self would naturally develop different combat techniques due to their unique strengths.

But one thing is common. Wu Yuan revealed a slight smile. By comprehending the Longevity Dao and integrating it into my qi sea and soul chamber, both my essentia and ether recovery rates will see a significant improvement.

Different Daos excelled in different aspects.

However, at the moment, there's another troubling matter. Wu Yuan frowned slightly.

Currently, ‘Li Xia’ is already a top-tier genius of the younger generation in the Redmoon Immortal Hall. ‘Wu Yuan’ is also considered top-tier in the Redmoon Division of the Bloodforge Devil Hall.

The identity of Li Xia has been somewhat concealed, and the soul auras and other identifiable characteristics of both true selves are vastly different.

However, age can only be slightly altered, not drastically changed. If both true selves are found to demonstrate the Dao comprehension level and contemplate the same Daos? And reside in the same immortal continent? Wu Yuan shook his head slightly.

It was too much of a coincidence. If he were weak, it wouldn’t be an issue. The immortal continent was vast, teeming with countless beings, and the weak were not worth deliberate investigation and scrutiny.

But Wu Yuan's talent shone like a beacon. If he wanted to obtain sufficient cultivation resources, then concealing his brilliance was not possible.

The more time went by, the more attention he would attract.

Perhaps a High Immortal might not discern the relation between the two true selves, but what about an Archimmortal? Or even those great existences beyond Archimmortals? Wu Yuan could not say for sure.

After all, his two true selves had only been separated for a few decades. Even though they had each grown over time and cultivated the Nine Soul Change secret art, they were far from completely independent. It was possible that some supreme beings might recognize their connection.

Wu Yuan's mind flashed back to that fateful moment years ago when an Archimmortal's gaze had landed on him, seeking to end his life through the fabric of spacetime. That event had shaken him to his core, making him acutely aware of his own insignificance in the grand scheme of things.

Though the Bloodforge Devil Hall and Eternal Sun Immortal World are both under the Taiyuan Divine Court, I gained their trust because I swore allegiance without hesitation. Wu Yuan thought to himself.

The binding of oaths was critical.

Being a member of the Eternal Sun Immortal World, Wu Yuan naturally wasn't afraid to swear allegiance to Taiyuan Divine Court, having already done so once at Dragon Star Immortal Sect.

However, looking at the current situation, there are still some discrepancies. Wu Yuan pondered silently. Once exposed, would it be a blessing or a curse?

Try as he might, he couldn't arrive at a satisfactory answer.

Forget it. Let's ask Master, his perspective and knowledge far surpass mine. Wu Yuan decided to consult High Immortal Nan Yin.

When in doubt, seek guidance from seniors.

…

Dragon Star, High Immortal Nan Yin’s residence.

"Do not reveal yourself," High Immortal Nan Yin immediately dismissed Wu Yuan's idea of revealing his secret. He stated softly, "Do you remember what the biggest advantage of having two true selves is?"

Wu Yuan's brow furrowed in momentary confusion before understanding dawned. "Self-preservation," he answered.

"Correct. In this vast heaven and earth, with powerhouses as numerous as clouds, do you recall why your master wanted you to learn the Longevity Dao?" High Immortal Nan Yin asked rhetorically, chuckling, "Because it’ll improve your self-preservation ability."

Wu Yuan listened intently.

"Always remember this phrase: only by living, can you have everything."

"Look around you now; you have many peers as rivals, many powerful predecessors, and in the future, countless juniors will rise in power," High Immortal Nan Yin said calmly. "You may outcompete them temporarily, but can you do so for a lifetime?"

Nan Yin's expression softened slightly, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "But as long as you keep living, a billion years later, when you look back, you'll see that most of those once dazzling powerhouses and geniuses are gone.”

"Only those who survive will be remembered by the powerhouses of the future generations as the foremost powerhouses of their era."

"You don't have to be the strongest, but strive to be the longest-lived," High Immortal Nan Yin smiled at his disciple.

Wu Yuan listened in awe, gaining a clearer understanding of his master's philosophy.

"If you reveal your cards now, yes, everyone will be blown away by your talent. Stepping through the thresholds of two Intermediate Laws and cultivating two true selves this early, how impressive is that?" High Immortal Nan Yin remarked.

"One could say, looking across the history of the Silvermist Immortal Nation, you're a monstrous prodigy seen once every hundred thousand or a million years."

“It is likely that all the Astral Lords would scramble to take you as their direct disciple. Even Astral Monarchs might come forward and join them," High Immortal Nan Yin continued, "It might seem glorious for a moment, but you would lose your biggest trump card."

"Later, if hostile forces wish to eliminate you, they'll target both your true selves," High Immortal Nan Yin stated solemnly.

Wu Yuan listened quietly. He understood what his master meant.

"Your master can lead you to the door, but cultivation is up to the individual," High Immortal Nan Yin said.

"Exposing yourself won't significantly change the resources you can obtain, just as your current rate of progress isn't much slower than direct disciples of Astral Monarchs."

"Cultivating for less than sixty years, yet you've already stepped through the thresholds of two Intermediate Laws," High Immortal Nan Yin chuckled.

"It's all thanks to Master's guidance," Wu Yuan said sincerely.

Throughout these decades of cultivation, High Immortal Nan Yin, who showed him the way forward, was undoubtedly the greatest help to Wu Yuan.

"You've been diligent, that is the key." High Immortal Nan Yin grinned, showing off a row of yellow teeth, "I suggest that your body refiner self doesn’t reveal the profundities of the Wood Dao unless absolutely necessary."

"Why?" Wu Yuan was puzzled.

In Wu Yuan's view, his qi refiner self had a more stable cultivation environment, and it seemed harmless to hide some of his strength.

But his body refiner self at Bloodforge Devil Hall needed to earn merits and status through blood-soaked battles. Why should his body refiner self hide his strength?

"Silly boy, it's exactly the opposite of what you think," High Immortal Nan Yin glanced at Wu Yuan, "Our Eternal Sun Immortal World nurtures disciples more gently, thus you’ll face fewer life-and-death trials and it's much safer. You can reveal all your strength without worrying."

"But it's different for your body refiner self. Facing life-and-death battles time after time, there might be some traps waiting for you, it's best to hide part of your strength," High Immortal Nan Yin said, "That way, the enemy will underestimate you, and you'll be able to surprise them at critical moments."

Wu Yuan understood.

"Secondly, the upper echelons of the Bloodforge Devil Hall aren’t foolish. If your body refiner self, with a Terranean Divine Body, suddenly reveals a strong aptitude for the Wood Dao, wouldn't they be curious?" High Immortal Nan Yin smiled.

“But it's different for your qi refiner self. Even if a High Immortal were to scrutinize you closely, they would detect your aptitude for the Wood Dao."

"Besides, even if someone is curious about your talent for the Celestial Body Dao, what of it? Your master and the sect will cover for you, and if necessary, the immortal ancestor will intervene."

"So, your qi refiner self doesn't need to hide his abilities too much," High Immortal Nan Yin said.

"Understood," Wu Yuan nodded.

"Of course, I'm not saying your body refiner self can't exhibit the Longevity Dao; you could cultivate some inconspicuous, self-preserving powerful ether arts that combine the two laws, to be used at critical moments to as a life-saving measure," High Immortal Nan Yin instructed.

"Yes," Wu Yuan nodded solemnly.

He was completely convinced by his master.

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