Yuan’s Ascension

"Who's there?" Wu Yuan immediately scanned his surroundings.

This confined space was enveloped in an unsettling darkness. Wu Yuan remained cautious and alert, not daring to make any reckless moves.

Swish~ Countless white lights converged rapidly, forming the woman in white robes. Her face was veiled beneath her robes, her features barely discernible.

"Senior." Wu Yuan bowed respectfully.

"Wu Yuan." The white-robed woman looked at Wu Yuan. Under her robes, her eyes held a hint of approval. "You have done well."

"You are too kind, Senior." Wu Yuan responded.

"Bloodforge Spacetime has never been stingy when rewarding our geniuses." The white-robed woman stated calmly, "The jade platform provided for your use in the past three months contained a fraction of animus, amassed by numerous cultivators. Thus, it was able to promote your cultivation."

Animus? What's that? Wu Yuan wondered.

However, he had a strong feeling that their reason for gathering all those participants in the Bloodforge Battlefield might not be that simple as they proclaimed.

The woman’s words sparked a flurry of speculation in Wu Yuan's mind, but he had no answers, only guesses.

"Your guess is not wrong." The white-robed woman seemed to know what Wu Yuan was thinking, or perhaps she was just explaining her words, "The sole reason for creating the Bloodforge Plane, and constructing the massive Bloodforge Devil Hall, if traced back to its roots, is all because of Bloodforge Spacetime."

"The first purpose is to continuously harvest the animus of numerous immortal cultivators. The soul of one Golden Core or Spiritual Body cultivator is equivalent to that of billions of ordinary lives." The woman in white stated nonchalantly, "The second purpose is to screen and raise talents."

Wu Yuan's scalp tingled as he listened.

This was explosive news, the type of confidential information that ordinary cultivators would never come across.

In a single Bloodforge Battle, they could harvest hundreds of trillions, even quadrillions of Golden Core and Spiritual Body cultivators.

The Bloodforge was held once in a century. How many lives did they claim in ten thousand years? A million years?

The exact span of existence of the Bloodforge Devil Hall was unknown to Wu Yuan, but he was certain that this ancient faction had been around for at least a billion years.

At this moment, the Bloodforge Spacetime seemed like a gluttonous beast to Wu Yuan, swallowing the lives of countless immortal cultivators over endless eons.

It was an untold multitude of deaths in the truest sense!

This revelation was brutal and bloody... yet undeniable.

No wonder! There are obviously better, more logical methods to recruit members, but the Bloodforge Devil Hall intentionally chose the cruelest path. Wu Yuan sighed inwardly.

The competition is merely a facade. Leading countless immortal cultivators to their deaths, the endless slaughter, that is their ultimate purpose!

At this moment, Wu Yuan further grasped why this faction called themselves a ‘devil hall’. It was indeed a hall of devils!

"Senior, why tell me all this?" Wu Yuan couldn't help asking. "Aren't you afraid I'll leak the secret once I leave?"

"Leak the secret?" The white-robed lady shook her head as though finding him amusing. "This isn't a secret. Within the Greenridge Macrocosm, almost all truly eternal immortals know about it."

Wu Yuan fell silent.

"Of course, a large portion of animus returns to the Bloodforge Spacetime. This is a necessary condition for opening the Bloodforge Spacetime. The small remainder is used to reward our talents," the white-robed lady spoke softly.

"There are additional rewards for those directly granted the title of king."

"That is the Bloodforge Jade Platform." The white-robed lady pointed at the blood-red jade platform. "Its effects are several times more potent than the jade platform you previously meditated on. The animus contained within is incredibly concentrated."

"In the next three months, the other geniuses will compete for the Bloodforge King and Bloodforge Marquis titles. During this time, you may cultivate here in peace. This is a reward given to those bestowed the title of king."

As Wu Yuan listened, his gaze fell onto the Bloodforge Jade Platform beneath him. It was a deep crimson, as if steeped in the fresh blood of countless participants.

"In three months, the majority of the first-tier divisions would have selected their kings," the woman in white robes spoke indifferently, "Then, all the Golden Core Kings will gather, and the Battle of Kings will begin."

"Battle of Kings?" Wu Yuan was puzzled.

He had not heard anything about a battle of Golden Core Bloodforge Kings.

"You will know the rules of the battle when the time comes. How well you do depends on strength, as well as providence," the white-robed woman spoke softly.

"Providence is elusive and unpredictable, even those who comprehend Destiny cannot fathom it. Therefore, strength is of utmost importance."

"Besides you, the two other kings directly granted the title have already begun to receive their rewards."

"You may choose whether or not you wish to accept this reward,” the woman in white robes spoke indifferently. Then, she turned into countless points of light and dispersed.

"Senior, Senior," Wu Yuan called out, but there was no response.

After glancing around in the darkness, Wu Yuan tentatively took a few steps forward.

It was like stepping on flat ground. Yet, he was stunned to find that no matter which direction he walked in, he would return to the starting point.

It should be an advanced application of the Space Dao. Wu Yuan guessed inwardly.

The Space Dao was mystical and powerful. For the current Wu Yuan, the Space Dao was too distant a concept. It was far too early to think about comprehending it.

Usually, only Void Refiner or Elysian Field cultivators can hope to touch the surface of such a Dao.

This was what he had read in various texts.

Wu Yuan's gaze fell once again on the Bloodforge Jade Platform.

Should I use it? A hint of hesitation flashed across his heart. The Bloodforge Jade Platform was stained with far too much bloodshed.

However, it was just a fleeting feeling.

Soon, Wu Yuan sat down in the lotus position.

Hm? Wu Yuan instantly noticed that his thought process was substantially enhanced.

At the same time, he could perceive the profundities of the Celestial Body Dao with far greater clarity.

The senior was right. A hint of joy appeared in Wu Yuan's eyes. Three months? My comprehension efficiency is at least twice or thrice as fast as before.

This period of time seemed short. But for a peerless genius, the path of cultivation was a race against time. Momentum was everything.

Bloodforge? It's not my doing, I was just thrown into this game, how can I control destiny? Wu Yuan gently shook his head, feeling no burden.

In truth, his heart, while not exactly demonic, did indeed bear many similarities to the Asura philosophy.

The immortal path, the pursuit of longevity, the pursuit of eternity, it is inherently a fight for opportunities, this is my opportunity. Battle of Kings?

These were the Bloodforge Kings from other first-tier divisions. In terms of strength, they were probably not inferior to Ao Qi and Dongfang Hongguang. They might even be comparable to Gao Yun after his breakthrough, or even stronger!

The top-tier Golden Core geniuses of the entire Bloodforge Devil Hall would gather for the battle. It was bound to be extremely intense.

I have three months to cultivate. Wu Yuan stilled his mind, devoting his entire being to understanding the complexities of the Celestial Body Dao.

His rate of comprehension was so terrifyingly swift it was almost unbelievable. Countless profundities of the Dao flooded his mind.

Land, Gravity, Earth Origin. As Wu Yuan focused on cultivating, he felt closer to the three Lesser Laws than ever before.

The three Lesser Laws converged, blending into each other, together forming the complete path of the Celestial Body Dao.

My comprehension progress over these three months will likely be equivalent to ten years of effort before the Bloodforge Battle.

It was dozens of times faster.

Of course, this was mainly due to the effects of the Bloodforge Jade Platform.

If he only relied on his soul in conjunction with the Celestial Divine Body, his efficiency would only increase by tenfold at most.

Shoving away all other thoughts, Wu Yuan threw himself completely into cultivation.

…

Time went by.

Every half a month, Wu Yuan’s qi refiner self would make a trip to the Dragon Star to consult with his master, High Immortal Nan Yin.

"You've comprehended it so quickly?"

"Show me your understanding of the Celestial Body Dao with your sword technique." High Immortal Nan Yin was truly shocked. "At this speed, you're almost at the ninth-level Domain stage, aren't you?"

"Mm," Wu Yuan nodded. "During my time in the Bloodforge Spacetime, I made some progress."

"Go ahead." High Immortal Nan Yin waved his hand.

Another month later.

"You've reached the ninth-level Domain stage?" High Immortal Nan Yin leapt from his chair, a trace of disbelief in his eyes. "In just half a year, you've progressed from the sixth-level Domain stage to the ninth-level Domain stage of the Celestial Body Dao?"

Such progress was simply staggering.

Do keep in mind, this was the Celestial Body Dao, an Intermediate Law, not some Lesser Law. Even if it were a Lesser Law, such progress was still considered incredible.

A true monstrous prodigy. If my disciple continues to progress at this rate... High Immortal Nan Yin found it unbelievable.

Zhuo Haiyue? No! He could totally rival the historic top genius of the Silvermist Immortal Nation, Gu Luo.

Gu Luo was a legendary figure!

For billions of years, he was the undisputed number one genius in the Silvermist Immortal Nation, and his later achievements were immense. He was a true monstrous prodigy throughout his life.

And yet, High Immortal Nan Yin felt that Wu Yuan had the potential to rival Gu Luo.

Of course, this was just a fleeting thought.

After all, Wu Yuan had only shown such performance over a few short months. Gu Luo, on the other hand, was such a monstrous prodigy for hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of years, creating endless legendary feats in the immortal nation.

Even so, this thought actually came to mind. High Immortal Nan Yin couldn't help but smile.

Wu Yuan's rate of progress had prompted such a thought to form in his mind. How much longer would he continue teaching? A hundred years? A thousand years?

Originally, I thought I would have to spend ten thousand years teaching him. Now, it seems that won’t be necessary. High Immortal Nan Yin revealed a smug grin. I do have a knack for mentoring disciples.

Everyone says it’s difficult to mentor disciples. What's so hard about this?

…

A thousand years in the mortal realm was but a moment on the immortal path.

Three months? For Wu Yuan who was fully engrossed in cultivation, it seemed to pass in the blink of an eye.

“It’s time to wake up,” a cold voice echoed.

Boom~ An unseen force prompted Wu Yuan to open his eyes involuntarily.

Following that, he found himself floating. The Bloodforge Jade Platform beneath him had vanished without a trace.

His gaze drifted into the distance. There, the white-robed woman stood. He had no idea when she had appeared.

“Has it been three months already?” Wu Yuan murmured regretfully.

While his qi refiner self sought advice from his master within the Dragon Star Immortal Sect periodically, his body refiner self remained isolated from worldly affairs.

In just three months, I've jumped from the eighth-level Domain stage to the ninth-level Domain stage, gradually approaching the True Intent stage. If I could keep this pace for a year…

Of course, it was just wishful thinking.

He didn't understand the principles of the Bloodforge Jade Platform, but it was only made available to the three Bloodforge Kings directly bestowed the title, not every Golden Core Bloodforge King.

The cost was unlikely as simple as the woman in white had made it seem.

Nevertheless, Wu Yuan asked, "Senior, dare I ask, is there any way I could continue using the Bloodforge Jade Platform?"

The woman in white smiled, but her face was obscured by her robe.

“There is!” The woman in white said calmly, “Amethyst Cradle Bloodforge Kings will receive a year's worth of time to cultivate on the Bloodforge Jade Platform.”

"A year? The Amethyst Cradle Bloodforge King?" Wu Yuan muttered.

Seizing the title of Amethyst Cradle Bloodforge King was far more challenging than that of Golden Core Bloodforge King. However, the reward was indeed generous; a whole year's time.

"Wu Yuan, the Bloodforge Kings of all other 1160 first-tier divisions have been decided," the white-robed woman said softly. "Along with the three of you pre-appointed kings, that makes a total of 1163."

"The Battle of Kings is about to begin."

“Your identities will be kept anonymous during the competition. Take these robes. When you put it on, it will conceal your soul aura," the white-robed woman gestured.

A set of blood-red robes flew out, which Wu Yuan promptly caught and put on. He was surprised to discover that the robes indeed had the ability to shield his soul aura.

"Each participant is identified by a randomly generated number. Yours is 850," the white-robed woman said softly. "That is, you will be the 85th batch of participants to challenge the Overlord Hall.”

850? As long as it’s not 250. [1] Wu Yuan muttered to himself.

Overlord Hall? Wu Yuan had never heard of it.

"Remember, in this Battle of Kings, no one knows the real identity behind the number. Other Golden Core Bloodforge Kings have no way of knowing what your number is. The Bloodforge Spacetime will also keep it absolutely confidential." The white-robed woman looked at Wu Yuan, her voice dropping to a whisper. "You have nothing to worry about."

Wu Yuan's pupils constricted.

The white-robed woman in front of him seemed to have seen through his secret... But not even the Astral Lord had noticed anything.

"Let's go." The white-robed woman waved her hand. An invisible force enveloped Wu Yuan, and the two of them disappeared from the area.

1. By calling someone 250, pronounced er bai wu, you’re basically saying that they’re an idiot or making a fool of themself. ☜

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