Yuan’s Ascension

Chapter 1234: The Number One True Saint (2)

“Haha, have no fear, Master,” True Saint Tian Chan grinned, his grotesque features stretching into an even more hideous configuration. “I merely wished to witness their Daos firsthand. These two little fellows are remarkably weak.”

Boom! A moment later, True Saint Tian Chan, who had previously radiated the aura of a Perennial, underwent a dramatic transformation. His vital aura surged exponentially: Peak Perennial, Saint, Peak Saint, True Saint… His physical form expanded at an impossible rate: ten thousand li tall, then a hundred thousand, then a million, then ten million…

Almost instantaneously, True Saint Tian Chan’s vital aura erupted to a terrifying level that far eclipsed that of True Saint Xiao Yao and True Saint Jiu Fang combined.

His body swelled to incomprehensible proportions, towering over a hundred million li high. Before this colossus, the two True Saints shrank to insignificant specks of dust.

His already repulsive form became something straight out of a nightmare—a looming monstrosity that induced primal terror in every being.

“Hahaha! After countless eons, the moment has finally arrived for me, Tian Chan, to reveal my true might!” His thunderous laughter reverberated through dimensions as he glared down at True Saint Xiao Yao and the others. “True Saints? And true selves at that?

“Devour The Heavens!” True Saint Tian Chan’s hideous maw gaped open, his belly distending to massive proportions. Within that cavernous mouth, countless strands of Xuanhuang qi swirled visibly, as if it contained an entirely separate realm.

As his great maw stretched wider, an intangible manifestation of his self-created Dao instantly enveloped trillions of li of spacetime.

It was simply too vast.

In this moment, the ultimate techniques unleashed by both True Saint Xiao Yao and True Saint Jiu Fang—all their accumulated power—were completely engulfed by that single, gaping maw.

Rumble~ Then, spacetime itself convulsed as an unseen force consumed everything in its path. All Dao techniques, all spiritual qi, all beings and objects within this region of spacetime seemed to be transported into the dimensional space occupied by that great mouth, rapidly diminishing in size.

“What is this?”

“Impossible!” True Saint Xiao Yao and True Saint Jiu Fang had been certain their attack would annihilate Wu Yuan. Never had they anticipated encountering such a terrifying entity.

“A Dao Zenithel!”

“Without question, a Dao Zenithel who has transcended the Primordium’s constraints to unleash the fourth step of radiance.” The two True Saints succumbed to panic. Over their long years, they had witnessed Dao Zenithels in action before.

Now, before their eyes, this hideously ugly, incomprehensibly vast being whose form seemed to span the entire void was unmistakably a Dao Zenithel of terrifying power.

A Dao Zenithel? Here? By all rights, if a Dao Zenithel’s true self had manifested anywhere in this region, the Immortal Court would certainly have detected its presence.

“Flee!”

“Quick, run!” True Saint Xiao Yao and True Saint Jiu Fang abandoned all questions about how such a being could appear undetected. They desperately channeled their power, activating precious treasures with reckless abandon as if their lives hung by a thread.

Rumble~ The two True Saints struggled with every fiber of their being. True Saint Jiu Fang even sacrificed his Saint Realm’s essence in a desperate bid to escape.

But their struggles proved futile. When that great maw opened fully, True Saint Xiao Yao, True Saint Jiu Fang, and the dozens of Immortal Court Saints were inexorably drawn into its depths.

Hum~ Though the process appeared almost languid, they were instantaneously consumed by Tian Chan’s bottomless gullet.

Poof~ Poof~ Invisible ripples of power pulsed outward, instantly annihilating the dozens of Saints as if they had never existed.

“Detonate!”

“We cannot allow him to capture us. Self-destruct!” In their final moments of desperation, True Saint Xiao Yao and True Saint Jiu Fang chose self-destruction. Waves of terrifying energy burst outward in all directions.

Burp~ Yet these seemingly catastrophic explosions merely caused True Saint Tian Chan’s slightly translucent maw to wobble momentarily before he released a thunderous belch and returned to his normal state, completely unaffected by their final defiance.

…

Within the Immortal Court Voidrealm, a gathering of True Saints stared at the now-silent projection before them. Each immortal cultivator felt an icy dread settle deep within their bones.

“This?” Immortal Eminence Jiu You whispered, his normally composed face contorted with shock.

When True Saints Xiao Yao and Jiu Fang had detected Wu Yuan’s trail, they had immediately started voidrealm projections, enabling the Immortal Court True Saints to witness the battle unfold in real time. Even Immortal Eminence Jiu You had appeared to observe.

What they witnessed left them speechless—a monstrous maw, vast enough to consume the endless void itself. The instantaneous annihilation of True Saints Xiao Yao and Jiu Fang served as proof of this mysterious individual’s horrifying power.

Silence blanketed the hall.

After what felt like an eternity, Immortal Eminence Jiu You spoke, “A Dao Zenithel? No!” His face had turned ashen, his gaze darkened. “He displayed no Xuanhuang Divine Radiance. He cannot be a Dao Zenithel, or he absolutely could not have evaded our Immortal Court’s detection.

“But his strength has unquestionably reached the Threshold Dao Zenithel level.”

“Has anyone encountered this being before?” Immortal Eminence Jiu You asked gravely.

“No.”

“I’ve never seen him. His Dao appears tremendously powerful, yet our intelligence archives contain no record of him whatsoever.”

“Even the Eternal Register shows no corresponding entries. It’s as though he materialized out of thin air.”

“Could he be a super powerhouse concealed by the Eldritch Court?”

The True Saints spoke in turn, each confirming that they had never seen such a creature. They could hardly be faulted; this marked True Saint Tian Chan’s first display of power in the cosmic sea.

“He called himself Tian Chan, so we shall call him True Saint Tian Chan,” Immortal Eminence Jiu You declared coldly. “Given the power he displayed, he would undoubtedly contend for the top place in the True Saint rankings throughout the cosmic sea.”

His gaze hardened. “From this moment forward, we must exercise extreme caution regarding him.”

“Understood,” The assembled True Saints acknowledged, their hearts heavy with unease.

There were numerous dangerous locations accessible only to True Saints throughout the cosmic sea. These were special regions where True Saints could wield influence far exceeding that of Dao Zenithels.

A True Saint capable of unleashing power comparable to a Dao Zenithel? Such a formidable being might only emerge once in countless eons across the entire cosmic sea.

Wu Yuan? Immortal Eminence Jiu You’s gaze darkened as he stared at the now-frozen projection, his heart filled with dismay.

Wu Yuan’s threat grew ever more substantial, and now another True Saint of terrifying might had emerged from the shadows.

…

In the empty void beyond the Azure Saint Tomb, Wu Yuan stared in disbelief, his eyelid twitching involuntarily.

Two powerful True Saints had unleashed their full might, only to be swallowed in a single, casual gulp. It was beyond comprehension.

With a rushing sound, True Saint Tian Chan’s colossal form, spanning over a hundred million li, began to contract rapidly. Within moments, he had returned to his initial height of a hundred zhang, his vital aura settling once more at the Perennial level. He appeared almost unremarkable now.

“Hehe, Master, I’m finally full,” True Saint Tian Chan belched, his grotesque maw splitting into a self-satisfied grin. “Master, what do you think? Didn’t I tell you I could easily handle a dozen True Saints? I wasn’t exaggerating, was I?”

Wu Yuan remained silent, processing what he had witnessed. He had long suspected that True Saint Tian Chan possessed considerable power. Given his claim of swiftly ascending to the Dao Zenithel stage and his nature as a primordial spirit of the Xuanhuang Essence, his talent was unquestionable.

But he hadn’t anticipated such terrifying might. Two True Saints fighting with desperate intensity, one even burning the essence of his Saint Realm, yet both annihilated in a single move. This level of power transcended the level of True Saints.

“Tian Chan,” Wu Yuan asked softly, “have you achieved complete mastery of the Eternal Matter Body on the path of matter?”

“Master has keen insight,” True Saint Tian Chan chuckled.

Wu Yuan nodded slightly. Now, he understood. Complete mastery of an Eternal Matter Body meant pure strength rivaling a Peak True Saint. Combined with True Saint-level mana, it approached the raw might of a Dao Zenithel.

“Your Dao has likely advanced to the fourth step as well, hasn’t it?” Wu Yuan studied True Saint Tian Chan intently.

“Indeed.” True Saint Tian Chan nodded with undisguised pride. “As a spirit of the Xuanhuang Essence, blessed by the Primordium itself, I naturally possess an affinity for the Primordium. Advancing to the fourth step of my self-created Dao presented little challenge.”

Then, his massive head drooped slightly. “However, cultivating in isolation without guidance, the self-created Dao I developed, Devouring the Heavens, remains relatively underdeveloped, merely a superior self-created Dao.

“That’s why, despite reaching the fourth step, I’ve never dared attempt the breakthrough to Dao Zenithel.”

Wu Yuan nodded in understanding. He knew this principle well. Whether one pioneered an ordinary, superior, or top-tier self-created Dao, there wasn’t an obvious difference in power when advancing through the second or third steps. The critical factor wasn’t power but potential.

Eternal powerhouses could remain content in their current state, eternally secure. But once they chose to break through, if their self-created Dao lacked a sufficiently strong foundation, failure meant risking oblivion.

Take Saint Shen Shui’s example: he had reached the third step of his self-created Dao, yet still failed catastrophically.

True Saint Tian Chan’s situation reminded Wu Yuan of the ten Dao Masters, who also found it relatively easy to advance to the fourth step of their self-created Daos. Guided by the Great Daos, they hadn’t relied entirely on themselves to create their Daos, resulting in mostly superior self-created Daos rather than top-tier ones.

However, the Dao Masters possessed numerous special Authorities that ensured their advancement to the Dao Zenithel stage. They didn’t share True Saint Tian Chan’s concerns.

“So, will you advance to Dao Zenithel?” Wu Yuan asked with slight hesitation.

“Fear not, Master,” True Saint Tian Chan’s lips curved into a confident smile. “Didn’t I just devour two Immortal Court True Saints? Their self-created Daos were quite refined. I’ve already decided to absorb and digest them thoroughly, which should suffice to transform my own self-created Dao.

“Once my self-created Dao evolves into a top-tier self-created Dao, I will then break through to Dao Zenithel. Only then can I truly provide Master with the greatest assistance.”

“Oh? That would be ideal,” Wu Yuan’s eyes brightened with interest.

This was indeed fortunate. Otherwise, if True Saint Tian Chan needed to devour other True Saint true selves, the process would prove arduous and potentially require an incalculable amount of time.

“By the way,” True Saint Tian Chan suddenly opened his mouth, spitting out several gleaming storage artifacts. “Master, these treasures were left behind by those True Saints and their subordinate Saints. I have no need for them, so you should claim them.”

“Very well.” Wu Yuan didn’t stand on ceremony, waving his hand to collect the bounty.

In truth, when initially bringing True Saint Tian Chan out of the Azure Saint Tomb, they had agreed that Tian Chan would surrender almost all his treasures to Wu Yuan. But as time passed, Wu Yuan hadn’t mentioned it again, and True Saint Tian Chan had remained silent on the matter.

Now, by passing him these treasures, True Saint Tian Chan could be said to have fulfilled his agreement with Wu Yuan. After all, True Saint Tian Chan had only promised to follow Wu Yuan for a hundred samsara cycles of heaven and earth, rather than pledging absolute loyalty from the depths of his soul.

A follower differed significantly from a slave under soul-control.

“Tian Chan, does this mean you can break through the cosmic sea’s constraints?” Wu Yuan asked, puzzled. “Why didn’t you mention this earlier?”

“Master never inquired, did you?” True Saint Tian Chan spread his massive claws in a gesture of innocence. “Having just returned to the cosmic sea, reacclimating to this environment was my main priority. Seeing that Master showed no urgency to return, I naturally felt no rush either.”

When traveling through the cosmic sea, Saints and True Saints could reach a hundred times the speed of light at most, or rely on Saint Realm passages to travel more swiftly.

Only Dao Zenithels could shatter this limit. Their flight speed could rival transmission through established Saint Realm passages.

“Let’s depart immediately,” Wu Yuan commanded. “This battle cost them two True Saints and numerous subordinate Saints. The Immortal Court undoubtedly knows of our presence by now. We must leave quickly before Dao Zenithels from the Immortal Court come after us.”

“As Master commands,” True Saint Tian Chan replied.

An invisible ripple immediately enveloped his massive form and wrapped around Wu Yuan. With a thunderous boom, their speed instantly accelerated to a terrifying level that warped the surrounding spacetime.

They moved as though traveling along a Saint Realm passage, space blurring around them.

Soon after their departure, True Saint Tian Chan announced, “Master, we’ve arrived.”

The distorted spacetime around them normalized, and the two emerged precisely at the coordinates of the Saint Realm passage to the Taiyuan Saint Realm.