Yuan’s Ascension

Chapter 1347: Battle Of Life Or Death, Samsara Sacrificial Annihilation (1)

Despite fully mastering the Saber of Oblivion and unleashing a new level of power, Wu Yuan still found himself at a slight disadvantage against the Heavenly Imperator’s second move.

Even as he sensed the Heavenly Imperator’s terrifying might, Wu Yuan remained confident he could withstand a third attack. His assurance stemmed from the intelligence gathered when Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu battled the Heavenly Imperator in the Realm of Destruction. At his strongest, the Imperator could invoke a special Dao resonance that dramatically increased his attack power, allowing him to overpower Hou Tu.

Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu had long suspected that this resonance came from a Supreme Divine Object, the Original Sword, though she couldn’t confirm it. Wu Yuan only became absolutely certain that the Heavenly Imperator was a first-tier Archon of the Original Sword after learning of it from the Blood Emperor and Dream Emperor.

The Heavenly Imperator had likely been close to controlling the Original Sword then. While that strand of Dao resonance greatly enhanced his power, it didn’t cause a qualitative change. He couldn’t truly transcend the stage of Dao Zenithel power.

But now, Wu Yuan watched in disbelief as the Heavenly Imperator directly summoned the Original Sword. Was he actually controlling it?

Controlling one of the Three Supreme Divine Objects? No! Thoughts raced through Wu Yuan’s mind. Based on my experience with the Ancestral Pagoda, if he can truly control the Original Sword, he could annihilate me instantly. There’s no question.

Yet the Imperator’s words suggested he lacked absolute confidence in killing Wu Yuan.

Still, this was the Original Sword, one of the Three Supreme Divine Objects. When Wu Yuan attempted to control the Ancestral Pagoda, the formless pressure from its essence instantly annihilated a part of his consciousness. To this day, he saw no possibility of mastering it.

The Heavenly Imperator already surpassed me in strength. Wu Yuan realized. Now that he wields the Original Sword, even if not fully under control, just a fraction of its power far exceeds any Xuanhuang Dao Treasure. He can most likely kill me now. He could no longer discern the limits of the Imperator’s power.

Flight seemed the wisest option, even knowing the Imperator would certainly catch up at his current speed. For Wu Yuan, each moment he delayed increased his chances of escape.

“Fleeing?” The Heavenly Imperator smiled faintly. “Saint Yuan, didn’t you just boast that you would withstand thirty thousand of my moves?

“Too bad, this is the Realm of Destruction. Escape is impossible.

“Take my third move. Emerge uninjured, and I’ll let you leave,” the Heavenly Imperator offered with a smile.

Endless golden light erupted from the Heavenly Imperator’s body, illuminating infinite spacetime. A vast, majestic intent of destruction burst forth, containing the power to crush everything. All Daos and laws retreated before him.

The spacetime suppression exerted by the Realm of Destruction’s essence was terrifying. Yet wielding the Original Sword, the Imperator’s speed skyrocketed. Ten thousand times light speed, twenty thousand, thirty thousand… In an instant, he surged to fifty thousand times light speed.

Truly defying the heavens.

The Saber of Oblivion could be launched at a hundred thousand times light speed if Wu Yuan employed it to attack, but when transporting Wu Yuan, it was far slower.

The Heavenly Imperator can actually wield the Original Sword? This is a legendary supreme treasure!

Imperial Majesty Nan Guang watched the battle, wide-eyed. His heart raced. The Heavenly Imperator has caught up!

Will he truly slay Saint Yuan today? Imperial Majesty Nan Guang could hardly believe it.

Since the Primordium, practically no titan-level powerhouse had truly died at the hands of others. Full Dao Zenithel powerhouses wielding Xuanhuang Dao Treasures were universally considered undying by all Dao Zenithels.

Spacetime trembled with a resounding boom.

In a blink, the Heavenly Imperator caught up to Wu Yuan from behind, unhesitatingly raising the black divine sword. Though it looked completely ordinary with its aura restrained, its destructive will could shake the spirit of any Dao Zenithel, like facing an apocalypse.

The sword struck!

Sword light slashed across the void. Trillions of golden rays converged into pitch blackness, with only a single golden ray remaining. It was seemingly eternal, spanning the entire void.

No! It didn’t merely span the void but split it in two, forming a sword intent that seemed indestructible. The blade of light reached Wu Yuan the instant it erupted.

In an instant, Wu Yuan manifested a second figure beside him—his ether body, radiating the same vital aura. Since his body refiner self had set out, the ether body had naturally followed. Though its artifacts were inferior, it matched the body refiner in ether, ultimate techniques, and divine body.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Wu Yuan’s body refiner self and ether body simultaneously erupted with power. One wielded the Saber of Oblivion and eight Chaos Treasure battle sabers, while the other wielded nine Chaos Treasure battle sabers.

Eighteen blade rays converged into two, one stronger, one weaker. They met the attack head on.

The impact of the terrifying clash was unstoppable, the force smashing into Wu Yuan. This power exceeded his imagination. Instantly, cracks appeared on the Eternal Psyche of his body refiner self.

His ether body fared worse. It was catapulted back, blood spraying as countless cracks appeared on its incredibly tough Xuanhuang Body. Horrifying cracks emerged on its Eternal Psyche, its vital aura diminishing visibly.

One sword strike damaged his body refiner self’s Eternal Psyche and badly injured his ether body. This was despite the defenses of both far surpassing ordinary Full Dao Zenithel powerhouses.

This sword strike. Imperial Majesty Nan Guang held his breath as he watched.

After blocking the strike, Wu Yuan’s two divine bodies fled frantically, leveraging the force to propel themselves further.

Two divine bodies? The Heavenly Imperator’s eyes flashed with surprise. In the Chaos Void, his ether body was only at the True Saint stage, and the technique he employed resembled that of the Five Elements Dao Master. Now it seems he can truly break free of the Primordium’s constraints. This technique resembles the Azure Saint’s.

Did he obtain this technique from the Azure Saint Tomb? The Heavenly Imperator had explored that tomb before, venturing extremely deep into it and gaining tremendous benefits.

His ether body’s power surpasses Imperial Majesty Dong Huo.

However, since you’re injured, you might as well die. The Heavenly Imperator’s killing intent grew stronger.

Over the long years, he had led the Immortal Court in countless wars against the Eldritch Court. Powerhouses like Eldritch Progenitor Zhu Rong, Eldritch Progenitor Xuan Ming, and Dao Zenithel Fu You had fallen by his hand more than once.

Why did he rarely initiate large-scale wars in recent samsara cycles? Not because he’d grown peaceful, but because he saw no benefit to the greater situation. Whether for the Eldritch Court or Immortal Court, one more or less Dao Zenithel made little difference to the overall picture.

His top priority was his own breakthrough. But this didn’t mean he ignored all Eldritch Court powerhouses.

In the past, Hou Tu was the greatest threat. Now, Saint Yuan, you are the biggest threat. The Heavenly Imperator pursued Wu Yuan relentlessly. Die.

Had Wu Yuan not entered the Realm of Destruction, the Heavenly Imperator wouldn’t have bothered hunting him down as he couldn’t be killed. But since he came willingly? If there was a chance to kill him, the Imperator wouldn’t let it pass.

…

In the highest temple of the Immortal Court Voidrealm, over twenty Dao Zenithels had gathered, all staring at the huge light screen displaying the battle.

From the moment the Heavenly Imperator caught up to Wu Yuan, Imperial Majesty Nan Guang had spread the news. A majority of the Immortal Court Dao Zenithels had projected their consciousness here to witness the confrontation between their greatest enemy and their supreme leader.

The battle exceeded all expectations.

First, Saint Yuan unleashed unprecedented power, wielding a Xuanhuang Dao Treasure to block two of the Heavenly Imperator’s ultimate moves. When the Immortal Court Dao Zenithels began to worry that Saint Yuan had caught up to the Heavenly Imperator’s level, they witnessed something astonishing.

“The Heavenly Imperator wields the Original Sword?”

“Too fearsome! Saint Yuan’s ether body likely surpasses Imperial Majesty Dong Huo, yet when both his combat bodies joined forces to meet the attack, they were still heavily injured?” The Immortal Court Dao Zenithels watched in stunned silence.

Saint Yuan was formidable, but the Heavenly Imperator remained dominant and unrivaled, just as when he had defeated Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu in the Realm of Destruction.

“Saint Yuan might truly die,” Dao Zenithel Jiu You said, eyes gleaming. “If he dies, he’ll certainly revive in the future. But his two Xuanhuang Dao Treasures will inevitably be lost.”

The spirits of all Immortal Court Dao Zenithels stirred at the thought. Two Xuanhuang Dao Treasures! The Heavenly Imperator wouldn’t keep them all to himself. The Saber of Oblivion was a treasure on the same level as the Imperator Mountain, and certainly couldn’t match the Original Sword.

…

Within the Eldritch Court Voidrealm, in a special realm under Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu’s control, Wu Yuan’s avatar stood alongside Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu and Eldritch Progenitor Di Jiang.

“Wielding the Original Sword?”

“How has Jin Yi become so powerful?” Both Eldritch Progenitors watched anxiously.

Who would have imagined that the Heavenly Imperator could control a Supreme Divine Object?

“My ether body is on the verge of death,” Wu Yuan’s avatar said, shaking his head. “The Original Sword’s power is too terrifying. Even with all my might, I cannot fully block it. My ether body’s defense is ultimately lacking.”

Despite its Chaos Treasure battle armor, tough Eternal Psyche, and Xuanhuang Body, its physical defense proved insufficient against the Heavenly Imperator’s attacks.

On the light screen, Wu Yuan’s two divine bodies fled frantically while desperately trying to fend off the Heavenly Imperator’s attacks.

“What about your body refiner self?” Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu asked urgently. “Can it hold out until you’ve left the Realm of Destruction?

“The Original Sword, while immensely powerful, is difficult to employ,” Hou Tu observed keenly. “He likely hasn’t mastered it perfectly, merely borrowing its power. Even one as strong as him cannot unleash it indefinitely.

“Once you escape the Realm of Destruction, the Original Sword’s true form should be unable to follow,” Hou Tu speculated.

Eldritch Progenitor Di Jiang looked toward Wu Yuan. His body refiner self possessed the Creation Origin Armor, a Xuanhuang Dao Treasure, granting physical defense far superior to the ether body.

“It’s unlikely,” Wu Yuan said calmly, shaking his head. “If he continues attacking like this, my Eternal Psyche will be damaged repeatedly until it collapses completely.”

Even Xuanhuang Dao Treasure battle armor had its limits.

The Eldritch Progenitors’ expressions shifted subtly.

“How long can you last?” A strange light flickered in Hou Tu’s eyes. “I’m rushing over at full speed.”

“Probably three years,” Wu Yuan said. “However, I plan to have my mana body launch a psyche weapon attack. I don’t expect to kill the Heavenly Imperator, but it should wound him enough for me to hold out longer.”

His mana body’s soul essence hadn’t fully recovered, but it should be sufficient to employ the second level of Psyche Destruction once.

“Only three years?” Di Jiang grew more anxious.

It sounded like a long time, but when Great Emperor Yan Tuo was besieged by various Dao Zenithels in the past, he fought a bloody battle for ten thousand years without falling, forcing many Dao Zenithels to retreat in frustration.

At Wu Yuan’s current flight speed, three years wouldn’t be enough to break out of the Realm of Destruction.

“Conserve your mana body’s attack for now,” Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu suddenly instructed.

Wu Yuan was startled at her unexpected command.

“Trust me,” she continued, resolve flashing in her gaze. “Focus all your energy on flying toward the edge of the Realm of Destruction. Move in the direction I’m approaching from.”

She spoke with measured certainty. “When you truly reach your limit, I’ll unleash a special attack that will strike across spacetime. I’ll signal you then, and your mana body will attack simultaneously. Together, we’ll inflict serious damage on the Heavenly Imperator, enough to halt his pursuit.”

Attack across infinite spacetime? Wu Yuan felt a jolt of astonishment.

His qi refiner self could indeed launch attacks across vast distances against weaker beings like sempiternal lifeforms or Perennials. He had even struck down Perennials in another Eternal Realm. These were attacks channeled through karma and destiny, a terrifying capability unlocked by constructing a Dream Megaverse.

But attacking a powerhouse of equal power across such distances? Normally, such attempts would be utterly ineffective, like a mere itch.

“Saint Yuan, trust Hou Tu,” Eldritch Progenitor Di Jiang interrupted in a low voice. “Conserve your strength for the fight instead of talking to us.”

After a brief moment of consideration, Wu Yuan nodded. “Alright.”

Though doubts lingered, with death looming, he chose to place his faith in Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu.

Whoosh! Wu Yuan’s avatar dissipated as his body refiner self withdrew his thread of consciousness.