Yuan’s Ascension

Chapter 1128: The Greatest Hope

Wu Yuan originally had great confidence, firmly believing he could break through the obstacles and leave within a hundred thousand years. But after clashing with the towering black-armored giant, he had sobered up.

The first guardian alone possessed unimaginable strength, nearly crushing Wu Yuan’s hopes, not to mention the second and third guardians.

Even with his four combat bodies united, they could only withstand the black-armored giant’s onslaught for a brief moment.

Eventually, Wu Yuan’s head cooled completely, no longer fixated on leaving within a hundred thousand years.

The mysterious White Emperor. The Dream River of Universes, Ancient Dream Mountain, the three guardians… both of my true selves transported to this place without any warning… Wu Yuan pondered silently. Such mystical abilities are truly inconceivable.

One had to understand that Wu Yuan’s qi refiner self was residing in the core region of a Saint Realm. Yet it was still silently relocated without a trace?

In the core of his Saint Realm, True Saint Taiyuan’s power was no less than that of a Dao Zenithel. This was a testament to the incredible might of Ancient Dream Mountain.

With both my true selves missing, Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu will likely notice soon. Wu Yuan mused. But will she be able to locate this place in time?

It was hard to say.

According to White Emperor’s account, Ancient Dream Mountain was left behind by Goddess Nüwa. Though Wu Yuan believed in Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu, who was also a supreme mythical figure of the cosmic sea, He dared not claim that Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu was stronger than Goddess Nüwa. After all, it was Goddess Nüwa.

I cannot pin my hopes on external aid. Wu Yuan’s mind grew tranquil. White Emperor knew my strength and potential, yet still said I might be trapped for eons… The result of my clash with the first guardian also proved that White Emperor’s words were no exaggeration.

Without the resolve to put my life on the line, I fear I won’t be able to escape the Dream River of Universes. Wu Yuan understood that he could not rely on external help. He could only depend on himself.

In many aspects, I have reached the limit of my abilities. Wu Yuan pondered. My body refiner self has reached a peak on the path of matter. The next step would be to become a Matter Eternal, at which point my body could forge an Eternal Matter Body.

The bodies of Eternal powerhouses were divided into Eternal Law Body, Eternal Saint Body, Eternal Matter Body, and Xuanhuang Body.

The Eternal Matter Body was not common even among True Saints. Once forged, one’s pure physical power alone would reach the Dao Pioneer level.

With such immense strength, I could naturally defeat the first guardian. Wu Yuan frowned. But it’s far too difficult.

Over the years, Wu Yuan also consistently devoted time to studying the Primordial Doctrine, but it was precisely because of this that he could foresee the difficulty of this step.

The words of Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu were no exaggeration. Becoming a Matter Eternal was not much easier than pioneering one’s Dao as a sempiternal lifeform.

Should my body refiner self pioneer its own Dao? Wu Yuan shook his head inwardly. That would be even more difficult, almost impossible in the short term.

Ultimately, it was because Wu Yuan’s foundation was still insufficient. Historical figures like the Heavenly Imperator and Great Emperor Yan Tuo were all extraordinary talents blessed with numerous fortuitous encounters. Yet even they had to cultivate for eons before successfully pioneering their Daos.

On the other hand, there’s my qi refiner self. I haven’t even created an eternal ultimate technique yet. Wu Yuan pondered.

Perhaps that could work. When I employed the World of Dreams in the beginning, it managed to affect the black-armored giant, causing his attacks to miss… A glimmer flashed through Wu Yuan’s eyes.

Wait, that’s not right! This is the Dream River of Universes, a creation of Goddess Nüwa… I created a soul secret art similar to the attacks I was facing on the Path of Dreams, which allowed me to resist them and come to the Path of Light. Countless thoughts raced through Wu Yuan’s mind.

When I fought the first guardian, all my other techniques were useless. Only the World of Dreams had an effect. The World of Dreams, merely a limitbreak Overlord ultimate technique, was more effective than other eternal ultimate techniques.

Moreover, the Yuan Soul of the first guardian seemed very special, incredibly chaotic, as if countless lifeforms from the Abyss had converged.

Gradually, Wu Yuan began to piece everything together from the numerous clues.

I was able to pass through the Path of Dreams by drawing inspiration from the Mist Dreams, creating the World of Dreams in just a few thousand years. Wu Yuan murmured.

He recalled the White Emperor’s parting words: tribulation and opportunity always went hand in hand.

Could it be… Wu Yuan’s gaze fell upon the guardians in the distant Path of Light. The three guardians might be blocking my way, but my hope of passing through the Path of Light also lies with these three guardians?

With this thought, Wu Yuan could no longer sit still. His mana body soared into the sky, swiftly flying towards the Path of Light.

…

“Boy, you’ve come again. If you dare enter this time, I’ll definitely smash your skull to pieces.” The towering black-armored giant stood at the edge of the Path of Light, swinging his massive fist and roaring in rage.

But this time, Wu Yuan’s mana body did not step onto the Path of Light. He merely stood at the edge, calmly observing his opponent.

“Hmph. Too scared to come in? Coward.” The black-armored giant snorted coldly. Powerful streams of energy gushed from his nostrils.

World of Dreams. With a thought, Wu Yuan’s mana body unleashed this ultimate technique. Formless, hazy power instantly permeated the black-armored giant’s body, perceiving his Yuan Soul’s power.

“Get out!” The black-armored giant’s body trembled slightly, then he began roaring in fury. Incredibly powerful Yuan Soul fluctuations swept outward.

Brutality! Slaughter! Evil! Madness! Waves of violent emotions emanated continually from the black-armored giant’s Yuan Soul, transmitted along the soul fluctuations Wu Yuan had released, invading Wu Yuan’s Yuan Soul in return.

The taste of rage. This time, Wu Yuan did not hurry to sever their connection. Instead, he activated his soul-type Xiantian artifact, on one hand resisting the invasion of these fluctuations, while on the other hand sensing the spiritual fluctuations of the black-armored giant.

This time, exercising patience, Wu Yuan finally sensed it clearly. In the internal spirit world of the black-armored giant, one could truly hear wails akin to those of vengeful spirits and devils. These cries were not illusory, but real.

“Get out! Get the hell away from me!” The black-armored giant’s expression twisted as he roared and bellowed. His enormous eyes glared at Wu Yuan as if he wanted to swallow him alive.

He raised his fists again and again. But each time, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and lower them because Wu Yuan was standing outside the Path of Light. The black-armored giant couldn’t reach him.

“World of Dreams.” Wu Yuan cast the World of Dreams again and again. Though it had little effect on the black-armored giant, it was still a source of torment. The more enraged the giant became, the more turbulent his spirit world grew. The invasive influence on Wu Yuan also intensified.

How fascinating. Judging from his spirit world, this first guardian is indeed a collective of countless lifeforms. Yet through some profound method, the anger, evil, resentment, hatred and other emotions of these myriad beings have been perfectly merged into one. Wu Yuan was inwardly shocked.

What an earth-shattering method this was. Wu Yuan himself had made great progress in soul cultivation, but he knew he was far from capable of such a feat.

My hypothesis is correct. If I rely on brute force and physical attacks alone, it would be nearly impossible for me to defeat this first guardian unless my body refiner self pioneers a Dao. Wu Yuan had an epiphany.

The only way to defeat him is through illusion arts, soul-type ultimate techniques. The dreamscape I’ve constructed is too rudimentary. It simply cannot target all the various consciousnesses of vengeful spirits within this first guardian.

The World of Dreams was an extremely powerful limitbreak Overlord ultimate technique. Even ordinary Overlords would be entranced for half a breath if they were careless. In a life-or-death battle, that was enough to determine the outcome.

But the first guardian was different. His spirit world contained far too many consciousnesses, each incredibly powerful and difficult to influence. The World of Dreams could only cover a small portion, unable to confuse the vast majority of them. As such, it naturally had very little effect.

If I want to completely entrance this guardian with my illusion art, then I must construct a stronger dream world that encompasses more. Wu Yuan pondered thoughtfully. I need to understand the grievances and hatred behind each of his consciousnesses, making every consciousness willing to sink into my dreamscape.

If I can achieve that, then with a single thought, this guardian would likely be entranced. Wu Yuan mused inwardly.

He felt that he had finally found a spark of hope.

However, from his initial examination of the countless consciousnesses in the black-armored giant’s spirit world, Wu Yuan knew how difficult it would be to reach that level. It far surpassed the World of Dreams.

One had to understand that the World of Dreams was already a limitbreak Overlord ultimate technique. To make another qualitative leap?

An eternal ultimate technique? Wu Yuan murmured. If I get to that level, it’ll mean creating a soul-type eternal ultimate technique.

It would be extremely challenging. But relatively speaking, it would be somewhat easier than having his body refiner self pioneer a Dao.

Whoosh! Wu Yuan’s qi refiner self flew over and sat down next to his mana body. Together, they began casting the World of Dreams.

“Damn it! Ahhh! You damned piece of trash!” The black-armored giant roared in fury, but there was nothing he could do.

This consciousness… Wu Yuan abandoned his resistance to the infiltration from the black-armored giant’s spirit world. Instead, he actively leaned into it.

To confuse others with dreams, one must first understand their desires. Wu Yuan had grasped this truth.

A thunderous roar echoed through Wu Yuan’s consciousness.

He found himself in a tranquil world, a peaceful land where he had become an ordinary village youth. Each day, he toiled in the fields, cared for his elderly parents, visited his sister who had married into a neighboring village, and cherished his wife and two young children.

Is this the past experience of one of the consciousnesses? Wu Yuan pondered thoughtfully.

He gradually immersed himself in this identity. Life was hard, yet filled with happiness and contentment. But soon, the flames of war descended upon them.

Foreign armies breached the capital, and bands of invaders ravaged the countryside. One such group reached this mountain village, pillaging and murdering without mercy.

The young man had gone hunting in the mountains, narrowly escaping the carnage. But when he returned home at dusk, he was greeted by a village engulfed in flames.

He rushed into his house like a madman, only to find his parents lying in pools of blood. His wife, clothes torn and body bloodied, lay cold and lifeless on the bed… In the corner of the courtyard, a barrel held the silent bodies of his children…

He lost his mind completely.

Not long after, among the army led by Great King Wu, there appeared a man who fought with unparalleled bravery against invading troops, always at the vanguard.

His ferocious combat skills caught the king’s eye, and he was eventually promoted to general.

Leading his own troops, he remained ruthless. His army never took foreign prisoners, nor accepted any surrenders. His notoriety grew, striking terror into countless hearts.

“A general need not always lead from the front. Commanding troops with precision is the correct path,” other generals had advised him. “Moreover, excessive slaughter may invite criticism from court officials.”

“Criticism? Hah! If I don’t dedicate myself to slaughter, I fear my parents, wife, and children will blame me in the afterlife,” the now middle-aged general growled, his eyes blazing with murderous intent. “I have but one purpose in this life: to exterminate every last foreigner!

“Be they soldiers or civilians, elderly or infants, all foreigners must die.”

…

Hatred! Resentment! Overwhelming bloodlust. Wu Yuan snapped back to awareness, his heart heavy with silence.

Just one consciousness, yet so unshakable. This consciousness, merely one among countless others, still shook him to the core.

Continue. He urged himself.

Wu Yuan proceeded to the next consciousness, immersing himself in yet another unique life.

…

The spirit world of the black-armored giant contained innumerable consciousnesses. Each brimmed with hatred and fury, explaining its malevolent and insane nature… The desires of these consciousnesses were chilling.

A young man whose entire family was slaughtered by foreigners.

A minor official whose wife was stolen by a spoiled nobleman.

An orphaned child whose parents were poisoned.

A farmhand whose wages were withheld by a wealthy landlord while his parents lay gravely ill.

…

Incident after incident, when these countless consciousnesses converged, they formed the spirit world of the black-armored giant.

This was a sealed spirit world. If fully unleashed, the rage and hatred within could alter heaven and earth itself. The more Wu Yuan experienced, the heavier his heart became. As he absorbed each consciousness, their emotions began to affect him.

To gather countless grievances. What a formidable technique. And I must address each consciousness to create my own eternal ultimate technique, encompassing them all? Wu Yuan grasped the immense challenge before him.

Time flowed on. Ten years, a thousand years, ten thousand years…

Amidst the black-armored giant’s roars of anger, Wu Yuan repeatedly employed his World of Dreams. The once-imposing guardian had become the subject of Wu Yuan’s dream illusion art research.

As Wu Yuan continued to perceive, his mind brimmed with ideas, making various deductions and constructing various prototypes. This was the process of accumulation.

This is also a test of my Dao Heart. To experience these consciousnesses is to live a thousand lifetimes. Wu Yuan’s mind was as deep as an abyss, as vast as the ocean. Only by truly walking in their shoes, by witnessing the world’s cruelest evils, can I create an eternal ultimate technique.

If my ultimate technique can help these consciousnesses move on, or even sink into oblivion, perhaps it would be a form of release for them. Wu Yuan pondered ceaselessly, his motivation growing stronger.

As ten thousand years passed, Wu Yuan became convinced he had embarked on the right path, not just to free himself, but for the countless consciousnesses within the black-armored giant’s spirit world.

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