Yuan's Ascension

Chapter 701: Saint Prohibition Art (2)

My body refiner self. After examining the various new abilities of his Apotheosis soul, Wu Yuan's qi refiner self also sensed the presence of his body refiner self in a mysterious and unfathomable place.

The fact that I can sense my other true self means I've broken through the isolating power of the Immutable Land to some degree, but I'm still a bit short of merging the memories of my two selves. Wu Yuan's qi refiner self shook his head.

He then stopped dwelling on it and continued his secluded cultivation.

Whether comprehension or deduction, he was far more efficient than before. Only when encountering certain bottlenecks would he slow down or get stuck.

...

A year passed in the blink of an eye.

A figure in white robes darted down from a spacetime teleportation array above the Spacetime Island, swiftly returning to a hall.

It was Wu Yuan's mana body, who currently wore a smile on his face. I finally made it.

Whoosh! The mana body entered the hall, directly merging with his true self.

My mana body went on a decades-long exploration, yet only acquired treasures worth less than a hundred thousand divine crystals? Wu Yuan shook his head slightly.

In reality, such a bounty was already astonishing. Thanks to Wu Yuan's strong aptitude for Space and Time, his treasure-hunting efficiency already approached that of an ordinary Astral Lord.

Even so, if one counted the previous times his mana body had perished, he still made a loss overall.

Wu Yuan focused on strengthening the mana body that had returned to the Amethyst Cradle, and it soon began to undergo changes.

It was difficult for mana bodies to break through on their own. Wu Yuan had his mana body return, firstly, to bring back the treasures acquired over these decades. Secondly, because his soul had broken through to a new level, he naturally needed to reforge his mana body to strengthen its soul.

As time passed, Wu Yuan divided his focus between Dao comprehension and reforging his mana body.

The reforged mana body now has a soul no weaker than a true High Immortal, even slightly stronger than the soul of an Archimmortal's mana body. Wu Yuan was quite expectant.

Most Archimmortals broke through with second-degree or third-degree immortal roots. With their immortal roots not fully perfected, their mana bodies were naturally flawed, unlike Wu Yuan's perfect mana body.

A stronger soul will allow the mana body to unleash even greater power. Wu Yuan began to purchase suitable treasures for his mana body from the Spacetime Treasure Hall.

After three years of effort, Wu Yuan's reforged mana body once again arrived at the Snowlight Mist Realm through the spacetime teleportation array, continuing its adventures.

However, in the short term, there were no suitable opponents who could force Wu Yuan to exert his full strength. Thus, no one yet knew of this transformation he had undergone.

...

The entire Spacetime Island remained eternal and unchanging, just as it had for trillions of years.

On this day, in a hall of the Taiyuan Tower within the Spacetime Immortal Voidrealm, several figures had already gathered.

"Ming Jian has arrived."

"Ming Jian." Those already in the hall all looked towards the entrance, nodding at the newcomers with polite smiles.

"Nangong, Dong Fan, Xiang Dao." Wu Yuan nodded to each one with a smile.

Dong Fan and Xiang Dao, two youthful-looking men, were both Sovereign Imprint bearers whom Wu Yuan had befriended over the centuries on the Spacetime Island. They were also from the Taiyuan Divine Court faction, and their personalities were quite compatible with his, thus they got along well.

"Please, sit," Nangong Meng smiled.

Everyone took their seats.

"As usual, let's first exchange the intelligence we've gathered over the past few years," Nangong Meng led the discussion with a smile.

Wu Yuan and the others didn't stand on ceremony. With a wave, virtual immortal slips appeared before each person. Anyone could freely peruse them.

After the four traded information, they began to chat amongst themselves. They were all elites of the Taiyuan Divine Court faction on the Spacetime Island, and needed to take time to relax once every so often. By conversing with those of a similar level as themselves, they felt far less burdensome.

“Hmm?” A trace of shock flashed through Xiang Dao's eyes. "Everyone, I just received a battle recording. You should all take a look."

"Oh?"

"What recording?" Wu Yuan, Nangong Meng, and the others were immediately curious.

Xiang Dao was a Sovereign Imprint bearer, a High Deity whose strength could rival a fourth-stage Archimmortal. If something could surprise him, it had to be significant.

Whoosh! Xiang Dao didn't give any further explanation. With a wave of his hand, a light screen projection materialized, drawing everyone's attention.

"Hmm, Haiyue?" Wu Yuan's pupils contracted slightly as he instantly recognized one of the combatants.

"It's Zhuo Haiyue."

"Indeed, it's her." Nangong Meng and Dong Fan also recognized her. Zhuo Haiyue had grown famous ever since she conquered level one hundred of the three-star tower.

The light screen projection revealed a vast, desolate plain blanketed in ice and snow. Across the expansive wasteland, numerous powerful cultivators were engaged in fierce combat or fleeing for their lives.

Among them, a figure in silver armor was also in retreat. It was none other than Zhuo Haiyue.

Suddenly, one High Immortal and two High Deities abandoned their opponents and joined forces to pursue Zhuo Haiyue.

These three powerhouses possessed terrifying strength, ranking among the most powerful combatants on the entire plain. Their attacks already reached the Archimmortal level in power.

The two High Deities moved with astonishing speed, while the High Immortal excelled in binding techniques. Together, they cornered Zhuo Haiyue, hemming her in with no visible escape.

Although Zhuo Haiyue's Dao comprehension was astounding, approaching the level of an Astral Lord, she was merely an Earth Immortal. Her mana capacity was too small, and in direct combat, she was no match for an Archimmortal.

Is she about to perish? Wu Yuan's brow furrowed slightly.

Boom! Terrifying lightning suddenly erupted around Zhuo Haiyue’s body as she hovered in the void, her expression cold and murderous. Her vital aura surged dramatically, and the countless knife rays around her instantly reconfigured.

With a resounding crack, dozens of horrifying electric knife rays tore through hundreds of thousands of li, as if threatening to rip apart space itself.

The two High Deities at the Archimmortal level were instantly blasted away, one of them torn in half.

Rip! A sea of lightning swept across the sky, shredding the remaining High Immortal who tried to flee in terror.

The two surviving High Deities scrambled to escape. Zhuo Haiyue, unleashing her full power, pursued them relentlessly. She managed to slay one more High Deity before finally relenting.

As she departed, the projection ended.

In the hall of the Spacetime Immortal Voidrealm, silence reigned. Wu Yuan, Dong Fan, Nangong Meng, and Xiang Dao were all somewhat shocked.

"That was incredible," Dong Fan exclaimed. “Such power must rival a third-stage Archimmortal."

"The profoundness of her techniques...did it deepen? It's hard to say."

"Indeed. From the battle footage alone, we can't discern the level of profundity, only estimate the overall power."

"An Earth Immortal erupting with the strength of a third-stage Archimmortal?" Those present found it almost unbelievable.

The gap in mana between an Earth Immortal and an Archimmortal was practically immeasurable.

"Unless she possesses Dao comprehension at the Astral Monarch level," Nangong Meng shook her head. "But she's been cultivating for less than a thousand years, hasn't she?"

Reaching Astral Monarch-level Dao comprehension in a thousand years? It was unheard of.

"Perhaps she used some special treasure," Wu Yuan suggested.

"Ah, that must be it."

"Some treasures do possess extraordinary power."

"But it doesn't seem quite right. Her techniques flowed too smoothly, as if the power truly came from within."

"Some treasures can affect one's intrinsic abilities." The group continued to discuss, each holding different opinions.

Regardless, Zhuo Haiyue's battle had truly astounded them all.

Soon after, the discussion concluded and they went their separate ways.

...

Truly impressive. Third-stage Archimmortal? I fear even my true self, wielding the Genesis Divine Pillar and my lifebound flying swords, might struggle to unleash such power. Perhaps I'd even fall short. Wu Yuan mused internally.

Yet in the battle projection, Zhuo Haiyue had clearly manifested such power with just her mana body.

No use pondering further. In this vast heaven and earth, be it through mortal means or the workings of heaven and earth, special treasures will always emerge. Just as the Sovereign Black Devil possesses the Black Devil Divine Pillar and other such treasures, it's only natural that other Sovereigns or even higher existences might create powerful artifacts. Wu Yuan shook his head slightly.

The more one learned, the more one came to revere the vastness of the river of space and time.

For now, my priority is to swiftly crystallize Time True Intent. Wu Yuan's qi refiner self devoted the majority of his energy to comprehending the Law of Time.

He sent a brief message to Zhuo Haiyue, offering his congratulations.

Soon after, Zhuo Haiyue replied with a message: "It was a confrontation mission. Circumstances forced me to go all out."

Wu Yuan smiled, not pursuing the conversation further. He returned to his cultivation.

...

In the vast world within the purple hall above the Spacetime Island.

“What? A Saint Prohibition Art? Kong, are you saying this young woman is involved with a True Saint?" Sovereign Lan Yan, having also received the news, was quite shocked.

Minor events that took place among the numerous imprint bearers on Spacetime Island didn't warrant her attention, but significant occurrences like the changes in Wu Yuan's soul or Zhuo Haiyue's mana body unleashing Archimmortal power were truly exceptional. She would always be informed of such matters.

"Yes. The usage of a Saint Prohibition Art is always under strict conditions. Even ordinary Sovereigns struggle to recognize it, let alone detect it. If this weren't the Dao Realm, even I might not have noticed," the deep voice continued.

"She's also from the Taiyuan Divine Court. However, unlike Ming Jian, this young woman doesn’t have a strong aptitude for Spacetime. We should simply ensure her safe departure.

We mustn't disturb the existence behind her," the deep voice cautioned.

"Understood," Sovereign Lan Yan replied solemnly.

...

The battle where Zhuo Haiyue unleashed overwhelming power was soon followed by several more conflicts. Her strength showed no signs of diminishing, proving that it was her own power and she wasn’t relying on a treasure.

As such, it truly shook Spacetime Island and even caught the attention of various factions in the Dao Realm.

Swiftly, Zhuo Haiyue's fame surpassed that of the rising star Ming Jian, and she was subtly recognized as the 'number one genius of the Spacetime Island'.

Regardless of what treasures one might use, power was power. If she was already so formidable as an Earth Immortal, how terrifying would she become upon advancing to the High Immortal phase? And she had cultivated for less than a thousand years.

The world outside buzzed with rumors, yet Zhuo Haiyue seemed unaffected by it all. As for Wu Yuan? He cared even less about competing for the title of top genius.

In the blink of an eye, nearly ten years passed.

The Inner Region of the Snowlight Mist Realm.

This was a vast, boundless continent of ice and snow, dotted with towering mountains. No trace of life could be seen.

The Myriad Mountains Ice Plain. A figure in white robes flew between the ice-capped peaks.

These mountains weren't particularly large, nowhere near the scale of those in the Glacier Domain.

The white-robed figure was none other than Wu Yuan's mana body, which had been exploring the Snowlight Mist Realm all these years.

Suddenly, Wu Yuan halted his advance.

Boom! A powerful energy wave suddenly swept through his location, rolling further into the distance.

A treasure is emerging? After searching for so long, I've finally encountered a decent artifact, and it doesn’t seem too far from me. Wu Yuan's heart leapt with joy.

He swiftly rushed towards the source of the energy fluctuations.

Mere moments later, a flicker of surprise passed through Wu Yuan's eyes. Hm? It's him!

Tens of millions of li away, amidst the ongoing energy fluctuations from the emerging treasure, he faintly sensed several vital auras. Among them was a familiar High Immortal’s soul aura.

Excellent. Truly, what one seeks often appears when one least expects it. Wu Yuan's face broke into a smile.