Yuan's Ascension

Chapter 449: The Number One Prodigy Of The Immortal Nation (2)

High Immortal Nan Yin said lightly, "Go on then. From now on, I will guide you in both the Longevity Dao and Celestial Body Dao whenever you visit."

"Oh? Thank you, Master," Wu Yuan's eyes lit up.

In previous years, although his master had occasionally elucidated on the Extended Life Sword Codex, he had never systematically taught the Longevity Dao. After all, Wu Yuan had not truly reached the initiate threshold then, and excessive guidance would have been as futile as watering a seed before it sprouted.

Not long after, Wu Yuan took his leave.

High Immortal Nan Yin reclined in his chair, which creaked softly beneath him. His face bore a contemplative expression as he muttered to himself, "This youngster...The commotion he stirred up was hardly a small one."

News of Wu Yuan, a peerless genius from the Bloodforge Devil Hall's Redmoon Division, had already spread like wildfire throughout the division. Consequently, many powerhouses from the Redmoon Immortal Hall had caught wind of him.

Ordinary High Immortals and Earth Immortals might not pay much heed, given the minimal overlap and mutually exclusive territories between the two major factions. Furthermore, they were not adversaries, their paths rarely crossing.

But because of Wu Yuan, High Immortal Nan Yin naturally kept a vigilant eye on the unfolding events.

"I didn't think my disciple would turn out to be a peerless genius who seems even more formidable than myself," Nan Yin mused, his eyes closed as if in deep contemplation.

"No rush. Let's wait a few hundred years more, until my disciple truly has the power to protect himself and find his own way. It won't be too late to face the Ninth Immortal Tribulation then."

Over the decades, High Immortal Nan Yin's fondness for his disciple Wu Yuan had only grown.

...

Time passed.

Wu Yuan's two true selves, each positioned within a different large faction, cultivated diligently. The only difference was that his qi refiner self now received guidance on the Longevity Dao from High Immortal Nan Yin.

Master's guidance is incisive, directly addressing the root; it feels like his understanding of the Longevity Dao might be on par with that of the Celestial Body Dao. Wu Yuan marveled.

In fact, Wu Yuan had begun harboring suspicions two years prior. For over two years, his two true selves had received guidance from both High Immortal Nan Yin and Astral Lord Chen Deng on the Celestial Body Dao.

What shocked Wu Yuan was that the level of mastery demonstrated by his master was in no way inferior to Astral Lord Chen Deng. In some aspects, his guidance was actually superior.

At the time, Wu Yuan wondered: Could it be that my master's comprehension of the Celestial Body Dao is comparable to Astral Lord Chen Deng? But Astral Lord Yin He once said that Astral Lord Chen Deng is a super powerhouse that specializes in the Celestial Body Dao.

Meanwhile, High Immortal Nan Yin was just a Sixth Tribulation High Immortal. The disparity in their strength was massive.

Ultimately, Wu Yuan could only conclude that his master was simply a better teacher. But now, with High Immortal Nan Yin demonstrating a remarkable mastery of the Longevity Dao, it naturally left Wu Yuan even more astonished. High Immortal Nan Yin's image grew increasingly unfathomable in Wu Yuan's mind.

Everyone says High Immortal Dong Yang is formidable, but my master might be extremely terrifying too. Wu Yuan mused silently, his admiration for his master growing even stronger.

To reach such profound levels of comprehension in several Intermediate Laws simultaneously?

...

The guidance from two distinguished teachers, the joint contemplation by two true selves, and the continual growth of the soul resulted in Wu Yuan's strength progressing at an increasingly astonishing rate.

In the Origin Blood World of the Bloodforge Devil Hall's Redmoon Division.

Wu Yuan’s worldlet mansion sprawled across tens of thousands of li. Within this vast space, a shadowy figure cloaked in black robes stood in the air, his presence ethereal and terrifying, resembling a deity of slaughter. It was none other than Astral Lord Chen Deng’s incarnation.

"Wu Yuan, try again," Astral Lord Chen Deng spoke softly.

Wu Yuan's body refiner self hovered in the air, his entire form encased in black battle armor. Only his eyes were visible.

Not far from him stood a towering metal puppet wielding a saber. It was a common type of combat puppet in the Bloodforge Devil Hall, but this particular one was a first-grade puppet. It possessed the strength of a ninth-stage Shambhala cultivator, but lacked in the expression of Dao comprehension.

"Kill!" The towering hundred-zhang-tall metal puppet possessed a spirit, and had been programmed to attack Wu Yuan with full force. Its icy gaze locked onto its target.

Boom! The metal puppet erupted with immense force, darting through the air like a bolt of black lightning. It covered hundreds of li in an instant, its saber raised high.

Whoosh! The blade cleaved through the air, tearing through the sky as if intending to completely shatter the heavens themselves.

"Haha, bring it on." Wu Yuan's laughter rang out. In an instant, he executed three ether arts, transforming into a giant a hundred zhangs tall. With the Four-Armed Form, he now possessed four arms, each hand wielding a black saber.

"Star Tread!" Without Beast Fusion, Wu Yuan dodged the perilously close strike like a phantom.

At the same time, he swung two arms, each holding a saber. "Starsunder! Scorching Sun!"

One saber strike seemed to rupture stars, ferocious and swift, tapping into the profundities of the Celestial Body Dao. The other saber strike was like a blazing sun sweeping across the sky, boldly striking wide and far!

In a heartbeat, he unleashed two different moves.

"Not good!" The metal puppet seemed slightly startled, its programming struggling to keep up with Wu Yuan's onslaught. It was fast, but its saber skills were far inferior to Wu Yuan's, leaving it no choice but to withstand the two strikes head-on.

Boom~ Boom~ Two lightning-fast collisions rang out, and the metal puppet was instantly sent flying, its massive form tumbling through the air.

But the metal puppet was constructed to be highly sturdy. It steadied itself in the air with one foot and charged towards Wu Yuan, saber aimed directly at him. This strike was precise and ruthless!

"Haha, Earth Burial! Limitless!" Wu Yuan laughed heartily, his voice echoing across the vast space. Amidst the clashing blade rays, he conjured three phantoms, effortlessly meeting the strike.

It seemed like a direct block, but in reality, he redirected most of the puppet's force into the surroundings, frustrating the metal puppet to no end.

"Vast Land!" As Wu Yuan's phantoms crisscrossed and then merged in an instant, a powerful blade ray swept across the heavens.

A saber rose, as if closing the heavens. A saber fell, as if splitting the earth.

Mighty and swift, it struck the metal puppet, smashing it into the ground below with a thunderous crash. Debris flew, and the ground cracked open with numerous fissures, throwing up waves of mud and dirt several li high.

"You may stop now," said Astral Lord Chen Deng, who had been watching the battle.

With a thunderous rumble, the metal puppet emerged from the depths of the earth, a visible crack on its chest rapidly healing. It flew to Astral Lord Chen Deng's side and bowed respectfully.

Wu Yuan also deactivated his ether art and retracted his saber, returning to his normal height before approaching Astral Lord Chen Deng.

"Instructor Chen," Wu Yuan bowed respectfully.

With Astral Lord Chen Deng's repeated guidance over the years, Wu Yuan felt deeply grateful to him.

"Very good," Chen Deng's voice carried a hint of approval. "You have grasped the second step of the Starsunder Saber Codex, and comprehended the conception of all eight moves."

"Your strength has increased significantly over the past two years," Astral Lord Chen Deng spoke slowly. "Having defeated a first-grade puppet, you may now try tackling level fourteen of the Dark Star. Even if you don't succeed, you're nearly there."

Wu Yuan nodded.

In these past two years, his body refiner self had made remarkable progress in the application of the Celestial Body Dao, far surpassing his past capabilities.

Challenging level fourteen of the Dark Star? If he was forced to rely solely on the Celestial Body Dao, Wu Yuan still wasn't confident he could do it.

But if asked to re-challenge the guardians of level thirteen, Wu Yuan felt he could easily defeat them now.

"I've given you all the guidance I can. How far you go in the Bloodforge Battle is up to you," Astral Lord Chen Deng looked intently at Wu Yuan.

"Your talent is extraordinary, don't end up dying in there. My expectations for you aren’t as high as Astral Lord Yin He’s, but just remember one thing: come back alive," Astral Lord Chen Deng's voice seemed indifferent, yet it carried his concern for Wu Yuan.

No one stood beyond the reach of emotions. After dozens of tutorial sessions, Astral Lord Chen Deng had also grown fond of Wu Yuan, a respectful and diligent student.

"Understood. I will definitely come back alive," Wu Yuan bowed respectfully.

When he looked up again, Astral Lord Chen Deng’s incarnation had already disappeared without a sound.

These super powerhouses are always so elusive. Wu Yuan shook his head, his gaze falling on the metal puppet beside him.

"Master." The metal puppet began to tense up again.

"Come on, let’s continue!" Wu Yuan grinned, "I haven't had enough yet."

As the years passed, Wu Yuan gradually came to understand the philosophy of the Bloodforge Devil Hall.

To them, real-world combat was a full-spectrum stimulation of the potential of one’s soul, spirit, and flesh. It brought about evolutionary stimuli far more intense than that of voidrealm battles.

The only flaw—one faced a high chance of death.

Faced with the pressure of death, individuals are indeed able to unleash terrifying potential. Wu Yuan realized clearly.

However, unlike ordinary immortal cultivators, Wu Yuan had one advantage—two true selves.

One true self undergoes life and death trials, but the experiences benefit both true selves. Wu Yuan couldn't help but smile.

Only three months left until the Bloodforge Battle. I must make the most of the time and cultivate well.

Wu Yuan resumed his duel with the metal puppet, identifying the shortcomings of his saber techniques through combat.

...

As the Bloodforge Battle drew near and Wu Yuan focused on his cultivation, a message swept through the Redmoon Immortal Continent like a hurricane. It even captured the attention of many factions across the vast Silvermist Immortal Nation.

“What?”

“The mysterious genius who set the immortal continent record in the two-star tower is Zhuo Haiyue? Wasn't it said she only cleared level sixty-five?”

Wu Yuan too caught wind of the news, and was equally shocked. “She cleared level seventy of the two-star tower?”

The leap in difficulty from level sixty-nine to seventy was like jumping from earth to heaven. It was even greater than the step from level fifty-nine to sixty in the one-star tower!

"Exactly!" Kuang Long who had rushed to inform Wu Yuan about the news was filled with emotion, "Great Senior Brother, from what I can remember, you are acquainted with this Zhuo Haiyue, right? She's hidden her capabilities too well."

"Everyone knows she's a genius, but who could have imagined she'd be this formidable?"

"She hasn't even cultivated for two hundred years, yet already cleared level seventy of the two-star tower, even reaching level seventy-three this time. It’s heaven-defying!"

"The second-ranked Amethyst Cradle genius in the Moonsilver World, who has been cultivating nearly a hundred years longer than her, only just cleared level sixty-four," Kuang Long sighed.

Wu Yuan was astounded.

How vast was the gap between level sixty-four and seventy-three? It was not something time alone could bridge.

"Great Senior Brother, I heard that Zhuo Haiyue is now ranked first in the two-star tower across the entire Silvermist Immortal Nation."

"She's now dubbed the number one genius of the immortal nation," Kuang Long couldn't help saying.

The number one genius of the immortal nation? A spark of light flashed in Wu Yuan's eyes.