Yuan's Ascension

Chapter 455: Are You Willing To Be An Astral Monarch's Disciple (2)

While Wu Yuan was still challenging level sixty-two in the one-star tower, news of Li Xia clearing level sixty spread like wildfire, captivating the attention of the upper echelons across various factions throughout the Redmoon Immortal Continent.

The resulting commotion far surpassed the buzz generated by Wu Yuan's victory at the Dragon Star Tournament. Back then, Wu Yuan had been dazzling, true, but he was merely considered a once-in-tens-of-thousands-of-years genius on the immortal continent—impressive, but not unprecedented. Moreover, his youth meant his future remained uncertain.

However, conquering level sixty of the one-star tower was fundamentally different. Now, Wu Yuan had truly ascended to the level of peerless geniuses, his brilliance eclipsing countless young prodigies across the Redmoon Immortal Continent.

While there were indeed Golden Core geniuses on the immortal continent capable of surpassing level sixty, they were all over a hundred years old.

...

"What? Li Xia has passed level sixty of the one-star tower?" Xing Luo, Hao Shanjing, and other geniuses of their generation were utterly stunned, their faces a mix of disbelief and awe.

Hao Shanjing, in particular, felt the weight of this revelation most keenly. Too fast. How could his progress be so swift? When we crossed swords years ago, his Dao comprehension still lagged behind mine.

Hao Shanjing looked incredulous. Now, he's completely surpassed me. I'm still stuck at the sixth-level Domain stage, struggling to break through.

He was cultivating the Longevity Dao, knowing that if he could only shatter the bottleneck between the sixth-level and seventh-level Domain stages, he could swiftly advance to the Elysian Field phase.

...

In the Moonsilver World, Mountain Master Xu chatted with an elderly man in white robes.

"Unbelievable," Mountain Master Xu breathed, his eyes wide with wonder. "A few years ago, during the Dragon Star Tournament, I merely thought Li Xia formidable. Who could have foreseen him clearing level sixty of the one-star tower in the blink of an eye?"

The white-robed elder nodded, his long beard quivering as he spoke. "How heaven-defying indeed! And at such a tender age! Li Xia is undoubtedly the most phenomenal prodigy to challenge our immortal continent's one-star tower in at least the past hundred million years. He bears the potential to reach level seventy."

A wistful sigh escaped Mountain Master Xu's lips. "The Dragon Star Immortal Sect is truly blessed by fortune. What a pity that our Moonsilver World couldn't recruit such a monstrous prodigy back then."

...

"The Dragon Star Immortal Sect truly enjoys great providence!"

"Sword Immortal Dong Yang dominated the immortal continent for hundreds of thousands of years, casting a long shadow over his peers. Even across the vast expanse of the immortal nation, he remained one of the mightiest High Immortals for millennia."

"And now this Li Xia emerges, even more dazzling and extraordinary than the young Sword Immortal Dong Yang was in his prime. Could it be that we're witnessing the birth of another legend, a second Sword Immortal Dong Yang?"

"Zhuo Haiyue cleared level seventy of the two-star tower at over 160 years old and Li Xia conquered level sixty of the one-star tower at just over fifty. In terms of raw talent, they stand on nearly equal ground."

"It's premature to draw conclusions. Zhuo Haiyue's comprehension of the Dao runs unfathomably deep, surpassing even many Earth Immortals. Her potential has already begun to blossom in earnest. Wu Yuan's future, bright as it may seem, remains shrouded in uncertainty."

"Throughout the entire Silvermist Immortal Nation, Li Xia now stands as the only peerless genius who can truly rival Zhuo Haiyue in this era."

...

As the upper echelons of various factions across the immortal continent buzzed with speculation and excitement, the much-anticipated update to the Seven Star Luminaries Tower record finally appeared in the Redmoon Immortal Voidrealm.

The highest record for the one-star tower in the past ten thousand years, previously stagnant at level sixty-one, had been shattered. The new benchmark: level sixty-two.

The record setter—Li Xia.

The news exploded across the Redmoon Immortal Voidrealm like wildfire, and discussions were no longer confined to the upper echelons of major factions.

"He reached level sixty-two already?"

"That's beyond insane.”

"I firmly believe Li Xia's talent is not inferior to Zhuo Haiyue's! Are such monstrous prodigies appearing in clusters now?"

"Nonsense! Zhuo Haiyue cleared level seventy of the two-star tower. How can Li Xia possibly compare?"

"You're the one spouting nonsense! How can you discuss talent while ignoring age? By that logic, isn't Zhuo Haiyue's talent inferior to those ancient High Immortals?"

These debates raged like wildfire, consuming the attention of not just the higher echelons and elite disciples of large sects, but even the billions of ordinary Golden Core phase and Amethyst Cradle cultivators scattered across the vast expanse of the immortal continent.

Many who had paid little heed to the Moonsilver Tournament now knew that the Dragon Star Immortal Sect had produced a peerless genius named Li Xia.

This was the day Li Xia's name truly echoed across every corner of the immortal continent, etching itself into the minds of millions of immortal cultivators.

...

In the Moonsilver World, within a meditation chamber nestled in the heart of Zhuo Haiyue's supermansion.

Zhuo Haiyue sat in perfect stillness, draped in white robes, her long hair cascading like a midnight waterfall. Strands of lightning danced around her, intertwining to form a cocoon of crackling energy. Her aura pulsed with a strength that far transcended the Amethyst Cradle phase.

"Originally, I had planned to cultivate for another century before claiming the title of Bloodforge King with absolute certainty," Zhuo Haiyue murmured to herself. "But I didn't anticipate Master being assigned a task at the divine court’s headquarters."

Her brow furrowed. "The divine court’s headquarters lies at the other end of the river of space and time, separated from the Greenridge Macrocosm by near-infinite spacetime. Once I depart, who knows when I'll return? It could be millennia, or even tens of thousands of years hence."

Determination hardened her voice as she concluded, "I can't afford to wait any longer. The Saint Scripture Mark must not be exposed."

Zhuo Haiyue closed her eyes, her consciousness diving deep into the vast and mysterious space of her upper dantian lobe. There, coiled in majestic repose, lay a massive purple divine dragon. It slumbered, its long whiskers hanging beneath its chin like strands of living lightning. Upon closer inspection, one would realize the dragon was composed entirely of countless tiny bolts of electricity, a being both holy and terrifying in its majesty.

"Just one mark isn't enough. Far from enough. This time, I must seize the Bloodforge opportunity and obtain the complete Thunder Saint Mark."

A cultivation plan took shape in her mind.

Behind the rise of every peerless genius, especially those whose names echoed across space and time, there usually lay great fortuitous opportunities!

Hmm? Suddenly, Zhuo Haiyue's eyes snapped open, alert and focused. The lightning that had enveloped her body rapidly receded, and her overwhelming aura calmed.

She rose gracefully, her white robes shimmering and transforming into silver battle armor. With purposeful strides, she left the meditation chamber and entered the main hall of her mansion.

There, lounging casually in a seat, sat a man clad in robes of deep purple.

Zhuo Haiyue offered a slight bow. "Senior Brother Heng Dan, you sought me?"

She was acutely aware of the purple-robed man's power. He was one of the most formidable disciples under their master, renowned for his lethal skills. In terms of raw strength, he rivaled Archimmortal Redmoon, standing as one of the preeminent Archimmortals in the entire immortal nation.

"Indeed," Senior Brother Heng Dan replied with a light smile, his words punctuated by hearty bites of his meal. "I recall you once mentioned helping a youngster named Li Xia?"

"Yes," Zhuo Haiyue nodded.

She understood that Master had dispatched Senior Brother Heng Dan not merely as an escort, but to conduct a comprehensive assessment of her cultivation progress over the past decades. Naturally, every significant action she had taken during this period had to be reported.

"I've just received word that he has cleared level sixty-two of the one-star tower," Astral Lord Heng Dan's grin widened. "In terms of raw talent, he might not be far behind you."

"Level sixty-two of the one-star tower?" Zhuo Haiyue couldn't entirely mask her surprise.

She knew Wu Yuan's intelligence dossier well and had a rough grasp of his age. In an instant, her mind flashed back to that unremarkable young man in black robes she had encountered years ago. How could he have become so formidable in the blink of an eye?

"His feats have already spread across the Silvermist Immortal Realm like wildfire," the purple-robed man continued, his smile never wavering. "Many Archimmortals and Astral Lords are turning their attention to him. The Dragon Star Immortal Sect is indeed blessed with providence. First Dong Yang, and now him."

"Attention?" Zhuo Haiyue's heart clenched involuntarily, and she couldn't help but ask, "Will he be in danger?"

The man in purple robes gave Zhuo Haiyue a peculiar look, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Junior Sister, why such concern for him?"

"It's not like that," Zhuo Haiyue shook her head, her voice carefully neutral. "We've had some interactions in the past, so I was merely curious. If Senior Brother finds it inconvenient to answer, please disregard my question."

"Danger is unlikely," the purple-robed man said with a faint smile. "After all, that place is the lair of Long Xing, that Old Loach. Besides, Dong Yang is currently stationed there, and his strength nearly rivals my own. When he goes berserk, even I would think twice before provoking him. He may have many enemies, but after Huo Gao's mana body fell, I doubt anyone would dare to challenge him now."

"Sword Immortal Dong Yang? His strength is close to yours?" Zhuo Haiyue's pupils contracted, betraying her shock.

"Indeed," the purple-robed man said calmly. "Master has mentioned him before. He has always been a terrifying figure with an unshakeable Dao Heart. Each and every cultivator who dares tread the path of a Ninth Tribulation High Immortal is far from ordinary."

"The key is, he has almost succeeded."

"When he was young, he may not have been as dazzling as you or Li Xia, but the further he advanced, the more terrifying he became. Now, he might well be the strongest High Immortal in the entire immortal nation," the man in purple robes sighed, a hint of awe in his voice.

"Master once said that once he overcomes the Ninth Tribulation, he has the highest hope of breaking through next in the immortal nation."

Zhuo Haiyue listened in stunned silence.

"Alright, Junior Sister," the man in purple robes said, his tone shifting to one of business. "Besides discussing Li Xia, I also wanted to inform you that Master has sent word back, expressing satisfaction with your cultivation progress over the past decades."

His smile returned as he continued, "In three days, we will depart for the Eternal Sun Immortal World's main world. After all, you still need to participate in the Amethyst Cradle Bloodforge Battle."

"Before the battle, you must pay your respects to Master, so we mustn't delay.”

"Understood," Zhuo Haiyue nodded.

She bowed respectfully and took her leave, returning to her meditation chamber. Once inside, she assumed a lotus position, her mind working furiously to process the information she had just received.

With a thought, she extended a thread of consciousness into the Redmoon Immortal Voidrealm, swiftly obtaining the latest news on Wu Yuan's progress in the one-star tower.

He cleared level sixty-three and failed at level sixty-four? Zhuo Haiyue's shock was palpable. Over a decade ago, he barely cleared level forty.

The leap in progress seemed almost unbelievable. His advancement was blindingly fast, matching, if not surpassing, her own meteoric rise.

I've progressed this rapidly due to the fortuitous encounter of obtaining the Saint Scripture Mark in the Golden Core Bloodforge Battle. Zhuo Haiyue mused internally. Could Li Xia have stumbled upon a similar opportunity?

She couldn’t figure it out.

After a moment of deep contemplation, Zhuo Haiyue made a decision. She sent an invitation to Wu Yuan, inviting him to meet her in Zhuo Star City within the Redmoon Immortal Voidrealm.