Yuan’s Ascension

Chapter 1078: The Might Of A Saber Strike

Wu Yuan remained calm. His body refiner self had attacked without leaking the slightest aura, and that saber strike just now had reached the power of a second-stage Overlord. Otherwise, how could he have slain the eighth-stage Sovereign Pang in a single exchange? It was only natural to be mistaken for a Devil Emperor.

Devil Emperor Ku Mu possessed many powerful artifacts, and at full strength, his combat power reached the third-stage Overlord level. Otherwise, how could he have become friends with Overlord Bei Zhen?

However, that didn’t mean the current Devil Emperor Ku Mu before him had third-stage Overlord strength. Not every Overlord was like Wu Yuan, able to equip their ether body with top-tier artifacts.

“Devil Emperor Xia, with such power, you could be considered a hegemon in Sector 13. Yet I’ve never heard your name before,” Devil Emperor Ku Mu asked, seemingly casually.

In truth, he was probing for information. Devil Emperors were rare even in the vast expanse of the Abyss. Each one could be considered a hegemon, commanding countless Abyssal worlds.

Moreover, Devil Emperors typically occupied separate territories. Unless fighting over treasures, they would rarely enter another Devil Emperor’s domain to avoid triggering a war between Devil Emperors.

Thus, even with Devil Emperor Ku Mu’s strength and status, he had not met all the Abyssal Devil Emperors. He suspected Wu Yuan might be disguised as some Devil Emperor he didn’t recognize.

“I come from another sector. While exploring the cosmic sea, I had a breakthrough, and have only recently returned to the Abyss,” Wu Yuan replied coldly.

This was the explanation Wu Yuan had prepared in advance. As for which sector? That information was not to be divulged.

Thankfully, the Abyss was vast and voidrealms could not be established here. Therefore, the information gathering abilities of the Overlords here were far inferior to the Sovereigns of the universe.

“Oh?” Devil Emperor Ku Mu nodded, his face showing admiration. “I admire you, Brother Xia, for daring to venture into the cosmic sea and even achieving a breakthrough there.

“I imagine the war saber you wield was obtained from the cosmic sea, yes?” Devil Emperor Ku Mu remarked.

Even though Wu Yuan had concealed the aura of the Mo Yuan saber, the main reason he could display second-stage Overlord power was basically due to this Xiantian artifact. Wu Yuan wasn’t surprised by the assumption.

“Ku Mu. Let’s not waste time. Are you willing to make the trade?” Wu Yuan’s voice was low and deep.

“Of course I am.” Devil Emperor Ku Mu smiled. “Gui Chi’s ether body was lured into Falling Flame Mountain by one of my subordinate Sovereigns. He’s currently exploring that mountain.

“As long as you give me the Xiantian artifact, I’ll take you there immediately,” said Devil Emperor Ku Mu.

“Swear an Abyssal Oath, and I’ll give you the artifact right away,” Wu Yuan shook his head.

He simply couldn’t trust these Devil Emperors.

“You won’t swear an oath?” Devil Emperor Ku Mu frowned.

“Ku Mu, you should understand that I can capture that Gui Chi myself even if it takes some time,” Wu Yuan sneered. “I’m only asking for your help to save myself some trouble.

“Also, don’t bother threatening me. Even if you order your subordinate to tell Gui Chi the truth, saying you’ll protect him, do you think he’d believe you?

“Rest assured, I have absolutely no reason to deceive you,” Wu Yuan said coldly.

Devil Emperor Ku Mu’s expression shifted as he stared at Wu Yuan. Suddenly, he broke into a smile. “Very well!”

With that, Devil Emperor Ku Mu swore an Abyssal oath. The Abyss also had an essence, and the Abyssal essence was on par with the essences of various universes. The Abyss and the universe were two sides of the same coin, both part of the River of Universes.

Moreover, while the binding power of an Abyssal oath wasn’t as strong as a Great Dao Oath, it wasn’t much weaker. Even Devil Emperors were unwilling to violate such oaths casually.

“Here you go.” Wu Yuan waved his hand.

A stream of light flew out, taking the form of a suit of battle armor – a Xiantian artifact.

This was the Xiantian artifact Wu Yuan had seized from the Howling Dragon Mountain Range tens of thousands of years ago.

“Hmm? Excellent.” Devil Emperor Ku Mu smiled, quickly reaching out to grasp the battle armor.

Obtaining a Xiantian artifact so easily was a fantastic deal for him. Every single Xiantian artifact he acquired in the past required lying low for billions of years, waiting for an opportunity to seize it in a bloody battle, sometimes even having to fight other Devil Emperors.

While he couldn’t immediately use this low-grade Xiantian battle armor himself, he could pass it to his ether body. He could also use it in trades with other Devil Emperors in the future.

“Take this.” Devil Emperor Ku Mu waved his hand, handing over a token. “This is my subordinate Sovereign’s token. Following its guidance, you can reach Falling Flame Mountain and find Sovereign Gui Chi’s ether body.”

“Mm.” Wu Yuan reached out to accept it, briefly examining it to confirm it was indeed the token.

“Farewell.” With those words, Wu Yuan’s form blurred into motion.

His speed instantly skyrocketed to thousands of times the speed of light. The surrounding spacetime rippled and interwove as he broke through the Abyss’s limits, accelerating further until he reached a terrifying speed of thirty thousand times that of light. He swiftly streaked across hundreds of billions of li, vanishing from the perception range of Devil Emperor Ku Mu and his three subordinate Sovereigns.

“Such incredible speed.”

“It must be tens of thousands of times the speed of light.”

“A Devil Emperor!” The three late-stage Sovereign powerhouses were shocked. Even if they accelerated continuously for a long time, they could only reach ten thousand times light speed at most.

The Abyss did not allow for travel through higher spatial dimensions. Ten thousand times light speed was already a limit!

Thirty thousand times the speed of light? Has he fully comprehended the Law of Space? Devil Emperor Ku Mu’s expression shifted. Only he could accurately judge Wu Yuan’s maximum speed.

From his saber strike earlier, he should be cultivating the Great Dao of Creation. Yet he’s also so proficient in the Law of Space? A hint of wariness flashed through Devil Emperor Ku Mu’s eyes.

The Great Dao of Creation was already adept at physical defense. If he also fully comprehended the Law of Space, that would make him even more difficult to deal with.

Why would this Devil Emperor Xia be willing to pay such a great price just to search for Sovereign Gui Chi? Even willing to trade a Xiantian artifact just to capture an ether body? Devil Emperor Ku Mu was puzzled and couldn’t understand it.

A grudge? What kind of grudge would be worth a Devil Emperor going to such lengths?

Moreover, if he wanted to make a trade, he could have easily gone to Devil Emperor Xue Gu. Gui Chi is under Devil Emperor Xue Gu’s command. A Xiantian artifact might be enough for Devil Emperor Xue Gu to personally capture Sovereign Gui Chi’s true self. Various thoughts flashed through Devil Emperor Ku Mu’s mind. Why specifically seek me out? And through Overlord Bei Zhen at that?

He felt that this whole affair reeked of strangeness.

However, Devil Emperor Ku Mu didn’t think for a moment that Wu Yuan might be a universal powerhouse in disguise. At the very least, in this samsara cycle of heaven and earth, there had never been a case of someone being able to unleash Overlord power while concealing their aura in the Abyss. It had never happened even with Sovereigns, let alone Overlords. With no precedent, there was naturally no suspicion.

Could it be that this Devil Emperor Xia has a grudge with Devil Emperor Xue Gu? A thought suddenly occurred to Devil Emperor Ku Mu. But why insist on killing Sovereign Gui Chi?

Though he was curious, he had already obtained a Xiantian artifact. Moreover, he was bound by an Abyssal Oath. Thus, he was temporarily unwilling to get involved in this matter.

…

The Tangyi Sea was vast, but with Wu Yuan traveling at tens of thousands of times the speed of light, he crossed half of the Tangyi Sea in just half a day.

At such extreme speeds, he encountered several dangerous situations, but Wu Yuan easily resolved or simply ignored them.

This was to be expected. Traversing numerous Abyssal worlds was incredibly dangerous for Astral Monarch powerhouses, and even Sovereigns wouldn’t dare to be careless. But for Devil Emperors, it was generally quite a leisurely journey.

After all, Devil Emperors were already the most powerful lifeforms nurtured by the Abyss. Beyond them were only the eternal lifeforms capable of breaking free from the Abyss’s constraints.

Falling Flame Mountain. Wu Yuan gazed at a fiery red mountain that spanned heaven and earth in the distance. It resembled an eternally burning body of flame that had plummeted into the sea.

The entire mountain stood nearly ten light-years tall, incomparably majestic. It was a famous exploration site within the Tangyi Sea, with dangers lurking everywhere inside.

Sovereign Gui Chi should be somewhere inside the mountain. Wu Yuan confirmed the target’s general location through the Sovereign’s token.

Gui Chi? A cold glint flashed through Wu Yuan’s eyes.

This Sovereign had destroyed the Huanggu World with a wave of his hand, obliterating everything – naturally, this filled Wu Yuan’s heart with killing intent.

I’ll strike him down, then search for the location of his true self. Wu Yuan’s gaze was ice-cold.

Boom! Wu Yuan charged straight into Falling Flame Mountain, completely disregarding the waves of flame that assailed him.

Most Devil Sovereigns had to avoid the flames, forcing them to painstakingly seek out other safe passages. However, compared to the power of the Abyssal Void, the difference was like heaven and earth. The corrosive force of the Abyssal Void could annihilate even Overlords, yet it had no effect on Wu Yuan. How could these flames possibly make him budge?

In two hours, I’ll get there.

…

Deep within Falling Flame Mountain was an extremely narrow passageway – though it was still tens of millions of li wide and hundreds of billions of li long, with no end in sight.

On all sides of the passage, endless flames manifested spontaneously in the void, completely warping the surrounding space.

On a massive stone slab within the passage, three figures had gathered.

“Qi An.” A Devil Sovereign clad in black battle armor, his head wreathed in black flames and exuding an aura of domineering ferocity, spoke in a deep voice. “You told us there was a great opportunity in the Falling Flame Mountain. We’ve followed you, going through all this effort for thousands of years, yet found absolutely nothing. Are you deceiving us?”

“That’s right! Qi An, I’ve noticed that too. We’ve just been wandering aimlessly through this Falling Flame Mountain, following your lead all this time,” frowned another figure, a woman in fiery red robes. Despite her pure face, she exuded an intensely bewitching allure, perfectly capable of rousing the most primal desires in living beings.

The Abyssal Devil race had no concept of reproduction, yet still possessed Yin and Yang distinctions.

“Haha, Gui Chi, Bai Si, don’t worry. What reason would I have to deceive you?” Sovereign Qi An laughed. His laughter sounded open and carefree as he explained, “We’re hunting for treasure after all, how can there be any certainty? If the treasure were so easy to obtain, why would I have asked you two to join me?

“You both know Falling Flame Mountain well. The space here shifts unpredictably, causing the token markers I left in the past to lose effect. What we need to do now is work together to find the entrance to the treasure grounds, not bicker amongst ourselves,” said Sovereign Qi An.

Sovereign Gui Chi and Sovereign Bai Si exchanged a glance but said nothing more. They didn’t truly believe Sovereign Qi An would deceive them; they were just venting their frustrations.

“Bai Si, you promised that we’d indulge in pleasure together once we find the treasure,” Sovereign Qi An licked his lips, staring at Sovereign Bai Si. “The last time I enjoyed you was hundreds of millions of years ago. That taste, tsk tsk, I still can’t forget it.”

“Once we find the treasure, we can do it ten times if you wish.” Sovereign Bai Si said coldly, her voice chilling yet still alluring.

Even the nearby Sovereign Gui Chi felt his desire stir.

The three Devil Sovereigns continued to converse.

As they ventured through Falling Flame Mountain, the mana and ether they expended to resist the surrounding flames were astonishingly high. Thus, whenever they reached a safe location, they would restore their mana and ether to peak levels. Caution was key to longevity.

The Abyssal Devil race was utterly mad, but precisely because of this, those who grew to become Sovereigns all cherished their lives dearly.

“By the way. Gui Chi, I heard that a passage to the universe opened in Devil Emperor Xue Gu’s domain thousands of years ago?” Sovereign Bai Si suddenly asked. “You participated in that battle, didn’t you? How was it?”

“Naturally, it was exquisite,” Sovereign Gui Chi showed a look of fond reminiscence. “The flesh and animus of those universal lifeforms were extremely nourishing. That sort of ecstasy can make your soul quiver.”

“Could it be even more enjoyable than indulging with me?” Sovereign Bai Si sneered, but a flash of envy crossed her face.

All members of the Abyssal Devil race yearned to invade the universe. Unfortunately, such opportunities only came once in billions of years.

Hmm? Sovereign Gui Chi was the first to sense something amiss, instinctively looking towards the endless sea of flame in the distant void.

Sovereign Bai Si and Sovereign Qi An also quickly sensed it.

Boom! A powerful pressure descended, releasing a terrifying aura of savagery and violence. Waves of a mighty will crashed outwards in all directions.

In an instant, an area spanning billions of li seemed to fall silent. Even the flames that had been erupting and burning wildly seemed to freeze.

Absolute silence.

“That is?”

“It’s a Devil Emperor! It must be a Devil Emperor!”

“Which Devil Emperor? I’ve never seen this one before.” The three Sovereigns were utterly shocked as they gazed at the domineering figure in the void, clad in black battle armor covered by a blood-red cape and carrying a war saber on his back. The intensity of his gaze made them shudder.

Of course, Sovereign Gui Chi and Sovereign Bai Si were truly afraid, while Sovereign Qi An was merely feigning fear.

Three of them? According to the intelligence, that Devil Sovereign from the Flame Devil race should be Gui Chi. Wu Yuan’s gaze was cold as ice, sweeping over the three Sovereigns.

Boom! Without the slightest hesitation or warning, Wu Yuan attacked right away, drawing the war saber from his back.

Immediately after, his other eight arms appeared, each wielding a saber. Nine Mo Yuan sabers!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! An overwhelming tide of blade rays burst forth, forming a vast sea of blade rays. Within each strand of blade ray, countless lives seemed to be born, multiply, and perish.

The first move of his self-created ultimate technique – Wheel of Life and Death! With this strike, Wu Yuan held nothing back, unleashing everything from the path of matter and the path of Laws. His attack power reached its absolute peak.

The endless blade rays swept directly towards the three Sovereigns.

“Not good!” Sovereign Gui Chi’s expression changed drastically as he let out a roar. “Flee!”

“Devil Emperor, spare us!” Sovereign Bai Si’s voice was shrill.

“Devil Emperor! Devil Emperor! I am…” Sovereign Qi An was even more terrified, repeatedly attempting to transmit messages across.

Sovereign Qi An never imagined that Wu Yuan would kill him too.

Boom! Boom! Boom! As the three Sovereigns reacted with shock, fury, or pleas for mercy, they also employed their own methods, attempting to resist.

Alas, when Wu Yuan unleashed his full power, its might had already thoroughly surpassed the third-stage Overlord level. How could these three late-stage Sovereign powerhouses possibly withstand it?

Whoosh~ As the vast tide of blade rays swept past, be they qi refiner or body refiner, their bodies were instantly annihilated, perishing in an instant.

Even the high-grade Dao Instrument battle armors they wore were cracked. A strike approaching the eternal level had long since exceeded the limits that high-grade Dao Instrument battle armors could withstand.

Rumble! The terrifying torrent of blade rays surged past the area where the three Sovereigns had stood, plunging into the endlessly burning, scorching flames in the distance.

Like a flood from the heavens, it instantly extinguished a massive area of flames, causing this passage over a hundred billion li long to dim.

It wasn’t until much later that those flames began to burn again.

Most importantly, the saber intent from this strike Wu Yuan had unleashed approached the eternal level–it continued to echo through this narrow passage, almost impossible to erase.

Though not quite eternal, it was foreseeable that these strands of saber intent would linger here for trillions of years to come.

In the future, if an Astral Monarch or Sovereign who comprehended the Great Dao of Creation were fortunate enough to come here and observe these traces of saber intent, they might gain some insights.

In the void.

Killing them all is the best way to minimize Gui Chi’s suspicions. Wu Yuan’s gaze was ice-cold. Besides, a Xiantian artifact? How can one be so easily obtained?

While spending thousands of years in the Abyss, Wu Yuan deliberately imitated the speech and actions of Abyssal powerhouses to maintain his disguise. Unknowingly, he too was being influenced by the Abyss.

His killing intent grew stronger, and once he struck, powerhouses were bound to fall. This influence was subtle and gradual; Wu Yuan hadn’t even noticed it yet.

Destiny Fracture Shard! Wu Yuan flipped his palm, revealing a dark red crystal. It was the treasure bestowed by True Saint Bu Xiu.

As he crushed the crystal, countless strange rays of light burst forth from it, enveloping Wu Yuan and strengthening his perception of the myriad karmic threads shrouding him by more than tenfold.

That one. Wu Yuan instantly locked onto one of the karmic threads.

Boom! The myriad rays of light immediately surged into this karmic thread, causing this thread to grow clearer and clearer, until it felt nearly tangible.

Let’s go! Wu Yuan’s form flickered, vanishing into the flames that had greatly dimmed.

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