Yuan’s Ascension

This is bad! An Earth Immortal! An Earth Immortal-level battle puppet? The black-haired elderly man, who had been brimming with confidence just moments ago, felt his soul nearly flee his body in terror.

Heavens! An Earth Immortal-level battle puppet must be worth at least several thousand divine crystals. Even ordinary High Immortals couldn't afford such a thing! the black-haired elderly man's mind reeled.

What background does this Shambhala cultivator have? The offspring of an Archimmortal? A core disciple of some super faction? Or perhaps the disciple of an Astral Monarch? He actually has such a life-saving measure?

In that instant, countless thoughts raced through the black-robed elderly man's mind.

His assumptions weren't far off. The most basic Earth Immortal-level puppets were worth two to three thousand divine crystals, equivalent to the entire net worth of many High Immortals.

But the question was, what use would a High Immortal have for such a thing?

And premium Earth Immortal-level puppets like Shadow Moon were even rarer. Most High Immortals wouldn't even have the connections to purchase one if they wanted to. An Archimmortal would need to spend thirty to forty thousand divine crystals to have a chance of acquiring one.

Only Wu Yuan, with his status as a nominal disciple of an Eldritch Sovereign, could purchase it at the best price from the eldritch world.

And such battle constructs were a paradox—those who could afford them didn't need them, and those who needed them couldn't afford them. Usually, they were bestowed by super powerhouses upon their offspring or disciples as a protective measure during life-or-death ordeals.

Retreat!! I must survive at all costs. The black-robed elderly man exerted every ounce of his power, desperate to flee.

"It's a trap. This Shambhala cultivator deliberately provoked us. Quick, retreat!"

"Run!" The dozen or so Void Refiner/Elysian Field powerhouses who had been in hot pursuit were now trembling with fear, frantically trying to escape.

However if they could escape so easily once Shadow Moon unleashed her power, how could she be called an Earth Immortal battle puppet?

Whoosh! The sweeping blade rays fell upon the black-haired elderly man just as he prepared to flee.

"No!" The black-haired elderly man's eyes bulged, his heart filled with boundless regret. He hurriedly cast arcane arts and summoned various artifacts in a desperate attempt to defend himself.

Schlik~ The blade rays sliced through him as easily as butchering a chicken, obliterating his body and leaving only a scatter of artifacts tumbling through the air.

Clang~ The Metal Dao excelled at offense. In just two or three seconds, the golden blade rays swept through thousands of li in the canyon passage.

The Void Refiner cultivators in its trajectory were cut down without a chance to struggle. Even those Elysian Field powerhouses could only resist for a moment before being torn apart by the relentless blade rays.

In the end, of the twenty-two Void Refiner/Elysian Field powerhouses who had rushed out of the plaza, only Chi Chang, Protectorate Fang, and two others—who had cautiously lingered at the back of the group—managed to escape. They had only ventured two thousand li from the plaza when they fled back, narrowly avoiding the sweeping knife domain.

As for the other eighteen? Utterly annihilated!

The impossibly perfect purple-robed Shadow Moon stood in the air a thousand li from the plaza's perimeter. She cast a cold glance at Chi Chang and Protectorate Fang before swiftly transforming into a streak of light, gathering the scattered artifacts along the way as she rushed back into the depths of the canyon.

Clearly, had they not fled quickly enough, Shadow Moon would have unhesitatingly slaughtered all four of them as well.

"How terrifying."

"This Earth Immortal puppet?"

"To think Shadow Blade had such a trump card?" Chi Chang, Protectorate Fang, and their two companions exchanged glances, their eyes filled with lingering terror and relief.

"Old Fang, I owe you my life for this," Chi Chang said in a low voice.

"If you want to thank someone, thank the young master for the warning," Protectorate Fang shook his head.

"Hm? Nie Le?" Chi Chang was taken aback. That wastrel of a young master deserved thanks for his warning?

Whoosh! Whoosh! At this moment, Mu Xin, Nie Le, and the other Amethyst Cradle/Shambhala cultivators had rushed over. Though they weren't clear about what had transpired in the canyon's depths, they had all witnessed Shadow Moon's final approach.

"Protectorate Fang." Chi Chang glanced at Protectorate Fang.

Protectorate Fang nodded slightly.

The two of them ignored Mu Xin and Nie Le, their gazes sweeping over the three or four Amethyst Cradle/Shambhala cultivators in the distance, who looked panicked and were still unclear about the situation.

These cultivators were elite disciples from other sects, who had come to the Inner Region specifically to study the Thunder Beast Diagrams.

At this moment, Chi Chang and Protectorate Fang had reached an unspoken agreement—these Amethyst Cradle/Shambhala cultivators could not be allowed to leave alive.

…

Over ten thousand li away from the Dao pattern stone walls in Inner Region Area 3.

How poor. The combined treasures of eighteen Void Refiner/Elysian Field cultivators don't even exceed thirty billion? I've actually lost over twenty billion catties of ethercrystal? Wu Yuan was at a loss for words.

Shadow Moon's combat state had been active for a total of five seconds, consuming fifty billion catties of ethercrystal in energy. Yet the spoils amounted to less than thirty billion catties of ethercrystal.

He had made a huge loss!

However, the real treasures are these Thunder Beast Stones. With a thought, seven hundred second-grade Thunder Beast Stones that shimmered into view before him. As for the third-grade Thunder Beast Stones? There were even more.

Including the ones previously acquired, my total collection of second-grade stones has surpassed a thousand. Wu Yuan reflected, a smile playing on his lips. In terms of value, they might be worth ten billion catties of ethercrystal, but to me, they're priceless - I wouldn't trade them for hundreds of divine crystals.

How long would it have taken me to hunt down each thunder beast individually to amass such a collection?

This certainly makes things easier. With this many Thunder Beast Stones, I might just have enough to complete an entire Thunder Beast Diagram.

However, he decided against attempting it immediately.

First, I'll head to the Dao pattern stone walls in Inner Region Area 1. Wu Yuan planned silently. Perhaps I can find a Thunder Beast Diagram that resonates with me there.

Once I've found it, then I'll crush these Thunder Beast Stones and attempt to match their cores to the diagram. He resolved, no longer hesitating as he swiftly navigated a canyon passage.

Consulting his map, he set his course for Inner Region Area 1.

Though the stone walls in the Core Region encompassed 360 Dao pattern diagrams, Wu Yuan had no intention of venturing there recklessly.

Shadow Moon, formidable as she was, was but a single entity. What if he encountered several, or even dozens of thunder beast kings? Even with other life-saving measures, the risk would outweigh the reward.

A wise man doesn't stand beneath a collapsing wall.

For Wu Yuan, it made more sense to spend extra time exploring the Inner Region thoroughly. After all, there were only five areas to cover.

Shadow Moon didn't kill Chi Chang and the others from the Longstar Immortal Sect? They were certainly cautious, hiding at the very back. Wu Yuan mused, his Soul Will having sensed their presence earlier. Let's hope they're smart enough to stay out of my way.

If pushed too far, it didn’t matter whether the enemy was an Earth Immortal. Wu Yuan would not hesitate to strike them down!

In her third form, Shadow Moon could unleash power equivalent to a ninth-stage Earth Immortal. Though it consumed three divine crystals per second, making prolonged battles unfeasible, Wu Yuan still had other formidable treasures at his disposal.

…

In the Thunder Marsh World, aside from the lightning array encompassing the entire world and the Core Region, the other regions posed little danger to Wu Yuan, including the Inner Region.

Following his map, he pressed onward.

Over twenty days, Wu Yuan encountered over a hundred ordinary thunder beast herds and nine thunder beast elites. Twice, he came across more than ten thunder beast elites at once.

For a lone Void Refiner/Elysian Field cultivator, such encounters in the Inner Region would certainly be perilous. But for Wu Yuan? It was an easy issue to resolve!

Along the way, Wu Yuan also crossed paths with several Void Refiner/Elysian Field cultivators from other sects, though no conflicts arose between them.

And so, over twenty-two days, Wu Yuan traversed six hundred million li through winding mountain ranges, covering over a hundred million li in a straight line, before finally reaching the stone walls in Area 1.

Here too, lay a vast plaza stretching far and wide.

It’s quite crowded. He observed.

Wu Yuan gently alighted on a grassy patch at the plaza's edge, where even more immortal cultivators gathered.

Nearly thirty Void Refiner/Elysian Field powerhouses were present, along with seven or eight Amethyst Cradle/Shambhala elites.

"He’s alone?"

"A Shambhala cultivator made it here?"

"Which sect is he from?"

"Never seen him before."

"Judging by his soul aura, he seems to be from the Longstar Immortal Sect." Wu Yuan's arrival drew the attention of several cultivators in the plaza.

But it was merely passing curiosity, wondering how a lone Shambhala cultivator dared to venture into the Inner Region. No one approached Wu Yuan.

With a soft exhale, Wu Yuan casually found a spot and sat down in lotus position, looking up at the towering stone walls inscribed with massive Thunder Beast Diagrams in the distance. He began to contemplate them.

Indeed, these are different. Wu Yuan's eyes lit up with realization. The seventy-three Thunder Beast Diagrams I studied in Area 3, even the most peaceful first one, only depicted rest before slaughter.

They still centered on the Laws of Thunder and Fire, and while I could sense that mysterious artistic conception, it was difficult to truly comprehend. After all, I haven't grasped the Laws of Thunder and Fire.

But the Thunder Beast Diagrams here? Wu Yuan's gaze swept across the various diagrams, confirming his initial assessment.

The thunder beasts in these diagrams were lounging, sprawling... The overarching theme was one of leisure and contentment.

Similarly, the artistic conception contained within these Thunder Beast Diagrams exuded a sense of peace, solidity, and abundant vitality. It resonated deeply with Wu Yuan.

This is just an initial impression; I'll need to study each diagram in detail to truly understand. Wu Yuan began to contemplate the first Thunder Beast Diagram.

Just one day later.

This!! How is this possible? Wu Yuan's heart raced with excitement and joy, his eyes widening in disbelief.

The very first diagram is already compatible with me? Though it appears similar to those in Area 3, with the thunder beast still at its core, the focus of the Dao patterns’ profundities has shifted to Wood, Earth, and Space.

And it happens to align perfectly with the Intermediate Laws of Longevity, Celestial Body, and True Domain? The profundities of the Dao related to Thunder and Fire are minimal.

There's a real chance I could fully grasp the Dao profundities encapsulated in this Dao pattern diagram. Wu Yuan trembled inwardly.

Suddenly, he noticed even more peculiarities.

This first Thunder Beast Diagram. How is it so similar to a portion of the Life Dao patterns on the silver sphere? Wu Yuan was stunned.

The Thunder Beast Diagrams he had seen before only vaguely resembled the Life Dao patterns on the silver sphere, giving him a sense of familiarity but not true similarity.

But this Dao pattern diagram? Upon careful contemplation, he realized that perhaps seventy to eighty percent of it was identical to the Life Dao patterns.

Could this Thunder Beast Diagram actually be a Life Dao pattern diagram? But if so, why does it also contain the Laws of Thunder and Fire?