Yuan's Ascension
Chapter 1140: The Dao Master Arrives

Chapter 1140: The Dao Master Arrives

"Master." The pure yet alluring Mei Ye also approached, bowing respectfully.

"It seems you're aware as well," Wu Yuan smiled faintly.

"Yes." Mei Ye nodded repeatedly, looking at Wu Yuan with utmost admiration. "Master is truly incredible."

As Wu Yuan's sole follower in the Taiyuan Saint Realm, Mei Ye's status among the numerous Sovereigns was already extremely high. Now, it had risen even further.

"The Sovereigns under other Saints are all very polite to me," Mei Ye said respectfully.

The Saints and Perennials of the Saint Realm had their own circles, while the vast number of Sovereigns had their own. Undoubtedly, Mei Ye was now a figure of respect among the many Sovereigns of the Saint Realm.

In truth, Mei Ye had left some things unsaid – in the eyes of many Sovereigns, she was considered Overlord Ming Jian’s concubine.

Overlord Ming Jian had no Dao companion, so how could her status not be high?

"Your main focus should still be on cultivation. With great strength, everything is within reach," Wu Yuan said calmly. "Strive to become an Overlord soon. As a naturally-born eternal lifeform, becoming an Overlord shouldn't be difficult."

Wu Yuan hoped his follower would grow stronger.

"Yes," Mei Ye responded respectfully.

"Go to the main hall and prepare a banquet. I wish to hold a feast for the Saints," Wu Yuan instructed.

"I'll go at once."

Mei Ye and the puppet servants swiftly departed.

These Saints have arrived quite quickly. Wu Yuan murmured to himself.

By now, news of my battle with the Que Luo race must have spread throughout the entire cosmic sea.

Being inducted into the Eternal Register in particular has greatly increased my fame as well. In the vast cosmic sea, my imprints have become even deeper. Wu Yuan silently perceived.

There were many considerations behind establishing his reputation and gaining fame.

First was his status within the Blood Dream Alliance. Wu Yuan knew that as his strength grew, he would attract the attention of the highest echelons of the entire Blood Dream Alliance. For example - the Spacetime Dao Master.

The old Dao Master has yet to meet me. Does he truly intend to wait until I achieve eternity? Wu Yuan shook his head inwardly.

The Creation Dao Master hopes for me to succeed his position as Dao Master. Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu hopes for me to strengthen the Eldritch Court. So, what then is the purpose of the Spacetime Dao Master going to such lengths to select a successor? Wu Yuan couldn't fathom it.

Besides hoping to attract the Dao Master's attention, another reason was to strengthen his imprints.

The Saints and True Saints all possess Eternal Psyches, their destiny illuminated, leaving no room for other influences. Even if they remember me, it would be difficult to imprint my mark through them. Wu Yuan's gaze grew distant. But as my fame grows, the numerous Overlords and Sovereigns living in the Saint Realms will also remember me.

To be remembered was a form of aid. The greater the imprints left among countless beings, the more it would help Wu Yuan comprehend Spacetime and Destiny, and further perfect the Dream World.

Lost in thought, Wu Yuan arrived at the hall gates, where over a dozen Saints had already gathered in person.

Among them were several Wu Yuan was familiar with, such as Saint Chong Hun, Saint Zuo Zai, and others.

"Overlord Ming Jian."

"Brother Ming Jian." The Saints greeted him one after another, each displaying great enthusiasm, their eyes burning with fervor.

"Esteemed Saints, I've been remiss. I hope you will forgive me," Wu Yuan said politely. "Please, enter."

"Haha, Brother Ming Jian was likely in secluded cultivation earlier," Saint Zuo Zai laughed. "Cultivation is still the most important. Unlike us old Eternals who just waste time without progress."

"How could we compare to Daoist Ming Jian?" The other Saints chimed in agreement.

Soon, a grand banquet commenced in Wu Yuan's hall. Beyond the initial thirteen Saints, more continued to arrive as news spread.

Remarkably, the number of Saints attending this banquet reached an astonishing twenty-two.

This was a very impressive figure, considering Saints usually spent their time in secluded cultivation or exploring. It would be fortunate to have ten or so Saints in attendance at an ordinary gathering.

"Haha. Devil Emperor Xia? He is indeed a good friend of mine, though we've parted ways now," Wu Yuan said, laughing it off.

"Saint Zhu Mu? His demise had nothing to do with me. I'm not clear about the details."

"Saint Dong Luan? They were too weak. How could they compare to the Saints of our Taiyuan Saint Realm? If it came to a battle with you all, I'm afraid Devil Emperor Xia and I couldn't win." Wu Yuan casually flattered these Saints, giving everyone face.

For a time, the guests conversed merrily.

The banquet lasted for days.

Only after Wu Yuan had seen off all the Saints did the smile fade from his face, and he returned to his usual calm demeanor.

As expected, one's own strength is truly the foundation. Without it, even the favor of the powerful is useless. Wu Yuan shook his head inwardly.

He could clearly sense that the attitudes of the Saints had changed noticeably since the last banquet.

During the previous gathering, though they treated Wu Yuan politely after learning his identity, there was still a faint hint of condescension in their attitudes, their words betraying that they viewed Wu Yuan as a junior.

But things were markedly different this time–they truly treated Wu Yuan as a fellow peer. Wu Yuan's ability to battle Saints like Dong Luan and Ye Xing meant he could likely fight them as well, indicating his level was not far behind theirs, perhaps even slightly higher. For eternal powerhouses, cultivation level was fundamental.

Wu Yuan returned to his meditation chamber to continue his cultivation.

From this day forward, in the eyes of the numerous Perennials and Overlords of the Taiyuan Saint Realm, Overlord Ming Jian's status had subtly risen above that of most Saints.

...

Some distance from Wu Yuan's hall, atop that vast spacetime vortex, an ancient hall had been established.

Without permission, even the Saints of the Saint Realm could not reach this place. This was one of True Saint Taiyuan's residences.

Whoosh! Countless wisps of mist gathered, coalescing into a purple-robed figure. It was none other than Saint Shen Shui, who had once briefly met Wu Yuan and was responsible for guarding the spacetime vortex.

He walked directly towards the hall. Along the way, the puppet guards bowed respectfully, not daring to obstruct him.

"Shen Shui requests an audience with the True Saint." Saint Shen Shui entered the hall and bowed reverently towards the empty jade platform at the far end of the temple.

Whoosh~ Countless points of light converged, and True Saint Taiyuan appeared on the jade platform.

"Old Shui? You've come to see me. Is something the matter?" True Saint Taiyuan looked at Saint Shen Shui with some puzzlement.

True Saint Taiyuan had achieved eternity only a few samsara cycles ago, making him an extremely young True Saint. When he was just an Overlord, he had received great assistance from Saint Shen Shui the first time he entered the cosmic sea. The two shared a bond as close as brothers.

So when he later established his Saint Realm, he went to great lengths to help Saint Shen Shui, even elevating his status to number two in the Saint Realm, just below himself.

"True Saint, I have waited for countless ages. This is my chance," Saint Shen Shui said in a low voice. "Overlord Ming Jian's power is unfathomable, and he is suspected to have already constructed a Dream World. Moreover, he is only a sempiternal lifeform, so he won't bring about additional danger on the journey. He is the best helper I could ask for.

"I hope the True Saint can speak on my behalf, requesting his aid. I would be eternally grateful," Saint Shen Shui's voice was filled with earnest pleading.

True Saint Taiyuan fell silent.

As ruler of the Saint Realm, and having helped Saint Shen Shui extensively in the past, he naturally knew what the other's request was about.

There was a long silence.

"Old Shui, are you certain you want to go?" True Saint Taiyuan said slowly. "Asking Overlord Ming Jian to lend his aid isn't difficult, as we'd only be requesting his mana body to assist. But do you realize how perilous this journey will be?

"If your true self ventures to the Scorched Tribulation Grounds, your chances of death are extremely high." True Saint Taiyuan gazed at Saint Shen Shui, his eyes betraying a hint of reluctance.

The probability of death was far too great. He feared that if Saint Shen Shui departed, he might never see him again.

"True Saint." Saint Shen Shui raised his head, his eyes filled with resolve. "The world believes I have cultivated for dozens of samsara cycles of heaven and earth, but in truth, I have cultivated for over a hundred.

"Across the long ages, even throughout the vast cosmic sea, there are few Saints who have lived as long as I," Saint Shen Shui said in a low voice. "I have grown weary of such an existence. If there were no opportunity, so be it.

"But when a chance presents itself before me, how can I suppress the yearning in my heart and not seize it? I truly cannot resign myself to that.

"The difficulty of a sempiternal lifeform constructing a Dream World goes without saying—after all, the True Saint understands this far better than I do. Even over ten samsara cycles of heaven and earth, it's rare for one to emerge... and why should such a monstrous prodigy help me?

"Overlord Ming Jian is part of our Saint Realm. This may be an opportunity I’ll never find again even if I waited another fifty or hundred samsara cycles of heaven and earth." Saint Shen Shui's voice was filled with determination. "I beseech the Saint to grant me this request.

"If I do not return from this journey, then so be it!"

Silence reigned.

"Very well, Old Shui," True Saint Taiyuan slowly spoke, seemingly having made up his mind as well. "I will do my utmost to help you. Return for now."

"Thank you, True Saint." Saint Shen Shui bowed deeply with utmost respect, then slowly withdrew from the temple.

True Saint Taiyuan remained alone, sitting solemnly on the jade platform.

“Haiz..” After a long time, a drawn-out sigh echoed faintly.

Suddenly, True Saint Taiyuan frowned slightly. Dao Zenithel Meng Xing is summoning me? Could it be about Ming Jian? It seems I'll need to send word to the Spacetime Dao Master.

The superior he followed was Dao Zenithel Meng Xing. But the Spacetime Dao Master was also one of the leaders of the Blood Dream Alliance, and one of its founders. His status would only be higher than Dao Zenithel Meng Xing's.

...

Whoosh~ With a thought, True Saint Taiyuan entered the Blood Dream Voidrealm and welcomed Dao Zenithel Meng Xing into his personal hall.

She wore white robes, exuding an otherworldly aura, as if spacetime was warped around her.

"Dao Zenithel." True Saint Taiyuan bowed slightly in greeting. As a True Saint, and an exceptionally young one at that, his status in the Alliance was considerably high.

"Taiyuan, it's been quite some time since you've come to pay your respects. I had to come see you for myself." Dao Zenithel Meng Xing's flawless face bore a hint of a smile, her voice melodious and enchanting.

"The Dao Zenithel jests," True Saint Taiyuan replied, neither servile nor arrogant.

"I have a matter to discuss with you," Dao Zenithel Meng Xing continued, still smiling. "That Overlord Ming Jian under your command truly possesses extraordinary talent. I was wondering if I might bring him to my Eternal Realm for some training. What do you say?"

This was no mere pretense; Dao Zenithel Meng Xing genuinely intended to nurture Wu Yuan's qi refiner self.

"To receive the Dao Zenithel's guidance would be Ming Jian's great fortune," True Saint Taiyuan replied, his suspicions confirmed. She had indeed come for Ming Jian. After all, such a monstrous prodigy was exceedingly rare.

"Then let's summon him here and send him to the Meng Xing Eternal Realm," Dao Zenithel Meng Xing proposed.

"I'm afraid that's not possible at the moment," True Saint Taiyuan's face bore a wry smile, as if somewhat troubled. "Dao Zenithel, there's something you should know. Ming Jian has already been taken under the wing of another Dao Zenithel in the Alliance. To be precise, he has become that Dao Zenithel's successor. I've merely been following their orders to look after him.

"Truthfully, Ming Jian isn’t exactly under my command. He's only temporarily residing in the Taiyuan Saint Realm.

"So, if you wish to train Ming Jian, you'd need to obtain the other Dao Zenithel's permission," True Saint Taiyuan explained respectfully.

"Another Dao Zenithel? Successor?" Dao Zenithel Meng Xing frowned, having been completely unaware of this development.

But her brow quickly smoothed. "I see. It makes sense. For such a monstrous prodigy to lack powerful backing would be the real oddity. Which Dao Zenithel stands behind Overlord Ming Jian? You dare not speak their name directly? When did Ming Jian become their disciple?"

The Blood Dream Alliance was vast beyond measure, and over the long ages, quite a number of Dao Zenithels had joined their ranks.

"It is I!" A cool voice suddenly rang out, followed by the appearance of a middle-aged man wearing simple azure robes. He was lean of build, with long black hair, materializing out of thin air within the temple.

The moment he appeared, the very fluctuations of spacetime in the temple seemed to freeze.

"Dao Master," True Saint Taiyuan bowed respectfully.

"Senior Spacetime?" Dao Zenithel Meng Xing was equally startled, as if only now realizing, "Ming Jian is your successor?"