Yuan's Ascension

Chapter 367: Eight Years Pass In A Snap

On the path to immortality, one would experience both gains and losses. Consider fourth-grade spirit flying swords. Typically, purchasing one would only cost a few thousand catties of ethercrystal. Even those crafted with special materials wouldn’t cost more than ten thousand catties of ethercrystal.

Yet, Wu Yuan had to spend tens of millions of catties of ethercrystal on treasures to upgrade his nine lifebound flying swords to the fourth grade. Why?

To improve their potential!

There were various ways to nurture one’s lifebound flying swords. Some required little investment, just slightly more than refining an ordinary artifact, but the downside was that the lifebound swords would be limited in both power and potential. It would become increasingly challenging to upgrade them to spirion equipment in the future.

However, this was the common path for most ordinary sword cultivators. After all, to upgrade a lifebound flying sword to the spirion equipment level, one needed to be a Void Refiner Eminence at minimum.

For most sword cultivators, advancing to the Amethyst Cradle phase was already a great achievement, let alone aiming for higher cultivation phases.

As for the slightly better methods of nurturing lifebound flying swords, the flying swords would reach a sufficiently powerful level, but their potential would still be limited, making it difficult to upgrade to the celestial equipment level in the future.

This was the path that many powerful immortal cultivators were forced to go with. After all, the further one advanced in their cultivation, the higher the cost of nurturing their lifebound flying swords.

However, Wu Yuan was ambitious.

He nurtured his lifebound flying swords by combining what he learned from the ‘Star Ruins Sword Codex’ and ‘Dark Earth Sword Codex’ with other aspects he had found from his research within the Dragon Star Immortal Sect, culminating in a near-ideal nurturing method.

Furthermore, he had forged nine lifebound flying swords, allowing him to exert immense power. Since they were intimately connected to him, they also consumed little mana and mental energy when wielded.

But likewise, the cost was high.

The path I've chosen may not be the most optimal one, but it is the limit of my capabilities. Wu Yuan reflected.

By persisting on this path, when he upgraded his lifebound flying swords to the spirion equipment level, they might already be able to rival celestial equipment.

Everything about this path was great, except for one thing – the cost!

In the future, upgrading a single lifebound flying sword to third-grade spirit weapons will require tens of millions of catties of ethercrystal. And from third grade to first grade, it would cost over a billion for a single sword. Wu Yuan sighed internally.

On top of that, he had nine of them!

A Void Refiner Eminence would likely despair at such a situation. Even a Divided Soul Earth Immortal would struggle to gather such wealth.

This was why Wu Yuan took a chance on the teleportation array and sought to join a large faction. Only by relying on others could he grow quickly and fulfill his potential as a sword cultivator!

An investment of one billion catties of ethercrystal or one hundred million catties of ethercrystal is substantial to most individuals. Most Void Refiner Eminences or Divided Soul Earth Immortals wouldn’t be able to afford such costs. For the sect, however, such a sum is merely a drop in the vast ocean of resources they possess. Wu Yuan shook his head in contemplation.

For its hereditary disciples, the sect was willing to prepare resources worth tens of millions of catties of ethercrystal. Over the generations, how much did they invest in their hereditary disciples?

There were also tens of millions of ordinary disciples. Even though the quantity of resources needed for each disciple was small, the total sum was still eye-watering!

Over the course of billions of years, the Dragon Star Immortal Sect had accumulated a vast amount of wealth and treasures, and its foundation was extremely strong.

Obtaining the Great Eldritch inheritance was enough to attract the attention of the mysterious senior and prompt him to guide me.

Once I unveil more of my abilities, the sect will undoubtedly invest in my cultivation. Wu Yuan understood his shortcomings – his origins were a mystery!

During his enrollment into the Cloudstride Sect in his youth, his ancestry was well-documented and his loyalty was unquestioned, allowing him to earn the full trust and support of the sect.

In the Dragon Star Immortal Sect, he was granted the status of hereditary disciple and seemingly treated well, but as for whether he would receive more resources? The sect was likely still in the process of screening his background to decide whether it was worth it.

For any faction, loyalty was the primary consideration.

...

Time flowed by.

After joining the Dragon Star Immortal Sect, Wu Yuan caught the attention of some individuals in several small circles, but in the grand expanse of the Redmoon Immortal Continent, it was merely a footnote.

Even within the Dragon Star Immortal Sect, hereditary disciples like Wu Yuan hardly made an impression on the Divided Soul Earth Immortals or Tribulation High Immortals.

Thus, Wu Yuan was left to his own devices without interference. With that, he dedicated himself to secluded cultivation within the sect.

He cultivated his essentia and mana while also refining minerals and materials to nurture his lifebound flying sword. Along the way, he also acquired more flying sword artifacts.

But above all, he delved deep into the study of the sword.

He pored over the two sword codices, guided by the imprint within the Celestial Body Law Codex to unravel the profundities of the Celestial Body Dao. And each month, he received pointers from the unkempt old man.

In the first two years, the unkempt old man deemed Wu Yuan “lacking” or “mediocre”. But gradually, that assessment shifted to “satisfactory”, “adequate”, and “not a waste of my time”.

In the end, the old man pronounced him “quite proficient”.

Such praise was proof of the remarkable progress Wu Yuan had made.

In a blink, eight years slipped away since Wu Yuan's induction into the Dragon Star Immortal Sect.

...

The sky city in Wu Yuan’s world residence remained as it had for the past eight years. Even if tens of thousands or even millions of years went by, little would change within the worldlet.

Clad in black robes, Wu Yuan stood at the edge of the sky city, gazing out over the world below. His Soul Force, merging with the array that spanned the world, reached out to every corner of his residence. The vast mundane world lay at his feet, fully under his command.

It appears small, but within this tens of thousands of li lie countless tales of heroism and villainy. The chaos of warring states, the birth of great generals and talents, the fall and rise of empires.

For the past eight years, Wu Yuan had spent his leisure time observing the mundane world in his world residence, watching the various states of the human realm.

The more he observed, the more emotions arose, and the more resilient Dao Heart became.

Abruptly, a gust of wind swept through the area.

"Master." A sturdy man clad in green armor soared towards Wu Yuan from a distance, bowing respectfully.

"Qiong Sea, have you acclimated to your new environment?" Wu Yuan chuckled.

The burly figure before him was none other than Qiong Sea King, who was now cultivating transformation techniques.

Eight years prior, when Wu Yuan first joined the Dragon Star Immortal Sect, he had extended a helping hand to Qiong Sea King, aiding him in both his admission and acquisition of transformation techniques and its related teachings.

After three years, Qiong Sea King successfully passed the sect's rigorous assessment, earning the status of an outer disciple of the Dragon Star Immortal Sect and embarking on his cultivation journey here.

However, Qiong Sea King had another role as well – that of Wu Yuan's spirit beast, setting him apart from the ordinary outer disciples.

"I’m getting used to it," Qiong Sea replied with a grin. "Master, the Dragon Star Immortal Sect is so much more exciting than the Middle Land. The immortal city I’m staying in alone houses tens of thousands of jiaolong disciples."

Wu Yuan smiled in amusement.

While the human race dominated the Redmoon Immortal Continent, the various races maintained peaceful relations, with many sects welcoming demonic cultivators into their ranks.

Some sects even boasted demonic cultivation as their main cultivation focus.

Within the Dragon Star Immortal Sect, individuals with the bloodline of the jiaolong were prevalent, and it was the sect with the most jiaolong members across the immortal continent.

Wu Yuan was no longer the fledgling newcomer of eight years ago. Having read numerous texts from the sect's archives, he formulated his own theories.

Immortal ancestor! Could it be that the mysterious Archdemon behind the Dragon Star Immortal Sect was a jiaolong, perhaps even a True Dragon?

After all, there had to be a reason behind the sect's name – 'Dragon Star'.

"Train diligently. The sect is a treasure trove of opportunities for jiaolongs," Wu Yuan stated, "As long as you work hard, reaching the Shambhala phase may not be unattainable. There’s not much more I can help you with. Your success ultimately depends on your own efforts."

"I understood," Qiong Sea King affirmed solemnly.

He understood that joining the Dragon Star Immortal Sect was an immense opportunity for him, akin to ascending to the heavens in one leap. Furthermore, he had Wu Yuan as his backer.

Throughout the years, Qiong Sea King had closely followed Wu Yuan on his journey, allowing him to grasp how Wu Yuan had changed.

In contrast to eight years past, Wu Yuan's strength had grown significantly. Not only did his essentia and mana undergo continuous improvements, but there was a clear transformation of his demeanor from the inside out.

Back then, Wu Yuan was akin to the edge of a divine sword, radiating a sharpness that could not be ignored.

Presently, it was as though the sword was sheathed. When at rest, he exuded a weighty presence akin to a mountain. Yet, his occasional displays of sharpness left onlookers in shock at his might.

Nonetheless, as the Dragon Star Tournament had yet to begin, and Wu Yuan had yet to unveil the full extent of his abilities within the Dragon Star Immortal Realm, the countless disciples remained unaware of his true strength.

"Master, the Dragon Star Tournament is less than five years away. When the time comes, those who underestimate you will be in for a surprise," Qiong Sea King said confidently, brimming with admiration.

His reverence for Wu Yuan was unwavering.

"In for a surprise?" Wu Yuan shook his head calmly, "The Dragon Star Tournament will be a physical match. My essentia cultivation is still merely at the third-stage Golden Core phase. It’s still too soon for that."

"Master, you’re still young. You’ve already reached the third-stage Golden Core phase before fifty. At this rate, you may even ascend to the Amethyst Cradle phase before eighty," Qiong Sea King murmured in awe, "It’s truly remarkable. I am still at the first-stage Spiritual Body phase."

"Haha," Wu Yuan chuckled.

The progress of a body refiner naturally unfolded at a slower pace.

While the advancement of a qi refiner might proceed at a swifter pace, Wu Yuan felt content with his progress so far, advancing from the first-stage Golden Core phase to the third stage within a span of eight years.

Currently, five years remained.

Wu Yuan envisioned himself reaching the fourth-stage Golden Core phase at least by the time the Dragon Star Tournament rolled around.

"Alright, continue your cultivation," Wu Yuan instructed.

"Yes," Qiong Sea King nodded happily. As an outer sect disciple, he was granted his own mountain, so why did he always linger around Wu Yuan's residence?

As Wu Yuan's spirit beast, he was granted the privilege of utilizing certain cultivation resources within Wu Yuan's world residence, which offered an environment far superior to his own mountain.

Wu Yuan watched as the Qiong Sea King departed.

My essentia cultivation progress can be considered quite fast. This is an evolution of life. It’s only natural that it needs to be taken one step at a time to understand the changes bit by bit. Wu Yuan mused to himself.

His power had undergone a complete transformation. Over the course of eight years, his nine lifebound flying swords had all gradually evolved into fourth-grade spirit weapons. His swordsmanship had also seen significant improvement.

Despite receiving some inheritances a few decades ago, he had largely been figuring things out on his own. With the external cultivation conditions improving more than tenfold since he joined the sect eight years back, his talent in the Celestial Body Dao now shone brightly.

It's a shame that the black pagoda has remained inactive since the time I received the inheritance. Wu Yuan sighed softly.

The black pagoda had shown no activity since then, and Wu Yuan still didn't understand why.

In regards to the fourth step of the Dark Earth Sword Array, Light Of The Land, I can confidently say that I have achieved full mastery. But how should I go about grasping the fifth step? Wu Yuan pondered, gazing at the land beneath him.

The Dark Earth Sword Array consisted of ten steps, each increasing in complexity as the cultivator progressed.

The transition from the fourth to the fifth step marked a qualitative shift.

Suddenly, a flicker of surprise crossed Wu Yuan's features, swiftly followed by unbridled elation.

Excellent! My body refiner self has finally succeeded in gaining an initial grasp of the advanced ether art: True Celestial Body.