Yuan's Ascension

Chapter 444: Yin He's Expectations (1)

Within the hall of the Bloodforge Immortal Voidrealm.

"Wu Tian, you lucky dog! After the Bloodforge Battle ends, you're buying us all drinks," one High Immortal chuckled, his eyes twinkling with mirth.

"Absolutely! I'm so jealous," another chimed in with a playful smirk.

High Immortal Wu Tian glared at them as he retorted, "Lucky? Bah! Discovering a prodigy like Wu Yuan proves the worlds under my purview are expertly managed."

"Oh, stuff it already!"

"Don't play coy after hitting the jackpot."

"Sure, ordinary Bloodforge Seeds might reflect our management, but a freak of nature like Wu Yuan? That's pure, unadulterated luck that he was born in your territory at this time." The High Immortals' teasing voices echoed through the hall, their words laced with good-natured ribbing.

Given their broad knowledge and perspective, they knew there were three main factors for the birth of a monstrous prodigy.: a vast population base, sufficient time, and luck.

Wu Tian's chest puffed with pride as he declared, "Fine, fine. Once this Bloodforge Battle wraps up and we have a breather, drinks are on me."

"Ha! We're going to bleed Wu Tian's wallet dry this time!"

"I'll be counting the days."

To the myriad Amethyst Cradle and Void Refiner cultivators in the Bloodforge Devil Hall, the High Immortals might seem embroiled in constant conflict.

Yet in reality, that was all superficial. As long as their core interests weren't at stake, a camaraderie actually existed among these powerful beings.

...

On a colossal floating plaza within the Dark Star, ten small teleportation arrays stood, fronted by a singular, special array.

Buzz~ With a flash of light, Wu Yuan's form materialized within the array. His aura, once steady and controlled, now roiled chaotically. It was clear that Wu Yuan’s energy was severely drained after the consecutive battles on the Dark Star, especially the last level.

A gentle voice suddenly filled the vast plaza and echoed down corridors stretching for hundreds of li. "Congratulations, Wu Yuan, for setting the current record of the Golden Core Dark Star!" The star spirit’s voice resounded throughout the entire interior of the Dark Star.

In that instant, the attention of everyone present—from the Amethyst Cradle custodians to the thousands of immortal cultivators waiting in line—snapped to Wu Yuan. A wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd.

They wouldn't receive any special messages from the supervisor of the Dark Star, so unless they were constantly monitoring the Dark Star Leaderboard, they wouldn't get the latest updates.

"Wu Yuan?"

"The current record?" The cultivators rushed to check the leaderboard in the Bloodforge Immortal Voidrealm.

"Level thirteen!"

"Heavens above." A chorus of gasps and exclamations erupted as countless eyes locked onto Wu Yuan, still standing within the array. The atmosphere crackled with a mixture of awe and disbelief.

"That's him—Wu Yuan."

"Wu Yuan? How utterly terrifying... level thirteen." The gazes fixed upon him transformed, filled now with a newfound respect and a hint of fear.

This? The current record holder? Wu Yuan, caught in this sudden spotlight, felt a mix of amusement and discomfort, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Of course, he knew he had set a new record, but this public acclaim was unexpected.

Having cleared level thirteen, Wu Yuan was acutely aware of the Silvermist Division's historical records in the Golden Core Dark Star. The all-time high—level nineteen—stood unchallenged for a billion years. Whether due to its insurmountable difficulty or the reluctance of geniuses to linger at the Golden Core phase, level twenty remained unconquered.

Suddenly, the white-robed elderly supervisor of the Dark Star and Protectorate Xiong Yuan materialized before Wu Yuan.

"Protectorate Luo, Protectorate Xiong Yuan," Wu Yuan began, lowering his head in a respectful bow.

Whoosh! Whoosh! With lightning reflexes, both men sidestepped, and an invisible force gently restrained Wu Yuan, halting his gesture mid-motion.

"Ho ho, Sageling Wu Yuan, please, such formalities are unnecessary," the white-robed elder chuckled, a hint of embarrassment in his voice. "If anything, we should be the ones paying our respects to you."

"Sageling?" Wu Yuan blinked in surprise.

Protectorate Xiong Yuan's face split into a wide grin. "Remember what I told you, Wu Yuan? In the Bloodforge Devil Hall, power and potential open all doors. The title of Sageling is reserved for the brightest of talents."

His voice took on a more serious tone as he continued, "There are two paths for a Golden Core disciple to earn the Sageling title. First, conquer level fourteen of the Dark Star, becoming a first-tier Bloodforge Seed. Second, seize the title of Bloodforge Marquis in the Bloodforge Battle."

Protectorate Xiong Yuan elaborated, "Ordinary Bloodforge Seeds, or second-tier Seeds, stand on par with Void Refiner Eminences. But a Sageling? Their status rivals that of an Earth Immortal. Even a Protectorate must show deference when greeting one."

Wu Yuan shook his head humbly. "I've yet to earn this honor."

He had met neither criterion.

"It's merely a matter of time," Protectorate Xiong Yuan reassured him, his smile unwavering. "At fifty years old, you've already conquered level thirteen. The sky's the limit for you. Barring an untimely demise in the Bloodforge Battle, the Sageling title is all but assured."

His eyes gleamed as he added, "And who knows? The status of Deviling might not be beyond your reach."

"Deviling?" Wu Yuan's brow furrowed in confusion.

The term 'Sageling' he could grasp—his qi refiner self had encountered references to it in reports from the Dragon Star Immortal Sect. But 'Deviling'? This was uncharted territory.

Xiong Yuan's expression turned thoughtful. "Truthfully, my knowledge of Devilings is limited to legends. In all the ages of our Redmoon Division, no Deviling has ever emerged, and even Sagelings are few and far between."

His tone shifted to one of urgency. "Come, Wu Yuan. The High Immortal awaits, and has sent word urging me to bring you without delay."

"Mm," Wu Yuan nodded, his mind racing with possibilities. A meeting with a High Immortal wasn't entirely unexpected; he knew both the Redmoon Immortal Hall and the Bloodforge Devil Hall placed immense value on nurturing exceptional talents.

It reminded him of his qi refiner self's experience at the Dragon Star Immortal Sect. Upon receiving the Great Eldritch’s inheritance, he immediately caught the attention of his master and the abbot. Now that he thought about it, it was the same principle.

After all, compared to his qi refiner self, his body refining was more dazzling, displaying even greater potential.

In the eyes of the higher echelons at the Bloodforge Devil Hall, I'm just an indigenous youngster, relying only on myself for cultivation. Wu Yuan mused silently.

A second-degree immortal root, clearing level thirteen of the Dark Star by age fifty?

If he were a High Immortal of the Bloodforge Devil Hall, he'd probably be shocked too. So, Wu Yuan wasn't surprised.

"Old Luo," Xiong Yuan said, turning to the white-robed elder, "the High Immortal's growing impatient. We must depart now, but we'll catch up another time." He cupped his hands in a formal gesture.

The elderly man in white robes chuckled, his eyes crinkling with genuine warmth. "Go forth. It is my honor to witness the ascension of Sageling Wu Yuan."

The stark contrast in the elder's attitude compared to their first encounter wasn't lost on Wu Yuan. Clearly, he now acknowledged that Wu Yuan was qualified to become a Sageling.

The ancient adage is true indeed – when I am weak, malice abounds. When I am strong, kindness follows wherever I look. Wu Yuan reflected silently.

Whoosh! Protectorate Xiong Yuan swiftly whisked Wu Yuan away.

"Is that Wu Yuan?"

"Memorize his aura!"

"If you cross paths with him in the Bloodforge Battle, flee immediately. He alone could take on a hundred thousand of us."

"While we aim for ten to a hundred Blood Devil Tokens, a peerless genius like him sets his sights on hundreds of thousands, even millions!"

"Pray we don't encounter him." The voices of Golden Core cultivators trailed behind them, a mixture of awe and trepidation coloring their words.

Coming across such a monstrous prodigy in the Bloodforge Battle was their worst nightmare.

After the commotion at the entrance of the Dark Star, the news of Wu Yuan's extraordinary feat—clearing level thirteen of the Dark Star—spread like wildfire among the million Golden Core cultivators of the Origin Blood World.

Soon, the entire Redmoon Division of the Bloodforge Devil Hall buzzed with excited discussions and wild speculations.

...

Whoosh! Protectorate Xiong Yuan and Wu Yuan entered a small teleportation array and arrived at a super large teleportation array.

Four majestic spatial mithril towers, each stretching over a thousand li, loomed before them like ancient, immovable mountains. The sheer power emanating from the structure was palpable.

Surprisingly, the traffic here was sparse, a stark contrast to the bustling teleportation array Wu Yuan had first encountered upon his arrival.

"Teleportation array?" Wu Yuan's voice carried a note of confusion. "Protectorate, aren't we bound for District One?"

Xiong Yuan's lips curved into a knowing smile. "We'll reach our destination soon enough. Did you think the High Immortal resided within the confines of the Origin Blood World?"

Wu Yuan shook his head.

"While our Redmoon Division hasn't taken over the entire immortal continent, we rule over numerous spacetimes," Xiong Yuan explained. "The Origin Blood World, vast as it is, serves merely as a training ground for Golden Core disciples. Amethyst Cradle disciples, the devil army, and various special locations are scattered across different spacetimes."

His voice took on a reverent tone as he continued, "Our destination is the core spacetime of the Redmoon Division—the Redmoon Devil Hall."

"Redmoon Devil Hall," Wu Yuan repeated, committing the name to memory.

They entered the teleportation array, joining a group of more than ten Amethyst Cradle cultivators who had been waiting.

In a brilliant flash of light, they vanished from the Origin Blood World, hurtling towards their destination.

...

They emerged into a breathtaking expanse of outer space, filled with countless stars and massive worlds that rotated like celestial marbles. At the far reaches of this cosmic vista, a dazzling halo blazed, its radiance illuminating the entire space.

The halo seemed to exert an invisible authority over the entire space, its presence both awe-inspiring and intimidating.

Suspended in the void, not far from where they stood, was a dense cluster of halls.

"This... this is the Redmoon Devil Hall?" Wu Yuan's voice was barely above a whisper as he stepped out of the teleportation array alongside Protectorate Xiong Yuan.

They stood at the edge of a vast plaza, Wu Yuan's eyes wide with wonder as he took in the cosmic spectacle before him.

It became clear that only Wu Yuan and Protectorate Xiong Yuan had disembarked at this particular terminus; the others who had shared their journey earlier were bound for different destinations, and not headed for the Redmoon Devil Hall.

"Your first glimpse of the boundless outer space, I see," Protectorate Xiong Yuan remarked, his own gaze sweeping over the distant stars. His voice carried a hint of nostalgia as he added, "I was even more overwhelmed than you when I first beheld this sight. Who would have thought that beyond the confines of a small worldlet lay such an immense cosmos?"

Wu Yuan nodded silently, still processing the sheer scale of what he was witnessing. The contrast between a worldlet, or even the mainland of the Redmoon Immortal Continent, and this vast expanse of outer space was staggering.

"This region of space falls within the spacetime boundary of the Redmoon Immortal Continent," Protectorate Xiong Yuan explained, his arm sweeping out. "Do you see that distant halo of light?"

Wu Yuan's gaze was drawn inexorably to the edge of space.

"That," Xiong Yuan continued, "is where the mainland of the Redmoon Immortal Continent lies. According to the High Immortal, the distance from here to the Redmoon Immortal Continent is beyond comprehension. Even an Archimmortal, flying at top speed, would take over ten thousand years to reach it."

"Over ten thousand years?" Wu Yuan's heart trembled at the implication.

The sheer scale of it all began to sink in. This vast expanse was merely a fraction of the Redmoon Immortal Continent's territory. For the first time, Wu Yuan truly grasped the immensity of a single immortal continent. It seemed to stretch on into infinity.

No wonder his master had said that the entire immortal continent was actually a vast plane, not just a mere mainland. The mainland, he realized, comprised less than one ten-thousandth of the entire spacetime scope of the immortal continent.

Yet, in terms of material mass, the mainland made up over ninety percent, while more than ninety-nine percent of the entire plane's space was vacant.

"Don't overthink it either," Xiong Yuan chuckled, noticing Wu Yuan's awestruck expression. "Archimmortals don't rely solely on flight for their travels. Those distant worlds you see? They're worldlets born from the fundamental operations of the immortal continent plane."

His voice softened as he added, "And among them is your homeland world."