Yuan’s Ascension

The Spacetime Immortal Voidrealm.

Within a private room of a tavern.

In the voidrealm, one couldn't perceive other areas with their Soul Will.

"Daoist Nie Zhen," Wu Yuan smiled as he entered the lavishly decorated private room, guided by a waitress.

Three people were already seated in the room. Upon seeing Wu Yuan enter, they all stood up, revealing smiles.

"Ming Jian, you've finally arrived, haha!" laughed the burly man in black robes, Nie Zhen.

Nie Zhen was a Sovereign Imprint bearer, and had achieved the feat of slaying an Archimmortal. When Wu Yuan first arrived on the Spacetime Island, it was he and Nangong Meng who had welcomed him.

"Daoist Ming Jian."

"I've long heard of Daoist Ming Jian's great name. Your feats in the Snow Devil Cave have spread across all of the Spacetime Island. Truly admirable." These two immortal cultivators he didn’t recognize, one a High Immortal and one a High Deity, both seemed quite powerful to Wu Yuan. Yet they flattered him, appearing very courteous.

"You're too kind," Wu Yuan smiled, not wanting to rebuff their friendly gestures.

"Come, let me introduce you to these two," Nie Zhen said with a smile, quickly introducing the pair to Wu Yuan.

The High Immortal was named Pu Guang, and the High Deity was named Ci Yue. Both were Sovereign Imprint bearers.

Sovereign Imprint bearers? Wu Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly upon hearing the introductions. He smiled faintly and asked, "Are you both cultivators from the Immortal Court?"

"You've heard of us, Fellow Daoist?" High Immortal Pu Guang seemed quite surprised.

Wu Yuan simply smiled, without offering further explanation.

Though there were many imprint bearers on the Spacetime Island, there weren't many Sovereign tier ones. Now that he knew their names, a quick search through the intelligence gathered by the Taiyuan Divine Court faction was enough to identify them.

"Ming Jian, since you know of Pu Guang and Ci Yue, I won't waste time on introductions," Nie Zhen said with a smile. "I've asked you to come here for a simple reason. These two are about to undertake a Dao Master-level Mission. They're facing some difficulties and would like to invite you to assist them."

"A Dao Master-level Mission?" Wu Yuan repeated softly.

"Yes," High Deity Ci Yue, a gentle woman with a warm smile, said, "Daoist Ming Jian, your power is immense. You're a monstrous prodigy who has cultivated both Time and Space Daos. Though your comprehension may not be as deep due to your short cultivation time, many of your techniques are unparalleled on all of the Spacetime Island."

Wu Yuan listened silently.

Indeed, in terms of direct combat ability, some of the top powerhouses on Spacetime Island, like Nie Zhen, could unleash Astral Lord-level strength. Wu Yuan was still far from that level.

But in terms of cultivating both Time and Space simultaneously, he was truly unique among the eight million imprint bearers on the Spacetime Island.

In this era of the Spacetime Island, there might be others who could sense the profundities of Time, but not a single person had achieved any success in comprehending the Law of Time.

Not one.

If not for this, Wu Yuan wouldn't have garnered such fame.

It should be known that the Law of Time was exceptionally special, being the only one without Lesser or Intermediate Laws. There was only the complete Law of Time.

As far as Wu Yuan knew, it was extremely rare for immortal cultivators to primarily cultivate the Law of Space. To sense the profundities of Time and achieve some success was even more heaven-defying.

Normally, it was only Astral Lords or even higher-level cultivators who would gradually come into contact with time-based techniques.

Sovereigns of Space were exceptionally rare. And to become a Sovereign through the Law of Time? Such super powerhouses were many times rarer than Space Sovereigns.

"We hope to gain your assistance in this mission, Fellow Daoist," High Deity Ci Yue said sincerely. "We're willing to offer a price of 300,000 divine crystals."

"Here are the detailed mission briefings," High Deity Ci Yue waved her hand, causing a light screen to appear.

Lines of text appeared on the screen, and Wu Yuan quickly scanned through them.

"Ming Jian, how is it?" Nie Zhen probed.

"My apologies, but I can't help with this," Wu Yuan shook his head directly. "As you probably know, my mana body is still in the Spacetime Labyrinth and hasn't returned yet. I'm afraid I can't be of assistance."

"There's no rush. Daoist Ming Jian, we're aware of the Spacetime Labyrinth. However, our mission doesn't need to be undertaken for another hundred years at most," High Deity Ci Yue smiled. "So, we can certainly wait for your mana body to return before setting out together."

"Yes, there's no hurry," Nie Zhen also chimed in. He clearly wanted to facilitate this arrangement.

"I apologize, it seems my refusal was too subtle," Wu Yuan shook his head slightly. "This price is too low."

With these words, the private room suddenly fell silent.

"Too low?" High Immortal Pu Guang glanced at Nie Zhen, then looked back at Wu Yuan, his voice tinged with dissatisfaction. "Daoist Ming Jian, this mission poses no difficulty for you. We're merely asking for your help with getting through the first half, and it would take ten days at most."

Ten days for 300,000 divine crystals was not only not a low rate, but in some sense, quite high.

"Ming Jian, do this as a favor to me," Nie Zhen said in a low voice, the smile on his face fading.

"Brother Nie Zhen, I can help with other matters, but for today's affair, I'm sorry," Wu Yuan shook his head lightly. He held up one finger, "I want this many."

"One million divine crystals?" Nie Zhen's voice held a hint of anger. In his view, Wu Yuan wasn’t giving him face at all.

"No! Ten million divine crystals."

…

At this point, there was naturally no room for further discussion. High Immortal Pu Guang and High Deity Ci Yue left in anger, not even bothering with polite farewells.

In their view, since Wu Yuan was so disrespectful, why bother with niceties?

"Ming Jian, you're going too far," Nie Zhen said in a low voice.

"Brother Nie Zhen, there are some things I can help with, and some things I can only apologize for," Wu Yuan shook his head slightly. "My mana body is still in the Spacetime Labyrinth. I'll be leaving now."

With that, Wu Yuan's figure abruptly dissipated, clearly having left the Spacetime Immortal Voidrealm.

This Ming Jian. Hmph! I clearly checked, and he has no grudges with Pu Guang and the others. They're even from different macrocosms. Yet he immediately asks for ten million divine crystals? Is he deliberately trying to make me lose face? Nie Zhen's eyes turned cold.

Though his personality seemed straightforward, he was quite overbearing and liked things to go his way. Wu Yuan's behavior had naturally angered him.

Cultivating both Space and Time simultaneously, isn't he afraid of overreaching? A trace of disdain flashed in Nie Zhen's eyes.

He quickly left.

…

Within a hall on the Spacetime Island.

I've likely angered Nie Zhen. Wu Yuan murmured to himself, sitting in lotus position on a jade platform.

But if he's angry, so be it. A cold glint flashed in Wu Yuan's eyes.

His primary reason for refusing High Immortal Pu Guang and the others was that they were members of the Immortal Court. Why would Wu Yuan want to help the Immortal Court?

But another, secondary reason was because of Nie Zhen. He clearly knew that Wu Yuan's mana body was most likely still in the Spacetime Labyrinth, yet he used the excuse of an ‘urgent matter’ to see him, disturbing Wu Yuan.

This had happened once before. At that time, Wu Yuan didn't mind it too much. But now that it happened again? Naturally, it left Wu Yuan feeling displeased.

If he was displeased, he would vent it out! Why should he go out of his way to make others feel comfortable while he endured? This was Wu Yuan's nature.

Hmm? Wu Yuan suddenly received several messages.

They were all from imprint bearers of the Taiyuan Divine Court faction. Nangong Meng, for instance, had sent a message asking, "Did you have a conflict with Nie Zhen?"

Clearly, in this short time, Nie Zhen had already spread word of the incident. Several imprint bearers from the Taiyuan Divine Court faction who were familiar with Wu Yuan all sent messages inquiring about it.

Wu Yuan pondered briefly, replied to some of them, and then couldn't be bothered to deal with it further.

Reputation? They say I'm arrogant? Let them call me arrogant then. It might mean fewer troubles to deal with. Wu Yuan didn't care at all. He decisively severed his connection to the Spacetime Immortal Voidrealm.

The ‘Spacetime Secret Codex’ contains many powerful secret arts. Not only will it enhance my application of the Laws of Space and Time, but it will also accelerate my cultivation. Wu Yuan thought to himself.

After receiving the inheritance earlier, I cultivated for over ten years straight in that Spacetime Labyrinth, with an efficiency four or five times greater than before.

The boost I’ll experience might be lower in the future, but overall, my cultivation will proceed much faster than before.

Previously, although Wu Yuan had obtained many secret arts and teachings related to the Law of Space, those related to the Law of Time or a combination of Space and Time were very rare. Even in the Eternal Sun Immortal World, such secret arts were scarcely found.

However, while the Spacetime Secret Codex contains countless techniques and secret arts, these three are the most suitable combat secret arts for me among them. Wu Yuan pondered.

After more than ten years of deduction and comprehension in the Spacetime Labyrinth, he had already selected the most suitable ones for himself from the countless techniques in the codex.

The sword attack-type technique 'Nine Swords of Spacetime' was an inconceivably powerful offensive technique that combined Space and Time.

'Moonlight Shadow' was a movement technique!

'Sea Of Stars' was a soul technique, suitable for both offense and defense.

For combat techniques, quality is more important than quantity. If I can cultivate these three techniques to a profound level, their power will surpass the techniques I cultivated previously many times over. Wu Yuan marveled inwardly.

These three techniques were all created by the Dao Master and ranked among the top thirty combat techniques in the Spacetime Secret Codex.

The 'Nine Swords of Spacetime', in particular, ranked in the top three among offensive techniques. It primarily applied the Law of Qiankun and was both extremely bizarre and unpredictable.

The Law of Time and the Law of Space seemed incredibly compatible, as if they originated from the same source. Since his qi refiner self would mainly apply both Daos, Wu Yuan naturally chose suitable combat teachings.

In the short term, I can only draw inspiration from some of the other secret arts in the Spacetime Secret Codex. These three major combat teachings form the foundation of my practical application of Space and Time. Wu Yuan pondered, having thought it through thoroughly.

In fact, over the past decade, he had been primarily focused on comprehending the 'Nine Spacetime Swords', and had already gained some insights.

…

Due to Nie Zhen's deliberate efforts, news of the conflict between Wu Yuan and Nie Zhen spread rapidly.

But Wu Yuan remained utterly unaffected, and aside from a few close friends like Nangong Meng, he couldn't be bothered to explain himself or refute it.

My true self will continue cultivating. It’s time my mana body make an attempt to venture to the Black Devil Blood Hollow. Wu Yuan's true self continued to contemplate the three major combat teachings.

His mana body, having just returned to the Spacetime Island, took a brief respite. Less than ten days later, he paid one thousand divine crystals and entered the spacetime teleportation array once again, heading back to the Snowlight Mist Realm.

…

This was a dim expanse of outer space, where wisps of elusive mist drifted, and colossal, towering glaciers hung suspended.

These glaciers were unimaginably vast, the smallest reaching heights of over a hundred million li, with most ranging from several billion to billions of li tall.

The most enormous even reached heights of ten billion li, emanating an incomparably terrifying aura. Calling them glaciers was actually inaccurate. Instead, they were closer to massive continents of ice floating in outer space.

Whoosh! On one of the glaciers billions of li high, a figure in white robes appeared out of thin air, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings.

The Glacier Domain? They actually teleported me to this godforsaken place? Wu Yuan muttered to himself. Within the Inner Region, this ranks among the top three most dangerous areas.

He had no way to teleport back. Outside of a spacetime mission, one could only take the fixed teleportation arrays scattered across the Spacetime Dao Realm to return. After leaving the Snowlight Mist Realm, one could follow certain fixed routes to return to the Spacetime Island eventually.

Whoosh! As howling winds whipped past, even Wu Yuan felt some discomfort from the cold, prompting him to distance himself unconsciously from the glacier's surface.

Swoosh! Just as Wu Yuan reached a height of tens of thousands of li from the glacier's surface, an overwhelmingly powerful gravitational force suddenly pulled at him, causing him to plummet rapidly downward.

Indeed, it's just as the intelligence described. Once you fall within the glacier's range, there's simply no way to break free unless you possess strength at the Astral Lord level. Wu Yuan shook his head slightly.

Even if one is capable of traversing higher spatial dimensions, one will still fall without sufficient strength.

These glaciers inherently suppressed spatial fluctuations. Want to leave? Either wield enough strength to break free directly, or navigate along the countless crevasses through the glacier to reach the Core Region.

There were various spatial passages in the Core Region, some leading to other glaciers, others to the edge of the Glacier Domain. Only by reaching the edge could one leave the Glacier Domain.

The entire Glacier Domain had a maximum diameter of about 160 light years.

If luck isn't on my side, I might be stuck in this Glacier Domain for many years. Wu Yuan shook his head slightly. Well, since I'm here, I'll make the best of it. It makes no sense to destroy my mana body after all.

Wu Yuan spread his Soul Will out. Its range was severely limited, though he was still able to perceive a massive crevasse hundreds of thousands of li away. The gap was tens of thousands of li wide.

The environment is similar to the Snow Devil Cave, except there are no snow devils here, only deadly traps scattered throughout the glacier's interior. Wu Yuan shook his head slightly.

Many of these traps were deadly enough to annihilate Archimmortals.

Of course, some special treasures also existed throughout the Glacier Domain. While venturing through the glacier's interior, one might obtain some precious artifacts with enough luck.

Swoosh! Wu Yuan swiftly plunged deeper into the glacier.

Time passed.

Although Wu Yuan couldn't enter the Fragmentary Spatial Layer, his powerful spatial perception allowed him to easily navigate through the glacier's crevasses.

He avoided most traps, but occasionally fell victim to some, escaping with his powerful evasion techniques and the mysterious Law of Time.

He also encountered two other cultivators. Wu Yuan didn't make a move on them, and they avoided him as well. After all, an Earth Immortal venturing alone in the Glacier Domain did seem rather peculiar.

Two days later.

I should be nearing the Core Region soon. Wu Yuan sensed the ice crevasses expanding in size rapidly from hundreds of thousands of li to millions of li in width.

This was one of the characteristics of the Core Region.

Hum~ Suddenly, an astonishing wave of energy was transmitted through vast layers of ice, abruptly reaching Wu Yuan's location.

Hmm? A treasure is manifesting? Such intense energy fluctuations. A hint of surprise flashed in Wu Yuan's eyes.

Boom! Without hesitation, Wu Yuan's form shifted, swiftly transforming into a streak of light as he rushed toward the source of the disturbance.

In just a quarter of an hour, Wu Yuan had covered over ten million li.

The winding, twisting crevasses within the glacier meant that a distance of ten million li might only equate to a displacement of two or three hundred million li.

It's right there. Wu Yuan finally arrived, immediately spotting four figures engaged in a fierce battle within a massive glacier crevasse spanning a million li.

The clash was earth-shattering, causing a tremendous commotion. Fortunately, the glacier was sturdy enough to withstand battles at the Archimmortal level, suffering minimal damage.

Among those participating in the skirmish, a High Immortal with the weakest vital aura was surprisingly holding his own against three Archimmortals, clearly having the upper hand.

Hmm? It's him? Wu Yuan's pupils contracted slightly.

The High Immortal dominating the fight was none other than High Immortal Pu Guang whom he had met in the Spacetime Immortal Voidrealm not long ago.

Is that Ming Jian? Didn't he say his mana body was in the Snow Devil Cave? High Immortal Pu Guang likewise detected Wu Yuan's presence.

He was momentarily puzzled. Then he understood – Wu Yuan had deceived him earlier, never intending to help at all.

Hmph. A cold glint flashed in High Immortal Pu Guang's eyes, but he continued to focus on suppressing the three Archimmortals before him with his arcane arts. He had no intention of making a move against Wu Yuan.

Displeasure aside, without a conflict of interest, taking action against Wu Yuan would mean making a mortal enemy, something few were willing to do.

But suddenly, a flash of fury appeared in High Immortal Pu Guang's eyes, and he growled angrily, "Ming Jian, you're courting death!"

In the distance, the treasure they had been fighting over had somehow ended up in Wu Yuan's grasp.

Whysee's Thoughts

The title 冤家路窄 literally translates to: The road is narrow for enemies (or rivals)

This idiom is used to describe a situation where adversaries or people who are at odds with each other unexpectedly meet in a confined space or situation. It implies an unavoidable confrontation or awkward encounter.