Yuan's Ascension

Chapter 982: The Second Step Of Eternity

After conversing at length with the white-robed boy and red-robed girl, Wu Yuan gained a deeper understanding of the supreme eternal beings and the Dao Masters. Now, he was able to form some vague ideas and conjectures about the Creation Dao Master, Spacetime Dao Master, and other great existences.

Given the choice, Wu Yuan would likely refuse this path, as the Creation Dao Master's ambitions were too grand. Creating another Dao Master? It was easier said than done.

As the white-robed boy mentioned, several successors had passed the nine trials before Wu Yuan. Could there be any weaklings among those who passed the Creation Dao Master's nine trials? Yet all had failed. No matter how confident Wu Yuan was, he dared not say he would definitely succeed.

Moreover, becoming a Dao Master wasn't all benefits. If there were no drawbacks, why would the Creation Dao Master want to be rid of it?

But if I succeed now, the benefits would far outweigh the drawbacks for me. Wu Yuan was clear on this point.

His past accomplishments—both true selves claiming Saintcrests and earning the recognition of supreme beings—could only help him become an Overlord. Perhaps he could become a peak existence among Overlords, and perhaps there was a slim hope of achieving eternity.

But Dao Masters can slay ordinary eternal beings without much difficulty. Wu Yuan mused silently. Take this white-robed boy and red-robed girl. They are eternal beings, yet seem to be mere servants of the Creation Dao Master.

Eternal, yet only servants? How tragic and lamentable.

Of course, Wu Yuan couldn't be certain if the two eternal beings before him were lifeforms that had cultivated from weak beginnings to their current level.

If I aspire to become a Dao Master by relying solely on myself? Wu Yuan knew how infinitesimally small the hope was.

As mighty as the Eldritch Court was, producing untold monstrous prodigies across each samsara cycle of heaven and earth, how many in the end could rival Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu?

But if he were successful?

Even if becoming a Dao Master leads to many constraints, it would still be a meteoric rise for me, granting me the power to rival supreme beings like Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu and the Heavenly Imperator, standing at the pinnacle of eternal beings. Wu Yuan silently closed his eyes.

Most importantly, I have no choice, no right to choose. I must succeed.

If I fail, I'll perish from the backlash of the Great Dao’s Authority, and lose my insights into the Great Dao of Creation. Forget about becoming a Dao Master in the future... even my chances of achieving eternity would plummet drastically. In that case, I can only pin my hopes on my qi refiner self. Wu Yuan was well aware that the potential of his body refiner self far exceeded that of his qi refiner self.

“Kid, everything starts from this throne." The white-robed boy's voice resonated in the depths of Wu Yuan's spirit. "Focus your mind, clear away all distractions. The imprinting process is divided into three major stages.

“Your hopes may be slim, but the Dao Master once said that in the workings of heaven and earth, as myriad beings strive to transcend, there is always a glimmer of hope. Persevere, and perhaps you may succeed..." The white-robed boy's voice began to fade, as if the distance between them was rapidly expanding.

At the same time, Wu Yuan unconsciously sensed a vast, hazy aura enveloping him. Great Dao of Creation.

Following this, his consciousness blurred, various distracting thoughts and even coherent ideas vanishing. Only the instinctive aspect of his consciousness remained.

Where is this? Wu Yuan's gaze swept across his surroundings. His consciousness had been led to a mysterious and vast realm.

This was a long passageway. Both sides of the passage were inscribed with mysterious and inscrutable patterns, appearing similar yet fundamentally different.

On the left were Dao patterns of Creation formed by the convergence of the Laws of Life and Laws of Death. Diagram after diagram, from simple to profound, interpreted the profundities of the Great Dao of Creation. As one went deeper into the passage, they grew increasingly abstruse.

On the right were extremely orderly patterns. Though they didn't contain any fluctuations of Laws, they still emanated a vast aura. They were clearly the Three Thousand Foundation Diagrams from the Life Chapter of the Primordial Doctrine. Diagram after diagram extended along the right side of the passage.

Dao pattern diagrams of Creation, Foundation Diagrams of matter. Image after image explicated and detailed the profundities, corresponding one-to-one, as if in opposition.

Laws, matter... Such a familiar feeling... Wu Yuan, now left with only some instinctive awareness, seemed to have a flash of inspiration, or perhaps dimly recalled something.

He thought of when he had once pondered the mysterious cryptic patterns of fifty-five divine mountains in that mysterious place. Those mysterious Dao patterns seemed to interpret the profundities of the Primordium. Now, his past insights faintly aligned with the images before him. Never had it been so clear.

I once combined Spacetime Dao patterns and Creation Dao patterns to form Primordial Dao patterns. Later on at the Megaverse Crossroads, when I recalled the Primordial Dao patterns, many insights fed back into the path of matter, allowing me to achieve an astounding transformation in my comprehension of the Five Thousand Primal Force Diagrams. Wu Yuan's consciousness gradually cleared.

Whether it's the Great Dao of Spacetime, the Great Dao of Creation, or even different branches of the path of matter, they all originate from the Primordium. Wu Yuan murmured to himself. The Primordium gives rise to myriad paths.

He now understood. The Great Daos were eternal. Different Great Daos could be fused into Primordial Rules; the path of matter was equally eternal. The fusion of profundities from Great Daos and matter could likewise form Primordial Rules.

The three stages mentioned by the white-robed eternal being - this first stage should be an attempt to fuse the profundities of matter and the Great Dao of Creation into Primordial Rules. Wu Yuan had realized this point. This must also be a requirement of the Creation Dao Master. The Creation Dao Master's methods are truly heaven-defying.

Wu Yuan had already sensed the special nature of the passage where his consciousness currently resided. His spirit was free of distractions, left with only instincts, able to maximize his potential. Such an environment was far beyond what ordinary cultivation arrays could achieve.

However, eternity is singular. Were the previous successors before as special as me, cultivating both Laws and matter? A trace of doubt flashed through Wu Yuan's mind.

The reason he could achieve this was not only due to his fortuitous encounter at the Megaverse Crossroads, but also related to him partly comprehending the profundities of the Primordial Rules with the help of the Ancestral Pagoda, allowing him to seize a first-grade Saintcrest. Most Saintcrest Prodigies in history had only received the opportunity to establish Great Dao Bodies.

Never mind. Wu Yuan quickly dispelled various distracting thoughts and silently observed the opposing patterns on both sides of the passage.

One day passed.

Condense! With a thought from Wu Yuan, the first patterns on both sides of the passage seemed to respond to his command. The Dao pattern diagram of Creation and the Foundation Diagram of matter gradually merged like two streams of water. Finally, behind Wu Yuan, they formed a new pattern diagram that could be called perfect, flawless and supreme.

Primordial profundities. Wu Yuan was completely immersed. Twice before, he had condensed Primordial Rule Dao patterns in that mysterious place, gaining some insights.

The Primordial profundities formed from the fusion of Spacetime Dao patterns and Creation Dao patterns are not fundamentally different from those formed by fusing Creation and matter.

Merely fusing the first pair of pattern diagrams? Wu Yuan naturally completed it with ease.

The first step was always the hardest, but Wu Yuan had taken it long ago.

The second pattern diagram... the third...the fourth... Wu Yuan comprehended and fused them into Primordial Rule diagrams.

He progressed quickly, yet steadily.

...

"This?"

"How is this possible! He completed the first stage so quickly?" In the temple, the white-robed boy and red-robed girl, who didn't have high hopes for Wu Yuan originally, now stared at the figure on the throne in shock.

Behind Wu Yuan, countless purple patterns were faintly appearing. At first glance, these patterns resembled Great Dao patterns, yet contained far more power.

Though the purple patterns only contained a trace of power, that unfathomably vast aura made the two eternal beings in the hall shiver. The Dao resonance they emitted seemed somewhat dim before the purple patterns, as though there was a fundamental difference.

"Primordial Rules." The white-robed boy and red-robed girl were utterly shocked.

They never imagined that Wu Yuan would pass the first stage in just two days.

"How many years did it take the fastest of the previous successors to pass the first stage?" the red-robed girl asked.

"A thousand years!" the white-robed boy replied.

Silence!

"This shouldn't be," the red-robed girl couldn't believe it. "This little one is indeed a monstrous prodigy, but he's only just become a Sovereign, cultivating for less than a hundred thousand years. Even if cultivating both matter and Great Dao gives some advantage in completing the Primordial Rule diagrams, the advantage shouldn't be this great."

"It shouldn't be so," the white-robed boy said slowly. "The previous successors all had two true selves. One true self comprehended the Great Dao of Creation, while the other true self, after becoming a Sovereign, switched to cultivating the path of matter with help from the Dao Realm. Only after reaching extremely high levels of attainment did they undergo the inheritance trial and attempt to fuse both paths. Although such a method is somewhat inferior, they were much more thoroughly prepared.”

The two eternal beings truly couldn't understand how Wu Yuan did it.

Of the many previous successors who passed the nine trials to reach this place, most were at the Overlord level of strength. Even the weakest had seventh-level Dao Field stage insights.

Wu Yuan? In comparison, he was far more unprepared. Yet, they didn't know that Wu Yuan's ability to pass the first stage so quickly was because he had comprehended and deduced the Primordial Rules early on, coupled with the special nature of Wu Yuan's body refiner self.

Eternity was singular. This was the limitation imposed by the megaverse on sempiternal lives in the river of space and time. All sempiternal lives had to obey it.

To violate it would be to defy the operation of Primordial Rules. Even beings as mighty as True Saints and as august as Dao Masters would find it difficult to create such special sempiternal lifeforms.

Even the Creation Dao Master and Spacetime Dao Master couldn't do it, and could only resort to tricks. For example - two true selves, embarking on different paths, then fusing what they’ve comprehended.

But although two true selves shared a single consciousness, their bodies were ultimately separate, making it extremely difficult to gain the recognition of the Great Dao’s Authority. This was an important reason for the failure of previous successors.

But Wu Yuan's body refiner self, capable of cultivating two eternal paths in one body, was the product of numerous fortuitous encounters, providence, and his own efforts.

...

On both sides of the passage, fusing the first few dozen pairs of Creation Dao pattern diagrams and matter diagrams was very easy, but it became increasingly difficult the further he went. The diagrams presented grew increasingly complex and profound.

The profundities of the Primordial Rules! Each time I comprehend them, I can sense the enormity of the Primordium. Wu Yuan mused inwardly. However, before achieving eternity, all Primordial profundities will be suppressed and unable to manifest.

This was a shackle on the order of life, not something Wu Yuan could break. Yet, Wu Yuan had gained an insight: if he achieved eternity one day, all those accumulated insights would burst forth... even now, they provided immense aid.

If I can comprehend the Primordial Rules to a profound level, I will make rapid breakthroughs when comprehending the Great Daos, matter profundities, and even the various Greater Laws. Wu Yuan thought, his mind as still as water, methodically comprehending and fusing the diagrams.

Time flowed on. In the blink of an eye, over a thousand years passed.

Wu Yuan had fused over a thousand pairs of Foundation Diagrams of matter and Creation Dao patterns into Primordial Rule diagrams.

This was an entirely new realm of comprehension.

The profundities of the Primordial Rules emitted intense supreme fluctuations, which completely enveloped him. The sight left the two eternal beings utterly stunned, their expressions a mixture of shock and profound awe.

"What's this little one's name?" the red-robed girl asked.

"Wu Yuan," replied the white-robed boy.

Initially, he hadn't bothered to remember Wu Yuan's name. Only now did he take a moment to check it.

"Wu Yuan?" A glimmer shone in the red-robed girl's eyes. "Perhaps he truly has hope of inheriting the master's mantle and becoming the new Creation Dao Master."

"Perhaps," the white-robed boy said softly. "But he hasn't entered the third stage yet.

“Let's wait and see. If he can pass the third stage, then he'll truly have hope."

Both silently anticipated what was to come.

...

As time passed and the world outside remained in turmoil, Wu Yuan's body refiner self remained focused, undistracted.

His consciousness within the mysterious passage was immersed in comprehension, attempting to integrate the profundities of two eternal paths.

Nearly four thousand years had passed, during which Wu Yuan had fused 2999 pairs of diagrams, just one final step away from integrating the 3000th pair of pattern Diagrams into one. Yet this final step had stumped him for over eight hundred years.

So that's how it is. Wu Yuan suddenly murmured, a smile appearing on his face. He had finally understood it fully.

At this moment, he felt the profundities of Three Thousand Foundation Diagrams from the Life Chapter of the Primordial Doctrine and the Great Dao of Creation merge perfectly.

In the past, he had thought both were perfect independently, but still sensed numerous connections between the two. Now, he could truly confirm that the two were simply two sides of the same coin.

Laws and matter, when pursued to their ultimate levels, both held eternal power. If fully integrated? That would be the ultimate pinnacle, explaining everything about the Primordium, the origin of all things.

Whether the Great Dao of Creation or the Life Chapter of the Primordial Doctrine, they were merely sections of the Primordium. And now, Wu Yuan could only say he had grasped a tiny fraction of the fundamental profundities within the vast and supreme Primordial Rules.

However, it was this tiny fraction of fundamental profundities that set Wu Yuan apart from countless sempiternal lifeforms, including Sovereigns and Overlords.

The opportunity to perceive the Primordial Rules in that mysterious place, the epiphany at the Megaverse Crossroads, and nearly a hundred thousand years of cultivation, finally culminated in this breakthrough. Wu Yuan's eyes gleamed with light. Now, I should be able to fully comprehend the Law of Life in just three to five days.

Hum~ Wu Yuan once again walked deeper into the passage.

Whoosh! An invisible fluctuation rippled through, and Wu Yuan's consciousness vanished from this passage.

...

When Wu Yuan's consciousness disappeared from the passage, his body refiner self's physical body similarly vanished from the majestic temple nearly eight light-years tall.

"He's entered the third stage."

"The Dao Master gave a time limit of a hundred thousand years, yet he only used less than four thousand? He's the fastest among all the successors," the red-robed girl remarked.

"Of the previous successors, only two completed it within a hundred thousand years. One took eighty thousand years, the other sixty thousand, and they all ultimately fell at the third stage," the white-robed boy said slowly. "The fact that Wu Yuan managed to complete it in less than four thousand years is indeed inconceivable."

They both clearly understood the difficulty of the second stage. Even though they were eternal beings, they were unable to pass it.

"Even if he ultimately cannot wield the Authority of the Great Dao, as long as he emerges alive and achieves eternity, he will swiftly take the second step and qualify to become a Saint," the white-robed boy shook his head slightly, somewhat emotional. "These weak universe-born lifeforms always have limitless potential."

"Brother, there's no need for that. In the cosmic sea, we natural eternal beings make up the majority, but those standing at the absolute pinnacle are all those who rose in strength one step at a time," the red-robed girl consoled.

“The pinnacle of evolution from the Primordium is the universe's progression to the mundane realm, and those who progress step by step from mundane life to sempiternal life and even to eternal life will have the deepest perception of the Primordial Rules. The further they go, the greater their advantage will be."

The white-robed boy nodded lightly. They were born eternal, but had also essentially lost the qualification to compete for supreme power. Such were the Primordial Rules - to gain something, one must lose something.

"Let's hope Wu Yuan succeeds," said the white-robed boy.