Yuan’s Ascension

"This senior has fallen asleep?" someone whispered hesitantly.

"Surely not," another replied. "This is Great Huang. Wouldn't he fear being torn apart by wild beasts?"

A third voice cut in. "Don't be foolish. Can't you sense it? Not even demonic beasts would dare come within ten li. This senior's aura... I'd wager he's at the peak of the Eldritch Warrior phase."

"Peak Eldritch Warrior? Even our chieftain barely reached that level..." The voices of strangers drifted to his ears like wisps of smoke.

The murmurs continued as Wu Yuan's mind gradually cleared. His powerful soul spun into action and organized the flood of information that had poured into his mind.

His eyes snapped open.

"The senior is awake!"

"Senior!"

"Stand back, all of you!" The crowd of figures that had gathered around him hastily retreated, regarding Wu Yuan with a mixture of reverence and curiosity.

He found himself in a desolate plain, lying atop a bed of wild grass and rocks.

Inwardly, he took stock of his situation. My body is normal, my internal shambhala and the black pagoda remain... but all my artifacts and storage artifacts have vanished. Were they confiscated by some unseen force of the Immutable Land?

So my physical body has descended, rather than just my consciousness?

The Creation Essence Diagram is still with me, as is Little Black, though it seems to be in a deep slumber. I could wake it, but perhaps it's best to let it rest for now.

Wu Yuan's mind raced.

His true body had arrived in this mysterious world, yet he had lost contact with his qi refiner self, sensing only that it still lived.

I can no longer access any of the voidrealms either. This Immutable Land truly is as mysterious as they say. He thought with a mixture of awe and trepidation.

According to the intelligence provided by Master Kua Chi, each cultivator's experience in the Immutable Land was unique.

Some received instant opportunities, others faced grueling trials. A few encountered no mortal peril, while many walked a razor's edge between life and death.

The only constant was that no outside force could interfere or observe what transpired within. Not even the mighty Sovereigns.

From what I can tell, I've entered some kind of special trial ground, with my true body no less. That implies a genuine risk of death. A thousand years... is that the time limit for this trial? I'll need to tread carefully. Wu Yuan pondered.

Pushing aside his thoughts, Wu Yuan focused on his immediate surroundings.

Several dozen figures stood a short distance away, clad in a mix of finely crafted beast hide garments and tattered silks. Their hair was disheveled, faces smudged with dirt and flecks of blood. They had the haggard look of refugees, ranging from children to the elderly.

Spiritual Body cultivators? All of them? Wu Yuan instantly assessed their cultivation levels. He noted that their immortal roots seemed mediocre, most only reaching the seventh or eighth degrees.

The suppression effect of heaven and earth in this realm seems slightly stronger than the worlds I've previously encountered. Wu Yuan observed. Yet the spiritual qi is far more concentrated here than in the macrocosm.

Those born here likely reach the Communion phase or Qi Sea phase naturally. He surmised.

The environments of different worlds varied, but the differences were generally not too great for those hospitable to living beings. The primary distinction lay in the concentration of the world's spiritual qi.

Hm? His gaze drifted further, where over a thousand people had gathered. Their faces were etched with desperation, a mix of young and old, though mostly youths in their prime. Their cultivation and attire were noticeably inferior to the few dozen closest to Wu Yuan. However, the weakest one was still at the Communion phase.

It seemed as though they were fleeing from a natural disaster.

They're all body refiners? With only one or two eldritch mages at the Qi Sea phase? Wu Yuan marveled inwardly. Is this truly the earliest era of humanity? Their innate physical attributes are astounding.

It was clear that the larger group was led by the few dozen cultivators nearest to him.

“Was your tribe overrun by the immortal army?" Wu Yuan asked as he rose to his feet, his voice deep and resonant.

"Indeed! Senior has keen insight," a short-haired young woman at the forefront replied respectfully, her words crisp and clear. "Our family was attacked by the immortal army. Our chieftain and Eldritch Warriors engaged their immortal soldiers and generals in battle to cover the escape of the common folk. We are but one group of refugees who managed to flee this far."

Wu Yuan nodded slightly. According to the information he'd received, the vast Huanggu was embroiled in a war between the eldritch race and the Immortal Court. Countless tribes like this one had fallen to the advancing immortal army.

"What is your name?" Wu Yuan asked lightly.

"Zhu Yi," the young woman answered. She hesitated, as if there was more she wished to say.

The others around her also appeared on the verge of speaking, but held their tongues.

"Zhu family? Of the Fire Eldritch lineage?" Wu Yuan nodded, his mind racing.

While this Huanggu shared similarities with the primordial worlds of many stories from his past life, there were key differences.

At the very least, the eldritch race of this realm all traced their bloodlines to four Archedritches – the Earth Archedritch, Wood Archedritch, Water Archedritch, and Fire Archedritch.

It's similar to the legends. Wu Yuan mused. The descendants of the Earth Eldritch lineage are all part of the Hou Clan, while the descendants of the Fire Eldritch lineage are all part of the Zhu Clan.

The four Archedritches had spread both their bloodlines and the foundations of civilization, enabling the eldritch race to flourish throughout the land.

Of course, the Archedritches themselves were now merely legends, long vanished. In the current era, the struggle between eldritch and immortal dominated the world.

"Senior," an elderly man in beast hide garments finally spoke up, prostrating himself before Wu Yuan. His voice quavered with emotion. "If you fear the immortal army will overtake us and don't wish to protect our entire group, please take Zhu Yi with you at least. She is the only one who has awakened the Archeldritch bloodline in our Zhu Fu tribe in a thousand years."

"Archeldritch bloodline?" Wu Yuan's interest was piqued as he regarded Zhu Yi more closely.

Based on the information in his memories, once the Archeldritch bloodline was awakened, one could cultivate to the Eldritch General phase in mere centuries.

The young woman bit her lip, a stubborn expression on her face. "No. I will stay with our people. I must protect our family. I absolutely refuse to leave alone," she declared firmly.

"Zhu Yi, the immortal army could reach us at any moment," the elderly man said urgently. "They are immortal warriors. Even Senior cannot protect all of us alone. Only if the two of you flee swiftly do you have a chance of survival."

His gaze bored into the young woman as he continued gravely, "If you live, our Zhu Fu Tribe may one day be rebuilt. If you die, we will be extinguished forever. Be good."

"No!" Zhu Yi cried out, her voice rising to a near shriek. "I won't do it! Our chieftain died protecting me. My parents are dead. I'm useless – I'm not worth all of you risking your lives. I can't bear to abandon you and flee alone again."

Tears glistened in her eyes, threatening to spill over. The constant battles and flight, the deaths of her loved ones – it was clear that the seemingly composed young woman was on the verge of emotional collapse.

"There's no need for further argument," the elderly man said, steeling himself against his own grief. "You must go."

The other Spiritual Body cultivators wore expressions of sorrow, but remained silent.

Living in the harsh Great Huang, constantly threatened by the mighty Immortal Court, they were all too familiar with painful partings.

"You seem to be deciding my actions without consulting me," Wu Yuan interjected calmly from the side.

His words caused the crowd to pale.

"Forgive our presumptuousness, Senior," the elderly man's face drained of color as he kowtowed repeatedly. "All members of the eldritch race are one family. Please have mercy.

You need not trouble yourself too much, Senior," he continued urgently, his forehead nearly bloodied from knocking against the ground. "If you would simply drop Zhu Yi off at any Fire Eldritch Tribe along your way, that would be more than enough."

Suddenly, a large hand grasped the elderly man, effortlessly pulling him to his feet with irresistible strength.

"Senior?" the old man stammered in confusion.

The others, including Zhu Yi, watched Wu Yuan nervously.

"You are right. We of the eldritch race are indeed one family," Wu Yuan said evenly. "I am a member of the Hou Hu Tribe, a mid-tier tribe. I shall protect your group as we travel."

The Hou Hu Tribe was part of the identity arranged for Wu Yuan, ensuring he could integrate smoothly into this world.

"Really? Senior, your benevolence knows no bounds!"

"Senior!" The Zhu Fu Tribesmen burst into excited exclamations. Some even wept tears of joy.

With a peak Eldritch Warrior to protect them, their chances of a successful escape had increased dramatically.

They had gathered here earlier because they discovered Wu Yuan and hoped to gain his protection.

Only the elderly man maintained his composure. "Senior," he asked cautiously, "we are nothing but burdens. If you encounter a large immortal army battalion alone, even you may be in grave danger."

"Have no fear," Wu Yuan reassured him. "Though we are gradually losing ground, the eldritch race still holds the advantage in this region for now.

With the fall of your Zhu Fu Tribe, I expect the mid-tier and high-tier tribes will not stand idly by once word reaches them. They will soon deploy their forces," he continued, drawing on his knowledge of the situation.

"This immortal army battalion has overextended itself. Even as they hunt down fleeing groups, they cannot linger long. They will withdraw swiftly."

The elderly man nodded, as did the other Zhu Fu Tribe members. Wu Yuan's words made sense – the immortal army had no reason to remain in eldritch territory indefinitely.

"Then, Senior," the elderly man inquired, "when shall we depart?"

"I'm ready anytime. We can depart as soon as you're prepared," Wu Yuan said. After arriving here, he showed no signs of fatigue, having undergone no physical changes.

"Alright, then we'll be relying on you for this journey, Senior." The elderly man in beast hide bowed respectfully, along with several dozen other Spiritual Body members of the Zhu Fu Tribe and the young Zhu Yi.

This time, Wu Yuan didn't stop them, allowing them to complete their bow.