Yuan’s Ascension

"Hou Feng, cultivate well."

"When you become a High Eldritch, we'll fight side by side again." The two black-armored High Eldritches smiled as they bade farewell to Wu Yuan, then flew towards the massive hall beside the circular mountain range.

Wu Yuan bowed respectfully, his gaze following the two High Eldritches as they departed.

After nearly two days of interaction, it was clear that these two High Eldritches thought very highly of Wu Yuan, convinced that he would one day stand alongside them.

"Let's head down as well," said High Eldritch Hou Zhi.

"Mm." Wu Yuan nodded slightly.

From the intelligence gathered over the past two days, the numerous High Eldritches of the Archeldritch tribe were divided into two levels: veteran elders and ordinary High Eldritches. In terms of strength, the veteran elders could rival the Heavenly Masters of the Immortal Court.

High Eldritch Hou Zhi, who had come to receive him, also comprehended the Celestial Body Dao. In terms of power, he ranked among the top thirty peak powerhouses in all of Huanggu, and particularly excelled in survival and defense.

It could be said that even if he encountered any of the three Imperial Majesties of the Immortal Court while carrying out a mission, High Eldritch Hou Zhi would have the means to preserve his life. Therefore, he had been chosen to receive Wu Yuan.

Whoosh! Whoosh! With High Eldritch Hou Zhi leading the way, both of them swiftly made their way to the tall black spire, its grand doors standing open.

So many safeguards. Wu Yuan thought to himself. With his soul and Dao comprehension, he could sense layer upon layer of defense arrays surrounding the Archeldritch Hall.

The surrounding halls seemed to be residences of the High Eldritches. This place was truly worthy of being the sacred ground of the Earth Archeldritch tribe!

"High Eldritch Hou Zhi." The two Eldritch Generals guarding the entrance bowed respectfully, allowing High Eldritch Hou Zhi and Wu Yuan to enter.

Though security didn’t seem too stringent at a glance, Wu Yuan had a vague feeling that countless eyes were watching him from the shadows.

Whoosh! It wasn't until they entered the Archeldritch Hall that the feeling disappeared. There are likely quite a few High Eldritches observing me in secret. Wu Yuan muttered inwardly.

…

Walking through the corridors inside the Archeldritch Hall, the path was brightly lit, giving him no sense of discomfort or unease. On the contrary, the deeper they went, the more tranquil Wu Yuan's heart became.

Suddenly, the corridor before his eyes opened up to an enormous circular hall.

This place? Wu Yuan's pupils contracted slightly. This hall had to be several hundred zhangs wide, with a height exceeding a hundred zhangs as well.

It seemed that this was the core of the Archeldritch Hall. Lined on the four walls of the hall were thirty-six closed bronze doors. Each one looked ancient and heavy, with mysterious cryptic patterns engraved on them.

Thirty-six doors? Wu Yuan mused to himself, but his gaze was inevitably drawn to the white-haired youth in white robes sitting cross-legged in the center of the hall.

From his hair to his toenails, everything was completely white. His expression exuded an icy coldness, eyes closed as if unaware that there were visitors. His powerful aura emanated without hindrance, naturally drawing attention.

Yet, how many super powerhouses had Wu Yuan encountered? He had even met Sovereign-level beings, so naturally, he wasn't bothered by such pressure.

"This is Veteran Elder Hou Qiong," High Eldritch Hou Zhi said softly. "His wife was also a High Eldritch, and their love was passionate and intense, but she fell in the Second Battle of Heavenly Pillar Mountain. Since then, he has secluded himself within the Archeldritch Hall, seeking to reach the level of Eldritch Deity."

Wu Yuan nodded slightly.

The Second Battle of Heavenly Pillar Mountain? According to the intelligence he had gathered over the past two days, the rise of the three Imperial Majesties of the immortal race and the establishment of the Immortal Court had occurred only in the last few hundreds of thousands of years.

To destroy the Immortal Court, the eldritch race had launched two major battles on Heavenly Pillar Mountain.

In the first battle, only one Archeldritch tribe had sent troops, somewhat underestimating their enemy. They hadn't even been able to invade the Immortal Realm and suffered heavy losses, though it didn't shake the foundation of the eldritch race.

The second time, they had truly gone all out. The four great Archeldritch tribes joined forces with hundreds of high-tier eldritch tribes. In this battle, they had nearly torn through the Immortal Realm, fighting all the way to the so-called Eighteenth Heaven of the Thirty-Three Heavens.

In the end, the three Imperial Majesties, wielding the Creation Divine Artifacts, unleashed near-invincible power and swept away the eldritch army.

In that battle, many High Eldritches and Earth Eldritches had fallen. Even Eldritch Deities standing at the pinnacle of power had perished!

After that battle, the era of the Eldritch-Immortal struggle for supremacy had truly begun in earnest, affecting all of Huanggu. That battle had also caused the eldritch race severe losses, forcing them into an entirely defensive position, and leaving them unable to attack Heavenly Pillar Mountain for the following tens of thousands of years.

When he first heard this news, Wu Yuan could sense the brutality of the Eldritch-Immortal struggle. Countless powerhouses had fallen.

This High Eldritch Hou Qiong, a veteran elder of the eldritch race, certainly possessed formidable strength. He was likely among the top-ranked powerhouses in all of Huanggu.

His wife died in the Battle of Heavenly Pillar Mountain? Wu Yuan sighed inwardly, gazing at the man's snow-white hair.

Such devotion was truly admirable.

"Brother Hou Qiong, please open the eldritch chamber," High Eldritch Hou Zhi said.

"Mm." The white-haired, white-robed High Eldritch Hou Qiong opened his eyes, his icy gaze falling on Wu Yuan. His voice, however, was quite gentle: "Are you Hou Feng?"

"Junior greets Veteran Elder Hou Qiong," Wu Yuan said respectfully.

"I have been entrusted by the Snake Ancestor and the Eldritch Deities to guard the Archeldritch Hall. This is the sacred ground of our Earth Eldritch tribe," Veteran Elder Hou Qiong said calmly. "Historically, it is only opened once every hundred years, during which the newly emerged Eldritch Generals from various tribes will gather en masse to receive guidance from the Archeldritch Hall.

As for opening it for individuals? In the history of our Earth Eldritch tribe, this has happened fewer than a hundred times." Veteran Elder Hou Qiong continued, "High Eldritch Hou Zhi praised you highly, claiming you are the number one genius of our Earth Eldritch lineage, and that your talent rivals Eldritch Deity Zhu Jiu."

"Eldritch Deity Zhu Jiu?" Wu Yuan's eyes flashed with a hint of confusion.

"Eldritch Deity Zhu Jiu is the number one powerhouse of our eldritch race, the strongest Eldritch Deity, and the Eldritch Deity with the shortest cultivation period," High Eldritch Hou Zhi explained from the side. "During the Second Battle of Heavenly Pillar Mountain, he was in seclusion at first and didn't take action.

It wasn't until our eldritch army was routed and fleeing from the Immortal Realm, with the three Imperial Majesties of the immortal race still in pursuit, that Eldritch Deity Zhu Jiu arrived.

Outside Heavenly Pillar Mountain, Eldritch Deity Zhu Jiu single-handedly fought the three Imperial Majesties, holding them off and ultimately withdrawing unscathed, cementing his reputation as the strongest." A glimmer of admiration flashed in High Eldritch Hou Zhi's eyes.

Wu Yuan was also inwardly astonished.

According to the intelligence he had obtained, once the Imperial Majesties of the immortal race wielded the Creation Divine Artifacts, their power was unrivaled within the Immortal Realm. But even outside, their power was still formidable.

The fact this Eldritch Deity Zhu Jiu could face these three opponents alone and withdraw safely was indeed impressive! In terms of personal strength, he was likely the number one powerhouse in all of Huanggu.

The peak combat power of this world, even if not comparable to a Seventh Tribulation Archimmortal, should be able to rival a Sixth Tribulation High Immortal. Those Imperial Majesties of the immortal race who wield Creation Divine Artifacts are even more unfathomable. Wu Yuan pondered inwardly.

A thousand years. Could he reach the power level of an Archimmortal in that period? Wu Yuan felt it would be extremely difficult.

"Hou Feng, I heard your tribe was also destroyed by the Immortal Court?" Veteran Elder Hou Qiong suddenly spoke.

"Yes." Wu Yuan nodded, a flash of hatred ‘involuntarily’ appearing in his eyes.

"There is no right or wrong in our war with the Immortal Court," Veteran Elder Hou Qiong said calmly. "The immortal race seeks to improve their lives, while we want to maintain the prosperity of our race.

We of the eldritch race were born to be the overlords of heaven and earth. Naturally, we cannot give up this vast land to the immortal race.

If we are defeated, the countless eldritch tribes across the land will be destroyed one by one, just like your tribe.

You are still young and still weak, but your potential is great, and your future achievements are likely to be extremely significant." Veteran Elder Hou Qiong looked at Wu Yuan. "I only hope that as you continue along your cultivation path, you won't slack off or forget the responsibility on your shoulders.

Surpass High Eldritch Hou Zhi, surpass me. Follow in the footsteps of Eldritch Deity Zhu Jiu.

If you can reach the level of Eldritch Deity Zhu Jiu in the future, or even become stronger, perhaps our eldritch race will be able to take the final victory in this war." Veteran Elder Hou Qiong said indifferently, "I may not live to see our victory, but I hope our eldritch race will win."