Yuan’s Ascension

The two Eldritch Deities and High Eldritch Hou Zhi flew through the skies above the Archeldritch tribe with Wu Yuan. Throughout the journey, High Eldritch Hou Zhi conversed with him.

"The Snake Ancestor is the Teng Snake that followed the Earth Archeldritch back then?" Wu Yuan asked, quite surprised.

There was actually such an ancient being living in Huanggu? Wu Yuan was extremely curious about the four great Archeldritches who first descended upon Huanggu.

The Snake Ancestor? Following the Archeldritch? After thousands of years, its strength must have grown even more formidable. No wonder even the two Eldritch Deities seem to subtly obey its commands. Wu Yuan thought to himself.

They had such an ancient being, along with Eldritch Deity Zhu Jiu, other Eldritch Deities, and numerous veteran elders in their ranks, yet they still could not defeat the Immortal Court?

As he continued to converse with High Eldritch Hou Zhi, Wu Yuan gradually learned of other matters.

The great war between the eldritch race and immortal race has reignited and the Hou Cheng Tribe has been annihilated? Just two or three days after I left, an Imperial Majesty of the immortal race led a large contingent of High Immortals in an assault on the tribe, and all the tribespeople in the city were slaughtered? Upon hearing this news, Wu Yuan was stunned into silence.

He had arrived in Huanggu over ten years ago, spending the vast majority of his time here in cultivation. He hadn’t interacted much with other members of the Huanggu eldritch race.

But the few days he spent in the Hou Cheng Tribe left a deep impression on Wu Yuan. The unity and warmth of Eldritch Warriors like Hou Ming and Hou Quan had touched him, moving him profoundly.

Moreover, Earth Eldritch Hou Cheng, Earth Eldritch Hou Fu, and the other leaders had done their utmost to assist him, and Wu Yuan was deeply grateful to them.

Yet in the blink of an eye, the entire Hou Cheng Tribe had been reduced to ruins? Completely annihilated?

Such a drastic event dealt an immense blow to the spirit. Even with his powerful Dao Heart, Wu Yuan found it difficult to accept for a moment.

But Wu Yuan was, after all, an extraordinary powerhouse. His Dao comprehension and Dao Heart were as strong as High Eldritches.

After a moment, his spirit calmed.

"A few days after I left? Is the attack on the Hou Cheng Tribe related to me?" Wu Yuan grasped the key point.

This caused the two Eldritch Deities and High Eldritch Hou Zhi to look slightly surprised, exchanging glances.

"Yes, according to our calculations, there's a ninety percent chance it's related to you," Eldritch Deity Hou Tu said without mincing words. "The immortal race has three great Imperial Majesties: Imperial Majesty Nan You, Imperial Majesty Lei Fu, and Imperial Majesty Da Yan, who respectively possess... Among them, the Mirror of Creation is most adept at divining the threads of karma and destiny.

"We suspect that Imperial Majesty Da Yan perceived your existence," Eldritch Deity Hou Tu quickly explained.

With that, Wu Yuan learned some general information about the three Imperial Majesties of the immortal race.

Divining the threads of karma? Destiny?

Wu Yuan was inwardly shocked beyond words.

The High Eldritches of the Huanggu eldritch race might not fully understand. But Wu Yuan, originating from the world outside, knew all too well that matters involving karma and destiny were beyond the capabilities of even High Immortals. Even ordinary Astral Monarchs couldn't achieve such feats.

As powerful as Eldritch Sovereign Kua Chi was, when he saw Wu Yuan, he could only glimpse parts of Wu Yuan's past, unable to predict the future.

High Eldritch? Sovereign? The difference between the two was beyond comparison.

To enable a High Immortal to possess the power of divination, what exactly is this Mirror of Creation, this so-called Creation Divine Artifact? Wu Yuan pondered silently.

It was certainly not as simple as ordinary celestial equipment or Dao Treasures.

"Can the Mirror of Creation pinpoint my exact location?" Wu Yuan couldn't help but ask.

"According to the Snake Ancestor, it shouldn't be that miraculous," said Eldritch Deity Hou Lu. "They probably only vaguely divined the threat you pose.

However, once combined with gathered intelligence, such as you passing the sixth level of the Archeldritch Trial, the immortal race likely put the pieces together," Eldritch Deity Hou Lu continued.

"Then how could they be certain I was in the Hou Cheng Tribe at that time?" Wu Yuan asked.

"They don't need to be certain." High Eldritch Hou Zhi shook his head and sighed, "In all likelihood, the immortal race had already guessed that you would be taken in by our Archeldritch tribe.

But for the immortal race, as long as there's even a sliver of a chance to kill you, they will spare no expense."

Wu Yuan fell silent.

His time in Huanggu had been too brief, and coupled with the lack of information, Wu Yuan simply couldn't make many advance preparations.

He also hadn't anticipated that his inconspicuous actions would bring such catastrophic disaster to the Hou Cheng Tribe.

Wu Yuan suddenly realized just how great a threat the immortal race posed to the Huanggu eldritch race, and how insanely bloodthirsty their actions were.

Right or wrong? I don't care. A hint of coldness flashed in Wu Yuan's eyes.

Previously, he had been like an observer watching Huanggu from outside. He found it difficult to feel too much love or hate for either the eldritch race or the immortal race.

Even joining the eldritch race's camp was an instinctive choice for self-preservation, and his desire to kill the Imperial Majesties of the immortal race was merely for the sake of obtaining opportunities.

That was, until this moment.

For the first time, Wu Yuan felt a genuine surge of killing intent toward the immortal race, arising from deep within his heart—driven solely by the memory of those who perished in the Hou Cheng Tribe.

They died because of me. If not for my sudden visit, they might have continued to live peacefully. Wu Yuan thought silently.

Even if they would have eventually been destroyed by the fires of war, at least they could have existed for another thousand or ten thousand years.

Moreover, even if the tribe was destroyed in the war, it wouldn't have attracted the attention of an Imperial Majesty of the immortal race, and they wouldn't have been completely annihilated. Wu Yuan sighed inwardly.

Perhaps this was the arrangement of some ineffable destiny. But how could Wu Yuan face it calmly?

Imperial Majesty of the immortal race? Lei Fu? Wu Yuan committed the name ‘Imperial Majesty Lei Fu’ to memory, resolving to exhaust every possibility to kill him before leaving.

It was both for revenge and also to achieve peace of mind.

Although Eldritch Deity Hou Tu, Eldritch Deity Hou Lu, and High Eldritch Hou Zhi couldn't detect Wu Yuan's emotional changes, they did notice something slightly off about him.

None of them spoke further. They had seen too many similar incidents.

Their decision to tell Wu Yuan was not just because he was indeed the trigger for the event, but also to plant the seeds of resentment against the immortal race in Wu Yuan's mind.

Hatred could sometimes be a great motivator for cultivation.

…

The four of them made their way through the tribe.

After flying millions of li, they arrived at a sprawling mountain range and immediately entered a heavily guarded cave, descending deep into the earth.

With two Eldritch Deities leading the way, the Eldritch Warriors and Eldritch Generals guarding the area all bowed respectfully and let them through. No one obstructed their path.

Finally, the group arrived deep underground, in what appeared to be a vast subterranean world. Here lay a lake as vast as an ocean, smooth as a mirror, with starlight twinkling upon its surface—indescribably beautiful.

This underground realm? Wu Yuan's gaze swept across the area. He could sense the incredibly dense spiritual qi here. It was at least ten times more concentrated than that of the world outside.

The water in the lake was actually highly purified spiritual qi that had liquefied, forming a lake thousands of li in diameter.

In such an underground world, even ordinary plants and trees might develop spirituality and gain sentience given enough time. This was the importance of one’s environment.

Splash~ The calm lake began to churn, and an enormous figure emerged from beneath the surface.

It was unimaginably massive, with a pair of wings that seemed capable of blotting out the sky. Each of its scales was over ten meters long, and its giant serpentine head gazed down upon those below.

Before it, even the two towering Eldritch Deities seemed like specks.

"Snake Ancestor." Eldritch Deity Hou Tu and Eldritch Deity Hou Lu bowed respectfully.

"Greetings, Snake Deity." High Eldritch Hou Zhi and Wu Yuan also bowed with reverence.

The Snake Ancestor's massive, ancient eyes were weathered with age and brimming with wisdom. It felt as if they could pierce through all of Wu Yuan's secrets, making his heart skip a beat and causing him to feel instinctively flustered.

The Snake Ancestor before him was the spitting image of an enlarged Little Black—an incredibly powerful Teng Snake.

"Is this Hou Feng?" The Snake Ancestor's voice was distant, echoing throughout the vast underground world.

"Yes," replied High Eldritch Hou Zhi.

"Very well. Veteran Elder Hou Zhi, you may return. Focus on your cultivation and break through to become an Eldritch Deity as soon as possible. The war grows more intense," the Snake Ancestor said flatly. "Hou Lu, Hou Tu, go wait in the Divine Weapon Hall. I have some matters to discuss with Hou Feng alone."

"Understood," High Eldritch Hou Zhi replied respectfully.

The two Eldritch Deities nodded as well.

High Eldritch Hou Zhi turned to Wu Yuan, "Veteran Elder Hou Feng, work hard and don't disappoint the Snake Ancestor's expectations."

With that, the three quickly departed from the underground lake, leaving only the Snake Ancestor and Wu Yuan behind.

It was utterly silent.

The Snake Ancestor's massive body hovered above the lake, ripples spreading across the water's surface without a sound.

Wu Yuan waited quietly, raising his guard higher and higher with each passing moment.

"You've comprehended a Greater Law. Very good," the Snake Ancestor suddenly spoke. "The Law of Life is very powerful."

Wu Yuan's heart skipped a beat, but he wasn't overly panicked.

The Archeldritch Hall was left behind by an Archeldritch, and this Snake Ancestor was a follower of the Archeldritch in the past. It likely had control over the Archeldritch Hall.

His Dao comprehension levels were completely exposed within the Archeldritch Hall. It probably couldn't escape the other party's detection.

"The Snake Ancestor is indeed perceptive. My ability to step through the initiate threshold was mere coincidence. However, my comprehension level is still not very high," Wu Yuan said, carefully choosing his words.

"What a pity!" The Snake Ancestor's voice carried a hint of disappointment as it sighed, "You are not a native lifeform of Huanggu. Even if you become an Archeldritch, you won't be able to help me."

These words struck Wu Yuan like a thunderbolt, instantly alarming him.

Had he been exposed? His mind was in chaos!