Yuan's Ascension

Chapter 677: What If I Say No (2)

A deep hum resonated through the air. Not far away, an enormous projection materialized, revealing the scene of Wu Yuan, Metal Devil, and the others battling the twelve hunters.

They can all unleash High Immortal-level power. These two can manifest Second Tribulation High Immortal strength, and this one... High Immortal Zhuo Hao's gaze focused on the ethereal white-robed figure floating gracefully in the light screen.

A cross-dimensional strike? Able to sweep aside a group of First Tribulation High Immortals and even suppress that Scimitar Divine Beast. From my estimates, his combat power should be equivalent to the Fourth Tribulation High Immortal level. He pondered silently.

The power of High Immortals was divided into six Tribulations. Each Tribulation represented not just a leap in mana, but also a vast difference in Dao comprehension. Thus, the gap between High Immortals was truly immense.

An Earth Immortal capable of unleashing Fourth Tribulation High Immortal power, with Dao comprehension rivaling an Archimmortal, and profound insights into Space... High Immortal Zhuo Hao, initially unconcerned, now felt somewhat troubled.

He wouldn't have been worried about a normal Fourth Tribulation High Immortal; at worst, he could fight and kill them.

But an Earth Immortal with Archimmortal-level comprehension? This had to be one of those Supreme Geniuses.

And as a member of the Spacetime Island, this was surely just a mana body. Incurring great enmity with him could lead to endless trouble. Once this intruder became a High Immortal, he might swiftly advance to a Sixth or Seventh Tribulation High Immortal. If he sought revenge then?

I hope they're sensible enough. High Immortal Zhuo Hao mused. I don't wish to make enemies, but if they force my hand, I don’t have a choice. To enter the Black Devil Blood Hollow, this batch of medicinal pills is crucial. If the refining process is unsuccessful, it will set me back thousands of years at least.

His lifespan was limited, with less than a hundred thousand years remaining. Entering the Black Devil Blood Hollow was just the first step. Beyond that, he still needed to seek opportunities within the expedition site and break through to the Archimmortal phase, all of which took time.

So, time was precious to him. He couldn't afford delays.

...

As time flowed by, nearly half a day passed without incident. Wu Yuan's vigilance gradually relaxed.

"Just six more hours until we complete the mission," Purple Secret said with a smile.

"This spacetime mission turned out to be quite easy," Metal Devil added, both of them seeming rather at ease.

Wu Yuan's voice suddenly echoed in their minds, "A High Immortal is approaching."

Metal Devil and Purple Secret were instantly alarmed. A High Immortal?

"Roughly what level is their power?" Metal Devil inquired urgently.

"It should be a peak-stage High Immortal, though I'm not certain. Just one, though," Wu Yuan's voice remained calm.

Yet, his words struck Metal Devil and Purple Secret like lightning.

First to Third Tribulation High Immortals and High Deities were considered ordinary-stage. Fourth to Sixth Tribulation High Immortals and High Deities were considered peak-stage.

In terms of Dao comprehension, Metal Devil and Purple Secret could match Fifth Tribulation High Immortals. But their cultivation time was relatively short, and they were still at the Earth Immortal phase, so they could only manifest Second Tribulation High Immortal power.

A peak-stage High Immortal was capable of threatening their lives.

"Don't panic, let's assess the situation," Wu Yuan transmitted. "Perhaps they're just passing by."

Wu Yuan observed the situation through his mastery of Space True Intent, gazing down from a higher spatial dimension. The white-robed figure was approaching at an astonishing speed, covering over a hundred thousand li per second. His aura was powerful, the formless pressure alone putting Wu Yuan on alert.

"Passing by?" Metal Devil and Purple Secret thought the possibility was low. How vast was an entire galaxy? Hundreds of millions of stars and planets were scattered throughout it, each celestial body normally separated from the next by hundreds of millions of li or even several light-years.

And immortal cultivators with peak-stage High Immortal strength usually numbered only in the hundreds per galaxy. The chances of coincidentally encountering one in such a small expanse of outer space were slim!

Boom! An incredibly potent wave of Soul Will rolled forth, sweeping across space and engulfing the entire planet in an instant.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Like massive waves crashing against a cliff, the force caused Metal Devil and Purple Secret's expressions to change. Even with artifacts protecting their souls, they were still just mana bodies with limited soul power. Being a full phase lower, they seemed greatly affected.

Rumble! A vast and boundless soul aura suddenly erupted from the planet. Like a battleship riding the wind and breaking through endless waves, it split the incoming High Immortal's Soul Will power in two, even counterattacking.

This was Soulshake Seal, the soul secret art Wu Yuan had cultivated! With his short cultivation period, Wu Yuan hadn't been able to master many soul secret arts, but he had continued to practice the earliest ones he learned: ‘Soulshake Seal’, ‘Soul-extinguishing Needle’, and ‘Sword Soul Sourcelight’. He had achieved a small degree of mastery in all of them.

Boom! The invisible clash of souls instantly unfolded in the Destiny Voidscape, surging and roiling.

It didn't affect the material plane, but this terrifying soul confrontation was immediately sensed by Metal Devil, Purple Secret, and Earth Immortal Yin Yan who was in the midst of refining pills.

They all revealed stunned looks.

Finally, the powerful Soul Will rapidly receded, and Wu Yuan swiftly withdrew his soul power into himself.

"Prepare for battle. The visitor isn't friendly," Wu Yuan opened his eyes.

"You won?"

"You held your ground in a soul clash?" Metal Devil and Purple Secret exchanged glances, inwardly astonished as they gazed at Wu Yuan in disbelief.

How powerful was his soul? How profound were his soul secret arts?

Wu Yuan remained calm. He couldn’t say he achieved victory; at best, it was a draw.

It's just a High Immortal's mana body. Wu Yuan thought to himself. And my mana body's soul is somewhat stronger than that of the true self of a typical ninth-stage Earth Immortal.

A High Immortal's mana body contained only a small fraction of their true self's soul. Its power was limited.

...

A million li from Earth Immortal Yin Yan's home planet.

Such a powerful soul. The white-robed elderly man stood in the void, wisps of flame encircling him for tens of thousands of li. They stabilized space, preventing any surprise attacks from Wu Yuan.

Is it a High Immortal's mana body in disguise? Or has this imprint bearer sent his true self? High Immortal Zhuo Hao couldn't be certain.

Disguising one's vital aura wasn't difficult, but the power of one's soul couldn't be hidden. The soul secret art Wu Yuan had unleashed shocked him.

Hmph, it doesn't matter. If they're not sensible, I'll kill them. If it's his true self, even better. A cold glint flashed in High Immortal Zhuo Hao's eyes.

On his way here, he had decided that even if he was reluctant to offend the Spacetime Island's imprint bearers, if they dared obstruct his path, they would have to die all the same.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Suddenly, three streaks of light shot out from the massive, damaged star that was in the process of being repaired.

"Who goes there?" A voice echoed across millions of li of space, appearing to resound everywhere simultaneously.

High Immortal Zhuo Hao narrowed his eyes, his gaze landing directly on the graceful, white-robed figure among the three in the distant void. This was the opponent he was most wary of.

"I believe you three young friends must be the ones assisting Yin Yan," High Immortal Zhuo Hao responded with a genial smile. He appeared extremely amiable.

"I am an elder from Yin Yan's sect. Upon receiving his call for aid, I came specifically to thank you."

These words immediately caused Wu Yuan, Metal Devil, and Purple Secret's hearts to sink. This was precisely what they had feared most – Earth Immortal Yin Yan seeking help from his sect’s elders.

Once several High Immortals arrived, killing Earth Immortal Yin Yan would be incredibly troublesome. After all, Wu Yuan and his companions had to wait for the protection period to pass before they could make their move.

"We find it difficult to discern the truth of your words, Senior," Wu Yuan responded, his voice tinged with skepticism.

"It's the truth! Fellow Daoists, this individual is indeed a senior member of my sect." A streak of light suddenly burst forth from the planet, revealing itself to be Earth Immortal Yin Yan's mana body. He bowed respectfully and said, "Disciple Yin Yan greets the veteran elder."

Earth Immortal Yin Yan felt a wave of relief wash over him. With High Immortal Zhuo Hao's arrival, these three Earth Immortal imprint bearers would no longer be able to cause much trouble.

"So, this is a senior member of Earth Immortal Yin Yan's sect," Purple Secret mused, a smile playing on her lips.

Purple Secret's voice carried a hint of amusement as she continued, "Well, with a Senior present, it seems it will be much more difficult for anyone to slay Earth Immortal Yin Yan now."

"Indeed. I've heard everything from Yin Yan, and I thank you three young friends," High Immortal Zhuo Hao said with a smile. "But now that I'm here, you needn't worry yourselves. Why not return to the Spacetime Island to turn in your mission? I'll stand guard by Earth Immortal Yin Yan's side for the next few days."

Wu Yuan, Metal Devil, and the others felt their hearts sink even further. The situation was turning increasingly unfavorable.

"Senior, with just you guarding him, it might prove insufficient," Purple Secret said with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Perhaps we should guard him together?"

"That won't be necessary. Fellow Daoists, there's something you should know," Earth Immortal Yin Yan's mana body interjected with a smile. "The veteran elder is a Sixth Tribulation High Immortal. His presence is more than enough to protect me, so there's no need to trouble yourselves further."

A Sixth Tribulation High Immortal?

Metal Devil and Purple Secret felt shock ripple through them, their hearts plummeting. Wu Yuan, however, suddenly understood the true reason for this mission's difficulty level.

A protection mission? No. This was an assassination mission! Not only did they have to kill Earth Immortal Yin Yan, but they had to do so while he was under the protection of a Sixth Tribulation High Immortal.

"What should we do?"

"Should we leave? We're no match for a Sixth Tribulation High Immortal," Purple Secret transmitted anxiously. "They don't seem eager to fight. We might still have time to escape."

"Let's withdraw for now and regroup," Metal Devil agreed. "Perhaps this Sixth Tribulation High Immortal won't guard Earth Immortal Yin Yan for too long."

Both of them waited for Wu Yuan to make the final decision.

After their previous battle, Wu Yuan had proven himself the strongest, and as a Dao Master Imprint bearer, he had naturally become the leader of their trio.

"You two, withdraw!" Wu Yuan's voice resonated in their minds.

Simultaneously, Wu Yuan addressed the newcomer aloud. "Senior," he said with a smile, his voice carrying a note of sincerity, "This is, after all, our spacetime mission... We can't leave in good conscience without seeing it through to completion. How about this: my two companions will depart early.

As for myself," Wu Yuan continued, his tone earnest, "I'm willing to join you, Senior, in guarding Earth Immortal Yin Yan. I'll leave after three days."

Wu Yuan's plan was clear. Once Metal Devil and Purple Secret left, he would strike the moment the protection period ended, then escape into a higher spatial dimension.

"That won't be necessary. I appreciate your help, all three of you," High Immortal Zhuo Hao said, shaking his head. "But this is an internal matter of my sect. The Archimmortal Hierarch gave explicit instructions, and I hope you won't put me in a difficult position."

"Leave now. I will complete the task of protecting Yin Yan in your stead." As he spoke his final words, High Immortal Zhuo Hao's tone shifted noticeably. The threat in his voice was unmistakable.

"Senior," Wu Yuan replied, his expression unchanged, still wearing a smile. "What if I say no?"

In an instant, the atmosphere in this region of outer space grew tense.