Yuan’s Ascension

Chapter 1057: Leaving One’s Name On The Samsara Rankings

Being promoted to the tenth rank in the Eldritch Court Voidrealm gave Wu Yuan access to more classified intelligence in the Eldritch Court’s archives. In no time, he perused a wealth of information.

Combined with his recent interactions with a group of Overlords, Wu Yuan now had a deeper understanding of the Wan Yu Tower.

In terms of power, it couldn’t match the Eldritch Court or Immortal Court, but its grasp over intelligence was on par with both. Moreover, its relative neutrality and limited involvement in cosmic sea conflicts allowed it to establish a trustworthy reputation.

Thus, the ‘Samsara Rankings’ established by the Wan Yu Tower held sufficient credibility, earning the respect and attention of powerhouses across the infinite cosmic sea.

The Samsara Rankings recorded those still struggling within the cycle of samsara, yet to transcend, but with hope of breaking free from the shackles of heaven and earth. Those who made the rankings possessed at least third-stage Overlord-level strength.

At this moment, Wu Yuan and the hundreds of Eldritch Court Overlords in the Seventh Hall gazed upon the rankings.

First Place: Overlord Yue Shan

Second Place: Master Tao

Third Place: Overlord Qing Mo

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Seventh Place: Overlord Bei Zhen

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Twenty-ninth Place: Overlord Long He

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Thirty-sixth Place: Overlord Xue Yu

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Fifty-seventh Place: Overlord Jue Dong

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Seventy-sixth Place: Overlord Qi Yang

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Eighty-eighth Place: Overlord Xing Ling

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One-Hundredth Place: Overlord Wu Yuan

The primary rankings listed exactly one hundred Overlords, with only the second-ranked referred to as ‘Master Tao’, while the rest bore the title of Overlord.

Wu Yuan was unfamiliar with most of the Overlords on the list, knowing them only through intelligence reports. He knew their profiles but not their true soul auras, and likely wouldn’t recognize them if they met face to face.

However, several of them were Eldritch Court Overlords Wu Yuan had just met, like Overlord Xue Yu and Overlord Qi Yang.

According to the Eldritch Court’s intelligence archives, the eighty-eighth ranked Overlord Xing Ling and those above are all fourth-stage Overlord powerhouses. Wu Yuan mused. Those below are all third-stage Overlords.

Wu Yuan pondered. Eighty-eight fourth-stage Overlord powerhouses? Was that a lot? Not really! On average, there were only two or three per universe. These fourth-stage Overlord powerhouses, aside from a rare few who were Overlords of Five Elements, had each created eternal ultimate techniques, and were comparable to Perennial Eternals.

With fourth-stage Overlord strength, one had a slim chance of achieving Dao Enlightenment, though the odds of failure remained high.

And because this samsara cycle of heaven and earth was still in its early stages, Wu Yuan knew that few Overlords had chosen to attempt Dao Enlightenment so far. Most were still striving to strengthen their foundations and raise their overall power. Those as impatient as Overlord Bloodforge were rare.

Of course, rare didn’t mean non-existent. However, according to Wu Yuan’s knowledge, no eternal lifeform had emerged in this samsara cycle of heaven and earth. All previous attempts by Overlords had failed.

Senior Brother Bei Zhen’s ranking is extremely high, actually seventh place. Wu Yuan marveled inwardly. Breaking into the top ten among thousands of Overlords across the endless River of Universes spoke volumes about Overlord Bei Zhen’s strength.

However, Wan Yu Tower ranked me at one-hundredth place right away? It seems they’ve determined I’m among the top tier of the hundreds of third-stage Overlords. Wu Yuan thought to himself.

One-hundredth place might be the last place on the primary rankings, but it was important to note that this was the primary list of the Samsara Rankings, carrying immense weight. Aside from the fourth-stage Overlord powerhouses renowned across various universes, just a handful of third-stage Overlords were ranked higher than Wu Yuan, each with extraordinary qualities.

My ranking is not inflated either. My true combat power does match this placement. In terms of ultimate techniques, I’m on par with most Overlords, but compared to some of the top third-stage Overlords, I likely still fall a bit short. Wu Yuan assessed himself clearly.

Some of them, though yet to create eternal ultimate techniques, have developed incredibly formidable techniques, arguably reaching the pinnacle of the Dao Field stage of a Great Dao, surpassing my Wheel of Life and Death.

In terms of cultivation level and ultimate techniques, Wu Yuan knew he might rank at the bottom not just among the powerhouses on the primary list, but even among the top hundred on the secondary list. But Wu Yuan possessed extraordinarily powerful artifacts and the enhancement of the path of matter.

In terms of artifact strength, I’m definitely among the top tier of Overlords, possibly even the strongest. Wu Yuan pondered silently. Artifacts were also a part of one’s strength.

Secondary rankings. Wu Yuan’s gaze swept over the hundred Overlord powerhouses on the secondary list. Most were unfamiliar, but he spotted two familiar figures.

Overlord Jiang Meng, fifty-fourth on the Secondary Samsara Rankings.

Overlord Xin Ya, seventy-eighth on the Secondary Samsara Rankings.

Two Overlords from the Taiyuan Divine Court are ranked so high? Wu Yuan marveled inwardly.

According to the intelligence archives, there were roughly eight hundred third-stage Overlords across the entire River of Universes.

Entering the Secondary Samsara Rankings was already a testament to one’s formidable strength.

…

As Wu Yuan looked through the Overlords on the Samsara Rankings, the other Eldritch Court Overlords in the hall were also examining the rankings, many noticing Wu Yuan’s placement.

“Overlord Wu Yuan, ranked one hundredth?”

“Impressive!”

“He entered the Primary Samsara Rankings right after becoming an Overlord?”

“The rankings didn’t change much from the last update, except that the Immortal Court’s Overlord Xing Guang was kicked off the primary rankings.” The many Eldritch Court Overlords discussed, quite amazed.

However, the Eldritch Court Overlords weren’t too surprised. They had all seen the battle footage of Wu Yuan against Overlord Wan Du, and could tell Wu Yuan had slain Overlord Wan Du with ease.

His immense attack power, coupled with astonishing movement technique and speed, was far beyond an ordinary third-stage Overlord.

Before it was confirmed, it was debatable whether Wu Yuan could enter the Primary Samsara Rankings. But with the strength Wu Yuan had displayed, entering the Samsara Rankings was unquestionable; it was just a matter of how high he ranked.

In reality, the Samsara Rankings were just a reference. Did those on the primary rankings necessarily outclass those on the secondary list? Not necessarily. The gap in strength among third-stage Overlords wasn’t that vast.

After a good while, the discussions among the Overlords finally died down.

“Haha, excellent,” Saint Ao Yang smiled, his voice loud and clear. “With this update, another powerhouse from our Eldritch Court has entered the primary rankings, bringing our total to twenty-three, with Overlord Wu Yuan being the latest addition.”

Many Overlords turned to look at Wu Yuan.

“I hope everyone will continue to cultivate diligently, striving to enter the Samsara Rankings,” Saint Ao Yang said. “Let’s aim to surpass the first-ranked Overlord Shan Yue.”

“Overlord Shan Yue?”

“Surpassing him might be difficult. Even Overlord Qing Mo lost to him during their last battle in the cosmic sea.”

“The strongest Overlord.” The Overlords exchanged hushed words, clearly wary of Overlord Shan Yue.

Overlord Shan Yue? Wu Yuan murmured, mentally gathering intelligence on this figure.

Overlord Shan Yue was an Overlord from the Immortal Court Universe. She was the top Overlord of the Immortal Court at present, and the undisputed strongest Overlord across the entire River of Universes. She had destroyed mana and ether bodies of other fourth-stage Overlord powerhouses more than once. Overlords like Bei Zhen and Qing Mo had previously lost their ether bodies to her.

Supreme! Unparalleled! Her most dazzling feat was single-handedly facing three Perennial Eternals in the cosmic sea, ultimately defeating the three eternal lifeforms. Though she couldn’t slay them, the event shook dozens of universes across the River of Universes.

Perennial Eternals normally possess the strength of peak fourth-stage Overlords, with the stronger ones approaching the fifth-stage Overlord level. Wu Yuan mused. For this Overlord Shan Yue to triumph against three-to-one odds, she’s truly not to be underestimated.

Rumors said Overlord Shan Yue was very close to pioneering a Dao.

In comparison, the current top-ranked Overlord Qing Mo within the Eldritch Court paled significantly.

Of course, it wasn’t that Overlord Qing Mo wasn’t strong enough, but that Overlord Shan Yue was simply too powerful.

Very well. Having more rivals makes the path of cultivation all the more interesting. A competitive glint flashed in Wu Yuan’s eyes. My goal is to pioneer a Dao during the sempiternal stage. As a Dao Master candidate with two true selves, I have no reason to be inferior to Overlord Shan Yue.

My first goal will be to surpass Overlord Shan Yue. Wu Yuan decisively set his objective.

Overlord Shan Yue? She was just a benchmark. Only by surpassing her and defeating her could one claim to be the strongest Overlord of the current era in the River of Universes. Only then would one be qualified to pursue the status of myth.

…

While the many Overlords of the Eldritch Court welcomed the new Overlord, Overlords throughout the River of Universes also grew aware of the changes in the Samsara Rankings.

Usually, the Samsara Rankings hardly underwent changes. After all, Overlords had extremely long lifespans and would only grow stronger. It was difficult for newcomers to surpass already established powerhouses.

How could third-stage and fourth-stage Overlords emerge that easily? Usually, there were clear signs leading up to it. Without a doubt, the biggest change this time was Wu Yuan’s inclusion.

“Primary rankings? And at one hundredth place?”

“It seems Wan Yu Tower has determined that Wu Yuan possesses top-tier strength below fourth-stage Overlords.”

“He killed Overlord Wan Du with ease. This ranking is still acceptable.”

“Perhaps Wan Yu Tower has intelligence we’re unaware of.”

Overlords across the River of Universes discussed the changes, with not many dissatisfied voices. After all, Wu Yuan had just entered the primary rankings, not the top ten of the Samsara Rankings.

However, Wu Yuan’s immediate appearance in the primary rankings on his first entry also gave many Overlords across the River of Universes a clearer understanding of his strength.

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Wan Yu Tower actually ranked Wu Yuan so high?”

In the Long Shan Saintdom of the Immortal Court, Overlord Wan Du had also received news about the updated Samsara Rankings, and the first thing he checked was whether Wu Yuan had made the list. Upon discovering Wu Yuan ranked one hundredth, he actually breathed a sigh of relief, his whole demeanor relaxing considerably.

Having my ether body destroyed by a powerhouse on the Samsara Rankings’ primary list is acceptable. Overlord Wan Du shook his head inwardly.

…

In the Ling Jiang Universe, within the Taiyuan Divine Court headquarters, the Samsara Rankings didn’t cause much of a stir. After all, how many Overlords were there in the entire divine court headquarters? Most who knew about it didn’t pay much attention.

Only Overlord Xin Ya took note.

Ming Jian’s body refiner self is truly formidable. Overlord Xin Ya mused inwardly. Already surpassing me after just a hundred thousand years of cultivation? He’s already entered the primary rankings.

He was genuinely impressed, and admired the True Saint’s foresight.

Our divine court headquarters should prepare a generous gift for the Overlord advancement celebration of Ming Jian’s body refiner self. Overlord Xin Ya pondered briefly. I’ll send a set of top-grade Dao Instruments.

A Xiantian artifact? Overlord Xin Ya couldn’t afford such extravagance.

…

The Eternal Rankings were published directly in the Eternal Register, thus circulating only among True Saints. Overlords like Wu Yuan could only hear rumors, unable to read the contents.

Similarly, the Samsara Rankings circulated only among Overlords. The Sovereigns of various Saintdoms across the universes hadn’t even heard of them, let alone knew their contents. Thus, it caused little stir, or rather, no stir at all.

Time flowed like water.

Wu Yuan’s qi refiner self continued cultivating in seclusion within the Greenridge Macrocosm.

His body refiner self diligently created a new ether body while traveling, and gathered information from the Eldritch Court Voidrealm, deepening his understanding of the entire River of Universes and boundless cosmic sea.

Sixty years passed.

Under Wu Yuan’s subtle guidance, Overlord Huan Jin had the good fortune to ‘stumble upon’ two hidden spatial passages, shortening their journey by twenty years.

The two of them finally flew out of the Creation Dao Realm, arriving in the normal expanse of outer space.

Once they left the range of the Dao Realm’s essence, Wu Yuan and Overlord Huan Jin felt an immense sense of relief, the pressure of the surrounding spacetime rapidly diminishing.

Both couldn’t help but smile.

“Overlord Wu Yuan,” Overlord Huan Jin said with a smile, “Shall we head to the Long Shan Saintdom?”

“No need.” Wu Yuan shook his head, “I’ve been away from the Ling Jiang Universe for long enough. It’s been tens of thousands of years since I returned. I’d like to go back first, and besides, the Eldritch Progenitor has been waiting for me for quite some time.”

“Very well,” Overlord Huan Jin laughed. “Then I won’t hold you back. Do visit the Long Shan Saintdom when you have time.”

“Certainly,” Wu Yuan replied with a smile.

With that, Overlord Huan Jin cupped her hands in farewell, transforming into a streak of light that swiftly entered the Spacetime Intersection Layer, vanishing from Wu Yuan’s perception.

The Spacetime Intersection Layer. Wu Yuan mused inwardly. Even for the mighty Overlords of Spacetime, this is the highest spatial dimension they can traverse.

Ordinary Overlords and Sovereigns of Space could travel within the Spacetime Intersection Layer. Overlords of Spacetime could likewise do so, albeit at much faster speeds, typically reaching the speed of light.

Before returning to the Ling Jiang Universe, I should visit Master first. The Qiu Yan Macrocosm? Wu Yuan thought to himself as he took a step, disappearing from this sector of outer space.

Sword Immortal Dong Yang had come to the Long Shan Universe tens of thousands of years ago.

Before Wu Yuan’s body refiner self emerged from seclusion, his qi refiner self had already learned of Master Dong Yang’s general location through various channels, hoping to pay him a visit.

Wu Yuan held immense respect and admiration for Master Dong Yang.

Though alone, Wu Yuan harbored no fear. With his status as an Ancestral Pagoda Archon and Dao Master candidate, he was confident the Immortal Court would find it nearly impossible to divine his whereabouts.

Indeed, this was the case. Moreover, so what if they did? Even if Overlord Long He from the Long Shan Saintdom of the Immortal Court were to attack, Wu Yuan believed he could at least ensure his own survival, even if outmatched.

…

The Qiu Yan Macrocosm was an unremarkable realm among the nearly ten thousand macrocosms of the Long Shan Universe.

The macrocosm boasted dozens of Sovereigns, but had never produced an Overlord. Its sole notable super powerhouse was Sovereign Qiu Yan, possessing formidable strength at the eighth-stage Sovereign level. With the backing of the Demon Moon Temple, a Saintdom, he governed over half the macrocosm’s territory.

In the Qiu Yan Immortal World, within the Lan Yue Immortal Nation.

Whoosh! A black-robed figure materialized out of thin air in the dim outer space.

His aura was completely concealed; even an Astral Monarch’s Soul Force would fail to detect the slightest trace of his presence.

It was none other than Wu Yuan, who had spent half a day journeying here from the Creation Dao Realm.

Hm? Master isn’t in the Lan Yue Immortal Nation? I can’t find any trace of karmic connection? Wu Yuan furrowed his brow slightly. My qi refiner self clearly told Master not to leave the Lan Yue Immortal Nation for the next decade, and he agreed.

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