Chapter 569: Heaven and Earth Tournament

Chapter 569: Heaven and Earth Tournament

Twenty years had passed since Wu Yuan had advanced to the Amethyst Cradle and Shambhala phases, and thirty years since the last Heaven and Earth Tournament in the Fifth Origin Eldritch Field.

The Fifth Origin Eldritch Field held its Heaven and Earth Tournament every twenty years, a relatively high frequency. By contrast, the Fourth Origin Eldritch Field, where Amethyst Cradle/Shambhala cultivators typically trained for longer periods, hosted its tournament only once every fifty years.

Thirty years have flown by in the blink of an eye. Wu Yuan mused silently. In another fifty years, I'll step into the Void Refiner and Elysian Field phases.

Wu Yuan had advanced rapidly to the ninth stage of his current phase, outpacing other prodigies in the Origin Eldritch Field. His speed was largely due to the divine crystal elixir bestowed by his master.

But such rapid advancement came with its own risks. With each dramatic leap in the order of life, time was needed to digest one’s insights and adapt to new power levels, lest unforeseen issues arise. This was particularly crucial in the early stages, where carelessness could lead to dire consequences.

At the Spiritual Body/Golden Core phase, once a cultivator reached the ninth stage, they typically spent a decade consolidating their cultivation. At the ninth-stage Amethyst Cradle/Shambhala phase, the consolidation period was even longer—at least a century, with eighty years being the absolute minimum.

I'll break through as soon as I complete the minimum necessary consolidation period. Wu Yuan decided.

In both the Origin Eldritch Field and the Immortal Hall, many geniuses spent three or four centuries in the Amethyst Cradle/Shambhala phase. This was firstly because their mana cultivation progressed slower than Wu Yuan's, and secondly due to their desire to compete for the first-place rewards.

For such geniuses, spending extended periods in a cultivation phase was normal. But Wu Yuan had no intention of stalling his progress.

Without other matters to attend to, my qi refiner self should continue secluded cultivation in the Immortal Belvedere, focusing on comprehending the Law of Space. He thought. I've made significant progress in several Lesser Laws of Space.

I've also successfully stepped into the thresholds of the True Domain Dao and Qiankun Dao. Wu Yuan reflected, gently closing his eyes.

With a mere thought, he became acutely aware of his surroundings in the meditation chamber.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Fifty-five phantoms materialized from thin air, each indistinguishable from Wu Yuan’s real body.

Even a typical Amethyst Cradle/Shambhala cultivator would struggle to differentiate between the real and illusory with their Soul Force.

As the phantoms dissipated with a soft hum, Wu Yuan reappeared in the corner of the chamber. But to assume this was the real Wu Yuan would be a mistake.

Poof! The figure dissolved like a mirage, and the true Wu Yuan materialized back in his original position. The interplay of reality and illusion was dizzying.

Dream bubbles, overlapping voids. Wu Yuan murmured. The seventh-level Domain stage of True Domain is truly remarkable.

Indeed, after advancing his comprehension of four Lesser Laws of Space to the first-level True Intent stage, it took Wu Yuan merely six years to fuse the Intermediate Law of Space, True Domain, to the seventh-level Domain stage.

This rate of progress was nothing short of terrifying. Many Earth Immortals and High Immortals would struggle to match Wu Yuan's pace, even after millennia of cultivation in the Immortal Belvedere.

Even accounting for numerous external factors, Wu Yuan's speed of advancement was still extraordinary.

Third-level Domain stage of Qiankun. Wu Yuan closed his eyes again, sensing countless subtle spatial fluctuations in the tranquil void around him.

Whoosh! He took a step, and the world seemed to blur. In an instant, he appeared at the meditation chamber's entrance, as if he had teleported. Yet he knew this was a rudimentary application of the Qiankun Dao, still far from profound.

I haven't grasped the Spatial Rift Dao yet. Wu Yuan shook his head slightly.

For his age, simultaneously grasping two of the three Intermediate Laws of Space was already a remarkable achievement.

With the aid of the Space Dao, though my progress in the Celestial Body Dao and Longevity Dao haven’t been significant, my overall strength has greatly increased. Wu Yuan thought.

If he were to face his qi refiner self from fifteen years ago, Wu Yuan was confident he could force it into a corner and slay it within dozens of exchanges. In terms of movement skill and speed, Wu Yuan had reached an entirely new level.

However, in a true life-or-death battle, I'd still struggle against a newly advancedEarth Immortal. Wu Yuan acknowledged the challenge of fighting across major phase boundaries.

Wu Yuan's performance was exemplary on the Eldritch-Immortal Battlefield, yet there was still a gap between his power and the Earth Immortal level. Now, with further advancements in Dao comprehension, his full power barely reached the Earth Immortal level. The disparity in base mana was too great.

My progress in the True Domain Dao has been swift. If I continue my current progress, I should be able to grasp True Domain True Intent in a few more decades. Wu Yuan pondered.

Meeting Immortal Sovereign Bei You’s requirements within a century of cultivating in the Immortal Belvedere posed little difficulty.

Once I grasp True Domain True Intent, harmonizing it with Celestial Body True Intent and Longevity True Intent, the power yielded would be comparable to the seventh-level Dao Field stage of a Lesser Law.

This was merely the harmony of Daos. If perfectly fused to form Life True Intent, the resulting power would be terrifying, rivaling a complete Lesser Law.

At that point, even with only Amethyst Cradle phase mana, Wu Yuan’s Dao comprehension would allow him to dominate battles against Earth Immortals. However, this path was the most arduous one.

My body refiner self has toiled for over a decade, yet still hasn't crossed the threshold of the Life Dao. Wu Yuan shook his head, feeling a bit helpless.

When his qi refiner self first began making rapid progress in the Law of Space, Wu Yuan had fantasized himself quickly mastering it, then proving himself to Master Kua Chi.

Soon, he realized he had been overly optimistic. His body refiner self, while comprehending the Celestial Body Dao, also studied the silver sphere, attempting to decipher the profundities of its layered cryptic patterns.

Wu Yuan could recognize bits and pieces of the silver cryptic patterns when isolated, identifying them as Dao profundities from the Celestial Body Dao, Longevity Dao, or True Domain Dao.

But once fused, they became as incomprehensible as a heavenly scripture, leaving Wu Yuan baffled as to how certain Dao patterns could even be combined.

It was like learning English in his past life. He could recognize individual letters, but once countless letters formed different words, and countless words formed an essay...

"He won’t make it."

"Staying in earth-tier shouldn't be a problem for him though."

"Wu Yuan is likely the most talented individual in the entire Origin Eldritch Field, but he’s too young. He might stand a chance in the tournament after the next, or perhaps by the next one."

"Advancing from second-level to third-level True Intent stage isn't easy.” Their whispers were filled with skepticism, though none could deny Wu Yuan's talent. Even those who hadn't witnessed his skills firsthand had heard the stories.

However, the idea of Wu Yuan, with less than a century of cultivation, triumphing over geniuses who had trained for three or four centuries seemed far-fetched.

It was worth noting that the Fourth Origin Eldritch Field boasted around twenty top-tier geniuses who had already reached the third-level True Intent stage.

As their debates simmered, the first round of battles erupted within the vast combat spaces.

...

The first round of battles concluded swiftly, some lasting mere seconds, others stretching to a quarter hour at most.

"As expected, Chu Deng is formidable. His Hydroflame Staff is terrifying, like a spear capable of tearing through space itself."

"Long Zun’s great hammer is equally horrifying."

"Lady Xinan's swordplay remains breathtakingly beautiful. I felt like I could lose myself in its grace."

"Long..." Under the watchful eyes of hundreds of thousands of disciples, over a dozen highly anticipated top-tier geniuses showcased their prowess.

The geniuses of the Origin Eldritch Field typically relished combat, so their abilities were usually well-known.

"Wu Yuan won too. His strength is quite impressive."

"Indeed. He might even rank within the top fifty, though he’s clearly still a step behind Chu Deng and the others."

"Still, his progress at such a young age is astounding.” Wu Yuan's presence hadn't gone unnoticed.

None dared to underestimate him. After all, when the other two hundred or so participants were Wu Yuan's age, most of them were still members of the Fifth Origin Eldritch Field.

Time marched forward, and round after round of battles concluded.

According to the tournament rules, twenty rounds would take place each day, with the second stage of the Heaven and Earth Tournament lasting a total of fourteen days.

By midday, the eighteenth round had arrived.

"Chu Deng’s next opponent is Wu Yuan.”

"Interesting. The acknowledged strongest of the Fourth Origin Eldritch Field versus the number one genius?"

"What’s so interesting? Wu Yuan is bound to lose." Though a handful of disciples leaned in to observe the match, their expectations of a sudden upset were low.

Based on the previous seventeen rounds, it seemed like Wu Yuan was destined for defeat.

...

Inside the combat space, Wu Yuan and Chu Deng stood at opposite ends, facing each other from a distance. Wu Yuan’s white robes fluttered gently in the air, pristine as jade, while Chu Deng stood clad in black armor, exuding the aura of a war god.

Both eldritch warriors were at the ninth-stage Shambhala phase, their vital auras swirling like storms around them.

"Wu Yuan? Long Zun mentioned you," Chu Deng said, his voice like rolling thunder. His gaze bore into Wu Yuan, his eyes like bronze bells. "I know of your feats. You're talented, no doubt. But your time to take the heaven-tier title hasn’t come yet. I’ve waited a hundred years, and this is my third tournament."

"Chu Deng," Wu Yuan replied calmly, "Let me give you a piece of advice. The heaven-tier title can never be achieved by simply waiting."

"Oh?" Chu Deng's eyes narrowed. "Then show me what you're capable of. But let me also give you some advice: strength isn’t proven by words."

Boom! Chu Deng's form shifted, instantly growing to a height of a thousand zhangs. Nine arms sprouted from his body, giving him an eerie appearance, and his vital aura soared to frightening levels.

Grand ether art — Nine-Armed Eldritch Progenitor!

In his nine arms, he wielded two shields, two sabers, and five staffs!

With equal ferocity, Wu Yuan also morphed, transforming into a thousand-zhang giant with three heads and eight arms that held four shields and four sabers!

Advanced ether art—Three-Headed Eight-Armed Form.

As second-degree eldritch root cultivators at the Shambhala phase, they could each cultivate one grand ether art. Clearly, Wu Yuan hadn't focused on overly powerful offensive secret arts.

"Take my strike!" Chu Deng roared, his attack as swift and devastating as the collapse of heaven. His five long staffs cracked through the air while two war sabers howled in unison.

Wu Yuan’s calm eyes blazed with sudden, intense killing intent. "Kill!" His voice rang out as his sabers and shields moved in concert to meet Chu Deng's strike head-on.

The might he displayed was no less terrifying than Chu Deng's.