“High Immortal, this Wu Yuan will not disappoint you,” Protectorate Xiong Yuan stated solemnly. “With his strength, he has every right to compete for a place as an Immortal Nation Division Bloodforge Seed.”
“At the very least, he is unmatched amongst the millions of Golden Core disciples in my Redmoon division,” Protectorate Xiong Yuan added, his voice brimming with confidence.
It was clear that Protectorate Xiong Yuan had unwavering faith in Wu Yuan after Daoist Long’s detailed introduction and his own scrutiny of the battle footage.
“Unmatched? At present, our Redmoon division has over eighty Bloodforge Seeds, all Immortal Continent Division Bloodforge Seeds, that is, second-tier Bloodforge Seeds,” the detached voice responded, a hint of skepticism in its tone.
“I have watched Wu Yuan’s battle footage, and he is indeed very impressive. However, over the long years, I only believe what I see with my own eyes,” the voice continued, its words measured. “I hope his strength corresponds with his performance in the projection.”
“You may carry on.”
“Understood.” Protectorate Xiong Yuan bowed respectfully and withdrew.
…
In the Summerpeak World, within the Cloud Capital of the Middle Land, a family had gathered in the Imperial City.
“Leaving the Summerpeak World, not certain for how long? Perhaps hundreds, thousands of years? And so soon?” His mother Wanqin’s voice trembled, her eyes wide with disbelief.
For decades, she had led a privileged life as the Empress Dowager of the Wu Empire, her worldview broadened by experience.
Although she lacked martial talent, Wu Yuan had expended many treasured resources, enhancing her physical constitution to be on par with a Savant expert.
Despite being over seventy, Wanqin looked barely different from a woman in her forties at first glance.
However, no matter how broad her worldview, Wanqin was, in the end, just an ordinary elderly woman. How could she be willing to send her only son far away in her old age?
Wu Yuan sighed inwardly. He had no choice!
His initial plan was to wait until his mother passed away, which was around the time his body refiner self was expected to step into the Shambhala phase. Then he would leave the Summerpeak World, roaming far and wide.
While your parents are alive, do not travel far away. If you must travel, have a plan to ensure they are cared for.
Perhaps this wasn’t the most conducive way of life for cultivation, but sometimes, it was the choice with the least regrets. However, life was unpredictable. Who could have foreseen the drastic changes in Summerpeak World?
“Mother, even big brother is helpless,” Wu Yijun, his little sister, stood to the side, speaking in a low voice. “The Bloodforge Devil Hall is an unimaginable force. Their methods are on the level of immortals and devils, we can’t defy them.”
She had just stepped into the Qi Sea phase, but being Wu Yuan’s sister, her status in the Middle Land was naturally high, granting her access to high-level information.
“Mother, things aren’t as bad as you think,” Wu Yuan said, forcing a smile. “When I join the Bloodforge Devil Hall, I will be highly valued and granted an important status. This will give me more chances to obtain miraculous treasures that could extend your life.”
“In the future, I will find a way to send back treasures to increase your lifespan,” Wu Yuan looked at his mother, his eyes filled with determination.
For powerful immortal cultivators, extending the life of a mortal was not difficult. But the workings of heaven and earth followed rules and restrictions.
The lifespan limit of most mortals was two hundred years, and the treasures required to achieve this were extraordinary. At least, they couldn’t be found in the Summerpeak World.
Want a longer lifespan? Then one must undergo a transition in the order of life, reaching the Qi Sea or Golden Core phase. Then, one didn’t have to rely on external treasures. Relying on oneself was still the best.
As far as Wu Yuan knew, if he wanted to turn his mortal mother who was utterly talentless in martial arts into a Qi Sea cultivator, the price was too steep even for a Void Refiner cultivator. If she desired to reach the Golden Core phase? Even a High Immortal would struggle. Even legendary, supreme beings couldn’t possibly turn a mere mortal into an immortal.
If one lacked talent and didn’t work hard enough, relying solely on external treasures, there would ultimately be a limit and an end. Such was the brutal reality of the path to immortality.
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Wu Yijun also comforted her, “Mother, Big Brother is not leaving only for himself, but for you, and for the entire Middle Land.”
“I understand, I’m not senile yet. A man’s legacy is built upon his accomplishments in the world beyond his home. But…” Wanqin sat on the chair, shaking her head, her voice tinged with regret. “After all these years, none of you have married or bore offspring.”
Wu Yuan and Wu Yijun stiffened. Then they both burst into laughter.
Indeed, Wu Yuan’s rapid growth made it impossible for any woman in the Middle Land to catch his eye. As for Wu Yijun? Having looked up to her brother since childhood and trained relentlessly, she was now one of the youngest Heavenly Rankers in the Middle Land. How many men could catch her eye? Hence, the siblings remained unmarried till now.
Wanqin merely voiced her concerns without truly obstructing Wu Yuan’s journey. Although she was a mortal, she knew a little about the world of immortals and devils, and understood that Wu Yuan’s choice was the right one. She also understood that her son was already someone who stood among deities, not bound by the laws of the mundane world.
After bidding their mother farewell, Wu Yuan and Wu Yijun returned to Archeldritch Mountain, and activated the array.
“Little Yi, take these,” Wu Yuan pressed two storage artifacts into his sister’s hand. “They’re yours now.”
Wu Yijun blinked in surprise, accepting the artifacts and probing them with her Soul Force.
A moment later, she gasped in astonishment, her eyes wide. “Big Brother, all these treasures…they’re for me?”
The treasures inside the storage rings were worth tens of thousands of catties of ethercrystal, along with several thousands of catties of ethercrystals. For Wu Yijun, who was only at the second-stage Qi Sea phase, this was an unimaginable fortune.
“Yes, they’re for you,” Wu Yuan nodded, smiling. “You’re my only sister. Who else would I give them to? I’d originally planned to give them to you over a period of time, but it can no longer wait.”
“The other treasures are for your cultivation. If any prodigies arise in our clan in the future, you can nurture them depending on the situation,” Wu Yuan added.
Over the past few decades, Wu Yuan and his sister had no children, but the Wu Clan flourished, with a steady stream of martial artists springing up, including several Grandmasters.
Wu Yijun listened, understanding that her brother was making his final arrangements.
“As for the ethercrystal, aside from your own cultivation needs, they are primarily for powering the two Golden Core puppets,” Wu Yuan explained. “You’ve already claimed ownership over the puppets. From now on, they will secretly guard you and our Wu Clan.”
“Okay,” Wu Yijun nodded, her voice soft but resolute.
Of the eight Golden Core puppets, Wu Yuan had only ever revealed six to the public. These were handed to the Middle Land Guard. But he had kept the existence of the last two a secret. After Wu Yijun became a qi refiner, he gave them to her for safekeeping. This was Wu Yuan’s arrangement for his family.
“I will hold a Middle Land Guard conference and announce the decree of succession. You shall inherit the throne,” Wu Yuan said, stroking Wu Yijun’s hair. “My empress.”
“Me, the empress?” Wu Yijun’s eyes widened in shock. “But the chieftain, the grand elder…they have their ambitions.”
She never expected that her brother would pass the throne to her.
“I’ll let Fang Xia assume the position of Alliance Leader. As for the throne of the Wu Empire, you take it,” Wu Yuan said indifferently. “I’ve never cared about the ambitions of Wu Mao or Wu Qiming. In this world, martial power rules.”
“I will make a decree. The entire Teng Snake Guard will follow your orders.”
“Those people of the Wu Clan…they won’t be able to stir up any discontent,” Wu Yuan stated flatly, his voice carrying an edge of finality.
The hearts of men were malleable. Over decades, two massive political factions had formed around Wu Mao and Wu Qiming, all eyeing the throne of the Wu Empire.
Everyone knew that Wu Yuan was a cultivator and would definitely abdicate in the future. Plus, Wu Yuan had no heirs. Therefore, many within the Wu Clan had attempted to adopt Wu Clan descendants under Wu Yuan’s name in the hope of future succession.
What a pity, this was never in the cards for Wu Yuan.
“Little Yi, there aren’t many people in Middle Land who truly matter to me. Aside from our mother, the only person I care for is you,” Wu Yuan softly said. “Becoming the empress is also a test for you. If you wish, you can serve for two hundred or three hundred years, it’s up to you.”
“In the future, if I unify Summerpeak, you can rule over all of Summerpeak if you wish,” Wu Yuan said with a smile, painting her a bright picture of the future.
Wu Yijun held her breath. She had never thought that far ahead.
“If anyone within the Wu Clan dares to defy your orders, just kill them all,” Wu Yuan said, his voice cold. “With the Teng Snake Guard under your command, and your own martial prowess, I believe that the Middle Land Guard, led by Fang Xia, won’t make things difficult for you. However, you should respect the Golden Core cultivators.”
“If you encounter difficulties, endure them first. I’ll take care of the problems when I return,” Wu Yuan instructed.
“Mm,” Wu Yijun nodded, listening attentively.
She was no simple maiden either; after decades of honing, her skills were first-rate. Only in the presence of her elder brother did she behave like a little girl.
“However, we need to be prepared for any eventuality. Take this token.” Wu Yuan flipped his palm and handed her Daoist Long’s token. “Daoist Long is a friend of mine, I’ll inform him about you.”
“If you encounter a problem in the Middle Land that you can’t solve, seek him out. He’ll know what to do.”
“If it doesn’t work, we’ll cleanse the whole Middle Land and start over.” A flash of coldness passed through Wu Yuan’s eyes.
Though he possessed the Bloodforge Immortal Realm’s voidrealm jade, it required the power of the Golden Core phase to use it. Hence, no one in the Wu Clan could use it.
Wu Yuan did leave a piece for his sister, Wu Yijun, but how many years would it take before she could make use of it? Even a hundred years would be a conservative estimate.