“So you’re Hou Feng? Observing your soul aura, it’s indeed quite extraordinary,” the High Eldritch Hou Zhi’s gaze fell upon Wu Yuan.
His gaze, imbued with his powerful will, couldn’t shake Wu Yuan’s heart in the slightest. This was only natural. In terms of Dao Heart and willpower, Wu Yuan was no inferior to a High Eldritch.
“Indeed.” High Eldritch Hou Zhi grew increasingly satisfied, the slight doubt he harbored about Wu Yuan all but dissipating.
He continued, “I can sense your vital aura, it’s extremely robust. What Earth Eldritch Hou Cheng said must be correct.
However, the necessary verifications are still in order. They say you’ve comprehended Celestial Body True Intent.” High Eldritch Hou Zhi smiled, “Hou Feng, could you trigger the Dao fluctuations for me?”
“Yes.” Wu Yuan nodded, and with a thought, a hazy earthy-yellow light spread out, enveloping his entire body. Within this light was a power that made one’s heart tremble.
At this sight, the eyes of the two black-armored High Eldritches lit up.
“Haha, excellent!” High Eldritch Hou Zhi revealed a satisfied smile. “Wonderful! Hou Feng, your talent is indeed exceptional. Another remarkable existence has emerged from our Earth Eldritch lineage.”
“You’ve only cultivated for over a hundred years? You’re far more formidable than I was back then. In the future, you have every chance of becoming an Eldritch Deity.” High Eldritch Hou Zhi stared at Wu Yuan as if he were looking at a priceless treasure.
It made Wu Yuan feel somewhat uneasy.
“Hou Cheng, you’ve handled this matter well,” High Eldritch Hou Zhi turned his gaze to Earth Eldritch Hou Cheng. “The reward will be credited to your Hou Cheng Tribe and disbursed with the next round of rewards.”
“Understood,” Earth Eldritch Hou Cheng respectfully replied.
The value of this so-called reward was naturally not on the same level as a future High Eldritch. But Earth Eldritch Hou Cheng understood with crystal clarity that his tribe was too weak to retain a monstrous prodigy like Wu Yuan.
High Eldritch Hou Zhi already said he had the potential to become an Eldritch Deity.
An Eldritch Deity! That was a pinnacle existence in the entire eldritch race.
“Hou Feng, as Third Veteran Elder of the Earth Archeldritch tribe, I hereby invite you to cultivate in the Archeldritch tribe. Are you willing?” High Eldritch Hou Zhi looked at Wu Yuan.
“I am willing,” Wu Yuan replied solemnly.
Cultivating in an Archeldritch tribe was the desire of every eldritch race member in Great Huang, but how difficult was it to enter an Archeldritch tribe?
For Wu Yuan, entering the Archeldritch tribe was merely the first step in uncovering the secrets of this world.
“Hou Feng, do you have any final tasks to fulfill? Such as family matters?” High Eldritch Hou Zhi asked. “Once you leave with us, it will likely take at least several hundred or even thousands of years before you return.”
“No, I’ve always been alone,” Wu Yuan shook his head.
“Alright,” High Eldritch Hou Zhi smiled. “Well then, let’s not delay any further. Come with me to the Archeldritch tribe.”
“Yes,” Wu Yuan nodded.
Soon after, High Eldritch Hou Zhi and the other two black-armored High Eldritches led Wu Yuan outside. Then with a wave of his hand, an ancient, black battleship appeared.
A celestial battleship? Does this world also have celestial artifacts? Wu Yuan was inwardly surprised, sensing the aura of the battleship.
It was certainly a celestial artifact, though he couldn’t determine its exact grade. Normally, a piece of low-grade celestial equipment would cost thousands of divine crystals; but the value of battleships was completely different. A low-grade celestial battleship would cost at least tens of thousands or even over a hundred thousand divine crystals.
Even in the Greenridge Macrocosm, ordinary peak-stage High Eldritch powerhouses couldn’t afford celestial battleships.
It seems Huanggu isn’t as simple as I thought, and there’s also the Eldritch Deity they’ve mentioned several times. Wu Yuan mused silently. What kind of powerhouse is that exactly?
It sounded like the Eldritch Deities were far stronger than Hou Zhi, who was a peak-stage High Eldritch.
“Come, let’s head in.” The four entered the battleship, and soon after, the celestial battleship transformed into a streak of light.
“When Hou Feng returns, I fear he will have already surpassed us,” Earth Eldritch Hou Fu, who had been standing guard at the entrance, sighed emotionally.
“Return?” Earth Eldritch Hou Cheng glanced at him. “Do you think Hou Feng will come back? He’s not a native-born powerhouse of our tribe; our emotional ties aren’t that deep.”
Earth Eldritch Hou Fu froze, then smiled. “At least his relationship with us is closer than with other high-tier eldritch tribes. In the future, when he becomes a High Eldritch or even a veteran elder of the eldritch race, it will benefit our tribe.”
Every tribe had its veteran elders. But a veteran elder of the eldritch race was a veteran elder of the entire eldritch race. Each one was at least a peak-stage High Eldritch powerhouse.
…
The battleship soared swiftly through the sky.
The two black-armored High Eldritches had entered the meditation chambers, leaving only Wu Yuan and High Eldritch Hou Zhi in the main hall.
“Veteran Elder, how long will it take us to reach the Archeldritch tribe?” Wu Yuan asked.
“Just over a day.” High Eldritch Hou Zhi replied with a smile, “This battleship is among the highest grade in the entire eldritch race, capable of reaching a top speed of six hundred thousand li per breath. It was left behind by an Archeldritch and is a precious treasure of our tribe.
Even an Imperial Majesty of the Immortal Court couldn’t breach the defenses of this battleship, making it absolutely safe,” High Eldritch Hou Zhi explained to Wu Yuan.
Wu Yuan nodded in understanding.
So it was left behind by an Archeldritch. However, such a celestial battleship was indeed astonishing. Six hundred thousand li per breath? That was equivalent to one hundred thousand li per second. In one day, it could travel eight billion li. Truly terrifying.
Of course, an ordinary High Eldritch flying at full speed could generally reach sixty to seventy thousand li per second, but it was far less safe than riding within a celestial battleship.
The eldritch race’s upper echelons are truly attentive in their reception. Wu Yuan thought to himself.
He realized the importance the eldritch race was placing on him. Just the talent he had displayed so far was likely among the absolute top tier in the Huanggu eldritch race.
“Hou Feng, your talent is incredible. In the past, our upper echelons were unaware of you, but now things are different. We will naturally focus on training you,” High Eldritch Hou Zhi smiled. “The Law of Celestial Body you’ve comprehended is particularly important.”
“The Law of Celestial Body? Important? Why?” Wu Yuan felt slightly puzzled.
“Earth Eldritch Hou Cheng should have told you quite a bit about the Law of Celestial Body,” High Eldritch Hou Zhi smiled.
“Yes, Celestial Body is an Intermediate Law,” Wu Yuan said.
Huanggu was a self-contained world, isolated from and unable to communicate with the external world. But with the Archeldritches’ teachings, many basic cultivation methods were widespread. In this aspect, it wasn’t much different from the Greenridge Macrocosm.
“Back when heaven and earth were created, the Archeldritches spread numerous teachings, and our Earth Eldritch lineage was born. Then the Archeldritches departed, leaving behind two great treasures for our Earth Eldritch lineage. One is the Archeldritch Hall,” High Eldritch Hou Zhi explained. “The other is the three Archeldritch Divine Artifacts.
The Archeldritch Hall allows our Earth Eldritch lineage to continuously produce a large number of powerhouses. Even our ability to break through is mostly attributed to the Archeldritch Hall.
The fact that you could comprehend the Celestial Body Dao relying solely on yourself is simply inconceivable,” High Eldritch Hou Zhi marveled.
Wu Yuan was inwardly shocked.
It sounded like this Archeldritch Hall was quite miraculous, and the abilities of that Earth Archeldritch from the past seemed extremely formidable. Could an ordinary Archeldritch be this powerful?
“The Archeldritch Hall is accessible to many Earth Eldritch lineage cultivators,” High Eldritch Hou Zhi explained, his voice carrying a hint of reverence. “But the Archeldritch Divine Artifact is an entirely different matter.
Even the two Eldritch Deities of our Earth Archeldritch tribe can only harness a fraction of the power of the three great Archeldritch Divine Artifacts.
Only those who have comprehended the three Intermediate Laws of the Earth Dao to an exceedingly profound level can truly wield the Archeldritch Divine Artifacts.” High Eldritch Hou Zhi turned his gaze toward Wu Yuan. “Hou Feng, do you understand what I‘m saying?”
“Comprehend the Intermediate Laws? To unleash the power of the Archeldritch Divine Artifacts?” Wu Yuan’s face betrayed surprise, but his mind was already churning with possibilities.
“Veteran Elder, are you suggesting that I might one day have the chance to wield the Archeldritch Divine Artifacts?” Wu Yuan asked, his voice tinged with barely contained excitement.
“Precisely! I had my doubts before meeting you, but now, I have none whatsoever,” High Eldritch Hou Zhi declared. “It took me hundreds of thousands of years to reach the eighth-level True Intent stage of the Celestial Body Dao.
Without becoming an Eldritch Deity, one’s lifespan is limited to a million years at most. I have a feeling that I may never break through that barrier in this lifetime,” High Eldritch Hou Zhi said, shaking his head slightly. “But you are different.
With the aid of the Archeldritch Hall, you have a genuine chance of shattering those limitations. Once you wield the Archeldritch Divine Artifacts, even Eldritch Deities will be no match for you.
At that point, you’ll possess the strength to face the Imperial Majesties of the Immortal Court who wield the Creation Divine Artifacts in direct combat,” High Eldritch Hou Zhi’s eyes gleamed with anticipation. “Our eldritch race will finally have a real chance of triumphing over the immortal race.”
Wu Yuan listened, astonished.
“High Eldritch, what exactly is an Eldritch Deity?” Wu Yuan asked.
Eldritch Deity? In the external world, there was no corresponding title.
“It’s not really a secret; even the Immortal Court is aware of it. You should already know that both High Immortals and High Eldritches have a lifespan limit of one million years,” High Eldritch Hou Zhi said with a smile.
Wu Yuan nodded gently.
“Eldritch Deities, however, can break through that limitation,” High Eldritch Hou Zhi explained, his voice filled with reverence. “They have fully comprehended a complete Dao, shattering the restrictions heaven and earth place on the lifespan of living beings.
The most ancient Eldritch Deity of our eldritch race has lived for over ten million years and once was a follower of the Archeldritch.”
Eldritch Deity? Follower of the Archeldritch? Understanding dawned upon Wu Yuan.
The so-called Eldritch Deities must be High Eldritches whose Dao comprehension rivaled that of an Archeldritch. Their strength far surpassed even the peak-stage High Eldritches.
Are the Archeldritch Divine Artifacts truly so miraculous? Even Eldritch Deities can’t match them? Wu Yuan marveled internally, his curiosity and anticipation growing.
“This time, the tribe will grant you Archeldritch Origin, ensuring that you have the finest cultivation environment. You’ll understand its effects once you enter the Archeldritch Hall.” High Eldritch Hou Zhi said with a smile, a hint of expectation in his voice.
“Understood,” Wu Yuan nodded.
Archeldritch Origin? It sounded like the most precious treasure the Archeldritch tribe used to nurture its prodigies.
Time flowed on.
The celestial battleship traversed ten billion li over a full day. Soon, a massive eldritch settlement appeared in Wu Yuan’s field of vision.
So this is the Archeldritch tribe? Wu Yuan mused to himself.
At a glance, even with layers of defense arrays obscuring his view, he could roughly estimate that the entire Archeldritch tribe was so vast it could easily rival a hundred high-tier eldritch tribes. Countless beings called this place home.
Occasionally, he caught glimpses of numerous powerful eldritch experts flying about, battleships coming and going.
“We’re safe now. Come, let’s not waste time. We’ll head straight to the Archeldritch Hall,” High Eldritch Hou Zhi announced, steering the battleship directly into the depths of the Archeldritch tribe.
The deeper they ventured, the fewer people they encountered. Finally, the battleship arrived at a series of undulating, circular mountain ranges.
On either side of the mountain ranges stood a succession of enormous floating halls, with powerful Eldritch Warriors patrolling their perimeters.
At the center of the valley, encircled by the floating halls, stood a towering black spire, a thousand zhangs tall, exuding an ancient and boundless aura.
“This is the Archeldritch Hall, the sacred ground of our Earth Eldritch lineage,” High Eldritch Hou Zhi’s eyes shone with reverence.
“Hou Feng, we’re heading in. Follow me.”