Four hours later, that impassive voice resonated once more throughout the space: “We have arrived at the outskirts of the Spacetime Dao Realm. The hatches will open shortly.
I hope you will achieve greatness in the Spacetime Dao Realm.
Now, go forth!”
With a thunderous rumble, the space seemed to split open as the battleship’s hatches opened. Immediately after, an invisible force enveloped Wu Yuan, Zhuo Haiyue, Hua Zhu, and all the others.
Whoosh! Tens of thousands of immortal cultivators vanished from their original positions, reappearing in a bright new world.
They found themselves on an immense plaza, easily spanning hundreds of thousands of li—a sight that astounded even their keen eyes.
The black battleship that had brought them here was already nothing more than a tiny speck in the distance.
On one side of the plaza lay the endless void. On the other stood an enormous light screen, subtly divided into three sections.
“Quiet down, young newcomers,” a gentle voice echoed across heaven and earth. This voice seemed to possess an intangible charm, causing Wu Yuan and the others to fall silent instinctively.
Everyone couldn’t help but look up at the woman who had appeared in the void without prior warning.
She wore purple battle armor and was breathtakingly beautiful, but these were mere superficial details. Her aura was majestic and overwhelming, exuding a sense of sanctity.
In that moment, standing before her, everyone—including Wu Yuan—felt a deep sense of unworthiness.
A Sovereign? Wu Yuan thought in surprise. The aura this woman radiated seemed similar to that of Immortal Sovereign Bei You.
“You may address me as Sovereign Lan Yan. I am also the current overseer of the Spacetime Island. This is one of my incarnations,” the purple-armored woman gazed down at the crowd, her eyes warm and gentle.
Her presence was a comforting warmth, allowing everyone to feel genuinely at ease.
The crowd held their breath. A Sovereign? Faced with such a super powerhouse, no one dared harbor even a hint of defiance.
“Do you see the spacetime light screen in the distance?” Sovereign Lan Yan asked. “Pass through this light screen, and you will reach the Spacetime Island.
The Spacetime Island will be your primary residence for the next several thousand or even tens of thousands of years.
The Dao Master is benevolent, propagating the Dao throughout the realms, but resources are ultimately limited. Your future achievements are hard to predict, but in the initial stages, the resources you’ll receive from the Dao Realm will depend on the tier of your spacetime imprints,” Sovereign Lan Yan explained. “The higher the tier of your spacetime imprint, the more abundant the resources you’ll receive.”
“Tier of spacetime imprints?”
“Are there differences between spacetime imprints?”
“I’m not sure, the Astral Monarch didn’t tell us about this.” The geniuses from various macrocosms of the divine court whispered among themselves.
Evidently, while most had received some information, it wasn’t particularly comprehensive.
Only Wu Yuan felt quite clear on the matter, as the resources he’d received came directly from Immortal Sovereign Bei You and were extremely thorough.
“Spacetime imprints are classified, from weakest to strongest: Ordinary Imprints, Elite Imprints, Sovereign Imprints, Dao Master Imprints, and Legacy Imprints,” Sovereign Lan Yan explained.
“In the early stages of cultivation, the higher your imprint tier, the better your starting point will be. Of course, as you cultivate on the Spacetime Island, there are ways to gradually improve your imprint tier.
Historically, there have been individuals who started with Ordinary Imprints and cultivated all the way to Legacy Imprints, ultimately receiving the final inheritance.
“Your imprint tier is determined at the moment of fusion,” Sovereign Lan Yan continued. “Prepare yourselves, I will now begin examining your imprint tiers. Remember, without an imprint, you cannot enter the Spacetime Island.”
As Sovereign Lan Yan spoke, she waved her hand. Suddenly over a hundred figures closest to her were lifted into the air.
Immediately, an invisible ripple enveloped them.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! The bodies of the hundred plus individuals glowed with a white light.
“All Ordinary Imprints. Later, you’ll enter through the first light screen,” Sovereign Lan Yan said, seemingly unsurprised, her voice still gentle.
The group of cultivators immediately flew to one side.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Another hundred people were lifted and enveloped by the invisible ripple. Among this hundred, the vast majority emitted white light, but one person radiated blue light.
“Oh? An Elite Imprint? Very good, enter through the second light screen,” Sovereign Lan Yan said with a faint smile.
Immediately, the figure emitting blue light separated from the others emitting white light, standing alone to one side. This sight aroused envy in many.
Batch after batch went through the process, in the blink of an eye, nearly ten thousand people were examined. The vast majority had Ordinary Imprints, with only a few dozen possessing Elite Imprints.
It seems Ordinary Imprints make up the vast majority. Wu Yuan thought to himself, realizing how precious the gift from Grandmaster Bei You truly was.
A Dao Master Imprint! Only one step away from the highest tier Legacy Imprint.
Whoosh! Suddenly, another hundred figures were lifted into the air, including Zhuo Haiyue. The invisible ripple enveloped them.
The others all emitted white light, but Zhuo Haiyue’s body blazed with purple light.
“A Sovereign Imprint? Excellent!” Sovereign Lan Yan’s tone shifted slightly. “What is your name?”
“Zhuo Haiyue.”
“Very well. Later, you’ll enter the Spacetime Island through the third light screen,” Sovereign Lan Yan instructed.
The hundred or so people descended, with only Zhuo Haiyue standing alone before the third light screen.
“A Sovereign Imprint?”
“As expected of the divine court’s number one genius.” A commotion erupted.
Among the ten thousand examined so far, no one else had a Sovereign Imprint. Everyone naturally realized how rare Sovereign Imprints were. Even Sovereign Lan Yan personally asked for her name!
Batch after batch was examined. Many of those already examined or still waiting for their turn couldn’t help but glance at the unperturbed Wu Yuan, quietly discussing.
“What about Ming Jian? Will he have a Sovereign Imprint?”
“Hard to say.”
“I hear Ming Jian never went to the divine court headquarters. He probably doesn’t have a Sovereign Imprint.”
“Sovereign Imprints are extremely rare. From what I know, he’s unlikely to have one. I’d guess he has an Elite Imprint at best.”
“Mm.”
“An Elite Imprint is more likely.” Many immortal cultivators speculated among themselves, clearly not unfamiliar with the significance of Sovereign Imprints.
Finally, another ten thousand people were examined, with only a few more Elite Imprints discovered and no second Sovereign Imprint bearer emerging.
Whoosh~ An invisible force enveloped Wu Yuan and his group.
Whoosh! They all flew through the air, arriving before Sovereign Lan Yan.
Instantly, white light surged over the bodies of the other ninety-nine people.
Only Wu Yuan was different – first, waves of purple light emanated from him, followed by a blazing red beam that shot skyward. It was scorching and dazzling!
A hush fell over the crowd.
The tens of thousands of immortal cultivators from the Taiyuan Divine Court stared in shock at Wu Yuan. This was a sight none had witnessed before, Zhuo Haiyue included.
Even Sovereign Lan Yan’s eyes flashed with surprise, and she looked at Wu Yuan for a few seconds. “A Dao Master Imprint?”
As soon as the words left her mouth, an uproar erupted, and everyone stared at Wu Yuan in astonishment.
A Dao Master Imprint? Among the tens of thousands present, only Zhuo Haiyue possessed even a Sovereign Imprint. And Zhuo Haiyue was already considered the foremost genius of this generation in the divine court headquarters.
For Wu Yuan’s imprint to surpass a Sovereign Imprint by a whole tier?
“What is your name?” Sovereign Lan Yan asked Wu Yuan.
“Ming Jian,” Wu Yuan replied respectfully.
“Hmm, Ming Jian? I’ll remember that. I hope you don’t squander the potential of this imprint,” Sovereign Lan Yan said. “You may proceed to the third light screen as well.”
“Understood.”
Whoosh! Whoosh! The other ninety-nine people went to the first light screen, while only Wu Yuan approached the third, where Zhuo Haiyue stood alone.
“Impressive,” Zhuo Haiyue said with a slight smile.
“You too,” Wu Yuan replied with a grin.
This brief exchange marked their first interaction after centuries apart, with nothing more said between them.
Time passed, and group after group underwent the examination.
In the end, over a hundred of the thirty thousand cultivators possessed Elite Imprints. One person had a Sovereign Imprint, and one person had a Dao Master Imprint. The rest all bore Ordinary Imprints.
“Very good. You are all Spacetime Imprint bearers. Proceed through the light screens to enter the Spacetime Island. Once you arrive, you’ll understand what to do for your cultivation journey ahead.
Work hard, and don’t squander the gifts bestowed by the Dao Master,” Sovereign Lan Yan’ voice echoed across the plaza. “I hope that after the passage of long years, I’ll see your faces among the many Sovereigns of the Taiyuan Divine Court.
Now go.”
Waves of an invisible force swept up the tens of thousands of ordinary and elite imprint bearers, swiftly ushering them through the light screens one by one, who vanished as they were transported away.
Only Wu Yuan and Zhuo Haiyue remained behind.
“You two may go as well,” Sovereign Lan Yan said.
“Understood.”
Whoosh! Whoosh! Wu Yuan and Zhuo Haiyue exchanged a glance before simultaneously darting into the light screen.
A Dao Master Imprint? Sovereign Lan Yan mused to herself. I wonder which of my fellow martial brothers or sisters it’s from.
The Spacetime Dao Master did not accept direct disciples, but over the long years, countless powerful cultivators regarded him as their teacher.
Those of his lineage who achieved great accomplishments could receive three Dao Master Imprints directly from him, which they could then bestow upon their own disciples.
Thus, though the Spacetime Dao Master seemed uninvolved in power struggles or establishing factions, his followers were scattered throughout various factions, forming an influential force not to be underestimated in the vast river of space and time. This was also a key reason why various factions were reluctant to provoke him.
Of course, the Spacetime Dao Master never intervened on behalf of the powerhouses under him, remaining impartial and carefree as he wandered the river of space and time.
…
Hum~ There was a ripple of spatial distortion as Wu Yuan passed through the light screen, and an imposing hall appeared before his eyes.
Where am I? Wu Yuan’s gaze swept the area.
Other than a single jade platform, the hall was otherwise empty.
Whoosh~ Countless motes of light coalesced, materializing into a seductive woman with enchanting looks. She bowed respectfully to Wu Yuan, “Greetings, Master. I am the Spacetime Spirit assigned to serve you during your time on Spacetime Island. Master may give me a name.”
Wu Yuan eyed her attire, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. “Is this your only appearance?”
“No, I can change it at will.” As she spoke, the alluring woman rapidly shifted forms – teenage girl, teenage boy, young woman, young man, elderly lady – all while explaining, “I simply sensed that Master would prefer my initial form the most.”
“No, let’s go with the third one,” Wu Yuan suddenly said.
Whoosh~ The so-called Spacetime Spirit transformed into a young woman wearing a complete housekeeper’s uniform.
“From today on, your name will be Star Moon,” Wu Yuan said offhandedly.
Wu Yuan chose this name on a whim, thinking of the battle puppet he had named ‘Shadow Moon’.
“Understood,” Star Moon nodded.
“Tell me about the Spacetime Island,” Wu Yuan said.
“Spacetime Island is a safe dwelling place for all imprint bearers, with a diameter of over a hundred million li. The entire island is divided into four main regions based on the tier of one’s imprint,” Star Moon quickly explained.
“Master is an innate Dao Master Imprint bearer. Currently, there are just over twenty individuals with imprints of the same tier as Master’s. However, all of them gradually rose to that tier over time.
According to my calculations, for an innate Dao Master Imprint bearer like yourself, Master, the probability of ultimately upgrading to a Legacy Imprint is three in a thousand!” Star Moon declared, brimming with excitement.
Wu Yuan was taken aback.
Three in a thousand? Was that supposed to be a high probability?
Only twenty-some people at the same tier as me? Wu Yuan muttered inwardly before asking aloud, “How many imprint bearers are there on the Spacetime Island in total?”
“As of now, there should be about eight million living imprint bearers,” Star Moon replied.
Eight million. Just over twenty people – the disparity in those numbers was staggering.
Grandmaster, you’ve truly given me a great treasure. Wu Yuan marveled inwardly. He then asked, “What must I do to upgrade my imprint to the highest tier Legacy Imprint?”