Chapter 891. Seclusion for 3 Jiazi

Meanwhile, the Primordial Spirit, Late Stage (Cultivation Realm) heavenly demons had either perished or been left with shattered physical forms, now laboriously reconstructing their bodies. This 3-Eyed Heavenly Demon stood as the sole reliable pillar of the demonic race.

"The demon race has no great powers, the 3-Eyed 1 serves as the vanguard."

"Who would have thought that our demon race would fall to such a state."

The Saintess of the Demon Clan murmured softly, suppressing the chill in her heart.

She took a deep breath before speaking, "With the tables now turned, we must find a way to break this deadlock. Otherwise, I fear we won’t be able to hold off the humans for long."

The 3-Eyed Heavenly Demon nodded, then asked, "How is the recovery of the 9 Nether Sacred Lord’s injury progressing?"

The Saintess of the Demon Clan shook her head and sighed softly, "Originally, it would have taken only 2 100 more years to fully recover. But now, without the blood sacrifices from the human race, I'm afraid it will take some additional years."

"No, I can't keep dragging this out."

The 3-Eyed Heavenly Demon paced for a moment, his expression turning frosty as he said, "If the 9 Serenities Sovereign could recover just 1 step ahead of Lin Tianqi, we might still have a chance to turn the tide of battle."

"You mean..." The Demon Clan's Saintess's pupils contracted slightly, a trace of hesitation unconsciously surfacing in her expression.

The 3-Eyed Heavenly Demon gave a grim nod, his expression icy. "That Eldrin of the Returning Abyss has become a grave threat. If we don't eliminate him before he breaks through to Primordial Spirit, Mid Stage (Cultivation Realm), I fear we'll never have another chance."

"I understand!"

The Saintess of the Demon Clan nodded slightly. After pacing in place for a moment, she declared resolutely, "Since there aren't enough humans for the blood sacrifice, we shall use the blood of the Demon Clan instead."

"Dispatch the order: spare no expense to ensure the 9 Serenities Sovereign recovers with utmost haste."

The 3-Eyed Heavenly Demon listened quietly, a faint tremor stirring within his heart.

Restoring a being like the 9 Netherworlds Demonic Sovereign to full strength was no simple task—it would inevitably demand a devastating price.

With the issuance of these orders, it was feared that nearly 70 to 80 percent of the demonic tribes within the Archipelago of the Cosmic Stars would be sacrificed in the blood ritual.

However, the demon race had always been ruthless and cruel, and the 3-Eyed Celestial Demon was long accustomed to such methods. He nodded and said, "This subordinate will see to it immediately."

"Hold it!"

Just then, the Demon Saintess called him back and said, "There is 1 more matter that requires you to dispatch someone to handle."

"According to the intelligence I've gathered, the human race intends to assemble all 7 Sacred Gourd artifacts."

"By my reckoning, the final treasure gourd should be emerging soon. Dispatch more scouts to investigate—we must not let it fall into the hands of the humans."

Chapter 1 After returning to the Spirit Lake Continent, Eldrin (Person Name) began immersing himself in cultivation, systematically organizing his gains and comprehending the Dao techniques.

Time flew by in the blink of an eye.

In such secluded cultivation, 1 100 and 80 years had passed in the blink of an eye.

That day, Eldrin opened his eyes from secluded cultivation, a trace of profound depth flashing across his brow.

For 3 60-year cycles, Eldrin had rarely found the time to immerse himself in cultivation. Though his cultivation base had not seen significant advancement, he had nevertheless reaped considerable gains.

In the first 60-year cycle, he perused hundreds of scriptures and advanced all 5 of his cultivation techniques to the ninth-layer Nascent Soul realm.

In the second sexagenary cycle, he devoted himself to the Eastern Emperor Scripture. Though he never achieved complete mastery of this ancient text, he cultivated its teachings to the Sixth Layer realm, advancing a considerable distance along this profound path.

At this stage, Eldrin's physical strength alone was already on par with a Primordial Spirit, Mid Stage existence. With just 1 more step forward, he could contend against powerful beings at the Primordial Spirit, Late Stage using nothing but his bodily power.

His rapid progress was not only due to his extraordinary comprehension, but primarily stemmed from the profound foundation of his powerful physical body.

Over the years, the 5 Thunder Body Forging Art had continuously tempered his physical form, rendering him no less formidable than body cultivators of the same realm who specialized in physical refinement.

Long before refining the Donghuang Sutra, he could already match the might of a Primordial Spirit, Early Stage expert without channeling any magical power—relying solely on his physical strength, which rivaled that of a Pure Yang Spirit Treasure. Now, having attained the Donghuang Sutra, his progress surged forward by leaps and bounds.

By now, Eldrin's physical body had attained a trace of indestructible divinity. Relying solely on the power of his flesh, he could withstand direct strikes from mid-grade Pure Yang Spirit Treasures. Even high-grade Pure Yang Spirit Treasures would find it difficult to inflict serious injuries upon him.

However, upon reaching this stage, the accumulated foundation from Eldrin's 5 Thunders Body Refinement Art had been largely depleted. To advance further would require another 1 1000 years of accumulation.

Eldrin thus set aside his cultivation of the Eastern Emperor Scripture and began contemplating the 3 Buddhist Sutras.

The 3 Buddhist scriptures were profoundly mystical and wondrous, among which the Sutra of Great Wisdom could enlighten a cultivator's intellect. After contemplating it, Eldrin (Person Name) entered a state of sudden enlightenment.

In the blink of an eye, 60 years had passed. It was only then that Eldrin realized he had further perfected his innate divine ability, the Primordial Chaos True Qi, and attained enlightenment of the Mahayana realm.

At this stage, Eldrin only needed to find the crucial medicinal catalyst to cultivate this divine ability to its Great Perfection realm.

By then, both the 'Primordial Chaos True Aura' and the '5 Elements Chaos Grasping Hand' would see their power greatly amplified, enough to rival legendary immortal-grade divine abilities, becoming 1 of Eldrin's (Person Name) most formidable trump cards.

With this thought, Eldrin (Person Name) ended his secluded cultivation and emerged from the meditation chamber.

At this moment, Lyra and the others were in secluded cultivation at Spirit Isle Lake. Seeing him emerge from seclusion, they inquired, "What gains have you reaped from this journey?"

"A millennium's accumulation has now been fully assimilated."

Eldrin spoke in a faint whisper, informing the group of his decision to enter seclusion.

This time in seclusion, he fully integrated the accumulations of over 2 1000 years and all the knowledge he had acquired throughout his life. Though his cultivation base had not made any monumental progress, his comprehension of the Dao had already reached the absolute pinnacle of the mortal realm.

At his current level, he had reached the absolute pinnacle of the mortal realm. Whether it was the master of the Endless Sky Pavilion or the lord of the Li Fire Palace, none could surpass his comprehension of divine abilities and arcane power.

Advancing further would require beginning to comprehend the laws of nature, or quietly awaiting the perfection of 1's physical form and spiritual energy before commencing the cultivation of an immortal body. Alternatively, 1 could seek the path to immortal fruition through worldly experiences.

Yet those who have begun to comprehend the laws, cultivate immortal bodies, and condense Dao Fruits are truly supreme existences within the Violet Realm.

Within the Violet Realm, those who had reached this step were but a handful: the Lord of the Dao Palace, the Roc Demon Saint, the Master of Heavenly Observation, and a few other Demigod Ancestors (Cultivation Realm).

Such beings have comprehended the principles of emptiness or condensed pseudo-Dao Fruits, having already transcended ordinary mortals by a great margin. They can be considered to have traversed half the path to immortality.

The path of cultivation is a journey of a 100 miles, where 90 is but halfway.

For them, all that remained was that final step, yet it was also the most insurmountable 1.

Nevertheless, for Eldrin at this moment, his comprehension of the Dao had reached the absolute pinnacle attainable in the mortal realm.

However, Eldrin did not grow arrogant. He retrieved 5 wisps of ethereal mist from his storage pouch and spoke calmly.

To cultivate the 'Primordial Chaos Qi' to perfection, 1 requires the 5 pure yang mother energies of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, along with the most crucial 'Primordial Chaos Genesis Qi' as the catalyst.

"Now I have gathered all 5 types of Pure Yang Mother Qi, lacking only the final 'Primordial Chaos Origin Qi' to serve as the catalyst."

Chapter 1: The Prodigy's Fall The mountain peaks pierced the clouds like jagged swords, veiled in swirling spiritual mist. Upon the training grounds of the Azure Cloud Sect, a young man in blue robes was sent flying, crashing heavily onto the stone floor. "Lin Ming, your cultivation has regressed to the third level of Body Refinement. Do you still have the face to remain in the inner sect?" A haughty youth in brocade robes looked down at him contemptuously, flicking dust off his sleeve. Lin Ming wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes burning with defiance. Just 3 months ago, he had been the most promising disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect, the first in a century to reach the Foundation Establishment realm at 16. But now... "Enough!" An elder's voice echoed across the training ground. "The quarterly assessment begins now. Lin Ming, your performance will determine whether you remain in the inner sect." The surrounding disciples whispered among themselves: "He's finished. Without sufficient spiritual roots, he's no different from trash." "To fall from the Foundation Establishment realm back to Body Refinement—what a pity." Lin Ming clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. He knew better than anyone what had caused his cultivation to regress—that mysterious black jade pendant. That night, back in his simple quarters, Lin Ming took out the pitch-black pendant. 3 months ago, during a mission, he had accidentally obtained this artifact. Since then, his cultivation had been draining away day by day. Just as he was about to discard it, the pendant suddenly emitted a faint glow. A stream of information flooded into his mind—the "Primordial Chaos Codex." "What... what is this?" Lin Ming's eyes widened in shock. According to the codex, this cultivation method could reconstruct 1's spiritual roots, but the process required enduring unimaginable pain. He hesitated for only a moment before making his decision. Having experienced the taste of power and the pain of losing it, he would rather die than live as mediocrity. Following the method described in the codex, Lin Ming guided the spiritual energy in his body. Intense pain surged through him, as if countless needles were piercing his meridians. Blood trickled from his 7 orifices, but he gritted his teeth and persisted. Dawn broke, and Lin Ming collapsed exhausted on the floor. But a faint smile touched his lips—he could feel that the spiritual energy between heaven and earth was finally responding to him again. At that moment, hurried knocking came from the door. "Brother Lin, bad news! The sect leader has ordered your expulsion from the inner sect!" Lin Ming's eyes sharpened. The time given to him was even shorter than he had expected. He opened the door to see a panicked young disciple. "The... the sect leader said that since your cultivation has regressed, you are no longer qualified to be an inner sect disciple and must move to the outer sect before noon today." Lin Ming nodded calmly. "I understand." Under the disciple's astonished gaze, Lin Ming packed his meager belongings—just a few changes of clothes and 30-2 low-grade spirit stones. The outer sect was located at the foot of the mountain, where the spiritual energy was much thinner. The assigned quarters were cramped and damp, a far cry from the inner sect's environment. "Look, isn't that the prodigy Lin Ming?" "Hah, what prodigy? Just trash now." 2 outer sect disciples pointed and laughed, but Lin Ming paid them no mind. He knew that what he needed now was time. That night, he resumed cultivating the Primordial Chaos Codex. The pain was even more intense than the previous night, as if his bones were being shattered and remade. But with each cycle, he could feel his spiritual roots growing stronger. After 7 days and nights, Lin Ming suddenly opened his eyes. A faint glow shimmered around him—he had broken through to the fourth level of Body Refinement! But before he could catch his breath, the door to his room was violently kicked open. The 2 disciples who had mocked him earlier stood at the door with malicious smiles. "Lin Ming, hand over your spirit stones and we might let you off easy." Lin Ming's gaze turned cold. He recognized these 2—they often bullied the weaker outer sect disciples. "What if I refuse?" "Then don't blame us for being rude!" The 2 charged at him simultaneously. To their surprise, Lin Ming moved like a ghost, easily dodging their attacks. With 2 simple punches, the 2 were sent flying. "How is this possible? Weren't you only at the third level of Body Refinement?" 1 of them clutched his chest, face full of shock. Lin Ming said nothing, stepping forward and searching them, finding 20-some low-grade spirit stones. "Consider this interest." After driving the 2 away, Lin Ming frowned. His rapid improvement would inevitably attract attention. He needed to find a way to conceal his cultivation level. It was then that he discovered another function of the Primordial Chaos Codex—it could create a false cultivation level. He immediately lowered his apparent cultivation to the second level of Body Refinement. The next day, a bell tolled from the mountaintop. An elder's voice spread throughout the sect via spiritual power: "All disciples, assemble at the main hall!" Lin Ming's heart stirred. He knew an opportunity had arrived.