Chapter 945 : The Gravetender's Final Stand

"Alas, these old bones of mine must still take to the stage," he sighed.

At that very moment, the old Gravetender [the guardian of the sacred burial grounds] stationed outside the Xun Wind Divine Ridge let out a sorrowful sigh.

His eyes snapped open, gazing upon the sky-obscuring power of the Laws of the Dao [the fundamental principles and cosmic laws of cultivation]. Then, he took a step forward into the void.

With each stride, his once-hunched and withered form began to straighten and expand. In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a colossus of immense stature, standing a full one hundred thousand Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] tall.

In that moment, the Gravetender resembled a deity or demon from the Nine Heavens [the highest celestial realms]. He spread his arms wide and, with a mighty grasp, wrapped them around one of the seven Demon God Heaven Pillars [monolithic pillars of immense power used to channel demonic energy].

Seized so abruptly, the Demon God Heaven Pillars shuddered, its radiant light flickering violently. The Demon God Slaughter Formation [a devastating array designed for mass annihilation] it was unleashing could not fully manifest, temporarily thwarted from coalescing into its lethal configuration.

"BOOM—"

In the space of a single breath, the Demon God Heaven Pillars erupted in fury. Dazzling Law Divine Chains [chains forged from condensed cosmic laws] lashed out, slashing and tearing at the Gravetender until he was drenched in his own blood.

Yet, under the pillar's full-powered assault, it was now riddled with cracks. For a crucial moment, it could not break free from the old guardian's desperate embrace, preventing it from delivering the final, fatal blow to Eldrin Chen.

Left with no other choice, it unleashed a cataclysmic surge of Laws of the Dao, intending to first rend the Gravetender into fragments before turning to slay Eldrin Chen. Read, share, and discuss at https://audio-novel.com.

Yet the Gravetender [the guardian of the ancient tomb] endured the onslaught of myriad Laws of the Dao [fundamental cosmic principles], his body bloodied as he roared in defiance, clutching the Demon God Heaven Pillars [the divine pillars anchoring the demon god's power] with a furious glare.

"Argh... Rise!"

With a mighty bellow, he wrapped his arms around the Demon God Heaven Pillars and strained with all his might, seeking to wrench the pillars, whose roots plunged deep into the earth's core, free from their foundation.

"KABOOM!"

Heaven and earth quaked, mountains Ronan [a poetic term for mountains] shuddered.

The Demon God Heaven Pillars were forged from the Nine Heavens Profound Celestial Ore Vein [a legendary vein of celestial metal], their weight surpassing that of a great star.

The old Gravetender, relying solely on his physical strength, performed the earth-shattering feat of uprooting the Heaven Pillars. For a time, the land trembled for millions of Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] around; countless mountains Ronan crumbled, a spectacle akin to the very continent sinking into the sea.

The seven Demon God Heaven Pillars were originally interconnected. Now, focused entirely on suppressing and slaying Eldrin Chen, their full-force eruption had left them severely damaged. Temporarily, they could not restrain the Gravetender, who slowly, inexorably, began to wrench them from the mountain Ronan.

"Slay! Slay! Slay!"

The dim, instinctual will of the Demon God Pillars [the demon god pillars] erupted in furious alarm, unleashing a maddened killing intent. Terrifying power of the Laws of the Dao manifested like divine spears meant to cleave the heavens, thrusting one after another toward the Gravetender.

A series of heart-piercing, bone-rending *thwacks* echoed, accompanied by torrents of crimson spray that erupted forth, riddling the old woodcutter's body. Terrible wounds crisscrossed his form, threatening to rend him into a thousand fragments.

Yet, the Gravetender's expression remained unmoved. He allowed the endless Laws of the Dao to assail his body, and with a final surge of strength, he wrapped his arms around the Demon God Heaven Pillars and heaved…

With a monumental effort, he wrenched the Demon God Heaven Pillars free from the very earth itself.

"KABOOM!"

After a moment of profound silence, the heavens and earth trembled, and mountains crumbled into Ronan.

Spent of his last ounce of strength, the Gravetender, still clutching the Demon God Heaven Pillars, tumbled from the divine peak. His descent shattered the mountain Ronan in his wake, and together with the Demon God Pillars, he plummeted into the vast, desolate earth below.

"NO—!"

At that very instant, a roar of unparalleled grief and fury erupted from the Firmament. A figure in blood-stained White Robe strode forth from the heart of the Galewind's Eye.

Eldrin Chen's wrath was boundless, an endless tide of hatred and killing intent that swept across the Firmament.

With the Demon God Heaven Pillars toppled, the power of the Formation lost its crucial anchor. Its potency plummeted by more than half, no longer capable of posing a mortal threat to Eldrin Chen.

At this moment, the three primal energies within Eldrin Chen converged, forging a power of three profundities [a fusion of three distinct primordial energies] unprecedented in all of history. With each step he took, the strength of his physical body visibly increased.

In merely seven steps, his fleshly form had transcended the mortal limits, attaining the realm of the Immortal Physique [a body of legendary resilience and power, rarely seen in the mortal world].

The Primordial Chaos Indestructible Body [a legendary constitution of ultimate resilience born from primordial chaos] had reached the stage of minor perfection.

Eldrin Chen's pupils shed twin trails of bloody tears. He paid no heed to the explosively surging power within myself, taking only a single step into the air to arrive before the old Gravetender.

The old Gravetender now was drenched in blood, having reverted to his stooped and frail form. He appeared shrunken and withered, like a man lingering at death's door.

Eldrin Chen cradled him, yet the figure in his arms felt barely over four Chi-lengths [one Chi-length equals one third of a meter] tall—desiccated, emaciated, and terrifyingly frail. Gone was the titanic, sky-shrouding presence of moments before. Read the full novel exclusively on @udio-novel.com.

None knew how many years the Gravetender had lived. His vital Qi [the vital energy that flows through all living things] and blood had long since withered and exhausted completely, sustained only by the final wisp of his Lifebound Essence Blood [the most fundamental life-sustaining essence within a cultivator's body].

His lifespan had already been spent. In this battle, his internal organs and even his spine had been pierced through by the Laws of the Dao [the fundamental principles and rules that govern reality and cultivation]. The dreadful wounds severed his life force, consuming the last vestige of his primordial energy.

"Senior... Senior..."

Eldrin Chen murmured, his heart aching with a pain so sharp it stole his breath. Holding the old man, he was, for a moment, utterly lost for words.

Indeed, the old man patted his head, a smile of profound acceptance gracing his lips. "There is no need to grieve for me."

"Before this old man's final breath, to have witnessed the birth of an Immortal Physique [a legendary, flawless body capable of ascending to immortality] and to have played a part in quelling the calamity of Xun Wind Divine Ridge, this life can be considered one without regret."

"Senior!"

Eldrin Chen's heart trembled. Only then did he react, hurriedly taking out various Spirit Medicine [plants infused with spiritual energy, used for healing and cultivation] to feed to the old man.

After consuming two Pill [refined medicinal elixirs for cultivation or healing], the old man's complexion flushed with a semblance of vitality, like the final glow of a setting sun.

Gazing intently at Eldrin Chen, he nodded with deep satisfaction. "This old man has lived for tens of thousands of years. Within the Purple Realm, you are the one who most resembles me."

"I still remember those bygone years," he began, voice tinged with nostalgia. "I cultivated three paths simultaneously: physical body, Laws of the Dao [the profound principles and rules that govern reality and cultivation], and Dao Fruit [the ultimate spiritual attainment, the fruit of one's cultivation path]. I reached the Half-Immortal Realm [the pinnacle stage before true immortality] in all three. I was hailed as the most dazzling talent the Purple Realm had seen in a hundred thousand years."

"I believed that by continuing down this path, there might be a sliver of a chance to forge an Immortal Physique. Alas, the sudden eruption of the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm severed my path to immortality."

The old Gravetender murmured softly, recounting the tales of his past to Eldrin Chen.

This old Gravetender possessed extraordinary talent. Once, he had been the pinnacle Demigod Ancestor [a supreme cultivator just below the immortal realm] of his generation in the Purple Realm. His ambition soared high; he dared to cultivate the three paths of Immortal Physique, Laws of the Dao, and Dao Fruit simultaneously, seeking to lay a Great Luo Foundation [the most supreme and stable foundation for immortality].

At this point, the Gravetender [the guardian of the ancient tombs] let out a self-deprecating chuckle and said, "But such a foundation for the Immortal Dao [the path to immortality and supreme power], where is it so easily forged?"

"This old man cultivated bitterly for tens of thousands of years, yet not only did I fail to ascend to immortality because of it, I was instead constrained by it, never able to take that final step on any single path."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen felt a tremor in his heart and said, "If not for the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm [the great calamity that shattered the realms], perhaps Senior would have succeeded."

"Not necessarily."

The Gravetender shook his head, his expression turning grave. "Ascending to immortality is difficult, more difficult than a mortal climbing to the heavens."

"This old man ultimately never took that step. However, my Dao Fruit [the ultimate crystallization of one's cultivation and comprehension of the Dao] and my Laws of the Dao [profound insights and mastery over fundamental cosmic principles]... perhaps they still have a chance to endure."

"Oh?" Eldrin Chen was slightly taken aback, then asked, "Why does Senior say that?"

It seemed the efficacy of the medicine was gradually fading, as the Gravetender's aura began to weaken noticeably.

He coughed heavily, then spoke, "After Qiyuan Chen fell, his Lifebound Spiritual Treasure [a magical artifact bound to a cultivator's life force], the Eastern Sovereign Bell, remained within Eastern Sovereign Mountain."

"Later, I joined forces with Xander Jiang. The Eastern Sovereign used the Eastern Sovereign Mountain Range as a foundation to lay down a grand formation, using the spiritual energy [the vital energy that flows through all living things and the world] of the myriad Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] of mountains and rivers as nourishment to sustain the Eastern Sovereign Bell."

"As for this old man, myself shall pour all of myself's Laws of the Dao [the fundamental principles governing reality] and Dao Fruit [the ultimate spiritual attainment of a cultivator] into the Eastern Sovereign Bell, serving as the crucial catalyst for its ascension into an Immortal Treasure [a supreme artifact of immortal rank]."

"Should this endeavor succeed, perhaps the Mortal Realm [the world of mortals and cultivators] will gain another Supreme Immortal Treasure [a pinnacle-grade immortal artifact]. Furthermore, this old man's Dao Fruit and Laws of the Dao may achieve an eternal legacy within it." Experience the full epic at audio-novel . com.