Chapter 953 : The Last Tribulation Bearer

"Though the heavens and earth possess no sentient wisdom, a sliver of consciousness exists within the boundless void. In times of dire calamity, it naturally gives birth to a Tribulation-Bearer [a being of destiny chosen to face and overcome great cosmic trials]."

The Master of the Dao Palace spoke with measured grace, and after a long while, he began: "Long before the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm [the great cataclysm triggered by the opening of the Demonic Abyss], the Purple Realm possessed several dozen Immortal's Dao Heritage [legacies of cultivation arts left by true Immortals]."

"Among the various orthodoxies, the weaker ones held over a dozen Primordial Spirit [cultivators who have ascended to the Nascent Soul realm, the spiritual core of a cultivator], while the most powerful Sacred Land [a place of immense spiritual power and profound heritage] even boasted over a hundred Primordial Spirit."

"In that era, the number of Demigod Ancestor [cultivators who have reached the Demi-Immortal realm, a half-step into true immortality] within the Purple Realm exceeded several dozen, more than ten times the present count. Over tens of thousands of years, talents emerged generation after generation, giving birth to multiple Tribulation-Bearer in succession."

"Yet even so, how many of those venerable predecessors from back then remain today?"

"All are gone with the past!"

The voice of the Master of the Dao Palace grew increasingly somber. His gaze rested upon Eldrin Chen, and the two of them remained silent for a long while.

Eldrin Chen understood in his heart. Those Ancient Ancestor from the peak era of the Purple Realm, and the Tribulation-Bearer born later, had all fallen amidst the great cataclysm.

The Yi Wood Azure Dragon [a mighty demonic beast of the Wood element, shaped like an azure dragon] laid as a trap by several generations of Immortal [beings who have ascended to true immortality]; the premier Sacred Land of the Eastern Sea, the Myriad Tribulations Thunder Mountain; the Eastern Sovereign Qiyuan Chen, master of Fleshly Body Ascension [a cultivation art focused on ascending to immortality through physical body refinement]; and even Jiang the Sovereign Emperor, who lived up to all hopes and achieved immortality—all had now turned to dust, becoming mere pages of history.

"Back then, we of the Purple Realm united our hearts and strength, pooling the entire power of the realm to aid Jiang the Sovereign Emperor in his ascension to immortality. We truly believed there was hope to quell the cataclysm." This content originates from audio–novel.com. Please respect copyright.

"Alas, in the end, we still failed!"

Master of the Dao Palace shook his head, his expression grave as he looked at Eldrin Chen and said, "You are the one beyond the tribulation's reach. Perhaps you are our last, our only remaining chance."

"Precisely because of this, whether it was Riverlord Chang or the venerable Gravetender, they were all willing to die to protect you for a stretch of your journey."

"Do not be misled by how the various clans seem unwilling to lend out their Immortal's Dao Heritage or Immortal Scripture. In truth, they are merely waiting for the right price, hoping to extract more treasures from your hands."

"When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken. Faced with a cataclysm where the loss of one means peril for all, perhaps the next Millennium will see the Purple Realm cease to exist. No orthodox lineage would truly be so unreasonable as to withhold all aid from you."

Listening quietly to Master of the Dao Palace's words, Eldrin Chen felt a tremor in his heart, yet he did not know how to respond. He could only listen in heavy, oppressive silence.

Master of the Dao Palace patted his shoulder and sighed, saying, "Do not grieve. In his youth, Jiang the Sovereign Emperor was much the same. Countless senior Ancient Ancestor fell to protect his path to the Dao."

"You are the one most likely to quell this great calamity. Promise me you will end this cataclysm, so that all their efforts will not have been in vain."

"You must not let the sacrifices of Long River Fellow Daoist, of Master of the Horizon Sea Pavilion, of the venerable Gravetender and the others be for nothing!"

Listening in silence to the heartfelt words of Master of the Dao Palace, Eldrin Chen remained quiet. He only felt an indescribable, immense pressure settle upon his heart.

In ages past, Jiang the Sovereign Emperor was a figure of unparalleled talent. He cultivated both the power of the Dao Fruit [the ultimate fruit of one's cultivation path] and the Laws of the Dao [the fundamental principles governing reality], thereby establishing a foundation for becoming a Peerless Celestial Immortal [a Celestial Immortal without equal].

Such a being, whose innate gifts were truly peerless, could be counted among fewer than ten individuals in the entire multi-million-year history of the Purple Realm.

Yet, even this dazzling existence, who achieved two types of Immortal Ascension Dao Fruit [the ultimate fruit signifying ascension to immortality], still failed to quell that great calamity. Could Eldrin Chen truly be certain of accomplishing what he could not?

"He will!"

"But I must become stronger still, to fulfill the eighty-thousand-year aspiration of the Purple Realm."

Eldrin Chen murmured to himself, a look of unwavering resolve settling upon his features.

As he was now, he could not yet surpass Jiang the Sovereign Emperor, but his own path had not reached its end.

He needed to advance his Primordial Chaos Indestructible Body [a physique of legendary resilience born from primordial chaos] further, to cultivate it into the Primordial Indestructible Golden Body [the perfected, golden form of the indestructible physique], and then master the power of the Primordial Law [the law governing the primordial state of existence]. Only by surpassing Jiang the Sovereign Emperor by several orders of magnitude could he hope to slay that Calamity Demon God.

This thought ignited within him an even fiercer desire to study the classics of a hundred schools. He turned and bowed respectfully to the Master of the Dao Palace. "Senior, rest assured," he declared, "Eldrin will not fail your expectations."

"In that case, my mind is at ease!"

Master of the Dao Palace [the supreme leader of the Dao Palace Sacred Land] gave a slight nod and, almost imperceptibly, led Eldrin Chen back into the heart of the Dao Palace Sacred Land [the sacred land and headquarters of the Dao Palace].

Upon arriving at the Dao Palace Sacred Land, Eldrin Chen wasted no time. He proceeded directly to the Legacy Hall [the hall containing the most profound scriptures and legacies] within the sacred land and began his contemplation of the nine volumes of Immortal Scripture [scriptures containing the profound cultivation methods and insights of Immortals] held by the Dao Palace Sacred Land.

The origins of these nine volumes of Immortal Scripture from the Dao Palace Sacred Land were extraordinary. One volume was passed down by the legendary 'Ancient Immortal of Flowing Void' [an ancient and revered Immortal from a bygone era] and was hailed as the foremost scripture among the hundred classics of the Purple Realm [a vast and ancient realm of cultivation]: the 'Seated Oblivion Immortal Scripture' [a scripture focused on achieving enlightenment through profound stillness and oblivion].

Of the remaining eight volumes, three were created by senior Immortal [a being who has ascended to immortality] predecessors from the Dao Palace Sacred Land who had ascended to the Immortal World. The other five were legacies left behind by Immortal's Dao Heritage [the complete cultivation heritage and teachings of an Immortal] from Immortal's Dao Heritage that had perished within the Purple Realm, later collected and preserved by the Dao Palace Sacred Land.

Gaining the opportunity to study these nine Immortal Scripture, Eldrin Chen quickly became deeply engrossed. Unbeknownst to him, nine years slipped by in this manner.

After those fleeting nine years, Eldrin Chen had committed the nine volumes of Immortal Scripture to memory, their profound Daoist essence [the intrinsic meaning and principles of the Dao] firmly imprinted upon his mind. Only then did he push open the doors of the Legacy Hall and emerge. This chapter appears courtesy of audio-novel . com.

The Master of the Dao Palace, having anticipated his emergence, inquired, "What insights have you gained from this period of secluded cultivation?"

"I have grasped the profound mysteries within their essence," Eldrin Chen replied promptly. "Yet I understand that to achieve true accomplishment, I must assimilate the strengths of a hundred scriptures."

His answer was immediate, revealing a clear and defined path forward for myself.

The Master of the Dao Palace's eyes flickered with a subtle light as he nodded in understanding. "You seek to harmonize five distinct Laws of the Dao [fundamental cosmic principles or laws]. Forging a Primordial Law [a supreme, foundational law of existence] from such a foundation presents a challenge far surpassing the ordinary path to immortality. Success was never meant to come easily."

"This path may be fraught with immense difficulty. You must steel your heart for the journey. Should it prove impassable, you may always retreat and choose a lesser, more attainable goal."

"I understand."

Eldrin Chen nodded, grasping the Master of the Dao Palace's meaning—a reminder that if forging his own Primordial Law [the foundational, supreme law of creation] proved impossible, he should abandon that pursuit and instead seek to ascend to immortality by mastering three or four ordinary Laws of the Dao [fundamental cosmic principles].

Yet, by taking that lesser path, while his combat prowess would still far surpass that of a common Immortal, he would lose the qualitative, transcendent gap afforded by the perfect fusion of the Five Elements.

Unless there was truly not the slightest chance of cultivating the Primordial Law, Eldrin Chen would never willingly forsake this road.

With this resolve firm in his heart, Eldrin Chen spoke, "I intend to journey once more to the Separated Flame Hall to continue borrowing their Immortal Scripture [sacred texts containing immortal cultivation methods]. I shall not linger here further."

The Master of the Dao Palace saw at once that his words had not taken root. With a sigh, he could only say, "Go then. May you achieve your heart's desire and forge that peerless, matchless Primordial Law."

Time flowed like a relentless river, and in the blink of an eye, a full century had passed.

On this day, Eldrin Chen returned to the heart of Spirit Isle Lake and entered secluded meditation, seeking to unravel the profound mysteries within the myriad arts he had gathered.

Throughout those hundred years, Eldrin Chen had traversed the four corners of the world. He had studied the ancient, peerless scriptures of the Central Ancestral Domain, pored over the immortal lineage inheritances within the Southern Sea Glazed Palace, and delved into the supreme immortal classics guarded by the Roc Lineage.

Unbeknownst to him, he had already committed to memory over a hundred volumes of Immortal Scripture [sacred texts detailing the path to immortality], internalizing the profound mysteries of the myriad methods to achieve immortality.

These scriptures recorded the arduous secrets of cultivation, as well as the insights and experiences of numerous Immortal [beings who have ascended to immortality].

Though Eldrin Chen had not practiced these arts himself, through a subtle, transformative process, he had assimilated their essence, forging it into his own Deep-Seated Foundation [the profound and unshakable base of one's cultivation path].

This foundation could be described as peerless throughout the ages. Surveying the entire Purple Realm [a vast and mystical cultivation world], in terms of breadth and depth of knowledge, it was likely that no one could stand shoulder to shoulder with Eldrin Chen.

"By converging a hundred scriptures into one being, they shall aid me in forging my Primordial Immortal Foundation [the ultimate, foundational state of being that precedes true immortality]," he declared.

"The time has come to advance further, to use the power of these hundred scriptures to comprehend my own Dao [the fundamental principle or path of cultivation]," Eldrin Chen resolved.

The Mortal Realm arc is expected to conclude within half a month. Also, regarding the earlier sections on cultivation realms and seniority, the Purple Mansion Realm [a mid-tier cultivation stage where one forms a spiritual core residence] was omitted. Thanks to a reader's reminder, I have now corrected it. Find thousands of chapters at audio–novel.com.