Chapter 937 : The Last Patriarch's Obsession

A myriad of Illusory Path Principles swirled around its form, each wisp possessing the power to World-Opening.

"A Demigod [a cultivator who has transcended mortality but not yet attained full divinity]?"

Eldrin Chen murmured, then shook his head with firm conviction. "No. This is a Demigod whose physical body has perished utterly, with only a single thread of obsession remaining within its divine soul."

"Correct."

Path Master Mingyuan nodded, then cupped his hands respectfully towards the deceased Demigod before speaking. "This venerable senior before us is the final Patriarch of the ancient Gale Divine Ridge, 'Gale Patriarch'."

"In his prime, Gale Patriarch cultivated his arts to the very brink of Creation [the act of creating worlds or life from nothingness], nearly half a step into the realm of an Immortal [a being who has achieved true immortality and ascended beyond the mortal plane]. He has lived for over sixty thousand years. Among the current Purple Seal Realm Human Race, he is likely the eldest in years."

"Over sixty thousand years?"

Eldrin Chen was inwardly startled, a look of astonishment flashing across his face.

For Gale Patriarch to have lived over sixty thousand years meant he was a living fossil even within the annals of the entire Human Race. This lifespan stretched beyond the limits of imagination for most human cultivators.

That peerless genius of the Chen Clan who possessed the Supple Wood Path Body [a rare constitution granting profound affinity with the Wood element and life force]—even if he cultivated to the Primordial Spirit Realm [the realm where one's spiritual core solidifies into an independent, powerful entity]—without special life-extending fortunes, his longevity might still not surpass that of the figure before them. Dive deeper into the Dao at audio - novel . com.

"This old man is merely a lingering wretch clinging to the last vestiges of life. How could I possibly be worthy of claiming to have comprehended the Creation [the fundamental principle of creation and existence]?"

Just as Eldrin Chen was reeling from this revelation, an ancient and profoundly weary voice echoed from within the cavern.

The emaciated figure opened his eyes. His gaze swept over the two visitors before settling intently on Eldrin Chen, and a faint smile touched his lips. "For sixty thousand years I have waited," he said, his voice a dry rustle. "At last, one who can quell the great calamity stands before me."

"The legacy of my Gale Divine Palace [the Divine Palace of the Gale, a once-great sect] may yet have a sliver of hope for restoration."

Eldrin Chen's brow furrowed slightly. "May I ask, honored senior, for what purpose have you sought me out?" he inquired.

Gale Patriarch did not answer immediately. Instead, he turned his gaze meaningfully towards Path Master Mingyuan.

Understanding the unspoken cue, Path Master Mingyuan clasped his hands and bowed. "My duty of introduction is complete. I shall take my leave now and trouble you no further."

Only after Path Master Mingyuan had departed did Gale Patriarch turn his full attention back to Eldrin Chen. His expression grew somber, etched with deep sorrow. "I know you have come to draw upon the Wind Tribulation and gather the Three Profound Essence [the three profound spiritual essences of Heaven, Earth, and Man] to forge your Primordial One Path Body [a legendary, foundational physique of immense purity and potential]," he began.

"But before you proceed, you should perhaps hear the tale of the ancient Gale Divine Ridge [the Divine Ridge of the Gale, the original mountain stronghold of the sect]."

"You must understand, tens of thousands of years ago, my Gale Divine Ridge was one of the most magnificent Path Lord Sacred Land [a sacred land where Path Lords, supreme cultivators, resided and taught] in all the Purple Seal Realm. It produced, in succession, six who attained the rank of Immortal [a being who has transcended mortality and ascended to a higher state of existence]..."

Eldrin Chen remained silent, simply sitting cross-legged within the cave abode. He poured a cup of tea for each of them and listened quietly as Gale Patriarch recounted the tales of his bygone era.

It turned out that tens of thousands of years ago, Gale Divine Ridge was one of the Sovereign-level powers within the Eastern Barrens of the Purple Seal Realm. At that time, this lineage stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Stellar Palace, forming the two most terrifyingly profound Immortal Path Lineages within the Eastern Region Great Wasteland.

In fact, during that era, each of the major domains within the Purple Seal Realm possessed at least several such Immortal Path Lineages.

Examples included Horizon Pavilion and Myriad Tribulation Thunder Mountain in the Eastern Sea Cultivation World; Path Palace Sacred Land and Solar Fire Hall in the Southern Ridge Cultivation World; and Divine Water Palace and Glazed Palace in the Southern Sea Cultivation World.

Among these immortal powers, Gale Divine Ridge was counted among the most glorious and formidable.

This lineage controlled the Near-Immortal Rank Gale Earth Vein, gathering the world's Gale energies. It had successively produced six Immortals who cultivated the Path Principles of wind, making it one of the most ancient heritages within the Purple Seal Realm.

Yet, precisely because of its strength, it naturally drew the heaviest blows from the Outer Realm Demon Gods.

After the outbreak of the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm in ancient times, of the six Supreme Immortal Treasures that suppressed the Fortune of the Purple Seal Realm, three were self-destructed in that war, one tore through the void and vanished, and the remaining ones were suppressed by the Outer Realm Demon Gods at a tremendous cost.

The Immortal Treasure that tore through the void and vanished was none other than the lineage-treasuring supreme treasure of Gale Divine Ridge: the 'Gale Chime'.

In that ancient battle, the Gale Chime was nearly half-destroyed. Now, after tens of thousands of years, it has still not reappeared, most likely still adrift somewhere within the Boundless Starry Sky.

To this day, it remains unknown how much his injuries have healed, and whether he will return to battle once more remains uncertain.

During the subsequent Demonic Abyss Cataclysm, as the mightiest holy land within the Eastern Barrens Cultivation World, the Gale Divine Ridge naturally endured relentless assaults from the Outer Realm Demon God.

Approximately over fifty thousand years ago, the Outer Realm Demon God refined the suppressed Immortal Treasure of the Purple Seal Realm, using it to tear through the void and wage war upon the Purple Seal Realm once more.

In that cataclysmic battle, the Eastern Sea Cultivation World was utterly routed. The armies under the command of the Outer Realm Demon God surged forward to the very gates of the Gale Divine Ridge, where they clashed in a desperate, all-out conflict with the combined forces of the Human Race, the demon race, and the monster race from the Purple Seal Realm.

In this engagement, the Human Race, leveraging the advantageous terrain and natural defenses of the Gale Divine Ridge, dealt a severe blow to the armies of the Outer Realm invaders. However, this victory served only to fully enrage the Outer Realm Demon God.

That Catastrophe Demon God, sparing no cost, unleashed his full power. With a devastating strike, he completely shattered the Gale Divine Ridge, and drove seven Demon God Pillars deep into its fractured spine. Find this and other novels at audio-novel`com.

Those seven Demon God Pillars impaled the Gale Divine Ridge, their tyrannical Path Principles Power severing the grand momentum of heaven and earth. They disrupted the cyclical flow of Gale Power [the fundamental spiritual energy of wind] within the Purple Seal Realm.

From that moment onward, the Purple Seal Realm never again gave birth to a Sixth Rank wind-attribute Earth Vein [a major spiritual energy ley line]. The Gale Divine Ridge, once the unparalleled, supreme sacred land of the Purple Seal Realm, fell into utter ruin and Oblivion.

"When the Demon God used those seven Celestial Pillar to nail down the Gale Divine Ridge, it was akin to driving seven iron spikes directly into the heart of the Purple Seal Realm,"

"Ever since, the circulation and flow of the realm's vital essence within the Purple Seal Realm has drastically slowed. Its ability to draw upon the boundless energies of the void to replenish its own vitality has been crippled, and the concentration of spiritual energy has been in a steady, inexorable decline."

The Gale Patriarch spoke with a sorrowful sigh, his face etched with profound misery. "Moreover, those seven Celestial Pillar have been afflicted with a terrible Path Principles curse [a metaphysical affliction woven from the fundamental laws of reality] by the Outer Realm Demon God."

"As long as those seven Celestial Pillar stand, any cultivator of my Gale Divine Ridge lineage will be ensnared by the curse of the Demon God Pillars. Even those who survive will endure immense agony day and night."

"In my time, I risked grave injury to escape with a portion of the Gale Divine Ridge's foundational treasures, clinging to the hope of reviving our lineage's legacy."

As he spoke these words, tears of black blood streamed from the eyes of the Gale Patriarch.

His expression was one of utter torment and despair as he continued, "To break this Indestructibility curse, there is only one way: the seven Celestial Pillar must be utterly uprooted."

"Thus, I beseech you. Aid this old man in tearing down those seven pillars. Help me restore the Gale Divine Ridge and rebuild our path."

"Demon God Celestial Pillars…"

After the Gale Patriarch finished his tale, Eldrin Chen murmured to himself, a sigh of profound sympathy escaping his lips.

The lineage of the Gale Divine Ridge had indeed walked a path of great hardship. Cultivators with a Wind Spiritual Root [an innate affinity for the element of wind] were rare in this world, and the cultivation arts of this lineage were rarer still.

Now, the sole surviving legacy for Wind Spiritual Root cultivators was shackled by such a curse. It was no wonder that for tens of thousands of years, the Purple Seal Realm had not seen a single Wind Spiritual Root cultivator advance beyond the Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] realm.

Contemplating this, Eldrin Chen mused thoughtfully, "If the seven Celestial Pillar could be uprooted, the circulation of Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy [the foundational life-force of heaven and earth] within the Purple Seal Realm would gradually be restored. The ambient spiritual energy [the vital energy that flows through all living things] and the power of the Five Elements Earth Vein [the spiritual arteries carrying the essence of the five fundamental elements] would also steadily increase."

"Such an act of immense Merit [a metaphysical 'currency' representing good karma or virtuous deeds] for all beings under heaven and earth is something I would undertake even if you, Senior, had not spoken of it."

"However, the methods of the Outer Realm Demon God are extraordinary. The Seven Demon God Celestial Pillars are artifacts that seal the circulation of the Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy, so I fear they will not be so easily dismantled." Your portal to cultivation novels: audio-novel dot com.