Chapter 961 Eve of the Cataclysm, Borrowing the Scriptures

The younger generation didn't feel much about it, but when Lila (Person Name), Chen Ethan (Person Name), and the others heard this, they couldn't help but sigh deeply in their hearts.

Back then, the Chen Clan had only 1 or 2 Foundation Establishment cultivators, relying entirely on Eldrin and the old clan leader to persevere through hardships. They exhausted every means to compete for treasures.

They successively nurtured multiple Foundation Establishment cultivators for the clan, steadily building the family's foundation through countless battles, thus progressing step by step to reach their current stature.

Among the older generation of cultivators, Chen Qinghe, Chen Qingxu, Chen Qingyuan, Lior (Person Name), and Chen Qingwan, among others, had all rendered immense service to the family.

Unfortunately, the cultivators of the Qing generation had ill fortune. The Second Elder, Chen Qinghe (Person Name), the Great Elder, Chen Qingmeng (Person Name), and the Fourth Elder, Chen Qingyuan (Person Name) all missed the optimal period for Foundation Establishment and passed away prematurely thousands of years ago.

Lior (Person Name) and Chen Qingwan had slightly better fortune, successfully achieving Foundation Establishment. Under Eldrin's (Person Name) cultivation guidance thereafter, Lior (Person Name) broke through to the Nascent Soul realm, while Chen Qingwan attained the Golden Core stage.

Alas, Chen Qingwan perished in the battle against the Green Flood Dragon Demon Emperor (Demon Beast) while defending her clan. As for Lior (Person Name), she fell during the first Cataclysm of the Demon Abyss to save Eldrin (Person Name).

In that grand era of the Qing generation, it was truly an age teeming with talents. Yet alas, they were born into the wrong epoch, and now not a single 1 remains.

"Alas!"

The old clan leader let out a sigh, gathering up the faint traces of nostalgia in his expression.

He glanced at the assembly and shook his head with a bitter smile. "If the elders of my Chen family could witness from the netherworld how we've flourished to this day, their hearts would surely be filled with solace."

"Do not grieve; you ought to rejoice instead."

Eldrin watched quietly, noticing the old clan leader subtly wiping the corner of his eye.

Eldrin felt a mix of solace, nostalgia, joy, and an inexplicable melancholy in his heart.

He did not elaborate, merely sighing with emotion as he said, "1 sect producing 16 Primordial Spirits and over 8 100 True Monarchs... Had our departed uncles learned of this in the netherworld, they would have smiled with eternal contentment."

Remembering the Virtuous and Honoring the Ancestors, Supporting Each Other to Revitalize the Clan, Ascending to Immortality and Achieving Eternity.

The 16-character generational hierarchy of the clan had now reached the "Decay" generation. The mortal population within the clan had long surpassed calculable limits, and blood ties among the vast majority of cultivators had become nearly impossible to trace with clarity.

In recent centuries, newly awakened cultivators within the clan had begun determining seniority based on their cultivation realms.

Within the Qi Refining stage, the "Xiu" generation; at Foundation Establishment, the "Bu" generation; in the Purple Mansion, the "Xian" generation; and upon forming the Golden Core, the "Deng" generation. Only by breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm may 1 ascend to the esteemed "Zu" generation.

Over the past century, most newly ascended Eldrin(Person Name) were junior descendants of the clan's younger generations, separated by several generational gaps from the family's earlier cohorts of Eldrin(Person Name).

Fortunately, most cultivators below the Nascent Soul realm have limited lifespans. Over the 4 1000 years of the family's legacy, among the cultivators of the Deng-generation and above, aside from those True Lords who had broken through to the Nascent Soul realm, the majority of Golden Core cultivators and below had already passed into meditation.

Thus, the sight of a True Monarch addressing a Golden Core cultivator as "Ancestor" was rather uncommon.

As time flowed on, 10 1000 years later, when the Eldrin cultivators had gradually ascended or passed away, the majority of the remaining True Monarchs would likely be those of the Deng generation.

In those times, the blood ties among clan cultivators were often quite distant, so determining seniority by cultivation level no longer caused any awkwardness.

As for Dao Sovereigns, they were the Patriarchs of their clans. No matter how illustrious a clan might be, the number of such figures was invariably limited.

At that time, if Eldrin and the others were to ascend, Chen Changxuan had already gradually relinquished worldly affairs for many years. The reins of the family would most likely fall into the hands of senior-generation members like 'Chen Ethan' and 'Chen Silas'.

Recalling the current glory of his family, Eldrin set aside his emotions and spoke:

"The Cataclysm of the Demon Abyss approaches once more. As the reigning power of the Violet Realm, our Chen Clan naturally cannot stand aside."

"Dispatch the orders. For this campaign, we shall deploy 10 Dao Lords and 4 100 True Monarchs to the Zhoutian Star Archipelago."

"As you command!"

Chen Ethan nodded and immediately accepted the command.

The Cataclysm of the Demonic Abyss drew near once more. After settling the trivial affairs of his clan, Eldrin took Lyra and the others to the Archipelago of Celestial Spheres a step ahead of the impending disaster.

Gazing upon the Zhou Tian Star Islands before him, Eldrin’s eyes flickered with a faint gleam. Without hesitation, he soared toward the Solar Deity Island.

Upon the Sun God Island stood a fiery-red mulberry tree.

Eldrin glanced over, his brow twitching almost imperceptibly.

Beneath the Flaming Mulberry Tree, the Lord of the Dao Palace and several other Demi-Immortals had been waiting for quite some time.

Seeing Eldrin’s gaze fixed upon it, the master of the Dao Palace stroked his long beard and said, “This tree is called the Fire Mulberry, a rare pure-yang spirit wood.”

Legend has it that this Fire Mulberry Tree was transformed from a fragment of the divine Fusang Tree of the immortal realm, inheriting a wisp of its profound mysteries.

In ancient times, Emperor Jiang discovered this sacred wood in the Western Sea and transplanted it upon the Solar Deity Island, where it served as the formation core to establish the Solar Deity Island.

"So that's how it is."

Eldrin nodded slightly before speaking, "The grand formation of the Starfall Archipelago was breached in the ancient war, and its power has never been fully restored after all these years. Perhaps it is time we undertook its restoration."

众人闻言眉心微动，那观天道主道：“我等也想修复周天星辰大阵，只是此阵玄妙复杂，没有惊仙的阵法造诣，怕是没办法将其修复。”

At this point, Heavenly View Dao Master couldn't help but look at Eldrin (Person Name) and said, "From your words, Fellow Daoist, could it be that you have confidence in restoring it?"

"I'm not confident yet."

Eldrin (Person Name) shook his head and spoke, "I've heard that Emperor Jiang once gathered the legacies of a 100 schools of formation arts, pooling the strength of the entire Violet Realm to deploy this grand formation."

"Perhaps we, too, could give it a try?"

"Truly?"

Hearing this, the Lord of the Dao Palace could not contain his delight. "If you have some confidence in this endeavor, Fellow Daoist, it would indeed be worth attempting."

"Not so fast!"

Eldrin shook his head, then recalled his recent contemplation of the laws of dao.

He paused briefly in thought, then spoke: "I cultivate 5 esoteric forces and seek to comprehend 5 Daoist principles to forge the Primordial Chaos Law."

"If all of you would permit me to study the immortal scriptures of your Dao heritage, should my comprehension of the laws deepen further, I may well attain complete certainty."

"This..."

Upon hearing this, everyone felt somewhat hesitant.

The ancient scriptures passed down by immortals are considered foundational treasures of every great sacred ground, their worth far surpassing that of mere array inheritance.

As the power of formations is merely 1 branch of each family’s heritage, how could it ever compare to the legacy of an immortal?

At this thought, many began to hesitate in their hearts.

At the critical moment, the master of the Dao Palace spoke, "I am willing to lend you all 9 volumes of the Immortal Sutra for your contemplation."

"This..."

Everyone was momentarily stunned when the Palace Master declared, "Fellow cultivators, before the great calamity of the Abyssal Demons, how could there be any reason to hold back our secrets?"

"If Fellow Daoist Guixu can attain the Dao through this opportunity and quell the calamity that has persisted for tens of thousands of years, only then can our Violet Realm finally recuperate and thrive."

"As the saying goes, 'When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken.' When weighing the inheritance of the orthodox Dao tradition and immortal scriptures against the peril of the Violet Realm's destruction, and comparing the greater righteousness of the Violet Realm with sectarian prejudices—what significance does the latter truly hold?"

Chapter 1 The biting northern wind swept across the mountain range like countless blades, howling as it whipped against the cliffs. Lin Chen tightened his worn deerskin robe, his gaze fixed on the distant mountain peaks veiled in swirling snow. 1 100 years had passed. He still remembered that stormy night when his master, gravely wounded, had brought him to this desolate mountain. With his last breath, his master had imparted to him the complete set of 9 Revolutions Mystic Art and made him swear an oath—to seek out the legacy of the Ancient Celestial Realm and uncover the truth behind the great calamity that had struck the cultivation world 3 1000 years ago. "Master, your disciple has never forgotten," Lin Chen murmured to himself, his fingers unconsciously tracing the simple spatial ring on his hand. Within it lay his master's sole keepsake—the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss. Suddenly, a sharp whistle pierced through the wind. Lin Chen's expression shifted slightly as he swiftly formed a hand seal. His figure blurred, vanishing from the spot in an instant. The next moment, 3 figures descended from the sky, landing precisely where he had just been standing. The leader, a man in black robes with a sinister aura, scanned the surroundings with hawk-like eyes. "Strange, I clearly sensed spiritual energy fluctuations here," the black-robed man said coldly. Another cultivator clad in blue armor chuckled, "Elder Ming, you must be overthinking. This barren northern land hasn't seen a trace of anyone in years. How could there be any spiritual energy fluctuations?" The third person, a woman in red, remained silent, her gaze sweeping across the snow-covered ground. Her eyes suddenly focused on a barely noticeable footprint. A faint, meaningful smile curled at the corner of her lips. Meanwhile, Lin Chen had already appeared 3 miles away inside a hidden cave. He sat cross-legged, circulating the 9 Revolutions Mystic Art. Strands of pure spiritual energy continuously converged toward him, forming faint halos around him. He had been stuck at the third level of Foundation Establishment for 30 years. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break through to the intermediate stage. According to his master, this was because his spiritual roots were damaged, and only the legendary 7-Colored Reishi Mushroom could repair them. Just as he was about to enter meditation, the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss in the spatial ring suddenly trembled violently, emitting a series of urgent hums. Lin Chen's heart tightened. This sword had been with his master for over 5 100 years and had long developed spiritual awareness. For it to react like this could only mean 1 thing— The pursuers had found this place. He took a deep breath, his eyes growing determined. Reaching into his bosom, he pulled out a jade bottle containing the last 3 Foundation Establishment Pills. Without hesitation, he swallowed all of them. A violent spiritual energy instantly erupted within his body, surging through his meridians like a tidal wave. The pain was so intense it felt like his body was being torn apart, but Lin Chen gritted his teeth and persisted, channeling the spiritual energy to impact the barriers of his cultivation. Outside the cave, the 3 pursuers had already tracked him down. "The brat's inside," the black-robed man sneered. "Set up the formation, don't let him escape again!" Just as the 3 were about to take action, a dazzling golden light suddenly burst from the cave, piercing through the layers of rock and shooting straight into the sky. The surrounding spiritual energy surged violently, forming a massive vortex in the air. "This is... a breakthrough?" The woman in red stared in disbelief at the scene before her. "How is that possible? Weren't his spiritual roots damaged?" Inside the cave, Lin Chen slowly rose to his feet. A newfound power coursed through his limbs and bones. The Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss had appeared in his hand at some point, its crimson blade glowing as if thirsting for blood. "Master, today your disciple will use the enemy's blood to honor your spirit in heaven."