Chapter 1024 : The Soul's Purification

Eldrin Chen nodded. These Soul Spirits, having come from the mortal world, were tainted by far too much of the dust and desires of the mundane realm [the worldly attachments and impurities of mortal life], their essence long since rendered impure.

Only after undergoing the baptism of the Soul-Cleansing Pool [a mystical pool that purifies the soul of worldly attachments] could they safely step into the cycle of Reincarnation [the process of rebirth into a new life].

Otherwise, if everyone were to be reborn carrying memories of past lives and the taint of worldly attachments, the bonds of blood and familial affection in the world would likely cease to exist.

Moreover, as the accumulation of worldly attachments grew, ordinary mortals and cultivators with weak Divine Soul [the spiritual core of a being] would eventually be unable to bear the burden—not only these common folk, but even Jiang the Sovereign Emperor would need to pass through the Soul-Cleansing Pool if he wished to cross the Reincarnation Well [a mystical well that serves as a gateway to rebirth].

Gazing at the Soul-Cleansing Pool before him, the Nether Night Yin Lord [a lord of the underworld] turned and inquired, "For this reincarnation, do you intend for the Immortal Sword [a sword of immortal grade] to be reborn alongside him, or merely for his Divine Soul to undergo reincarnation alone?"

"The Immortal Sword and the Divine Soul together…"

Eldrin Chen's eyes flickered with understanding as he grasped the meaning behind the Nether Night Yin Lord's words.

Between the two methods of reincarnation, one involved the Divine Soul of Jiang the Sovereign Emperor being reborn together with the Immortal Sword. The other involved extracting his Primordial Spirit [the foundational spiritual essence of a cultivator] and assisting only his Divine Soul in undergoing reincarnation separately. These two methods differed vastly. If Jiang the Sovereign Emperor were reborn alongside the Immortal Sword, the sword would lie concealed within his dantian [the energy center in the lower abdomen] after his rebirth. This was a Peerless Immortal Sword [a sword of unmatched immortal grade]; accompanying Jiang the Sovereign Emperor through reincarnation, it could protect him and slay his foes at critical moments, becoming a key to his path of cultivation.

Yet, if only his Divine Soul were to be reincarnated, Jiang the Sovereign Emperor's journey to Ascending to Immortality [the process of becoming an immortal] would undoubtedly be far more arduous.

After all, bound by the laws of heaven and earth, an Immortal [a being who has achieved immortality] seeking to reclaim memories of a past life must at the very least cultivate anew to the Ascension to Immortality Realm [the cultivation realm just prior to achieving immortality]. This chapter is provided by audio—novel.com. Support the original.

Jiang the Sovereign Emperor had fallen to such a state precisely to slay the Demon God of the Purple Realm. As he was also Lyra Jiang's grandfather, Eldrin Chen naturally harbored no thought of coveting the Immortal Sword [a divine weapon forged by an immortal] to commit such a dishonorable deed.

He shook his head and placed the Dao Ruins Sword into the Soul-Cleansing Pool [a mystical pool that purifies souls and spiritual objects], saying, "Let it accompany the Immortal Sword into Reincarnation [the cycle of death and rebirth]." A resonant hum filled the air.

As the Immortal Sword entered the pool, it instantly erupted with a torrent of light, radiant as that of a Heaven Immortal [a celestial immortal, a being of immense power].

The countless Soul Spirits [ethereal forms of consciousness awaiting rebirth] within the pool scattered in terror, their innocent, nascent expressions replaced by ones of profound reverence.

Only after the aura of mortal dust was fully cleansed did the Yin Lord retrieve the Dao Ruins Sword. He then led Eldrin Chen before the Reincarnation Well [a mystical well that serves as a gateway to the cycle of rebirth].

"This is the Reincarnation Well," he stated.

Gazing at the Reincarnation Well, the Yin Lord handed the Dao Ruins Sword to Eldrin Chen. "Once one enters Reincarnation," he said, "who knows how many years will pass before we meet again."

"If there is anything you wish to do, you may settle it yourself."

Having spoken, the Nether Night Yin Lord turned and departed from the vicinity of the Reincarnation Well.

When an Immortal [a being who has achieved immortality through cultivation] aids a close friend's reincarnation, it is customary to offer protection through immortal arts or bestow treasures to aid their journey in the next life before the final parting.

Understanding this, the Yin Lord [a title for a powerful entity of the Netherworld] wisely took his leave first.

Watching the Yin Lord depart, Eldrin Chen gazed at the [a legendary immortal sword] in his hand, then at the Reincarnation Well before him. A profound intuition stirred within his soul. He slowly closed his eyes, sensing the Primordial Scripture [an ancient and supreme cultivation manual] within his mind, and a look of dawning comprehension spread across his face. "So that's how it is."

Eldrin Chen murmured to himself. He immediately attempted to inscribe the Primordial Scripture into the Divine Soul [the highest spiritual core of a supreme cultivator] of Jiang the Sovereign Emperor, but found that the Divine Soul's inherent rank was insufficient, unable to bear the weight of such a world-shaking ancient scripture.

In the end, despite exhausting all his methods, Eldrin Chen managed to inscribe only two of the ancient characters.

The entire Primordial Scripture consisted of merely a few hundred ancient characters, yet each character seemed to possess the power of World Creation [the act of forging a new world or reality].

Eldrin Chen had a vague sense that being able to inscribe two characters into the Sovereign Emperor's Divine Soul was perhaps already an earth-shattering, heaven-defying opportunity.

"Two characters... that should be enough."

A flicker passed through Eldrin Chen's eyes. Finally, he exhaled a wisp of Acquired Primordial Violet Qi [a supreme-grade spiritual energy of creation] and fused it into the Immortal Sword. Without further hesitation, he then cast the Immortal Sword into the depths of the Reincarnation Well.

As the sank into the Reincarnation Well, a strand of [the primordial energy that gave birth to all things] descended from the void, ultimately merging with the Immortal Sword. This fused with the Acquired Primordial Violet Qi, and together they flowed into the two inscribed ancient characters, triggering a startling metamorphosis.

Deep within the spiritual sea of Jiang the Sovereign Emperor, the two ancient characters emitted a hazy, immortal light. They swirled and transformed, finally evolving into an ancient scripture several hundred characters long.

Eldrin Chen glimpsed but a few scattered words, the opening lines seemingly inscribed with several large characters. The text read: "The Primordial Genesis Qi Scripture [a legendary scripture detailing the art of cultivating the primordial life-force]..."

Within the Boundless Starry Sky [the infinite cosmos], inside a particularly flourishing Great Thousand World [a major realm within the cosmic hierarchy].

Within a rather magnificent Immortal Clan [a clan whose members pursue immortality through cultivation], an Azure-Robed Man paced anxiously outside a chamber, his face etched with a mixture of anticipation and worry.

"Boom!"

At that very instant, a blinding white radiance erupted between heaven and earth. The man looked up to see vast swathes of Sword Qi [condensed sword energy] crisscrossing the void for countless millions of Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters]. The incandescent sword-light illuminated the boundless firmament, startling the vast and immeasurable Great Thousand World.

"Victory!" Discover more cultivation stories at audio - novel . com.

Simultaneously, the cry of a newborn infant echoed from within the chamber. A midwife opened the door, her face alight with joy as she announced, "Congratulations, True Lord [a title for a Golden Core stage cultivator]! The mistress has given birth to a young master." "Hummm..."

Only then did the man snap back to reality. He pushed the door open and rushed in, cradling the infant with ecstatic fervor. "My son was born amidst a celestial portent! He must be the reincarnation of a Sword Immortal from beyond the heavens!"

"Hahaha! With this prodigious son, our Ye Clan is surely favored by destiny, born to face the coming tribulation! In this era, he shall surely achieve Ascending to Immortality [the ultimate goal of transcending mortality and becoming an immortal]!" "......"

Of these events in the lower realm, Eldrin Chen remained entirely unaware.

He watched the sword light vanish into the Reincarnation [the cycle of death and rebirth] and could not help but let out a soft sigh. The two ancient characters obtained by Jiang the Sovereign Emperor had fused with the Acquired Primordial Violet Qi [a supreme spiritual energy acquired through cultivation] and the Primordial Mother Qi [the primordial source energy of all creation], transforming into the 《Primordial Genesis Qi Scripture》. This scripture was extraordinarily profound. Cultivating with it as one's foundational text could allow one to refine Innate Divine Spirit [a divine spirit body formed from birth], and even attain a body of an Innate Sacred Spirits [a sacred spirit of primordial origin]. Such a heaven-defying scripture, capable of rivaling an Heaven Immortal [an immortal who has ascended to the heavenly realm], would drive even a Calamity Ancient Immortal [an ancient immortal who has survived great calamities] to madness. Alas, the conditions for cultivating this scripture were exceedingly harsh. To succeed, one must first undergo Reincarnation [the cycle of death and rebirth], and also possess the same profound fortune as Jiang the Sovereign Emperor.

Eldrin Chen had initially intended to memorize this 《Primordial Genesis Qi Scripture》, but Jiang the Sovereign Emperor entered Reincarnation [the cycle of death and rebirth] too swiftly. Eldrin Chen had only managed to commit less than half of it to memory.

"Enough. Although this scripture is astonishing, it is still far inferior to the Primordial Scripture [the supreme scripture of primordial origin]. There is no need for regret."

Eldrin Chen withdrew his thoughts. Before departing, he paused for a moment by the Reincarnation [the cycle of death and rebirth] pool.

He recalled sending Jiang the Sovereign Emperor into the Soul-Cleansing Pool [a mystical pool that purifies the soul] and guiding him into Reincarnation [the cycle of death and rebirth]. A vague, haunting sense of familiarity washed over him. "Once, in a time long past, before the Reincarnation Well [a legendary well connected to the cycle of rebirth], did someone perform this very same act?"

"Perhaps an old friend, perhaps a mentor, perhaps a junior..."

"...sent my Soul Spirits [the spiritual essence of one's soul], together with the Primordial Scripture [the supreme scripture of primordial origin], into that vast Reincarnation [the cycle of death and rebirth]..."

Eldrin Chen murmured to himself, then finally shook his head.

After all, he had been reborn with his memories intact. The Primordial Scripture [the supreme scripture of primordial origin] was something he had found at a market stall in his previous life. He had practiced it diligently for a long time before mastering it, and then brought it with him into this life.

Thinking of this, he said to himself, "A pity that the events of that subsequent Reincarnation [the cycle of death and rebirth] are lost to memory." "Let it be."

In the end, Eldrin Chen shook his head. Some matters were not yet ripe for inquiry; it was better to set aside thoughts he could not unravel for the time being. He gathered his stray musings and finally stepped away from the side of the Reincarnation Well [a mystical well said to guide souls into the cycle of rebirth]. Finding the Nether Night Yin Lord, he produced a piece of Incense Fire Celestial Silver [a rare, spiritually conductive metal that burns with a faint, fragrant flame] and said, "My thanks for your assistance, Fellow Daoist [a respectful term for a fellow cultivator]. Please accept this piece of Heavenly Silver [a general term for rare, spiritually-attuned silver ores] as a token of my gratitude."

"It was merely a small favor," the Nether Night Yin Lord replied with a smile. "To be repaid so generously... I would be remiss to refuse."

Though he demurred, the Nether Night Yin Lord accepted the Incense Fire Celestial Silver.

Aiding Jiang the Sovereign Emperor in his entry into Reincarnation [the cycle of death and rebirth] had consumed a vast quantity of Soul-Cleansing Liquid and placed a significant strain upon the Reincarnation Well itself. That single piece of Incense Fire Celestial Silver was a fitting recompense.

Seeing the Heavenly Silver accepted, Eldrin Chen nodded and clasped his hands in a formal salute. "With this matter concluded, it is not fitting for me to linger longer in this Netherworld Abode [a dwelling place within the underworld]. Should future needs arise, I may yet return to trouble you again." This chapter is part of a larger work available at audio~novel.com.