Chapter 1019 : Ancestral Echoes in the Void

"Hmmmm—" [a resonant, droning sound]

Upon hearing this, Void-Refining Immortal [a title for a powerful immortal] could not help but have his expression change dramatically.

He had Ascension and Attainment of the Path [attained the highest state of immortal cultivation] ninety thousand years ago, yet this was the first time he had heard any news concerning the Purple Seal Realm [a specific immortal realm] and the Ji Clan [a prominent cultivation clan].

This filled him with immense shock. Unable to contain himself, he looked at the group, his voice a mixture of astonishment and joy as he asked, "This old man is indeed Void-Refining Ji. Could it be that you have ascended here from the Purple Seal Realm?"

Witnessing this, Eldrin Chen and the others exchanged glances, a shared look of delight appearing on their faces.

A moment later, it was Exquisite Jiang who stepped forward, cupping her hands respectfully. "This junior is Exquisite Jiang. My mother was a member of the Ji Clan lineage."

"A descendant of the Jiang family..."

Void-Refining Immortal was overcome with boundless joy, an expression of wild elation breaking across his face.

He scrutinized each of them carefully before finally speaking, his voice thick with emotion. "Since you were able to ascend, it seems the Tribulation [a cataclysmic heavenly calamity] I calculated has been pacified."

"Quickly, tell this old man, what is the current state of the Purple Seal Realm?" Find this and other novels at audi0-n0vel.c0m.

"Indeed, the great calamity has been quelled."

Eldrin Chen recounted the tale, narrating the experiences of Purple Seal Realm [a specific cultivation world] over these past years.

Upon hearing of the myriad cataclysms that had befallen Purple Seal Realm over tens of thousands of years, and of the seniors who had sacrificed themselves one after another to face these calamities, Void-Refining Immortal [an immortal title meaning 'One Who Refines the Void'] could not help but have his expression shift repeatedly.

After Eldrin Chen finished recounting everything, Void-Refining Immortal sighed, "Alas, such a Tribulation [a heavenly trial or calamity]... this old man..."

With a heavy heart, Void-Refining Immortal began to narrate the events of bygone days.

It turned out that long before Purple Seal Realm was cast adrift, Void-Refining Immortal had already divined the impending arrival of a Great Tribulation [a catastrophic, world-shaking trial] and realized he would be hard-pressed to withstand it.

Thus, tens of thousands of years in advance, he laid down various contingencies and left behind the Abyssal Depths Divine Iron [a mythical metal forged in the deepest abyss] as a final countermeasure for Purple Seal Realm's calamity.

In the end, as Purple Seal Realm was being exiled, he had no choice but to hastily ascend to the higher realms.

Yet what he never could have imagined was that the method used by Purple Seal Immortal Lord [the immortal lord associated with the Purple Seal Realm] to exile Purple Seal Realm was so profoundly disruptive. It chaotically warped the fabric of space itself, causing him to ascend not to his intended destination, but into the heart of the Vast Azure Immortal Domain [a vast and powerful immortal realm].

And Void-Refining Immortal, having just ascended, fortuitously arrived at the precise moment when Crimson Dragon Patriarch was entering his final meditation to pass from this world.

Thus, seizing the opportunity, he occupied an Immortal Isles and settled down in the Crimson Dragon Sea. His cultivation progressed smoothly, eventually reaching the Ascendant Immortal 4th Tier realm.

He had thought it impossible to ever find his way back to the Purple Seal Realm. Yet now, after tens of thousands of years, news of the Purple Seal Realm had reached his ears once more.

At this thought, Void-Refining Immortal looked at the several Mortal Path cultivators and said, "Excellent, excellent. Regardless of the details, knowing the Purple Seal Realm is safe and sound puts my heart at ease."

Hearing this, the group smiled. Encountering a revered figure from their homeland here in the Immortal Realm was a truly heartening event.

Eldrin Chen produced the Heavenly River Positive Water Sword and said with a smile, "Speaking of which, the forging of this sword was greatly aided by the Immortal Treasury [a legendary repository of immortal artifacts and resources] you left behind. I consider this a debt of Karma [the cosmic principle of cause and effect governing actions and their consequences] I owe you, Senior."

"There is no need for that," Void-Refining Immortal quickly waved his hand, a wry smile on his face. "That Abyssal Depths Divine Iron was meant to settle my Karma with Purple Seal. Compared to your feat of vanquishing the Demon God, it is nothing."

"Consider it my final contribution to the Purple Seal Realm. That you obtained it is your own fortune."

Having said his piece, Void-Refining Immortal adopted a grave expression once more. "Since you have now established yourselves in the Crimson Dragon Sea, there is a matter you must be made aware of promptly."

"Within the Immortal Realm, there exist the concepts of the Great Tribulation [a cataclysmic heavenly calamity affecting vast realms], the Path Tribulation [a personal trial faced by cultivators on their chosen Dao path], and the Kalpa Tribulation [an immense cosmic cycle of destruction and rebirth]."

These Tribulation [heaven-sent trials and calamities] are part of the Dao's cyclical nature. Each time a Tribulation erupts, unless sheltered by a mighty Immortal Path Patriarch [a supreme master who has founded his own immortal lineage], countless immortals face the calamity of falling.

Among these, the Great Tribulation [a major cosmic calamity] occurs once every million years, the Path Tribulation [a tribulation affecting one's cultivation path] is encountered once every ten million years, and across the vast eons of time, there is one Kalpa Tribulation [an immense, world-ending cosmic cycle].

Void-Refining Immortal spoke gravely, his expression turning extremely solemn. "Our luck is not good. The next Great Tribulation is only sixty thousand years away."

"An Immortal Domain Great Tribulation?"

Eldrin Chen's face paled with shock, and he couldn't help but exchange a glance with the others beside him.

He took a deep breath and asked, "I wonder, how can one hope to survive such a Tribulation [a trial or calamity sent by heaven]?"

Void-Refining Immortal gave him a profound look, then extended three fingers. "First, it depends on one's Fortune [heavenly luck or destiny]. Second, it depends on one's accumulated Merit [virtuous karma]. Third, it depends on one's own strength and methods." Read, share, and discuss at audio-novel.com (official site).

"Fortune, Merit, and one's own power..."

Eldrin Chen murmured to himself, frowning. "Please, enlighten me further."

Void-Refining Immortal nodded and began to explain. "The so-called Fortune refers to the protective Fortune of a powerful and prosperous force or lineage."

"It is said that an Earth Immortal Blessed Land [a paradise realm created by an Earth Immortal], with its Blessed Land [a paradise realm] anchoring its Fortune Power [the power of destiny and prosperity], can shelter its disciples and allow them to survive the Great Tribulation."

"Those rare Grotto-Heaven [a higher-order blessed realm, more profound and isolated than a Blessed Land], are even more secluded from the world. They can gather vast Fortune Power [the metaphysical power of destiny and prosperity inherent to a being or place] and can seal their mountains and withdraw from the world when a Path Tribulation [a catastrophic heavenly trial faced by cultivators at major junctures of their cultivation path] approaches, greatly increasing the possibility of surviving the Path Tribulation."

"Legends say that within the Immortal Court [the celestial bureaucracy governing the immortal realms], and even within the grand sects anchored by Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [the pinnacle realm of immortal cultivation, representing ultimate power and enlightenment], there exist Fortune Supreme Treasure [a supreme-grade treasure capable of anchoring and stabilizing the fortune of an entire lineage or realm] to suppress their Fortune [destiny and prosperity]. Even the eruption of a Kalpa Tribulation [a world-ending cosmic calamity of immense scale] would find it difficult to shake their foundations."

Void-Refining Immortal [an immortal title meaning 'Refiner of the Void'] spoke calmly, then added with a touch of longing, "It is said that an Innate Spiritual Treasure [a treasure born from the primordial chaos of creation, possessing unparalleled power and laws] can also suppress Fortune. Obtaining one can safeguard one's own Fortune from loss, preventing one from becoming a target of Tribulation [the heavenly mechanism that enforces karmic retribution and cosmic balance]."

"Such existences, as long as they do not personally become entangled in Tribulation or encounter an Immeasurable Kalpa Tribulation [an unfathomably vast and destructive cosmic cycle], are almost impossible to perish from natural causes."

"Blessed Lands, Grotto-Heavens, Fortune Supreme Treasures, Innate Spiritual Treasures…"

Eldrin Chen listened quietly to Void-Refining Immortal's words, sinking into deep contemplation. He began to vaguely perceive the profound and wondrous nature of Fortune.

Seeing this, the Void-Refining Immortal continued, "All living beings between heaven and earth possess Fortune. Sects and Immortal Clan [a clan or family with a deep heritage of immortal cultivation] also have their Fortune. However, when a Great Tribulation [a major heavenly calamity] descends, this Fortune drains away with alarming speed."

"Without treasures to suppress Fortune or the protection of a Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land, it is nearly impossible for an ordinary Immortal [a being who has ascended to immortality] to rely solely on their personal Fortune to survive the Tribulation."

"If this Fortune Power is sufficiently abundant, it can coalesce into Fortune Path Gold [a solidified, tangible form of concentrated fortune and destiny]. It is said that refining Fortune Path Gold can aid an Earth Immortal [an immortal whose power and domain are tied to the earth] or even a Celestial Immortal [a higher-order immortal of the heavens] in breaking through their cultivation realm."

"Moreover, this substance can transform into an Immortal's personal Fortune, increasing their chances of surviving Tribulation. It can be said that it is a treasure coveted even by Earth Immortal Patriarch [a patriarch who has attained the Earth Immortal realm] and Celestial Immortal alike."

"Fortune Path Gold [a metaphysical substance representing condensed fortune and destiny]!"

Eldrin Chen's brow furrowed slightly. He had long heard of Fortune Path Gold.

Fortune Path Gold and Incense Offering Celestial Silver [a metaphysical substance representing condensed merit and offerings] were among the most common yet rarest treasures in the Immortal Realm. He simply hadn't realized this substance was so precious.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but ask, "I wonder what the value of this Fortune Path Gold is. One Liang-weight [one Liang-weight equals fifty grams] of Fortune Path Gold?"

"What is its value?"

Void-Refining Immortal shook his head with a wry smile. "That Lingering Sun Blessed Land [a realm of profound cultivation and power] is guarded by an Earth Immortal Patriarch [a patriarch who has attained the Earth Immortal realm]. It has nearly one hundred Immortals and millions of disciples and followers. It can be considered a hegemon in its own right."

"Yet even such a glorious Blessed Land requires a span of one million years to condense a mere one Qian-weight [one Qian-weight equals five grams] of Fortune Path Gold."

Eldrin Chen could not help but smile bitterly. Ten Qian-weight make one Liang-weight. That one Qian-weight of Fortune Path Gold was, at most, a mere sliver of gold.

He had only just arrived in the Immortal Realm, possessing but a single immortal mountain. Whether he chose the path of an Immortal Clan or sought to establish a sect, the notion of accumulating enough Fortune Path Gold before the coming cataclysm was nothing short of a fool's dream.

Seeing the expression on Eldrin Chen's face, Void-Refining Immortal shook his head with a laugh. "Do not underestimate this one Qian-weight of Fortune Path Gold. Its value is truly extraordinary—likely enough to purchase a single Supreme-Grade Immortal Treasure [a treasure of the highest grade within the Immortal realm]." Immerse yourself in the complete world at audio-novel-dot-com.