Chapter 1021 : A Token of Immortal Alliance

Contemplating this, Eldrin Chen mused thoughtfully, "The Tribulation [the great cosmic calamity that periodically reshapes the heavens] remains sixty thousand years away. Yet, to successfully weather its arrival, it is prudent to begin our preparations early."

"Senior, rest assured. When the Tribulation descends, I will stand firmly by your side."

Upon hearing this, Void-Refining Immortal [an honorific title for a powerful immortal] let out a hearty laugh. He quickly steadied Eldrin Chen and said, "We are both followers of the Immortal Path [the path of cultivation leading to immortality], and our blood ties are distant at best. Let us interact as peers, shall we?"

"I see you intend to journey to the Netherworld Underworld Court [the celestial bureaucracy governing the afterlife] to settle your Mortal Dust Affairs [unfinished business from one's mortal life]. You must be in need of Incense Offering Celestial Silver [a special currency used in the underworld to facilitate affairs]."

"Consider this piece of Incense Offering Celestial Silver a token of our meeting."

As he spoke, he produced a single piece of Incense Offering Celestial Silver from his sleeve.

Eldrin Chen was momentarily taken aback. He waved his hands in polite refusal, "This object is far too precious. I would be unworthy to accept it."

"And, to speak plainly, I already possess one piece of Incense Offering Celestial Silver."

"Oh?"

Void-Refining Immortal was slightly surprised. He hadn't expected Eldrin Chen, having just ascended to the Immortal Realm [the higher plane of existence for immortals], to already hold a piece of Incense Offering Celestial Silver. Read the full novel exclusively on (audio-novel.com).

It must be understood that Incense Offering Celestial Silver [a rare, condensed form of spiritual energy and faith from countless worshippers] is incomparably precious. Void-Refining Immortal has occupied Void-Refining Immortal Island for over eighty thousand years, and the Immortal Clan born from his lineage numbers in the hundreds of millions of cultivators, receiving the incense offerings and worship of that vast multitude.

Yet even with all that, he has only managed to condense this single piece of Incense Offering Celestial Silver. He never imagined that Eldrin Chen already possessed one.

"It seems this Returning Abyss Path Master possesses methods even more astonishing than anticipated," he mused.

"Could it be he possesses the potential of a Great Encompassing Immortal Lord [a legendary cultivator destined for the highest echelons of power]?"

Void-Refining Immortal murmured inwardly. Although Eldrin Chen had not revealed the full depth of his talent and foundation, he could roughly surmise the terrifying nature of Eldrin Chen's capabilities.

With this thought, Void-Refining Immortal's eyes flickered slightly, sweeping past Lila, Violet Consort Yan, and Nyssa Qu.

A thought stirred within him, and a moment later, he spoke with a smile, "I observe that the foundations of your esteemed companions are Extraordinary. They likely possess a significant chance of achieving immortality."

"This piece of Incense Offering Celestial Silver can aid a cultivator in attaining immortality. Consider it a loan to you."

"A loan to me..."

Eldrin Chen's heart stirred. Seeing the earnest hope in the eyes of Nyssa Qu and Lila, his resolve quietly solidified.

He nodded, accepting the Incense Offering Celestial Silver [a special silver used in rituals to honor celestial beings], then clasped his hands and said, "Rest assured, Senior. I will remember this kindness."

"Hahaha."

Seeing him accept the Incense Offering Celestial Silver, Void-Refining Immortal [an immortal title signifying mastery over void and emptiness] laughed heartily, then waved his hand and departed with an air of carefree grace.

"…"

After bidding farewell to Void-Refining Immortal, Eldrin Chen returned to Green Chariot Island.

By now, the host of immortals had all departed from the Immortal Isles, and the place had returned to its state of Serene [a state of profound peace and tranquility].

Eldrin Chen then ascended to the peak of Spirit Mountain. Leaning on the railing, he gazed upon the vast expanse of the Vast Immortal Domain and was enveloped in a wave of poignant remembrance.

"Husband."

At that moment, Exquisite Jiang emerged and embraced him from behind, her expression also tinged with deep emotion.

Having cultivated for thousands of years, traversing a path fraught with hardship to reach this day, they had finally ascended to immortality and secured a foothold for themselves in the Immortal Realm.

In this moment, their hearts found a rare tranquility. They leaned against each other, quietly observing the myriad things of heaven and earth.

After a long while, Eldrin Chen sat cross-legged by the cliff's edge. Gazing at the rolling clouds and majestic mountains and rivers beneath his feet, he calmly took out several items.

Exquisite Jiang looked up and saw they were respectively: a tattered scroll, a single Immortal Sword, an urn of ashes, a Verdant Leaf Sword, and half of a broken Primordial Solar Immortal Sword.

"The Long River Setting Sun Painting, the Path Ruins Sword..."

Looking at the objects before her, Exquisite Jiang could not help but murmur to herself.

Among these items, the tattered scroll was the Long River Setting Sun Painting left behind by Long River Path Lord, and the Immortal Sword was naturally the Path Ruins Immortal Sword that belonged to Imperial Sovereign Jiang. Support the author by reading on audio-novel[dot]com.

"When Senior Long River fell long ago, a wisp of his remnant soul was swept up by this painting and carried back to the Purple Seal Realm, eventually falling into my hands."

"Now, that wisp of soul is exceedingly faint. I must journey to the Underworld Court [the celestial bureaucracy governing death and rebirth] to aid his Reincarnation [the process of being reborn into a new life]."

Eldrin Chen spoke while looking at the Long River Setting Sun Painting, then shifted his gaze to the Path Ruins Sword and the broken Primordial Solar Immortal Sword.

This sword was a Primordial Solar Immortal Treasure [a supreme artifact forged with the essence of the primordial sun]. Within it lay the fragmented Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] of Imperial Sovereign Jiang, which was also the key to his Reincarnation.

The final, incomplete Immortal Sword was the Vast Righteousness Heaven Sword that once belonged to Vast Righteousness Path Lord.

In the past, Vast Righteousness Path Lord had sacrificed himself to take on a heavenly tribulation in place of Eldrin Chen. Only this shattered sword was returned by Netherworld Patriarch. The sword spirit within was grievously damaged, its consciousness fragmented, leaving it uncertain if there remained any chance for its revival.

"With these treasures, the venerable seniors may yet have a chance at Reincarnation [the process of being reborn into a new life]."

Gazing upon these three artifacts, Eldrin Chen murmured to himself.

Then, his gaze shifted to the funerary urn and the Verdant Leaf Sword. Compared to the three venerable treasures before them, these two objects seemed mundane, their spiritual aura faint and thin.

The urn contained the ashes of Old GranduncleEternal Spread Chen. The Verdant Leaf Sword had been a parting gift from Seventh Granduncle Eternal Verdancy Chen, bestowed upon Eldrin Chen in his final moments.

For a long while, Eldrin Chen stood in silent contemplation before the urn and the Verdant Leaf Sword. Finally, he rose to his feet.

He opened the urn, his expression tinged with melancholy. "Granduncle Eternal Spread watched me grow up," he said softly. "From my earliest days, he showed me nothing but kindness and protection."

"He gave his life defending Spirit Isle Lake. His final wish, spoken with his dying breath, was for me to ascend and achieve immortality."

"Now... I have fulfilled it."

Eldrin Chen let out a sighing whisper, a trace of somberness flickering in his eyes.

He scooped up a handful of ashes and scattered them into the vastness between heaven and earth.

"Old Granduncle," he murmured, "I have ascended. I have brought you with me to the Immortal Realm [the higher plane of existence where immortals reside]."

"Look, this Immortal Domain [a region or territory within the Immortal Realm], boundless and vast, where Immortal Energy [the pure, potent energy that permeates the Immortal Realm] endures forever…"

The ashes drifted and scattered, carried by unseen currents, dissolving into the boundless expanse between sky and land, becoming dust and merging with the great earth.

In that profound silence, there seemed to be an emotion woven into the very air, a silent declaration to the vast Immortal Realm.

He, Eternal Spread Chen, a cultivator from the mortal world, had also set foot here this day…

"…"

The Heavenly Vault [the celestial dome, the sky] stretched endlessly azure, the great earth lay vast and indistinct.

Upon a dim and shadowed path, countless millions of souls wandered in a dazed and somnambulant procession.

On both sides of the path, flowers bloomed in profusion, as if formed from crimson flowing flames, dazzling and radiant beyond compare.

Beyond the path lay the boundless, desolate expanse of the Netherworld Realm [the underworld realm of spirits and demons]. Across this vast Netherworld, Yaksha [fierce, swift-moving demons] roamed the skies, Ghost King [powerful spectral monarchs] roared, shaking mountains and rivers, and endless stretches of dark, shadowy Netherworld lands stretched into the distance.

"BOOM—"

At that very moment, a thunderous explosion echoed from the void above. The endless dark Heavenly Vault [the celestial dome of the sky] was violently torn open, rending a great fissure.

A figure of towering stature and imposing presence descended from beyond the heavens.

The newcomer was clad in white robes, a silver immortal mark etched upon his brow. His form was shrouded in Immortal Energy [the pure, radiant energy of an immortal], revealing him to be a Nine Heavens Banished Immortal [an immortal being of the highest heavens, cast down to the mortal or lower realms].

"Is this the place where the Vast Azure Netherworld [the specific Netherworld realm associated with the Vast Azure Immortal Domain] resides?"

Eldrin Chen descended slowly from the void. Gazing upon the boundless expanse of the Netherworld Hell [a specific, often more perilous region of the Netherworld], he could not help but frown slightly.

Although he had heard tales of its scale, he was still taken aback by the sheer, staggering vastness of this Netherworld Hell.

This Netherworld Underworld Court [the governing domain or primary realm of the Netherworld] and the Vast Azure Immortal Domain were two sides of the same cosmic coin, the Polarity [the fundamental duality of existence, like yin and yang]. The Netherworld Underworld Court was as vast as the Vast Azure Immortal Domain itself.

"It seems this Netherworld Region [a vast and perilous underworld realm] should not be underestimated either."

Eldrin Chen's eyes flickered slightly as he recalled the information he had gathered about the Netherworld [the collective term for the underworld realms].

Within the boundless Immortal Realm [the collective plane where immortals reside], the Three Thousand Immortal Domains [the three thousand primary realms of the immortal world] hold primacy. These domains float and sink within the Chaos [the primordial, formless state preceding creation], each relatively independent yet separated by unimaginable distances.

Beyond the Three Thousand Immortal Domains, there also exist the Thirty-Sixfold Heaven [the thirty-six celestial heavens, realms of supreme order and purity] and the Eighteen Layers of Netherworld Hell [the eighteen infernal layers of punishment and torment in the underworld]. For uninterrupted reading, go to audio-novel`com.