Chapter 1126 : Through the Chaos to Distant Stars
The Void Gate [a mystical portal connecting distant realms] of the Flowing Fire Star Palace opens once every Millennium [a period of one thousand years], and the time for its next opening was drawing very near.
They had waited for little more than half a month when the day for the Void Gate's opening finally arrived.
The two of them boarded the Void Gate, and Skywind the Daoist cautioned, "When the Void Gate opens shortly, we will traverse the chaotic Endless Void [the primordial, formless expanse between realms]. You must remember to firmly guard your Divine Soul [the spiritual core of a cultivator, also known as Primordial Spirit]."
"Thank you for the warning."
Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod, his gaze turning grave.
To reach the depths of the Boundless Starry Sky, one must not only cross the Azure Firmament Immortal Domain [a vast celestial realm], but also journey beyond its borders.
Beyond that Immortal Domain lies the Boundless Chaos [the primordial, turbulent expanse separating immortal realms], where thin wisps of Chaos Miasma [the corrosive and annihilating energy of primordial chaos] churn and surge. Without the protection of Ascension Guiding Immortal Light [a protective radiance used for traversing chaotic voids], an ordinary Immortal [a being who has achieved immortality through cultivation] would be reduced to ashes upon contact with even a single strand.
Only mighty figures at the Heaven Immortal Realm [a high level of immortal cultivation] can barely set foot within the Boundless Chaos, and even then, they face the peril of utter annihilation.
For common Earth Immortal and Heaven Immortal [lower and mid-tier immortal realms], it is nearly impossible to rely on their own power to travel to other Immortal Domain.
Only the World-Ferrying Treasure Ship [a colossal vessel forged by an entire sect to sail the chaos], painstakingly refined by the combined might of a powerful Grotto-Heaven [a blessed paradise and sect stronghold], can withstand this Chaos Qi [the primordial energy of chaos] and cross the Boundless Chaos to reach other Immortal Domain. Discover more cultivation stories at audio novel.com.
The tickets for those Treasure Ship are exceedingly expensive, and traversing between Immortal Domain [a vast realm of existence where immortals reside] is fraught with peril. Therefore, the vast majority of Immortal [a being who has achieved immortality through cultivation] and even Earth Immortal [an immortal bound to the terrestrial realm] within an Immortal Domain may never in their entire lives journey to another.
Fortunately, the lower world where Eldrin Chen was headed did not require crossing the Boundless Chaos [the primordial, formless expanse between realms]. One could descend by harnessing the power of a Void Gate [a portal capable of traversing vast distances through void-space], arriving within the great cosmos of the Boundless Starry Sky [the infinite celestial expanse containing countless worlds]. This method was far less treacherous.
Yet, such a passage was not without its aftereffects. To traverse infinite space-time in an instant carried its own risks; the slightest misstep could lead to the peril of Divine Soul [the immortal spiritual core of a high-level cultivator] separation from the physical form.
As the saying goes, a miss is as good as a mile. During the crossing of the Endless Void [the infinite, empty space between celestial bodies and realms], if one's Divine Soul were to become detached and cast adrift, it might take hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of years to possibly reunite with its corporeal vessel.
"It seems... the time has come."
Just as Eldrin Chen was lost in these thoughts, the Void Gate trembled faintly, emitting rays of Laws of the Dao [the fundamental principles and rules that govern reality and cultivation] light.
Eldrin Chen focused his mind and will, sensing within the void-space, countless profoundly arcane threads of Void Laws [the principles governing emptiness, spatial manipulation, and void traversal] ignite with light.
In a Ksana-time [an infinitesimal unit of time], billions of strands of Void Laws cascaded down. Eldrin Chen felt a sensation of mountains and rivers inverting, the entire Azure Firmament Immortal Domain [the Celestial Azure Heaven, a specific immortal realm] rapidly receding beneath his feet.
This teleportation was exceptionally prolonged. Eldrin Chen gazed around, finding the once boundless and majestic Immortal Domain had somehow become a distant, hazy expanse. The entire world seemed to lie far below him.
Unconsciously, he had already passed beyond the Immortal Domain Membrane [the protective boundary or outer layer of an immortal realm].
After nearly ten thousand years, gazing once more upon the Azure Firmament Immortal Domain [a celestial realm of profound power and mystery], Eldrin Chen was still struck by a sense of overwhelming awe at its sheer distance and majesty.
This vast Immortal Domain [a sovereign realm of immortals] drifted within the Primordial Chaos [the formless, primordial state before creation], ancient, boundless, and immeasurably vast. Even a great world spanning hundreds of millions of Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] would appear before it as insignificant as a single grain of sand.
Yet when Eldrin Chen peered deeper into the Boundless Chaos [the infinite expanse of primordial nothingness], he discovered that within the Primordial Chaos, one Immortal Domain after another drifted and floated.
In comparison, the Azure Firmament Immortal Domain seemed but an ordinary, unremarkable member among them.
"This is..."
Eldrin Chen gazed into the depths of the Primordial Chaos, his pupils contracting slightly. He perceived that between the faintly visible Immortal Domain, there seemed to be a certain connection, a hidden linkage.
They resembled a single corner of a world-shaking grand formation, with array patterns so natural they seemed born of heaven and earth themselves, capable of suppressing even the turbulent Chaos Currents [the violent, destructive flows of raw primordial energy].
"The Three Thousand Immortal Domains [a legendary constellation of three thousand immortal realms], they seem to suppress the Chaos Currents to a certain degree."
Eldrin Chen murmured to himself, a flicker of understanding dawning in his heart.
The Chaos Currents were incomparably tyrannical; in principle, each wisp possessed the power to shatter heavens and extinguish worlds.
Logically speaking, only a Great Luo Golden Immortal [the supreme pinnacle of immortal cultivation] should possess the power to withstand a force of this magnitude.
Yet, a Heavenly Immortal Paragon [a peak-level Heavenly Immortal] is capable of traversing the Primordial Chaos [the formless, primordial state before creation] void to reach other Immortal Domains [vast realms governed by immortal powers], either through their own power or by utilizing a high-grade Treasure Ship [a vessel capable of interstellar and interdimensional travel]. This left Eldrin Chen feeling deeply perplexed.
Now it appeared that the Primordial Chaos void surrounding the Three Thousand Immortal Domains [a collective term for the myriad immortal realms] was suppressed by the immense presence of the Immortal Domains themselves, rendering the Chaos Qi [the primordial, chaotic energy of creation] exceedingly thin.
"It seems a World-Startling Immortal Formation [a formation of immense, world-shaking power] is suppressing the Chaos Qi within a certain range," he mused.
As these thoughts flickered through Eldrin Chen's mind, the void around him trembled faintly in that very instant.
A powerful force of attraction surged forth, pulling him inexorably toward the depths of the Boundless Starry Sky [the infinite expanse of stars beyond the known realms]. This chapter is provided by audio-novel dot com. Support the original.
Before Eldrin Chen could ponder further, he felt the endless fabric of space-time rushing beneath his feet. An immeasurable duration later—or perhaps merely a moment—a vista of dazzling, myriad stars filled his vision. He knew then that he had arrived within the Extraterrestrial Starry Sky [the starry realm beyond the conventional immortal domains].
"This is..."
In a reversal of stellar motion, Eldrin Chen took a single step and found himself standing before a Majestic Star Gate [a colossal, star-spanning portal].
It was a star of staggering immensity, stretching across billions upon billions of Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters]. Even Eldrin Chen felt a sense of awe, unable to perceive its boundaries with a single glance.
Upon this celestial body, amidst the convergence of myriad stars, Eldrin Chen lifted his gaze, surveying the majestic Immortal Palaces that stood imposingly.
What met his eyes was a colossal Heavenly Gate.
Beneath the gate, ranks of Celestial Soldiers and Generals whose auras were as profound as stellar abysses stood guard, holding celestial halberds.
The lowest among these celestial soldiers possessed cultivation at the Ninth Level of Ascension to Immortality [the penultimate stage before achieving true immortality], while the celestial generals' power was unfathomably deep, like bottomless seas.
Above the gate hung a plaque inscribed with four grand characters.
"Celestial Treasury Imperial Star!"
Eldrin Chen read the words aloud, his pupils involuntarily contracting sharply.
At that moment, Skywind the Immortal also descended. Noticing Eldrin's expression, he quickly transmitted a voice message to explain.
"Ever since Sage-King of the Grand Abyss intervened that year, shattering the Cosmic Starry Sky Grand Formation [a vast defensive array encompassing stars] of the Demonic Tribe, the governance of these hundreds of millions of Heavenly Circuit Stars [stars that form celestial pathways] has been divided among three powers: the Celestial Court, the Divine Court, and our own Celestial Court."
"The primary star under the Demonic Tribe's control is the Ancient Sun Star. The primary star governed by the Divine Race is centered on the Purple Tenuity Imperial Star."
"And the Celestial Court Star Palace of our Human Race Immortal Court is primarily based upon this Celestial Treasury Imperial Star."
As Skywind the Daoist recounted the tale, Eldrin Chen nodded silently in understanding.
Among the Heavenly Circuit Stars [the celestial constellations], only the most supreme stars are worthy of the title 'Imperial Star'. The most powerful among them are the Supreme Yang [the Supreme Solar Star] and the Purple Tenuity Star.
The Purple Tenuity is the Star of Mandated Destiny, while the Supreme Yang is the Central Heavenly Pivot Star. Both possess the right to contend for the exalted position of Sovereign over all stars.
Among the several rulers of the Immortal Realm, the Purple Tenuity Divine Sovereign of the Divine Race and the Solar Celestial Emperor of the Demonic Tribe were both Innate Sacred Spirits [primordial beings born of pure cosmic essence] nurtured upon these two Imperial Stars, a testament to their profound nobility.
The Celestial Treasury Imperial Star is slightly less prestigious, yet it remains the master of the Southern Dipper Six Stars and stands in majestic resonance with the Purple Tenuity Imperial Star, thus rightfully claiming its place among the Imperial Stars.
Mentioning this, Skywind the Immortal continued, "Three Calamity Tribulation [cosmic cycles of great upheaval] ago, after our Human Race Immortal Court seized the Heavenly Circuit Stars, we took possession of this Celestial Treasury Imperial Star."
"Now, upon this Celestial Treasury Imperial Star resides the domain of the Celestial Court Emperor Lord known as the 'Great Emperor of the Southern Dipper Celestial Treasury'."
Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen's pupils contracted slightly.
During this time, he had gained a preliminary understanding of the power structure within the Human Race Immortal Court.
From his current understanding, there were many Great Luo Golden Immortal [the pinnacle of immortal cultivation, a realm of supreme power and longevity] within the Human Race, yet most were merely conferred the honorary title of Immortal Lord [a high-ranking immortal title bestowed by the Celestial Court].
Those qualified to be granted the Imperial Lord [an exalted title for sovereign-level immortals, higher than Immortal Lord] honor by the Celestial Court [the heavenly bureaucracy governing immortals and cosmic order] numbered only a few dozen in total.
These Imperial Lord possessed unfathomable cultivation depths; the weakest among them likely began at the peak of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, and some might have even broken through to the Demi-Sage Realm [a transcendent state bordering on sagehood, beyond the Great Luo Golden Immortal]. Join our community of readers at www . audio-novel.com.