Chapter 1145 : The Path of Immortal Ascension

Eldrin Chen did not speak further. He simply retrieved a Dragon-Phoenix Dao-Forging Pill from his sleeve, along with a piece of Incense Fire Celestial Silver, and handed them over.

"After consuming this pill and harnessing the power of the Incense Fire Celestial Silver, you should have a forty percent chance of forging an Immortal Physique [a supreme physical foundation for immortality]."

"If you dare to temper your body with the life-and-death Laws of the Dao [profound principles governing existence] in a perilous gamble, your odds may increase further."

Ethan Chen accepted the two treasures, a flicker of contemplation in his gaze.

A glimmer of understanding had already dawned upon him. He bowed respectfully to Eldrin Chen and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Clan Uncle. Ethan understands."

"Mm."

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod, already comprehending the thoughts within Ethan Chen's heart.

He then turned his gaze to the remaining individuals. Among them, Caspian Chen, Chen Zuxuan, Alistair Lu, and Lana Gu had all cultivated to the Half-Immortal Realm [a realm just one step below true immortality]. Each held a sliver of hope for Ascend to Immortal Eternity [transcending mortality to achieve everlasting life].

Eldrin Chen did not immediately bestow gifts. Instead, he spoke, "All four of you possess the potential for the Ascendant Immortal [the realm of a true immortal]. You are the chosen seeds, the Banished Immortals, of our Chen Immortal Clan. Now, I present you with two paths."

"The first is to remain within the Purple Realm. The second is to follow me to the Immortal Realm [the higher plane where true immortals reside]." Original English translation available at AUDIO-NOVEL.COM.

The four exchanged glances upon hearing this.

Finally, it was Alistair Lu who spoke, bowing as he inquired, "Master, what would be the difference between remaining in the mortal world and accompanying you to the Immortal Realm [the higher realm where immortals reside]?"

Eldrin Chen offered a faint smile and began to explain, "If you choose to remain in this world, I shall bestow upon each of you a piece of Incense Fire Celestial Silver [a rare celestial metal] and a single Dragon-Phoenix Dao-Forging Pill [a legendary elixir said to forge one's path to immortality]."

"However, this Dragon-Phoenix Dao-Forging Pill is most suited for those cultivating an Immortal Physique [a body tempered for immortality]. It may not align perfectly with your chosen paths. Thus, whether you could ultimately achieve Ascending to Immortality [the final breakthrough to become an immortal] remains uncertain."

"If you follow me to the Immortal Realm, within my Daoist Assembly Ground [a sacred site for cultivation and gathering], there still remain Heavenly Heart Jade [a jade of profound spiritual purity] and various other Immortal Treasures [rare artifacts and resources used by immortals]. Whether you walk the Path of the Immortal Physique [the cultivation method focusing on the immortal body], the road of the Dao Fruit [the cultivation method focusing on manifesting a Dao Fruit], or the path of comprehending the Laws of the Dao [the fundamental principles of existence], your chances of Ascending to Immortality would be significantly greater."

Hearing this, their faces lit up with joy. Caspian Chen was the first to speak, saying eagerly, "We wish to ascend with the Ancient Ancestor and remain by your side henceforth."

The others immediately followed suit, prostrating themselves in agreement.

The Purple Realm [the primary world of the story] was currently in a Golden Prosperous Age [an era of abundant spiritual energy and great opportunity]. Heaven's Chosen [individuals blessed with exceptional talent and fortune] and heroes of remarkable caliber were emerging one after another.

Though they considered themselves peerless talents with the potential to one day break through to the Ascension to Immortality Realm [the realm just before becoming a true immortal], they understood clearly that the World's Primordial Qi [the foundational spiritual energy of the world] and resources of the Purple Realm could not sustain them all in achieving Ascending to Immortality.

Furthermore, the production of the Violet Divine Fruit [a celestial fruit crucial for the final ascension] within the Purple Realm was limited. Even if they succeeded in Ascending to Immortality, their success would inevitably diminish the hopes of others.

Rather than remaining within the Purple Realm to compete for the pitifully scarce Immortal Fate, it would be far better to venture into that Immortal Realm. By leaving that fate for others, myself own hope for Ascending to Immortality would be greatly increased.

Having reasoned this through, they naturally had no grounds for refusal.

Seeing the four agree, Eldrin Chen gave a nod. This time, he planned to take ten people to the Immortal Realm.

Seraphina Su already occupied one spot. With these four taking another four, the remaining five spots required careful consideration.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen turned his gaze towards Elara Lin.

Nearly ten thousand years had passed since his ascension. Most of Eldrin Chen's old companions had already cultivated to the Ninth Layer Nascent Soul or even reached the Half-Immortal Realm. Only Elara Lin had just barely broken through to the Seventh Layer of Nascent Soul.

This drew a faint sigh from Eldrin Chen's heart. Elara Lin was the first direct disciple of Lyra Jiang, their relationship one of both master and friend.

In earlier years, with the support of both, Elara Lin had managed, albeit with great difficulty, to cultivate to the Primordial Spirit Realm [the spiritual core of a cultivator].

She had cultivated for over seventeen thousand years. Relying on her status and consuming vast resources, coupled with sheer perseverance over time, she had finally reached the Seventh Layer of Nascent Soul. Yet, the path ahead grew increasingly arduous.

Her foundation was simply too shallow. Given her Deep-Seated Foundation [the quality and depth of a cultivator's spiritual base], the prospect of Ascending to Immortality was nearly an impossibility.

"After all, she is Lyra's Disciple... alas!"

Eldrin Chen let out a sigh, then looked at Elara Lin and said, "It has been nearly ten thousand years since my Ascending to Immortality [transcending mortality to become an immortal]. Lyra has often spoken of you to me."

"Before this journey, she specifically instructed me to bring you to the Immortal Realm [the realm of the immortals]. You shall accompany me there."

Elara Lin trembled slightly, her eyes reddening as she choked back a sob. "Master..."

Seeing this, Eldrin Chen could not help but sigh inwardly, offering no further words.

The path of Ascending to Immortality is profoundly difficult. Elara Lin had established her Foundation Establishment [the foundational stage of cultivation] using a Pill [a medicinal pellet refined for cultivation], and later broke through to the Purple Mansion [a mid-level spiritual core stage] using the Purple Sun Jade [a rare spiritual jade]. Although she later used the Ancient Furnace Heaven-Mending Elixir [a legendary elixir said to mend one's foundational flaws] to partially repair her foundation, she ultimately only reached the Middle Golden Core [the middle stage of the Golden Core realm]. The complete novel can be found at audio–novel.com.

As the saying goes, one misstep leads to many. No matter how diligently Elara Lin cultivated thereafter, she only managed to form an Earthly Dao Nascent Soul [a Nascent Soul formed through earthly, lesser Dao principles]. Her Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] also possessed a somewhat Deep-Seated Foundation [a foundational cultivation base] that was slightly frail.

With such a foundation, Ascending to Immortality was nearly impossible. In the future, she would likely need to undergo Soul Dissolution and Re-cultivation [a drastic process of discarding one's current cultivation to start anew] to have even a sliver of hope. For now, however, the plan was to first bring her to the Immortal Realm and let Lyra Jiang decide the next course of action.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen turned his gaze to the others present.

The remaining old acquaintances were all descendants of the former Chen Clan, who had received care from Eldrin Chen in their youth.

Most of these individuals have now reached the Primordial Spirit, Late Stage [the advanced stage of the spiritual core cultivation], yet their bonds are not as close as those of the others, and their innate Deep-Seated Foundation [the quality and depth of one's foundational cultivation] is also lacking by more than a small margin.

Eldrin Chen had no mind to arrange everything perfectly for each descendant. He merely bestowed upon each a single High Grade Pure Yang Spiritual Treasure [a top-tier enchanted artifact imbued with pure yang energy], a vial of high-grade Pure Yang [the realm of pure yang energy] Cloud-Patterned Immortal Pill [an elixir marked with cloud-like patterns that aids immortal cultivation], and a scroll of ancient scriptures suitable for their cultivation path.

After this, he still offered words of encouragement: "Each person's path of cultivation is unique. That you have cultivated to the Primordial Spirit, Late Stage [the advanced stage of the spiritual core cultivation] means you all hold a sliver of hope for Ascending to Immortality [transcending mortality and achieving immortal status] in the future."

"Devote yourselves to your cultivation. I hope that one day, this seat may see you in the Immortal Realm [the celestial realm where immortals reside]."

"We thank the Ancient Ancestor for bestowing these treasures."

Upon hearing his words, they all bowed deeply in unison, receiving the treasures with unconcealed joy.

With that said, Eldrin Chen waved his hand, signaling for them to withdraw.

After they had departed, Thalion Chen retrieved a Treasure Box [a container for precious items] and offered it, saying, "Since you have returned, I shall entrust this item to you."

"This is..."

Eldrin Chen felt a slight tremor in his heart. With utmost care, he accepted the Treasure Box.

He opened the Treasure Box and looked inside, discovering to his surprise that it contained a darkly luminous orb.

"A Soul-Gathering Pearl [a magical artifact designed to collect and contain wandering souls]."

With a sigh in his heart, Eldrin Chen understood what this Soul-Gathering Pearl was.

Old Granduncle nodded, his expression pained as he said, "Silas was always headstrong. He forced his attempt to break through to the Ascending to Immortality realm and suffered a fate that nearly scattered his soul to the winds."

"Following your method, we refined this Soul-Gathering Pearl and barely managed to preserve a wisp of his Remnant Soul."

"Alas!"

Eldrin Chen sighed. This Soul-Gathering Pearl held but a single wisp of Silas Chen's Remnant Soul. To be reborn anew, a journey to the Netherworld Underworld [the realm of the dead in Chinese mythology] would still be necessary.

With a complex expression, he stored the Soul-Gathering Pearl away, then spoke, "Since I have returned, though it is a rare occasion, I should first go and see a few people."

Departing from Verdant Chariot Mountain, Eldrin Chen made his way towards The Vast Sea.

After so many years of absence, The Vast Sea had transformed into the foremost inland sea of the Purple Realm, gathering an immense and majestic concentration of Water Essence Power [the fundamental spiritual energy associated with the water element]. It could rightly be called one of the most glorious cultivation paradises within the Purple Realm.

However, the present Eldrin Chen had not come for The Vast Sea. Continue your cultivation journey at audio_novel.com.