Chapter 1161 : A Solitary Wanderer's Return

With a thunderous crash, the Eternal Pursuit of the Dao [the name of the cultivation organization] descended.

The immortal stone plummeted down, carrying the slumbering Inscription of Sorrow Lord [a title for a powerful cultivator], and fell into the bottomless Black Dragon Pool [a deep, dark pool].

Eldrin Chen watched this scene unfold in silence, taking no further action. Every person has their own myself destiny and opportunities. He could only lend a helping hand, not dictate the outcome. Whether the Inscription of Sorrow Lord could ultimately break free depended on his own Creation [the predetermined course of one's life and destiny].

With this thought, Eldrin Chen ceased his pondering and continued his aimless wandering between heaven and earth.

Ten thousand years had passed. The Purple Realm [a vast region in the cultivation world] had undergone myriad changes. The familiar faces and scenes of the past were mostly gone, and Eldrin Chen felt an ever-deepening sense of solitude.

Eldrin Chen simply let go of his concerns. He personally instructed Caleb Chen, while also taking him to see the majestic mountains and rivers of the Purple Realm, journeying together to witness the myriad wonders of the world. It was, in its own way, a life of carefree freedom.

Time flowed by in this manner, and in the blink of an eye, a full Jiazi-time [a cycle of sixty years] had passed.

"Spirit Isle Lake [a spiritual lake], I have returned."

On this day, beyond Verdant Chariot Mountain [a mountain's name], two figures approached.

The one in front possessed a peerless, transcendent aura, his White Robe [a white robe] pristine as snow. It was none other than Eldrin Chen himself. For more chapters, visit audio-novel dot com for the complete novel.

The latter stood tall and straight, his bearing as gentle and refined as jade, reminiscent of a noble scion from the Mortal Dust [the mundane, mortal world], yet a sharp, piercing glint resided within his eyes. This was the reincarnated form of Caleb Chen.

Gazing upon the Spirit Isle Lake before him, Eldrin Chen let out a soft, internal sigh before speaking. "This shall be your place of secluded cultivation henceforth. Apply yourself diligently here."

"Caleb understands."

Caleb Chen gave a nod. His eyes swept over the Spirit Isle Lake once more before he could not help but turn his gaze back to Eldrin Chen. "By bringing me back this time, do you intend to return to the Immortal Realm [the higher plane of existence where immortals reside]?"

"Soon."

Eldrin Chen inclined his head slightly, a touch of nostalgia coloring his words. "After this return, barring matters of extraordinary significance, I shall not lightly descend to the mortal realm again."

"Our next meeting will likely only be within the Immortal Domain [the celestial domains of the Immortal Realm]."

Caleb Chen's brow furrowed for a moment before he, too, nodded in understanding. "Go forth. Caleb shall ascend within ten thousand years."

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen gave a slight, approving nod.

Over these past six decades, myself had laid a solid foundation for Caleb Chen upon the Immortal Path [the path of cultivation leading to immortality]. The road ahead, however, he must now walk on his own.

He believed that Caleb Chen, with his foundation from a past life, the personal guidance from myself, and the Deep-Seated Foundation of the Chen Immortal Clan, had an exceedingly great chance of Ascending to Immortality [achieving the highest state of cultivation and becoming an immortal] in this lifetime.

Thinking this, Eldrin Chen offered his final counsel: "Over these years, I have imparted to you the path of Ascending to Immortality, yet the true Path to Immortal Ascension [the ultimate method and journey to transcend mortality] must be seized by myself alone."

"Your bone structure, talent, and comprehension in this life are all excellent. By all rights, Ascending to Immortality should not be difficult for you."

"Yet you must understand this: throughout all ages, those who achieve Ascending to Immortality are invariably individuals blessed with great fortune, immense perseverance, and supreme natural gifts."

"If you wish to rise above the common multitude, you must temper myself through many trials. Do not rely overmuch on the shelter of the clan."

Caleb Chen gave a slight nod of understanding. "Indulgence is the surest way to bury a genius," he affirmed. "I understand."

"Then my heart is at ease."

With those words, Eldrin Chen spoke no more.

He motioned for Caleb to depart, then made his way to the heart of Spirit Isle Lake. There, he found several figures who had been waiting for some time.

Within the Peach Blossom Grove, a rain of petals drifted down. Seven figures stood facing one another—they were the present Seven Immortals of the Purple Realm [a legendary group of seven supreme cultivators].

Master of the Dao Palace [the supreme leader of a major cultivation sanctuary], Peng the Roc Demon Sage [a legendary avian demon who has attained sagehood], Lin Tianqi [the renowned Sword Saint], Thunder Tribulation Deity [a divine being who governs heavenly thunder punishments], Kunxuan the Dao Venerable [a revered master of profound Daoist principles], Kael Chen, and the Star Palace Master [the sovereign ruler of the celestial Star Palace].

Surveying the seven figures before him, Eldrin Chen gave a slight, approving nod.

Among these seven, Kael Chen had synthesized the essences of the Buddhist, Daoist, and Demonic paths, cultivating three distinct Supreme Dao Fruit [the pinnacle spiritual attainment representing mastery over a fundamental cosmic principle]. His combat prowess had already reached the level of the Fourth Level of Immortal Ascension [the fourth major stage of post-immortal cultivation].

The Master of the Dao Palace had mastered the Laws of the Dao [the fundamental cosmic rules governing reality] and condensed his own Dao Fruit. Peng the Roc Demon Sage had achieved both a Dao Fruit and an Immortal Physique [a body reforged by immortal energies, granting immense durability and power]. Lin Tianqi had forged an Immortal Physique and comprehended the Laws of the Dao. All three were individuals who had Ascended to Immortality with Dual Dao Fruits [the rare achievement of mastering two supreme principles], their battle strength likely rivaling that of the Third Heavenly Layer of Immortal Ascension.

The strength of Thunder Tribulation Deity, Kunxuan the Dao Venerable, and the Star Palace Master was more conventional, yet they too were individuals who had successfully Ascended to Immortal Eternity [transcended mortality to join the ranks of the immortal beings].

With the aid of these seven, their combined force was nearly equivalent to a single cultivator at the Late Stage Immortal Ascension Realm. When the time came for the Purple Realm [a legendary higher plane of existence] to undergo its ascension, they would be able to provide Eldrin Chen with significant assistance. This chapter appears courtesy of *audio-novel.com*.

This assessment held true even though they had only recently broken through and lacked both Immortal Treasure [artifacts forged with and containing immortal-grade power] and Immortal Rank Divine Abilities [supreme techniques accessible only to immortals] for protection. Otherwise, their combat effectiveness would be even greater.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen retrieved several Immortal Treasure he had acquired from the Verdant Spirit Ancient Star and offered them to the group. "I lend these treasures to you for now. When the Great Tribulation [a cataclysmic heavenly trial] descends, I hope you can intercept any who slip through the net for me."

"Understood."

The seven accepted the treasures, each offering a firm nod of acknowledgment.

Lin Tianqi [Lin Tianqi, the Sword Saint of the Eastern Wastes] took the Immortal Sword [a divine blade wielded by an immortal] from his hand and inquired, "We have prepared for many years. When will the world undergo its ascension?"

"Recently, I have had a faint premonition that something is happening within the Immortal Domain [the realm of the immortals]. I should return to the Immortal Domain swiftly."

"Therefore, today shall be the day the world ascends."

With those words, Eldrin Chen led the group as they soared towards the boundless heights of the Firmament [the vault of heaven].

Soon, they arrived at the ultimate extremity of the world, the very edge of the World's Primordial Membrane [the primordial barrier that separates the inner world from the outer void].

Then, Eldrin Chen swept his sleeve, and a resplendent formation diagram soared into the sky. Across the heavens and earth, one after another, Formation Flags [enchanted banners used to anchor and power grand formations] erupted with immortal light.

In that instant, countless Laws of the Dao [the fundamental principles and patterns that govern reality] formation patterns converged with the diagram. Billions of Law Divine Chains [manifestations of cosmic laws, appearing as chains of divine light] surged from the eight directions, ultimately pouring into an Ancient Star Furnace [a primordial artifact capable of refining the essence of stars].

"*Hum.*"

As the World Grand Formation [a cosmic-scale formation designed to elevate the entire world] was activated, the radiance of the Ancient Star Furnace instantly intensified a thousandfold.

It became like a great sun of the Nine Heavens [the highest celestial realms], beginning to voraciously draw upon the energies of the void, transforming them into pure, liquid spiritual essence.

In that instant, an uncountable deluge of spiritual liquid, like a celestial Ronan [a legendary figure associated with celestial rivers], cascaded down from the Ancient Star Furnace [a legendary artifact capable of forging stars] and poured into the Purple Realm [a mystical cultivation realm], dissipating into a sky-filling mist of spiritual energy [the vital energy that flows through all living things].

Bolstered by this influx of energy, the spiritual density within the Purple Realm visibly increased, its transformation drawing ever nearer.

"Excellent!"

Witnessing the surge in ambient spiritual energy, Lin Tianqi praised loudly, a genuine smile gracing his features.

At this rate, the Purple Realm would likely breach its critical threshold in less than a year.

Yet, Eldrin Chen wore a grave expression. His gaze was fixed beyond the World's Primordial Membrane [the fundamental barrier separating a world from the void], into the fathomless depths of the starry abyss.

"That is..."

The others followed his gaze, their hearts clenching with a sudden, sharp dread.

There, within the boundless stellar void, a host of indescribably vast primordial beasts surged forth.

They numbered only a few thousand, yet each one was a leviathan whose bulk dwarfed entire stars, a sight both awe-inspiring and terrifying.

The smallest among them spanned tens of thousands of Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters], while the largest stretched across an unfathomable expanse of millions of Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters], a single eye as vast and imposing as a Supreme Yang [a supreme solar entity].

"They are the Starry Void Ancient Beasts [primordial leviathans that drift through the void between stars], no wonder they could traverse the Starry Abyss to arrive here."

Eldrin Chen's expression shifted slightly as he recognized the origins of these ancient creatures.

The Starry Void Ancient Beasts [primordial leviathans that drift through the void between stars] are also known as the World-Ending Ancient Beasts [cosmic devourers capable of consuming worlds]. They roam the Boundless Starry Sky [the infinite expanse of stars and void], feeding on Nine Heavens Star Fragment [celestial ore fragments] and even the Primordial Source [the foundational, life-giving energy of creation] of Great Thousand World [the myriad worlds of existence].

This race possesses almost no sentient intellect, yet their strength is astonishingly formidable. They are born with cultivation at the Primordial Spirit Realm [the realm of the spiritual core], making their power truly fathomless.

After hearing Eldrin Chen recount the origins of the Starry Void Ancient Beasts [primordial leviathans that drift through the void between stars], the expressions of the seven individuals all shifted subtly.

The Master of the Dao Palace could not help but draw a deep breath before speaking. "It seems they were drawn by the Primordial Source [the foundational, life-giving energy of creation] of the Azure Firmament Immortal Domain [the Celestial Realm of the Azure Firmament]. They have become the tribulation accompanying this world's ascension." This chapter is part of a larger work available at site: audio-novel.com.