Chapter 1136 : Stellar Bell's Final Toll

Behold, billions of starlights converged into a Stellar Grand Bell [a divine bell forged from the essence of stars], which descended to suppress Heaven Wind Path Master [a master of the heavenly wind cultivation path].

In that desperate moment, Heaven Wind Path Master activated his Gale Wind Divine Body [a physique blessed with the power of celestial gales] to barely withstand the blow, then coughed up blood and was sent flying backward.

The Stellar Grand Bell possessed immeasurable might, imbued with a Rule Power [a power that embodies and enforces a fundamental law of reality] capable of suppressing all things. It continued its descent, intent on crushing Heaven Wind Path Master into nothingness within the void.

Fortunately, Eldrin Chen acted swiftly, channeling the Polarity Dual Poles Pearl [a mystical pearl embodying the opposing forces of yin and yang]. In an instant, the Polarity Treasure Pearl intertwined with the power of Immortality [a divine art representing the concept of deathlessness], unleashing billions of strands of Polarity Dual Energy [the primordial energies of opposing cosmic forces]. At the critical juncture, it shielded Heaven Wind Path Master and deflected the assault of the Stellar Grand Bell.

"Alas!"

As the chaos subsided, a sigh echoed through the void.

Eldrin Chen looked up to see the last wisp of the Nine Heavens Star Deity's remnant soul descending. After uttering a sigh of profound regret, it dissolved into motes of starlight, utterly annihilated.

"*Cough*—"

Heaven Wind Path Master spat out a mouthful of reversed blood [blood forced upward by internal injury]. Gazing in horror at the Nine Heavens Star Deity's complete dissolution, he exclaimed with dread, "What ruthless scheming! This Nine Heavens Star Deity [a deity born from the stars of the highest heavens] laid a final trap even in death."

"Indeed," Eldrin Chen agreed solemnly. "The methods of this Star Deity [a divine being of stellar origin] were truly merciless." The story continues at audio-novel . com.

Eldrin Chen also sighed, finally understanding the scheme of the Outer Realm Star Deity.

That Nine Heavens Celestial Immortal Deities, even on the brink of death, was capable of unleashing a fourth World-Opening Heavenly God Ability. He was confident he could have slain the Blood Spring Patriarch with it, yet he deliberately chose not to.

He intentionally targeted a single individual, firing three consecutive Divine Ability [powerful supernatural techniques] to grievously wound the Blood Spring Patriarch, then concealed his final strike within the Ancient Starry Firmament Bell.

He had calculated from the start that the Frostbane Old Demon would never let the Blood Spring Old Demon escape. This last blow was specifically reserved for the Frostbane Patriarch.

As he had foreseen, after the Frostbane Old Demon slew the Blood Spring Patriarch, he would inevitably come to claim the Ancient Starry Firmament Bell.

At that moment, the final hidden Divine Ability within the Ancient Starry Firmament Bell would be triggered. Caught off guard, the Frostbane Old Demon would likely have been instantly annihilated.

Yet, he could never have anticipated that the Frostbane Old Demon would be slain by Eldrin Chen and the Heaven Wind Path Master. Thus, it was the two of them who triggered this lethal trap.

Thinking of this, the Heaven Wind Path Master was overcome with a profound sense of dread.

Had his Gale Wind Divine Body [a physique of immense speed and resilience] not reached perfection, granting him a physical defense surpassing even a High-Grade Immortal Treasure, an ordinary Ascendant Immortal 9th Tier would have been obliterated in an instant by such a surprise attack.

And had it not been for the protective aura of Eldrin Chen's Polarity Dual Poles Pearl, he would likely have been slain, or at the very least left with half his life force extinguished.

With this thought, Heaven Wind Path Master [a title for a senior cultivator], his spirit still unsettled, bowed to Eldrin Chen and said, "Had you not intervened, Fellow Daoist, this old man would surely have suffered grievous injury."

"This humble Daoist offers his respects."

"There is no need for such formality."

Eldrin Chen shook his head and then spoke, "Had you not been the one to activate the Ancient Starry Firmament Bell [an ancient bell imbued with the power of the starry heavens], compelling me to trigger it, I might not have had time to channel the Polarity Dual Poles Pearl [a treasure embodying the opposing forces of Yin and Yang]."

"One could say I should thank you for bearing a tribulation in my stead."

Even as he spoke these words, Eldrin Chen reminded himself inwardly to act with greater caution henceforth. The final moments were the most perilous; a single moment of negligence could turn triumph into tragedy, causing one to stumble at the very threshold of success.

With this resolve, Eldrin Chen, while channeling the Polarity Dual Poles Pearl for protection, declared, "Let us proceed with care. Our first priority is to subdue the Ancient Starry Firmament Bell."

"Agreed."

After that final counter-blow, all resistance from the Ancient Starry Firmament Bell ceased. It was clear the Nine Heavens Star Deity [a divine being associated with the nine celestial layers] had exhausted his hidden contingencies.

Having refined and claimed the Ancient Starry Firmament Bell, Eldrin Chen watched as Heaven Wind Path Master consumed a healing elixir [a pill that restores vitality and mends wounds]. He then inquired, "How fares your injury, Fellow Daoist?"

Heaven Wind Path Master replied, "My Immortal Body [a cultivator's physical form refined to an immortal level] is perfected. Killing me is no easy feat. This wound is not fatal."

Eldrin Chen nodded at this, then turned his gaze to the shattered Sacred Mountain. "With the Star Spirit Lineage's Sacred Mountain destroyed, the treasures within have scattered to the winds," he said.

"To prevent them from being lost forever, we should act swiftly. Let us recover as many as we can."

"Agreed."

Heaven Wind Path Master gave a nod, immediately setting aside his recovery to join Eldrin Chen in scouring the heavens and earth for the scattered treasures.

The two of them labored for three full months, recovering roughly half of the artifacts lost to the world, before finally reconvening before the ruins of the Sacred Mountain. Original English translation available at www . audio-novel.com.

Gazing at the devastated site, Heaven Wind Immortal produced the treasures he had found. A complex expression crossed his face as he spoke. "This Verdant Spirit Ancient Star truly lives up to its name as an ancient ruin. It indeed held many ancient texts and scriptures."

"A pity these ancient Immortal Scripture [texts containing profound cultivation methods and lore] have been passed down for too long. Most are now incomplete, and many were lost in this great battle."

At this point, Heaven Wind Path Master produced a pile of ancient books but shook his head with a sigh. "This old man also failed to find the method for cultivating the Jade Marrow Golden Bamboo Shoot."

Eldrin Chen merely smiled faintly, retrieving a scroll of ancient text. "Do not be disheartened, fellow Daoist. See what this is!"

"This is..."

Heaven Wind Path Master took the Ancient Scripture and looked at it, his face instantly contorting into an expression of wild joy.

Upon the cover of the Ancient Scripture, written in bold characters, was the title: "The Primordial Unity Golden Bamboo Cultivation Method Upper Scroll".

With utmost care, Heaven Wind Path Master picked up the ancient tome and began to read. After a long while, he could not contain his ecstasy, exclaiming, "The Primordial Unity Golden Bamboo, the Primordial Unity Golden Bamboo!"

"This Jade Marrow Golden Bamboo Shoot is actually a sapling of the Primordial Unity Golden Bamboo!"

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod, a smile finally gracing his features.

Having been an immortal for many years now, Eldrin Chen's knowledge and experience had grown vast. He naturally understood the profound significance of the Primordial Unity Golden Bamboo.

The Primordial Unity Golden Bamboo was a Ninth Rank Immortal Artifact of staggering, almost unimaginable value, a treasure of incalculable worth even to beings of Celestial Immortal Great Power stature.

This material possessed a sharpness rivaling that of 'Primordial Unity Adamantine' and a resilience comparable to the Nine Heavens Celestial Immortal Bamboo. It was the supreme immortal-grade material for forging Immortal Sword.

Even mighty beings at the Celestial Immortal level would scour the realms, desperately seeking the Primordial Unity Golden Bamboo to serve as the primary material for crafting Ninth Rank Supreme Immortal Sword.

The scroll before him, the Primordial Unity Golden Bamboo Cultivation Method, contained the first half of the method for nurturing the Primordial Unity Golden Bamboo.

According to its records, once the Mysterious Jade Golden Bamboo was cultivated to its absolute limit, it would undergo a metamorphosis into an Immortal Bamboo Shoot.

That shoot was the Jade Marrow Golden Bamboo Shoot [a supreme treasure for cultivating an Immortal Physique]. If allowed to grow to its ultimate state, it would transform into an Eighth-Rank Jade Marrow Golden Bamboo [a legendary tier of spiritual plants].

When that Jade Marrow Golden Bamboo reached its pinnacle, it would revert once more, becoming a Quasi-Ninth Rank Primordial Unity Golden Bamboo Shoot [the nascent form of the ultimate Primordial Unity Golden Bamboo].

Upon the maturation of that Primordial Unity Golden Bamboo Shoot, it would finally become the Ninth Rank Primordial Unity Golden Bamboo.

The method before him was only the first half of the Primordial Unity Golden Bamboo Cultivation Method. It documented the technique for advancing the Mysterious Jade Golden Bamboo into the Jade Marrow Golden Bamboo Shoot, as well as the arts to accelerate the maturation of the Jade Marrow Golden Bamboo Shoot.

As for the second half, it contained the method for promoting the Jade Marrow Golden Bamboo into the Primordial Unity Golden Bamboo.

"To think it is the cultivation method for the Primordial Unity Golden Bamboo... a pity only the first half remains."

After reviewing the Primordial Unity Golden Bamboo nurturing method, Heaven Wind Path Master let out a sigh of regret and shook his head.

The second half of the Primordial Unity Golden Bamboo Cultivation Method was far too precious. Even for the Ancient Demon Race Heavenly Court, it represented a true foundational treasure, one of their core legacies. A mere place like the Verdant Spirit Ancient Star naturally had no right to possess such a profound inheritance.

The reason why Verdant Spirit Ancient Star possesses the first half of the Primordial Unity Golden Bamboo Cultivation Method is that in the ancient era, Verdant Spirit Ancient Star was one of the production sites where the Demon Race Heavenly Court cultivated the Jade Marrow Golden Bamboo. Continue reading this story at http://www . audio-novel.com.