Chapter 1160 : The Price of a Master's Debt

"Indeed."

Eldrin Chen nodded, then cast another glance at Melancholy Inscription Lord, his gaze tinged with unmistakable regret.

The talent of Melancholy Inscription Lord was Extraordinary. Born a Human RaceTrue Lord, he had undergone Nirvana [a profound rebirth] to become a mere snail of the Demon Race.

From this humble, lowly-blooded snail form, he had walked the path of cultivation, ultimately achieving the renown of Melancholy Inscription Lord, a name that commanded respect across the land.

Were it not for his lack of a single wisp of Innate Womb Energy [the primordial life-force essential for the highest breakthroughs], which barred him from the Primordial Spirit Realm, he would likely have long since cultivated to the Primordial Spirit 9th Tier and might even have been qualified to attempt the Ascendant Immortal Realm.

He sighed, then spoke. "With your talent, your destiny should have reached far greater heights. A pity that in achieving Sage Lord Dorian, you buried your own future path."

At these words, Melancholy Inscription Lord fell silent. To be honest, who did not wish to advance further?

After a moment of quiet, he replied with calm acceptance. "Without my master, more than twenty thousand years ago, I would have perished in the demonic tribulation."

"To exchange my own Path [the unique Dao or way of cultivation one follows] for my master's illustrious title of Sage Lord... I hold no resentment in my heart."

"Is that so?" For more chapters, visit https://audio-novel.com for the complete novel.

Eldrin Chen let out a soft sigh and shook his head. "If there truly were no resentment in your heart, you would not have avoided seeing him all these years."

"After you left, Dorian Ji regretted it for many years. If he knew you were still alive, he would surely spare no effort to make up for the regrets of the past."

"Master..."

Melancholy Inscription Lord's heart trembled, a glimmer of tears flashing in his eyes.

He turned his head away and finally sighed. "My life has reached its end. Seeing him again would only bring more sorrow. Why make the old man grieve once more?"

Eldrin Chen sighed inwardly, understanding that Melancholy Inscription Lord's words held truth.

He had begun to perceive it—this Melancholy Inscription Lord possessed talent that could startle immortals. He had created a world-shaking method, forcing a Nirvana [a profound rebirth or transformation] metamorphosis at the brink of death, extending his lifespan for another lifetime through deep slumber. Only thus had he managed to live for twenty thousand years.

Yet even so, his path had reached its terminus.

For relying solely on the cultivation of a True Lord [a high-ranking cultivator], twenty thousand years was the absolute limit. Not even a Pure-Blooded True Dragon [a supreme dragon of pure lineage] could live longer; there was no possibility of advancing further.

"Do not grieve. I foresaw this day long ago."

The Melancholy Inscription Lord spoke with serene detachment. He withdrew a scroll from his sleeve and handed it to Eldrin Chen, saying, "This cultivation method is of my own creation. In the eyes of an Immortal, it may seem unremarkable, yet it possesses certain unique qualities."

"My final wish is to ask you, can this path truly be walked to its end?"

Eldrin Chen accepted the Ancient Scripture. Without even opening it, he deduced its profound mysteries in the span of a single Eldrin [a very brief moment, the duration of one breath].

It was an exceedingly profound method, named the 'Dreamwalking Path to Enlightenment'.

Upon mastering this art, one could condense a 'Dream Blossom'. By harnessing the power of the Dream Blossom, a wisp of one's soul could enter a dream state to cultivate a Path Fruit [the culmination of a cultivator's understanding of a particular Dao or law].

This "entering the dream" involved sealing the memories of a strand of one's soul and sending it into the mortal world within this realm to undergo worldly cultivation.

Once that fragment of self achieved cultivation perfection, it would return to the original body, enhancing the cultivator's own cultivation base.

Furthermore, while cultivating with this method, a practitioner could bury themselves within a Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] vein. The spiritual energy of the vein would seal their vital signs, thereby extending their lifespan.

The Melancholy Inscription Lord, though only at the Infant Soul Realm [the stage after the Golden Core, where the cultivator's nascent soul forms], had managed to live for a full twenty thousand years precisely by leveraging the power of this 'Dreamwalking Enlightenment Art'.

Sensing the profound wonder of this method, even Eldrin Chen was deeply impressed.

He could not help but glance at Melancholy Inscription Lord and sighed, saying, "This cultivation method is profoundly mysterious and boundless, a true path to immortality [a method that can lead one to become an immortal being]."

"If you deduce it to its ultimate end, allowing a single Eldrin to split multiple soul essences [the spiritual cores of a cultivator] into the mortal world for cultivation, perhaps you would be qualified to use this opportunity to cultivate the Great Encompassing Foundation."

"It seems we have all underestimated you."

Eldrin Chen sighed with a touch of regret, saying, "To create such a method with Infant Soul cultivation, your talent is rare even within the Immortal Domain."

"If not for your premature reincarnation back then, lacking that vital breath of Innate Womb Energy, you might have already stepped into the Immortal Domain. Your future potential would have been beyond anyone's prediction."

"It was Sage Lord Dorian who held you back." Published by audio . novel . com. All rights reserved.

Melancholy Inscription Lord shook his head and spoke calmly, "I spent seven thousand years, and only when my lifespan was nearing its end did I, through a twist of Opportunity and Fortune, manage to deduce this method."

"Had my cultivation journey been smooth and without obstacles, I might not have walked this path."

"And dwelling on the past holds no meaning now."

Melancholy Inscription Lord seemed to view things with great equanimity. Looking at the ancient tome in Eldrin Chen's hand, a faint smile touched his lips as he said, "Across the boundless heavens and earth, those with dazzling talent are as numerous as the stars, yet most ultimately fade into obscurity among the masses."

"My lifespan is nearing its end; I can advance no further upon this Path. I entrust this method to you, hoping you can refine it to its supreme, peerless state."

"As for me, I have found my answer. In this life, I am content."

Speaking to this point, Melancholy Inscription Lord declared with a touch of pride, "Patriarch, please have a copy of this scripture transcribed for my master. Tell him that I, Long Song Chu, possessed the potential to ascend to immortality in this lifetime."

"In this life, our master-disciple bond is severed. If there is a next life..."

Melancholy Inscription Lord's words trailed off briefly before he concluded with a sigh, "It is better if we do not meet again."

"Alas!"

Eldrin Chen sighed, understanding the complex emotions churning within Melancholy Inscription Lord at this moment.

On one hand, he was grateful for the nurturing grace of Dorian Ji. On the other, he harbored a deep-seated resentment for the Path that had been cut short.

A thorn remained lodged in his heart, a bitter and ineffable grievance. Even after twenty thousand years, the injustice still rankled, leaving him unable to find peace.

For this reason, he had avoided Dorian Ji for twenty millennia, unwilling to grant even a final farewell at the moment of his passing.

"Dorian Ji is hailed as the foremost strategist of the Eastern Barrens [a vast, untamed wilderness region], capable of calculating the hearts of men and plotting against all things under heaven. Few in this world can escape his schemes."

"Yet, I fear even he could not foresee that he had miscalculated one thing—you."

Eldrin Chen spoke softly, his voice tinged with an ineffable regret.

Had Dorian Ji known of Long Song Chu's profound talent and sentiment, would he still have allowed him to become the Melancholy Inscription Lord [a title meaning 'Lord of Sorrowful Inscriptions'], all to pave his own path toward the Path Lord [a high realm of cultivation mastery]?

Shaking his head, Eldrin Chen pushed the thought aside. He turned his gaze to the Melancholy Inscription Lord and asked, "Is there anything else you wish to say?"

The Melancholy Inscription Lord's aura grew increasingly feeble, as if he had reached the very end of his life's journey. He sat calmly upon the earth, between heaven and sky, and spoke with profound tranquility.

"In this lifetime of mine, I have accomplished no earth-shattering, monumental deeds. The most glorious act I performed was merely assisting my master in his breakthrough to the Primordial Spirit Realm [the realm where a cultivator's spiritual core fully forms]."

"Facing death, it is fitting to be calm and peaceful, without need for further tumult."

"To have earned your regard proves the meaning of my existence. For that, I am content. There is nothing else I need to impart."

With those final words, the Melancholy Inscription Lord released the last vestige of life-sustaining spiritual power [the final breath of magic keeping him alive]. His nearly exhausted lifeblood swiftly lost its vitality, and his aura gradually faded into nothingness.

His Infant Soul [the nascent spiritual form of a high-level cultivator] was dissolving into motes of light, scattering bit by bit into the heavens and earth.

"I understand,"

Eldrin Chen nodded, his expression calm as he rose to his full height.

With a sweep of his sleeve, one resplendent Immortal Radiance [a divine light signifying immortal power] after another descended. They were pieces of Immortal Source [crystallized, purest form of immortal energy], clattering down in a cascade.

Hundreds of Immortal Source pieces submerged Melancholy Inscription Lord, finally coalescing into a single immortal stone that sealed him within, arresting the last flicker of his vitality.

Then, Eldrin Chen swept his sleeve once more. A wisp of Primordial Chaos Violet Aura [the supreme primordial energy from the dawn of creation] descended, merging into the space between Melancholy Inscription Lord's brows.

Having completed this step, Eldrin Chen gazed upon the now-slumbering Melancholy Inscription Lord and sighed with feeling.

"You possess the Great Encompassing Potential [a legendary physique with boundless capacity for growth]. You should not fade away Nameless and forgotten in this place."

"The Immortal Source can seal your vitality for three thousand years. The Primordial Chaos Violet Aura can act as a substitute for Innate Womb Energy [the foundational life energy present at conception]."

"I have seized three thousand years of life from the heavens for you. Whether you can achieve Heaven-Defying Fate Alteration [the supreme act of rewriting one's destined fate] now depends on your own Creation [the act of forging one's own path and destiny through cultivation]." Your portal to cultivation novels: audio–novel.com.