Chapter 1161 : The Lord's Descent and a Mentor's Journey

"Boom!"

The Immortal Stone plummeted down, carrying the slumbering Melancholy Inscription Lord [a title for a powerful cultivator who has mastered profound and sorrowful inscriptions], and plunged into the depths of the Bottomless Black Dragon Pool [a legendary, fathomless pool said to be the dwelling of a black dragon].

Eldrin Chen watched this scene unfold in silence, making no further move. Every person had their own destiny and path; he could only lend a helping hand, not determine the final outcome.

Whether one could ultimately break free depended on the Melancholy Inscription Lord's own Creation [a state of profound enlightenment and breakthrough in cultivation, akin to a personal genesis].

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

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

Eventually, Eldrin Chen simply let go of his thoughts. He devoted himself to personally instructing Caleb, while also guiding him to witness the majestic mountains and rivers of the Purple Seal Realm, traveling to behold the myriad wonders of the world. This, in its own way, was a life of carefree freedom.

Time flowed by in this manner, and in the blink of an eye, a full Sixty-Year Cycle [a complete cycle of sixty years, a significant unit of time in cultivation lore] had passed.

"Spirit Isle Lake [a serene and spiritually rich lake], I have returned."

On this day, two figures approached, their steps carrying them to the outskirts of Green Chariot Mountain [a verdant and sacred mountain]. Continue reading this story at audio-novel*com.

The former possessed a peerless and transcendent aura, his robes as white as snow—it was none other than Eldrin Chen in person.

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

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

"Caleb understands."

Chen Caleb nodded. He glanced at the Spirit Isle Lake, then could not help but look back at Eldrin Chen and ask, "By bringing me back this time, do you intend to return to the Immortal Realm [the higher realm where immortals reside]?"

"Soon."

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod, a touch of nostalgia in his voice. "After this return, barring matters of utmost gravity, I shall not lightly descend to the mortal world again."

"If we are to meet again, it will likely only be within the Immortal Domain [the vast and wondrous domains of the immortal world]."

Chen Caleb's gaze tightened slightly. After a moment's contemplation, he nodded firmly. "Go forth. Caleb shall ascend [achieve immortality and rise to the higher realm] within ten thousand years."

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

Over these sixty years, I have laid a solid foundation for the Immortal Path [the path of cultivation leading to immortality] for Caleb, yet the road ahead must be walked by his own feet.

He believed that with Caleb's foundation from a past life, his own personal guidance, and the accumulated heritage of the Chen Immortal Clan, the chances of achieving immortality in this lifetime were exceedingly great.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen offered his final counsel: "Throughout these years, I have imparted to you the Dao of Immortal Ascension, yet the true Immortal Ascension Path [the final, personal trial to ascend to immortality] must be claimed by your own hand."

"Your bone structure, talent, and comprehension in this life are all exceptional; by all rights, achieving immortality should not be difficult."

"However, you must understand that those who have attained immortality throughout the ages have all possessed great Opportunity and Fortune [a confluence of destiny and favorable circumstances], immense perseverance, and extraordinary innate talent."

"To rise above the teeming masses, you must temper yourself through many trials and not overly rely on the shelter of your clan."

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

"Then my heart is at ease."

Having said his piece, Eldrin Chen spoke no more.

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

Within the Peach Blossom Grove, a rain of blossoms swirled, and seven figures stood facing one another—the present-day Seven Immortals of Purple Seal.

They were: Lord of the Path Palace, Kunpeng Demon Sage, Heaven Abandoned Lin, Heavenly Thunder Tribulation Divine Spirit, Earth Mystery Path Venerable, Kael Chen, and the Master of Stellar Palace.

Gazing upon the seven before him, Eldrin Chen gave a slight, approving nod.

Among them, Kael Chen had synthesized the strengths of the Buddhist, Daoist, and Demonic paths, cultivating three Supreme Path Fruit. His combat prowess had already reached the level of a Ascendant Immortal 4th Tier.

Lord of the Path Palace had achieved both Path Principles and a Path Fruit. Kunpeng Demon Sage had attained Path Fruit Attainment and an Immortal Body. Heaven Abandoned Lin had cultivated an Immortal Body and grasped Path Principles. All were individuals who had ascended to immortality with Dual Path Fruits, their battle strength likely rivaling that of a Ascendant Immortal 3rd Tier.

The three—Heavenly Thunder Tribulation Divine Spirit, Earth Mystery Path Venerable, and the Master of Stellar Palace—were the most ordinary in strength, yet they too were beings who had undergone Ethereal Ascension. Experience the full epic at audi novel.com.

With the aid of these seven, it was almost equivalent to having a Late Ascendant Immortal Realm expert. When the time came for the Purple Seal Realm to ascend, they would be able to provide Eldrin Chen with significant assistance.

And this was with them having just broken through, lacking both Immortal Treasure [powerful artifacts forged by or for immortals] and Immortal Rank Divine Abilities [supreme techniques of the immortal realm] for protection. Otherwise, their combat power would surely be even greater.

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

"Understood."

The seven individuals received the treasures, each nodding in acknowledgment.

Heaven Abandoned Lin took hold of an Immortal Sword in his hand and inquired, "We have prepared for many years. When will the Heaven and Earth Ascension occur?"

"Lately, I have had a faint premonition that something is happening in the Immortal Domain. I should return there swiftly."

"Therefore, today is the day for the Heaven and Earth Ascension."

With Eldrin Chen's words, he led the group soaring towards the zenith of the boundless Heavenly Vault.

Soon, they arrived at the ultimate extremity of heaven and earth, the very limit of the World Membrane [the ethereal barrier separating a world from the primordial chaos].

Eldrin Chen flicked his sleeve, and a brilliant formation diagram materialized in the sky. Across the heavens and earth, one Formation Flag [a banner used to anchor and channel the power of a formation] after another erupted with Immortal Radiance.

In that instant, countless formation patterns woven from Path Principles [the fundamental laws and truths of the Great Dao] converged with the diagram. Billions of divine chains, also composed of Path Principles, surged forth from the Eight Desolations and Six Harmonies [a grand formation encompassing all directions and harmonizing cosmic forces], ultimately pouring into an Ancient Stellar Furnace.

"*Hum.*"

As the World Grand Formation was activated, the radiance of the Ancient Stellar Furnace instantly intensified a thousandfold.

It resembled a great solar orb of the Nine Heavens, beginning to frantically draw upon the energy of the void, transforming it into a pure, liquid form of spiritual essence [a highly concentrated, fluid state of spiritual energy].

In an instant, an uncountable torrent of this spiritual essence, like a celestial river, cascaded down from the Ancient Stellar Furnace and poured into the Purple Seal Realm, dispersing into a sky-filling mist of spiritual energy [the ambient vital energy used for cultivation].

Bolstered by this influx of energy, the concentration of spiritual energy within the Purple Seal Realm visibly increased, bringing its imminent transformation ever closer.

"Excellent!"

Witnessing the surge in heaven and earth's spiritual energy, Heaven Abandoned Lin praised loudly, a smile gracing his features.

At this rate, the Purple Seal Realm would likely reach its critical breaking point in less than a year.

Yet, Eldrin Chen wore a grave expression. His gaze was fixed beyond the confines of the Heaven and Earth Placenta, deep into the boundless Starry Abyss.

"What is that…?"

The others followed his gaze, and their hearts clenched with a sudden, faint dread.

There, within the endless Starry Abyss, a swarm of unimaginably vast, primordial beasts surged through the void towards them.

This was a horde of ancient beasts of indescribable immensity, numbering merely a few thousand, yet each one was vaster than a Stellar [a celestial body like a star or planet].

The smallest among them spanned tens of thousands of Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters], while the largest stretched for millions upon millions of Li-length, their single eye as vast and luminous as a sun.

"They are the Starry Void Ancient Beasts, no wonder they could traverse the Starry Abyss [the fathomless void between worlds] to arrive here."

Eldrin Chen's expression shifted slightly as he recognized the origin of these primordial creatures.

The Starry Void Ancient Beasts, also known as World-Ending Ancient Beasts, drift through the Boundless Starry Sky [the infinite cosmos], feeding on the essence of Nine Heavens Stellar [celestial bodies imbued with heavenly energy] and even the very foundational source of Great Thousand World [the myriad realms of existence].

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

After hearing Eldrin Chen recount the origins of the Starry Void Ancient Beasts, the expressions of the seven figures all changed subtly.

The Lord of the Path Palace could not help but draw a sharp breath before speaking. "It seems they were drawn by the foundational essence of the Vast Azure Immortal Domain, becoming the Tribulation [a cataclysmic trial or calamity] for this Heaven and Earth Ascension [a grand ritual or process of world elevation]." Original English translation available at audi novel.com.