Chapter 1210 : The Ancient Stele's Divine Selection

"The Law Stele [an ancient stone monument inscribed with profound cultivation laws and cosmic principles]!"

The hearts of the assembled immortals trembled, and expressions of wild joy blossomed across their faces.

Before they could even gather their thoughts, the void above them quivered slightly, and three thousand ancient stone pillars descended from its depths.

"Hmm—"

The stone pillars trembled faintly, showering down countless beams of immortal light that settled upon the gathered immortals.

Eldrin Chen looked up and found himself enveloped in a dazzling radiance of immortal light, causing his brow to furrow slightly.

Seeing this, Six Stars Immortal immediately cautioned, "This is the protective light of the Stele's rules. It can withstand one fatal blow, but it will only block a truly lethal strike."

"If you are grievously wounded in fierce combat, the danger of perishing still remains."

"Understood."

Eldrin Chen nodded. He then saw several thousand figures soar skyward, ascending to take their places beside the three thousand stone pillars. This novel is serialized on audio–novel.com. Visit for updates.

Many figures also wished to step forward, only to find themselves blocked by a shimmering light barrier. This caused Eldrin Chen's brow to furrow slightly in contemplation.

Six Stars Immortal let out a sigh, a wry smile touching his lips as he explained, "The Law Stele [the Celestial Monument of Laws] possesses its own spirit; it selects the worthy. Those who have reached the Ninth Level of Ascension to Immortality [the pinnacle stage before achieving true immortality] are granted preliminary qualification to contemplate its mysteries."

"As for those like you and I, who have not yet attained that peak, we must first defeat three opponents to earn the right to contend for a place to study the stele alongside them."

Before arriving, Eldrin Chen had familiarized himself with the rules of the Heavenly Stele Sea Sword Contest [the grand martial contest held before the Sea of Heavenly Steles].

As he understood it, the contest's procedure, guided by the Law Stele [the Celestial Monument of Laws], involved cultivators dueling one by one atop these stone pillars. The final victor standing upon each pillar would be granted the privilege to contemplate the stele's profound insights.

With this in mind, Eldrin Chen decided not to delay. He turned to his companions and declared, "I shall go and test my mettle first. You may observe the contests before making your own decisions."

His words still hanging in the air, Eldrin Chen soared skyward, alighting upon one of the towering stone pillars.

The moment his feet touched the pillar's surface, Eldrin Chen's expression grew focused. From the outside, the ancient pillar appeared only a few Zhang-length [one Zhang-length equals three point three three meters] in diameter. Yet upon stepping onto it, he was instantly enveloped by a sense of boundless, horizonless expanse.

"Is this the profound mystery of the Law Stele [the Celestial Monument of Laws]?" he murmured to himself.

As Eldrin Chen pondered this, a soft chime resonated through the vast space, signaling the beginning of his trial.

Then, a short and stout man with golden pupils ascended the platform. His gaze was profound as he looked at him, and he spoke with a placid expression.

"A Human Race Immortal [a cultivator who has ascended to immortality]?"

"Indeed!"

Eldrin Chen nodded, then said with a detached expression, "The Inferno Prison Golden Pupils [a divine ability manifesting as golden, prison-like pupils]. You were born from the transformation of an Inferno Prison Golden Toad [a rare and powerful golden toad demon beast]?"

That Inferno Prison Golden Toad let out a cold laugh, then sneered, "Since you know I am a peerless Demon Immortal [a demonic being who has achieved immortality] born of transformation, why do you not retreat with haste?"

"Oh."

Eldrin Chen found it somewhat amusing. The Inferno Prison Golden Toad was an aberrant species among the Golden Toad Demonic Tribe [a tribe or race of demonic beings], and its strength was considered formidable within the Demonic Tribe. However, the one before him was merely at the Seventh Level of Immortal Ascension Realm [the seventh stage of the Immortal Ascension cultivation realm], yet dared to demand his retreat without a fight.

Not wishing to waste words, Eldrin Chen raised his hand and pressed down with a palm. The Primordial Chaos Qi Great Grasping Hand [a divine ability forming a giant hand of primordial chaos energy] blotted out the sky and sun, descending to suppress his foe.

"Ah! Yaaah!"

"You have no martial virtue! How dare you ambush this venerable one!"

Suddenly assaulted, the Inferno Prison Golden Toad's stout frame flushed with rage, and it immediately summoned its Immortal Treasure [a supreme-grade enchanted artifact] to defend itself.

But now, with Eldrin Chen's Mana [the refined spiritual power of an Immortal Ascension Realm cultivator] fueling it, the might of the Primordial Chaos Qi Great Grasping Hand was such that not even a Ninth Level of Ascension to Immortality [the peak of the Immortal Ascension Realm] would dare receive it head-on, let alone this mere Inferno Prison Golden Toad.

The sky-obscuring great hand enveloped everything, seizing both the Inferno Prison Golden Toad and its Lifebound Immortal Treasure [an immortal treasure bound to its master's life force] in its grasp, and with a single motion, hurled them beyond the stone pillar.

The Inferno Prison Golden Toad crashed down, dazed and disoriented, only then realizing it had been forced back into its true form—a hideous giant toad. It cast a fearful glance back at Eldrin Chen, then vanished into the distant horizon, thoroughly humbled.

"A Late Stage Immortal Ascension Realm [a cultivator in the seventh to ninth levels of the Immortal Ascension Realm] expert, yet so easily overwhelmed."

Watching the Inferno Prison Golden Toad flee in defeat, Eldrin Chen could not help but shake his head with a faint smile. For the best reading experience, visit (audio-novel.com).

His Laws of the Dao [comprehension of the fundamental principles of reality] had reached the Sky-Reaching Realm [a profound level of Dao Law mastery], and with his breakthrough to the Late Stage Immortal Ascension Realm, his current strength was a world apart from his former self. He could now effortlessly suppress two or three ordinary Ninth Level of Ascension to Immortality experts; a single Late Stage Immortal Ascension Realm opponent was truly not worth his full effort.

Having secured an effortless victory, Eldrin Chen descended from the stone pillar.

The others, witnessing this, immediately inquired, "How did it feel?"

"An ordinary Late Stage Immortal Ascension Realm cultivator no longer poses any significant pressure for me."

Eldrin Chen spoke with calm assurance, then added, "With your strength, this first trial should be a near certainty."

Upon hearing this, the others nodded slightly, their confidence bolstered considerably.

For this first gate, with no Ninth Level of Ascension to Immortality [the pinnacle of the Immortal Ascension Realm] blocking their path, they were confident that as long as they did not grow careless, failure was almost impossible.

Lyra Jiang offered a faint smile and immediately declared, "Since that is the case, I shall also go and test my mettle."

With that, Lyra Jiang ascended the stone pillar and, within moments, returned victorious after defeating her opponent.

Seeing this, the others also stepped forward for the Sword Competition [a trial of combat skill]. Before long, each had returned in turn, having bested their formidable foes.

Eldrin Chen observed the proceedings and noted that in this first battle, while Void-Refining Immortal [an immortal title] had won only with difficulty, both Six Stars Immortal and Verdant Consort had achieved their victories with relative ease.

This was to be expected. After all, Six Stars Immortal was a powerhouse at the Eighth Level of Immortal Ascension Realm [a high stage of the Immortal Ascension Realm]. As for Verdant Consort, her Mana [cultivated spiritual power] and Divine Ability [supernatural techniques] were on par with those at the Ninth Level of Ascension to Immortality.

In these clashes, they had not even activated their Supreme Grade Immortal Treasure [the highest grade of immortal artifacts], relying solely on their own skills to defeat their powerful adversaries.

This was especially true for Verdant Consort, who, wielding only her pair of Crimson Azure Twin Dragon Immortal Swords, defeated her opponent in fewer than thirty exchanges.

Though the victory was hard-won, as long as his Crimson Flame Golden Scale Armor [a suit of enchanted armor forged from golden scales imbued with crimson flame] remained unbreached, he stood on unassailable ground. This battle held almost no possibility of defeat for him.

"It seems no upsets are likely in these first three rounds of combat," he mused silently.

Eldrin Chen whispered this thought to himself, and a sliver of certainty settled within his heart.

When the first batch of participants in the Sword Competition [a grand martial contest where cultivators prove their mastery] concluded, Eldrin Chen observed that nearly half of the original contenders had already been eliminated.

Without hesitation, he was the first to step forward once more, commencing his second bout in the Sword Competition.

His opponent this time was an elder Immortal [a being who has ascended to immortality through cultivation] of the Human Race, whose cultivation had reached the formidable Eighth Level of Immortal Ascension Realm. Yet, even this power proved insufficient to overcome Eldrin Chen.

Out of respect for their shared heritage as Human Race Immortals, Eldrin Chen this time summoned his Heavenly Separated Twin Swords [a pair of legendary swords capable of separating heaven and earth]. Only after a fierce exchange of over seventy moves did he finally secure victory.

Shortly after his triumphant return, his companions also emerged victorious from their Sword Competition matches. However, this round made them keenly aware that their adversaries' strength had grown significantly.

For the third Sword Competition round, his foe was a deity [a powerful spiritual being] at the Eighth Level of Immortal Ascension Realm. This opponent cultivated both a Law Immortal [an immortal who has mastered profound cosmic laws] physique and the Dual Dao Fruits [a rare state where a cultivator bears two perfected Dao cores], granting him power that rivaled even a Ninth Level of Ascension to Immortality Immortal.

Against another challenger, this deity might have stood a great chance of victory. Unfortunately, he faced Eldrin Chen. He managed to hold out for a mere dozen or so exchanges before being decisively routed.

"Victory in this battle grants the right to contend for a slot to comprehend the Celestial Stele."

After vanquishing his opponent, Eldrin Chen felt a slight sense of relief settle within him. Turning his gaze to the duels of the others, a subtle furrow of concern knit his brow.

The combatants in this third round of the Sword Competition had each defeated two Immortal of the Late Stage Immortal Ascension Realm. Their strength placed them among the elite of that realm, each possessing combat power at least equivalent to the Eighth Level of Immortal Ascension Realm.

Faced with such formidable adversaries, Lyra Jiang and Verdant Consort secured their victories with apparent ease. However, the contest placed significant pressure upon Six Stars Immortal. Original publication: audio_novel.com - The source of this chapter.