Chapter 1210 : The Celestial Stele's Trial

"The Celestial Stele of Path Principles [a legendary monument that tests and reveals the comprehension of cultivation paths]!"

The hearts of the assembled immortals trembled, and their faces lit up with wild, unrestrained joy.

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 pillars trembled faintly, showering down countless beams of Immortal Radiance [a divine, protective light emanating from celestial sources] that settled upon the gathered immortals.

Eldrin Chen looked up and saw his own form enveloped in a dazzling shroud of Immortal Radiance, causing his brow to furrow slightly in contemplation.

Seeing this, Six Stars Immortal immediately cautioned, "That is the protective light governed by the Celestial Stele's rules. It can block one lethal strike, but only a truly fatal blow."

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

"Understood."

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod. Then he witnessed several thousand figures soaring skyward, ascending to take their places beside the three thousand stone pillars. Access the full story on @udio-novel.com.

Many figures attempted to approach, only to find themselves blocked by a shimmering curtain of light. 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 Celestial Stele possesses its own sentience [a form of spiritual awareness]. It selects the most worthy. Those who have reached the Ninth Tier of the Ascendant Immortal Realm [the pinnacle stage before achieving true divinity] are granted preliminary qualification to contemplate its mysteries."

"For those like you and I, who have not yet attained that Ninth Tier, we must first defeat three opponents. Only then may we vie for a place to study the Celestial Stele alongside them."

Before arriving, Eldrin Chen had familiarized himself with the rules governing the duels within the Celestial Stele Sea [a mystical expanse containing the legendary Path Principles Celestial Stele].

As he understood it, the rules of the Celestial Stele Sea duels were guided by the Path Principles Celestial Stele [a primordial monument inscribed with the fundamental laws of cultivation]. Immortals would duel upon the stone pillars one by one. The final victor standing upon each pillar would earn the right to contemplate the Stele's profound truths.

With this in mind, Eldrin Chen decided not to delay. He turned to his companions and said, "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 ancient stone pillars.

The moment his feet touched the pillar's surface, Eldrin Chen's expression grew focused. From the outside, the weathered stone appeared only a few Zhang-lengths [one Zhang-length equals three point three three meters] across. Yet upon stepping onto it, he felt a boundless expanse stretching before him, its limits lost to sight.

"Is this the profound mystery of the Path Principles Celestial Stele?" he murmured to himself.

As Eldrin Chen pondered this, a soft chime resonated in the air, 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, his expression calm as he spoke.

"A Human Race Immortal?"

"Indeed!"

Eldrin Chen nodded, then said with a placid expression, "Inferno Prison Golden Toad [a rare and powerful demonic toad born from the essence of volcanic hells]. You are a transformed being of that lineage?"

The Inferno Prison Golden Toad let out a cold laugh, sneering strangely, "Since you know I am a transformed Peerless Demon Immortal [a supreme level for demonic cultivators, equivalent to a peak human immortal], why do you not retreat immediately?"

"Oh."

Eldrin Chen found it somewhat amusing. The Inferno Prison Golden Toad was a rare variant among the Golden Toad Demon Race, its strength considered Extraordinary within the demon ranks. Yet, the one before him was merely at the Ascendant Immortal 7th Tier [the seventh level of the Ascendant Immortal realm], and it 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 One Energy Great Grasping Hand [a supreme divine ability that manifests a giant hand of primordial 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 ambushed, the Inferno Prison Golden Toad's stout frame flushed with rage. It immediately summoned its Immortal Treasure [a supreme enchanted artifact] to defend itself.

Yet, with Eldrin Chen's current cultivation energy fueling it, the might of the Primordial One Energy Great Grasping Hand [a divine technique manifesting a colossal energy hand] was something even a Ascendant Immortal 9th Tier [a peak-level Ascendant Immortal] would not dare face head-on, let alone this mere Inferno Prison Golden Toad.

The sky-obscuring hand descended, enveloping everything. It seized both the Inferno Prison Golden Toad and its Lifebound Immortal Treasure [an immortal treasure bound to its user's life force] in its grasp and hurled them beyond the stone pillar's boundary.

The Inferno Prison Golden Toad tumbled, dazed, only to realize it had reverted to its true form—a hideous, giant toad. It cast a fearful glance back at Eldrin Chen, then vanished into the distant horizon, thoroughly humiliated.

"A Late Ascendant Immortal Realm [a cultivator in the late stage of the Ascendant Immortal realm], 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 dot com.

His Path Principles [the fundamental laws of his cultivation path] had reached the Sky-Touching Realm [a profound realm where one's understanding touches the heavens], and he had broken through to the Late Ascendant Immortal Realm. His power was now a world apart from what it once was. He could effortlessly suppress two or three ordinary Ascendant Immortal 9th Tier cultivators; a single Late Ascendant Immortal Realm opponent was hardly worth his full effort.

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

Seeing this, his companions immediately inquired, "How did it feel?"

"An ordinary Late Ascendant Immortal Realm cultivator no longer poses any significant challenge to me."

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

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

For this first gate, with no Ascendant Immortal 9th Tier [the ninth and highest tier of the Ascendant Immortal realm] blocking their path, they were confident that as long as they did not grow careless, failure was almost impossible.

Exquisite Jiang offered a faint smile and declared, "In that case, I shall also test my mettle in battle."

With those words, Exquisite Jiang ascended the stone pillar and, in a short time, returned victorious after defeating her opponent.

Seeing this, the others also took their turns upon the stage to cross swords. Before long, each had returned triumphant, having vanquished their formidable foes.

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

This was to be expected. Six Stars Immortal was, after all, a great power of the Ascendant Immortal 8th Tier [the eighth tier of the Ascendant Immortal realm], and Verdant Consort's Divine Ability [a supreme supernatural power cultivated by immortals] and spiritual energy were not inferior to those of an Ascendant Immortal 9th Tier.

In these battles, they had not even employed their Supreme-Grade Immortal Treasure [the highest grade of immortal-tier magical artifacts], relying solely on their own skills and techniques to overcome 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.

Although the victory was hard-won, as long as the Crimson Flame Golden Scale Armor and the Impenetrable [a defensive technique that renders one nearly invulnerable] held firm, he remained in an unassailable position. This particular duel, therefore, carried almost no risk of defeat.

"It seems the first three matches of the opening round are unlikely to yield any surprises,"

Eldrin Chen murmured inwardly, a flicker of certainty settling within his heart.

Once the first batch of sword duels concluded, Eldrin Chen observed that nearly half of the original participants had already been eliminated.

Without hesitation, he was the first to step forward once more, commencing his second duel.

His opponent this time was an elder Immortal of the Human Race, whose cultivation had reached the Ascendant Immortal 8th Tier. Yet, he was still no match for Eldrin Chen.

Out of respect for their shared heritage as Human Race Immortal [transcendent beings who cultivate the path to immortality], Eldrin Chen this time summoned his Celestial Abyss Twin Swords. He engaged the elder for over seventy exchanges before finally securing victory.

Not long after his triumphant return, the others also emerged victorious from their duels. This round, however, they all felt a marked increase in their opponents' strength.

For the third duel, his foe was a Divine Spirits [a powerful spiritual entity born of heaven and earth] at the Ascendant Immortal 8th Tier. This being cultivated both the Path Principles Immortal [an immortal who has comprehended the fundamental principles of the Great Dao] and a Dual Path Fruits [a state where a cultivator has successfully nurtured two distinct Path Fruits, representing mastery in two cultivation aspects] physique. Its power was on par with that of a typical Ascendant Immortal 9th Tier Immortal.

Against another opponent, it might have stood an excellent chance of victory. Unfortunately, it had encountered Eldrin Chen. It managed to hold out for a mere dozen or so moves before being decisively routed.

"With this victory, we have earned the right to contend for a slot to comprehend the Celestial Stele [a mystical monument containing profound insights into the Heavenly Dao]."

After defeating his opponent, Eldrin Chen felt a slight sense of relief settle within him. Turning his gaze to the other ongoing duels, a furrow of concern appeared between his brows.

The cultivators participating in this third round of sword duels were all Immortal [a being who has transcended mortality through cultivation] who had defeated two opponents at the Late Ascendant Immortal Realm [the third and final stage of the Ascendant Immortal cultivation stage]. Their strength placed them among the elite of that realm, each possessing combat power equivalent to at least the Ascendant Immortal 8th Tier [the eighth minor stage within the Ascendant Immortal realm].

Facing such formidable adversaries, Exquisite Jiang and Verdant Consort secured their victories with relative ease. However, the Six Stars Immortal [an immortal whose power is associated with the six stars of the Southern Dipper] found himself under considerable pressure. Official source: AUDIO-NOVEL.COM. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.