Chapter 1287 : The Tide of Heavenly Tribulation

Moreover, the Great Tribulation [a cataclysmic era of heavenly retribution] spans tens of thousands of years. Unless they can transcend the tribulation and achieve Ascending to Immortality [the final ascension to become an immortal], they will ultimately find it difficult to survive until the day the Great Tribulation concludes.

"Alas," Xander Qian sighed, then shook his head and said, "To live in this age where the Great Tribulation erupts... perhaps this is simply their fate."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen also felt a faint sigh stir within his heart.

For beings of their level, those who have attained Immortal [a being who has transcended mortality], the eruption of the Great Tribulation itself constitutes a Life and Death [a struggle of ultimate consequence] Great Tribulation.

And for the common mortals, this boundless calamity sweeping across the Western Qi Divine Abyss Sea is nothing less than a Myth [a legendary, epoch-defining event]-level catastrophe, one destined to be recorded in the annals of history.

The lifespan of a mortal, even one who achieves the realm of a Nascent Soul Dao Lord [a supreme cultivator whose soul has taken nascent form], is but a span of mere tens of thousands of years.

When hundreds of thousands of years have passed, the tribulations they endure today will be inscribed into the historical records. Cultivators reading from those scrolls will find them distant and weathered, treating them as ancient Myth tales.

Perhaps figures like the Lord of the Western Abyss Dragon Palace and Divine Lord Ye Ruins will have their deeds heavily emphasized in the annals like Myth heroes, and Immortal of their stature may also leave their names in the history of the surrounding seas.

But the mortals and cultivators living in this era are fated to be but a wisp of dust within the tides of time. Perhaps by then, the historical records will contain a line such as this:

The Great Tribulation lasted thirty thousand years. Under the cyclical workings of the Great Dao [the supreme, fundamental principle of the cosmos], the myriad immortals met their tribulations and reincarnated, while billions upon billions of living souls turned to ash. Across the three thousand seas, a million Spirit Island [islands rich with spiritual energy] reverted to wilderness. All life was extinguished and returned to dust, leaving behind less than one percent of the former glory and prosperity. Your portal to cultivation novels: audio-novel-dot-com.

Eldrin Chen's mood was somber, tinged with an ineffable sense of desolation.

Though he had Ascending to Immortality [achieved immortality and ascended to a higher realm] for tens of thousands of years, his heart single-mindedly set on scaling the Great Dao [the supreme and ultimate path of cultivation], that mortal heart within him had never truly left. Now, touched by the tribulation of heaven and earth, his feelings grew ever more profound and complex.

"Heaven and Earth are the mother of all things. All beings are born because of Heaven and Earth. We live between them, nurtured by their grace. We can be considered their flesh and blood."

"Be it Demon Immortal [an immortal who follows a demonic path], deities, or even the Human Race's Immortal [a human who has achieved immortality]—all are thus!"

"All living beings multiply and flourish, conceived and born by Heaven and Earth. Upon their final rest, they return their Dao to the heavens. In this way, the cycle of Reincarnation [the cycle of death and rebirth] can continue endlessly."

"But Immortal [those who have achieved immortality] are deathless and indestructible. They seize the Creation [the creative, life-giving essence] of Heaven and Earth for their cultivation, yet offer no nourishment in return. Prolonged thus, the Immortal Domain [the realm of the immortals] will eventually wither and decay. Hence, the Great Dao [the supreme cosmic principle] of Heaven and Earth brews its cyclical reckoning."

"The Great Tribulation [a cataclysmic event meant to cleanse the world] and the Dao Tribulation [a tribulation targeting one's cultivation path] are all born from this cause."

Eldrin Chen murmured these thoughts inwardly, a tangle of complex emotions swirling within him.

Immortal [Immortals] and deities, having cultivated arduously for tens of thousands of years to transcend Reincarnation [the cycle of death and rebirth] and achieve immortality, would naturally not await their doom passively. Thus, they would spare no cost to brave these tribulations.

Yet, from the perspective of Heaven and Earth itself, this might be the optimal resolution for the entire world.

Rather than waiting for the Immortals [powerful beings who have transcended mortality] to completely drain the World's Primordial Qi [the foundational, primordial spiritual energy of a world], allowing the entire Immortal Domain [a realm of immortals] to be destroyed beneath the torrents of Primordial Chaos [the formless, primordial state before creation], it would be better to force all immortals to face their tribulation through the Heaven and Earth Great Tribulation [a cataclysmic event ordained by heaven and earth to reset the cosmic balance], thereby forming a cycle of heaven and earth.

The only pity lies with these cultivators and mortals. Still struggling within the Mortal Dust [the mundane world of suffering and impermanence], unable to escape the bitter hardships of Reincarnation [the cycle of death and rebirth], they will suffer immensely when the Great Tribulation erupts, victims of a calamity not of their own making.

"If one day, I were to establish an Immortal Domain, even if I were to initiate the cycle of heaven and earth, I should leave a path of survival for the cultivators and mortals."

"This tribulation is unleashed for the deathless immortals and gods. When the Great Tribulation arrives, the assembled immortals and deities should not be permitted to strike against mortals and cultivators."

Eldrin Chen murmured to himself, then shook his head vehemently. "No, that's not right. If I were alive, I should not initiate a Great Tribulation at all."

Eldrin Chen whispered, thinking of the Earth Immortal World [a world created and anchored by an Earth Immortal] belonging to the Duskfall Ancient Ancestor.

In a world with a master, the positions and ranks of immortals and gods are fixed in number. Like that Duskfall Ancient Ancestor, the ultimate capacity his world can bear is two positions of heavenly and earthly rule, and seventy-two divine positions of Law Immortal [an immortal who has mastered a fundamental law of the Dao].

Therefore, within the Earth Immortal World established by the Duskfall Ancient Ancestor, there exist the King of Immortals [the sovereign ruler of the immortals], the Emperor of the Gods, thirty-six deities, and thirty-six Immortals.

As long as the Duskfall Ancient Ancestor endures for a single day, he can firmly control these positions of rule and Laws of the Dao [the fundamental principles that govern reality], preventing others from ascending to the Immortal realm.

Only in those worlds where the creator has perished, where there is no creator deity to gather and restrain the heavenly and earthly rules and Laws of the Dao, unable to limit others' advancement to higher realms or control the number of Immortals, is it necessary to initiate a Great Tribulation.

It is precisely for this reason that Earth Immortal Progenitors and Heavenly Immortal Paragons are able to use the power of their Earth Immortal Worlds and Grotto-Heavens [a higher-order pocket dimension or paradise] to shelter countless living beings from falling into the Great Tribulation [a cataclysmic, world-ending cycle of calamity].

"Even the Duskfall Ancient Ancestor could control the masses, establish rules, and select the holders of Laws of the Dao [the fundamental principles governing reality, akin to divine laws]." "There is no reason the Vast Azure Immortal Lord [a title for a supreme immortal sovereign] of this Azure Firmament Immortal Domain could not do the same."

Eldrin Chen suddenly recalled something and lifted his gaze towards the boundless Firmament [the heavens, the sky] above.

His knowledge of the Azure Firmament Immortal Domain was limited. He only knew it was exceedingly ancient. Legend held that the primordial Vast Azure Immortal Lord who opened this Immortal Domain [a realm or domain ruled by immortals] had vanished into the Primordial Chaos [the formless, primordial state before creation] as early as the beginning of this current cosmic era.

Now it seemed the Azure Firmament Immortal Domain was masterless. That Vast Azure Immortal Lord had likely perished long ago.

"Legends speak of the Three Thousand Immortal Domains, and even the vast, boundless Primal Immortal Domain [the original or primary immortal realm], all experiencing outbreaks of Great Tribulations, Dao Tribulations [a tribulation related to comprehending the Dao], and even Calamity Tribulations [a tribulation of pure calamity and destruction]." This chapter is part of a larger work available at *audio-novel.com*.

"Could it be that all those who opened these Immortal Domains have truly fallen?"

As Eldrin Chen pondered this, his heart grew increasingly alarmed, and the possibility seemed more and more likely.

For an Earth Immortal can conceal their world within the Void [emptiness, the void between realms], and a Heaven Immortal can internalize their Grotto-Heaven. There is no reason a Great Luo Golden Immortal [a supreme immortal realm] could not do the same.

The fact that these Three Thousand Immortal Domains drift within the endless Primordial Chaos seemed somewhat contrary to reason.

From what he knew, among the Three Thousand Immortal Domains [the collective name for the myriad realms of the immortal world], it seemed that aside from a few like the Primal Immortal Domain [one of the primordial realms said to have existed since the dawn of time], most other Immortal Domain [a vast, self-contained realm within the immortal world] were artificially opened and established.

"If this is true, could there be something utterly terrifying within the boundless Primordial Chaos [the formless, primordial state of existence before creation], capable of causing the fall of three thousand Great Luo Golden Immortal [the supreme realm of immortality, representing the pinnacle of cultivation]?"

Eldrin Chen murmured, finding it difficult to believe.

To his knowledge, an Heavenly Immortal Paragon [a supreme immortal who has mastered profound cosmic principles] had already grasped Dao Principles [the fundamental laws and truths that govern reality], transcending the endless dimensional Void [the empty space between dimensions and realms].

A Great Luo Golden Immortal wielded a Great Dao [a supreme, fundamental principle of existence]; as long as their Great Dao remained indestructible, they themselves were deathless and imperishable. How could so many beings of such stature possibly have perished?

As Eldrin Chen pondered this, his thoughts drifted unbidden to the Purple Immortal Lord [a legendary immortal lord of immense power].

If even an existence like the Purple Immortal Lord, who had half a foot in the Primordial Chaos Realm [a mythical realm beyond even the Great Luo], could fall, then the notion that these Three Thousand Immortal Domains were all formed from the remains of fallen Great Luo Golden Immortal became, however reluctantly, somewhat acceptable.

"Perhaps I am overthinking this."

After several days of flight, the immortal vessel finally arrived at the Abyssal Sea Region [a vast and perilous oceanic region within the immortal world].

Eldrin Chen had the Qian Immortal Clan [a prominent clan of immortal cultivators] received, then returned to the depths of the Starry Glazed Realm [a mystical realm or formation resembling a sky of stars set in glass].

He found Lyra Jiang and Verdant Consort who were recuperating from their injuries. He presented the Supreme Grade Dao Source [a primordial source of the Dao, the fundamental principle of existence] obtained from the Winged Human Race to Verdant Consort, and then gave the Supreme Grade Immortal Treasure Azure Feather Immortal Wings [a pair of divine wings forged from celestial azure feathers] to Lyra Jiang. Only then did he inform them of the gains from this journey.

After hearing his account, Lyra Jiang could not help but smile faintly. "The Netherworld Ancient Locust Tree [an ancient tree of yin and death energy], the Dusk Sun Fire Mulberry Tree [a mulberry tree imbued with the essence of the setting sun's fire], plus the Heavenly Heart Divine Willow Tree [a willow tree touched by celestial divinity] and the Vast Cold Immortal Osmanthus Tree [an osmanthus tree of profound frost and immortality]," she said. "My collection of World-Opening Spiritual Root [primordial spiritual roots said to have existed at the dawn of creation] is now complete."

"Indeed," Eldrin Chen nodded, then spoke. "However, the grades of these Spiritual Root [plants that are natural conduits and reservoirs of spiritual energy] are still insufficient. Nourishing them with Primordial Essence [the purest, most foundational energy of creation] will likely require thirty thousand years before they can advance to become true World-Opening Spiritual Root." This novel is serialized on audio novel.com. Visit for updates.