Chapter 1261 : A Heavenly Hand Against the Tide

A youth swallowed hard, his fingers tightening around the spiritual talisman and Immortal Sword in his grasp. Fear shone starkly in his eyes. Just as he was about to retreat in terror, a gentle, calming voice descended from the Heavenly Vault [the vast dome of the sky].

"Hold your positions. There is no need for panic."

As the voice faded, the youth felt a wondrous, inexplicable power soothe his spirit, dissolving the fear in his heart as if it had never been.

He lifted his head, gazing up into the boundless Heavenly Vault.

There, standing upon the Nine Heavens Above, were several dozen figures of supreme majesty and dignity. These were the peerless Immortals and Deities who resided aloft in the Nine Heavens. Their mere presence, calm and unmoving, exuded an aura of transcendence, a bearing that seemed utterly detached from the Mortal Dust [the mundane world of mortal affairs].

At their forefront stood a figure robed in snow-white. He stood in serene silence, then slowly extended a single hand.

"*Hummm—*"

In that instant, heaven and earth trembled, and the void shook violently.

The endless expanse of sky darkened as if a shroud had been drawn across it. Darkness enveloped the land, and for millions of Li-lengths across the sea, the Sun and Moon were bereft of light.

All living beings could only watch as, from the Nine Heavens Above, a colossal hand that blotted out the heavens and obscured the sun descended, crashing down with world-shaking force. Discover more cultivation stories at audio_novel.com.

"Boom—"

With a deafening roar, the colossal hand swept across countless thousands of Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] of mountains and rivers. Wherever it passed, all things crumbled into dust, and even the myriad Path Principles [the fundamental laws governing reality and cultivation] shattered completely.

When the chaos finally subsided, a vast swathe of the endless beast tide had been utterly erased. Whether they were Infant Soul Great Demon [powerful demonic beasts at the Infant Soul cultivation stage] or Primordial Spirit [the Primordial Spirit cultivation realm] behemoths, before that single palm strike, all beings were equal—reduced to nothing but drifting Heavenly Tribulation [ashes left after a heavenly tribulation] dust.

The youth could not help but wear a look of utter shock, stunned for a long moment, unable to regain his composure.

After a long while, he swallowed hard and spoke in a trembling voice, "Right... with Them here, we have nothing to fear."

The youth murmured to himself, his confidence somewhat restored. Looking again at the boundless tide of beasts, it no longer seemed quite so terrifying.

"Is this... the power of Returning Abyss Path Master?"

At the distant horizon, behind the endless beast tide, several dozen Demon Immortal [immortal-level demonic beings] stood shoulder to shoulder.

For the first time, Patriarch Suwei revealed a grave expression, offering a surprisingly high evaluation: "With this single manifestation of the Primordial One Energy Grasping Hand [a divine ability to grasp and control the primordial energy of creation], this Returning Abyss Path Master is already peerless within the Ascendant Immortal Realm [the Ascendant Immortal cultivation realm], worthy of contending with us Half-Step Earth Immortal [cultivators at the Half-Step Earth Immortal realm]."

"Indeed."

Bright Ao also nodded, his expression turning grave as he said, "That That upstart Eldrin is only at the Late Ascendant Immortal Realm [the stage just before becoming a true Earth Immortal], yet he already possesses such bearing. If we allow him to grow, he might very well succeed in opening a Ninefold Heaven [a legendary, supreme-tier inner world or grotto-heaven]."

"When that time comes, I fear he will become a mortal threat to us both."

Upon hearing this, Patriarch Suwei fell into a heavy silence.

Even as a Patriarch of the Demon Race, he could not deny the formidable talent of Eldrin Chen.

Within the Western Essence Divine Abyss Sea, there are hundreds, even thousands of Immortals who have forged a Great Encompassing Foundation [a foundational cultivation stage of great breadth and potential]. Yet, those who have opened a Ninefold Heaven number fewer than ten.

Those capable of such a feat, provided they do not perish prematurely, are all but guaranteed to break through to the Half-Step Celestial Immortal Realm [a quasi-realm bridging Earth Immortal and true Celestial Immortal].

Take, for example, the Lord of Western Abyss Dragon Palace, or the Divine Lord of Ye Ruins. Both are peerless geniuses whose brilliance has shone across the ages, having cultivated three types of Path Fruit [the condensed essence of a cultivator's understanding of a particular Dao or law] and opened a Ninefold Heaven.

Even Celestial Immortal Great Powers [powerful beings who have ascended to the Celestial Immortal realm] have marveled at them, believing that existences like the Lord of Western Abyss Dragon Palace, who have opened a Ninefold Heaven, possess a sliver of a chance to cultivate three Innate Path Fruit [Path Fruits born from one's innate constitution, representing supreme potential].

And three Innate Path Fruit—that is the hallmark of a top-tier Celestial Immortal Aptitude [the innate potential to reach the Celestial Immortal realm].

Generally speaking, those who can break through to the Celestial Immortal Realm were all prodigious talents during their time in the Earth Immortal Realm. Most of them had cultivated two Innate Path Fruit.

However, even among Celestial Immortal Great Power [powerful beings who have ascended to the celestial realm], it is exceedingly rare for one to cultivate three types of Innate Path Fruit [the primordial seeds of a cultivator's chosen path, representing their foundational laws].

This path is fraught with immense difficulty, yet once traversed, such a cultivator would rank among the very pinnacle of Celestial Immortal [immortals who have transcended mortality], their innate talent and combat prowess far surpassing others of the same realm.

This reveals the truly heaven-defying genius of the being who opened the Ninefold Heaven [a legendary, multi-layered celestial realm of immense power and stability]. To call it the foundation for Great Encompassing [the ultimate, all-encompassing realm of cultivation] is no exaggeration.

At present, Eldrin Chen has not even cultivated a single World-Opening Path Fruit [a foundational fruit representing the power to create and shape worlds], placing him far below the likes of the Lord of Western Abyss Dragon Palace and Divine Lord of Ye Ruins. Yet, he already possesses a faint aura of such grandeur.

Contemplating this, Patriarch Suwei spoke, "Cultivating three World-Opening Path Fruit is no simple feat. And to open the Ninefold Heaven..."

"...requires four eighth-rank World-Opening Spiritual Root [spiritual plants of the highest order, containing the essence of creation]. Gathering such treasures is a trial of ten thousand hardships." Official source: audio–novel.com. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

"Nevertheless, this man's talent is indeed Extraordinary. He must be eradicated swiftly to quell this looming threat."

"Well said!" Bright Ao nodded in agreement before continuing, "The Formation [a complex array or defensive barrier powered by spiritual energy] laid down by this Returning Abyss Path Master is indeed quite Extraordinary. Let the beast tide first wear down the formation's power. Then we shall strike, shatter the array, and claim his life."

Meanwhile, far across the void, two figures lay concealed within the fabric of heaven and earth.

The leader was none other than Lingering Sun Patriarch, and the other was Setting Sun Path Master.

As the impending battle loomed, the Setting Sun Patriarch could not help but speak. "If Patriarch Suwei and Thousand Dragon Lake join forces and breach the Returning Abyss Sea, the Black Dragon Suppressing World Cauldron [a legendary cauldron said to have the power to suppress the world] will likely fall into the hands of the Demon Race [a race of malevolent beings born from chaos and negative energies]."

"There is no need for haste."

The Lingering Sun Patriarch shook his head, his gaze calm and steady as he observed the Stellar Grand Formation [a powerful defensive array that harnesses the power of the stars] protecting the Returning Abyss Sea Region.

Only after a long while did he speak gravely. "The Formation [a structured arrangement of energy nodes and flows used for defense, attack, or cultivation] laid down by That upstart Eldrin is indeed quite Extraordinary. The few Half-Step Earth Immortals [cultivators who have partially transcended mortality but have not fully ascended to the Earth Immortal realm] dispatched as reinforcements from Suwei Sea and Thousand Dragon Lake alone will likely be insufficient to breach it."

"Let us return and continue preparing our forces. We shall wait for the opportune moment when both the Returning Abyss Sea Region and Suwei Sea are exhausted and wounded from their conflict. Then, and only then, shall we make our move."

With those final words, the Lingering Sun Patriarch turned away without a backward glance, flying resolutely back towards the Lingering Sun Sea.

"..."

Meanwhile, high upon the Heavenly Vault, Eldrin Chen slowly lowered his hand.

Though his single strike had annihilated countless millions of the Demon Race, under the corrupting influence of the world's calamitous energy [a pervasive, chaotic force that arises during times of great strife and war], an endless tide of Demon Beasts [monstrous creatures tainted by demonic energy] continued to surge forward, heedless of death.

That blow had been solely to steady the morale of his forces. Eldrin Chen did not expend his spiritual power [the vital energy cultivated and wielded by practitioners of the mystical arts] further, instead allowing the relentless horde of Demon Beasts to crash against his defenses.

Above the Returning Abyss Sea Region at this moment, countless cultivators finally reacted.

Simultaneously, within the Cosmic Stellar Formation, the Formation on each of the tens of thousands of Formation Eye Spirit Island began to activate.

Each island, driven by hundreds of thousands to millions of cultivators, erupted with dazzling beams of Immortal Radiance.

Immediately after, twenty-eight Immortal Isles blazed with blinding light.

In that instant, countless pillars of light shot into the heavens, weaving together high in the boundless Heavenly Vault before coalescing into a translucent Stellar [pertaining to the stars and celestial bodies] barrier. This immense shield enveloped the vast Returning Abyss Sea Region.

"The Cosmic Stellar Formation is complete!"

Eldrin Chen murmured softly, a glint of confidence appearing in his eyes as he observed the fully formed Cosmic Stellar Formation.

This Cosmic Stellar Formation was profoundly marvelous, its power forged from the combined might of tens of thousands of Spirit Island of Fifth Rank or higher.

It harnessed the power of the Returning Abyss Sea, drew upon the boundless Stellar [pertaining to the stars and celestial bodies] forces, and was anchored by billions of cultivators and twenty-eight Immortal [beings who have transcended mortality through cultivation] serving as formation masters. The resulting power was utterly staggering.

To challenge the Cosmic Stellar Formation was, in essence, to oppose the entire Returning Abyss Sea Region and the Power of the Nine Heavens Stellar [the combined celestial might of the nine heavenly realms] simultaneously.

The beast tide before them seemed nigh endless, yet breaching the Cosmic Stellar Formation [a grand defensive formation that harnesses the power of the stars] was a feat bordering on the impossible.

And so it proved. As the Cosmic Stellar Formation unfurled its power, an immense barrier of swirling astral energy, like a colossal inverted Glazed bowl, descended to envelop the entire Returning Abyss Sea Region. Continue reading this story at audio~novel.com.