Chapter 1373 : The Archipelago of Endless War

However, in recent years, the Demonic Tribe has stubbornly defended the Hundred Demons Archipelago [a vast island chain controlled by demonic forces], with continuous reinforcements from their main armies arriving, which has significantly slowed the progress of the campaign." As Tian Su the Ancient Ancestor recounted the situation in detail, Eldrin Chen gradually came to understand the current state of the war.

Ever since the Demonic Tribe's grand formation was shattered in that fateful year, the Western Abyss Dragon Palace [the seat of power for the Western Abyss dragon clan], having lost a Half-Step Celestial Immortal [a cultivator on the very cusp of ascending to true immortality] level combatant, collapsed overnight. Even with the later arrival of reinforcements from the Celestial Prison Race, they could not reverse their declining fortunes and were forced to shift from offense to a desperate defense.

The Human Race and the Divine Race [a race of powerful beings often associated with celestial or divine heritage] pressed their advantage, achieving victory after victory. They breached over a dozen Blessed Land [regions of exceptionally dense spiritual energy, often fortified as strongholds] held by the Demonic Tribe, slaying numerous Earth Immortal Progenitor [powerful demonic cultivators who have attained the Earth Immortal realm].

Faced with the pincer attack from both the Human Race and the Divine Race, the Demonic Tribe later dug in at the Hundred Demons Archipelago, relying on the formidable defensive arrays of one Blessed Land after another to wage a protracted and bloody war across these seas.

This conflict has raged for several Millennium [a period of one thousand years]. While the Demonic Tribe has continuously lost Blessed Land and maritime territory, the Human Race and Divine Race have also suffered significant losses, thanks to the formidable power of the Mountain Guardian Grand Formation [a powerful defensive array technique].

Thus, even to this day, a decisive victory has not yet been achieved by either side.

Speaking to this point, Tian Su the Ancient Ancestor said, "The silver lining is that the Demonic Tribe continues to retreat. Now, many of their forces have already fallen back to the seas surrounding the Dragon Palace."

"If this trend continues, we estimate that within five Millennium, we can completely clear the remaining Blessed Land and concentrate all our forces to besiege the Western Abyss Dragon Palace."

Eldrin Chen nodded upon hearing this. As Tian Su the Ancient Ancestor had stated, the four Half-Step Celestial Immortal of the Human Race had already encircled the Western Abyss Dragon Palace.

Once, five Millennium from now, the demonic seas are fully conquered, the isolated Western Abyss Dragon Palace will likely find it impossible to escape its doomed fate. For uninterrupted reading, go to audio~novel.com.

The Great Tribulation [a cataclysmic cosmic cycle of conflict and upheaval] has lasted for thirty thousand years, with thirteen thousand years remaining until its conclusion. After five millennia, eight millennia will still be left to endure.

Two Grotto-Heaven [a superior realm of existence, a paradise for cultivators] have secretly intervened in this war. Given the strength of the Western Abyss Dragon Palace, holding out for eight millennia will likely be an immensely arduous task.

It is entirely possible that one or two of the Half-Step Celestial Immortal [a cultivator who has nearly ascended to the highest realm of immortality] from the Demonic Tribe and the Celestial Prison Race could fall, or even that their entire force could be annihilated in this single conflict.

Even if they ultimately manage to hold their ground, the Demonic Tribe and Celestial Prison Race of the Western Divine Abyss Sea will undoubtedly suffer grievous losses. For the next million years, they will likely be relentlessly suppressed by the Human Race, struggling to catch their breath.

Of course, there are traces of covert support from the Demon Race Celestial Court behind the Western Abyss Dragon Palace, so Eldrin Chen dared not claim their defeat was certain.

"After this Great Tribulation, the very landscape of the Western Qi Divine Abyss Sea will be utterly transformed," he murmured.

Eldrin Chen whispered to himself, then let out a sigh. It was undeniable that this war, regardless of its outcome, would reshape the power dynamics of the Western Lie Divine Abyss Sea.

If the Western Abyss Dragon Palace were to ascend into a True Dragon Grotto-Heaven, the Demonic Tribe would undoubtedly rise, creating a tripartite balance of power in the Western Qi Divine Abyss Sea.

The Divine Abyss Grotto-Heaven would likely ally with the True Dragon Grotto-Heaven to contend against the mightiest of the Western lineage Grotto-Heaven.

Conversely, should the Western Abyss Dragon Palace fail to ascend into a Grotto-Heaven, the Demonic Tribe would suffer devastating losses, facing further oppression from both the Human Race and the Divine Race.

"With my current level of cultivation, dwelling on such matters is of little benefit for now."

"The immediate priority is to swiftly master the World-Opening Dao Fruit [a supreme divine ability that allows one to create a new world or reality]. Once I have stepped into the Earth Immortal Realm [a profound cultivation realm where one becomes an immortal tied to the earth], there will be ample time to consider these things."

Eldrin Chen murmured inwardly, then cupped his hands towards Tian Su the Ancient Ancestor and said, "We have pressing matters to attend to today and cannot linger here any longer."

After bidding farewell to Tian Su the Ancient Ancestor and his group, they continued their journey.

Before they knew it, they had arrived at the periphery of the sea region known as the Myriad Dragons' Nest [a vast and perilous oceanic domain, the ancestral nesting ground of countless dragon lineages], where the Western Abyss Dragon Palace was located.

In the waters of the Myriad Dragons' Nest before them, the Human Race's Leaf Ruins Divine Sea and the Divine Race's two supreme Blessed Land [a land of exceptional spiritual energy and fortune] were engaged in a relentless siege. Eldrin Chen did not alert them, halting from a great distance. He then concealed their presence using the Yin-Yang Void Realm [a magical treasure that manipulates the void between Yin and Yang to hide its users] before speaking. "This Myriad Dragons' Nest sea region is the very core of the current Great Tribulation [a cataclysmic, era-defining calamity] within the Western Qi Divine Abyss Sea."

"To draw upon the Great Calamity's Flame [a primordial flame born from the essence of a great calamity, possessing immense power], we must lay down the Heaven-Earth Crucible Grand Formation [a grand formation that functions as a crucible, harnessing the powers of heaven and earth] deep beneath the Myriad Dragons' Nest, at the convergence point between the Immortal Domain [the realm of immortals] and the Netherworld."

Upon hearing this, all the Immortals nodded with grave expressions.

Lyra Jiang pondered for a moment, a trace of concern in her voice as she asked, "If we set up the grand formation beneath the Myriad Dragons' Nest, will it alert the denizens of the Myriad Dragons' Nest itself?"

"It will not."

Eldrin Chen shook his head, speaking with absolute certainty: "The point of convergence between the Immortal Domain [the celestial realm of immortals] and the Netherworld [the underworld realm of ghosts and spirits] lies at a distance from the mortal world that is utterly immeasurable."

"Even if the Western Abyss Dragon Palace were to sense something, they are currently embroiled in fierce battle and would likely be unable to spare the effort to investigate."

Hearing this, Solara nodded in agreement. "That is good." Seeing this, Eldrin Chen wasted no further time and immediately led the group deep into the Netherworld Qi [the dense, yin-aligned spiritual energy of the underworld] beneath the earth.

They journeyed onward for roughly a year and more before finally arriving at a region marking the boundary between the Immortal Domain and the Netherworld.

Within this Void [a conceptual space of emptiness and potential] where Yin-Yang [the dual forces of dark/passive and light/active] converged, the Yin-Yang Qi [the distinct energies of yin and yang] flowed in starkly separate streams, forming a clear demarcation between the Immortal Domain and the Netherworld.

Eldrin Chen performed a brief divination with his fingers to ascertain their precise location, then declared, "This place possesses abundant tribulation energy, and the Netherworld Qi is also sufficient. It is perfectly suited for deploying the Heaven-Earth Crucible Grand Formation." For uninterrupted reading, go to audio‑novel.com.

Upon hearing this, the assembled immortals did not delay. They immediately began assisting Eldrin Chen in setting up the grand formation.

The arrangements for the Netherworld side were entrusted to Ancient Ruins Yin Lord.

As a Netherworld Ghost Immortal [an immortal who cultivates the ghostly path within the Netherworld], Ancient Ruins Yin Lord had already attained the realm of a Ghost Progenitor [a progenitor-level existence among ghostly cultivators]. Because he had reversed his constitution to achieve a Pure Yang Constitution [a body of pure yang energy, typically antithetical to ghosts], his strength was comparable to that of a powerful Late Stage Earth Immortal [a high-level Earth Immortal cultivator].

Such a formidable Earth Immortal naturally had many followers by his side.

He had brought several dozen Ghost Immortals [immortals who have transcended the mortal realm but not yet achieved true immortality] to assist him this time. With their help, the grand formation at the location of the Netherworld [the underworld, the realm of the dead] was swiftly completed.

Once the Heaven-Earth Crucible Grand Formation [a mighty formation that harnesses the powers of heaven and earth like a cosmic crucible] was fully established, the assembled immortals continuously channeled their power into it. A colossal furnace, one that pierced through the boundaries of both the Yin [the passive, dark, feminine principle] and Yang [the active, light, masculine principle] realms, materialized with a world-shaking roar.

Simultaneously, the Great Calamity's Flame [a primordial flame born from cosmic cataclysm] from high above the Firmament [the vault of heaven], and the boundless Netherworld Qi [the yin-aligned spiritual energy of the underworld] from the depths of the Netherworld [the underworld, the realm of the dead], surged forth in torrents, flooding into the celestial furnace.

"The Immortal Domain [the realm of the celestials] as the heavens, the Netherworld [the underworld, the realm of the dead] as the earth. The Yin-Yang Flame [a divine flame that fuses the powers of yin and yang], fused into a single crucible." "This shall aid me in condensing my lifelong cultivation base into one, refining it into a flawless, leakless Supreme Dao Fruit [the ultimate fruit of one's cultivation path, representing the pinnacle of attainment]."

Witnessing this spectacle, Eldrin Chen murmured softly to himself.

He delayed no further. With a single step, he entered the heart of the celestial furnace and immediately began harnessing the power of heaven and earth to condense his Dao Fruit [the fruit of one's cultivation path, representing a major breakthrough].

To condense a World-Opening Dao Fruit [a Dao Fruit of such potency it is said to be capable of birthing worlds], one must fuse their entire cultivation base into a singular entity. The more powerful the Immortal [a being who has achieved immortality], the greater the difficulty in forging such a World-Opening Dao Fruit [a Dao Fruit of such potency it is said to be capable of birthing worlds].

Eldrin Chen's Primordial Chaos Limitless Rule [a supreme cultivation art governing the boundless laws of primordial chaos], his Primordial Indestructible Body [a physique of legendary resilience, forged in the dawn of creation], and even his Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] and Mana [the spiritual energy used to power arts and techniques] were all of peerless, extreme potency. Naturally, the difficulty of refining them into a unified whole was immense.

Even with the aid of this Heaven and Earth Furnace [a formation that acts as a crucible powered by the forces of heaven and earth] and the Yin-Yang Flame [a divine flame that fuses the powers of yin and yang], forging his Dao Fruit [the fruit of one's cultivation path, representing a major breakthrough] presented a monumental challenge.

In the beginning, the power of the Yin-Yang Flame [a divine flame that fuses the powers of yin and yang] and the Heaven and Earth Furnace [a formation that acts as a crucible powered by the forces of heaven and earth] proved insufficient.

As time flowed onward, the power of the Heaven and Earth Furnace grew ever more formidable. Drawing in more and more of the Great Calamity's Flame [a cataclysmic fire born from heavenly tribulation] and Netherworld Qi [the sinister, deathly energy of the underworld], Eldrin Chen gradually began to feel a mounting pressure.

After one Millennium had passed, the Yin-Yang Flame [a divine flame born from the union of opposing cosmic forces] within the formation had grown potent enough to refine and slay an Earth Immortal Progenitor. It was then that Eldrin Chen finally felt a significant, undeniable strain.

The Heaven and Earth Furnace itself, a convergence of the powers of the Immortal Domain and the Netherworld Hell, resembled a colossal Alchemy Treasure Furnace [a supreme furnace used for forging treasures and refining essences]. It pressed down upon Eldrin Chen with an unrelenting, crushing force.

Meanwhile, the Yin-Yang Flame ceaselessly scoured his being, a relentless inferno intent on reducing him utterly to ashes of calamity. The complete novel can be found at audio_novel.com.