Chapter 1387 : The Price of Ascension

Thinking of this, Lila voiced her concern, "Husband, might we be inviting too much karmic entanglement?" Hearing her words, the others also felt a stir of worry in their hearts.

Any power capable of nurturing an Ninth Tribulation Immortal [a cultivator who has survived nine heavenly tribulations] was likely a top-tier Earth Immortal Blessed Land [a sacred realm of immense spiritual power, suitable for Earth Immortals].

Provoking such formidable foes would undoubtedly incur significant karmic debt. One or two might be manageable, but if they offended multiple powerful enemies, it could become a considerable trouble in the future.

Eldrin Chen was well aware of this. Adversaries like the Dark Roc Demon King and the Great Wilderness Celestial Alligator were not to be trifled with.

If they ever discovered it was myself who had struck, it would indeed become a serious problem.

Contemplating this, Eldrin Chen shook his head. "To advance further, we must inevitably contend. In this world, there is no path to ascension that does not weave threads of karma."

"Moreover, this Dao Source [the primordial source of the Dao, the fundamental principle of existence] concerns your very paths of cultivation. Even if it means making several powerful enemies, it is a price we must pay." Moved by his words, their hearts swelled with emotion.

Verdant Consort let out a soft sigh before speaking. "I shall enter seclusion immediately to condense my Dao Fruit [the ultimate fruit of one's cultivation, representing mastery over a fundamental aspect of the Dao]. When that time comes, even if great enemies descend, I will be able to lend you my strength."

"Mm."

Eldrin Chen gave a nod, yet still offered counsel. "All things suffer from excess, including haste in one's cultivation. Do not rush." Enjoyed this chapter? Read more at audio~novel.com.

"Especially for Violet Consort and Lila, your desire to complete the three foundational paths—whether success can be achieved relying solely on the Eight Calamity Dao Source remains uncertain."

"You may first consume the Heaven-Mending Pill [a legendary pill said to mend foundational flaws in one's cultivation], mend part of your foundation, then seclude yourselves for tens of thousands of years to temper your base before making another attempt."

Lila and Yvonne the Violet Consort exchanged a glance, then nodded in agreement. "We will heed your counsel." With those words, Eldrin Chen said no more on the matter.

He sought out Solara and the other two, and that very day, they set off for the Glazed Blessed Land.

With their current cultivation levels, their journey to the Glazed Blessed Land was swifter than before. It was not long before they arrived at the Glazed Blessed Land.

At this moment, the Glazed Blessed Land had already returned to the Immortal Domain. Divine Lord Glaze stood silently within the Grand Hall, as if she had been waiting for some time.

"Thirty thousand years have passed, and I see you have all attained World Creation [the profound state of creating one's own inner world, a hallmark of the Earth Immortal realm]."

"It seems your gains from this Great Tribulation [a cataclysmic event testing the fate of the world and its cultivators] have exceeded even my expectations."

Gazing upon the group before her, Divine Lord Glaze revealed a trace of astonishment.

In her initial estimation, she had thought only Solara might break through to the Earth Immortal Realm, while the other two might reach the Half-Step Earth Immortal Realm. She had not anticipated that all of them would now be true Earth Immortal [powerful cultivators who have created their own inner world and transcended mortal limits].

This brought her a measure of pleasant surprise, tinged with a sense of the unexpected.

Especially the present Eldrin Chen, who gave her an impression that even carried a faint hint of threat. With this thought, Divine Lord Glaze smiled and said, "Tell me the full story of this tribulation you faced."

Upon hearing this, Solara immediately recounted the entire course of the tribulation for Divine Lord Glaze.

After listening, Divine Lord Glaze could not help but frown slightly and said, "It seems the objectives of the two Grotto-Heaven [a superior realm of cultivation, a paradise detached from the mortal world], Western Qi and Divine Abyss, have already been achieved."

"This..."

Her words caused everyone present to be taken aback for a moment. Eldrin Chen could not resist asking, "Senior, what do you mean by that?"

Divine Lord Glaze shook her head and sighed. "Within the entire Azure Firmament Immortal Domain, the number of beings who have cultivated the Great Unity Dao Fruit [the supreme fruit of one's cultivation path, representing the pinnacle of comprehension before ascension] and stepped into the half-step Heaven Immortal Realm [the realm of celestial immortals] exceeds one thousand."

"Among them, the Dragon King of the Western Abyss ranks thirty-fifth, and Divine Lord Ye Ruins ranks thirty-seventh. Do you know what this signifies?" Upon hearing this, everyone was momentarily stunned.

Seeing their reaction, Divine Lord Glaze continued, "Whether it is the Lord of the Western Abyss Dragon Palace or Divine Lord Ye Ruins, both actually possessed the potential to forge three types of Great Unity Dao Fruit."

"And those who cultivate three types of Great Unity Dao Fruit, once they ascend to the Heaven Immortal Realm, become paragons among Heavenly Immortal Paragon [the most powerful beings within the Heaven Immortal realm]. They have the potential to achieve the Great Perfection Celestial Immortal Realm [the state of flawless completion within the celestial immortal realm], and may even hope to glimpse the Great Luo Realm [a legendary, supreme realm of existence]."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen felt a slight shock in his heart, roughly understanding the schemes of the two Grotto-Heaven [a superior realm of cultivation, a paradise within a cave or mountain].

Divine Lord Glaze spoke in detail, and after clarifying the reasons behind this situation, she sighed and said, "The two Grotto-Heaven of Western Qi and Divine Abyss have been pulling strings behind the scenes."

"Whether it's the Lord of the Western Abyss Dragon Palace or Divine Lord Ye Ruins, their chances of breaking through to the Heaven Immortal Realm [the realm of celestial immortals] were actually not small."

"The reason they haven't broken through to the Heaven Immortal Realm all these years is not only because they haven't attempted it, but more crucially, because they wished to cultivate three types of Primordial Foundation [the foundational Dao Fruits that determine a cultivator's ultimate potential]."

"Once they succeeded, both would become outstanding figures among Heaven Immortal [celestial immortals], capable of founding a powerful Grotto-Heaven in the future, one not inferior to Western Qi or the Divine Abyss Grotto-Heaven."

"But now, the Lord of the Western Abyss Dragon Palace has stepped into the Heaven Immortal realm with only Dual Dao Fruits [two foundational Dao Fruits]. In this lifetime, he can at most cultivate to the mid-stage of Heaven Immortal. As for Divine Lord Ye Ruins, he was forced into Reincarnation [the cycle of death and rebirth] through a forced dissolution of his corporeal form. Isn't this exactly what they wanted?" The story continues at audio–novel.com.

As Divine Lord Glaze continued her tale, Eldrin Chen felt a cold sweat trickling down his back.

He never imagined that behind this calamity lay such immense karmic consequences. While the Lord of the Western Abyss Dragon Palace seemingly stepped into the Heaven Immortal Realm, under the machinations of the two Grotto-Heaven, he only succeeded in cultivating two types of Great Unity Dao Fruit [a supreme foundational Dao Fruit representing unity]. With such a foundation, he could at most cultivate to the mid-stage of Heaven Immortal.

For the two Grotto-Heaven of Western Qi and Divine Abyss, the Lord of the Western Abyss Dragon Palace no longer posed a genuine threat.

Divine Lord Ye Ruins, who sought to forge a foundation of three Great Unity Dao Fruit, missed the optimal timing for his breakthrough to become a Heavenly Immortal Paragon [a peerless celestial immortal]. Beaten into forced Reincarnation, his situation could be described as a complete and utter defeat.

Thinking of this, Eldrin Chen wiped his brow, took a deep breath, and said, "Both Divine Lord Ye Ruins and the Lord of the Western Abyss Dragon Palace are peerless talents of the highest order. Why would they willingly submit to being pawns in another's scheme?"

"They had no choice."

Divine Lord Glaze spoke, then continued with a sigh, "Slaying their counterpart during the Great Tribulation to seize their Dao Source [the fundamental origin of one's cultivation path], thereby laying the foundation for three types of Great Unity Dao Fruit [the ultimate fruit of cultivation representing unity with the Dao]—this was their only chance to achieve a perfect breakthrough into the Heaven Immortal [the Celestial Immortal Realm]."

"I understand now."

Eldrin Chen sighed inwardly, a sense of helplessness washing over him.

Whether it was Divine Lord Ye Ruins or the Lord of the Western Abyss Dragon Palace, they both lived and moved within the machinations of two great Grotto-Heaven [paradisiacal realms of profound spiritual energy].

Even if they succeeded in breaking through to the Heaven Immortal Realm, a Heaven Immortal with a Dual Dao Fruits foundation possessed limited potential. Advancing to the mid-stage of the Heaven Immortal realm would be an arduous struggle, and they could never pose a significant threat to those two Grotto-Heaven.

When the future Calamity Tribulation [a cataclysmic heavenly trial] erupted, such Grotto-Heaven without a late-stage Heaven Immortal to guard them would be the first targets of destruction.

Only supreme Grotto-Heaven like Western Qi and the Divine Abyss, each guarded by a late-stage Heaven Immortal Great Power, could stand proudly within the Immortal Domain [the realm of immortals], possessing the hope of enduring through the Calamity Tribulation and achieving lasting immortality.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen recalled that the Lord of the Western Abyss Dragon Palace was, after all, a Heavenly Immortal Paragon [a pinnacle figure among Celestial Immortals]. He could not help but take another deep breath and say, "My gains from this Great Tribulation are far too great. It is inevitable that they will attract covetous eyes."

"I do not fear ordinary Earth Immortal [a cultivator who has attained the Earth Immortal realm, a powerful existence], but I worry whether the Lord of the Western Abyss Dragon Palace might take action against me."

Hearing Eldrin Chen's concern, Divine Lord Glaze could not help but let out a soft, amused laugh, then shook her head. "You are overthinking this. He would not stoop to such a level as to move against you."

"Oh?" Eldrin Chen was slightly taken aback and asked, "I possess Celestial Immortal Aptitude [a legendary constitution with the potential to ascend to the Celestial Immortal realm]. Would he not be wary of that?" Immerse yourself in the complete world at audio-novel[dot]com.