Chapter 1346 : The Limits of Immortal Ascension

Once the heavens and earth had fully stabilized, Six Stars Immortal emerged from his Earth Immortal World. Looking at Eldrin Chen, he smiled and said, "Success, at last."

Yet, Eldrin Chen furrowed his brow slightly, a note of regret in his voice as he replied, "Fellow Daoist, why not attempt it once more?"

"I am content with having opened two layers of heaven."

Six Stars Immortal shook his head, then sighed. "I have not cultivated the World-Opening True Body. During the World-Opening process, I felt my physical form could scarcely withstand the pressure of the nascent world."

"Had I continued to expand it further, I likely would have been unable to resist the crushing weight of heaven and earth, leading to the disintegration of my Immortal Body and my demise."

"I see."

Eldrin Chen nodded in understanding, though a profound sense of regret lingered in his heart.

For an Earth Immortal Patriarch to attempt a breakthrough to the Middle Stage Earth Immortal, opening a Threefold Heaven was the absolute minimum threshold.

Had Six Stars Immortal succeeded in opening a Threefold Heaven, his chances of breaking through to the Middle Stage Earth Immortal in the future would have been above ten percent.

But with only two layers of heaven opened, his hope for such a future breakthrough was now vanishingly small, nearly zero. The disparity between the two outcomes was truly vast. For more chapters, visit audio—novel.com for the complete novel.

However, Six Stars Immortal viewed the matter with equanimity. Noticing the expression on Eldrin Chen's face, he smiled faintly and said, "Since ancient times, establishing a Great Encompassing Foundation requires Three Path Fruits, while a Celestial Immortal Foundation requires Dual Path Fruits."

"This is because to break through to the Great Encompassing Realm, one's physical body, Great Path, and Path Fruit [the condensed essence of one's cultivated Dao] must all be perfected and flawless."

"And to step into the Innate Realm, one must also cultivate two types of Innate Foundation."

"I am merely an Immortal with a single Path Fruit. In my entire lifetime, I have no hope of entering the Celestial Immortal Realm. What difference is there, then, between the Second Heaven and the Threefold Heaven?"

"To risk perishing from a failed World-Opening [the critical process of creating one's inner world] for the sake of a marginal increase in combat power seems, in my view, a poor bargain."

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod of agreement.

What Six Stars Immortal said was indeed true. To step into the Celestial Immortal Realm and open the Sixfold Heaven [the sixth layer of one's inner world], simultaneously cultivating two types of World-Opening Path Fruit was already the absolute minimum threshold.

Furthermore, for an Immortal of the Sixfold Heaven, the hope of breaking through to become a Celestial Immortal was vanishingly slim. Only those who had opened the Seventh Heaven or higher possessed any real chance of impacting the gates of the Celestial Immortal Realm.

In truth, even a figure like the Master of Flowing Fire Star Palace, a Half-Step Celestial Immortal who had opened the Seventh Heaven, had less than a one-in-ten chance of successfully breaking through to Celestial Immortal.

The Heavenly Fiend Clan Patriarch, having opened the Eighth Heaven, held a somewhat greater certainty. Yet even he, without the aid of external treasures, possessed only about a two-in-ten chance of successfully ascending to Celestial Immortal.

Only a being like the Lord of Western Abyss Dragon Palace, a peerless True Dragon who has opened the Ninefold Heaven [the ninth and highest foundational heaven a cultivator can establish], would have a four or five in ten chance of stepping into the Celestial Immortal Realm [the realm of celestial immortals, beings who have transcended mortality and attained a higher state of existence].

In truth, among those Celestial Immortal Great Power [celestial immortals who have attained great power], over six in ten are existences who have opened the Eighth Heaven [the eighth foundational heaven]. The remaining three in ten are Immortal [immortals] below the Eighth Heaven, with merely one in ten being top-tier Celestial Immortal who have opened the Ninefold Heaven.

Of course, upon reaching the Celestial Immortal Realm, combat prowess depends more on one's Innate Foundation [the innate, fundamental spiritual constitution and potential a cultivator is born with].

An ordinary Celestial Immortal achieves the Dao [the ultimate principle and path of cultivation] based on two types of Innate Foundation, while a superior Celestial Immortal achieves it with the perfect foundation of Three Path Fruits [the state of having perfected three fundamental aspects of one's cultivation path].

The difference between opening the Sixfold Heaven [the sixth foundational heaven], the Seventh Heaven [the seventh foundational heaven], the Eighth Heaven, or even the Ninefold Heaven, for a Celestial Immortal Great Power, serves primarily to increase their certainty of breaking through into the Celestial Immortal Realm.

Once within the Celestial Immortal Realm, such beings can seize the Creation [the primordial creative force of heaven and earth] to mend part of their own foundation, and even seek Innate Object [objects born from primordial chaos, possessing innate power and properties] from the Chaos [the formless, primordial state before creation] to supplement their foundation.

Therefore, for such existences, unless one can tread the Forbidden Domain [a legendary, nearly impossible to achieve cultivation state] of the Ten-Layered Heaven [a mythical tenth foundational heaven], the gap of how many heavens one opened becomes far less significant.

Returning to the main point, regardless, Six Stars Immortal's step into the Earth Immortal Realm [the realm of earth immortals, a powerful stage of immortality] is a joyous occasion indeed.

Eldrin Chen offered his sincere congratulations with great courtesy. He retrieved a Supreme-Grade Immortal Artifact [a treasure of the highest quality within the immortal artifact grade] from his sleeve and presented it, saying with a smile, "To celebrate your esteemed breakthrough into the Earth Immortal Realm, please accept this humble gift as a token of my regard."

"You are too generous," the other replied.

The Six Stars Immortal spoke courteously, yet a broad smile remained on his face as he accepted the gift.

Then, he retrieved a wisp of World-Opening Aurora [the primal light of creation released when a new world is born] from his sleeve and handed it to Eldrin Chen, saying, "I heard you required this type of World-Opening Aurora, so I brought it for you."

Eldrin Chen glanced at it, then shook his head with a wry smile. "The World-Opening Aurora I need is of the Five Elements Attribute [imbued with the spiritual essence of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth]."

"This particular wisp of World-Opening Aurora contains the mysteries of the Stellar [pertaining to the stars and celestial bodies]; it holds little use for my purposes."

"I see," the Six Stars Immortal replied.

He gave a slight nod, then stored the World-Opening Aurora away once more. With a smile, he inquired, "How have things been within the Immortal Alliance during my years of seclusion?" Find this and other novels at audio–novel.com.

Eldrin Chen offered a gentle smile before speaking. "Among our old comrades, you are the seventh to emerge from seclusion, but the first to set foot upon the Earth Immortal Realm [the foundational stage of true immortality, where one's power becomes anchored to the world itself]."

As Eldrin recounted the tale, the Six Stars Immortal quickly grasped the changes that had unfolded over the years.

In these years, as the various immortals secluded themselves to refine the Path Source [the primordial source energy of a Great Path, a supreme treasure for cultivation], many had reaped immense rewards.

By now, six others had already emerged. They were Heaven Abandoned Lin, Lord of the Path Palace, Kael Chen, Energy Abyss Chen, Alistair Ye, Literature Abyss Lu, and others.

Among these individuals, Heaven Abandoned Lin refined the Path Source [a primordial source of a specific Path or Dao], comprehended the power of the Sword Path Rule [the fundamental law governing the Sword Path], and thereby stepped into the Half-Step Earth Immortal Realm. Yet, his combat prowess had already entered the domain of a Five Tribulations Immortal.

In terms of offensive power alone, he had even begun to touch the level of a Six Tribulations Immortal.

The Lord of the Path Palace was also Extraordinary. He too had mastered a Rule Power [the power derived from comprehending a fundamental law of the cosmos] and entered the Half-Step Earth Immortal domain, though his combat strength was slightly inferior to Heaven Abandoned Lin by half a measure.

Among the three Path Fruit [the condensed essence and culmination of one's cultivation along a specific Path] of Kael Chen's Demonic Path and Buddhist cultivation arts, both the Buddhist-Demonic Path Fruit had reached the World-Opening Realm [a realm signifying the power to create or shape worlds], each comparable to a Half-Step Earth Immortal Patriarch.

With the empowerment of these two Path Fruit, Kael Chen's combat prowess was now comparable to that of a Seven Tribulations Immortal.

If nothing unexpected occurred, once all three Path Fruit were perfected and the three Path Fruit of the Demonic Path and Buddhist schools fused into one, Kael Chen's combat power would undergo a staggering qualitative transformation, stepping into the Nine Tribulations domain would be a certainty.

Eastern Sovereign Energy Abyss Chen was also exceptionally brilliant. Having refined two Supreme-Grade Path Source, he had successfully cultivated both the Solar Rule [the fundamental law governing the Sun] and the Indestructibility Golden Body [an inviolable golden physique], his combat strength already entering the Seven Tribulations domain.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, within one hundred thousand years, Energy Abyss Chen would cultivate his Mysterious Brightness Path Fruit to completion, and his combat prowess would also step into the Nine Tribulations Domain.

Eldrin Chen's two disciples, Literature Abyss Lu and Alistair Ye, had also made significant progress.

Now, Alistair Ye had stepped into the Ascendant Immortal 7th Tier, with both his Path Principles Path Fruit and his Immortal Body [a physique tempered to the level of an immortal] having reached great completion. His combat strength had already entered the Half-Step Earth Immortal domain.

Literature Abyss Lu's cultivation had also advanced a step further, reaching the Ascendant Immortal 8th Tier realm. His three Path Fruit [the condensed essence of a cultivator's understanding of a specific Dao Path] had also reached great completion, and his combat power now brushed against the level of a Half-Step Earth Immortal.

Listening to Eldrin Chen's detailed account, Six Stars Immortal could not help but sigh, "These individuals all possess heaven-defying talent. In the future, they will likely all have the potential to reach the Celestial Immortal Realm."

"Compared to people like them, this old man's innate aptitude truly falls far short."

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen also revealed a faint smile.

His gaze shifted slightly, and he then spoke, "Within the Immortal Domain, prodigious Immortal [a being who has transcended mortality through cultivation] talents are not uncommon. The primary reason these few were able to reach this step is due to the Great Tribulation [a cataclysmic event of cosmic scale that reshapes fate and destiny] and the Opportunity and Fortune [the confluence of chance and favorable destiny that grants great advantages] it brought."

"Indeed."

Six Stars Immortal also nodded, sighing as he said, "The Opportunity and Fortune we reaped from this Great Tribulation was far too astonishing. If this old man had a Dual Path Fruits [a foundation built upon mastering two distinct Dao Paths] foundation, I might have dared to strive for a Celestial Immortal Foundation [the foundational state required to ascend to the Celestial Immortal Realm] as well." This chapter appears courtesy of audio-novel-dot-com.