Chapter 1381 : Debts of Gratitude and the Great Path

Eldrin Chen felt a faint sigh within his heart, then spoke with emotion, "If you, Senior, had not borne that tribulation for me back then, I likely would have perished long ago at the hands of the Outer Realm Demon God. How could I have achieved what I have today?"

"Hmm." True Lord Vast Righteousness offered a serene smile and gave a slight nod. "It seems my choice all those years ago was not mistaken."

He spoke calmly, then continued, "In this lifetime, my ambition is to pursue the Great Path [the ultimate principle and goal of cultivation]."

"In my view, to explore the unknown path ahead holds greater worth than remaining here as a mere Path Ancestor [a supreme master who has founded their own cultivation path]."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen could not help but sigh inwardly once more.

On his long journey of cultivation, Eldrin Chen carried two debts of gratitude he could never fully repay. These were owed to the Fallen God Patriarch and to Path Lord Vast Righteousness.

Of the two, Path Lord Vast Righteousness had used a secret art to deceive the Outer Realm Demon God, aiding Eldrin Chen in surviving his most perilous Primordial Spirit Great Tribulation [a catastrophic heavenly trial faced during the Primordial Spirit realm]. For this, he himself had perished within that Great Tribulation [a devastating heavenly calamity].

As for the Fallen God Patriarch, at the cost of his own soul scattering to the winds, he had bestowed his Primordial Solar Origin [the pure, foundational essence of the primordial sun] upon Eldrin Chen, pulling him back from the brink of absolute ruin.

Now, the Fallen God Patriarch's soul had been scattered for many years. Not even a Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [a supreme immortal of the highest order] might be able to restore him. Eldrin Chen naturally had no means to do so.

Therefore, of all people, True Lord Vast Righteousness was the one to whom Eldrin Chen felt the deepest debt remained unpaid.

If Vast Righteousness True Lord were willing to undergo Reincarnation [the process of being reborn into a new life] within the Returning Abyss Great World, then the status of the Primogenitor of the Earthly Path would undoubtedly be his.

Vast Righteousness True Lord understood this in his heart, yet he paid it no mind. His sole pursuit was the Great Path [the ultimate Dao of cultivation], but he wished to forge his own way upon it, unwilling to live under another's shadow.

He shook his head, then smiled. "After the Great Tribulation [the cataclysmic heavenly calamity], send me to Reincarnation. If fate allows us to meet again in the future, I hope we can still be friends who transcend the years."

"Agreed."

Eldrin Chen nodded, a gentle smile gracing his lips. "Then it falls to me to see you off, Senior. I hope that upon your return, we may share wine and converse freely."

"That day will come."

Vast Righteousness True Lord spoke with serene finality and then withdrew back into the Soul-Gathering Pearl [a mystical orb capable of housing and nurturing souls].

Witnessing this, Eldrin Chen turned his gaze to the final Soul-Gathering Pearl, a soft sigh escaping him.

Silas Chen's soul had already recovered, yet he had not emerged from the Soul-Gathering Pearl. His unspoken intent was clear.

Eldrin Chen understood perfectly. The child held feelings for him in her heart. She did not wish to remain in his world, preferring to meet him again with a new identity.

"Foolish child."

Eldrin Chen sighed inwardly, but in the end, he said nothing more.

He stored away the two Soul-Gathering Pearl and then cast his gaze across this newly formed world, his eyes as calm as still water.

With matters settled thus, this World-Opening had drawn to a close, and the time for departure had arrived.

However, before taking his leave, Eldrin Chen swept his sleeve through the air, drawing forth several treasures from the fabric of the nascent world.

Though the world was newly born, the World-Opening had nurtured many treasures, and only a few had caught Eldrin Chen's discerning eye.

The treasures he retrieved were rare World-Opening Marvel [wondrous objects born from the primal chaos of world creation], including the World-Opening Aurora [the first light of dawn born from the world's creation], the Five-Colored Immortal Jade [a jade imbued with the essence of the five elements], the Primordial One Ancient Stone [a stone containing the most ancient and untainted essence of the world], and other such rarities.

Among them, the World-Opening Aurora was the first primal light of Eldrin Chen's World-Opening [the foundational act of creating one's own inner world]. Yet, it uniquely contained the attributes of all five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Its grade had already ascended to the ranks of a true World-Opening Marvel, far surpassing ordinary World-Opening Aurora.

According to Eldrin Chen's estimation, this single strand of World-Opening Aurora was equivalent to five ordinary auroras, sufficient for Exquisite Jiang to cultivate her Five-Colored Divine Light [a divine ability that harnesses the power of the five elemental forces].

Having retrieved these treasures, Eldrin Chen immediately soared out from the confines of the nascent world.

The spectators, including Exquisite Jiang and others, witnessed this and immediately revealed expressions of joy, smiling as they offered their congratulations.

"Congratulations, my husband. With you opening the Thirteenfold Heaven this time, I fear you have truly attained Path Ancestor Potential."

"It is merely the Earth Immortal Realm; it is not so exaggerated."

Eldrin Chen shook his head with a smile, then handed the World-Opening Aurora to Exquisite Jiang.

After Exquisite Jiang stored the World-Opening Aurora, Eldrin Chen inquired, "How do you feel?"

Exquisite Jiang pondered briefly before speaking. "Although my Supreme Lunar Immortal Body is Extraordinary, it still cannot compare to your Primordial One Indestructibility Body. At most, I am confident in opening the Elevenfold Heaven."

"As for attempting the Twelve-Layered Heaven..."

She paused thoughtfully, then continued, "Unless I obtain an Eighth-Rank External Elixir [a supreme-grade pill that can temporarily boost one's cultivation foundation from an external source], perhaps then I could make the attempt."

"I understand."

Eldrin Chen nodded, then turned his gaze to Verdant Consort. "Now that I have made my breakthrough, it is time to journey to the Western Essence Divine Abyss Sea and seek a Nine Tribulations Path Source [a legendary object containing the condensed essence of a path that has weathered nine heavenly tribulations] for you."

"Oh?"

Verdant Consort [a powerful female cultivator] paused slightly, a frown creasing her brow as she said, "A Nine Tribulations Immortal [an immortal who has survived nine heavenly tribulations] is an exceedingly rare figure, and most possess profound backgrounds. You must not recklessly court danger."

"I understand."

Eldrin Chen [the protagonist, a powerful cultivator] gave a slight nod. After a moment of contemplation, he continued, "At the heart of the Great Tribulation [a cataclysmic heavenly calamity], amidst the life-and-death battles waged across the various Blessed Land [realms of concentrated spiritual energy], many Demon Race [a race of powerful demonic beings] Blessed Land have suffered grievous wounds."

"Among them are not a few Seven Tribulations [immortals who have survived seven heavenly tribulations], and even some Eight Tribulations Immortal [immortals who have survived eight heavenly tribulations]. This presents a prime opportunity for us."

Seeing the lingering worry in Verdant Consort's eyes, Eldrin Chen pressed on, "Do not fret. I possess the Polarity Void Mirror [a powerful magical artifact], and having now broken through to the Earth Immortal Realm [the realm of an Earth Immortal, a powerful stage of cultivation], my strength is no longer what it once was."

"An ordinary Earth Immortal Great Perfection [an Earth Immortal at the peak of their realm] might be able to defeat me, but capturing or killing me would be a feat of immense difficulty."

Hearing his confident words, Verdant Consort could only nod in reluctant agreement.

After his breakthrough to Earth Immortal, Eldrin Chen's World-Opening True Body [a divine physique capable of opening a world], his comprehension of cosmic laws, and the power of his Path Fruit [the condensed essence of a cultivator's chosen Dao Path] saw little direct increase. However, with an entire nascent world now serving as his foundation, the depth and potency of his spiritual energy [the vital energy used in cultivation] had multiplied several times over.

Bolstered by the power of his ten Threefold Heaven [a specific, powerful tier within the Earth Immortal realm], the sheer volume of Eldrin Chen's spiritual energy now rivaled that of a Seventh Level Earth Immortal [an Earth Immortal of the seventh tier] who had opened a Sixfold Heaven [a six-layered heaven within their internal world].

With such profound spiritual power now at his command, Eldrin Chen could fully unleash his myriad techniques and abilities. He would no longer be forced into a situation like the previous great battle, where he possessed supreme laws and Divine Ability [a supernatural power or technique derived from profound cultivation] yet could only manifest the combat strength of a Late Stage Earth Immortal [the third and final major stage of the Earth Immortal cultivation realm] for an exceedingly brief moment.

Therefore, Eldrin Chen estimated that his current combat prowess was utterly transformed, a far cry from what it once was.

Although he likely still could not match those supreme Late Stage Earth Immortals who had cultivated three types of World-Opening Foundation [the foundational power required to open one's inner world at the Earth Immortal realm] and opened eight Ninefold Heavens [a metaphorical term for the successive layers or heavens within a cultivator's opened inner world], he was now on par with, and perhaps even slightly stronger than, an Eighth Level Earth Immortal [an Earth Immortal who has opened the eighth layer of their inner world] who had only opened Sixfold Heavens [six layers of the inner world].

With this in mind, Verdant Consort still cautioned, "On this journey, you must remember to proceed with utmost caution. Do not recklessly intervene in battles between Half-Step Celestial Immortals [cultivators who stand at the very threshold of the Celestial Immortal realm, possessing a sliver of its power]."

"I understand,"

Eldrin Chen nodded. He knew well that any being capable of stepping into the Half-Step Celestial Immortal Realm was among the most elite of prodigies and heroes.

Such individuals had most likely opened seven or even eight Eighth Heavens [the eighth layer of the inner world, a sign of supreme talent]. They were figures against whom surpassing a major realm in combat was nearly impossible.

Not to mention that Eldrin Chen was merely an Early-stage Earth Immortal [the first major stage of the Earth Immortal realm]; even if his cultivation broke through to the Middle Stage Earth Immortal [the second major stage of the Earth Immortal realm], he would likely still be no match for them.

Although he had decided to venture into the heart of the Great Tribulation [a cataclysmic, era-defining conflict ordained by fate], Eldrin Chen did not depart immediately.

He first returned to the Returning Abyss Sea Region and distributed a considerable number of rare treasures among its immortals as rewards for their successful World-Opening [the critical process of opening one's inner world upon advancing to Earth Immortal].

Friends of Eldrin Chen and the many immortals of the Immortal Alliance also sent heavy gifts to offer their congratulations.

In terms of World-Opening Marvel [a rare treasure used to stabilize and empower newly created worlds] alone, Eldrin Chen received seven or eight pieces. Some were sent by the Ancient Ruins Nether Lord, others were gifts from the Heaven Abyss Path Master, the Verdant Stream Ancient Sect contributed two, and the Sun Consort presented one.