Chapter 1099 : A Farewell Through the Void Gate

Since the Void Gate [a mystical portal capable of traversing vast distances] of the Leaf Ruins Divine Sea was about to open, Eldrin Chen naturally prepared to hitch a ride.

With time to spare, he went to the market district within the Leaf Ruins Divine Sea and purchased a sheet of Primordial Unity Golden Foil Paper [a special, durable paper used for recording profound techniques], upon which he inscribed the Heaven-Seizing Earth-Nurturing Art [a profound cultivation method].

Thus, time flowed by until the day the Void Gate was set to activate.

On that day, Eldrin Chen stood before the Void Gate and, with a cupped fist salute, said to Prison-Suppressor Child with a smile, "After this parting, who knows how many years will pass before we meet again. Take care, Elder Brother."

Prison-Suppressor Child offered a faint smile, a flicker of light in his eyes. "We Immortal [beings who have transcended mortality] possess Longevity [endless lifespan]. The days ahead are long; our paths are sure to cross again."

"Should you ever come to the Nether Abyss Purgatory Sea, I will surely host a feast in your honor and fulfill my duties as your host."

"Agreed. If I journey to the Nether Abyss Purgatory Sea, I will certainly inform you, Elder Brother."

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen returned the salute, a genuine smile spreading across his face.

With those words, the two stepped into the Void Gate together. Once the gate activated, mountains and rivers seemed to invert, placing them across an immeasurable, billion-league expanse of distorted Space-Time [the fabric of reality encompassing both spatial and temporal dimensions].

As Eldrin Chen took a single step forward, he realized the world had transformed. He had already returned to the Meteor Sea. Immerse yourself in the complete world at audio_novel.com.

Gazing upon the Meteor Sea before him, Eldrin Chen performed a brief calculation with his fingers. After a moment, he murmured to himself, "The Old Monk once said he placed that child at the Longbeard Island Market."

"That child has lived alone for several years now. I wonder if he remains safe and well."

With this thought flashing through his mind, Eldrin Chen immediately transformed into a streak of light, speeding towards the Longbeard Island Immortal Market.

The Longbeard Island Immortal Market was one of the two largest trading hubs in the Meteor Sea. Situated on the sea's periphery, it was renowned for many rare and precious Immortal Artifact treasures.

Within the entire Flowing Stream Hundred Seas, this market ranked among the top ten. Every year, numerous Immortal [powerful cultivators who have transcended mortality] would come here to procure treasures.

Years ago, to settle the child, the Old Monk had rented a cave abode within this market. Unnoticed, several years had already passed.

Eldrin Chen disembarked on Longbeard Island and made his way to the cave abode. Inside, he found a child of eight or nine years old engrossed in reading.

He performed another quick calculation and sighed with relief. "As expected of an establishment from a renowned major sect. They have taken reasonably good care of this child within this abode."

Holding this thought, Eldrin Chen stepped into the cave abode, his gaze settling upon the young boy.

Yet, the very first glimpse of the child caused Eldrin Chen to momentarily lose his composure, a flicker of astonishment crossing his features.

"Is it him?"

"Senior, you are..."

The youth, upon seeing Eldrin Chen, rose and bowed respectfully.

Eldrin Chen offered no reply. Instead, he reached out and plucked a single wisp of the youth's soul essence [the spiritual core of a cultivator].

With the supreme might of the Immortal Path, he refined this soul wisp, tracing back the echoes of its past lives.

The soul essence shimmered and transformed, conjuring scenes from its previous cycles of Reincarnation [the cycle of death and rebirth], revealing the youth's former incarnations.

In one fleeting vision, the soul became a scholar, journeying to the capital for imperial examinations, failing repeatedly, and dying in bitter disappointment.

In another, it manifested as a boy who entered an immortal sect in his youth, training diligently his entire life, only to fall at the final, fatal barrier of Foundation Establishment [the second major realm of cultivation, where one builds their spiritual foundation].

In a third life, he was a prodigious Sword Immortal [a master swordsman who cultivates the path of the sword], born with exceptional talent. He cultivated all the way to the Golden Core Perfection [the pinnacle of the Golden Core realm], yet ultimately, lacking support and guidance, he perished beneath the Infant Soul Heavenly Tribulation [the heavenly trial one must pass to ascend from Golden Core to the Infant Soul realm].

With his boundless immortal power, Eldrin Chen relentlessly traced the youth's past existences. He delved through a full seven lifetimes, until finally, a familiar silhouette emerged from the mists of time.

It was a man clad in verdant robes, who toiled step by step in the Great Wasteland [a vast, desolate, and dangerous wilderness], cultivating arduously. He single-handedly nurtured a Foundation Establishment [the second major realm of cultivation, where one builds a solid foundation for their path] clan, pulling it up until it became a Violet Sanctum Immortal Clan [a powerful clan whose patriarchs have reached the Violet Sanctum realm, capable of intimidating an entire nation].

On his deathbed, the old man, frail and withered, resisted the temptation offered by a Demonic Cultivator [a cultivator who uses unorthodox, often cruel and soul-consuming methods to gain power] to help him break through to Golden Core [the fourth major realm, where one condenses their spiritual energy into a solid, golden core]. He chose to perish instead, ultimately passing away in meditation before a hazy, indistinct figure.

"As I thought, it is you."

"Varen Wei."

Eldrin Chen gazed at the person before him with a touch of nostalgia, a faint smile gracing his lips as he said, "Ten thousand years have flowed by like a dream, seven lifetimes of Reincarnation [the cycle of death and rebirth of the soul]."

"Old friend, we have finally reunited." Read the full novel exclusively on audio . novel . com.

"Senior..."

The child looked bewildered, not fully comprehending what Eldrin Chen was saying.

Eldrin Chen could not help but let out a bitter smile. This child had not yet embarked on the path of cultivation; his soul was as faint and fragile as a firefly's glow, utterly incapable of bearing the weight of past memories.

Moreover, piercing the veil of the womb's mystery [the forgetting of past lives upon being born] was best done through one's own enlightenment. If Eldrin Chen forcibly restored his memories, it would only damage his soul.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen smiled and asked, "What is your name?"

The child pondered for a moment, then after a long while shook his head. "This junior was raised from infancy by an Old Monk [a venerable Buddhist monk]. I have never had a name of my own."

"Then you shall be called Varen Wei."

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod. From his sleeve, he retrieved the gold leaf and the Sariras [sacred crystalline relics left behind by enlightened beings] left by the Old Monk. Handing them to Varen Wei, he said, "That venerable master from years past has journeyed to a place very far away."

"He entrusted me with your care. From now on, you shall follow me in cultivation."

The child accepted the two treasures. His mind was still somewhat muddled, yet deep within his spirit, he felt an inexplicable sense of kinship and profound reassurance emanating from the man before him.

And so, he nodded and spoke a single word. "Alright."

"…"

Having received Varen Wei, Eldrin Chen took him and began flying towards the Crimson Dragon Sea.

Along the way, he examined the child's spiritual bone structure and could not help but feel a flicker of surprise. Only then did he understand why the Old Monk had said this child was born with a spiritual root of wisdom.

This Varen Wei was born Extraordinary, possessing the rare Positive Water Immortal Body [a constitution naturally aligned with the pure, life-giving essence of water, offering great potential for ascension].

The Positive Water Immortal Body is a rather uncommon Immortal Body [an innate physical and spiritual framework of exceptional quality, highly conducive to cultivation]. Within the Immortal Realm [the higher plane of existence where true Immortals reside], with the patronage of an Immortal [a being who has transcended mortality and achieved immortality through cultivation], one's chances of successfully ascending to immortality in the future would be considerable.

Upon returning to Green Chariot Mountain, Eldrin Chen found that Exquisite Jiang and the others had been waiting for him for some time.

Exquisite Jiang glanced at the Varen Wei he had brought back, her expression tinged with uncertainty as she asked, "Is it him?"

"Mm."

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod. He instructed someone to take Varen Wei away to be settled, then said with a gentle smile, "Across the vast expanse of ten thousand years, to see the reincarnated form of an old friend... it settles a lingering regret in my heart."

Violet Consort Yan also nodded, a flicker of light in her eyes. "This lifetime, Varen Wei possesses excellent aptitude. With proper nurturing, he might truly achieve immortality."

"Mm."

Eldrin Chen nodded again. Remembering the gains from this journey, his excitement surfaced as he spoke of the Earthly Path [a profound cultivation method focused on grounding one's foundation in the energies of the earth]: "This time, our harvest can be considered truly bountiful."

"Truly?"

Upon hearing this, Verdant Consort could not help but ask with pleasant surprise.

Eldrin Chen did not speak, instead taking out all the treasures obtained from this journey.

Seeing the multitude of treasures laid out before them, even though the four women had cultivation bases that had already touched the profound mysteries of Creation [the act of bringing something into existence from nothingness], they could not help but draw in a sharp breath.

The sheer scale of this harvest was staggering. Just the number of Immortal Artifact [a supreme-grade magical treasure forged by an Immortal] alone had reached six.

These were: the Primordial Frost Soul [a core of ancient, condensed frost essence], the Fire Element Immortal Marrow [a marrow-like substance brimming with immortal-grade fire energy], the Eternal Fire Silkworm Silk [a legendary silk spun by silkworms nurtured in eternal flames], one portion of Primordial One Adamantine [a mythical, unbreakable metal from the dawn of creation], one portion of Great Mystery Divine Iron [a divine iron imbued with profound and mysterious properties], and the 'Ink Marrow Immortal Soil' [a jet-black, spiritually rich soil said to be the marrow of the immortal earth].

There were two Immortal Treasure [a treasure of legendary power, surpassing even Immortal Artifacts]: the 'Polarity Dual Poles Pearl' [a pearl embodying the opposing forces of yin and yang] and the 'Ninefold Spring Charm' [a talisman containing the life-giving essence of nine springs].

There were two Immortal Root [a spiritual plant of the highest grade, with roots touching the source of immortal energy]: the 'Primal Shadow Cassia' [a cassia tree that thrives in the deepest shadows of the primal world] and the 'Solar Fire Orange' [an orange tree whose fruit is said to contain condensed solar fire].

There were three Immortal Herb [a herb of legendary potency, capable of granting immense benefits to Immortals]: the 'Solar Blossom' [a flower that blooms only under the purest sunlight], the 'Supreme Lunar Herb' [a herb that absorbs the essence of the supreme moon], and the 'Ascension Fruit' [a fruit said to aid in the final ascension to a higher state of being].

As for Immortal Rank Supreme Grade [the pinnacle grade within the Immortal cultivation realm] cultivation Path Principles [the fundamental laws and truths that define a cultivator's path], there were three supreme methods: the 'Supreme Lunar Soul Refinement Art' [an art for refining one's soul with supreme lunar essence], the 'Solar Body Tempering Scripture' [a scripture for tempering the physical body with solar fire], and the 'Polarity Primordial Void Scripture' [a scripture exploring the primordial void that gives rise to all polarities]. Original publication: audio novel.com - The source of this chapter.