Chapter 1437 : Forging the Golden Land's Heart

"Very well."

Eldrin Chen gave a nod, then looked at the Heavenly Demon Blood-Refining Divine Blade in his hand and asked, "And what of these two treasures? How should they be handled?"

Exquisite Jiang pondered for a moment before speaking. "The Heavenly Demon Blood-Refining Divine Blade is steeped in the blood of countless Human Race souls. We should simply destroy it."

"However, the Heavenly Demon Immortal-Slaying Sword was not forged from Human Race spirits. It could be given to Elder Brother Kael for him to refine and master."

"Then it is decided."

Eldrin Chen nodded in agreement, settling the matter.

In the time that followed, the group continued their work of forging Immortal Treasure [powerful artifacts used by immortals]. Another millennium passed in the blink of an eye before they finally completed the array of Immortal Treasure Formation Artifact [artifacts specifically designed to power formations] required for the refining process.

In the end, utilizing the local materials, they forged over a thousand metal-attribute Immortal Treasure.

Eldrin Chen embedded these Immortal Treasure into the Blessed Land [a land imbued with potent spiritual energy and natural blessings]. Using the treasures as Formation Eye [the core nodes that anchor and power a magical formation], he laid down a grand formation and began the work of refining this Golden Evil Blessed Land.

In truth, the moment this Formation [a structured arrangement of energy channels and artifacts to achieve a specific magical effect] was fully established, a sense of certainty settled within Eldrin Chen's heart.

With the support of this Formation, Eldrin Chen could mobilize over half the power of the Blessed Land [a land imbued with potent spiritual energies]. Even if an Earth Immortal Great Perfection [a cultivator at the peak of the Earth Immortal realm] were to attack, it would be exceedingly difficult to breach.

Once the Formation was established, Eldrin Chen began to activate it, continuously refining the Blessed Land. Time flowed like a river, and more than twenty thousand years passed before the Blessed Land was completely refined.

After fully refining the Blessed Land, Eldrin Chen attempted to draw it into his Earth Immortal World [the inner world cultivated by an Earth Immortal]. However, just before absorbing the land, he sensed a strange, oppressive weight of Karma [the cosmic principle of cause and effect] settling upon him.

"What is it?"

Exquisite Jiang also noticed his unusual demeanor and could not help but ask.

Eldrin Chen shook his head, his expression turning grave. "Absorbing a Blessed Land into an Earth Immortal World carries significant Karma for the Immortal Domain [the broader realm of immortals]," he stated solemnly.

"If I take away this Golden Fiend Earth Vein [a powerful terrestrial energy ley line], I must return it to the world before my next Path Tribulation [a major heavenly trial]. Failure to do so will invite calamitous energies to cling to me, needlessly multiplying the perils of the Tribulation [the heavenly trial itself]."

Having said this, Eldrin Chen activated his Aura Observation Art [a technique to perceive spiritual auras and karmic threads] to examine the calamity-energies gathering around him.

A single glance sent a jolt of alarm through his heart. Above his head, five layers of ominous black clouds loomed, yet they were countered by the radiant glow of six strands of Pure Light of Merit [luminescent threads representing accumulated virtuous deeds and cosmic merit].

The origin of this Pure Light of Merit was extraordinary. In the past, Eldrin Chen had quelled the Purple Seal Demon Tribulation [a great demonic calamity that befell the Purple Seal Realm] and aided the Purple Seal Realm in its Heaven and Earth Ascension [a cosmic elevation of an entire realm]. For these deeds, he had been granted a total of three strands of Pure Light of Merit.

Afterwards, when he transcended the Great Tribulation and acted as Heaven's agent to execute the cyclical Great Path [the supreme, all-encompassing Dao], he slew a great number of Immortals [powerful beings who have ascended beyond mortality] and obtained three more strands of Pure Light of Merit [a luminous energy representing accumulated virtuous deeds and good karma].

This pure light could ward off calamities, resolve misfortunes, and suppress the world's karmic and baleful energies, making it a precious treasure even for an Earth Immortal Patriarch [a patriarch who has attained the Earth Immortal realm, a high level of cultivation].

Many patriarchs at the Earth Immortal Realm [the Earth Immortal cultivation stage], even after accumulating for millions of years, might only possess eight or nine strands of Pure Light of Merit at most.

As for the black clouds, they were manifestations of boundless tribulation energy. Generally, the more black clouds gathered above an Immortal, the greater their own karmic burden would be.

While cultivating his Primordial One Indestructibility Body [a legendary physique of supreme resilience], Eldrin Chen had refined five Supreme Immortal-grade [the highest quality tier for immortal-grade resources] Earth Veins [underground spiritual energy currents]. Consequently, he bore an immense karmic burden, having accumulated five layers of this baleful karmic energy.

Sheltered for now by the Pure Light of Merit, Eldrin Chen had temporarily suppressed the five layers of baleful energy. However, if this energy continued to increase and surpassed the number of Pure Light of Merit strands, he feared he would be engulfed by boundless karmic misfortune.

Exquisite Jiang also perceived this danger and voiced her concern, "If you refine this Blessed Land [a land imbued with potent spiritual energy and natural blessings], you will surely add another layer of karmic burden. Would it not be better to let me refine it instead?"

"There is no need," Eldrin Chen shook his head with a sigh. "Aside from my Primordial One Limitless Rule [the supreme law of boundless potential he cultivates], few in this world could refine this Blessed Land. You too would struggle to neutralize this Fiendish Energy [a corrupt and malevolent form of spiritual energy]."

With that, Eldrin Chen hesitated no longer and drew the Earth Immortal Blessed Land [a Blessed Land suitable for an Earth Immortal] into his Earth Immortal World [the internal world cultivated by an Earth Immortal].

As he claimed the Earth Immortal Blessed Land, he immediately sensed that six distinct black clouds now loomed ominously above his head. The boundless karmic force they represented tangled fiercely with the Pure Light of Merit, locked in a struggle where neither side could gain the upper hand.

Not only that, Eldrin Chen even felt a subtle enlightenment, faintly perceiving a strand of Heavenly Path Will [the conscious intent or decree of the cosmic order].

This strand of Heavenly Path Will informed him that if he did not release this Earth Immortal Blessed Land [a land imbued with profound spiritual energy, suitable for Earth Immortal cultivation] before his Path Tribulation [a catastrophic heavenly trial faced by cultivators at major breakthroughs], or if he attempted to take this Earth Immortal Blessed Land away from the Vast Azure Immortal Domain...

...then this sixth strand of karmic miasma would transform into dozens of such strands. At that time, Eldrin Chen would incur the disdain of the Heavenly Path Will, not only burdened with boundless karmic retribution but also facing a Path Tribulation of extreme and deadly peril.

"It seems I must find a way to obtain more Pure Light of Merit [a radiant energy formed from accumulated virtuous deeds, capable of purifying negative karma]," he murmured.

Sensing the karmic miasma clinging to him, Eldrin Chen spoke in a low voice, his expression turning grave.

In this world, any cultivator who treads the path of cultivation and consumes the resources of heaven and earth is inevitably marked by karmic miasma.

This karmic burden cannot be fully erased, for as long as a cultivator lives, the resources they consume do not return to the world.

However, righteous cultivators, in their practice, give back to heaven and earth to some degree, condensing the power of Merit [positive karma accumulated through virtuous acts] to offset the karmic miasma.

Furthermore, the resources righteous cultivators require, such as Spirit Herb [plants infused with spiritual energy], are often cultivated by their own hands. Thus, they carry far less of the world's karmic Force Extreme [a profound and potent negative energy born from disrupting the natural balance].

Just like Eldrin Chen, who had consumed a vast ocean of resources in his cultivation journey. Yet, most of these resources did not severely deplete the world, so the karmic burden he bore was not heavy.

Within his current cultivation, the majority of his magical power originates from the World-Opening realm he personally established, the laws were comprehended through his own efforts, and his Path Fruit represents the ultimate condensation of his lifelong cultivation foundation; thus, the karmic burden [the metaphysical weight of one's actions, both good and ill] contained within them is not overwhelmingly great.

The sole exception is his Primordial One Indestructibility Body [a legendary physique of supreme resilience], which has been tainted by boundless karmic sin. By refining five Supreme-Grade Earth Vein [prime spiritual energy arteries of the earth], he naturally incurred the karmic backlash of fivefold magnitude.

Under such circumstances, unless he himself perishes or completely disperses all his cultivation, this karmic burden cannot be eradicated.

The distinction lies here: Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who harness destructive and chaotic energies] do not cultivate Merit [positive karmic power accrued through virtuous deeds]; instead, they can utilize the boundless energy of karmic sin and baleful aura for their cultivation. Consequently, while Demonic Cultivator are plagued by frequent calamities, their cultivation speed and rate of achieving power far surpass that of righteous-path Immortal [beings who have ascended beyond mortality].

This fundamental difference between the righteous and demonic paths leads to divergent cultivation methodologies for the two types of Immortal.

For righteous-path Immortal to cultivate smoothly, they must acquire Pure Light of Merit [a luminous manifestation of accumulated virtuous karma] to counteract the karmic sin and baleful aura clinging to them.

Generally, righteous cultivators dare not allow their Karmic Sin Power [the tangible force of negative karma] to exceed their reservoir of Merit power. Otherwise, they would be afflicted by misfortune and disaster, risking a fatal misstep that could lead to their demise during a tribulation.

Therefore, high-level Immortal typically place great importance on their own Merit and karmic sin, and are generally unwilling to casually slay anyone who bears the Pure Light of Merit.

Take Exquisite Jiang for example. She currently possesses the protection of five strands of Pure Light of Merit, yet bears only a single strand of karmic sin aura. This qualifies her as a righteous-path Immortal of great Merit and minor karmic burden.

If this occurred during a Great Tribulation [a cataclysmic, world-shaking calamity], it might be a different matter. But outside of such a Great Tribulation, anyone who slays her would face a stark karmic calculation: the loss of her Merit and the acquisition of her karmic sin. This one-for-one exchange would result in a net gain of four additional strands of karmic sin aura for the perpetrator.

Therefore, beings at the Earth Immortal realm and above place great importance on their own Merit [a metaphysical measure of virtuous deeds and good karma]. They are often reluctant to casually slay those who possess a high degree of Merit.

The Celestial Immortal Great Powers refrain from wantonly attacking lower-tier Immortals. This restraint is also connected to the principles of Merit and the accumulation of Karmic Sin Power [a corrupting spiritual force born from evil deeds and negative karma].

Over all these years, the Master of Flowing Fire Star Palace has refrained from acting against Eldrin Chen and his companions. To a certain extent, this is because he wishes to avoid being tainted by this Karmic Sin Power.

Eldrin Chen's current situation is thus one of profound contradiction. He now simultaneously possesses six strands of the Pure Light of Merit [a radiant manifestation of accumulated virtuous karma] and six strands of the baleful energy of karmic sin.