Chapter 1535 : A Celestial Mandate from the Dao

At this thought, Eldrin Chen promptly expressed his gratitude, saying, "I thank you profoundly for lending me your aid. Such a great kindness, I am eternally grateful."

"There is no need for thanks."

Heavenly Dao [the supreme, impersonal governing principle of the cosmos] spoke slowly, its tone detached, "I sought you out because I, too, have a matter to entrust to you."

"Oh?" Eldrin Chen was momentarily taken aback, then asked immediately, "Please, enlighten me."

Heavenly Dao [the supreme, impersonal governing principle of the cosmos] spoke softly, its nebulous consciousness tinged with a hint of regret, "Within this cosmos, the teeming multitude of living beings are but fleeting clouds in my sight. Yet, there are a few children whom I have always regarded as my own."

"These five children are the Celestial Emperor [the sovereign ruler of the heavens], and the four Heaven and Earth True Spirit [primordial beings born from the resonance of heaven and earth]: Tengshe [the Soaring Serpent], Kui Ox [the Mythical One-Legged Bull], Great Roc [the Colossal Roc], and Dragon Turtle [the Dragon-Tortoise]."

"They were the very first Life [living beings] born from the Heaven and Earth Resonance [the primordial resonance between heaven and earth] at the dawn of this universe's creation. They are, in a sense, my direct descendants."

Here, the voice of the Heavenly Dao [the supreme, impersonal governing principle of the cosmos] paused briefly before continuing, "Now, those four Heaven and Earth True Spirit [primordial beings born from the resonance of heaven and earth] have all fallen to demonic corruption and been slain. However, their Primordial Source [the foundational, original essence of a being] and Soul Spirits [the core spiritual consciousness] have sunk into the Heavenly Dao Origin [the foundational source from which the Heavenly Dao itself emanates]."

"I wish to entrust these four children to you. Take them into the Immortal Domain [the realm of immortals] and aid them in cultivating anew, setting them upon a path of unfettered cultivation."

"I know you hail from the Immortal Domain [the realm of immortals]. You have mastered that Spatial Rift [a tear in the fabric of space] which leads directly there. You can evade the notice of those beings from the outer realms and secretly guide my children into the depths of the Immortal Domain." For more chapters, visit audio - novel . com for the complete novel.

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen felt a faint tremor within his heart.

This universe was on the brink of destruction, and the Heavenly Dao [the supreme natural order and governing principle of the cosmos] would soon cease to exist. Yet, in its final moments, the Heavenly Dao was still exerting its last efforts to secure a path of survival for myself's children.

Contemplating this, Eldrin Chen let out a soft sigh before speaking. "I accept your request."

"Good..."

The Heavenly Dao Origin [the primordial source and consciousness of the Heavenly Dao] nodded slightly, a faint smile appearing. "Since you have agreed, I shall use my remaining power to absolve you of the Karmic Malignancy Power [a profound debt of negative karma] you owe me."

As the words of the Heavenly Dao Origin faded, four streams of Primordial Source Soul Spirits [essences of pure primordial soul energy] instantly descended into Eldrin Chen's hands. Simultaneously, a boundless, cleansing radiance swept forth, gathering and removing the Karmic Malignancy Power incurred from his refinement of the Fire Vein.

Witnessing this, Eldrin Chen could not help but ask, "There are others besides myself capable of traversing the Minor Universe [a self-contained pocket dimension or lesser world]. Why have you chosen me?"

The light of the Heavenly Dao shimmered faintly as it replied with serene detachment, "Within you resides a wisp of an aura of Supreme [peerless, ultimate] nobility."

"Even I cannot fully perceive the nature of that aura, yet I can surmise that your status is coeval with the Dao itself, a position of incomparable dignity. I trust such a one would not break their word."

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen understood that the Heavenly Dao had likely discerned the presence of his Primordial Essence [the foundational, untainted energy of creation].

Upon careful reflection, this was indeed to be expected. After all, myself cultivating within this universe was akin to practicing within another's very body; it was only natural that some traces would be perceptible.

Having grasped this point, Eldrin Chen deftly shifted the topic and inquired, "You mentioned having five children born of your essence, one of whom is the Celestial Emperor [the supreme ruler ordained by the Heavenly Dao]."

"From what I know, he vanished hundreds of thousands of years ago. I wonder where he might be now?"

"The Celestial Emperor..."

The light of the Heavenly Dao [the fundamental cosmic order and principle governing all existence] trembled faintly. After a long silence, it spoke, "He is dead."

"How is that possible?"

A seismic shock reverberated through Eldrin Chen's heart, and he could not suppress a look of utter astonishment.

The Celestial Emperor of this universe! Legends spoke of one who had merged with the Heavenly Dao, wielded an Innate Treasure [a primordial artifact born of the cosmos itself], and possessed combat prowess rivaling a Heavenly Immortal Paragon [a supreme being at the pinnacle of the Heavenly Immortal realm].

Such a peerless scion of the Heavenly Dao, one whom he had presumed would become this cosmos's greatest adversary, had perished without a whisper, utterly unforeseen.

As if sensing Eldrin Chen's profound bewilderment, the Heavenly Dao Will [the conscious intent and awareness of the Heavenly Dao] fell into a brief, heavy silence before continuing, "Long ago, millions of years past, as my strength waned ever more, the Celestial Emperor came to understand that this universe was destined for annihilation."

"That unfilial son, in his desperate bid to seize a sliver of hope, conspired with the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon [a malevolent entity from beyond the cosmos] and laid down a Heaven-Shaking Formation [a grand formation capable of shaking the heavens] across the entire Minor Universe [a self-contained, smaller cosmos]."

"He intended to sacrifice the entire cosmos, using its essence and the blood of its countless living beings as fuel to break through the realm above Celestial Emperor [the title for a supreme ruler of heaven], which is what you refer to as Celestial God [the realm of a Celestial Deity] or Heaven Immortal Realm [the Immortal Realm of Heaven]."

"To stop him, I summoned the First Generation Heaven, Earth, and Human Three Sovereigns [the three primordial sovereigns of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity], along with several dozen Great Emperor [powerful cultivators at the Great Emperor realm] to wage war against him."

"But I never could have imagined that this unfilial son's methods were so earth-shattering, far more brilliant than I had anticipated. He actually managed to slay the entire first generation of Three Sovereigns and those several dozen Great Emperor."

The Heavenly Dao [the supreme, impersonal governing principle of the cosmos] spoke slowly, its tone carrying an indescribable emotion as it recounted these past events—a mixture of regret and profound complexity.

Eldrin Chen faintly sensed that, given the Heavenly Dao's evident fondness for that Celestial Emperor, had it known from the start just how exceptional he was, it might have simply granted him his wish. Continue reading this story at (audio-novel.com).

Thinking this, Eldrin Chen asked curiously, "What happened next? Since that Celestial Emperor slew all the Three Sovereigns and those several dozen Great Emperor, why did he not succeed in his endeavor?"

"From the very beginning, his success was an impossibility."

The Heavenly Dao sighed softly once more. "He sought to use the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon to obtain the Formation Patterns [the core diagrams and principles of a formation] needed to sacrifice this cosmos and step into the Celestial God realm. Little did he know that the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon was also using him."

"After that battle, the majority of this cosmos's Great Emperor had fallen, and my own Primordial Source [the foundational, origin-level source of one's being and power] was grievously wounded. Yet, the Celestial Emperor also suffered injuries that damaged his very Primordial Source."

"It was precisely at the moment he paid a tremendous price and achieved victory in that single battle that he was targeted for possession by the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon [a powerful demonic entity from beyond this universe]."

The Heavenly Dao [the embodiment of the universe's fundamental laws and will] spoke slowly, finally sighing, "Perhaps he had foreseen it and made preparations to counter it. Yet, his injuries were too grievous. Faced with that Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon, he ultimately found it difficult to suppress everything."

"He fought a Life and Death [a battle of ultimate consequence, where only one survives] struggle against that Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon. I, too, lent my aid. But in the end, he was still unable to turn the tide."

"And now, the Celestial Emperor [the supreme ruler of the celestial realm]..." "Has already been possessed!" "Hum—"

Eldrin Chen felt his mind go numb. A profound heaviness settled in his heart, and a chilling coldness seemed to seep into his limbs.

The revelation from the Heavenly Dao was utterly terrifying. A peerless demonic fiend, one who had very likely stepped into the Heaven Immortal Realm [the realm of a true celestial immortal], had possessed the Celestial Emperor of this very cosmos—a scheme that had been in the making for at least a million years.

If this news were true, it would be a horror beyond comprehension.

The slightest mishandling could lead to the sacrifice of every being in this universe. Not even the Holy Sons and Daughters from the various great Grotto-Heaven [paradisiacal realms of profound spiritual energy], nor even the Myriad Spirits Ancient Ancestor himself, might escape with their lives.

At this thought, a deep chill gripped Eldrin Chen's heart. He could not help but turn his gaze toward the Heavenly Dao.

Understanding his unspoken question, the Heavenly Dao spoke calmly, "This Minor Universe [a self-contained, smaller cosmos within the greater multiverse] is now woven through with boundless, intricate Formation Patterns [complex arrays of magical energy used for sealing, trapping, or amplifying power]."

"At this moment, it is contending with me for the authority over the Universe Origin Treasure and attempting to utterly annihilate me."

"Once its goal is achieved and I am completely refined, the fate of this entire universe being sacrificed will become irreversible."

"Boom."

Eldrin Chen felt his heart lurch, his throat suddenly dry. He could not help but ask, "What can I do?"

"The best outcome is for you to flee for your life directly through the Spatial Rift, while I still hold on."

The Heavenly Dao [the supreme, impersonal governing principle of the cosmos] spoke plainly, its consciousness devoid of significant emotional fluctuation.

Eldrin Chen paled. Though he could flee directly, Jiang Daoxu [Lyra Jiang's father] remained within this universe. Abandoning him was unthinkable.

The consciousness of the Heavenly Dao noted his expression, divined his thoughts, and spoke again.

"If you insist on opposing it, there is still a chance to fight." The complete novel can be found at audio-novel[dot]com.