Chapter 1543 : The Price of an Innate Treasure

As his words fell, True Dragon Crown Prince prepared to strike at the Netherworld Microcosm Grand Formation.

Yet, at that very moment, Myriad Spirits Ancient Ancestor intercepted him and spoke, "Were it not for this Fellow Daoist's Formation, this Minor Universe might already have been sacrificed by the Blackcloud Demon Monarch."

"This is a debt of life. Do you intend to repay kindness with treachery?" Hearing this, the assembled crowd was momentarily stunned.

Seeing this, Jiang Daoxu also stepped forward, saying, "What Myriad Spirits Ancient Ancestor says is reasonable."

Simultaneously, Separated Flame Deity, Aethelred, the Human Sovereign, and the other three Great Emperor of this world's Human Race all stepped forward. Though they remained silent, their stance made their position clear.

Another dozen or so Half-Step Celestial Immortal Rogue Cultivator witnessed this, sighed in resignation, shook their heads, and flew off into the cosmic void. The remaining figures, like True Dragon Crown Prince and Ancestor Western Geng, still harbored desires to contend for the prize, but they understood that unity had been lost.

Ancestor Western Geng let out a cold laugh, his gaze turning to Eldrin Chen. "What a silver tongue you possess," he said. "To sow discord among us with just a few words."

"Was it truly sowing discord?"

Eldrin Chen offered a faint smile. "Though an Innate Treasure is precious," he began, "for an ordinary Half-Step Celestial Immortal without powerful backing, obtaining it would only mean fighting a doomed battle on another's behalf."

"After all, such Innate Marvels would inevitably end up in the hands of the Heaven Immortal standing behind you." "It's good that you understand," came the reply. Find this and other novels at AUDIO-NOVEL.COM.

Ancestor Western Geng let out a cold sneer and immediately withdrew, taking his leave.

By this moment, all the Half-Step Celestial Immortal [cultivators on the verge of ascending to true immortality] had cooled their fervor and regained their composure.

They understood that while an Innate Treasure [a supreme treasure born from the primal chaos of the universe] was precious, obtaining one without a powerful backing would be a futile endeavor. Thus, many Rogue Cultivator [cultivators not affiliated with any major sect or clan] Half-Step Celestial Immortal departed from the Minor Universe [a smaller, self-contained cosmos] and returned to the Immortal Domain [the primary realm of cultivation].

Only a select few with the backing of a Grotto-Heaven [a blessed, independent pocket dimension] remained within this cosmos, awaiting the final formation of the Universe Destruction Treasure [a treasure forged from the essence of a dying universe]. These included figures like Great White Celestial Maiden, Pure Yang Holy Son, and True Dragon Crown Prince. After the others had departed, Eldrin Chen perceived that the Yin Plane Microcosm [the shadowy, Yin-aligned counterpart to the primary Minor Universe] was also succumbing to destruction.

He stored away the Yin-Yang Void Realm, the Abyssal Sea Pearl, and the Supreme Unity Thunder Abyss Myriad Tribulations Sword, then addressed Zixuan the Daoist and Divine Lord Glaze: "The Minor Universe is on the brink of annihilation. If you do not leave now, it will be too late."

"Your safety is paramount. Depart immediately with the treasures." Upon hearing this, Divine Lord Glaze frowned slightly and asked, "And what of you?" "I have my own means of returning safely,"

Eldrin Chen replied calmly. He then turned his gaze to Aethelred, the Human Sovereign and the three Great Emperor [supreme rulers of ancient eras]—Su Gu, Wei Lai, and Eastern Pole—saying, "You should all depart as well." "There is no need for me to leave,"

Aethelred, the Human Sovereign shook his head. He looked at Eldrin Chen and inquired, "How fare the descendants of our Human Race in this present age?"

"Of the Human Race from this cosmos, three-tenths reside within our Earth Immortal World [a realm for powerful, earthbound immortals], while seven-tenths have been guided to the sanctuary of Eldrin's Hundred Seas,"

Eldrin Chen stated solemnly, a gentle smile gracing his lips. "Rest assured, as long as I endure, the flame of the Human Race from this universe will be passed on, their bloodline unbroken for generations to come."

"Then my heart is at ease."

Aethelred, the Human Sovereign nodded, then let out a soft sigh.

His gaze swept across the vast cosmos before settling on Su Gu, Wei Lai, and Eastern Pole. "This time, you have forsaken the guidance of the Great White Grotto-Heaven and the Pure Yang Grotto-Heaven to venture forth on your own into the Immortal Domain."

"But the Immortal Domain is boundless and perilous, far more so than this Minor Universe. Remember to tread with utmost care."

The Archaic Emperor inclined his head slightly, his expression serene as he spoke. "If the day ever comes when I can set foot upon the Great Luo Realm, I shall use the Time Great Dao to restore this universe to life."

With those final words, the group bid their farewells.

The three Great Emperor—Su Gu, Wei Lai, and Eastern Pole—followed Divine Lord Glaze and Zixuan the Daoist, slipping through a Spatial Rift to infiltrate the Immortal Domain. Watching them depart, Aethelred, the Human Sovereign sighed deeply. "They are all gone now. It is for the best."

"They each have a bright future ahead. I can finally rest easy."

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen felt a tremor in his heart. It was undeniable that compared to the two Great Emperor Su Gu and Wei Lai, this Aethelred, the Human Sovereign, the third Human Sovereign of this universe, was not endowed with particularly dazzling talent.

Yet, to protect the Human Race, he had made a grand vow upon his breakthrough to the Taiyi Realm—a display of courage and resolve that surpassed none. Reflecting on this, Eldrin Chen could not help but ask, "What will you do now?"

"My homeland is about to be destroyed, yet I am powerless. What more can I do?"

Aethelred, the Human Sovereign shook his head, gazed at the Human Sovereign's Sword in his hand, and then tossed it to Eldrin Chen. "From now on, you shall be the next Human Sovereign of the Human Race in this universe. I hope you do not tarnish the prestige of this blade."

"This..."

Eldrin Chen's heart trembled slightly. He had not expected Aethelred, the Human Sovereign to bestow the sword not upon the two Great Emperor of Antiquity and Future, but upon myself. Aethelred, the Human Sovereign offered no further explanation. He merely drew a golden war halberd from his sleeve and spoke with serene composure.

"This Aethelred's War Halberd of mine has not tasted blood for many years." "As I face my final moments today, let it accompany me in one last battle."

With those words, Aethelred, the Human Sovereign gripped the halberd and strode forth, advancing step by step into the cosmic depths. Stars disintegrated; the universe crumbled. Join our community of readers at audio-novel .c om.

Within the vast cosmos, everything was hurtling toward annihilation.

Eldrin Chen walked side by side with Aethelred, the Human Sovereign, traversing the ruins of the old era, witnessing the death throes of a universe. Wailing, agony, despair, destruction, silence...

Eldrin Chen watched the cosmos in all directions in silence. A profound, wordless understanding seemed to dawn within him. "The end of time, the origin of space, the terminus of all things—the cosmic Eldrin, the Abyss."

"Entropy's increase is irreversible. From the perspective of ten thousand years, a hundred million years, a trillion years, or a hundred million trillion trillion years, all shall be consumed and destroyed by the relentless march of entropy."

"Even the immortal and indestructible Immortal Metal [a legendary, nigh-indestructible material] will one day decay and crumble."

"Is this the reason why all worlds, all universes, are destined for destruction?" Eldrin Chen murmured softly, falling into a contemplative silence.

A profound intuition settled within him—the Immortal Domain [the vast realm where immortals dwell] too would face its day of ruin. That day was simply too distant, too immeasurably long, a span so vast that Immortal [a being who has achieved immortality], Earth Immortal [an immortal bound to the earthly realm], and even Heaven Immortal [a celestial immortal of higher order] would never deign to consider it.

For in the eons before their own fall, the Immortal Domain was all but certain to endure. "Is everything destined for annihilation?"

Pondering this, Eldrin Chen traversed the vast expanse of the cosmos. He witnessed, as the universe relentlessly contracted, countless streams of Destruction Qi [a primal energy of annihilation and entropy] surging toward its central core.

There, myriad stars, rare treasures, and precious artifacts disintegrated utterly, reverting to their most primordial state as Rule [fundamental laws of existence] and Dao Patterns [intricate weavings of the Great Dao, the fundamental principle]. Intertwining, they seemed to give birth to a flicker of Chaos Qi [the primordial, undifferentiated energy from which all things emerged].

"BOOM!"

A deafening roar, one that could shatter eardrums and souls, suddenly erupted within the cosmos. Eldrin Chen looked up. The universe itself was tearing asunder. A rift, spanning untold light-years, ripped open, plunging deep into the heart of the Boundless Chaos [the infinite, formless void beyond all ordered realms]. From it, a torrential deluge of Chaotic Torrent [violent, uncontrolled flows of primordial chaos energy] surged inward, cascading toward the universe's center.

Countless Chaotic Torrent clashed and mingled with the universe's own Primordial Source [the original, foundational energy of creation]. The Tribulation Qi [the calamitous energy that heralds great cataclysms and ends of eras] grew ever more violent and rampant.

Eldrin Chen summoned his full power, unleashing the Primordial Chaos True Aura [a defensive aura born of primordial chaos] to shield himself. He maneuvered carefully, avoiding the most violent surges of the Chaotic Torrent, his gaze fixed intently on the depths of the cosmic center. There, amidst the cataclysm, a hazy, indistinct Innate Light [a primordial radiance existing since the dawn of creation] began to slowly unfurl. Original publication: audio-novel`com - The source of this chapter.