Chapter 1458 : Escape from the Nether Abyss Sea

In the blink of an eye, Thunderclap sword energies crisscrossed and clashed. In that fleeting moment of sparks and lightning, the great foe was vanquished.

With two Earth Immortal Great Perfection [the pinnacle stage of the Earth Immortal realm] cultivators having fallen in quick succession, the faces of the remaining demonic leaders paled drastically. The last four Earth Immortal Great Perfection found themselves at an absolute disadvantage against the assembled group.

Seeing the situation was untenable, the two Earth Immortal Great Perfection demonic leaders facing Violet Mystery Path Master immediately fled into the distance. The opponents of Breaker the True Lord and Soul-Snatching Immortal Maiden also wasted no time in making their escape.

"Demonic fiends, you cannot flee!"

Watching the demons scatter, Breaker the True Lord still wished to give chase.

But Eldrin Chen stopped him, his expression grave as he said, "This is no place to linger. We must return to the Western Essence Divine Abyss Sea first."

Seeing this, Violet Mystery Path Master also nodded in agreement. "Right now, the Nether Abyss Purgatory Sea [a sea of purgatorial flames within the Nether Abyss] is teeming with demonic hordes hunting us. We cannot afford to stay any longer."

Hearing their words, Breaker the True Lord said no more. Together with the others, he headed towards the Western Essence Divine Abyss Sea.

The distance to the Western Essence Divine Abyss Sea was not great. After flying for a short while, they arrived at the border region where the Nether Abyss and Western Essence seas met.

Just as they were about to cross over, an endless tide of dark clouds surged forth from the void behind them.

Behold, the black clouds swept across heaven and earth, ultimately coalescing into a colossal hand that blotted out the sky and sun, pressing down with a crushing weight.

"This is bad."

Eldrin Chen felt a flicker of alarm in his heart. He hurriedly channeled his energy to activate the Heaven-Piercing Shuttle in an attempt to flee, only to discover that the very fabric of space around him had subtly congealed, becoming sluggish.

Witnessing this, Violet Mystery Path Master exclaimed with even greater shock, "Go, now!"

As his words fell, Violet Mystery Path Master flicked his sleeve, unleashing a dazzling flash of Thunderclap light. Once more, he summoned the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Sword, sending it slashing towards the colossal hand of black clouds.

Yet, such a strike was like a firefly before the black cloud hand, utterly extinguished in an instant by the overwhelming force.

The black cloud hand was delayed for less than a single Ksana-time [an infinitesimal unit of time] before continuing its descent with undiminished, boundless might, intent on crushing them all.

Fortunately, in that fleeting moment of delay, the group had already crossed the boundary and stepped into the Western Essence Divine Abyss Sea.

The black cloud hand halted at the edge of the Western Essence Divine Abyss Sea, then slowly withdrew, transforming back into a handsome man clad in black robes.

His eyes emitted a cold light. With a final, disdainful snort, he turned and departed.

Only at this moment did Eldrin Chen and the others who had managed to escape dare to breathe a sigh of relief, their gazes lingering on the departing figure that had vanished into the distance.

"Who was that?"

Eldrin Chen finally spoke, unable to contain his curiosity.

Violet Mystery Path Master's face was pale as he drew a deep, steadying breath before finally answering, "The foremost Earth Immortal [a cultivator who has attained the Earth Immortal realm, a powerful stage of cultivation] among the Demonic Path [the path of cultivation that embraces demonic or unorthodox methods]. Ranked third on the World-Opening Ranking [a prestigious list ranking the most powerful cultivators within the Vast Azure Immortal Domain]. 'Black Cloud Demon Monarch'."

"The Black Cloud Demon Monarch?"

Eldrin Chen's brow furrowed slightly. As Violet Mystery Path Master continued his explanation, Eldrin gained a clearer understanding of this formidable entity.

This Black Cloud Demon Monarch was reputed to be the foremost Earth Immortal within the Nether Abyss Purgatory Sea [a notorious and perilous region of the demonic cultivation world]. Rumors held that he had once ventured into the Forbidden Domain [a legendary and deadly realm few dare to enter] and had at the very least opened a Ten-Layered Heaven [a supreme and nearly perfect foundation for an Earth Immortal], establishing himself as a peerless Demon Monarch [a title for a supremely powerful demonic cultivator].

Such a supreme demonic entity possessed talent and prowess that placed him at the absolute pinnacle among Earth Immortal.

"If the rumors hold true," Violet Mystery Path Master continued, his voice grave, "the Black Cloud Demon Monarch has likely mastered three distinct Primordial Unity Foundation [foundational cultivation arts of immense power and rarity], forging for himself a Perfect Celestial Immortal Foundation [a flawless foundation that promises ascension to the Celestial Immortal realm]."

As Violet Mystery Path Master finished his solemn account, an expression of profound gravity settled upon his features.

Eldrin Chen also furrowed his brow slightly. Having reached his current level of cultivation, he naturally possessed a clear understanding of the Perfect Celestial Immortal Foundation [the pinnacle foundation for ascending to the Celestial Immortal realm].

If one only cultivated two types of Primordial Unity Foundation [foundational arts that unify one's primordial energies], then at most they could only advance to the Mid Celestial Immortal Realm in the future.

However, those capable of cultivating three types of Primordial Unity Foundation could advance to the Great Perfection Celestial Immortal Realm, and even had hope of reaching the Great Encompassing Realm [the legendary Da Luo realm]. The gap between the two was almost insurmountable.

Thinking of this, Eldrin Chen couldn't help but ask, "This Black Cloud Demon Monarch has already cultivated three types of Primordial Unity Foundation. Why hasn't he broken through to the Celestial Immortal Realm?"

Violet Mystery Path Master shook his head and then spoke, "Because the path of a Demonic Cultivator [a cultivator who draws power from demonic or unorthodox sources] is different from ours, the Immortal [orthodox celestial cultivators]."

"Oh?"

Eldrin Chen was momentarily taken aback. Then, Violet Mystery Path Master continued, "The myriad methods of heaven and earth, the ten thousand paths of the world—each can lead to the Dao. Demonic Cultivator emphasize concentrating all power within oneself. Most do not seek to ascend and establish a Grotto-Heaven Small Universe [a personal pocket dimension or minor world]."

"If you wish to understand this point, you must first comprehend that the cultivation path of the Primordial Era was different from the one practiced today."

As Violet Mystery Path Master elaborated, Eldrin Chen gradually understood why this Black Cloud Demon Monarch had not broken through to the Celestial Immortal Realm.

It turned out that in the early days of Antiquity-Tracing [the era of tracing back to antiquity], the methods of cultivation were indeed different from the present.

In the distant mists of time, when the Three Thousand Immortal Domains and the boundless Universe first took form, the space between heaven and earth was suffused with World-Opening Energy [the primordial energy released during the creation of a world], and even Innate Energy [the pure, unadulterated energy that existed before the formation of the cosmos] was not considered rare.

In that Primordial Era, the Divine Spirits [beings born from the essence of heaven and earth] of the time needed only to find World-Opening Energy, Innate Energy, and the Innate Indestructibility Spirit Light [a fundamental, unbreakable spiritual radiance inherent to creation] to shatter the shackles binding their Immortal Body [a perfected physical form], Path Principles [the fundamental laws governing a cultivator's chosen Dao], and Path Fruit [the culmination and fruit of one's cultivation path], allowing them to cultivate all the way to the Great Encompassing Realm.

As for those Innate Heavenly God Being [beings born with the status and power of a Heavenly God], they were born with both the 'Innate Indestructibility Spirit Light' and 'Innate Spiritual Treasure' [a treasure born alongside a being from the essence of the cosmos], reaching the Great Encompassing Realm upon reaching maturity.

The realm divisions of that era were different, known as Divine Spirits, Divine Lord [a title for a powerful Divine Spirit], Heavenly God, and Great God, corresponding to the modern four realms of Ascendant Immortal, Earth Immortal, Celestial Immortal, and Great Encompassing.

It can be said that in that period, there was no established World-Opening [the act of creating or pioneering a new cultivation system] cultivation system. With sufficient talent, enlightenment, and the crucial resources, one could simply continue cultivating down the path.

By the Late Primordial Era, however, the Innate Energy and World-Opening Energy within the Immortal Domain had gradually been exhausted.

The Demon Race and Human Race, along with other Post-Heaven [born after the formation of the cosmos, as opposed to being born from its primordial essence] beings, discovered that after cultivating to the Ascendant Immortal Realm, the path forward was completely severed.

As Post-Heaven beings, the Human Race, Demon Race, and indeed all the myriad races of the world, could not set foot in the World-Opening Realm in their entire lifetimes.

Compared to the heaven-nurtured, earth-reared Divine Spirits, they, as Post-Heaven beings, had almost no opportunity to advance further.

By the ancient era, the Solar Divine Sovereign established the Ancient Demon Court, leading the myriad races in rebellion against the Divine Clan to rise to power, and pioneered an overwhelmingly domineering cultivation method.

This method is known as the Heaven-Seizing Art [a profound cultivation technique that defies the heavens]. It possesses the power to seize the Creation [the primordial creative force of heaven and earth] from the cosmos. It can refine the Innate Primordial Essence [the innate, primordial life-force] contained within the bodies of Divine Clan [beings born with divine nature] and absorb it into oneself. By doing so, it shatters one's own Postnatal Shackles [the inherent limitations of a mortal-born body], thereby breaking through the realms of Divine Lord [a title for a powerful divine being] and Heavenly God Realm [the realm of a Heavenly God].

However, in its essence, this method still does not truly depart from the original, established paths of cultivation.

During the Late Antiquity Era [a distant, mythic age], the Human Race rose from humble origins. As the weakest among the myriad races of the Immortal Domain [the realm of immortals], being the Postnatal Human Race [humans born into the mortal world without innate power], they found that reaching the Ascendant Immortal Realm [the realm of a true Ascendant Immortal] represented the absolute limit of their potential, with no path forward visible.

In their quest to forge a road ahead, countless sages and pioneers of the Human Race dedicated themselves, one generation after another. Drawing upon the accumulated wisdom of the Seventy-Two Generations of Sages [a legendary lineage of seventy-two generations of human sages], and tirelessly studying the cultivation paths of other races, they ultimately pioneered a unique Path to Heaven [a cultivation method forged by humanity to ascend to the heavens].

Lacking World-Opening Energy [the primordial energy required to create a world], the ancient sages undertook the act of World-Opening [the monumental feat of creating a new world or realm] themselves.

Without Innate Energy [the pure, primordial energy one is born with], the sages opened up Innate Great Cosmos [vast, primordial inner worlds]. With their Post-Heaven [mortal, acquired] bodies, they gathered Supreme Grotto-Heaven [supreme paradisiacal realms], reversing the natural order to condense that single strand of Innate Energy.

Without the Innate Indestructibility Spirit Light [an innate, indestructible spiritual radiance], the sages shattered the Ninefold Heavenly Pass [the nine heavenly barriers or trials]. Through earth-shattering, heaven-moving means, they coalesced the Innate Indestructibility Spirit Light, using it to break the shackles binding them from the Great Encompassing Realm [the realm of the Great Encompassing, a supreme state of being].

History proved this path transcended all ancient and modern methods. The Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [a Golden Immortal of the Great Encompassing Realm] cultivated through this method was far more powerful than those from the Primordial Era [the mythic age of creation].