Chapter 1462 : A Prophecy of Shifting Seas

At this point, Sun Consort spoke with a grave expression, "It is said that the Supreme Patriarch of the Divine Abyss Grotto-Heaven once performed a divination. He stated clearly that within the Western Essence Divine Abyss Sea, a great shift is occurring in the Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy [the foundational spiritual energy of heaven and earth]."

"It is estimated that within three to five million years, the Water Essence Power [the fundamental power of the water element] of the Western Essence Divine Abyss Sea will diminish by ninety percent."

"At that time, as the Five Elements Cycle [the cyclical transformation of the five fundamental elements] turns, the vast sea will transform into mulberry fields, and the suppressed energies of metal, earth, and fire will rise to prominence."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen's pupils contracted slightly.

Though he understood the underlying reasons perfectly well, he still feigned a look of astonishment and asked, "Can this truly be so?"

"The words of a Celestial Immortal Great Power [an immensely powerful being who has ascended to the Celestial Immortal realm] are unlikely to be false."

Sun Consort spoke slowly, her expression exceptionally solemn, then continued, "If the Divine Lord [a title for a powerful deity or immortal lord] cannot break through to the Celestial Immortal Realm during the next Path Tribulation [a cataclysmic trial faced by cultivators at major junctures in their path]..."

"...then by the time the Western Essence Divine Abyss Sea transforms into the Western Abyss Heavenly Domain, our Glazed Blessed Land will likely face a calamity of utter annihilation."

"Alas."

Sun Consort let out a soft sigh, then added, "Whenever the world undergoes such a great transformation, and the primordial energies of heaven and earth shift in their cycles, earth-shattering upheavals are destined to occur within the Heavenly Domain."

"Currently, the foremost power in the Western Essence Divine Abyss Sea is the 'Western Essence Heavenly God' of the Western Essence Grotto-Heaven. He primarily cultivates the power of the Water Element Path Principle. His entire cultivation journey is deeply intertwined with the Water Essence Power of the Western Essence Divine Abyss Sea."

"If a true cataclysm were to occur, turning the vast seas entirely into a Great Wasteland Ancient Continent, the Western Essence Heavenly God's cultivation path would undoubtedly suffer significant damage."

"Faced with such a monumental change, the Western Essence Heavenly God would certainly not stand idly by. The entire Western Essence Divine Abyss Sea would be plunged into a vast and far-reaching upheaval."

As Sun Consort spoke these words slowly, a weight of concern began to settle in Eldrin Chen's heart.

In that moment, he sensed a looming pressure, vast and profound.

The Western Essence Heavenly God cultivated the Water Element Great Path, having been born from a wisp of the Western Essence Divine Abyss Sea's primordial essence. If the day ever came when the waters of the Western Essence Divine Abyss Sea ran dry, the Western Essence Heavenly God would undoubtedly intervene.

It was foreseeable that a colossal upheaval would then engulf the entire Western Essence Divine Abyss Sea.

If Eldrin Chen failed to conceal the Returning Abyss Pearl, or lacked sufficient strength to protect it before its birth, he would face a calamity of unimaginable scale.

Eldrin Chen did his best to suppress these troubling thoughts, offering a calm smile. "Since we still have three to five million years, the matter is far from urgent. There is no need for such immediate concern."

Sun Consort was momentarily taken aback, then chuckled wryly. "Ah, I forgot you have cultivated for a mere three hundred thousand years or so."

Speaking of this, she still cautioned, "Time leaves no trace, fleeting in the blink of an eye. For us Immortals who possess Immortality [the state of eternal life], three million years is not a very long span."

"You will naturally come to understand this in the future."

"I understand."

Eldrin Chen thought of his cultivation journey in the Purple Seal Realm and couldn't help but nod in agreement.

There was a time when a single Sixty-Year Cycle [a period of sixty years] seemed long in the eyes of Eldrin Chen, and the events of a few thousand years ago were viewed by him as an epic tale.

The ten-thousand-year lifespan of a Primordial Spirit Path Lord [a cultivator who has reached the Primordial Spirit realm and mastered a Path] once seemed like a mythical eternity to Eldrin Chen.

But now, Eldrin Chen's own lifespan has surpassed three hundred thousand years. The Demonic Abyss Cataclysm, which once stretched for nearly ten thousand years, now seems like nothing more than a passing event.

Thinking of this, Eldrin Chen shook his head again, then smiled wryly, "But what use is understanding?"

"The urgent task now is to cultivate swiftly and first pass through the trial of the Path Tribulation [a heavenly tribulation faced when advancing one's cultivation Path]."

"Indeed." Sun Consort nodded, then smiled gently. "Your potential is too immense. During your Path Tribulation, you will undoubtedly become the target of all. Without the cultivation base of a Late Stage Earth Immortal [an Earth Immortal in the late stage of their realm], protecting yourself would indeed be difficult."

Speaking to this point, Sun Consort retrieved a vial of Precious Pill from her sleeve and handed it to Eldrin Chen.

Eldrin Chen took it and examined it, finding the treasure vial contained a full bottle of Galaxy Star Sand Pill [a precious cultivation pill refined from the essence of celestial sand]. A wave of warmth touched his heart, and he was about to speak.

Sun Consort shook her head, however, and said with a gentle smile, "Take it. Consider it a token of my regard. I hope you will continue to cleave a path through thorns and brambles during the Path Tribulation [the great trial of one's cultivation journey]."

Eldrin Chen's eyes flickered. Finally, he nodded and said, "My thanks."

For the present Eldrin Chen, even a single bottle of Galaxy Star Sand Pill was a valuable treasure. For Sun Consort, it represented no small gesture of support.

Having accepted the Galaxy Star Sand Pill, Eldrin Chen said no more. He bid farewell to Sun Consort and set his course for the Divine Abyss Immortal City.

Guided by Sun Consort's words, Eldrin Chen observed the various sea regions along his journey. He found it was indeed as she had said: many shallower sea beds had been laid bare, exposed to the air.

The desiccation of the Western Essence Divine Abyss Sea was not an event of a single day or night. To mortal senses, it was utterly imperceptible.

But for an Immortal [a being who has transcended mortality through cultivation], the changes over hundreds of thousands of years allowed one to clearly perceive that the depth of the Western Essence Divine Abyss Sea was truly diminishing.

"The rate at which the Western Essence Divine Abyss Sea withers is faster than I imagined," he mused.

"Could it be that since the Returning Abyss Pearl became my Lifebound Spiritual Treasure [a magical artifact bound to a cultivator's life force and soul], its advancement has accelerated significantly?"

Eldrin Chen murmured inwardly, a flicker of doubt crossing his mind.

This matter concerned an Innate Spiritual Treasure [a supreme treasure born from the primordial chaos of heaven and earth]. To prevent detection by a Immortal Path [the path of immortal cultivation] great power, Eldrin Chen dared not speak of it to anyone, not even Exquisite Jiang.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen could only suppress his worries and continue onward alongside Exquisite Jiang.

Unconsciously, by the time the two arrived at Divine Abyss Immortal City, Eldrin Chen had finally set the matter aside completely.

"Is that Fellow Cultivator Eldrin?"

Yet, at that very moment, a voice transmission reached him.

Eldrin Chen looked up and saw it was none other than Seven Mystery Path Master, and immediately transmitted back, "Indeed, it is I."

"Hmm."

Seven Mystery Path Master gave a slight nod and continued via transmission, "Years ago, outside the Qixuan Sea Region, when the Master of Flowing Fire and others besieged this humble Daoist, it must have been you, Fellow Daoist, who intervened to break the encirclement."

"Oh?" Eldrin Chen's eyes flickered with a subtle light, and he could not help but retort, "Why does Fellow Daoist believe that the one who intervened was this humble one?"

Seven Mystery Path Master offered a faint smile and continued, "Within the Western Essence Divine Abyss Sea, there are many who bear grudges against the Master of Flowing Fire Star Palace, but most are beings at the Earth Immortal Great Perfection realm or above."

"If they were to intervene, they would certainly not conceal their identities. The one who stepped in was cautious from start to finish, indicating their cultivation base is undoubtedly not high."

At this point, the Seven Mystery Path Master said, "I have inquired. The injuries of the Master of Flowing Fire Star Palace can only be resolved by a fire-attributed World-Opening Supreme Treasure [a supreme-grade artifact capable of creating or stabilizing a minor world]."

"The Crimson Dragon World-Suppressing Cauldron [a cauldron artifact imbued with the power of a crimson dragon, used to suppress and stabilize worlds] in your possession is likely the easiest one for him to obtain."

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen did not respond immediately, tacitly acknowledging the Seven Mystery Path Master's deduction.

Seeing this, the Seven Mystery Path Master continued his mental transmission, "Your scheme is clever. You intend to use the nurturing of the Crimson Dragon World-Suppressing Cauldron to buy three hundred thousand years."

"You wish to use this time to break through to the Middle Stage Earth Immortal realm at any cost, then rely on the power of a Formation [a structured arrangement of energy nodes and patterns used for defense, attack, or cultivation] to resist him. But the Master of Flowing Fire is no easy mark. How could he fail to see through your plan?"

"If my guess is correct, your presence here today is to make preparations for your breakthrough to Middle Stage Earth Immortal."

"However, I fear the Master of Flowing Fire Star Palace has been waiting for you outside the Divine Abyss Immortal City for quite some time now."

Speaking to this point, Seven Mystery Path Master said with a somber tone, "Unfortunately, the Void Gate of the Divine Abyss Grotto-Heaven has malfunctioned. It will take at least three thousand years, or as long as one hundred thousand years, to be restored."