Chapter 1560 : A Karmic Bond Forged in Peril

"Since it is that senior, you should indeed make the journey." Lyra Jiang [the female lead, a powerful cultivator] read the letter and could not help but sigh with emotion, speaking with a touch of nostalgia.

Nyssa Qu [a close companion of Lyra Jiang] took the letter and glanced at it, asking in surprise, "The Verdant Abyss Daoist [a title for a reclusive master]?"

"The person mentioned in this letter seems to have had no prior connection with you or me."

"I have never met him face to face, yet he shares a profound karmic bond with me."

Eldrin Chen [the male protagonist] spoke slowly, his expression tinged with melancholy. "To speak of this matter, we must start from the time of my birth."

"In the year I was born, my mother was touched by a wisp of Primordial Qi [the primordial, foundational energy of creation], which nurtured within her a Dao Body [a rare, innate physique perfectly attuned to the Dao, the fundamental principle of the universe]."

"At that time, the Qin Clan Patriarch [the patriarch of the Qin Clan, a powerful and ruthless figure] of Tianlu Province [a province within the cultivation world], in order to seize my mother's Dao Body, plotted her murder and even prepared to eliminate my father and me to tie up all loose ends." Eldrin Chen continued, his voice low. "At that moment of Life and Death [a critical juncture between survival and demise], a surge of Sword Intent [the concentrated will and essence of a master swordsman, capable of attacking the spirit] startled the Qin Clan Patriarch away, allowing my father to escape with me back to Verdant Chariot Mountain [the ancestral home of the Chen Clan]."

Eldrin Chen recounted the tale in detail, slowly narrating the karmic threads of those bygone years.

In this life, Eldrin Chen was reborn carrying memories of a past existence, possessing clear recollections from a very young age.

He could vividly remember the helplessness of his childhood self. At that time, both his parents were disciples of the Green Sun Sect [a prominent cultivation sect]. For more chapters, visit audio-novel.com (official site) for the complete novel.

By a twist of fate, the Qin Clan's Second Ancestor, who was a guest at the Green Sun Sect, detected the Dao Body [a rare and profound physical constitution aligned with the fundamental principles of the cosmos] of his mother.

To seize this Dao Body, the Qin Clan's Second Ancestor used a secret technique to end her life. Fearing the truth would leak, he intended to eliminate Eldrin Chen and his father, Chen Qingming, to silence all witnesses.

At the critical moment, a Sword Intent [a conceptual manifestation of supreme swordsmanship that exerts immense pressure] capable of intimidating the entire Hundred-Thousand-Mile Wilderness appeared, startling the Qin Clan's Second Ancestor into retreat and allowing Eldrin Chen to escape with his life. After the Qin Clan's Second Ancestor departed, the Ancient Ancestor of the Green Sun Sect did not act rashly. Coupled with the desperate pleas of Eldrin Chen's maternal grandfather, Chen Qingming was permitted to take the infant Eldrin Chen back to Verdant Chariot Mountain.

In this entire ordeal, that Sword Intent was of paramount importance. Had it not startled away the Qin Clan's Second Ancestor, Eldrin Chen would likely have perished in his swaddling clothes.

It was not until later, when Eldrin Chen achieved his Golden Core [the third major stage of cultivation, where spiritual energy condenses into a solid, golden core] breakthrough and encountered the Green Abyss Sword at the bottom of Spirit Isle Lake, that he fully understood the cause and effect behind these events.

It turned out that from the moment of his birth, Eldrin Chen possessed certain qualities reminiscent of Valerius, which had drawn the attention of the Green Abyss Sword.

That Green Abyss Sword had been grievously wounded during the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm, reduced to a mere Shattered Sword being nurtured within the Underground Water Vein beneath Spirit Isle Lake. Sensing the danger to Eldrin Chen, it risked exposure to startle away the Qin Clan's Second Ancestor.

One could say Eldrin Chen's life was saved by the Green Abyss Sword.

"A Shattered Sword, a damaged Pure Yang Immortal Sword [a sword of the highest purity and yang energy, forged by or for an immortal]—to you and me now, they are but trifles," Eldrin Chen spoke slowly, recounting the karma of old, and finally sighed. "But for the me of that time, it was my only lifeline."

Lyra Jiang also nodded in agreement, then said, "This Verdant Abyss Daoist is the master of the Green Abyss Sword. A Lifebound Immortal Sword [an immortal sword forged by refining a cultivator's own soul essence, creating an inseparable bond] is tempered from a wisp of a cultivator's Divine Soul [the highest spiritual essence of a being]. The two are fundamentally one."

"It can be said that the grace Verdant Abyss Daoist showed towards my Husband was akin to a rebirth."

"Indeed."

Eldrin Chen nodded, then spoke: "In the past, I once promised the Green Abyss Sword to accomplish three tasks for him."

"First, to help him reclaim the missing sword tip fragment and assist in reforging his blade body."

"Second, to avenge Verdant Abyss Daoist and slay the Garuda Heavenly Demon." "Third, Verdant Abyss Daoist's Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] was devoured by the Garuda Heavenly Demon. His soul cannot enter the Reincarnation Cycle [the cycle of death and rebirth]. I must journey to the Netherworld Depths [the deepest realms of the underworld], find a wisp of his Remnant Soul [a fragment of a shattered soul], help him recover his memories, and undergo the Reincarnation Tribulation [a trial to be reborn] to be reborn anew."

"Of these three tasks, I had completed the first two long before my ascension to the Immortal Realm. Now, only the final one remains unfinished."

Eldrin Chen spoke slowly, a faint sigh escaping him at this point: "Alas, the Netherworld [the realm of the dead] within the Immortal Domain is boundless and vast. Its Ghost Cultivator [cultivators who practice ghostly arts] are beyond counting. Finding the Remnant Soul of a Nascent Soul Dao Lord [a lord who has reached the Nascent Soul cultivation stage] is a difficulty no less than fishing for a needle in an endless ocean."

"In past years, my cultivation was insufficient. I had people inquire for hundreds of thousands of years, yet never managed to learn the whereabouts of Verdant Abyss Daoist's Remnant Soul."

Hearing this, Nyssa Qu largely understood the cause and effect of the matter.

Looking at the letter in her hand, she pondered for a moment: "For Ancient Ruins Yin Lord to actually locate Verdant Abyss Daoist's Remnant Soul, it seems he indeed possesses considerable connections within the Yin World [the underworld]."

"Indeed," Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod and said, "I shall journey to the Netherworld Underworld [the realm of the dead and departed spirits] to settle this karmic entanglement and, in passing, seek news of the Netherworld Turbid Qi [a chaotic, impure spiritual energy unique to the underworld]." Hearing this, the others nodded slightly. Verdant Consort then spoke, "Shall we accompany you?"

"That will not be necessary."

Eldrin Chen shook his head and declared, "With my current strength, few within the Immortal Domain [the vast realm where immortals and cultivators dwell] can pose a threat to me, unless I were to encounter a Heavenly Immortal Paragon [a supreme being who has ascended to the highest echelons of immortal cultivation]."

"If a Heaven Immortal [an immortal who has transcended the mortal realm and ascended to the heavenly planes] were to intervene, your presence would offer little advantage."

"This is a time of rapid cultivation progress for you all. Remain here at Verdant Chariot Mountain and focus on your training."

Seeing Eldrin Chen's resolve was firm, Lyra Jiang did not press further. She simply said, "The Netherworld Depths [the profound and perilous heart of the underworld] are treacherous and unpredictable. Remember, your safety is paramount." Your portal to cultivation novels: site: audio-novel.com.

"I understand." In the end, Eldrin Chen bid farewell to the group and departed silently for the Netherworld Depths.

Before heading to the Ancient Ruins Ghost City [a ghost city built upon ancient ruins within the underworld], Eldrin Chen first made his way to the Verdant Ghost City, where he met with Qing the Ancient Ancestor.

After these many years apart, he discovered that Qing the Ancient Ancestor's cultivation had advanced to the Half-Step Ghost Progenitor [a realm just shy of becoming a true progenitor of ghostly beings] stage. Moreover, his Deep-Seated Foundation [the profound and stable base of a cultivator's power] was astonishingly solid, seemingly comparable to that of a Ninth Tribulation Immortal [an immortal who has survived nine heavenly tribulations].

Witnessing this, Eldrin Chen could not help but remark with admiration, "Your talent is extraordinary, Ancient Ancestor. You have already reversed your Pure Yang Constitution [an innate physique aligned with pure yang energy, typically unsuited for ghostly cultivation]. It seems that after this Dao Tribulation [a cataclysmic heavenly trial that reshapes fate and destiny], a new Netherworld Great Power [a formidable entity of immense power within the underworld] will rise."

Qing the Ancient Ancestor [a powerful ghost cultivator and ancestor of the Chen Clan] shook his head slightly, his gaze shifting as he spoke: "The achievements I have attained today rely on two things: first, the ancestral worship [offerings and reverence from descendants to empower ancestors] of the Chen Clan of the Immortal Domain, and second, the gains you secured within the Yin Plane Microcosm [a pocket dimension of the underworld]."

"My own innate talent, perhaps, is not particularly remarkable."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen's eyes also flickered with a subtle light. Now that the Chen Immortal Clan had become the hegemon of Eldrin's Hundred Seas, Qing the Ancient Ancestor's status and position had naturally risen along with the tide.

Not only did members of the Chen Clan choose this path, but countless cultivators across the entire Eldrin's Hundred Seas also opted for reincarnation through the Verdant Ghost City [a major city in the underworld].

Fueled by this vast ocean of ancestral worship, Qing the Ancient Ancestor's cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds. Coupled with the treasures obtained from the Yin Plane Microcosm, it could be said that Qing the Ancient Ancestor faced almost no shortage of cultivation resources.

The cultivation speed of a Ghost Cultivator [a practitioner who cultivates using ghostly or underworld energies] was inherently far swifter than that of a standard Immortal. Had it not been for his pursuit of consolidating a Nine Calamities [a supreme foundation requiring surviving nine great tribulations] foundation—one capable of glimpsing the Great Luo Realm [the ultimate realm of cultivation]—Qing the Ancient Ancestor would have long since broken through to the Late Stage Earth Immortal realm.

Of course, even with all this, reaching the state of a Nine Calamity Ghost Immortal [a ghost immortal who has survived nine supreme tribulations] remained a distant goal. To truly take that step, external aids could only play a supporting role; the genuine breakthrough ultimately depended on the Immortal's own self.

The reason Qing the Ancient Ancestor could reach this point was primarily due to his own extraordinary talent and brilliance. For the best reading experience, visit audio-novel . com.