Chapter 1562 : A Spectral Reunion and the Azure Blade

That Yu the Daoist departed swiftly and returned with equal haste.

Not long after, he arrived at the gate, accompanied by an Azure-Robed Daoist.

Though the Daoist's cultivation was merely at the Early Stage Earth Immortal [the first major stage of the Earth Immortal realm], his bearing and demeanor were exceptionally noble and imposing. This was none other than the Ghost Cultivator [a cultivator who has chosen or been forced to continue their path as a spectral entity] form of the Verdant Abyss Daoist.

The Verdant Abyss Daoist did not speak immediately. Instead, he stepped forward and sat down opposite Eldrin Chen. Seeing this, Ancient Ruins Yin Lord and Yu the Daoist tactfully withdrew.

Only after the two had departed did the Verdant Abyss Daoist turn his gaze to Eldrin Chen and ask, "For what purpose have you sought me?"

Eldrin Chen did not answer directly. With a flick of his sleeve, a dazzlingly brilliant azure Immortal Sword [a sword forged and imbued with immortal power] slowly materialized before him. "Senior, do you recognize this blade?"

*Ting*

Recognizing its master, the Green Abyss Sword [a legendary enchanted sword] emitted a soft, resonant hum and began to slowly orbit the Verdant Abyss Daoist.

The Verdant Abyss Daoist's eyes trembled slightly. He slowly reached out and grasped the Green Abyss Sword, instantly feeling a profound, blood-deep connection. His heart quivered, and a glimmer of understanding dawned upon him.

He closed his eyes, communing with the sword for a long moment. Finally, he sighed, "Old friend, it has been far too long." "The affairs of a past life... hundreds of thousands of years have passed in a blink. I never imagined we would meet again in this realm." The complete novel can be found at audio-novel . com.

Eldrin Chen then understood that Verdant Abyss Daoist had already recovered part of his memories. He spoke, "It seems my journey here was merely redundant." Verdant Abyss Daoist gave a slight nod. It turned out he had regained fragments of his memories many years prior.

As his cultivation base continued to rise, the memories from his past life would gradually and completely return.

Seeing Verdant Abyss Daoist pour a shallow cup of tea, Eldrin Chen spoke plainly, "Tell me, how has the Purple Realm fared in these years?" "All is well."

Eldrin Chen began to speak slowly, recounting for Verdant Abyss Daoist the sequence of events and changes that had transpired in the Purple Realm in recent years.

Verdant Abyss Daoist listened quietly. When he learned that the Purple Realm's Demonic Tribulation [a great calamity caused by demonic forces] had been quelled and that outstanding talents had emerged generation after generation, he nodded again. "The Purple Realm is the ancient land of the Great Luo [a legendary, supreme cultivation realm]. It truly gathers boundless fortune and destiny."

"Such a land of hidden dragons, once the World's Primordial Qi [the foundational spiritual energy of the world] shows even slight improvement, can nurture Heaven's Chosen [individuals favored by heaven with exceptional talent and destiny] and True Dragon [the most supreme and powerful of dragon-kind]. It is a pity, however, that my Purple Immortal Sect has seen its lineage severed."

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen could not help but let out a soft sigh.

The Purple Immortal Sect of the Purple Realm was the direct orthodox lineage of the Purple Immortal Lord. Legend held that during its peak, this lineage had produced multiple Immortal [beings who have ascended to immortality] who successfully ascended.

Yet, over eight hundred thousand years ago, before the Purple Immortal Lord suddenly fell, the cultivators of the Purple Immortal Sect mysteriously vanished, with only a very few remaining behind.

That Verdant Abyss Daoist could be considered the last sect master of the Purple Immortal Sect. By the time he was born, the sect was already reduced to a mere handful of members, considered weak even among Nascent Soul Heritage [organizations or legacies founded by or capable of producing Nascent Soul stage cultivators].

"A mortal lineage directly descended from a Great Luo Sects [the highest order of immortal sects], yet its final sect master perished at the hands of a mere Nascent Soul Celestial Demon [a powerful demon at the Nascent Soul stage]." The Verdant Abyss Daoist spoke slowly, finally shaking his head. "I have truly failed our ancestors."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen inquired, "May I ask, Senior, what do you plan to do next?" "We shall take one step at a time."

The Verdant Abyss Daoist shook his head, speaking with grave seriousness. "Our origins must remain unspoken. We must focus on diligent cultivation. Once our power is sufficiently formidable, then we shall have nothing to fear."

"By the way," he added, "you must not reveal the Dao Marker [a unique spiritual coordinate or anchor point] of the Purple Realm [a specific immortal realm or dimension] to anyone. Even a Heavenly Immortal Paragon [a supreme being at the Heavenly Immortal stage] would covet it."

Eldrin Chen nodded in understanding and said, "The Dao Marker of the Purple Realm was concealed by the Purple Immortal Lord, making its location impossible for anyone to find." As he spoke these words, a subtle realization stirred within Eldrin Chen's heart.

The Purple Realm had been cast adrift into the boundless Cosmos by the Purple Immortal Lord, its presence veiled by his profound methods. Not even a Great Luo Golden Immortal [an immortal of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm] could locate its Dao Marker.

Anyone attempting to divine the location of the Purple Realm would be thwarted by the lingering countermeasures left behind by the Purple Immortal Lord, a subtle interference woven into fate itself. Even with a precise Dao Marker in hand, finding the Purple Realm remained a near-impossible task.

Even immortals who ascended from the Purple Realm found their memories influenced by this unseen force, unable to retain the exact Dao Marker of their homeland.

Only Eldrin Chen and Lyra Jiang seemed to be exceptions. They possessed a mysterious, innate sensitivity to the Dao Marker of the Purple Realm. Through the immortal traces they had left within that realm, they could somehow find their way back.

Between the two of them, Lyra Jiang had inherited the legacy the Purple Immortal Lord left in the mortal world. Eldrin Chen, however, did not know why he himself possessed this connection. Considering the Verdant Abyss Daoist's currently precarious and unique circumstances, Eldrin Chen chose not to reveal his own ability to return to the Purple Realm.

He let out a soft sigh, recalling the purpose of his visit, and spoke, "My journey here is also to fulfill the promise made all those years ago." With that, he recounted to Verdant Abyss Daoist the agreement between himself and the Green Abyss Sword [the sentient magical treasure known as the Verdant Abyss].

After listening, Verdant Abyss Daoist could not help but smile wryly. "If I were to reincarnate, could I achieve the Heaven Immortal [the highest immortal realm, transcending the mortal world]?" Eldrin Chen shook his head. "Attaining Heaven Immortal status would be exceedingly difficult, fraught with countless hardships."

Verdant Abyss Daoist pressed further, "Then, could I become an Earth Immortal [an immortal bound to the earthly realm, a powerful but lesser state than a Heaven Immortal]?"

Eldrin Chen pondered for a moment before replying, "Becoming an Earth Immortal is also uncertain; the odds are fifty-fifty."

Seeing this, Verdant Abyss Daoist stated plainly, "In this life, I am already a Netherworld Ghost Progenitor. Undergoing the Reincarnation Tribulation [the perilous trial of rebirth into a new life] offers no guarantee of reaching the Heaven Immortal Realm, nor can I be certain of retaining my current cultivation base."

"Given that," he continued, "why should I embark on a journey of Reincarnation [the cycle of death and rebirth]?" Original English translation available at audi0-n0vel.c0m.

Having said this, Verdant Abyss Daoist declared, "Let the third condition from back then be considered null and void." "I understand," Eldrin replied.

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod. The resolution of this karma spanning hundreds of thousands of years lifted an inexplicable weight from his shoulders.

The Heart Demon Oath [a binding vow that creates a mental demon if broken] from all those years ago was now insignificant to the present Eldrin Chen, yet it had remained a lingering concern in his heart. With this matter settled, he felt a profound sense of closure, his spirit flowing with newfound ease.

Seeing his demeanor, Verdant Abyss Daoist offered a gentle smile. "Your journey may seem fruitless this time. However, in the coming days, the Other Shore Ghost City [a city in the Netherworld, the 'other shore' of life] will host an Earth Immortal Grade Exchange Assembly [a grand gathering for cultivators of the Earth Immortal realm and above to trade rare resources]."

"The items from this Netherworld [the underworld realm of spirits and the dead], while mostly useless to you Immortal [beings who have ascended to a higher state of existence], the few that *are* useful to you are specialties unique to our Netherworld Depths [the profound and ancient heart of the underworld]." Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen's eyes gleamed faintly as he inquired, "Might I ask if this auction will feature any Netherworld Turbid Qi [a rare, chaotic spiritual energy unique to the deepest Netherworld, used in forging supreme treasures and pills]?"

"Netherworld Turbid Qi?"

Verdant Abyss Daoist [a Daoist title meaning 'Master of the Verdant Abyss'] paused briefly, then shook his head. "That Netherworld Turbid Qi is exceedingly rare. It is a crucial catalyst for refining the Ninth Rank Netherworld Treasure Pill [a supreme-grade pill of the ninth rank, forged with Netherworld energies], and is also a resource sought by Netherworld Great Power [mighty beings who reign within the Netherworld's depths]."

"Generally speaking, such treasures only appear at the Heaven Immortal Grade Exchange Assembly [a grand gathering for trade and exchange among Heaven Immortals and beings of equivalent power], and do not circulate in auctions at the Earth Immortal [a cultivator who has attained the Earth Immortal realm, a powerful stage below the Heaven Immortal] level." "I see."

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen's brow furrowed slightly, and a sigh welled up within his heart.

He was not yet qualified to participate in a Celestial Immortal Level [pertaining to the Heaven Immortal realm and its affairs] auction. It seemed the Netherworld Turbid Qi would remain exceedingly difficult to obtain.

Seeing his expression, the Verdant Abyss Daoist pondered for a moment before speaking. "If you truly desire the Netherworld Turbid Qi, I do know of a potential source." "Oh?"

Eldrin Chen's eyes lit up with renewed hope. "Please, enlighten me." Discover more cultivation stories at audio~novel.com.