Chapter 1563 : The Abyssal Beast's Challenge

The Verdant Abyss Daoist pondered for a moment before speaking. "Acquiring the Netherworld Turbid Qi [a dense, impure spiritual energy unique to the deepest hells] is no small feat." As the Daoist continued, Eldrin Chen gradually understood the methods to obtain this substance.

Within the boundless Netherworld [the underworld or realm of the dead], there exist the Eighteen Hells. Beyond these hells lies a place known as the Bottomless Nether Abyss.

This Bottomless Nether Abyss resides at the very nadir of the Azure Firmament Immortal Domain, a place where, since the dawn of the Immeasurable Kalpa [an incalculably vast cosmic cycle], countless impurities and turbid energies have settled. It is filled with Malignant Entity [malevolent spiritual beings born from corruption] and foul qi, making it arguably the most defiled place in existence.

Within this abyss, countless Malignant Entity and turbid energies converge, giving birth to innumerable ferocious creatures.

Among the most formidable of these horrors are beings known as Netherworld Ancient Beasts, within whose bodies the Netherworld Turbid Qi can be nurtured. "These Netherworld Ancient Beasts have already stepped into the realm of the Ninth Rank, their power rivaling that of half-step Heavenly Immortal Paragon."

"Even for a Half-Step Celestial Immortal, slaying them would be an endeavor fraught with a thousand difficulties."

The Verdant Abyss Daoist spoke slowly, his expression grave. "If you wish to slay a Netherworld Ancient Beasts, it would be best to enlist the aid of two or three other powerhouses at the Half-Step Celestial Immortal level."

"Furthermore, the depths of the Bottomless Nether Abyss harbor Supreme Demon God [the pinnacle of demonic entities] of the Innate Divine Demons [demons born with divine-level power] rank. These are beings even the Ten Great Nether Kings view with caution. Should you encounter one, your chances of survival would be slim."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen's expression grew solemn.

He understood in his heart that if the Netherworld Turbid Qi were easy to find, it would have long been scavenged clean by the Heavenly Immortal Paragon. A place like the Bottomless Nether Abyss undoubtedly held significant peril. Access the full story on audi0-n0vel.c0m.

However, he possessed the Abyssal Pearl [a profound magical treasure of immense defensive power], and was confident in his own formidable ability to preserve his life, which was not inferior to that of a Heavenly Immortal Paragon [a supreme being who has ascended to the highest echelons of the Immortal Realm]. This granted him a measure of inner assurance. Subsequently, he inquired further with the Verdant Abyss Daoist [a Daoist master associated with deep, verdant abysses] regarding the circumstances of the Bottomless Nether Abyss [a fathomless chasm leading to the deepest layers of the Netherworld].

Once their conversation concluded, the Verdant Abyss Daoist took his leave without further discourse.

After his departure, Eldrin Chen did not leave immediately. Having chanced upon a Barter Convention [a grand gathering where cultivators trade rare resources and treasures], he naturally would not let the opportunity pass. Thus, Eldrin Chen and the Ancient Ruins Daoist [a Daoist master dwelling amidst ancient ruins] remained within Other Shore Ghost City [a spectral city situated on the far bank of the Netherworld's river], quietly awaiting the commencement of the Barter Convention.

Time flowed by in the blink of an eye. Several years passed in this manner before the Barter Convention within Other Shore Ghost City finally commenced.

This session of the Barter Convention was convened within Other Shore Ghost City. When Eldrin Chen and the Ancient Ruins Yin Lord [a Yin Lord, a ruler of the Netherworld, associated with ancient ruins] arrived, they immediately drew the attention of numerous Ghost Immortal [immortals who have attained their power through ghostly or Netherworld cultivation paths].

At this Barter Convention, the number of Earth Immortal [powerful immortals whose cultivation is anchored to the earthly realm] experts reached over five thousand. However, the vast majority were Earth Immortal Ghost Progenitor [Earth Immortals who follow a ghostly cultivation path]. Beings like Eldrin Chen, who were Yang Realm Earth Immortals [Earth Immortals from the realm of living Yang energy], were exceedingly rare, almost singular exceptions.

An Earth Immortal from the Yang Realm [the realm of living beings and positive energy] was far more powerful than a Ghost Progenitor [a progenitor of ghostly beings] of equivalent rank from the Nether Realm [the realm of the dead and negative energy]. This was especially true for Eldrin Chen, whose strength ranked among the very pinnacle even within the Earth Immortal realm. Thus, even though he only displayed cultivation at the Seventh Level Earth Immortal [the seventh stage of the Earth Immortal realm], the many Ghost Progenitor present treated him with utmost courtesy.

Even some Ghost Progenitor at the Half-Step Celestial Immortal Realm [a transitional realm halfway between Earth Immortal and full Celestial Immortal], upon recognizing Eldrin Chen, offered polite nods of acknowledgment. Eldrin Chen calmly returned the gestures to the various Ghost Progenitor, while inwardly assessing their strength.

He observed that these Ghost Progenitor at the Half-Step Celestial Immortal Realm, while stronger than those at Earth Immortal Great Perfection [the perfected and final stage of the Earth Immortal realm], possessed an aura inferior to Half-Step Celestial Immortal [beings at the same transitional realm but from the Yang path] of the same rank. Making a rough estimate, Eldrin Chen judged that the combat power of these Taiyi Realm [another term for the Half-Step Celestial Immortal realm] Ghost Progenitor was likely equivalent to only three or four Earth Immortal Great Perfection experts combined.

"Ghost Cultivator [practitioners who cultivate using ghostly or Netherworld energy] lack a physical body to serve as a vessel for their Great Dao [the supreme principles and laws of cultivation]. In the end, they are considerably weaker than Immortal [general term for ascended beings] of the same rank who possess such a vessel."

"Unless one reverses the Pure Yang Body [a supreme physical constitution of pure yang energy], or breaks through to the Great Perfection Celestial Immortal Realm [the pinnacle stage of the Celestial Immortal realm] and forges a Faith Golden Body [a divine body sculpted from the power of faith and worship] with boundless Incense Fire Celestial Silver [a divine metal refined from the essence of incense offerings], one will ultimately be unable to match a true Immortal [a being who has ascended to immortality] of the same stage."

Ancient Ruins Yin Lord murmured softly, letting out a faint sigh.

Those like him, who had reversed their constitution to attain a Pure Yang True Body [the perfected, ultimate form of the Pure Yang Body], were exceedingly rare. In theory, possessing such a body meant the difference from a true Immortal was not vast.

The sole distinction lay in the fact that Ancient Ruins Yin Lord cultivated using Netherworld Qi [the spiritual energy of the underworld and ghostly realms], while those of the Immortal Path attained longevity by absorbing Immortal Spirit Qi [the purified, heavenly spiritual energy of the immortal realms].

Eldrin Chen nodded in agreement, offering his own assessment. "The Ghost Immortal Path [a cultivation path focused on the soul and ghostly energies, forsaking the physical body] is easy to learn but difficult to master. Cultivating through Incense Offering Power [the mystical power derived from the faith and worship of followers] may seem to grant rapid progress initially, yet without heaven-defying fortune, one can never achieve the Great Dao [the supreme, ultimate principle of cultivation and existence]."

As he spoke these words, he couldn't help but shake his head slightly within his heart.

From what he knew, to break through to the Great Luo Realm [a legendary, supreme cultivation realm] required one to shatter the Ninefold Heavenly Pass [nine profound and deadly tribulations one must overcome].

Among these Ninefold Heavenly Pass, there was a tribulation known as the 'Fleshly Body Pass' [the Heavenly Tribulation focused on testing and refining the physical body], a crucially important gate. Without passing it, one could scarcely hope to step into the Great Luo Realm. The path of a Ghost Cultivator [a cultivator who specializes in ghostly and soul-based techniques] involved abandoning the physical body to focus solely on cultivating the Primordial Spirit [the foundational spiritual core of a being]. Even if one used incense offerings to forge a Faith Golden Body, it was ultimately not a true Innate Physique [a physical constitution one is born with, possessing profound natural advantages], and thus could never hope to pass the Fleshly Body Pass.

Unless one could advance further, obtaining a vast quantity of Fortune Dao Gold [a mythical material embodying the essence of fortune and destiny within the Dao], and use it to forge a certain 'Fortune Dao Body' [a constitution shaped by the power of fortune from the Dao], only then could the flaw of being an acquired [i.e., not innate] body be remedied, allowing passage through that Heavenly Tribulation of the flesh.

Yet, how precious was Fortune Dao Gold? A single liang-weight [fifty grams] of this substance could be worth a Taiyi Immortal Weapon [an immortal-grade weapon of immense power]. Ten liang-weight could rival an Innate Marvels [a natural treasure born from the primordial chaos of heaven and earth]. If one could obtain one hundred liang-weight, not even a High-Grade Innate Treasure [a supreme-grade treasure born from the primordial chaos] could be exchanged for it."

Yet to cultivate a single Fortune Dao Body [a legendary physique attuned to the Dao of Fortune and Luck], one would require at least one thousand and two hundred taels of Fortune Dao Gold [a metaphysical substance crystallized from the essence of fortune and destiny], its value truly beyond measure.

Though Eldrin Chen reigns supreme over the vast Eldrin's Hundred Seas, with Innate Spiritual Treasure [a treasure born from the primordial chaos of heaven and earth] and Innate Marvels [objects of profound spiritual power formed at the dawn of creation] anchoring his destiny's fortune, after several hundred thousand years, the Fortune Dao Gold he has managed to accumulate amounts to a mere three taels.

And this is only possible because Eldrin Chen possesses destiny-anchoring Innate Marvels, which can gather and consolidate the power of fortune, preventing its dissipation.

For ordinary orthodox traditions, their inherent fortune constantly leaks away; barely one in a hundred parts of the Fortune Dao Gold they might generate can be retained, drastically slowing the rate of its condensation.

In ages past, the Flowing Fire Star Palace, which dominated the Flowing Stream Hundred Seas for three million years, ultimately condensed only a single tael of Fortune Dao Gold. But to return to our tale, Eldrin Chen conversed with Ancient Ruins Yin Lord while awaiting the commencement of the Barter Convention [a grand gathering where powerful cultivators trade rare treasures].

Not long after, a Half-Step Celestial Immortal [a cultivator who has transcended the Earth Immortal Realm but not yet fully ascended to the Celestial Immortal Realm] from Other Shore Ghost City stepped onto the central platform and announced with a smile, "The Barter Convention begins. Our Other Shore Ghost City offers three treasures to start, hoping to attract finer jade with our humble brick." Join our community of readers at audio-novel .c om.

As he spoke, the Ghost Progenitor [a supreme master among ghost cultivators] from Other Shore Ghost City produced the three promised items.

Eldrin Chen glanced up and saw they were: a vial containing an Eighth Rank Supreme Grade Treasure Pill [a pinnacle-grade elixir of the eighth rank], an Eighth Rank Supreme Grade Netherworld Ghost Treasure [a supreme magical artifact forged in the Netherworld and attuned to ghostly power], and a cultivation manual for Ghost Cultivator [beings who cultivate the ghostly path] that could lead one all the way to the Heaven Immortal Realm.

All three treasures were meant for Ghost Cultivator, holding little use for Eldrin Chen, so he naturally felt no urge to bid. The Barter Convention proceeded thus, with several Ghost Cultivator taking the stage in succession, yet none presented any treasure that caught Eldrin Chen's eye.

It was only after a considerable while that a Ghost Progenitor at the Half-Step Celestial Immortal Realm ascended the platform and unveiled a particular treasure, finally drawing Eldrin Chen's keen attention.

It was a piece of ancient gold of blinding brilliance, appearing semi-transparent yet brimming with a power that was supremely Yin and profoundly cold, giving Eldrin Chen an intensely familiar feeling.

"Profound Nether Ancient Gold,"

Eldrin Chen spoke slowly, a slight stirring in his heart.

The value of this Profound Nether Ancient Gold was extraordinary. Its interior was saturated with the power of Profound Nether True Water [a profound and icy water-based divine power] and Dao Patterns [the fundamental patterns of the Dao, the cosmic principle]. This power shared the same nature as Eldrin Chen's Mysterious Profound [a profound and mysterious divine ability] and Spirit-Void True Water [a spiritual essence of void and water], governed by the same Rule [a fundamental law or principle of cultivation]. It was, without a doubt, the optimal choice for advancing the Heavenly River Flood Water Sword. For uninterrupted reading, go to audio-novel .c om.