Chapter 996 : End of Mortal Fate

Chapter 1 A Millennium Has Passed (Time & Distance), and scenes of bygone days resurface before my eyes.

At this moment, when the 2 looked back at each other, only speechless silence remained between them.

Eldrin cast a deep, lingering glance at her, yet in the end left without a single word, striding eastward into the distance.

"Mind..."

Chen Silas (Person Name) stood rooted to the spot, silently watching his retreating figure. Though a 1000 words swelled in her heart, they ultimately remained locked within.

She could only stand there in a daze, as if her soul had departed.

"Alas, you foolish child!"

At that very moment, the old clan chief stepped forward unnoticed.

He looked at the present Chen Silas (Person Name), sighed and shook his head before speaking. "He has attained immortality and ascended to the Dao—all mortal bonds must now be severed."

"You have accompanied him for several 1000 years, which can be considered a rare destiny. Now that you are separated by the boundary of immortality and mortality, I fear only by attaining immortality will you meet again."

"Since our mortal ties have run their course, it would be better to devote myself to cultivation. Perhaps when I ascend to the celestial realm someday, our severed threads may yet be rejoined."

As the old clan leader recounted the tale, a faint tremor stirred within Chen Silas's heart.

"All mortal ties are severed, all mortal ties are severed!"

She suppressed the melancholy in her heart and murmured softly, her pupils gradually firming with resolve. "The Ancestor is right," she declared. "Since mortal ties are severed, we shall meet again in the immortal realm 1 day!"

Eldrin journeyed eastward, arriving shortly at the Zhou Tian Star Archipelago.

Beyond all expectations, the perimeter of the Zhou Heavenly Star Archipelago was already surrounded by hundreds of millions of cultivators.

Thousands upon thousands of treasure ships hovered between heaven and earth, while countless cultivators watched his approach in unison, each face brimming with reverence.

In the hearts of countless cultivators, Eldrin saw many familiar faces.

There was the Violet Radiance Thunder Dragon Avatar of Dorian, the Demon-Subduing Divine Monk from the Western Extremity's Tranquil Spirit Temple, the unparalleled sword cultivator Lin Tianqi, and even the supreme powerhouse of the demon race, the Kunpeng Demon Sage.

The Violet Boundary’s Primordial Spirit Dao Lords gathered here, each gazing at him with reverent eyes.

Eldrin knew full well that this was the denizens of the Violet Realm bidding him farewell—a solemn send-off as he embarked on his campaign against the Abyssal Demons, to slay that extraterrestrial fiendgod.

With this thought, he waved his sleeve to help everyone rise, speaking gently, "Young friends, there's no need for such formalities."

"We pay homage to the Immortal."

Countless cultivators dropped to their knees 1 after another, each burning with overwhelming fervor, their eyes blazing with fanaticism and exhilaration.

Eldrin gave a slight nod, offering no further words as he gazed at the Abyssal Rift and said, "The Demonic Abyss lies just before us. There's no need for any of you to see me off any further."

"We are not here to bid farewell."

Suddenly, a voice spoke up from among the crowd.

The speaker was Lin Tianqi (Person Name). Gripping a peerless immortal sword, his voice rang with metallic resolve as he declared, "I have come solely to follow the Immortal and slay the Outer Realm Demon God (Evil Entity) who brings calamity to the world."

"Follow me..."

Eldrin's expression shifted subtly, his gaze involuntarily turning toward the crowd.

But lo, across the expanse of heaven and earth, tens of thousands of treasure ships spanned the firmament like a mighty celestial river, submerging the boundless void in their majestic flow.

Upon the treasure ship, there were countless cultivators.

The cultivators' cultivation bases varied greatly, ranging from Qi Refining novices and Foundation Establishment adepts to Golden Core elders, and even peerless experts at the Nascent Soul and Spirit Severing realms.

Each of them held spiritual artifacts, gripping magical treasures and battle spears. They did not appear to be there to bid farewell, but rather to wage war.

"You are..."

In that fleeting moment, Eldrin's heart trembled faintly.

Sure enough, the hundreds of millions of cultivators knelt in unison, their voices fervent with passion as they declared: "We have come for but 1 purpose—to follow the Immortal and quell the cataclysm at the end of this calamity!"

"Preposterous!"

Eldrin (Person Name)'s face darkened with fury as he immediately rebuked, "The war between immortals and demons is fraught with peril. How dare you, mere mortal realm cultivators, recklessly intervene?"

“Eldrin (Person Name)！”

Just then, several figures emerged through the void, treading upon empty air. The 1 leading them was none other than Kael (Person Name).

Kael stood clad in robes as dark as ink, his voice cutting through the silence as he spoke Eldrin’s name directly—a rare occurrence.

He gazed deeply at Eldrin, then spoke, "The calamity of the Violet Realm is not a tribulation for you alone."

“We follow you to quell this calamity not to lend you our strength, but to seek a clear conscience.”

"Do you not know that this is the plea of all living beings under the violet firmament, the collective aspiration of tens of thousands of cultivators?"

"Don't believe me? Look at them yourself!"

Kael's voice faded as he swept his sleeve toward the myriad cultivators spanning heaven and earth.

Upon hearing this, Eldrin (Person Name) felt a tremor in his heart and instinctively gazed at the thousands of cultivators spanning the heavens and earth.

With just a single glance, Eldrin fell into silence.

These cultivators before me had come from the 4 corners of the world, each bearing the marks of countless hardships.

Among these cultivators was an ascetic monk from the Western Extremity's Eternal Sands Domain. Clad in nothing but a kasaya robe and a string of prayer beads, he had journeyed on foot to the Zhou Tian Star Archipelago solely to subdue a demonic being with his own hands.

There were also old cultivators from the Southern Sea cultivation realm who, after enduring countless hardships to reach this place, found their life force nearly depleted, retaining only enough strength for 1 final strike.

There was also the spiritual root that had been enlightened by immortal light when Eldrin (Person Name) attained immortality in the past. Setting forth from its youthful beginnings, it cultivated all the way to the Golden Core realm, traversing a long and arduous journey to reach this place after nearly a 1000 years.

Among these individuals were the proud sons of heaven from the younger generation, regional overlords at the peak of their vitality, and aged cultivators whose longevity was nearly exhausted.

Yet far more were those of mediocre talent, ordinary cultivators who remained trapped their entire lives in the trifling realms of Qi Refining, Foundation Building, and Purple Mansion.

These individuals were all different, yet they shared 1 common trait: each was filled with fervent passion and a resolute determination to face death, striving to contribute their part in helping Zi Ping overcome the calamity.

"Did you see that?"

Just then, Patriarch Xuanwu descended through the skies. His long-dormant blood began to stir with renewed vitality as he remarked with unwonted detachment, "The Violet Calamity has persisted for tens of thousands of years. This demonic tribulation is not yours to bear alone."

"This tribulation should not be borne by you alone!"

"Our purpose in coming here is to follow your lead. Though our strength may be insignificant, if we can slay even 1 demon of the Mo Clan, it shall be our contribution toward quelling this calamity!"

The Palace Master of Liuli also nodded, stroking his long beard as he said, "I have now obtained the immortal mark of the senior, allowing me to retain my memories through 3 cycles of reincarnation. Even if I fall in this battle, I shall have no regrets in this life."

Eldrin (Person Name) stood silently in the void, listening to the words of the crowd, a strange stirring inexplicably arising within his heart.

After a long while, he ceased his insistence and merely said, "Your willingness to march unto death in this battle proves you’ve honored the karmic debt of nurture from the Violet Realm."

"However, each school's lineage is difficult to preserve. We must leave behind at least 1 Primordial Spirit cultivator."

At this point, he turned his gaze to the Demon-Subduing Divine Monk and said, "1 1000 years ago, the Divine Monk of Tribulation fell while protecting my path to enlightenment. To this day, his reincarnated form has yet to regain its memories."

"At present, the Tranquil Spirit Temple only possesses 1 Primordial Spirit, Late Stage (Cultivation Realm). You must not participate in this battle."

"This!"

The Demon-Subduing Divine Monk’s expression shifted slightly. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Eldrin (Person Name).