Chapter 1560 : A Legacy Forged in Chaos

"Since it concerns that senior, you should indeed make the journey."

After reading the letter, Exquisite Jiang could not help but sigh with emotion, her voice tinged with nostalgia as she spoke.

Nyssa Qu took the letter and glanced at it, her expression turning to one of surprise as she asked, "Verdant Abyss Path 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 Karma [the principle of cause and effect governing actions and their consequences] with me."

Eldrin Chen began slowly, a trace of melancholy coloring his expression. "To speak of this matter, one must start from the time of my birth."

"When I was born, my mother was tainted by a wisp of Primordial Chaos Essence [the primordial, formless energy from which all creation emerged], which gestated within her a Path Body [a rare and powerful innate physique attuned to a specific cultivation path]."

"At that time, the Qin Clan Patriarch of Heavenly Reed Prefecture, seeking to seize my mother's Path Body, plotted to take her life. He even intended to silence my father and me to eliminate any potential future threat."

"At that critical juncture between life and death, a surge of Sword Intent [the concentrated will and essence of a swordsman, capable of manifesting as a tangible force] startled the Qin Clan Patriarch, allowing my father to escape with me and flee back to Green Chariot Mountain."

Eldrin Chen recounted the tale in detail, slowly narrating the Karma [the intricate web of cause and effect] from those bygone years.

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

He could vividly recall the helplessness of his childhood, a time when both his parents were disciples of the Verdant Sun Sect.

By chance, a guest visiting the Verdant Sun Sect, the Second Ancestor of Qin Clan, detected his mother's Path Body [a rare and coveted physique attuned to the fundamental laws of cultivation].

To seize this Path Body, that Second Ancestor of Qin Clan used a secret technique to end his mother's life. To prevent any leaks, he even intended to eliminate Eldrin Chen and his father, Verdant Brightness Chen, to tie up all loose ends.

At the critical moment, a Sword Intent [a palpable, overwhelming will focused through the concept of the sword] that shook the entire Hundred-Thousand-Mile Great Wasteland manifested, startling the Second Ancestor of Qin Clan into fleeing, thus sparing Eldrin Chen's life.

After the Second Ancestor of Qin Clan departed, the Patriarch of the Verdant Sun Sect did not act rashly. Coupled with the desperate pleas of Eldrin Chen's maternal grandfather, Verdant Brightness Chen was finally permitted to take the infant Eldrin Chen back to Green Chariot Mountain.

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

It was not until much later, when Eldrin Chen achieved his Golden Core [the third major stage of cultivation, forming a solidified core of spiritual power] breakthrough and ventured to the depths of Spirit Isle Lake, that he encountered the Azure Abyss Sword and finally understood the cause and effect behind these events.

It turned out that from the moment of his birth, Eldrin Chen possessed a certain extraordinary quality that had drawn the attention of the Azure Abyss Sword.

That Azure Abyss Sword, grievously wounded during the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm, was merely a broken remnant, nurturing itself within the Water Vein [a subterranean channel of concentrated water-attributed spiritual energy] beneath Spirit Isle Lake. Sensing the peril facing Eldrin Chen, it risked exposure to startle the Second Ancestor of Qin Clan into retreat.

It could be said that the life of Eldrin Chen was saved by the Azure Abyss Sword.

"A broken sword, a damaged Primordial Solar Immortal Sword—to you and me now, it is but a trivial matter."

Eldrin Chen spoke slowly, recounting the past Karma [the cosmic principle of cause and effect that binds all actions], and finally sighed, "But for me back then, it was my only lifeline."

Exquisite Jiang also nodded slightly and then said, "This Verdant Abyss Path Master was the Azure Abyss Sword Master. A Lifebound Immortal Sword [an immortal sword forged with a wisp of the cultivator's own soul essence] is refined with a strand of the cultivator's own Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator]. The two are fundamentally one and the same."

"It could be said that the favor Verdant Abyss Path Master showed my husband was a grace akin to rebirth."

"Indeed."

Eldrin Chen nodded and continued, "In those years, I once promised the Azure Abyss Sword that I would accomplish three tasks for it."

"First, to help it reclaim its missing tip and aid in reforging its blade."

"Second, to avenge Verdant Abyss Path Master and slay the Garuda Heavenly Demon."

"Third, the Primordial Spirit of Verdant Abyss Path Master was devoured by the Garuda Heavenly Demon. His soul cannot undergo normal Reincarnation [the cycle of death and rebirth]. One must journey to the Depths of the Netherworld [the profound and perilous underworld], find a wisp of Verdant Abyss Path Master's remnant soul, help him recover his memories, and achieve Reincarnation and Rebirth [a divine ability allowing a soul to be reborn into a new life]."

"Of the three matters, I had accomplished the first two long before my ascension. Now, only the final one remains unfinished."

Eldrin Chen spoke slowly, a faint sigh escaping him as he reached this point. "Alas, the Netherworld within the Immortal Domain is boundless and vast, teeming with countless Ghost Cultivator. Finding the remnant soul of a Primordial Spirit Path Lord there is a task as difficult as fishing for a needle in the ocean."

"In past years, my cultivation was insufficient. I had people inquire for several hundred thousand years, yet never caught wind of the whereabouts of Verdant Abyss Path Master's remnant soul."

Hearing this, Nyssa Qu grasped the cause and effect of the situation.

Looking at the letter in her hand, she pondered for a moment. "For Ancient Ruins Nether Lord to have actually located Verdant Abyss Path Master's remnant soul... it seems his connections within the Netherworld are indeed considerable."

"Indeed," Eldrin Chen nodded in agreement. "I shall make a journey to the Netherworld Underworld Court. I will settle this thread of Karma [the cosmic principle of cause and effect that binds all actions], and also take the opportunity to inquire about news regarding the Netherworld Turbid Energy [a dense, chaotic spiritual energy unique to the underworld]."

Upon hearing this, the others nodded slightly. Verdant Consort then spoke up, "Should we accompany you?"

"There is no need."

Eldrin Chen shook his head and stated, "With my current strength, few within the Immortal Domain can pose a threat to me, unless I were to encounter a Celestial Immortal Great Power."

"And if a Celestial Immortal [an immortal who has ascended to the celestial realm, a being of immense power] were to take action, your presence would be of little practical use."

"Now is the time for your cultivation to grow rapidly. Stay and cultivate peacefully at Green Chariot Mountain."

Seeing that Eldrin Chen's mind was made up, Exquisite Jiang said no more, only adding, "The Depths of the Netherworld [the perilous and unfathomable lower realms] is fraught with unpredictable dangers. Remember, your safety is paramount."

"I understand."

In the end, Eldrin Chen bid farewell to the others and silently made his way to the Depths of the Netherworld.

Before heading to Ancient Ruins Ghost City, Eldrin Chen first visited Verdant Seal Ghost City to meet with Verdant Seal Patriarch there.

After so many years apart, he discovered that Verdant Seal Patriarch's cultivation had already stepped into the Half-Step Ghost Ancestor realm. Moreover, his foundation and latent potential were astonishingly profound, seemingly already comparable to a Nine Tribulations Immortal.

Witnessing this, Eldrin Chen could not help but sigh with admiration, "Your Patriarch's aptitude is truly extraordinary. You have already reversed your Primordial Solar constitution [a rare and powerful innate physique]. It seems that after this Path Tribulation [a great calamity testing one's cultivation path], a new Netherworld Great Power [a formidable entity of the underworld] will rise."

Verdant Seal Patriarch, however, shook his head slightly, his gaze thoughtful. "The achievements I have today rely on two things: first, the ancestral incense and spiritual support of the Chen Clan of the Immortal Domain, and second, the gains you brought back from the Netherworld Small Universe [a pocket dimension within the underworld]." "As for my own innate talent... perhaps it is not so remarkable."

"My own aptitude, perhaps, is not something to be lauded."

Hearing this, a flicker of understanding passed through Eldrin Chen's eyes.

Now that the Chen Immortal Clan had become the overlord of the Hundred Seas of Returning Abyss, the status and position of Verdant Seal Patriarch had naturally risen accordingly.

Not only did the clansmen of the Chen Clan choose to reincarnate through the Verdant Seal Ghost City, but countless cultivators across the entire Hundred Seas of Returning Abyss did the same.

With this vast ocean of faith and devotion, Verdant Seal Patriarch's cultivation base had advanced by leaps and bounds. Coupled with the treasures from within the Netherworld Small Universe, it could be said that Verdant Seal Patriarch almost never lacked cultivation resources.

Ghost Cultivator [cultivators who follow the path of spectral energy and soul refinement] inherently cultivated faster than Immortal [a general term for beings who have transcended mortality through cultivation]. If not for his goal of consolidating a foundation capable of reaching the Nine Tribulations [the pinnacle stage for Earth Immortals, requiring them to survive nine heavenly tribulations] and forging a base that could glimpse the Great Encompassing Realm [the legendary realm beyond the Nine Tribulations], Verdant Seal Patriarch would have long since broken through to the Late Stage Earth Immortal [the advanced phase of the Earth Immortal realm].

Of course, even with all this, it was still far from enough to truly step into the realm of a Nine Tribulations Ghost Immortal [an Earth Immortal who has survived all nine heavenly tribulations]. To reach that pinnacle, external aids could only play a supporting role. The true breakthrough depended entirely on the Immortal themselves.

The reason Verdant Seal Patriarch could achieve this level was primarily due to his extraordinary talent and profound comprehension.