Chapter 1666 : A Gathering Storm of Immortals

Upon hearing this, the expressions of those present shifted repeatedly, a flicker of unease passing through their eyes.

They understood all too well that while the Abyssal Immortal Alliance had won successive great victories, it had also become a thorn in the side of every major power.

This was because nearly every one of those major powers had seen a Half-Step Celestial Immortal [a cultivator on the very cusp of ascending to true immortality] fall by the hand of the Abyssal Immortal Alliance.

The primary reason they had not sought revenge was that they were currently locked in their own wars, unable to spare the forces to deal with the Chen Immortal Clan.

Secondly, it was also because the strength of the Chen Immortal Clan had repeatedly exceeded their expectations; no single power possessed the might to eradicate the Chen Immortal Clan alone.

After all, Eldrin Chen had, before the eyes of all, single-handedly slain the Dragon King of the Western Abyss, displaying combat prowess that had reached the realm of a Third Heaven Celestial Immortal [a true immortal of the third heavenly tier].

But their current inaction did not mean they would remain idle forever.

Eldrin Chen had reason to believe that once the conflict between Western Qi Grotto-Heaven and Divine Abyss Grotto-Heaven was decided, the victorious side would give rise to at least two cultivators with a Triple Taiyi Foundation [an exceptionally profound and stable foundation for immortality, formed by unifying three supreme principles].

Furthermore, if any individual from among the other six great powers managed to distinguish themselves, they would undoubtedly seek to eliminate Eldrin Chen, the greatest threat of all.

For Eldrin Chen, with the cultivation of a mere Half-Step Celestial Immortal, had slaughtered a great power of the First Heaven Celestial Immortal realm. Should he successfully break through to the Heaven Immortal Realm [the true realm of celestial immortality], the several powers that had moved against the Chen Clan during this Dao Tribulation [a cosmic calamity testing one's path and destiny] would likely face a bitter reckoning. Immerse yourself in the complete world at audio‑novel.com.

Everyone understood this point, recognizing that the present moment was the most opportune time.

Qiyuan Chen pondered for a moment before speaking, "In your opinion, who should we deal with first?"

Eldrin Chen contemplated briefly and then analyzed, "Among the six major powers, the Divine Abyss Grotto-Heaven [a blessed realm of profound spiritual energy] and the Western Qi Grotto-Heaven [a blessed realm of profound spiritual energy] are still locked in fierce battle."

"The Nirvana Dragon Clan is embroiled in heated conflict with the Celestial Web Ancient Sect, while the Violet Flame Divine Clan and the Eternal Sun Clan are locked in a stalemate. We can choose one to attack."

"My thought is to first eliminate the Western Qi Grotto-Heaven."

Upon hearing this, Separated Flame Deity nodded slightly and said, "The Western Qi Grotto-Heaven is currently pushing the Divine Abyss Grotto-Heaven back step by step, while the other two battlefields remain deadlocked."

"With the other major powers preoccupied with their own struggles, dealing with the Western Qi Grotto-Heaven first is indeed the optimal choice."

The others also nodded in agreement.

They were well aware that the true inheritors of these Great Luo Ancient Sect [one of the most ancient and powerful sects], even if they only dispatched a few individual disciples to participate in the war, their Deep-Seated Foundation [the profound and consolidated base of one's cultivation] would undoubtedly be extraordinary, perhaps even surpassing that of the Grotto-Heaven Holy Sons [elite disciples of a Grotto-Heaven].

In comparison, dealing with a Grotto-Heaven Direct Descendant [a direct lineage descendant of a Grotto-Heaven] carried risks that were still within manageable limits. Considering this, Lyra Jiang made the final decision, "Since that is the case, let this matter be settled."

With the high-level decision on the war finalized, the war machine of the Chen Immortal Clan swiftly sprang into motion.

In truth, ever since the fall of the Dragon King of the Western Abyss, Thalion Chen and Lior Chen, who oversaw the clan's affairs, had keenly discerned that the next major conflict would inevitably erupt beyond the borders of the Abyssal Sea Region.

Therefore, they had been preparing for this very moment for several Millennium. The army had long been assembled and ready for deployment. In a mere half a month, a fleet of eight hundred Ancient Vessel [ancient, magically-powered ships] was gathered.

These eight hundred Ancient Vessel of the Abyssal Immortal Alliance were minuscule in number compared to the tens of thousands of Ancient Vessel that once comprised the Dragon King of the Western Abyss's armada. However, in terms of quality, they were vastly superior.

All eight hundred-plus Ancient Vessel were Heaven-Opening Ancient Ship [powerful, enchanted warships] of the Eighth Rank or higher. A small portion represented the accumulated assets of the Chen Immortal Clan and the Abyssal Immortal Alliance, while the majority had been captured as spoils from the forces of the Dragon King of the Western Abyss.

Among these Ancient Vessel, seven were Eighth Rank Supreme Grade vessels, each equipped with a World-Ending Cannon [a devastatingly powerful siege weapon]. Most formidable of all was the Ninth Rank Ancient Ship named Nirvana Dragon. This flagship was the true Deep-Seated Foundation [the core, unshakable pillar of strength] of the current Abyssal Immortal Alliance.

Furthermore, Eldrin Chen left behind only three Half-Step Celestial Immortal [cultivators on the very cusp of achieving true Celestial Immortality] to guard the homeland. With the support of the Eight Trigrams Immortal Formation [a supreme defensive array based on the eight trigrams], not even a Heavenly Immortal Paragon [a supreme expert among Celestial Immortals] could breach this Formation [magical defensive array] in a short time.

Once the grand army set forth, it marched directly towards the Divine Abyss Sea.

Over the years, the war between the Western Qi Grotto-Heaven and the Divine Abyss Grotto-Heaven had raged on incessantly. Outmatched, the forces of the Divine Abyss Grotto-Heaven had been forced to retreat across several layers of sea territory, their main army now holed up within the Divine Abyss Grotto-Heaven itself.

On this day, as the army of the Abyssal Sea Region mobilized, the news swiftly reached the ears of all major powers.

The two great Grotto-Heaven [a type of blessed realm or paradise for cultivation], Western Qi and Divine Abyss, fell into a heavy silence as they reviewed the intelligence in their hands.

The First Divine Son [a title for a supreme young talent] of the Western Qi Grotto-Heaven, gazing at the report in his hand, felt a chill flicker in the depths of his eyes: "A pity. We were but a single step away."

"Had we taken the Divine Abyss Sea, I could have settled the fate of this realm in one decisive battle and achieved the Triple Taiyi Foundation [a legendary, supremely stable foundation for one's cultivation path]."

Seeing this, the Second Divine Son of Western Qi Grotto-Heaven beside him asked, his expression tinged with worry: "What should we do now?"

As the Second Divine Son of Western Qi Grotto-Heaven, he understood clearly that even if the Western Qi Grotto-Heaven managed to suppress the Divine Abyss Grotto-Heaven, they would have little strength left to spare.

The Chen Immortal Clan had won two major victories in succession. The Dao Source [the primordial source of a cultivator's power and enlightenment] they seized would be enough to elevate the combat prowess of the Abyssal Immortal Alliance by an entire level. Access the full story on audio-novel . com.

If they were to join forces with the Divine Abyss Grotto-Heaven in a pincer attack, the Western Qi Grotto-Heaven would likely be unable to withstand the assault.

The First Divine Son understood this logic as well. His expression grew somber before he spoke: "There is only one course of action: we must ally with the Divine Abyss Grotto-Heaven."

"This..."

The Second Divine Son's face shifted slightly, and he said, "We and the Divine Abyss Grotto-Heaven are sworn enemies of over a hundred million years. Will they agree?"

"He will."

The First Divine Son spoke calmly, his gaze profound as he said, "When the Divine Abyss Grotto-Heaven Sect Master, Yuanzhi the Daoist, acted against the Abyssal Chen Clan for Divine Lord Glaze's sake, they had already left themselves no other path."

As for the schemes of the Divine Abyss Grotto-Heaven and the Western Qi Grotto-Heaven, Eldrin Chen remained unaware, and even if he knew, he likely would not have cared.

Since the great war began, the Abyssal Immortal Alliance had gained four new Triple Taiyi Foundation [cultivators who have laid a supreme, threefold foundation for their immortal path] cultivators. Its wings were now fully fledged; it was the time for the eagle to spread its wings and soar across the Firmament.

Unburdened by any seventh-rank Ancient Vessel, the Heaven-Opening Ancient Ship moved with incredible speed. Augmented by the Mirror of Yin, Yang, and Void [a mystical treasure capable of piercing through the fabric of reality] to traverse the Void [the empty space between dimensions], it arrived just beyond the Divine Abyss Sea in a mere few years.

The distance to that vast and tumultuous battlefield now seemed separated by only a single sea.

Eldrin Chen stood at the edge of the Divine Abyss Sea, gazing upon the fiercely contested waters. A cold glint surfaced in his eyes.

Within the Divine Abyss Sea, the battle raged fiercely, yet no clashes above the level of Earth Immortal Nine Layers [the ninth and highest stage of the Earth Immortal realm] had erupted.

Lyra Jiang stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him. Observing the Divine Abyss Grotto-Heaven before them, a flicker of understanding passed through her gaze. "The situation seems to be as you predicted," she said. "The Western Qi Grotto-Heaven and the Divine Abyss Grotto-Heaven have already joined forces."

"They are gathering their strength, waiting for the opportune moment to besiege us together."

Seeing this, Nyssa Qu [the Immortal Maiden Nyssa] could not help but let her gaze grow slightly heavy and focused.

A moment later, she spoke: "With the power we possess now, even if the two great Grotto-Heaven [a blessed realm of profound spiritual energy] forces were to unite, we would have no reason to fear them."

"However, my only concern is whether the other major powers might set aside their enmities and intervene."

"They will not."

Eldrin Chen [the Abyssal Emperor Eldrin] shook his head and spoke with calm detachment: "The Violet Flame Divine Clan [a powerful clan wielding violet-hued divine flames] and the Eternal Sun Clan [a clan embodying the power of the everlasting sun] are sworn enemies of many generations. With figures of Ancient Immortals [immortal beings who have transcended mortality for eons] caliber having been slain by them, the Violet Flame Divine Clan specifically entered this tribulation to settle that ancient grudge."

"The Nirvana Dragon Race [a dragon race associated with rebirth and renewal] and the Celestial Web Ancient Sect [an ancient sect whose techniques weave the fabric of fate] are also locked in a war that has reached a fever pitch; it is unlikely they will easily free their hands."

"Most crucially, they too are waiting for us to exhaust each other in battle." Experience the full epic at (audio-novel.com).