Chapter 1568 : Unlocking Ancient Scriptures

Because such scriptures involve the power of the Great Path [the fundamental laws governing reality and cultivation], they are bound by the rules of the Great Path [the fundamental laws governing reality and cultivation] themselves.

Even if you were given a complete Ancient Scripture [an ancient text containing profound cultivation secrets], you could not comprehend its true meaning without first unlocking the Great Path [the fundamental laws governing reality and cultivation] shackles placed upon it.

Yet the power of the Great Path [the fundamental laws governing reality and cultivation] is vast and boundless; attempting to break those shackles is a feat likely impossible even for an Ancient Immortal [a supremely powerful being who has transcended mortality].

Eldrin Chen understood this and harbored no covetous thoughts towards this Six Lifetimes Buddha Scripture [a legendary Buddhist cultivation scripture spanning six reincarnations]. He nodded slightly and said, "For the Divine Monk to cultivate this scripture, his previous life must have held an extraordinary status."

"I believe that upon ascending to the Immortal Domain [the higher realm where true immortals reside], the Divine Monk will surely attain the Celestial Immortal Great Path [the profound cultivation realm of a Celestial Immortal], and perhaps even glimpse that supreme, ultimate state."

Upon hearing this, the Tribulation Transcending Divine Monk replied with serene calm, "It cannot compare to your own peerless, heaven-defying talent, Fellow Daoist."

Eldrin Chen was about to say more when his brow furrowed slightly. He then spoke, "Since the Purple Seal Realm [a specific cultivation world or dimension] is secure, it is not fitting for me to linger."

"We shall entrust the Purple Seal Realm [a specific cultivation world or dimension] to the Divine Monk's guardianship for now. We will depart first to confront that Starry Sky Fiends [a malevolent race dwelling among the stars] clan."

With those words, Eldrin Chen bid farewell to the Tribulation Transcending Divine Monk. A wisp of his divine sense returned to his main body, which waited beyond the borders of the Purple Seal Realm [a specific cultivation world or dimension].

Once his divine sense had fully merged back, he wasted no time. Transforming into a streak of Escape Radiance [a brilliant light used for high-speed travel], he shot towards the Depths of the Starry Sky [the remote, dangerous voids between stars].

With the speed of the group, distances that spanned light-years were traversed as if they were mere steps.

Eldrin Chen directly tore through the void, crossing hundreds of light-years in a single stride to arrive just outside the Cosmos Void Realm.

Upon his arrival beyond the Cosmos Void Realm, he discovered a group of horned Fiend Race [a race of powerful, often malevolent beings] relentlessly besieging three figures.

"It's the Starry Sky Fiend Race [a particularly formidable and rare branch of the Fiend Race],"

observed Lord of the Path Palace, a slight frown creasing his brow as he scrutinized the scene before him.

The others followed his gaze, their attention sharpening. The Starry Sky Fiend Race was renowned as one of the most powerful lineages within the broader Fiend Race.

Though their numbers were few, any member who reached adulthood possessed a cultivation base of at least the Primordial Spirit Realm [the spiritual core stage of a cultivator].

Here, before the Cosmos Void Realm, stood merely a few hundred Starry Sky Fiends, yet each one was at the Primordial Spirit Realm. Among them were even seven or eight beings who had ascended to the True Demon Realm [a powerful demonic cultivation stage].

However, while formidable to most, True Demon Realm cultivators were insignificant before the assembled power present. Any one of the group could annihilate them with a mere flick of a finger.

Eldrin Chen did not even need to act. With a mere sweep of his sleeve, Heaven Abandoned Lin unleashed a cataclysmic tide of sword energy that surged through the Starry River [a metaphorical or literal river of stars]. The entire Starry Sky Fiend Race host was extinguished in an instant, and the three besieged figures were rescued.

The three individuals, suddenly saved from their dire predicament, could not help but reveal expressions of ecstatic joy.

Among the trio, an elderly man stepped forward and bowed deeply, saying, "We offer our deepest gratitude to you, esteemed Seniors, for this life-saving grace."

Seeing this, Eldrin Chen offered a slight smile and replied, "Fellow Daoist Cosmos Void Path Master, there is no need for such formality."

"Esteemed Senior recognizes this humble one?"

Indeed, the elderly man was none other than Cosmos Void Path Master from the Upper Realm Immortals of the Cosmos Void Realm.

In ages past, the Cosmos Void Realm had suffered a devastating assault from the Catastrophe Demon God, pushing the entire world to the very brink of Oblivion [complete annihilation].

At that time, Eldrin Chen had intervened to mend the realm's World Membrane [the protective barrier separating a world from the primordial chaos], thereby rescuing the world from impending doom. It was during that crisis that he and Cosmos Void Path Master had briefly crossed paths.

Now, after the passage of several hundred thousand years, Eldrin Chen had already broken through to the Late Stage Earth Immortal realm. This profound advancement was why Cosmos Void Path Master had not immediately recognized Eldrin Chen's origins.

However, the man and woman, both Immortals [beings who have ascended to immortality through cultivation], standing beside Cosmos Void Path Master studied Eldrin Chen intently. The woman, her voice tinged with hesitation, ventured to ask, "Esteemed Senior, might you be the Eldrin the Founding Ancestor from the Seven Saints Palace?"

"Indeed, I am," he confirmed.

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod and replied with serene composure.

The two Immortals, one male and one female, were immediately overcome with emotion and prostrated themselves before the Earthly Path [a profound cultivation art]. "Disciples Bright Lake and Spirit Spin, pay our respects to our Founding Ancestor."

Only then did Eldrin Chen understand. These two were individuals who had attained immortality within the last several hundred thousand years. They hailed from the Seven Saints Palace within the Cosmos Void Realm [a specific realm in the cosmos], making them his own disciples' disciples in a sense.

However, because the Seven Saints Palace was merely founded by a few of Eldrin Chen's nominal disciples, he had not left his Path Marker [a unique object that marks one's presence or legacy in the Immortal Domain] within the Immortal Domain. Consequently, neither of them had managed to locate the Returning Abyss Immortal Alliance within that domain.

Upon grasping this, Eldrin Chen nodded once more. With a sweep of his sleeve, he gently raised the two kneeling figures and said with a faint smile, "Not bad at all. Tell me, into which Immortal Domain have you two ascended?"

"We two are currently within the Southern Brilliance Heavenly Domain of the Vast Azure Immortal Domain."

As the two disciples' disciples recounted their tale, Eldrin Chen gradually came to understand their circumstances.

It turned out that Bright Lake Path Master was from the primary lineage of the Seven Saints Palace and had ascended to the Immortal Ascension Realm [the realm of true Immortals] a mere three hundred thousand years ago.

However, due to his ordinary talent and, crucially, the lack of an Immortal Vein [a spiritual conduit essential for high-level immortal cultivation] for the first hundred thousand-plus years of his cultivation, his progress had been exceedingly slow. He currently possessed only Ascendant Immortal 4th Tier cultivation.

Immortal Maiden Spirit Spin had attained immortality less than seventy thousand years ago. With the support of Bright Lake Path Master, her cultivation journey had progressed relatively swiftly, and she had now reached the Ascendant Immortal 3rd Tier.

However, the two of them could never have imagined that their founding ancestor was actually a Late Stage Earth Immortal [a cultivator who has reached the seventh of nine major stages on the path to becoming a true immortal] Patriarch. Overwhelmed with joy, they were moved to tears, eagerly wishing to acknowledge their roots and return to the ancestral fold.

Eldrin Chen had no objections; these were, after all, his own disciples and their descendants. Their desire to return to the Immortal Realm [the higher plane of existence where immortals reside] and formally rejoin the clan lineage was only natural.

The Cosmos Void Path Master, however, could not remain calm. He now understood that Eldrin Chen was the very Immortal [a being who has transcended mortality through cultivation] he had befriended all those years ago.

Although he had long suspected that Eldrin Chen's origins were extraordinary, the fact that he had cultivated to the Eighth Level Earth Immortal [the penultimate stage before achieving true immortality] in a mere span of several hundred thousand years struck him as utterly inconceivable.

He could not precisely gauge Eldrin Chen's cultivation level, but he could vaguely sense that the pressure emanating from him far exceeded that of an ordinary Earth Immortal.

In the past, when he attended a Barter Convention [a grand gathering where cultivators trade rare resources and treasures], he had been fortunate enough to witness a Middle Stage Earth Immortal. At the time, he had felt that Earth Immortal Patriarch's aura was as profound and unfathomable as an abyssal sea.

But now he realized that the aura of that Earth Immortal was likely far inferior to Eldrin Chen's.

In fact, any one of the eleven figures accompanying Eldrin Chen seemed to vastly surpass that Middle Stage Earth Immortal.

Even Dorian Ji, whose cultivation appeared to be the weakest among them, exuded a presence that felt mightier than that Middle Stage Earth Immortal from long ago.

Contemplating this, the Path Master immediately adopted a posture of utmost reverence, his voice tinged with awe as he spoke, "To think that in a mere eight hundred thousand years, Senior has already ascended to such heights. Truly, you are..."

Cosmos Void Path Master exclaimed in shock, before ultimately suppressing his thoughts.

Eldrin Chen did not answer directly, merely nodding slightly as he said, "I heard that the Starry Sky Fiend Race [a powerful race of fiends from the starry void] was active in the lower realms, so I took the opportunity to descend for a visit."

"I never imagined I would encounter old acquaintances and the disciples of my disciples here. It is truly a fortunate encounter."

Eldrin Chen spoke calmly, then continued with a faint smile, "I see your cultivation has reached its peak, Fellow Daoist. You are likely not far from the Half-Step Earth Immortal Realm [a transitional state just below the true Earth Immortal realm]."

"You flatter me, you flatter me."

Cosmos Void Path Master shook his head repeatedly. He understood all too well that becoming a Half-Step Earth Immortal was a monumental threshold.

Although he was an ancient immortal who had lived for over a million years and survived a single Great Tribulation [a cataclysmic heavenly trial], his cultivation had reached the peak of the Ascendant Immortal 9th Tier. Yet, without a heaven-defying Opportunity and Fortune [a rare convergence of chance and destiny], taking that final step remained an immensely difficult feat.

Understanding this, Cosmos Void Path Master grew even more respectful towards Eldrin Chen.