Chapter 1694 : Eternal Vigil on a Dying World

A human life spans but a mere hundred years. Without Ascending to Immortality [reaching the state of becoming an immortal], one is ultimately destined to face the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death.

Watching the one he loved grow old and die in his arms, Xander Chen experienced for the first time in his life that profound sense of utter powerlessness.

He interred Bianca within a Frost Soul Ice Coffin [a coffin crafted from magical ice that preserves the body], protecting her Physical Body [mortal form] from decay. Thereafter, he remained at Willow Catkin Manor, his temperament turning taciturn and withdrawn, no longer concerning himself with the affairs of the Mortal Dust [the mundane world].

Thus passed three hundred years. Eventually, this Heavenly Layers [layered realm of existence] could no longer sustain itself and began its silent, catastrophic collapse.

As the world-ending Great Tribulation [cosmic calamity] erupted, Xander Chen sat atop the snowy peak, his heart a wasteland of stillness.

The earth shattered. Molten rock spread across the land.

Vast as it was, this world had already become a dead land a century prior. Even the once-mighty Divine Ability Venerable [a cultivator who has mastered divine-level abilities] could not survive in such an environment.

Xander Chen stood guard on the mountain peak, holding the ice coffin, gazing upon the hellish landscape. His eyes held only silent desolation.

"BOOM! CRACKLE-RUMBLE!"

After what seemed an eternity, the Heavenly Layers fractured. One after another, Void Rift [tears in the fabric of reality] appeared, unleashing torrents of boundless Void [the primordial, formless energy of nothingness] energy. The complete novel can be found at audi novel.com.

The world shattered and crumbled amidst a ceaseless, thunderous roar. Between the Heavenly Layers [the stratified planes of reality in the cosmos], wisps of Primordial Essence Power [the fundamental, chaotic energy from which all things are born] slowly coalesced into view.

For Xander Chen, this should have been a joyous occasion. By absorbing these traces of Primordial Essence Power, he could have recovered a measure of his strength, enough to retrieve the Innate Spiritual Water [a primordial water of immense spiritual purity and restorative power].

Yet, in this moment, his heart remained a stagnant pool, utterly devoid of feeling.

The cataclysmic energies unleashed by the world's destruction surged forth—a tide of Void [the annihilating power of absolute nothingness] potent enough to grind all existence to dust. It crashed against him, an unstoppable deluge.

Though he shielded her with all his might, he could only watch, helpless, as the figure within the crystal coffin dissolved into motes of light, vanishing forever.

"No—!"

A roar of fury, a chasm of despair, a torrent of bitter refusal.

All of it was utterly, devastatingly futile.

Time lost all meaning. Eventually, Xander Chen stood impassive upon the Void Heaven [a desolate expanse at the edge of cosmic dissolution]. Wordlessly, he gathered the drifting Primordial Essence Power.

The Azure Firmament Immortal Domain.

Since the submission of the Fivefold Heaven [a celestial domain], the conflicts within the Six Celestial Domains of the Western Pole [a region of six major celestial realms] came to a temporary halt.

In the several Millennium [a period of one thousand years] that followed, the Abyssal Immortal Alliance [a powerful coalition of immortal cultivators] mustered a million Immortal [beings who have ascended to the immortal realm] and laid down five grand formations across the five great celestial domains.

They drew upon the water of the Western Qi Divine Abyss Sea [a vast, spiritually potent sea], the fire of the Pure Yang Celestial Domain [a domain of pure solar energy], the metal of the Western Pole Celestial Domain [a celestial domain associated with the west and metallic properties], the wood of the Myriad Spirits Ancestral Domain [an ancient domain teeming with life force], and the earth of the Great Desert Celestial Sands Domain [a domain of boundless, spiritually-charged desert sands], thereby forging a single Super Five Elements Grand Formation [a supreme formation that harnesses and reverts the power of the five fundamental elements].

This Formation [a structured arrangement of energy and artifacts for specific purposes] was of such magnitude that merely the Innate Treasure [treasures born from the primal chaos of heaven and earth] required to anchor its nodes numbered five. The consumption of Grand Unity Immortal Treasure [supreme treasures of unity used by immortals], World-Opening Treasure [artifacts of power capable of shaping nascent worlds], and other Immortal Treasure [powerful artifacts used by immortal beings] was beyond reckoning.

Thus, time flowed swiftly. By the thirty-thousandth year of the Dao Tribulation [a great cosmic calamity or trial], this grand formation was finally completed. News also spread that Abyssal Daoist [a title for a profound cultivator associated with the abyss] intended to enter seclusion here. He planned to utilize the Five Domains Five Elements Field Formation [the grand formation harnessing the elemental fields of the five domains] to condense his Flawless Taiyi Dao Fruit [a perfect, foundational Dao Fruit representing supreme unity and beginning].

Simultaneously, the various protagonists scattered across the Azure Firmament Immortal Domain [the vast and central immortal domain] each received this intelligence.

"He defeated the Twin Imperial Sons of Tai Cang [the two imperial heirs of the Tai Cang lineage] before even condensing his Dao Fruit [the crystallized essence of a cultivator's comprehension of the Dao, a core achievement]?"

Southern Ridge Heaven Domain [a celestial domain characterized by southern mountain ridges], Golden Crow Heaven Domain [a celestial domain associated with the Golden Crow, a mythical sun-bird].

Within a majestic Grand Hall [a great ceremonial or administrative hall], at the summit of a towering dais, a figure the color of Dao Gold [a legendary, spiritually resonant gold] stood. It resembled a Golden Sun [a radiant, sun-like manifestation of power], emanating a light that illuminated the Heavenly Layers [the stratified layers or realms of heaven] and made direct gaze impossible.

Below, within the Grand Hall, a figure clad in crimson robes stood, his expression grave.

These two individuals were the strongest contemporary Heaven's Chosen [prodigies blessed by heaven] of the Golden Crow [a mythical sun-bird] race, namely the Golden Crow Holy Son and the Crimson Crow Holy Son.

The Crimson Crow Holy Son had cultivated a Triple Taiyi Foundation [a supreme foundational cultivation stage achieved by only the rarest geniuses], his combat power even stepping into the Forbidden Realm [a legendary tier of power that defies conventional cultivation limits]. He was not inferior in the slightest to either of the Twin Imperial Sons of Tai Cang.

The Golden Crow Holy Son, whose Daoist title was Solaris, was the most powerful Heaven's Chosen the Golden Crow race had produced in one hundred million years. He was one of the central figures of this Dao Tribulation [a great cosmic calamity and opportunity], regarded by the Golden Crow Ancient Progenitor as the Great Luo True Seed [a being with the potential to reach the ultimate heights of cultivation] of their race.

At this moment, the Crimson Crow Holy Son gazed at the figure seated above, his expression turning profoundly grave. "This Abyssal Daoist has already forged an Innate Physique [a supreme, heaven-defying bodily constitution]. His combat strength can no longer be measured by the standards of an ordinary Dual Taiyi Foundation."

"Clan Elder Brother Solaris, this person... we must not underestimate him."

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The Golden Crow Holy Son's eyes flickered slightly, yet his tone remained placid. "Forging an Innate Physique ahead of time indeed grants power surpassing even a Triple Taiyi Foundation."

"But the mightier the foundation, the lower the success rate of condensing a Leakless Dao Fruit [a perfect, flawless culmination of one's cultivation path]. Having achieved a Supreme Innate Physique, the difficulty for him to cultivate a Triple Taiyi Foundation would have increased tenfold."

"Even if he leverages the geomantic power of the Five Great Celestial Domains, riding the momentum of conquering the Western Pole Five Celestial Domains to attempt his breakthrough, his chances of success likely do not exceed one or two in ten."

Upon hearing this, the Crimson Crow Holy Son could not help but be momentarily taken aback.

A flicker of delight crossed his features before he inquired further, "According to your esteemed opinion, clan elder brother, this matter is one we need not intervene in?"

SolarisHoly Sons shook his head and then spoke, "Once this individual condenses the Triple Taiyi Foundation [a supreme foundational cultivation stage], he will at the very least be comparable to a Supreme Forbidden Domain [a realm of ultimate power that defies conventional limits] rivaling the Twelve Calamities [a legendary cultivation threshold representing twelve great tribulations]. He might even transcend this domain entirely by leveraging his Innate Physique [a rare, heaven-bestowed bodily constitution]."

"Faced with such a formidable adversary, even if he possesses merely a one-in-ten chance of achieving a breakthrough, we cannot afford to let him attempt it."

Having said this, SolarisHoly Sons issued his instructions: "Chiwu, now that the conflict in the Southern Pole Six Heavens Domain [a celestial domain located at the southern polar region] has been settled, take a contingent of our forces and proceed there."

"Chiwu accepts the command."

The Crimson Crow Holy Son nodded, then after a moment of contemplation asked, "And what of you, Solaris clan elder brother…?"

"I shall not be going."

SolarisHoly Sons shook his head, his gaze turning distant and profound as he declared, "I intend to enter seclusion to reverse-engineer my Innate True Body [the pure, primordial form of one's innate constitution] and cultivate it into the Innate Golden Crow Physique [the legendary constitution of the Golden Crow, a divine solar bird]."

"That is inadvisable," the Crimson Crow Holy Son responded, his expression shifting with concern. "Although you have already achieved the Triple Taiyi Foundation, you have not yet broken through to the Heaven Immortal Realm [the realm of Celestial Immortals]."

"If you prematurely cultivate the Innate True Body, it will inevitably invite an additional, unforeseen tribulation when the time comes for your ascension to the Cosmos [the higher, cosmic realms of existence]."

As the Crimson Crow Holy Son spoke, a flicker of solemnity passed through Solaris's gaze, his expression growing grave.

For an Immortal [a being who has transcended mortality and attained immortality] within the Taiyi Realm [the foundational realm of celestial cultivation], refining Innate Qi [the primordial energy present at the dawn of creation] allows one to reverse their constitution into an Innate True Body [a body of pure, primordial origin], thereby cultivating the Innate Foundation [the most pristine and powerful foundation for an immortal].

However, this path leaves behind significant hidden dangers. The foremost is that the difficulty of advancing to the Triple Taiyi Foundation [the pinnacle of the Taiyi realm, achieved by unifying three supreme foundations] becomes vastly greater.

Secondly, once an Innate True Body is achieved, the Immortal is, in essence, already a Pseudo-Celestial Immortal Great Power [a being whose power approaches that of a true Celestial Immortal]. Attempting to ascend one's Grand Universe [one's personal inner cosmos or world] at this stage would provoke a backlash from the Endless Dimensional Void [the infinite, chaotic expanse between dimensions and worlds].

For the Dimensional Void, an Earth Immortal Realm [the realm of immortals bound to and nurturing a world] cultivator promoting their Cosmos [their inner world or universe] represents a sublimation of both world and cultivation base. While it may be resisted, the Void does not actively block such ascension.

But if a Heavenly Immortal Paragon [a supreme immortal who has ascended beyond earthly bounds] were to attempt to elevate their Cosmos within the Dimensional Void, it would be seen as stealing the Primordial Source [the fundamental creative energy of existence] from the Void itself. This would incur its fierce retaliation, summoning a terrifying Dimensional Great Calamity [a cataclysmic tribulation born from the dimensional void].

Such a Great Tribulation [a monumental, world-shaking trial or catastrophe] is utterly dreadful. Even the most prodigious talent with a Triple Taiyi Foundation would face near-certain death, a path of nine deaths for one chance at life.

Thus, since ancient times, it has been exceedingly rare for a Half-Step Celestial Immortal [an immortal on the very cusp of the Celestial Immortal realm] to refine Innate Qi and reverse their constitution into an Innate True Body before breaking through to the Heaven Immortal [the realm of true celestial immortals].

Solaris, the Holy Sons [esteemed scions of a great sect or lineage], naturally understood this. Yet, after a moment of silent contemplation, his resolve solidified.

"This Dao Tribulation [a grand, epoch-defining trial of the Dao, the fundamental path of cultivation] sees heroes rising from all corners," he declared, his voice firm. "Not just one, but multiple Great Luo Ancient Sect [ancient sects of immense power, tracing their origins to the primordial Luo Heaven] have made their moves. With my current strength alone, I fear I may not be able to safely dominate and sweep through this tribulation."

"If I can Reverse to Innate [a profound cultivation art that allows one to revert their constitution to its primordial, innate state] and cultivate the Innate Golden Crow Physique [a legendary body constitution as radiant and potent as the mythical sun-bird], my certainty of sweeping through the Dao Tribulation [the ultimate heavenly trial that tests a cultivator's comprehension of the Dao] would increase by several degrees."

"Even if the Dimensional Great Calamity [a cataclysmic event that threatens to unravel the very fabric of reality] proves perilous, by that time, wielding the power to have swept through the Dao Tribulation, I would still possess immense confidence in overcoming it."

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