Chapter 1680 : Secrets of the Immortal Alliance

Upon hearing this, Song Luo nodded deeply, finding the words profoundly true.

Yet, after a moment's contemplation, he shook his head once more. "In this world, not even a Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [the pinnacle of cultivation, a being of near-omnipotent power] can simply bulldoze through all opposition. The importance of strategy and planning remains paramount."

"Take, for instance, the Great Encompassing [a supreme cultivation realm] Opportunity and Fortune [the destined chances and luck crucial for advancement] of one's disciples and followers, or the critical barriers to breaking through to the realm of a Path Ancestor Immortal Sage [an ultimate sage who has mastered a fundamental cosmic Path]. Even they cannot control these matters entirely. It requires intricate scheming, constant maneuvering and strategic gamesmanship against numerous rivals. Only through such protracted efforts does the possibility of success emerge."

Eldrin Chen fell into a pensive silence upon hearing this.

He did not pursue the topic further. Instead, he remained within the secret chamber with Mystery Abandoned and Song Luo, the three of them engaging in a hushed, clandestine discussion.

This secret council lasted for a full half-day.

Only after that time had passed did Eldrin Chen slip away unnoticed from the Song Luo Palace and return to the heart of the Returning Abyss Sea Region.

Once back within the Returning Abyss Sea Region, Eldrin Chen immediately summoned his allies. That very same day, he mobilized his forces and set course for the Heavenly Dragon Sea Region.

Simultaneously, the four major powers received word of his movements. They began gathering their own armies within the Heavenly Dragon Sea Region, intending to form a united front there to oppose the transcendent might of the Returning Abyss Immortal Alliance.

By the time Eldrin Chen's grand host arrived at the Heavenly Dragon Sea Region, he found the combined legions of the four powers already assembled and waiting.

On that day, the two sides faced off beyond the Heavenly Dragon Sea Region. Eldrin Chen surveyed the surroundings and saw the four great powers arrayed in four distinct directions, their boundaries as clear as separated waters.

Witnessing this, Exquisite Jiang could not help but speak, "The four great powers are united in appearance but divided at heart. This is indeed a fine opportunity."

Eldrin Chen nodded upon hearing this and said, "When the great battle erupts shortly, I and the Myriad Spirit Patriarch will hold off the four Celestial Immortals. You all must concentrate your forces and focus your attack solely on the Violet Flame Divine Clan."

"If the Violet Flame Divine Clan suffers grievous losses while the other major powers remain relatively unscathed, their morale will surely collapse into chaos."

Upon hearing his words, everyone nodded in agreement.

At that very moment, several figures emerged from the distant void.

From amidst the Violet Flame Divine Clan, a figure clad in violet robes stepped forth into the empty air. His gaze, calm and detached, settled upon Eldrin Chen. "Path Master Returning Abyss," he said, "you have broken through two great Grotto-Heavens [self-contained paradisiacal realms]. Your methods are indeed extraordinary."

"Yet, to rely on this alone and dare to confront the four ancient sects is nothing short of seeking your own demise."

This person was the Ninth Divine Scion of the Violet Flame Divine Clan, a peerless prodigy who had also established the legendary Triple Primordial Unity Foundation [a supreme and nearly mythical foundation for cultivation].

But Eldrin Chen offered no reply. He merely lowered his head and spoke to Exquisite Jiang and the others, "Proceed as planned."

As his words fell, he grasped the Heavenly Halberd [a divine weapon of immense power] and soared into the air. With a single palm strike, he sought to suppress the Ninth Divine Scion.

"How presumptuous!"

Seeing Eldrin Chen act with such utter disregard, the Ninth Divine Scion immediately raised a divine sword wreathed in Violet Flame [a mystical, potent purple fire] and slashed downward, actually managing to block Eldrin Chen's palm strike.

"Hmm—"

"An Innate Celestial Slaughter Sword [a supreme weapon born of heaven's slaughterous intent]?"

Eldrin Chen let out a soft sound of surprise, a flicker of astonishment crossing his features.

The Ninth Divine Scion sneered coldly before declaring, "This is the Innate Violet Flame Sword [a sword born from the union of heaven-bearing earth and violet flame]. It was conceived from the Heaven-Bearing [a mythical, foundational earth] and the Violet Flame. It is more than sufficient to deal with you."

Eldrin Chen nodded, his tone calm as he stated, "With an Innate Celestial Slaughter Sword to protect you, you are indeed superior to those fellows from Western Essence [a grotto-heaven realm] and Divine Abyss [another powerful grotto-heaven realm]."

"However, that is the full extent of your advantage."

As his final word echoed, Eldrin Chen swung the Heavenly Halberd down with crushing force, sending the Ninth Divine Scion hurtling backward through the air.

In merely three moves, the Ninth Divine Scion of the Violet Flame Divine Clan was forced into a bloody retreat, proving utterly incapable of standing against Eldrin Chen.

Seeing the situation turn dire, several figures within the void immediately shifted their expressions.

A Heavenly God from the Violet Flame Divine Clan stepped forth through the air, directly intervening to block Eldrin Chen.

Simultaneously, the Mystery Abandoned Path Master from the Celestial Net Ancient Sect also moved to flank him, joining forces to besiege Eldrin Chen.

Not only that, but from both the Nirvana Dragon Clan and the Longevity Sun Clan, a Celestial Immortal each stepped forward, intending to intercept Eldrin Chen.

Fortunately, Myriad Spirit Patriarch arrived swiftly. He tore through the void and directly intercepted the two Path Masters.

At the same time, the various Half-Step Celestial Immortal experts from both sides joined the fray, igniting a grand and tumultuous battle across the sea.

High upon the Heavenly Vault, Eldrin Chen fought one against two. Both the Elder from the Violet Flame Divine Clan and the Mystery Abandoned Path Master from the Celestial Net Ancient Sect were peerless prodigies of the Third Heaven Celestial Immortal Realm.

Even with his formidable prowess, holding his ground against two such opponents proved a daunting task, and he struggled to gain the upper hand.

On another front, Myriad Spirit Patriarch simultaneously contended against the Elder from the Nirvana Dragon Clan and the Celestial Immortal from the Longevity Sun Clan. As the fierce combat raged on, he gradually found himself being pushed onto the defensive.

After all, Myriad Spirit Patriarch [the ancient progenitor of myriad spirits] had only just broken through to the first layer of the Celestial Immortal [a realm of immortal beings who have ascended to the heavens] realm. Facing the combined assault of two cultivators at the Third Heaven Celestial Immortal Realm [the third and most profound stage of the Celestial Immortal realm], he was under immense pressure.

Fortunately, Myriad Spirit Patriarch possessed astonishing spiritual power. Now that both his Myriad Spirit Purifying Vase [a mystical vase capable of purifying and containing countless spirits] and Myriad Laws Wondrous Tree [a miraculous tree embodying the principles of ten thousand natural laws] had reached the Innate Realm [a state of being where power is inherent and born from within], he was able to hold his ground, even if he was gradually being pushed back.

Meanwhile, in the battle below between the Half-Step Celestial Immortal [cultivators who have touched the threshold of the Celestial Immortal realm but not fully ascended] combatants, the Returning Abyss Immortal Alliance [a coalition of immortal forces dedicated to guarding the realms] had firmly seized the upper hand.

The Chen Immortal Clan [the immortal lineage of the Chen family] now boasted a full eleven combatants with strength equivalent to the Triple Primordial Unity Foundation [a supreme cultivation foundation that unifies body, energy, and spirit threefold]. In contrast, the four major opposing forces had only four such individuals. Even though these forces possessed more ordinary Half-Step Celestial Immortal, they still found it difficult to withstand the Returning Abyss Immortal Alliance.

Particularly in the thick of the fray, Exquisite Jiang [the peerlessly skilled immortal maiden Jiang] and Nyssa Qu [the graceful immortal maiden Qu] joined forces to assault the Ninth Divine Scion of Violet Flame [the ninth heir of the Violet Flame divine lineage]. Within mere dozens of exchanges, they had driven him into a desperate retreat.

"This time," someone observed, "it seems the clash of the Half-Step Celestial Immortal Realm will be the key to breaking the stalemate."

Amidst the grand melee, both sides clearly perceived the state of the conflict.

They understood perfectly: this battle would be decided either by the four Celestial Immortal Great Power [beings of immense power within the Celestial Immortal realm] breaking through Eldrin Chen [the patriarch of the Chen clan] and Myriad Spirit Patriarch, or by the defeat of their own Half-Step Celestial Immortal forces, which would leave the four Great Powers surrounded and overwhelmed.

With this realization, both sides fought with utter desperation, each striving to completely crush their immediate foes.

Yet, after only a few dozen more clashes, before the battle high above in the Heavenly Vault [the highest expanse of the celestial firmament] could conclude, Exquisite Jiang grew impatient, her resolve hardening to shatter the enemy lines in a single, decisive strike.

With a mere flick of his sleeve, he summoned forth the Innate Primordial One Energy Pearl [a divine pearl containing the foundational energy of creation]. In that instant, he activated the Primordial One Energy Grasping Hand [a divine technique that manifests a giant hand of primordial energy] within the treasure pearl, intending to completely suppress the Ninth Divine Scion of Violet Flame.

The Violet Flame Divine Scion was prepared. He immediately summoned an Innate Celestial Slaughter Sword [a sword born of heaven, imbued with the power to slay] and resisted with all his might.

Yet at this very moment, Verdant Consort, now free from her own engagement, made her move. From above her head, an Innate Ancient Gourd [a primordial gourd, a vessel of immense power] soared forth.

Instantly, a blade of light, dazzling beyond compare, shot from the gourd, streaking towards the Ninth Divine Scion of Violet Flame with lethal intent.

The Ninth Divine Scion of Violet Flame possessed a Triple Primordial Unity Foundation [a supreme cultivation foundation unifying three primordial forces]. Under normal circumstances, he might have had a chance to evade. But now, suppressed by the combined might of his foes, how could he possibly dodge this Slaughter-imbued flying dagger? In a flash, his Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core and true essence of a cultivator] was utterly extinguished.

"Ninth Divine Scion!"

Witnessing the fall of the Ninth Divine Scion of Violet Flame, the Elder of Violet Flame Clan's eyes turned icy cold. He gripped a radiant Heavenly Blade [a blade forged with celestial power] and brought it down—a strike powered by a Middle-Grade Innate Treasure [a powerful magical artifact born of heaven and earth, of intermediate rank].

Faced with such an assault, Eldrin Chen had no choice but to defend with his full strength. Yet, a faint smile touched his lips.

"Now is the moment."

"*Clang—*"

In that very instant, Mystery Abandoned Path Master seized the fleeting opportunity. He summoned forth a dazzling golden awl and hurled it with lethal intent, its trajectory aimed unerringly at the Elder of Violet Flame Clan.

The Elder of Violet Flame Clan, wholly focused on his desperate struggle against Eldrin Chen, was utterly blindsided by this sudden assault from Mystery Abandoned Path Master. The golden awl pierced through his physical form without mercy, shattering half his body into ruin.

Simultaneously, with a mere flick of his finger, Eldrin Chen unleashed a cataclysmic bolt of five-colored lightning. He had invoked the Half-Step Patriarch Level Divine Ability known as the Five Elements Divine Thunder [a supreme thunder technique harnessing the combined power of the five fundamental elements].