Chapter 1762 : Supreme Path of the Divine Sovereign

He understood with perfect clarity that in this moment, Eldrin Chen had forged a path of the Supreme [the ultimate, transcendent principle], surpassing the ancient sages of Buddhism and Daoism, and now possessed a bearing akin to a Divine Sovereign [a supreme divine ruler] or Celestial Emperor [a heavenly emperor]. "This youth is not inferior to me," Taiyang, the Imperial Son of Tai Cang remarked. And in that very instant, Eldrin Chen struck again. With a thunderous roar, the Immortal Iron Staff in Eldrin Chen's hands surged with ever-greater, overwhelming momentum, pressing down upon the three Buddha [a supreme enlightened being in Buddhism] and Bodhisattva [an enlightened being who vows to save all sentient beings] until they could scarcely breathe. Though he had attained enlightenment in this moment, hatred still festered in Eldrin Chen's heart. Had it not been for the persecution by the Celestial Xuan Ancient Sect and the three great Grotto-Heaven [a blessed, paradisiacal realm of profound spiritual energy], how could matters between him and Bodhisattva Wenshin have deteriorated to this point? Now, Eldrin Chen struck with that bottled-up rancor. The Immortal Iron Staff in his hands tore through the eight directions with boundless divine power, its towering Baleful Qi [malignant, destructive spiritual energy] sweeping through the Heavenly Layers [the stratified realms of heaven] and overturning all within the cosmos. Even with three Heavenly Immortal Paragon [a peerless master within the Heavenly Immortal realm] joining forces, they were utterly powerless before such divine might. After a succession of several staff blows, Golden Lion Arhat was forcibly cleaved apart upon the Void [the formless, empty space that underlies all existence]. "Ah—!" The agonized scream of Golden Lion Arhat startled Crimson Brow Buddha and filled the Bodhisattva of the Celestial Melody Pure Land with terror. The two sought to flee in haste, only to discover the Void had long been sealed. Lifting their gazes, they saw a Yin-Yang Void Realm [a treasure embodying the duality of Yin and Yang within the Void] blooming with Innate Light [primordial, uncreated radiance] high in the Void Heaven [the heavenly realm of emptiness], completely locking down the eight directions and six harmonies. Not even a Heavenly Immortal Paragon could break out. With space sealed, how could the two possibly be a match for the present Eldrin Chen? In just over thirty exchanges, both were cleaved down on the spot by Eldrin Chen. Simultaneously, high in the Nine Heavens Above [the highest celestial realms], another great battle reached its white-hot climax. Taiyang, the Imperial Son of Tai Cang, Fighting One Against Two, not only did not fall to a disadvantage but instead pressed the two Flawless Celestial Immortal [a Celestial Immortal whose cultivation is perfect and without flaw] into a steady retreat. The Yin-Yang Immortal-Slaying Spear and Yin-Yang Infinite Armor wielded by Taiyang, the Imperial Son of Tai Cang both possessed power comparable to a High-Grade Innate Treasure [a supreme treasure born from primordial chaos], and with their augmentation, his combat prowess nearly rivaled half a seventh-level Heaven Immortal [an immortal who has ascended to the heavenly realms]. Though Blood Nirvana Ancient Buddha and Treasure Wheel Arhat possessed extraordinary strength, even combined they could gain no advantage. Seeing the situation turn dire, they immediately sought to disengage and flee. From the Firmament [the vault of heaven], a colossal hand descended, blotting out the sky and sealing their escape route. "Treasure Wheel True Body [the ultimate manifestation of the Treasure Wheel Arhat's power]!" Treasure Wheel Arhat roared, manifesting an immeasurable Arhat Golden Body [the indestructible golden form of an enlightened Arhat] to forcefully withstand this full-powered strike. Alas, the ten-thousand-zhang Arhat Golden Body was ultimately no match for the Primordial Chaos Qi Grasping Hand [a divine hand technique that seizes the very essence of primordial chaos] and was instantly suppressed within the Void. "Flee, now!" Witnessing this, Blood Nirvana Ancient Buddha felt his liver and gall bladder shatter in terror. He instantly transformed into a streak of bloody light, fleeing through the Void Heaven and appearing in the Nine Heavens Above in the blink of an eye. Yet almost simultaneously, at the edge of the Endless Void [the boundless expanse of emptiness], a figure in snow-white robes opened his eyes. With a flick of his finger, a strand of Ethereal Void Sword Qi [sword energy that pierces through the ethereal void] pierced the Void, instantly cleaving Blood Nirvana Ancient Buddha in two. "Ah—!" Suddenly grievously wounded, Blood Nirvana Ancient Buddha let out a scream of agony. At the critical moment between Life and Death [the boundary between existence and oblivion], his Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator]—a Buddhist embryo—fled forth, attempting to vanish into the heavens. "Halt—!" But in that same instant, another sword light shot through the air, nailing his Divine Soul [the divine essence of the soul] upon the Void Heaven. Following the trajectory of the sword light, the onlookers saw it split into the Heavenly Separated Twin Swords [a pair of divine swords capable of severing heaven itself], which flew back into the sleeves of the snow-robed figure. "Boom—!" At that moment, the Primordial Chaos Giant Hand erupted with blazing light, accompanied by a series of deafening explosions. Treasure Wheel Arhat struggled desperately, but in the end, under the incineration of the Chaos Pure Yang Flame [a pure yang flame born from primordial chaos], he was reduced to a sky full of tribulation ashes. "Hiss—!" Within the Void, many spectating figures widened their eyes in shock and awe. A knowledgeable Late Heaven Immortal Realm [the later stages of the Heaven Immortal realm] took a deep breath and exclaimed in astonishment, "To suppress a Flawless Celestial Immortal with a few moves, a mere flick of the fingers... I never imagined that in the mere span of several hundred thousand years, his power has grown even stronger." "Even if he employed his ultimate techniques, to so easily suppress two flawless Mid Celestial Immortal Realm [the middle stage of the Celestial Immortal realm]—this combat prowess is truly astonishing." "His strength, though perhaps not yet equal to an eighth-level Heaven Immortal, should be sufficient to rival the combined might of two seventh-level Heaven Immortal." Upon hearing this, everyone present drew a sharp breath. The gap between each minor realm within the Late Heaven Immortal Realm was vast. For a seventh-level Heaven Immortal to contend with an eighth-level, at least four or five would need to join forces. But generally, those who reached the Late Heaven Immortal Realm were all prodigious talents with Three Innate Foundations [three innate, perfect foundations], with little disparity between them. To be capable of Fighting One Against Two at this level marked one as among the most elite Heaven's Chosen [those favored by heaven with exceptional talent]. How long had it been since Eldrin Chen broke through to Heaven Immortal? To already possess such combat power was truly hard to believe. Deep within the Divine Abyss Grotto-Heaven, after witnessing this battle, the Divine Abyss Daoist summoned Yuanzhi the Daoist and sighed, saying, "Now that the Abyssal Daoist [the Daoist of the Abyss, a title for Eldrin Chen] has risen, our strength is likely insufficient to oppose him." "I plan to leave the Azure Firmament Immortal Domain [the Vast Azure Immortal Domain] for a time. During this period, you must remember not to provoke the Abyssal Immortal Alliance." Upon hearing this, Yuanzhi the Daoist's face paled slightly. He took a deep breath and could not help but ask, "Grandfather, for what purpose are you journeying into the Primordial Chaos [the formless, primordial state before creation] this time?" "I have arranged to meet several friends to hunt a Ninth Rank Top Grade Primordial Chaos Beast [a supreme-grade beast born from primordial chaos] within the Primordial Chaos, in order to refine a Nine Revolutions Immortal Pill [an immortal pill refined through nine cycles] and break through my Physical Body [the cultivation of the physical form]." "If we succeed this time and I cultivate to the eighth level of Heaven Immortal, perhaps there is still hope of opposing the Abyssal Daoist. If we fail..." Divine Abyss Daoist murmured softly, finally sighing, "If we fail, you must prepare to seal the Divine Abyss Grotto-Heaven and withdraw from the mortal realm, not to reappear until the Calamity Tribulation [a great cosmic calamity] arrives." Hearing this, Yuanzhi the Daoist fell into silence. How difficult a task it was to slay a Ninth Rank Top Grade Primordial Chaos Beast. Even the weakest of such beasts could unleash even greater combat power within the Primordial Chaos, making them exceedingly difficult for even an eighth-level Heaven Immortal to kill; only a ninth-level Heaven Immortal had a reasonable chance. For someone like Yuanzhi the Daoist, a seventh-level Heaven Immortal, even inviting five or six seventh-level Heaven Immortal friends to join forces offered little hope of slaying a Chaos Ancient Beast [an ancient beast of chaos]. Most crucially, if they provoked a Chaos Ancient Beast comparable to an eighth or even ninth-level Heaven Immortal, they would likely perish within the Primordial Chaos. Seeming to notice his expression, the Divine Abyss Daoist spoke again, "Do not worry. Among the friends joining this endeavor is the Five Veins Spear God from the Frigid Immortal Domain. He is an eighth-level Heaven Immortal." "Coupled with the four of us seventh-level Heaven Immortal joining forces, even if we cannot slay the Chaos Ancient Beast, we should have the power to protect ourselves." At this point, Divine Abyss Daoist sighed and said, "As early as several hundred thousand years ago, Western Qi Celestial God had already begun exploring the Depths of Chaos. I do not know if he has broken through to the eighth level of Celestial God [a divine being of celestial rank] by now." "If I shrink back now, the Hundred Calamities Rebirth Opportunity [a rare opportunity for rebirth that occurs once every hundred calamities] nine million years from now will likely have nothing to do with this old man." "..." While the Divine Abyss Grotto-Heaven was filled with anxiety, the battle in the Great Desert Celestial Sands Domain was drawing to a close. With Bodhisattva Wenshin taking his own life and the five Heaven Immortal all fallen, the immortals and buddhas of the Great Desert Celestial Sands Domain had no more capacity for resistance. Eldrin Chen personally took action, willing to bear immense karmic sin, and successively shattered several hundred Blessed Land [lands blessed with spiritual energy] and destroyed four great Grotto-Heaven, causing boundless Immortal Spirit Qi [immortal spiritual energy] to scatter among the Heavenly Layers, nourishing the infinite vitality of the Great Desert Celestial Sands Domain.