Chapter 1705 : The Flawed Path Fruit's Power

The reason Eldrin Chen termed it a pseudo-Triple Primordial Unity Foundation was precisely because this Path Fruit [the condensed essence of a cultivator's understanding of their chosen Dao] was not a Flawless Path Fruit [a perfect, stable, and enduring manifestation of a cultivator's Dao].

Although, after receiving the empowerment from this Path Fruit, Eldrin Chen discovered his overall power had surged by nearly double, shattering a certain limiting barrier.

However, this Path Fruit possessed a significant flaw; it was like a dream bubble or a fleeting shadow, liable to collapse at any moment.

Eldrin Chen roughly calculated that he could, at most, mobilize sixty percent of its power. Exceeding this limit would cause this illusory Path Fruit to disintegrate and shatter in an extremely short time.

In other words, if Eldrin Chen unleashed his full power, he likely possessed only a single strike's worth of strength.

Under normal circumstances, Eldrin Chen's current combat prowess was considerably stronger than before his breakthrough, yet it lacked that qualitative, transformative gap.

"A full-power burst yields but a single strike."

"That should be sufficient, I believe."

Eldrin Chen murmured inwardly. Once the members of the Immortal Alliance [a coalition of powerful immortal cultivators] broke through to the Celestial Immortal [a high-level immortal realm] and he refined the five strands of Innate Energy [the primordial, uncreated energy of the cosmos] to advance his Innate Primordial One Limitless Path Principle [a supreme cultivation art], the degradation and subsequent re-cultivation of this Path Fruit would no longer be a major concern.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen emerged from the Seclusion Chamber [a specially prepared room for undisturbed meditation and cultivation] to find Exquisite Jiang standing guard for him. Dive deeper into the Dao at www . audio-novel.com.

Seeing Eldrin Chen emerge, Exquisite Jiang couldn't help but ask, "How did it go?"

"Not entirely successful."

Eldrin Chen shook his head, then added, "However, I have comprehended the path forward. From now on, my cultivation need only follow its prescribed course."

Speaking of this, Eldrin Chen informed her of his Immaculate Celestial Immortal Path [a path of cultivation that leads to a flawless and exalted state of immortality].

After listening, Exquisite Jiang couldn't help but voice her concern, "But if that is the case, your foundation will likely be no weaker than that of an Innate Divine Spirit [a being born with divine power and nature]."

"When the time comes for you to ascend to the Universe [the grand cosmic realm beyond the mortal world], I fear it will attract the most dreadful of tribulations."

"I understand."

Eldrin Chen nodded, then stated firmly, "For an Innate Divine Spirit to ascend and become a Universe, it is an event the Dimensional Void [the fundamental fabric of space and reality] cannot tolerate."

"But," he continued, his voice resolute, "so long as I am sufficiently powerful, I will possess the certainty to overcome even such a Tribulation [a heavenly trial or calamity that tests a cultivator's strength and resolve]."

Not wishing to let Exquisite Jiang worry further, Eldrin Chen changed the subject, inquiring, "How has your cultivation progressed these past years?"

Hearing Eldrin Chen's inquiry, Exquisite Jiang couldn't help but smile slightly before speaking. "With the aid of the Path Source [a primordial source of spiritual energy and enlightenment], everyone's progress has been exceptionally smooth."

As Exquisite Jiang recounted the tale, Eldrin Chen gradually came to understand the changes that had swept through the Returning Abyss Immortal Alliance over these years.

During the several millennia of Eldrin Chen's secluded cultivation, the Returning Abyss Immortal Alliance had consumed vast quantities of incredibly precious resources. The cultivation progress of its members had been extraordinarily swift, with everyone achieving new breakthroughs to varying degrees.

Within the Chen Immortal Clan, Exquisite Jiang refined a Path Source associated with the Triple Primordial Unity Foundation [a supreme cultivation art focusing on the unification of three primordial essences], and also consumed several Innate Flat Peach [legendary peaches of immortality that grant immense longevity and spiritual power]. Her foundational reserves finally accumulated sufficiently, allowing her combat prowess to reach the domain of the Twelve Tribulations.

Nyssa Qu refined the Path Source of a Primordial Era Thunder Dragon. Although she did not step into the Eleven Tribulations Domain, she reached the pinnacle of the Ten Tribulations level, standing just a single step away from the Twelve Tribulations Domain.

Verdant Consort also made significant progress. With the Innate Creation Verdant Lotus [a primordial lotus embodying the essence of creation and life] as her foundation, her strength had been steadily advancing all these years.

The clan welcomed two new members to the Forbidden Domain [a legendary realm of power where cultivators defy conventional limits]: Energy Abyss Chen and Kael Chen.

Among them, Energy Abyss Chen refined ten pieces of Adamantine Mithril [a mythical, nearly indestructible metal] of Primordial Unity Immortal Gold grade. His Immortality Golden Body [a divine ability that grants a body of immortal golden light] finally shattered its previous limits, achieving a toughness capable of withstanding strikes from Low-Grade Innate Treasure [magical treasures born from the world's natural laws], thus stepping firmly into the Forbidden Domain.

Kael Chen lived up to expectations. Utilizing the fires of heaven and earth, he merged and refined the Enlightened One's Tribulation-Transcending Body, the Demon King World-Destroying Body, and the Path Lord Path Union Body into one, successfully cultivating the Myriad Worlds Unification Body [a supreme physique that unifies the power of countless realms], which contains the profound Reincarnation Power [the power of the cycle of death and rebirth].

The potential of these two was immense. For Energy Abyss Chen, as long as he continued to refine Adamantine Mithril, his physical body would grow stronger in a near-limitless fashion. Once he shattered the barriers of the Forbidden Domain, his upper limit would become astonishingly high.

Energy Abyss Chen's Myriad Worlds Unification Body [a supreme physique capable of unifying the power of countless realms] also possesses boundless potential. His three Path Fruit [the condensed essence of a cultivator's understanding of a specific Dao Path]—the Buddha, the Demon King, and the Path Lord—are all existences with limitless prospects.

And now that these three Path Fruit have acquired their respective Path Body [a physical form perfectly attuned to a specific Dao Path], Golden Body [an indestructible physical form achieved through Buddhist cultivation], and Demon Physique [a powerful corporeal form forged through demonic arts], their greatest weakness has been remedied.

When these three unite, converging the power of three lifetimes, Eldrin Chen believes their combined might is in no way inferior to the Polarity [the supreme principle of opposing yet complementary forces, like Yin and Yang] cultivated by Diyang Tai Cang.

Beyond these five figures in the Forbidden Domain [a legendary realm of cultivation that defies conventional limits], the other members of the Chen Immortal Clan have also experienced tremendous growth in their cultivation.

Although Violet Consort Yan, Lila, Ethan Chen, Verdant Seal Patriarch, Worthy Verdancy Chen, and Worthy Longevity Chen have not broken through to the Forbidden Domain, after refining the Nine Tribulations Path Source [a primordial source energy that has endured nine heavenly tribulations], their spiritual power and foundational essence have surged by more than thirty percent.

Their current strength now places them among the powerful even within the ranks of Nine Tribulations Half-Step Celestial Immortal [cultivators who have survived nine heavenly tribulations and stand on the threshold of becoming true Celestial Immortals]. The complete novel can be found at audio-novel[dot]com.

Finally, Exquisite Jiang added, "Both Primordial Solar Holy Son and Wind Cloud Path Scion have also broken through to the Forbidden Domain."

Eldrin Chen merely nodded, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "It seems that in a few more years, once their spiritual power accumulates to perfection, they will not be far from breaking through to the Celestial Immortal Realm [the realm of true, ascended Immortals]."

Upon hearing this, Exquisite Jiang gave a slight nod of agreement. She then retrieved a letter from her hand and passed it over.

"This is a letter Grandfather had delivered some years ago. You should read it."

Eldrin Chen's eyes flickered slightly. He took the letter and glanced at it, his brow involuntarily furrowing with concern.

This missive had been delivered a thousand years prior. According to its contents, the current situation within the Eastern Pole Six Heavenly Domains [the six major celestial realms of the Eastern Pole] had undergone significant changes.

As one of the focal points of this Path Tribulation [a cataclysmic conflict determining the fate of cultivation paths and territories], the circumstances in the Eastern Pole Six Heavenly Domains were exceptionally dire.

Here, the Path Tribulation primarily pitted the Human Race [the collective of human cultivators] against the Demon Race [the collective of demonic beings and beast cultivators]. The demon side boasted a full four Forbidden Prodigy [peerless geniuses who have reached the pinnacle of their cultivation realm, capable of defying conventional power levels]. These were: the Primordial Era Thunder Dragon [an ancient dragon born in the primordial times, wielding supreme thunder power], the Zhu Yan Imperial Scion [a direct descendant of the mythical beast Zhu Yan, possessing immense innate power], the Nine-Tails Heavenly Fox [a celestial fox of nine tails, master of illusion and profound wisdom], and the Five-Colored Immortal Phoenix [a phoenix radiant with five colors, symbolizing rebirth and supreme fire affinity].

Among them, the Five-Colored Immortal Phoenix was one of the Path Tribulation Protagonist [a key figure destined to play a decisive role in the Path Tribulation] for the Demon Race. Its cultivation was comparable to a Forbidden Domain [a legendary, near-mythical stage of power beyond standard tribulation levels] cultivator who had survived twelve tribulations. It was an Imperial Scion Level Figure [a figure of imperial lineage or equivalent supreme status] hailing from the Immortal Phoenix Ancestral Court [the sacred ancestral homeland of the phoenix race] within the Primordial Immortal Domain [one of the most ancient and powerful immortal realms].

The Zhu Yan Imperial Scion was also one of the Path Tribulation Protagonist. Its power rivaled that of an eleven-tribulation Forbidden Domain cultivator, making it the third such Path Tribulation Protagonist for the Demon Race in this conflict.

Both the Nine-Tails Heavenly Fox and the Primordial Era Thunder Dragon possessed power equivalent to ten-tribulation Forbidden Domain cultivators, making them entities of unfathomable depth.

Within the Eastern Pole Six Heavenly Domains, the prodigies of the Human Race were at a slight disadvantage. They had only a single Path Tribulation Protagonist: the Void Holy Son [a chosen scion of the Void Path], Path Ruins Jiang.

Furthermore, there were only two other Human Race Forbidden Prodigy who had come from beyond the Vast Azure Immortal Domain [the overarching immortal realm encompassing many domains] to lend their aid. Overall, the human forces were at a disadvantage.

Fortunately, as one of the Path Tribulation Protagonist, Path Ruins Jiang was bolstered by the power of the Scripture of Innate Primordial Breath [a supreme cultivation manual concerning the primal energy of creation] and enjoyed the full support of the Void Grotto-Heaven [a transcendent paradise realm aligned with the Void Path]. This allowed him, and by extension the human side, to hold their ground without falling behind.

Especially after the fall of the Primordial Era Thunder Dragon [a legendary dragon from the primordial times], Path Ruins Jiang seized the momentum to launch a counter-offensive, dealing a devastating blow to the Demon Race [a powerful faction of demonic beings].

Unfortunately, this favorable situation did not last long. Two thousand years ago, the Demon Race [a powerful faction of demonic beings], which had swept across the Southern Ridge Six Heavenly Domains [a vast celestial territory in the southern region], took action. The Golden Crow Imperial Sun led three thousand elite troops in a surprise attack on the Eastern Pole Six Heavenly Domains [a celestial territory in the eastern pole]. The Human Race [the collective of human cultivators and factions] was forced into retreat across three thousand celestial paths within a mere thousand years.

Now, the Human Race [the collective of human cultivators and factions] within the Eastern Pole Six Heavenly Domains [a celestial territory in the eastern pole] has been driven back and is trapped, holding out within the Void Mountain Range [a formidable mountain range shrouded in void energy]. In the long run, a defense without respite is bound to fail.

After reviewing the intelligence, Eldrin Chen let out a soft sigh and remarked, "This Imperial Sun is quite cunning. He intends to capture the Eastern Pole Six Heavenly Domains [a celestial territory in the eastern pole] while we are consolidating our gains and recuperating."

"Then, he plans to combine the forces of the Demon Race [a powerful faction of demonic beings] from the Twelve-Layered Heaven [a higher, more profound realm of existence] to deal with us together." Access the full story on site: audio-novel.com.