Chapter 1795 : Into the Ruined Immortal Domain

"Charge into the Immortal Domain [a realm of higher existence where immortals reside]?"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the Heaven Immortal [immortals who have ascended to the celestial realm] present all shifted, revealing traces of fear.

Eldrin Chen heard this, his gaze darkening slightly as a look of solemn gravity settled upon his features.

Yet, circumstances were stronger than any individual. Among the several dozen Ancient Immortal Great Power [powerful beings who have achieved immortality in ancient times], the mightiest few had reached a tacit understanding. The other Ancient Immortals naturally would not step forward to act as scouts for these Heaven Immortal.

Do not be fooled by the fact that the number of Heaven Immortal present exceeded several thousand. To defy them would be nothing short of seeking one's own demise.

As these thoughts swirled in their minds, many of the Heavenly Immortal Paragon [the most powerful among the Heaven Immortals] could only grit their teeth and begin flying towards the Ruined Immortal Domain [a fallen and desolate former realm of immortals].

Seeing this, Horizon Sea Ancient Ancestor could only speak: "You few, stay close to me later. We will blend in with the crowd for now."

Eldrin Chen, Lyra Jiang, and the Celestial Maiden [a title for a powerful and revered female immortal] all nodded slightly at this and followed Horizon Sea Ancient Ancestor as he moved towards the Ruined Immortal Domain.

"Boom—"

As the group pressed forward, even before they had stepped within the boundaries of the Ruined Immortal Domain, they encountered numerous Chaos Ancient Beast [primordial beasts born from and dwelling within primordial chaos]. Join our community of readers at audio_novel.com.

Several thousand Heavenly Immortal Paragon [cultivators who have reached the pinnacle of the Heavenly Immortal realm] immediately took action, slaying over one hundred Chaos Ancient Beast [primordial beasts born from the chaos of creation] in an exceedingly brief span of time.

The initial battle proceeded smoothly, yet Eldrin Chen remained deeply solemn. For the most terrifying aspect deep within the Ruined Immortal Domain [a shattered and desolate realm of immortals] was not the beasts, but the incredibly dense Chaos Primordial Energy [the primordial, untamed energy from which all creation sprang] and the presence of Chaos Beast King [monarchs among the chaos beasts, beings of immense and terrifying power].

Do not be misled; while a Late Heaven Immortal Realm [a cultivator in the late stages of the Heavenly Immortal realm] powerhouse is considered a top-tier existence within the Three Thousand Immortal Domains [the collective name for the myriad realms of immortals], any single Chaos Beast King could effortlessly annihilate such a powerhouse.

Suppressed by the Chaos Qi [the raw, chaotic energy that permeates primordial spaces], even a cultivator with an Innate Divine Foundation [a supreme, heaven-bestowed constitution for cultivation]—someone like Horizon Sea Ancient Ancestor, who stands among the very pinnacle of the Great Perfection Celestial Immortal Realm [the perfected final stage of the Celestial Immortal realm]—would find it difficult to withstand more than ten moves against even the weakest Chaos Beast King.

Even as these thoughts swirled in their minds, the host of Heavenly Immortal Paragon had already plunged into the fringes of the Ruined Immortal Domain.

Facing the Three Thousand Immortal Domains now thick with Chaos Qi, some hesitated, while others, confident in their supreme skill, pressed forward boldly. Yet, a flicker of exhilaration colored the expressions of most.

"Fellow cultivators," a voice rang out, "today, with several thousand Heaven Immortal [cultivators of the Heavenly Immortal realm] joining forces, even an Ancient Immortal Great Power [an ancient, supremely powerful immortal] would have to retreat before our might."

"If that is so, what is left to fear? Follow me and charge in!"

A Great Perfection Celestial Immortal Realm cultivator gripping a long spear declared. With a stride that carried an air of invincibility, he was the first to spearhead the assault into the domain.

Witnessing this, the others steeled their resolve. As one, they stepped forward and crossed the threshold into the heart of the Ruined Immortal Domain.

Eldrin Chen and his three companions were no different. The moment they stepped into the Ruined Immortal Domain, Eldrin Chen was immediately assailed by an immense pressure, causing his brow to furrow slightly.

Beside him, Horizon Sea Ancient Ancestor, the Celestial Maiden, and Lyra Jiang all experienced a sudden, drastic change in their expressions.

The Celestial Maiden took a deep breath and could not help but speak out, "The density of Chaos Qi [the primordial, formless energy from which all creation emerged] here is tenfold that of the outside world. The suppression on us is too great. In my normal state, I can only muster less than forty percent of my combat power. Even a single, ultimate explosive strike would only reach seventy percent."

Lyra Jiang also inhaled deeply, her expression turning grave. "My resistance to Chaos Qi is stronger, yet I can only exert fifty percent of my power. At my absolute limit, I can maintain my full strength for merely three moves."

Horizon Sea Ancient Ancestor sighed as well, then added, "I, too, am limited to fifty percent of my strength. A full-power outburst can only be sustained for ten moves at most. I fear we are no match for a Chaos Ancient Beast [a primordial beast born from and adapted to the Chaos] whose power rivals that of the Great Perfection Celestial Immortal Realm."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen's countenance also shifted slightly.

All three of them possessed foundations of either Innate Sacred Spirits [beings born with a sacred, divine nature] or a forbidden Imperial Son Rank. Their strength, at its weakest, was comparable to existences of the Late Heaven Immortal Realm. Their resistance to the Primordial Chaos [the state of undifferentiated existence before the cosmos formed] was exceptionally formidable.

Yet, with such profound Deep-Seated Foundation [the quality and depth of a cultivator's spiritual base], they could only unleash forty to fifty percent of their combat power. If it were ordinary Flawless Celestial Immortal who entered, they would likely be reduced to a mere thirty or forty percent of their might.

"Trouble,"

Eldrin Chen's heart sank. He immediately lifted his gaze to peer into the distance.

In the distant Primordial Chaos [the formless, primordial state before the creation of the cosmos], countless Heavenly Immortal Paragon [cultivators at the peak of the Celestial Immortal realm] were seen wearing expressions of sheer terror.

The leading figure, a Great Power wielding a spear at the Great Perfection Celestial Immortal Realm [the absolute pinnacle of the Celestial Immortal realm], charged with ferocious momentum into the Ruined Immortal Domain [a shattered and desolate realm that was once an Immortal Domain]. Yet, in an instant, his imposing aura was suppressed and brought to a complete standstill.

Immediately after, a claw belonging to a Chaos Ancient Beast [a primordial monster born from the formless chaos, possessing immense and terrifying power], vast enough to blot out the heavens, descended to envelop the Heavenly Layers [the stratified realms of heaven]. It utterly annihilated him, reducing him to a mist of blood, leaving only a final, agonized scream that echoed throughout the Heavenly Layers.

"A Chaos Beast King."

Eldrin Chen felt a jolt of alarm in his heart. He watched as the Chaos Ancient Beast's claw, having extinguished the leading Heavenly Immortal Paragon, vanished in the blink of an eye back into the Boundless Chaos [the infinite, uncharted expanse of primordial chaos].

His heart gripped by fear, he swiftly activated the Chaos Miasma [a mystical mist derived from primordial chaos, capable of concealing one's presence]. He used it to hide his companions, taking refuge in a secluded corner. Only then did he allow himself a slight sigh of relief. Your portal to cultivation novels: audio‑novel.com.

Witnessing this, Horizon Sea Ancient Ancestor was also visibly shaken.

As their leader, that spear-wielding Heaven Immortal [a cultivator who has ascended to the Celestial Immortal realm] could not be called invincible, but he was undoubtedly among the most elite of the Great Perfection Celestial Immortal Realm.

This individual was renowned throughout the Frigid Immortal Domain [an Immortal Domain known for its icy and harsh environment], having once single-handedly defeated a joint assault from two other Great Perfection Celestial Immortal Realm.

A figure of such caliber was akin to the Ethereal Void Sword Master—a being nearly peerless within the Celestial Immortal Realm. Even an ordinary Ancient Immortal Great Power [an immensely powerful cultivator who has lived since ancient times] would have found it troublesome to slay him.

Yet such individuals could not withstand even a single move from the Chaos Beast King [a ruler among primordial chaotic beasts], revealing the sheer terror of the Shattered Immortal Domain [a fragmented and perilous realm of the immortals].

"The Chaos Ancient Beast [an ancient beast born of primordial chaos] that made its move possesses cultivation roughly equivalent to a third-level Ancient Immortals [powerful beings who have transcended mortal limits and attained immortality in ancient times]."

Beyond the Primordial Chaos [the formless, primordial state before creation], the gathered Ancient Immortal Great Power [mighty figures among the ancient immortals] witnessing this scene could not help but frown slightly.

After a moment of contemplation, the Primordial Nether Ancient Ancestor finally spoke: "This Ruined Immortal Domain [a devastated and dangerous immortal realm] originates from the Sea of Chaos [an endless ocean of primordial disorder]. The Chaos Qi [primordial chaotic energy] within it has been diluted many times over by the Three Thousand Immortal Domains [the collective realms of the immortals], yet it still exerts immense suppressive force upon us Ancient Immortals."

"To slay a three-calamity Chaos Beast King within it would require either a joint effort of four or five Ancient Immortals of the same realm, or the intervention of a five-calamity Ancient Immortals, who would need to pay a certain price to have sufficient certainty of success."

Hearing this, the eyes of those present grew pensive.

Though several dozen Ancient Immortal Great Power were gathered now, those who had broken through the barrier of the Threefold Heavens [a profound cultivation realm] numbered only a little over ten.

Just as their thoughts churned, the Heaven-Sunderer Demon Emperor spoke up: "There is no need for such trouble. If I were to act, I could slay it within a hundred moves."

"There is no need to trouble Your Excellency, the Demon Emperor [a sovereign ruler among demonic beings]."

The Cold Night Ancient Immortal immediately spoke, his gaze distant as he said, "It is said that within this Ruined Immortal Domain, there are at least three or four three-calamity Chaos Beast King, and at least one four-calamity Chaos Ancient Beast."

"Your Excellency, the Demon Emperor, should be dealing with that four-calamity Chaos Ancient Beast."

It was at this moment that a series of fierce battles erupted within the Ruined Immortal Domain.

Although their cultivation was suppressed, the Heavenly Immortal Paragon [supreme cultivators who have ascended to the Heavenly Immortal realm] who took action held the advantage in both cultivation base and numbers, managing to gain some ground.

Discovering their lairs were under threat, a multitude of Chaos Ancient Beast [primordial beasts born from the primal chaos] began to roar and charge forth, with even more continuously joining the fray.

"Thirteen Chaos Beast King [rulers among the Chaos Ancient Beasts] have already appeared. Should we continue to wait?"

Watching the countless Chaos Ancient Beast engage, an Ancient Immortal Great Power could not help but voice the question.

However, Cold Night Ancient Immortal remained composed, speaking calmly, "The four-calamity Chaos Beast King has yet to make its move. It is best to wait a little longer."

Upon hearing this, a chill ran through the hearts of many present.

If the various Ancient Immortal Great Power [venerable beings of immense power from ancient times] did not intervene, allowing these Chaos Beast King to slaughter freely, the losses among the Heavenly Immortal Paragon would likely be devastating.

Within the Ruined Immortal Domain, Eldrin Chen's gaze turned icy cold. Cold Night Ancient Immortal's deliberate delay in acting was clearly a ploy to use the enemy's blade to eliminate rivals—the fewer Heaven Immortal [cultivators who have attained the Heavenly Immortal realm] who survived, the fewer would remain to share the spoils.

"For these Ancient Immortal Great Power to act in such a manner, do they not fear that the losses among the Heaven Immortal will be too great, ultimately leading to a failure to conquer this Ruined Immortal Domain?"

From a corner of the Primordial Chaos, Lyra Jiang could not help but voice her thoughts.

Eldrin Chen's brow furrowed slightly. He said nothing more, but in his heart, he felt nothing but contempt.

In his view, the Three Thousand Immortal Domains jointly suppressing the Primordial Chaos were, in reality, bound together in glory and disgrace. Rather than depleting the strength of an Immortal Domain to secure a larger slice of the pie, it would be far better to venture into the Depths of Chaos and find a way to make the pie itself larger.

The conduct of these various Ancient Immortals truly filled Eldrin Chen's heart with disdain.

Seeing this, Horizon Sea Ancient Ancestor also sighed and said, "Those Ancient Immortal Great Power who truly possess the will to expand our territories, after breaking through the Fourth Heavenly Pass, have all gone to seek their fortunes in the Sea of Chaos beyond the Three Thousand Immortal Domains."

"Those who remain behind are naturally those lacking in ambition, mere dregs who rely on the authority of the Frigid Immortal Domain to evade their tribulations."

"For them, living a long life and securing a greater share of the spoils is paramount above all else."

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen finally spoke. "The Great Dao [the supreme, fundamental principle and path of cultivation] offers no return. Having lost that indomitable, forward-driving spirit, they will likely fail to pass the sixth Dao Heart Heavenly Pass [a tribulation testing the purity and resolve of one's Dao-heart]. I fear they will find it difficult to achieve the Great Dao."

Celestial Maiden nodded in agreement, then added, "Demon Emperor Heaven-Sunderer is an exception. It is said He recently returned from the Sea of Chaos, and His breadth of vision and courage far surpass that of ordinary beings."

Even as Eldrin Chen and the others were discussing the situation, outside the Ruined Immortal Domain, some Ancient Immortal Great Power [powerful cultivators who have transcended mortality and attained immense age and strength] could no longer remain idle.

A young Ancient Immortals [immortal beings who have survived at least one great cosmic tribulation] who had endured one Calamity Tribulation [a cataclysmic heavenly trial that tests a cultivator's foundation and will] spoke up, his gaze grave. "If we wait any longer, these Heaven Immortal [immortals who have ascended to the celestial realm] will suffer grievous losses. When the next Calamity Tribulation arrives, the Frigid Immortal Domain will likely be short-handed."

As soon as the words fell, an Ancient Immortals shot through the void, becoming the first to charge towards the Ruined Immortal Domain.

Witnessing this, Demon Emperor Heaven-Sunderer glanced at Cold Night and Primordial Nether, then let out a derisive snort without a word before striding through the Primordial Chaos [the formless, primordial state before creation] towards the Ruined Immortal Domain.

Seeing Demon Emperor Heaven-Sunderer take action, over a dozen more Ancient Immortal Great Power followed. Yet, the majority of the Ancient Immortals remained within the Primordial Chaos.

"A scattered mob, utterly useless."

From a corner of the Primordial Chaos, Eldrin Chen observed the scene and offered this final assessment.

With the power of the several dozen Ancient Immortal Great Power present, combined with the several thousand Heaven Immortal, attacking this Ruined Immortal Domain should, in theory, be a certainty.

However, these several thousand Heaven Immortal and several dozen Ancient Immortals hailed from over a thousand different factions. Their hearts were not united; they were merely a scattered mob.

"I fear this battle may yet hold unforeseen twists."

Eldrin Chen pondered inwardly, then turned to the companions beside him and said, "Since it's a disorganized rabble, it's impossible for them to take this Ruined Immortal Domain [a shattered realm of immortals] in any orderly fashion."

"To avoid being used as mere cannon fodder, I will use the Chaos Miasma [a primordial, obscuring mist] to conceal us. Remember to stay close and follow me. We shall first infiltrate the depths of the Ruined Immortal Domain to scout the situation."

The three of them nodded slightly upon hearing this and followed Eldrin Chen towards the Depths of Chaos [the innermost, most turbulent regions of the primordial chaos].

As they advanced, they discovered that many Heavenly Immortal Paragon [powerful cultivators at the peak of the Celestial Immortal realm] harbored the same idea. Concealing their auras, they too were heading towards the depths of the Ruined Immortal Domain.

The main reason so many Heaven Immortal [cultivators who have ascended to the Celestial Immortal realm] chose this approach was the low intelligence of the Chaos Ancient Beast [primordial beasts born from chaos]. It was possible to lure them apart and defeat them one by one.

After all, the hearts of these various Heavenly Immortal Paragon were not united. Rather than cooperating in a battle where each harbored their own secret schemes, it was better to scatter and fight independently.

The Heavenly Immortal Paragon who took action this time had cultivation bases at least at the Mid Celestial Immortal Realm [the middle stage of the Celestial Immortal realm]. Even though their power was suppressed by the Chaos Qi [the primordial, formless energy of chaos]...

...when facing Chaos Ancient Beast whose average cultivation was lower than their own, as long as they weren't exceedingly unlucky, they still had a fair degree of confidence in protecting themselves.

Eldrin Chen led the trio onward, wandering through the Ruined Immortal Domain, and soon discovered several Chaos Lair [dens or nests formed within pockets of stable chaos].

To his pleasant surprise, nearly every one of these Chaos Lair contained a Chaos Immortal Pool [a pool of concentrated spiritual energy formed in chaos] and also retained traces of Immortal Qi [the purified, potent energy used by immortals].

At this moment, most of the Chaos Ancient Beast were embroiled in chaotic battles, leaving their lairs without formidable forces to guard them.

With the four of them joining forces, they successively captured five Chaos Lair and astonishingly obtained twenty-three strands of Innate Qi [a primordial energy of creation, the foundational essence from which all things are born].

"So many strands of Innate Qi!"

After securing the five Chaos Lair, Eldrin Chen was filled with immense delight, his eyes gleaming with brilliant light.

Beside him, Lyra Jiang was also deeply stirred and could not help but exclaim, "How can there be so many strands of Innate Qi?"

Celestial Maiden, having trodden the Dao [the fundamental principle or path in cultivation] for a longer time and possessing broader knowledge, immediately explained, "The Three Thousand Immortal Domains [the collective name for the myriad realms of the immortal world] are sparse in Chaos Qi [the primordial, undifferentiated energy of creation], so the vast majority of Ninth Rank Low Grade Chaos Lair [a classification for the lowest tier of primordial beast dens] contain no Innate Qi."

"However, within the Sea of Chaos [the boundless, primordial ocean from which all realms are said to have emerged], the Chaos Qi is a hundred times denser than in the Three Thousand Immortal Domains, even condensing into a liquid form known as Chaos Primordial Energy [the most potent and concentrated form of primordial essence]."

"In such an environment, almost every single Chaos Lair is destined to nurture a Chaos Immortal Pool [a pool brimming with concentrated primordial energy, a rare treasure for cultivation]."

"This Ruined Immortal Domain [a shattered and fallen realm of the immortals] originated from the Sea of Chaos, so naturally, each Chaos Lair here contains a Chaos Immortal Pool."

Seeing this, Horizon Sea Ancient Ancestor also spoke up, "From what I know, a Ninth Rank Low Grade Chaos Immortal Pool [the lowest grade of these primordial energy pools], outside the Three Thousand Immortal Domains, requires only one million years to nurture a single strand of Innate Qi."

"Yet within the Three Thousand Immortal Domains [the collective name for the three thousand major worlds of the immortal realm], it requires tens of millions of years to nurture a single wisp, and coupled with the Sea of Chaos [the primordial, formless expanse beyond the ordered worlds] being littered with Chaos Lair [dangerous, unstable zones within the Sea of Chaos], one can see just how staggering the disparity between the two realms truly is."

"What a pity…"

Speaking to this point, Horizon Sea Ancient Ancestor let out a sigh and said, "What a pity that to set foot in the Sea of Chaos, one must possess at least the cultivation of the Ancient Immortal Realm [a powerful immortal realm surpassing the Heavenly Immortal stage]."

"In truth, without someone to watch over them, a single-calamity Ancient Immortals [immortals who have survived at least one great heavenly tribulation] faces a Death probability exceeding ninety percent within the Sea of Chaos. To possess a modicum of self-preservation capability within that chaotic sea, one must at least have broken through the Fourth Heavenly Pass [a significant milestone representing the mastery over four profound heavenly principles]."

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen could not help but feel a renewed yearning for the Sea of Chaos stir within his heart.

To be fair, the resources within the Sea of Chaos were a hundredfold, a thousandfold greater than those within the Three Thousand Immortal Domains. If one possessed sufficient strength to establish a foothold there, then Eldrin Chen certainly would not cling to the relative safety of the Three Thousand Immortal Domains.

Though this Immortal Domain [a general term for a realm of immortals] was safe, its already scarce resources had been scoured over and over by countless Heaven Immortal [immortals who have ascended to the heavenly realm]. How could it compare to the boundless opportunities of the Sea of Chaos?

Thinking of this, Eldrin Chen could only sigh in reflection. "No wonder the vast majority of those Ancient Immortals who have survived four calamities or more have departed from the Three Thousand Immortal Domains."

"Indeed."

Celestial Maiden also nodded, a note of sentiment coloring her voice as she said, "If we wish to achieve the Great Luo [the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, a pinnacle of immortal cultivation] in the future, we must ultimately leave the Three Thousand Immortal Domains and venture into that Sea of Chaos to seek our fortune."

Horizon Sea Ancient Ancestor also snapped back to reality, his gaze turning towards the Ruined Immortal Domain. He couldn't help but smile and say, "This place is a heaven-sent opportunity for us, almost equivalent to exploring the Sea of Chaos [the primordial, formless expanse from which all realms are born] in advance."

"I believe that as long as we can survive and leave this place, we might accumulate enough fortune to break through to the realm of Ancient Immortals [powerful beings who have transcended mortality and achieved longevity through profound cultivation]."

"Then let us continue our journey."

With their minds filled with such thoughts, the group pressed onward. Soon after, they successfully conquered two more Chaos Lair [dangerous nests formed from the raw energies of chaos], obtaining seven strands of Chaos Qi [the primordial, unrefined energy of creation and destruction].

It was at this moment they arrived before a Chaos Lair of such immense scale it dwarfed anything they had ever seen or even imagined in their entire lives. Published by audio-novel*com. All rights reserved.