Chapter 1797 : Treasures of the Primordial Chaos

As for the shock and fury of the heirs from the various Ancient Immortal Grotto-Heaven, Eldrin Chen paid them no mind.

He led the four of them onward, journeying deeper into the Ruined Immortal Domain, carefully avoiding the trails of the major Grotto-Heaven powers and the Chaos Ancient Beast.

Only after reaching a secure location did the four finally take out the treasures they had obtained.

Gazing upon these treasures, their faces were alight with ecstatic joy. Horizon Sea Ancient Ancestor could not help but exclaim, "The gains from this venture are enough to match the accumulation of a hundred million years for us."

Eldrin Chen also gave a slight nod. From plundering this Peerless Chaos Lair, they had obtained a total of seventy-two strands of Innate Qi [the primordial energy from which all things are born], along with sixty-one portions of Innate Marvels [wondrous objects born from the primordial chaos].

Adding to the twenty-three strands of Innate Qi and the twelve portions of Innate Marvels obtained earlier, the total came to ninety-five strands of Innate Qi and seventy-three portions of Innate Marvels.

Setting aside the Innate Qi for now, among this vast quantity of Innate Marvels, there were fifteen Low Grade Innate Marvel, forty-nine Mid-Grade Innate Marvels, and nine High Grade Innate Rare Treasure.

Above all these Innate Marvels, the most precious were the Innate Primordial Chaos Pill [a pill refined from the essence of primordial chaos] and the Past Life Flower [a mystical flower said to hold memories of past lives]. Both were Supreme Grade Innate Marvel, rarities even among Innate Ancient Treasure.

Especially the Past Life Flower, which now had Celestial Maiden practically salivating with desire. She could not help but look toward Eldrin Chen.

Understanding her unspoken plea, Eldrin Chen spoke immediately. "This object possesses the wondrous ability to pierce through the veil of Reincarnation [the cycle of death and rebirth], aiding an Immortal in recovering cultivation from a past life. Among us, the only one who could truly make use of it is Senior Celestial Maiden." Visit audio-novel.com to enjoy the complete series.

"In my opinion, this item should be entrusted to Senior Celestial Maiden [a title for a powerful female immortal]."

Upon hearing this, Horizon Sea Ancient Ancestor nodded and said, "If Celestial Maiden Fellow Daoist [a respectful term for a fellow cultivator] can restore her cultivation base, she will undoubtedly become a great asset to our cause. It is indeed fitting for her to recover her strength."

Celestial Maiden took a deep breath upon hearing this and nodded to Eldrin Chen. "Today, I owe you a debt of gratitude."

Eldrin Chen said nothing more, merely offering a faint smile as he handed the Past Life Flower [a legendary herb said to awaken memories and power from past lives] to Celestial Maiden.

The Past Life Flower possesses miraculous properties. It is said that, with the sole exception of Great Luo Golden Immortals [the highest realm of cultivation, transcending the cycle of rebirth] who have transcended Reincarnation [the cycle of death and rebirth], this flower can help any being below the Great Luo realm to recover the cultivation base from their previous life.

Thus, the value of the Past Life Flower is immeasurable, a Supreme [a prefix denoting the highest grade or quality] treasure in the hands of any cultivator, its worth growing with the user's own power.

Even those who have shattered the barriers of the Eighth Heaven [the eighth layer of the Celestial Immortal realm], those awe-inspiring Eight Calamity Ancient Immortals [Ancient Immortals who have survived eight heavenly tribulations], covet this item with intense desire.

Indeed, the flower proved itself worthy of being a Supreme treasure coveted by Ancient Immortalss [immortals who have lived for countless eons]. The moment Celestial Maiden consumed it, the very air erupted with a shower of celestial blossoms.

Vast, boundless streams of Innate Dao Patterns [the fundamental patterns of the Great Dao that are part of a being's innate nature] returned from the depths of the Netherworld [the realm of the dead and departed souls], converging and pouring into Celestial Maiden's body.

In that instant, Celestial Maiden's cultivation base began to surge violently—Fifth Heaven Celestial Immortal [the fifth layer of the Celestial Immortal realm], Sixth Heaven Celestial Immortal [the sixth layer], Seventh Heaven Immortal [the seventh layer]…

In the blink of an eye, her cultivation base was restored to the Great Perfection Celestial Immortal Realm [the pinnacle stage of the Celestial Immortal cultivation path]. A vast and majestic power of the Innate Sacred Spirits [primordial beings born of heaven and earth, possessing immense innate power] slowly began to reawaken.

After a long while, the Celestial Maiden slowly opened her eyes. Her gaze now radiated an aura of supreme nobility.

"The cultivation of a past life, the Dao Fruit [the ultimate spiritual attainment and power condensed from one's lifelong cultivation of the Dao] of this present one."

"Now they have finally merged into one. A pity, it is still half a step short."

The Celestial Maiden murmured softly, a trace of regret coloring her expression.

At this moment, her cultivation became even more profound and unfathomable. Her aura felt even more substantial and vast than that of the Master of the Horizon Sea Pavilion.

Through her aura, Eldrin Chen perceived that her foundation was immeasurably deep. Within the Great Perfection Celestial Immortal Realm, she could almost be considered invincible, her power approaching that of two and a half ordinary cultivators at that same peak realm.

Yet, despite such formidable combat strength, she remained just that small, crucial step away from breaking through to the Ancient Immortal Realm [a legendary realm beyond the Celestial Immortal, where cultivators attain near-eternal life and power].

"Yet, it is not without its gains."

The Celestial Maiden suddenly whispered. Innumerable Innate Dao Patterns [natural, cosmic patterns that embody fundamental principles of the Dao] lit up between her brows. Following this, a single Snow Lotus [a mystical lotus that blooms in frigid, spiritual environments] slowly flew forth—it was precisely the Frigid Snow Lotus.

Upon that Quasi-Innate Ancient Treasure [a treasure on the cusp of awakening its innate nature], which had already given birth to eleven Innate Dao Patterns [the fundamental patterns of the Great Dao imprinted upon an object], a twelfth, Hazy [indistinct and ethereal] Innate Dao Patterns slowly took form. It finally merged with the previous eleven, coalescing into a single, Hazy Great Dao Embryo [the nascent, embryonic form of a cultivator's connection to the fundamental Dao].

"An Innate Ancient Treasure [a treasure born with innate connection to the fundamental Dao]!"

"The Frigid Snow Lotus."

Eldrin Chen murmured, a flicker of pleasant surprise lighting his eyes.

The Celestial Maiden [a title for a powerful female immortal] gave a slight nod. "With the return of my cultivation from a past life, merging with the Dao Fruit [the condensed essence of one's cultivation path] of this life, it has finally taken that final step," she said.

Beside her, Lyra Jiang nodded in agreement. "With your Lifebound Immortal Treasure [a treasure intimately connected to a cultivator's life and cultivation] advancing to Innate Ancient Treasure, it seems your breakthrough to the Ancient Immortal Realm [the realm of ancient, venerable immortals] may not be far off." Immerse yourself in the complete world at www . audio-novel.com.

"Not so fast."

The Celestial Maiden shook her head, a wry smile touching her lips. "Though merging the Dao Fruit of two lifetimes allowed it to advance, the fusion itself inevitably left some flaws and imperfections."

"Now, with my Dao Fruit blemished, it is as if my Dao Foundation [the foundational principles of one's cultivation path] has been dusted over. Until I thoroughly cleanse these foundational flaws, breaking through to the Ancient Immortal Realm will likely remain difficult."

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen also gave a slow, understanding nod.

The Past Life Flower [a mystical herb that can awaken memories and cultivation from a past life] can assist a Immortal [a being who has ascended to immortality] in recovering their cultivation from a previous incarnation. In theory, merging the Dao Fruit [the condensed essence of one's cultivation path and enlightenment] from two lifetimes holds the potential to propel one's cultivation to a higher realm.

However, such an act of Defy Heaven [defying the natural order of heaven and fate] naturally carries inherent flaws. Otherwise, if an Eight Calamity Ancient Immortal [an ancient immortal who has survived eight heavenly tribulations] were to reincarnate and cultivate anew, reaching the Eight Calamity Realm once more, then consuming the Past Life Flower to reclaim their former power would surely allow them to soar to unparalleled heights, would it not?

Yet, reality proves otherwise. The fundamental foundation and cultivation attained across two lifetimes, through the process of reincarnation and renewed cultivation, are ultimately not identical.

For instance, if one's previous life achieved enlightenment with a Triple Taiyi Foundation [a supreme, triple-layered foundational cultivation base] and ascended to form a Forbidden Foundation [a legendary, near-mythical grade of cultivation foundation], how could the two Dao Fruit possibly fuse together seamlessly after merging?

Moreover, the Dao Principles [the fundamental laws and truths comprehended and embodied through cultivation], the Immortal Physique [a body refined and tempered to an immortal state], and the very nature of the Dao Fruit cultivated across two lives will differ, leading to mutual rejection. The greater the divergence, the more intense the conflict becomes.

Furthermore, the higher the cultivation level achieved in both lifetimes and the closer their power, the greater the repulsive force between them.

In a case like that of Celestial Maiden [a title for a powerful female immortal], where her previous life reached the Great Perfection Celestial Immortal Realm [the pinnacle of the Celestial Immortal realm] and her current life is at the Celestial Immortal Fourth Layer [the fourth stage of the Celestial Immortal realm], it is still possible. The former life's Dao Fruit can completely suppress and then gradually refine the current cultivation, allowing for a breakthrough.

However, if both lifetimes cultivate to the Great Perfection Celestial Immortal Realm, the likelihood of a successful fusion plummets. Even if fusion is achieved, allowing a breakthrough to the Ancient Immortal Realm [a realm beyond Celestial Immortal] by combining the power of two lives, any hope of further advancement would likely be extinguished forever.

The exception lies in cases like the Tribulation Transcending Divine Monk [a divine monk who has transcended heavenly tribulations]. The Six Lifetimes Sutra of the Buddha [a supreme Buddhist scripture for integrating six lifetimes of cultivation] he practices is a Great Luo Inheritance [a supreme inheritance from the Great Luo realm]. It can perfectly harmonize and merge the Dao Fruit from six incarnations, ultimately forging a Flawless Present Body [a perfect, unblemished physical and spiritual form].

For Celestial Maiden now, the situation is favorable. The foundational bases of her two lives are nearly identical, and the gap in their cultivation is vast. She need only completely refine the Dao Fruit of her current cultivation to continue her breakthrough into the Ancient Immortal Realm.

However, to thoroughly refine and integrate the cultivation base of this lifetime would likely require a minimum of several million years.

Regardless, with Celestial Maiden [a title for a powerful female immortal] having now recovered her cultivation and possessing an Innate Ancient Treasure [a primordial treasure born from the chaos of creation] for protection, the safety of the group was once again significantly bolstered.

Seeing that Celestial Maiden had regained her power, Eldrin Chen then turned his gaze to the Innate Primordial Chaos Pill [a supreme elixir refined from the essence of primordial chaos] and said, "This Innate Primordial Chaos Pill is of no use to me. Let it be entrusted to Senior Tianya."

Upon hearing this, Horizon Sea Ancient Ancestor gave a slight, acknowledging nod.

He did not refuse the offer and simply stated, "The remaining treasures shall be yours."

Eldrin Chen nodded in agreement. The remaining ninety-five strands of Innate Qi [primordial energy, the foundational essence of creation] held immeasurable value. Coupled with the seventy-three Innate Marvels [wondrous objects of varying grades born from the primal chaos], their combined worth was likely equivalent to two or three Innate Ancient Treasure.

With this batch of Innate Qi and Innate Marvels, Eldrin Chen's cultivation was certain to advance by leaps and bounds.

Thinking this, Eldrin Chen directly stored the treasures away. He then retrieved ten strands of Innate Qi and began the process of refining them.

Even before his breakthrough to the Mid Celestial Immortal Realm, Eldrin Chen's Innate Primordial Indestructible Physique [a supreme body cultivation art granting near-absolute resilience] had already been cultivated to the Minor Accomplishment stage, which in turn facilitated his ascension to the Mid Celestial Immortal Realm.

Now, although his cultivation had broken through to the Mid Celestial Immortal Realm, to advance further to the Fifth Heaven Celestial Immortal or even the Sixth Heaven, he would need to cultivate all his Innate Dao Fruit [the condensed fruits of one's comprehension of the Dao, representing core cultivation achievements] to the Minor Vehicle [Minor Vehicle] realm.

Now that he possessed the Innate Qi [a primordial, foundational energy of creation], Eldrin Chen naturally did not delay any further.

He continuously channeled his Mana [the refined spiritual power of a cultivator] and focused on his Dao Fruit [the condensed essence of one's cultivation path and enlightenment], beginning to refine and absorb the Innate Qi. His Dao Fruit began to advance by leaps and bounds.

"It seems that within a few centuries, my Dao Fruit will reach the Minor Vehicle [the initial stage of mastery for a profound ability or cultivation achievement]," he mused.

Eldrin Chen whispered to himself, a flicker of joy rising within his heart.

Once his Dao Fruit achieved the Minor Vehicle, there would be no further bottlenecks before his breakthrough to the Sixth Heaven Celestial Immortal [the sixth tier of the Celestial Immortal realm]. He would only need to accumulate sufficient Mana to break through naturally.

Furthermore, at that point, Eldrin Chen's combat prowess would see a tremendous increase. He might even possess strength comparable to a Ninth Layer Celestial Immortal [a cultivator at the ninth and pinnacle layer of the Celestial Immortal realm].

The only aspect where he might fall short of a Great Perfection Celestial Immortal Realm [the state of flawless completion within the Celestial Immortal realm] would perhaps be a slight inferiority in the depth and vastness of his Mana reserves.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen handed twenty strands of Innate Qi to Lyra Jiang. Then, while continuing to refine his own portion of Innate Qi, he spoke, "Let us continue forward. We must simply proceed with caution."

Returning to the matter at hand, the four of them pressed on, beginning to explore the various Chaos Lair [dangerous domains born from primordial chaos] along their path.

Unfortunately, by this time, most of the remaining Chaos Lair had already been scavenged by other Heaven Immortal [immortals who have ascended to the Heavenly Immortal realm]. Despite searching diligently for a long while, they only managed to acquire five more strands of Innate Qi.

If placed in the outside world, obtaining five strands of Innate Qi [a primordial form of spiritual energy, the foundational essence of creation] in such a short time would be considered truly astonishing.

Yet, compared to their previous harvests, this mere hundred strands of Innate Qi could scarcely catch their eye anymore.

"Too many Heavenly Immortal Paragon [a supreme cultivator who has ascended to the pinnacle of the Heavenly Immortal realm] have taken action," Eldrin Chen remarked, his gaze turning grave. "Even though the Ruined Immortal Domain [a shattered realm that was once part of the celestial order] holds thousands of Chaos Lair [a pocket dimension born from primordial chaos, often containing rare treasures], when divided among everyone, each person ends up with only a few strands of Innate Qi."

Failing to scavenge more treasures, Eldrin Chen spoke in a low, contemplative voice, his expression somber.

Horizon Sea Ancient Ancestor also furrowed his brow slightly before looking into the distance and saying, "To seize the greatest opportunities, we must venture into the Peerless [the highest grade of treasure, denoting supreme rarity and power] Chaos Lair."

Celestial Maiden [a title for a female cultivator of exalted beauty and power] nodded in agreement, then inquired, "Then which Peerless Chaos Lair should we head for?"

Eldrin Chen pondered for a moment before declaring, "How can one catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger's den?"

"We go to the one in the Central Realm [the core and most perilous region of a domain]!"

Upon hearing this, the hearts of the group trembled faintly.

By now, they had largely discerned the layout of this Ruined Immortal Domain. Within this Shattered Immortal Domain [another term for a ruined celestial realm], a total of Sevenfold Celestial Realms [seven distinct, layered celestial planes or regions] remained preserved.

Within the Sevenfold Celestial Realms, there exists one Peerless-grade Chaos Lair in each realm. Each of these Chaos Lair serves as the lair of a Chaos Beast King.

Among them, the Peerless-grade Chaos Lair located in the Central Realm of the Sevenfold Celestial Realms is the foremost of the seven Chaos Lair.

Of the sixteen Chaos Beast King that have already emerged, five hailed from that Peerless-grade Chaos Lair, a testament to its extraordinary nature.

"It is likely that this Chaos Lair still has Chaos Beast King guarding it from within,"

Horizon Sea Ancient Ancestor cautioned, his expression turning grave.

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod, his gaze distant as he spoke. "The other five Peerless-grade Chaos Lair are already under the watch of various Ancient Immortals. Venturing there now would be too perilous, and we might well return empty-handed."

"Only this Central Chaos Lair remains the pivotal point of this conflict, a fortress unlikely to be fully breached."

"We shall lie in wait outside its maw, biding our time. If an opportunity arises, we infiltrate; if none presents itself, we depart without a second glance."

"Agreed."

The three of them nodded in unison and immediately set their course for the Central Chaos Lair.

They traversed the Primordial Chaos [the formless, primordial state before the creation of the cosmos], swiftly arriving at the periphery of the Central Chaos Lair. They discovered this particular Chaos Lair [a nest or den formed within the Primordial Chaos, often inhabited by terrifying beings] was terrifying to an extreme degree.

Occasionally, a Heavenly Immortal Paragon [a supreme expert at the Heavenly Immortal stage] would risk their life to infiltrate it, only to vanish like a stone dropped into an abyss, failing to raise even a single ripple.

"We must not act rashly."

Eldrin Chen murmured, his expression grave as he declared, "Within this Chaos Lair, there undoubtedly resides a being of ultimate power."

Celestial Maiden also nodded, her face somewhat pale as she said, "I have a feeling... this place harbors a supremely potent aura of killing intent, like a Primordial Chaos behemoth poised to devour its prey."

"Let us conceal ourselves first, then wait for the opportune moment to act."

Eldrin Chen remained silent, observing intently for a long while before leading the group deep beneath the earth of the Ruined Immortal Domain [a shattered and desolate realm that was once part of an Immortal Domain].

As they passed through the Primordial Chaos and reached the heart of the Ruined Immortal Domain's landmass, they were instantly assaulted by an overwhelmingly powerful pressure, startling them all.

Eldrin Chen scrutinized the area and noticed that upon this fractured earth, intertwined streams of Qingxuan [a name, likely referring to a person or concept associated with azure and profound energies] and another colored energy were being compressed together by a force of Chaos Suppression [a divine ability to suppress or control chaotic energies], nearly coalescing into a thin, barely perceptible fissure.

"This is..."

Lyra Jiang murmured, her gaze trembling slightly with realization.

Eldrin Chen was also filled with delight and could not help but speak out: "The Qi of Heaven and Earth [the dual spiritual essences of Heaven and Earth, representing the fundamental forces of yang and yin]."

So, these two streams of Qingxuan-colored Qi were precisely the Heavenly Pure Qi [the pure, ascending yang essence of the heavens] and the Earthly Mother Qi [the nurturing, grounding yin essence of the earth].

This Qi of Heaven and Earth possessed boundless and wondrous applications; it was the crucial component required for the Yin-Yang Primordial Qi Vase to condense the Heaven-Earth Creation Water [a legendary water of creation born from the fusion of Heaven and Earth's essences].

However, this Qi of Heaven and Earth was exceedingly rare. Even with Eldrin Chen's current level of cultivation, he could not gather it in large quantities.

Yet here, a thin layer contained thousands upon thousands of strands of this Qi of Heaven and Earth, its value so immense it sent a thrill of wild joy through Eldrin Chen.

"So much Qi of Heaven and Earth!"

Horizon Sea Ancient Ancestor also noticed this spectacle and could not help but show a trace of surprise.

However, this Qi of Heaven and Earth was merely a low-grade Taiyi Rare Treasure [a rare treasure of the primordial Taiyi grade], not yet worthy of catching his eye. He spoke with detached calm: "If my conjecture is correct, after the ancient Immortal Domain was breached, boundless waters of Primordial Chaos [the formless, primordial state before creation] came flooding in."

"The Heavenly Pure Qi from the Nine Heavens and the Earthly Mother Qi from the depths of the earth were both suppressed by the Chaos Qi [the chaotic, undifferentiated primal energy]. They were compressed relentlessly into this crust of the earth, yet sheltered by the lingering Great Dao [the supreme, fundamental law of existence] of the Ruined Immortal Domain. Ultimately, they formed this convergence layer of Qi of Heaven and Earth."

"The fact that so many strands of Qi of Heaven and Earth [the primordial energy of the cosmos, the source of all creation] have coalesced here means its value likely rivals tens of trillions of Immortal Source [a primordial substance of immense spiritual purity]. This can indeed be considered a significant opportunity."

"I suspect its original quantity was thousands upon thousands of times greater than what we see now. The vast majority must have been eroded by the Chaos Qi [the formless, primordial energy preceding creation], leaving behind only this remnant."

"This Qi of Heaven and Earth [the primordial energy of the cosmos, the source of all creation] is precisely what I urgently require."

Eldrin Chen spoke, then turned his gaze to Horizon Sea Ancient Ancestor and Celestial Maiden. "Within this stratum, there must be no fewer than tens of thousands of strands of Qi of Heaven and Earth [the primordial energy of the cosmos, the source of all creation]. I wish to gather them all."

"Agreed."

Upon hearing this, Horizon Sea Ancient Ancestor was momentarily taken aback. After a brief pause, he gave a slight, approving nod. For uninterrupted reading, go to audio-novel`com.