Chapter 1837 : The Limit of Spiritual Water

Upon hearing this, Lyra Jiang understood that while the Innate Spiritual Water [a primordial water of spiritual origin] possessed the Mysterious Profound [a profound and mysterious divine ability], it was not omnipotent.

This water could accelerate the growth of the Primordial Ancient Trees [trees of immense age and primordial power] and replenish part of the Primordial Source [the foundational, primordial life-force] required for them to bear fruit. However, it could not supply all the Primordial Essence Power [the fundamental essence and power of primordial origin] the Ancient Tree [an ancient, venerable tree] needed.

Thus, after repeatedly hastening their maturation, it would lead to a depletion within the Primordial Ancient Trees. Until their Primordial Source recovered, no amount of further application of the Innate Spiritual Water could force them to bear fruit again.

Understanding this, Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod. "Regardless, to possess seventy-two Heaven Soul Fruit [a fruit that nourishes and elevates the soul] every Calamity Tribulation [a cycle of heavenly calamities and tribulations] is still an exceedingly rare feat."

Lyra Jiang also nodded in agreement upon hearing this. Gazing at the Heaven Soul Fruit before them, she said, "These fruits are sufficient to help several individuals break through the Nascent Soul Celestial Passage [the celestial passage leading to the Nascent Soul realm]."

Eldrin Chen nodded again. According to the conventions of the Three Thousand Immortal Domains [the collective name for the myriad realms of immortals], if a Four Calamities Ancient Immortal [an Ancient Immortal who has survived four heavenly calamities] could refine ten Heaven Soul Fruit, their Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] would have a high probability of breaking through the Nine-Limit Realm [a realm defined by nine fundamental limits], thereby shattering the Nascent Soul Celestial Passage and advancing to Fifth Tribulation Ancient Immortal [an Ancient Immortal who has survived five heavenly calamities].

The seventy-two fruits before them meant they were roughly sufficient for the cultivation needs of seven Ancient Immortals [immortals of great age and power].

If supplemented with rare treasures for nourishing the Divine Soul [the divine aspect of the soul], such as Soul-Nourishing Wood [a mystical wood that nourishes and strengthens the soul] and Dragon's Saliva Incense [an incense made from dragon's saliva, beneficial for spiritual cultivation], the number of Heaven Soul Fruit consumed could be significantly reduced.

According to Eldrin Chen's calculations, refining a large segment of Soul-Nourishing Wood, assisted by three or four Heaven Soul Fruit, could potentially allow one to cultivate and achieve the Nascent Soul Celestial Passage.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen took twenty of the Soul-Nourishing Fruits and tossed the remainder to Lyra Jiang. "Use the remaining Heaven Soul Fruit in conjunction with the Soul-Nourishing Wood for your cultivation." Experience the full epic at (audio-novel.com).

"I cannot linger much longer. I hope that by the time I return, you will have already broken through the Nascent Soul Celestial Passage [the critical barrier to ascend from the Nascent Soul realm to the Celestial Immortal realm]."

Hearing this, Lyra Jiang took Eldrin Chen's hand and said, "You have already paved the path of cultivation for us. If we cannot overcome this hurdle, how could we ever hope to catch up to your footsteps in the future?"

Eldrin Chen offered a faint smile, saying no more, and finally departed from the Azure Firmament Immortal Domain.

Utilizing the Abyssal Pearl [a mystical pearl capable of traversing the void], he returned to the Sea of Chaos [a turbulent, primordial expanse between realms], then crossed the Primordial Chaos [the formless, primordial state before creation] to arrive at the Violet Sun Immortal Domain. There, he found Horizon Sea Ancient Ancestor and the Celestial Maiden [a title for a powerful female immortal], who were in secluded cultivation.

The pair had just finished refining the Dragon's Saliva Incense [a rare incense that aids in spiritual enlightenment and cultivation]. Upon sensing Eldrin Chen's arrival, they immediately emerged from their Seclusion Chamber [a chamber designed for undisturbed meditation and cultivation].

"You have returned remarkably swiftly this time."

Seeing Eldrin Chen return so quickly, the Celestial Maiden could not help but express her surprise.

Eldrin Chen shook his head, however, and spoke calmly, "I merely employed a clever shortcut."

Without elaborating further, Eldrin Chen reached into his sleeve and produced two sections of Soul-Nourishing Wood [a rare spiritual wood that nourishes and strengthens the soul] and six Heaven Soul Fruit [a celestial fruit that greatly enhances spiritual power and soul essence].

With just a glance, Horizon Sea Ancient Ancestor felt a tremor in his heart. "This..." he began, his voice filled with awe.

"For you," he said.

Eldrin Chen spoke with a faint, gentle smile. "Having refined two sticks of Dragon's Saliva Incense and now with the aid of these two treasures, your chances of breaking through the Nascent Soul Celestial Passage should be quite substantial."

Celestial Maiden and Horizon Sea Ancient Ancestor exchanged a glance, their hearts filled with a mixture of astonishment and delight.

Yet, after a moment's hesitation, Celestial Maiden demurred, "These rare treasures... they are far too precious."

"Indeed," the other agreed. "We feel unworthy of accepting them."

Before Eldrin Chen departed this time, he had mentioned bringing them a section of Soul-Nourishing Wood [a spiritual wood that nourishes and stabilizes the soul], which they had already anticipated.

In their estimation, a single section of Soul-Nourishing Wood was worth three hundred strands of Innate Qi [the primordial energy of creation]. With the Calamity Tribulation [a great cosmic trial] approaching, the price might have risen by half, placing it around four hundred and fifty strands.

From their recent expedition into the Primordial Chaos [the formless, primordial state before creation], the three of them had obtained treasures collectively valued at over two thousand strands of Innate Qi. Adding the Heaven Soul Fruit Tree [a divine tree whose fruit nourishes the heavenly soul], whose value was beyond simple measure, each person's share should still exceed five hundred strands.

Five hundred strands of Innate Qi would be more than enough to purchase a standard section of Soul-Nourishing Wood.

But what Eldrin Chen had presented was not a mere section; it was a large, substantial piece of Soul-Nourishing Wood. The difference in value was immense.

It must be understood that a large segment of Soul-Nourishing Wood [a rare spiritual wood that nourishes and heals the soul] has a market price starting at eight hundred Innate Qi [the primordial, unformed energy of creation]. Generally, such items can only circulate within the Great Luo Ancient Sect [a powerful and ancient cultivation sect] and are exceedingly rare in the open market.

The scarcity of large segments of Soul-Nourishing Wood in the market is primarily because the vast majority of Ancient Immortals [powerful cultivators who have transcended mortality and achieved immense longevity] simply cannot afford them.

Typically, the Ancient Immortals who require Soul-Nourishing Wood are mostly those at the fourth or fifth Calamity Tribulation [a cataclysmic heavenly trial faced by cultivators at major milestones]. With the power of a Four Calamities Ancient Immortal [an Ancient Immortal who has survived four Heavenly Calamities], one can at most slay a Chaos Beast King [a powerful beast born from primordial chaos] of the first or second calamity level.

A Four Calamities Ancient Immortal is greatly suppressed within the Sea of Chaos [the boundless, formless expanse of primordial chaos]. Attempting to slay a Chaos Beast King is fraught with peril; often, not only do they fail to kill the beast, but they end up being relentlessly hunted by a Chaos Beast King of equivalent power.

Consequently, when Ancient Immortals venture into the Sea of Chaos, they frequently sustain injuries, wasting vast amounts of time and resources in secluded meditation to heal their wounds.

Many Four Calamities Ancient Immortal Ancient Ancestor [a venerable title for a senior and powerful cultivator] find that after braving the Primordial Chaos [another term for the formless, primordial state before creation] for an entire Calamity Tribulation cycle, their harvest of Innate Qi may amount to over a thousand strands. Yet, more than half of this is spent on purchasing healing Immortal Herbs [plants imbued with potent spiritual energy for healing and cultivation], leaving little truly saved. For the best reading experience, visit audio-novel*com.

The overwhelming majority of Four Calamities Ancient Immortal often toil for hundreds of millions of years, only to barely accumulate two or three hundred strands of Innate Qi.

If they do not perish, a Four Calamities Ancient Immortal might, after saving for the duration of one or two Calamity Tribulation cycles, barely afford a small fragment of Soul-Nourishing Wood.

Yet, relying on just a small fragment of Soul-Nourishing Wood is rarely enough to break through the Nascent Soul Celestial Passage [a critical bottleneck realm in cultivation, representing a major advancement]. Thus, multitudes of Ancient Immortals Ancient Ancestor waste hundreds of millions of years, often failing to advance to the fifth calamity Ancient Immortal Realm [the realm of an Ancient Immortal].

The Great Luo [the supreme cultivation realm] with its Nine Great Heavenly Passes [the nine monumental barriers within the Great Luo realm] presents a colossal threshold at each Heavenly Pass. Those who can cultivate from a First Calamity Ancient Immortal all the way to a Seven Calamities Ancient Immortal are peerless geniuses, one in a thousand.

Returning to the main topic, both Horizon Sea Ancient Ancestor and Celestial Maiden naturally understood the immense value of this large section of Soul-Nourishing Wood [a rare spiritual wood that nourishes and strengthens the soul]. To say nothing of the fact that when Eldrin Chen gifted them the Soul-Nourishing Wood, he also presented them with three Heaven Soul Fruit [a miraculous fruit that can elevate the quality of one's soul essence].

The Celestial Maiden took a deep breath and could not help but say, "The combined value of the Soul-Nourishing Wood and the Heaven Soul Fruit exceeds one thousand two hundred strands of Innate Qi [the primordial energy present at the birth of the universe, a fundamental resource for high-level cultivation]. Even with our resources, we could not afford to purchase them."

"We must ask you, Fellow Daoist, to quickly take them back. There is no need for such profound nurturing."

Eldrin Chen shook his head, however, and said with a faint smile, "We both know that for true High-Rank Ancient Immortals, neither Innate Ancient Treasure [a treasure born from the primordial chaos at the dawn of creation] nor Supreme Grade Innate Marvel [a supreme-grade wonder of nature formed from innate laws] can be considered the ultimate divine objects."

"The ability to break through one's own cultivation bottlenecks is the most priceless treasure of all."

"These treasures may seem precious, but what I truly desire is for you both to break through to the Fifth Calamity Realm and become my two great pillars of support. That, I believe, is the most crucial matter."

Horizon Sea Ancient Ancestor pondered for a moment before speaking, "Consider this a debt we owe you. We shall repay it in full when we venture into the Primordial Chaos [the formless, primordial state of existence before the cosmos was ordered] in the future."

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen nodded with a smile and handed the several treasures over to Horizon Sea Ancient Ancestor and Celestial Maiden.

Seeing his resolve, the two offered their thanks once more before departing to enter secluded cultivation to refine these rare treasures.

Watching them leave for their retreat, Eldrin Chen gave a slight, satisfied nod, a genuine smile gracing his features.

Among the nine Great Luo Heavenly Passes [the nine supreme barriers to transcendence in the Great Luo realm], the Destiny Heavenly Pass [the barrier of fate and destiny] is the most ethereal and elusive. To shatter one's own Destiny Heavenly Pass, one requires an Innate Spiritual Treasure [a treasure born of primordial chaos, containing innate laws] to serve as a 'Dao-Unification Supreme Treasure,' capable of merging with Great Dao Power [power derived from the fundamental laws of the cosmos] to achieve the breakthrough.

The Spiritual Treasure Heavenly Pass [the barrier requiring an Innate Spiritual Treasure] places the greatest emphasis on serendipity and backing. Those blessed with Defy Heaven [heaven-defying, extraordinary] fortune may naturally obtain an Innate Spiritual Treasure and thus achieve their breakthrough.

For those lacking such heaven-defying luck, having a Great Luo Ancient Sect [an ancient and powerful sect from the Great Luo realm] as their backing can also grant them an Innate Spiritual Treasure bestowed upon them, allowing them to transcend the eighth calamity of the Ancient Immortal Realm [the realm of Ancient Immortals].

The Divine Ability Celestial Passage [the barrier requiring a supreme divine ability] values talent and enlightenment above all. Those of exceptional brilliance can create their own Great Luo Divine Ability [a divine ability of the Great Luo realm], ascending to the heavens in a single step to shatter the Divine Ability Celestial Passage.

Those with astonishing comprehension can study and master a Patriarch-Grade Divine Ability [a divine ability created by a Great Luo Patriarch] left behind by a predecessor of the Great Luo [the Great Luo realm]. Achieving mastery over such an ability likewise allows one to break through the Divine Ability Celestial Passage.

Of course, there is a disparity between these two paths. Those who cultivate a Divine Ability [a supernatural power or technique] created by another can never truly rival its originator. They are generally limited to cultivating it to the Nine-Limit Realm [the Ninth Limit, a high but not ultimate stage of power] of a Patriarch-Grade Divine Ability.

However, for one who creates their own Divine Ability, the ability possesses absolute compatibility with its creator, unleashing power far beyond the ordinary. Such an ability begins at the Tenth Limit [the Tenth Limit, a supreme stage of power] as a Patriarch-Grade Divine Ability.

Naturally, there are exceptions. Some individuals, whose enlightenment shines across the ages, can innovate upon the foundations laid by their predecessors, ultimately evolving an ability to a stronger state, directly stepping into the Tenth Limit or even the Eleventh Limit Realm [the Eleventh Limit, a legendary stage of power].

There are even those who can cultivate a Primordial Chaos [pertaining to the state of undifferentiated chaos before creation] grade Supreme Divine Abilities [the most supreme class of divine abilities] of the Twelfth Limit. With but a single Divine Ability, they can suppress the Great Dao [the fundamental laws of the cosmos]. A single Divine Ability can achieve the suppressing of the Nine Great Heavenly Passes [the nine supreme barriers], accomplishing the magnificent feat of using one path to suppress ten thousand.

Beyond the three major Heavenly Passes of Destiny, Spiritual Treasure, and Divine Ability, among the remaining six Heavenly Passes, the Dao Heart Heavenly Pass [the barrier of the cultivator's Dao Heart, or fundamental resolve] requires no external resources. Its key lies solely in whether one's own Dao Heart [the cultivator's core resolve and spiritual foundation] is flawless.

Among the five Heavenly Pass that require resources, the four major ones—Great Dao [the supreme and fundamental principle of the cosmos], Dao Fruit [the condensed essence of one's cultivation path], Physical Body [the physical vessel of a cultivator], and Mana [the reservoir of spiritual power]—consume only ordinary resources. Furthermore, unlike the Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator], which is inherently fragile, these four are not, so their resource consumption is minimal.

Generally speaking, the resources required to break through the Nascent Soul Celestial Passage [the Heavenly Pass related to the Nascent Soul] even exceed the sum of those needed for the first four Heavenly Pass.

In other words, once the Nascent Soul Celestial Passage is cultivated, the resource requirements for breaking through the Nine Great Heavenly Passes are already nearly half fulfilled.

The remaining two Heavenly Pass—Dao Heart [the cultivator's fundamental will and conviction] and Destiny [one's predetermined fate or fortune]—do not depend on resources. The Spiritual Treasure Heavenly Pass and the Divine Ability Celestial Passage rely on comprehension, talent, opportunity [a chance encounter or stroke of fate], and backing. They are not breakthroughs guaranteed solely by effort or sufficient resources.

If both Horizon Sea Ancient Ancestor and Celestial Maiden successfully break through to the Fifth Tribulation Ancient Immortal this time, their future cultivation will focus primarily on comprehending Divine Ability [supernatural powers derived from one's Dao] and clarifying their Dao Heart.

Although comprehending a Great Luo Divine Ability [a Divine Ability of the Great Luo Golden Immortal level] is no small feat, even for talents like theirs, as long as their Dao Heart harbors no major flaws, they need only pass the Dao Heart tribulation—the 'Three Inquiries of the Great Dao'—to break through to the Sixth Tribulation Ancient Immortal Realm.

Of course, passing the 'Three Inquiries of the Great Dao' for the Dao Heart Heavenly Pass is immensely difficult. The slightest flaw in one's Dao Heart can lead to complete failure.

Countless Fifth Tribulation Ancient Immortal cultivators, burdened by guilt, fear, or regret within their hearts, find themselves unable to face the Dao Heart Heavenly Pass directly, thus stalling their breakthrough.

Consider the case of Zephyr, the Ancient Immortal. As a Seven Calamities Ancient Immortal, he successively broke through the seven Heavenly Pass of Physical Body, Great Dao, Dao Fruit, Mana, Primordial Spirit, Divine Ability, and Spiritual Treasure. His innate talent and comprehension could be described as peerless through the ages.

Yet, because he chose to remain sheltered under the protection of the Celestial Court [the heavenly bureaucracy and ruling power], not daring to venture out to face his tribulations for dozens of Calamity Tribulation cycles, he became unable to break through his Dao Heart Heavenly Pass. This ultimately led to his failure to ascend to Great Luo Golden Immortal.

"I wonder if those two will be able to cross the Dao Heart Heavenly Pass [a profound trial of the cultivator's heart and resolve] in the future,"

Eldrin Chen murmured inwardly, then returned to his Seclusion Chamber [a specially prepared room for undisturbed meditation and cultivation]. He slowly lowered his eyelids.

Regardless of what lay ahead for the Celestial Maiden and the Horizon Sea Ancient Ancestor, his immediate task was to refine the Divine Soul [a rare treasure that nourishes and strengthens the cultivator's spiritual core] and attempt to break through the Nascent Soul Celestial Passage [the barrier to the Nascent Soul realm].

Having cultivated the Half-Step Patriarch Grade Divine AbilityFive-Colored Divine Radiance for many years, the secret art attached to this divine light, the 'Five Radiances Spirit Refining Grand Art' [a grand technique that uses the power of five radiances to temper the spirit], had been tempering his Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] day and night.

Coupled with the natural enhancement his profound foundation provided to his Primordial Spirit, Eldrin Chen's spiritual core was exceptionally powerful.

Thus, after all these years of cultivation, although his Primordial Spirit had not yet broken through the Nine-Limit Realm [the ultimate stage of Primordial Spirit refinement], it had long since reached the Eighth Limit. He was merely A Step Away from the Ninth Limit.

For this seclusion, Eldrin Chen first attempted to refine a large segment of Soul-Nourishing Wood [a spiritual wood renowned for its ability to nourish and strengthen the soul].

The moment he began refining it, Eldrin Chen felt his vast and potent Primordial Spirit flow into the Soul-Nourishing Wood. Tempered and refined incessantly by the wood's power, his spirit effortlessly broke through to the Nine-Limit Realm.

"The Nascent Soul Celestial Passage... broken just like that?"

Eldrin Chen spoke softly, a note of surprise in his voice.

For others, breaking through to the Nascent Soul Celestial Passage [the stage of cultivating the Nascent Soul, a crucial step towards immortality] might require bitter cultivation for hundreds of millions of years with no guarantee of success. Who would have thought that myself would achieve this step with such ease.

Yet, upon deeper reflection, this outcome was not entirely unexpected.

The Five Radiances Spirit Refining Grand Art [a supreme art for refining the spirit using the power of five radiances] is intrinsically linked to the Five-Colored Divine Radiance [a divine ability manifesting five-colored light]. Eldrin Chen had been tempering his Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] day and night with this art, a process almost equivalent to continuously nourishing his spirit by activating a Half-Step Patriarch Grade Divine Ability [a divine ability of near-ancestral grade power].

Consequently, Eldrin Chen's Primordial Spirit had long since become extraordinarily powerful. In fact, the quality of his spirit had already surpassed the limits of the Nine-Limit Realm [the ninth and penultimate limit of spiritual refinement].

For most Four Calamities Ancient Immortal [an ancient immortal who has survived four heavenly tribulations], the Primordial Spirit remains relatively fragile; once damaged, recovery is an arduous and lengthy process.

Yet, Eldrin Chen's Primordial Spirit was nearly Indestructible [possessing a quality of near-indestructibility]. Even if torn into hundreds or thousands of fragments, it could easily reconstitute itself. Strictly speaking, its quality had already reached the realm of the Tenth Limit [the legendary tenth and ultimate limit of spiritual refinement].

The only shortcoming was that the depth and richness of his spirit's Primordial Source [the foundational, primordial wellspring of spiritual energy] were still insufficient, which kept him at the level of the Eighth Limit.

Now, having initially refined the Soul-Nourishing Wood [a legendary wood with profound soul-nourishing properties] and receiving its nourishing essence, the Primordial Source within his Primordial Spirit surged dramatically, instantly propelling him to the Nine-Limit Realm.

"The Tenth Limit is now within sight,"

Eldrin Chen murmured softly. Without delay, he retrieved and began refining a Heaven Soul Fruit [a celestial fruit renowned for its potent effects on the soul].

Within a mere Millennium [a period of one thousand years], this Heaven Soul Fruit [a legendary fruit that nourishes the soul's foundation] was completely refined by Eldrin Chen into Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] Primordial Source [the foundational spiritual essence].

Thus, Eldrin Chen pressed on with relentless effort. After refining ten Heaven Soul Fruit in succession, his Primordial Spirit naturally broke through to the Tenth Limit [the tenth and ultimate boundary of the Primordial Spirit realm].

Yet, Eldrin Chen paid it no mind. He continued refining the Heaven Soul Fruit, only drawing a slow, deep breath after consuming the remaining four fruits entirely.

"The Tenth Limit of the Primordial Spirit?"

Sensing the power of his Primordial Spirit, Eldrin Chen murmured softly, a faint smile gracing his eyes.

In that moment, he perceived the profound strength of his own Primordial Spirit and gained a clear insight into its future path of cultivation.

"The Primordial Spirit is inherently delicate. Since ancient times, the method for Ancient Immortals [legendary cultivators from antiquity] to shatter the Ninth Limit [the ninth boundary] has primarily relied on supplementing it with rare Divine Soul [spiritually potent] treasures."

"Compared to the cultivation methods for the Heavenly Pass [a critical bottleneck realm] of the Physical Body [the corporeal form] and Mana [cultivational energy], this approach is far too gentle and squanders a great portion of the medicinal efficacy. Yet, it remains the sole path for the vast majority of Ancient Immortals."

"But I am different. My Primordial Spirit, tempered through relentless refinement, has reached a state of near Indestructible [impervious to destruction] durability. I need not follow such a gentle path of cultivation."

"And moreover..."

Eldrin Chen spoke with a faint, yet grave tone, his gaze sharpening slightly. "The conventional Nine-Limit Nascent Soul [a nascent soul cultivated to the theoretical limit of nine layers], for this realm, remains far too fragile."

"With such a brittle Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator, the foundation of their power and consciousness]," he continued, "can one truly hope to breach the Great Luo Realm [the legendary realm of immortality and supreme power]?"

"Even if one were to ascend to the Great Luo Realm, inherent deficiencies would surely remain. Such a foundation may prove insufficient to fully merge with and ascend upon the Great Dao [the fundamental, cosmic principle and path of cultivation]." For more chapters, visit audio-novel . com for the complete novel.