Chapter 1355 : A Shifting Balance of Power

Understanding the cause and effect, Eldrin Chen felt a subtle wave of relief wash over him.

With the departure of the Celestial Prison Clan from this supreme blessed land, the balance of power within the Flowing Streams Hundred Seas would be utterly overturned, and the pressure facing the Abyssal Immortal Alliance would lessen considerably.

Noting the shift in Eldrin Chen's expression, Freya the Flowing Flame offered a gentle smile. "Now that the Celestial Prison Clan has withdrawn, the Demon Race forces in the Flowing Streams Hundred Seas will surely scatter like startled birds and beasts. They are no longer a cause for concern."

"Before long, our Flowing Fire Star Palace may intervene in the conflict at the Western Abyss Dragon Palace, to bring this great calamity to a definitive end."

Here, Freya the Flowing Flame paused briefly before continuing. "You possess the means to slay a Late Stage Earth Immortal [a cultivator who has reached the seventh of the nine major stages of the Earth Immortal realm]. Would you not lend us your strength to help quell this cataclysm once and for all?"

"This..."

Eldrin Chen's expression shifted slightly, and he replied with a rueful smile. "To speak plainly, I have not yet set foot upon the Earth Immortal Realm [the seventh major realm of cultivation, following the Primordial Spirit realm]. My methods and foundation ultimately have their limits."

"My ability to slay the master of Thousand Dragon Lake was due largely to the power of formations, with the remainder being the merit of the Immortal Alliance's many immortals and Ancient Ancestor Qingchuan. How could I claim the credit for vanquishing a Late Stage Earth Immortal?"

"For one of my current strength to rashly involve myself at the very source of this great tribulation would be nothing short of seeking my own demise." Hearing this, a flicker of understanding passed through Freya the Flowing Flame's eyes.

She did not press the matter, merely saying with a smile, "You are too modest, Fellow Daoist. With your Ten Tribulations Foundation [a legendary and supremely challenging foundation for cultivation, said to invite ten heavenly tribulations], you may yet become only the second Heavenly Immortal Paragon [a peerless master who has ascended to the ninth and final major realm of cultivation] ever born within the Flowing Streams Hundred Seas."

"With your current bearing, Fellow Daoist, in another thousand A Millennium of Time [a period of one thousand years], this humble one might very well be calling you 'Senior'." "You flatter me, Immortal Maiden."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen replied with a slight smile.

With that said, the purpose of Eldrin Chen's visit was already accomplished. However, finding such a rare opportunity to converse with a member of the Flowing Fire Star Palace [a major celestial sect], he intended to stay a while longer to learn more about the details of the great calamity.

Thus, after a moment of contemplation, he inquired, "Regarding this great calamity, there is one matter I do not fully comprehend. Might the Immortal Maiden be willing to enlighten me?"

"Oh?" Freya the Flowing Flame was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said, "Speak freely."

Seeing this, Eldrin Chen asked directly, "Given the strength of the Western Abyss Dragon Palace [a powerful draconic faction] and the Celestial Prison Clan [a formidable clan], their power in opposing the Leaf Ruins Divine Sea [a vast, ancient sea realm] and the two Divine Spirits, Profound Heart and Blazing Flame, is nearly evenly matched."

"Why would they move against your esteemed sect, needlessly increasing the complexity of the tribulation?" "I thought you might ask about this."

Freya the Flowing Flame nodded slightly and spoke calmly, "It is because of the two Grotto-Heaven [paradisiacal realms of profound spiritual energy]—the Western Aura and the Divine Abyss." "This...?"

Eldrin Chen was momentarily stunned and could not help but ask, "Please, enlighten me."

Freya the Flowing Flame gave a faint smile. As she casually poured another cup of tea, she said, "You surely understand, Fellow Daoist, that the reason great calamities erupt within the Immortal Domain [the realm of cultivators and immortals] is due to the grand cycle of heaven and earth giving birth to a great Dorian [a term for a pivotal, transformative event or figure in the cosmic order]."

"After the Great Calamity erupts, besides the countless Immortal [a cultivator who has ascended to immortality] who must face the tribulation, several key protagonists of the calamity are also required to take action and fulfill their destined roles."

"Among the key protagonists of this tribulation, one side consists of two Half-Step Earth Immortal [a cultivator on the verge of becoming an Earth Immortal] True Dragon [a primordial and immensely powerful dragon species] from the Western Abyss Dragon Palace and the Celestial Fiend Clan, while the opposing side comprises Profound Heart and Blazing Flame, two Celestial Immortal [an immortal who has attained a celestial rank] from the Divine Race [a race of beings with divine heritage]."

"In principle, with both sides thus balanced, they would clash continuously throughout the calamity until countless Immortal [a cultivator who has ascended to immortality] perish in the tribulation, allowing the vital energy of the Immortal Domain [the realm where immortals reside] to be restored. This would achieve the purpose of the cyclical renewal of Heaven and Earth."

"This is the grand momentum of Heaven and Earth, the great Dao of cosmic cycles, a force not even a Heavenly Immortal Paragon [the supreme rank among Heavenly Immortals] can defy."

Freya the Flowing Flame's voice paused slightly, yet her eyes gleamed with a newfound light as she continued, "However, while the grand momentum ordained by the Heavenly Dao cannot be altered, the minor currents within that flow can indeed be reversed."

"Within the Western Qi Divine Abyss Sea, the Western Qi Cave Heaven [a blessed paradise realm] of the Divine Race [a race of beings with divine heritage] reposes loftily in the Ninth Heaven, while the Divine Abyss Grotto-Heaven [a mystical cave paradise] of the Human Race lies hidden deep within the divine abyss."

"They have gazed down upon the mortal realm from their lofty heights for countless eons. Naturally, they are unwilling to see another True Dragon Cave Heaven [a cave paradise realm established by True Dragons] arise within the Western Qi Divine Abyss Sea, or witness the emergence of a Celestial Prison Cave Heaven [a cave paradise realm associated with celestial confinement]."

She spoke methodically, her expression growing solemn. "A Heavenly Immortal Paragon [the supreme rank among Heavenly Immortals], whose presence illuminates all realms, stands as the most supreme existence within the Immortal Domain [the realm where immortals reside]."

"Although they cannot directly defy the Heavenly Dao and intervene, they have grasped a portion of the Heavenly Dao's authority over the Western Qi Divine Abyss Sea. This allows them to alter the minor currents, the smaller trends of fate, within this particular stretch of heaven and earth."

"Alter the minor currents?"

"Indeed." Freya the Flowing Flame gave a slight nod before continuing, "By paying a certain price, they can cause a Half-Step Celestial Immortal [a cultivator who has ascended to the very threshold of true immortality] to be drawn into the tribulation, thereby adding another opponent for the Western Abyss Dragon Palace and the Celestial Prison Clan."

"For instance, they could have a top-tier Earth Immortal Blessed Land [a sacred land governed by an Earth Immortal] that possesses a Half-Step Celestial Immortal intervene, or directly dispatch one such being."

"Of course, considering the balance of the Heavenly Dao [the fundamental cosmic law and order], under the influence of two Grotto-Heaven [a transcendent realm of profound spiritual energy, superior to a Blessed Land], adding one existence at the Half-Step Celestial Immortal level is already the limit."

"Otherwise, Grotto-Heaven from the Demon Race [a race of powerful, often malevolent, spiritual beings] outside the Western Qi Divine Abyss Sea would also find an opportunity to meddle in the great tribulation, allowing more Demon Race Half-Step Celestial Immortal to intervene."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen felt a slight tremor in his heart.

At this moment, he finally understood why the Celestial Prison Clan and the Western Abyss Dragon Palace had to drag the Flowing Fire Star Palace into the tribulation.

It was truly a move born of necessity. The two Grotto-Heaven of Western Qi and Divine Abyss would not sit idly by and watch the Demon Race and the Celestial Prison Clan rise to power; they would certainly intervene in the great tribulation.

If they had not pulled the Flowing Fire Star Palace into the conflict, the formidable enemy they would face now would likely be a Half-Step Celestial Immortal who had opened the Ninth Heaven [the ninth and highest layer of the heavens in cultivation cosmology].

After all, the two Grotto-Heaven of Western Qi and Divine Abyss were not ones to speak of fairness. Once they intervened, they would act with full force, aiming to strangle the nascent True Dragon Cave Heaven [a Cave Heaven realm founded by a True Dragon] and Celestial Prison Cave Heaven in their cradles.

Thinking of this, Eldrin Chen grasped the profound helplessness felt by the masters of the Western Abyss Dragon Palace and the Celestial Prison Clan.

They had no desire for another adversary, but with the two Grotto-Heaven [a superior realm of cultivation, often a sect's headquarters] of the Human Race and the Divine Race looming above them, they truly had no choice in the matter.

Under such circumstances, dragging the Flowing Fire Star Palace into the tribulation early was preferable. Having one more Palace Master, whose strength was relatively weaker, was far better than facing an additional top-tier Half-Step Celestial Immortal [a cultivator who has opened the Ninth Heaven and stands on the threshold of true Celestial Immortality].

Contemplating this, Eldrin Chen smiled bitterly and said, "It seems that with our Human Race and the Divine Race holding the mandate of heaven and earth, any hope for the Demon Race or the Hundred Immortal Spirit Races [a collective term for numerous spirit races and minor immortal clans] to rise within the Western Qi Divine Abyss Sea is fraught with immense difficulty."

"If not for the two Supreme Grotto-Heaven [the highest grade of Grotto-Heaven realms] sealing their mountains and refusing to emerge during the great tribulation's eruption, the Lord of the Western Abyss Dragon Palace attempting to break through to the Celestial Immortal realm would have been nothing but a fool's errand, seeking his own demise."

"That is indeed the case."

Freya the Flowing Flame nodded, then continued, "Even with the abundance of the Immortal Domain, the resources of heaven and earth have their limits. Moreover, the Western Qi Divine Abyss Sea is one of the most barren major regions within the Vast Azure Immortal Domain."

"Naturally, the two Grotto-Heaven of Western Qi and Divine Abyss are unwilling to let others take a share of the pie."

Speaking to this point, Freya the Flowing Flame gave a wry smile. "It's not just the Western Abyss Dragon Palace and the Celestial Prison Clan. Even for our Flowing Fire Star Palace, should we seek to establish a new Supreme Grotto-Heaven, it's likely those two Grotto-Heaven would be less than pleased."

"At the very least, the Western Qi Cave Heaven would certainly intervene. The Divine Abyss Grotto-Heaven, being of the same Human Race as us, might not directly obstruct our path, but they would most likely stand by and watch with cold indifference."

At these words, Freya the Flowing Flame could not help but glance at Eldrin Chen, her gaze revealing a flicker of shared understanding and mutual plight.