Chapter 1847 : A Thousand Beasts Within the Chaos

At the same time, Golden Sun Holy Son also slew a Chaos Beast King and spoke, "This Chaos Nest likely harbors more than one seven-tribulation Chaos Beast King. It seems we are in for a difficult fight."

"Shall we join forces?"

Hearing his words, Nether Son of Heaven let out a cold laugh and transformed into a streak of spiritual light, fleeing into the distance.

Seeing this, the others also scattered, vanishing into the boundless Chaos.

Witnessing this, Rift-Heaven Demon Emperor nodded to Eldrin Chen and said, "Be cautious. If the situation turns dire, you may seek my aid."

Eldrin Chen nodded calmly, cupping his hands in acknowledgment. "My thanks."

With those words, Eldrin Chen cleaved through the firmament and departed, vanishing into the Ruined Abyss Ancient Realm in the blink of an eye.

This time, Eldrin Chen had not traveled far before he discovered a towering Chaos Nest within the Depths of Chaos.

It was a vast Chaos Nest, standing firm in the endless Depths of Chaos, its interior teeming with over a thousand Chaos Ancient Beast.

"A formidable Chaos Nest indeed."

Eldrin Chen murmured, a flicker of astonishment surfacing in his gaze.

Having roamed the Chaos for many years, this was the first time he had encountered a Chaos Nest harboring over a thousand Chaos Ancient Beasts.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen extended his senses slightly, discovering over a dozen Chaos Beast Kings within the Chaos Nest. These Chaos Beast Kings were clearly far more formidable in combat. Fortunately, none among them had reached the Seventh Tribulation Realm.

Since there were no seventh-tribulation Chaos Beast Kings, Eldrin Chen naturally had no reason to hesitate.

In a single, decisive stride, Eldrin Chen advanced. As he moved, he channeled power into the Primordial Chaos Heaven Halberd, sending it cleaving through the void. A thunderous explosion erupted, and the vast defensive formation of the Chaos Nest was instantly shattered.

"ROAR—!"

The moment the Chaos Nest was breached, a swarm of Chaos Beast Kings roared and surged skyward.

Yet Eldrin Chen paid them no heed. The Primordial Chaos Heaven Halberd in his hand descended with world-sundering force. Where it passed, the Chaos itself seemed to part, the power of World Creation [a supreme divine ability capable of forging new worlds] cleaving open one great cosmos after another. One Chaos Beast King was instantly crushed and annihilated.

In the blink of an eye, the halberd's lethal edge swept out again, obliterating another Chaos Beast King.

The sheer, overwhelming might displayed in this brief clash was utterly terrifying. The surviving Chaos Beast Kings fled in abject panic, scrambling desperately toward the Depths of Chaos.

Eldrin Chen made his move once more, slaying the mightiest of the Six Tribulations Chaos Beast King. Upon wiping the blade, he discovered the other Chaos Beast King and ancient beasts had already scattered and fled.

"Even a Six Tribulations Chaos Beast King falls so easily now?"

Eldrin Chen murmured softly to himself. After a rough estimation, he concluded, "It seems my strength should now rival that of top-tier Seven Tribulation Ancient Immortal like the White Rainbow Sword Immortal and the Nether Son of Heaven."

Of course, Eldrin Chen understood this assessment held true only when he refrained from employing his Innate Spiritual Treasure [a supreme treasure born of the primordial chaos, containing immense innate power]. Once he unleashed such a treasure, who beneath the Eight Tribulation Ancient Immortal realm could possibly stand against him?

The thought flashed through his mind and was gone. Eldrin Chen casually recalled his Primordial Chaos Heaven Halberd, then strode forward into the heart of the Chaos Nest [a primordial convergence point of chaotic energies, often rich in rare treasures].

Within this Chaos Nest, Eldrin Chen secured a haul of over a thousand strands of Innate Primordial Qi [the purest form of primordial energy, foundational for high-level cultivation] and several hundred Innate Rare Treasure [treasures formed naturally from the chaos]. The number of Supreme Grade Innate Rare Treasure alone exceeded twenty, with the total value surpassing three thousand strands of Innate Primordial Qi.

The sole regret was the continued absence of any tenth-grade Great Luo Rare Treasure [a legendary treasure of the Great Luo realm, possessing world-shaping power].

Understanding the extreme rarity of Great Luo Rare Treasure, Eldrin Chen felt no lingering disappointment. He swiftly composed himself and continued his journey, seeking out other Supreme-Grade Chaos Nest.

Thus, as he relentlessly explored the depths of the Ruined Abyss Ancient Realm, Eldrin Chen claimed five Supreme-Grade Chaos Nest in an astonishingly short span of time.

Each of these five nests was guarded by at least several Chaos Beast King. Through these conquests, Eldrin Chen amassed a vast quantity of Innate Rare Treasure, with a cumulative value exceeding ten thousand strands of Innate Primordial Qi.

In a mere few thousand years, to obtain rare treasures worth over ten thousand strands of Innate Primordial Qi [the most fundamental and pure form of energy from the dawn of creation]—this journey was already profitable.

Eldrin Chen murmured softly to himself, a faint smile touching his lips. He quickly dismissed the thought and continued his stride deeper into the Depths of Chaos.

However, in the time that followed, Eldrin Chen explored several more Chaos Nest [a lair or breeding ground for primordial beasts within the formless chaos], only to find each one utterly deserted. Not a single beast remained; even the Innate Primordial Qi and precious Innate Rare Treasure [treasures born from the primal chaos, possessing unique and formidable properties] had been stripped clean.

Most crucially, these Chaos Nest bore no signs of struggle. It was evident the Chaos Beast King [a ruler-class entity among the primordial chaos beasts] had withdrawn of their own accord.

"It seems they have realized the situation," he concluded.

Eldrin Chen's brow furrowed slightly, and he could not help but sigh in quiet resignation.

The Chaos Beast King possessed considerable intelligence. Upon detecting an incursion from the outside, it was only to be expected that their first reaction would be to consolidate their forces for a decisive confrontation.

Yet, this very action prevented them from being picked off one by one—a rather regrettable turn of events.

But there was little to be done. Lower-tier Chaos Ancient Beast [ancient beasts native to the primal chaos] might be simple-minded, but the higher-tier Chaos Beast King were far from foolish. They would not docilely await slaughter.

Legends spoke of Great Luo Grade [a supreme realm of cultivation, representing the pinnacle of power] Chaotic Fiendgod [demonic deities born from the primal chaos, entities of immense power and malevolence]. Their intellect was not merely high; they were capable of forming alliances and employing stratagems. They understood conspiracy and open confrontation, ambush and deception. Their skill in manipulating hearts and minds was said to rival that of the great races within the Three Thousand Immortal Domains.

In that bygone era, the fall of Sword Abyss Immortal Lord was the result of a meticulously laid trap by the Chaotic Fiendgod [ancient and powerful demonic beings of primordial chaos]. For years, they feigned retreat, luring their foe ever deeper, until Sword Abyss Immortal Lord found himself surrounded and cut off. The reinforcements from the Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch [a supreme cultivation realm surpassing even Immortal Lords] of the Sword Clan could not arrive in time.

Returning to the present, having understood that the Chaos Beast King [kings among the primordial chaos beasts] had withdrawn, Eldrin Chen no longer bothered with these now-empty Chaos Nest [dwelling places of chaos beasts within the primordial void].

He began to stride purposefully deeper into the Ruined Abyss Ancient Realm, and before he knew it, he had arrived at its very core.

At the heart of the Ruined Abyss Ancient Realm stood a mountain range of unimaginable grandeur. Upon its peak grew an ancient tree of such colossal scale it defied belief.

The tree was but a shattered remnant, severed at its base, yet its remaining height still spanned nearly a trillion light-years. It resembled the mythical World Tree of legend, now brutally hewn, with only a few of its branches emitting a faint, fading vitality.

This ancient tree was rooted at the very center of the Ruined Abyss Ancient Realm, radiating a light that seemed to cleave the Chaos [the formless, primordial state before creation]. It was this light, this presence, that upheld the ancient realm, allowing it to stand unyielding against the tides of oblivion.

"The Heaven-Propping Ancient Tree of the former Sword Abyss Ancient Realm—the Profound Mulberry Ancient Tree [the legendary Profound Mulberry Tree, said to have once supported the heavens of the Sword Abyss Realm]."

Just then, a voice spoke, its tone measured and calm.

Eldrin Chen turned. From the Depths of Chaos emerged a figure—it was Rift-Heaven Demon Emperor.

The Demon Emperor gazed upon the shattered ancient wood, a sigh escaping him. "In that great battle of old," he said, "the Sword Abyss Immortal Lord fell upon the field. In the wake of his demise, the Sword Abyss Immortal Domain was assaulted by the Chaotic Fiendgod."

"When that Chaotic Fiendgod attacked the Immortal Domain, members of the Sword Clan had already broken through the obstacles to provide support. To avoid being encircled and slain by a Grand Luo Golden Immortal from the Sword Clan, He did not have time to take the complete Profound Mulberry Ancient Tree."

"Thus, that Chaotic Fiendgod directly severed the Profound Mulberry Ancient Wood, taking away the most valuable portion of the Profound Mulberry Ancient Wood and leaving behind only this half-section of stump."

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen could not help but sigh softly.

As a Heaven-Supporting Spiritual Root, the Profound Mulberry Ancient Wood in its complete form was an Innate Spiritual Root [a primordial spiritual plant born from the essence of heaven and earth].

It was a pity it was severed by the Chaotic Fiendgod, leaving behind merely a small stump, less than one percent of the Profound Mulberry Ancient Wood's complete body.

Although the value of this small stump still surpassed the vast majority of Great Luo Rare Treasure [extremely rare treasures of the Great Luo realm], compared to a full Innate Spiritual Root, it was essentially insignificant.

"*Hum*—"

At that very moment, a thunderous roar echoed from the Depths of Chaos.

Eldrin Chen looked up to see several figures breaking through the void, arriving at the heart of this Chaos. They were none other than White Rainbow Sword Immortal, Nether Son of Heaven, and Aurelius, the Golden Sun Ancient Ancestor among others.

The White Rainbow Sword Immortal glanced at the two, then turned his gaze towards the central Profound Mulberry Stump, his brow furrowing slightly. "This place is gathered with over two hundred Chaos Beast King [ruling beasts born from primordial chaos], and is also infested with more than one hundred thousand Chaos Ancient Beast [ancient beasts of chaos]," he said.

"It seems relying on the strength of a single individual will not be enough to secure this place."

Golden Sun Holy Son also nodded and spoke, "Let us join forces. After we secure this place, we can discuss the distribution of the treasures."

"Distribution..." Nether Son of Heaven sneered coldly, his gaze turning profound as he asked, "And how, precisely, shall the treasures be distributed?"

Golden Sun Holy Son's eyes turned frosty, yet he maintained a smile. "Regarding the treasures, of course, they should go to the capable. Once this place is secured, we shall each rely on our own means."

Seeing this, the Nether Son of Heaven said nothing more, merely letting out a sinister, low chuckle.

The others present, witnessing this exchange, tacitly accepted the Golden Sun Holy Son's proposal without raising any objections.

Eldrin Chen, however, felt a slight frown crease his brow. Throughout his life of venturing into various secret realms and Opportunity [a place of great potential and fortune for cultivators] treasure grounds, the norm had always been to agree upon distribution based on contributions made during the endeavor. This ensured everyone could work together with a unified purpose, exerting their full effort.

But now, they were to rely on their own means to seize treasures. This was not a good plan.

The logic was simple: if the final treasures were to be contested by individual prowess, every person present would likely view the others as competitors. In battle, they would be a scattered force without cohesion.

Furthermore, under such circumstances, if one were to exhaust all their hidden cards and trump cards in a full-force assault, they would be left vulnerable when the Chaos Nest [a primordial and unstable pocket dimension rich in chaotic energies and rare materials] was finally secured. Would that not put them at a severe disadvantage when the scramble for treasures began?

"Without rules or order, each seeking to monopolize the treasures, this battle is likely to harbor unforeseen variables."

Eldrin Chen murmured inwardly, a glint of coldness flickering in his gaze.

In his view, if he were the Chaos Beast King, dealing with such a coalition riddled with selfish agendas would be simple; a few deft maneuvers would suffice to divide and conquer them one by one.

But these individuals were supposed to be allies, yet they might stab you in the back at any moment. That was not good news.

The Demon Emperor Rift-Heaven Demon Emperor, understanding Eldrin Chen's thoughts, sneered coldly and said to him, "Those who have weathered seven or more Kalpa Tribulation [cosmic trials of immense scale and danger] are all competitors to one another."

"Even if they cooperate today, they may well face a life-or-death struggle in a future Kalpa Tribulation. How could they possibly allow others to dictate the distribution of treasures?"

"However, the greedy often perish by their greed. In my estimation, these individuals are destined to meet their end upon the altar of avarice. I fear this battle will yet spawn unexpected twists."

Eldrin Chen nodded in agreement, yet shook his head slightly. "True as that may be, those who have survived to this day likely possess survival arts that are far from simple."

As the two conversed, the other Seven Tribulation Ancient Immortal [immortals who have survived seven cosmic tribulations] arrived one after another at the periphery of these Chaos wooden stakes.

Seeing that everyone had assembled, the White Rainbow Sword Immortal spoke up, "Since all are present, let us prepare to commence."

Hearing this, everyone nodded slightly and began to assault this Chaos Nest.

This Chaos Nest was the very core of the Ruined Abyss Ancient Realm, situated upon the stump of the Profound Mulberry Ancient Wood and fortified by a super formation laid according to the terrain's natural advantages.

The profound intricacies of this formation surpassed even the lethal arrays deployed by many Ancient Immortal Great Powers, and with numerous Chaos Beast King serving as its core anchors, an ordinary Seven Tribulation Ancient Immortal would possess no capability whatsoever to breach it.

Even with the combined might of the eleven Seven Tribulation Ancient Immortal-level combatants present, subduing this ancient formation proved exceedingly difficult. They assaulted it relentlessly for a long time, yet found themselves unable to crack its defenses.

Witnessing this stalemate, White Rainbow Sword Immortal could no longer restrain himself. He decisively declared in a loud voice, "Esteemed colleagues, it seems conventional methods will not suffice to breach this formation. We must commit our full strength."

The others, understanding the truth of his words, immediately unleashed their most potent, trump-card techniques.

As his words faded, the group erupted with their full power. One after another, Great Luo Divine Ability surged forth and crashed against the grand formation.

The foundation of a Seven Tribulation Ancient Immortal is extraordinary, allowing them to wield eighty to ninety percent of their strength even within the Chaos Sea. Now, with over ten individuals joining forces to unleash Patriarch-Grade Divine Ability, the combined force instantly exceeded the tolerance limit of what any Mountain-Protecting Grand Formation could withstand.

With a deafening roar, the formation shattered in an instant.

"Now!"

In that very instant, the assembled Immortals surged into the Chaos Nest with hearts alight with triumph.

Watching their formation crumble, the Chaos Beast Kings could no longer hold back. Over two hundred of them erupted forth, clashing fiercely with the gathered Ancient Immortals.

Just as Eldrin Chen prepared to join the fray, his steps faltered almost imperceptibly, allowing himself to fall half a pace behind.

Among these two hundred-plus Chaos Beast Kings, only three were of the Seventh Tribulation Realm. Logically, the allied force should have been more than sufficient to handle them. Yet, Eldrin Chen sensed a faint, familiar, and deeply dangerous aura.

This aura was subtle and immeasurable, stirring a palpable sense of threat within Eldrin Chen. Moreover, it carried a peculiar, haunting familiarity.

"This presence... could it be...?"

Even as this thought flickered through Eldrin Chen's mind, the ten Seven Tribulation Ancient Immortals were already locked in furious combat with the Chaos Beast Kings.

Though the Chaos Beast Kings were formidable, facing the combined might of ten Seven Tribulation Ancient Immortals, they were quickly forced into a steady retreat.

Within mere thousands of exchanges, several Chaos Beast Kings were on the verge of falling. Were it not for the relentless, suicidal assaults of the lesser Chaos Ancient Beasts buying them time, the Chaos Beast Kings would have been utterly routed before long.

Yet, just as the tide of battle seemed irrevocably turned, an Eternal Sword Qi [a conceptual, supreme manifestation of sword intent that transcends time and decay] capable of engulfing the very heavens soared into the sky. An overwhelming tide of killing intent cleaved across the boundless Chaos Sea, striking towards them.

In the boundless void, a fractured and cracked ancient sword cleaved through the Chaos [the primordial, formless state before creation] and slashed towards the foremost Ancient Immortal Great Powers [powerful beings who have cultivated to the Ancient Immortal realm].

In that instant, the expressions of the several Seven Tribulation Ancient Immortal [Ancient Immortals who have survived seven Heavenly Tribulations] changed drastically, yet their reactions were a fraction too slow.

One Seven Tribulation Ancient Immortal was cleaved in two by the sword stroke. Only his Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core and true essence of a cultivator] managed to flee in haste, darting away towards the Depths of Chaos [the most remote and turbulent regions of primordial Chaos].

"Disaster! It is an Innate Spiritual Treasure [a supreme treasure born from the primordial forces of the universe, possessing innate laws and power]!"

Golden Sun Holy Son cried out abruptly, his face a mask of utter terror.

The others all grew solemn. A single Innate Spiritual Treasure was virtually synonymous with an Eight Tribulation Ancient Immortal [an Ancient Immortal who has weathered eight Heavenly Tribulations].

The gulf between an Eight Tribulation Ancient Immortal and a Seven Tribulation Ancient Immortal was as vast as heaven and earth. Even ten Seven Tribulation Ancient Immortal joining forces could not withstand the world-shattering assault of a single Eight Tribulation Ancient Immortal.

For although a Patriarch-Grade Divine Ability [a supreme technique of devastating power, typically the pinnacle achievement of a sect or lineage] was formidable, unless one simultaneously cultivated both a foundation of cultivation energy surpassing the Eleventh Limit [a legendary threshold of power] and the embryonic form of a Great Dao, it was impossible for an Ancient Immortal's cultivation to unleash might rivaling that of an Innate Spiritual Treasure.

Now, ambushed by this innate ancient sword, one Seven Tribulation Ancient Immortal was grievously wounded in an instant, nearly shattering the morale of the remaining group.

At this critical juncture, Rift-Heaven Demon Emperor recognized the ancient sword's origin and urgently warned, "That is the Innate Spiritual Treasure of Sword Abyss Immortal Lord, the Crimson Abyss Ancient Sword [an ancient innate sword named for the crimson abyss]. It is now damaged and incomplete, no longer a whole Innate Spiritual Treasure."