Chapter 1800 : The Chaos Lair's Last Stand

"Hold them off for a moment?"

Upon hearing this, the four exchanged glances.

Celestial Maiden [a title for a powerful and revered female immortal] nodded decisively and spoke, "I will hold them off for you. Whether you can breach the Formation [a mystical defensive or offensive array] is up to you."

Eldrin Chen understood. With the Innate Ancient Treasure [a primordial treasure born of heaven and earth] Frigid Heaven Snow Lotus [a legendary ice-attributed lotus of immense defensive power] protecting her, Celestial Maiden could remain undefeated even against several opponents at the Great Perfection Celestial Immortal Realm [the pinnacle stage of the Celestial Immortal cultivation realm].

With her promise, Eldrin Chen felt a surge of confidence.

Once resolved, Eldrin Chen began relentlessly assailing the Formation, seeking to exploit any flaw within its structure.

The moment the Formation was disturbed, the Chaos Ancient Beast [primordial beasts born from chaotic energies] guarding the Chaos Lair [a nest or dwelling of Chaos Ancient Beasts] sensed it immediately. Instantly, several dozen Chaos Ancient Beast surged toward the lair's core, intent on encircling and annihilating the intruders.

Fortunately, the other three were no weaklings. Horizon Patriarch [a title for a powerful patriarch] unleashed his ultimate combat prowess regardless of the toll, using the Celestial Abyss Twin Swords [a pair of divine swords] to hold back two Chaos Ancient Beast whose power rivaled the Great Perfection Celestial Immortal Realm.

Exquisite Jiang likewise unfurled the Eight Trigrams Formation Flags [a set of mystical flags based on the Eight Trigrams, used to deploy powerful formations]. In a flash, she manifested the divine power to recreate the Earth Fire [a potent spiritual force combining earthly and fiery energies] feng shui, blocking over a dozen Chaos Ancient Beast at the early and middle stages of the Celestial Immortal [the cultivation realm above Earth Immortal] realm.

The remaining Chaos Ancient Beast continued their frenzied assault. Yet, when Celestial Maiden expanded the protective aura of the Frigid Heaven Snow Lotus, she forced them into a stalemate, unable to advance even an inch for a short time. This chapter is provided by audio~novel.com. Support the original.

Three figures intercepted the assault of the Chaos Ancient Beast [a primordial beast born from the raw energies of chaos], allowing Eldrin Chen to focus his full power on dismantling the Formation [a structured arrangement of energy nodes and patterns used for defense, attack, or other mystical purposes].

However, this was, after all, a Ninth Rank Supreme Grade Innate Ancient Formation [a formation that arose naturally with the world, possessing immense inherent power]. Even though its Formation structure was rather crude and possessed several weak points, breaching it was no simple task.

Within a remarkably short span, Eldrin Chen had already shattered thirteen critical nodes of the Formation. Yet, completely dismantling the formation still required a not insignificant amount of time.

"This won't do. If we drag this out any longer, I fear we won't be able to hold."

Seeing the Formation still unbroken, Horizon Patriarch's expression darkened slightly.

With a swift glance around, he suddenly retracted his Horizon Sea's Edge Twin Swords [a pair of legendary swords]. In that instant, the twin blades merged, transforming into a single, dazzling beam of sword light.

This radiance was not directed at the Chaos Ancient Beast, but instead cleaved towards a structural weakness in the ceiling of the cavern passageway.

A thunderous roar echoed as a massive section of the tunnel collapsed. Countless boulders, infused with Chaos [the primordial, formless state from which all things emerged] energy, came crashing down. They pinned several of the Chaos Ancient Beast firmly in place and effectively blocked the advance of many others.

Witnessing this, Celestial Maiden [a title for a powerful and revered female immortal] breathed a sigh of relief and praised, "A clever stratagem, Fellow Daoist."

Horizon Patriarch also relaxed slightly, remarking, "Fortunately, these tunnels are relatively narrow, and these Chaos Ancient Beast are far too massive to maneuver or unleash their full power effectively here."

"Otherwise, sealing the cavern would likely not have been so straightforward."

Once the cavern was sealed, blocking the assault of many Chaos Ancient Beast [primordial beasts born from the primal chaos], the pressure facing the group was greatly reduced, finally allowing them to stabilize the precarious situation.

Eldrin Chen was thus able to focus his mind on dismantling the Formation [a structured arrangement of energy nodes and flows used for defense, offense, or other mystical purposes]. His speed increased noticeably, and after only a short while, he successfully unraveled the formation at this location.

"Whew—"

After dismantling the Formation, Eldrin Chen collected the ancient cauldron that served as the formation's core. He let out a sigh of relief and said, "Fortunately, this Chaos Ancient Beast was self-taught. This ancient formation has far too many flaws."

"If it had been laid down by an ordinary Ancient Immortal [an immortal who has lived through immense spans of time and weathered multiple heavenly tribulations], I'm afraid I would have been at a complete loss."

As he spoke, Eldrin Chen and the other four immediately stepped into the area formerly protected by the Formation. They all paused for a moment, then their faces lit up with expressions of wild joy.

Perhaps because the humanoid Chaos Beast King [a ruler among the primordial chaos beasts] was so powerful, it disdained ordinary Innate Rare Treasure [natural treasures born from the world's essence, possessing innate mystical properties]. Therefore, this Within the Chaos Lair [the den or nest of a chaos beast] contained no Innate Rare Treasure of the Ninth Rank [a classification tier for cultivation resources and techniques, with the ninth rank being exceptionally high] middle or lower grades.

Within this cavern, there were only six Innate Rare Treasure in total.

However, each of these six Innate Rare Treasure was a divine object of unparalleled rarity, causing the four of them to tremble with excitement.

"Void Ancient Gold [a supreme-grade innate metal embodying the essence of spatial laws], Vast Cold Immortal Marrow [a supreme-grade innate spiritual marrow of profound yin nature], Innate Solar Extreme Fire [a supreme-grade innate fire born from the ultimate yang polarity of heaven and earth], Innate Nether Spring Water [a supreme-grade innate water born from the ultimate yin polarity of heaven and earth], Innate Sacred Embryo Fruit [a supreme-grade innate fruit that nurtures the embryonic form of a Great Path], Innate Limitless Sword Miasma [a supreme-grade innate miasma containing boundless sword intent]."

Horizon Patriarch murmured softly, yet he could scarcely contain the surge of excitement within his heart.

Not only him, but Eldrin Chen was also immensely delighted. Although he had anticipated this outcome, the sight of these several rare treasures still stirred profound excitement within the group.

These six rare treasures were all Supreme Grade Innate Rare Treasure [treasures of the highest innate grade, born from the primal laws of the cosmos], each one having nurtured a trace of Embryonic Great Path [Embryonic Great Path] power within it.

Among these six treasures, the Void Ancient Gold was a Spatial Supreme Treasure [a supreme treasure aligned with the laws of space]. It was said to be most suitable for forging Slaughter [Slaughter] Immortal Sword [Immortal Swords] and spatial magical treasure [enchanted artifacts used by cultivators].

The Lifebound Immortal Sword [a cultivator's soul-bound immortal-grade sword] of Void Sword Master, the foremost Celestial Immortal [Celestial Immortal] within the Vast Azure Immortal Domain, had been forged and refined using Void Ancient Gold. For the best reading experience, visit audio-novel.com (official site).

However, the Void Ancient Gold used for the 'Formless Void Sword' of Void Sword Master was merely of the High-Grade Innate Rare Treasure [Innate Rare Treasure] level, inferior to this particular piece of Void Ancient Gold.

The Vast Cold Immortal Marrow was a yin-attribute rare treasure. If Exquisite Jiang's Supreme Lunar Immortal Body [a supreme immortal constitution aligned with the ultimate lunar essence] were to fuse with this material, her foundational potential would undoubtedly skyrocket. Not only would her current strength advance by leaps and bounds, but breaking through the Fleshly Body Heavenly Pass [a critical bottleneck in physical body cultivation] in the future would also become effortless.

The Innate Solar Extreme Fire and Innate Nether Spring Water were both manifestations of the heaven and earth's Polarity [the fundamental opposing forces of yin and yang, or other dualities like fire/water, light/darkness] power, clearly condensed from the essence of these Seventh Heavenly Domains. They were supreme choices, whether for alchemical refinement or for forging immortal swords.

Cultivators who specialized in the Polarity Path could potentially use these two treasures as a catalyst to break through into the Ancient Immortal Realm [the Ancient Immortal Realm].

The final Innate Sacred Embryo Fruit and the Innate Limitless Sword Miasma were also treasures of immeasurable value. The former was a supreme treasure for physical body cultivation, capable of aiding cultivators at the Great Perfection Celestial Immortal Realm to cultivate the Innate Saint Body Path Embryo.

The Innate Saint Body Path Embryo, also known as the Innate Saint Embryo, was an exceedingly rare and peerless constitution. It not only granted an invincible physical body but also bestowed an innate affinity for Great Path Path Principles, allowing one to easily shatter the Fleshly Body Heavenly Pass.

Among the myriad top-tier Path Body, this constitution ranked among the very pinnacle, not inferior to Energy Abyss Chen's Immortality Golden Body.

In truth, for Energy Abyss Chen's Indestructibility Golden Body to reach the level of breaking the Fleshly Body Heavenly Pass, there was still a long path ahead.

Consuming the Innate Sacred Embryo Fruit, however, would immediately bestow an invincible physical body, granting a constitution comparable to a Chaos Saint Spirit of the same realm, rivaling that of an Innate Heavenly God Being. This demonstrated the profound power of such a sacred fruit.

As for the final Innate Limitless Sword Miasma, it was a wisp of primordial sword energy that had fallen from that ancient Great Encompassing sword, born from its entanglement with Primordial Chaos Energy. It was also a powerful Innate Rare Treasure, though it fell slightly short of the Innate Sacred Embryo Fruit.

"How could there be an Innate Sacred Embryo Fruit here?"

After surveying the six treasures, Eldrin Chen could not help but murmur, a trace of astonishment coloring his expression.

Although all were Supreme Grade Innate Rare Treasure, their values differed. The Innate Sacred Embryo Fruit, capable of granting an Innate Saint Embryo, was likely more valuable than the other six combined.

Horizon Patriarch was also taken aback. After performing a brief divination with his fingers, he finally spoke, "This Innate Sacred Embryo Fruit was left behind by that Great Encompassing Golden Immortal from ages past."

"In ancient times, that senior who attained the Great Encompassing Immortal Lord realm achieved the Dao through the Innate Saint Body Path Embryo. When he fell, a single drop of his heart's blood fell to this place, took root and sprouted. After intertwining with Primordial Chaos Energy, it ultimately gave birth to this Innate Sacred Embryo Fruit [a legendary fruit born from the essence of a supreme being's heart's blood and primordial chaos]."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen felt a profound shock in his heart. He then exchanged a glance with Exquisite Jiang.

In that moment, the two of them finally understood just how astonishing the Hundred Tribulations Rebirth Opportunity truly was.

A single drop of heart's blood from a Great Encompassing Golden Immortal was enough to nurture one Innate Sacred Embryo Fruit. What unimaginable wealth, then, would the complete skeleton of a full-fledged Great Encompassing Golden Immortal bring?

Every time Great God Vast Azure revived within the Space-Time continuum, he would be slain anew by that supreme sword energy. The flesh, blood, and bones he left behind were undoubtedly peerless treasures.

The value of such things surpassed that of this single Innate Sacred Embryo Fruit by not just hundreds, but thousands of times.

"The Hundred Tribulations Rebirth Opportunity... so this is the true nature of the Hundred Tribulations Rebirth Opportunity,"

Eldrin Chen murmured softly, his gaze finally igniting with a blazing intensity.

In that instant, he felt a profound conviction. If one could seize the greatest Opportunity and Fortune [the pivotal chance and destiny] within the Hundred Tribulations Rebirth, then even if breaking through to the Great Encompassing Realm remained elusive, shattering the barrier of the Eighth Heaven would surely be effortless.

With such a staggering Opportunity and Fortune at stake, it was no wonder that the great ancient sects, and even the Three Immortal Courts [the three supreme celestial administrations], were willing to stake their pieces and lay their plans upon this board.

"First, secure the treasures. We can discuss the rest later."

At that very moment, Horizon Patriarch suddenly spoke.

The four decisively stored away the six Innate Rare Treasure and then proceeded into the Chaos Immortal Pool to collect the Innate Energy contained within.

This Central Chaos Lair truly lived up to its reputation as a top-tier Supreme Grade Chaos Lair. The amount of Innate Energy within the Chaos Immortal Pool was astonishing, totaling one hundred and sixty-six strands.

Such a staggering quantity filled Eldrin Chen with immense delight.

"This much Innate Energy is sufficient to sustain our cultivation all the way to the Seventh Layer of the Celestial Immortal Realm."

Eldrin Chen immediately gathered all the Innate Energy and then turned his gaze toward the outer passage.

With a deafening roar, the vast lair was breached, and countless Chaos Ancient Beast surged in.

Even more terrifying, the humanoid Chaos Beast King, discovering the theft from its lair, erupted in fury. It brandished the Innate-grade broken sword, unleashing a boundless tide of sword energy that swept down into the heart of the nest.

"Go—now!"

Eldrin Chen's heart was filled with immense astonishment. Without hesitation, he then activated the Returning Abyss Pearl and vanished into the depths of the Boundless Chaos [the primordial, formless state preceding creation].

At the very moment the group departed, the Chaos Lair was swept by surging sword energy. A Sword Intent [the conceptual will and power imbued within a sword technique] capable of annihilating all things scoured the area clean, leaving nothing behind.

"Dead, or... gone?"

The humanoid Chaos Beast King murmured to itself, a flicker of doubt and uncertainty crossing its features.

A moment ago, it had sensed their disappearance, yet it couldn't be entirely sure. After all, they were merely a few Celestial Immortals [immortals who have ascended to the celestial realm]. For such beings to escape a strike from an Innate Spiritual Treasure [a treasure born from the primordial chaos, possessing immense natural power] was nothing short of a delusional fantasy.

Most crucially, the turbulent currents of Boundless Chaos-qi [the primordial energy of chaos] had already surged forth, concealing and obliterating all traces, making it impossible for the beast to investigate further.

"They must have been utterly obliterated, reduced to dust,"

the humanoid Chaos Beast King whispered to itself, finally setting aside its doubts. It then turned, channeling its boundless Fiendish Energy [a malevolent and corrupt form of spiritual power] into a devastating strike aimed at the Six Harmonies Patriarch.

"That was perilously close!"

Simultaneously, the group reappeared within a hazy expanse of Chaos. Each of them wore expressions of lingering fear and profound relief.

Horizon Patriarch snapped back to his senses and hastily cupped his hands in salute towards Eldrin Chen, saying, "For the grace of saving our lives, our gratitude is boundless."

"Today, we owe you a life."

The Celestial Maiden also nodded, her expression still haunted by fear as she offered her thanks to Eldrin Chen.

Though they did not understand how Eldrin Chen had managed to traverse the Primordial Chaos with them, the sheer audacity of that momentary feat was too staggering, and none dared to inquire further.

After all, tearing through the Primordial Chaos to travel was something that could be achieved by relying on an Innate Ancient Treasure with spatial attributes, or by an Ancient Immortal who had profoundly mastered the Dao of Space.

But to escape from a strike delivered by a Six Tribulations Chaos Beast King wielding an Innate Spiritual Treasure... that was likely a feat only possible for one at the Great Encompassing Rank.

Neither of the two dared to pry, only offering repeated salutes and heartfelt thanks.

Eldrin Chen also drew a deep breath, unwilling to dwell on the topic.

Without hesitation, he surveyed the surrounding Boundless Chaos and then led the group towards a nearby Chaos Lair.

This Chaos Lair was merely a Middle Grade Chaos Lair, containing only a single Low-Grade Chaos Immortal Pool within, and it was devoid of any Chaos Ancient Beasts or traces of Innate Energy.

"This place is the first Chaos Lair I encountered when I explored the Chaos in my youth."

"Its Chaos Ancient Beast were cleared out long ago, and it's unlikely to have been discovered by others."

Eldrin Chen spoke slowly, then said with a smile, "Our harvest this time can be called unprecedented. We should still divide the spoils."

Upon hearing this, Celestial Maiden immediately shook her head. "We owe you our lives. How can we presume to share in the spoils?"

Seeing this, Horizon Patriarch also clasped his hands and said, "Indeed, we would be ashamed to accept."

"There is no need for that."

Eldrin Chen shook his head and continued, "One matter is separate from another. Without the aid of you two, I could not have broken the Formation and obtained so many treasures."

As he spoke, he brought forth the various rare treasures.

Their capture of the Central Chaos Lair had yielded a harvest of treasures of truly staggering proportions. Now that they were out of danger, it was time to distribute them.

Seeing that Eldrin Chen's mind was made up, the two did not refuse further. Their gazes turned to the several extraordinary treasures laid before them.

This time, the treasures seized by the group from the Central nest were few in number, yet each was a top-tier Supreme Grade Innate Rare Treasure [a supreme-grade treasure born from the primordial chaos, containing innate laws].

Among them were seven Supreme Grade Innate Rare Treasure [supreme-grade treasures born from the primordial chaos, containing innate laws], and one Innate Ancient Treasure [an ancient magical artifact forged from innate chaos materials]—the 'Azure Abyss Ancient Cauldron'.

The nature of the six Supreme Grade Innate Rare Treasure [supreme-grade treasures born from the primordial chaos, containing innate laws] was already understood by the group, and the value of the Azure Abyss Ancient Cauldron was also astonishingly immense.

This object was a Formation Artifact [a treasure specifically designed to anchor and power grand formations] left behind by the Chaos Beast King [the ruler of primordial chaos beasts], captured by Eldrin Chen after he broke the formation. It was a dual-purpose Innate Ancient Treasure [an ancient magical artifact forged from innate chaos materials] capable of both offense and defense, likely a legacy from some senior Ancient Immortal [an immortal who has lived through countless ages], its power reaching an extreme level.

"Six Supreme Grade Innate Rare Treasure [supreme-grade treasures born from the primordial chaos, containing innate laws], one Innate Ancient Treasure [an ancient magical artifact forged from innate chaos materials], and one hundred sixty-six strands of Innate Energy [the purest form of energy from the primordial chaos],"

Eldrin Chen murmured softly before speaking aloud. "Let us value the six more common Innate Rare Treasure [treasures born from the primordial chaos, containing innate laws] at fifty strands of Innate Energy [the purest form of energy from the primordial chaos] each. The Azure Abyss Ancient Cauldron shall be valued at sixty strands."

"As for the most valuable item, the Innate Sacred Embryo Fruit [a fruit of chaos that can nurture and perfect one's foundational Dao], let us set its value at two hundred strands of Innate Energy [the purest form of energy from the primordial chaos]. What say you all?"

Upon hearing this, everyone fell into contemplative silence.

In truth, the perceived value of Innate Rare Treasure [treasures born from the primordial chaos, containing innate laws] and Innate Energy [the purest form of energy from the primordial chaos] often varied greatly depending on the individual.

For an ordinary cultivator at the Early Celestial Immortal Realm [the first major stage of celestial immortality], they would gladly exchange ten strands of Innate Energy [the purest form of energy from the primordial chaos] for a single Upper Grade Innate Treasure [a high-grade magical artifact forged from innate chaos materials].

However, for those who have attained the Late Celestial Immortal Realm [the advanced stage of the Celestial Immortal cultivation realm], trading five strands of Innate Energy [the primordial, foundational energy of the cosmos] for a single Upper Grade Innate Treasure [a top-tier magical artifact born from the world's natural laws] might not be considered a worthwhile exchange.

The fundamental reason lies in the fact that an Upper Grade Innate Treasure can significantly enhance the combat prowess of an Early Celestial Immortal Realm [the initial stage of the Celestial Immortal cultivation realm] cultivator, but its benefit to a Late Celestial Immortal Realm expert is no longer as profound.

In contrast, Innate Energy, along with treasures that can assist in breaking through to the eighth or ninth layers of the Celestial Immortal [the realm of celestial immortals] realm, are absolute necessities for those at the Late Celestial Immortal Realm.

Strictly speaking, the power of a Supreme Grade Innate Rare Treasure [a supreme-grade treasure of unparalleled rarity born from the world's essence] is at least ten times that of an Upper Grade Innate Treasure, and its price should logically be ten times higher as well, worth over a hundred strands of Innate Energy.

Yet, because Innate Energy is exceedingly scarce, those who can afford a Supreme Grade Innate Rare Treasure are vanishingly rare. Consequently, its market value must also be discounted.

Considering this, everyone present agreed with Eldrin Chen's proposed discounted valuation.

Seeing their consensus, Eldrin Chen spoke, "Since that is settled, let us proceed to distribute the spoils according to our contributions." This chapter is part of a larger work available at audio-novel*com.