Chapter 1860 : The Final Step to Immortality

This was not due to any lack of brilliance on his part, but rather because his time cultivating had been far too brief, unable to compare to those peerless talents who had cultivated for hundreds of millions or even billions of years.

Strictly speaking, this current Kalpa Tribulation [a cataclysmic cosmic cycle marking the end of an era] was not his era to dominate.

Understanding this, Eldrin Chen could not help but ask, "What is your meaning, Grandfather?"

"I believe that for this Kalpa Tribulation, we should concentrate our strength to assist you in taking that final step."

With a flick of his sleeve, Daoxu Jiang presented the Innate Indestructible Spiritual Light [a primordial and unbreakable radiance born from chaos] to Eldrin Chen, then stated, "With the aid of this treasure, I believe your chances of attaining the Grand Luo Golden Immortal [the supreme realm of a Golden Immortal, transcending the ordinary celestial hierarchy] will increase significantly."

"Innate Indestructible Spiritual Light."

Eldrin Chen spoke softly, then after a moment's contemplation nodded. "This object will indeed be useful to me. In that case, I shall accept it without further refusal."

As he spoke, Eldrin Chen waved his sleeve, manifesting three thousand strands of Innate Primordial Qi [the foundational, chaotic energy from which all creation springs] alongside several dozen types of Supreme Grade Innate Rare Treasure [priceless treasures born from the primal chaos, of the highest grade], plus a portion of Great Luo Sword Miasma [a lethal, sword-intent-infused miasma from the highest celestial realms].

He presented all these rare treasures to Daoxu Jiang and said with solemn gravity, "My travels across the Chaos Sea [the boundless, primordial ocean of unformed chaos between worlds] in recent years have yielded a bountiful harvest."

"These may be of some use to you, perhaps allowing you to advance another step before the Kalpa Tribulation arrives."

Daoxu Jiang's gaze flickered slightly as he calmly accepted these treasures, then spoke, "It seems the you of today is far from the you of yesterday."

Eldrin Chen's expression remained placid, merely offering a faint smile. "It is but a modest gain. Grandfather, should you tread upon the Chaos Sea, your fortune would surely shake the heavens."

Seeing this, Daoxu Jiang gave an ambiguous smile, offering no further comment.

Today's visit left Daoxu Jiang quite satisfied. Although he had gifted Eldrin Chen the Innate Indestructible Spiritual Light [a fundamental, unbreakable radiance of spiritual essence], he had received a batch of urgently needed treasures in return—a more than favorable exchange.

Afterwards, the two discussed the Dao [the fundamental principle or path] for a period of time. Then, Daoxu Jiang took his leave, departing from the Abyssal Grotto-Heaven.

After Daoxu Jiang's departure, Eldrin Chen wasted no time and immediately entered seclusion to cultivate his divine abilities.

Years ago, Eldrin Chen had obtained the Five Elements Great Luo Thunder Marrow [a rare marrow containing the thunder essence of the five primal elements], completing the final catalyst needed to cultivate the Primordial Chaos Divine Thunder. However, the preparations for the longevity banquet had forced him to temporarily set aside this pursuit.

Now that time was available, Eldrin Chen delayed no further and began his cultivation of the Primordial Chaos Divine Thunder.

The method for cultivating this Primordial Chaos Divine Thunder was remarkably similar to that of the Primordial Chaos Qi [a cultivation art focused on harnessing primordial chaos energy]. Eldrin Chen had long since deduced its principles, so the actual practice proved less daunting than anticipated.

He continuously refined the Five Elements Great Luo Thunder Marrow, and after a mere thousand years, the Li Fire Divine Thunder [a divine thunder technique of the Li Trigram, associated with fire] was the first to be mastered, propelling him directly into the Patriarch Grade realm.

After another two thousand years, the Profound Water Divine Thunder also broke through to the Great Luo Grade [the pinnacle grade of divine abilities, representing a profound mastery over cosmic laws].

Step by step, he continued his cultivation. Finally, after ten thousand years, all five divine thunders had fully ascended to the Great Luo Realm [the supreme realm of divine thunder mastery, where their power becomes foundational to the cosmos].

"BOOM—"

As the five divine thunders succeeded one after another, they intertwined and fused, their dazzling five-colored lightning nearly piercing through the vast, desolate void.

This power was far too domineering. A single lapse in control could have been enough to pierce the Immortal Domain [a realm of immortals, a higher plane of existence], inflicting irreversible damage upon the Vast Azure Immortal Domain.

Fortunately, at the critical moment, Eldrin Chen, relying on his Indestructible Primordial Spirit [a divine ability that renders one's spiritual core utterly unbreakable] and his Eleventh Limit [the eleventh and ultimate limit of foundational power, representing a perfection of one's mana reserves] mana, completely mastered the chaotic energies, guiding them to their final, perfect fusion.

With the fusion of the Five Elements Great Luo Divine Thunder, the five elemental forces ultimately coalesced into one, transforming into a supreme power of Chaos [the primordial, undifferentiated state before creation] and infinity.

"The Primordial Chaos Divine Thunder."

"The ultimate divine ability of the Eleventh Limit."

Eldrin Chen murmured softly, a glimmer of profound joy lighting his eyes.

Having cultivated the Primordial Chaos Divine Thunder to this stage, it had not only reached the Eleventh Limit realm, but its power had already transcended the limits of that realm, drawing near to the Twelfth Limit True Spirit Divine Ability.

Furthermore, compared to the Primordial Chaos Qi which excelled in defense and capture, this Primordial Chaos Divine Thunder was peerless in offense, its might among peers could be described as nearly invincible.

Of course, for Eldrin Chen, who possessed an Innate Spiritual Treasure, an Eleventh Limit divine ability was perhaps sufficiently powerful, but it was not enough to bring him such joy.

What truly delighted him was that with the mastery of the Primordial Chaos Divine Thunder, the Five Thunders Spirit Refining Grand Method within his body had finally advanced a step further, transforming into the Chaos Divine Thunder Spirit Tempering Method.

This Primordial Chaos Divine Thunder Spirit Tempering Method could continuously activate the Primordial Chaos Divine Thunder to temper the Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator], constantly increasing the cultivator's Primordial Spirit strength, allowing it to eventually break through a certain limit, reaching the state of Twelve-Limit True Spirit Primordial Spirit.

At this moment, as Eldrin Chen mastered the Primordial Chaos Divine Thunder, he immediately felt his Primordial Spirit begin to continuously disintegrate and crack. The supreme Primordial Chaos Divine Thunder annihilated everything, grinding the fragments of his Primordial Spirit into the purest essence of soul origin.

For an ordinary person, the moment their Primordial Spirit collapsed like this, it would already be a point of no return.

Fortunately, Eldrin Chen had cultivated the Indestructible Primordial Spirit, so even facing this nearly certain death situation, an indestructible divine nature still remained.

Behold, the disintegrating Primordial Spirit of Eldrin Chen erupted with an immortal light of indestructibility. Following this, the continuously collapsing Primordial Spirit actually began to recover ceaselessly. It continuously drew upon the scattered soul origin essence, mending its own wounds and spiritual nature.

However, if this were all, the recovery speed of his Primordial Spirit would still be far outstripped by the speed of its disintegration.

Fortunately, within the Eldrin Chen's consciousness sea, a Soul-Nourishing Wood ceaselessly emanated an inexhaustible source of soul-nourishing essence, continuously nurturing his Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator]. This barely maintained a balance between the two forces, preventing them from completely disintegrating into oblivion.

However, the consumption rate of this Soul-Nourishing Wood was alarmingly swift. By this reckoning, it was likely that this single stalk would be utterly depleted in less than a thousand years.

For most cultivators, witnessing such a dire situation would have forced an immediate halt to practicing the Chaos Divine Thunder Spirit Tempering Method. Yet, Eldrin Chen possessed the Yin-Yang Primordial Qi Vase [an enchanted artifact capable of accelerating the growth of spiritual plants], which could hasten the maturation of the Soul-Nourishing Wood.

Thus, Eldrin Chen promptly retrieved the Soul-Nourishing Wood and began expending vast quantities of Innate Primordial Qi [the purest, most fundamental energy of creation] and Immortal Spirit Qi [a high-grade spiritual energy used by powerful immortals] to cultivate it. In a remarkably short span, he had nurtured several dozen stalks of supreme-grade Primordial Soul-Nourishing Wood.

With this abundant supply of Soul-Nourishing Wood, Eldrin Chen's Primordial Spirit finally achieved a state of sustained, long-term equilibrium.

He began to continuously channel the Primordial Chaos Divine Thunder [a supreme lightning technique of primordial chaos] to disassemble his Primordial Spirit, tearing it into countless fragments and annihilating them into the purest essence of soul and spirit.

Simultaneously, he refined this purified soul essence along with the Soul-Nourishing Wood, ceaselessly nourishing and fortifying his spiritual power.

After refining a total of thirty-six stalks of Soul-Nourishing Wood, Eldrin Chen perceived that the purity of his Primordial Spirit seemed to have reached a certain absolute limit. Even the Primordial Chaos Divine Thunder could no longer inflict significant damage upon it.

"Has it reached its ultimate limit?"

Eldrin Chen murmured softly, a grave solemnity gleaming in the depths of his eyes.

Yet, after a mere moment, he halted his cultivation and instead began once more to accelerate the growth of the Soul-Nourishing Wood.

He continued this process for over three hundred plants before finally ceasing. Taking a deep breath, he murmured, "Consuming over ten thousand strands of Innate Primordial Qi [the purest form of foundational life-force energy] has barely managed to mature this many specimens of Soul-Nourishing Wood."

"Whether I can break and then rebuild... it all hinges on today."

With those words, Eldrin Chen refined all three hundred-plus stalks of Soul-Nourishing Wood into his sea of consciousness [the metaphysical realm housing one's spirit and mind].

Having completed this step, Eldrin Chen for the first time fully unleashed the Primordial Chaos Divine Thunder, allowing it to begin raging unchecked within the confines of his mental realm.

"BOOM—"

With a deafening roar, a blinding bolt of lightning descended within Eldrin Chen's sea of consciousness.

However, this strike of Primordial Chaos Divine Thunder was not aimed at Eldrin Chen's Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator], but rather at the three hundred-plus stalks of Soul-Nourishing Wood.

A thunderous crash echoed as the Soul-Nourishing Wood shattered into countless fragments, scattering debris throughout the mental expanse. Yet, Eldrin Chen used the power of his soul to restrain and gather the pieces once more.

Immediately following, another earth-shattering boom resounded. A second bolt of Primordial Chaos Divine Thunder fell, pulverizing the fragments further into fine dust and powder.

This process repeated over and over. After more than three thousand divine thunderbolts had descended, these Soul-Nourishing Wood pieces, tempered repeatedly by the lightning, transformed into a vast and boundless sea of soul origin essence.

Such an immense sea of origin essence was sufficient to help thousands of Ancient Immortal break through the Primordial Spirit Heavenly Pass. Yet, within the mind of Eldrin Chen, it churned and boiled, becoming the purest nourishment for cultivation.

"Hah—"

Then, the Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] of Eldrin Chen slowly exhaled a breath and began to inhale and exhale, drawing in this mighty sea of soul origin essence.

As time flowed on, Eldrin Chen's Primordial Spirit began to expand continuously, growing hundreds of times larger without notice. The entire Primordial Spirit became majestic and profound.

"It is almost time."

And at that very moment, the Primordial Spirit of Eldrin Chen slowly opened its eyes.

Sensing the power of his own Primordial Spirit, he could not help but draw in a slow, deep breath.

In that instant, Eldrin Chen knew with perfect clarity. The power of his Primordial Spirit had grown a hundredfold compared to before, and the strength of his Primordial Spirit had increased by more than a hundred times. Yet, it had become swollen and ponderous.

Within this Primordial Spirit lay countless intangible impurities and raw essence. It would require continuous refinement to complete its final metamorphosis.

Contemplating this, Eldrin Chen lifted his gaze to the expanse above his Sea of Consciousness [the metaphysical realm housing a cultivator's spirit and mind], then looked down at the Enlightenment Violet Lotus Throne upon which he sat. "It is time to take this step," he declared.

As his words faded, Eldrin Chen waved his sleeve, moving the Enlightenment Violet Lotus Throne aside. He then began to inhale and exhale boundless Chaos Qi [the primordial, undifferentiated energy from which all things originate], coalescing it within his Sea of Consciousness to form a Primordial Chaos Grindstone [a conceptual artifact representing the grinding and refining power of primordial chaos].

"From the Primordial Chaos Qi, three divine abilities shall be derived," he intoned.

"The first shall be the True Aegis of Primordial Chaos. The second, the Grasping Hand of Primordial Chaos. As for this third divine ability..."

Eldrin Chen murmured softly, his words trailing off as he observed the Primordial Chaos Grindstone before him.

After a moment, a smile touched his lips. "The essences of Life, Pure Yang, Profound Darkness, Primordial Earth, and Blended Metal converge, fusing into this single Primordial Chaos Grindstone," he said.

"Thus, the third method shall be named the 'Grand Millstone of Primordial Chaos'."

Speaking thus, Eldrin Chen could not help but let his smile widen.

The third divine ability derived from the Primordial Chaos Qi was a supreme technique focused on suppression and annihilation.

While its power to suppress fell short of the Grasping Hand of Primordial Chaos, and its direct destructive force could not match the Primordial Chaos Divine Thunder, it possessed a unique and formidable effect all its own.

By employing this method to suppress a formidable foe, one can grind away both their physical form and their Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator, the seat of consciousness and power].

Cultivators who have ascended beyond the Grand Luo [a profound realm of immortality] are notoriously difficult to truly slay. Unless there exists a vast chasm in cultivation realm, it is exceedingly hard for those of equal standing to decide life and death between them.

Theoretically speaking, those nearly imperishable Indestructible Primordial Spirit [a divine ability that renders one's spiritual core virtually unbreakable], and even the Indestructible Body [a legendary physique of absolute resilience] of the Twelfth Limit [the pinnacle of a cultivation stage], are considered almost impossible to extinguish.

Even if Eldrin Chen were to unleash the Primordial Chaos Divine Thunder [a supreme thunder technique born from primordial chaos], he could not utterly annihilate an High Rank Ancient Immortal [a venerable immortal of great seniority and power] who has cultivated an Indestructible Primordial Spirit.

This is because Ancient Immortal [immortals of immense age and attainment] who have achieved an Indestructible Primordial Spirit are nearly impossible to eradicate completely. Only the direct intervention of a Grand Luo Golden Immortal [a supreme immortal of the Grand Luo realm] could utterly annihilate them.

However, the Primordial Chaos Grindstone [a conceptual artifact or divine ability manifesting as a grinding wheel of primordial chaos] is an exception. This divine ability is derived from the division of Primordial Chaos Qi [the primordial, undifferentiated energy of creation], inheriting its profound, enduring, and inexhaustible nature.

In theory, given sufficient time, this Primordial Chaos Qi grindstone could completely pulverize even an Indestructible Primordial Spirit of the Eleventh Limit [a stage just below the ultimate pinnacle].

Such an effect is truly astonishing, yet for the present Eldrin Chen, it is another aspect of this ability that captures his focus.

"My Indestructible Primordial Spirit is indestructible and imperishable. Even the relentless forging of the Primordial Chaos Divine Thunder cannot completely grind it away, making it equally difficult to force it through a final, complete metamorphosis," he mused.

"To advance a step further, perhaps utilizing this Primordial Chaos Qi grindstone is the optimal method."

As the words fell, Eldrin Chen acted without a moment's hesitation.

He continuously channeled the Primordial Chaos Divine Thunder [a supreme divine lightning born from the primal chaos], unleashing its cataclysmic power. The surging waves of this divine thunder crashed relentlessly against his own Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core and highest essence of a cultivator's being].

As the might of the Primordial Chaos Divine Thunder intensified, his Primordial Spirit began to fracture and shatter into countless fragments.

This time, however, Eldrin Chen did not activate the indestructible nature inherent within his Primordial Spirit to restore it. Instead, he cast these shattered remnants of spirit into the maw of the Primordial Chaos Grinding Mill [a manifestation of primal chaos energy shaped into a millstone of annihilation]. There, he began to use the mill's inexorable rotation to grind and utterly obliterate the Primordial Spirit fragments.

"BOOM—CRACKLE—RUMBLE—"

As the Primordial Chaos Grinding Mill commenced its dreadful turning, Eldrin Chen watched with astonishment. The Primordial Spirit fragments did not merely break further; under the relentless crushing and grinding, they began to dissolve into nothingness, utterly annihilated.

What was even more terrifying was that the indestructible divine nature [the immortal quality inherent in a high-level spirit] within the Primordial Spirit itself started to fade and vanish.

As time flowed on, what finally streamed forth from the Primordial Chaos Grindstone was a source of soul essence. It was nearly as viscous and clear as water, yet it held not a trace, not a whisper, of divine nature or spiritual sentience.

This was soul essence in its purest, most pristine form. Any cultivator could refine it with ease, using it to vastly augment their own soul power. Its efficacy surpassed that of the Soul-Nourishing Wood [a rare spiritual wood known for nurturing the soul] by a hundredfold, even a thousandfold.

"The purest soul essence, without the slightest impurity?"

Eldrin Chen murmured softly. After a moment of profound contemplation, he decisively channeled his consciousness into that mass of supremely pure origin essence [the fundamental, unadulterated source of spiritual existence].

This time, Eldrin Chen resolved to abandon his old Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator]. He would fuse his consciousness with the pure soul origin, using this opportunity to forge a new Primordial Spirit, and ultimately ascend to that supreme, peerless realm in one decisive leap.

"Hmmmm—"

As his consciousness merged, the new Primordial Spirit took form. Eldrin Chen discovered that within this spirit forged from pure origin, an indestructible divinity [a quality of sacred, eternal power] began to stir and awaken.

What astonished Eldrin Chen even more was the realization that his four Innate Divine Abilities [powers born with one's spirit, not learned] had been stripped away, separated from his new form.

The newborn Primordial Spirit resembled a blank slate, yet it was born with nine apertures for divine abilities. Each aperture radiated with the power of the supremely pure origin essence.

"A Nine-Aperture Primordial Spirit,"

Eldrin Chen whispered slowly, a flicker of awe and delight crossing his features.

A Nine-Aperture Primordial Spirit signified his potential to cultivate nine Innate Divine Abilities. This was an unprecedented harvest, a blessing beyond measure.

One must understand that a cultivator's Innate Divine Abilities are typically fixed upon reaching the Nascent Infant realm [the stage where the cultivator's spiritual core takes an infant-like form].

Generally speaking, a Human Path Nascent Soul [a cultivator's nascent soul formed through the Human Path method] can open one aperture, allowing the cultivation of a single Innate Divine Ability [a supreme power born from the cultivator's very essence]. An Earth Path Nascent Soul [a nascent soul formed through the Earth Path method] can open two apertures, enabling the mastery of two such abilities, while a Heaven Path Nascent Soul [a nascent soul formed through the Heaven Path method] can open three apertures, granting the potential for three divine abilities.

When Eldrin Chen achieved his Great Luo Nascent Soul [a supreme-grade nascent soul of the Great Luo Path], he only managed to open four apertures, yet that alone was enough to proclaim him peerless within his realm. It was utterly astonishing to discover that his newly formed Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core and true self of an immortal] now possessed nine innate apertures.

The disparity between Innate Divine Abilities and non-innate abilities is vast. Not only are innate abilities roughly thirty percent more potent, but their most crucial advantage is their significantly lower consumption of spiritual power.

Below the Grand Luo [the Great Luo realm, a pinnacle of immortal cultivation] realm, this difference is less pronounced. The vast majority of Earth Immortals [immortals who have ascended via the Earth Path] and Celestial Immortals [immortals who have ascended via the Heaven Path] possess resources sufficient only to cultivate one or two Innate Divine Abilities to perfection, so the gap between them remains manageable.

However, upon reaching the Great Luo Realm, the distinction becomes monumental. Nearly every Grand Luo Immortal Lord [an immortal lord of the Great Luo realm] commands staggering resources, allowing them to cultivate all their Innate Divine Abilities to the Patriarch Grade [the level of a founding patriarch, representing peak mastery].

In such a context, the difference between possessing four Innate Divine Abilities and possessing five or six becomes a chasm of power.

From Eldrin Chen's knowledge, rare treasures exist within the Chaos [the primordial, formless void before creation] that can assist a Grand Luo Golden Immortal [a Golden Immortal of the Great Luo realm] in opening a fifth or even a sixth aperture within their Primordial Spirit.

Those who hold the title of Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch [a supreme emperor-monarch reigning over the Primordial Chaos] have almost all opened at least seven apertures within their Primordial Spirit. Yet, none have ever been recorded to possess nine.

But in this moment, Eldrin Chen understood. The possession of nine apertures within one's Primordial Spirit was, in fact, the minimum requirement for forging a True Spirit Primordial Spirit [a Primordial Spirit of the True Spirit grade, a legendary state of being].