Chapter 1863 : Forging the Divine Abilities

Compared to the Formation Chapter [a foundational text on the art of crafting magical formations], the contents within this Divine Ability Chapter [a profound text detailing the principles of innate divine abilities] were even more arcane and complex. Yet, they represented the fruit born from the convergence of Dao Patterns [the fundamental inscriptions of cosmic principles] and the Great Dao [the supreme, underlying truth of existence].

Having comprehended the Formation Chapter, Eldrin Chen had already solidified his own Dao Patterns to an exceptional degree. Thus, when he turned to contemplate this Divine Ability Chapter, his progress was naturally swift.

In the time that followed, Eldrin Chen immersed himself in the study of various divine abilities and secret arts. It took him a full three hundred thousand years to thoroughly master all divine abilities below the Great Luo Grade [a supreme cultivation realm, one step below the legendary Immortal Emperor realm].

With this profound foundation and accumulated wisdom, Eldrin Chen further refined and perfected his six Innate Divine Abilities [unique, heaven-defying powers born from a cultivator's very essence], enhancing both their latent potential and their destructive might.

After completing this task, his gaze turned to the three remaining innate acupoints within his body, and he fell into deep contemplation.

Among his nine great acupoints, aside from the six already fused with divine abilities, three remained vacant, not yet integrated with an Innate Divine Abilities.

Excluding the Years Like a Song Blade [a divine ability that manipulates the flow of time, making years pass like a fleeting melody], he still had two innate acupoints available for fusion. The choice of which divine abilities to integrate, however, plunged him into a state of difficult deliberation.

Eldrin Chen repeatedly examined the other divine abilities he cultivated, but ultimately felt none were suitable.

With Eldrin Chen's profound foundation and accumulated wisdom, he possessed the capability to evolve any of his other cultivated divine abilities to the Patriarch Grade [a powerful grade of divine ability, typically mastered by Patriarch-level experts]. Yet, he remained reluctant to fuse them.

It was not that these abilities lacked power. Rather, for Eldrin Chen, an ordinary Patriarch-Grade Divine Ability could no longer bring about a qualitative transformation in his strength.

"Any single Grand Luo Golden Immortal [a supreme immortal who has transcended the Grand Luo Heavenly Tribulation], when at the Eight Tribulation Ancient Immortal [an ancient immortal who has survived eight heavenly tribulations] realm, is a being nearly invincible within their own tier."

"With my foundation, even after breaking through to the Grand Luo Golden Immortal realm, I would likely rank among its foremost elites."

"However, if I do not further elevate my ultimate combat prowess, facing those truly peerless geniuses—especially figures of the Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch [a sovereign who commands the very essence of primordial chaos] caliber—I may not be able to look down upon all other heroes with absolute supremacy."

Eldrin Chen murmured softly, a faint frown creasing his brow.

He understood clearly in his heart that every existence at the Grand Luo Golden Immortal level was a genius of a generation. Even if he could dominate his peers after his own breakthrough, leaping across realms to challenge those above him might prove impossible.

Whether they were Chaotic Fiendgod [ancient demons born from primordial chaos] or Grand Luo Immortal Lord [an immortal lord who has attained the Grand Luo realm], they not only transcended the cycle of reincarnation but were also exceedingly difficult for others to slay.

To kill a Grand Luo Golden Immortal at this level generally required a force five to ten times greater and the complete sealing of all escape routes to have any chance of success.

Most crucially, beings at the mid-stage of Grand Luo Golden Immortal and above could almost all unlock their fifth, and even their sixth, Divine Ability Aperture [a mystical node within a cultivator's body that houses a profound supernatural power].

Such Grand Luo Golden Immortal would often seize this opportunity to cultivate either a life-preserving divine ability or a forbidden, all-out offensive technique.

As far as Eldrin Chen knew, that Sword Abyss Immortal Lord from ages past had unlocked both his fifth and sixth apertures, and within each resided a divine ability of peerless, era-defining power.

Among them, the fifth aperture was named the 'Heavenly Sword Disintegration Art' [a forbidden technique that consumes the user's own body to unleash devastating power]. This divine ability was considered a forbidden Great Luo Divine Ability [a supreme-level technique accessible only to the highest echelons of cultivators]. Once activated, it would burn the user's Grand Luo [the pinnacle immortal body] as a price, temporarily boosting all combat power by fivefold.

The sixth aperture was named 'Kalpa-Spanning Sword Strike' [a sword strike nurtured across an immense cosmic cycle]. It was an exceedingly rare and peerless offensive divine ability, capable of nurturing within the body a single, world-sundering sword energy strike potent enough to severely wound or even slay a Grand Luo Golden Immortal [an immortal at the absolute zenith of cultivation].

In his time, Sword Abyss Immortal Lord relied precisely on these two forbidden divine abilities to brazenly assault Chaos Nest [primordial realms of pure disorder and demonic energy], successively slaying several Chaotic Fiendgod [ancient and immensely powerful demons born from primordial chaos].

Of course, whether it was the Heavenly Sword Disintegration Art or the Kalpa-Spanning Sword Strike, their power far surpassed ordinary Patriarch-Grade Divine Ability [techniques of a level mastered by founding patriarchs of great sects]. However, the price to activate them was extraordinarily severe, hence why they were both termed forbidden divine abilities.

Once the Heavenly Sword Disintegration Art was unleashed, the Grand Luo body of Sword Abyss Immortal Lord would be damaged, requiring the expenditure of a vast sea of rare and precious resources to restore.

As for the Kalpa-Spanning Sword Strike, it required the nurturing span of an entire Kalpa Tribulation [a cosmic cycle of immense duration, often billions of years] to barely be activated once. Theoretically, to unleash the Kalpa-Spanning Sword Strike at its maximum, limit-shattering power required a full nine Kalpa Tribulation of nurturing time.

With such exacting conditions, the power of these abilities was naturally astonishing beyond measure. In his prime, when Sword Abyss Immortal Lord fought with utter desperation, even late-stage Grand Luo Golden Immortal dared not engage him in a fight to the death.

Had it not been for that fateful battle where Sword Abyss Immortal Lord was ensnared by a plot, and the Chaotic Fiendgod employed a special method to counter the power of his Kalpa-Spanning Sword Strike, he might very well have fought his way out from the midst of that overwhelming encirclement.

"Forbidden divine abilities... the final, desperate gambits of a Grand Luo,"

Recalling the legends surrounding Sword Abyss Immortal Lord, Eldrin Chen murmured softly to himself, a pensive expression settling upon his features.

Forbidden Divine Abilities possess immense and terrifying power, yet the price paid to unleash them is equally staggering. Aside from Grand Luo Golden Immortals [the supreme immortals who transcend the cycle of reincarnation], it is nearly impossible for anyone to dare activate a Forbidden Divine Ability.

However, Eldrin Chen has cultivated both the Indestructible Body [a physique of legendary resilience] and the True Spirit Primordial Spirit [the perfected spiritual core of a cultivator]. He should be able to withstand the cost of activating such abilities, making him seemingly suitable for mastering Forbidden Divine Abilities to augment his arsenal.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen began to search through the Divine Ability Chapter of the Primordial Beginning Dao Scripture for its Forbidden Divine Abilities. The results left him utterly astounded.

Within the Primordial Beginning Dao Scripture, there existed over a dozen Forbidden Divine Abilities, each one capable of shaking the heavens and earth.

There was the Soul-Burning Sacrificial Blade Art. To forge this blade, one must use the Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] of a Grand Luo Golden Immortal as a sacrifice, undergoing thirty-six Kalpa Tribulations [cosmic cycles of destruction and renewal] to complete its cultivation. Once unleashed, it requires burning away ninety-nine percent of one's own Primordial Spirit, erupting with power that transcends all limits.

There was the Nine Revolutions Disintegration Art from the path of achieving sainthood through the physical body. Once activated, one's lifeblood and vital energy would burn irreversibly, unleashing physical strength multiplied three to ninefold. The price is a slumber lasting several Kalpa Tribulations to recover.

There was also the method known as 'Sacrifice the Self, One Sword.' It was even more ferocious, burning one's flesh, blood, Primordial Spirit, and everything else in a mutually assured destruction strike.

Once the Sacrificial Self Sword Art is mastered, an Immortal at the early Grand Luo Golden Immortal stage could potentially severely injure or even slay a mid-stage Grand Luo Golden Immortal. This illustrates just how perilous and ruthless this art truly is.

"Such overwhelmingly domineering divine abilities,"

After reviewing these abilities, Eldrin Chen could not help but reveal a bitter smile.

Grand Luo Golden Immortal [a supreme immortal who transcends the cycle of reincarnation] does not face the peril of true annihilation; even if slain in battle, they can be reborn from the Great Dao [the fundamental principle underlying all existence]. The divine abilities they create thus become exceptionally domineering and vicious.

At this moment, he finally gained a profound insight. If all Grand Luo Golden Immortal [a supreme immortal who transcends the cycle of reincarnation] cultivated forbidden divine abilities of this caliber, then battles between them would likely be fraught with caution and restraint.

Even if one's cultivation realm was higher and their power several times greater, there was no guarantee that the opponent's final, desperate strike could not drag you down to mutual destruction.

Even if mutual destruction was not achieved, if the opponent managed to inflict grievous wounds upon you, it could provide an opening for your other great enemies to seize the opportunity.

Contemplating this, Eldrin Chen could not help but sigh with feeling, "It seems that in the future, even after breaking through to Grand Luo Golden Immortal [a supreme immortal who transcends the cycle of reincarnation], one must not become arrogant or overconfident."

With these thoughts in mind, Eldrin Chen began to deliberate once more.

"Although forbidden divine abilities are domineering, their power is truly immense. Even if cultivated only at the early Grand Luo Golden Immortal [a supreme immortal who transcends the cycle of reincarnation] stage, they grant the means to threaten those at the mid-stage."

"Now that I have achieved the True Spirit Primordial Spirit [a perfected spiritual core of immense purity and power], it is time for me to cultivate a forbidden divine ability of my own."

With this resolution, Eldrin Chen did not immediately begin cultivating any of the existing forbidden abilities. Instead, he immersed himself in comprehending their profound mysteries, intending to use them as a foundation to forge his own unique divine ability.

After several tens of thousands of years, having grasped the essence of these forbidden abilities for the most part, he turned his focus to creating his own forbidden divine ability.

However, before forging his own forbidden divine ability, Eldrin Chen retrieved the Yin-Yang Union Vessel. Gazing upon this precious vessel, he murmured to himself.

"This Yin-Yang Union Vessel can comprehensively enhance one's magic power, Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator], physical body, and even one's Great Dao and Dao Fruit [the culmination of one's cultivation path]."

"If I use this as a foundation and fuse it with the concepts of those other divine abilities, could I create a world-shaking, peerless divine ability?"

Eldrin Chen whispered slowly, a sudden brilliant light igniting within his eyes.

Once the thought took hold, he acted. Immediately, he began to roughly draft the framework of his own forbidden divine ability, using the Yin-Yang Union Vessel as its cornerstone.

Thus, a thousand years passed in a blur. Eldrin Chen had forged the embryonic foundation of this divine ability. Once more, he integrated the concepts of several other forbidden divine abilities into this foundation. Finally, after tens of thousands of years, he succeeded in creating a divine ability of truly peerless grandeur.

"It is done."

After creating this divine ability, Eldrin Chen could not help but reveal a look of profound joy.

The divine ability he had created could be considered a rare forbidden art, and it was divided into three distinct stages.

The first stage involved storing Yin-Yang Qi [the primordial energies of passive and active forces] within the divine ability itself. At a critical moment, one could unleash this stored Qi to empower oneself. Before the stored Yin-Yang Qi was exhausted, it could temporarily double one's combat prowess.

The second stage involves igniting one's internal vital Qi [the life force energy], Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator], mana, and Great Dao [the fundamental cosmic principles], using the combustion of these foundational reserves as a price to unleash one's ultimate combat prowess.

Theoretically, this stage can unleash power fivefold one's normal strength, yet it remains within controllable limits.

With Eldrin Chen's True Spirit Primordial Spirit [an advanced, solidified state of the spiritual core], he can fully command this surge of power and cease the burning of his vital Qi, Primordial Spirit, mana, and Great Dao at will.

However, activating the second stage also demands a significant toll, requiring the refinement of various rare treasures for recovery afterwards. As long as Eldrin Chen masters the Great Dao of Life, the injuries from the second stage would not constitute a particularly severe loss.

The third stage, however, entails the reckless, all-consuming combustion of Primordial Spirit, vital Qi, mana, Dao Fruit [the condensed essence of one's cultivated Dao], Great Dao, and indeed everything, to erupt with combat power far exceeding one's inherent limits.

Yet the price of the third stage is monumentally dire. Unless one has forged a foundation of True Spiritual Root [the highest grade of spiritual aptitude], or has broken through to the realm of a Grand Luo Golden Immortal [a supreme immortal realm], activation is invariably a death sentence.

"This divine ability, across all three of its stages, is truly extraordinary."

"The first stage, while less potent, holds the advantage of requiring only stored Yin and Yang Qi [the dual primordial energies] to activate."

"The second stage possesses formidable power, but its activation carries a heavy cost. Before breaking through to Grand Luo, one must use it sparingly, reserved only for life-or-death struggles."

"As for the third stage…"

Eldrin Chen shook his head. Once the third stage was activated, he would fall into an irreversible slumber, and recovery would require at least several Kalpa Tribulation [a cosmic cycle of immense duration, often billions of years].

Furthermore, the higher his cultivation realm, the longer the recovery time after activation. Therefore, unless it was a genuine life-or-death crisis, he would never lightly resort to it.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen gazed at this divine ability and could not help but smile. "This technique is founded upon the Yin-Yang Union Vessel [a mystical artifact that harmonizes the opposing forces of Yin and Yang]. Perhaps it should be named the 'Yin-Yang Sacrificial Dao [the Dao of Sacrifice through Yin and Yang, a profound technique of ultimate exchange]'."

So saying, Eldrin Chen stored away the newly drafted ancient scripture.

This Yin-Yang Sacrificial Dao was immensely powerful, but it required obtaining Yin-Yang energies of the Great Luo Rare Treasure [a legendary tier of spiritual treasures, exceedingly rare and potent] grade to cultivate. For now, it was not yet the time to practice it.

After this, Eldrin Chen ceased further divine ability derivation.

Now, the eighth innate acupoint had been chosen, but the ninth required the utmost deliberation.

After all, a True Spirit Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator, representing their true essence and soul] possessed only nine innate acupoints. His current experience was still somewhat lacking. To avoid a lifelong regret from choosing the wrong ability, it was better to wait until after his breakthrough to the Grand Luo [a supreme realm of cultivation, representing mastery over cosmic principles] realm, when his wisdom and insight would be greater, before selecting and merging the ninth innate acupoint.

Thinking this, Eldrin Chen performed a quick calculation with his fingers and realized that this seclusion had already lasted for over eight hundred thousand years.

"A single seclusion spanning over eight hundred thousand years... Time flows with such swiftness," he murmured.

Eldrin Chen let out a soft sigh, then emerged from his secluded cultivation chamber.

Upon exiting, he found that Lyra Jiang and the others were still in seclusion, seemingly striving to advance another step before the Kalpa Tribulation [the great cosmic cataclysm that periodically reshapes existence]. Meanwhile, Lior Chen and his group were further stockpiling the strategic resources required for the impending tribulation.

Eldrin Chen did not disturb them. Instead, he stepped out of the Abyssal Grotto-Heaven [a pocket dimension of profound spiritual energy] and lifted his gaze toward the magnificent expanse of the Vast Azure Immortal Domain.

After so many years, observing the Vast Azure Immortal Domain once more, Eldrin Chen perceived that the aura of calamity within this realm had grown denser. A faint, surging tide of tribulation energy seemed to roll in from the horizon.

He raised his eyes again, his vision piercing through the boundless Immortal Domain to peer into the Depths of Chaos. There, he discerned that even within the vastness of the Chaos, faint threads of baleful aura were continuously sprouting.

Beyond the borders of the Vast Azure Immortal Domain, even the Chaos Ancient Beast [primordial creatures born from and dwelling in the formless Chaos] had a flicker of crimson madness begin to gleam in their eyes.

"The Kalpa Tribulation approaches," he murmured, the words heavy with certainty.

Eldrin Chen understood, with a clarity that resonated in his bones, that this slaughter-tribulation was inescapable. Unless a Grand Luo Golden Immortal [a supreme immortal who has transcended the cycles of fate] chose to offer shelter within their personal Immortal Domain, even an Eight Tribulation Ancient Immortal [an immortal who has survived eight previous great tribulations] would be dragged into the maelstrom of the Kalpa Tribulation.

To survive it was to have one's foundation vastly strengthened, unlocking the potential for further ascension. To fail was utter annihilation—even the direct offspring of a Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch [a sovereign born from the primal Chaos itself] would be reduced to ashes, scattered upon the winds of oblivion.

With these thoughts weighing upon him, Eldrin Chen slowly withdrew his gaze, a profound stillness settling over his features.

He withdrew his consciousness, then with a flick of his sleeve, tore through the void. Taking a single step, he plunged into the endless dimensional emptiness, descending until he arrived within the bounds of a magnificent, vast cosmos.

"BOOM—"

Deep within a boundless starry sea of the immense cosmos, a violent explosion suddenly resounded.

In that instant, space-time trembled. One after another, fissures manifested in the depths of the stellar abyss, and from within them emerged a figure clad in robes as white as snow.

Cloaked in pristine white garments, His form was wreathed in boundless Immortal Qi [the transcendent energy of an immortal being]. A hazy, radiant light illuminated the vast, desolate cosmos.

The arrival was none other than Eldrin Chen. Lifting his gaze to survey his surroundings, a flicker of emotion passed through his eyes. "My homeland," he murmured, "I have returned."

"HUM—"

Immediately, the entire cosmos seemed to shudder. A supreme will descended from the universe's deepest reaches.

Its consciousness settled upon Eldrin Chen, scrutinizing him intently for a long moment. Finally, a thought-voice resonated: "My child. It seems I am to nurture another scion of the Grand Luo realm."

Eldrin Chen offered a faint, knowing smile, choosing not to voice a reply.

After the passage of countless years, gazing once more upon this Grand Cosmos [the primary, vast universe in which the story is set], Eldrin Chen finally comprehended its true nature.

This Grand Cosmos was majestic and boundless, its diameter spanning approximately three hundred billion light-years. Yet, to the Eldrin Chen of the present day, it could no longer be considered a colossal entity.

Such grand cosmoses are as numberless as the stars in the endless dimensions.

The Endless Dimensional Void itself is composed of these infinite universes. Therefore, the Endless Dimensional Void can also be called the Sea of Endless Worlds, or the Ocean of Infinite Cosmoses.