Chapter 1814 : Whispers of the Flower Goddess

With those words, Falling Star Xuan transformed into a streak of rainbow light and flew away, vanishing beyond the borders of the Violet Sun Immortal Domain in the blink of an eye.

Witnessing this, Eldrin Chen fell into a pensive silence, a thoughtful expression crossing his features. "The Flower Goddess Palace?" he murmured.

"The origins of the Flower Goddess Palace are truly Extraordinary," he remarked.

The Celestial Maiden, whose knowledge was far more profound, noticed Eldrin's confusion and explained, "Within the Primordial Immortal Domain, the Human Race possesses several Great Encompassing Ancient Sect [ancient sects whose lineage traces back to the primordial era]."

"Legend holds that the lineage of the Flower Goddess Palace boasts two Great Encompassing Immortal Lord [Golden Immortals who have attained the Great Encompassing Realm], both of whom are women who achieved the Dao. They hold immense prestige within the Immortal Court."

"It is said that the two Great Encompassing Immortal Lord of the Flower Goddess Palace still hold positions within the Immortal Court. They preside over the Hundred Flowers Immortal Palace lineage, a position of such exalted and extraordinary status that even an Immortal Court Imperial Lord [a supreme ruler of the Immortal Court] would treat them with the utmost courtesy."

Eldrin Chen was visibly shaken by this revelation. A single sect with two Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [Golden Immortals of the Great Encompassing Realm]—this clearly indicated that the Flower Goddess Palace was no ordinary or weak Great Encompassing Ancient Sect.

One must understand that even the Immortal Clam Clan, one of the current Hundred Immortal Spirit Races [the hundred most prominent immortal spirit-blooded clans], retained only a single Great Encompassing Golden Immortal.

Contemplating this, Eldrin Chen spoke again, "These Great Encompassing Ancient Sect's Direct Lineage [the direct descendants of ancient sects]... have they also come here for the Sea of Chaos [the primordial, formless expanse from which all creation emerged]?"

"That is most likely the case," came the reply. Dive deeper into the Dao at audio–novel.com.

Horizon Patriarch nodded, then looked towards the Violet Sun Immortal Domain and said, "While the Three Thousand Immortal Domains may seem numerous, the frontier Immortal Domains bordering the Sea of Chaos number merely a little over three hundred."

"As one of these three hundred-plus frontier Immortal Domains, the Violet Sun Immortal Domain is akin to a port city on the edge of a mortal world's ocean. It naturally draws a vast congregation of Ancient Immortal Great Powers."

The Celestial Maiden also nodded, speaking with calm authority, "This place gathers countless Ancient Immortals from across the Three Thousand Immortal Domains and even the Primordial Immortal Domain. Many among them are beings who have lived for dozens, even hundreds of Kalpa Tribulations [immense cosmic cycles spanning billions of years]."

"Their power is unfathomable. We are here only to replenish our spiritual energy and gather intelligence on the Sea of Chaos. We must be careful not to stir up any trouble."

Eldrin Chen listened and gave a solemn nod, his expression growing profoundly grave.

As the two continued their explanation, Eldrin Chen gradually grasped the critical importance of the Violet Sun Immortal Domain.

As one of the nearest ports to the Sea of Chaos, the status of the Violet Sun Immortal Domain was truly extraordinary.

All Ancient Immortals exploring the Sea of Chaos Fringe in the vicinity, even the top-tier ones at the Seven Tribulations level and beyond, would come here to restore their spiritual energy and resupply.

These Ancient Immortal Great Powers, returning from their journeys within the Chaos, often brought back untold quantities of rare Exotic Treasures. Innate Ancient Treasures and Supreme Grade Innate Rare Treasures, which might appear only once in a hundred million years in the Vast Azure Immortal Domain, were almost commonplace sights here.

Even Quasi-Innate Spiritual Treasures could be purchased here. Furthermore, with sufficient Opportunity and Fortune, it was even possible for a genuine Innate Spiritual Treasure to manifest within this realm.

Of course, Innate Spiritual Treasure [a magical treasure born from the world's essence, possessing innate laws and supreme power] are far too rare; even within the Violet Sun Immortal Domain, encountering one is an event that happens perhaps once in hundreds of millions of years.

Furthermore, as a port leading to the Sea of Chaos [a primordial, lawless expanse between ordered worlds, filled with both danger and opportunity], the Violet Sun Immortal Domain attracts merchant guilds from various Immortal Domain [a vast, ordered realm governed by immortal laws] and even Primordial Immortal Domain [the oldest and most powerful of immortal realms].

Countless Ninth Rank Treasure Ship [the highest grade of magical vessel, capable of traversing the void between realms] from numerous Immortal Domain arrive here, laden with goods and curiosities from the Three Thousand Immortal Domains [a poetic term for the myriad realms of existence], all to purchase the rare treasures and divine materials found within the Sea of Chaos.

Countless Ancient Immortal [immortals who have weathered countless ages and tribulations] and Celestial Immortal [immortals who have ascended to a higher state of being, often governing celestial bodies or laws] are also drawn here, seeking to acquire such wondrous items.

Over the long ages, this has made commerce within the Violet Sun Immortal Domain exceptionally prosperous.

"A paradise for the strong, a hell for the weak."

After digesting this information about the realm, Eldrin Chen fell into deep contemplation before finally offering this assessment.

The prosperity of the Violet Sun Immortal Domain stems from the Sea of Chaos; its Opportunity and Fortune [the twin forces of chance and destiny that shape a cultivator's path] flow from the Sea of Chaos, and its perils, too, are born of that same chaotic expanse.

This place is a paradise for the brave, a Celestial Stairway [a metaphorical path to ultimate power and ascension] for the mighty, yet it is also a hell for the frail and a tomb for the defeated.

In stark contrast, those who ultimately reach the ends of heaven and earth are vanishingly few; the vast majority of Ancient Immortal Great Power [ancient immortals of immense cultivation and influence] ultimately find their bones buried here.

Here, some rise to prominence, shattering the chains of Destiny [the predetermined course of events] to attain the Great Encompassing Realm [the ultimate state of cultivation, encompassing all]. Yet far more find their bones buried in this very soil, their journeys ended.

Though a sigh echoed within Eldrin Chen's heart, he did not retreat.

The Immortal Path [the path of cultivation leading to immortality] demands struggle; the Great Path [the ultimate Dao] grows ever more perilous. Only a precious few can walk it to its very end.

If one does not strive, does not fight for greater potential, then when the day of the Kalpa Tribulation [a cosmic cycle of destruction and renewal, often a cataclysmic event for cultivators] descends and there is no escape, regret will come too late.

Setting aside their thoughts, the three continued their journey toward the Violet Sun Immortal Domain.

Each expended one Primordial Unity Rare Treasure [an artifact of immense rarity and power, born from primordial chaos] to rent a Grotto-Heaven [a blessed, self-contained pocket dimension ideal for cultivation] estate within the Violet Sun Immortal Domain. This content originates from audio-novel .c om. Please respect copyright.

"Such a steep price,"

Eldrin Chen remarked with a wince after securing the grotto-heaven.

A single Primordial Unity Rare Treasure was not a significant loss for Eldrin Chen, yet the exorbitant cost for merely renting a grotto-heaven for a limited time was truly hard to bear.

Hearing this, Horizon Patriarch replied with a helpless tone, "It is expensive, but if we wish to restore our spiritual power, renting a Grotto-Heaven here is our only option."

Eldrin Chen also gave a slight nod, understanding that this was an unavoidable matter.

After all, they could not simply travel to another Immortal Domain to replenish their spiritual power [the foundational energy used by cultivators to perform supernatural feats]. Not only were the distances between Immortal Domain vast, often requiring thousands of years to traverse, but the sheer expenditure of spiritual power for such a round trip would itself be a tremendous drain.

By the time they had fully restored their power, having journeyed for millennia to reach the fringes of the Chaos [the primordial, formless state from which all existence emerged], they would have already expended ten to twenty percent of it. To then face the Sea of Chaos [the boundless, turbulent expanse of primordial chaos] in such a state would be perilous beyond measure.

"Do not dwell on it. Let us focus on restoring our power first,"

Eldrin Chen murmured softly before entering seclusion to recover his cultivation base.

Thanks to his ability to convert Primordial Chaos Energy [the raw, unformed energy of the primordial chaos], Eldrin Chen's spiritual reserves had not been severely depleted. He fully recovered his power in merely a year.

Seeing that Celestial Maiden and Horizon Patriarch were still in seclusion, Eldrin Chen decided to venture into Violet Sun Immortal City to gather intelligence on the Sea of Chaos.

He first purchased a catalog detailing the myriad rare treasures found within the Sea of Chaos, followed by a comprehensive bestiary of the Chaos Fierce Beast [savage beasts born from and dwelling within the primordial chaos] that roamed its depths.

The rare treasures catalog contained entries on tens of thousands of Chaos Rare Treasure from the Sea of Chaos, including Chaos Divine Material [ores forged in chaos with divine properties], Innate Rare Treasure [treasures born from the world's natural laws at its inception], Innate Heavenly God Herb [divine herbs of innate origin], Innate Ancient Tree [primordial trees of great age and power], and even Innate Spiritual Root [the foundational spiritual veins of heaven and earth].

After perusing the materials, Eldrin Chen felt his knowledge expand greatly, and he found himself engrossed in the fascinating lore.

The Chaos Fierce Beast Compendium recorded hundreds of thousands of Chaos Ancient Beast dwelling within the Sea of Chaos Fringe.

The tome classified Chaos Ancient Beast into five primary categories: the Chaos Fiend, the Chaos Saint Spirit, the Chaos Beast King, the Chaos Ancient Beast, and the Colossal Chaos Fiend, among others.

The Chaos Fiend were beings comparable to Great Encompassing Golden Immortal. The book documented merely a few dozen of them, each a unique and singular existence.

Over three thousand types of Chaos Saint Spirit were recorded, each possessing power at least equivalent to one who had shattered the Seventh Heavenly Pass. Within these pages, Eldrin Chen discovered the origins of Ao Hong's lineage.

"Saint Spirit: Primordial Chaos Black Dragon, ranked twenty-seventh on the Chaos Saint Spirit Roll, one of the Nine Chaos Dragons."

"Legends say it was born from the mutation of Primordial Chaos Black Dragon Iron, inheriting the Innate Creation [the primordial act of genesis] from the undivided Chaos. It gestated within the Nine Chaos Dragons Nest and is considered a peerless specimen among the Chaos Saint Spirit."

Reading the description of the Primordial Chaos Black Dragon, Eldrin Chen paused momentarily, a flicker of surprise crossing his features.

According to the text, the Chaos Saint Spirit Roll contained over three thousand entries. For the Primordial Chaos Black Dragon to hold the twenty-seventh rank was a clear testament to its extraordinary latent potential.

"With such profound origins and having further mutated by absorbing the Primordial Chaos Violet Aura, Ao Hong's future prospects are likely boundless."

"This is well. In time, he may become a powerful ally."

Eldrin Chen murmured softly to himself before continuing to read.

The further he read, the more Eldrin Chen learned about the Chaos Ancient Beast, and the more he grasped the sheer, boundless immensity of the Sea of Chaos [the primordial, formless expanse from which all universes are born]. He also began to comprehend the astonishing vibrancy and activity that thrived within its depths.

The tome documented several hundred thousand species of Chaos Ancient Beast, which were primarily divided into two categories: the Chaos Ancient Beast themselves and the Colossal Chaos Fiend.

The Chaos Ancient Beast were relatively common. They fed on the very substance of Universe [a complete, self-contained cosmos] and could also grow by devouring Chaos Water [primordial waters rich in chaotic energy]. Within the Sea of Chaos, they lived in massive, swarming herds.

Typically, whenever a group exceeded one hundred Chaos Ancient Beast, it would inevitably be led by a Chaos Beast King, forming a formidable Chaos Beast Horde.

Such a Chaos Beast Horde generally required a cultivator of at least Four Tribulations Ancient Immortal [an Ancient Immortal who has survived four Heavenly Tribulations] strength or greater to have a reasonable chance of confronting it, and even then, the risks were significant.

The Colossal Chaos Fiend, however, were the exception. These beings usually roamed the Chaos [the primordial, undifferentiated state of existence] in solitary isolation.

Such entities possessed cultivation bases at least equivalent to a Chaos Beast King, and they preyed upon the Chaos Ancient Beast. Their combat prowess was such that they had virtually no equals among beings of the same realm.

Generally speaking, Colossal Chaos Fiend were considered far too perilous. Most Ancient Immortal Great Power [a powerful figure among Ancient Immortals] would prefer to face a Chaos Beast Horde of comparable power rather than confront one of these supremely formidable Colossal Chaos Fiend.

"If the herds of Chaos Ancient Beast are likened to schools of fish," he mused, "then the Colossal Chaos Fiend are the great sharks and leviathans—the apex predators of the Sea of Chaos."

"I never imagined that even within the Sea of Chaos [the primordial, formless expanse from which all realms are born], a complete ecosystem has already taken shape."

Eldrin Chen murmured softly, a trace of solemn contemplation deepening in his gaze.

A feeling settled within him: compared to this vast, boundless Sea of Chaos, the Three Thousand Immortal Domains [the collective name for the myriad immortal realms] were like a solitary island in an endless ocean, perhaps nothing more than an insignificant speck.

"Enough. Since we have the intelligence, let us return for now."

With this thought, Eldrin Chen did not linger any longer and immediately returned to his secluded cultivation abode.

Neither Celestial Maiden nor Horizon Patriarch possessed the ability to directly refine Primordial Chaos Energy [the raw, unformed energy of creation], and restoring their spiritual power consumed over a century.

By the time they emerged from seclusion, they discovered Eldrin Chen had been waiting for them for quite some time.

Seeing them emerge, Eldrin Chen presented them with two comprehensive scrolls of diagrams he had prepared.

After reviewing them, Horizon Patriarch could not help but express his heartfelt approval. "You have been most thoughtful. With the aid of these two scrolls, our preparations will be that much more thorough."

"It was a simple matter to compile them while I had some spare time."

Eldrin Chen offered a faint smile and said no more.

After studying the charts, the three of them felt adequately prepared. Seeing no further issues, they departed the Violet Sun Immortal Domain and set their course for the Sea of Chaos.

The journey from the Violet Sun Immortal Domain to the Sea of Chaos was not long. After flying for just over a century, they arrived at the fringes of that legendary expanse.

"So this... is the Sea of Chaos?"

Gazing upon the Sea of Chaos before him, Eldrin Chen's expression shifted subtly, a tremor of awe passing through his features.

This was the first time any of the three had laid eyes upon the true Sea of Chaos, and they all stood momentarily transfixed, their faces etched with unconcealed astonishment.

It was a tempestuous, surging ocean, a Sea of Chaos formed from the very essence of Chaos Water [the primordial, formless waters from which all creation is said to have emerged].

In comparison, the wispy, mist-like Sea of Chaos found within the Three Thousand Immortal Domains seemed pale and diluted, its density likely not even one-thousandth of the formidable sea before them.

"Boom—!"

Eldrin Chen looked up. The sound was that of tumultuous waves crashing against the shores of the Three Thousand Immortal Domains, like an ocean surge pounding against a rocky coast. The chaotic tide swept forward, annihilating all in its path, only to recede just as suddenly with the next ebb and flow.

In the ebb and flow of this cosmic rhythm, countless bubbles of existence were born, only to vanish into oblivion just as swiftly.

Eldrin Chen perceived with clarity that these bubbles were, in fact, boundless Universe. They were birthed into being by the surging Chaos Tide [a periodic, universe-creating flood of primordial chaos], only to be utterly annihilated when the tide receded.

Within this cataclysmic process, countless spiritual lights [sparks of potential life and energy] flickered into existence from the shattering Universe, only to be instantly swept away by the Chaos Water [the primordial, formless substance of chaos] and lost forever within the Chaos [the formless, primordial state before creation].

A rare few of these wondrous treasures, washed ashore by the receding tide, were eagerly snatched up by the multitude of waiting Celestial Immortal [immortals who have ascended to the celestial realm] and Ancient Immortal [immortals who have survived for immense eons].

"The Chaos Tide sweeps through once every one hundred thousand years, each time leaving behind a handful of Innate Rare Treasure [treasures born directly from the primordial chaos, possessing innate power]. We are fortunate indeed to witness such an Opportunity and Fortune [a rare chance bestowed by fate]; we must not let it slip by."

So saying, the Horizon Patriarch immediately joined the frantic scramble.

Eldrin Chen and the Celestial Maiden [a title for a female immortal of high status and grace] followed suit, moving forward to gather the various rare wonders.

Alas, the treasures cast ashore were but a scant few. The most precious among them were swiftly claimed by Ancient Immortal of the fourth tribulation and beyond. What ultimately fell into the hands of Eldrin Chen and his two companions were items not counted among the most valuable Innate Object [objects with power inherent from their chaotic birth].

"Little brother, are you truly courting death?"

At that very moment, a familiar voice suddenly rang out.

Eldrin Chen looked up and saw a woman of breathtaking beauty gazing his way. It was none other than Falling Star Xuan, whom he had met once before.

Falling Star Xuan approached and said to Eldrin Chen, "The Sea of Chaos [the primordial, formless expanse between worlds] is perilous. Without power surpassing the Third Tribulation, to step within is to invite almost certain death."

"I advise you to turn back swiftly. Do not venture in again."

Eldrin Chen was mildly surprised. The Sea of Chaos Fringe was vast and boundless; he had not expected to encounter Falling Star Xuan here again.

Recognizing her good intentions, Eldrin Chen immediately clasped his hands in a respectful salute. "Thank you for the warning, Elder Sister. However, I am merely here to broaden my horizons. I will not recklessly plunge into danger."

Seeing this, Falling Star Xuan seemed ready to say more, but the two women beside her frowned slightly. One of them transmitted a voice message to her: "Junior Sister, this is your first time at the Sea of Chaos. Remember, appearances can be deceiving."

"Our master instructed you: within the Sea of Chaos, it is best not to engage with strangers."

Falling Star Xuan fell silent for a moment. She looked at Eldrin Chen and still could not help but add, "The Chaos [the primordial, undifferentiated state of existence] Tides recede once every one hundred thousand years. Each time they withdraw, they leave behind some Chaos Shoal [temporary, stable shallows within the Sea of Chaos]."

"If you truly wish to explore the shallows of the Sea of Chaos, now is a good opportunity."

"But remember, you must leave within one hundred thousand years. Otherwise, when the Chaos Tide [the cataclysmic surge of primordial chaos] sweeps back in, anyone without the strength of a Triple Tribulation Ancient Immortal will be utterly annihilated."

With those words, Falling Star Xuan gave a dismissive wave of her hand and soared off into the depths of the Sea of Chaos [the primordial, formless expanse that exists beyond the ordered realms].

Watching her depart, Eldrin Chen could only cup his hands in a respectful salute. "My thanks," he said.

Only after Falling Star Xuan had vanished from sight did Horizon Patriarch finally speak. "What the immortal maiden from the Flower Goddess Palace said is not without merit," he began.

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen's brow furrowed slightly, and he fell into deep contemplation.

So-called Chaos Shoal refer to the vast, stranded shallows left behind after a Chaos Tide [a cataclysmic surge of primordial chaos energy] recedes.

These Chaos Shoal lie at the border between the Sea of Chaos and the Three Thousand Immortal Domains [the collective name for the myriad ordered worlds of cultivation], akin to tidal flats by a shore, yet severed from the main body of the Sea of Chaos. The complete novel can be found at audio–novel.com.