Chapter 1819 : The Gourd's Primordial Power

"Such astonishing foundational essence [the pure, primordial energy that forms the basis of existence]."

Eldrin Chen marveled inwardly, comprehending the wondrous utility of this Innate Five Elements Gourd [a primordial gourd capable of refining the five elemental forces], and a surge of wild joy filled his heart.

It turned out this Innate Five Elements Gourd could ingest and refine Chaos Water [the primordial, unformed waters of creation], transforming it into the purest Five Elements Origin [the foundational essence of the five elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water].

This Five Elements Origin was of exceptional purity. For a Celestial Immortal Great Power [an immortal who has ascended to a high celestial realm], it required only minimal refinement to be converted directly into personal cultivation base [the reservoir of spiritual power and essence within a cultivator].

Having grasped the miraculous function of the Innate Five Elements Gourd, Eldrin Chen wasted no further thought. He immediately began the continuous process of refining and absorbing this Five Elements Origin power.

As he refined it without pause, within the span of mere moments, Eldrin Chen's spiritual power [the energy cultivated and wielded by immortals] swelled by half, saving him what would have been no less than a million years of arduous cultivation.

"The Seventh Layer of the Celestial Immortal Realm [the seventh major stage within the Celestial Immortal cultivation realm] has reached perfection."

Eldrin Chen murmured to himself. He promptly halted the refinement of the Five Elements Gourd's foundational essence and shifted his focus to contemplating the Five Elements Great Path [the supreme Daoist principles governing the five fundamental elements] power contained within it.

With Eldrin Chen's prodigious comprehension, delving into the mysteries of the Five Elements Gourd proceeded with astonishing speed. In a mere three thousand years, he successfully gained insight into the Solar Fire [the divine principle of the blazing sun's fire] aspect of the Embryonic Great Path [the nascent, foundational stage of comprehending a supreme Dao].

Then, over the next ten thousand years, Eldrin Chen successively apprehended the profound mysteries of the Embryonic Great Path for the four other elements: First Wood [the vital, generative essence of Wood], Positive Water [the pure, life-giving essence of Water], Bulwark Earth [the stable, foundational essence of Earth], and Metallic Gold [the sharp, unyielding essence of Metal]. Experience the full epic at audio-novel*com.

Although these five Embryonic Great Path were merely imitations, not the true paths he personally cultivated, he had still grasped several profound truths within them.

Using these as references, Eldrin Chen then contemplated the five Great Path he himself cultivated. His subsequent cultivation progress was naturally astonishingly swift.

A thousand years later, Eldrin Chen had advanced the Primordial Solar Heavenly Flame Path Principle to its Great Perfection. Two thousand years after that, he comprehended the Path of Profound Darkness True Water to its Great Perfection.

After another five thousand years, Eldrin Chen successively brought the Source Earth of All Things, the Primordial One Ancient Metal, and the Seed of Life—three Path Principle—to the Great Perfection realm.

"Boom—"

The instant the five Path Principle were successfully comprehended, Eldrin Chen felt an unprecedented, thunderous resonance surge within his heart.

In that fleeting moment, the five Path Principle intertwined and merged, transforming into a single, supreme Primordial One Limitless Path Principle.

"Now is the time."

In that very instant, Eldrin Chen's eyes blazed with a piercing Immortal Radiance as he unleashed thirty strands of Innate Energy.

In a flash, the Primordial One Limitless Path Principle devoured all thirty strands of Innate Energy, undergoing an ultimate metamorphosis and reaching the Great Perfection Realm.

In the very moment the Innate Primordial One Limitless Path Principle [a supreme cultivation art of boundless potential] reached its Great Perfection, He shattered the suppression of the Innate Primordial One Indestructibility Physique [a legendary constitution of unbreakable resilience] and broke through an invisible bottleneck.

"It is done."

Eldrin Chen murmured softly, once again drawing upon the origin essence within the Innate Five Elements Gourd [a primordial treasure gourd containing the essence of the five elements] to rapidly augment his own vast and profound spiritual power.

An unknowable span of time later, when Eldrin Chen awoke from his secluded cultivation, sensing the surging ocean of power within him, a faint smile of contentment graced his features.

"The Eighth Heaven Celestial Immortal [the eighth level of the Celestial Immortal realm], and my spiritual power is now fully consolidated."

Eldrin Chen spoke calmly, a rare and profound joy blooming in his heart.

This breakthrough achieved in seclusion represented an unprecedented leap forward for Eldrin Chen.

By harnessing the origin essence contained within the five Innate Ancient Treasure [primordial artifacts of immense power] gourds, Eldrin Chen's cultivation had not only ascended to the Eighth Heaven Celestial Immortal, but his spiritual power had also been filled to its absolute peak in one breath. This was akin to saving himself several million years of arduous cultivation.

One must understand, Eldrin Chen possessed thirty-six Innate Ancient Tree [primordial trees of immense spiritual value]. The gains from several million years of his cultivation were nearly equivalent to the harvest an ordinary cultivator at the Late Celestial Immortal Realm [the later stages of the Celestial Immortal realm] would achieve over tens of millions, even hundreds of millions of years.

Such immense Opportunity and Fortune [a confluence of destiny and great luck] would likely drive many Celestial Immortal [immortals who have ascended to the celestial realm] Patriarch [venerable leaders of great sects or clans] to the brink of jealous madness.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen once again assessed his own combat prowess. He discovered that after this breakthrough, his strength had undergone a qualitative transformation.

Firstly, the changes to his physical body were not immense. However, Eldrin Chen found that after his Innate Primordial One Limitless Path Principle reached the Grand Completion stage, it seemed to have shattered a certain limiting barrier.

This barrier was difficult to describe. It seemed to have surpassed the limits of the Great Perfection Celestial Immortal Realm [the pinnacle state for a Celestial Immortal], possessing power comparable to the Embryonic Great Path [a legendary cultivation art that allows one to break through the Heavenly Pass of the Great Path] force required to shatter the Great Path Heavenly Pass [a formidable barrier on the cultivation path].

"Rivaling the Embryonic Great Path?"

Eldrin Chen murmured, his gaze burning with intense light.

For a Grand Completion Path Principle [a supreme law or principle one comprehends] to rival the Embryonic Great Path—this confirmed his hopes for the Innate Primordial One Limitless Rule [the supreme, boundless law of the Primordial One]. It truly possessed the potential to suppress all other paths with its singular authority and forcefully prove the way to the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [a legendary, supreme immortal realm]. Enjoyed this chapter? Read more at audio . novel . com.

Beyond this, Eldrin Chen's spiritual energy [the cultivated power of a cultivator] seemed to have made a tremendous leap. Its quality, refined by the Innate Primordial One Limitless Path Principle, had already far surpassed that of the Great Perfection Celestial Immortal Realm.

However, it still seemed a step away from reaching the Mana Heavenly Pass [a specific, formidable barrier related to spiritual energy quality].

"The eighth extreme Heavenly Pass [a general term for major cultivation barriers]?"

Eldrin Chen's brow furrowed slightly, and a contemplative expression appeared on his face.

After this breakthrough, he discovered his mana had undergone yet another transformation, seemingly just a single step away from shattering the ninth limit of the Heavenly Pass.

However, this final step proved exceedingly difficult to cross. Even with two Innate Ancient Treasure [treasures born from one's own soul and cultivated to an ancient, profound level] refining his mana, and even possessing the Innate Primordial One Limitless Path Principle [a supreme cultivation art rivaling the Embryonic Great Path], Eldrin Chen still found himself lacking that ultimate, elusive stride.

"It is said that ordinary Ancient Immortal Great Power [powerful cultivators who have transcended the mortal realm and lived for eons], after breaking the sixth limit of their mana, require special secret arts to progress further."

"Those 'Limit-Breaking Secret Art' [esoteric techniques designed to help a cultivator surpass the natural limits of their power] capable of aiding in breaking the Mana Heavenly Pass are all immensely precious, nearly all being Great Encompassing [a legendary, near-mythical realm of cultivation] secret transmissions pioneered by Great Encompassing Immortal Lord [lords who have attained the Great Encompassing Realm]. Acquiring them would demand a significant, often staggering, price."

"Without cultivating such a secret art, my mana has already broken eight limits. But to shatter the ninth, further effort is still required."

Eldrin Chen murmured to himself, solidifying the path of his cultivation in his mind.

After meticulously reviewing his current state once more, Eldrin Chen reflected on his cultivation journey, a glimmer of profound understanding dawning within him.

"If all five of my Lifebound Supreme Treasure [ultimate treasures intrinsically bound to a cultivator's life and soul] were to advance to the rank of Innate Ancient Treasure, my mana should be capable of breaking the ninth limit and surpassing the Mana Heavenly Pass."

"Breaking through from Path Fruit Great Perfection [the pinnacle of the Path Fruit realm] to the ninth layer of Celestial Immortal [the realm of true celestial beings] should also allow one to cultivate Ninth Limit mana. Yet, even if both paths were fully realized, one could at most advance half a step beyond the Ninth Limit, never truly breaching the Tenth Limit Mana."

"For beyond the Ninth Limit, each further step is a chasm as vast as the heavens from the sea, as difficult as an ant scaling the azure sky."

"It seems that after returning to Violet Sun Immortal Domain, I may be able to purchase some secret arts for breaking the limits of Force Extreme [the ultimate boundary of one's cultivated power]."

Eldrin Chen murmured softly, already forming some ideas about his future cultivation path.

During this period, Eldrin Chen had gained a certain understanding of the resources and bottlenecks required for cultivation in the Ancient Immortal Realm [a profound stage of immortality transcending mortal limits].

An ordinary Ancient Immortal [a cultivator who has attained the Ancient Immortal realm], relying solely on their own cultivation, can at most break through six limits of their spiritual power. Secret arts for breaking through seven or more limits are closely guarded, unshared treasures of the Great Encompassing Ancient Sect [an ancient and vast sect of immense power and heritage].

However, according to Eldrin Chen's knowledge, Four Tribulations Ancient Immortal [Ancient Immortals who have survived four heavenly tribulations] are still not few in number within the Three Thousand Immortal Domains [the collective name for the myriad realms of immortals].

This is because for an Ancient Immortal Great Power [a formidable figure within the Ancient Immortal realm], there are still ways to obtain Great Encompassing Marvelous Art [profound and marvelous cultivation arts of the Great Encompassing realm].

For example, within the Human Race Immortal Court [the celestial governing body of the human race's immortals], Great Encompassing Marvelous Art are sold. These include secret transmissions concerning the Primordial Spirit [the foundational spiritual core of a cultivator], spiritual power, physical body, Great Path [the supreme Dao], Formation [the art of arrays and formations], Alchemy Manual [tomes of pill refinement], the Artifact Hall [the Hall of Artifacts], and other Great Encompassing [a realm of cultivation encompassing vast cosmic principles] secrets, and their prices are not excessively high.

However, to purchase these secret transmissions, one must first join the Human Race Immortal Court.

Furthermore, various Great Encompassing Ancient Sect also release Great Encompassing Marvelous Art for sale, often at even more favorable prices. Generally, though, this requires joining the ancient sect or meeting certain specific conditions.

Meanwhile, at the grand auction conferences of the Violet Sun Immortal Domain, Great Encompassing secret transmissions are often offered for sale as well, though their prices tend to be exorbitantly high.

Fortunately, compared to the first two options, while the price for acquiring such wondrous techniques at an auction is exorbitant, it comes without any additional strings attached, freeing one from being beholden to others.

"Joining the Immortal Court [the celestial governing body of the immortal realms] requires returning to the Primordial Immortal Domain [the original and most ancient realm of the immortals] to register officially and be inscribed within the immortal registry."

"Purchasing it within the Violet Sun Immortal Domain [a specific immortal realm] might involve less entanglement with Karma [the cosmic law of cause and effect governing all actions], perhaps making it a more advantageous deal."

Eldrin Chen mused inwardly, ultimately deciding to visit the Violet Sun Immortal Domain at a later date to investigate.

Although joining the Immortal Court offered the comfort of shelter under a mighty tree, the court was teeming with too many powerful figures, including not a few Great Encompassing Immortal Lord [a supreme rank among celestial immortals] and Quasi-Sage Imperial Lord [a near-legendary rank just below the Sage Ancestors].

Eldrin Chen harbored far too many secrets, and his Primordial Chaos Violet Aura [a supreme-grade primordial energy] was a treasure coveted even by Quasi-Sage Imperial Lord. Thus, he was unwilling, for the time being, to join the ranks of the Immortal Court.

According to Eldrin Chen's thinking, it was better to wait until he himself broke through to the Great Encompassing Realm [the realm of a Great Encompassing Immortal Lord], gaining the power to truly safeguard himself, before considering whether to join the Immortal Court.

After all, a Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [another term for a Great Encompassing Immortal Lord] possessed a status of extraordinary nobility. Even within the Immortal Court, they would stand as lofty, peerless Celestial Lords, revered as a sovereign Immortal Lord [a title for a high-ranking immortal ruler], commanding vast immortal palaces and legions of immortals, their depths not so easily probed by others.

As for joining one of the Great Encompassing Ancient Sect [ancient sects led by Great Encompassing Immortal Lords], Eldrin Chen naturally felt not the slightest flicker of interest.

With these thoughts, Eldrin Chen swiftly drew his mind back to the present. After further contemplating his current combat prowess, he realized that when he now channeled power into the Celestial Abyss Twin Swords, he could unleash the full might of this pair of Immortal Sword [divine blades forged for and wielded by immortals].

Once activated and merged, the Celestial Abyss Twin Swords could unleash a strike comparable to the full-force blow of a Four Tribulations Ancient Immortal [an immortal who has survived four heavenly tribulations].

Furthermore, empowered by the Great Vehicle Innate Primordial One Limitless Path Principle, Eldrin Chen's spiritual power underwent another transformation. When channeling his various Divine Ability [supernatural powers derived from profound cultivation] now, the unleashed might possessed a qualitative leap.

Any single Half-Step Patriarch Level Divine Ability [a divine ability nearing the power of a Patriarch-level technique], when wielded by Eldrin Chen, now possessed destructive force rivaling that of a Second Tribulation Ancient Immortal [an immortal who has survived two heavenly tribulations] employing it.

If he focused the power of his Path Principle and spiritual energy into his physical form, the might manifested by his Innate Primordial One Indestructibility Physique [a supreme innate body constitution renowned for its near-unbreakable resilience] ascended yet another level.

"My current foundation should now be on par with that of a Second Tribulation Ancient Immortal," Eldrin Chen murmured to himself, a flicker of pleasant surprise crossing his features.

"Coupled with my array of Divine Ability and Innate Ancient Treasure [treasures born from primordial chaos, possessing immense innate power], my combat prowess surpasses even that. In terms of battle strength, I would not yield to Horizon Patriarch."

Eldrin Chen whispered these words slowly, unable to suppress the surge of exhilaration within.

Horizon Patriarch had broken through to the Ancient Immortal [an immortal of great age and power who has survived heavenly tribulations] realm not long ago. The Divine Ability he cultivated had not yet been refined to the Half-Step Patriarch Level, so his combat power among Triple Tribulation Ancient Immortal [an immortal who has survived three heavenly tribulations] was not considered formidable—merely at the initial entry level of that tier.

While combat power at the initial level of a Triple Tribulation Ancient Immortal might not be considered strong among their peers, Eldrin Chen was no ordinary Celestial Immortal [a foundational immortal realm].

Unsuppressed within the Chaos [the primordial, formless state before creation], he likely would face even a Four Tribulations Ancient Immortal without a trace of fear.

"With this breakthrough, even facing a Four Tribulations Ancient Immortal [an ancient immortal who has survived four heavenly tribulations], I would not feel the slightest fear."

Eldrin Chen spoke with a smile, a wave of relief finally washing over him.

Possessing the combat power of a Four Tribulations Ancient Immortal, Eldrin Chen immediately felt the looming crisis diminish by more than half, gaining a newfound confidence to handle the situation with ease.

He withdrew his thoughts and looked at the five treasured gourds, a smile gracing his lips as he said, "To have achieved such a significant breakthrough this time, the credit truly lies entirely with you."

The five gourds emitted a faint glow. The leading Solar Fire Gourd [a sentient spiritual treasure that embodies the essence of solar fire], its voice tinged with weakness and astonishment, spoke, "The combined foundational essence of the five of us is more than sufficient to allow a Triple Tribulation Ancient Immortal [an ancient immortal who has survived three heavenly tribulations] to break through to the Four Tribulations Ancient Immortal realm."

"Who could have imagined that when used on you, it merely allowed your cultivation base to advance by less than two minor realms."

"Now, our foundational essence is severely depleted. I fear it will take a million years to accumulate enough essence again before we can assist your cultivation once more."

Eldrin Chen nodded upon hearing this, fully aware of the profound depth of his own foundation.

When he had broken through to the Seventh Layer of the Celestial Immortal Realm, his Small Universe [the personal cosmos cultivated within a celestial immortal] was already over a billion light-years in size. His foundational reserves were vaster than those of many First Tribulation Ancient Immortal [an ancient immortal who has survived their first heavenly tribulation].

Now, having reached the peak of the Eighth Heaven Celestial Immortal realm, his spiritual power had surged by far more than double. The diameter of his Small Universe had already surpassed two billion light-years.

Consuming the accumulated foundational essence of all five gourds in one go was, as expected, a monumental undertaking.

Recalling the wondrous functions of the Innate Five Elements Gourd, Eldrin Chen could not help but remark, "You are actually capable of aiding a cultivator's advancement. Such a miraculous property is no less impressive than my Primordial Energy Vase of Heaven and Earth. Truly worthy of being ranked thirty-third among peers in the Innate Spiritual Root Compendium [a legendary text cataloging the rarest spiritual roots of creation]."

"Of course,"

replied the Solar Fire Gourd with a proud smile, its tone brimming with self-assurance. "The combined value of us five treasures likely far surpasses that of a twenty-four-patterned Innate Ancient Treasure. We might even rival a Quasi-Innate Spiritual Treasure [a treasure of such power it borders on being an innate treasure of creation itself]."

"The Chaos [the primordial, formless state before creation] holds endless Innate Ancient Tree [trees born from the primal chaos at the dawn of existence], yet few can compare to us."

Eldrin Chen nodded in agreement. "If the thirty-third rank possesses such marvels, I can scarcely imagine what earth-shattering divine objects those ranked within the top twenty, or even the top ten, must be."

"The top twenty?"

The Solar Fire Gourd paused, momentarily taken aback, before speaking with a tone of deep envy. "Those ranked within the top twenty are exceedingly rare, peerless treasures. Even the great one from the ancient Chaos Violet Phoenix Nest possessed only a single specimen."

"As for those ranked within the top ten..."

The Solar Fire Gourd shook its head slowly, falling silent for a long moment before finally continuing. "It is said that the top ten Innate Spiritual Root are all primordial ancient trees that have existed since the very dawn of the Chaos Opening [the moment when order first emerged from the primordial chaos]."

"Their origins are immeasurably ancient, each one is a unique existence, and all are Chaos Grade Chaos Spiritual Root [supreme spiritual plants of primordial chaos]. Not even a Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [a supreme immortal who has transcended the heavens] would be qualified to covet them."

Speaking of this, the Solar Fire Gourd [a sentient gourd artifact containing solar essence] spoke up: "As far as I know, the number one supreme treasure of your Primordial Immortal Domain [the primordial realm of immortals], the Primordial Beginning Immortal Lotus [the Lotus of Primordial Beginning], merely ranks thirteenth on the Chaos Spiritual Root Genealogy [the ranking of all chaos-grade spiritual roots]."

"The Primordial Beginning Immortal Lotus ranks only thirteenth?"

Eldrin Chen felt his heart shudder upon hearing this. That Primordial Beginning Immortal Lotus was the Companion Supreme Treasure [a supreme treasure born alongside its master] of the Primordial Beginning Divine Sovereign [the Divine Sovereign of Primordial Beginning].

And the Primordial Beginning Divine Sovereign was the foremost powerhouse of the Primordial Immortal Domain. If the Lifebound Supreme Treasure [a supreme treasure intrinsically linked to its master's life and cultivation] of such a figure only ranked thirteenth, did that not mean there were multiple existences within the Chaos [the primordial state of boundless disorder and potential] stronger than the Primordial Beginning Divine Sovereign?

Seeing Eldrin Chen's shock, the Solar Fire Gourd looked at him thoughtfully and said, "The Chaos is boundless and endless, far vaster than you can imagine."

"My former master, the Violet Ultimate Immortal Phoenix [the supreme immortal phoenix of violet radiance], once said that in the three thousand Kalpa Tribulation [cosmic cycles of creation and destruction] since her enlightenment, the places she has walked amount to but a single corner, not even a fraction of an iceberg's tip."

"Your Three Thousand Immortal Domains [the collective name for the myriad immortal realms] are merely drifting leaves upon the vast Sea of Chaos [the boundless ocean of primordial chaos]."

"Even a Great Encompassing Golden Immortal is like an ant upon that leaf, spending its entire life merely crawling off that leaf to barely glimpse the form of the immense ancient tree. How could they possibly comprehend the true vastness of heaven and earth?"

Eldrin Chen fell into silent contemplation. If he followed this analogy, was he not even less than an ant? His entire existence would be confined within these Three Thousand Immortal Domains. Read, share, and discuss at audi novel.com.