Chapter 1830 : Breaking the Primordial Spirit Limits

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen could not help but frown slightly, a crease forming between his brows.

The Primordial Spirit Heavenly Pass [the barrier limiting the growth of a cultivator's spiritual core] is not like the Mana Heavenly Pass [the barrier limiting the growth of a cultivator's mana reserves]. After all, the Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] is extremely fragile and naturally cannot be forcefully expanded through the crude use of ordinary external objects.

Within the Three Thousand Immortal Domains, there are three mainstream methods for breaking through the Primordial Spirit Heavenly Pass: the Great Encompassing Marvelous Art [a profound cultivation technique for spiritual refinement], the Divine Soul Immortal Herb [a rare spiritual herb that nourishes the soul], and the Path of Faith and Worship [a cultivation method that utilizes the power of mortal worship and belief].

Among these three methods, the first two—whichever one is chosen—are far more gentle and gradual in their effects compared to the techniques and elixirs used to break the Mana Heavenly Pass. Consequently, their efficacy is significantly diminished.

Generally speaking, both the Great Encompassing Marvelous Art and the Divine Soul Immortal Herb are exceedingly precious. A Divine Soul Immortal Herb capable of helping someone break their Primordial Spirit limits starts at a minimum value of one to two hundred Innate Energy [the purest form of spiritual energy, often used as high-level currency].

Furthermore, the vast majority of these highly valuable Divine Soul Immortal Herb can only assist the Primordial Spirit in breaking through seven or eight of its limits, finding it difficult to shatter the crucial ninth and final limit.

Countless Four Tribulations Ancient Immortal [ancient immortals who have survived four heavenly tribulations] have exchanged their life's savings for Divine Soul Immortal Herb and, combined with the use of the Great Encompassing Marvelous Art, still find themselves trapped at the Eighth Limit Realm [the eighth spiritual limit], unable to complete the ultimate metamorphosis.

This illustrates just how immense the difficulty of breaking through the Primordial Spirit Heavenly Pass truly is. This step is far more arduous than breaking the Mana Heavenly Pass.

Therefore, many Ancient Immortal within the Three Thousand Immortal Domains ultimately choose the third method: the Path of Faith and Worship.

Incense, transformed from the collective will and prayers of living beings, is a nearly universal material possessing various unique and wondrous effects. For uninterrupted reading, go to audio-novel[dot]com.

The most common application is during realm breakthroughs, where refining Incense Offering Celestial Silver [a special silver imbued with the power of mortal worship] to obtain the Faith Power [the collective willpower and devotion of countless mortals] can empower oneself and increase the certainty of a successful breakthrough.

However, the incense offering is tainted. Immortal [a being who has ascended to immortality] at the Celestial Immortal [a high level of immortal cultivation] realm and above treat this Faith Power with extreme caution, and very few are willing to be tainted by it.

Yet, it cannot be denied that Incense Offering Celestial Silver possesses remarkable efficacy. It can not only channel the power of faith but also be used to forge a Faith Golden Body [a divine body constructed from solidified faith power] and a Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core and highest essence of a cultivator].

For Ghost Immortal [immortals who cultivate through the path of spirits and ghosts] who walk the Netherworld [the realm of spirits and the dead] path, once their cultivation reaches the Great Perfection Celestial Immortal Realm [the peak stage of the Celestial Immortal realm], they only need to obtain sufficient Faith Power to forge a Faith Golden Body.

A Netherworld Celestial Immortal Great Power [a powerful Celestial Immortal from the Netherworld], upon forging a Faith Golden Body, would shed the limitations of lacking a physical form and possess combat power rivaling that of a Celestial Immortal of the same rank.

It is said that if a Faith Golden Body is cultivated to its ultimate extreme, it can even be forged into an incense-offering Great Encompassing Physique [a legendary, supreme physical constitution], capable of aiding an Immortal in breaking through the Fleshly Body Heavenly Pass [a critical bottleneck related to physical body cultivation].

The path of the Primordial Spirit is similar. If a Four Tribulations Ancient Immortal [an ancient immortal who has survived four heavenly tribulations] uses a vast ocean of incense offering as material to forge a Faith Primordial Spirit [a Primordial Spirit constructed from solidified faith power], there is also a certain possibility of breaking through the Primordial Spirit Heavenly Pass [a critical bottleneck related to Primordial Spirit cultivation].

But the incense offering is tainted. Once used to forge a breakthrough through the Primordial Spirit Heavenly Pass, one must bear immense karmic burden.

If one cannot refine and purify the chaotic thoughts of billions upon billions of mortal minds contained within the incense offering, then at the moment of attempting the Great Encompassing [a supreme cultivation realm] breakthrough, they will inevitably be overwhelmed and disrupted by that endless tide of mental impurities.

Furthermore, using incense offering to forge a breakthrough through the Primordial Spirit Heavenly Pass causes the Primordial Spirit to become almost fused with the collective will and desires of the mortal masses. Should one fall in battle thereafter, the Primordial Spirit would be utterly destroyed, condemned to an eternity of suffering.

Unless one severs all the karmic roots of their current life at the moment of Reincarnation [the process of a soul being reborn into a new body], even if they manage to Reincarnation [be reborn], they would only become a madman corrupted by countless vengeful obsessions.

Yet, to sever all karmic roots of this life means the next incarnation would inherit not a single shred of this life's legacy. It would become immensely difficult to even set foot on the path of cultivation, and one would most likely fall forever into the cycle of Reincarnation [the endless wheel of rebirth], never achieving immortality.

Contemplating this, Eldrin Chen turned his gaze to the two and said, "Although the Path of Faith and Worship [a cultivation method that harnesses the power of mortal worship and belief] offers swift progress, it ultimately carries grave consequences."

"Both of you possess the potential of Innate Heavenly God Being [a being born with the innate nature of a celestial deity]. Your chances of breaking through to the Six Tribulations Ancient Immortal [an immortal who has survived six heavenly tribulations] realm are exceedingly high. Even without sufficient Opportunity and Fortune [the confluence of chance and destiny that aids cultivation], you would merely need to wait an extra one or two Kalpa Tribulation [a cosmic cycle of immense duration, often billions of years]. There is no need to risk walking this treacherous path."

Hearing this, both Celestial Maiden and Horizon Patriarch nodded in agreement.

Throughout the world, those who use faith and worship to break through the Primordial Spirit Heavenly Pass [a critical bottleneck in the Primordial Spirit cultivation stage] are almost exclusively Ancient Immortal [immortals of great age] whose Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] has been trapped at the Seventh Limit or the Eighth Limit Realm [a specific sub-stage within a cultivation realm], unable to advance for several Kalpa Tribulation [cosmic cycles].

If one truly had any other choice, who would willingly select a path with such glaring flaws?

Seeing that his words had been heeded, Eldrin Chen said no more on the matter. He simply rose to his feet and declared, "With this successful breakthrough, my cultivation has progressed somewhat."

"Now, let us see if the Sea of Chaos Fringe [the turbulent, primordial borderlands of reality] truly holds the boundless Opportunity and Fortune [chance and destiny] we anticipate."

Celestial Maiden also nodded slightly, a gentle smile gracing her lips as she replied, "As it should be."

"..."

Thereafter, the three of them truly began their exploration of the Sea of Chaos [the primordial, formless expanse that existed before the cosmos was ordered].

The Sea of Chaos truly lived up to its name. Even its fringes could be described as a place of remarkable Opportunity and Fortune [a confluence of chance and destiny where great gains and perils coexist].

As they wandered through it, they soon discovered numerous Chaos Ancient Beast [primordial creatures born from and dwelling within the Sea of Chaos], and even encountered two herds numbering in the hundreds.

Facing these Chaos Ancient Beast, they showed no mercy. They successively routed two Chaos Beast Horde [a large, organized group of Chaos Ancient Beasts] and slew many scattered Chaos Ancient Beast.

In this manner, after only twenty thousand years, they had already slain over one hundred Chaos Ancient Beast, among which were even two Chaos Beast King [the powerful, intelligent rulers of Chaos Beast Hordes]. Your portal to cultivation novels: audio–novel.com.

In truth, they had encountered even more Chaos Ancient Beast. However, the Chaos Beast King of the Sea of Chaos possessed high intelligence, and once the Chaos Ancient Beast sensed they were outmatched, they would flee, leading to the dispersal of many beasts.

"Two Chaos Beast King, and over thirty strands of Innate Energy [the primordial, unformed energy that existed before the cosmos was ordered]."

"A pity we haven't encountered a Supreme Grade Chaos Lair [a lair of exceptional quality within the Sea of Chaos, often containing rare treasures]."

After the great battle, having slain the two Chaos Beast King, Eldrin Chen could not help but say regretfully.

The Celestial Maiden and Horizon Patriarch also felt a tinge of regret, yet they spoke with a tone of prior expectation: "Within ten thousand Path [a unit of distance equal to one year's flight for an Ancient Immortal Patriarch] of the Three Thousand Immortal Domains, Supreme Grade Chaos Lair [a primeval, energy-rich dwelling place within the primordial chaos] are exceedingly rare. This outcome was, in truth, anticipated from the start."

According to the commonly accepted standard within the Three Thousand Immortal Domains, the distance an Ancient Immortal Patriarch can traverse in a year of full-speed flight is defined as one Path [a unit of distance equal to one year's flight for an Ancient Immortal Patriarch].

Taking the periphery of the Three Thousand Immortal Domains as the boundary with the deeper Sea of Chaos [the primordial, formless expanse surrounding the ordered realms], the region within ten thousand Path [a unit of distance equal to one year's flight for an Ancient Immortal Patriarch] is designated as the Shallows of the Sea of Chaos.

The expanse from ten thousand to one hundred thousand Path [a unit of distance equal to one year's flight for an Ancient Immortal Patriarch] is known as the Outer Layer of the Sea of Chaos. Beyond one hundred thousand Path lies the region universally acknowledged as the true Depths of the Sea of Chaos.

Although Chaos Beast King [powerful primordial beasts that reign over chaos lairs] dwell within the Shallows of the Sea of Chaos, the Supreme Grade Chaos Lair [a primeval, energy-rich dwelling place within the primordial chaos] they claim are seldom found within this ten-thousand-Path [a unit of distance equal to one year's flight for an Ancient Immortal Patriarch] range. Those that occasionally appear have likely been scoured clean by various Ancient Immortal powers many times over.

To truly discover a Supreme Grade Chaos Lair [a primeval, energy-rich dwelling place within the primordial chaos], one would require truly heaven-defying Opportunity and Fortune [the confluence of chance and destiny that shapes a cultivator's path], or else must venture perilously deeper into the Sea of Chaos, reaching the Outer Layer of the Sea of Chaos that lies more than ten thousand 'Path' [a unit of distance equal to one year's flight for an Ancient Immortal Patriarch] from the Three Thousand Immortal Domains.

However, the Sea of Chaos grows more treacherous the deeper one ventures. With the strength of a Four Tribulations Ancient Immortal, one can only safely roam the Shallows of the Sea of Chaos.

This is because the Shallows are relatively close to the Three Thousand Immortal Domains. In a true crisis, by burning one's essence-blood [a cultivator's vital life force, burning it grants immense temporary power at great cost], one could flee back to safety within five thousand years.

Generally speaking, within the Shallows of the Sea of Chaos, a Chaos Beast King of the fifth or sixth tribulation level that is not specialized in speed would find it difficult to catch a fleeing Triple Tribulation Ancient Immortal before their essence-blood was completely exhausted.

Thus, the vast majority of Four Tribulations Ancient Immortal venture and operate within this very range.

Within this distance, there are quite a few Opportunity and Fortune [chances for advancement and valuable discoveries], though they have long been explored by numerous Ancient Immortal [powerful cultivators who have transcended mortality]. Therefore, for relatively high-level Ancient Immortal, these are not considered particularly astonishing finds.

The Outer Layer of the Sea of Chaos [the turbulent, primordial expanse beyond the ordered realms], which lies beyond ten thousand Path [a unit of immense distance in the cosmos] yet within one hundred thousand Path, holds significantly more Opportunity and Fortune.

This Outer Layer of the Sea of Chaos is already exceedingly distant from the Three Thousand Immortal Domains [the collective name for the major realms of order and cultivation]. For an ordinary Ancient Immortal, venturing there carries an extremely high probability of Death.

Even for a Four Tribulations Ancient Immortal [an Ancient Immortal who has survived four Heavenly Tribulations], the chance of survival upon entering does not exceed fifty percent. Generally, only Ancient Immortal who have weathered five or six tribulations or more can establish a foothold there, yet they still face a not insignificant risk of perishing.

This region harbors many astonishing Opportunity and Fortune, including Chaos Beast King [monarchs among the primordial beasts born of chaos] of the fifth or sixth tribulation rank and above. However, there are no Chaos Lair [nests or domains ruled by supremely powerful chaos entities] of the Great Encompassing Rank [the realm of the Golden Immortals, masters of cosmic laws], so the overall risk remains within controllable bounds.

The region beyond one hundred thousand Path is the true depths of the Sea of Chaos. That is an exceedingly remote zone, far beyond the coverage of the Three Thousand Immortal Domains.

It is said that the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [the supreme cultivators who command cosmic principles] of the Three Thousand Immortal Domains establish their Immortal Domain [a personal realm or territory forged by an immortal] in the depths of the Sea of Chaos, at a distance of one hundred thousand Path from the ordered domains.

There, not only do Immortal Domain exist, but Chaos Lair of the Great Encompassing Rank are also present. Some Ancient Immortal who have surpassed Seven Tribulations [the seventh Heavenly Tribulation] will risk traveling and gaining experience in this perilous place.

Alas, this area is far too treacherous. Even an Immortal Domain can shatter there. While Ancient Immortal of the fifth or sixth tribulation and above may set foot within, the risks are vastly greater than within the one-hundred-thousand-Path boundary, though the Opportunity and Fortune are also correspondingly more abundant.

In truth, with the strength of a Six Tribulations Ancient Immortal [an Ancient Immortal who has survived six Heavenly Tribulations], supplemented by treasures that serve as External Elixir [devices or artifacts that store vast reserves of spiritual energy for replenishment], one can journey within the Sea of Chaos for several million years without needing to return to replenish their spiritual energy.

They were now qualified to venture into the depths of the Sea of Chaos [a primordial, turbulent expanse between worlds], though the Opportunity and Fortune [chances for advancement and rare treasures] found there, while greater, grew more perilous the deeper one went.

"Within these ten thousand Path [a measure of cosmic distance], there are few Supreme Grade Chaos Lair [the most potent and stable pockets of order within the Sea of Chaos]. It seems we must journey to the Outer Layer of the Sea of Chaos [the more stable, navigable periphery of the Sea of Chaos] in the future."

Contemplating the nature of the Sea of Chaos, a slight frown creased Eldrin Chen's brow.

He turned his gaze to the Celestial Maiden and Horizon Patriarch, inquiring, "How are your spiritual reserves holding up?"

"We can manage for now."

Horizon Patriarch spoke, then added thoughtfully, "But the expenditure is not insignificant. Venturing to the Outer Layer of the Sea of Chaos would likely stretch us beyond our limits."

Eldrin Chen nodded. After a moment's consideration, he declared, "Then we shall not go this time. We will wait until our next expedition, after we have fully restored our strength and gathered more arcane resources, before attempting to explore the Outer Layer of the Sea of Chaos."

"Agreed."

The Celestial Maiden offered a relieved smile.

She had harbored a quiet fear that Eldrin Chen might stubbornly insist on braving the dangers of the Outer Layer of the Sea of Chaos.

Returning to the main narrative, in the years that followed, the three continued to wander the shallows of the Sea of Chaos [a primordial, formless expanse between ordered worlds], ceaselessly slaying Chaos Beast Horde [mindless beasts born from primal chaos] and Chaos Beast King [powerful sovereigns among the chaos beasts]. Occasionally, they would seize a Chaos Lair [a nest or stronghold formed by chaos beasts], gaining some Chaos Rare Treasure [rare materials or artifacts forged in chaos] and Innate Energy [the pure, foundational energy of creation, a supreme cultivation resource].

Unfortunately, Supreme Grade Chaos Lair [the most formidable and rarest type of chaos beast stronghold] were indeed scarce in this region. They had ventured for tens of thousands of years without finding a single one.

Thus it continued until tens of thousands of years later. As the Chaos Tide [a periodic, devastating surge of chaotic energies] was on the verge of erupting once more, Eldrin Chen finally drew a deep breath and declared, "The time is nearly upon us. We should return."

Celestial Maiden [a title for a powerful and esteemed female immortal] also nodded, stating calmly, "Indeed. The Chaos Tide approaches. Let us return and recuperate."

The trio lingered no longer. They immediately traversed the Sea of Chaos to reach the Three Thousand Immortal Domains [the collective name for the myriad ordered worlds of cultivation], and not long after, they returned to the Violet Sun Immortal Domain.

Upon reaching their abode, the three took stock. They discovered that this expedition had yielded the slaughter of four Chaos Beast King, the acquisition of three Innate Ancient Treasure [powerful artifacts born from innate energies in ancient times], the corpses of over two hundred Chaos Ancient Beast [ancient and powerful variants of chaos beasts], and more than one hundred strands of Innate Energy.

The combined value of these Rare Spiritual Wonders [a collective term for precious cultivation resources] amounted to roughly five hundred strands of Innate Energy.

Gazing upon this trove of Rare Spiritual Wonders, Horizon Patriarch could not help but say with delight, "Five hundred strands of Innate Energy. While it cannot compare to the harvests of our previous few ventures, it is still a most respectable gain."

Eldrin Chen also offered a faint smile. In truth, he had already inquired. Most trios of Four Tribulations Ancient Immortal [an immortal who has survived four heavenly tribulations, denoting immense power] venturing into the shallows of the Sea of Chaos typically returned with only a dozen or so strands of Innate Energy per expedition.

Even venturing five times every million years, their total gain would not exceed one hundred strands of Innate Energy, and that was while constantly risking their very lives.

This is because the majority of Ancient Immortal [powerful cultivators who have transcended the mortal realm] lack the strength to slay a Chaos Beast King [a monarch among the primordial beasts of chaos], and can only manage to kill some Chaos Ancient Beast [lesser ancient beasts born from chaos].

Even among those who are Four Tribulations Ancient Immortal [Ancient Immortals who have survived four heavenly tribulations], while possessing the capability to slay a low-tier Chaos Beast King, it is rare for them to be able to completely prevent such a beast from escaping.

This is because the survival instincts and escape abilities of a Chaos Beast King are not necessarily inferior to those of an Ancient Immortal Great Power [a formidable figure among the Ancient Immortals]. Within the Chaos [the primordial, formless expanse from which all things emerged], their combat prowess is even more formidable. Consequently, even a Four Tribulations Ancient Immortal might go for several million years without successfully slaying a single Chaos Beast King.

Under such circumstances, their gains naturally pale in comparison to what our trio has achieved.

Considering this, Eldrin Chen spoke up, "Two Four Tribulations Ancient Immortal, plus one who can unleash their full combat potential equivalent to that rank."

"With strength such as ours, we are truly qualified to venture into the outer fringes of the Sea of Chaos [the boundless, turbulent ocean of primordial chaos]. Remaining in the shallows is akin to a master bullying novices."

"I believe next time, we should consider exploring those outer reaches of the Sea of Chaos."

Upon hearing his words, the expressions of his two companions grew slightly solemn.

Celestial Maiden [a title for a female immortal of great beauty and power] pondered for a moment before speaking. "The most critical issue for venturing into the outer Sea of Chaos is the matter of spiritual energy reserves."

"To journey there, we must prepare a vast quantity of spiritual elixirs [pills that replenish cultivation energy], as well as some Essence Storage Treasure [magical artifacts specifically designed to store immense amounts of spiritual essence]."

Eldrin Chen nodded thoughtfully before speaking. "In my view, we should refine some External Elixir [pills that store vast amounts of spiritual energy for later use] to serve as a reserve of magical power."

"That is indeed a viable strategy."

Horizon Patriarch agreed with a nod, then inquired further. "For refining External Elixir, what kind of Rare Spiritual Wonders [rare and precious spiritual materials] would be most suitable? Would the Inner Pill [the condensed core of a powerful demon beast] of a Chaos Beast King suffice?"

Eldrin Chen had already considered this and shook his head. "Chaos Beast King are not known for their vast reserves of magical power; their Inner Pill is ill-suited for crafting External Elixir meant to store such energy."

"However," he continued, "the Immortal Shell Pearl [lustrous pearls cultivated by immortal clams] of the Immortal Clam Clan are perfect treasures for refining such elixirs."

Upon hearing this, the eyes of both listeners gleamed with understanding. Celestial Maiden could not help but praise the idea. "That is indeed correct."

Their decision made, the trio did not linger. They proceeded immediately to the shop of the Immortal Clam Clan, sought out Rainbow Mist Qu, and stated their purpose.

Rainbow Mist Qu [a member of the Immortal Clam Clan] was momentarily taken aback by the request, then smiled. "We have few Lifebound Shell Pearl [pearls intrinsically linked to a clam's life force] remaining, but we possess a fair number of Immortal Shell Pearl. Please wait a moment."

With that, Nyssa Qu hurried away, returning shortly with a batch of Immortal Shell Pearl.

There were thirty-five of these Immortal Shell Pearl in total, all nurtured by Ancient Immortal [immortals who have transcended countless tribulations] of the Immortal Clam Clan. Among them, however, only two were Lifebound Shell Pearl.

Eldrin Chen understood. The Lifebound Shell Pearl [a unique pearl formed from the life essence of an Immortal Clam, comparable to a supreme innate treasure] of the Immortal Clam Clan was comparable to a Supreme Grade Innate Rare Treasure. However, only one could be nurtured in a lifetime, making it an exceedingly rare treasure.

As for ordinary Shell Pearl [pearls cultivated by Immortal Clams, containing condensed spiritual essence], though also nurtured by Ancient Immortal Realm members of the Immortal Clam Clan, such pearls could be produced continuously given time, and their efficacy was vastly inferior.

Among the thirty-five pearls before them, the value of the two Lifebound Shell Pearl even surpassed the combined worth of the other thirty-three.

Considering this, Eldrin Chen transmitted his thoughts to his two companions. "The two Lifebound Shell Pearl can be used to forge specialized Innate Ancient Treasure [ancient artifacts of innate origin, possessing profound and unique powers] for storing primordial essence."

"The remainder, while also suitable for crafting Essence Storage Treasure [artifacts designed to contain and preserve spiritual or elemental essence], can only be used to create single-use Essence Storage Ancient Treasure. Once used, they are gone forever."

Hearing this, Horizon Patriarch nodded. "When journeying through the Sea of Chaos [a primordial, formless expanse between ordered realms, filled with chaotic energies], one's spiritual power is paramount. We should purchase them all." Support the author by reading on audio . novel . com.