Chapter 1837 : The Ancient Tree's Bounty

Upon hearing this, Exquisite Jiang understood that while the Innate Spiritual Water [a primordial water of profound spiritual properties] was indeed marvelous, it was not omnipotent.

This water could accelerate the growth of the Innate Ancient Tree [a primordial tree of immense age and power] and replenish part of the foundational essence required for the tree to bear fruit, yet it could not supply all the foundational energy the ancient tree needed.

Therefore, after repeatedly hastening its maturation, the Innate Ancient Tree would become depleted. Until its foundational essence recovered, no amount of Innate Spiritual Water could force it to bear fruit again.

Grasping this point, Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod. "Regardless, to possess seventy-two Heaven Soul Fruit [a fruit that nourishes and strengthens the soul] every Kalpa Tribulation [a cosmic cycle of immense duration] is still an extraordinary feat."

Exquisite Jiang also nodded in agreement, her gaze resting on the fruits before them. "These Heaven Soul Fruit are sufficient to help several individuals break through the Primordial Spirit Heavenly Pass [a critical bottleneck in the cultivation of the Primordial Spirit]."

Eldrin Chen nodded once more. According to the conventions of the Three Thousand Immortal Domains [the collective name for the myriad realms of immortals], if a Four Tribulations Ancient Immortal [an Ancient Immortal who has survived four Heavenly Tribulations] could refine ten Heaven Soul Fruit, their Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a high-level cultivator] would have a high probability of breaking through to the Ninth Limit Realm [the pinnacle stage of the Primordial Spirit realm], thereby shattering the Primordial Spirit Heavenly Pass and advancing to become a Five Tribulations Ancient Immortal [an Ancient Immortal who has survived five Heavenly Tribulations].

The seventy-two fruits before them meant they could suffice for the cultivation needs of roughly seven Ancient Immortal [powerful immortals of great age and attainment].

If supplemented with other Divine Soul Rare Treasure [extremely rare treasures that benefit the soul] such as Soul Nourishing Wood [a mystical wood that nourishes and heals the soul] and Dragon's Saliva Incense [an incense made from dragon saliva, beneficial for soul cultivation], the number of Heaven Soul Fruit consumed would be greatly reduced.

By Eldrin Chen's estimation, refining a significant section of Soul Nourishing Wood, aided by three or four Heaven Soul Fruit, could potentially allow one to cultivate through the Primordial Spirit Heavenly Pass.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen took twenty of the Soul Nourishing Fruits and tossed the remainder to Exquisite Jiang. "Use the remaining Heaven Soul Fruit in conjunction with the Soul Nourishing Wood for your cultivation." Your portal to cultivation novels: audio-novel`com.

"I cannot linger much longer. I hope that by the time I return, you will have already broken through the Primordial Spirit Heavenly Pass [the barrier to the Primordial Spirit realm]."

Hearing this, Exquisite Jiang took Eldrin Chen's hand and said, "You have already paved the cultivation path for us. If we cannot overcome this hurdle, how could we ever hope to catch up to your footsteps in the future?"

Eldrin Chen offered a faint smile, saying no more, and finally departed from the Vast Azure Immortal Domain.

"…"

He used the Returning Abyss Pearl to return to the Sea of Chaos, then traversed the Chaos [the primordial, formless void between realms] to reach the Violet Sun Immortal Domain. There, he found Horizon Patriarch and the Celestial Maiden, who were in deep cultivation.

The two had just finished refining the Dragon's Saliva Incense [a rare incense that aids in spiritual concentration]. Upon sensing Eldrin Chen's arrival, they immediately emerged from their Seclusion Chamber.

"You have returned quite swiftly this time."

Seeing Eldrin Chen return so quickly, the Celestial Maiden could not help but express a hint of surprise.

Eldrin Chen shook his head, however, and spoke calmly, "I merely employed a shortcut method."

Without elaborating further, Eldrin Chen reached into his sleeve and produced two sections of Soul Nourishing Wood [a spiritual wood that nourishes and stabilizes the soul] and six Heaven Soul Fruit [a miraculous fruit that can greatly enhance one's spiritual power].

Horizon Patriarch [the venerable master of the Horizon Pavilion] merely glanced at the items, and his heart could not help but tremble. "This..." he uttered, voice thick with astonishment.

"For you."

Eldrin Chen [the protagonist, a powerful cultivator] spoke calmly, a faint smile gracing his lips. "You have already refined two sticks of Dragon's Saliva Incense [a rare incense that aids in spiritual enlightenment]. With the aid of these two treasures as well, your chances of breaking through the Primordial Spirit Heavenly Pass [a critical bottleneck in the Primordial Spirit cultivation stage] should be quite substantial now."

Celestial Maiden [a title for a high-ranking female immortal] and Horizon Patriarch exchanged a look, their hearts a turbulent mix of shock and overwhelming joy.

Yet, after a moment's hesitation, Celestial Maiden still demurred, "These Rare Spiritual Wonders [exceptionally precious spiritual materials] are far too valuable."

"Indeed, we feel unworthy of accepting them," Horizon Patriarch added.

Before Eldrin Chen departed this time, he had mentioned bringing them a section of Soul Nourishing Wood [a mystical wood that nourishes and strengthens the soul]. This had been within their expectations.

In their estimation, a single section of Soul Nourishing Wood was worth three hundred strands of Innate Energy [the pure, foundational energy of the universe]. With the Kalpa Tribulation [a great cosmic cataclysm] drawing near, the price had risen by half, but it should still only be around four hundred and fifty strands.

From their recent expedition into the Chaos [the primordial, formless void beyond ordered realms], the treasures the trio had obtained were collectively worth over two thousand strands of Innate Energy. Adding the Heaven Soul Fruit Tree [a legendary tree bearing fruit that enhances the soul], whose value was nearly inestimable, each of them should have received a share exceeding five hundred strands.

Five hundred strands of Innate Energy would be more than sufficient to purchase a section of Soul Nourishing Wood.

Yet what Eldrin Chen now produced was a large section of Soul Nourishing Wood [a rare spiritual wood that nourishes and heals the soul], and the difference between that and a mere fragment was simply immense.

It must be understood that the market price for a large section of Soul Nourishing Wood started at eight hundred Innate Energy [the primordial, unformed energy of creation] and was generally only circulated within the confines of the Great Encompassing Ancient Sect, making it exceedingly rare on the open market.

The scarcity of large sections of Soul Nourishing Wood in the market was primarily because the vast majority of Ancient Immortal [immortals who have survived multiple heavenly tribulations] simply could not afford them.

Generally speaking, the Ancient Immortal who required Soul Nourishing Wood were mostly those at the fourth or fifth tribulation stage. With the power of a Four Tribulations Ancient Immortal, one could at most slay a first or second tribulation Chaos Beast King [a powerful beast born from the primordial chaos].

A Four Tribulations Ancient Immortal suffered immense suppression within the Sea of Chaos [the primordial, formless expanse from which all realms were born]. Attempting to slay a Chaos Beast King was perilous; often, not only would they fail to kill the beast, but they would also be relentlessly pursued by a Chaos Beast King of equivalent power.

Consequently, when Ancient Immortal ventured into the Sea of Chaos, they were frequently injured, leading to vast amounts of time and resources being wasted in secluded meditation for recovery. Read, share, and discuss at http://www . audio-novel.com.

Many Four Tribulations Ancient Immortal Patriarch [a venerable leader of a clan or sect] would brave the Chaos for an entire Kalpa Tribulation [a cosmic cycle of immense duration, often billions of years], their harvest of Innate Energy often reaching over a thousand strands. Yet, more than half of that would be spent on purchasing healing Immortal Herb [plants imbued with potent spiritual energy for medicinal purposes], leaving little truly saved.

The overwhelming majority of Four Tribulations Ancient Immortal would, even after expending hundreds of millions of years, barely manage to accumulate two or three hundred strands of Innate Energy.

If they did not perish, a Four Tribulations Ancient Immortal might, after saving for the duration of one or two Kalpa Tribulation, barely afford a small fragment of Soul Nourishing Wood.

Yet, relying on just a small fragment of Soul Nourishing Wood was rarely enough to break through the Primordial Spirit Heavenly Pass [a critical bottleneck in advancing one's primordial spirit]. Thus, countless Ancient Immortal Patriarch would fritter away hundreds of millions of years, never managing to advance to the fifth tribulation Ancient Immortal Realm.

Within the Great Encompassing realm, each of the Nine Heavenly Passes represents a monumental threshold. Those who can cultivate from a First Tribulation Ancient Immortal all the way to a Seven Tribulations Ancient Immortal are truly Peerless Prodigy—one in a thousand.

Returning to the matter at hand, both Horizon Patriarch and the Celestial Maiden naturally understood the immense value of this large piece of Soul Nourishing Wood [a rare spiritual wood that nourishes and strengthens the soul]. Moreover, Eldrin Chen had not only gifted them the wood but also presented them with three Heaven Soul Fruit [a miraculous fruit that can greatly enhance one's soul foundation].

The Celestial Maiden took a deep breath, unable to hold back her words. "The combined value of the Soul Nourishing Wood and the Heaven Soul Fruit exceeds one thousand two hundred strands of Innate Energy [the primordial energy of creation, the highest form of spiritual power]. Even with our resources, we could not afford such treasures."

"Please, Fellow Daoist, take them back swiftly. There is no need for such profound cultivation support."

Eldrin Chen shook his head, a faint smile gracing his lips. "We both know that for true high-level Ancient Immortal [an immortal who has transcended multiple heavenly tribulations], neither Innate Ancient Treasure [a supreme treasure born from the chaos of creation] nor even a Supreme Grade Innate Rare Treasure [the pinnacle of treasures formed from innate chaos] constitutes the ultimate divine object."

"The ability to break through one's own cultivation bottlenecks—that is the truly priceless treasure."

"These items may seem precious, but what I truly desire is for you both to break through to the Fifth Tribulation realm and become my two great pillars of support. That, I believe, is the most crucial matter."

Horizon Patriarch pondered for a moment before speaking. "Consider this a debt we owe you. We shall repay it in full when we venture into the Chaos [the primordial, formless void beyond the ordered realms] in the future."

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen nodded with a satisfied smile and handed the treasures over to Horizon Patriarch and the Celestial Maiden.

After expressing their gratitude repeatedly, the two of them departed to enter secluded cultivation and refine these Rare Spiritual Wonders [extremely rare objects of profound spiritual power].

Watching the two depart for seclusion, Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod, a smile gracing his lips.

Among the nine Great Encompassing Heavenly Passes, the Destiny Heavenly Pass is the most ethereal and elusive. To shatter it, one requires an Innate Spiritual Treasure [a spiritual treasure born from the world's essence] to serve as a 'Path Union Supreme Treasure', fusing it with the power of one's Great Path [a supreme cultivation art] to have any hope of breaking through one's own Destiny Heavenly Pass.

The Spiritual Treasure Heavenly Pass places the greatest emphasis on Opportunity and Fortune [the confluence of chance and destiny] and one's backing. Those blessed with heaven-defying Opportunity and Fortune may naturally obtain an Innate Spiritual Treasure and achieve a breakthrough.

For those lacking such extraordinary Celestial Mechanism [the workings of fate and cosmic law] affinity, having a Great Encompassing Ancient Sect as their backing can also lead to being granted an Innate Spiritual Treasure, thereby breaking through to the Eight Tribulations Ancient Immortal Realm.

The Divine Ability Heavenly Pass values talent and comprehension above all. Individuals of stunning genius can create their own Great Encompassing Divine Ability [a supreme divine ability], ascending to the heavens in a single step to shatter the Divine Ability Heavenly Pass.

Those with prodigious comprehension can study and master a Patriarch Level Divine Ability [a divine ability created by a Great Encompassing Patriarch] pioneered by a predecessor of the Great Encompassing Realm, achieving the same feat of breaking the Divine Ability Heavenly Pass.

Of course, a disparity exists between these two paths. Those who cultivate a Divine Ability [a supernatural power or technique] created by another can never truly rival its originator, typically only reaching the Ninth Limit Realm of a Patriarch Level Divine Ability.

For one who creates their own Divine Ability, the technique possesses absolute compatibility with its creator, unleashing power far beyond the ordinary. Such an ability begins at the Tenth Limit Realm level of a Patriarch Level Divine Ability.

Naturally, exceptions exist. Some individuals, whose comprehension shines across the ages, can innovate upon the foundations laid by predecessors, ultimately evolving the technique to a mightier state, stepping directly into the Tenth Limit or even the Eleventh Limit Realm.

There are even those who can cultivate a Primordial One Grade [the supreme, foundational grade] peerless Divine Ability of the Twelfth Limit. With but a single Divine Ability, they can suppress a Great Path; with but one Divine Ability, they can dominate the Nine Heavenly Passes, accomplishing the magnificent feat of one technique overwhelming ten thousand paths.

Beyond the three great Heavenly Pass of Destiny [one's predetermined fate or fortune], Spiritual Treasure [an enchanted artifact used by cultivators], and Divine Ability [a supernatural power or technique], among the remaining six Heavenly Pass [major cultivation bottlenecks], the Path Heart Heavenly Pass [the bottleneck of the cultivator's core conviction] requires no external resources; its key lies solely in whether one's own Dao Heart [the cultivator's fundamental conviction and spiritual core] is flawless.

Among the five resource-demanding Heavenly Pass, the four major ones—Great Path [one's core cultivation art or law], Path Fruit [the fruit or culmination of one's cultivation path], physical body, and spiritual power—consume only common resources. Furthermore, unlike the Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator], which is exceptionally fragile, these aspects are not, so the resources required are comparatively minimal.

Generally speaking, the resources required to break through the Primordial Spirit Heavenly Pass [the bottleneck related to strengthening the Primordial Spirit] often exceed the sum of those needed for the first four Heavenly Pass combined.

In other words, once one has cultivated the Primordial Spirit Heavenly Pass, the resource requirements for breaking through the Nine Heavenly Passes [the nine major bottlenecks in high-level cultivation] are already nearly half fulfilled.

The remaining two Heavenly Pass—Dao Heart and Destiny—do not depend on resources. The Spiritual Treasure Heavenly Pass [the bottleneck related to mastering a Spiritual Treasure] and the Divine Ability Heavenly Pass [the bottleneck related to mastering a Divine Ability] hinge on comprehension, innate talent, Opportunity and Fortune [chance encounters and good luck], and even one's backing or patronage. They are not realms one can necessarily break through through sheer effort or ample resources alone.

If both Horizon Patriarch and Celestial Maiden successfully break through to the Five Tribulations Ancient Immortal [the realm of an Ancient Immortal who has survived five Heavenly Tribulations] this time, their future cultivation will focus primarily on comprehending Divine Ability and clarifying their Dao Heart.

Although comprehending a Great Encompassing Divine Ability [a supreme, all-encompassing supernatural technique] poses a significant challenge even for talents like theirs, as long as their Dao Heart harbors no major flaws, they would only need to survive the Path Heart Tribulation [the tribulation that tests the Dao Heart] known as the 'Three Inquiries of the Great Path' [a trial where one's core convictions are questioned three times] to break through to the Six Tribulations Ancient Immortal Realm [the realm of an Ancient Immortal].

Of course, surviving the 'Three Inquiries of the Great Path' of the Path Heart Heavenly Pass is an immensely arduous trial. If one's Dao Heart possesses even the slightest flaw, all previous efforts will crumble to dust.

Countless Five Tribulations Ancient Immortal are held back, their hearts burdened by guilt, cowardice, or regret, preventing them from facing the Path Heart Heavenly Pass and thus unable to advance.

Consider the Violet Capital Ancient Immortal of old. As a Seven Tribulations Ancient Immortal [an Ancient Immortal who has survived seven Heavenly Tribulations], he successively broke through the seven major Heavenly Pass of the physical body, Great Path, Path Fruit, spiritual power, Primordial Spirit, Divine Ability, and Spiritual Treasure. His innate talent and comprehension could truly be described as peerless throughout the ages.

Yet, because they remained sheltered under the protection of the Immortal Court [the celestial governing body of the immortal realm], dozens of Kalpa Tribulation [a cosmic cycle of immense destruction and renewal] cultivators dared not emerge to face their tribulations. This led to their inability to break through the Path Heart Heavenly Pass [a critical bottleneck in cultivation related to comprehending one's true path], ultimately resulting in their failure to ascend to Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [the highest echelon of immortal cultivation].

"I wonder if those two will be able to cross the Path Heart Heavenly Pass [a critical bottleneck in cultivation related to comprehending one's true path] in the future,"

Eldrin Chen murmured inwardly before returning to his Seclusion Chamber [a specially prepared room for undisturbed meditation and cultivation]. He slowly lowered his eyelids, his gaze turning inwards.

Regardless of the fates of the Celestial Maiden [a title for a powerful and revered female immortal] and Horizon Patriarch, his immediate task was clear. He needed to refine the Divine Soul Rare Treasure [an exceptionally rare spiritual material that nourishes and strengthens the soul] and attempt to shatter the Primordial Spirit Heavenly Pass [a critical bottleneck in cultivation related to strengthening one's spiritual core].

Eldrin Chen had cultivated the Half-Step Patriarch Level Divine AbilityFive-Colored Divine Light [a powerful divine technique manifesting as a radiant light of five colors] for many years. The secret art attached to this divine light, 'Five Radiance Spirit Refining Great Art' [the Great Art of Spirit Refinement through Five Radiances], allowed him to temper his Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] day and night.

Furthermore, his own profound foundation continuously nourished his Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator]. Consequently, Eldrin Chen's Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] was exceptionally powerful.

Thus, after all these years of cultivation, although Eldrin Chen's Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] had not yet broken through the Ninth Limit Realm [the ninth and final theoretical limit of spiritual power], it had long ago reached the peak of the Eighth Limit Realm [the eighth theoretical limit of spiritual power]. He stood but a single step away from the Ninth Limit [the ninth and final theoretical limit of spiritual power].

For this seclusion, Eldrin Chen first attempted to refine a large segment of Soul Nourishing Wood [a rare spiritual wood known for its potent soul-strengthening properties].

The moment he began refining it, Eldrin Chen felt his vast and potent Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] flow into the Soul Nourishing Wood [a rare spiritual wood known for its potent soul-strengthening properties]. Through the wood's continuous warming and tempering effects, his spirit effortlessly surged past the barrier, breaking through to the Ninth Limit Realm [the ninth and final theoretical limit of spiritual power].

"The Primordial Spirit Heavenly Pass [a critical bottleneck in cultivation related to strengthening one's spiritual core]... broken just like that?"

Eldrin Chen suddenly murmured, his voice tinged with surprise as he spoke.

For others, attempting to break through the Primordial Spirit Heavenly Pass [the critical barrier to the Primordial Spirit realm] might require bitter cultivation for hundreds of millions of years with no guarantee of success. He never imagined he would accomplish this step so effortlessly.

Yet, upon deeper reflection, this outcome was not entirely unexpected.

The Five Radiance Spirit Refining Great Art [a supreme art for refining the spirit with five-colored light] was intrinsically linked to the Five-Colored Divine Light [a divine light embodying the power of the five elements]. By tempering his Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] day and night with this art, Eldrin Chen had essentially been continuously nourishing his Primordial Spirit with the power of a Half-Step Patriarch Level Divine Ability [a divine ability nearing the power of a Patriarch].

Consequently, his Primordial Spirit had long since grown immensely powerful, its quality far surpassing the limits of the Ninth Limit Realm [the ninth and penultimate stage of foundation-building within a realm].

For most Four Tribulations Ancient Immortal [an Ancient Immortal who has survived four Heavenly Tribulations], the Primordial Spirit remains relatively fragile; once damaged, recovery is an arduous and near-impossible task.

Yet, Eldrin Chen's Primordial Spirit was nearly Immortality [possessing the quality of being deathless] and Indestructibility [possessing the quality of being unbreakable]. Even if torn into hundreds or thousands of fragments, it could easily reconstitute itself. In essence, its quality had already reached the Tenth Limit Realm [the legendary tenth and ultimate stage of foundation-building].

The only shortfall was the depth and richness of his Primordial Spirit's foundational essence, which had remained at the level of the Eighth Limit Realm [the eighth stage of foundation-building].

Now, having initially refined the Soul Nourishing Wood [a legendary spiritual wood that nourishes and strengthens the soul], and receiving its nourishing essence, the foundational essence of his Primordial Spirit surged dramatically, instantly reaching the Ninth Limit Realm.

"The Tenth Limit Realm is now within sight," he declared.

Eldrin Chen murmured softly, immediately retrieving and refining a Heaven Soul Fruit [a miraculous fruit that nourishes and strengthens the cultivator's spiritual core].

In the brief span of a thousand years, the Heaven Soul Fruit was completely refined by Eldrin Chen into pure Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] essence.

Thus, Eldrin Chen pressed on with relentless determination. After refining ten Heaven Soul Fruit in succession, his Primordial Spirit naturally broke through to the Tenth Limit Realm [the pinnacle stage of Primordial Spirit cultivation].

Yet Eldrin Chen paid it no mind. He continued refining the Heaven Soul Fruit, only drawing a slow, deep breath after completely consuming the remaining four fruits.

"The Tenth Limit Primordial Spirit?" he mused.

Sensing the power of his Primordial Spirit, Eldrin Chen murmured softly, a faint smile gracing his eyes.

In that moment, he perceived the profound strength of his Primordial Spirit and gained enlightenment on its future path of cultivation.

"The Primordial Spirit is inherently delicate," he reflected. "Since ancient times, the method for Ancient Immortal [powerful cultivators who have transcended mortal limits] to break the Ninth Limit has primarily relied on supplementing it with Divine Soul Rare Treasure [precious treasures that nourish the soul]."

"Compared to the cultivation methods for the physical body or mana to reach their respective Heavenly Pass [ultimate limits], this approach is far too gentle and wastes a great portion of the medicinal efficacy. Yet, for the vast majority of Ancient Immortal, it remains the only path."

"But I am different. My Primordial Spirit, tempered through relentless refinement, has reached a state nearing Immortality [the state of eternal life] and Indestructibility [the quality of being unbreakable]. I need not follow such a gentle path of cultivation."

"Moreover..."

Eldrin Chen spoke softly, his gaze turning grave. "A conventional Ninth Limit Primordial Spirit [the pinnacle of the Primordial Spirit stage, where the cultivator's spiritual core has been refined to its theoretical limit] remains far too fragile for the trials of the next great threshold."

"With a Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator, the seat of consciousness and power] so delicate, can one truly hope to break through into the Great Encompassing Realm [the legendary realm of the Great Encompassing, a state of profound unity with the cosmos]?"

"Even if the breakthrough is achieved, such a foundation would inevitably prove insufficient. It may well hinder the cultivator from fully merging with and ascending upon the Great Path [the supreme and boundless Dao, the ultimate principle and goal of all cultivation]." For uninterrupted reading, go to audio–novel.com.