Chapter 1897 : Beyond the Immortal Domains

"Eastern Departure Flame Domain?"

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen felt a wave of solemnity rise within his gaze. This was his first glimpse into the true power structures that lay beyond the Three Thousand Immortal Domains [the collective name for the primary realm of immortal cultivators].

Donghua Immortal Lord nodded calmly and explained, "The Eastern Departure Flame Domain is precisely this region we currently inhabit."

As Donghua Immortal Lord elaborated, Eldrin Chen gained a foundational understanding of this Eastern Departure Flame Domain.

It turned out that the expanse of the Primordial Chaos [the formless, primordial state before creation] was boundless and vast. Even the Three Thousand Immortal Domains were but a solitary island in comparison.

This immense region of Chaos beyond the Three Thousand Immortal Domains was divided into six cardinal directions: East, West, South, North, Upper Firmament, and Lower Profundity. Each of these domains was immeasurably vast, with intricate and interwoven factions.

The Chaos was inherently tumultuous and disordered, making it difficult to discern precise locations, directions, or to demarcate clear territorial boundaries.

Therefore, the Three Great Celestial Courts [the supreme governing bodies of the immortal world] established a rule: any territory governed by a Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch [a supreme cultivator who has mastered the laws of Primordial Chaos] would be designated as a Dao Domain [a sovereign territory ruled by a supreme power].

The Eastern Departure Flame Domain was precisely such a Dao Domain under the rule of a Primordial Unity [a supreme cultivation realm] powerhouse. Across the eastern reaches of the Three Thousand Immortal Domains, there were several dozen such Primordial Unity Dao Domain.

And the location of the Abyssal Immortal Domain [Eldrin Chen's home domain] was situated within the eastern Eastern Departure Flame Domain.

Within the expanse of the Eastern Departure Flame Domain [a vast and perilous region bordering the primordial chaos], there exist over one hundred Immortal Domains [realms established and governed by powerful Immortals] of varying sizes, alongside more than one hundred Great Luo Grade [a rank denoting immense power within the Grand Luo realm] Chaos Nests [fortresses and domains carved out by ancient, chaotic beings within the formless void].

The Immortal Domains established by the various races' Grand Luo [a supreme cultivation realm, one step below the Primordial Chaos] experts from the Three Thousand Immortal Domains [a collective term for the myriad realms of order and civilization], and the Chaos Nests of the Chaotic Fiendgods [ancient, primordial demons born from chaos] lie interlocked like fangs, engaged in perpetual, unending warfare.

"Over one hundred Immortal Domains, and more than one hundred Grand Luo-grade Chaos Nests,"

Eldrin Chen murmured softly, a trace of solemn gravity inevitably coloring his expression.

The existence of a single Immortal Domain signifies one Grand Luo Golden Immortal [a supreme immortal who has attained the pinnacle of the Grand Luo realm], yet a single Chaos Nest does not necessarily house only one Chaotic Fiendgod. For within the most formidable Chaos Nests, it is likely that several Grand Luo Demon Gods stand guard.

It could be said that the number of Chaotic Fiendgods within the Eastern Departure Flame Domain likely far exceeds one hundred.

Contemplating this, he drew a deep breath and spoke, "It seems that within this Eastern Departure Flame Domain, our Three Thousand Immortal Domains still find themselves at a disadvantage."

Donghua Immortal Lord nodded in agreement before elaborating, "The Eastern Departure Flame Domain is renowned for the Ancient Plain of Departing Flames [a legendary and supremely dangerous Chaos Nest], and that very Ancient Plain of Departing Flames has always been our foremost and most formidable enemy."

As Donghua Immortal Lord continued his explanation, Eldrin Chen gradually came to understand the origins and nature of the Eastern Departure Flame Domain.

It turned out that at the very heart of this Eastern Departure Flame Domain lay a Primordial Chaos Rank [the ultimate realm of power, transcending even Grand Luo] Chaos Nest, known as the Ancient Plain of Departing Flames.

Within the Ancient Plain of Departing Flames resides a being known as the 'Departing Flame Chaos Fiend', born from the Southern Departing Fire of Chaos [the primordial state of undifferentiated existence]. Its cultivation has already reached the realm of a Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch [a supreme sovereign of the primordial chaos].

A Chaotic Fiendgod [a primordial demonic deity] of such Primordial Chaos Rank [the rank of a primordial chaos sovereign] has dominated the Eastern Departure Flame Domain for tens of thousands of Kalpa Tribulation [immense cosmic cycles], its power is naturally unfathomably profound.

Considering this, Eldrin Chen could not help but reveal a trace of solemnity. His Immortal Domain [a cultivator's personal realm] was established within the territory of the Departing Flame Chaos Fiend, which was likely to be a significant complication.

Donghua Immortal Lord, noticing his expression, guessed his thoughts and spoke immediately: "You need not worry. Within the Eastern Departure Flame Domain, our Human Race also possesses a Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch."

"His Daoist title is Departing Flame Emperor Lord. He and the Departing Flame Fiendgod are sworn enemies on the Great Dao [the fundamental principle of cultivation and existence], locked in a stalemate for many years without ever falling to a disadvantage."

"The Departing Flame Emperor Lord?"

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen immediately consulted the map in his hand. He then discovered that within the Eastern Departure Flame Domain, there was indeed an Immortal Domain named the Departing Flame Immortal Domain.

The reason Eldrin Chen had not noticed it before was because this Departing Flame Immortal Domain was merely a High-Grade Immortal Domain, far less magnificent than the Primordial Unity [the state of merging with the primordial origin] Dao Domain [a realm perfectly aligned with one's Dao] of that Departing Flame Fiendgod.

In that moment, Eldrin Chen understood.

After breaking through to Grand Luo Golden Immortal [a high rank of immortal], an Immortal Domain can at most Ascension [advance in rank] to the level of a High-Grade Immortal Domain. To advance further and Ascension into a Primordial Unity Dao Domain is an impossibility.

Even beings at the Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch [the supreme realm of power, a step beyond the Grand Luo Golden Immortal] level cannot obtain Innate Primordial Qi [the primordial energy that gave birth to the universe, essential for the highest breakthroughs] by Ascension [the process of transcending to a higher realm or world] to the Immortal Domain [a higher plane of existence, a realm of immortals].

The Grand Luo Golden Immortal [the pinnacle realm within the Immortal Domains, just below the Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch] of the Three Thousand Immortal Domains [the collective name for the myriad higher realms] have only one path to Ascension to the Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch realm: they must either seek Opportunity [a rare chance or resource for advancement] within the Chaos [the primordial, formless void from which all things emerged], or launch assaults against the Dao Domain [a territory or realm governed by a specific Dao or principle] occupied by Chaotic Fiendgod [ancient, primordial demons born from Chaos].

Departing Flame Emperor Lord is an existence at the early Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch stage. To contend with the Departing Flame Chaos Fiend [a powerful Chaotic Fiendgod associated with the flame of departure] for Dao Authority [sovereignty over a specific Dao or cosmic principle], he has been locked in a stalemate within this Eastern Departure Flame Domain [a specific region within the Chaos, named for its dominant principle]. It is said that despite launching several wars against each other, neither side has managed to slay the other.

It is precisely because Departing Flame Emperor Lord stands as the vanguard that the other Immortal Domain within this region have been able to hold their ground.

Contemplating this, Eldrin Chen glanced at the map. He noted with a slight sigh of relief that his Abyssal Immortal Domain was situated quite far from the Ancient Plain of Departing Flames [the territory ruled by the Departing Flame Chaos Fiend].

Seeing this, Donghua Immortal Lord spoke again, "While we reside within the Eastern Departure Flame Domain under the protection of the Departing Flame Emperor Lord, we must also shoulder certain responsibilities."

"Unless you intend to leave the Eastern Departure Flame Domain, once the Departing Flame Emperor Lord mobilizes for war, you and I will be conscripted to fight."

Upon hearing this, a slight frown creased Eldrin Chen's brow as he sank into deep thought.

Noting his reaction, Donghua Immortal Lord continued, "Of course, conflicts between Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch rarely reach a decisive conclusion; full-scale wars are not lightly undertaken."

"You need not worry overmuch. Even if war does break out, you and I, as Grand Luo Immortal Lord [a powerful immortal lord within the Grand Luo realm], are fundamentally unassailable."

Eldrin Chen nodded upon hearing this. Grand Luo Golden Immortal [the highest echelon of immortal cultivation, transcending the cycle of reincarnation] do not fall into the cycle of reincarnation; unless slain by a true enemy of the Great Dao [the fundamental cosmic principle], they cannot truly perish. From this perspective alone, they can be considered to stand upon an undefeatable ground.

Having spoken thus far, Donghua Immortal Lord said no more.

He stayed as a guest in the Abyssal Immortal Domain for half a day before departing in haste.

Watching Donghua Immortal Lord leave, Lyra Jiang approached. Eldrin Chen informed her of the situation within the Eastern Departure Flame Domain.

Lyra Jiang fell silent for a moment before finally speaking. "With your power, even within that Eastern Departure Flame Domain, you should rank among the mighty. Moreover, with Departing Flame Emperor Lord ahead, you need not overly concern yourself with danger."

"The pressing matter now is preparing for the affairs of the Great Luo Immortal Banquet."

Eldrin Chen nodded in agreement, then spoke. "Leave the matter of the invitations to you all. Before that, I have some matters of my own to attend to."

"Matters to attend to?"

Lyra Jiang was momentarily taken aback, a thoughtful expression crossing her features.

Eldrin Chen nodded once more, his voice carrying a note of quiet resolve. "There are regrets in this life... perhaps it is time to make amends."

With those words, Eldrin Chen gave a casual wave of his hand and, in a single stride, departed from the Abyssal Immortal Domain.

After leaving the Abyssal Immortal Domain, Eldrin Chen took a single step and arrived within the Vast Azure Immortal Domain, a realm nestled inside the Three Thousand Immortal Domains.

"You have returned."

Witnessing Eldrin Chen's return, the will of the Heavenly Dao [the supreme natural law and governing principle of the cosmos] of the Vast Azure Immortal Domain trembled slightly before speaking: "You succeeded, as I foresaw. My judgment was not mistaken."

Eldrin Chen nodded, then stated calmly, "I have matters to attend to. I trust you will not interfere."

The Heavenly Dao's will seemed to comprehend his intent and replied immediately, "Agreed..."

"My thanks."

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod of acknowledgment and finally began to act.

Behold! An infinite flow of Great Dao power [the fundamental cosmic principles] swirled around his form. A supreme, peerless might, unparalleled across the ages, pierced through the long river of the Great Dao. Boundless power of time itself eddied and flowed around his being.

"BOOM!"

In that instant, the entire Vast Azure Immortal Domain trembled violently, and the endless river of time [the conceptual flow of past, present, and future] actually began to reverse its course.

Eldrin Chen took a single step, instantly causing the boundless Space-Time to flow backwards. The heavens, earth, mountains, and rivers of the entire Vast Azure Immortal Domain began to reverse.

In less than the span of a single breath, Eldrin Chen had returned to a time one million years in the past. He discovered the old scene of the Kalpa Tribulation Eruption and witnessed the battle where he had suppressed and slain Xuanheng Ancient Demon and Myriad Ghosts Ancient Ancestor.

For this old scene of Space-Time, Eldrin Chen did not linger his gaze. After but a fleeting glance, he continued onward.

The vast Vast Azure Immortal Domain underwent increasingly dramatic transformations. As Eldrin Chen observed the continuous changes of the Vast Azure Immortal Domain, he unknowingly traced his way back to ten million years in the past.

He witnessed the Abyssal Ruins Celestial Domain reverting back into the Western Qi Divine Abyss Sea, and saw old acquaintances such as the Lord of the Flowing Fire Star Palace, the Heaven's Prison Clan Patriarch, and the Western Qi Dragon King once more.

Yet Eldrin Chen still did not pause. He continued striding forth, shattering the firmament as he traveled, tracing the river of time [the conceptual flow of past, present, and future] ever backward. Unconsciously, he returned to the era of the Violet Boundary, and only came to a halt before a scene from a far more distant fragment of Space-Time.

It was a night of swirling, heavy snow. A man, drenched in blood, carried a young child on his back. He had traversed one hundred thousand Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] of desolate wilderness, and with his last ounce of strength, delivered the child to the foot of Verdant Chariot Mountain.

"Father."

Gazing at the blood-soaked man before him, Eldrin Chen could not help but murmur softly, a sigh flickering deep within his eyes.

The young man was named Qingming Chen, the father of Eldrin Chen in this life. He had once been an outer sect disciple of the Verdant Sun Sect, but his life was cut short when the Qin Clan of the Heavenly Abode Continent coveted his [a rare and supreme physique ideal for cultivation] and brought calamity upon him.

Even after the passage of twelve million years, the memory of that childhood event remained etched deeply in Eldrin Chen's mind.

Now, having returned to this Space-Time [a specific point in the continuum of time and space] of his youth by ascending the River of Time and Space [the metaphysical flow of time and space] with world-shaking power, Eldrin Chen felt a profound and growing wave of emotion within his heart.

"Father."

Eldrin Chen's heart trembled, but in the end, he did not linger. He continued his journey upstream along the River of Time and Space.

He continued to trace back through the Space-Time of Ronan. This time, he traversed a span of one hundred thousand years before the birth of Eldrin Chen, finally pausing in the era after the Violet Boundary [a powerful enchanted artifact] had been cast into exile.

Eldrin Chen wished to go further still, to glimpse the Violet Immortal Lord in his youth. Yet he discovered that the Space-Time from one hundred thousand years before his own birth had been severed by an invisible force.

Even with his current level of cultivation, Eldrin Chen found it impossible to continue his ascent against the current and trace the more ancient Space-Time.

"Has everything been erased?"

Eldrin Chen murmured, a ripple of complex emotion stirring within the depths of his gaze.

Within the boundless expanse of Chaos [the primordial state of undifferentiated existence before the cosmos formed], time flowed as a unidirectional river, an immutable current where events once transpired could not be altered—not even Eldrin Chen possessed such power.

Yet everything before him had been severed, rendering the past existence of the Violet Immortal Lord utterly untraceable. The terrifying power this implied sent a tremor of apprehension through Eldrin Chen.

"It seems the Violet Immortal Lord did not wish for certain truths to be discovered,"

Eldrin Chen murmured inwardly, ultimately suppressing the burgeoning thought.

He spoke no more of it. Turning back, he descended the temporal river, slowing his pace to review the history of the Violet Boundary [a legendary realm-defining treasure].

Within this river of time, Eldrin Chen witnessed the hundred-thousand-year war waged between the Violet Boundary and the Calamity Demon God [a race of cataclysmic demonic beings], beholding conflicts he had not personally experienced in that bygone era.

The sages and heroes of the Violet Boundary, in their defense of their realm, engaged in life-and-death duels against the Calamity Demon God time and again. Tale after tale of valor and tragedy unfolded before his eyes.

Yet to all of this, Eldrin Chen did not intervene.

Even a Grand Luo Golden Immortal [a supreme immortal realm cultivator], possessing the ability to traverse Space-Time [the fabric of reality encompassing space and time], cannot alter established facts of the past.

For should the past be changed, the entire Space-Time continuum would descend into utter chaos. This is a feat beyond even a Grand Luo Golden Immortal; in truth, not even an existence at the third realm of the Chaos Celestial Emperor could rewrite history.

Yet what has transpired cannot be undone. However, with the power of a Grand Luo Golden Immortal [the supreme realm of cultivation, transcending time and space], one can retrieve those long-departed comrades from the currents of the River of Time and Space [the metaphysical river representing the flow of all events].

Eldrin Chen strode through the River of Time and Space, wielding his Grand Luo [the foundational realm of a Grand Luo Immortal] might to pluck True Spirit Imprint [the fundamental spiritual signature of a being] from the Space-Time [the fabric of reality encompassing all dimensions] twelve million years hence. Using these as a foundation, he gathered the scattered souls of martyrs whose spirits had been utterly destroyed, expending immense power to meticulously reconstruct their divine souls.

By the time Eldrin Chen returned to the moment of his own birth, he had already rescued many heroes of the Violet Boundary [a legendary realm or artifact] who had perished, their souls scattered to the winds, during the cataclysmic Demon Tribulation.

And on the very day Eldrin Chen was born, he witnessed the Violet Boundary manifesting an omen of purple Qi [the vital energy of heaven and earth] flowing eastward for ten thousand Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters]. That vast and wondrous phenomenon was witnessed across the entire Eastern Wasteland Immortal Domain [a region within the immortal realms].

"So it is true. I was indeed born in response to destiny's call."

Eldrin Chen offered a faint, knowing smile. He then took another step, traversing three years, and beheld a scene of unspeakable brutality.

Within the alchemy chamber of Verdant Sun Mountain, the Qin Clan's Second Ancestor seized the innate Dao Body [a cultivation physique of exceptional purity] of his mother, Ningmu Zhang, and refined her into a single, gruesome Blood Elixir.

"Damnation!"

A glacial fury burned in Eldrin Chen's eyes. He yearned to reduce this wretch—whom he had slain long ago—to ashes, to grind his very bones to dust. Yet, ultimately, he could not act.

He was but an observer upon the River of Time and Space, powerless to alter the immutable tapestry of history that had already been woven.

"Alas."

In the end, Eldrin Chen let out a soft sigh.

He performed a quick calculation with his fingers and discovered that twelve million years later, his mother's soul would have long since scattered to the winds within the River of Time and Space, her True Spirit [the foundational spiritual essence of a being] having given birth to a new soul consciousness, yet that new soul would no longer be *her*.

"Mother, return!"

Without hesitation, Eldrin Chen reached across the span of twelve million years, forcibly extracting the True Spirit Imprint [the unique spiritual signature imprinted upon the True Spirit] of his mother. Then, at the precise moment of her death, he remolded her soul and physical body anew.

"Ah—!"

Resurrected from the clutches of death, Ningmu Zhang found the terror and despair on her face had not yet faded when she suddenly noticed a handsome man clad in snow-white robes standing before her, causing her to pause in momentary confusion.

In that instant, she couldn't help but look at the figure before her and ask, "I'm not dead? Did you... save me?"

"Mother."

Eldrin Chen helped her to her feet, then sighed softly once more. "I am your son... Eldrin."

"Eldrin?"

Ningmu Zhang wore an expression of utter bewilderment. Struggling to accept this, she instinctively refuted, "Impossible. My child is but three years old."

"Alas."

Eldrin Chen let out a soft sigh before speaking. "I have come from a time twelve million years hence, solely to guide you onward."

As his words faded, Eldrin Chen extended a single finger. A torrent of information flowed directly into Ningmu Zhang's consciousness.

Ningmu Zhang instantly received the knowledge. Though it remained difficult to fully digest, she grasped the essential threads of cause and effect.

Her gaze shifted to the nearby Great Cauldron. Beside it, she saw Qin Clan's Second Ancestor refining pills with a vicious sneer, while her own corpse slowly turned to dust. In that moment, she believed Eldrin Chen's words.

"So... my son possessed the potential for the Grand Luo realm."

Eldrin Chen offered no direct reply. Instead, he spoke with calm finality. "Upon my return journey along the river of time, I shall descend its currents to retrieve certain individuals."

"Your soul essence [the spiritual core of a being] cannot withstand the relentless erosion of temporal forces. It is best you enter a deep slumber for a time."

As his words fell, Eldrin Chen swept his sleeve, plunging Ningmu Zhang into a deep slumber, while simultaneously using his awe-inspiring magical power to shield her soul essence [the spiritual core of a cultivator].

Having completed this, Eldrin Chen continued his journey downstream along the river of memory.

This time, he witnessed Qin Clan's Second Ancestor poised to strike him and his father down, intent on total annihilation. Yet, in the end, the ancestor was driven away by the sheer sword intent [the conceptual will and power imbued within a sword technique] of the Green Abyss Sword, which, despite its shattered and incomplete form, dragged itself forth to intervene.

"So, I truly do owe Senior Qingyuan a life-saving debt,"

Eldrin Chen murmured softly to himself before resolutely taking another step forward.

Once more, he beheld the vision of his father carrying him across a hundred thousand Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] of desolate wilderness. Throughout that arduous journey, his father faced relentless pursuit and countless assassination attempts from the Verdant Sun Sect.

Time and again along that perilous path, Eldrin Chen and his father found themselves in mortal danger, their survival hanging by a thread. That they managed to escape with their lives was due in no small part to the aid of two individuals.

The first was Eldrin Chen's maternal grandfather, Tianyang Zhang. Tianyang Zhang was a senior Foundation Establishment cultivator [the second major stage of cultivation, where one builds a solid spiritual foundation] within the Verdant Sun Sect. In his later years, his cultivation had reached the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment realm, and he even enjoyed deep connections with several of the sect's Purple Mansion [the third major stage of cultivation, where one opens a spiritual mansion within the dantian] experts.

To help Eldrin Chen and his father escape their predicament, Tianyang Zhang maneuvered tirelessly within the Verdant Sun Sect, expending his entire fortune without hesitation to secure for them a single, slender thread of hope.

The identity of the second helper, however, left Eldrin Chen utterly astonished.

This person was someone Eldrin Chen happened to know; he was precisely the Purple Mansion cultivator from the Verdant Sun Sect known as 'Mordecai Lin'. This Mordecai Lin hailed from the Yu County Lin Clan. Sympathizing with the plight of Eldrin Chen's family, and considering their shared origins in Yu County, he had discreetly instructed his disciples to grant them leniency on several occasions.

Had it not been for Mordecai Lin's covert intervention, it is doubtful whether Qingming Chen would have been able to bring him back alive so easily.

This revelation struck Eldrin Chen with surprise, mingled with a measure of shock and bewilderment.

"If there was such a debt of kindness, why did he never speak of it back then?"