Chapter 1902 : Forbidden Power Unleashed

Facing the Rebellious Scale Demon Lord who had fully unleashed his Eruption [a divine ability that releases immense power], Eldrin Chen's brow furrowed slightly.

He immediately summoned his Primordial Chaos True Aura [a protective aura of primordial chaos] to shield himself, then transformed into a radiant streak of light to create distance.

The reason a Forbidden Divine Ability [a divine technique of ultimate power with catastrophic side effects] is called "forbidden" lies not only in its overwhelming destructive force but also in its truly terrifying repercussions.

Once a Forbidden Divine Ability is activated, the best outcome is a convalescence lasting several Kalpa Tribulation [immense cosmic cycles]; a slightly worse fate is complete annihilation of body and dao, requiring tens or even hundreds of Kalpa Tribulation to recover.

Now, as Rebellious Scale Demon Lord unleashed his Forbidden Divine Ability, seeing Eldrin Chen attempt to evade and stall for time, he could no longer remain passive.

He pursued with desperate fervor, willing to pay any price to severely wound or even slay Eldrin Chen.

"A perfect opening."

Seizing that precise moment, Eldrin Chen activated the Yin-Yang Sacrificial Dao [the Dao of Yin-Yang Sacrifice]. Instantly, his power surged under the Forbidden Divine Ability's augmentation. He whirled around and unleashed a Primordial Chaos Divine Thunder [a divine thunderbolt born of primordial chaos] straight at his foe.

Caught off guard by Eldrin Chen's sudden, devastating counterattack, Rebellious Scale Demon Lord had no time to react. His physical form shattered on the spot, his Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] utterly disintegrated into dust. Only his True Spirit [the indestructible essence of a being], sheltered by the Great Dao, fell into a deep slumber.

"Disaster! He has also mastered a Forbidden Divine Ability!"

Witnessing the defeat of the Rebellious Scale Demon Lord, the other three cultivators' expressions changed drastically, immediately seeking to disengage and flee for their lives.

Alas, with Eldrin Chen's power, after activating the first stage of the Forbidden Divine Ability, even without revealing his full strength, he was already a match for a sixth-level Grand Luo Golden Immortal.

The three had only just entered the Great Luo Realm, how could they possibly withstand him?

In less than a hundred exchanges, the Azure Python Demon Lord was utterly annihilated. The other two only managed to preserve their lives by fleeing in desperate haste.

"A Forbidden Divine Ability, is it?"

Seeing Eldrin Chen defeat the four, the Primordial Thunder Crow Great Emperor's expression turned icy, though he quickly regained his composure.

Eldrin Chen had cultivated a True Spirit Primordial Spirit [the highest form of spiritual core for a cultivator] and unlocked all nine Innate Acupoints [the body's natural energy gateways]. Him mastering a Forbidden Divine Ability was not entirely beyond expectation.

He said nothing more. With a flick of his sleeve, he cast forth four beams of Innate Indestructible Spiritual Light [a primordial, unbreakable energy used for healing or rewards], then spoke coldly, "Young friend, being too sharp and conspicuous is not necessarily a good thing."

"Our years are long. In time, you may yet fall into our hands."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen immediately cupped his hands in a respectful salute. "This junior thanks the Senior for the reminder. The lesson is received."

The Primordial Thunder Crow Great Emperor said nothing more, merely snorting coldly before riding his Primordial Thunder Beast and vanishing into the distant horizon.

Witnessing this, Eldrin Chen turned and cupped his hands in salute towards the Black Abyss Great Emperor in the sky. "Many thanks for your assistance, Senior," he said.

"It was my duty. Think nothing of it."

"Now that the uninvited guest has departed, you may continue the banquet. Remember to seek me at the Black Abyss Heaven once the festivities conclude."

The Black Abyss Great Emperor spoke with detached calm. The Mystical Bird beneath him beat its wings and soared, disappearing beyond the horizon in the blink of an eye.

As the Black Abyss Great Emperor departed, Eldrin Chen returned directly to the main hall.

At that moment, Eldrin Chen noticed a significant shift in the demeanor of many Grand Luo Golden Immortal present. The gazes directed at him from numerous Grand Luo Golden Immortal grew noticeably warmer and more approving.

If, before this, Eldrin Chen—though having proven his Dao and attained the Grand Luo Golden Immortal realm—was merely a newly ascended Grand Luo Golden Immortal and thus not yet worthy of serious regard from the assembled Grand Luo Golden Immortal,

then now, having demonstrated combat prowess rivaling a Mid Great Luo Golden Immortal, he had earned the recognition of even many Late Great Luo Golden Immortal.

In the vast expanse of the Chaos, strength ultimately commands respect. Potential is merely potential, for the Innate Indestructible Spiritual Light and the Opportunity to shatter through realms are exceedingly rare. Without sufficient backing or fortune, one may never truly take that final step.

And the combat prowess of a Mid Great Luo Golden Immortal [a high-level immortal cultivator] is already considered to be no small feat.

It must be understood that within the Three Thousand Immortal Domains, among the three great races of Humans, Demons, and Gods, plus the Hundred Immortal Spirit Races, the number of Grand Luo Golden Immortal [immortal cultivators at the Grand Luo Golden Immortal realm] reaches into the tens of thousands. Among this multitude, fewer than one in ten can ascend to the Late Great Luo Golden Immortal [the pinnacle stage of the Grand Luo Golden Immortal realm].

Even Mid Great Luo Golden Immortal [those at the mid-stage] are not commonly seen. Those who have set foot upon this step have surpassed at least fifty to sixty percent of all Grand Luo Golden Immortal.

During the ensuing immortal banquet, Eldrin Chen took the time to acquaint himself with each of the Grand Luo Golden Immortal present. Even many of the venerable ancestors who were Late Great Luo Golden Immortal were exceedingly warm and enthusiastic, resulting in conversations that could truly be described as mutually enjoyable.

Thus, three thousand years passed in the blink of an eye. When this Great Luo Immortal Banquet finally concluded, Eldrin Chen bid farewell to the Grand Luo Golden Immortal from the various factions. Only then did he speak to Lyra Jiang, saying, "The Black Abyss Great Emperor instructed me to seek him out after the banquet concluded. It is most likely to discuss matters pertaining to the Immortal Court [the celestial governing body]."

"You should all return to the Vast Azure Immortal Domain first and begin preparations for the clan's relocation. Await my return before making any final arrangements."

"Understood."

Lyra Jiang nodded and then departed, leading the members of the Chen Clan and the Abyssal Immortal Alliance away.

Meanwhile, after Eldrin Chen left Endless Heaven, he flew to Black Abyss Heaven. Upon arrival, he discovered a silver-armored divine general had been waiting for him for some time.

"Father, His Majesty has been awaiting your presence."

Eldrin Chen looked up, a flicker of surprise crossing his features.

For the silver-armored divine general before him was none other than his own son, Xander Chen.

Seeing Eldrin Chen's astonishment, Xander Chen spoke at once. "Father, do not be alarmed. Once you meet His Majesty, the full story will become clear."

Eldrin Chen gave a nod and followed him, their path leading to the gates of a magnificent immortal palace.

Compared to the ethereal, cloud-wreathed Endless Heaven, the Black Abyss Heaven exuded a far more imposing and majestic aura. This Black Abyss Immortal Palace was particularly solemn and awe-inspiring.

As Eldrin Chen stepped into the palace hall, he found the Black Abyss Great Emperor clad in imperial armor of black dragon-scale, perusing a bamboo scroll.

"Your timing is fortuitous."

The Black Abyss Great Emperor, his expression grave and unsmiling, set the scroll aside. "You have joined the Immortal Court. I summoned you to ask: do you wish for a nominal post, or a position of genuine authority and duty?"

Eldrin Chen's eyes glinted with thought. "May I inquire as to the difference between the two?"

"See for yourself."

Black Abyss Great Emperor [one of the Five Great Emperors of the Human Race Immortal Court] offered no explanation, simply tossing the bamboo scroll in his hand to Eldrin Chen.

Seeing this, Eldrin Chen immediately took the scroll and began to read. Yet, after only a few moments of perusal, he understood the distinction between the two.

The Immortal Lord [a title for a powerful immortal being] within the Human Race Immortal Court [the supreme governing body of humanity in the immortal realms] can largely be divided into two types. One type is the Grand Luo Immortal Lord [an Immortal Lord of the Grand Luo realm] who holds a nominal, non-active position. These Grand Luo Immortal Lord do not involve themselves in the operations of the Immortal Court, yet they may still enjoy its various resources and privileges.

However, to utilize the resources of the Immortal Court, a certain price must be paid.

Take the Indestructible Immortal Pool [a legendary pool capable of forging immortal soldiers] for example. To transform a cultivator with the foundation of three Ascending Immortal [the realm just below Celestial Immortal] realms, along with resources like an Innate Rare Treasure [a treasure born from primordial chaos] and Innate Primordial Qi [the primordial energy of creation], into a Celestial Soldier or Celestial General of the Celestial Immortal [the foundational immortal realm] or Ancient Immortal Realm [a higher immortal realm] requires only the power of that human race supreme treasure, the Indestructible Immortal Pool.

An ordinary, nominally-positioned Grand Luo Golden Immortal [a Golden Immortal of the Grand Luo realm], however, would need to pay an additional fee in resources to use it.

This fee is not insignificant. Forging a single Celestial Soldier of the Celestial Immortal Realm requires one strand of Innate Primordial Qi. Forging an Ancient Immortal Celestial General requires one hundred strands. Considering a celestial legion consists of one hundred thousand soldiers, the extra resources needed to form an entire army of Celestial Soldiers and Generals would be an astronomical amount.

Furthermore, within the Immortal Court there exist several cultivation sanctums.

For instance, the 'Dao Comprehension Hall' [a hall that aids in comprehending the Great Dao], which assists Grand Luo Golden Immortal in contemplating the Great Dao; the 'Mahayana Heaven' [a heavenly realm that aids in breakthrough cultivation], which helps Grand Luo Golden Immortal achieve cultivation breakthroughs; or the 'Heaven Refining Hall' [a hall for tempering one's immortal body] for cultivating the Great Luo Body [the immortal physical form of a Grand Luo cultivator], and the 'Samsara Pool' [a pool connected to the cycle of reincarnation] for cultivating the Great Luo Primordial Spirit [the immortal spiritual core of a Grand Luo cultivator], among other precious sites.

These are all supremely rare auxiliary treasures within the Chaos [the primordial, formless void from which all realms emerged], treasures that are encountered by chance, not by search, in the outside world. The nominally-positioned Grand Luo Immortal Lord must also pay a tremendous price to enter and cultivate within these places.

In fact, some of these treasured lands require such immense cost to open each time that every available slot becomes priceless. Even if a Grand Luo Immortal Lord holding a nominal post were to offer treasures like the Innate Indestructible Spiritual Light [a primordial, unbreakable spiritual radiance], it would be exceedingly difficult for them to secure the right to enter and cultivate within.

In contrast, a Grand Luo Golden Immortal holding an official, substantive post can access the vast majority of the Immortal Court's resources free of charge.

However, correspondingly, a Grand Luo Immortal Lord holding such a substantive post must also contribute a certain measure of service to the Immortal Court.

These official Immortal Lord posts are generally divided into two types. The first requires supremely advanced skills—the ability to refine Great Luo Immortal Pill [pills of the Great Luo realm] and Great Luo Divine Weapon [divine weapons of the Great Luo realm], or even powerful Innate Spiritual Treasure [primordial spiritual artifacts]. Such individuals can enter specialized halls within the Immortal Court, such as the Alchemy Hall or the Artifact Hall.

However, to join these immortal halls, one typically needs mastery in at least one of the Hundred Arts of Cultivation at the level of a Mid Great Luo Golden Immortal or higher.

The other type involves commanding the Celestial Soldiers and Generals for the Immortal Court. A Grand Luo Immortal Lord in such a post is granted command of at least ten legions, amounting to a full million Celestial Soldiers and Generals.

Yet, whenever the Immortal Court launches an external campaign, they are the first to be sent to the front lines. The risk of falling in battle against powerful foes is immense, and they cannot freely explore the Depths of Chaos on their own.

Entering a hall through mastery of the cultivation arts is safer. The Immortal Court provides substantial remuneration, offering stable and reliable rewards. The trade-off is that a great deal of time must be spent refining immortal pills, crafting immortal artifacts, or setting up formations for the Court, leaving little opportunity to explore the Chaos.

By comparison, holding a nominal post offers greater freedom, but the path of Weilai [Future] is also fraught with unpredictable risks.

Eldrin Chen pondered for a moment. Commanding the Celestial Soldiers and Generals did not seem suitable for him. Mastering a cultivation art was a possibility to consider, but Eldrin Chen had only just entered the Grand Luo realm. His primary focus should be on elevating his own cultivation and consolidating his foundation.

Therefore, after much deliberation, Eldrin Chen finally spoke, "I wish to take a nominal position for now, focus on elevating my cultivation base. If there is a need in the future, I can then consider taking on a substantive post."

Black Abyss Great Emperor nodded and said, "The Alchemy Hall and the Artifact Hall are far too busy; they are better suited for senior Grand Luo cultivators whose cultivation has stagnated for many years."

"As for training the Celestial Soldiers and Generals, I believe your second son is more fitting for that task."

"My second son?"

Eldrin Chen was momentarily taken aback before replying, "Are you referring to my second son, Xander Chen?"

Black Abyss Great Emperor gave a slight nod, a rare smile touching his lips. "The Nine Tribulations Heavenly Art was an art I chanced upon within the Chaos. It is a peerless, wondrous technique of the Sainthood through the Flesh lineage, ranked first among the ten supreme Sainthood through the Flesh methods across the Three Thousand Immortal Domains."

"However, its cultivation is exceedingly difficult. Among all my disciples, only two have succeeded in mastering it."

"Your second son possesses extraordinary talent. He is the fourth to have cultivated this art to completion. In the future, he may very well ascend through Sainthood through the Flesh to the realm of a Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen's expression shifted with a flicker of realization. He now understood that Black Abyss Great Emperor was the Patriarch of Xander Chen's lineage, and why Xander Chen served within Black Abyss Heaven.

Long ago, Eldrin Chen had heard that after Xander Chen became a disciple of the Heaven's Halberd Demon-Slaying True Lord, he had caught the eye of a certain Emperor Lord within the Immortal Court.

I had thought he was merely an ordinary Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch, but I never could have imagined that man was actually Black Abyss Great Emperor, one of the Five Emperors of the Immortal Court.

You must understand, Black Abyss Great Emperor treads the path of Sainthood through the Flesh [a cultivation method focused on tempering the physical body to godhood], and his cultivation has already reached the Great Perfection of Primordial Emperor Lord. He is the foremost practitioner of Sainthood through the Flesh within the Three Thousand Immortal Domains, his strength surpassing even that of the Primordial Desolate Dragon Progenitor of the Dragon Race and the Indestructible Divine Emperor of the Divine Race.

Thinking of this, Eldrin Chen hastily clasped his hands and said, "I had no idea you were the Patriarch of my son's lineage. This junior offers his deepest respects."

Black Abyss Great Emperor merely smiled faintly and shook his head. "You are mistaken. That lad Tianji never fully mastered the Nine Tribulations Heavenly Art [a supreme body-tempering technique involving nine heavenly trials]; he was but a nominal disciple of mine."

"When he saw your second son had achieved mastery in the Nine Tribulations Heavenly Art, he dared not take him as his own disciple. Instead, he chose to accept him on my behalf."

"Thus, your second son is now my personal disciple."

As he spoke, Black Abyss Great Emperor revealed a rare smile. "Your child possesses exceptional talent for the path of Sainthood through the Flesh. He is also adept at training troops and deploying formations—a born commander destined to lead celestial armies. He will undoubtedly become a great general of our Human Race Immortal Court."

"And you... you bear the Bearing of a Dao Ancestor Immortal Sage [a destined aura marking one as a future progenitor of the Dao and an Immortal Sage]. Truly, dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes. A mighty father does not sire a feeble son."

"All thanks to your guidance and nurturing, Senior."

Eldrin Chen quickly clasped his hands again, unable to suppress a faint smile from gracing his lips.

Black Abyss Great Emperor nodded, then retrieved a jade scroll from his sleeve and handed it to Eldrin Chen, saying, "I see you have also cultivated the True Spirit Physique [a supreme physical constitution that embodies the essence of primordial spirits]; your physical aptitude must be extraordinary."

"Since the path of Chaos [the primordial state of undifferentiated existence] and the Limitless Dao is arduous to tread, perhaps you should consider the path of Sainthood through the Flesh [a cultivation path focused on achieving divinity through the physical body]."

"This is the Nine Tribulations Heavenly Art [a supreme body refinement art that involves enduring nine heavenly tribulations] I cultivate. You may take it for reference and contemplation."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen was inwardly startled. He accepted the jade scroll and said, "I thank you deeply for your generosity, Senior."

Black Abyss Great Emperor nodded and continued, "For the lineage of Sainthood through the Flesh, the key to reaching the supreme realm lies in the cultivation of the nine great True Spirit [primordial spiritual entities of immense power] divine forms."

"This method is exceedingly domineering. Whether to cultivate it or not requires your own careful consideration."

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior."

Eldrin Chen promptly expressed his gratitude and solemnly stored away the Nine Tribulations Heavenly Art.

Seeing this, Black Abyss Great Emperor said no more. With a wave of his hand, he stated, "Since you have broken through to the Grand Luo [a supreme realm of cultivation, one step below the apex] realm, you are entitled to a Daoist sanctuary within the Primordial Immortal Domain [the celestial realm of the primordial immortals]. Have Erlang take you to select one later."

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen understood the implied farewell from Black Abyss Great Emperor. He quickly clasped his hands and said, "Then this junior takes his leave."

After bidding farewell to Black Abyss Great Emperor, Eldrin Chen met Xander Chen outside the grand hall.

At this moment, Xander Chen was clad in silver battle armor, his aura having ascended to the realm of an Eight Tribulation Ancient Immortal. Furthermore, he seemed to have cultivated an Indestructible Body [a physical form of legendary resilience], and was not far from achieving a True Spirit Flesh Body [the pinnacle of physical cultivation where flesh and spirit become one].

Thinking of this, Eldrin Chen felt a swell of paternal pride. He placed a hand on Xander Chen's shoulder and said, "It seems your cultivation in these years has borne fine fruit."

"Henceforth, as you follow by the Great Emperor's side, serve your master with your whole heart. Remember, do not fail His Majesty's expectations."

Xander Chen nodded, his voice brimming with confidence. "Father, one day, your son will become a man like you, like the Great Emperor."

"Good. I shall await that day."