Chapter 1878 : Echoes of the Primordial Abyss

"A junior of the Human Race [the collective term for humanity in the cultivation world]?"

Eldrin Chen's heart jolted. After a moment of astonishment, he deduced the identity of this figure.

Immediately, he took a deep breath, then bowed respectfully and said, "This junior, Returning Abyss [a title or epithet meaning 'Abyssal Return'], pays his respects to Senior Great Abyss [a title meaning 'Great Abyss']."

"You have keen eyes indeed."

The figure gave a faint smile and spoke calmly.

By now, Eldrin Chen had largely pieced together the sequence of events.

It turned out that as far back as the Primordial Era [the earliest, mythic age of the cosmos], after the Three Thousand Immortal Domains [a collective name for the myriad realms of immortals] obtained these fragments of the Immortal Cosmos Primordial Domain [the original, primordial world from which all others splintered], the three races of Human Race, Divine Beast [a race of powerful, innate spiritual beasts], and Hundred Immortal Spirit Races [a collective term for the hundred major spirit races] had agreed to jointly use these fragments of the Immortal Cosmos Primordial Domain as a training ground for their younger generations.

At that time, the various Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [a supreme realm of cultivation, the Golden Immortal stage] and Primordial One Imperial Lord [a supreme realm of cultivation, the Imperial Lord stage] and even Path Ancestor Immortal Sage [a supreme being who has mastered a Great Dao and attained sagehood] all took action, transforming these damaged Earth Vein [the spiritual ley lines that form the foundation of a land] within the Immortal Cosmos Primordial Domain.

And this Soul-Extinction Ancient Land [an ancient, dangerous land where souls can be extinguished] was personally arranged back then by the Great Abyss Immortal Sage [the Immortal Sage known as 'Great Abyss'], crafted to be a treasured site for cultivating the soul and spirit.

Within this Soul-Extinction Ancient Land, its most core element is this Eye of the Storm [the calm center of a spiritual or metaphysical storm]. Here lies a faint, residual imprint left by the Great Abyss Immortal Sage, which can draw upon the essence of ancient and modern Forbidden Evil Spirit [a category of malevolent, forbidden spiritual entities] to ultimately forge a True Spirit Divine Soul [a perfected, divine-level soul essence]. Support the author by reading on audio_novel.com.

By defeating this soul fragment of Great Abyss Immortal Sage, one could obtain the True Spirit Origin [the primordial essence of a True Spirit] that had been nurtured for many years within the True Spirit Divine Soul [the divine soul state of a True Spirit cultivator].

Having understood the cause and effect, Great Abyss Immortal Sage spoke calmly, "Although you are a descendant of my Human Race, I will not simply gift you the True Spirit Origin. You must first pass a trial."

"A trial?"

Eldrin Chen's eyes flickered slightly. "Please elaborate, Senior," he said immediately.

Great Abyss Immortal Sage stroked his long beard and spoke serenely, "Last time, that lad Carefree managed to withstand one hundred moves from this soul fragment of mine without defeat. I then granted him the True Spirit Origin..."

Hearing this, Exquisite Jiang could not help but brighten her eyes. "So we only need to withstand one hundred moves as well?"

"That will not do."

Great Abyss Immortal Sage shook his head, looking at Eldrin Chen with a knowing smile. "You have already cultivated the True Spirit Primordial Spirit [a divine ability that manifests one's true spiritual core]. This True Spirit Origin is of no further use to you. I presume you seek it mostly for this young lady."

"The rules must change when seeking a treasure for another. You must defeat this soul fragment of mine."

"Your reasoning is sound, Senior."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen could not help but offer a faint smile. He immediately cupped his hands in a respectful salute and said, "Since that is the case, I humbly request your guidance, Senior."

"Clang—"

As his words fell, Eldrin Chen acted decisively. A dazzling sword radiance tore through the air. He instantly channeled his energy to merge the Celestial Abyss Twin Swords, transforming them into a single, world-illuminating blade of light that slashed forward.

Facing such a strike, the Great Abyss Immortal Sage merely flicked his sleeve and extended a single finger. With that simple gesture, he sent the Celestial Abyss Twin Swords flying back.

In the next instant, with a sweeping motion of his hand, he drew the twin swords into his palm. No matter how fiercely the blades struggled, they could not escape his grasp.

"Young man, such meager skill is insufficient to claim the True Spirit Origin [the primordial source of a True Spirit's power]," he remarked.

As he spoke, he pointed his finger once more. A sword energy capable of sundering the Myriad Heavens [the countless celestial realms] shot skyward, cleaving down towards Eldrin Chen with overwhelming force.

Eldrin Chen's heart clenched in alarm. He immediately activated the Primordial One Energy True Aura [a supreme defensive technique born from the primordial unity of energies] to defend himself, completely blocking this Slaughter [a divine ability embodying pure destructive intent] strike.

In that very same moment, Eldrin Chen took a step, ascending into the heavens. With a flip of his palm, he summoned forth the Chaos Divine Thunder [a divine thunder born from primordial chaos] to suppress his opponent.

"A formidable Divine Ability [a supreme supernatural power attained through cultivation]," the Sage acknowledged.

Witnessing this, Great Abyss Immortal Sage [a title for a supremely powerful and ancient immortal] could not help but voice his admiration.

Yet in that very instant, it transformed into an illusion and vanished, evading Eldrin Chen's seemingly certain strike.

"Trouble!"

Seeing Great Abyss Immortal Sage disappear, Eldrin Chen inwardly cursed his misfortune. He immediately pushed his Primordial Chaos Unity Energy True Aura [a supreme defensive technique that harmonizes primordial chaos energies] to its absolute limit.

But then, the clear ring of a sword echoed. In that moment, an ethereal blade, vast and profound like Heaven Abyss [a name implying a celestial chasm or abyss], slashed from behind, striking him with such force that he was sent flying backward.

"If this is the extent of your skill, you will not be taking this True Spirit Origin [the primordial essence of a True Spirit, a being of immense power and purity]." Enjoyed this chapter? Read more at www . audio-novel.com.

Great Abyss Immortal Sage spoke with detached calm. The illusory sword energy in his hand pierced through the Nine Heavens [the highest celestial realms], each strike radiating the divine power to sunder Chaos [the primordial, undifferentiated state before creation].

In merely a few dozen exchanges, Eldrin Chen was already forced into a steady retreat, barely able to defend himself by relying solely on his Primordial Chaos Unity Energy True Aura.

"His combat experience, his innate talent for battle... they are utterly astonishing. He can toy with me as if I were a puppet in his palm."

As Eldrin Chen parried the attacks of Great Abyss Immortal Sage, an expression of extreme gravity settled within his gaze.

In the past, relying on his innate combat talent and extensive battle experience, he had always been able to completely suppress his opponents. Even when his cultivation level was inferior, he had never found himself in such a passive and disadvantageous position during a fight.

This time, in his clash with Great Abyss Immortal Sage [a supremely powerful ancient cultivator], he was nearly toyed with like a puppet in the palm of a hand, utterly powerless to retaliate.

This was not due to the profound foundation of this particular soul fragment of Great Abyss Immortal Sage. Strictly speaking, the cultivation realm of this soul fragment was not high; it possessed only a single True Spirit Divine Soul [the spiritual core of a high-level cultivator].

Its true displayed cultivation and offensive power were merely at the peak level of a single True Spirit Foundation [a supreme cultivation art focusing on the True Spirit], representing the ultimate combat strength achievable by mastering one supreme path to its absolute limit.

With such a foundation and depth, logically, it should have been no match for Eldrin Chen, who had already cultivated a dual True Spirit Foundation, granting him power far surpassing the extreme limits of a single-path practitioner.

The problem, however, was that Great Abyss Immortal Sage's combat experience seemed overwhelmingly vast. Every move and technique Eldrin Chen employed was anticipated and calculated by his opponent. Thus, despite possessing formidable True Spirit Divine Spirits [powerful spiritual entities], he could not even graze a single hair on his foe.

"Is this the combat prowess of a Path Ancestor Immortal Sage [a legendary figure who has reached the pinnacle of both cultivation path and sagehood]?"

Eldrin Chen murmured to himself, his heart swelling with awe, yet he shook his head with a bitter smile. "No, that's not quite right. When the venerable one left this imprint behind, he had not yet broken through to the realm of a Path Ancestor Immortal Sage."

"Strictly speaking, this should represent the battle skill level of a mere wisp of a soul fragment from a Primordial One Imperial Lord [an Imperial Lord from the primordial era of creation]."

At this thought, Eldrin Chen's expression grew even more solemn and grave.

After realizing he could not even touch the hem of Great Abyss Immortal Sage's robe, Eldrin Chen immediately shifted to a strategy of all-out defense, evading while waiting for Great Abyss Immortal Sage to reveal an opening.

Yet, in the blink of an eye, after exchanging over a thousand moves with him, Great Abyss Immortal Sage smiled and said, "With your current foundation, you are still far from being a match for this seat's split soul."

"If you cannot find a decisive moment, you will not last much longer."

"Is that so?"

At that very instant, Eldrin Chen's gaze sharpened.

He abruptly changed his tactics, charging directly at Great Abyss Immortal Sage in an attempt to trade blows and inflict mutual damage.

"Futile. You cannot harm me."

The split soul of Great Abyss Immortal Sage gave a light laugh. The illusory longsword in its hand cleaved through Void Cosmos, unleashing a barrage of peerless sword auras towards Eldrin Chen.

Yet, in that same fleeting moment, Eldrin Chen allowed a faint smile to touch his lips. Instantly, a shimmering, ethereal Ancient Pearl soared from above his head, erupting with a torrent of Heavenly God-level power [the might of a deity] that suppressed the entire expanse of void space.

Under the crushing weight of this spatial force, the very fabric of heaven and earth seemed to congeal, slowing the movements of Great Abyss Immortal Sage's split soul.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—"

Almost in the same instant, one after another, the Primordial Unity Golden Bamboo Sword shot through the air, transforming into the Minor Cosmic Cycle Sword Formation of Heavenly Stars and Earthly Fiends to seal off the mountain peak.

Seeing this, Great Abyss Immortal Sage could not help but clasp his palms together with a smile. "Using a Spatial Spiritual Treasure [a treasure that manipulates space] in concert with a Sword Formation [a tactical array of flying swords] to restrict this venerable one's movements is indeed a clever strategy."

"You flatter me, Senior."

Eldrin Chen offered a faint smile, charging forward with all his might to engage in close-quarters combat. "The essence of combat methodology is nothing more than leveraging one's own strengths to attack the opponent's weaknesses, thereby securing victory."

"Your strength, Senior, lies in your combat experience and innate talent, which far surpass the limits of this realm. My strength lies in my cultivation foundation, which is far superior to that of this soul fragment of yours."

"If I were to allow you, Senior, to freely deploy your combat experience, I would be attacking your strength with my weakness—a most unwise strategy."

"Only by restricting your space to maneuver, forcing you into a direct clash of power with me, can I truly utilize my own advantage."

As his words faded, Eldrin Chen intensified his assault. Coordinating with his Chaos Unity Energy [a primordial and unified form of spiritual power] and the Primordial Unity Golden Bamboo Sword Formation, he relentlessly compressed the space available to Great Abyss Immortal Sage, forcing the sage into a direct, power-against-power confrontation.

After more than three thousand exchanges fought in this manner, Eldrin Chen finally began to gain the upper hand, driving this soul fragment of the Great Abyss Immortal Sage into a steady retreat.

In the path of cultivation, the foundation and combat prowess are paramount. While battle arts can greatly enhance one's fighting strength, they ultimately have their limits.

At this moment, unable to leverage his higher perspective and experience, this True Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator, representing a significant stage of advancement] avatar of Great Abyss Immortal Sage was ultimately no match for the dual True Spirit Foundation [a profound cultivation method focused on building a perfect spiritual foundation] of Eldrin Chen. He was finally cornered by Eldrin Chen's Primordial Chaos Unity Energy Grasping Hand [a divine ability that manifests a giant hand capable of grasping and controlling chaotic energies].

"Well done!"

After the defeat, that True Spirit avatar finally began to disintegrate.

With a faint smile, he spoke, "You are the first junior in one thousand Kalpa Tribulation [a grand cosmic cycle of destruction and renewal] to defeat me in a direct confrontation. It seems that after this Kalpa Tribulation, our Human Race will welcome another Immortal Sage True Seed [a prodigy destined to reach the pinnacle of the Immortal Sage realm]."

"I respectfully bid you farewell, Senior."

Eldrin Chen bowed deeply, watching as the avatar of Great Abyss Immortal Sage dissolved into countless motes of flowing light.

When all had vanished, the Primordial Spirit [the highest spiritual essence of a cultivator, capable of independent existence] of Great Abyss Immortal Sage completely shattered. Only a single True Spirit Imprint [the indelible spiritual mark of a True Spirit cultivator] returned to the Soul-Extinction Ancient Land [an ancient, mysterious land where souls are said to fade] above, sinking into deep slumber to await the next opportunity for manifestation.

Left behind on the spot was a wisp of True Spirit Origin [the pure, foundational spiritual essence of a True Spirit cultivator], brimming with an aura of eternity.

"True Spirit Origin."

Eldrin Chen murmured softly, a trace of joy coloring his expression.

He took the True Spirit Origin [the primordial essence of a True Spirit being] and examined it carefully for a moment, then voiced his confusion: "This is indeed a True Spirit Origin, yet it does not contain a True Spirit Imprint [the unique, indelible mark of a True Spirit's existence]. It holds only an extremely faint trace of True Spirit [a supreme cultivation realm] aura."

"A True Spirit aura?"

Exquisite Jiang stepped forward, her tone laced with curiosity.

Eldrin Chen nodded and explained, "A true True Spirit Primordial Spirit [the ultimate, indestructible spiritual core of a True Spirit] should be completely fused with the True Spirit Imprint, transforming into a supremely noble violet-gold hue."

"Yet this soul fragment from Senior Great Abyss manifests as black-gold. The True Spirit Imprint within it is exceedingly sparse. It should be considered an True Spirit Primordial Spirit that has not undergone a complete metamorphosis."

"Thus, it possesses the taboos and power of a True Spirit Primordial Spirit, but lacks the eternal Indestructibility [the quality of being unbreakable and everlasting] characteristic of one. Or perhaps, only a minuscule portion of this True Spirit Primordial Spirit possesses that quality of eternal Indestructibility."

Eldrin Chen elaborated patiently. He informed Exquisite Jiang that the True Spirit Imprint contained within this soul fragment of the Great Abyss Immortal Sage was exceptionally meager. To put it in human terms, the amount of True Spirit Imprint present would be, at most, equivalent to a single strand of hair.

Of course, even this was astonishing. For a True Spirit Imprint the size of a hair strand was sufficient to render that infinitesimal portion of the True Spirit Divine Soul [the divine soul essence of a True Spirit] Indestructibility.

At that point, even if the entire Primordial Spirit [a high-level spiritual core of a cultivator] were utterly annihilated, this hair-thin sliver of soul could gradually revive and eventually restore the complete True Spirit Primordial Spirit.

Exquisite Jiang heard this and nodded slightly. "After all, this is merely a minuscule wisp of a split soul," she said. "It's impossible that the Great Abrast Immortal Sage would have invested a significant portion of his power into it. It was to be expected that only this faint True Spirit Imprint [a unique spiritual signature left by a True Spirit] would remain."

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod of agreement. He handed the True Spirit Origin [the purified, foundational essence of a True Spirit] to Exquisite Jiang. "While this True Spirit Origin contains no True Spirit Imprint, it still holds a certain power of a True Spirit [a supreme spiritual entity beyond the Primordial Spirit realm]. If you can refine and absorb it, you might attempt to break through to the True Spirit Primordial Spirit [a legendary state where one's Primordial Spirit attains the purity and power of a True Spirit]."

"However, relying on this alone to cultivate the True Spirit Primordial Spirit would still be an immensely difficult feat."

Exquisite Jiang nodded once more, her expression thoughtful. "You are right. With just this item, the difficulty of achieving the True Spirit Primordial Spirit remains extraordinarily high."

To this, Eldrin Chen also nodded in solemn agreement. No one understood the sheer difficulty of attaining the True Spirit Primordial Spirit better than he did.

In the past, when Eldrin Chen himself had succeeded in cultivating the True Spirit Primordial Spirit, it was not solely because he had mastered the Primordial One Grade Divine Ability [a supreme-grade divine power technique], the Chaos Divine Thunder [a thunder of primordial chaos capable of sundering all things]. The more crucial factor was his cultivation of the Chaos Unity Energy [the foundational energy of primordial chaos, unifying all elements].

Back then, he had used the Chaos Divine Thunder to shatter his own Indestructibility Primordial Spirit [a state of near-unbreakable Primordial Spirit]. Then, leveraging the power of the Primordial Chaos Grinding Mill [a divine ability that grinds and refines essence], he had pulverized the fragments of that shattered spirit. Only through this process of "breaking to remake," purifying his spiritual foundation to its utmost purity, had he finally forged the True Spirit Primordial Spirit.

Although Exquisite Jiang had mastered her own Primordial One Grade Divine Ability, 'Pure Lunar Divine Thunder' [a divine thunder of pure moonlight], and now possessed this portion of True Spirit Origin, it was still insufficient for her to cultivate the True Spirit Primordial Spirit.

Having her attempt to cultivate the Chaos Unity Energy now was certainly out of the question—it would be far too late. Moreover, the difficulty of mastering Chaos Unity Energy surpassed even that of the Chaos Divine Thunder. Even with Exquisite Jiang's prodigious talent, succeeding would likely require hundreds of millions of years, if not more.

Fortunately, the Soul-Extinction Ancient Land [an ancient, perilous region where souls are eroded] lived up to its reputation as a treasured ground for Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a high-level cultivator] cultivation. The Soul-Extinction Gale [a soul-dissipating wind that blows through the land] that swept across this place possessed the power to annihilate Primordial Spirit—a destructive force that could also be harnessed for breakthrough.

Within the very core of the Eye of the Storm [the central, most violent point of the storm], the terrifying Soul-Extinction Gale [a soul-scouring wind capable of eroding spiritual essence] was a hundred times more potent, powerful enough to grind away even an Indestructibility Primordial Spirit [a Primordial Spirit cultivated to a state of near-immutable durability]. It was a treasured place specifically refined by the Great Abyss Immortal Sage for cultivating the True Spirit Primordial Spirit [a Primordial Spirit of the highest purity and power, akin to a True Spirit's].

In truth, those within the Three Thousand Immortal Domains who had successfully cultivated a True Spirit Foundation [a foundational cultivation state of supreme purity and strength] had almost all relied on similar blessed cultivation grounds. Combined with legacies of Path Ancestor-level profundity and supreme treasures akin to True Spirit Origin [the primordial essence of a True Spirit], they had ultimately achieved success.

For one like Eldrin Chen to succeed with almost no external aids—relying solely on the Chaos Divine Thunder [divine thunder born of primordial chaos] and Chaos Unity Energy [the unified primal energy of chaos], supplemented only by some Innate Soul Nourishing Wood [a rare spiritual wood that naturally nourishes the soul]—was virtually unheard of in all of history.

With this in mind, Eldrin Chen first descended the mountain with Exquisite Jiang. Finding Nether Phoenix and the others, he instructed them, "The two of us intend to remain on the mountain to cultivate. We must trouble you all to guard us from below during this time."

As he spoke, Eldrin Chen first took out the greater portion of the Undying Soul Water [a mystical water that protects and revitalizes the soul] and distributed it among the group.

He then produced a batch of Soul Nourishing Wood [spiritual wood that restores soul force], gifting several stalks to each person before continuing, "The Soul-Extinction Gale can injure both flesh and Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core and highest essence of a cultivator]. Guarding this place will place a tremendous strain on your Primordial Spirit. Use this Soul Nourishing Wood to aid in your recovery."

Hearing this, everyone felt a flicker of joy. With this allocation of Undying Soul Water and this batch of Soul Nourishing Wood, they might be able to leverage the Soul-Extinction Gale to elevate their soul power by one or even two levels.

After distributing these treasures, Eldrin Chen still had ten portions of Undying Soul Water remaining. He handed them all to Nyssa Qu, saying, "You are preparing to assail the Indestructibility Primordial Spirit. Take this Undying Soul Water for your cultivation. If any remains afterward, bring it back to the clan to serve as part of our foundational reserves."

Nyssa Qu nodded in acknowledgment and replied, "Cultivate in peace. Leave everything here to us."

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod of his own. At the mountain's base, he laid down a set of the Grand Cosmic Primordial Unity Golden Bamboo Sword Formation [a formidable sword formation array utilizing golden bamboo swords imbued with primordial unity energy] and entrusted its control to the group. Only then did he return to the mountain's peak.

After the two arrived at the mountain peak, Eldrin Chen immediately stepped into the Wind's Eye of Soul Extinction to cultivate.

The moment he entered the Eye of the Storm of Soul Extinction, he felt a torrential Soul-Extinction Gale [a soul-scouring wind that erodes both flesh and spirit] assail him. It continuously buffeted his physical body and his Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator], exerting a pressure he could not ignore.

Exquisite Jiang followed a step behind. Upon entering, her complexion instantly paled, and an expression of intense agony crossed her features.

Seeing this, Eldrin Chen quickly spoke, "Quickly, take the True Spirit Origin [a rare spiritual substance that can replenish the power of one's Primordial Spirit]. It can continuously restore the strength of your Primordial Spirit."

Exquisite Jiang did as instructed. Immediately, she felt the unbearable strain on her Primordial Spirit ease considerably, and she let out a heavy sigh of relief.

Seeing her condition stabilize, Eldrin Chen retrieved several hundred pieces of Innate Soul Nourishing Wood [a precious wood imbued with life-nourishing properties for the soul]. He handed them all to Exquisite Jiang and said, "Refine all of these into your soul. They are life-sustaining treasures for one's spiritual essence."

"Remember, if you truly cannot endure, you must leave the Eye of the Storm immediately."

Clenching her silver teeth, Exquisite Jiang replied, "I won't need to. My Primordial Spirit has been tempered day and night by the Great Five Elements Pure Lunar Divine Thunder [a supreme lightning technique that refines the spirit with the power of the five elements and lunar essence]. It has long reached the limits of Indestructibility Primordial Spirit [a state where the Primordial Spirit approaches unbreakable resilience]. It will not be easily extinguished here."

Eldrin Chen nodded. After sensing the Soul-Extinction Gale for a moment longer, he finally spoke, "The physical body is typically more robust than the soul. My Primordial One Indestructibility Body [a legendary physique of near-perfect resilience] is close to achieving true Immortality and Indestructibility [a conceptual state of being unaging and unbreakable]."

"Given the intensity of the Soul-Extinction Gale here, I estimate it will take one hundred thousand years for me to fully ascend to that final step. If you complete your cultivation and emerge before I do, simply stand guard for me."

Having spoken thus far, neither of them said anything more and immediately began their closed-door cultivation retreat.

At this moment, Eldrin Chen continuously utilized the power of the Soul-Extinction Gale to temper and refine the remaining imperfections within his Primordial One Indestructibility Body.

His Innate Primordial One Indestructibility Physique had already devoured the essences of five Supreme Grade Chaos Lairs, and had been tempered by both Thunderclap and frost. It had long since been cultivated to the absolute limit of the Indestructibility Body.

Now, under the constant, relentless buffeting of the Soul-Extinction Gale, it finally began to show the faintest signs of a true metamorphosis.

Alas, the Innate Primordial One Indestructibility Physique was simply too formidable. Even the Soul-Extinction Gale could not induce rapid change; it could only bring about transformation bit by bit over an achingly long span of time.

Throughout this process, Eldrin Chen continuously absorbed the fundamental essence of the Soul-Extinction Gale, gradually replenishing the foundational power of his Three Anomalies.

Thus, time flowed swiftly by. A mere few tens of thousands of years passed. When fifty thousand years had elapsed, Eldrin Chen had still not completed his cultivation. However, Exquisite Jiang by his side finally achieved her breakthrough.

A beam of incomparably dazzling light pierced through the boundless Sea of the Great Path [the metaphysical ocean representing the totality of all cosmic principles], shooting forth to reach the very threshold of the Eternal True Spirit [the primordial, unchanging spiritual template of existence].

Aided by the True Spirit Origin [the source essence of the Eternal True Spirit], the unique properties of this perilous land, and the power of the Pure Lunar Divine Thunder, Exquisite Jiang finally shattered her limits and attained enlightenment, perceiving the very existence of the Eternal True Spirit.

In that instant, Exquisite Jiang began to draw upon and channel the True Spirit Imprint [the fundamental pattern or seal of the Eternal True Spirit]. An endless stream of True Spirit Imprint poured into her Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator], ultimately allowing her to reforge it into a True Spirit Primordial Spirit [a Primordial Spirit perfectly aligned with and empowered by the Eternal True Spirit].

"..."

At the same time, within the Primordial Immortal Domain.

Above the boundless Void Heaven, seven supreme beings at the Chaos level were jolted from their secluded cultivation.

Within the Primordial Era Divine Court, inside the long-sealed Great Hall, the Purple Tenuity Divine Sovereign opened his eyes, gazing with pleasant surprise at the Primordial Beginning Divine Sovereign and said, "It is her aura. As you foresaw, brother, she is to return within this one or two Kalpa Tribulation."

The Primordial Beginning Divine Sovereign smiled faintly, performing a brief divination with his fingers. A flicker of surprise crossed his face as he remarked, "How curious. I cannot discern her reincarnated form. It seems the Fellow Daoist Supreme Lunar has encountered a different Opportunity and Fortune."

The Purple Tenuity Divine Sovereign nodded in agreement, yet a trace of regret colored his voice. "The Supreme Lunar [the supreme principle of the moon] has found its master, and she has lost her authority over the Stellar [the celestial principle of the stars]. Even upon her return, attaining the Great Dao will be exceedingly difficult, unless she can find an Opportunity and Fortune potent enough to achieve Heaven-Defying Fate Alteration [a heaven-defying alteration of destiny]."

Speaking of this, the Purple Tenuity Divine Sovereign could not help but sigh with emotion.

An Opportunity and Fortune capable of allowing one to prove their path to the Divine Sovereign Heavenly Emperor [the supreme realm of Divine Sovereign and Heavenly Emperor]—how utterly priceless and rare must such a thing be?

The Chaos Genesis Energy [the primordial energy that gave birth to chaos] is a treasure that defies the heavens. While one cannot speak for the entire Chaos, at least within the Southern Abyss Seven Domains south of the Chaos Heaven Abyss, such an Opportunity and Fortune might not appear once in a hundred thousand Kalpa Tribulation.

And the Southern Abyss Seven Domains is composed of seven Primordial Domain, home to a number of figures on par with more than twenty Chaos Heavenly Emperor.

Whenever a single wisp of Chaos Genesis Energy [the primordial creative force from which all things originate] manifests, it is certain to draw the covetous attention of a host of Path Ancestor Immortal Sage [supreme beings who have mastered a Great Path and attained sagehood]. Unless one is in a position to seize it first by virtue of proximity, or unless a rare Opportunity and Fortune [a confluence of destiny and chance] occurs—such as the shattering of a realm like the Immortal Cosmos Primordial Domain—not even a Primordial Beginning Divine Sovereign [a supreme deity representing the primordial beginning of existence] could guarantee their success in obtaining it.

Contemplating this, the Primordial Beginning Divine Sovereign spoke, "After all, she was a fellow Daoist in ages past. Now that she has been reborn to cultivate anew, having lost her foundation at the Half-Step Divine Sovereign [a realm just half a step below Divine Sovereign] level, her path will undoubtedly be fraught with hardship."

"If we can locate her reincarnated form, you and I can arrange for someone to offer her some care and assistance."

Elsewhere, the Primordial Genesis Path Ancestor [the Ancestor of the Primordial Genesis Path] and the Great Abyss Immortal Sage [the Sage of the Great Abyss] opened their eyes, a flicker of astonishment passing within their depths.

A faint smile touched the lips of the Great Abyss Immortal Sage. "So, she has returned," he mused thoughtfully. "It seems that one from the Demon Race [the race of malevolent beings born of chaos and negative energies] will have trouble brewing once more. When you think about it, despite all his schemes back then, that one from the Demon Race ultimately achieved nothing."

"In those ancient days, the Solar Heavenly Emperor [the Celestial Emperor embodying the Supreme Solar Dao] sought to seize the Supreme Lunar [the Dao of the Supreme Moon] Path. He desired to cultivate both the Supreme Lunar and Solar [the unified path of Supreme Moon and Sun] Daos, then merge them with the Stellar [the Dao of the Stars] to prove the Second Step of Chaos [the primordial, undifferentiated state of existence]—the 'Path Union Realm' [the realm of unifying multiple Great Paths]. Yet, in the end, he gravely underestimated Fellow Daoist Supreme Lunar [the master of the Supreme Lunar Path]."

"He could never have imagined that Fellow Daoist Supreme Lunar would rather allow that Supreme Lunar Demon Sovereign [the Demon Sovereign who mastered the Supreme Lunar Path] to attain the Dao than let him have his wish fulfilled."

"Among the myriad Daos of this world, those of Polarity [opposing yet complementary fundamental forces, like Yin and Yang] reign supreme. Had the Supreme Lunar and Solar Sun [the essence of the Supreme Sun] merged, allowing him to take that step, even you and I would now be living under his shadow, forced to follow his lead."

Hearing this, the Primordial Genesis Path Ancestor merely shook his head slightly, offering no words in reply.

Seeing this, the Great Abyss Immortal Sage continued, "Fellow Daoist Supreme Lunar possesses peerless talent. Even having lost her former foundation, once her memories are restored, cultivating back to the ninth level of the Primordial One Imperial Lord [the ninth and pinnacle stage of the Primordial One Imperial Lord realm] should pose little difficulty. However, without that crucial Chaos Genesis Energy, it will be exceedingly hard for her to seek vengeance against Solar Sun Fellow Daoist."

Speaking of this, he let out a sigh and said, "As for the Chaos Genesis Energy [the primordial energy from which all creation springs], since the shattering of the Immortal Cosmos Primordial Domain [the primordial realm where the first immortals dwelled], such divine substances have not appeared within the Southern Abyss Seven Domains [the seven great domains bordering the Southern Abyss] for tens of thousands of Kalpa Tribulation [cosmic cycles of immense duration]."

The Primordial Genesis Path Ancestor [the Ancestor of the Primordial Genesis Path] heard this but did not reply directly. Instead, he spoke thoughtfully, "The causes of yesterday are the fruits of today. Every sip and every peck is ordained by the Mandate of Heaven."

"Perhaps the great game of old has not yet concluded."

"Not concluded?" The Great Abyss Immortal Sage [the Immortal Sage of the Great Abyss] was momentarily taken aback. He could not help but glance at the Primordial Genesis Path Ancestor and ask, "Elder Brother, do you perhaps know something of this?"

The Primordial Genesis Path Ancestor shook his head, offering no answer. He merely smiled faintly, an enigmatic expression on his face, and said, "It cannot be spoken, it cannot be spoken!"

"..."

"Supreme Lunar!"

At the same moment, upon the Demon Race Heavenly Court [the Celestial Court ruled by the Demon Race], a voice as cold as ice rang out.

The Solar Heavenly Emperor [the Heavenly Emperor of the Sun] opened his eyes. A flicker of icy malevolence passed through his pupils—a mixture of domineering arrogance and a trace of bitter resentment—yet it was suppressed in an instant.

"Let it be. Even if she has returned, she has no hope of attaining Path Mastery [the ultimate mastery of one's chosen Dao Path] and cannot set foot into the Realm of Chaos [the legendary realm beyond order and form]. Thus, she no longer poses a threat." The complete novel can be found at site: audio-novel.com.