Chapter 1559 : The Pinnacle of Divine Power

You must understand, a Patriarch-Grade Divine Ability [a supreme-level divine ability, the pinnacle of mystical arts] is something only a Grand Luo Golden Immortal [the highest realm of immortal cultivation] can create.

As far as Eldrin Chen knows, Patriarch-Grade Divine Ability possess unparalleled might. Their cultivation requirements are either exceedingly stringent or their comprehension is profoundly difficult. Generally, only Ancient Immortal Great Powers [immortals of immense age and power] can begin to grasp them.

Those capable of mastering a Patriarch-Grade Divine Ability while still in the Celestial Immortal Realm [the realm of celestial immortals] are true seeds of a Grand Luo Golden Immortal. Among the over one thousand Heavenly Immortal Paragon [peak-level heavenly immortals] within the Vast Azure Immortal Domain, even if one includes those few Ancient Immortal, the number who have cultivated a Patriarch-Grade Divine Ability likely does not exceed ten.

Consider the Ethereal Void Sword Art [a profound sword art of the Ethereal Void], a Half-Step Sect Master Level [a level just below that of a sect master] technique created by the Ancient Ancestor of the Ethereal Void. Its mastery alone allowed him to rank among the ten mightiest figures in the Vast Azure Immortal Domain. This illustrates the sheer, overwhelming power of a true Patriarch-Grade Divine Ability.

Returning to the matter at hand, after evolving his three divine abilities to the Half-Step Sect Master Level, Eldrin Chen discovered that cultivating them to completion would require not only supremely profound comprehension and innate talent.

It would also demand the consumption of catalysts such as the 「Supreme Grade World-Opening Thunder Source [a supreme-grade treasure of primal thunder, used to catalyze world-creation]」 or the 「Five Elements Primordial Source [the primordial source essence of the five elements]」—treasures of the Supreme Grade World-Opening Treasure [supreme-grade treasures used in world-creation] category. And this was only possible because this divine ability was tailor-made by Eldrin Chen himself, allowing its cultivation conditions to be simplified to an extreme degree.

For anyone else attempting to master such a technique, the mere prerequisite of wielding the Primordial Chaos Infinite Rule [the infinite rule of primordial chaos] would be an insurmountable barrier. Even for Lyra Jiang, with her mastery of the Great Five Elements Infinite Rule [the infinite rule of the great five elements], cultivating Eldrin Chen's Primordial Chaos Qi [the Qi of primordial chaos] would be an endeavor of immense difficulty.

It is not entirely impossible for her. If she could gather five types of Innate Primordial Essence [the innate essence of primordial things] and refine them with Primordial Chaos Qi [the spiritual essence of primordial chaos], she could compensate for lacking Eldrin Chen's specific condition of the 「Primordial Chaos Infinite Rule」.

And this path is only open to Lyra Jiang precisely because she commands the 「Great Five Elements Rule」. For one who does not wield a rule derived from the Five Elements [the fundamental forces of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth], no amount of treasure would ever allow them to cultivate a divine ability of this caliber.

Of course, over the years, using the Primordial Chaos Qi as a reference, Lyra Jiang has already created her own 「Five Elements Primordial Qi [the primordial Qi of the five elements]」. This divine ability can be divided into the 「Five Elements Primordial Qi Grasping Hand [a grasping hand technique formed from the five elements' primordial Qi]」 and the 「Five Elements Primordial Qi True Aegis [a true shield formed from the five elements' primordial Qi]」, making it a simplified version of the Primordial Chaos Qi.

Though its power was somewhat diminished compared to the original version, under Lyra Jiang's continuous refinement, it seemed to be drawing ever closer to the realm of a Mysterious-Grade Divine Ability [a profound and powerful supernatural technique].

That being said, although Eldrin Chen had deduced all three of his Innate Divine Abilities [natural-born supernatural powers] to the Half-Step Sect Master Level [a pinnacle stage just below the mastery of a major sect leader], he lacked the complete set of required medicinal catalysts. Thus, he had no choice but to temporarily set aside thoughts of cultivating them further.

Having set those three divine abilities aside, he turned his focus to deducing the 'Great Deduction of Yin-Yang and Stars' [a supreme art of divination and fate-weaving]. After ten thousand years of such effort, he finally elevated this technique to the Mysterious-Grade.

He naturally proceeded to master this newly ascended Mysterious-Grade Divine Ability, gaining a deeper comprehension of the Dao of Heavenly Secrets and the arts of curses.

Thereafter, he attempted to deduce the Space Rule [a fundamental law governing spatial manipulation]. Another ten thousand years passed as he pushed this Space Rule to Great Completion, and in doing so, gained insight into a Mysterious-Grade spatial divine ability: 'Taiyi Ethereal Void Sword Qi' [Primordial Unity's Sword Energy of the Formless Void].

After comprehending this ability, Eldrin Chen once again contemplated the 'Primordial Chaos Soldier Derivation Art' [the art of manifesting warriors from primordial chaos]. From it, he grasped the forms of ten different Chaos Ancient Weapons [weapons born from the formless chaos of creation], including the Celestial Saber, an ancient sword, a pagoda, an immortal bell, and a divine cauldron.

By deducing the Primordial Chaos Soldier Derivation Art to this level, Eldrin Chen had fundamentally reshaped it beyond recognition, elevating it into the domain of a Mysterious-Grade Divine Ability.

Upon mastering this divine ability, Eldrin Chen discovered that when he unleashed all ten Chaos Ancient Weapons simultaneously, even a Half-Step Celestial Immortal [a being on the cusp of true celestial immortality] would be forced into a steady retreat. "With the Taiyi Ethereal Void Sword Qi and this Primordial Chaos Soldier Derivation Art, henceforth, even without resorting to my Lifebound Immortal Treasure [a treasure fused with one's very life essence] or other divine abilities, I should be capable of handling one or two Half-Step Celestial Immortals."

Eldrin Chen spoke these words softly, a flicker of satisfaction stirring within his heart.

With his Primordial Chaos Indestructible Body [a physique of unparalleled resilience forged from primordial chaos] and these two Mysterious-Grade Divine Abilities, he could confidently confront the vast majority of Half-Step Celestial Immortals without ever revealing his full hand.

From this point onward, he could act without exposing himself, using the Heaven-Deceiving Secret Art to conceal his aura. "It seems I can use another identity to scheme for a top-grade Blessed Lands [a realm of exceptional spiritual richness and fortune]," he mused.

Eldrin Chen's eyes gleamed faintly as he pondered, "A physical body comparable to the Taiyi Immortal Body [a legendary physique of supreme purity and strength], the Primordial Chaos Soldier Derivation Art, the Taiyi Ethereal Void Sword Qi [a supreme sword energy born from the void and the principle of Taiyi], and that Supreme Unity Thunder Abyss Myriad Tribulations Sword."

"I can perfectly use these to craft the identity of a disciple from a great sect."

"Using this to plot for a top-grade Blessed Lands would conveniently hide my true self, avoiding the attention of those who might pry." Eldrin Chen murmured inwardly, swiftly suppressing the thought for now.

The idea was sound, but it required careful refinement to avoid any inadvertent flaws.

After mastering the profound-level Primordial Chaos Soldier Derivation Art and the Taiyi Ethereal Void Sword Qi, Eldrin Chen did not immediately continue delving into divine abilities or refining his cultivation art. There were two reasons. The first was the shortage of Enlightenment Tea [a miraculous tea that greatly enhances comprehension and insight].

The Chen Clan had a full nine Late Stage Earth Immortal [cultivators at the pinnacle of the Earth Immortal realm]. Their cultivation time was relatively short, not even a fraction of what other Earth Immortal [immortals anchored to the earthly realm] at their level typically possessed. They all needed the Enlightenment Tea to perfect their personal cultivation arts and divine abilities. The three thousand plus leaves of Enlightenment Tea were simply insufficient.

The second reason was that Eldrin Chen's cultivation base was constrained. Years of accumulated insights had been fully digested, and his foundational knowledge and perspective were still far from sufficient. Even with the aid of Enlightenment Tea, it was impossible for him to deduce a Patriarch-Grade Divine Ability [a divine ability of a caliber mastered only by founding patriarchs of great sects].

"It is time for a breakthrough in cultivation as well."

Setting aside his contemplation of divine abilities, Eldrin Chen emerged from his deep meditation and realized his spiritual power had long since reached its peak saturation. Unbeknownst to him, his secluded cultivation had lasted a full one hundred and fifty thousand years.

Over the span of one hundred fifty thousand years, he refined nearly twenty Ronan Silver Star Sand Pills [a type of elixir refined from rare star sand]. With the aid of three supreme-grade World-Opening Ancient Trees [mythical trees of profound spiritual significance] and ten high-grade Heavenly Spiritual Roots [roots of exceptional spiritual purity], the accumulation of Heaven and Earth's primordial Qi [the vital energy that flows through all living things] within him was finally brought to completion.

Since his cultivation had reached its peak, Eldrin Chen did not hesitate for a moment.

Taking a slow, deep breath, he immediately began to assail the threshold of the Eighth Level Earth Immortal realm. Not long after, he completely shattered the barrier and stepped firmly into that profound stage.

After this breakthrough, Eldrin Chen discovered his Earth Immortal World [the inner world cultivated by an Earth Immortal] had expanded by thirty percent, leading to a massive surge in his spiritual power. Within the Abyssal Ruins World, the seven strands of Heaven and Earth Primordial Yellow [a foundational spiritual essence of immense power] he had previously condensed increased by two more, bringing the total to a formidable nine strands. By Eldrin Chen's estimation, advancing one more step into the ninth level of the Earth Immortal realm would allow him to condense thirteen strands of Heaven and Earth Primordial Yellow. At that point, his spiritual power would undergo a qualitative transformation, and his combat prowess would experience a significant leap forward.

Most crucially, upon reaching the ninth level of Earth Immortal, the first Taiyi Ancient Tree [a mythical tree of profound spiritual significance] within his Earth Immortal World would undergo its Ascension [a spiritual evolution to a higher state of being].

Eldrin Chen understood clearly that whether it was the Immortal Peach Tree, the Enlightenment Tea Tree, or the Gale Gourd Vine undergoing Ascension, each event would grant his strength and foundation an unprecedented, qualitative metamorphosis.

"Wait a few more years," he murmured. "Once I break through to Earth Immortal Great Perfection and successfully guide the Gale Gourd Vine through its Ascension, the Gale-Slaying Divine Gourd [a powerful enchanted artifact] might then pose a threat even to the Western Abyss Dragon King."

"When the time comes, I shall assume the guise of a disciple from a great sect and target a couple of Blessed Lands [places of exceptional spiritual energy and fortune]."

Eldrin Chen whispered softly to himself, preparing to sink back into secluded cultivation.

Yet, not long after, a letter arrived, interrupting Eldrin Chen's continued practice.

Early that morning, Eldrin Chen gazed at the letter in his hand and said to Lyra Jiang beside him, "I had intended to cultivate with a single-minded focus, free from all distractions, until I reached the Earth Immortal Great Perfection [the pinnacle of the Earth Immortal realm, representing a state of profound harmony and power]."

"But the karma I have sought for hundreds of thousands of years has finally arrived," he continued, a note of inevitability in his voice. "In the end, I must still descend the mountain and walk this path."