Chapter 1962 : A Master's Fateful Gifts

Finally, Eldrin Chen turned his gaze towards Alaric Lu and Yinghui Ye.

Among these two personal disciples of his, Alaric Lu possessed a will of iron, his perseverance and daring spirit being rare in this world.

As for Yinghui Ye, her comprehension was exceptionally high, and she dared to take risks and experiment. Thus, her path forward was more treacherous and unpredictable. While she had the potential to achieve greater heights in the future, it was equally likely she would ruin her foundational cultivation and perish midway.

In Eldrin Chen's earlier divinations, Alaric Lu's cultivation path in the early stages was steady and solid, but later became winding and inscrutable, seemingly growing more radical, its inner mysteries obscured from view.

Conversely, Yinghui Ye seemed to advance by leaps and bounds along her cultivation journey, yet upon reaching a certain peak, she fell into a cycle of constant repetition, of rebuilding and Samsara [the cycle of death and rebirth].

Now, as the Kalpa Tribulation [a cataclysmic cosmic cycle] drew near, Eldrin Chen vaguely perceived that the pivotal moments affecting the fates of these two disciples were fast approaching.

After much contemplation, Eldrin Chen looked at Alaric Lu and spoke: "Alaric."

"Your disciple is here."

"I bestow upon you the innate spiritual treasure, 'Heaven-Slaying Divine Malignancy'. I hope you will not disappoint your master."

Alaric Lu was momentarily taken aback. The Heaven-Slaying Divine Malignancy was a supreme treasure of the Slaughter [the Dao of killing and destruction] path, yet it carried the risk of damaging one's physical body. He had always been steady and solid, prioritizing the stability of his Body of Self-Sacrifice [a formidable physical constitution]. Why would his Master grant him such an artifact?

As for Yinghui Ye, she was extremely eager for this Heaven-Slaying Divine Malignancy [a profound and dangerous spiritual substance]. She delighted in the perilous cultivation of unorthodox methods, and over the years had devised countless techniques to develop the Path of Self-Sacrifice [a cultivation path that involves sacrificing one's own essence]. Many of these techniques could injure the physical body, placing them outside the mainstream of the Path of Self-Sacrifice.

If she could obtain this Heaven-Slaying Divine Malignancy, she might be able to further refine her Immortal Treasury [a profound cultivation realm representing a personal repository of power]. She could potentially replace one of the Ten Great Immortal Treasuries [the ten supreme cultivation realms of this path] with the Heaven-Slaying Immortal Treasury [a legendary and devastating treasury], thereby attaining even more extreme combat prowess.

Eldrin Chen did not comment, speaking only with calm finality: "This object shall be kept for now. It will have its use in time."

Alaric Lu then bowed respectfully, his expression grave. "My thanks, Master."

Seeing this, Eldrin Chen cast a final glance at Yinghui Ye. Recalling the destiny that hung over her like a shadow, he finally bestowed upon her a certain Ancient Seal [a mystical seal artifact], saying:

"Yinghui Ye, your comprehension is extraordinary, yet you often take risks to create unorthodox methods. While they may grant greater power, they frequently bring significant hidden dangers."

"This Abyssal Dao Seal [a seal imbued with the profound power of the abyss] was personally forged by your master. Should a day of true calamity ever befall you, this treasure can protect your True Spirit [the core spiritual essence of a cultivator]."

Yinghui Ye received the Abyssal Dao Seal, her heart giving a faint tremble. It was an Innate Spiritual Treasure [a treasure born of heaven and earth, of the highest quality].

Most crucially, it seemed Eldrin Chen had divined something, specifically seeking out this life-preserving artifact for her. The implications behind this gesture were far from ordinary.

Yet, even so, Yinghui Ye did not feel her chosen path was flawed. This was her own cultivation Dao [the fundamental principle or path], and in the end, she alone must walk it.

Contemplating this, Yinghui Ye immediately spoke, "My gratitude for the bestowed treasure, Master."

"Mm."

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod, offering no further words.

He led the group once more to the Abyssal Forbidden Land, employing the Creation Cauldron [a legendary cauldron capable of forging and refining spiritual treasures] to aid them in refining their newly acquired treasures. He also seized the opportunity to further mend and consolidate their foundational cultivation bases.

Once these matters were concluded, the foundational strength and latent potential of all five had been elevated to a remarkable degree.

This was especially true for Xianchang Chen. Not only had he successfully forged a single True Spirit Foundation [the most perfect and potent foundation for a cultivator's future path], but he had also managed to cultivate and manifest his Innate Spiritual Treasure [a treasure born from and intrinsically linked to a cultivator's own spiritual essence]—the Thirty-Three Heavens Vast Sea Divine Pearls.

When these Thirty-Three Heavens Vast Sea Divine Pearls merged into one, the power they unleashed was nearly peerless, its might even brushing against the threshold of what could be considered a True Spirit Treasure [a treasure of legendary rank, possessing its own sentient spirit and immense, world-shaking power]….

Yet, the pity remained: no matter how many Innate Spiritual Treasure one possessed, they were still merely Innate Spiritual Treasure. They could not undergo the transcendent metamorphosis into a True Spirit Treasure.

Xianchang Chen attempted to practice the Heavenly Emperor's Artifact Fusion Chapter [a profound technique for merging and elevating spiritual artifacts], hoping to refine and transmute the pearls into a True Spirit Treasure. In the end, however, all his attempts met with failure.

The reason lay in the inherent incompleteness of this set of Vast Sea Divine Pearl. It lacked the final three pearls, which had never been forged and consecrated.

Regarding this, Eldrin Chen had no recourse. To refine the final three Vast Sea Divine Pearl, Xianchang Chen needed to pass through a tribulation ordained by fate itself.

Returning to the main thread, after aiding the five in their Foundation Reforging, Eldrin Chen instructed them to continue consolidating their foundations. He then resumed his secluded cultivation, awaiting the moment his spiritual power would reach its zenith.

Thus, time flowed swiftly. Unnoticed, several million years passed, and the Seventh Epochal Cataclysm began its silent approach.

Before the Kalpa Tribulation [a cosmic cycle of destruction and renewal] arrived, Eldrin Chen prepared to seal his mountain retreat. At their parting, he gazed upon his five disciples and sighed, saying, "In this tribulation, take utmost care."

"We will not fail your expectations, Master," they vowed.

Within the great hall, the five disciples kowtowed three times with solemn reverence. Finally, with unwavering resolve, they departed from the Abyssal Immortal Domain.

Eldrin Chen sat enthroned high within his immortal palace, watching their receding figures. At last, he released a sigh and completely sealed the Abyssal Immortal Domain.

As the Kalpa Tribulation descended, the great Immortal Domain [realms of immortal cultivators] began sealing their gates. A trace of solemn gravity appeared on the faces of Xianchang Chen and his four companions.

Yuansheng [a disciple of Eldrin Chen], his expression grave, looked at the others and spoke with weight, "Within this Kalpa Tribulation, each of us five carries a destined calamity of immense scale."

"Should we transcend it, attaining the Grand Luo Golden Immortal [the pinnacle realm of immortal cultivation] would be assured. Yet, this tribulation is perilous beyond measure. I advise we each face our trials separately, lest our respective calamities intertwine and amplify one another's peril."

Hearing this, everyone nodded. Frostwing Yan smiled directly and said, "Brothers and fellow disciples, we shall meet again after the Kalpa Tribulation [a cataclysmic cosmic cycle that reshapes the heavens and earth]."

"Agreed."

The others smiled in turn, then clasped their hands in farewell amidst the Chaos [the primordial, formless void from which all creation emerged].

At the same time, deep within the Three Thousand Immortal Domains [a collective term for the myriad realms and worlds of the immortal cosmos], several dozen peerless Ancient Immortal Great Powers [cultivators who have attained the Ancient Immortal realm, beings of immense age and power] stood firm within the Chaos.

Among them, a man clad in violet robes, holding a compass-like artifact, narrowed his eyes slightly. "They have scattered."

The other Ancient Immortal Great Powers frowned upon hearing this. A man adorned in golden battle armor spoke, "Scattering... that complicates matters."

Yet the others seemed prepared for this turn of events.

The five Ancient Immortal [Ancient Immortal cultivators] of the Chen Immortal Clan had dispersed to enter the tribulation, each heading to different Origin Domain [primal realms, often the foundational worlds of a cosmic region]. To besiege them one by one would be impossible within the allotted span of a million years; it was all too likely that two or three of them would successfully attain the Grand Luo Golden Immortal [the supreme realm of the Golden Immortal, a state of perfect, unchanging enlightenment] in that time.

Thus, they too had no choice but to split their forces and launch targeted assaults.

Considering this, a white-haired man from the Pure Yang Imperial Court [the Imperial Court aligned with the supreme principle of Pure Yang, representing ultimate masculine energy and order] spoke. "As planned, our four Imperial Courts and the nine Great Luo Ancient Sect [ancient sects founded by Grand Luo Golden Immortals] shall divide into four teams. Each will carry means specifically designed to counter them, and we shall hunt them down to the last."

"All of you, let us depart."

As the words fell, a host of powerful figures from the four great Imperial Courts and the nine ancient Teachings emerged into the world and vanished into the boundless Chaos [the primordial, formless void that existed before creation].

Simultaneously, the five had already traversed the endless Chaos and were charging towards the other Origin Domains [the primordial realms from which all existence is said to have originated].

Among the five disciples of Eldrin Chen, the other three each entered their tribulations alone. Only Yinghui Ye and Alaric Lu, having long since become Dao companions, had pledged to support each other through the ordeal together....

At this moment, the five were entering their tribulations in four different domains: the Chaos Heaven Extreme Domain, the Chaos Cosmos Extreme Domain, the Myriad Gods Primordial Domain, and the Sacred Demon Primordial Domain.

The location where Yinghui Ye and Alaric Lu went to undergo their tribulation was the Sacred Demon Primordial Domain, one of the four great Origin Domains.

They fought their way to the Sacred Demon Primordial Domain and Eruption [unleashed] a world-shaking battle upon the Immortal Cosmos Ancient Continent within that domain.

In this battle, they displayed near-invincible strength, cutting down nearly all their opponents. Even a peerless Ancient Immortal [an immortal who has existed since ancient times] who had cultivated the Five Indestructible Foundations [a legendary cultivation art that forges five unbreakable foundational pillars] could not withstand ten moves in their hands.

Yet, just as the duo fought their way to the heart of the Immortal Cosmos Ancient Continent, they encountered their most terrifying adversaries.

A full several dozen Eight Tribulation Ancient Immortals [immortals who have survived eight heavenly tribulations] laid down a grand formation, erecting a monumental array upon the Immortal Cosmos Ancient Continent that trapped them within the Depths of Chaos.

"Fifty-seven Eight Tribulation Ancient Immortal [powerful cultivators who have survived eight heavenly tribulations]. You truly honor us with such a gathering."

As the encircling figures closed in, Alaric Lu shielded Yinghui Ye behind him, his gaze hardening with profound gravity.

Yinghui Ye surveyed their surroundings, a flicker of solemnity also rising within her eyes.

For this battle, to utterly annihilate the two of them, one of the Four Great Imperial Courts, the Desolate Ape Imperial Court, had taken direct action. They had dispatched a full seventeen of their own Eight Tribulation Ancient Immortal and had allied with five ancient sects, including those led by Wuji Immortal Lord and Verdant Extreme Ancient Ancestor, mustering another twelve Eight Tribulation Ancient Immortal.

Yet even this was not enough for them. They had further conspired with several ancient sects from the Sacred Demon Primordial Domain, assembling a staggering force of fifty-seven Eight Tribulation Ancient Immortal in total to lay down a killing formation and hunt them.

However, this alone was not what weighed so heavily upon the two.

After all, both possessed a True Spirit Foundation [a supreme and flawless cultivation foundation]. Bolstered by their Inner Cosmos [an internal universe cultivated within a powerful being] and the Ten Great Immortal Treasuries [a legendary set of ten supreme cultivation arts], their combat prowess was at least comparable to that of a peerless expert standing between Three True Spirit Foundations [a legendary state of having perfected three supreme foundations].

With such foundational strength and profound reserves, they would not fear even several dozen ordinary Eight Tribulation Ancient Immortal.

But their foes were not without their own peerless powerhouses. The Desolate Ape Imperial Court alone fielded two prodigious geniuses who had cultivated seven Indestructible Foundation [an extremely resilient and powerful cultivation foundation], alongside a host of other great experts who had achieved the Indestructible Foundation.

Most terrifying of all, these adversaries seemed to have cultivated some manner of Forbidden Divine Ability [a supremely powerful but self-damaging divine technique]. They had traded their future potential as the price for obtaining even more astonishing battle strength.

With such formidable combat strength, further augmented by this meticulously prepared, world-shaking grand Formation [a complex arrangement of energy nodes and patterns used for defense, attack, or other mystical purposes], it was likely that even with their own formidable abilities, a direct confrontation would be exceedingly difficult.

After a split-second assessment, Alaric Lu decisively said to Yinghui Ye, "I will hold the rear. You break through."

"I have no need of your protection."

Yinghui Ye's pupils turned icy cold. Without hesitation, she summoned a dazzling sword energy that coalesced into a majestic sword aura, cleaving outward to force an opening.

Yet their adversaries were well-prepared. A Peerless Ancient Immortal [a cultivator who has transcended mortality and reached a pinnacle of power, standing peerless among ancient immortals] from the Desolate Ape Imperial Court brandished an ancient divine mountain, using it to anchor and unleash a vast Formation that blocked Yinghui Ye's assault.

"You will not break through. Today, both of you shall be buried here."

A man cloaked in black robes spoke, commanding a divine furnace that seemed to channel the power of the Netherworld Realm [a realm of death, ghosts, and profound Yin energy] to press down upon them. His opening move unleashed a cataclysmic divine might capable of shattering heaven and earth.

From the very first clash, the battle turned the world upside down. The two peerless prodigies of the Path of Self-Sacrifice [a cultivation art that emphasizes supreme power through profound personal sacrifice] found themselves locked in a desperate, grueling struggle against several dozen supreme Eight Tribulation Ancient Immortal [an ancient immortal who has survived eight heavenly tribulations, marking immense power and resilience].

Overall, the situation was unfavorable for Yinghui Ye and Alaric Lu.

Their enemies had clearly prepared for a long time, bringing with them methods specifically designed to counter the duo. Among these were terrifyingly powerful weapons of mass destruction, capable of severely injuring or even annihilating a supreme prodigy who had laid a True Spirit Foundation [the foundational cultivation stage where one solidifies their spiritual essence into a true, unshakable core]....

Those who have cultivated a multiple-layered Indestructible Foundation [a foundation stage of cultivation renowned for its extreme resilience] can, after paying a tremendous price, possess combat prowess that approaches or even rivals that of a True Spirit Foundation [the pinnacle foundation stage, representing a cultivator's truest spiritual potential].

Thus, the great battle raged on without end. Unbeknownst to them, the two sides had been locked in slaughter within the formation for hundreds of thousands of years.

"*Cough*—"

Once more, Yinghui Ye struck, unleashing her killing techniques to their absolute limit. She managed to annihilate an Eight Tribulation Ancient Immortal [an immortal who has survived eight heavenly tribulations, a being of immense power] within the Void [a profound cultivation art that manipulates the essence of emptiness], yet she herself was sent reeling and bleeding by a blow from another foe.

"Yinghui."

Alaric Lu swiftly activated a protective divine ability to shield Yinghui Ye, a flicker of urgency appearing in his eyes.

By this point in the battle, they had slain over a dozen powerful enemies, but they themselves bore grievous wounds. Their adversaries, however, were simply too numerous. Even with their formidable skills, breaking through the encirclement seemed an impossible task.

"Don't worry about me."

Forcing her injuries down, Yinghui Ye noticed that Alaric Lu's protective divine barrier was on the verge of shattering.

Gritting her teeth, she spoke, "I possess a forbidden art. It might be able to breach the Formation's [a complex array or magical barrier] blockade. Take me and fight our way out."

"A Forbidden Divine Ability [a divine technique of immense power that carries severe, often self-destructive, consequences for its user]?"

Alaric Lu was momentarily stunned and was just about to speak.

Yinghui Ye immediately cut him off, her voice decisive. "Guard me."

As her words fell, Yinghui Ye resolutely activated the forbidden technique. Her entire aura suddenly surged with terrifying intensity.

Witnessing this, Alaric Lu's expression changed drastically. He wanted to intervene, but it was already too late.

Yinghui Ye's method was unexpectedly decisive and overwhelmingly fierce. She had actually created an utterly terrifying Forbidden Divine Ability called 'Self-Sacrificial Strike [a divine ability where the user sacrifices their entire being in a single, cataclysmic burst of power]'.

The so-called Self-Sacrificial Strike was created by drawing inspiration from the cultivation of the Self-Sacrifice Realm [a profound cultivation realm where one discards the old self to nurture a new, more potent existence].

Similarly involving the sacrifice of the old self, the Self-Sacrifice Realm uses the old self as nourishment to gestate a new self with far greater potential.

However, the Self-Sacrificial Strike instantly sacrifices everything—the physical body, cultivation base, Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator], Dao Fruit [the condensed essence of one's cultivation path], Immortal Treasury [a cultivation realm representing a vast internal reservoir of power], Inner Cosmos [a cultivation realm representing one's internal universe]—transforming it all into an almost unstoppable force that Eruptions forth with power that does not belong to this realm.

At this moment, Yinghui Ye forcibly sacrificed her entire being. Her Immortal Treasury began to disintegrate, her Inner Cosmos began to collapse, and her cultivation base, physical body, and Primordial Spirit all started to fracture and unravel.

"No—!"

Alaric Lu let out a roar of anguish, teetering on the brink of utter madness.

It was an unstoppable tide. With her Ancient Immortal cultivation, Yinghui Ye unleashed such a domineering Forbidden Divine Ability, instantly Eruption a blade of sword energy that defied all resistance.

The sword energy cleaved the heavens. Several Eight Tribulation Ancient Immortal cultivators, caught before they could even react, were instantly reduced to clouds of crimson mist.

The remaining force, still undiminished and irresistible, crashed against the Formation in the next breath. The Formation was cloven in two on the spot.

"Yinghui—!"

Alaric Lu roared in disbelief, his hand reaching out to grasp at the fading silhouette of Yinghui Ye, desperate to salvage something, anything, at any cost.

Alas, it was all in vain. The peerlessly elegant woman offered one last, radiant smile before dissolving into motes of shimmering light that scattered upon the winds. All that remained was a single, ancient Dao Seal.

"The Abyssal Dao Seal."

'This Abyssal Dao Seal was personally forged and refined by your master. Should a day of calamity ever befall you, this treasure shall guard your True Spirit [the immortal core of one's being, the essence of soul and cultivation].'

In that instant, recalling the words of Eldrin Chen, Alaric Lu decisively seized the Abyssal Dao Seal [a supreme seal artifact embodying the profound mysteries of the Abyssal Dao] and transformed into an irresistible streak of light, vanishing from the Immortal Cosmos Ancient Continent.

The expressions of the others shifted drastically, and they immediately gave chase with frantic, murderous intent.

Even as a great war erupted within the Sacred Demon Primordial Domain, battles of similarly epoch-shattering scale had also erupted across the other three theaters of war.

Within the Chaos Cosmos Extreme Domain, Frostwing Yan too found himself ambushed in a long-planned encirclement.

Alone, he battled fiercely against dozens of powerful foes. In that single engagement, he slew over ten Peerless Ancient Immortal [cultivators who have reached the pinnacle of the Ancient Immortal realm, unmatched in their era] and, against all odds, fought his way through the heavy siege.

Yet his adversaries were overwhelmingly powerful. Armed with trump cards bestowed by a Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch [a supreme sovereign reigning over the primordial chaos], they pursued Frostwing Yan along countless Dao Paths [the myriad paths and principles that constitute the Great Dao, often used metaphorically for vast distances or realms].