Chapter 1926 : Whispers of Reborn Destiny

One after another, the spiritual energy [the vital essence that permeates all things and fuels cultivation] of ancient worlds began to revive. Within one Stellar after another, myriad beings once again embarked upon the path of cultivation.

During this era, there were those who awoke bearing memories, as if they had somehow foreseen what was to come.

Eldrin Chen reclined high within the Nine Heavens, his expression serene as he observed scene after scene unfold, a faint smile gracing his lips.

In aiding the revival of the boundless Multidimensional Space-Time, he had also performed a grand divination, calculating the fates of billions upon billions of worlds. He had glimpsed the Destiny of countless souls within these worlds and Stellar.

In this process, Eldrin Chen discovered that among them, a very few individuals, in their Future, had displayed not insignificant talent and aptitude. They had each contributed to the refinement and development of the Sacrificial Self Path in their own ways, yet all had perished prematurely due to various tribulations.

Thus, Eldrin Chen casually sent back the memories belonging to these individuals' Future, the ones he had gleaned from his divination.

Suddenly receiving memories of a Future, these individuals might believe it to be merely a vivid dream, or perhaps conclude they were experiencing a Rebirth [a return to life with memories of a past existence].

Yet, the moment they witnessed the descent of the Chaos Stone Stele, they understood their destinies had been irrevocably altered.

"A Great Emperor experiencing Rebirth, an Immortal King reincarnated... most intriguing," he mused.

Eldrin Chen allowed himself a slight smile before withdrawing his consciousness in an instant.

In a fleeting moment, Eldrin Chen altered the arduous fate of this select few, granting them a chance to reshape their own Future Destiny [the predetermined course of one's life and fortune]. This was but a passing whim for him.

"I hope that one day, I may see you young ones within the Immortal Domain [the higher realm where true immortals reside]."

As this thought gradually receded, Eldrin Chen once again withdrew into secluded cultivation.

In the years that followed, Eldrin Chen spent his time refining the Nine Revolutions Immortal Pill [a supreme elixir that undergoes nine cycles of refinement] and the Innate Soul Nourishing Wood [a primordial spiritual wood that nourishes and strengthens the soul]. Time flowed by in such a manner, and before he knew it, millions upon millions of years had passed.

It was not until over ten million years later that Eldrin Chen slowly opened his eyes, a flicker of pleasant surprise within their depths.

"The Sacrificial Self Path [a profound cultivation method centered on self-sacrifice and transcendence], it is finally complete!"

After nearly two hundred million years of development, the number of Cosmos Realm [a supreme cultivation realm where one's power encompasses a miniature cosmos] powerhouses within the Sacrificial Self Path had finally surpassed three thousand.

It must be understood that the birth of each Cosmos Realm powerhouse further perfects the Sacrificial Self Path. Now, with over three thousand Cosmos Realm Great Power [a mighty existence who has attained the Cosmos Realm] born from its lineage, the Path had undergone its final metamorphosis, transforming into a true Innate-Grade Great Path [a supreme cultivation path of primordial, heaven-defying quality].

As the Path Ancestor [the founding progenitor and supreme master of a cultivation path] of this Great Path [a supreme and complete system of cultivation], and the Path Master [the current master and guide of a cultivation path] of the Sacrificial Self Path, Eldrin Chen instantly felt the immense power now flowing from the perfected Path.

As the Path Master of a complete Great Path, one can unleash the Path's full, unadulterated might. The strength this grants is nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Even if this Sacrificial Self Path [a profound cultivation method based on self-sacrifice and rebirth] merely represents the initial threshold of an Innate Great Path [a fundamental and powerful cosmic principle or law], making it the weakest form of such a Path, it could still bestow upon Eldrin Chen a staggering augmentation of power.

By Eldrin Chen's estimation, if he were to fully mobilize the power of the Sacrificial Self Path, the strength he could unleash should be sufficient to rival that of a Great Encompassing Golden Immortal Mid Stage [a cultivator at the mid-stage of the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal realm].

And this was merely the gateway to an Innate Great Path. The Great Path [cosmic principles or laws] themselves were divided into three categories: Innate [Innate, the fundamental laws born with the cosmos], Chaos [Chaos, the primordial laws preceding order], and Primordial Chaos [Primordial Chaos, the ultimate, formless origin].

Among them, the Primordial Chaos Great Path [the supreme, formless origin of all laws] stood supreme and unparalleled. A Primordial Chaos Great Path represented power on the level of a Path Ancestor Immortal Sage [a supreme being who has merged with a fundamental cosmic law]. To fully master a complete Primordial Chaos Great Path was to prove one's Dao and ascend to become a Chaos Heavenly Emperor [a sovereign emperor whose authority stems from the Chaos].

As for Innate Great Path, they were further divided into five tiers based on their potency and completeness: Initial Entry, Minor Accomplishment, Major Accomplishment, Perfection, and Limitless [the state of boundless potential].

Among these, the Initial Entry stage of a Great Path was the weakest, representing only the nascent formation of an Innate Great Path. Although such a Path was the most feeble, complete mastery of it could still grant power equivalent to a Great Encompassing Golden Immortal Mid Stage.

Generally speaking, these initial-tier Great Path were painstakingly refined and perfected step by step from Path Principles [fundamental truths of a Dao], rules, and Path Principle [divine abilities embodying a Dao's truth]. At most, only two or three Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [powerful immortals at the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal realm] would share authority over such a Path. To advance it further required its continuous refinement and perfection.

The Minor Accomplishment tier of an Innate Great Path was considered a relatively weak form of Innate Great Path.

Such Great Path were often highly esoteric and niche, with very few Immortal [celestial beings] choosing to cultivate them. Consequently, the pace of their refinement and perfection was exceedingly slow. Typically, the number of Great Encompassing Golden Immortal cultivating such a Path was also small, ranging from a mere handful to perhaps several dozen at most.

However, the power granted by fully mastering a Minor Accomplishment Great Path was truly formidable.

Once one masters a Great Path [a supreme cultivation art representing a fundamental cosmic principle] of this level, they can attain the cultivation base and realm of a Great Encompassing Golden Immortal Great Perfection [the pinnacle stage of a Great Encompassing Golden Immortal]. However, unless the Great Path is brought to its Great Completion, it remains ultimately imperfect, making it impossible to step into the realm of a Primordial One Imperial Lord [a sovereign lord who has unified his being with a primordial cosmic principle].

Beyond that, a Innate Great Path [a Great Path born from the primordial chaos, innately powerful] that has reached its Great Completion is already an astonishingly rare and formidable achievement.

A single Great Path that has attained Great Completion possesses terrifying power. Such a level of Great Path requires the combined refinement and perfection of at least several dozen Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [immortals who have achieved the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal realm] working in concert.

If anyone could fully command and master a Innate Great Path that has reached Great Completion, they would be able to directly ascend to the Primordial One Imperial Lord Realm.

Of course, Great Path at the three stages of Initial Entry, Minor Completion, and Great Completion are all considered incomplete Innate Great Path. Even a Path Mastery [one who has mastered a Path to its ultimate potential] could not rely on them to assault the realm of a Chaos Heavenly Emperor [a Heavenly Emperor born from the primordial chaos]. Therefore, few Great Encompassing Golden Immortal cultivate Innate Great Path at these three levels.

Only a Great Path that has reached its Perfect Completion can be called a true seed of a Primordial One Heavenly Emperor [a Heavenly Emperor who embodies a single, perfected primordial principle], pursued by countless Great Encompassing Golden Immortal.

Violet Consort Yan's Dutian Violet Flame [the Violet Flame that Governs the Heavens, a divine ability] and Lila's Frost Soul Great Path [the Great Path of the Frost Soul] are both Innate Great Path of this Perfect Completion level. The number of Great Encompassing Golden Immortal who cultivate such Great Path can be said to number in the thousands and tens of thousands.

And any Great Encompassing Golden Immortal, as long as they can grasp just three percent of the authority over such a Great Path, can reach the Primordial One Imperial Lord Realm.

If one can obtain over thirty percent of the authority of a Perfectly Completed Great Path, their cultivation base will be sufficient to reach the Primordial One Imperial Lord Late Stage [the late stage of the Primordial One Imperial Lord realm]. The most exceptional among them can even ascend to the Great Perfection Primordial One Imperial Lord [the Great Perfection stage of a Primordial One Imperial Lord].

If one can command and master a Perfectly Completed Innate Great Path, then they may be called a Sage Ascendant [one who has ascended to the cusp of sagehood], or alternatively, a Quasi-Heavenly Emperor [one who is almost a Heavenly Emperor] or a Half-Step Divine Sovereign [one who has taken half a step into Divine Sovereignty].

Since time immemorial, those capable of mastering a Perfect Innate Great Path have been figures of peerless, timeless might. They need only obtain a single wisp of Chaos Genesis Energy [the primordial creative force from which all things originate] to attempt the ascension to the ChaosHeavenly Emperor Realm.

Of course, the metamorphosis of an Innate Great Path into a Primordial Chaos Great Path also carries the risk of failure.

Depending on the perfection and potency of the Innate Great Path, the success rate for this breakthrough varies between one and three tenths, with a maximum probability of three tenths for a successful transformation.

Should one fail, not only would a precious wisp of Chaos Genesis Energy be wasted, but it is highly likely to result in the destruction of one's Great Path and personal demise, reducing countless eons of arduous cultivation by a Great Encompassing Golden Immortal to utter nothingness.

Beyond the Perfected state, there exist the true Limitless Great Path.

So-called Limitless Great Path are supreme Great Path that have already transcended the level of Innate Great Path but have not yet been fused with Chaos Genesis Energy.

The Great Path cultivated by Eldrin Chen—such as the Primordial Solar Heavenly Flame, the Profound Darkness True Water, the Great Path of Life, the Source Earth of All Things, and the Primordial One Ancient Metal—all belong to this exalted tier.

For such Primordial One Limitless Great Path, once one masters the entirety of its Great Path Authority [the sovereign authority and laws intrinsic to a Great Path] and then merges it with Chaos Genesis Energy, the transformation into a Primordial Chaos Great Path carries almost no risk of failure.

Furthermore, once such a Great Path metamorphoses into a Primordial Chaos Great Path, its future potential becomes immeasurably terrifying, placing it among the foremost even within the ranks of Primordial Chaos Great Path.

It is precisely for this reason that Limitless Great Path often become objects of covetous desire for the Chaos Heavenly Emperor.

Among the five Great Path [supreme cultivation systems embodying cosmic laws] cultivated by Eldrin Chen, each one is concurrently practiced by at least two or three Chaos Heavenly Emperor [the supreme rulers of primordial chaos].

Even the Primordial One Ancient Metal Great Path [the Great Path of the primordial metallic essence], which has the fewest practitioners, has two Chaos Heavenly Emperor as the source of its Great Path Authority [the fundamental authority over a Great Path's laws]. Each of these two holds three-tenths of the authority, leaving no hope for later cultivators to prove their Dao through this path.

It is said that for the Limitless Great Path [the Great Path of the boundless and infinite], mastering just one-thousandth of its authority is enough to directly step into the Primordial One Imperial Lord Realm [the realm of a primordial sovereign lord]. This shows how extraordinarily powerful such a Great Path truly is.

"Although I have achieved Path Mastery [mastery over a cultivation path], the journey to break through to the Chaos Path Ancestor [the ancestral realm within primordial chaos] using the Sacrificial Self Path [a cultivation art based on self-sacrifice and transcendence] remains long and arduous,"

Eldrin Chen murmured softly as he gazed upon the initially formed framework of the Sacrificial Self Path. Yet, a moment later, he let out a sigh of relief.

The Sacrificial Self Path is an Innate Great Path [a Great Path born from the fundamental laws of existence] that has only just entered its initial stage. Logically, perfecting such a Great Path should be exceedingly difficult.

For the strong grow ever stronger. Only a powerful Great Path attracts the pursuit of countless Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [golden immortals who have attained great comprehension]. Any Great Encompassing Golden Immortal with true ambition would not cultivate a Great Path that is merely in its nascent form.

Those who aspire to impact the Primordial One Imperial Lord [the realm of the first primordial lords], or even the Chaos Heavenly Emperor, will almost exclusively choose a Great Path that has reached a perfected, complete level.

For only by further perfecting a complete-level Innate Great Path, ideally pushing it to the Limitless [boundless] level, is there a greater possibility of impacting the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Realm [the realm of a Heavenly Emperor within primordial chaos].

And for such a Great Path in its initial stage, with almost no one cultivating it, progress is typically agonizingly slow.

After all, no matter how exceptional the talent of a Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [a supreme immortal who has attained the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal realm] might be, the power of a single individual can scarcely compare to the collective contributions of thousands upon thousands of fellow Great Encompassing Golden Immortal cultivators.

Fortunately, Eldrin Chen's Sacrificial Self Path [a unique cultivation art centered on self-sacrifice and transcendence] is fundamentally different. This path allows others to break through to the Great Encompassing Realm [the Great Encompassing realm], and every being who ascends to the Cosmos [Cosmos] realm through the Sacrificial Self Path contributes to the fortification of this Great Path [Great Path].

At least until the Sacrificial Self Path reaches its minor completion stage, these Cosmos Realm [Cosmos realm] cultivators play a pivotal role in refining and perfecting the art.

However, after the Sacrificial Self Path attains minor completion, advancing further towards major completion requires Eldrin Chen himself to continue perfecting the cultivation methods of this Great Path.

If, one day, Eldrin Chen can create a Sacrificial Self Path cultivation method that leads to the Great Encompassing Realm, then the Sacrificial Self Path will directly ascend to the stage of major completion.

Should he manage to perfect a method for breaking through to the Primordial One Imperial Lord [the Primordial One Imperial Lord realm], this Great Path would achieve ultimate perfection. For it to undergo a complete metamorphosis into a Limitless Great Path [Limitless Great Path], a method for ascending to the Chaos Heavenly Emperor [Chaos Heavenly Emperor] realm would still need to be created.

Once that step is reached, the Sacrificial Self Path will become a cultivation path on par with Fleshly Body Sanctification [the path of Fleshly Body Sanctification] and Primordial Spirit Path Attainment [the path of Primordial Spirit Attainment]. Its power, even among the Primordial Chaos Great Path [Primordial Chaos Great Paths], could be hailed as a Chaos Limitless Great Path [Chaos Limitless Great Path].

"The Chaos Limitless Great Path, it seems to be the foundation for stepping into the Third Chaos Realm [Third Chaos Realm]?"

Eldrin Chen murmured to himself, his thoughts drifting to the origins of the Three Realms of Chaos [Three Realms of Chaos].

Primordial Chaos Limitless [Primordial Chaos Limitless]—endless, cyclical, with no The End [End] in sight; hence, Primordial Chaos Limitless is also known as the Boundless, the Infinite.

Thus, the Chaos [the primordial state of existence before the cosmos] has three realms. They are the first realm, 'Path Mastery' [the stage of mastering a fundamental cosmic principle], the second realm, 'Path Union' [the stage of merging with a fundamental cosmic principle], and the third realm, 'Limitless' [the stage of boundless, infinite existence].

Ancient legends say that the Innate Limitless Great Path [a supreme cultivation art embodying boundless potential] is the embryonic form of the Chaos Limitless Great Path [a supreme divine ability born from primordial chaos]. Mastering a complete Limitless Great Path [a supreme cultivation art] holds within it a sliver of potential to point directly toward the third realm.

"Looking ahead, I must continue to refine the cultivation method of the Sacrificial Self Path [a unique cultivation path focused on self-sacrifice and transcendence]," Eldrin Chen murmured softly before suppressing the thought.

He had not yet cultivated to the peak of the Great Encompassing [the realm of encompassing all within oneself], and his comprehension of the Great Encompassing Realm was still insufficient. Attempting to create a Great Encompassing Realm cultivation method for the Sacrificial Self Path now would be far too presumptuous.

Rather than risk crafting a crude and flawed Great Path [a supreme cultivation art], it was better to accumulate more foundational knowledge. He would wait for future generations within the Cosmos Realm [the realm of creating one's own inner cosmos] to continue perfecting the finer details of the Sacrificial Self Path. Only with a sufficient foundation and depth of understanding would he then attempt to pioneer the Great Encompassing Realm cultivation method for the Sacrificial Self Path.

Thus, Eldrin Chen set aside his ambitions and resumed his secluded cultivation.

This time, he did not enter deep seclusion. Instead, he directly took out a Great Encompassing Immortal Pill [a supreme pill that aids cultivation within the Great Encompassing Realm] and began refining it.

One could only refine three Great Encompassing Immortal Pill per Kalpa Tribulation [a grand cosmic cycle of destruction and renewal]. Several million years had passed since Eldrin Chen last refined one. Feeling his foundation was now solid and stable, the time was ripe to continue his breakthrough.

"Since breaking through to the second layer of the Great Encompassing Physique [a supreme physical constitution], I have refined two Great Encompassing Immortal Pill and absorbed the energy of over seven hundred thousand Ten Revolutions Immortal Pill [high-grade immortal pills refined ten times]," he reflected.

"My accumulation is now sufficient; it is time to make another breakthrough."

Eldrin Chen murmured to himself, then swallowed the Great Encompassing Immortal Pill once more, commencing his cultivation of the Great Encompassing Physique.

"Boom—"

As the Great Encompassing Immortal Pill was ingested, Eldrin Chen immediately felt a vast surge of Great Encompassing Origin [the primordial foundational energy of the cosmos] flood his body.

The immense foundational essence belonging to the Celestial Ox Demon God saturated Eldrin Chen's form, instantly pushing his physical strength to its absolute limit.

Seizing the moment, Eldrin Chen activated the Root Origin Treasure [a foundational magical artifact tied to one's core cultivation] within him—the Returning Abyss Furnace. In an instant, this colossal power was refined into pure foundational essence, beginning to nourish and fortify his physical form.

"Break through for me!"

With a low utterance, Eldrin Chen catalyzed the foundational power he had accumulated over many years. His already perfected physical body, having reached its zenith, shattered the bottleneck holding it back.

In that moment, all the power stored from refining the Ten Revolutions Immortal Pill and the Great Encompassing Immortal Pill erupted forth, being voraciously absorbed by the Primordial One Indestructibility Body [a legendary physique of unyielding durability and near-immortality].

When all finally settled into tranquility, Eldrin Chen slowly opened his eyes, a faint smile flickering within their depths.

He sensed his physical form and discovered that after this breakthrough, the power of the Great Encompassing Physique had increased by more than fifty percent once again.

Before the breakthrough, Eldrin Chen's strength, relying solely on the Great Encompassing Physique, was already sufficient to rival the combat power of a cultivator at the fourth level of the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal realm. Now, after this latest advancement, his physical strength alone was enough to contend with a cultivator at the Fifth Heaven of the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal.

"The third layer of the Great Encompassing Physique, yet it grants the power to wrestle with a Fifth Heaven of the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal."

Eldrin Chen murmured to himself, a faint smile touching the corners of his eyes.

If he were to encounter that Crimson Mastiff Demon Lord again now, he would not even need to rely on his magic power, his Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator], or the power of his Great Path [his supreme cultivation method]. His physical body alone would hold no fear of the opponent.

"The path of Fleshly Body Sanctification [the art of refining the physical body to a sacred state] is indeed extraordinary. However, taking the next step forward will likely be..."

Eldrin Chen's brow furrowed slightly, a trace of solemnity appearing on his face.

He realized that after this breakthrough to the third layer of the Great Encompassing Physique, the "barrel" that was his Primordial Chaos Indestructibility Body had expanded once more. Furthermore, the efficacy of refining Ten Revolutions Immortal Pill [a supreme-grade immortal elixir refined through ten cycles] had diminished considerably again.

Given these circumstances, to cultivate his physique to a state of perfection once more would require at least three million Ten Revolutions Immortal Pill.

Moreover, for the Great Encompassing Physique to break through to the fourth layer, besides requiring Innate Indestructibility Spirit Light [a primordial spiritual radiance embodying innate indestructibility], there was a crucial bottleneck that needed to be surmounted. Relying solely on Ten Revolutions Immortal Pill would be insufficient to shatter this barrier.

Numerous treasures exist that can break through the bottleneck of the Great Encompassing Physique. Among the most common is the Great Encompassing Golden Core [a legendary pill that refines one's foundation to a supreme state], which within the Immortal Court is valued at five strands of Innate Indestructibility Spirit Light [a primal, indestructible spiritual radiance].

"It is said the Great Encompassing Golden Core is refined from the Innate Great Encompassing Golden Bamboo Shoot [a legendary spiritual herb]," Eldrin Chen remarked.

Eldrin Chen suddenly murmured, a flicker of surprise crossing his features.

As for this Innate Great Encompassing Golden Bamboo Shoot, Eldrin Chen, in fact, knew of a way to acquire it.

This was because the Innate Great Encompassing Golden Bamboo Shoot was itself an Innate Great Encompassing Rare Treasure [a supreme innate treasure of the cosmos] born from a Primordial Unity Golden Bamboo [a mythical golden bamboo] that had undergone a metamorphosis to its absolute limit.

Legend held that a supreme-grade Innate Primordial Unity Golden Bamboo, upon reaching its peak, had a chance to transform into a Great Encompassing Golden Bamboo [a cosmic golden bamboo], which was itself a Great Encompassing Rare Treasure.

Furthermore, if one infused Innate Indestructibility Spirit Light into a Great Encompassing Golden Bamboo, the bamboo would undergo Nirvana Rebirth [a phoenix-like rebirth from ashes], transforming into the Innate Spiritual Root [a supreme innate spiritual foundation] known as the 'Innate Great Encompassing Golden Bamboo Shoot'.

Yet the Innate Great Encompassing Golden Bamboo Shoot was exceedingly rare. Even a Great Encompassing Ancient Sect [a primordial sect of immense power], having spent thousands of Kalpa Tribulation [cosmic cycles of destruction and rebirth] and wasted several strands of Innate Indestructibility Spirit Light, might still fail to successfully cultivate a single shoot.

Most crucially, a single Innate Great Encompassing Golden Bamboo Shoot plant could only be refined into one Great Encompassing Golden Core.

It was precisely for these reasons that the Great Encompassing Golden Core commanded an astronomically high value; every single one that appeared in the world fetched an exorbitant price.