Chapter 1813 : Ziyang Immortal Realm
The next day, the Abyssal Immortal Alliance began merging the 3 celestial grotto-heavens.
With the assistance of over 40 Celestial Immortals from the Guixu Immortal Alliance, merging the 3 cave heavens was not particularly difficult.
For tens of thousands of years, they tirelessly wove formations across the 3 great cave heavens. Harnessing the power of the Heaven's Path Source Artifact, they merged the 3 cave heavens into 1, ultimately elevating the Abyssal Return Cave Heaven to the rank of a supreme-grade cave heaven.
Throughout this process, the Celestial Immortals of the demon and god races offered no further obstruction.
There are 2 fundamental reasons for this. First, when Lord Cang strikes, the demon and god races can hold off Patriarch Pure Yang and the Lord of the Great Emptiness Sword, while conversely, the mighty figures of the human race will also intervene to restrain them.
Second, it was because Eldrin possessed extraordinary combat prowess and had successfully refined the Heavenly Dao Source Artifact.
Any Celestial Immortal, once they have refined a Heavenly Dao Source Artifact, can possess combat prowess comparable to that of an Ancient Immortal.
Eldrin’s physical body had already reached a level comparable to that of an ancient immortal powerhouse. Now, bolstered by the Heaven’s Dao Source Artifact, his combat prowess was at least on par with a 2-Tribulation ancient immortal.
Most importantly, Eldrin, who had refined the Heaven-Sovereign Source Artifact of the Return to Ruins Heavenly Domain, could draw upon the empowerment of the entire Western Aether Divine Abyss Sea as long as he remained within its boundaries.
On this land, the empowerment of the Heavenly Dao Artifact would multiply severalfold. Such augmentation was overwhelmingly potent—unless a Fourth or Fifth Tribulation Ancient Immortal were to intervene personally, Eldrin (Person Name) would already stand in an invincible position.
Under such circumstances, naturally no 1 was willing to risk provoking Eldrin.
"The empowerment of the Heavenly Dao Artifact is truly extraordinary."
After successfully advancing to the Abyssal Realm, Eldrin finally had time to comprehend the profound power of the Heavenly Dao Artifact.
Yet this single moment of enlightenment left Eldrin utterly astonished.
Eldrin discovered that, blessed by the Heavenly Dao Source Artifact, he could harness the spiritual energy of the entire Heavenly Abyss Realm at will—so long as he remained within the Sea of Western Qi Divine Abyss.
How immensely powerful must the Heavenly Dao energy of the entire Abyssal Heaven Domain be?
If 1 could truly mobilize all of it, it would likely rival the power of an ancient immortal beyond the Seventh Tribulation.
Eldrin’s current strength was insufficient, allowing him to mobilize only a fraction of its power. Yet even this sliver of astonishing force enabled him to challenge and overthrow an ancient immortal.
"Now, within the Cangqiong Immortal Realm, I can unleash combat prowess comparable to a Second Tribulation Ancient Immortal. Yet if I were in the Celestial Realm of Returning Ruins, my strength would rival even a Third Tribulation Ancient Immortal."
"In terms of defensive capabilities alone, with the protection of the Heaven's Dao Source Artifact, it would likely rival that of Fourth Tribulation or even Fifth Tribulation Ancient Immortals within the Celestial Ruins Domain."
Eldrin murmured softly, his heart filled with overwhelming astonishment.
If he was this powerful, then what kind of supreme strength did the Pure Yang Ancient Immortal, the Golden Crow Ancient Immortal, the Ice Soul Ancient Immortal, and others possess within their own celestial domains?
"In the native celestial realm, it can augment 1's combat prowess by 2 tribulations, while in the Vast Azure Immortal Domain, it enhances 1's battle strength by a single tribulation."
"However, there are limits. Within our native realm, it can at most grant 1 combat prowess comparable to a Seventh Tribulation expert. Beyond our native realm, it can only bestow power equivalent to a Sixth Tribulation expert at maximum."
Eldrin murmured softly, his calculations repeated time and again until he finally grasped a measure of understanding regarding the empowerment bestowed by the Heaven's Path Source Artifact.
Of course, all these enhancements were confined to the native lands. Once 1 ventured beyond the reach of the Qing Cang Immortal Realm's power, the blessings would diminish to almost nothing.
However, the reach of the Cang Sky Immortal Domain’s power extended only to its immediate surroundings. A Celestial Immortal could fly beyond its borders in just 1 100 years.
Once he ventured beyond this range into the primordial chaos, the empowerment of the Heavenly Dao Source Artifact would cease to exist.
"With this Heaven's Dao Source Qi, it's like having an extra talisman for protection in the Vast Azure Immortal Realm."
"Yet it holds no use whatsoever for my exploration of Chaos."
Eldrin (Person Name) murmured softly, finally letting go of the thought.
He intended to leave behind an incarnation to wield the Heavenly Dao Source Artifact during his future travels through the Chaos, ensuring none would dare covet the Abyssal Heaven Domain in his absence.
To return to our story, after advancing to the ultimate-grade Return to Ruins Grotto-Heaven, Eldrin once again immersed himself in secluded cultivation.
In the years that followed, Eldrin continued his secluded cultivation, ceaselessly contemplating the innate Dao principles and the cultivation of his Dao Fruit.
Eldrin's innate Primordial Chaos Indestructible Body was far too powerful, single-handedly suppressing the power of the Dao Principles and Dao Fruits.
Its formidable exclusivity and self-proclaiming supremacy actually made it significantly more difficult for Eldrin (Person Name) to comprehend the Dao Principles and Dao Fruits.
No wonder that after cultivators break through to the late-stage Celestial Immortal realm, they all face significant bottlenecks when advancing to the 8th and 9th layers of Celestial Immortal.
Eldrin murmured softly, a faint frown creasing his brow, yet moments later, his expression eased once more.
He understood all too well the principle that on the path of the Great Dao, only the self reigns supreme.
Any path, when pursued to its ultimate end, develops an aura that suppresses all others, possessing an overwhelming exclusivity that naturally inhibits the growth of alternative ways.
However, from another perspective, if Eldrin's Dao Principles and Dao Fruits could not break through this suppression, they would be unworthy of coexisting with the Innate Primordial Indestructible Body.
Back then, it would have been better to stubbornly follow a single path—shattering all realms through pure physical strength alone, forcibly attaining the Great Dao-Fulfillment Realm.
To achieve the Dao through physical cultivation—this is a legend, yet not a myth of unparalleled rarity.
Since time immemorial, there have existed a select few who achieved sainthood through physical cultivation. Such powerhouses could suppress all other paths with their own, using mere physical strength to dominate the 7 heavenly gates: the Great Dao, Dao Fruits, Primordial Spirit, and Magical Power.
He even used the power of his physical body to directly shatter fate, sever his own River of Destiny, and forcibly break through to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm.
It is said that those who achieve the Dao through physical cultivation, even peerless prodigies who suppress 10 1000 Daos with their own, possess combat prowess among the Great Luo Golden Immortals that remains unrivaled within the same realm.
Of course, the path of physical sanctification was exceptionally arduous. Those who managed to take this step were all the most extraordinary and unparalleled geniuses on the great Dao of physical cultivation.
If breaking through the physical mortal gate could be counted as shattering 9 limits, then such a peerless genius would have shattered at least 3 more limits beyond that foundation.
Eldrin's Innate Primordial Indestructible Body had already shattered its limits 9 times, rivaling a Quasi-Great Roaming Immortal physique.
If he continued down this path, it would be enough to forge his mortal body into the Great Dao itself, granting him the confidence and audacity to suppress all other paths with a single principle.
"Fleshly Body Ascension is a legend, but that is not the path I shall tread."
Eldrin (Person Name) murmured slowly, his gaze blazing intensely as he declared, "What I seek is physical form, the Laws of Dao, and even the Dao Fruit itself..."
"All may tread the Great Dao alone!"
Eldrin slowly closed his eyes, continuing to contemplate the power of the innate Dao principles.
Although the Primordial Chaos Indestructible Body suppressed the power of the Dao Fruit and Dao Principles, given Eldrin's (Person Name) comprehension and willpower, he was confident he could shatter the barriers and cultivate the Primordial Chaos Infinite Dao Principles and Primordial Chaos Indestructible Dao Fruit to the Great Perfection stage.
Thus time flowed on, and through continuous enlightenment, Eldrin's comprehension of the Dao Fruit and Dao Principles grew ever more profound. Only the final barrier remained before he could achieve mastery.
Yet on this day, Eldrin emerged from his secluded cultivation, forgoing any final breakthrough or enlightenment.
"This final barrier, now without any external pressure, would require considerable effort to break through relying solely on my own power. It would likely take me around 1 million years to accomplish."
"Unfortunately, judging by the current situation, time is running a bit short."
Eldrin murmured that he had made a pact with Patriarch Tianya and the Celestial Maiden to venture into the primordial chaos after 300,000 years.
Now that the date marking 300,000 years was drawing near, Eldrin no longer intended to enter seclusion.
"Very well. My current comprehension of the laws and Dao Fruits is already sufficient to cultivate to the Great Perfection Realm. The only obstacle lies in breaking through the suppression of the Innate Primordial Indestructible Body."
"Breaking through 1's own suppression is rather troublesome. It's the perfect opportunity to leverage the pressure of the Chaos Sea to shatter this realm."
Eldrin murmured softly, then emerged from seclusion to bid farewell to Lyra and the others before using the Li Fire Pearl to depart beyond the Great Cold Immortal Realm.
He arrived at the Taihan Immortal Realm and proceeded directly to the Tianya Grotto-Heaven without delay. There, he encountered both the Celestial Maiden and the Ancient 1 of Tianya.
"You have come."
The Celestial Maiden and the Ancient Cliff Ancestor had been waiting for quite some time. Upon seeing Eldrin (Person Name), they greeted him with warm smiles.
But then, the Heavenly Reaches Elder gave a faint smile and poured Eldrin (Person Name) a cup of tea, saying hospitably, "We successfully refined our Innate Ancient Treasures over a 100 1000 years ago, and since then, we have been consolidating our cultivation and honing our combat prowess."
"Now that you have arrived, it is time for us to depart."
Eldrin accepted the teacup and took a sip, then said with a smile, "It seems I've arrived late."
"Not late at all." The Celestial Maiden smiled and continued, "This journey is perilous, so it's best we make ample preparations."
Hearing this, both of their expressions turned grave. After all, this would be their first journey into the Chaos Sea—a realm of unknown perils where uncertainty weighed heavily upon their hearts.
Even if this was merely the fringes of the Chaos Sea, where 1 could still flee back to the safety of the 3,000 Immortal Domains in times of danger, it remained the true Chaos Sea after all.
After a moment of collective silence, it was ultimately Patriarch Tianya who spoke. "There's no need to be overly anxious. Based on the information I've gathered from other Ancient Immortals over the years..."
"Like us Tribulation Ancient Immortals who have weathered 3 heavenly tribulations, we can still maintain the combat prowess of a 1-tribulation ancient immortal in the Primordial Chaos Sea. That should suffice to deal with weaker Chaos Beast Kings."
"Moreover, with the 3 of us joining forces, our chances of survival should be quite substantial."
The other 2 couldn't help but nod in agreement upon hearing this.
Even within the Chaos Sea, the Chaos Beast King was considered a formidable power, with the vast majority of primordial chaos beasts ranking at the lower to middle tiers of the ninth grade.
Those capable of reaching the level of Chaos Beast King are either rulers of a chaos beast horde or formidable chaos monstrosities. Such powerful beings remain relatively uncommon even along the fringes of the Chaos Sea.
Both the Celestial Maiden and the Ancient 1 of Tianya were Third Tribulation Ancient Immortals. Even when venturing into the Chaos Sea, they could maintain their ancient immortal combat prowess, rivaling the weakest Chaos Beast Kings. This was already considered quite formidable strength.
After Eldrin (Person Name) achieved mastery over his Innate Primordial Indestructible Body, he could completely ignore the suppression of the Chaos Sea, and his combat prowess roughly rivaled that of more than half a Chaos Beast King.
If the Heavenly Li Twin Swords were to join forces, Eldrin could even unleash an offensive power comparable to that of a Second or Third Tribulation Chaos Beast King for a brief period.
With the 3 of them joining forces, as long as they did not encounter a 4 Calamity Chaos Beast King, their chances of escaping back to the 3,000 Immortal Domains were not insignificant.
"We're only traversing the periphery. So long as we don't venture too deep, the likelihood of encountering a 4 Calamities Chaos Beast King should be minimal."
After much deliberation, Patriarch Tianya concluded that safety could be reasonably assured. He declared, "So long as we aspire to the Great Perfection Realm, no amount of caution can excuse avoiding the trials of the Chaotic Abyss."
"Since everyone is present, we shall set out tomorrow to witness whether the Chaos Sea truly lives up to its reputation as a dragon's den and tiger's lair."
Excellent!
Excellent!
Hearing this, both Eldrin (Person Name) and the Celestial Maiden steeled their resolve.
Early the next morning, the 3 of them set off immediately, traversing the vast primordial chaos toward the edge of the 3,000 Immortal Realms.
The location of the Taihan Immortal Realm was already within the outer reaches of the 3 1000 Immortal Realms, separated from the edge of the Chaotic Sea by merely 6 or 7 immortal realms.
All of them possessed the combat prowess of Ancient Immortals, and their speed traversing through the primordial chaos was dozens of times faster than that of Celestial Immortals. After merely 30,000-odd years of travel, they had already approached the fringes of the 3,000 Immortal Domains.
"Ahead lies the Violet Sun Immortal Domain, the closest immortal realm to the Chaotic Sea."
"Let's first find a place to settle, restore our spiritual power, and gather some intelligence about the Chaos Sea along the way."
On this day, Old Man Tianya smiled and pointed toward a celestial realm veiled in violet radiance ahead.
Eldrin looked up and saw a magnificent celestial realm floating amidst the chaos. Though its vastness could not compare to the Taihan Celestial Realm, it was still several times larger than the Qingcang Celestial Realm.
The Violet Sun Immortal Realm was forged by the Great Luo Golden Immortal Violet Sun, who attained the Dao in the twilight of the Primordial Era.
It is said that Immortal Lord Ziyang was the seventeenth true disciple under the Primordial Dao Ancestor of the Grand Commencement, his cultivation having reached the Great Perfection of the Golden Immortal of the Great Luo. He stands as 1 of the most supreme mighty figures among our human race.
Vastsky Elder, with his profound knowledge, spoke of the origins of the Violet Sun Immortal Domain with utmost reverence, telling Eldrin (Person Name), "The Violet Sun Immortal Lord holds an exalted status, being 1 of the Primordial Humans."
Legend has it that in the primordial era, to guard against those Chaos Fiends, our human race, the demon race, the divine race, and even the 100 tribes of celestial beings jointly resolved to deploy the 3 1000 Immortal Domains Grand Formation to suppress the chaos where the 3 1000 immortal domains resided.
In that era, it required 3 1000 immortal domains as the foundation of the grand formation. Immortal Monarch Ziyang arrived alone in this primordial chaos, his sword in hand. With a single strike, he cleaved open this very Ziyang Immortal Domain.
They even went so far as to expend 4 Heavenly Spiritual Roots (Spiritual Root) and a supreme-grade innate numinous treasure to suppress the cosmos, all to carve out this magnificent celestial realm.
As Eldrin listened, he could not help but feel a stirring of yearning in his heart.
It was at this very moment that everyone stepped into the Violet Sun Immortal Realm.
No sooner had he set foot in the Violet Sun Immortal Realm than Eldrin (Person Name) furrowed his brow slightly, a trace of astonishment flashing across his expression.
The moment he stepped into the Violet Sun Immortal Realm, Eldrin sensed countless formidable auras radiating from all directions.
Each of these auras blazed as brilliantly as the midday sun, their power at least comparable to that of a 3-Tribulation Ancient Immortal(Power Level), with some even surpassing the awe-inspiring presence of the Rift-Sky Demon Emperor(Person Name).
Most crucially, these auras comparable to ancient immortals numbered nearly a 1000 in total.
"This..."
Eldrin murmured, his face revealing an expression of utter astonishment, momentarily rendered speechless.
Boom—
At that very moment, the void suddenly erupted with a thunderous roar as 3 peerless celestial maidens tore through the sky.
The leader of the group tore through the sky and came to a halt after casting a glance at Eldrin. He couldn't help but chuckle, "Little brother, you're merely at the late-stage Celestial Immortal realm, yet you dare venture into the Violet Sun Immortal Domain? Have you no regard for your life?"
The woman spoke thus, casting a glance at the Celestial Maiden and the Ancient Ancestor of the Endless Skies before saying, "It seems you must be a prodigy from some Great Luo Ancient Sect?"
"In the Chaos Sea, however, should true danger arise, 2 Third Tribulation Ancient Immortals would be insufficient to ensure your safety."
Upon hearing this, Eldrin (Person Name) was momentarily taken aback. He realized the woman had mistaken him for a direct descendant of the Great Luo Ancient Sect due to his seemingly ordinary cultivation level yet extraordinarily profound foundation. Moreover, she had mistaken the Celestial Maiden and the Ancient 1 of the Endless Skies (Person Name) for his guardians.
At this thought, Eldrin cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for the reminder, elder sister. May I ask who you are?"
"Starlight Descendant of the Floral Palace."
The woman murmured softly. Just then, the 2 women nearby urged her to hurry. Falling Star Xuan waved her hand and said, "This sister must make a trip to the Primordial Chaos Sea, so I won't linger to chat with you any longer."
"I advise you to return at once. Should we both return to the Primordial Immortal Realm someday, we may yet meet again."