Chapter 1817 : Ambush, Great Upheaval

At this moment, leveraging this restraining power, Eldrin caught the Primordial Chaos Beast completely off guard and instantly slew that Crimson Flame Qi beast on the spot.

"Well done."

Watching Eldrin slay the ancient beast of the Crimson Flame Qi, the Celestial Maiden couldn't help but exclaim in joyful admiration.

With the Crimson Flame Qi (Spiritual Root) primordial beast slain, the 5 Elements Chaos Formation lost its critical balance, collapsing the entire battle array. From that moment, the outcome of this confrontation held little suspense.

Eldrin did not answer immediately, instead turning his gaze toward the Celestial Maiden as he said, "I must trouble you, Senior, to hold off the 3 venerables. This will allow me to end the battle swiftly."

"Very well."

The Celestial Maiden nodded and immediately took decisive action.

With the 5 Elements Grand Formation gone, the remaining 5 Primordial Chaos Beasts of the 5 Elements saw their combat prowess plummet drastically. The Celestial Maiden’s strength was more than sufficient to contend with all 5 of them at once, let alone just 3.

But lo! The Celestial Maiden sent her Icy Soul Immortal Ribbon and Frostbloom Sword soaring through the air, intercepting the 2 ancient beasts of Yi Wood and Wu Earth. Simultaneously, she channeled her divine power to suppress the ancient beast of Ren Water.

Seizing the opportunity, Eldrin (Person Name) summoned the twin Tianli Swords, crossing them mid-air as they cleaved toward the Ancient Gengjin Beast.

With the aid of the Heavenly Li Swords, Eldrin's power had become extraordinary, allowing him to wield combat prowess rivaling that of ancient immortals within the Chaos Sea.

In a 1-on-1 battle, even with the aid of an innate ancient treasure, this Gengjin Ancient Beast stood no chance against Eldrin.

After merely 3 1000 exchanges, Eldrin seized the opening and cleaved the Ancient Genggold Beast asunder atop the firmament with a single sword strike.

"Dead?"

With the fall of the Primordial Chaos Beast of Geng Metal, the outcome of this battle was no longer in doubt.

At almost the same moment, the Celestial Maiden also slew the Ren Water Ancient Beast, seizing that innate Ren Water Gourd.

3 top-tier Primal Chaos Beasts fell in succession, and the remaining 2 5 Elements Primal Chaos Beasts lost all will to fight, immediately attempting to flee into the depths of the chaos.

The Celestial Maiden proved worthy of her status as a 3-Tribulation Ancient Immortal. Even after slaying the Ancient Water Beast, she retained ample strength to activate her Icesoul Ribbon, entrapping the second Primordial Chaos Beast before vanquishing it with a single sword strike across the void.

"There's no escape."

Eldrin seized the opportunity, propelling himself through the void with the 5-Colored Aurora Evasion technique. He caught up to the final Ancient Wood Beast and struck it down amidst the celestial expanse.

"Do not let them escape."

At that very moment, Patriarch Tianya cried out.

Eldrin looked up and saw the Yin-Yang Ancient Beast had already activated the Yin-Yang Treasure Gourd, tearing through the void as it fled deep into the primordial chaos.

Without the slightest hesitation, all 3 began their pursuit.

Just as the 3 of them had pursued it for hundreds of years and were on the verge of catching up to the Yin-Yang Ancient Beast, Eldrin suddenly sensed something amiss and urgently cried out, "Dodge, now!"

Clang—

In that very instant, a celestial spear tore through the primordial chaos, aimed directly at the foremost Elder of the Distant Shores.

For thousands of years of great war had severely depleted the mana of Sky’s End Elder. Caught off guard by this sudden ambush, he found himself unable to evade in time and could only barely muster the strength to activate the 10 1000 Abysses Ancient Cauldron to block the strike.

Alas, in that fleeting moment, the power of the 10 1000 Abysses Ancient Cauldron had not been driven to its peak. In but an instant, the immortal spear pierced through the protective aura conjured by the cauldron, cleanly severing the body of the Heaven's Edge Patriarch in 2.

"Ah—"

Tianya Ancestor let out a wretched scream, abandoning even half of his physical form as he desperately scrambled backward in retreat.

Seizing the opportunity, Eldrin, who had caught up, channeled all his power to merge the twin Li Fire Swords of the Returning Abyss, blocking the divine spear’s second surge of energy and finally rescuing the Heaven-Reaching Elder.

The Celestial Maiden seized this opportunity to unfurl her Primordial Treasure Lotus, enveloping Patriarch Tianya’s physical form in its protective radiance.

"Your injuries..."

Gazing at the injuries sustained by the Heaven’s End Elder, the Celestial Maiden could not help but ask.

Let's go!

Without the slightest hesitation, Eldrin decisively fled toward the rear with Patriarch Tianya, simultaneously activating the 5-Colored Divine Light to retrieve the severed half of Patriarch Tianya's physical form.

At the moment of parting, Eldrin glanced back and saw a majestic figure holding an immortal spear faintly visible within that chaos.

Meanwhile, the Primordial Chaos Beast of Yin and Yang also came under assault. 3 majestic and imposing Ancient Immortal Elders joined forces, and within a few moves, they severely wounded 2 of the Chaos Beasts.

"It's them!"

Eldrin murmured inwardly, a trace of solemnity flickering in his gaze.

The Celestial Maiden's expression also turned slightly grave, clearly recognizing the figures of those who had made their move.

The 1 who had struck was none other than that 4-Tribulations Ancient Immortal they had encountered earlier at another shallow shoal of chaos.

Tianya Ancestor coughed weakly, his face ashen, and spoke, "It seems those 4 failed to reap sufficient gains in the Chaotic Sea, which is why they’ve descended upon this place."

"Ancient Immortal of 4 Calamities, I shall remember this day of ambush..."

Tianya Ancestor's face turned cold. He wanted to say more, yet ultimately fell into silence.

He had only recently broken through to the 3 Tribulations Ancient Immortal realm, his foundation barely solidified. To shatter the barrier of spiritual power, he would need to fully consolidate his cultivation and seize a sufficient opportunity of fate.

若是不能打破法力天关，以他们现在的实力，想要报仇怕是千难万难。

With this thought in mind, Patriarch Tianya refrained from uttering any final threats, allowing himself to be escorted by the 2 figures as they vanished into the depths of the void.

"He's quite the swift runner."

At the same time, the towering figure within the chaos let out a cold sneer, retrieving the Immortal Spear into his grasp before hurling it forth with immense force. It pierced through the Primal Yang Ancient Beast in an instant, and the remaining Primal Yin Ancient Beast soon followed suit, meeting the same fate.

At that very moment, the 3 Ancient Immortals withdrew the Chaos Ancient Beast.

1 of the men clad in violet-gold armor glanced at Eldrin and the others, then turned his gaze toward the towering figure. "Shall we give chase?" he asked.

The towering figure holding the celestial spear shook his head, calmly tossing the Yin-Yang Gourd in his hand as he remarked, "2 Third-Tribulation Ancient Immortals. Though I managed to severely wound 1 through ambush."

“But if they’re solely focused on fleeing, they’ll still be difficult to capture.”

"Rather than wasting time hunting them down, it would be better to seize this Chaotic Shoal first."

As she spoke, she gazed at the Yin-Yang Gourd in her hand and murmured, "The Primordial Yin-Yang Gourd... Could it be that the Primordial Yin-Yang Vine still exists here?"

The other 3’s eyes lit up at these words. A man in white couldn’t resist exclaiming, “A single top-grade Heavenly Spiritual Root (Spiritual Root) is worth 10 times the value of an innate ancient treasure of the same rank!”

"If we could obtain it, we might just be able to attempt a breakthrough to the 4 Tribulations Ancient Immortal realm."

The man holding the immortal spear also nodded, his eyes blazing as he declared, "There's no time to waste. Let's first investigate that Chaos Nest."

As the words fell, all 4 of them soared through the void, heading toward the location of the Chaos Immortal Gourd's nest.

They soared through the skies, arriving swiftly at the Chaos Gourd Nest. Yet the moment they laid eyes upon it, their expressions shifted imperceptibly.

Deep within the Chaotic Immortal Gourd Nest, they discovered a gourd vine shimmering with 7-colored immortal light.

"By the heavens! A supreme-grade Postnatal Heavenly Spiritual Root (Spiritual Root), the innate 7-Colored Gourd Vine?"

"After them!"

Meanwhile, Eldrin and the Celestial Maiden, carrying the Ancient of the Remotest Edge, continued to tear through the void until they arrived at the heart of a misty shoal shrouded in primordial chaos.

The Celestial Maiden glanced behind her, then took a deep breath and said, "Fortunately, they didn't follow us."

Without another word, Eldrin (Person Name) summoned and refined a vast quantity of Innate Spiritual Water, feeding it to the Ancient 1 of the Endless Skies.

Tianya Ancestor downed over a dozen portions of Primordial Spirit Water in succession. Only after barely recovering a fraction of his injuries did he finally speak, his face ashen.

"That man is utterly treacherous. His cultivation clearly far surpasses ours, yet he would still resort to a sneak attack."

"This time, had it not been for the rescue from you 2, this old man would likely have met his end here."

At this point, Patriarch Tianya couldn't help but show a flicker of lingering fear in his expression.

Eldrin's expression turned grave. Though he had not broached the subject, he now spoke solemnly: "This individual has arrived at the Chaotic Shoals. With Senior Tianya still recovering from his injuries, I fear a direct confrontation would be... unwise."

"This Chaotic Shoal is not a place where we can linger any longer, I fear."

The Celestial Maiden also nodded, her expression turning grave as she asked, "Then what should we do? Should we return to the Ziyang Immortal Realm?"

Elder Tianya also revealed an expression of extreme gravity upon hearing this. Rising to his feet, he declared, "Let us return at once. We shall first recover from our injuries and replenish our spiritual power, then devise a long-term strategy."

"I cannot go back."

But at this very moment, Eldrin declared with unwavering resolve.

Tianya Patriarch and the Celestial Maiden both paused briefly upon hearing this, involuntary expressions of confusion appearing on their faces.

At this very moment, Eldrin grew even calmer in his heart. He paused briefly in contemplation, then spoke: "They didn't pursue us earlier—what do you suppose is the reason?"

Reason?

The Celestial Maiden was taken aback for a moment before responding thoughtfully, "It's because they need to deal with the Yin-Yang Ancient Beast, explore this shallow expanse of primordial chaos, and pursuing us would be time-consuming and laborious. In the end, they might not have absolute confidence in achieving victory."

"Indeed, they have greater interests at stake. Moreover, if we were to burn our essence blood and vital origin to flee, they wouldn't have full confidence in catching us."

Eldrin spoke with an air of detachment, then added with utmost gravity, "But what if they journey to the Chaos Gourd Nest and discover that supreme-grade Primordial Ancient Tree?"

"You mean the Innate 7-Colored Gourd Vine?"

Tianya Ancestor's face instantly turned deathly pale upon hearing this.

Eldrin nodded and said, "The Innate 7-Colored Gourd Vine ranks 30-third on the Heavenly Spiritual Root leaderboard. Even among top-tier innate ancient trees, this treasure is considered peerless."

Most crucially, the 7 gourds it bore each contained the power of Yin, Yang, and the 5 Elements.

"With 7 such Primordial Treasures combined into a single formation, this must be the supreme formation artifact of unparalleled power."

At this point, both of them fully understood the implications, their hearts sinking like stones.

Each of these 7 Primordial Calabash treasures was merely a 12-pattern Primordial Treasure. Individually, none could stir the heart of a Fourth Tribulation Ancient Immortal.

But if all 7 were combined to form a Grand Yin-Yang 5 Elements Gourd Formation, it would likely become a treasure capable of driving even Fifth or Sixth Tribulation Ancient Immortals to madness.

That ancient immortal who had weathered 4 tribulations appeared to have ordinary combat prowess, but if they obtained these 7 innate ancient treasure gourds, their battle strength would likely instantly soar to the level of a 6-tribulation ancient immortal.

At that time, that Fourth Tribulation ancient immortal could effortlessly slay a Fifth Tribulation ancient immortal despite the realm gap, and might even dare to challenge a Sixth Tribulation ancient immortal.

Faced with such a treasure, even that 4 Calamity Ancient Immortal and the several 3 Calamity Ancient Immortals by his side would be driven to madness.

For once they obtained the complete set of Precious Calabash, their path of cultivation would undoubtedly become smooth sailing. While it would be too bold to claim they could break through to the realm of 7 Tribulations Ancient Immortals, their chances of reaching 6 Tribulations Ancient Immortals would be substantially enhanced.

At this thought, a faint pallor washed over Patriarch Tianya’s face. Finally, he spoke, “If I were them, I would spare no cost to hunt us down beyond the Violet Sun Immortal Realm.”

"Even if it means burning my essence blood, even if the cost is unimaginable, I must obtain the complete set of Yin-Yang Treasure Gourds."

"So it shall be."

Eldrin also nodded, his expression turning exceptionally grave as he said, "That’s why I believe returning to the Violet Sun Immortal Realm would be no different from walking right into a trap."

Hearing this, the Celestial Maiden spoke with utmost gravity, "Since we cannot return, what should we do then?"

"I shall conceal myself with the mists of chaos, seeking a Chaos Nest to cultivate in seclusion."

Eldrin spoke slowly, then turned his gaze to the 2 of them. "Over these years, by harnessing the pressure of this Chaotic Shoal, the bottleneck in my comprehension of the Dao Principles has significantly weakened."

"I intend to seize this opportunity to comprehend the 5 Elements Dao contained within the 5 innate ancient gourd treasures, and see if I can advance my Innate Primordial Chaos Wuji Dao Principle to the Great Perfection realm."

Elder Tianya also nodded upon hearing this and said, "Once you succeed in your cultivation, both the depth and quality of your spiritual power are bound to increase tremendously."

"By then, within this chaos, I may possess combat prowess rivaling that of the ancient immortals."

The Celestial Maiden also nodded and said, "Within the chaos, Eldrin (Person Name) can unleash his full power, and he can even directly refine the waters of chaos to restore his magic power."

"I suspect that once he breaks through, his combat prowess should rank among the pinnacle of First Tribulation Ancient Immortals—perhaps even rivaling that of Second Tribulation Ancient Immortals directly."

Although that 4-Tribulation Ancient Immortal possessed formidable power, the suppression of the Chaos Sea likely limited them to exerting only the strength of a 3-Tribulation—or perhaps even a mere 2-Tribulation—Ancient Immortal.

"As long as Eldrin can achieve a breakthrough, we might still have a chance to protect ourselves."

Eldrin nodded and said, "Then let's find a shallow Chaos Shoal to hide in. This will also give Senior Tianya a chance to recover from his injuries."

The Ancient 1 of the Distant Skies nodded, acknowledging Eldrin's (Person Name) suggestion.

He pondered briefly before asking, "Then which Chaotic Shoal should we head to?"

Eldrin (Person Name) pondered briefly before saying, "The darkest place is under the lamplight. Let's head to that Chaotic Shoal they previously explored."

"Good idea."

Upon hearing this, both of their eyes lit up as they agreed with Eldrin's perspective.

Seeing that both of them agreed, Eldrin no longer hesitated. He immediately shrouded their movements with chaotic mists and silently departed from this shallow chaos shore, heading toward that other chaotic shoal.

They carefully concealed their auras along the journey, spending 3 1000 years before finally arriving at the shallow shores of chaos.

After arriving at the Chaos Shallows, the 3 of them proceeded with caution and finally located a Chaos Nest of the 9th-rank, superior grade.

This Chaos Nest Immortal had already been plundered, with all its innate qi completely stripped away, and the primordial chaos beasts within had all been slain.

After the 3 of them infiltrated the area, they immediately set up a concealment array, only then allowing themselves a slight sigh of relief.

Eldrin inspected the Chaos Lair thoroughly and, after confirming there were no dangers, said to the Celestial Maiden, "Both Senior Tianya and I must enter seclusion. We would be deeply grateful if you could stand guard for us this time."

The Celestial Maiden nodded, her expression turning grave as she said, "Rest assured, I shall take charge of the guardian duties."