Chapter 1948 : The Path of Golden Ascension

"Then we shall simply wait a while longer," came the reply.

Eldrin Chen spoke, then continued, "Let us wait a little longer. Once my cultivation in the Great Path [the supreme cultivation art he practices] makes a breakthrough, perhaps we can attempt to seize it."

Hearing this, Energy Abyss Chen said no more, merely sighing, "Alas, I hope that after my own breakthrough, I can lend you a hand."

Eldrin Chen smiled faintly and said, "If the Patriarch attains the Great Path through the Path of Fleshly Body Sanctification [a supreme cultivation path focused on perfecting the physical body], he will undoubtedly possess an invincible stance among Great Encompassing Golden Immortals [the highest tier of immortal cultivators]."

With those words, neither of them spoke further on the matter.

After seeing off the Energy Abyss Patriarch, Eldrin Chen did not immediately delve into comprehending the Great Path. Instead, he began cultivating the Great Encompassing Golden Bamboo [a legendary spiritual plant] to refine Great Encompassing Gold [a supreme material for forging immortal treasures].

Since attaining the Great Path and becoming a Great Encompassing Golden Immortal, Eldrin Chen had already cultivated for three and a half Kalpa Tribulations [immense cosmic cycles, each spanning billions of years].

Exquisite Jiang, Nyssa Qu, and Gentle Deer had also cultivated for two and a half Kalpa Tribulations, and their cultivation bases had seen not insignificant progress.

This was especially true for their Great Encompassing Physiques [a supreme constitution granting immense physical power]. As they lacked no resources, they had begun consuming Great Encompassing Immortal Pills [pills of supreme grade for body refinement] and Indestructibility Golden Fruits [legendary fruits that grant durability] even during the first layer of their Great Encompassing Physique cultivation. This caused their physical cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds, saving a vast amount of time.

By now, the physical bodies of Exquisite Jiang, Nyssa Qu, and Gentle Deer had accumulated to perfection and they could attempt to break through to the mid-stage of the Great Encompassing Physique.

There were also Verdant Consort [a powerful female cultivator], Violet Consort Yan [a formidable female cultivator], Lila [a young cultivator], Ethan Chen [a cultivator of the Chen Clan], and others. Although they had only been on their path for one and a half Kalpa Tribulation [an immense cosmic cycle in Buddhist cosmology, often billions of years], thanks to the aid of vast resources, the growth of their physical cultivation could be described as advancing by leaps and bounds.

At most, they would only need to wait fifty million years. After refining the next batch of Great Encompassing Immortal Pill [a supreme pill that aids in cultivating the Great Encompassing physique] and Indestructibility Golden Fruit [a golden fruit that grants the power of indestructibility], they would qualify to attempt a breakthrough into the mid-stage of the Great Encompassing Physique [a supreme physical constitution that encompasses all things].

Thinking of this, Eldrin Chen [the patriarch of the Chen Clan] opened his alchemical furnace and refined several batches of Great Encompassing Golden Core [a supreme golden core cultivated through the Great Encompassing path].

Exquisite Jiang [a powerful female cultivator], Nyssa Qu [a cultivator], and Gentle Deer [a cultivator] each received one Great Encompassing Golden Core. They immediately entered seclusion to attempt their breakthrough into the Great Encompassing Physique. Not long after, they all successfully cultivated their Great Encompassing Physique to the mid-stage of the Great Encompassing [the supreme realm of cultivation that encompasses all].

For this breakthrough, the three also consumed some Indestructibility [the concept of being unbreakable and eternal] spiritual light. Eldrin Chen allocated six strands each to Exquisite Jiang and Nyssa Qu, while Gentle Deer consumed only three strands. In total, they expended fifteen strands of Innate Indestructibility Spirit Light [a primal spiritual light embodying the power of indestructibility].

Although the three had completed their breakthrough, their primary cultivation was the Great Path [the supreme cultivation art]. While they also practiced the Great Encompassing Physique, they had not cultivated any Bloodline Divine Ability [divine abilities passed down through one's bloodline] or True Spirit Divine Runes [divine runes of the true spirit]. Consequently, the overall increase in their combat prowess was not exceptionally large.

According to Eldrin Chen's estimation, their overall strength had only increased by ten to twenty percent. Though they had taken another step forward from an already lofty peak, they still had not reached the domain of a Seventh Layer Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [a Golden Immortal who has mastered the seventh layer of the Great Encompassing path].

In addition, the Reincarnation Body [a divine ability that creates an avatar through reincarnation] also received a Great Encompassing Golden Core, but it did not break through to the mid-stage of Great Encompassing.

The main reason was that the path of the Reincarnation Body was not yet fully perfected. Furthermore, the resources required for the Reincarnation Body's cultivation breakthrough were considerable, which is why it had not completed the final breakthrough.

In response to this, Eldrin Chen spent several million years. Based on the circumstances of the Reincarnation Body, he further perfected the Inner Immortal Domain Art [a cultivation art focused on developing an inner immortal domain] and the Ten Great Immortal Treasuries [a set of ten supreme divine abilities], ultimately creating the cultivation method for the Sacrificial Self Path [a profound cultivation path based on self-sacrifice] within the Great Encompassing Realm.

This time, Eldrin Chen merged the Ten Great Immortal Treasuries with the Inner Immortal Domain [a profound cultivation art that creates a personal, internal immortal realm]. He used the Inner Immortal Domain as the foundational cultivation base for the Sacrificial Self Path [a supreme cultivation method focused on refining one's own body and spirit through sacrifice], while employing the Ten Great Immortal Treasuries [a divine ability to manifest ten supreme treasures within oneself] to draw in and refine the Sea of Chaos Water [primordial waters from the chaos before creation, rich in primal energy]. This process served as the vital energy circulation pathway for the Inner Immortal Domain.

Furthermore, he used the Ten Great Immortal Treasuries, the foundational essence of his Immortal Domain [his personal internal immortal world], and the Path Principles [the fundamental laws and truths of the Great Dao] to continuously temper his Sacrificial Self Physique [a legendary body constitution forged through supreme self-sacrifice and refinement]. Countless Path Principles, cosmic rules, and divine abilities were engraved into the very fabric of his Sacrificial Self Physique, empowering it and augmenting its strength with every passing moment.

Ultimately, his body, the Inner Immortal Domain, the Ten Great Immortal Treasuries, and the Sacrificial Self Physique formed a perfect, self-sustaining cycle of immense power.

The Ten Great Immortal Treasuries drew upon the Sea of Chaos Water. Through the transformative power of these supreme treasures, the chaotic waters were refined into the purest foundational energy, which then nourished and caused the continuous growth of his Immortal Domain.

As the Immortal Domain expanded, countless worlds within it underwent cycles of creation and destruction, cosmic eras turned, life was born, aged, and died, all things entered Reincarnation [the cycle of death and rebirth], and the flow of Space-Time [the fabric of reality encompassing space and time] continued. The principles of Polarity [the duality of Yin and Yang], the Five Elements [the fundamental forces of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth], the Four Symbols [the four celestial beasts], the Eight Trigrams, and all other Path Principles grew increasingly profound and complete.

These perfected laws of the Great Path of Heaven and Earth [the supreme Dao encompassing all of creation] and their underlying Path Principles were then fully inscribed into his Sacrificial Self Physique. Every instant, this process augmented the formidable power contained within his physical form.

"RUMBLE—"

The very moment the cultivation method for the Great Encompassing [the Da Luo, a supreme realm of cultivation] realm of the Sacrificial Self Path was perfected, a violent tremor resonated throughout the Endless Chaos [the primordial, formless expanse that existed before the cosmos].

Countless Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [Da Luo Golden Immortals, beings who have attained the Da Luo realm] raised their heads, their gazes turning towards the supreme apex of Chaos. Within the indescribable depths of the Sea of the Great Path [the metaphysical ocean where all laws and Daos converge], a ripple of astonishment spread among these supreme beings.

There, within the vast and boundless Sea of the Great Path, a previously faint strand of the Great Path underwent an ultimate metamorphosis. It erupted with a radiance so dazzling it defied description, its brilliance momentarily eclipsing the splendor of the endless other Daos that flowed within that celestial sea.

"A newly born Great Path [a supreme cultivation system or law of the cosmos], yet it shines with a brilliance exceptionally dazzling and glorious."

"Which fellow Daoist created this Great Path? Judging by the scale of these celestial phenomena, it seems to possess the potential to break through the Limitless Great Path [the ultimate tier of cosmic laws]."

"Another Path Ancestor is born. Perhaps before long, our ranks will be joined by one more."

Within the Endless Chaos [the primordial, formless expanse beyond ordered realms], the various Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [the pinnacle realm of immortal cultivation] and Chaos Heavenly Emperor [titles for supreme rulers of chaos] conversed, many revealing a glimmer of acknowledgment in their expressions.

Meanwhile, within the Returning Abyss Immortal Domain, Eldrin Chen gazed upon his Reincarnation Body [a perfected clone or avatar formed through reincarnation] and could not help but feel a surge of joy.

From the very moment the cultivation method for the Great Encompassing [the final stage of the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal realm] of the Sacrificial Self Path [a cultivation path based on sacrifice and self-transcendence] was successfully created, Eldrin Chen discovered that the power of the Sacrificial Self Path within him had increased tremendously.

Almost instantaneously, the Sacrificial Self Path advanced to the Minor Achievement stage of a Great Path, its power multiplying severalfold. As the master of this Great Path, Eldrin Chen immediately realized its strength was now comparable to that of a Seventh Layer Great Encompassing Golden Immortal.

And this was merely the beginning. For every additional Great Encompassing Golden Immortal who cultivated the Sacrificial Self Path in the future, the power Eldrin Chen commanded would increase by another measure.

If three thousand beings were to cultivate the Sacrificial Self Path to the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal realm, the Path itself would become powerful enough to rival a Limitless Innate Great Path [an ultimate, primordial cosmic law]. Wielding the authority of this Great Path Authority [the conceptual power granted by mastering a Great Path], Eldrin Chen would be capable of contending with a Path Ancestor Immortal Sage [a supreme being who has merged with a cosmic Path], possessing combat power at the peak Sage Ascendant [a realm just below the Path Ancestors] level.

"The Great Encompassing cultivation method for the Sacrificial Self Path is finally preliminarily perfected."

Eldrin Chen murmured softly, a faint smile gracing his lips.

This time, having created the Great Encompassing method for the Sacrificial Self Path, future cultivators of this path could now directly break through the barrier between Path Ancestor Immortal Sage [the supreme realm where one becomes an Ancestor of a Great Path and an Immortal Sage].

Furthermore, the Immortal [a being who has attained immortality through cultivation] of the Sacrificial Self Path need not tread the road of Great Path Authority [the state of wielding the authority of a Great Dao Path], nor was it the same as Fleshly Body Sanctification [the path of refining one's physical body to sanctity] or Primordial Spirit Path Attainment [the path of cultivating one's Primordial Spirit to perfection].

The Sacrificial Self Path was an amalgamation of the three: Great Path Authority, Fleshly Body Sanctification, and Primordial Spirit Path Attainment. Externally, it possessed the Ten Great Immortal Treasuries [ten supreme repositories of immortal power], while internally, it incorporated an Immortal Domain [a personal realm or world cultivated within oneself].

Thus, even without the power of Great Path Authority, the Sacrificial Self Path would by no means be inferior to any Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [a Golden Immortal who has achieved the Great Encompassing realm].

In fact, the Sacrificial Self Path was even more comprehensive; the higher one's cultivation, the more formidable it became. Upon reaching the Late Stage Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [the advanced stage of the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal realm], a practitioner of this path would undoubtedly become a peerless existence, finding no equal among those of the same rank.

"What shall this Great Encompassing chapter of the Sacrificial Self Path be named?"

Eldrin Chen murmured thoughtfully, reflecting on the cultivation method of the Sacrificial Self Path. Finally, he declared, "The Sacrificial Self Art at the Great Encompassing realm is founded upon the Immortal Domain and the Ten Great Immortal Treasuries."

"Its essence is this: I am the Immortal Domain; I am the Myriad Heavens [the countless realms and heavens of existence]; I am all living beings. All things are me."

"Shall we call it the All-Self Realm?"

"Sacrificial Self [a profound cultivation art centered on sacrificing the old self to transcend limitations], all is me..."

Eldrin Chen murmured softly, a faint smile gracing his lips.

This Sacrificial Self Path [the cultivation path of the Sacrificial Self art], beginning with the sacrifice of the old self and advancing to the realm where all things are the self, where would its ultimate destination lie?

The Reincarnation Body [an avatar born from the cycle of rebirth] shook its head. After a long silence, it sighed and said, "Let us still call it the Great Encompassing [a supreme cultivation realm signifying boundless and transcendent power] realm. 'Great Encompassing' signifies boundlessness and transcendence. 'All is me' shall remain an internal designation within the Sacrificial Self Path."

"Agreed."

Eldrin Chen nodded, then looked at the Reincarnation Body and asked, "Having re-cultivated the All-Self Realm [a cultivation realm where the self and the universe are one], when will you be able to step into the mid-stage of the Great Encompassing?"

"One Kalpa Tribulation [a grand cosmic cycle of immense duration], will be more than sufficient!"

The Reincarnation Body replied with serene composure, a trace of profound tranquility flickering deep within its pupils.

Seeing this, Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod of approval. After a moment's thought, he summoned several dozen of his disciples and juniors, including Alistair Ye, Literature Abyss Lu, Fate Birth, Serene Child, Worthy Verdancy Chen, and Worthy Longevity Chen.

"We pay our respects to our Master, to our Father..."

Upon seeing Eldrin Chen, everyone immediately prostrated themselves respectfully on the Earthly Path [the foundational cultivation path that connects to the earth's spiritual veins].

Eldrin Chen swept his gaze over the assembly and gave a slight, approving nod. Those he had summoned this time were either his personal disciples, his direct bloodline descendants, or the remaining few who were top-tier Celestial Immortals [immortals who have ascended to the celestial realm] of truly exceptional talent.

It could be said that every person present held within them a sliver of hope to prove their path and attain the Great Encompassing Realm [the ultimate realm of cultivation, representing omnipotence and unity with the cosmos].

"Rise," he said.

With that thought, Eldrin Chen gestured, and an unseen force gently lifted the assembly to their feet.

After a moment of contemplation, he spoke again. "Each of you possesses the Great Encompassing Potential [an innate constitution with the latent capacity to reach the ultimate realm]. You are the most exceptional prodigies, the rarest geniuses within our clan."

"I have summoned you here today to entrust you with a task."

The assembled disciples exchanged glances. His eldest disciple, Alistair Ye, was the first to speak. "Please instruct us, Master."

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod and continued. "The Sacrificial Self Path [a profound cultivation method focused on self-transcendence through sacrifice] that I founded has now been perfected to the Great Encompassing Realm, stepping into the domain of a Minor Accomplishment Innate Great Path [a supreme cultivation method born from the fundamental laws of the universe]."

"However, for this Path to achieve Major Accomplishment, it requires the birth of nine Great Encompassing Golden Immortals [Golden Immortals who have reached the Great Encompassing Realm] who walk the Sacrificial Self Path, to further refine and perfect the Great Path [the supreme cultivation method itself]."

"Therefore, I wish to select suitable candidates from among you to cultivate the Sacrificial Self Path [a profound cultivation art that requires immense personal sacrifice to empower the practitioner's chosen path]."

Upon hearing this, the assembled disciples were overcome with ecstatic joy.

They immediately offered their congratulations, exclaiming with delight, "Congratulations, Master! We rejoice for you! Your Great Path [the supreme cultivation art you have founded] has reached fruition, and the realm of a Path Ancestor [the ultimate sovereign of a cultivation path] is within sight."

"We are willing to dedicate ourselves solely to the Sacrificial Self Path, to contribute our strength to your Great Path."

Eldrin Chen smiled at their words and then spoke, "You must consider this carefully. The Sacrificial Self Path differs from ordinary Great Paths. This path is now under my sole authority; by cultivating it, you will not be able to attain Great Path Authority [the supreme authority and power that comes from founding one's own Great Path]."

"If I fail to create cultivation methods for realms beyond, you will be forever limited to the Great Encompassing Realm [a supreme cultivation realm of immense power and comprehension]."

His disciples merely smiled in response.

Fate Birth stood up resolutely, declaring with unwavering conviction, "Master, you granted me the grace of attaining the Dao. What does it matter if I cannot obtain Great Path Authority?"

"Moreover, the Sacrificial Self Path can lead one to the Great Encompassing Realm. That already places it among the mightiest arts within the Myriad Heavens [the infinite cosmos containing countless realms and worlds]. What have we to fear?"

Eldrin Chen nodded, a pleased smile finally gracing his features. "Since that is your resolve," he said, "those who wish to specialize in the Sacrificial Self Path may remain."

In the end, all the direct disciples chose to remain, and only a handful of the nominal disciples departed.

Gazing upon those who stayed, Eldrin Chen allowed a faint smile to grace his lips before speaking. "Since you have all chosen to stay, this master will not keep secrets from you."

"Although I dare not claim with absolute certainty that this path can be forged all the way to the Realm of Chaos [the primordial state before creation], I can make you this promise."

"Once you set foot upon the Great Encompassing Realm [the realm of a Great Encompassing Golden Immortal] via the Sacrificial Self Path, the Sacrificial Self Great Path [the supreme law of the Sacrificial Self Path] that I command shall also shelter your True Spirit [the immortal core of a Golden Immortal's being], granting it Indestructibility [the quality of being unbreakable and eternal]."

"So long as the Sacrificial Self Path endures, you shall endure alongside the Great Path. While you may not command the Great Path [the fundamental laws of the cosmos] yourselves, this is sufficient to avoid falling into Reincarnation [the cycle of death and rebirth] and is no weaker than a Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [a supreme immortal who has mastered a Great Path] who has walked the Path of Path Mastery [the orthodox path of mastering a fundamental law of existence]."

Hearing this, joy blossomed on the faces of all present.

Seeing their reaction, Eldrin Chen spoke again. "Follow me."

With those words, Eldrin Chen led the group deep into the heart of the Returning Abyss Forbidden Land.

To convert to the Sacrificial Self Path, one must sacrifice their old physical form, using its foundational cultivation as the fuel and nourishment for their new path.

Their cultivation realms were already profoundly advanced, making conversion to the Sacrificial Self Path an exceedingly arduous and perilous endeavor where the slightest misstep could lead to failure. However, there existed one clever, albeit unorthodox, method to facilitate the process.

This method involves using the Creation Great Path of the Creation Cauldron to sever their physical bodies, then using the foundation of their cultivation in this life as fuel to send them into Reincarnation [the cycle of death and rebirth].

This Reincarnation differs from the ordinary kind. They are not reborn in the mortal world, nor do they enter the Reincarnation Well to be cleansed of all past traces. Instead, they are directly reborn with their memories intact, using the very essence of the Immortal Domain [a higher realm of existence] as the source for their Reincarnation.

One could say that upon entering Reincarnation, they become Divine Spirits [powerful spiritual beings] nurtured by heaven and earth from their very inception.

In this process, they bypass the initial realms of the Sacrificial Self Path [a profound cultivation method focused on self-transcendence] and directly cultivate the Sacrificial Self Realm. Using everything from their past life and the essence of the Immortal Domain as fuel, they complete the Sacrificial Self ritual, forging a powerful new physical vessel for their being.

Of course, because this method employs a certain shortcut, they cannot absorb all their accumulated resources and foundational essence in one go.

They must start their cultivation anew from the 'Sacrificial Self Realm', step by step absorbing all the accumulated potential and foundation from their past lives, ultimately striving to cultivate back to the Cosmos Realm and the Immortal Treasury Realm.

According to Eldrin Chen's estimation, once these individuals have fully exhausted the potential from their past lives, at the very least several dozen of them should be able to cultivate to the Immortal Treasury Realm.

As for whether they can advance further, stepping into the Great Encompassing Realm, that will depend entirely on their own Opportunity and Fortune [the confluence of chance and destiny] and their capacity for Creation [the act of bringing new things into being, a profound concept].

In truth, Eldrin Chen holds great expectations for those who have chosen to specialize in the Sacrificial Self Realm this time.

Their starting point is exceptionally high, and with the Fortune [auspicious destiny] bestowed by the Sacrificial Self Path, their hope of breaking through to Great Encompassing is actually not low at all.

This was especially true for individuals like Alistair Ye, Literature Abyss Lu, Fate Birth, Worthy Verdancy Chen, and Worthy Longevity Chen. Each of them possessed truly peerless natural talent. Once they converted to cultivating the Sacrificial Self Path, their hope of breaking through to the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal realm would increase dramatically.

Most crucially, just as a Reincarnation Body could simultaneously cultivate both Reincarnation and the Space-Time Great Path, practicing the Sacrificial Self Path did not hinder one's progress on the Path of Path Mastery.

It was highly probable that when they attained the Great Encompassing realm through the Sacrificial Self Path, they would simultaneously master a Great Path and step onto the Path of Path Mastery. At that point, their combat prowess would rank among the very top of their peers.

Returning to the main thread, after arranging for everyone to specialize in the Sacrificial Self Path, Eldrin Chen could not help but let out a slight sigh of relief.

Following the Reincarnation Body, whether he could gather nine Great Encompassing practitioners of the Sacrificial Self Path was of paramount importance.

For once nine Great Encompassing masters of the Sacrificial Self Path were assembled, the Sacrificial Self Path would reach its Great Perfection stage. With Eldrin Chen wielding a perfected Great Path, his combat power would directly ascend into the domain of a Primordial One Imperial Lord.

Between a Primordial One Imperial Lord and a Great Encompassing Golden Immortal, there existed an insurmountable chasm.

Even an existence at the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal Great Perfection level, even if they unleashed a Forbidden Divine Ability, would find themselves with only the means to preserve their life when facing a true Primordial One Imperial Lord.

Clearly, unless Eldrin Chen's Three Great Foundations all reached the Late Stage Great Encompassing Golden Immortal level, it was impossible for him to possess combat strength of that magnitude.

"To promote the Sacrificial Self Path across the Three Thousand Immortal Domains, we must first guide it to its Great Perfection," he mused.

Eldrin Chen murmured inwardly, his pupils narrowing with a profound sense of gravity.

After assisting the others in severing their old mortal forms and beginning their cultivation of the Sacrificial Self Path [a profound cultivation method focused on self-sacrifice and rebirth], Eldrin Chen immediately returned to Returning Abyss Heaven [his personal celestial realm] to continue contemplating the power of the Great Path [the fundamental laws of the cosmos].

After many years of cultivation, Eldrin Chen's comprehension and accumulation of insights into the Great Path had gradually reached a state of completion.

Now, Eldrin Chen continuously refined the Enlightenment Tea [a mystical tea that enhances spiritual insight], meticulously deducing and perfecting the power of the Primordial One Limitless Great Path [the supreme cultivation art of limitless primordial unity].

After merely one million years, Eldrin Chen had deduced the principles of the Primordial One Ancient Metal to a minor mastery level, completing the first step of his breakthrough in the Great Path.

Following this, Eldrin Chen proceeded according to the principle of the Five Elements [the five fundamental elements of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water] generating one another, sequentially deducing the four Great Path of Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth.

By the time all five Great Path were fully deduced, Eldrin Chen discovered that five million years had already passed.

"It is time to break through."

Having completed the deductions, Eldrin Chen did not hesitate in the slightest. He immediately consumed a Great Path Immortal Pill [a supreme elixir that aids in comprehending the Great Path] to initiate his breakthrough.

The Great Path Immortal Pill possessed extraordinary efficacy, primarily enhancing a Great Encompassing Golden Immortal's [a high-level immortal realm] comprehension of the Great Path. Eldrin Chen needed only a single pill to shatter the bottleneck hindering his advancement.

For Eldrin Chen, breaking through the bottleneck did not require this pill; it was more about supplementing his Great Path Origin [the foundational essence of one's cultivation path] to complete his metamorphosis.

The moment he ingested the Great Path Immortal Pill, Eldrin Chen immediately felt his comprehension of the Great Path [his supreme cultivation method] surge forward by leaps and bounds. Seizing the opportunity, he proceeded to complete the evolution of his Chaos Limitless Great Path [a divine ability embodying boundless chaos].

As time flowed on, another five million years passed before the Chaos Limitless Great Path finally completed its transformation, ascending to become the Lesser Vehicle Chaos Limitless Great Path.

Witnessing this, Eldrin Chen swiftly fused ten strands of Innate Indestructibility Spirit Light [a primal, unbreakable spiritual radiance] into it, accomplishing the ultimate metamorphosis of the Primordial One Limitless Great Path [the supreme cultivation art of primordial unity and boundlessness].

"It is finally complete."

As the Primordial One Limitless Great Path took its final form, Eldrin Chen could not help but release a soft sigh.

"My comprehension talent is peerless across the ages, yet a single breakthrough consumed a full five million years. How did Purple Seal Immortal Lord [the Immortal Lord of the Purple Seal] manage to ascend directly to the Primordial One Imperial Lord Realm [the realm of a Primordial One Imperial Lord] in a mere few million years?"

"Could it be that the Chaos Cauldron [a legendary cauldron of chaos] is capable of altering the flow of time itself?"

Eldrin Chen was perplexed, yet the truth of that distant past remained beyond his sight.

In the end, he could only attribute it all to the heaven-defying efficacy of the Chaos Cauldron.

Since he could not unravel the mystery, Eldrin Chen had no choice but to set the thought aside and immediately turned his senses inward to perceive the power within his body.

At this moment, Eldrin Chen discovered that his power was no longer comparable to what it had been just days before.

For now, his physical body, his Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator], and his Great Path [the supreme cultivation art he follows] had all stepped into the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal Mid Stage, finally completing an indescribable qualitative transformation.

Any one of these three paths could rival a Seventh Layer Great Encompassing Golden Immortal. Yet, if he were to converge all three powers together, the might they could Burst [unleash in a sudden, explosive surge] would be sufficient to rival an Eighth Heaven of Great Encompassing.

Moreover, this power would not be weak even among the Eighth Heaven of Great Encompassing. By Eldrin Chen's estimation, it was at least on par with an Eighth Heaven of Great Encompassing who had laid down three Indestructibility Foundation [foundations of unyielding durability].

Of course, there were no weaklings among Late Stage Great Encompassing Golden Immortals. Among them were certainly those who had cultivated multiple Indestructibility Foundation, and some might even have forged a True Spirit Foundation [a foundation of pure, primordial spirit], enabling them to forcibly leap across realms and defeat a Great Encompassing Ninth Heaven cultivator.

Therefore, even with his current combat prowess, Eldrin Chen dared not claim absolute invincibility within the ranks of the Eighth Heaven of the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal.