Chapter 1986 : The Slumbering Chaos Vial

Eldrin Chen had anticipated that upon entering the Immortal Cosmos Hall, he would face trials of unimaginable difficulty.

To his astonishment, however, the Immortal Cosmos Hall was enveloped in profound silence, devoid of any living presence. At the hall's very center, a single ethereal vial drifted in serene suspension.

It hovered in boundless stillness, akin to a Primordial Chaos vase that had existed since the dawn of Sugu [the Beginning of Time], radiating an eternal light of Void [the primordial state of non-being and potential].

"A Chaos Spiritual Treasure… the Chaos Void-Refining Vial."

Eldrin Chen murmured softly, a flicker of awe igniting within his pupils.

This treasure before him was none other than the Chaos Void-Refining Vial, a Chaos Spiritual Treasure [a supreme artifact born from the primordial chaos] that once shook the Immortal Cosmos Origin Domain with its might.

The Chaos Void-Refining Vial was a spatial-attribute Chaos Spiritual Treasure, ranked among the top ten supreme treasures across the myriad domains of the Heavenly Abyss during the Primordial Era.

This vessel possessed the wondrous ability to refine the Void Heavens. It was one of the three Chaos Spiritual Treasure belonging to the Immortal Cosmos Dao Progenitor, long thought lost with the disappearance of the Immortal Cosmos Ancient Ancestor. Who could have imagined it lay concealed within this Immortal Cosmos Treasury?

With this thought, Eldrin Chen suppressed the surge of excitement in his heart. He stepped forward to stand before the Chaos Void-Refining Vial. Detecting no anomalies, he cautiously attempted to draw the treasure toward him.

Contrary to all expectations, the Chaos Void-Refining Vial offered no resistance. It drifted obediently into the palm of Eldrin Chen's hand.

Only at this moment did Eldrin Chen discover that the artifact spirit of the Chaos Void-Refining Vial had long since fallen into a profound and deep slumber.

"The artifact spirit slumbers, seemingly having suffered unprecedented and grievous wounds,"

Eldrin Chen murmured. After fruitless attempts to rouse the spirit, he could only store the vial away.

The Void-Refining Vial was a Chaos Spiritual Treasure [a supreme treasure born from primordial chaos]; one would need at least the cultivation of the Late Primordial Chaos Emperor Lord Realm [an advanced stage of power over primordial chaos] to barely unleash a sliver of this ultimate treasure's might.

Had the artifact spirit not been dormant, Eldrin Chen could have communicated with it to channel a portion of its power. But now, with the Void-Refining Vial's spirit lost to slumber, the artifact was, for the time being, rendered useless.

With a sigh of resignation, Eldrin Chen stored the Chaos Void-Refining Vial and turned his gaze to survey the Immortal Cosmos Ancient Hall.

The vast expanse of the Immortal Cosmos Ancient Hall was almost entirely empty, holding no treasures save for the Void-Refining Vial.

"No treasures remain at all?"

Eldrin Chen was taken aback. He ventured into the inner courtyards of the immortal hall, only to find the Immortal Herb Garden [a garden cultivating plants of immortal grade], the Immortal Pill Hall [a hall for refining immortal-grade elixirs], the Artifact Forging Hall [a hall for crafting magical artifacts], and other such pavilions all sealed shut by powerful restrictive formations.

By all accounts, these immortal halls should have contained trials left by the Immortal Cosmos Dao Progenitor. Passing these trials would grant one the Opportunity [a chance encounter or resource vital for advancement] held within. Yet now, there were no trials to be found, and the seals barring entry could not be breached.

"Because Immortal Cosmos Ancient Ancestor was specifically targeted, causing the trial here to also become void?"

Eldrin Chen murmured inwardly. He had a nagging sense that something was amiss, yet the underlying reason remained obscured from his sight. In the end, he could only depart.

After stepping out of the Immortal Cosmos Treasury, Eldrin Chen could not help but let a smile touch his lips.

Regardless, this journey had yielded the most precious Chaos Void-Refining Vial. The gain from this single item alone was enough to surpass all others.

As he had not tarried too long within the Immortal Cosmos Ancient Hall, Eldrin Chen emerged relatively early. The others were still within the treasury and had not yet come out.

Seeing this, Eldrin Chen decided to remain and continue his secluded cultivation within the Immortal Cosmos Ancient Hall. In his spare time, he sorted through the gains from this venture and discovered he had already gathered the five key medicinal catalysts required for the High Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure level: those for Pure Yang, Profound Nether, Chaos Metal, Life, and Source Earth.

These rare treasures were the crucial medicinal catalysts for cultivating the Five True Spirit Divine Runes. Without delay, Eldrin Chen immediately began refining the five treasures to transform his True Spirit Divine Runes.

Aided by the five rare treasures, Eldrin Chen's Five True Spirit Divine Runes began their transformation at once. As time flowed, the five great divine runes started to grow with astonishing speed, until one day they finally reached their limit.

With a thunderous, resonant boom, Eldrin Chen felt the Five True Spirit Divine Runes within his body complete another metamorphosis, ascending into the Great Accomplishment [the highest stage of mastery] realm.

"The True Spirit Divine Runes have reached the Great Accomplishment stage."

Eldrin Chen murmured inwardly, once more channeling the True Spirit Divine Runes to empower himself. He discovered that within these runes lay hidden a power as profound as the abyss and as vast as the sea. Once Eruption [a state of explosive power release], it could effortlessly pierce the heavens and rend the boundless Chaos Space-Time [the fabric of reality itself].

Setting aside these thoughts, Eldrin Chen sorted through his own cultivation system. He found that among his three foundational pillars, his Chaos Indestructible Body had already reached the Seventh Layer Great Luo Golden Immortal [the seventh stage of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm]. Crucially, his Five True Spirit Divine Runes had also reached the Great Perfection stage.

Furthermore, his Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] cultivation had stepped into the Seventh Layer Great Luo Golden Immortal. All three of his Innate Divine Abilities [divine powers inherent to one's nature] and his Five True Spirit Divine Abilities had likewise attained Great Perfection.

His comprehension of the Great Dao [the fundamental principle of existence] had progressed even further, nearing the Eighth Layer Great Luo Golden Immortal. Having refined such a vast quantity of Dao Source [the primordial source essence of the Dao], his advancement would likely be astonishingly swift until he broke through to Great Luo Golden Immortal Great Perfection.

This brought a surge of joy to Eldrin Chen. A faint smile touched his lips as he whispered to himself, "The accumulation within my three foundational pillars is now sufficient. From here, I need only focus wholeheartedly on elevating my cultivation base."

With this thought, Eldrin Chen stepped out from the Immortal Cosmos Ancient Hall and into the Celestial Stairway, waiting there for the others to conclude their secluded cultivation.

Before long, the others began to emerge one after another. Each face bore a look of satisfaction, having obtained harvests of varying but significant value.

The first to emerge was Lyra Jiang. Her expression bright with pleasure, she said, "I obtained several portions of Innate Primordial Qi [the primordial energy present at the dawn of creation]. It seems this will grant me greater certainty when I later attempt my breakthrough to the Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch realm."

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod of acknowledgment but offered no further comment.

As the rest of the group finished their cultivation and gathered, Eldrin Chen observed that nearly every person present had acquired several strands of the precious Innate Primordial Qi.

Xianchang Chen [Chen Xianchang], Lila [Lila], Yvonne the Violet Consort [Yvonne the Violet Consort], and others even obtained the supreme treasures left behind by the three Immortal Sages, all of which were peerless objects capable of Heaven-Defying Fate Alteration [altering one's destiny against the will of heaven].

Among them, Xianchang Chen [Chen Xianchang] obtained a portion of Profound Abyss Divine Marrow [a primordial essence from the depths of the abyss], Lila [Lila] gained a portion of Frost Soul Immortal Source [the immortal origin of a frost-bound soul], and Yvonne the Violet Consort [Yvonne the Violet Consort] received a piece of Chaos Fire Jade [a jade born from primordial chaos and flame].

These three treasures were all Chaos Rare Treasure [rare treasures born from primordial chaos] of extraordinary value, and moreover, they were supreme treasures that could assist in breaking through to the Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch [the realm of a sovereign emperor born from primordial chaos].

If these three were to use them in the future to break through to the Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch [the realm of a sovereign emperor born from primordial chaos], there was a theoretical possibility they could cultivate an additional True Spirit Foundation [a foundation of true spirit] once more.

Eldrin Chen [Eldrin Chen] tallied the gains and discovered that, apart from Drayan Taicang [Drayan Taicang], the group had collectively obtained more than twenty portions of Innate Primordial Qi [the innate energy of primordial chaos], along with dozens of other various rare treasures.

Having received such an Opportunity [a rare chance or favorable circumstance in cultivation], the critical resources they would need in the future to break through to the Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch [the realm of a sovereign emperor born from primordial chaos] had been largely resolved.

"It seems the karmic ties between us and the Immortal Cosmos Origin Domain [the primordial realm where the immortal cosmos originated] have grown immense without us even realizing it."

After understanding everyone's harvest, Eldrin Chen [Eldrin Chen] could not help but let out a soft sigh, a trace of profound reflection coloring his expression.

Hearing his words, the others also nodded slightly in agreement.

To receive another's grace is to incur a debt of karma. Having obtained so many Opportunity [rare chances or favorable circumstances in cultivation], they could not possibly stand idly by when the denizens of the Immortal Cosmos Origin Domain [the primordial realm where the immortal cosmos originated] eventually awakened.

For the various Sages of the Immortal Cosmos Origin Domain to awaken once more is likely no simple matter.

Given their current strength, they would be less than mere cannon fodder before such profound karmic forces.

Contemplating this, Verdant Consort spoke, "We must cultivate diligently. Only by reaching the level of a Sage Ascendant might we barely qualify to offer a sliver of assistance."

"To truly become a player on this Chaos board and lend a hand to their revival, one must first step into the realm of a Chaos Celestial Emperor."

Eldrin Chen listened and gave a slight, thoughtful nod.

He offered no further words, leading the group down the celestial staircase. Only when they reached its end did Eldrin Chen speak again, "Once we exit, we may face schemers."

"Stay close by my side. Do not wander from my protection."

Everyone nodded solemnly, their expressions turning grave.

Seeing this, Eldrin Chen activated the Ancient Immortal Cosmos Token. In an instant, they were transported onto a formation platform amidst the Primordial Chaos Desolate Sea.

Upon arriving, Eldrin Chen immediately stepped off the platform to depart, only to find infinite formation patterns spreading across heaven and earth. They coalesced into Great Dao Divine Chain [divine chains forged from the principles of the Great Dao], sealing off this entire expanse of the Primordial Chaos Desolate Sea.

"They have come swiftly."

Eldrin Chen spoke, a glint of cold light flashing in his eyes.

From within the endless Void [the primordial emptiness from which all things emerge], several majestic figures strode forth, shattering the firmament. At their head was Profound Nether Emperor Lord, who sneered and declared, "Eldrin, the Abyssal Daoist [a title for a master of the profound and abyssal Dao], where do you think you can flee to now?"

"Profound Nether Emperor Lord, Desolate Ape Emperor Lord, Golden Spirit Ancient Progenitor, and Eternal Life Emperor Lord—four Emperor Lord [a supreme title for a ruler among cultivators] laying a trap to besiege me. You have truly spared no effort."

Eldrin Chen spoke slowly, his tone grave. "However, with just the few of you, I doubt you could have woven a killing formation of this magnitude alone."

As he spoke, Eldrin Chen gazed skyward. There, a magnificent cauldron soared through the heavens, radiating boundless Void power that pressed down upon the entire Primordial Chaos Desolate Sea [a vast, turbulent ocean of primordial chaos].

"The Innate Supreme Treasure [a treasure born from the primal forces of the cosmos], the Kui Heaven Furnace. I've heard this is the supreme treasure of the Kui Bull Ancestral Court."

"Hmph, you have a keen eye."

At that moment, from the depths of the Void, an immeasurably majestic figure approached.

His form was towering and vast, akin to a deity-demon from the Primordial Era [the mythic age of creation]. He tore through the sky, radiating a light like an eternal sun. A mere wisp of his slanted aura stirred endless Chaos Tsunamis [tidal waves of raw, destructive chaos energy], causing the vast Primordial Chaos Desolate Sea to churn with savage fury.

"The Third Elder of the Primordial Kui Bull Clan — Blended Sun Divine Venerable!"

Eldrin Chen spoke, a glint of solemnity flashing in his eyes.

In the days when the Kui Bull Celestial Emperor still walked the world, the Primordial Kui Bull Clan lineage boasted several dozen Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch. Yet, ever since the Kui Bull Celestial Emperor was defeated and fled into the Primordial Chaos Desolate Sea, the once-mighty Primordial Kui Bull Clan had lost more than half its power. Only a little over twenty Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch remained in existence.

This Blended Sun Divine Venerable was the Third Elder of the Primordial Kui Bull Clan, and his cultivation was unfathomably profound, having reached the eighth layer of the Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch realm.

At this moment, the four Emperor Lord—including Profound Nether Emperor Lord—wore expressions of utmost gravity. They respectfully stepped back and bowed to the Blended Sun Divine Venerable, saying, "We pay our respects to the Divine Venerable."

"No need for such formalities!"

Blended Sun Divine Venerable waved a dismissive hand, his gaze lowering to fix upon Eldrin Chen. "So it is you," he intoned, his voice resonating with power. "You who meddled in my son's Great Dao Contention [a pivotal struggle for supremacy over a fundamental cosmic principle], leading to his demise?"

Eldrin Chen remained utterly calm. He simply looked towards the Depths of Chaos and said, "Esteemed Seniors, since I have drawn out the Blended Sun Divine Venerable for you, the rest is in your hands."

"Trouble!"

The Blended Sun Divine Venerable's expression shifted. He immediately sought to recall the Kui Heaven Furnace [a legendary cauldron of immense power] and make his escape, but alas, it was already too late.

Yet from within the boundless Depths of Chaos [the primordial, formless expanse from which all things originate], a golden fist shot forth, cleaving through the void with blinding radiance to strike Blended Sun Divine Venerable squarely, sending him hurtling through the air, blood spraying from his lips.

Close on its heels, a figure clad in golden battle armor strode through the air, his expression placid as he regarded Blended Sun Divine Venerable. "Morgrim, the Blended Sun," he said, his voice cool. "It has been a while."

"You!"

Blended Sun Divine Venerable's countenance shifted dramatically, a mixture of shock and fury flashing in his eyes as he stared at the golden figure.

Eldrin Chen's gaze flickered with recognition as he recalled this person's origins. After the Ant Celestial Emperor [the supreme ruler of the Chaos Ant lineage] achieved his Dao, he had sired three peerless Imperial Scions, each a pure-blooded Chaos Imperial Extreme Ant.

The Sainthood through the Flesh [a cultivation path focused on perfecting the physical body and bloodline] lineage faced great difficulty in propagating its bloodline. Yet, whenever an Imperial Scion was born, they invariably inherited their progenitor's astounding talent and potent heritage.

The Imperial Scions of the Ant Celestial Emperor were no exception. The youngest, Tianxing, was still in his youth and thus not yet a topic of discussion.

But his eldest son, 'Heaven's Slaughter', possessed talent that overshadowed his generation. He had carved a path of utter dominance through the entire Seven Domains of the Southern Abyss, leaving no rival standing in his wake.

Though he had not yet stepped into the realm of a Sage Ascendant [a supreme cultivator who has glimpsed the threshold of Sagehood], he had already cultivated seven True Spirit Divine Form [divine abilities that manifest the true essence of one's spirit], his combat prowess verging on that very domain.

The second son, 'Heaven's Extinction', possessed a physical constitution rare even across the annals of time. Having only recently attained the Great Perfection of Primordial Emperor Lord [the pinnacle stage for an Emperor Lord cultivator], and having cultivated merely three True Spirit Divine Form, his battle strength was nonetheless sufficient to sweep through the realm of Great Emperors, finding no worthy opponent.

The figure before them was none other than the second son of the Ant Celestial Emperor, 'Heaven's Extinction Great Emperor'.

Now, witnessing Heaven's Extinction Great Emperor charge forth to kill, the expression of Blended Sun Divine Venerable shifted repeatedly, betraying his alarm.

He drew a deep breath, his face etched with profound gravity, and declared, "It is you. So, you have been scheming against me all along?"

"You old turtle. If not for this opportunity, it would have been truly difficult to catch you."

Heaven's Extinction sneered as he spoke. With a flick of his sleeve, he summoned a golden Divine Spear and thrust it forward, its unstoppable divine power aimed at Blended Sun Divine Venerable. In the span of a single breath, a world-shaking battle Eruption.

Blended Sun Divine Venerable roared with fury, his voice thick with bitter resentment. "Do you truly believe I fear you?"

In that fleeting moment, he commanded the Kui Heaven Furnace to descend and suppress his foe, engaging Heaven's Extinction in a cataclysmic duel.

Eldrin Chen led the others away from the battlefield. Only then did he realize that the four Emperor Lord—including Profound Nether—had already seized the chance to disengage and flee the fray, seeing the tide turn against them.

Against this, Eldrin Chen could do nothing.

Given the strength of these Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch, if they were determined to flee for their lives, even a cultivator at the Late Primordial Chaos Emperor Lord Realm might not be able to stop them.

Unless one possesses a spatial treasure of the Innate Supreme Treasure [the highest tier of magical artifacts, born from the primal laws of the cosmos] level to seal the space, it is fundamentally impossible to utterly annihilate such an entity.

Contemplating this, Eldrin Chen turned his gaze toward the heart of the battlefield, a flicker of solemn gravity inevitably surfacing within his eyes.

The great battle within the Primordial Chaos Desolate Sea [a vast, primordial expanse of chaotic energies and desolate waters] raged on for hundreds of thousands of years. By the time the conflict finally ceased, Blended Sun Divine Venerable had been pierced through the collarbones by golden chains and was completely suppressed.

"Such a Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch [a supreme sovereign existence born from the Primordial Chaos, wielding authority over fundamental cosmic laws] is under the protection of the Great Dao [the fundamental principle governing all existence], making it nearly impossible to slay."

"Even if a Chaos Celestial Emperor [a supreme ruler presiding over a realm of primordial chaos] were to take action, they could only force such an enemy into a temporary slumber."

At that moment, Tianxing appeared beside Eldrin Chen as if from nowhere, speaking with a tone of resignation, "To deal with such foes, one must either have a Great Dao Adversary [a being whose very existence is anathema to the Great Dao, capable of severing its protections] intervene, or one must completely seal and suppress them."

Eldrin Chen nodded, a glimmer of understanding dawning in his eyes.

A Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch possesses an imperishable Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core and true essence of a cultivator] and enjoys the shelter of the Great Dao, rendering them virtually impossible to kill permanently.

Even if their physical body is destroyed, as long as their Primordial Spirit remains intact, reforging a new body is but a thought. At most, the newly forged body would require a significant price to restore it to its peak state.

Since the enemy cannot be slain, the only recourse is to use a treasure to seal and suppress them.

From what he knew, many Chaos Celestial Emperor would forge special Innate Supreme Treasure. For instance, Sage-King of the Grand Abyss's Grand Abyss Demon-Suppressing Pagoda, and Solar Celestial Emperor's Grand Yang Golden Pagoda, were both places designed to imprison such formidable foes.

Clearly, it seemed Ant Celestial Emperor also possessed a similar treasure, capable of suppressing a supreme Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch like Blended Sun Divine Venerable.

Seeing this, Tianxing understood his thoughts and said with a smile, "Within our Chaos Heaven Extreme Domain, there exists a forbidden ground specifically for imprisoning powerful enemies. It can suppress the cultivation base of those at the Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch level."

"Once their collarbones are pierced and shackled, they can be utterly sealed within."

Eldrin Chen nodded. He had heard some whispers about that forbidden place.

It was said that place was called the Forbidden Dao Abyss [a profound abyss that suppresses spiritual power but not physical strength]. It could suppress spiritual energy but not physical might. In ages past, before Ant Celestial Emperor achieved the Dao, He had once been imprisoned within the Forbidden Dao Abyss by Kui Bull Celestial Emperor.

Yet, Ant Celestial Emperor proved to be a peerless genius across the eons. Defying all odds, He used the very power of that prison to break through His physical limits, cultivating the Nine True Spirit Divine Forms [a supreme divine ability manifesting nine true spirit forms] and fought His way out with sheer force.

After emerging, Ant Celestial Emperor narrowly escaped the relentless pursuit of Kui Bull Celestial Emperor, ultimately fleeing into the Primordial Chaos Desolate Sea where He unexpectedly found the Opportunity to prove His Dao and ascend.

Recalling this, Eldrin Chen could not help but smile and say, "Imprisoning the descendant of Kui Bull Celestial Emperor within the Forbidden Dao Abyss would be a fitting way to settle the karma from your honored father's past."

Tianxing, however, shook his head and replied with a gentle smile, "Regarding that ancient grievance, ever since the Primordial Chaos Kui Ox was defeated and fled, my father has long since let it go. He no longer acts against the descendants of Kui Bull Celestial Emperor."

"We apprehended the Primordial Kui Bull Clan solely because they have repeatedly assassinated the younger generation of our Chaos Celestial Ant Clan."

As he spoke, Tianxing looked at Eldrin Chen and said, "We owe you our thanks for your aid this time. Capturing Blended Sun Divine Venerable would not have been easy otherwise."

Eldrin Chen offered a faint smile before replying, "And I must thank you for resolving a significant threat on my behalf."

"A mutually beneficial arrangement, then. Not a bad outcome."

Tianxing chuckled softly and, with a final wave of his hand, took his leave.

After his departure, Eldrin Chen's gaze sharpened. In a fleeting moment, through a rift in the Chaos, he glimpsed a golden figure that vanished as quickly as it appeared. The aura emanating from that figure was, astonishingly, even more formidable than that of Heaven's Extinction Great Emperor.

"Was that... Heaven's Slaughter Great Emperor?"

Eldrin Chen murmured the name, a flicker of profound astonishment passing through his eyes.