Chapter 1993 : The Nine Immortals March to War

The fall of the four True Spirit Prodigies seems to have cast a shadow over this Kalpa Tribulation for the Demon Race, as not a single one of them ultimately managed to attain the Great Luo Realm.

After deducing the cause and effect of these events, Eldrin Chen received Silas Chen within the Abyssal Immortal Palace and remarked with a faint smile, "You have done well. You have dealt a blow to the arrogance of the Demon Race."

Silas Chen nodded in acknowledgment. After a moment of contemplation, he added, "During this Kalpa Tribulation, another figure from our past has also reawakened."

"Three Souls Emperor Lord has revived within this tribulation and has successfully attained the Realm of the Great Luo Golden Immortal."

A flicker passed through Eldrin Chen's eyes. He gave a noncommittal nod and stated, "A pitiable soul. Even if he has cultivated back to the Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch realm, he can hardly become a true threat now."

Having said this, Eldrin Chen looked at Silas Chen and continued, "I will be heading to the Starry Sky Battlefield. You shall remain in the Abyssal Immortal Domain to seclude yourself and consolidate your cultivation, and in the meantime, guard the Abyssal Immortal Domain on my behalf."

After seeing Silas Chen off, Eldrin Chen convened the Grand Luo Golden Immortal of the Chen Clan. Following their discussions, it was decided to dispatch nearly half of their Grand Luo Golden Immortal to participate in the conflict.

The chosen participants for this campaign were nine Grand Luo Golden Immortal: Eldrin Chen, Lyra Jiang, Verdant Consort, Nyssa Qu, Lila, Yvonne the Violet Consort, Daoxu Jiang, Ethan Chen, and Qiyuan Chen.

These nine represent the core combat strength of the current Chen Immortal Clan. Many among them have obtained Opportunity from the Immortal Cosmos Treasury, and their cultivation has now reached the Seventh Layer Great Luo Golden Immortal realm.

Most crucially, each has forged a True Spirit Foundation. Therefore, even though they have only recently entered the Seventh Layer Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, their combat prowess is already comparable to that of a ninth-layer Grand Luo Golden Immortal.

Among the most exceptional, figures such as Lyra Jiang, Verdant Consort, and Nyssa Qu possessed combat prowess that brushed against the very limits of the Grand Luo Golden Immortal realm. They were capable of facing three ordinary Great Luo Golden Immortal Great Perfection cultivators single-handedly.

Eldrin Chen chose these individuals not only for their formidable strength but also because they had recently broken through. For the next several Kalpa Tribulation [immense cosmic cycles], it was unlikely they would advance further.

As for the others, their cultivation remained at the early or middle stages of Grand Luo Golden Immortal. It was better for them to accumulate more foundation and heritage, and wait until they broke through to Late Great Luo Golden Immortal before taking turns to hone themselves in the crucible of the Starry Sky Battlefield.

Returning to the main point, after selecting the combatants, Eldrin Chen immediately mustered the Celestial Soldiers and Generals and set forth.

For this campaign, besides the nine Grand Luo combatants, the Abyssal Ruins Chen Clan also dispatched eighty million Celestial Soldiers and Generals. These troops represented the accumulated foundation and heritage of the Chen Immortal Clan over ten Kalpa Tribulation.

Nurtured by vast quantities of Nine Revolutions and even Ten Revolutions Immortal Pill [pills of supreme quality refined through ten cycles], the lowest cultivation among these Celestial Soldiers and Generals was the ninth layer of Celestial Immortal. Over thirty percent of them possessed power comparable to Ancient Immortal Great Powers.

The most outstanding among the Celestial General were even comparable to Eight Tribulation Ancient Immortal cultivators, their physical strength alone touching the very peak beneath the Grand Luo realm.

One could say that judging by the strength of these Celestial Soldiers and Generals alone, the foundation and heritage of the Chen Immortal Clan was on par with, if not surpassing, that of many Imperial Courts.

On this day, Eldrin Chen arrived at the Primordial Immortal Domain with his host of Heavenly Soldiers and Divine Generals. In an instant, they shattered the Vast Chaotic Void and, passing through the Starry Sky Gate, emerged upon the Celestial Mansion Imperial Star.

This was Eldrin Chen's second arrival at the Celestial Mansion Imperial Star. In the past, during his first descent to the lower realms, his own cultivation had been insufficient. Compelled by necessity, he had utilized the teleportation array of the Celestial Mansion Imperial Star to traverse the Boundless Void and reach his homeland, the Cosmos.

At that time, Eldrin Chen was but an insignificant figure among the countless Immortals [powerful beings who have ascended beyond mortality] of the Celestial Mansion Imperial Star. Yet now, upon his return to this celestial body, his status and standing were utterly incomparable to what they had been before.

This arrival at the Celestial Mansion Imperial Star was different. Eldrin Chen came not only with the august dignity of a peerless Emperor Lord [a supreme ruler among cultivators], but was also granted a personal audience by Celestial Mansion Emperor Lord himself.

"Fellow Daoist Eldrin [a respectful term for a cultivator of similar attainment], your arrival this time truly resolves a most pressing urgency for us."

Within the grand hall of the Celestial Mansion Imperial Court, Celestial Mansion Emperor Lord received Eldrin Chen with a warm smile, his words carrying exceptional courtesy.

Eldrin Chen, however, harbored not a trace of presumption. Within the Primordial Starry Sky governed by the Human Race, two primary forces held sway. One was the Supreme Subtlety Enclosure ruled by Central Heaven Purple Tenuity Great Emperor, and the other was the Southern Dipper Six Stars under the command of Celestial Mansion Emperor Lord.

Of these two Emperor Lords, Purple Tenuity Great Emperor, as one of the Human Race's Five Direction Great Emperors [legendary sovereigns representing the cardinal directions], had long since stepped into the realm of Great Perfection of Primordial Emperor Lord [the pinnacle of power for an Emperor Lord]. In principle, his status should have been the most exalted.

Regrettably, as far back as the Primordial Era [the mythic first age of creation], Purple Tenuity Great Emperor had failed in his contest for the Dao [the fundamental cosmic principle] against Purple Tenuity Divine Emperor. His Dao Authority [sovereign right over a specific cosmic principle] had been stripped away by his rival.

After Purple Tenuity Divine Emperor broke through to the Chaos Divine Emperor realm, although he still permitted the Great Emperor to cultivate the Purple Tenuity Great Dao [the supreme path of the Purple Star], he retained the power to revoke that privilege at any moment.

It could be said that the life and death of Purple Tenuity Great Emperor rested entirely in the palm of Purple Tenuity Divine Emperor.

Under such circumstances, in the eyes of the myriad Human Race Grand Luo [beings who have attained the highest state of enlightenment] across the starry sky, the status and weight of Purple Tenuity Emperor Lord might not necessarily surpass that of the Celestial Mansion Emperor Lord now standing before him.

This Celestial Mansion Emperor Lord had cultivated his realm to the Eighth Layer Great Luo Golden Immortal, and had even forged a Root Origin Treasure [a foundational treasure born from one's own cultivation, representing the pinnacle of personal power]. Should he advance a step further into the realm of a Great Emperor, he might one day possess the potential to prove his Dao within the Chaos [the primordial, formless state from which all existence emerged].

Therefore, Eldrin Chen remained exceedingly courteous and spoke with measured gravity, "Your praise is too generous, Emperor Lord. As a member of the Immortal Court [the supreme celestial governing body], participating in this war is my duty."

The Celestial Mansion Emperor Lord gave a slight nod, then his brow furrowed slightly as he continued, "Your arrival is most timely. The front lines are currently short-handed and require your strength."

Eldrin Chen nodded in acknowledgment and inquired, "I beg you, Emperor Lord, to enlighten me on the current state of affairs."

The Celestial Mansion Emperor Lord naturally agreed and immediately began to recount the strategic landscape of the ongoing great war.

As the Emperor Lord spoke, Eldrin Chen quickly gained a foundational understanding of the Three Races' Heaven-Seizing War [the cataclysmic conflict between the Human, Demon, and Spirit races for dominion over the heavens].

The cosmic geography of the Primordial Immortal Domain [the ancient, foundational realm of the immortals] and the Cosmic Stars [the celestial bodies that form the heavens] is broadly divided into the Grand Yin [the supreme passive, receptive cosmic principle], the Grand Yang [the supreme active, creative cosmic principle], the Three Enclosures Stars [three celestial asterisms that form a grand enclosure], the Northern Dipper Seven Stars [the seven stars of the northern dipper constellation], the Southern Dipper Six Stars [the six stars of the southern dipper constellation], the Three Thousand Great Stars [the three thousand major stellar bodies], and countless billions of ordinary stars.

Among these, the two primary stars of Grand Yin and Grand Yang were formed from the coalescence of the Yin-Yang Dual Qi [the primordial energies of passive and active forces] at the dawn of the Primordial Immortal Domain. Their cosmic rank is extraordinarily high, constituting supreme Daoist Abode [a sacred site for cultivation and enlightenment] of the Chaos level.

Furthermore, the convergence of the Three Enclosures Stars, which forms a supreme grand array that draws upon the boundless stellar Qi [the vital energy of the stars], also qualifies as a Daoist Abode of the Chaos level for cultivation.

The Southern Dipper Six Stars and the Northern Dipper Seven Stars each possess extraordinary cosmic rank. Every single one of these stars is a Daoist Abode of the Primordial Unity Level [a profound cultivation stage representing the unity of primordial forces]. When their primary stars unite, they can even unleash power at the level of a Sage Ascendant [a supreme being who has ascended to sagehood].

The remaining Three Thousand Great Stars consist of over three thousand cultivation Daoist Abode at the Grand Luo Golden Immortal level.

The countless billions of stars are innumerable, the lowest among them being ancient stars of at least Immortal Rank level, with the majority being celestial bodies of the Nine Heavens, ranging from Blessed Lands to Grotto-Heaven.

Prior to the Eruption of the Three Races' Heaven-Seizing War, the structure of the Cosmic Stars was originally a tripartite balance of power. The Demon Race controlled the two stars of Lunar Yin and Solar Yang, occupied the Celestial Market Enclosure—one of the Three Enclosures—along with over five hundred major stars, claiming roughly two-tenths of the Cosmic Stars.

The Divine Race controlled the Purple Tenuity Enclosure and the Northern Dipper Seven Stars, encompassing around one thousand five hundred major stars and occupying nearly half of the Cosmic Stars.

The Human Race held a lesser share of interests, yet they possessed the Supreme Subtlety Enclosure, the Southern Dipper Six Stars, over a thousand major stars, and approximately three-tenths of the Cosmic Stars.

From this perspective, although the Demon Race suffered a major defeat in the Second Heaven-Seizing War, losing the Southern and Northern Dipper primary stars as well as two of the Three Enclosures, their core territories of Lunar Yin and Solar Yang remained intact. Their fundamental foothold within the Cosmic Stars was still preserved.

In this current campaign, the Demon Race's primary objective is to recapture the Three Thousand Great Stars and the billions of other Cosmic Stars. On this foundation, if they can also reclaim the Southern Dipper Six Stars and the Northern Dipper Seven Stars, they would essentially achieve their desired outcome.

As for the Supreme Subtlety Enclosure and the Purple Tenuity Enclosure, these are Daoist Abode at the Chaos level. Much like the twin stars of Lunar Yin and Solar Yang, they often harbor Divine Emperor or Immortal Sage level cultivators in secluded cultivation. Even if the Demon Race were to witness the Ascension of a new Celestial Emperor, reclaiming these enclaves would be exceedingly difficult.

Since the onset of this great war, the Demon Race has concentrated its forces on contesting the Three Thousand Great Stars and the myriad stars. They have already recaptured several thousand major stars and one-tenth of the Cosmic Stars.

At this rate, if the conflict continues, they will likely soon set their sights upon the thirteen Imperial Stars.

Of course, the Human and Divine Races were not without means of counterattack. However, as the defending side, the Emperor Lord of the Human Race and Divine Race intended to use the Cosmic Stars to deplete the strength of the Demon Race, waiting to launch their counter-offensive only after the demonic forces had been sufficiently weakened.

In this process, many were inevitably sacrificed. Yet, compared to a full-scale war between the two sides, this strategy of fighting from behind the stellar formation undoubtedly resulted in the fewest casualties.

After all, with the Emperor Lord and Grand Luo of both sides mutually restraining each other, having the Celestial Soldiers and Generals and countless Immortal trade lives was a brutal calculus.

After explaining the situation, Celestial Mansion Emperor Lord spoke: "Since Departing Flame Emperor Lord was severely wounded and forced to retreat, the situation at the Celestial Beam Imperial Star has deteriorated. I wish to ask you to go and reinforce it. What say you?"

Eldrin Chen did not answer immediately. Only after observing the star chart for a long while did he finally nod and say, "Since the Emperor Lord asks, I shall go and garrison the Celestial Beam Ancient Star."

Hearing this, Celestial Mansion Emperor Lord smiled and said, "With you taking the field, Fellow Daoist, the safety of the Celestial Beam Ancient Star is assured beyond doubt."

Departing from the Celestial Mansion Imperial Star, Eldrin Chen turned and, via the Starry Sky Gate, arrived at Celestial Beam Star [the Star of Celestial Beam, one of the ancient stellar fortresses].

The moment he set foot on Celestial Beam Star, Eldrin Chen's eyes flickered slightly as he instantly sensed several extraordinarily powerful auras.

Lifting his gaze, he saw three Emperor Lord of peerless elegance and grace strolling towards him.

The three Emperor Lord were two men and one woman, all at the Early Stage Primordial Chaos Emperor Lord realm.

The leader's cultivation was at the Third Layer of Primordial Chaos Emperor Lord [the third level of the Primordial Chaos Emperor Lord realm], and he was none other than the master of the Celestial Beam Imperial Star [the Celestial Beam Imperial Star], 'Celestial Beam Emperor Lord'. Having already received the news, he smiled upon seeing Eldrin Chen and said, "So it is Fellow Daoist Eldrin [a respectful title for a cultivator of similar attainment]. Come, come, let me make the introductions."

"This is Luo River Emperor Lord, and this one is Profound Departure Emperor Lord."

Eldrin Chen returned the salutations one by one, finally turning to Luo River Emperor Lord with a smile. "Several Kalpa Tribulation [immense cosmic cycles of time and tribulation] have passed since we last met. I trust you have been well, Emperor Lord [a title for a powerful ruler in the cultivation world]."

That Luo River Emperor Lord smiled in return, her exquisitely beautiful eyes appraising Eldrin Chen before she nodded slightly. "Only a few Kalpa Tribulation have passed, yet I never imagined you would already stand shoulder to shoulder with me."

This Luo River Emperor Lord was, in fact, the very same Luo River Emperor Lord with whom Eldrin Chen had traded the Profound Yang Primordial Qi [a primordial energy of profound yang nature] during the Treasure Exchange Grand Assembly [a grand gathering for the exchange of rare treasures] he had attended long ago.

At their first meeting, Luo River Emperor Lord had only just broken through to the Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch [the realm of Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch] for three Kalpa Tribulation. Now, several Kalpa Tribulation later, her cultivation had not changed significantly; she had merely fully consolidated her foundation at the first layer of the Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch realm.

This was something Eldrin Chen had anticipated. Cultivation resources at the Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch level were exceedingly rare. Unless one received the full support of a top-tier Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch or had the backing of a Dao Ancestor Immortal Sage [a supreme being who has comprehended the fundamental Dao], progress at this realm was destined to be agonizingly slow.

Without sufficient resources, relying solely on bitter, incremental self-cultivation, one might not advance to the second layer of Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch even after thousands of Kalpa Tribulation.

Fortunately, a Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch possessed boundless lifespan, so there was no urgent need for immediate breakthroughs. Even grinding away slowly with time, one could eventually reach the Third Layer of Primordial Chaos Emperor Lord.

The Profound Departure Emperor Lord standing nearby was the perfect proof of this. According to the information Eldrin Chen possessed, this Profound Departure Emperor Lord had achieved the Dao for one hundred thousand Kalpa Tribulation, yet his cultivation remained stagnant at the Third Layer of Primordial Chaos Emperor Lord.

He had relied on the slow grind of time to reach the Third Layer of Primordial Chaos Emperor Lord [the third level of the Primordial Chaos Emperor Lord cultivation stage]. However, due to an insufficient foundation and ill fortune, he had failed seven consecutive attempts to break through to the Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch [the Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch cultivation stage] mid-stage. Consequently, he remained perpetually stuck at the Third Layer of Primordial Chaos Emperor Lord [the third level of the Primordial Chaos Emperor Lord cultivation stage].

After the introductions were exchanged, Eldrin Chen and the several Emperor Lord [titles for cultivators at the Emperor Lord realm] proceeded into the main hall. It was then that Eldrin Chen spoke, inquiring, "I must ask you all to inform me of the current situation on the Celestial Beam Ancient Star [the Celestial Beam Ancient Star, one of the stars in the Celestial Beam Star Domain]. What exactly is happening?"

The three exchanged glances upon hearing this. After a moment, it was the Celestial Beam Daoist [the Daoist of the Celestial Beam Star] who finally spoke. "Ever since Fellow Daoist Departing Flame [the Departing Flame] fell into that ambush, the Demon Race [the race of demons] in the Celestial Beam Star Domain [the Celestial Beam Star Domain] have grown increasingly brazen and aggressive."

"They have been relentlessly assaulting the surrounding major stars. In a frighteningly short time, they have already breached three-tenths of the Star Formation Eye [the Star Formation Eyes, key nodes in a stellar defensive formation] on the Celestial Beam Imperial Star [the Celestial Beam Imperial Star, the central star of the domain]."

Eldrin Chen frowned slightly at this news. As one of the Southern Dipper Six Stars [the six stars of the Southern Dipper constellation], the Celestial Beam Imperial Star [the Celestial Beam Imperial Star] possessed formidable stellar Force Extreme [Force Extreme, a type of defensive power]. Generally speaking, with three Early Stage Primordial Chaos Emperor Lord [Early Stage Primordial Chaos Emperor Lords] stationed there, it could withstand an enemy at the Late Primordial Chaos Emperor Lord Realm [Late Primordial Chaos Emperor Lord realm].

However, this defensive strength was not solely the power of the Celestial Beam Imperial Star [the Celestial Beam Imperial Star] itself. This star was merely a lower-grade Primordial Unity [Primordial Unity realm] level Daoist Abode [a Daoist Abode, a cultivator's sanctum]. A Daoist Abode [a Daoist Abode] of this tier, even with an Early Stage Primordial Chaos Emperor Lord [Early Stage Primordial Chaos Emperor Lord] presiding, should logically only be able to resist a major enemy at the mid-stage of Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch [the Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch realm].

The reason it could resist a Late Primordial Chaos Emperor Lord Realm [Late Primordial Chaos Emperor Lord] was primarily due to the power of the Myriad Heavens' Stars [the Myriad Heavens' Stars, the collective stars of the heavens] within the Celestial Beam Star Domain [the Celestial Beam Star Domain].

If these Star Formation Eye [Star Formation Eyes] were lost, the power of the Celestial Beam Imperial Star [the Celestial Beam Imperial Star] would be drastically diminished. The likelihood of it eventually being conquered by the Demon Race [the race of demons] would increase exponentially.

Contemplating this, Eldrin Chen spoke with a deepening frown, "We cannot allow them to continue this destruction. Otherwise, the Celestial Beam Imperial Star [the Celestial Beam Imperial Star] will inevitably fall."

Upon hearing his words, solemn frowns appeared on the faces of all present.

The Profound Departure Emperor Lord narrowed his gaze and spoke, "Since Departing Flame Emperor Lord was ambushed first, if we too fall into a trap, the consequences could be dire..."

Upon hearing this, Ronan Luo, the Emperor Lord, and Celestial Beam Emperor Lord exchanged a worried glance.

Eldrin Chen then spoke up, "In truth, our Human and Divine Races alliance has ensured the Demon Race holds no overwhelming advantage on the battlefield."

"The reason Departing Flame Emperor Lord was ambushed was primarily because he did not anticipate the intervention of the Nether Clan's Profound Nether Emperor Lord."

"If we proceed with caution, the three of us Emperor Lord fighting together should be more than sufficient for self-preservation. At the very least, our chances of retreating if the situation turns sour are not insignificant."

The three exchanged looks once more, a flicker of hesitation still lingering in their hearts.

Yet, in the end, the Profound Departure Emperor Lord shook his head, rejecting Eldrin Chen's proposal. "We are currently on the defensive. Launching an offensive now could disrupt the grand strategy laid by the Great Emperors."

"In my judgment, it is wiser to err on the side of caution."

(Author's Note: My mental state has been somewhat poor recently, and my thoughts feel unclear. Updates will be a bit lighter for now. My apologies.)