Chapter 1826 : Pursuit
The Primordial Chaos Heavenly Halberd transformed into a 20-4-pattern innate ancient treasure, becoming the foremost weapon of slaughter in Eldrin's possession.
By comparison, the Abyssal Pearl could only serve as a hidden trump card, the Primordial Chaos Vial was merely an auxiliary tool, and the 7-Colored Immortal Beads possessed no offensive capabilities whatsoever. None of these could provide Eldrin with optimal combat effectiveness in conventional battles.
In contrast, the Chaos Heaven Halberd could be wielded through physical strength alone, consuming minimal magical power, thus significantly enhancing Eldrin’s combat prowess in his normal state.
It is important to understand that even among Primordial Ancient Treasures, there are distinctions in power.
A 12-rune innate ancient treasure possesses only a nascent form of the Great Dao. An 18-rune treasure increases its power by 20 to 30 percent on this foundation, yet it ultimately undergoes no qualitative transformation.
Yet, a 20-4-pattern innate ancient treasure contains the embryonic forms of 2 Great Daos, its power far surpassing that of a 12-pattern innate treasure by more than just a single fold.
The vast majority of Primordial Treasures wielded by 6-calamity Ancient Immortals were of the highest grade—supreme Primordial Treasures bearing 20-4 Dao patterns.
As for what lies beyond—Innate Spiritual Treasures or Quasi-Innate Spiritual Treasures—these were artifacts only ancient immortals who had weathered 7 or more heavenly tribulations were qualified to touch. Those at the sixth tribulation level possessing a Quasi-Innate Spiritual Treasure were exceedingly rare.
With this thought in mind, Eldrin felt a slight sense of reassurance.
Without another thought, he stored away the Chaos Heaven Halberd (Divine Weapon) and resumed his secluded cultivation.
Now that the Celestial Maiden was still in seclusion, Eldrin did not plan to emerge immediately. Instead, he remained within the cultivation chamber and began to contemplate the Great Sun Refinement Dao, the Violet Heaven Thunder Tribulation Transcendence Method, and the 7-Colored Immortal Refinement Scripture.
After fully comprehending all 3 volumes of ancient scriptures, Eldrin had gained some insight into breaking through the Tenth Heavenly Barrier of magical power, and even conceived preliminary ideas about creating his own Great Luo Profound Art.
However, due to a lack of time and foundation, Eldrin had yet to put this into action.
Afterward, Eldrin acquired 3 more volumes of profound techniques, then shifted his focus to contemplating the embryonic forms of the primordial Dao contained within the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi Vase, the Imperial Loess Sovereign Bell, the Mirror of Yin, Yang, and Void, the Celestial Separation Twin Swords, the Violet Lotus Throne of Enlightenment, and the Primordial Chaos Heavenly Halberd.
These innate ancient treasures each contained the embryonic forms of the Great Dao. Eldrin continuously contemplated and drew inspiration from them, preparing to cultivate the Primordial Chaos Wuji Great Dao in the future while refining his innate divine abilities.
After spending a full 20 1000 years in this manner, Eldrin had nearly deciphered the embryonic Great Dao contained within these primordial treasures. He instantly felt his vision and foundational comprehension undergo a qualitative leap.
Once he fully assimilated all these Grand Dao divine abilities, he might begin to gradually cultivate nascent forms of the Pure Yang Heavenly Flame and the Profound Abyss True Water, and even deduce that world-shaking Da Luo divine ability.
However, in the end, Eldrin temporarily gave up on continuing his cultivation.
Eldrin’s Dao Fruit had yet to reach great perfection. Should his physical body and the Great Dao advance further, the Dao Fruit would be utterly suppressed, forever barred from achieving full completion under the constraints of flesh and cosmic order.
"To fully achieve the Great Ascension Dao Fruit, 1 must temporarily suppress both the physical form and the Dao principles, then catalyze their mutual integration to attain success."
Eldrin murmured inwardly, eventually furrowing his brow slightly.
His Dao principles and physical form were far too powerful; achieving complete mastery and fusion would be no easy task.
"By the power of the Union Dao Flower?"
"No, relying solely on the Dao-Unity Blossom likely won't be sufficient."
Eldrin murmured calmly, his gaze finally settling upon the depths of chaos as he declared, "Perhaps only by harnessing the power of the Chaotic Sea can I obtain sufficient pressure to fuse my physical form with the laws, compelling my Dao Fruit to achieve complete and ultimate transcendence."
At this thought, Eldrin ceased his arduous cultivation.
He emerged from the seclusion chamber to find the Celestial Maiden had been waiting for a considerable time.
After several years of refining the 7-Colored Immortal Pearl (Spiritual Object), the Celestial Maiden had cultivated the 8-Limit Magical Power, achieving remarkable advancement in her cultivation.
When she saw Eldrin, she smiled and handed him the 7-Colored Immortal Pearl (Spiritual Object), saying, "I can see the purity of your magical power—it seems you've already broken through the Heavenly Barrier of Magical Power. I wonder if this might help you advance even further."
Eldrin took the 7-Colored Immortal Pearl and attempted to refine it, then shook his head. "Though this treasure is miraculous, it holds little use for those whose cultivation has surpassed the Eighth Limit."
"I have cultivated the 9-Limit Magic Power. This object is of no use to me anymore."
Although they had anticipated this outcome, the 2 of them still felt a tinge of regret.
Upon careful reflection, this was only to be expected. After all, Eldrin had already shattered the heavenly barrier of magic power with his 9 Limits, and beyond the 9 Limits lay the realm of 10 Limits.
Since time immemorial, those capable of shattering the Tenth Limit have stood as paragons among the supreme Ancient Immortals—a feat even the majority of Great Luo Profound Arts could never accomplish.
The 7-Colored Immortal Pearl (Spiritual Object) was merely a 20-4-rune innate treasure, not 1 of those priceless innate spiritual treasures—how could it possibly ensure success?
At this thought, Patriarch Tianya still remarked, "With a foundation as formidable as yours, your chances of breaking through the Tenfold Limit of magical power while cultivating the 7-Colored Immortal Refining Scripture in the future are exceedingly high."
"Unlike us, even with the 7-Colored Immortal Refining Scripture, the hope of breaking through the tenfold limit of spiritual power remains minuscule."
Eldrin (Person Name) nodded slightly upon hearing this. The 7-Colored Immortal Refining Scripture was created by the 7-Colored Immortal Lord and served as an esoteric cultivation method exclusive to the 7-Colored Immortal Clam lineage—generally impossible for outsiders to practice.
Even with the aid of the Primordial Yin-Yang 5 Elements Gourd, their cultivation could never surpass the efficacy achieved by the Rainbow Pearl Clan.
In truth, even among the direct descendants of the 7-Colored Immortal Clam Clan, the hope of ultimately cultivating 10-Limit Magic Power through this method remained slim.
Among the 9 Great Celestial Passes of the Great Luo, the breakthrough of the Magic Power Celestial Pass is exceptionally arduous, its difficulty far surpassing that of the Physical Body, Great Dao, and Dao Fruit. Yet, the Magic Power Celestial Pass holds paramount significance.
The 9 Great Celestial Passes of the Grand Luo are intrinsically interconnected. Should any single pass break through the tenfold limit, it would invariably alter the difficulty—either diminishing or intensifying—of surpassing the remaining celestial passes.
Within this framework, the physical body, the Great Dao, and the Dao Fruit—3 heavenly barriers—mutually constrain 1 another, yet they also nourish the cultivation base and the primordial spirit in return.
Breaking through the Celestial Barrier of Magic Power and Primordial Spirit is immensely difficult, yet it can in turn nourish 1's physical body, the Great Dao, the Dao Fruit, and even the barriers of supernatural powers and spiritual treasures.
Take the Barrier of Magical Power as an example. If Eldrin could cultivate tenfold limits of magical power, he could forcibly suppress his physical body and the Great Dao with it, thereby helping his Dao Fruit to shatter the Barrier by force.
Conversely, breakthroughs in the physical body, the Great Dao, or the Dao Fruit Heavenly Pass would also increase the likelihood of shattering the Magic Power Heavenly Pass.
However, if 1 were to break through the Great Celestial Barrier through physical cultivation, it would suppress both the Great Dao and the Dao Fruit celestial barriers, preventing them from overcoming the bottleneck of the Great Celestial Barrier.
Thus, these 9 heavenly trials engendered and constrained 1 another. If 1's cultivation method was flawed, breaking through would naturally prove exceedingly difficult.
The vast majority of ancient immortal grandmasters first shattered the 3 great heavenly barriers—the Physical Body, the Great Dao, and the Dao Fruit—thereby breaking the limits of their magical power 7 times, before cultivating the Great Luo Mystic Art to breach the final Heavenly Barrier of Magical Power.
Only a rare handful of peerless geniuses could prematurely shatter the 2 great heavenly barriers of mana and primordial spirit. By using their primordial spirit and mana to nourish their physical bodies, the Great Dao, and their Dao Fruits, they could break through the 5 Calamities Ancient Immortal realm at an astonishing speed.
However, for a Primordial Immortal body that had yet to breach the Celestial Barrier, a nascent Great Dao, and an incomplete Primordial Immortal Dao Fruit, the difficulty of shattering the barrier of spiritual power and primordial spirit was far too immense.
Only a being with foundations as profound as Eldrin could have shattered the barrier between mana and the primordial spirit ahead of time.
According to this theory, if the barrier of spiritual power were to break through the 10 Limits, then refining the physical body, the Great Dao, and the Dao Fruit with 10-Limit spiritual power could slightly increase the possibility of the physical body, the Great Dao, and the Dao Fruit also breaking through the 10 Limits.
Therefore, those who break through the 10 mortal limits of magical power have a certain probability of cultivating more than 2 Heavenly Passes of the tenth limit.
Take the Radiant Immortal of the Nacre Clan, for instance. He once shattered the tenth limit in all 3 paths—magic power, the Great Dao, and physical body—only then cultivating to the late-stage of the Grand Luo Golden Immortal. This made him the clan's unshakable Pillar of Stability, standing firm through countless trials.
"Legend has it that cultivating all 7 foundational Heavenly Passes beyond the Destiny and Dao Heart gates to their tenth limit represents the threshold for breaking through to become a Primordial Chaos Emperor."
Eldrin murmured inwardly, a glint of resolve flashing in his eyes.
The Primordial Chaos Emperor was an existence surpassing the Great Luo Golden Immortal. Such a figure was revered as a Quasi-Sage Emperor among humans, hailed as the 9 Heavens Divine Emperor by gods, and deemed worthy to become the Great Monster Emperor among monsters.
Such a supreme being stood at the very pinnacle, second only to the Dao Ancestor Immortal Saints and Divine Emperor Celestial Rulers. Even the Purple Immortal Monarch at her peak in ages past had merely brushed against this realm and no more.
"It seems I must strive to attain the Tenfold Limit Dharma Power Heavenly Barrier soon."
Eldrin thought to himself, then smiled and said, "By my reckoning, there are less than 10 1000 years left until the Chaotic Tide recedes. It's time we began making preparations."
Upon hearing this, both the Celestial Maiden and the Ancient 1 of the Endless Skies showed a subtle shift in their expressions.
They understood that Eldrin's words most likely implied he was going to make a move against those few individuals.
At this thought, the Celestial Maiden could not help but inquire, "That is indeed fitting, but how can we ensure they have no means of escape?"
Eldrin pondered briefly before speaking: "We shall lure them into the Chaotic Shallows, then conceal ourselves and strike from ambush."
"As long as we can slay or severely wound 1 or 2 of them, this battle will be of little concern."
As he spoke, Eldrin waved his sleeve and manifested the Yin Yang Void Mirror.
The 2 of them exchanged a glance, their faces lighting up with joy. The Ancient 1 of the Distant Shores couldn't help but chuckle, "With this treasure in our hands, their chances of escape are next to none."
Seeing this, Eldrin could not help but speak up, "While that may be true, we must still prepare early, just in case."
"Very well. I shall first venture into the Shallow Chaos Shoals to lay down the Primordial 5 Elements Gourd Formation in advance. When the critical moment arrives, we shall activate it to capture them all in 1 fell swoop."
"Very well."
The Ancient 1 of the Distant Skies and the Celestial Maiden both concurred with Eldrin's (Person Name) perspective upon hearing his words.
In the days that followed, the 3 of them remained secluded within the grotto-heaven, continuing their closed-door cultivation.
Thus, 10 1000 years passed in the blink of an eye, and the day of the Chaotic Tide's ebb had arrived once more.
When the Chaotic Tide receded and countless ancient immortals of the Violet Sun Immortal Domain departed once more, Eldrin also vanished without a trace.
He left the Heaven-Reaching Elder and the Celestial Maiden within the grotto-heaven to create a diversion, while he himself slipped silently into the Chaos Sea.
This time, he continued leftward, veiling his aura with primordial chaos energy. After flying for 5 1000 years, he arrived at a shoal within the primordial chaos.
"Almost there."
Gazing at this shallow expanse of chaos, Eldrin couldn't help but murmur to himself.
He arrived at the heart of the Chaotic Shallows, where he deployed the Innate 5 Elements Gourd to set up an Innate 5 Elements Grand Formation before silently returning to the Violet Sun Immortal Domain.
After meeting the 2, Eldrin exchanged greetings with them, and the 3 departed silently from the grotto-heaven into the primordial chaos.
"You 3 little ones, hiding for over 10 1000 years before setting out—how truly impatient!"
At the same time, several ancient immortals trailed closely behind.
The ancient immortal of the celestial spear gazed in the direction where the trio had departed, a cold smirk playing on his lips as he remarked, "To think delaying by 10 1000 years would allow you to escape our pursuit—you’ve truly underestimated this old man."
Beside Immortal Celandine, several other Ancient Immortals let out eerie chuckles.
其中一人手持仙塔，面带冷然的说道：“江老怪，事先说好的，事成之后替我拿下那枚九转破限丹。”
From the other side, a woman also remarked calmly, "Do not forget the Profound Yin Soul-Condensing Pearl that I require."
"Very well, very well."
The Ancient Immortal of the Spear laughed heartily and declared with fervor, "Should this endeavor succeed, I shall not fail to reward you all."
As the words faded, a group of 6 ancient immortals gave chase.
"Damn it!"
Meanwhile, the 3 who had just stepped into the Chaos noticed 6 figures closing in on them.
The Ancient Immortal Eldrin’s face turned ashen as he attempted to flee toward the Violet Sun Immortal Domain. However, the Spear of Divinity and the other ancient immortals had long been prepared. 6 ancient immortal elders were strategically positioned around the Violet Sun Immortal Domain, completely cutting off their escape route.
"There's no going back."
The Celestial Maiden paled in horror, immediately fleeing deep into the chaotic void.
Meanwhile, Eldrin and the Ancient 1 of Tianya tore through the void, fleeing alongside the Celestial Maiden deeper into the primordial chaos.
In that moment, Eldrin exchanged a fleeting glance with the 2, their eyes meeting in silent understanding.
The Ancient 1 of the Distant Skies let out a faint sigh and could not help but remark, "Fortunately, Fellow Daoist of the Returning Abyss had made preparations in advance. Otherwise, we might truly have been unable to keep them here."
"Where do you think you're fleeing?!"
At that very moment, Old Freak Jiang descended from the sky wielding his immortal spear. With the cultivation base of a 4-Tribulation Ancient Immortal, he closed a considerable distance in the blink of an eye.
Witnessing this, the 3 of them paled slightly, each spitting out a mouthful of blood. They ignited their essence blood to accelerate their escape, streaking toward the depths of the primordial chaos.
"Burning your lifeblood essence to flee?"
Jiang the Eccentric Elder let out a cold sneer, his gaze profound as he remarked, "How much longer can your essence blood continue to burn?"
However, though Elder Jiang wasn't anxious, the other 5 Third Tribulation Ancient Immortals were beginning to struggle to keep up.
Seeing this, Elder Jiang couldn't help but speak up, "Set your minds at ease. So long as we can capture them, this old man only wants that 5 Elements Gourd. All other treasures shall belong to you in their entirety."
The 5 of them gritted their teeth at the sight, then began burning their true blood 1 after another to commence the pursuit.
Thus began a chase that lasted for thousands of years. Both the Celestial Horizon Elder and the Celestial Maiden appeared severely depleted in primordial energy by the time they fled into the shallows of the primordial chaos.
Upon entering the Chaotic Shallows, both Patriarch Tianya and the Celestial Maiden breathed a sigh of relief, their complexions instantly regaining a rosy glow.
The Ancient 1 of the Horizon glanced back while fleeing through the air and remarked, "Fortunately, we had the Primordial Spiritual Water to aid us, or we too would have suffered severe depletion of our vital energy today."
Upon hearing this, the Celestial Maiden also smiled faintly. The Primordial Spirit Water produced by the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi Vessel could heal nearly all injuries below the Great Luo Realm, and naturally possessed the ability to restore vital essence and blood.
However, the cost of recovering from such depletion was immense. They had consumed several dozen bottles of Innate Spirit Water in total. At the price of 1 strand of Innate Qi per bottle, the combined value would likely be equivalent to that of an ancient Innate Treasure.
In other words, only Eldrin's Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi Vessel could transform Primordial Spiritual Water—an ordinary immortal would never dream of squandering such precious resources so recklessly.
Boom—
It was at this very moment that Old Freak Jiang and his cohorts pursued their quarry into the shallows of the primordial chaos.
"Face your doom!"
(End of Chapter)