Chapter 1966 : The Void Grotto-Heaven's Secret

"Mm."

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod. After Exquisite Jiang's breakthrough to the mid-stage of the Great Encompassing realm, her strength had seen a significant increase.

Once her cultivation reached the Fifth Heaven of the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal, and combined with the power of the Exquisite Immortal Pagoda, a True Spirit Treasure [a treasure of immense power, often containing the essence or will of a primordial spirit], she should be able to put up a fight, albeit a difficult one, even against a cultivator at the ninth level of Great Encompassing Golden Immortal.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen spoke: "Focus on your cultivation first. In this Chaos [the primordial, formless state from which all things originate], one's cultivation base remains the fundamental foundation."

Exquisite Jiang and the others nodded in agreement, offering no further words.

After the three departed, Eldrin Chen pondered for a long while. Finally, he made his way deep into the Returning Abyss Immortal Domain and entered an intangible Grotto-Heaven [a blessed, self-contained pocket dimension of immense spiritual density].

The Void Grotto-Heaven was one of the ten great Grotto-Heaven within the Returning Abyss Immortal Domain.

This Grotto-Heaven was renowned far and wide. Its connection to Eldrin the Immortal Lord was exceptionally close, making it one of the most coveted sacred lands countless Immortal [beings who have transcended mortality through cultivation] dreamed of.

Upon arriving at the Void Grotto-Heaven, Eldrin Chen was immediately received by Void Sword Master and others.

"We pay our respects to the Immortal Lord [a title for a powerful immortal]."

The Celestial Immortal [immortals who have ascended to the celestial realm] from the Void Grotto-Heaven [a mystical realm of profound emptiness] all bowed in greeting, their voices filled with exceptional reverence as they spoke.

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod, a smile gracing his lips as he said, "Your cultivation progress is commendable. Your future potential is undoubtedly boundless."

After exchanging pleasantries, Eldrin Chen proceeded to Path Ruins Jiang's secluded cultivation abode, where he found the venerable patriarch deep in preparatory meditation.

Many years had passed since their last meeting, yet Path Ruins Jiang's cultivation base had not advanced significantly. His focus in recent times had been wholly dedicated to preparing for the Heavenly Emperor's Artifact Fusion Chapter [a supreme art of fusing one's being with a divine artifact], prioritizing the enhancement of his foundational potential above all else.

Outside the cave abode, the two sat facing each other. Eldrin Chen inquired, "How are the preparations proceeding, Grandfather?"

Path Ruins Jiang spoke slowly, a glimmer of barely contained excitement finally shining in his eyes. "Only the final wisp of Innate Indestructibility Spirit Light [a primordial, unbreakable spiritual radiance] remains."

Eldrin Chen nodded in understanding. For Path Ruins Jiang to cultivate the Heavenly Emperor's Artifact Fusion Chapter and forge a True Spirit Treasure [a treasure born from and bonded to one's very soul], he required one hundred and eight Innate [primordial, heaven-born] Great Encompassing Golden Bamboo Sword. This, in turn, demanded one hundred and eight strands of Innate Indestructibility Spirit Light.

Having cultivated for over six Kalpa Tribulation [cosmic cycles of immense duration], Path Ruins Jiang had already gathered one hundred and seven strands. The final one was nearing its full formation.

Eldrin Chen's visit was, in truth, precisely for the matter of Path Ruins Jiang's cultivation journey.

With this in mind, Eldrin Chen spoke, "Grandfather, you must have heard of the recent events concerning the Path Tribulation [a cataclysmic trial faced by those seeking to ascend their cultivation path]."

"I understand."

Path Ruins Jiang gave a slight nod, then inquired, "You wish for me to switch to cultivating the Sacrificial Self Path [a profound cultivation method centered on self-sacrifice and rebirth]?"

Eldrin Chen nodded in affirmation and spoke, "The Sacrificial Self Path has been gradually perfected and can lead one to the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal Great Perfection [the pinnacle of the Golden Immortal realm]. Moreover, since you, Patriarch, intend to cultivate a True Spirit Treasure [a supreme magical treasure born from and bonded to one's primordial spirit], it would be best to seize this opportunity for Foundation Reforging [a divine ability to completely rebuild one's cultivation foundation]."

Upon hearing this, Path Ruins Jiang nodded once more, for this idea had already taken root in his mind.

A cultivator's Lifebound Immortal Treasure [a magical treasure cultivated in unison with one's life force and spirit] is an object of profound symbiosis. What he had cultivated before was the Innate Ruins Path Sword, yet the Innate Ruins Path Sword was ultimately a Sword Path [a school of swordsmanship] he had painstakingly pieced together through his own exploration. The Great Path [the supreme principles and laws] contained within it were not necessarily of the highest order.

Upon reaching the Great Encompassing [a profound realm of cultivation], relying solely on the Innate Ruins Path Sword would likely place it among the lower ranks even within the category of Innate Spiritual Treasure [a treasure born from heaven and earth, possessing innate spiritual nature].

The foundation cultivated through such a Lifebound Immortal Treasure would undoubtedly pale in comparison to one built upon a True Spirit Treasure.

Considering this, Path Ruins Jiang asked, "However, the Foundation Reforging likely carries significant difficulty."

Eldrin Chen merely smiled and replied, "I once promised I would lend you my aid in this matter. Leave it to me."

"Once you successfully cultivate the True Spirit Treasure, and then utilize the True Spirit Supreme Treasure [the ultimate form of a True Spirit Treasure] for Foundation Reforging, your latent potential and foundational depth will become truly extraordinary."

Path Ruins Jiang gave a slight nod and then spoke, "In approximately two million years, the final strand of Innate Indestructibility Spirit Light [a primordial, unbreakable spiritual radiance] will be cultivated. I shall trouble you for your assistance when the time comes."

"Between you and me, is there any need for such formality?"

Eldrin Chen smiled and said no more.

"…"

Two million years—for a world, it is the span of an entire epoch, a vast and profound stretch of time.

Even to many lofty Immortal [beings who have transcended mortality through cultivation], such an expanse of years would be considered ancient beyond measure.

Yet, in the eyes of the present Eldrin Chen, this period did not seem so lengthy. He merely entered a period of secluded cultivation, and the two million years slipped by in the blink of an eye.

On this day, Path Ruins Jiang finally gathered the full one hundred and eight strands of Innate Indestructibility Spirit Light and came to Returning Abyss Heaven [a celestial realm] to seek out Eldrin Chen.

Without a word of preamble, Eldrin Chen led him into the depths of the Chaos Heavenly Domain [a primordial, formless realm], to the very site of the Chaos Golden Bull Nest [the lair of a primordial beast].

There, rooted upon the Adamantine Ore Vein [a vein of mythical, unyielding metal] within the Chaos Golden Bull Nest, stood one hundred and eight dazzling stalks of Great Encompassing Golden Bamboo [a legendary spiritual plant of immense power].

"This is it."

Jiang Xudao spoke, his voice brimming with pleasant surprise.

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod before explaining, "This batch of golden bamboo has taken root upon an Adamantine Ore Vein [a mineral vein containing the supremely hard metal Adamantine]. By drawing sustenance from the Adamantine [a legendary metal renowned for its absolute hardness], it has absorbed the ten-thousand-kalpa Indestructibility [the property of being utterly unbreakable] characteristic of that ore. This grants it exceptional strength and durability, perfectly compensating for its previous lack of firmness."

Jiang Xudao nodded in understanding upon hearing this. The Great Encompassing Golden Bamboo [a rare spiritual bamboo known for its metallic properties] inherently grew strong by absorbing the essence of metal and mineral veins.

However, being a Spiritual Root [a plant with innate spiritual properties] of the wood and vegetation attribute, no matter how sturdy it became, it was difficult for it to rival a same-tier Immortal Sword [a sword forged for immortal use] crafted from Immortal Gold [a precious metal used in immortal-grade artifacts]. Consequently, Golden Bamboo Sword [swords forged from Golden Bamboo] faced a significant risk of damage or shattering when clashing with higher-tier Immortal Sword.

But the golden bamboo rooted in the Adamantine Ore Vein was different. Adamantine was famed for its Immortality [the state of being deathless] and Indestructibility, boasting the supreme physical resistance among all Immortal Gold.

These stalks of Great Encompassing Golden Bamboo, having grown by absorbing the essence of the Indestructibility Adamantine [Adamantine, the metal of indestructibility], naturally inherited its properties. Their durability was elevated by at least one full grade, now standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Immortal Sword forged from same-tier Immortal Gold.

Furthermore, as a Wood Spiritual Root [a spiritual root of the wood element], the Great Encompassing Golden Bamboo Sword [a sword forged from Great Encompassing Golden Bamboo] possessed exceptional resilience, far surpassing that of Immortal Sword made from Immortal Gold of the same grade.

Combining these two formidable qualities, the sheer strength of the Great Encompassing Golden Bamboo Sword could easily be imagined.

According to Eldrin Chen's estimation, once fully formed, a Great Encompassing Golden Bamboo Sword would face no risk of breaking even when confronting an Immortal Sword two full tiers above it.

Once the Heavenly Emperor's Artifact Fusion Chapter is completed, the one hundred and eight Immortal Sword will converge into a single blade, a True Spirit Immortal Sword. Its durability, resilience, and sharpness will then transcend all limits, possessing an unstoppable Slaughter power.

Thinking of this, Eldrin Chen spoke, "Grandfather, act swiftly. I will assist you in refining it first."

Path Ruins Jiang nodded and immediately began refining these Great Encompassing Golden Bamboo.

With Eldrin Chen's aid, Path Ruins Jiang quickly refined the entire batch of Great Encompassing Golden Bamboo, transforming them into a complete Great Encompassing Golden Bamboo Sword Formation.

Seeing this, Eldrin Chen said nothing more.

He directly led Path Ruins Jiang into the Returning Abyss Forbidden Land. Then, he took out the Creation Cauldron and said, "Grandfather, this artifact can aid your Foundation Reforging."

"This is..."

The moment he saw the Creation Cauldron, Path Ruins Jiang's expression changed dramatically.

In that instant, he finally understood just how precious the Opportunity and Fortune bestowed by Eldrin Chen truly was.

Thinking of this, Path Ruins Jiang could not help but sigh and say, "This debt of gratitude... I fear it cannot be repaid with merely a few hundred strands of Innate Indestructibility Spirit Light."

Eldrin Chen smiled calmly and said, "Even without the bond through Exquisite, you and I have fought side by side for many years. You are more than worthy of this Opportunity and Fortune."

Path Ruins Jiang gave a slight nod, offering no further words, and stepped directly into the Creation Cauldron [a legendary cauldron capable of forging items of immense power].

As Path Ruins Jiang entered the Creation Cauldron, the cauldron erupted with a torrent of Celestial Immortal [a high-level immortal cultivation realm] light. Countless streams of Creation Energy [the primordial energy of creation itself] merged with the one hundred and eight stalks of Great Encompassing Golden Bamboo [a legendary spiritual bamboo of supreme quality], causing them to undergo a continuous metamorphosis, transforming into one Great Encompassing Golden Bamboo Sword Embryo [the nascent form of a sword forged from Great Encompassing Golden Bamboo] after another.

"It is almost complete."

Seeing the Sword Embryo [the nascent, unformed core of a spiritual sword] about to take final shape, Path Ruins Jiang immediately fused one hundred and eight strands of Innate Indestructibility Spirit Light [a divine light embodying the concept of unbreakable durability from the moment of creation] into them.

After completing this step, Path Ruins Jiang pondered for a moment, then decisively imprinted the ancient characters from the Scripture of Innate Primordial Breath [a supreme scripture detailing the cultivation of one's innate primordial life force] onto the swords.

The Scripture of Innate Primordial Breath contained one hundred and eight ancient characters. Each character was profoundly mysterious and filled with boundless profundity, as if the sum of all knowledge within the entire Universe paled in comparison to the mystery contained within a single one of these characters.

Now, each of the one hundred and eight Immortal Sword [a sword wielded by an immortal, possessing immense power] received one of these characters, branded with a supreme Innate Path Patterns [the fundamental, inborn patterns that define a path or law of existence].

"*Hummm—*"

The Creation Cauldron trembled violently, its voice filled with awe as it exclaimed, "This scripture is a peerless Dao tome, even more precious than the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Scripture [a legendary cultivation manual left by an ancient Heavenly Emperor]!"

"Not quite. It represents the primordial Innate Great Path [the foundational, ineffable principle from which all existence springs], a concept nearly beyond description."

Eldrin Chen's eyes flickered with a glint of understanding, for he had anticipated this revelation.

How could a Daoist scripture derived from the two ancient characters of the Primordial Chaos Scripture possibly be compared to any ordinary tome left behind by a Heavenly Emperor [a supreme ruler of a heavenly domain]?

As the saying goes, first came the Primordial Chaos [the state of undifferentiated, formless potential before creation], then the Chaos [the turbulent state of nascent existence]. Following Chaos Opening [the act of creation that cleaves order from chaos], it is within the Desolation Sea [the boundless, primordial expanse of nascent reality] that a Primordial Domain [a nascent, foundational world or realm] might be born.

The Innate Primordial Breath [the first and most fundamental breath of existence, the source of all creation] is the very beginning of the Innate [the state of being that precedes and gives rise to all things] and the most primal essence released at the dawn of a Primordial Domain. Its status and nature are of unparalleled, supreme nobility.

Contemplating this, Eldrin Chen fell into a brief, thoughtful silence before turning his gaze to the Creation Cauldron [a legendary artifact capable of forging creation itself]. "I beseech you, Fellow Daoist," he said, "to bestow upon him a wisp of Creation Beginning Energy [the foundational energy sparking the act of creation], to aid him in forging a peerless foundation for his cultivation."

The Creation Cauldron gave a slight nod of assent, offering no further words.

Meanwhile, Path Ruins Jiang had completed the refinement of one hundred and eight Primordial Unity Golden Bamboo Sword [swords forged from a unique golden bamboo embodying primordial unity].

Perhaps because they had fused with the ancient character from the Scripture of Innate Primordial Breath, this set of Great Encompassing Golden Bamboo Sword [the collective name for the one hundred and eight swords] seemed to have undergone a profound and mysterious transformation.

The Dao patterns [mystical inscriptions representing fundamental truths] within them multiplied and evolved into a myriad of forms, ultimately coalescing into a set of Innate Primordial Energy Path Runes [mystical runes channeling the power of the Innate Primordial Breath]. Perhaps it would be more fitting to call this formation the Innate Energy Sword Formation [a sword formation powered by the essence of primordial creation].

As the Immortal Sword took form, Path Ruins Jiang immediately began to perform the Heavenly Emperor's Artifact Fusion Chapter [a supreme technique for fusing and refining artifacts], initiating the final step of its metamorphosis.

The requirements for performing the Heavenly Emperor's Artifact Fusion Chapter were exceedingly high, yet this Innate Energy Sword Formation [a formation born from the world's primordial energies] perfectly met all the demands of the Heavenly Emperor's Artifact Fusion Chapter.

As Path Ruins Jiang continuously refined and fused it, the Innate Energy Sword Formation melded together, transforming into a white Immortal Sword wreathed in an aura of profound primordial essence.

"Hmmmm—"

In that instant, the Chaos [the primordial state before creation] trembled violently. From the seat of the supreme Eternal True Spirit [the eternal and unchanging source of all destiny], endless True Spirit Imprint [the fundamental patterns of destiny and law] cascaded down the Long River [the metaphorical river of time and fate], all of it absorbed by the radiant Immortal Sword.

When the process concluded, a single Immortal Sword slowly solidified, its surface etched with one hundred and eight ancient seal characters.

"A True Spirit Treasure [an artifact born from and embodying the fundamental laws of reality]—the Innate Primordial Breath Sword."

Eldrin Chen spoke softly, a trace of a smile appearing in his eyes.

This Innate Primordial Breath Sword possessed boundless potential; advancing it to an Innate Supreme Treasure [a supreme artifact born from the world's inception] in the future would encounter no bottlenecks whatsoever.

Eldrin Chen even had an intuition: if he could obtain Chaos Genesis Energy [the primordial energy from which all creation sprang], the chances of this treasure one day ascending to become a Chaos Spiritual Artifact [an artifact of Chaos, the highest order of spiritual tools] would be exceptionally high.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen lifted his gaze through the Chaos rift, looking towards the location of the eternal True Spirit [the primordial, undying spiritual essence from which all things originate].

Yet he discovered that even after billions upon trillions of True Spirit Imprint [the fundamental marks of destiny and existence left upon the cosmos] had fallen, the radiance of that Eternal True Spirit [the unchanging, foundational source of all spiritual essence] remained constant, neither increasing nor diminishing.

Withdrawing his thoughts, Eldrin Chen then looked at Path Ruins Jiang and said, "Grandfather, it is time to seize this opportunity for Foundation Reforging [a profound process of reforging one's spiritual foundation to achieve a higher state of being]."

Path Ruins Jiang gave a nod. He immediately activated his Innate Primordial Breath Sword [a divine ability manifesting a sword of innate, primordial energy], and with the power of the True Spirit Treasure [a supreme artifact born from the essence of the True Spirit], he began the process of Foundation Reforging to refine his foundational reserves.

The Creation Cauldron [a legendary cauldron capable of forging creation itself] also promptly released a stream of Creation Origin [the primordial essence from which all creation springs forth], causing it to continuously fuse with Path Ruins Jiang.

Seizing this moment, Eldrin Chen also directly expended one Primordial Chaos Indestructibility Divine Spark [a divine spark embodying the indestructible nature of primordial chaos], guiding it to merge into Path Ruins Jiang's body.

Path Ruins Jiang first fused the Creation Origin into his Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator, representing their soul's essence]. Then, leveraging the nourishing feedback from the True Spirit Treasure, he launched an assault on the bottleneck of the Twelfth Limit True Spirit Primordial Spirit [the twelfth and ultimate limit of a Primordial Spirit refined by True Spirit essence].

"BOOM—"

In that instant, the Primordial Spirit that Path Ruins Jiang had accumulated over six Kalpa Tribulation [a cosmic cycle of immense destruction and rebirth] finally shattered its Limit-Breaker [a state of breaking through the inherent limits of a cultivation realm] constraints. It explosively pierced through the Vast and Boundless Chaos [the infinite, formless primordial state before creation], triggering an onslaught of endless True Spirit Imprint.

In mere moments, Path Ruins Jiang's Primordial Spirit underwent a complete metamorphosis, transforming into an eternally Indestructibility [the state of being utterly unbreakable and everlasting] True Spirit Primordial Spirit [a Primordial Spirit perfected and empowered by the essence of the True Spirit].

"It is done."

"Just in time..."

At that very moment, Path Ruins Jiang acted with decisive resolve, beginning to sacrifice his entire cultivation foundation, transforming everything into nourishment for his newly forming physical body.

This caused Eldrin Chen's expression to shift slightly. He had originally intended for Path Ruins Jiang to complete his physical transformation first, then sever his cultivation base and start anew from the Ascendant Immortal Realm to cultivate the Sacrificial Self Path.

Although that approach would have been slower, cultivating step by step would have been far gentler. He never imagined Path Ruins Jiang would be so fiercely direct, immediately commencing the Sacrificial Self ritual.

Performing the Sacrificial Self ritual with the power of the Ancient Immortal Realm was no trivial matter. A single misstep could cause even an Indestructibility Primordial Spirit [a Primordial Spirit cultivated to a state of near-indestructibility] to turn to dust; a True Spirit Primordial Spirit [a Primordial Spirit refined to its truest, most resilient essence] might not withstand it either.

Fortunately, Path Ruins Jiang had already achieved a True Spirit Primordial Spirit, meaning complete annihilation was no longer a risk. This allowed Eldrin Chen to release a slight sigh of relief.

Taking a deep breath, he immediately retrieved various Rare Spiritual Wonders [precious materials imbued with potent spiritual energy] to assist Path Ruins Jiang in his cultivation of the Sacrificial Self Path.

Before their eyes, Path Ruins Jiang's physical body, spiritual energy, Path Fruit [the condensed essence and achievement of one's cultivated Path], and all other foundational elements began to disintegrate under the power of the Innate Primordial Breath Sword. They transformed into boundless power, intertwining with the Dao patterns of the Innate Primordial Breath Sword before surging entirely into Path Ruins Jiang's Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core and highest essence of a cultivator's being].

Subsequently, Path Ruins Jiang's Primordial Spirit began its metamorphosis, gradually transforming into a newly born Sacrificial Self Physique.

Uncertain how much time had passed, when all finally settled into stillness, Path Ruins Jiang had at last completed his cultivation of the Sacrificial Self Path [a profound and perilous cultivation art centered on sacrificing one's own being to achieve a higher state].

Witnessing this process, Eldrin Chen recorded his observations into the cultivation of the Sacrificial Self Path, finally gaining a flash of insight. "Even an Ancient Immortal Great Power," he mused, "if they cultivate a True Spirit Primordial Spirit [a Primordial Spirit refined to a state of supreme purity and resilience], can increase their chances of completing the Sacrificial Self [the core act of self-sacrifice within the Path] by thirty percent."

"Furthermore," he continued, "for those who have cultivated foundations such as the True Spirit Physique [a physical body tempered to a flawless, spirit-imbued state] or True Spirit Dharmic Power [Dharma Power refined to an ultimate, pure essence], the difficulty of completing the Sacrificial Self increases dramatically."

Having grasped the fundamental challenges of the Sacrificial Self Path, a grave expression settled upon Eldrin Chen's face.

In essence, the Sacrificial Self Path uses the Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core and highest essence of a cultivator] as its foundation, treating all other aspects of one's cultivation—every meridian, every ounce of power—as mere fuel for its ultimate refinement.

In this context, a powerful and Indestructibility [possessing an unyielding, eternal quality] Primordial Spirit would indeed boost the success rate of the Sacrificial Self.

However, if one's Primordial Spirit is comparatively weak, yet they have cultivated powerful secondary foundations like the True Spirit Physique and True Spirit Dharmic Power, the dynamic becomes one of a weak sovereign commanding powerful vassals. Under such conditions, completing the Sacrificial Self becomes virtually impossible.

This presented a significant dilemma for Eldrin Chen. His foundational strengths were overwhelmingly potent. With his seven supreme True Spirit Foundation [the pinnacle states of cultivation across various aspects like physique, energy, and spirit], attempting to fuse them all into his Primordial Spirit to achieve the final metamorphosis was a task akin to scaling the heavens themselves—a near-impossible feat.

"Perhaps... there is still a solution,"

Eldrin Chen murmured to himself, his thoughts suddenly turning to his ninth Innate Acupoints [mystical points within the body, innate from birth, that hold profound potential for cultivation].

Over these years, his ninth Innate Acupoints had yet to fuse with a Divine Ability [a powerful supernatural technique derived from one's cultivation path]. Now, it seemed a glimmer of a method had finally appeared.

"The sea embraces all rivers, devouring the myriad things of creation."

"Perhaps only the Divine Ability derived from the Great Path of Returning Abyss [the Dao of the Abyssal Return], which is hailed as the Chaos End [the ultimate terminus of primordial chaos], could bear the weight of my supreme seven True Spirit Foundation [foundational cultivation arts that forge one's True Spirit], could it not?"

Eldrin Chen murmured softly, then finally reined in his wandering thoughts.

The Great Path of Returning Abyss was profoundly mysterious, a manifestation of the Great Path of Chaos End [the destined path leading to the end of chaos]. It was not something he could hope to comprehend at his current stage.

Even if he could grasp its secrets, he would not immediately complete the Sacrificial Self [the act of sacrificing one's old self]. The greatest advantage of the Sacrificial Self Path [the Path of Self-Sacrifice] lay in this: the more formidable one's foundation, the more powerful the reborn self would ultimately become.

Only if Eldrin Chen one day reached a point where further advancement was truly impossible would he consider finalizing his breakthrough via the Sacrificial Self Path.

By Eldrin Chen's estimation, if he cultivated all seven of his foundational arts to the Chaos Realm [a legendary realm of primordial chaos] and *then* completed his Sacrificial Self Path breakthrough, his potential would surpass that of any cultivator in all of history.

At that juncture, his latent potential might even be sufficient to tread upon a realm higher than the Third Chaos Realm [the third and profound stage within the Chaos Realm].

Returning to the main thread, Path Ruins Jiang, having completed his Sacrificial Self, immediately began the work of opening his Ten Great Divine Treasuries [the ten supreme spiritual repositories within a cultivator's body].

With his current level of cultivation, opening the Ten Great Divine Treasuries was as effortless as breathing. In the mere Eldrin [a conventional short duration, roughly five to fifteen minutes] it took to drink a cup of tea, all ten divine treasuries had been fully unlocked within him.

After completing his cultivation of the Ten Great Divine Treasuries, Path Ruins Jiang began to open his Inner World [the foundational internal cosmos of a cultivator]. In the blink of an eye, a vast world began to unfold within his body.

Empowered by the Creation Beginning Energy [the primordial energy from which all things are born], his breakthrough continued unabated. His Inner World transformed into a Three Realms [a cosmos comprising the Heavenly, Earthly, and Nether Realms], and then expanded further into a complete Great Universe [a vast, self-contained cosmos].

Only after reaching the completion of the Cosmos Realm [a profound cultivation stage where one's inner world becomes a true, stable cosmos] did Path Ruins Jiang finally pause his ascent.

Having cultivated in seclusion for several Kalpa Tribulation [an immense cosmic cycle in Buddhist cosmology, often billions of years], he had spent countless years delving into the intricacies of the Space-Time Great Path [a supreme law governing the fabric of space and time] required by the Sacrificial Self Path [a legendary cultivation method focused on self-transcendence through sacrifice]. He had mastered the entire theoretical framework of the path, enabling him to cultivate seamlessly all the way to the threshold of the Immortal Treasury [a legendary repository of immortal power and knowledge].

However, completing the cultivation of the Ten Great Immortal Treasuries [the ten supreme immortal repositories of power within the Sacrificial Self Path] would still require a significant amount of time.

According to Path Ruins Jiang's own estimation, he would need to cultivate for roughly one more Kalpa Tribulation. This would be sufficient time to thoroughly complete and consolidate his cultivation of the Sacrificial Self Path, reaching the bottleneck for attempting a breakthrough to the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [the pinnacle of the Golden Immortal realm, a state of near-omnipotence] before the arrival of the next great Kalpa Tribulation.