Chapter 1972 : The Forge of Supreme Treasures

Yet even success should not breed complacency, for with each subsequent fusion of an Innate Primordial Breath [a fundamental energy of creation], the chance of success often does not exceed forty percent.

Even with the addition of precious Chaos Rare Treasure [rare treasures born from primordial chaos] and divine materials, or even the personal intervention of a Chaos Heavenly Emperor [a supreme ruler who has mastered the laws of primordial chaos], the probability of successful refinement is only around sixty percent.

The difficulty for a Supreme Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure [a top-tier treasure born with the world] to successfully fuse nine Innate Primordial Breath consecutively is simply too immense. Those that ultimately metamorphose into an Innate Supreme Treasure [a supreme treasure of innate origin] are often fewer than one in ten.

Many beings at the Great Perfection Primordial One Imperial Lord [the peak of the Primordial One Imperial Lord realm] often refine themselves to the brink of ruin in their pursuit of forging a single Innate Supreme Treasure.

There are even existences at the Great Emperor [Great Emperor] level who have wasted dozens of Supreme Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure and consumed over a hundred Innate Primordial Breath, yet still ended up with nothing to show for it.

Nevertheless, the various Primordial One Imperial Lord [Primordial One Imperial Lords] spare no cost in their quest to refine Innate Supreme Treasure. For this represents not only vastly greater combat power, but is also intricately linked to the possibility of taking that final step forward, breaking through to the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Realm [the Chaos Heavenly Emperor realm].

"Once it successfully fuses nine Innate Primordial Breath, it can attract boundless True Spirit Imprint [imprints of the True Spirit, a higher form of destiny], allowing one to cultivate a True Spirit Treasure [a treasure imbued with the power of the True Spirit] while still within the Primordial One Imperial Lord Realm,"

"The Obsidian Abyss Imperial Spear of Obsidian Abyss Great Emperor [the Great Emperor of the Obsidian Abyss] successfully fused nine Innate Primordial Breath consecutively, allowing it to evolve into a True Spirit Treasure. This enabled him to forge his True Spirit Foundation [a foundation aligned with the True Spirit], and even leverage the surplus True Spirit Imprint to cultivate his sixth True Spirit Divine Runes [divine runes of the True Spirit]," Exquisite Jiang murmured slowly, her gaze turning solemn.

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen's eyes flickered with understanding. So, after refining an Innate Supreme Treasure, the attracted True Spirit Imprint could produce a surplus. This surplus could then be used to cultivate both the True Spirit Aperture [an aperture connected to the True Spirit] and True Spirit Divine Runes. No wonder these Primordial One Imperial Lord were willing to pay any price to achieve an Innate Supreme Treasure.

Even so, Eldrin Chen could not help but frown slightly, a trace of surprise in his voice as he said, "Fusing one's Lifebound Treasure [a cultivator's most intimately connected magical artifact] with Innate Primordial Breath [the primordial energy of creation]... if it fails, wouldn't that destroy the Lifebound Treasure?"

"There are always some Chaos Divine Object [divine materials born from primordial chaos] that can repair a Lifebound Treasure," she explained. "For instance, Supreme Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure-grade Chaos Origin Liquid [a liquid essence of primordial chaos], or vast quantities of top-tier Innate Heavenly God Metal [a divine metal of heavenly origin]. Both are capable of mending a damaged Supreme Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure."

Eldrin Chen nodded in understanding. He had heard that the reason Obsidian Abyss Great Emperor had been able to forge his Obsidian Abyss Imperial Spear was precisely because he had obtained a massive amount of that top-tier Innate Heavenly God Metal, coupled with an astonishing stroke of Opportunity and Fortune [a confluence of chance and destiny], allowing him to succeed in a single attempt.

Upon hearing this, Nyssa Qu, who stood nearby, could not help but wear a grave expression. "So it seems," she said solemnly, "that in the future, my Nine Severities Spirit-Slaying Swords will also have to tread this path."

Exquisite Jiang gave a slight nod of agreement. "Unless," she continued, "one manages to attract a True Spirit Imprint [the spiritual imprint of a primordial being] and forge a True Spirit Treasure [a treasure imbued with the power of a true spirit] while still at the Ancient Immortal realm, this is the only method to achieve a True Spirit Treasure at the Primordial One Imperial Lord level."

Yet, upon hearing these words, a flicker of thought passed through Eldrin Chen's eyes. "Perhaps not necessarily," he mused, a contemplative tone in his voice.

Exquisite Jiang was taken aback for a moment. "You mean...?" she asked, unable to contain her curiosity.

"Mmm."

Eldrin Chen affirmed with a nod, a faint smile finally touching the corners of his eyes.

His Primordial Chaos Essence [the fundamental essence of primordial chaos] possessed miraculous and boundless uses. It had always been capable of forcefully breaking through cultivation bottlenecks and limits. Once fused into 'Primordial Chaos Source Essence' [the concentrated source essence of primordial chaos], its effects would surely become even more formidable. He suspected its power would far surpass anything Innate Primordial Breath could offer.

Exquisite Jiang also considered this point and could not help but smile as she said, "It seems that after Nyssa breaks through to the Primordial One Imperial Lord Late Stage, forging a True Spirit Treasure [a treasure born from and bound to a cultivator's very soul] will be well within her grasp."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen simply smiled and offered no further comment.

An Innate Supreme Treasure [a supreme treasure born from the essence of the Great Path itself] is, in essence, a manifestation of Great Path Authority [the authority to command a fundamental law of existence] and is an even more powerful form of True Spirit Treasure. The ability to forge an Innate Lifebound Supreme Treasure [an innate supreme treasure bound to one's life and cultivation] is intrinsically linked to the foundation and latent potential of a Primordial One Imperial Lord [an Imperial Lord who has unified their Primordial Chaos].

It must be understood that, aside from those who have established a foundation with three or more True Spirit Foundation [foundational cultivation arts that nurture the true spirit], the vast majority of Primordial One Imperial Lord lack the potential to ever ascend to the Chaos Heavenly Emperor [a Heavenly Emperor who commands the power of Primordial Chaos] realm.

Under such circumstances, whether one can forge an Innate Supreme Treasure, which enhances both potential and foundational depth, determines their very qualification to attempt a breakthrough into the Primordial One Imperial Lord Realm.

Throughout the entire Three Thousand Immortal Domains, apart from a mere dozen or so Primordial One Imperial Lord like the Obsidian Abyss Great Emperor, the other Great Perfection Primordial One Imperial Lord [those at the peak of the Primordial One Imperial Lord realm] have failed to forge an Innate Supreme Treasure.

Such beings, even if they were to obtain Chaos Genesis Energy [the primordial energy from which all chaos is born], likely lack the qualification to assault the ChaosHeavenly Emperor Realm.

Consider what a Chaos Heavenly Emperor truly represents. If one cannot even forge an Innate Supreme Treasure, what right do they have to challenge the ChaosHeavenly Emperor Realm?

With these thoughts, Eldrin Chen withdrew his contemplations. He rolled up the intelligence scroll, his gaze turning solemn as he stated, "A single Seven-Pattern Innate Supreme Treasure Embryo [an embryonic innate supreme treasure bearing seven natural Dao patterns] is indeed enough to drive Primordial One Imperial Lord to madness, but it holds little relevance for us."

"What we must do now is swiftly digest our recent gains, so we may sooner break through to the Seventh Layer Great Encompassing Golden Immortal."

Upon hearing this, Exquisite Jiang also nodded slightly and said, "I will accompany you in the alchemy refinement."

"Good."

Eldrin Chen nodded and immediately called upon several of his dao companions to process the Great Encompassing Physique [a supreme physical constitution] of the Demonic and Divine Clans Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [a supreme immortal realm].

They dissected the divine bodies of over a dozen Great Encompassing Golden Immortal, ultimately obtaining a vast quantity of materials including Great Encompassing Divine Bone [divine bones of supreme quality], divine hearts, hides, flesh, and blood.

Eldrin Chen handed the hides to Exquisite Jiang and then immediately ignited the alchemical furnace to refine the Great Encompassing Immortal Pill [a supreme-grade immortal pill].

Even beings at the Late Stage Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [the late stage of the supreme golden immortal realm] had begun to remedy their own deficiencies, turning back to cultivate the Great Encompassing Physique. The essence within their flesh and blood grew increasingly potent, yielding even more of the Great Encompassing Immortal Pill.

Eldrin Chen refined pill after pill for several hundred thousand years, completing over a dozen batches of the Great Encompassing Immortal Pill. In total, he obtained three hundred and sixty pills.

According to Eldrin Chen's estimation, even with the extraordinary foundations of the Chen Immortal Clan members, these resources would be sufficient for Exquisite Jiang and the others to cultivate their Great Encompassing Physique to the sixth level of perfection.

After successfully refining the Great Encompassing Immortal Pill, Eldrin Chen processed the remaining resources, such as the God-Demon Heart [a heart containing both divine and demonic essence], before finally returning to the Seclusion Chamber to contemplate the progress of his Great Path [the supreme cultivation art] cultivation.

Upon this contemplation, a faint smile touched Eldrin Chen's lips.

In this great battle, Eldrin Chen slew four formidable foes at the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal Great Perfection level: Verdant Extreme Patriarch, Golden Radiance Celestial Lord, Desolate Wilderness Patriarch, and Violet Dawn Divine Spirit. From them, he seized their Great Path Authority [the conceptual sovereignty over a fundamental cosmic principle], which pertained to the Primordial Solar [the fundamental principle of the primordial sun], Source Earth [the foundational principle of the earth element], Life, and Primordial Chaos Great Path [fundamental cosmic principles or laws].

After obtaining the Great Path Authority from these four, Eldrin Chen felt a tremendous amplification in the power of authority over these four Great Path. Once he fully assimilated them, the amount of Great Path power he could command would surge dramatically.

Furthermore, bolstered by this Great Path Authority, his cultivation in these Great Path would advance by leaps and bounds. Reaching the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal Great Perfection realm would present no bottleneck whatsoever.

Beyond these four Great Path, Eldrin Chen had also slain three Great Path Rival [a destined adversary who walks a conflicting Great Path]: Mace of Earth Immortal Lord, Profound Darkness Ghost Ancestor, and Golden-Winged Demon Lord. From them, he acquired the Profound Darkness [the principle of profound and absolute darkness] Great Path Authority at the Eighth Heaven of Great Encompassing level.

This infusion of authority also contributed significantly to the growth of Eldrin Chen's strength.

Of course, while the power of these Great Path Authority was formidable, fully integrating them would still require a considerable amount of time.

In truth, what Eldrin Chen valued most was the enhancement these Great Path Authority provided to his comprehension of the Great Path themselves.

With the support of Great Path Authority at least at the Eighth Heaven of the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal level, his speed in comprehending the Great Path would increase exponentially. He estimated that within fifty million years, he could cultivate the Mahayana Chaos Limitless Great Path [the Great Path of Limitless Chaos of the Mahayana tradition] to its seventh layer.

This estimation already accounted for Eldrin Chen's steadfast adherence to his own philosophy. He intended to repair and perfect these five Great Path using his own methods, a process that would consume vast stretches of time.

If he were to abandon his own path and simply inherit these individuals' Great Path, Eldrin Chen could likely break through to the Seventh Layer Great Encompassing Golden Immortal realm within a mere ten thousand years.

Returning to the main topic, after attaining complete enlightenment regarding his own Great Path cultivation, Eldrin Chen did not rush to perfect the Chaos Limitless Great Path.

He proceeded directly to the Returning Abyss Immortal Hall and summoned the Great Encompassing True Seed cultivators of the Returning Abyss Immortal Alliance.

Within the Returning Abyss Immortal Hall, Eldrin Chen gazed upon the assembled Immortal under his command, a faint smile touching the corners of his eyes.

Within the Great Hall stood several dozen Ancient Immortal Great Power. Each possessed a cultivation base of at least the Ancient Immortal Realm, or had reached the Immortal Treasury realm of the Sacrificial Self Path.

Among these Immortal were direct descendants of the Chen Immortal Clan, such as Silas Chen, Caleb Chen, Support Revive Chen, Extraordinary Chen, Eldrin Chen's own grandson Thinking Past Chen, and the turtle Immortal Rising Swan Chen.

There were also old friends and rising stars from the Purple Seal Realm, such as the Void-Refining Immortal, the Heavenly Mountain Goddess, Horizon Patriarch, Melancholy Inscription Lord, Clear Heart Path Master, Heaven Abandoned Lin, the Lord of the Path Palace, Jiang Venus, the Demon-Slayer Path Master, and others.

There were also friends made within the Immortal Domain, including the Ancient Ruins Nether Lord, Violet Mystery Path Master, Heaven Abyss Path Master, Blazeflame Divine Spirit, Void Sword Master, Glazed Divine Lord, Myriad Spirit Patriarch, Eternal Verdancy Ancient Immortal, the Antiquity-Tracing Great Emperor, the Future Great Emperor, and other such companions.

"We greet the Immortal Lord,"

the assembled Immortal chorused in unison, bowing respectfully as they spoke.

Eldrin Chen gestured with an open hand, a gentle force lifting the gathered immortals to their feet. "We are all old friends here," he said with a warm smile. "There is no need for such formality."

Only then did the assembled immortals rise to their feet, their expressions tinged with confusion as they turned their gazes toward Eldrin Chen.

Eldrin Chen did not speak immediately. His eyes swept over the gathering before he finally said, "Esteemed friends, having cultivated to this point, I imagine the least among you has lived for more than six Kalpa Tribulation [immense cosmic cycles spanning billions of years], has that not?"

Upon hearing this, all the immortals nodded in unison, a wave of profound reflection washing over their faces.

Unbeknownst to them, they had already lived for over six Kalpa Tribulation.

Perhaps for a Great Encompassing Golden Immortal, six Kalpa Tribulation did not constitute an overly lengthy span of time. Yet, for Celestial Immortal [immortals who have ascended to the celestial realm] and even for Ancient Immortal [immortals who have survived for eons], this was an undeniably ancient epoch.

Within the Three Thousand Immortal Domains, the vast majority of Celestial Immortal Great Power [powerful celestial immortals] who lacked the protection of a Great Encompassing Golden Immortal would not survive a single Kalpa Tribulation.

Those capable of enduring one or two Kalpa Tribulation were typically top-tier Celestial Immortal Great Power at the Late Celestial Immortal Realm. As for beings who had weathered six Kalpa Tribulation, they were almost invariably existences of the Ancient Immortal Realm.

In truth, among the five great Ancient Immortal of the former Vast Azure Immortal Domain, only Eternal Verdancy Ancient Immortal had lived for over ten Kalpa Tribulation; the others at that time had not yet reached six.

These Ancient Immortal present, being old acquaintances of Eldrin the Immortal Lord, had all received his care to varying degrees. Even if they had not been nurtured with his full focus, the gates to various resources had been opened wide for them.

It must be understood that Eldrin the Immortal Lord was no ordinary Great Encompassing Golden Immortal. As one of the most supreme among them, Eldrin the Immortal Lord had emerged victorious from several major conflicts. The resources he had seized from these victories rivaled, if not surpassed, those of some Primordial One Imperial Court [the most ancient and powerful imperial courts].

Yet, an Imperial Court [the supreme ruling institution of an immortal domain] typically endures for a minimum of a thousand Kalpa Tribulation [immense cosmic cycles], and the Ancient Immortal Patriarch [a venerable immortal who has survived multiple heavenly tribulations] it accumulates over such vast spans are counted in the tens of thousands at the very least. No matter how abundant the resources, they are never sufficient to be divided among so many.

In contrast, how many Ancient Immortal [a powerful immortal who has weathered heavenly tribulations] does the Returning Abyss Immortal Alliance [a powerful alliance of immortals] truly possess? The share of resources each of them receives within the alliance is likely staggering, perhaps even surpassing that allotted to the Great Encompassing Direct Successor [the direct heirs and disciples of a Great Encompassing Realm powerhouse] within an Imperial Court.

Under such circumstances, the cultivators gathered here all possessed exceedingly high cultivation bases, nearly all having reached the level of five Six Tribulations Ancient Immortal [an ancient immortal who has survived six heavenly tribulations] or beyond. A significant number had even cultivated to the Seven Tribulations [the state of having endured seven heavenly calamities] Ancient Immortal Realm [the realm of an ancient immortal].

Contemplating this, the assembled immortals were filled with profound and complex emotions.

The Violet Mystery Path Master [a master of the Violet Mystery cultivation path] sighed softly before speaking. "Had it not been for the illumination provided by the Immortal Lord [a lord among immortals, a title of great respect], we would likely have turned to dust long ago. How could we have attained our current cultivation and achieved such Creation [the act of creation, a profound concept in cultivation]?"

Eldrin Chen [the protagonist, a powerful immortal] gave a slight nod. "Esteemed fellow cultivators," he began, his voice calm yet carrying immense weight. "Although you have all successfully cultivated to the Ancient Immortal Realm [the realm of an ancient immortal], judging by my perception, for the majority among you, the hope of attaining the Great Encompassing [a supreme cultivation realm encompassing all things] remains slim."

Upon hearing these words, the faces of the assembled immortals twisted into expressions of bitter smiles.

The difficulty of attaining the Great Encompassing [a supreme cultivation realm encompassing all things] was a consensus held throughout the ages. Even with the full support of a Great Encompassing Ancient Sect [an ancient sect founded by a Great Encompassing Realm powerhouse], the probability of an Eight Tribulations Ancient Immortal [an ancient immortal who has survived eight heavenly tribulations] successfully proving their path and attaining the Great Encompassing [a supreme cultivation realm encompassing all things] remained less than one in several dozen, or even one in a hundred.

Among their number, aside from a select few like the Melancholy Inscription Lord [a lord whose Dao title reflects profound, inscribed sorrow] and Silas Chen [a member of the Chen Clan], the innate talent of the vast majority was merely ordinary. Many had not even forged their own unique Great Path of the Great Encompassing [a supreme cultivation art leading to the Great Encompassing Realm].

Under such circumstances, even if Eldrin Chen [the protagonist, a powerful immortal] were to spare no expense, using supreme treasures to enhance their foundational potential or even bestowing upon them Innate Spiritual Treasure [a spiritual treasure born from heaven and earth, possessing immense power] to help them break through the Spiritual Treasure Heavenly Pass [a critical bottleneck related to spiritual treasures], it would still be nearly impossible for them to ultimately prove their path and attain the Great Encompassing [a supreme cultivation realm encompassing all things].

Regarding this point, the assembled Immortals were well aware, and thus had not originally held much hope for a breakthrough.

However, the Ancient Ruins Nether Lord seemed to discern a deeper meaning within Eldrin Chen's words and could not help but ask, "Does the Immortal Lord mean to imply that you can guide us in breaking through to the Great Encompassing realm?"

"Indeed."

Eldrin Chen nodded, then stated calmly, "The Sacrificial Self Path [a profound cultivation method focused on self-transcendence through sacrifice] I have pioneered, though it cannot yet reach the Primordial One Imperial Lord Realm [the supreme realm of a single, unified primordial origin], is already an exceedingly complete Great Path [a supreme and foundational cultivation methodology]."

"For this Path to ascend to the state of an Innate Limitless Great Path [a supreme cultivation method born from the cosmos itself, without inherent limits], it requires at least three thousand Sacrificial Self Path Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [Golden Immortals who have achieved the Great Encompassing realm] to perfect its foundation."

"Among these three thousand, there are thirty-six positions of Ancient Sage and seventy-two seats of Great Virtue, which can receive the Innate Fortune [the innate luck and destiny bestowed by the cosmos itself] bestowed by the Sacrificial Self Path."

"If you were to convert to cultivating the Sacrificial Self Path, you might qualify to obtain one of these one hundred and eight Fortune positions."

Hearing this, the faces of the Immortals present lit up with joy and astonishment.

If the Sacrificial Self Path truly could ascend to become an Innate Limitless Great Path, then as the first to participate in its cultivation and refinement, they would become the pioneering sages of this Path.

By that time, blessed by the profound Fortune [cosmic fortune and destiny] it would confer, they might even have the potential to cultivate their way to the Primordial One Imperial Lord Realm.

This was not an impossibility. It must be understood that within the Three Thousand Immortal Domains [the collective name for the myriad realms of cultivation], the seventy-two pioneering sages who first explored and pioneered the Immortal Domain Art [a profound method for creating and governing immortal realms] and participated in perfecting the Immortal Path [the foundational laws and principles of immortal cultivation] have all, by now, broken through to the Primordial One Imperial Lord Realm [the realm of a supreme sovereign, one of the highest attainable stages of cultivation].

These seventy-two individuals are hailed as the Seventy-Two Sages [the revered group of foundational immortal pioneers]. The lowest among them have reached at least the Primordial One Imperial Lord 3rd Tier [the third level within the Primordial One Imperial Lord realm]. Figures known to Eldrin Chen, such as the Great Center Imperial Lord, the Frigid Heaven Imperial Lord, and even the Grand Nether Imperial Lord, are all counted among the Seventy-Two Sages.

Contemplating this, joy blossomed in the hearts of the assembled immortals.

Within the Returning Abyss Immortal Domain, many cultivated the Sacrificial Self Path [a radical cultivation method that involves sacrificing one's old self to forge a new, more powerful existence]. They naturally understood the formidable power inherent in this path.

Thus, without the slightest hesitation, they all agreed to convert their cultivation to the Sacrificial Self Path.

The Melancholy Inscription Lord [a title for a master of profound and sorrowful inscriptions] was also deeply tempted, yet he could not help but voice his concern: "Converting to the Sacrificial Self Path requires sacrificing the old self. This process is nearly irreversible, and the risk of failure grows greater with one's cultivation strength."

"Has the Immortal Lord [a title for a powerful immortal being] perhaps found a way to resolve this issue?"

Eldrin Chen's gaze remained serene as he replied with a faint smile, "For cultivators with a more powerful Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core and true essence of a cultivator], the success rate of converting to the Sacrificial Self Path is actually higher."

"Furthermore, I possess a secret treasure capable of severing your foundational cultivation entirely, using the achievements and power of your current life as fuel to cultivate the Sacrificial Self Path."

"In this manner, failure is impossible. However, the potential of the newly forged self will, by comparison, be diminished by half."

Melancholy Inscription Lord's eyes lit up, and he could not help but speak out: "If one cultivates the True Spirit Primordial Spirit [a supreme divine ability that refines one's spiritual core to its most authentic and powerful state], would success then be guaranteed?"

"If you truly can cultivate the True Spirit Primordial Spirit, the chance of success would be eight or nine out of ten. But if you cannot master it, the possibility of success is likely less than one in ten thousand."

Eldrin Chen nodded, his expression calm as he spoke.

Melancholy Inscription Lord gave a faint smile and then said, "I understand."

Seeing this, Eldrin Chen spoke: "Since you have no objections, those who wish to use the secret treasure to sever their foundations completely and switch to cultivating the Sacrificial Self Path [a profound and demanding cultivation art that requires the practitioner to sacrifice their former self], follow me to the Returning Abyss Forbidden Land."

Without cultivating the True Spirit Primordial Spirit, attempting to switch to the Sacrificial Self Path at the Ancient Immortal Realm [a high realm of cultivation denoting an immortal of great age and power] holds almost no chance of success.

The vast majority of Immortal [beings who have achieved immortality through cultivation] possessed the self-awareness of this fact. Therefore, aside from a few individuals like Silas Chen and Melancholy Inscription Lord, most others followed Eldrin Chen to the Returning Abyss Forbidden Land.