Chapter 1857 : Ancient Ice Phoenix

Eldrin was somewhat taken aback by these words, lifting his gaze to meet that formidable will.

Will of the Heavenly Dao?

"It's me."

The Heavenly Dao of Qingcang spoke slowly, and after a long while, said, "If you wish to take this object, you must do me a favor."

"Oh?" A faint ripple stirred within Eldrin's gaze before he inquired, "What favor do you seek?"

The Heaven’s Path of Qing Cang fell silent, and after a moment, it spoke with startling revelation: “At the end of the Primordial Era, that legendary figure’s sword strike descended through time and space, slaying our master hundreds of times in succession. By then, the vast majority of its power had already been depleted.”

Eldrin was inwardly shaken upon hearing this, unable to resist turning to Qing Cang Tian Dao as he asked, "You mean..."

"Hmm." The Will of Heaven responded, answering calmly, "If my speculation is correct, this 100 Tribulations Rebirth will be the last time our master is slain."

"In other words, if that individual from back then refrains from further intervention, the next 100 Calamities Rebirth shall be our master's revival tribulation."

Eldrin fell silent upon hearing this. After a moment, he spoke, "What do you need me to do?"

The Will of the Heavenly Dao remained tranquil, yet promised, "This Primordial Yin-Yang Crow Vessel(Artifact) may be granted to you. However, when the opportunity for the 100 Calamities Rebirth next arises, I shall request your aid in assisting my master."

"Of course, this is contingent upon that individual refraining from further intervention."

Eldrin fell into a brief contemplative silence upon hearing this. After a moment, he finally spoke, "To lend a hand to the great deity Qingcang, 1 would likely need at least a Great Luo cultivation realm. You certainly think highly of me."

The Heaven’s Dao of Qing Cang remained composed, speaking calmly, “You are the most gifted individual the Qing Cang Immortal Domain has ever produced, with immense potential to attain the Great Luo Realm. If even you cannot break through, then for the next 1 1000 kalpas, it will be exceedingly difficult for anyone in the Qing Cang Immortal Domain to achieve a breakthrough.”

Eldrin (Person Name) gave a slight nod before speaking, "I agree, but only within the limits of my capabilities."

"If I truly encounter an opponent beyond my capabilities, I might choose to stand idly by."

The Heavenly Will of Qing Cang trembled faintly before responding after a moment, "With your pledge, my concerns are put to rest. I believe our master’s hope of revival shall grow vastly."

"The Vast Azure Immortal Realm still holds several legacies of grace. Though none can compare to this Yin-Yang Myriad Crow Vessel, they remain rare treasures indeed. You may choose to investigate them."

As the words faded, the will of Qingcang Heavenly Dao vanished without a trace.

Seeing this, Eldrin (Person Name) stored away the Yin-Yang Myriad Crow Vessel with a flick of his sleeve, then tore through the void and departed.

In the very instant he departed, the forbidden power of the Myriad Crows Restricted Zone began to dissipate, restoring it to a complete immortal realm once more.

Throughout the entire Vast Azure Immortal Domain, countless ancient immortals and mighty figures sensed the disturbance, each revealing expressions of astonishment.

In the Golden Crow Heavenly Domain, an exceedingly dazzling golden figure opened his eyes, revealing a trace of astonishment.

This person was none other than the Golden Crow Tribe’s 6-calamity ancient Immortal Emperor Nie. Having torn through the chaos to arrive here, Emperor Nie’s eyes revealed a trace of doubt and surprise as he murmured, “The 10-1000 Crow Forbidden Land has vanished… Could it be that the Numinous Treasure has restored itself?”

At almost the same moment, several other Ancient Immortal mighty figures tore through the void and arrived.

Their cultivation levels were all at the Ancient Immortal 4th or 5th Layer or higher, yet as they gazed upon the utterly desolate 10-1000 Crow Forbidden Ground, their complexions shifted repeatedly.

A man from the Violet Sky Cavern’s expression shifted slightly, his gaze turning profoundly somber as he said, “Impossible. The Eldrin once divined that it would still require a considerable amount of time for this treasure to fully restore itself.”

"And even a 6-Tribulation Ancient Immortal would be incapable of taking this treasure away."

"Could it be..."

An ancient ancestor from the Qingyang Divine Clan slightly changed his expression, his voice tinged with uncertainty as he asked, “Could it be that a 7-Calamity Ancient Immortal has arrived in the Qingcang Immortal Domain?”

"Impossible."

Dì Niè shook his head decisively, his gaze turning frosty as he declared, "The Qingcang Immortal Realm lacks profound foundations. Even after accumulating power through dozens of kalpic cycles, it would be impossible for them to produce a Seventh Kalpa Ancient Immortal."

"And if such a person truly existed, how could we possibly remain unaware?"

The others furrowed their brows slightly upon hearing this and sank back into contemplative silence.

They understood the wisdom in Dì Niè's words, yet the mystery of the 10 1000 Crows Forbidden Land's sudden disappearance only deepened in their hearts.

At the same moment, Eldrin (Person Name) took a single step out of the 10-1000 Crows Forbidden Ground and emerged beyond the Abyssal Inferno Sea.

Ran gazed toward the Abyssal Inferno Sea, a flicker of intention to annihilate it surfacing in his mind. Yet, in the very next instant, he suppressed the impulse.

That 8-Tribulation Ancient Demon must have broken through the 8 heavenly barriers. Eldrin did not believe he had truly and completely perished.

Such an ancient demon of immense power—even if Eldrin could engage it in battle, he had no certainty of slaying it. A true fight to mutual ruin would only further damage the very foundation of the Qingcang Immortal Realm.

Rather than fighting like this, it would be better to wait until our combat strength increases a bit more before finding a way to deal with this 8-Calamity Ancient Demon.

With this thought in mind, Eldrin departed from beyond the Abyssal Refinement Sea. In a single step, he shattered the boundless void and arrived before another ancient domain—a forbidden land shrouded in glaciers.

Phoenix Fall Ridge.

Eldrin's thoughts flickered. This was an ice-bound forbidden land, entirely shrouded in endless frost. Compared to the terror of the 10-1000 Crows Restricted Ground, here all the great Dao laws converged into imperceptible subtleties—making it far less perilous for ancient immortals.

But the instant Eldrin set foot here, he knew this place was truly a realm of absolute desolation.

"You have come."

The moment Eldrin arrived, a void portal slowly materialized, and an ethereal voice drifted through.

Eldrin gave a slight nod and stepped into the forbidden realm. His gaze fell upon the peerlessly elegant woman in white before him as he spoke calmly.

"Senior, it has been a long time."

"In just a few million years, I never imagined you would attain such cultivation. It seems I can no longer claim the title of senior."

The Ancient Ice Phoenix let out a soft sigh and replied calmly.

Eldrin's gaze flickered slightly as he carefully studied the Ancient Ice Phoenix. He couldn't help but sigh in admiration, "The deeper my cultivation grows, the more I comprehend how truly formidable you are, Senior."

"Perhaps I should address you as the Sacred Ice Phoenix?"

As Eldrin spoke, the gaze of the primordial Ice Phoenix sharpened imperceptibly, only to be reined back in the blink of an eye.

She let out a soft sigh before speaking, "Since the great battle at the end of the Primordial Era, when I fell at the hands of the mighty god Qingcang, you are the first to have seen through my true origins."

It turned out that this Ancient Ice Phoenix originated from a Chaos Saint Spirit of the primordial era.

It was 1 of the 7 Primordial Phoenixes of Chaos, whose cultivation had once reached the realm of 8-Tribulation Ancient Immortals. In pursuit of proving the Great Dao of the Golden Immortal, it had partaken in that forbidden heavenly tribulation.

Unfortunately, she was out of luck and met her end at the hands of the great deity Qing Cang. Fortunately, Qing Cang recognized her extraordinary origins and potential to attain the Great Dao of the Primordial Chaos. Thus, he spared a wisp of her remnant soul from complete annihilation, leaving it within the Qing Cang Immortal Domain with the intention to subdue her in the future.

Later, when the great deity Qing Cang fell, this faint remnant soul of the Primordial Ice Phoenix slowly recovered through the Phoenix lineage's art of nirvana rebirth.

After countless kalpas of accumulation, the Primordial Ice Phoenix had gradually awakened, now lacking only the final wisp of crucial energy—the primordial essence of the Great God Qing Cang—to achieve complete restoration.

At this thought, Eldrin let out a soft sigh and couldn't help but lament, "Back then, my insight was shallow. Only now do I truly comprehend the immense power of the senior."

"Yet upon careful reflection, it stands to reason that someone capable of surviving Lord Qingcang's execution with a sliver of life remaining would possess such extraordinary origins."

The Ancient Ice Phoenix let out a soft sigh before inquiring, "The heart's blood of the great deity Qing Cang (Deity Name) is exceedingly precious. With your current power, you possess the ability to break the agreement. Do you intend to violate the covenant made all those years ago?"

Eldrin shook his head with a faint smile. "I owe you a debt of gratitude, and my wife has also received your benevolence. How could I go back on my word? The agreement we made back then shall stand as before."

"Today, I've come to witness the depth of your foundation, Senior, and incidentally inquire about the strength of that ancient demon from the Abyssal Inferno Sea."

"That 8-Tribulation Ancient Demon?"

The Ancient Ice Phoenix’s gaze sharpened slightly upon hearing this. After a moment of silence, she spoke, "The origin of that Ancient Demon is shrouded in mystery. Having seldom interacted with the outside world over the years, I know little of its true background—only that it is called ‘Xuanheng, the Ancient Fiend’."

"But I once observed that great battle of old, and have some understanding of this demon."

"This demon's Great Dao and magical power are in no way inferior to my prime, while his Primordial Spirit and Dao Fruit are exceptionally formidable. He must be a peerless demon who has cultivated a 20-fold limit foundation."

Yet his physical body seemed far from formidable; in fact, it could even be considered exceptionally frail among those who had crossed the Heavenly Barrier of Flesh.

"I strongly suspect that this demon used the Heavenly Dao of the Qingcang Immortal Realm to dismantle its physical form back then, then corrupted its Dao Fruit and primordial spirit into the Heavenly Dao—all to prepare for an even more terrifying purpose."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin (Person Name) slightly furrowed his brow.

He pondered for a moment, then a dreadful thought flashed through his mind. Unable to suppress the slight change in his expression, he asked, "You mean..."

"Hmm."

The Ancient Ice Phoenix nodded, her gaze grave as she said, "It appears this individual intends to wait until the Great Deity Qing Cang falls, then directly seize his physical form through soul possession."

He would then seize the Heavenly Dao, sacrifice the entire Vastsky Immortal Domain, and use this to break through to the Great Perfection Realm.

Eldrin (Person Name) drew a sharp breath, his expression shifting imperceptibly as he murmured, "Given the ruthless, self-serving nature of demonic cultivation, if he succeeds, he might just achieve both the Eleventh-Cycle Indestructible Soul and the Imperishable Body in 1 fell swoop."

"Yet the price shall be the entire Vastblue Heaven Domain reduced to dust."

"Wrong."

At this point, Eldrin suddenly thought of something and asked with some confusion, "Although that Ancient Demon possesses remarkable strength, he ultimately remains at the 8 Calamities Realm. How could he possibly contend against the Heavenly Dao of the Vast Azure Immortal Domain?"

The Ancient Ice Phoenix, however, gazed into the distance with profound eyes and spoke meaningfully, "With his strength alone, he naturally cannot contend against the Heavenly Dao of the Vastsky Immortal Domain. But what if he has allies?"

"Backup?"

Eldrin's expression shifted slightly, a trace of astonishment involuntarily crossing his features.

The Primordial Ice Phoenix nodded slightly before speaking, "That 10-1000 Ghosts Chasm of Eternal Frost was left behind by the Ghost Ancestor from the Primordial Era. In his time, the Ghost Ancestor was also an Eighth-Calamity Ancient Immortal."

The Ghost Emperor of Myriad Spirits was also an Ancient Immortal who had survived 8 heavenly tribulations. He had fallen at the hands of the Great God Qing Cang in the past, yet his primordial spirit managed to take refuge in the innate spiritual treasure, the Banner of 10 1000 Souls, barely escaping that fatal calamity. Now, he had regained a fraction of his former power.

"Several million years ago, this demon once sent me a message, boasting that he would share the Vast Azure Immortal Realm with me."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin (Person Name) could not help but let out a soft sigh. With 2 8-calamity ancient demons joining forces and seizing the opportunity of their 100-calamity rebirth, they truly stood a chance to sacrifice an unclaimed immortal realm.

By now, he had come to understand that the Qingcang Immortal Realm was a place where dragons and tigers lay hidden, and this forthcoming kalpa would likely be a fierce struggle between titans.

The reason was simple: after this cosmic tribulation, the Great Divinity Qing Cang would likely achieve full resurrection during the next 100 Tribulations Rebirth opportunity.

By that time, there would no longer remain any opportunity for the 100 Tribulations Rebirth.

Under such circumstances, all the demons and monsters lurking in the Qingcang Immortal Realm could no longer remain hidden.

This was their final chance. Should they miss this opportunity, neither the Primordial Ice Phoenix nor the 10 1000 Ghosts Ancestor would be able to harness the karmic opportunity of 100 Tribulations Rebirth to revive, let alone seize the chance to impact the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm.

It was precisely for this reason that countless immortals across the 3,000 celestial domains believed that during this cosmic tribulation, the Qingcang Celestial Domain stood the greatest chance of nurturing a Great Luo Golden Immortal.

"Ancestor of 10 1000 Ghosts, the Ancient Demon Xuanheng."

Eldrin murmured softly, his gaze growing distant as he said, "It seems this Tribulation of Calamity is more troublesome than I had anticipated."

The Ancient Ice Phoenix nodded, then said with serene composure, "Though that may be true, the more arduous the tribulation, the greater the potential for breakthrough it often holds."

"This opportunity of surviving 1 100 tribulations may well be the closest we shall ever come to the Great Perfection Realm."

Eldrin (Person Name) nodded in response and said no more.

He rose to his feet and stepped out of the Phoenix Fall Ridge. Before departing, a calm voice trailed behind: "Leave that Ancient Demon Xuanheng to me."

As the words faded, Eldrin had already vanished from Phoenixfall Ridge.

The Primordial Ice Phoenix gazed at his retreating figure, murmuring thoughtfully, "Yet after 10 million years of cultivation, has he grown confident enough to confront even Xuanheng, the Ancient Demon?"

Eldrin emerged from Phoenix Fall Ridge and journeyed through several forbidden realms thereafter.

These forbidden lands could not compare to the 10-1000 Crows Forbidden Land, yet they still contained remarkably astonishing treasures. Within them, Eldrin obtained a Great Perfection Marvel and a fragment of a Great Perfection Divine Weapon.

That Great Luo divine weapon was named the Great Luo Sword Embryo, a divine armament forged from Great Luo Immortal Gold. While this weapon was also classified as a Great Luo divine weapon, it lacked a single strand of Innate Indestructible Spiritual Light, causing its might to fall far short of the mystical properties inherent to Innate Spiritual Treasures.

According to Eldrin's (Person Name) estimation, if a 6-Tribulation Ancient Immortal could refine a complete Great Luo Divine Weapon (Magic Treasure), their combat power would likely rise to the level of a 7-Tribulation Ancient Immortal.

Alas, this Great Luo Sword Embryo was incomplete and required restoration before it could unleash its full might.

Getting back to the story, Eldrin returned to the Abyssal Heaven Domain thoroughly satisfied after acquiring 2 more rare treasures, only to realize that his longevity celebration was fast approaching.

For the Eldrin Heavenly Realm, and even the entire Azure Firmament Immortal Domain, the birthday of Eldrin the Daoist was a momentous occasion.

The Daoist of the Returning Abyss had cultivated for merely 10 million years, yet he once achieved the feat of suppressing a Perfected Immortal at the Great Perfection stage. Such a figure was regarded by all immortals across the Vast Azure Celestial Realm as the foremost prodigy witnessed in dozens of kalpas.

Even the Patriarch of Pure Yang in his day, even the master of the Soaring Abyss Grotto-Heaven from ages past—none had ever displayed such dazzling brilliance as Eldrin (Person Name) at this tender age.