Chapter 1858 : Longevity Banquet

In the eyes of many, even if the Daoist of the Returning Abyss missed the greatest opportunity of the 100 Tribulations Rebirth, he was still highly likely to ascend to the Great Perfection in the next kalpic tribulation.

Such a figure was naturally of great importance to all factions, who also sought to use this banquet to gauge the depths of the Abyssal Sage.

This time, the immortals of the Abyssal Heaven Domain noticed a shift. The supreme immortals who would normally appear only once every 10 1000 years now soared ceaselessly across the skies. 1 after another, these dazzlingly powerful beings streaked through the firmament like blazing comets.

Among these individuals, the lowest cultivation base was at the Earth Immortal realm. Even those at the Half-Step Celestial Immortal level appeared utterly unremarkable in their midst, while genuine Celestial Immortals—mighty figures of profound power—emerged by the hundreds and thousands.

Outside the Abyssal Grotto-Heaven, numerous immortals of the Chen Immortal Clan (Organization) greeted the assembled celestials with beaming smiles, hosting a magnificent banquet of unparalleled grandeur atop the Abyssal Dao-Field.

"6 100 Celestial Immortals have already arrived."

On this day, Eldrin emerged from the grotto-heaven and glanced at the list in his hand, his eyes flickering with astonishment.

The Vast Azure Immortal Domain boasted just over a 1000 Celestial Immortals in total. Yet with the grand banquet yet to commence, nearly half had already gathered—a sight that struck Eldrin with no small measure of surprise.

Beside them, Lyra (Person Name) observed this and murmured softly, "Nearly all Celestial Immortals from the upper-middle grade ninth-tier cave heavens have arrived. Only those from the supreme cave heavens and the ancient immortal powerhouses remain absent."

Eldrin (Person Name) nodded upon hearing this and said, "Those people have already begun to arrive as well."

As his words faded, 3 streaks of light pierced through the void from the horizon. 1 of the figures chuckled and said,

"Fellow Daoist Guixu, on the occasion of your grand birthday, this old man has specially prepared a humble gift. I beg you not to take offense."

Eldrin looked up and saw that the speaker was none other than the Taixu Sword Lord of the Taixu Grotto-Heaven.

After so many years apart, the Master of the Taixu Sword had finally advanced his cultivation, seemingly stepping into the realm of the Ancient Immortals. His sharp, imposing aura now surpassed even what it had been in the past.

Beside him stood 13 Heavenly Immortals, including the Taixu Saint Child Jiang Daoxu and the Grand Elder, Cave Void Patriarch.

The Empyrean Veil Sanctuary had only a dozen or so Celestial Immortals in total, yet today well over half had arrived—a clear testament to the considerable face they were granting this occasion.

Moreover, Eldrin faintly understood that the Primordial Void Sanctuary had brought so many people this time not only to celebrate his longevity, but more so to serve as a show of force.

At this thought, Eldrin smiled faintly and cupped his hands in salute. "Fellow Daoists have come to offer birthday congratulations. I am deeply grateful—how could I possibly take offense?"

"Heh heh heh..."

Just then, a strange cackle echoed from the side.

But not far away, 2 other streams of light materialized. On the right stood only 3 figures—members of the Taihao Ancient Clan from the 100 Races of Immortal Spirits. Leading them was the Taihao Patriarch, a Celestial Immortal at the Great Perfection stage.

To the left materialized over a dozen supreme cultivators, all celestial immortals of the Vermilion Bird Clan. Their leader, the Patriarch of Vermilion Birds, let out a shrill cackle upon seeing Eldrin. "This old man has come uninvited today. I trust you won’t take offense, fellow Daoist."

Eldrin did not reply, merely casting a glance at Patriarch Bifang before speaking calmly, "Today marks my birthday. Since you've chosen to come as a friend, you are naturally welcome."

"However, should you come here to cause trouble, then do not blame me for showing no mercy."

Hearing this, the Bifang Patriarch's gaze turned sinister for a fleeting moment, yet he suppressed his thoughts in an instant.

His cultivation remained stagnant at the Great Perfection stage of the Celestial Immortal realm. Facing Eldrin, who had once slain a cultivator at the Great Perfection of the Celestial Immortal level, he harbored little confidence in his heart.

However, he had not come here today to face Eldrin alone. He let out a cold sneer and said, "I naturally won’t make a move, but given the situation today, you’d better pray for your own good fortune."

As his words faded, Elder Bifang said no more, merely standing coldly in the sky with a mocking sneer as he watched the spectacle unfold.

Seeing this, Eldrin motioned for his clansmen to receive these guests while personally guiding the Lord of the Taixu Sword and the others up to the celestial palace.

With the arrival of the 3 major powers, the top-tier grotto-heavens of the Qing Cang Immortal Realm began to arrive 1 after another.

Before long, even the rulers of the Violet Flame Cave Heaven, True Dragon Cave Heaven, Immortal Phoenix Cave Heaven, and Ziwei Cave Heaven arrived 1 after another in the Qingcang Immortal Domain.

However, Eldrin also noticed that among these 4 great grotto-heavens, the masters of the True Dragon, Immortal Phoenix, and Ziwei Grotto-Heavens had all broken through to the realm of Ancient Immortals.

Only the master of the Violet Flame Grotto-Heaven remained, his cultivation still stagnant at the Great Perfection stage of the Celestial Immortal realm.

"Among the 10 great grotto-heavens of the Qingcang Immortal Realm, aside from the original 5, the masters of the other 4 have all broken through to the Ancient Immortal realm. Has only the Violet Flame Grotto-Heaven failed to achieve this breakthrough?"

Eldrin murmured inwardly, faintly realizing that the other 4 great grotto-heavens likely had stakes placed by the ancient Mahayana sects behind them. Only this Violet Flame Grotto-Heaven lacked any backing, ultimately failing to take that final step.

Of course, it was also possible that the master of the Violet Flame Grotto-Heaven lacked sufficient foundation. Even with the substantial backing from their patron, they ultimately failed to take that crucial step.

Nevertheless, this alone demonstrates that among the 10 Great Cave Heavens of the Qingcang Immortal Realm, only the Violet Flame Cave Heaven holds the most precarious position in the rankings.

No wonder the demon race had always ranked the Bifang Grotto-Heaven as tenth, while the divine race placed the Tianyang Grotto-Heaven in the tenth position.

From the current perspective, these 3 appear to be roughly on par. When considering those ancient immortals who long ago pledged allegiance to major primordial sects and the Celestial Court, departing the Qingcang Immortal Domain for many years, the Violet Flame Grotto-Heaven would likely not even rank within the top 20.

Of course, those who came from these great grotto-heavens were merely a few Patriarchs at the early Ancient Immortal stage. Eldrin suspected that behind each of them stood top-tier Ancient Immortal powerhouses, though none had revealed themselves today.

After receiving several major grotto-heavens, another overwhelmingly majestic aura emerged from the void.

These auras were even more formidable than that of the Void Sword Master, allowing Eldrin to surmise their origins. He could not help but lift his gaze to look over.

But at the endless void's extremity, a blindingly brilliant radiance erupted.

Then a primordial heavenly sun descended upon the mortal realm, radiating cosmic light that illuminated all realms since time immemorial, arriving with power to suppress all existence.

Abyssal Return...

Boom—

As the man's voice faded, boundless fury descended to suppress Eldrin.

Yet in the face of such overwhelming power, Eldrin remained unmoving, as serene and unruffled as a gentle breeze.

He merely stood there, yet an intangible aura smoothed over all disturbances, even sending the approaching figure tumbling from the heavens like a fallen sun cast out from the highest firmament.

It was only then that the crowd realized in astonishment that the newcomer was none other than the Golden Crow Ancient Immortal.

"Impossible!"

In that instant, the Golden Crow Ancient Immortal revealed an expression of utter disbelief.

He gazed at Eldrin, drew a deep breath, and said, "You've broken through to the Ancient Immortal Realm?"

"Bzzz—"

In the blink of an eye, the gathered Celestial Immortals were utterly astounded.

In just a mere 10 million years, he had cultivated to the realm of Ancient Immortal—this was virtually a myth within the Qingcang Immortal Domain. Had an ordinary person made such a claim, they would have been met with scornful disbelief.

But today, as the Golden Crow Ancient Immortal spoke, they all found it somewhat hard to believe.

Not only them, but even ancient powerhouses like the Frost Soul Ancient Immortal, the Pure Yang Ancient Immortal, and the Azure Yang Ancient Immortal, who hid within the void, could no longer maintain their composure. Shocked beyond measure, they emerged from the void.

And yet, Eldrin (Person Name) faced it all with unshakable composure, saying calmly, “Merely the realm of Ancient Immortals—what is there to make a fuss about?”

"So it is true."

The Golden Crow Ancient Immortal took a deep breath, then looked at Eldrin and said, "You have only just stepped into the realm of Ancient Immortality—what is there to be so proud of?"

"You must understand, the disparity among Ancient Immortals is as vast as that between heaven and earth. Compared to a true supreme Ancient Immortal, you are merely a slightly larger ant."

"A slightly larger ant?"

Eldrin let out a cold sneer upon hearing this.

With a sudden sweep of his sleeve, the void spanning billions of miles shattered violently. 1 after another, colossal spatial fissures tore open, from which immortals fell like rain.

Among these assembled immortals, the lowest cultivation base was at the Celestial Immortal realm. Even more astonishing, there were over 20 Ancient Immortal powerhouses present. Most terrifying of all, 7 or 8 of them were Fifth or even Sixth Tribulation Ancient Immortals.

Ancient Peacock Immortal, Ancient Bifang Immortal, Azure Sun Divine Clan...

Eldrin (Person Name) murmured softly, his gaze sweeping over each person before finally settling firmly on Dì Niè's face: "Fellow Daoist Dì Niè, it appears this Golden Crow Ancient Immortal relies upon you as his foundation."

"You..."

The Ancestor of Imperial Putrescence turned pale with rage; at this moment, he wished he could crush the Ancient Golden Crow Immortal to death, yet he dared not slack off in the slightest.

He took a deep breath, then cupped his hands toward Eldrin and said, "It has been years since we last met. I never expected your cultivation base to advance yet again. My unannounced visit today is truly an imposition."

With these words, Patriarch Dienie gritted his teeth and produced an extravagant gift, presenting it to Eldrin (Person Name) as he said, “Today marks your longevity celebration, Fellow Daoist. This humble token of regard, I pray you will not decline.”

With a flick of his sleeve, Eldrin summoned the treasure, only to discover it contained over a 1000 strands of Primordial Qi. He couldn't help but glance up in astonishment at Patriarch Dienie.

In the void, the other ancient immortals all wore expressions of astonishment at the sight before them.

They never could have imagined that Patriarch Dienie, a 6-Calamity Ancient Immortal, would go so far to curry favor with Eldrin (Person Name).

The ancient ancestor of the Ziwei lineage, the primordial elder of the Bifang clan, and the 6-Calamity Ancient Dragon of the True Dragon bloodline all revealed astonished expressions, an inexplicable sense of foreboding stirring within their hearts.

As their thoughts churned, the crowd surmised that Dì Niè must have suffered some loss at the hands of Eldrin. Without delay, each presented lavish gifts and spoke with utmost courtesy: "Fellow Daoist, on this day of your longevity celebration, I have come specially to offer congratulations. Pray do not take offense at my belated arrival."

As the saying goes, 1 doesn’t strike a smiling face—Eldrin accepted the lavish gifts from the crowd without the slightest hesitation.

After accepting the lavish gifts, he remarked with a faint, ambiguous smile, "You have all traveled a great distance to be here, yet I have made no preparations to receive you. I fear my lack of hospitality may have offended."

"You flatter me."

Dieni quickly waved his hand, a sheepish smile spreading across his face. "We've come uninvited—how terribly presumptuous of us. Now that we've delivered the gifts, pressing matters await our clan. We shan't impose any longer."

With those words, he seized the Golden Crow Ancient Immortal and tore through the void, vanishing beyond the edge of heaven and earth.

Seeing this, the other ancient immortals did not wait for Eldrin to speak before cupping their hands in farewell. 1 by 1, they tore through the void and departed, leaving only those who maintained friendly ties with the Returning Abyss Immortal Alliance.

The group consisted largely of Human Celestial Immortals and Ancient Immortals, alongside Human Prodigies of Taboo like Sun Qian and Taiyang Wuji.

After those people had departed, Jiang Daoxu approached. He studied Eldrin (Person Name) carefully, then drew a deep breath and said, “To think that in just a few million years, you’ve attained such power. It seems I still underestimated you.”

"But since you possess power surpassing the Sixth Tribulation, why didn't you detain them?"

"With our aid, perhaps we can seize this opportunity to severely wound, or even slay some of the Ancient Immortals, clearing away a portion of the obstacles ahead of the Great Calamity."

Eldrin, however, shook his head and calmly stated, "Each of these individuals hails from the Great Luo Ancient Sect, and they undoubtedly carry hidden trump cards. If they are determined to flee, even with my power, it would require considerable effort to eliminate them."

"Most crucially, with the Great Calamity now approaching, it would be wiser to spare them for the tribulation to harvest the Dao Origins rather than eliminate them at this juncture."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Daoxu’s heart trembled faintly.

According to his calculations, even with the assistance of numerous human immortals, they could only manage to slay a portion of the ancient celestials.

The meaning in Eldrin's words was truly astonishing. To him, slaying such ancient immortals who had undergone 5 or 6 heavenly tribulations seemed merely a matter of expending some effort.

This sent a wave of overwhelming shock through him, followed by a terrifying thought: "Could it be... he has already broken through the 7 Calamities?"

Jiang Daoxu was inwardly astonished. He couldn't help but cast a deep, searching glance at Eldrin (Person Name), feeling increasingly that this man was truly unfathomable.

Before his breakthrough to the Celestial Immortal realm, he had the full support of a top-tier cave paradise, with a cultivation environment far surpassing that of Eldrin.

After breaking through to the Celestial Immortal realm, he received extensive cultivation resources from the Ancient Abyssal Sect through the channels of the Taixu Grotto-Heaven. Yet even after nearly 10 million years of such dedicated cultivation, his cultivation base had only just touched the threshold of the Ancient Immortal realm.

This was truly a world of difference compared to Eldrin (Person Name).

You must understand, he knew full well that Eldrin had always refused funding from all the ancient sects and the Celestial Court.

After all, while such support was certainly welcome, the price to be repaid in the future was often staggeringly immense.

At this thought, he took a deep breath, and an idea surfaced in his mind.

A moment later, he spoke, "After the banquet, let us speak alone."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin's gaze flickered slightly before he gave a calm nod.

With the departure of the ill-intentioned factions, the banquet finally commenced in an orderly fashion. Eldrin and the members of the Chen clan, all wearing smiles, began the festivities.

Thus, the banquet continued with great fervor and liveliness, lasting a full 3 1000 years before it finally concluded.

3 1000 years later, when the immortals had all departed, Eldrin suddenly furrowed his brow slightly. He exchanged a glance with Lyra, then made his way into the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss.

Within the Void Abyss Cave Heaven, outside the secluded abode where Eldrin (Person Name) cultivated, a snow-robed figure stood silently. As his gaze fell upon Eldrin (Person Name) standing before him, he dropped respectfully to his knees and proclaimed, "Your unfilial son Xiannian (Person Name) pays homage to you, Father."

Arise.

Eldrin replied with an unreadable expression, while Lyra, her eyes slightly reddened, helped the young man to his feet.

To this, Eldrin said nothing more. With a flick of his sleeve, he brought the 3 into the cave abode, then looked at Chen Xiannian before him and asked, "How have you fared all these years?"

"All is well with your child."

Chen Xiannian nodded, his voice choked with emotion. "All these years, your child has studied under our master's guidance. Yet our master decreed I must not leave the mountain until achieving the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm. That is why I could never fulfill my filial duties at your side, Father."

"This time, I was only permitted to leave the mountain because of my father's birthday. My master granted me special permission to descend just this once."

Eldrin’s heart quaked with shock. He scrutinized Chen Xiannian carefully, then drew a deep breath and said, “Only a Great Luo Golden Immortal is qualified to leave seclusion? Such audacity! Who, exactly, is your master?”

(End of Chapter)

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