Chapter 2014 : A Desperate Stand in the Chaos

Having fled the Heaven's Deduction Grand Formation, Eldrin Chen raced towards the Chaos Desolation Sea. His heart was a leaden weight in his chest as he cast one last, agonized glance over his shoulder.

Within the grand formation, the Obsidian Abyss Great Emperor stood drenched in imperial blood. His Thunder Emperor Battle Armor erupted with a Burst of heaven-rending Thunderclap light. Gripping the Obsidian Abyss Imperial Spear, he fought a desperate, furious battle against the horde of enemies.

His body was a tapestry of crimson wounds, injuries of the most grievous kind.

Yet, despite this, his fighting spirit burned with an intensity never before seen. The power he unleashed was enough to sunder the very fabric of the Endless Chaos.

Abandoning all defense, he threw himself into a berserk assault, holding back the host of Great Emperor. With raw physical might, he seized the Primordial Era Thunder Crow Great Emperor as it tried to give chase.

"BOOM—"

He swung the massive demon emperor like a club, smashing it down into the Depths of Chaos. His roar of defiance cracked the foundations of the Vast and Boundless Chaos Sea.

"Do not look back! GO!"

"Senior!"

Eldrin Chen's eyes burned red. Every fiber of his being screamed to turn back, to charge into that maelstrom of death.

Yet, facing these seven peerless Great Emperor [the supreme rulers of the cultivation world, possessing world-shaking power], he was ultimately powerless. Instead, he would only become a burden, forcing Obsidian Abyss Great Emperor to protect him and sustain injuries.

Just moments ago, had it not been for the need to send him to safety, Obsidian Abyss Great Emperor would not have had to endure the combined assaults of the Emperors head-on and suffer such grievous wounds.

At this moment, Eldrin Chen was consumed by hatred for his own insufficient cultivation. A profound sense of helplessness flooded his heart.

In the end, Eldrin Chen gritted his teeth, turned back with a heart brimming with towering hatred, and fled towards the Chaos Desolation Sea.

He flew for an unknowable number of Path [a measure of vast distance in the immortal realms]. As the Chaos Desolation Sea drew nearer, Eldrin Chen's expression grew increasingly grim.

For there, in the void ahead, stood over a dozen Primordial One Imperial Lord [powerful cultivators one step below the Great Emperor realm], seemingly having waited for a long time.

Among this group of Primordial One Imperial Lord were Eldrin Chen's Great Path Rival [a destined adversary on the cultivation path], Desolate Ape Imperial Lord, Nether Mystery Imperial Lord, and other peerless Imperial Lord from the Demon Race.

The leader, whose cultivation had reached the Primordial One Imperial Lord 7th Tier, was the 'Heaven's Punishment Imperial Lord' from the Primordial Domain of Saint and Demon. He was the direct disciple and eldest apprentice of Heaven's Deduction Saint Emperor.

"The Heaven's Deduction Saint Emperor commanded us to wait here. It seems his calculations were flawless, leaving nothing to chance,"

As Eldrin Chen arrived, the Nether Mystery Imperial Lord spoke slowly, a cold sneer twisting his features.

Desolate Ape Imperial Lord [a powerful ruler of the ape-demon lineage] also gave a slight nod and spoke calmly, "That upstart Eldrin Chen, today marks your demise."

"Kill—!"

Meeting on a narrow path, facing the enemies blocking his way, Eldrin Chen uttered not a single word. With overwhelming Slaughter Intent [a palpable aura of killing will], he charged forward to meet them.

In that instant, the Returning Abyss Seal [a powerful seal artifact] transformed into the Chaos Heaven Halberd [a halberd of primordial chaos]. Empowered by Eldrin Chen's peerless Slaughter Intent, it descended to suppress his foes.

"Seeking death."

Desolate Ape Imperial Lord wore a cold sneer as he was the first to strike, his attack aimed directly at Eldrin Chen.

The other Imperial Lords [powerful cultivator rulers] also acted in unison, unleashing attacks of supreme destructive force.

Faced with such a powerful combined assault, even a cultivator at the Primordial One Imperial Lord Late Stage [the advanced stage of the Primordial One realm for Imperial Lords] would suffer grievous wounds if they tried to withstand it head-on.

Yet, Eldrin Chen neither dodged nor evaded. Paying the price of enduring their collective onslaught, he focused his assault solely on Desolate Ape Imperial Lord.

The Imperial Lords initially thought Eldrin Chen was courting death. But then, they saw a suit of battle armor materialize upon his body.

Then, he withstood a combined strike from the enemy horde and, emerging unscathed, closed the distance to stand before Desolate Ape Imperial Lord.

"*Clang—*"

In that instant, the Chaos Heaven Halberd pierced through the Chaos [the primordial state before creation] and drove deep into the chest of Desolate Ape Imperial Lord, unleashing the Burst [a technique of explosive, annihilating power] with a force akin to Oblivion [the ultimate state of nothingness and erasure].

"Agh... Save me!"

Desolate Ape Imperial Lord roared in despair, but it was already too late for any salvation.

With his world-shaking combat prowess, Eldrin Chen struck, the all-erasing power of the Chaos Limitless Great Path [a supreme technique of boundless, chaotic annihilation] piercing through the body of Desolate Ape Imperial Lord.

In the span of a single breath, the physical form of Desolate Ape Imperial Lord was utterly ground to dust.

His Primordial Spirit Immortal Embryo [the nascent immortal spiritual core of a cultivator] instantly fled the ruined flesh, a panicked wisp seeking escape, only to be seized in the grasp of Eldrin Chen.

"Perish!"

Eldrin Chen spoke, paying the price of enduring the attacks from the other Imperial Lords, and with unyielding force, extinguished the Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core and consciousness of a high-level cultivator] of the Desolate Ape Imperial Lord.

In that instant, the heavens wept and the earth mourned; the Great Path [the fundamental cosmic principle] itself seemed to grieve. Across the vast expanse of the Chaos [the primordial state before creation], a rain of blood began to fall.

The Primordial One Imperial Lord [an Imperial Lord of the highest order], who was reputed to possess an Indestructibility [a state of absolute, unyielding durability] that defied death, had been utterly annihilated by his Great Path Rival [a fated nemesis on the Great Path of cultivation]. Even the Primordial Spirit [the foundational spiritual essence of a being] he had left within the Great Path Authority [the seat of power and law within the Great Path] was completely extinguished by Eldrin Chen.

The Desolate Ape Imperial Lord had truly, irrevocably fallen.

"An Imperial Lord has perished!"

A profound shock rippled through the hearts of the encircling Great Emperors. The leader among them, Heaven's Punishment Imperial Lord, felt his expression shift slightly.

His gaze fixed upon the battle armor adorning Eldrin Chen, he spoke with evident astonishment, "The Indestructibility Battle Armor [a legendary armor famed for its absolute defense]... That is the Indestructibility Battle Armor that belonged to the Indestructibility Ancient One."

Instantly, a tremor of understanding passed through the assembled Great Emperors. The Indestructibility Battle Armor was renowned as the foremost defensive Innate Supreme Treasure [a supreme treasure born of the cosmos itself], capable of nullifying ninety percent of all damage from attacks below the Sage Ascendant [a realm just below the ultimate Sage] level.

Even if a Sage Ascendant were to strike directly, the Indestructibility Battle Armor could still mitigate half the inflicted harm.

By comparison, the Thunder Emperor Battle Armor worn by Obsidian Abyss Great Emperor could only reduce damage at the Great Emperor level by sixty or seventy percent. It paled in comparison to this Indestructibility Battle Armor.

With such a peerless defensive treasure in his possession, it was no wonder Eldrin Chen had emerged unscathed after weathering their combined assault.

In the blink of an eye, the various Emperors revealed expressions of ecstatic joy. Such a supreme defensive treasure would stir the heart of even a Sage Ascendant [a cultivator who has ascended to the threshold of sagehood].

If they could obtain it, even if they couldn't keep it for themselves, offering it to a Sage Ascendant would surely earn them a staggering reward.

With this thought, their Slaughter Intent [the overwhelming will to kill] grew even more frenzied, and they all moved to capture Eldrin Chen.

"Seeking death!"

As the Emperors charged once more, Eldrin Chen acted with cold, decisive fury.

His Slaughter Intent raged like a tempestuous sea. He fought with pure, unrelenting offense, pushing his combat prowess to its absolute limit.

The invincible might of a Primordial One Imperial Lord 6th Tier [the sixth level of the Primordial One Imperial Lord realm, a pinnacle of power] was unleashed to its fullest extent in this moment.

Behind Eldrin Chen's head, the Ten Great Immortal Treasuries [ten supreme reservoirs of immortal power within a cultivator's body] bloomed with eternal radiance. Channeling his ultimate strength, he clashed with the Emperors in thousands of life-or-death exchanges in the span of a heartbeat.

With this desperate, all-out style of combat, after merely tens of thousands of exchanges, he had already severed the head of an early-stage Primordial One Imperial Lord.

Unfortunately, this was not a Great Path Rival [a fated nemesis on one's cultivation journey]. After his head was cleaved by Eldrin Chen, his Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core and true self of a high-level cultivator] had already sunk into the Sea of the Great Path [the metaphysical ocean representing the Dao or Great Path, where souls return].

Facing the protection of the infinite Great Path Divine Chains [divine chains formed from the fundamental laws of the cosmos], even Eldrin Chen found it difficult to completely annihilate his opponent's Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator, representing their true essence] across the vast expanse of the Sea of the Great Path [the conceptual ocean representing the totality of the Dao].

Yet, even so, after two Imperial Lord [a supreme cultivator who has established their own imperial domain] were grievously wounded and slain in succession, a sliver of fear began to stir among the assembled Emperors.

It was not that Eldrin Chen was invincible, but rather his utterly reckless, life-risking style of combat was profoundly unnerving.

Without the protection of an Indestructibility Battle Armor [a legendary suit of armor famed for its near-unbreakable defense], trading blows with Eldrin Chen on such desperate terms was simply not a worthwhile exchange.

After trading thousands more blows with the group, Eldrin Chen finally turned his gaze toward Nether Mystery Imperial Lord, his eyes icy as he spoke, "Young whelp Nether Mystery, let us settle our long-standing account today!"

With those words, he shot forth with an aura of invincibility. Ignoring the attacks from the others, he struck out relentlessly, blow after blow, sending Nether Mystery Imperial Lord hurtling through the air.

Nether Mystery Imperial Lord's combat prowess was no match for Eldrin Chen to begin with. Faced with Eldrin Chen, who was clad in the Indestructibility Battle Armor, fear ultimately took hold.

After thousands of exchanges, watching his wounds accumulate, and knowing defeat meant annihilation by his Great Path Rival [a fated nemesis on the path of cultivation], he could no longer suppress his terror. He turned and fled.

There had only been three Primordial One Imperial Lord Mid Stage [an Imperial Lord who has reached the middle stage of the Primordial Unity realm] present. With Nether Mystery Imperial Lord's flight, the collective power of the Emperors diminished significantly.

Heaven's Punishment Imperial Lord channeled his full power into a Divine Ability [a supreme supernatural technique born from profound comprehension of the Dao] aimed at Eldrin Chen, only to find his attacks could barely inflict meaningful damage. A profound gravity settled in his heart.

"His physical body is so formidable. If we do not eliminate him today, he will surely become a calamitous threat in the future."

Heaven's Punishment Imperial Lord spoke with immense astonishment, a flicker of solemnity surfacing in the depths of his gaze.

With his cultivation at the Primordial One Imperial Lord 7th Tier and his mastery of the Slaughter-type Great Path of heavenly punishment, even if the Indestructibility Battle Armor could mitigate ninety percent of the damage, his attacks should have been enough to severely injure an existence at the early stage of Primordial One Imperial Lord.

Even a mid-stage Primordial One Imperial Lord should have been grievously wounded under his relentless assault.

Yet, Eldrin Chen's physical form was as unyielding as Immortality, its resilience rivaling even the sixth tier of Primordial One Imperial Lord. Thus, Heaven's Punishment Imperial Lord could only inflict superficial wounds upon Eldrin Chen.

Seeing that he could not subdue Eldrin Chen, Heaven's Punishment Imperial Lord immediately shifted tactics, beginning to stall for time while awaiting reinforcements from other powerful figures.

Eldrin Chen understood this all too well. After his Great Path Rival, the Nether Mystery Imperial Lord, had fled, he began a fighting retreat towards the Chaos Desolation Sea.

After an untold duration of ceaseless battle, he finally reached the shores of the Chaos Desolation Sea. Yet, from the Depths of Chaos, a supreme existence arrived.

"You shall not escape!"

A voice thundered from within the Chaos. A figure wreathed in boundless Thunderclap made its move, commanding a Divine Thunderclap Spear that pierced through the firmament towards him.

"Primordial Era Thunder Crow Great Emperor."

Eldrin Chen's expression shifted slightly. He pushed the defensive power of the Indestructibility Battle Armor to its absolute limit and, in the same breath, summoned the Creation Cauldron to draw himself inside it.

Almost simultaneously, the Innate Supreme Treasure, the Divine Thunderclap Spear, pierced into the Creation Cauldron.

"*Cough*—"

Eldrin Chen violently spat out a mouthful of blood, sustaining an extremely severe injury.

The power unleashed by the Primordial Era Thunder Crow Great Emperor's full-force strike was utterly terrifying. The Burst technique unleashed an overwhelming Thunderclap Force.

Infinite Great Path Divine Chains intertwined, coalescing into a Great Path Divine Form that shot forth, Bursting with the dreadful power to Oblivion [utterly annihilate] all things.

Even with the dual defense of the Creation Cauldron and the Indestructibility Battle Armor, the Slaughter Intent pierced through Eldrin Chen's chest, leaving a wound that seemed almost impossible to erase.

"Hmph—"

In this critical moment, Eldrin Chen gritted his teeth, suppressing his injuries. Using the force of the opponent's strike, he was sent flying backward, instantly crossing the shore of the Desolation Sea and vanishing into the depths of the Chaos Desolation Sea.

"Boom—"

"The Creation Cauldron and the Indestructibility Battle Armor!"

After a violent tremor, the Primordial Era Thunder Crow Great Emperor slowly came to a halt at the edge of the Chaos Desolation Sea.

Gazing in the direction where Eldrin Chen had vanished, its pupils contracted slightly, a trace of solemnity flickering deep within its eyes.

At the same time, several more figures emerged from the Chaos. They were the Primordial Solar Great Emperor, the Heaven's Deduction Saint Emperor, and four other Great Emperor-level beings.

The Heaven's Deduction Saint Emperor glanced over, his expression grave. "My calculations were flawed," he said. "I did not foresee that he would possess two Innate Supreme Treasure [treasures born of the primordial chaos, possessing supreme power]."

"Otherwise, he would never have escaped alive today."

The nearby Heaven's Punishment Imperial Lord, seeing this, quickly stepped forward to ask, "Master, why do we not pursue?"

Upon hearing this, a cold glint flashed in the eyes of the Heaven's Deduction Saint Emperor.

Sensing something amiss, the Heaven's Punishment Imperial Lord immediately ceased his questioning and signaled for the remaining Imperial Lord [a title for powerful cultivators who rule over vast domains] to withdraw.

After the various Emperors had withdrawn, Heaven's Deduction Saint Emperor could no longer restrain himself, a trace of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

He drew a deep breath, wiped the blood clean, and said with a face full of fear and awe, "I never imagined that after cultivating the Six Paths True Spirit Divine Forms, the strength of Obsidian Abyss Great Emperor would be so formidable."

"The seven of us joined forces against him alone, and now each of us bears serious injuries. If word got out, we would likely become a laughingstock."

"The Path of Fleshly Body Sanctification has always possessed such immense power."

Primordial Solar Great Emperor pressed a hand against the spear wound within his body and spoke, "Fortunately, with the seven of us united, we managed to suppress him in the end."

"But now, how should we deal with Eldrin the Abyssal Emperor?"

Verdant Extreme Saint Emperor pondered for a moment, his expression grave. "Our injuries are severe. Pursuing him into the Chaos Desolation Sea would be far too perilous."

"Yet, leaving him alive will surely breed a great calamity."

"Fear not," Primordial Era Thunder Crow Great Emperor interjected with a cold laugh. "He took my full-force strike. Even with the protection of the Creation Cauldron and the Indestructibility Battle Armor, he must have lost all combat power."

"Moreover, given his realm, an injury inflicted by the Great Path Divine Form is nearly impossible to Recovery from. It is likely that for a long time in the Future, he will be unable to Recovery."

"The Chaos Desolation Sea is perilous beyond measure. With such grievous injuries, falling into the Chaos Desolation Sea means he likely won't survive a single Kalpa Tribulation [a cosmic cycle of immense duration]."

Upon hearing this, the several Great Emperor [supreme cultivators at the peak of power] finally allowed themselves to relax slightly.

However, Primordial Solar Great Emperor spoke with grave solemnity, "We must not be careless. If the Sacrificial Self Path [a profound cultivation method centered on self-sacrifice] were perfected, wielding the power of Great Path Authority [the authority over a fundamental cosmic principle], he could ascend directly to the Sage Ascendant Realm [a realm of existence transcending even Great Emperors]."

"By that time, should he return, his momentum would be unstoppable."

"This is indeed a threat we must guard against."

Heaven's Deduction Saint Emperor nodded in agreement and continued, "Fortunately, he is now gravely wounded and trapped within the Chaos Desolation Sea. The power of the Sacrificial Self Path must be exceedingly weak."

"If we can gather nine Great Emperor and the power of one Sage Ascendant, we can jointly cast a Path-Blocking Curse. This curse would ensure that any cultivator of the Sacrificial Self Path would be forever barred from achieving immortality."

Hearing this, the assembled Great Emperor all gave calm, solemn nods of approval.

Cursing a Sacrificial Self Path cultivator who has ascended beyond the Ascendant Immortal [a realm of true immortality]—one who has begun to touch the Path Principles [fundamental cosmic laws], rules, and even the power of Path Principle [abilities derived from cosmic laws] and the Great Path [the ultimate cosmic principles]—would exact an immense price.

However, merely cursing those below the Ascendant Immortal realm, preventing practitioners of the Sacrificial Self Path from ever attaining immortality, would carry a significantly lesser cost.

This was especially true for the moment of completing the Sacrificial Self [a forbidden cultivation art that involves sacrificing one's own essence], which was inherently an extremely perilous undertaking. Under such circumstances, the process became even more straightforward.

Seeing this, the Primordial Era Thunder Crow Great Emperor [an ancient and mighty avian demon emperor] spoke up, "Then let the seven of us join forces and seek out two more Great Emperor [a supreme cultivation realm, the pinnacle of power]. Together, we shall alter the fundamental laws of heaven and earth within the Southern Abyss Seven Domains [a vast and perilous region comprising seven distinct realms]."

"Henceforth, any practitioner of the Sacrificial Self Path [the forbidden path of cultivation that involves self-sacrifice] who dares to gaze upon the realm of Immortal [a being who has transcended mortality and achieved immortality] shall be irrevocably cursed."

The Heaven's Deduction Saint Emperor [a sovereign emperor renowned for his mastery of celestial calculations] also nodded in agreement and added, "The Chaos [the primordial, formless state from which all existence emerged] is boundless. Since time immemorial, there has been no shortage of heaven-defying individuals. To prevent any such future upstarts from breaking this curse, we must establish a rule of heavenly punishment."

"From this day forward, any practitioner of the Sacrificial Self Path shall face a Heavenly Tribulation [a cataclysmic trial of lightning and divine retribution sent by the heavens] with every major breakthrough in their cultivation realm. And upon attempting to ascend to immortality, they shall be subjected to an additional ten thousand layers of the Nine Heavens Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [the most severe and devastating form of heavenly lightning tribulation, originating from the highest heavens]."

Upon hearing this, all the Great Emperor present revealed faint smiles of satisfaction.

The Heavenly Tribulation is perilous and unpredictable. Even practitioners of the orthodox Immortal Path [the mainstream and accepted path to immortality], when undergoing their tribulation to ascend, only need to survive the Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation—that is, seven times seven, or forty-nine layers of Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [the standard form of heavenly lightning trial].

Yet, practitioners of the Sacrificial Self Path would have to endure ten thousand layers of the Nine Heavens Heavenly Thunder Tribulation. This was not merely a hundred times more severe than the tribulations of the Immortal Path; even if a truly heaven-defying prodigy emerged, or even a reincarnated Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [a legendary, nearly omnipotent immortal from ancient lore], they would surely be reduced to ashes by such punishment.

With these two layers of insurance in place, the seven Great Emperor collectively breathed a sigh of relief.

They were confident that with these dual curses established, no future practitioner of the Sacrificial Self Path would ever be able to set foot upon the path of perfection again.

"..."

Just as the external Emperors were preparing to unleash their curses, Eldrin Chen had already fled deep into the Chaos Desolation Sea.

At this moment, Eldrin Chen's injuries were extremely severe. He had stored away the Creation Cauldron and attempted to refine Primordial Chaos Energy to Recovery his spiritual power and heal his wounds. However, he discovered an indelible Chaos Divine Form [a supreme manifestation of divine power born from primordial chaos] entrenched within his body.

It was a seething mass of Thunderclap Great Path Divine Form [the ultimate divine manifestation of a Great Path]. Its shape resembled a coiled Thunderclap Golden Crow [a mythical three-legged solar bird], its entire form woven from interlocking Great Path Divine Chains [chains of divine law representing a supreme cultivation path].

"So this... is the power of a Great Path Divine Form?"

Eldrin Chen murmured inwardly, a bitter smile touching his lips.

The power of this Great Path Divine Form was overwhelmingly tyrannical. Even though most of its force had been blocked by the Indestructibility Battle Armor and the Creation Cauldron, the residual energy continued to relentlessly corrode Eldrin Chen's physical body.

This power was indelible. Even the Great Path Divine Chains condensed from his own Chaos Limitless Great Path [his supreme cultivation path of boundless chaos] found it difficult to refine and expel this foreign energy from within him.

"The disparity between these levels of power... is simply too vast."

Eldrin Chen whispered to himself, his expression growing even more solemn.

Unable to expel this Thunderclap Divine Form [a divine manifestation of thunderous power], his wounds could not recover [heal and restore], and his strength would only continue to wane.

In such a state, facing the relentless erosion of the Chaos Desolation Sea and the lurking Colossal Chaos Fiends [gigantic, mindless beasts born from primordial chaos], was an exceedingly perilous situation.

Eldrin Chen attempted to circulate the Great Path of Life to recover from his injuries. After exhausting various methods to no avail, he finally tried using the Returning Abyss Furnace to absorb this Great Path Divine Form [a manifestation of divine power shaped by a Great Path].

It was merely an attempt, but unexpectedly, the Returning Abyss Path Patterns within the Returning Abyss Furnace blazed with radiant light, proving capable of devouring this Great Path Divine Form.

However, the process was excruciatingly slow; it would require at least ten Kalpa Tribulations [immense cosmic cycles spanning billions of years] to completely devour and refine it.

With a solution now in hand, Eldrin Chen finally allowed himself a slight sigh of relief.

As he relaxed his taut nerves, a wave of drowsiness washed over him, and he unknowingly slipped into a deep slumber to recover his injuries.

After Eldrin Chen fell into this deep sleep, several Colossal Chaos Fiends were drawn to his presence.

A physical body at the Primordial One Imperial Lord level was a supreme tonic for these Colossal Chaos Fiends. Lacking true sentience, their cultivation was mostly at the Ancient Immortal Realm level.

Tempered by the Chaos Desolation Sea, the physical bodies of these Colossal Chaos Fiends were far more formidable than the Chaos Ancient Beasts [ancient beasts of chaos] found in the Sea of Chaos.

Some Colossal Chaos Fiend [enormous primordial beasts born from chaos], with their sheer physical might alone, have even brushed against the threshold of the Great Encompassing [the legendary realm of the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal] level.

They erupted into conflict over the fleshly body of Eldrin Chen, and in the end, a Chaos Leviathan [a titanic serpentine beast of the primordial chaos] whose power rivaled that of a Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [a supreme immortal who has attained the Great Encompassing realm] proved mightier, swallowing Eldrin Chen whole into its gullet.

This particular Chaos Leviathan was the sovereign of its pod. After devouring Eldrin Chen, it continued its wanderings through the Chaos Desolation Sea [the boundless, turbulent sea of primordial chaos], journeying ever deeper into that desolate expanse as time flowed on.

Time holds no meaning in the Chaos Desolation Sea. Uncounted ages passed—perhaps several Kalpa Tribulation [cosmic cycles of immense duration, often spanning billions of years]—before this Chaos Ancient Beast [an ancient beast native to the primordial chaos], migrating with its kin, arrived at a location impossibly distant from its origin.

And there, they clashed with another group of beings.

"BOOM—!"

"A hit! A direct hit! Don't let it escape now—strike!"

Amidst the Chaos Desolation Sea, a battered, rugged Chaos Ancient Ship [an ancient vessel forged to navigate the chaos] soared forth. It unleashed a massive ballista bolt forged from Great Encompassing Immortal Metal [a legendary metal used by Great Encompassing Golden Immortals], slaying one of the Chaos Leviathan—precisely the pod's leader.

The remaining Chaos Leviathan scattered in panic. A crew descended from the Chaos Ancient Ship, working with frantic haste, hauled the slain leviathan's colossal form aboard their ancient vessel.

"Hah! With this Chaos Leviathan, we'll have enough to weather this coming Desolate Tribulation [a catastrophic event or era of great hardship]!"

A young woman clad in beast-hide looked down at the Chaos Leviathan before her, a look of elation spreading across her face.

Beside her, an old man observed the scene, yet his gaze was filled with worry as it fell upon a piece of cracked, verdant Divine Jade embedded in the decaying hull of the ancient vessel. "The power within the Divine Jade is nearly spent," he said, his expression grave.

"Now that we have hunted the great beast, we must return at once. If the Divine Jade's power fails completely and we are exposed to the corrosive energies of the Desolation Sea, we too will become mindless Desolate People."