Chapter 1898 : Those Worthy of Respect

Eldrin murmured softly, then ultimately fell silent.

With his current level of cultivation, Eldrin deduced the entire chain of events in an instant.

The reason Mordecai (Person Name) had never revealed the cause and effect of those bygone years was ultimately because he no longer wished to linger in this world alone.

Although Mordecai (Person Name) was born into the Lin Immortal Clan (Organization), he had been sold to the Qingyang Sect since childhood and held almost no affection for the Lin Immortal Clan (Organization).

On the contrary, he had grown up in the Qingyang Sect and harbored profound affection for it, having long been prepared to lay down his life for the sect.

In that battle, he clearly had a chance to survive. Yet for the sliver of hope to preserve the Qingyang Sect, he chose to march toward certain death, intending to detonate the underground fire vein at the cost of his own life to severely wound the Alliance's numerous Zi Palace experts.

"Though his cultivation base is lowly, he is a man worthy of respect."

Eldrin let out a soft sigh and said nothing more.

He withdrew his thoughts and followed his father through the 100-1000-mile wilderness, witnessing him escort his younger self back to Verdant Chariot Mountain (Location).

Child!

Beneath Verdant Chariot Mountain (Location), heavy snow fell relentlessly.

A man drenched in blood, carrying a young child on his back, staggered up the mountain path.

His vision was nearly blurred as he trudged forward step by step, until he was on the verge of drawing his last breath. Finally, he arrived before the mountain gate of Verdant Chariot Mountain (Location).

At the brink of death, he watched the white-haired elder approach, a faint smile gracing his lips.

"Qingming, Qingming... what's wrong with you?"

The old man’s expression shifted abruptly, and he couldn’t help but steady the man as he said,

The man shook his head, and with great difficulty, pushed the child in his arms toward Chen Changyan. With his last breath, he pleaded, "Uncle Changyan, this is my child. I beg you..."

Chen Changyan probed his meridians, and his expression abruptly shifted.

A moment later, he took a deep breath, his gaze filled with sorrow as he said, "I will take good care of this child. Is there anything else you wish to say?"

"Do not seek vengeance... do not seek revenge..."

Chen Qingming repeated the same phrase, casting 1 last lingering glance at Eldrin before his vitality faded completely, and he drew his final breath.

Chen Changyan silently closed the deceased’s eyes, then lowered his gaze to the 3-year-old child before him. Yet, he found the child’s eyes unusually tranquil, as if concealing an indescribable, restrained power.

In the blink of an eye, he realized—this child remembered everything he had experienced.

"Good child, what is your name?"

Chen Qingming’s aura gradually faded, and a faint wisp of his soul emerged, drifting toward the cycle of reincarnation.

Yet in that very instant, an unimaginable power traversed the river of time, tracing back through vast stretches of primordial ages. Carrying a distant mark of true spirit, it merged seamlessly with his soul.

In the blink of an eye, he felt his physical body and soul completely remolded, restored to their absolute peak condition.

When he opened his eyes, he found a man in white robes standing calmly beside him—a figure bearing a 30 percent resemblance to himself, yet possessing an otherworldly elegance that defied mortal comprehension.

The man's eyes held a trace of amusement as he spoke calmly.

Father.

After a brief exchange with his father, Eldrin continued his journey down the River of Time and Space.

He wandered through the river of time, retracing the footsteps of bygone memories step by step. There he beheld Great Elder Chen Qingxu, Second Elder Chen Qinghe, Fourth Elder Chen Qingyuan, Fifth Elder Chen Qingwan, and Sixth Elder Chen Qingmeng.

He also met the older generation of grand-uncles once more, including Chen Changlu and Chen Changyan.

These old acquaintances possessed limited cultivation bases and had long since had their souls scattered within the River of Time. Eldrin traced the river's flow to retrieve their true spirits, reconstructing their divine souls at the precise moment of their demise.

Throughout this journey, Eldrin witnessed Chen Qingmeng desperately striving for Foundation Establishment. He beheld Chen Qinghe, who attempted the breakthrough in his waning years yet refused to use the Foundation Establishment Pill. He also encountered Chen Qingxu, who in his twilight years selflessly bestowed his life-extending treasures upon the younger generation.

He also witnessed, in the end, the unwilling Chen Qingyuan.

At the moment of their death, Eldrin reforged their soul.

Regret was mended. Bloody valor, bitter resentment, karmic fate, and the cycles of reincarnation—all the laws of existence were reshaped within the hands of the Great Luo Immortal Lord.

It is worth mentioning that Eldrin also rescued 2 Purple-Striped Wild Geese and a single Cerulean Spirit Fish.

These 2 Purple-Striped Wild Geese (Demon Beast) were the first opponents Eldrin (Person Name) had ever slain in his life, and also the parents of the initial flock of Purple-Striped Wild Geese (Demon Beast).

Back then, Eldrin relied on these Purple-Striped Wild Geese to accumulate a crucial stock of cultivation resources, completing the primitive accumulation for his initial training.

The Cangling Spirit Fish was the king of the Azure-Scale Spirit Fish and 1 of the key contributors to the Chen Clan's rise in its early days.

A Great Luo Golden Immortal retrieving an old acquaintance from the River of Time and Space often finds that the more powerful the being, the harder they are to bring back.

To resurrect a celestial immortal who had ventured into the forbidden realm of IE, even a Great Perfected Golden Immortal would have to pay a considerable price.

Yet the cost of reviving these Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment realm beings was almost negligible.

For those former acquaintances from his early cultivation days—whether they had shown him kindness or shared some past connection—Eldrin would reshape them and bring them back.

After completing these tasks, Eldrin continued forward, taking the opportunity to rescue Mordecai along the way.

The moment Mordecai (Person Name) was resurrected, he stared blankly at Eldrin (Person Name) for a brief moment. After comprehending the full context of events, he sighed deeply and remarked, "To think that the enemy of our Qingyang Sect would turn out to be a future Great Luo Celestial Lord."

"But the Azure Sun Sect has already fallen. What purpose is there in saving me?"

Eldrin smiled faintly and shook his head. "No dynasty lasts forever, nor does any sect endure eternally. If your loyalty to the Azure Sun Sect runs true, focus on surviving. Someday, you may reestablish its dao lineage anew."

"And what you owed the Eldrin Sect, you repaid in full the moment you fell in battle."

Mordecai (Person Name) stared blankly for a moment before finally sighing. "Never did I imagine that 1 day, I would be resurrected by my sworn enemy."

"Past causes bear present fruits. The karma you reap today stems from that single act of compassion long ago."

Eldrin spoke with an air of detachment, then smiled faintly. "Oceans have turned to mulberry fields, mountains and rivers have transformed. After hundreds of millions of years, to meet a worthy adversary once more—this could indeed be counted as a comforting occurrence."

After rescuing Mordecai (Person Name), Eldrin (Person Name) continued his descent deeper below.

He journeyed downstream along the River of Time, pausing and resuming his travels along the way, saving countless old friends whose souls had scattered to the winds.

Until 1 day, Eldrin traversed the vast expanse of time and space, reviving a man of incomparable nobility within a secluded meditation chamber.

The moment the man was resurrected, he couldn't help but cast a bewildered glance at Eldrin before finally exclaiming, "You succeeded?"

"Hmm."

Eldrin nodded, a faint smile gracing his lips.

It turned out this man was none other than Thanatos the God-Feller, who once witnessed Eldrin fall victim to the Calamity Demon God’s schemes, nearly having his entire foundation obliterated into nothingness.

At the critical moment of near death, Thanatos the God-Feller (Person Name) used his own Primordial Yang essence to sustain a sliver of vitality for Eldrin (Person Name).

It was precisely by relying on that wisp of Pure Yang essence that Eldrin completely mastered the 5 secret forces, thereby establishing the foundation of a Great Luo Golden Immortal.

However, the price was that Thanatos the God-Feller (Person Name) had his soul completely scattered to the winds, with only a wisp of his true spirit stepping into the cycle of reincarnation.

Suddenly resurrected, Thanatos the God-Feller (Person Name) recalled all he had experienced and instantly surmised something.

Eldrin smiled faintly and spoke calmly, "I have attained the Dao of the Great Luo Golden Immortal. This journey against the current of the River of Time is to guide your revival and return."

Thanatos the God-Feller (Person Name) suppressed his astonishment and couldn't help but ask, "How fares Lady Qingji (Person Name)?"

"My lady has accompanied me for 12 million years, has borne me a daughter, and has cultivated to the realm of Ancient Immortality. Naturally, all is well with her."

Upon hearing this, Thanatos the God-Feller (Person Name) immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

He gave a slight nod, then said with a gentle smile, "It seems the choice I made back then was not wrong."

"Madam has missed you for many years as well. Whatever you wish to say can wait until we return."

Eldrin spoke thus and immediately continued striding forward.

Before long, he arrived within the Divine Ridge of Xunwind and once again encountered the Old Tomb Keeper.

The Tomb Guardian Elder was 1 of the most senior figures in the Violet Realm since the Abyssal Cataclysm. In his lifetime, his cultivation had reached the Half-Immortal Realm, having forged 3 foundational pillars of ascension: the Virtual Dao Fruit, Pseudo-Laws, and Half-Immortal Body.

This individual had endured the greater part of the Abyssal Cataclysm Era and was originally 1 of the most likely candidates to attain immortality after the Void-Refining Immortals.

But later, the Cataclysm of the Demonic Abyss erupted. He fought his entire life for the Violet Realm, shedding his last drop of blood in tens of thousands of years of bloody warfare.

After the fall of Emperor Jiang, the old tomb keeper anointed the Eastern Emperor Bell with his own half-immortal blood and bones, Dao Fruit, and laws, ultimately elevating it into a genuine immortal treasure.

Eldrin's triumph over the Calamity Demon God owed no small credit to the Eastern Emperor Bell.

It could be said that the Old Tomb Keeper was a guardian of an entire epoch that spanned countless ages.

He witnessed the glorious finale of the entire Violet Realm, and made an indelible contribution by sustaining it until the rise of Eldrin.

The price was his entire soul bone and cultivation base, all fused into the Donghuang Bell, leaving him utterly and completely annihilated.

"Alas—"

Eldrin (Person Name) heaved a deep sigh and finally flicked his sleeve, extending a single finger in a decisive motion.

In the blink of an eye, the River of Time and Space trembled violently. To resurrect the Tomb Keeper, 1 must extract his fragmented soul from the Donghuang Bell.

Eldrin reached across time and space, subtly interfering with the flow of the River of Time. Even for a Great Luo Golden Immortal, such an act demanded an incalculable price.

"Cough—"

Chapter 1 Eldrin coughed up blood for the first time, crimson droplets staining his azure robes. Yet his eyes burned with unwavering determination. "This time... I will succeed." He sat cross-legged within the ancient cave, surrounded by faint spiritual light. Before him lay 3 jade slips containing the profound cultivation method—the 9 Revolutions Nirvana Sutra (Cultivation Method). This was the inheritance his master had paid with his life to obtain. "Master, your disciple will not fail you," Eldrin murmured, his voice hoarse yet resolute. He closed his eyes, circulating the spiritual energy within his dantian. The energy surged violently through his meridians like a raging torrent. Pain—excruciating pain—as if countless needles were piercing his body. But he endured. The first revolution required shattering and reconstructing 1's meridians 9 times. He had already endured this torment 8 times. This was the final cycle. Time slipped away unnoticed. Beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead, his face pale as paper. Suddenly, a crisp cracking sound echoed from within his body—the sound of his meridians fracturing. Eldrin trembled violently, fresh blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Yet a brilliant light shone in his eyes. He had persevered through the ninth shattering. Now came the most critical moment—rebuilding the meridians. He reached for the spirit stones piled beside him. Precisely 32,000 spirit stones formed a powerful Spirit Gathering Formation (Formation), the spiritual energy within so dense it had liquefied. "Gather!" Eldrin formed hand seals with both hands. The spiritual energy madly poured into his body, the shattered meridians rapidly regenerating under this immense energy. New meridians, broader and more resilient than before, took shape. After an unknown period, Eldrin slowly opened his eyes. A faint golden light shimmered within them. He had finally broken through to the ninth level of Qi Refining. Standing up, he felt the majestic spiritual power coursing through his body. A faint smile touched his lips. After 20-some years of cultivation, he had finally reached perfection in the Qi Refining stage. But this was merely the beginning. The path of cultivation was long and arduous, with the Foundation Establishment stage ahead, then the Golden Core stage... each realm more difficult than the last. He walked to the cave entrance, gazing at the distant mountains. Somewhere in this vast cultivation world, the enemies who had killed his master still lurked. "I will find you," Eldrin whispered to the wind, his voice soft yet filled with determination. "And I will make you pay the price." He turned and strode out of the cave. The morning sun cast his shadow long upon the ground, like a sharp sword piercing straight into the heart of the distant horizon. The path of a cultivator was never smooth, but he would tread it unwaveringly. After all, he was Eldrin—the last disciple of the Nirvana lineage. For a 100 years, the sect had declined, with only a dozen or so disciples remaining. But now, everything was about to change. Because he, Eldrin, had finally achieved a breakthrough.

That power which spanned the heavens and encompassed the earth pierced through the river of time, connecting past and present. From the distant reaches of spacetime, it captured a faint, fragmented soul—using this as a guide to draw forth the blood, bones, and divine soul of the Old Tomb Keeper from the East Emperor Bell 12,000,000 years in the future.

Using this as a foundation, he summoned the true spirit and ultimately resurrected the old tomb keeper.

"Ahem—"

The tombkeeper elder awoke from his slumber and instinctively turned his gaze toward Eldrin (Person Name). His first words unexpectedly questioned: "How have I returned to life once more?"

"Damn it, my blood sacrifice of the soul bone has failed. Will the plan to elevate the Eastern Emperor Bell into an immortal treasure now come to naught?"

Hearing this, Eldrin felt a sharp pang in his heart, his eyes involuntarily reddening slightly.

He recalled those years, when the old gravekeeper had shed blood to uproot the celestial pillar for his sake, confronting the killing array laid by the Calamity Demon God with a mortal's frame.

In that battle, the Tombkeeper perished. His first act after falling was to instruct Eldrin to scatter his flesh, blood, soul, and bones across Mount Donghuang. This would harness the power of mountains and rivers spanning hundreds of millions of miles, enabling the Donghuang Bell to ascend into an immortal treasure to confront the demonic tribulation.

"Elder."

Eldrin’s voice trembled slightly as he suppressed the backlash surging within him. Finally, he spoke: “Do not worry. It is all over now.”

"That Calamity Demon God has been slain by me."

Until much later, the old tomb keeper understood the entire chain of events.

He stood dazed for a long while, then finally grasped Eldrin’s hand. After studying it intently for what seemed an age, he broke into a hearty laugh. “Hahaha! To have been able to offer substantial aid to an early-stage Great Luo Golden Immortal—this old man’s life has not been lived in vain.”

Time flowed on, and years slipped away.

After saving the old tomb keeper, Eldrin continued his descent.

This time, he rescued the 7 Avians Sage and journeyed once more through the Realm of Cosmic Void, retrieving the souls of several among the 6 fallen nominal disciples who had completely dissipated into nothingness.

As for those whose souls had not yet dispersed, Eldrin did not forcibly revive them. A simple word to the Great Luo Golden Immortals of the Netherworld in the future would be enough to guide their return.

After that, Eldrin returned to the Qingcang Immortal Realm and once more traveled against the river of time to rescue the master of the Li Flame Blessed Land.

This Crimson Sun Blessed Land was the first blessed land-level ruins Eldrin (Person Name) explored after ascending to the immortal realm. The legacy of the Crimson Sun Blessed Land back then allowed Eldrin (Person Name) to gain a firm foothold in the immortal realm, forming a subtle karmic bond in the grand scheme of things.

Eldrin took pity on the Master of Crimson Sun Blessed Land, whose soul had scattered to the winds, and guided his spirit back in passing—thus settling this thread of karma.

After completing this step, Eldrin (Person Name) seized the momentum to resurrect some of his old companions who had fallen while helping him withstand the tribulations.

Having accomplished all this, Eldrin finally returned to an era 12,000,000 years later, only to discover he had revived several 1000 old acquaintances in 1 breath.

"This could be considered a case of 'when a man attains the Dao, even his pets ascend to heaven,' could it not?"

Eldrin murmured softly, shaking his head with a faint smile.

With a flick of his sleeve, he transported the crowd back to the Guixu Immortal Realm, entrusting them to Lyra (Person Name), Chen Changqing, and others for settlement.

After completing all this, Eldrin turned once more to gaze toward the distant end of that vast expanse of time and space.

After this lifetime of cultivation, Eldrin still had 2 karmic debts left unsettled—those owed to Daoist Purple Abyss and Daoist Annihilation.

However, both were supreme Ancient Immortals, and both had fallen for at least several 100 million years. Bringing them back would be no easy task.

Since both had failed in their attempt to breakthrough to the Great Perfection Stage, resulting in their souls scattering completely, the only recourse was to traverse time and space to retrieve them.

However, the price for fulfilling such desires is immense for both parties. Take Daoist Ziye as an example—to save him, Eldrin would first need to traverse back through time spanning billions of years. Even a Great Luo Golden Immortal would have to pay a considerable price to achieve such a feat.

To rescue a supreme ancient immortal like Ziye, 1 must also endure the backlash of spacetime power.

For Eldrin (Person Name), saving a single Earth Immortal would hardly be considered a significant trouble. Yet, to rescue an Ancient Immortal, the price demanded would be countless times greater than that for an Earth Immortal.

Therefore, to rescue Daoist Ziye, Eldrin needed a unique Great Luo treasure to withstand the backlash of temporal forces.

The Daoist Jumie was even more beyond salvation, having perished at the end of the Primordial Era, separated from the present age by tens of billions of years across time and space.

To reverse the flow of time across such vast epochs was utterly impossible for a Great Luo Golden Immortal. Only by breaking through to the Chaos Origin Emperor realm could Eldrin possibly retrieve the Annihilated Taoist.

Chapter 1 The biting mountain wind whipped across the cliffside, carrying with it the scent of pine and damp earth. Lin Feng tightened his worn robe, the coarse fabric offering little protection against the chill. His gaze, however, remained fixed on the distant, mist-shrouded peaks where the Sect's inner disciples trained. There, spiritual energy swirled like visible vapor. "1 100 years," he murmured, the words barely a whisper swallowed by the wind. 1 100 years since his transmigration into this world of cultivators and immortal aspirations. Yet, here he remained, stuck at the third level of Qi Refinement, an outer disciple in the vast and merciless Profound Sky Sect. A commotion broke his reverie. Near the Mission Assignment Hall, a group of disciples clustered around a newly posted notice. Lin Feng approached, his movements unhurried. "...The Blazing Sun Sect grows ever more arrogant! They've seized another of our spirit stone mines!" a burly disciple was ranting, his face flushed with anger. "The Sect Leader has issued a mission," another said, pointing at the notice. "50 contribution points for any outer disciple who can retrieve intelligence on their movements near the Serpent's Gorge outpost." A wave of murmurs passed through the crowd. 50 contribution points was a significant reward, enough to exchange for several months' worth of cultivation resources. But the danger was palpable. The Blazing Sun Sect disciples were notoriously ruthless. Lin Feng's eyes scanned the notice, his mind already calculating. Serpent's Gorge. He recalled a tattered map he'd found in the dilapidated archives. It had mentioned an old, forgotten path leading near that very outpost, a route likely unknown to most. As he turned to leave, a sneering voice cut through the air. "Well, if it isn't Lin Feng. Don't tell me you're actually considering this mission? A Qi Refinement third level like you would be a walking corpse out there." It was Zhang Hu, a disciple at the fifth level of Qi Refinement, who had often made Lin Feng the butt of his jokes. Lin Feng didn't bother to turn. "The path to immortality is long, Senior Brother Zhang. Some walk it with bravado, others with caution." His voice was calm, devoid of the frustration Zhang Hu hoped to provoke. Zhang Hu scoffed. "Caution? Cowardice, more like. You've been stuck at the third level for, what, 3 years now? Some are just not destined for the great dao." Ignoring him, Lin Feng walked away. The taunts were like pebbles against a mountain; they held no weight for him anymore. He had a plan. While others sought glory and contribution points through brute force, he would rely on the 1 advantage his past life had granted him—a mind accustomed to strategy and information processing. Back in his simple dwelling, a small wooden hut on the outskirts of the disciple residences, Lin Feng retrieved the hidden map. It was drawn on spirit beast parchment, brittle with age. Tracing the faint lines with his finger, he confirmed his initial thought. The forgotten path was his key. He then checked his meager resources. His spirit stone pouch contained only 32 spirit stones. A paltry sum. He also had 3 basic Qi Replenishing Pills and a dozen or so Spirit Herbs of mediocre quality. It would have to suffice. "The Blazing Sun Sect's movements..." he pondered. "Direct confrontation is suicide. But observing, gathering information... that is a different kind of battle." He spent the rest of the night in meditation, cycling the thin spiritual energy of the area according to the Profound Sky Sect's basic cultivation art. Progress was agonizingly slow, a trickle of water trying to erode a mighty boulder. Yet, he persisted. For thousands of years, countless cultivators had walked this path, each facing their own tribulations. His was just beginning. As the first light of dawn painted the eastern sky with hues of gold and purple, Lin Feng opened his eyes. A glint of unwavering determination shone within them. He secured the map inside his robe, packed his few supplies, and slipped out of the Sect grounds, disappearing into the dense, primordial forest that carpeted the mountains. The path to Serpent's Gorge was fraught with its own perils, but it was a path he chose to walk. The reward of 50 contribution points could secure him the resources for a breakthrough. It was a risk, but in the ruthless world of cultivation, playing it safe was often the greatest risk of all.