Chapter 1902 : Black Abyss Emperor

Facing the fully enraged Scale-Reversed Demon Lord, Eldrin (Person Name) slightly furrowed his brow.

He immediately summoned the Primal Chaos Unitary Qi True Aura to shield himself, then transformed into a dazzling streak of light to create distance.

Forbidden Divine Powers are called forbidden not only because their might is far too overwhelming, but also because their side effects are truly terrifying.

Once the forbidden divine power is unleashed, the best outcome would be recuperating for several kalpas, while a slightly worse fate would be complete annihilation of both body and dao, requiring dozens or even hundreds of kalpas to revive.

At this moment, the Reverse Scale Demon Lord unleashed a forbidden divine art. Seeing that Eldrin (Person Name) was about to evade and stall for time, he could no longer remain seated.

He desperately gave chase, sparing no cost in his determination to severely wound, or even slay, Eldrin.

"Perfect timing."

In that very instant, Eldrin seized the opportunity to activate the Dao of Yin-Yang Sacrifice. In a flash, his power surged exponentially under the enhancement of the forbidden divine art. Turning back, he unleashed a Chaos Divine Thunder that tore through the air toward his opponent.

Confronted by Eldrin's sudden betrayal, the Reverse Scale Demon Lord was caught completely off guard. His physical form shattered on the spot, and even his primordial spirit was utterly annihilated into drifting ashes. Only his true spirit, sheltered by the Great Dao, fell into deep slumber.

"Damn, he has also mastered the forbidden divine ability."

Witnessing the defeat of Inverse Scale Demon Lord, the other 3 instantly turned pale and immediately sought to flee for their lives.

Unfortunately, with Eldrin's current strength, even without revealing his full power, activating the first stage of the forbidden divine ability was enough to rival a Sixth-Level Golden Immortal.

The 3 had only just entered the Great Luo Realm—how could they possibly withstand it?

Yet in less than a 100 moves, the Azure Python Demon Lord was utterly vanquished. The other 2 barely managed to flee in haste, narrowly escaping with their lives.

"Forbidden Divine Power?"

Witnessing Eldrin defeat the 4 opponents, the Great Emperor of the Primordial Thunder Crow’s expression turned icy, but he quickly regained his composure.

Eldrin (Person Name) had successfully cultivated the True Spirit Primordial Soul and unlocked all 9 of his innate acupoints. Thus, it came as no great surprise that he could master the forbidden divine abilities.

He said nothing more, but with a flick of his sleeve, he released 4 strands of innate indestructible spiritual light before coldly stating, "Young friend, being too sharp and unyielding may not necessarily be a good thing."

"Our days are long, and in time, you may yet fall into our hands."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin cupped his hands and said, "Many thanks for Senior's guidance. This junior has learned much."

The Great Emperor of the Primordial Thunder Crow said no more. With a cold snort, he rode the Primordial Kui Ox and vanished beyond the horizon.

Seeing this, Eldrin turned and cupped his hands toward the Black Abyss Emperor in the sky, saying, "Many thanks for your assistance, Senior."

"It is but my duty. Do not dwell on it."

"Since the uninvited guests have departed, you may resume the feast. Remember to seek an audience with This Seat at the Abyssal Abyss Heaven once the banquet concludes."

The Black Abyss Emperor spoke impassively, as the Mysterious Bird beneath his throne beat its wings and soared into the sky, vanishing beyond the horizon in the blink of an eye.

Watching the Black Abyss Emperor depart, Eldrin immediately returned to the main hall.

At this moment, Eldrin noticed significant shifts in attitude among many of the Grand Luo Golden Immortals present. Numerous gazes directed at him grew increasingly benevolent.

If the previous Eldrin, despite having proven his path as a Great Luo Golden Immortal, was merely a newly ascended 1, he still could not draw the attention of the other established Great Luo Golden Immortals.

At this moment, the mid-stage Great Luo Golden Immortal-level combat prowess he displayed was already sufficient to earn recognition from many late-stage Great Luo Golden Immortals.

In this vast and primordial chaos, strength ultimately reigns supreme, for potential is merely potential after all. As the Primordial Indestructible Radiance and breakthrough opportunities are exceedingly rare, without substantial backing or serendipitous encounters, 1 may never truly ascend to that ultimate stage.

And a combat prowess at the mid-stage of the Great Luo Golden Immortal could already be considered quite remarkable.

You must understand, across the 3 1000 Immortal Domains where humans, demons, deities, and hundreds of spirit races coexist, there exist over 10 1000 Great Luo Golden Immortals. Yet among this multitude, fewer than 1 in 10 ever ascends to the late-stage of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm.

Even a mid-stage Great Luo Golden Immortal is a rare sight. Those who can set foot in this stage have surpassed at least 50-60% of all Great Luo Golden Immortals.

At the ensuing celestial banquet, Eldrin acquainted himself with each Great Luo Golden Immortal present. Even the venerable ancestors at the late-stage Great Luo realm greeted him with exceptional warmth, their conversations flowing with such congeniality that it seemed like old friends reuniting.

Thus, 3 1000 years passed in the blink of an eye. Only after the Great Luo Immortal Banquet concluded and Eldrin had bid farewell to the Great Luo Golden Immortals of various factions did he finally say to Lyra, "The Black Abyss Emperor instructed me to seek him after the banquet, most likely to discuss matters concerning the Celestial Court."

"You all return to the Qing Cang Immortal Domain first and prepare for the clan's relocation. Everything shall be arranged after I return."

"Very well."

Lyra nodded, then departed with the Chen Clan and the members of the Guixu Immortal Alliance.

Now, after Eldrin left Weiyang Heaven and flew to the Black Abyss Heaven, he discovered a silver-armored divine general had been waiting for a long time.

"Father, His Majesty has been waiting for quite some time."

Eldrin (Person Name) looked up and froze for a moment.

The silver-armored divine general before him turned out to be none other than his own son, Chen Xiandao.

Seeing Eldrin (Person Name) looking astonished, Chen Xiandao immediately spoke up, "Father, there is no need for surprise. Once you meet His Majesty, you will naturally understand the whole story."

Eldrin (Person Name) nodded and immediately followed him, arriving before an immortal palace.

Compared to the ethereal Weiyang Heaven, the Black Abyss Heaven appeared even more majestic, and this Black Abyss Immortal Palace was particularly solemn and awe-inspiring.

Eldrin stepped into the celestial palace and found the Black Abyss Emperor clad in his Black Dragon Imperial Armor, perusing a bamboo scroll.

"You've come at the perfect moment."

The Black Abyss Emperor maintained his stern composure, setting down the bamboo scroll in his hand before speaking. "You have joined the Celestial Court. The reason I summoned you today is to ask whether you wish to hold a sinecure position or assume an official post with actual responsibilities."

Eldrin’s eyes flickered slightly as he inquired, “May I ask what the difference is between a sinecure and an actual appointment?”

"See for yourself."

The Black Abyss Emperor offered no explanation, directly tossing the bamboo scroll in his hand to Eldrin.

Seeing this, Eldrin immediately picked up the bamboo slip and examined it. Yet after merely a brief glance, he grasped the distinction between the 2.

Among the Immortal Emperors of the Human Race's Celestial Court, there are generally 2 types. 1 consists of Great Luo Immortal Emperors who hold nominal sinecures. These Great Luo Immortal Emperors do not interfere with the operations of the Celestial Court, yet they can still enjoy its various resources and privileges.

However, utilizing the resources of the Celestial Court always demanded a certain price.

Taking the Immortal Indestructible Pond as an example, this human race supreme treasure required only the investment of cultivators with Triple Ascension foundations, along with resources such as innate marvels and Primordial Qi, to transform them into celestial soldiers and generals at the Celestial Immortal and Ancient Immortal realms.

An ordinary Great Luo Golden Immortal holding a sinecure position would need to pay an additional sum of resources to utilize it.

This was no small amount of resources. A single Celestial Soldier at the Heavenly Immortal realm required 1 strand of Primordial Qi, while an Ancient Immortal Celestial General needed 1 100 strands. Considering a Celestial Legion consisted of 100,000 soldiers, the additional resources required to form a full Celestial Soldier and General Legion were truly astronomical.

Moreover, within the Celestial Court, there existed several cultivation sanctuaries.

For instance, the ‘Hall of Enlightenment’(Place Name) that can assist Great Luo Golden Immortals in comprehending the Great Dao, the ‘Great Luo Heaven’(Place Name) that aids them in breaking through their cultivation realms, as well as other treasured sites like the ‘Refinement Hall’(Place Name) for cultivating the Great Luo Body and the ‘Cycle of Rebirth Pool’(Place Name) for tempering the Great Luo Primordial Spirit.

These were all supremely rare auxiliary treasures born from the chaos, artifacts that could be chanced upon but never sought in the outside world. Even the Great Luo Immortals who held nominal positions would have to pay an enormous price to set foot within and cultivate.

Some treasured lands are so costly to open that each entry slot is exceedingly precious. Even a Great Luo Immortal Lord holding a sinecure would find it nearly impossible to obtain cultivation access, even by offering treasures like Innate Indestructible Luminescence.

In contrast, those who hold actual positions as Great Luo Golden Immortals enjoy complimentary access to the vast majority of the Celestial Court's resources.

However, in return, Great Luo Immortal Lords who hold actual positions must also contribute a certain amount to the Celestial Court.

Such official positions for Immortal Lords are generally divided into 2 types. The first requires exceptionally profound skills—the ability to refine Great Luo Immortal Pills, forge Great Luo Divine Weapons, or even craft powerful Primordial Spiritual Treasures. Those who qualify may enter the Celestial Court’s Alchemy Pavilion, Artifact Forging Pavilion, and other such institutions within the celestial administration.

However, to join these celestial halls, 1 generally needed at least a Grand Luo Golden Immortal mid-stage cultivation in the 100 Arts of cultivation.

Another path is to command celestial troops and generals for the Celestial Court. Such a Great Luo Immortal Lord would be granted at least 10 legions—a full 1,000,000 celestial soldiers and generals.

However, whenever the Celestial Court launched an external war, they were always the first to be deployed to the front lines. When facing formidable enemies, the likelihood of falling in battle was extremely high. Moreover, they were forbidden from venturing alone into the depths of the primordial chaos at will.

Those who enter the Hall through the 100 Arts of Cultivation follow a safer path, and the Celestial Court provides substantial compensation—1 could say the advantage lies in stable earnings. However, a great deal of time must be devoted to refining elixirs, crafting divine artifacts, or setting up formations for the Celestial Court, leaving little opportunity to explore the Chaos.

In comparison, those who held sinecures enjoyed greater freedom, yet their futures were fraught with far more uncertainty.

Eldrin pondered for a moment, feeling that commanding celestial soldiers and generals would be rather unsuitable for him. The 100 Arts of Cultivation, however, might be worth considering. Yet as Eldrin had only recently ascended to the Great Luo Realm, his priority should be enhancing his own cultivation and consolidating his foundation.

After much deliberation, Eldrin finally spoke: "I wish to take on a nominal position for now, focus on advancing my cultivation base. Should the need arise in the future, I may consider assuming a substantive office."

The Black Abyss Emperor nodded, then spoke, "Both the Alchemy Hall and the Artifact Hall are far too occupied—better suited for elder Great Perfection cultivators whose cultivation has stagnated for years."

"As for training the celestial troops and generals, I believe your Erlang is far more suited for the task."

"Erlang?"

Eldrin (Person Name) froze momentarily before speaking involuntarily, "Are you referring to my second son, Chen Xiandao?"

The Black Abyss Emperor nodded, a rare smile gracing his lips as he said, "The 9 Tribulations Heavenly Art was unexpectedly obtained by me from the primordial chaos. It is a peerless technique of the fleshly body sanctification path, ranked first among the 10 Great Fleshly Body Sanctification Methods across the 3 1000 Immortal Domains."

"However, it is far too difficult to cultivate. Among my disciples, only 2 have mastered it successfully."

"Your second son possesses extraordinary talent, being only the fourth to master this technique. In time, he may very well achieve sainthood through physical cultivation, ultimately reaching the realm of Primordial Chaos Emperor."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin’s expression shifted slightly as he finally realized that the Black Abyss Emperor was the patriarch of Chen Xiandao, and understood why Chen Xiandao served within the Black Abyss Heaven.

Long ago, Eldrin had heard that after Chen Xiandao became a disciple under the Heavenly Halberd Demon-Slaying True Monarch, he had gained the favor of a certain Imperial Lord from the Celestial Court.

He had assumed it was just an ordinary Primordial Chaos Emperor, but never could he have imagined that the man was none other than the Abyssal Emperor—1 of the 5 Great Emperors of the Celestial Court.

You must understand, the Black Abyss Emperor pursued the path of physical body sanctification, and his cultivation had already reached the pinnacle of the Primordial Chaos Emperor realm. He was recognized as the foremost master of physical body sanctification across the 3 1000 Immortal Domains, with power surpassing even the Primordial Desolate Dragon Ancestor of the dragon race and the Undying God Emperor of the divine race.

At this thought, Eldrin quickly cupped his hands and said, “I never expected you to be the patriarch of my unworthy son. This junior pays his respects.”

The Black Abyss Emperor, however, smiled faintly and shook his head. "You are mistaken. That boy Tian Ji has not cultivated the 9 Tribulations Heavenly Art either. He is merely my nominal disciple."

"He saw that your Erlang had cultivated the 9 Tribulations Heavenly Art to completion, yet dared not take him as a disciple. In the end, he chose to accept him as a fellow disciple on behalf of their master."

"Your second son is now my personal disciple."

As he spoke, the Black Abyss Emperor rarely smiled. "Your son possesses extraordinary talent in the path of physical sanctification, and excels at training troops and deploying formations. He is a born commander destined to lead celestial armies and divine generals, and will undoubtedly become a great general of our Human Race's Celestial Court in the future."

"And you, possessing the very bearing of a Dao Ancestor and Immortal Sage—truly, dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and a mighty father never sires a common whelp."

"All thanks to your guidance, Senior."

Eldrin (Person Name) hastily cupped his hands in salute, yet couldn't suppress a faint smile from surfacing.

The Black Abyss Emperor nodded, then retrieved a jade scroll from his sleeve and handed it to Eldrin. "I see you have achieved the True Spirit Body," he remarked. "Your physical aptitude must be extraordinary indeed."

"Since the Path of Primordial Chaos is so arduous, perhaps we should consider the Path of Physical Ascension to Sainthood instead."

"This is the 9 Tribulations Heavenly Art that I cultivate. You may take it for reference and contemplation."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin was slightly startled inwardly. He accepted the jade slip and said, "Thank you for your great kindness, Senior."

The Black Abyss Emperor nodded and then spoke, "For the path of physical sanctification to reach the supreme realm, the key lies in cultivating the 9 great true spirit forms."

"This technique is far too domineering; you must carefully consider whether to cultivate it."

"Many thanks for your guidance, Senior."

Eldrin (Person Name) hurriedly expressed his gratitude and solemnly stored away the 9 Tribulations Heavenly Art (Cultivation Method).

Seeing this, the Black Abyss Emperor said no more. He waved his hand dismissively. "Since you've broken through to the Great Luo Realm, you deserve an abode in the Primordial Immortal Domain. Have Erlang take you to select 1 later."

Hearing this, Eldrin understood the Black Abyss Emperor was seeing him out. He promptly cupped his hands and said, "Then this junior takes his leave."

After bidding farewell to the Black Abyss Emperor, Eldrin encountered Chen Xiandao outside the grand hall.

At this moment, Chen Xiandao was clad in silver battle armor, his aura having reached the Eighth Tribulation Ancient Immortal realm. It seemed he had cultivated an Indestructible Body, and was even nearing the state of True Spirit Flesh.

At this thought, Eldrin felt somewhat gratified. He patted Chen Xiandao’s shoulder and said, “It seems you’ve cultivated quite well over these years.”

"From this day forth, as you follow by the Emperor's side, you must devote yourself wholeheartedly to serving our revered master. Bear in mind—do not fail His Majesty's expectations."

Chen Xiandao nodded, his voice brimming with confidence as he declared, "Father, 1 day I, too, shall become someone like you—a Great Emperor."

"Very well, I shall await that day."

(End of Chapter)