Chapter 2053 : Supreme Artifact's Triumph

In that fleeting instant, the head of Great Wasteland Imperial Sovereign was severed, and his Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] instantly sought to flee into the boundless Sea of the Great Path [the metaphysical ocean of the Dao, representing the source of all cultivation].

Yet Eldrin Chen was well-prepared. In a flash, he summoned the Chaos Void-Refining Vase [a supreme artifact capable of refining and containing even primordial chaos], capturing and sealing the fleeing Primordial Spirit within its depths to be suppressed.

On the other flank, an expression of utter despair washed over Nirvana Emperor. Without granting him a moment for words, Eldrin Chen directly unleashed the Chaos Void-Refining Vase once more, drawing him inside to be imprisoned.

With both Sage Ascendant [cultivators who have ascended to the penultimate stage before true divinity] subdued and imprisoned within the Chaos Void-Refining Vase, this great battle finally drew to its close.

After concluding his own fight, Eldrin Chen observed that the other battlefields had long since fallen silent. The conflict against the two great Heavenly Court [the celestial bureaucracy governing the heavens] had entered its final, mopping-up phase.

Eldrin Chen did not intervene. Instead, he turned to Indestructibility Ancient One and said, "My thanks, venerable senior, for guarding my flank."

A faint smile touched the lips of Indestructibility Ancient One, his expression tinged with profound emotion. "I never imagined your power had reached such heights," he remarked with a sigh. "It seems you now rival a Top-Tier Sage Ascendant [the most powerful beings among the Sage Ascendants, just a step below true Path Ancestors]."

Eldrin Chen remained calm but shook his head. "Even among Sage Ascendant, there are vast gulfs in strength," he replied modestly. "This junior's meager abilities are still far beneath yours, venerable senior. I cannot yet claim the title of Top-Tier Sage Ascendant."

From the side, Extreme Emperor let out a bitter laugh, unable to hold back. "If even you do not qualify as a Top-Tier Sage Ascendant," he said, "then what does that make this old relic like me?"

"You are too modest as well, senior."

Eldrin Chen smiled faintly and said no more.

Afterwards, the group swiftly swept through the two great Heavenly Court. Having obtained the Heavenly Path Authority of the Imperial Extreme Primordial Domain, the Extreme Emperor honored the agreement and handed over the entire legacy of both forces to Eldrin Chen.

Upon receiving this vast inheritance, Eldrin Chen did not hoard it all for himself. Instead, he presented the Sage Ascendant-level corporeal body of the Nirvana Emperor, along with several of his Innate Supreme Treasure, to the Indestructibility Ancient One.

Had the Indestructibility Ancient One not intervened in this battle, Eldrin Chen's victory, if achieved at all, would have been a pyrrhic one. Bestowing these resources upon the ancient one was a fitting use of that precious favor, ensuring it was not squandered.

The Indestructibility Ancient One did not refuse the offering. "This old man's wounds have only just Recovery, and my resources are utterly depleted," he said, stroking his beard. "I shall not stand on ceremony and will accept these treasures."

"Your intervention earned you this share, Senior," Eldrin Chen replied respectfully.

With a slight smile, Eldrin Chen did not linger in the Imperial Extreme Primordial Domain. He departed for the boundless expanse of the Chaos Desolation Sea.

Amidst the Vast and Boundless Chaos Desolation Sea, Eldrin Chen turned to the Indestructibility Ancient One. "Once we have fully assimilated the gains from this campaign, I intend to return to the Southern Abyss Seven Domains," he stated. "When that time comes, I would once again seek your aid, Senior."

"I would ask for your assistance once more when we march."

The Indestructibility Ancient One chuckled, his fingers combing through his long beard. "Since the fall of the Immortal Cosmos Primordial Domain, this old relic has lost all news of how the Thirteen Domains of the Heaven Abyss fare," he mused, a trace of nostalgia in his ancient eyes.

"After all these years, this old man finds himself missing the old friends of the Southern Abyss Seven Domains. I shall accompany you on this journey."

Eldrin Chen nodded, then spoke, "The spoils of this war will likely require several dozen Kalpa Tribulation [immense cosmic cycles] to fully digest and integrate."

"I also wish to seize this opportunity to see if I can advance my physical cultivation further. Let us set our departure for fifty Kalpa Tribulation [immense cosmic cycles] from now."

"Very well," agreed the Indestructibility Ancient One, giving a nod. "Then, fifty Kalpa Tribulation [immense cosmic cycles] hence, I shall come to the Great Wasteland Ancient Realm to find you."

With those words, the Indestructibility Ancient One parted ways with the group, heading alone towards the Indestructibility Primordial Domain.

After the Indestructibility Ancient One's departure, Eldrin Chen wasted no time. He led his contingent of Great Emperor [supreme rulers of the cultivation world] across the Vast and Boundless Chaos Desolation Sea and back towards the Great Wasteland Ancient Realm.

Upon returning to the Great Wasteland Sacred Hall, Eldrin Chen finally had a moment to take stock of the battle's harvest. An expression of profound joy spread across his face.

This great conflict had seen them subdue two ancient Heavenly Court [celestial administrations]. The treasures seized were beyond counting.

Among them were over a thousand portions of Primordial One Spiritual Treasure [the most foundational and potent spiritual materials], more than eight hundred portions of Innate Primordial Breath [the purest form of primordial energy], and a vast quantity of exceedingly rare, high-grade divine materials.

Divine materials of Great Encompassing Rare Treasure [a legendary grade of treasure] quality and above were so numerous they filled two entire Great Emperor Ancient Ship [massive vessels used by supreme rulers].

According to Eldrin Chen's estimation, the value of these divine treasures was at least hundreds of times greater than that of the Great Wasteland Ancient Realm combined with the three great Desolate Domain realms.

"With such profound reserves, the wealth of the Desolate Antiquity Heavenly Court likely rivals more than half of the entire Human Race Immortal Court."

Gazing upon this immense hoard of resources, Eldrin Chen could not help but remark with deep feeling.

Immortality Desolation Emperor merely gave a cold laugh before speaking. "When the Great Wasteland Imperial Sovereign departed, he plundered ninety-nine percent of the resources from the Great Wasteland Primordial Domain."

"Had it not been for that, this realm might have endured a while longer."

Eldrin Chen nodded in agreement. "From now on, this wealth shall be primarily dedicated to the Great Wasteland Ancient Realm," he declared.

With these words, Eldrin Chen had all resources below the Imperial Lord level stored in the vaults, finally turning his gaze to the truly precious treasures.

From this campaign, Eldrin Chen had inherited the legacies of two great Heavenly Court. Although he had given the Innate Supreme Treasure artifacts belonging to the lineage of the Nirvana Emperor to the Indestructibility Ancient One, the remaining spoils were still magnificent.

Among them, the most precious were one Chaos Rare Treasure [a treasure born from the primordial chaos, of supreme rarity], three Innate Supreme Treasure [a treasure born innately with the world, of the highest grade], and the complete remains of the Great Wasteland Imperial Sovereign.

Of these five treasures, the three Innate Supreme Treasure were the 'Great Wasteland Heavenly Halberd', the 'Immortal Refining Pool' [a mystical pool capable of refining and purifying immortal beings], and the 'Immortal-Slaying Banner' [a banner imbued with the power to slay immortals].

Among these three Innate Supreme Treasure [treasures born from the primordial chaos, possessing supreme power], the Great Wasteland Heavenly Halberd [a halberd embodying the desolate power of the primordial wasteland] possesses extraordinary might. The Immortal Refining Pool [a mystical pool capable of refining and suppressing even immortals] is a supreme treasure for subduing powerful foes, capable of suppressing beings at the Great Emperor [a supreme cultivation realm, ruler of vast domains] level.

As for the Immortal-Slaying Banner [a banner imbued with the power to slay immortals], it is also a Slaughter [a divine ability focused on absolute destruction] Imperial Weapon [a weapon wielded by an emperor]. However, this treasure was bestowed by the Great Wasteland Imperial Sovereign [the supreme ruler of the primordial wasteland] upon one of his Great Emperor subordinates, who was also his own direct descendant—'Immortal Desolation Great Emperor' [the Great Emperor of Immortal Desolation].

Now, that Immortal Desolation Great Emperor has also been suppressed by Eldrin Chen within the Void-Refining Vase [a vase that refines and contains beings within a void space].

It must be admitted, the Void-Refining Vase truly lives up to its name as a supreme treasure for imprisoning powerful enemies. Even Sage Ascendant [a realm transcending Great Emperors, approaching sagehood] experts would find it exceedingly difficult to break free from its confines.

Of course, the Void-Refining Vase has its limits. This treasure can suppress at most eighty-one Great Emperor, nine Sage Ascendant, and three Chaos Heavenly Emperor [a title for emperors who rule over realms of primal chaos].

Exceeding this number would overburden the Void-Refining Vase, causing the imprisoned powerhouses within to break free.

Currently, the Void-Refining Vase only suppresses two Sage Ascendant, so there is no immediate cause for concern.

Returning to the main point, aside from the three Innate Supreme Treasure, the complete Sage Ascendant body of a Great Wasteland Imperial Sovereign is also an immensely valuable resource.

According to Eldrin Chen's estimation, the Sage Ascendant body of the Great Wasteland Imperial Sovereign could be equivalent to two or three thousand drops of Chaos Divine Liquid [a divine liquid condensed from primal chaos essence]. This would be sufficient for Eldrin Chen's cultivation base to break through to the Primordial One Imperial Lord 8th Tier [the eighth tier of the Primordial One Imperial Lord realm].

As for the final piece of Chaos Rare Treasure [a rare treasure born from primal chaos], it is named 'Chaos Stubborn Iron' [an unyielding iron ore forged in chaos]. This iron was obtained by the Great Wasteland Imperial Sovereign from within the Chaos [the formless, primordial state of existence before creation].

This piece of iron appeared utterly ordinary, yet concealed within it was a startling and profound mystery [a deep, hidden power or secret].

It was said that even when subjected to the relentless forging of the Chaos Divine Thunder [a primordial thunder of immense destructive power] or the day-and-night scorching of the Chaos Flame [a primal flame born from the chaos of creation], this iron remained steadfastly Immortality [possessing an unyielding, eternal quality].

For many years, the Great Wasteland Imperial Sovereign had spared no expense in his attempts to refine this stubborn metal, yet he had always found it impossible to melt or shape.

"A piece of obstinate iron."

Gazing at the unyielding metal before him, Eldrin Chen sank deep into contemplation.

As the name implied, 'stubborn iron' was iron of an obstinate nature, metal of extreme and unyielding hardness. Whether it was the mundane stubborn iron of the mortal world, impervious to wind, sun, thunder, or fire...

...or the stubborn iron found within the Immortal Realm [the higher plane of existence where immortals dwell] and the Immortal Realm, such metal invariably possessed the characteristics of Immortality and Indestructibility [the state of being utterly unbreakable], leaving both cultivators and Immortal [beings who have achieved immortality through cultivation] utterly helpless before it.

The peculiar iron before him, however, was the Chaos Stubborn Iron [a legendary, primordial-grade ore of ultimate hardness]. Its durability was such that even wielding a hammer of the Chaos Spiritual Artifact [a treasure forged from primordial chaos essence] level to strike it would likely fail to produce the slightest deformation.

If the Chaos Mud [a primordial, formless substance with infinite potential] represented limitless malleability, then this piece of stubborn iron represented its absolute antithesis: a complete lack of any capacity to be shaped.

It was precisely because of this unyielding, unshapable nature—its refusal to be forged into a treasure—that such peculiar iron earned the name 'stubborn iron,' regarded by many Immortal as both foul-smelling and rock-hard.

Of course, Stubborn Iron is not truly unworkable; it is merely exceptionally difficult to forge.

To forge Chaos Stubborn Iron, one either requires power and treasures far surpassing its current grade, must await the appropriate Opportunity and Fortune and moment, or it must be forged through the convergence of the Great Path of Heaven and Earth.

For example, the first Primordial Unity Immortal Weapon that Eldrin Chen obtained, the 'Primordial Unity Thunder Abyss Myriad Tribulations Sword', was originally forged from a piece of such Stubborn Iron.

A single piece of Stubborn Iron, tempered day and night by endless Thunderclap [the sound and force of heavenly thunder], over an immeasurable span of time spanning who knows how many Kalpa Tribulation [immense cosmic cycles], eventually interwove the most potent Thunderclap Dao Patterns [mystical inscriptions of the Great Path], ultimately nurturing it into a Primordial Unity Immortal Weapon.

"This Stubborn Iron possesses an Immortality [a quality of supreme durability and resistance to decay] far exceeding its grade in terms of hardness. If fused into the Returning Abyss Seal, it would undoubtedly increase the Seal's resilience many times over."

"If forged into a Chaos Spiritual Artifact, it would also become the most suitable Exotic Treasure [a rare and uniquely powerful magical artifact] for one who practices Fleshly Body Sanctification [the art of refining one's physical body to an indestructible state]."

As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Eldrin Chen attempted to refine it using the Chaos Primordial Solar Flame, even repeatedly channeling the power of the Sacrificial Self Path. Yet, he found not the slightest sign that this piece of Chaos Stubborn Iron was being refined.

After repeated attempts, Eldrin Chen had no choice but to abandon the idea of refining it for now. He carefully stored it away, concealing it within the Nameless void [a pocket dimension of pure nothingness] where the Returning Abyss Pearl resided.

Such an Exotic Treasure is perhaps even more precious than an Innate Supreme Treasure, warranting the cautious respect with which Eldrin Chen treated it.

After securing the Chaos Stubborn Iron, Eldrin Chen then collected the Sage Ascendant [a realm just below that of a true Sage] remains of the Great Wasteland Imperial Sovereign, before finally turning his gaze to the three Innate Supreme Treasure.

These three Innate Supreme Treasure [treasures of immense power born from the fundamental laws of the cosmos] were all extraordinarily potent. After a moment of contemplation, Eldrin Chen handed the 'Great Wasteland Heavenly Halberd' [a divine halberd embodying the desolate power of the primordial wilderness] to his Reincarnation Body [a secondary body cultivated through profound reincarnation arts].

As for the 'Immortal-Slaying Banner' [a banner of dreadful power, said to be capable of slaying even immortals], he entrusted it to the Earth's Severance Great Emperor [one of the three sovereigns representing the severance of earthly bonds], one of the Three Talents Great Emperor [the three supreme emperors representing the union of Heaven, Earth, and Man], thereby further augmenting the combat prowess of the Three Talents Great Emperor.

The 'Immortal Refining Pool' [a mystical pool designed to refine and suppress powerful beings], however, was more suited for subduing formidable foes and offered little direct aid in combat.

Thus, after further deliberation, Eldrin Chen chose to integrate this treasure into the Great Wasteland Ancient Realm [a primordial world of vast desolation], using it specifically to suppress enemies at the Great Emperor [a supreme cultivation realm of immense power] level and above.

According to Eldrin Chen's estimation, when combined with a grand Formation [a complex array or formation used for defense, attack, or cultivation], this treasure could simultaneously suppress up to nine Great Emperor Realm [the cultivation realm of a Great Emperor] powerhouses, along with one hundred and eight enemies at or above the Primordial One Imperial Lord [the first and foundational stage of the Imperial Lord realm] level.

With the Immortal Refining Pool thus emplaced, Eldrin Chen transferred the several Great Emperor and Primordial One Imperial Lord he had recently subdued directly into its confines.

This action liberated the Heavenly Path Authority [the divine authority to command a fragment of the Heavenly Dao's power] that the Great Wasteland Ancient Realm had originally been using to suppress such powerful captives.

It must be understood that suppressing experts at the Primordial One Imperial Lord level and beyond was no simple task.

Those who reached the Primordial One Imperial Lord realm cultivated an Indestructibility Primordial Spirit [a Primordial Spirit that has achieved a state of near-perfect indestructibility]. Augmented by the power of their Great Path Authority [the authority over a fundamental Great Dao], their Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core and true essence of a high-level cultivator] became an existence of Indestructibility [a state of being nearly impossible to destroy], capable of reconstituting a physical form and reviving at any moment.

If not properly suppressed, such powerhouses could endlessly reforge [to recreate or reshape through profound cultivation arts] their physical bodies, reviving again and again like tenacious glue.

Even if the physical body, upon the moment of reforge [the profound process of reconstructing one's corporeal form], possessed only the first layer of the Primordial One Path Body [a legendary physique representing the unity of body and primordial essence], and required vast resources for Recovery [a divine ability focused on healing and restoration], the worst outcome would merely be a decline in combat prowess after revival, not true and utter Death.

For a powerhouse at the Primordial One Imperial Lord [a supreme realm where one's essence merges with the primordial chaos] level, not even a Chaos Heavenly Emperor [a title for a supreme ruler who commands the primordial chaos itself] would find it easy to suppress them.

Destroying the physical body of a Primordial One Imperial Lord is not difficult, but to suppress one requires a constant expenditure of magic power to seal their Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core and true essence of a cultivator].

Although the magic power consumed is not immense, it still demands a portion of one's strength to be perpetually diverted.

Even with supreme treasures like the Solar Golden Pagoda [a pagoda forged from solar essence, capable of sealing mighty foes] or the Immortal Refining Pool [a mystical pool with the power to refine and contain immortals], which are Innate Supreme Treasure [treasures born from the primordial chaos, possessing unparalleled power], capable of sealing experts at the Great Emperor Realm [the realm of a Great Emperor, a sovereign among cultivators], there is still an upper limit to the number one can suppress.

Therefore, even a Chaos Heavenly Emperor would not recklessly suppress Primordial One Imperial Lord without some consideration.

During this period, Eldrin Chen had successively slain several dozen Primordial One Imperial Lord. He paid little mind to those in the early or middle stages of this realm, as they posed no significant threat.

However, for the few existences at the Great Emperor level, he had expended Heavenly Path Authority Power [the power to command the authority of the Heavenly Path, the fundamental laws of existence] to seal their Primordial Spirit, which undoubtedly consumed a considerable amount of this power.

Now, with the Immortal Refining Pool, this portion of Heavenly Path Authority Power could finally be liberated, allowing Eldrin Chen's combat power to reach its absolute peak.

"It is almost done."

With the distribution of treasures concluded, Eldrin Chen finally addressed the assembled group. "For this battle, the rest of you may go and rest," he instructed. "The seven Great Emperors [supreme cultivators at the pinnacle of mortal power] of the Three Talents and Four Symbols Formation [a powerful formation based on the principles of Heaven, Earth, Man, and the Four Celestial Beasts], follow me to the Artifact Forging Chamber."

"As you command, Master."

Upon hearing this, the seven Great Emperors of the Three Talents and Four Symbols Formation all revealed expressions of pleasant surprise.

They understood that Eldrin Chen summoning them now was undoubtedly for the matter of advancing their treasures to the level of Innate Supreme Treasures [supreme-grade magical artifacts born with innate cosmic power].

Thus, they promptly followed Eldrin Chen into the depths of the Artifact Forging Chamber.

Once inside the Artifact Forging Chamber, Eldrin Chen wasted no time with words. He directly brought forth various types of Primordial One Spiritual Treasures [spiritual materials of the highest primordial grade] to assist the seven in elevating their Life-Bound Treasures [magical treasures bound to a cultivator's life and soul, growing with them].

The Three Talents Banner and the Four Symbols Banner were originally Innate Supreme Treasure Embryos [the nascent forms of Innate Supreme Treasures] with insufficient foundational strength. As long as there were enough resources to supplement their foundation, advancing them to Innate Supreme Treasures carried almost no risk of failure.

With Eldrin Chen's assistance, the Life-Bound Treasures of the Three Talents and Four Symbols Great Emperors succeeded in their advancement one after another. After roughly a dozen or so Kalpa Tribulations [immense cosmic cycles in Buddhist cosmology, each spanning billions of years], they had all ascended to become Innate Supreme Treasures.

Thus, the Life-Bound Treasures of all seven Great Emperors had now stepped into the domain of Great Emperor-grade power.

Furthermore, by leveraging the advancement of their Innate Lifebound Supreme Treasures, the foundational strength of the three cultivators surged once more, each successfully cultivating an additional True Spirit Foundation [a foundational cultivation art that refines and solidifies one's spiritual core].

With their extraordinary foundations, the seven of them originally possessed Three True Spirit Foundations. Now, having cultivated two additional True Spirit Foundations, their combat prowess has seen another significant leap forward.

Following this advancement, the strength of Three Talents Imperial Lord surged dramatically, allowing him to step into the realm of top-tier Great Emperors. Four Symbols Imperial Lord lagged slightly behind, solidifying his position within the powerful Great Emperors tier.

Such power rendered the combat capabilities of Three Talents and Four Symbols Imperial Lord increasingly extraordinary.

According to Eldrin Chen's estimation, the combined might of Three Talents Imperial Lord had now reached a level where he could contend with a Sage Ascendant [a cultivator who has ascended to the threshold of sagehood], capable of facing ten Great Emperors working in unison.

Four Symbols Imperial Lord was not far behind; their combined strength could also challenge a foe who could contend with a Sage Ascendant.

Should all seven join forces and deploy the Three Talents and Four Symbols Formation, they could even stand toe-to-toe against a true Sage Ascendant like Great Wasteland Imperial Sovereign.

"Excellent,"

Witnessing the substantial progress of the four, Eldrin Chen nodded with deep satisfaction.

He drew a slow breath before inquiring, "Having reached this stage, do you feel confident in glimpsing the threshold of the Sage Ascendant Realm?"

The seven Great Emperors contemplated silently for a long moment, sensing the depths of their own power.

The Celestial SlaughterGreat Emperor [a supreme ruler of the cultivation world] drew a deep breath, then spoke with a voice tinged with solemnity. "Given my current foundational cultivation and accumulated reserves, I fear the path to the Sage Ascendant Realm [a transcendent state beyond the Great Emperor realm] is fraught with insurmountable difficulty. The most critical impediment lies in our inherent limitations—our potential is simply insufficient."