Chapter 2059 : The Path Ancestor's Triumphant Return

Upon returning to the Returning Abyss Path Domain [the immortal domain founded by Eldrin Chen], he first summoned the many Great Encompassing Golden Immortals [powerful immortals who have attained a high level of cultivation] of the Chen Immortal Clan.

After so many years apart, the strength of both the Chen Immortal Clan and the Returning Abyss Immortal Alliance had grown considerably compared to the past. Among them, the number of Great Encompassing Golden Immortals alone numbered nearly one hundred.

Furthermore, having cultivated through hundreds of Kalpa Tribulations [immense cosmic cycles of time and tribulation], the cultivation bases of these Great Encompassing Golden Immortals were generally not low. All had stepped into the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal Mid Stage or higher, with over thirty percent having even reached the late stage of Great Encompassing.

However, due to the suppression by the Four Great Imperial Courts, the Returning Abyss Immortal Alliance had relatively few Primordial One Imperial Lords [the realm just below the Path Ancestor], merely eight individuals.

Among these eight, five were Eldrin Chen's five Dao companions. The remaining three were Imperial Sovereign Jiang, Energy Abyss Chen, and Worthy Pursuit Chen.

Over the years, with Eldrin Chen's covert support, all eight had advanced their cultivation to the Primordial One Imperial Lord Mid Stage. Exquisite Jiang had even stepped into the Primordial One Imperial Lord 7th Tier.

It could be said that even without Eldrin Chen's return, the Chen Immortal Clan was a force not to be underestimated.

Now, witnessing Eldrin Chen's return with the dignity of a Path Ancestor, the Great Encompassing Golden Immortals of the Chen Immortal Clan were overcome with ecstatic joy.

"We pay our respects to our Master, to the Path Ancestor…"

A host of disciples and the Great Encompassing Golden Immortals who followed the Sacrificial Self Path [a profound cultivation method] prostrated themselves, their faces alight with unrestrained delight.

Eldrin Chen's gaze swept over the assembly, then he gave a slight nod. "You have all labored diligently these years," he said.

"Now that I have returned, you need no longer fear the Demon Race. Henceforth, each of you shall establish your own school and spread the teachings of the Sacrificial Self Path [a profound cultivation path focused on self-transcendence through sacrifice] in my name."

With these words, Eldrin Chen flicked his sleeve, scattering hundreds of beams of World-Illuminating Immortal Light [a divine radiance capable of illuminating the fundamental truths of the world].

The Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [a supreme realm of cultivation representing the pinnacle of the Golden Immortal stage] present each received three beams. As they accepted them, an expression of ecstatic joy bloomed on their faces.

The treasures Eldrin Chen bestowed upon them were each of a value that could be described as heaven-defying, starting at the very least as Mid-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure [a powerful enchanted artifact born from the primal energies of the world, of mid-tier quality].

It became clear then, that what constituted a heaven-defying, destiny-altering opportunity for a Great Encompassing Golden Immortal, was to Eldrin Chen merely a Rare Spiritual Wonders [precious objects of spiritual power] he could casually bestow without a second thought.

"Is this the capability of a Sage Ascendant [a realm transcending even the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal, approaching the level of a Sage]?" they wondered, hearts trembling with awe.

A wave of profound shock washed over the assembly. To bestow several hundred Innate Spiritual Treasure [artifacts born from the world's primal essence] of mid-grade or higher in a single breath—such largesse was enough to bankrupt an entire Primordial One Imperial Court [a legendary and ancient celestial court].

But Eldrin Chen had once plundered the treasuries of two great Heavenly Court [the celestial administrative and ruling bodies of the heavens]. He naturally lacked not for such common Innate Spiritual Treasure.

These treasures were of a lower grade, utterly useless to Eldrin Chen himself. They were perfectly suited for rewarding disciples and followers, serving as celebratory gifts upon his ascension to the Sage Ascendant Realm.

After bestowing the treasures, Eldrin Chen spoke, "These modest gifts are for you to keep well. May your pursuit of the Great Path [the supreme principle of cultivation and existence] be everlasting, achieving an Indestructibility [a state of being impervious to decay or destruction] that endures through the ages."

"We thank the Path Ancestor for his generous gifts. We shall not disappoint you," they replied.

The immortals accepted the treasures with beaming smiles, each face alight with joy.

Eldrin Chen gave a slight smile, then waved his hand. "Those at the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal Great Perfection [the pinnacle stage of the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal realm] or above shall remain. The rest may depart."

"As you command."

Upon hearing this, the assembled immortals bowed respectfully and filed out of the hall.

Once the others had left, Eldrin Chen gazed upon the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [a high-level immortal realm denoting vast power and comprehension] cultivators before him, a wave of complex emotion washing over his heart.

Among the remaining powerhouses, aside from the Eight Primordial One Imperial Lords [eight supreme cultivators who have attained the Primordial One Imperial Lord realm], there were over ten other Great Encompassing Golden Immortal.

The core of this group were Eldrin Chen's nine personal disciples: Alistair Ye, Literature Abyss Lu, Fate Extinction, Serene Child, Lofty Peak Lu, Goose Startles Cold, Pavilion Stop Zhang, Tianheng Child, and Lofty Pavilion Lin.

Beyond his direct disciples, there were eight others at the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal Great Perfection realm: Silas Chen, Worthy Verdancy Chen, Worthy Longevity Chen, Dorian Ji, Freya Ji, Plain Essence, Elara Lin, and the Melancholy Inscription Lord [a title meaning 'Lord of Melancholic Inscriptions'].

These seventeen cultivators, all at the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal Great Perfection [the pinnacle stage of the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal realm] level, practice the Sacrificial Self Path [a profound cultivation method focused on self-sacrifice and rebirth] and have all successfully forged the True Spirit Sacrificial Self Physique [a supreme physical constitution born from the ultimate sacrifice of one's true spirit].

The fact that Eldrin Chen's Sacrificial Self Path could ascend to the Sage Ascendant Realm [a realm transcending ordinary immortals, approaching sagehood] owes no small part to the formidable power contributed by these seventeen individuals.

Of course, influenced by the vast quantities of Primordial Chaos Violet Aura [the primordial purple energy of creation that existed before the cosmos], the Fortune [heaven-defying destiny and luck] of the Chen Immortal Clan and the Returning Abyss Immortal Alliance was truly extraordinary. More than just these seventeen had achieved the True Spirit Sacrificial Self Physique.

After switching to the Sacrificial Self Path, figures like Master of the Horizon Pavilion, the Heavenly Mountain Goddess [a divine being residing in the celestial mountains], Caleb Chen, the Myriad Spirit Patriarch, and Violet Mystery Path Master also, by virtue of their astonishing Fortune, succeeded in cultivating the True Spirit Sacrificial Self Physique.

However, these individuals all perished during the encirclement and suppression campaigns of the Four Great Imperial Courts [the four supreme ruling powers of the immortal realms]. Their cultivation stagnated at the early or middle stages of Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [the Golden Immortal realm of the Great Encompassing level], and their next revival would require dozens of Kalpa Tribulation [immense cosmic cycles spanning billions of years].

Aside from practitioners of the Sacrificial Self Path, there were also some present who cultivated non-Sacrificial Self Path methods.

Among them were Great Encompassing [the Great Encompassing cultivation realm] powerhouses like Ethan Chen, Diyang Tai Cang, and the Primordial Era Demonic Ape [an ancient demonic ape from the dawn of time], whose cultivation had already reached the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal Great Perfection realm.

At this moment, everyone gazed at Eldrin Chen, their expressions tinged with complex emotions.

There was a time, under the immense pressure from the Demon Race [the collective forces of demonkind], when every step forward was a struggle. Who could have imagined that after the passage of several hundred Kalpa Tribulation, the situation would have transformed so dramatically?

His nine personal disciples, their eyes slightly reddened, knelt in unison upon the Earthly Path [the Path of Earth, representing stability and foundation]. "Disciples pay homage to our master," they intoned with deep reverence.

"Rise."

Eldrin Chen swept his sleeve, lifting them to their feet with an unseen force, then spoke: "These years have not been easy for you."

"To have cultivated to the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal Great Perfection realm despite the relentless oppression from the Demon Race... you have truly not disappointed your master."

Praise from Eldrin Chen brought faint smiles to the faces of his nine disciples.

In the beginning, as Eldrin Chen could not reveal his true strength, resources were primarily allocated to nurture his Dao companions and core combatants like Worthy Pursuit Chen, leaving little direct support for these nine disciples.

Their ascension to Great Encompassing Golden Immortal Great Perfection was forged largely through their own relentless struggle and effort.

One could say their breakthrough into Great Encompassing Golden Immortal Great Perfection spared Eldrin Chen considerable worry and planning.

As for disciples like Dorian Ji, they were lavished with vast resources only after Eldrin Chen's own cultivation had reached the Invincible Great Emperor realm, granting him a measure of confidence in their collective safety.

With this in mind, Eldrin Chen addressed his Sacrificial Self Path disciples who had attained Great Encompassing Golden Immortal Great Perfection: "You have been at the Great Encompassing Realm for some time. Do you have confidence in achieving a breakthrough to the Limitless Primordial One?"

His words prompted a moment of thoughtful silence among the gathered disciples.

After roughly the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, only a select few, including Alistair Ye, nodded, confident in their ability to achieve a breakthrough. The rest shook their heads with regret.

Witnessing this, Eldrin Chen offered no further comment. Instead, he turned his gaze to Alistair Ye and instructed, "Summon your Seventh Junior Sister to the hall for a discussion."

"As you command."

Verdant Edge Ye gave a slight nod and immediately strode out of the Great Hall.

A short while later, Lingering Ye entered the Great Hall. With an expression of utmost reverence, she prostrated herself before the Earthly Path [the foundational cultivation method of her lineage]. "Your disciple, Lingering Ye, pays her respects to her honored master."

"Rise."

Gazing upon Lingering Ye before him, Eldrin Chen felt a subtle tremor in his heart, a wave of deep affection washing over him.

From the moment he had set foot in the Southern Abyss Seven Domains, his perception, honed by the Great Path Authority [the profound awareness of a supreme cultivator], had revealed to him all that Lingering Ye had done over the years. A profound and complex tide of emotions swelled within him.

As Eldrin Chen's sole female disciple, Lingering Ye's talent and comprehension were among the very finest within the ranks of the Ten Direct Disciples.

She possessed a penchant for unorthodox methods, excelling in the study of extreme techniques, and was even willing to pioneer many rare and unconventional paths of cultivation.

Yet it must be admitted that while Lingering Ye's unorthodox path was perilous and strange, it often led to astonishing transformations.

Eldrin Chen had long foreseen through divination that Lingering Ye was destined to face a great tribulation, one that would plunge her into an endless cycle of Reincarnation [the process of being reborn into a new life or body] from which escape would be nigh impossible.

Later, the calamity indeed came to pass. During a Kalpa Tribulation [a cataclysmic era of great upheaval and disaster], she and Lofty Peak Lu fell into an ambush together.

At the brink of life and death, she used a forbidden, heterodox method to help Lofty Peak Lu break the encirclement, but at the cost of her soul nearly scattering to the winds. For this, she was cursed by Nether Mystery Imperial Lord.

The Netherworld Curse [a vicious curse from the underworld] was utterly malicious, capable of utterly erasing a person's soul and consciousness, causing them to lose themselves through cycle after cycle of Reincarnation.

Most crucially, this curse could deceive one's mind, creating a profound sense of Space-Time dislocation. Often, in the time it took the outside world to blink, the cursed individual would have experienced a thousand years of Reincarnation within the curse.

A single glance, a millennium of Eternal Tribulation Reincarnation [an endless cycle of suffering and rebirth].

Lingering Ye endured the curse for thirty Kalpa Tribulation. Within the curse, she perished and was reborn again and again, suffering torments almost beyond imagination.

Yet Lingering Ye possessed an unshakable Dao Heart [the foundational will and resolve of a cultivator]. She treated the Eternal Tribulation Reincarnation Curse as a whetstone, grinding and tempering herself until she forged an Indestructibility Path Heart [a heart of the Path that is unbreakable and eternal].

Within the endless cycles of Reincarnation, she ceaselessly explored the limits of the Sacrificial Self Path [a cultivation art focused on self-sacrifice and transcendence], refining and perfecting it iteration after iteration, until the Sacrificial Self Path reached a state where no further advancement was possible.

She delved into the mysteries of Reincarnation [the cycle of death and rebirth] again and again, until the very brink of the final The End [the ultimate cessation of all things]. Just as she was on the cusp of transcending the curse completely, the Eternal Tribulation Reincarnation Curse [a curse that binds one to endless cycles of tribulation and rebirth] was finally shattered.

Slowly, she awakened from the depths of Reincarnation [the cycle of death and rebirth], believing she was about to embrace a new life.

Yet, to her utter dismay, calamity struck once more not long after. Several Great Emperor [the supreme rulers of the cultivation world] joined forces to cast a devastating curse, severing the immortal path of the Sacrificial Self Path [a cultivation method that progresses through self-sacrifice and offering].

Unwilling to accept a future with no path forward, she created a world-shaking, profound technique of Reincarnation [the cycle of death and rebirth]. Carrying her memories with her, she embarked on a journey of ceaseless cultivation within the endless cycles of rebirth.

In each life, she cultivated the Sacrificial Self Path [a cultivation method that progresses through self-sacrifice and offering] and the Six Mortal Realms [the six fundamental states of mortal existence] to their absolute pinnacle, even surpassing the heights once reached by Eldrin Chen.

A perfected master who had reached the mortal world's ultimate limit of Indestructibility [a state of being unbreakable and eternal] possessed combat power sufficient to suppress and slay even a Nine Heavens Celestial Immortal [an immortal who has ascended through the nine heavenly realms]. In theory, such an individual could Ascension and Attainment of the Path [transcend mortality and achieve the immortal path] at any moment.

Yet, the curse of the Great Path [the supreme, all-encompassing Dao] clung to her like a festering wound. The Immortal Ascension Tribulation [the heavenly trial one must pass to become an immortal], as inexorable as Oblivion [the state of utter nothingness and annihilation], descended like the wheel of Death [the personification of demise], time and again erasing everything she had achieved.

After thousands of consecutive failures, she finally abandoned her pursuit of immortality and chose instead to shatter a limit deemed impossible to break.

The so-called Limit-Breaker [one who transcends the established absolute limits of cultivation] is a realm where one reaches the peak of what is possible, then steps beyond it.

But if it is truly the ultimate limit, how could a mere mortal hope to break it? Since time immemorial, this has been an insurmountable chasm.

Generally speaking, only upon reaching the Ancient Immortal Realm [a profound state of cultivation transcending mortal limits] and shattering the Great Encompassing Heavenly Pass [a legendary barrier representing the ultimate limit of mortal potential] does one begin to challenge the Limit-Breaker [a state of existence that defies the natural laws and limits of a realm]. It is said that only those with a Forbidden Foundation [a constitution of legendary rarity and power] built upon the Triple Primordial Unity Foundation [a supreme foundational cultivation method] can barely touch its threshold.

The Six Mortal Realms [the six foundational stages of the mortal cultivation path] of the Sacrificial Self Path [a unique and profound cultivation method], while not yet qualifying one as a true Immortal [a being who has transcended mortality], have already begun to shatter the ultimate limits of the Mortal Realm [the plane of existence for mortal beings].

Lingering Ye ceaselessly challenged the Limit-Breaker boundary, experimenting with millions upon millions of methods. She employed every conceivable orthodox technique, unorthodox path, and even heretical arts in her attempts to break through this ultimate limit.

The most terrifying aspect was that the success rate for achieving Limit-Breaker was vanishingly low. Each attempt required exhausting every last ounce of one's strength to challenge the boundary. A single failure would lead to complete exhaustion and death.

Amidst failure after failure, she expended an immense span of time, dozens of Kalpa Tribulation [an immense cosmic cycle spanning billions of years] of endless effort.

Until one day, she finally shattered the boundary completely, successfully cultivating the Limit-Breaker Martial Path True Body [a perfected physical form achieved through the Limit-Breaker path].

It was revealed that a mortal body, after consecutively breaking the ultimate limits of the Mortal Realm nine times and surviving, could finally and completely step into the realm of Limit-Breaker.

Typically, those who practice Fleshly Body Sanctification [a cultivation art focused on perfecting the physical body], after attaining immortality, must fuse with Immortal Energy [a primordial energy of immense purity] to elevate their foundational nature for further advancement.

Over the years, Eldrin Chen has fused a vast array of resources to elevate his foundational nature in his quest to break through limits. These included Immortal Energy, World-Opening Energy [the primordial energy released at the dawn of creation], Innate Energy [energy inherent from birth], Innate Indestructibility Spirit Light [a spiritual light embodying unbreakable durability], and Innate Primordial Breath [the breath of primal chaos], among others.

It was precisely because of this that he was able to continue his cultivation journey to ever higher realms.

Once any cultivator reaches the absolute limit of their own foundation, they must first mend the inherent flaws in their very origin before they can advance further in their cultivation. This is an immutable law [a fundamental and unbreakable rule] of the path.

This is an ironclad decree [a rule as unyielding as forged metal], one that is nearly impossible to alter within the entire Chaos.

Yet, this very decree was forcefully reshaped, shattered time and again by Lingering Ye through her successive breakthroughs into the Limit-Breaker realm.

Without needing to fuse Immortal Energy [the purified energy of an immortal] and World-Opening Energy [the primordial energy released at a world's creation] to elevate her origin, relying solely on her own power to break through the Limit-Breaker barrier again and again, she ultimately pierced that supposedly insurmountable wall.

The Martial Path True Body [a perfected physical form achieved through martial cultivation] attained within the Limit-Breaker realm had already transcended the ultimate limits of the Mortal Realm. With the power of her first drop of true blood [the condensed essence of her perfected physique], she could annihilate heaven and earth. That impassable barrier of Innate [pertaining to one's inborn, natural state] was forcefully shattered.

From that moment on, Lingering Ye continued to cultivate her Sacrificial Self Physique [a legendary body-forging method], advancing until she reached a level comparable to the True Immortal Perfection Stage.

Not only that, Lingering Ye shattered the limits of her Martial Path True Body three times in succession, forcibly tempering her physical body to a realm rivaling that of a Late Celestial Immortal Realm cultivator.

She applied this same relentless principle to all other aspects of her foundation in the years that followed.

In her Vital Essence Refinement [the process of refining one's life force and energy], she surpassed her limits numerous times, even going so far as to refine a wisp of Primordial Chaos Energy [the undifferentiated energy that existed before creation]. The quality of her spiritual power [the cultivated energy within a practitioner] ultimately surpassed even Immortal Energy, allowing her to fully step into the domain of Primordial Unity [a state of primordial oneness].

Her Foundation of the Path [the conceptual bedrock of one's cultivation] was also broken through and reforged three times, ultimately being cast from a single block of Chaos Stone [a legendary ore born from primordial chaos].

With the support of the Foundation of the Path [the foundational cultivation stage that establishes one's connection to the Great Dao], although she had not cultivated an Inner World [a self-contained microcosm within a cultivator's body], her Elixir Field [the core energy center within a cultivator's body] was more robust than even a complete Inner Universe [a vast, cosmos-like internal realm].

As for the Divine Treasury [a cultivation realm focused on opening and refining mystical energy repositories within the body], she shattered its limits three times, ultimately opening a full one hundred and eight Divine Treasury.

Furthermore, these one hundred and eight Divine Treasury were cultivated to the very brink of becoming half-step Immortal Treasury [a transcendent, immortal-grade energy repository], each one possessing the Cosmos-Sundering Power [the power to rend the heavens and split the earth].

The Path Embryo [the nascent seed of one's destined cultivation path, formed within the body] within her also broke its limits three times. After these three breakthroughs, the Path Embryo became something almost divine and demonic in nature.

Its mystical properties were profound enough to reflect across the Myriad Heavens [the countless celestial realms and dimensions], transcending Multidimensional Space-Time [the fabric of layered realities and temporal flows], and possessing an ineffable, supreme might.

The final Indestructibility Body [a physique of legendary resilience and unbreakable durability] she achieved was further tempered by fusing with various peerless Rare Spiritual Wonders [extraordinarily precious spiritual materials]. It became even more Immortality [possessing the quality of being imperishable and eternal] and sturdier than the bodies of Chaos Ancient Beast [primordial beasts born from the chaos of creation] of the same rank.

Such were the six Major Limit-Breaker [a cultivator who has shattered the conventional limits of a major cultivation realm] foundations, each cultivated by Lingering Ye to an indescribable pinnacle. She refined every single realm to a level rivaling that of a Primordial Unity Immortal [an immortal who has achieved the primordial state of cosmic unity].

It was precisely because of this that Lingering Ye could, with a mortal body, defy and slay a supreme Celestial Immortal Great Power [a being of immense power who has ascended to the Celestial Immortal realm].

"Six realms as a Limit-Breaker, with each foundational pillar breaking its limits three times,"

Eldrin Chen murmured softly, a complex expression of awe and reflection crossing his features.

It must be admitted that for Lingering Ye to cultivate from a mortal body to such a realm is almost inconceivable.

At present, Lingering Ye has only just entered the Sacrificial Self Realm [a foundational cultivation stage focused on self-refinement], yet her combat prowess already surpasses the peak of a Celestial Immortal [an immortal who has ascended to the celestial realms].

She has already forged the True Spirit Sacrificial Self Physique [a supreme physical constitution born from the Sacrificial Self Realm], granting her battle strength comparable to an Eight Tribulations Ancient Immortal [an ancient immortal who has survived eight heavenly tribulations].

Of course, while she possesses the power of an Eight Tribulations Ancient Immortal within the Sacrificial Self Realm, this does not mean she can continue to transcend realms so dramatically.

This is because achieving the Limit-Breaker [a state of pushing one's foundational limits to the absolute extreme] is immensely difficult for mortals, yet which high-ranking Immortal has not repeatedly challenged their own Limit-Breaker?

With Lingering Ye's current foundation, she will swiftly cultivate back to the Immortal Treasury Realm [the realm where an immortal's spiritual resources and potential are consolidated]. At that point, the augmentation from her Limit-Breaker will gradually diminish.

Unless Lingering Ye continues to shatter her Limit-Breaker boundaries, the empowerment granted by her Six Extremes foundation will gradually fade upon reaching the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [a profound golden immortal realm of vast comprehension] realm.

Naturally, this does not mean Lingering Ye's Limit-Breaker was without benefit.

In truth, Lingering Ye's Limit-Breaker was a heaven-defying feat, for it allowed her to complete the Limit-Breaker process ahead of time. The Sacrificial Self Physique [the physical form perfected in the Sacrificial Self Realm] she forged thus became more powerful upon becoming Innate [a state of being born from heaven and earth, possessing supreme natural talent].

Therefore, Lingering Ye's foundation became even more formidable, and her Sacrificial Self Physique was also far stronger than an ordinary person's upon becoming Innate.

In the future, if Lingering Ye were to break through to the Primordial One Imperial Lord Realm [the realm of a supreme ruler who embodies the primordial unity of all things] and cultivate to the Limitless Primordial One Realm [the ultimate state of boundless, unified existence], it would be as simple as eating a meal or drinking water for her.

Furthermore, having achieved the Limit-Breaker [a legendary state of surpassing one's inherent cultivation limits] multiple times, the difficulty for Lingering Ye to break her limits again in the future would be greatly reduced, and ascending to even higher realms would become significantly easier.

Of course, even setting aside these future prospects, the immediate benefits were already immense.

Given Lingering Ye's power, she had now cultivated one hundred and eight Divine Treasury [internal reservoirs of divine power]. Once these Divine Treasury fully transform into Immortal Treasury [internal reservoirs of immortal power], they would dramatically enhance Lingering Ye's combat prowess.

By that time, Lingering Ye would possess heaven-defying battle strength, perhaps enough to rival Eldrin Chen in his prime, when he had cultivated the Seven True Spirit Foundations [a legendary cultivation method that forges seven perfect spiritual foundations].

With this thought, Eldrin Chen felt a surge of profound satisfaction towards Lingering Ye.

He looked down at Lingering Ye and spoke, "You have perfected the cultivation method of the Sacrificial Self Path [a profound cultivation path centered on self-transcendence and sacrifice], pioneering the Limit-Breaker realm. Your contribution to the Sacrificial Self Path is monumental."

"What reward do you desire?"

Lingering Ye pondered for a moment, then shook her head. "Perfecting the Path and its methods is a disciple's duty. I dare not seek a reward."

Eldrin Chen nodded in acknowledgment. "If that is so, then as your master, I appoint you as the leader of the Nine Great Sages [the nine supreme masters of the path] within the Sacrificial Self Path, granting you the authority to wield the power of the Great Path Authority [the supreme authority inherent to the cultivation path itself]."

"I hope you will use it well and swiftly make up for the cultivation base you have missed in these years."

As his words fell, Eldrin Chen pointed a finger, and instantly, an invisible surge of Great Path Authority [the supreme authority and power inherent to a foundational cultivation path] flowed into Lingering Ye's body.

In that very instant, Lingering Ye's aura skyrocketed, surpassing the Great Encompassing Realm in the blink of an eye and instantly stepping into the domain of a Great Emperor.

Witnessing this, everyone present revealed looks of immense envy.

It turned out what Eldrin Chen had bestowed upon Lingering Ye was the power of Great Path Authority from the Sacrificial Self Path.

With this infusion of Great Path Authority, Lingering Ye could now mobilize the authority of the Sacrificial Self Path, unleashing thirty percent of its true might.

Of course, this Great Path Authority still belonged to Eldrin Chen; what was granted to Lingering Ye was merely the right to wield it. Eldrin Chen could reclaim it at any moment.

Bestowing Great Path Authority upon another is a feat even a Sage Ascendant would find difficult. Only a Path Ancestor [the founder of a fundamental cultivation path] like Eldrin Chen possesses the ability to grant such authority to others.

This is precisely why the distinction between a Path Ancestor and an Immortal Sage is so vast. The former is the creator of a Great Path, while the latter is merely its master. Their comprehension and application of the Great Path exist on entirely different levels.

Regardless, with the specially granted Great Path Authority from Eldrin Chen, Lingering Ye's combat power had almost instantly entered the Great Emperor realm. His status and standing were now fundamentally transformed.

Lingering Ye felt the power of the Great Path Authority [the supreme authority over a fundamental cosmic principle] within her body, and her expression immediately shifted to one of profound astonishment.

She took a deep breath and immediately prostrated herself before the Earthly Path [the fundamental cultivation path governing the earth element]: "This disciple offers deepest thanks for Master's generous gift. Lingering will surely not fail your lofty expectations."

"Mm."

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod, then turned his gaze to the immortals cultivating the Sacrificial Self Path [a profound cultivation art focused on self-sacrifice and transcendence] and declared, "The Limit-Breaker Art [a legendary method for shattering one's inherent limits and surpassing all boundaries] is the art of breaking potential and transcending limits."