Chapter 1956 : The Sage's Trial

"I pay my respects to Father, Master..."

The 9 individuals arrived behind the great hall and immediately prostrated themselves in unison, declaring.

Eldrin's gaze swept over the assembly before he gave a slight nod. "How has your cultivation progressed in recent years?"

Upon hearing this, everyone revealed faint smiles. After years of cultivation, they had gradually assimilated their past life foundations. By now, even the weakest among them had reached the late-stage Immortal Vault Realm, comparable at minimum to seventh or eighth tribulation Ancient Immortals.

At this thought, Ye Qingfeng, Lu Wenyuan, Qingjing Zhu, and Chen Xianqing declared in unison, "Our foundations have solidified. This tribulation shall be our path to ascension - we are ready to attain the Great Luo Golden Immortality."

Eldrin gave a slight nod, then turned his gaze to the remaining 5 individuals. A faint crease involuntarily formed between his brows.

Among the remaining 5, Chen Xianchang still had 1 tribulation left in his fate. Only by overcoming it could he fuse the remaining 3 Ocean God Pearls, though he still lacked sufficient Innate Indestructible Spirit Light to complete the process.

Yet Yuan Sheng’s fate appeared turbulent and unpredictable, veiled in a shadowy haze of obscurity and dissolution—so much so that even Eldrin found it difficult to discern clearly for a moment.

Yan Jinghan, having taken form from a 9-leaf Sword Grass, seemed to carry the destiny of the Chaos Realm’s grasses in his very being. He, too, would face a single heavenly tribulation.

Lu Chong'a and Ye Yinghui's destinies had long struck Eldrin as profoundly mysterious and arduous, yet now they appeared to remain dormant, their true nature still unrevealed.

"It seems the fated tribulation for these 5 has yet to arrive."

Eldrin murmured inwardly before withdrawing his thoughts.

At that very moment, Yuansheng and the other 4 cupped their hands and spoke without delay, "Our path has yet to reach its end. I fear we must temper ourselves through another kalpa cycle."

"Hmm."

Eldrin nodded slightly, a faint sigh echoing in his heart.

He knew full well that the tribulations of these 5 individuals were bound to their own destinies. Even a Great Luo Golden Immortal would find it nearly impossible to alter them directly—they had to transcend these trials through their own efforts.

At this thought, Eldrin spoke up, "In that case, you may continue your cultivation. Embark on the path to the Great Perfection after 1 kalpa-cycle."

With these words, Eldrin bestowed upon the 5 some cultivation resources and treasures before allowing them to depart for the time being.

After the 5 had departed, Eldrin turned to the remaining 4 and said, "Now that the Great Calamity approaches, this is your chance to prove your path to the Great Perfection."

"As your Master and father, I shall bestow upon you some opportunities today that may aid you in achieving the Great Dao."

As the words faded, Eldrin turned his gaze to Ye Qingfeng and declared, "Qingfeng, as my first disciple, I bestow upon you the Pure Yang Immortal Sword today."

As the words faded, Eldrin (Person Name) flicked his sleeve and bestowed a dazzling golden immortal sword upon Ye Qingfeng.

Ye Qingfeng took the immortal sword, a flicker of pleasant surprise rising within him.

The Pure Yang Immortal Sword was a top-grade innate spiritual treasure. If he could refine it into his foundation using the Creation Cauldron, it would profoundly enhance his accumulated potential and innate endowment.

"Thank you, Master." Ye Qingfeng suppressed his exhilaration, immediately prostrating himself as he declared, "This disciple is deeply grateful."

Eldrin (Person Name) gave a nod, then turned his gaze to Lu Wenyuan. "Wenyuan, as my second disciple, I shall bestow upon you the Primordial Essence of the 4 Symbols."

As the words faded, Eldrin (Person Name) flicked his sleeve and handed 4 dazzling Origin Essences to Lu Wenyuan.

These 4 Symbols Origins were born from the primordial Heavenly Spiritual Root '4 Symbols Ancient Tree'. Eldrin had specifically consumed his innate indestructible spiritual light to nurture this peerless treasure for Lu Wenyuan, representing the 4 primordial powers of the Vermilion Bird, Azure Dragon, Black Tortoise, and White Tiger.

Lu Wenyuan took the 4 Symbols Origin, and an expression of pleasant surprise involuntarily spread across his face. As a born 4 Symbols Dao Body (Spiritual Root), his body inherently possessed the power of the 4 celestial poles, allowing it to perfectly harmonize with this 4 Symbols Origin.

Thinking of this, Lu Wenyuan immediately prostrated himself and said, "Thank you for your profound kindness, Master."

Eldrin gave a slight nod, then turned his gaze to the Serene Bamboo. "Jingchen, though you were born from a Primordial Heavenly Spiritual Root and have embarked upon the Path of Self-Sacrifice, your mastery of offensive techniques remains lacking."

"Master bestows upon you the Primordial 7 Treasures Gourd. With it, you shall cultivate your Life-Bound Array Artifact, sufficient to sweep across all realms and conquer myriad foes."

Qingjing Bamboo received the Innate 7 Treasures Gourd, caressing it with uncontainable delight. Unable to resist, she bowed respectfully and said, "Many thanks, Master, for bestowing this treasure."

Since its youth, this Serene Bamboo had listened to Eldrin (Person Name) expound scriptures and preach the Dao. Though it had now taken human form through its innate Heavenly Spiritual Root (Spiritual Root), it still appeared as a young child. Moreover, it had grown accustomed to addressing Eldrin (Person Name) as "Master".

Eldrin responded with a noncommittal nod.

He finally turned his gaze to Chen Xianqing and said with a smile, "Xianqing, I bestow upon you the Primordial Immortal Lotus Seed. Plant its roots within your inner universe."

"When you ascend to the Inner Immortal Realm, as the Primordial 5 Phases cycle and the Dual Forces of Yin and Yang intertwine, this lotus seed shall take root and sprout."

Hearing this, everyone felt a hint of envy.

The Primordial Immortal Lotus Seed was a seed born from the Chaos Spiritual Root. Once fully gestated, it would become the supreme-grade Heavenly Spiritual Root "World-Cleansing White Lotus".

Eldrin handed this item to Chen Xianqing, a clear testament of his doting affection for his 1 and only daughter.

Chen Xianqing took the lotus seed and said with a light laugh, "Many thanks, Father, for bestowing this treasure. This time, your child shall surely pierce through this kalpic tribulation."

Eldrin waved his hand and said gravely, "Remember this well—you must not undergo your tribulation within the 3 1000 Immortal Domains during this cosmic calamity."

"The 4 of you may choose any of the 7 domains in the Southern Abyss to prove your path as Great Luo Golden Immortals, but you must never attempt this ascension within the 3 1000 Immortal Domains."

Everyone nodded upon hearing this, their expressions growing solemn.

Witnessing this, Eldrin brought Ye Qingfeng, Lu Wen Yuan, and Tranquil Bamboo to the Abyssal Forbidden Land once more, utilizing the Cauldron of Creation to help them refine the treasures bestowed upon them.

Among the 4, Lu Wenyuan had refined the essence of the 4 Symbols. Combined with a strand of innate Primordial Chaos Spiritual Light from Eldrin (Person Name), he finally succeeded in cultivating the True Spirit Sacrificial Body.

The Serene Bamboo received the same treatment, successfully achieving a breakthrough and cultivating the True Spirit Sacrificial Body.

Ye Qingfeng had achieved the most remarkable feat. As a natural-born Pure Yang Dao Body, the Sacrificial Self Form he cultivated was exceptionally formidable. Having now refined the Pure Yang Immortal Sword, he not only elevated his Sacrificial Self Form to the True Spirit Realm but also established himself as a powerhouse within this domain.

After all 3 had completed their breakthroughs, Eldrin couldn't help but marvel at the unparalleled advantages of the Sacrificial Art Way.

Although the Path of Sacrifice cannot cultivate the foundation of the 7 True Spiritual Roots (Spiritual Root), the difficulty of forming a single True Spiritual Root (Spiritual Root) foundation is far simpler compared to the traditional path of immortality.

Because the Sacrificial Body Art is forged by merging 1’s entire foundation, it effectively shatters 1’s inherent limits at least once.

An 8-Tribulation Ancient Immortal, who should have been limited to forging a 9-Extremity Foundation, could now, after integrating with the Sacrificial Dao, step into the indestructible realm of at least 10 Extremities, or even 11 Extremities.

Those capable of cultivating the 7 Great 10-Limits Foundations or multiple Indestructible Foundations would most likely directly achieve the True Spirit Sacrificial Body.

It could be said that the new foundation nurtured by the Sacrificial Art had advanced at least 2 or 3 steps beyond what should have been the original limit.

Of course, the Path of Self-Offering also has its limitations—it becomes exceedingly difficult to advance further after cultivating the True Spirit Body. In other words, the highest achievement 1 can reach is that of a single True Spiritual Root (Spiritual Root) foundation.

Fortunately, Eldrin had compensated for the shortcomings of his single True Spiritual Root foundation through the Immortal Archive Method and the Inner Immortal Domain.

A Cultivator of the Sacrificial Self Path who has established a True Spiritual Root foundation, bolstered by the Inner Immortal Domain and the 10 Great Immortal Treasures, would assuredly not be inferior to a top-tier prodigy with dual True Spiritual Root foundations at the same realm.

The most exceptional among them could even far surpass those with a single True Spiritual Root (Spiritual Root) foundation at the same cultivation stage, rivaling cultivators with triple True Spiritual Root (Spiritual Root) foundations or stronger.

"Alas, the method of the True Spirit Immortal Vault remains elusive, otherwise..."

Eldrin murmured inwardly, but soon shook his head again.

As he had envisioned, the True Spirit Immortal Vault emulated the patterns and supernatural abilities of true spirits, fusing the essence of physical sanctification and spiritual enlightenment to greatly empower the Sacrificial Self physique.

Once that step is taken, the Path of Sacrificial Ascension will surpass both Physical Body Sanctification and Primordial Spirit Attainment, rivaling even the Path of Dao Mastery to become the most predominant cultivation method within the primordial chaos of future epochs.

It was foreseeable that once perfected, the Sacrificial Self Path—which integrated the strengths of Palm Dao, Body Sanctification, and Primordial Spirit Ascension—would inevitably surpass all existing cultivation systems, sweeping away all rivals within the same realm.

Imagine a being who has cultivated the True Spirit Sacrificial Body, with an immortal domain within providing boundless mana, 10 major True Spirit Immortal Treasures reinforcing the physical form, all while simultaneously pursuing the Path of Palm Dao—what supreme combat prowess would such an existence possess?

Eldrin even wondered whether, upon truly stepping into that realm, 1 could carve out a new domain atop the True Spirit?

Alas, the difficulty of creating the method of True Spirit Immortal Depths was simply too immense. To stir the Eternal True Spirit using external Immortal Depths was far beyond the knowledge and experience attainable at Eldrin's current realm.

Unless 1 day, Eldrin could prove his path to become the Chaos Heavenly Emperor, there would only be a sliver of possibility to perfect it.

"Overthinking serves no purpose."

Eldrin (Person Name) murmured inwardly, swiftly reining in his wandering thoughts.

He lifted his head and looked at his 3 disciples, then spoke: "Go and consolidate your cultivation now. May you not disappoint me when this kalpa's tribulation descends."

Hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement and declared in unison, "We will not let you down."

Seeing this, Eldrin (Person Name) said nothing more.

He emerged from the Return-to-Void Forbidden Ground, only to find Lyra (Person Name) and Lila (Person Name) had been waiting for a considerable time.

Lila's face was unusually pale at this moment, a trace of rare anxiety seeming to flicker across her features.

Eldrin immediately sensed something amiss and asked without delay, "What's wrong?"

"Husband!"

Lila grabbed Eldrin by the arm, her face contorted in agony as she choked out, "The Pure Sun Immortal Lord... he's taken Zhuer (Person Name)."

"Hmm?"

Eldrin's expression shifted imperceptibly as he immediately stepped beyond the boundaries of the Returning Abyss Immortal Realm.

But now, within the chaos beyond the Eldrin Immortal Realm, a white-robed immortal lord stood with garments pure as snow, while beside him was a man draped in kasaya robes.

Xian Zhu.

The moment she laid eyes on the man in kasaya, Lila’s expression shifted imperceptibly. A flicker of overwhelming killing intent ignited deep within her eyes.

Eldrin's expression remained as placid as ever, his gaze icy as he stared at the man. "Chunyang, I never imagined you would stoop to such deeds."

"Hmph."

Pure Yang Immortal Lord let out a cold sneer before speaking, "Return the Pure Yang Immortal Sword, and I shall spare your son's life."

Eldrin’s gaze was as piercing as glacial ice as he spoke with unnerving calm, "You and I are sworn enemies on the path of Dao. Do you truly believe this sovereign would trust your words?"

"Hahaha—"

Lord Pure Yang laughed heartily, lifting Chen Xianzhu as he said, "This child has actually cultivated an Indestructible Foundation. With such aptitude, he may very well attain the Great Luo Realm someday."

"If I completely annihilate his primordial spirit, reducing him to scattered fragments of soul, then imprison his true essence within the Pure Yang Immortal Crucible, I presume even your methods would struggle to resurrect him."

Eldrin's expression shifted slightly, his gaze growing increasingly frigid and sinister.

At that very moment, Chen Xianzhu spoke up. With utter calmness, he said, "Father, there is no need for you to feel troubled."

"Child has contemplated the Buddhist doctrines for many years, yet still remembers the teachings you imparted in my youth."

"You once said: We who walk the path of cultivation would rather descend into the 18 layers of hell than be indecisive."

"Today's tribulation is but my destined fate."

As the words fell, Chen Xianzhu let out a sharp, cold snort, and then his Primordial Spirit actually began to disintegrate.

"Not good."

Pure Yang Immortal Lord’s expression shifted slightly. He never expected Chen Xianzhu to be so unyielding—even at the risk of complete soul annihilation, he would rather dismantle his own primordial spirit through forced disintegration.

In his shock and fury, he sought to protect Chen Xianzhu's primordial spirit, but the process was utterly irreversible.

Chen Xianzhu’s primordial spirit began to dissolve into light, a faint smile gracing his features as he declared, “If I do not enter hell, then who shall?”

"With my life in exchange for Father's safety... it is enough..."

"Ah—"

In an instant, everyone present snapped out of their stunned bewilderment.

Lila immediately summoned the Frostlight Divine Sword and charged straight toward the Pure Yang Immortal Lord, intent on a fight to the death.

But Eldrin was even faster. In the blink of an eye, he tore through the void and struck the Pure Yang Immortal Lord with a single palm, sending him flying backward as he reclaimed Chen Xianzhu's physical body.

Alas, Chen Xianzhu was far too unyielding. The dissipation of his primordial spirit had reached a point of no return—not even a Great Luo Golden Immortal could reverse the irreversible.

Zhu'er!

Lila (Person Name) swept Chen Xianzhu into her embrace, her eyes blazing crimson.

After administering copious amounts of immortal elixirs in succession, he discovered it remained impossible to restore the withered bones to life.

After a long while, she turned her head back. Without saying another word, she fixed Eldrin with a deathly stare.

"I understand."

Eldrin nodded, closed Chen Xianzhu’s eyes, and watched as his body transformed into a sacred relic. With a final sigh, he murmured, "My child, the Dharma cannot save this world."

"True salvation for all living beings requires the might of thunder."

With those final words, Eldrin stored the sacred relic and cast his gaze around, only to find himself encircled by 6 Great Perfection Golden Immortals.

Primordial Chaos Kylin Bull, Pure Yang Immortal Lord, Wuji Immortal Lord, Golden Winged Demon Lord, Azure Extremity Ancestor, Profound Nether Ghost Ancestor…

Facing the 6 figures before him, Eldrin’s expression remained unperturbed as he spoke coldly, “Where is the Primordial Silver Dragon? Why has he not come?”

"To kill you, the 6 of us are more than enough."

Xuanming Ghost Ancestor spoke, commanding a treasure wheel to seal the void.

The wielder of the Celestial Halberd Abode steered his heavenly halberd, pointing it coldly at Eldrin (Person Name) as he declared, "This treasure is called the Cosmic Void Wheel, a supreme-grade innate spiritual artifact capable of suppressing the very fabric of space."

"In order to borrow the bestowed treasure to suppress you, we have paid no small price."

"Enough talk. Prepare to die!"

Pure Yang Immortal Lord was the first to speak, directly maneuvering the Pure Yang Immortal Furnace to suppress the space before him.

Seeing this, the rest of the group also urged their divine weapons forward to suppress him, leaving Eldrin not a single moment to catch his breath.