Chapter 1625 : Veiled Ascension and Hidden Strength

"A few matters delayed me."

Eldrin Chen offered a faint smile, then scrutinized the group more closely. He noticed they still appeared to be at the Single Primordial Unity Foundation [the foundational stage where one's spiritual essence is unified into a single, cohesive whole].

Yet, Eldrin Chen had a vague sense that their auras were profoundly obscure, as if they were concealing their true cultivation levels using the Heaven-Deceiving Secret Art [a mystical technique designed to obscure one's true power from divine perception].

Meeting his gaze, the others each gave a slight nod of acknowledgment.

The Violet Mystery Path Master transmitted his voice privately, "We thank you for your assistance, Fellow Daoist. We have successfully cultivated the Dual Primordial Unity Foundation [an advanced foundational stage where spiritual essence achieves a higher, dual-layered unity]."

Only then did Eldrin Chen understand. Apart from the Heaven Abyss Path Master, both the Blazeflame Divine Spirit and the Violet Mystery Path Master had broken through to the Dual Primordial Unity Foundation.

However, with the Path Tribulation [a cataclysmic trial faced by cultivators to advance their cultivation path] imminent, they had all concealed their true strength to prevent being targeted by adversaries.

Seeing this, Eldrin Chen also gave a slight nod. The nine Earth Immortal [immortals who have attained mastery over the earthly plane] of the Chen Immortal Clan were no different, hiding their cultivation and only revealing power at the initial stage of the Ninth Level Earth Immortal [the pinnacle of the Earth Immortal realm].

Of course, the cultivation level Eldrin Chen himself displayed was already astonishing enough.

Given the age of Eldrin Chen and his companions, reaching the Ninth Level Earth Immortal in such a short span of time was, in itself, a staggering achievement.

In the eyes of outsiders, Eldrin Chen, as an Immortal who opened the Twelve-Layered Heaven without the backing of a powerful patron, would already be considered astonishing for reaching the Ninth Level Earth Immortal realm in such a short span of time.

As for him concealing his cultivation level, that too would seem impossible to outsiders.

This was because Eldrin Chen had made his breakthrough within the Five Elements Small Universe, so outsiders had no knowledge of his advancement to Half-Step Celestial Immortal.

Of course, Violet Mystery Path Master and the others likely surmised that both Eldrin Chen and Exquisite Jiang had broken through to Half-Step Celestial Immortal.

Their reasoning was simple: if they themselves hadn't reached that threshold, why would Eldrin Chen have given them the Pill of Polarity Enlightenment and the Primordial Unity Golden Body Pill instead of using those precious resources for his own breakthrough?

With this thought, Glazed Divine Lord spoke up. "The trading grounds for the Barter Convention are now open. This is a grand gathering jointly hosted by the Human, Demon, and Divine races. The most powerful figures from each race, those at the Ninth Level Earth Immortal realm and beyond, will all be in attendance."

"I shall introduce you and let you witness the most elite Half-Step Celestial Immortal cultivators within the Vast Azure Immortal Domain."

So saying, Glazed Divine Lord led Eldrin Chen into the depths of the immortal city.

Soon, they arrived before a complex of majestic divine palaces.

Upon entering, Eldrin Chen realized these palaces contained a Grotto-Heaven [a pocket dimension or paradise realm] within, its grandeur rivaling that of a Great Thousand Universe.

Within the Universe [the totality of all existence], myriad Stellar [celestial thrones representing a cultivator's status and power] drift and float upon the Void Heaven [the boundless, starry expanse above]. Each of these Stellar is a seat of profound honor, and upon each sits at least one cultivator who has reached the Earth Immortal Great Perfection [the pinnacle stage of the Earth Immortal realm].

And upon this vast Void Heaven, the number of such Stellar amounts to a staggering nineteen thousand.

"Nineteen thousand cultivators at the Earth Immortal Great Perfection," Eldrin Chen murmured inwardly, his heart quaking with awe.

Witnessing this spectacle, Eldrin Chen felt a tremor in his spirit, and a look of profound astonishment surfaced in his eyes.

He knew that within the entire Western Essence Divine Abyss Sea [a specific, vast region of the cultivation world], those at the Ninth Level Earth Immortal [the penultimate stage before Great Perfection] were already considered top-tier experts. Across the immense expanse of the Western Essence Divine Abyss Sea, excluding the three mighty Grotto-Heaven [self-contained paradisiacal realms], the total number of Ninth Level Earth Immortal cultivators scarcely exceeded one hundred.

To think that within this grand hall, nearly twenty thousand cultivators at the even higher Earth Immortal Great Perfection had gathered. This reality far surpassed anything Eldrin Chen had anticipated.

Glazed Qu had fully anticipated the shock felt by Exquisite Jiang and the others.

Her expression remained serene as she summoned several Stellar to guide the group upward. She then spoke calmly, "The Western Essence Divine Abyss Sea is a relatively barren land. Those who reach Earth Immortal Great Perfection there number little more than one hundred."

"But beyond the Western Essence Divine Abyss Sea, within the Six Heavenly Domains of the Western Pole [a collective of six prosperous celestial regions], a single Heavenly Domain [a major administrative and spiritual region] often boasts over three hundred such Earth Immortal Great Perfection experts."

"Places of greater splendor, such as the Central Seven Heavenly Domains [the seven central, most prosperous domains] and the Eastern Pole Six Heavenly Domains [the six eastern domains], naturally host even greater numbers of Earth Immortal Great Perfection powerhouses."

"More importantly, within the Vast Azure Immortal Domain [a vast realm of immortal cultivation], there are over two hundred Grotto-Heaven [self-contained paradisiacal realms]. The Earth Immortal [immortals who have anchored their power to the world] within them do not need to undergo Path Tribulation [heavenly trials to advance their cultivation]. Over ninety million years, these Earth Immortal have continuously accumulated. No one truly knows the depth of their hidden reserves."

Glazed Divine Lord [a title for a powerful immortal lord] spoke slowly, his expression turning gravely solemn. "From what I know, a single Divine Abyss Grotto-Heaven [a Grotto-Heaven named 'Divine Abyss'], through its ninety-million-year accumulation, possesses at least ten thousand Earth Immortal."

"Among these Earth Immortal, the majority are only at the Middle Stage Earth Immortal [the middle phase of the Earth Immortal realm]. However, those at the Late Stage Earth Immortal [the late phase] number over three thousand. As for those who have reached Earth Immortal Great Perfection [the pinnacle of the Earth Immortal realm]…"

Glazed Divine Lord paused briefly before concluding, "...I estimate their number exceeds three hundred."

Upon hearing this, the faces of those present paled slightly.

That a single Upper Grade Grotto-Heaven [a top-tier Grotto-Heaven] could harbor so many Earth Immortal Patriarch [venerated Earth Immortal elders] was utterly staggering, far beyond their expectations.

With such a multitude of Earth Immortal Patriarch, one could say that the Divine Abyss Grotto-Heaven alone rivals more than half the power of the entire Western Essence Divine Abyss Sea [a vast sea region in the immortal domain].

And within the Vast Azure Immortal Domain, there are over two hundred Grotto-Heaven. If each possessed such strength, would that not mean there were millions of Earth Immortal Patriarch?

"There is no need for such overwhelming shock,"

"The Divine Abyss Grotto-Heaven was founded over two hundred million years ago. It has weathered two Kalpa Tribulation [cosmic cycles of destruction and rebirth] and stands as a renowned Upper Grade Grotto-Heaven that commands awe across the Vast Azure Immortal Domain. Among the domain's two hundred plus Grotto-Heaven, it ranks forty-ninth."

"In comparison, the vast majority of Grotto-Heaven are of the middle or lower grades, their strength far inferior."

Glazed Divine Lord spoke slowly, informing the group that aside from those top-tier Grotto-Heaven possessing Great Perfection Celestial Immortal Realm power, the Divine Abyss Grotto-Heaven was also counted among the most elite.

Within the Vast Azure Immortal Domain, the number of top-tier Grotto-Heaven possessing Great Perfection Celestial Immortal Realm power totaled fewer than thirty.

Excluding the several top-tier Grotto-Heaven belonging to the Hundred Immortal Spirit Races, and divided among the three major races of humanity, demons, and divine spirits, each race averaged only seven or eight such top-tier Grotto-Heaven.

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod of understanding.

The Gale Grotto-Heaven, which had also accumulated power for eighty million years, possessed only a few hundred Divine Spirits at the Earth Immortal Realm. Its foundational strength was less than one-tenth that of the Divine Abyss Grotto-Heaven, illustrating the immense gulf between an Upper Grade Grotto-Heaven and a lower-grade one.

According to Glazed Divine Lord's explanation, a lower-grade Grotto-Heaven could shelter at most one thousand Earth Immortal [immortals whose power is anchored to the mortal world]. A Middle Grade Grotto-Heaven could shelter three thousand, while an Upper Grade Grotto-Heaven could shelter over ten thousand Earth Immortal from undergoing their Path Tribulation [the heavenly trials required for an immortal's advancement].

Furthermore, these Earth Immortal who avoided their Path Tribulation could continue cultivating within the Grotto-Heaven, but their progress would be exceedingly slow, lacking the tempering forge of the Tribulation [heavenly calamity].

Because they lacked the courage to face the Great Tribulation [the most severe heavenly trial] of their Path Tribulation, a flaw would form in their Dao Heart [the cultivator's spiritual core and will], robbing them of the relentless, forward-driving momentum.

When such individuals encountered a cultivation bottleneck, their difficulty in breaking through was many times greater than for Earth Immortal who had weathered their Path Tribulation. They often remained trapped at a single realm for tens of millions of years, their futures bleak and uncertain.

Therefore, for a true Celestial Immortal Seed [a cultivator with the potential to ascend to the Celestial Immortal realm], such as a figure at the level of a Holy Scion, the Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land [a paradisiacal realm of profound spiritual energy] would typically require them to personally undergo their Path Tribulation [a heavenly trial that tests a cultivator's comprehension of their chosen Dao].

If they were unwilling to face their Path Tribulation, they would generally lose their esteemed position as a Holy Scion.

After comprehending the true depth of a Grotto-Heaven [a superior cultivation realm], Eldrin Chen fell into silent contemplation, his heart growing ever more solemn.

Vaguely, he seemed to glimpse the immense impact that would arise when the Kalpa Tribulation [a cataclysmic era-ending calamity] erupted and powerful Grotto-Heaven like Divine Abyss Grotto-Heaven and Western Essence Grotto-Heaven threw their full might into the Kalpa Tribulation fray.

The struggle for supremacy among Grotto-Heaven, the boundless chaos of the Kalpa Tribulation, the clash of such titanic forces—it would surely unleash waves of conflict vast enough to engulf the entire world.