Chapter 1974 : Against the Flow of Time

Looking at Ziye Tian before him, a faint smile surfaced in Eldrin’s eyes.

He stepped inside calmly and saw an old Taoist with a white beard and hair hurriedly packing his belongings.

This person was none other than Patriarch Ziye, Lord of the Celestial Dominion of Purple Nightfall. At this moment, his brow was etched with concern, and a trace of solemnity flickered deep within his gaze.

As a top-tier cultivation prodigy of his generation, the Eldrin (Person Name) had arduously cultivated through dozens of kalpas, his cultivation base having reached the realm of a Seventh-Kalpa Ancient Immortal. Under the protection of the Celestial Court (Location), he had even successfully cultivated the Lingbao Heavenly Pass (Cultivation Realm).

Yet out of fear for the kalpic tribulation, Daoist Ziye had abstained from entering the tribulation for dozens of kalpas. This left a flaw in his Dao heart, forever hindering him from shattering the Heavenly Barrier of the Dao Heart.

Now trapped at the Seventh Tribulation of Ancient Immortality with no hope of progress, Daoist Ziye understood he must confront the Cosmic Cataclysm to shatter the Heavenly Barrier of his Dao Heart. At last, he resolved to personally step into the tribulation.

Yet even so, deep in his heart, Taoist Ziye harbored grave doubts about whether he could truly survive this tribulation.

Deep in his heart, Daoist Ziye had a vague premonition—that he might very well not return.

"The heavenly tribulation is hard to transcend—I fear it may all come to naught."

With this thought in mind, Patriarch Ziye carefully deliberated and decided to keep several treasures that held no immediate use for him. Among them were a Chaotic Heavenly Halberd, several strands of Primordial Qi, and the immortal palace known as Purple Abode Hall.

After completing all this, Taoist Ziye made a series of hand gestures for divination. As if glimpsing something through the mists of fate, he smiled faintly and remarked, "Dozens of kalpas from now, it seems a prodigy blessed with astonishing fortune shall arrive here."

"Inheriting this legacy, may you 1 day attain the Great Dao of the Grand Luo."

The Violet Twilight Daoist murmured softly, then finally stepped across the firmament, venturing alone into the depths of primordial chaos.

Meanwhile, within that intangible space-time, Eldrin gazed calmly at the Chaos Heavenly Halberd before him, an involuntary smile gracing his lips.

The Chaos Heaven Halberd left behind by the Violet Night Daoist had accompanied him for many years. Aside from the 5 innate immortal treasures such as the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss (Magic Treasure), it remained 1 of the most frequently wielded weapons by Eldrin (Person Name).

Even to this day, with the Chaos Heavenly Halberd integrated into the Abyssal Return Seal, it remains Eldrin’s weapon of choice in close-quarters combat.

"Such karma warrants aiding you in transcending this tribulation."

Eldrin smiled faintly and spoke, then strode forward to follow the Purple Abbot.

Throughout this process, Eldrin witnessed the Violet Night Daoist stepping into the Heavenly Tribulation, engaging in fierce battles against numerous heroes and formidable foes, cutting down countless powerful enemies along the way.

Throughout this process, the Violet Night Daoist confronted his own Dao heart directly, achieving a breakthrough to the realm of an 8-Calamity Ancient Immortal.

Alas, the primordial chaos has never lacked peerless prodigies. Though the Violet Night Daoist was also a supreme, world-shaking genius, how many among those who could set foot upon the Eighth Tribulation Ancient Immortal realm were truly weak?

In the end, within the Ancient Ruins Continent, Daoist Ziye encountered a formidable foe akin to a blazing sun from the primordial era.

"Ling Xiao, no wonder."

Eldrin murmured softly, a trace of astonishment flickering in his eyes.

The Daoist Priest Ziye encountered the Crown Prince of Lingxiao, no wonder he perished in obscurity during the Quantumn Cataclysm.

The Celestial Emperor's scion blazed across the heavens like an eternal sun, astride a Solar Divine Spear that tore through the firmament. With but a single strike, he manifested an aura of invincibility that conquered all before it.

Even with his desperate resistance, the Violet Abbot managed to block merely 2 strikes before being impaled by the Solar God Spear amidst the primordial chaos.

Witnessing Daoist Ziye’s dissipation into the Dao, Eldrin did not hesitate for a moment. With transcendent divine power that spanned the river of time, he seized Daoist Ziye’s true spirit and reforged his primordial soul.

"Boom—"

In an instant, the heavens and earth roared, and all things trembled.

Karma, Fate, Tribulation, Time, Samsara—1 Great Dao after another began to roil in turmoil.

In an instant, boundless Great Dao laws and karmic force converged upon Eldrin, transforming into a near-apocalyptic power that crashed down upon him.

"Hmph—"

Eldrin grunted, immediately channeling the Path of Self-Offering to confront the myriad Daos. Yet in that instant, his face paled, and a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his lips.

An ancient immortal mighty figure who had weathered 8 heavenly tribulations was, in essence, a peerless powerhouse existing across multiple planes of reality.

The destiny of such a figure could already influence the myriad realms of time and space to a certain extent, even intertwining with the fortunes of many high-level powerhouses.

To resurrect them, 1 must inevitably endure the backlash of the Great Dao—karma, destiny, tribulations, time, space, and the cycle of reincarnation.

It could be said that even a Great Luo Golden Immortal could not bear such an immense price, and could only summon the reincarnated form of an 8-Calamity Ancient Immortal from the cycle of samsara, then devise a way to awaken the other’s memories.

But Eldrin was already extraordinary. As a Path Master who had comprehended the Path of Self Sacrifice, his power had reached the level of a Primordial Chaos Emperor.

With such a profound foundation, even if the great Dao of karma, fate, tribulation, time, space, and samsara were to backlash against him, it would not be entirely unbearable.

After all, no matter how powerful Daoist Ziye might be, he was merely at the Ancient Immortal level.

As long as 1 remains bound by the chains of fate, their influence upon the endless chaos remains limited—likewise, the karmic repercussions and backlash they incur. Eldrin could well bear such consequences.

"I am the Sovereign of the Dao, and even if all karmic retribution and karmic burdens descend upon me, I shall bear them all alone!"

"Boom—"

Eldrin’s voice faded, and the Great Dao in his palm instantly bloomed with an eternal radiance, piercing through the endless river of time to arrive in an era billions of years later.

In an instant, countless beams of light traversed time and space to arrive.

These rays of light were formed from the dissolution of the primordial spirit, physical form, innate spiritual treasures, and even the very foundation of the late Elder Ziyue when he met his demise.

After billions of years, every foundation of this Dao dissolution had transformed into the most primordial particles of energy, merging into the fabric of all heavens and realms.

Some residual souls transformed into undying malevolent spirits, some magical powers dissolved into the primordial energy of heaven and earth, and some laws of the Great Dao merged into the primordial chaos.

Some were refined by the ancient immortals into spiritual power within their bodies, while others nurtured into celestial herbs, spirit pills, and even underwent countless cycles of refinement by immortals, circulating endlessly between heaven and earth.

But now, with Eldrin's magic power, all these countless remnants that once belonged to the ancient Violet Night Taoist were being forcibly extracted.

An immortal abruptly discovered that a portion of his magic power had vanished, while a celestial deity of the highest heavens suddenly realized half of his primordial spirit had been severed, transforming into primordial immortal light and fading into nothingness.

Even a Great Luo Golden Immortal discovered that within his physical body, a faint surge of blood and qi energy had abruptly awakened, only to be drawn away by some indescribable force.

"This is..."

The Great Luo Golden Immortal’s expression shifted slightly, instantly realizing that a Primordial Chaos Emperor was aiding the fallen 1’s revival.

With his current level of cultivation, he could certainly prevent all of this. Yet after a moment of contemplation, he allowed that surge of qi and blood to be drawn away....

Because that amount of qi and blood was almost negligible to Him, easily restored with a single cycle of breath. It was better to do Him a favor and go with the flow.

Boom…

As Eldrin struck with his full power, all that belonged to the Violet Abbot dissolved into the most fundamental particles of origin, flowing backward against the current of the River of Time.

In the mere blink of an eye, it materialized within Eldrin’s palm, transforming into a surge of the purest primordial essence.

At the same time, the overwhelming weight of karma and destiny instantly caused Eldrin's face to pale slightly.

He extracted everything belonging to the Violet Night Daoist from billions of years later, effectively intervening in the destinies of countless individuals across multiple timelines.

This overwhelming burden of karma, even with Eldrin's current level of cultivation, was nearly unbearable to endure.

This was an unavoidable reality—the higher 1's cultivation realm, the more potent the primordial essence within, and the vaster the devastation wrought when 1 fell and returned to the Dao.

It was precisely for this reason that reviving a high-level immortal directly required meddling with the fates of far more individuals, and the karmic burden 1 had to bear grew exponentially staggering.

Fortunately, after gathering the dissipated origin essence from Daoist Ziye's sublimation, the most difficult hurdle had already been overcome.

But then Eldrin (Person Name) forcibly suppressed all karmic retributions, and proceeded to reshape his physical body and primordial spirit using these origins that belonged to the Violet Night Daoist.

In the mere blink of an eye, the soul-scattered Purple Abyss Daoist reversed his dissipation into the Dao, coalescing back into unity before finally reappearing within the river of time and space.

"Didn't I die?"

Violet Abbot Elder regained his composure and could not help but reveal a look of astonishment.

He snapped back to his senses and, after a glance at Eldrin, seemed to comprehend the situation. Immediately, he dropped to his knees and bowed deeply, saying, "My deepest gratitude for Your Majesty's life-saving grace. Zǐ Yè is eternally indebted."

Arise.

Eldrin helped him to his feet and said with a light laugh, "You and I share a thread of karma. Today, as you return from death, it may be considered a resolution of past entanglements."

With that, Eldrin said no more.

He directly brought the Violet Night Taoist down the River of Time and Space, returning to the present era's location—the Abyssal Immortal Realm.

Arriving within the Ruins of Ascension Immortal Domain, Eldrin dismissed the Violet Twilight Daoist. After 1 final gaze upon the River of Time and Space, he continued striding forward, advancing further into the distant depths of antiquity.

This time, he traveled upstream through the river of time, arriving instantly in the ancient epoch spanning billions of years.

But he did not pause in the slightest, and in the blink of an eye, he strode back to 1 100 kalpas ago.

To reverse the flow of 1 100 kalpas—this was nearly the limit of what a Golden Immortal of the Grand Luo could achieve. The vast majority of Golden Immortals could only traverse 1 100 kalpas of time and space.

But Eldrin, now wielding the methods of a Primordial Emperor, effortlessly transcended such limits and continued advancing toward even more ancient epochs.

2 100 kalpas, 5 100 kalpas, 1 1000 kalpas, and even 3 1000 kalpas.

Eldrin channeled his supreme might to pierce through the River of Time, tracing its currents backward as he traversed beyond the ancient epoch preceding recorded history.

Through these boundless eons, he witnessed the rise of 1 chosen prodigy after another.

Great Luo Golden Immortals crushed all rivals to contend for the Dao, while True Spirit prodigies roamed unchallenged across eras. There were also peerless heroes who slaughtered their way through all 7 realms of the Southern Abyss.

Even within this boundless river of time and space, Eldrin witnessed numerous beings flowing against the current of spacetime...

They were Great Luo Immortals whose aura overwhelmed the heavens, and Chaos Origin Emperors of peerless elegance. Yet nearly all were shrouded in a mist of time and space, making it difficult to touch or communicate with 1 another.

Yet Eldrin faintly sensed that he could cross the vast river of ancient time to spar with these peerless supreme experts.

However, in the end, Eldrin gave up. The River of Time was vast and mighty. If a world-shaking battle truly erupted across time and space, it could turn heaven and earth upside down, trapping him within the River of Time and making it nearly impossible to return to his own era.

Although a Great Luo Golden Immortal could traverse the River of Time and Space, every action within its currents would incur immense karmic burden, and even conceal indescribable, forbidden perils.

Most critically, once a great battle erupts across the River of Time, it will inevitably affect the temporal continuum to some extent, incurring the disdain of the Great Dao of Time and Space.

The first to strike would inevitably incur the wrath of the Dao of Time and Space. In the future, attempting to traverse the River of Time again would likely become a 100 times more difficult.

Thus Eldrin set aside his intention to strike and continued forward, perusing the epic tales of ancient times.

In the midst of this process, Eldrin also encountered numerous Great Luo Golden Immortals, even crossing paths with those who had existed hundreds of billions of years ago.

He encountered old foes like the Crimson Mastiff Immortal Lord, as well as fallen adversaries of the Dao such as the Azure Pole Ancestor and the Violet Dawn Deity. Yet those who had broken through to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm had already transcended the shackles of fate.

They were all shrouded in a mist of time and space that transcended the mundane world. Even with Eldrin's current level of cultivation, it was nearly impossible for him to peer into the mysteries of these individuals.

Yet for the great affairs unfolding across the 3 1000 Immortal Domains, Eldrin perceived them with absolute clarity.

He traversed the river of time, arriving in an era 30 billion years past. There he witnessed Grand Abyss Immortal Sage attaining the Dao as Chaos Immortal Sage, and beheld the magnificent founding of the Human Race's Celestial Court.

Looking further back into the distant past, he witnessed the birth of the 70-2 sages of the human race.

He had intended to press onward—to witness the Primordial Dao Ancestor’s attainment of the Great Dao, to behold the breakthroughs of the Candle Dragon and the Primal Phoenix. Yet, in the end, he found it impossible to advance any further.

"Are 10 1000 kalpas truly the limit?"

Eldrin murmured, letting out a soft sigh as he acknowledged this was his absolute limit.

The power of the Path of Self-Sacrifice could now only sustain his journey through time against the current of 10,000 kalpas. To venture further was utterly beyond its reach.

"It seems we still cannot save Daoist Jumie."

Eldrin (Person Name) murmured inwardly, ultimately deciding to withdraw and depart.

But at that very moment, he suddenly felt the River of Time and Space begin to tremble violently.

Boom—

Eldrin’s face abruptly shifted as he lifted his gaze toward the source of the chaos, only to discover that in the distant future timeline, a world-shaking cataclysm had suddenly erupted.

A figure robed in snow-white garments ascended against the flow of time. Shrouded in boundless mists of chaos, the brilliance of a Primordial Purple Seal crowned its head as it traversed the immeasurably ancient river of spacetime.

The Seal of Returning Abyss, this is... my future self?

Eldrin's face contorted wildly as he instantly recognized the man's origins, then his expression shifted dramatically once more.

Before he could react, his future self shattered the heavens, instantly piercing through 10,000 kalpas of time to engage in an earth-shattering battle against an indescribable foe.

There was no denying that his future self was truly formidable.

9 divine forms of True Spirits manifested around him, accompanied by the supreme Great Daos of Oblivion, Spacetime, Samsara, and more. Each wisp of these primordial powers could pierce through the river of time and space, propelling him into a realm beyond all description.

Eldrin even suspected that the Black Abyss Emperor, the most powerful being he had ever witnessed in his life, would likely be suppressed with a single thought by this Future Self.

Yet even so, it seemed the future version of himself still struggled to contend against that mysterious foe. (Chapter End)

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