Chapter 2073 : The Abyss Pearl's Redemption

"Hmph—"

Facing the frenzied onslaught of the Obsidian Skeleton, Eldrin Chen wore an expression of unprecedented gravity for the first time.

He was compelled to harness the power of the five Great God forms, elevating his combat prowess to its absolute zenith to engage the Obsidian Skeleton in a battle of ultimate extremes.

What chilled Eldrin Chen to the core was that even after mobilizing nearly all his strength, he still found it exceedingly difficult to inflict harm upon the Obsidian Skeleton.

It was only by chance that Eldrin Chen discovered the Returning Abyss Divine Rune was actually devouring the Obsidian Skeleton's curse power. He then realized the Great Path of Returning Abyss possessed a startlingly potent restraining effect against the Obsidian Skeleton.

"So that's it..."

Eldrin Chen murmured to himself, instantly understanding why the Obsidian Skeleton had demanded that he use the Returning Abyss Power to end its existence.

With this realization, Eldrin Chen hesitated no longer. He directly summoned the Returning Abyss Pearl to forcibly suppress and refine the Obsidian Skeleton.

Contrary to all expectations, the moment the Obsidian Skeleton beheld the Returning Abyss Pearl, it not only refrained from putting up a full resistance but willingly allowed the Great Path of Returning Abyss to temper its very being.

Without offering the slightest resistance, the Obsidian Skeleton began to dissipate at a visible pace. Its aura of curses and baleful energy scattered like smoke, and even its bones, once hard as Immortality Divine Gold, started to decay and crumble.

When the dust settled, Eldrin Chen saw that the Obsidian Skeleton had been utterly annihilated, leaving behind only a faint, ghostly wisp of soul fire [the spiritual flame representing a being's core essence] flickering in its place.

"My thanks. I owe you a debt."

The soul fire spoke, its voice tinged with a profound sense of release.

As the words faded, an ancient scroll flew from within the soul fire and landed in Eldrin Chen's hand.

Before Eldrin Chen could utter a word, the soul fire vanished without a trace.

"This is..."

Watching the soul fire disappear, a flicker of understanding passed through Eldrin Chen's eyes. The truth of the matter became clear to him.

It seemed the Soul Path Heavenly Emperor who had been trapped within the Primordial Era Soul River had used his Returning Abyss Power to break free from the curse's corrosive grasp. Seizing the opportunity, the being had performed a grand deception, shedding its old form like a cicada discarding its shell to embark on a path of rebirth and renewed cultivation.

With this realization, Eldrin Chen gazed at the ancient tome in his hand, a ripple of complex emotion stirring within him.

This was a scroll of the Soul Path Ancient Heavenly Emperor Scripture [an esoteric cultivation scripture of immense power, left behind by a Heavenly Emperor who mastered the Soul Path], a profound text that even touched upon the threshold of the Second Chaos Realm.

However, Eldrin Chen had no time to examine it closely. He could only stow it away for the moment before turning his gaze to Obsidian Abyss Great Emperor and inquiring, "How do you feel, Great Emperor?"

"Unharmed."

Obsidian Abyss Great Emperor shook his head. With a glance at the ashes of the disintegrated skeleton, he sighed and said, "To think a Soul Path Heavenly Emperor would meet such an end."

Eldrin Chen nodded in acknowledgment but offered no further words.

He strode to the terminus of the Primordial Era Soul River, arriving at the Source of the Soul River. There, within the dark pool, nine extraordinary treasures floated.

Among them were three somber divine stones, three seeds brimming with soul power, and three pieces of black precious jade.

"Nine Orifices Divine Stone, Soul Spirit Seed, Myriad Souls Precious Jade."

Gazing upon the three treasures before him, Eldrin Chen felt a slight tremor in his heart as he named their origins.

Each of these treasures was a Chaos Rare Treasure. Among them, the Nine Orifices Divine Stone held the greatest value.

This object was akin to a Chaos Origin Pearl. Though merely a Chaos Rare Treasure, its worth surpassed even that of many Chaos Spiritual Artifact.

The Soul Spirit Seed [a seed that can nurture and strengthen the soul] is a supreme-grade Chaos Rare Treasure [a treasure of immense rarity and power born from primordial chaos], containing astonishing Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core and highest essence of a cultivator] power.

Its effect is similar to the Limit-Breaker Immortal Pill [a legendary pill that grants a chance to surpass the inherent limits of one's cultivation realm], capable of aiding those who have attained the Primordial Spirit Path Attainment [the pinnacle state of spiritual cultivation] to increase their probability of breaking through their Primordial Spirit limits.

For those who have reached the Primordial Spirit Path Attainment, this object can be said to be of immeasurable value.

The final treasure, the Myriad Souls Precious Jade [a jade condensed from the purest essence of countless souls], is formed from the coalescence of the purest soul power. For powerful experts who walk the Primordial Spirit Path Attainment, it is also a rare and high-grade Chaos Rare Treasure.

"These treasures are of no use to me. It is better to give them all to you."

At that moment, Obsidian Abyss Great Emperor [a title for a supreme ruler associated with a dark, fathomless abyss] shook his head and yielded all nine supreme treasures to Eldrin Chen.

Eldrin Chen did not immediately take them. Instead, he spoke, "If that is the case, I fear you, Senior, would suffer a great loss."

Obsidian Abyss Great Emperor smiled faintly and then said, "In the future, if you come across a suitable Chaos Attribute Spiritual Treasure [a spiritual treasure imbued with the primordial power of chaos], you may give me one. It will suffice for me to cultivate the Chaos Divine Form [a divine ability that manifests a form of pure chaos]."

"Agreed."

Eldrin Chen nodded. The Nine Orifices Divine Stone [a mystical stone with nine apertures, said to possess divine properties] was far too rare. Considering this object was related to the secrets of the Primordial Spirit Path Attainment, he was also unwilling to hand it over to Blazing Center Supreme [a title for a supreme being associated with a blazing core] in exchange for Chaos Genesis Energy [the primordial energy from which all creation springs].

He stored away all nine treasures, then said with a smile, "With this fortuitous encounter in hand, I now have a glimmer of hope for cultivating my Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] into the Nine True Spirit Apertures [a legendary, near-perfect state of the Primordial Spirit] in the future."

Seeing this, Obsidian Abyss Great Emperor spoke up, "Since matters have reached this point, there is no need for us to linger. Let us return for now."

"Very well."

Eldrin Chen nodded. Without further delay, he immediately strode towards the lower reaches of the Primordial Era Soul River.

Upon reaching the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Primordial Era Soul River, Eldrin Chen discovered that Exquisite Jiang and the others had already left the river's course and had been waiting outside its banks for some time.

"How did it go?"

Seeing Eldrin Chen return, his person still bearing the marks of a fierce battle, Exquisite Jiang asked with concern.

Eldrin Chen shook his head and replied, "A mere band of petty villains, not worth troubling over."

"Let's return first, and discuss it then."

With these words, Eldrin Chen directly led the group through the void, returning to the heart of the Primordial Immortal Domain.

After returning to the Immortal Court, Eldrin Chen handed over the remains of the Chaos Heaven Sage Ascendant and three other Sage Ascendant corpses to the Obsidian Abyss Great Emperor and said, "Your combat prowess is already unrivaled, Great One."

"However, your recent rapid breakthroughs have left your physical foundation somewhat unstable. Refining these Sage Ascendant remains should significantly bolster your physical cultivation."

The Obsidian Abyss Great Emperor did not refuse, accepting the four Sage Ascendant remains. "For us, the True Spirit Divine Form is a technique, but the physical body is the true wellspring of power," he stated.

"You must also focus on tempering your body, striving to elevate your physical cultivation to the Great Emperor's Ultimate Limit as soon as possible."

Eldrin Chen nodded in agreement. For a practitioner of the Fleshly Body Sanctification to break through to the Sage Ascendant Realm, one must not only master the Nine True Spirit Divine Forms but also forge their physical foundation to the Great Emperor's Ultimate Limit.

His current physical cultivation had only just entered the Great Emperor Realm, leaving a vast chasm between him and the Great Emperor's Ultimate Limit.

Yet, once he reached that ultimate limit, Eldrin Chen's combat strength would undoubtedly surge to new heights.

With this matter settled, Eldrin Chen bid farewell to the Obsidian Abyss Great Emperor and then turned his gaze to the Chen Immortal Clan Imperial Lords. "What were your gains from this expedition?" he inquired.

"All here," came the reply.

Exquisite Jiang smiled and produced a vast collection of rare treasures, laying them out before Eldrin Chen.

Eldrin Chen cast a glance, and a flicker of movement passed through his eyes.

This time, the spoils of war were exceptionally rich. Among them, there were hundreds of Primordial One Marvel [rare treasures that can enhance a cultivator's Primordial Spirit], all of them treasures for bolstering the Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator].

Furthermore, there were tens of thousands of One to Nine Orifices Divine Stone [divine stones graded by the number of spiritual apertures they possess], with the vast majority being of the one-to-three aperture grade. However, there were also over twenty Eight Apertures Divine Stone [divine stones possessing eight spiritual apertures].

Combined with those already in Eldrin Chen's possession, they had acquired over forty Eight Apertures Divine Stone in total.

While a single Eight Apertures Divine Stone might not be of immense significance to Eldrin Chen, obtaining so many at once greatly alleviated the shortage of Primordial Spirit cultivation resources within the Chen Immortal Clan.

Considering this, Eldrin Chen said with a smile, "You have done well. Each of you may select one Eight Apertures Divine Stone. The remainder shall be recorded as Merits [a metaphysical currency representing virtuous deeds and good karma] and stored in the clan vault."

Upon hearing this, everyone smiled and each chose an Eight Apertures Divine Stone, intending to refine it into their Primordial Spirit to advance their cultivation.

Given their current cultivation level and status, they naturally had no lack of One to Seven Apertures Divine Stone. After acquiring this Eight Apertures Divine Stone, they would only lack the final, most precious grade: the Nine Orifices Divine Stone [a supreme-grade divine stone possessing nine spiritual apertures].

Once the treasures were distributed, Eldrin Chen dismissed the others, retaining only his six closest companions: Exquisite Jiang, Verdant Consort, Liana Imperial Lord, and the others.

Gazing at the few before him, Eldrin Chen then produced the three captured Nine Orifices Divine Stone. "This time, I obtained three of these Nine Orifices Divine Stone," he said. "They are exceedingly rare Chaos Rare Treasure [treasures born from the primordial chaos, possessing immense and mysterious power]."

"My suggestion is to entrust the remaining two Nine Orifices Divine Stone to Exquisite and Verdant Consort. What do you all think?"

Hearing this, none of the women present voiced any objection.

As his long-standing cultivation partners, they understood that Eldrin Chen never acted with indecision; he always had a clear plan for allocating precious resources.

The primary reason for assigning these resources to Exquisite Jiang and Verdant Consort was their superior innate talent. Among the group, they possessed the greatest potential to achieve Primordial Spirit Path Attainment [the profound state of unifying one's spiritual core with the Heavenly Path].

With resources being finite, allocating them to those with the highest likelihood of attaining the Dao was undoubtedly the most optimal choice.

Seeing that no one disagreed, Eldrin Chen promptly handed the two Nine Orifices Divine Stone to Exquisite Jiang and Verdant Consort.

Afterwards, Eldrin Chen spoke again, "This time, I obtained a scroll of the Soul Path Heavenly Book [a legendary scripture detailing profound soul cultivation techniques]. It would be beneficial for us to study it together."

With those words, Eldrin Chen produced the scroll of the Soul Path Heavenly Book and began to delve into its ancient secrets alongside the others.

The scroll unfurled slowly, revealing seven grand characters inscribed upon it: the Nine Souls Ancient Scroll.

"The Nine Souls Ancient Scroll," he read aloud.

Eldrin Chen murmured softly to himself, immediately unrolling the ancient scroll to examine its contents.

With just a single glance, everyone present was captivated by this celestial tome. After perusing it for a few moments, expressions of astonishment and wonder bloomed on their faces.

Even by Eldrin Chen's discerning standards, this Nine Souls Ancient Scroll was an exceptionally profound Ancient Chaos Scripture.

The ancient scroll recorded various methods for cultivating the Soul Path, but its core essence was a technique named the 'Soul-Splitting Profound Art' [a profound art that allows a cultivator to split their soul essence].

The so-called Soul-Splitting Profound Art was an extraordinarily unique and esoteric method.

This art contained the profound mysteries of Reincarnation [the cycle of death and rebirth]. Once performed, it could separate a portion of one's Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] to undergo Reincarnation and be reborn into the mortal world.

Once this divided Primordial Spirit cultivated to the absolute peak of its potential in its new life, it could return to and merge with the original body's Primordial Spirit, thereby strengthening it.

Remarkably, the Myriad Transformations Soul-Splitting Art [the ultimate form of the Soul-Splitting Profound Art] could simultaneously split off up to nine such soul fragments for independent reincarnation and cultivation.

However, each act of soul-splitting inflicted excruciating spiritual agony upon the practitioner of the Soul-Splitting Profound Art, as it involved tearing apart their very Primordial Spirit.

Furthermore, because the divided soul fragment was inherently incomplete, its potential and innate talent would be far inferior to the original self. Consequently, there was a significant risk that such a soul fragment might perish prematurely during its cultivation journey.

However, if a divided Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] perishes within the cycle of Reincarnation [the process of being reborn into a new life], it will also cause damage to the original Primordial Spirit.

Yet, despite its numerous flaws, the gains offered by the Myriad Transformations Soul-Splitting Art [a supreme art for dividing one's soul essence] are truly staggering.

For if even a single divided soul can be cultivated to a level approaching that of the main body, then all sacrifices are deemed worthwhile.

Furthermore, once a divided soul falls or its potential is exhausted and it is reclaimed, one can descend a new divided soul to undergo Reincarnation and cultivate anew.

In ancient times, the reason that Soul Path Heavenly Emperor [a supreme sovereign who mastered the path of the soul] was able to prove his Dao and attain the ChaosHeavenly Emperor Realm [the realm of a Chaos Heavenly Emperor, a ruler of primordial disorder] was precisely because he nurtured each of his nine divided souls to the very pinnacle of the Great Emperor [Great Emperor] realm.

Moreover, he had each of his nine great divided souls specialize in cultivating a single divine ability, mastering it to the level of a True Spirit Divine Ability [a divine ability that manifests the true essence of a spirit].

In the end, he merged his nine divided souls, each at the pinnacle of the Great Emperor realm, with his main body whose power rivaled a Limitless Sage Ascendant [a Sage Ascendant of boundless potential], and in one leap, he ascended into the Soul Path Heavenly Emperor Realm.

After this Soul Path Heavenly Emperor broke through to become a Chaos Heavenly Emperor, he further cultivated nine divided souls at the Sage Ascendant Realm [Sage Ascendant] level, using them to assault the Second Chaos Realm [Second Chaos Realm] threshold of the Soul Path Heavenly Emperor realm.

Had he not violated the Heavenly Rules [the fundamental laws of the cosmos] which dictate that a Soul Path Heavenly Emperor cannot tread into the Second Chaos Realm, and been blocked on his path by an indescribably powerful being, he likely would have succeeded.

"The Nine Souls Ancient Scroll [an ancient scripture detailing the art of nine souls] can be called a peerless wondrous method. Even among the Path Union Ancient Scroll [the compendium of ancient scriptures unifying all paths], it ranks as one of the supreme celestial arts."

Eldrin Chen let out a sigh before speaking. "Moreover, this method has broad applicability; even you and I could cultivate it."

"I believe that had he not perished, he might very well have harbored the hope of glimpsing the Third Chaos Realm."

Exquisite Jiang nodded, a touch of emotion coloring her words. "Those qualified to set foot in the Second Chaos Realm as Soul Path Heavenly Emperor naturally possess extraordinary qualities."

"Otherwise, why would they be viewed with such apprehension by those who dwell in the Third Chaos Realm?"

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod of agreement and said no more on the matter.

He pondered for a long while, then carefully stored away the Nine Souls Ancient Scroll. "From this day forward," he declared, "the Nine Souls Ancient Scroll shall be counted among the supreme legacies of our Chen Immortal Clan."

"Henceforth, even a Primordial One Imperial Lord wishing to study this celestial scripture must first swear a Great Path oath, binding them never to transmit its secrets beyond our lineage."

Upon hearing this, everyone present nodded solemnly, their expressions grave with the weight of the responsibility.

With the matter of the Nine Souls Ancient Scroll settled, Eldrin Chen offered no further words, bringing the proceedings to a close.

He then returned to his secluded cultivation chamber. There, he retrieved the Nine Orifices Divine Stone and fell into deep contemplation, its enigmatic presence filling the quiet space.

Legend held that once one gathered all nine pieces of the Nine Orifices Divine Stone [a legendary stone with nine natural orifices, said to be the key to a supreme treasure], they could fuse the nine great True Spirit [the foundational spiritual essence of a cultivator, representing their core vitality and potential] divine stones and forge the fabled Primordial Spirit Treasure [a supreme treasure born from and integrated with one's Primordial Spirit, vastly amplifying its power].

The Primordial Spirit Treasure was the ultimate treasure of the Primordial Spirit Path Attainment [a profound cultivation method focused on refining and empowering the Primordial Spirit] lineage, capable of greatly Amplification Divine Ability [enhancing the power and efficacy of divine abilities] the might of one's divine abilities. This was precisely the key reason why the Primordial Spirit Path Attainment could rival the Fleshly Body Sanctification [a supreme cultivation art dedicated to forging an indestructible physical body].

However, the method to actually cultivate such a Primordial Spirit Treasure remained a mystery to Eldrin Chen.

"Regardless, I shall refine this Nine Orifices Divine Stone first and consider the rest later,"

Eldrin Chen murmured. He immediately activated his True Spirit Primordial Spirit [a divine ability that harmonizes and channels the power of one's True Spirit and Primordial Spirit] and began refining the Nine Orifices Divine Stone into one of his Innate Acupoints [the natural energy gateways within a cultivator's body, foundational to many cultivation arts].

This time, the True Spirit Aperture [a specific energy node or gateway associated with the True Spirit realm] Eldrin Chen was refining was the ninth Innate Acupoints, which corresponded to his Innate Divine Ability [a divine ability inherent to one's constitution or cultivation path], the Returning Abyss Wheel [a divine ability manifesting as a wheel of profound, abyssal energy].

Ever since Eldrin Chen had mastered the 'Returning Abyss Wheel', this Innate Divine Ability had never truly demonstrated its full potential.

This was not due to any weakness of the Returning Abyss Wheel itself, but rather because Eldrin Chen's physical body was overwhelmingly powerful.

Compared to a physique fortified by nine great True Spirit Divine Runes [divine symbols of power etched into one's True Spirit] and empowered by two Ultimate Divine Rune [supreme-level divine symbols representing peak mastery], the power of Eldrin Chen's Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core and consciousness of a high-level cultivator, a realm beyond the True Spirit] seemed pitifully weak.

Since the Returning Abyss Wheel was not a True Spirit Divine Ability [a divine ability directly powered by and interacting with one's True Spirit essence], it naturally could not provide Eldrin Chen with a significant boost.

At this moment, with the integration of the Nine Orifices Divine Stone [a legendary stone with nine apertures, said to be the foundation of a supreme treasure], Eldrin Chen immediately sensed a profound transformation occurring within his Nine Great God Forms [a supreme cultivation art manifesting nine divine avatars].

Within the True Spirit Primordial Spirit [the ultimate spiritual core formed by the Nine Great God Forms], the nine apertures blazed with radiant light. The nine Nine Orifices Divine Stone began to tremble violently.

They resonated with one another, weaving together to birth a world-shaking array pattern. The stones then fused of their own accord, ultimately transforming into a simple, ancient-looking Nine-Storied Exquisite Pagoda [a nine-tiered pagoda of exquisite craftsmanship and immense power].

"Boom!"

In that instant, the vast Chaos [the primordial, formless state before creation] trembled violently.

A rent in reality, an indescribable Heavenly Scar [a tear in the fabric of the cosmos], was torn open. From it, boundless Eternal True Spirit [the fundamental, unchanging spiritual essence of the universe] manifested, cascading down with countless True Spirit Imprint [fragments of cosmic law and destiny].

Most of these True Spirit Imprint were absorbed by the nascent pagoda. By the time the phenomenon subsided, the Exquisite Pagoda had transformed into an Immortal Pagoda [a pagoda of immortal grade], shimmering with the overflowing radiance of True Spirit [the highest tier of spiritual essence].

"A Primordial Spirit Treasure [a treasure born from and bound to one's Primordial Spirit]—the Returning Abyss Pagoda."

Gazing upon the nine-tiered pagoda before him, Eldrin Chen murmured softly, revealing the origin of this Primordial Spirit Treasure.

It turned out that once the nine divine stones were gathered, the True Spirit Primordial Spirit would naturally guide their fusion, coalescing them into the True Spirit Pagoda [the Pagoda of True Spirit, the ultimate form of the treasure].

Eldrin Chen did not immediately inspect the True Spirit Pagoda, instead turning his gaze towards a newly added True Spirit Imprint [a profound spiritual mark containing the essence of a True Spirit] within his Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator, representing their soul essence].

While forging this Primordial Spirit Treasure [a treasure forged from and attuned to one's Primordial Spirit], most of the True Spirit Imprint had been absorbed by the Primordial Spirit Pagoda, yet Eldrin Chen had managed to intercept and retain a portion of these imprints.

Without a moment's hesitation, Eldrin Chen now channeled these captured True Spirit Imprint directly into his Returning Abyss Wheel [a divine ability manifesting as a wheel symbolizing the cycle of return to the primordial abyss].

When the spiritual turbulence finally subsided, Eldrin Chen's Returning Abyss Wheel had undergone a profound metamorphosis, ascending to the level of a True Spirit Divine Ability [a divine ability empowered by the essence of a True Spirit].

"Six True Spirit Divine Runes," Eldrin Chen murmured, his voice a low whisper.

With the sixth True Spirit Divine Runes [mystical runes inscribed with the power of a True Spirit] now fully formed, he felt the potency of his Primordial Spirit surge once more, its strength increasing by a full sixty percent.

Then, lowering his gaze, he turned his senses inward to commune with and comprehend the power now residing within the Primordial Spirit Treasure.

After a period of deep attunement, Eldrin Chen swiftly grasped the profound mysteries and functions of this newly forged Primordial Spirit Treasure.

Foremost among its powers was its ability to shield and fortify his Primordial Spirit. With this treasure guarding his True Spirit Primordial Spirit [a Primordial Spirit refined to the level of a True Spirit], the defensive capabilities of Eldrin Chen's spiritual core would be vastly enhanced.

Henceforth, even First Realm of Chaos [powerful beings from the primordial chaos] adept in the arts of Celestial Mechanism [the manipulation of fate and cosmic principles] and insidious curses would find it exceedingly difficult to harm Eldrin Chen through such indirect, spiritual means.

Secondly, the Returning Abyss Pagoda possesses the wondrous property of Amplification Divine Ability [the power to magnify the potency of other abilities]. This treasure has a Nine-Storied Pagoda Body [a physical form with nine distinct tiers], and each tier can house a single Innate Divine Ability [a divine power born from one's own cultivation and comprehension].

Once a divine ability is placed within the pagoda, it receives the treasure's empowerment, causing its might to be greatly enhanced.

The nine tiers of the pagoda each provide a different level of empowerment to the divine abilities they contain.

Within the nine-tiered pagoda, the first tier can Amplification Divine Ability [magnify a divine ability's power] by onefold, the second tier by twofold, and the third tier by threefold.

Following this pattern, the final, ninth tier of the pagoda can Amplification Divine Ability [magnify a divine ability's power] by a full ninefold.

Such amplification could elevate an Innate Divine Ability [a divine power born from one's own cultivation and comprehension] to rival a True Spirit Divine Ability [a divine power derived from the essence of a primordial spirit or true spirit], and could push the power of a True Spirit Divine Ability [a divine power derived from the essence of a primordial spirit or true spirit] to its absolute limit.

"What a formidable nine-tiered pagoda,"

Eldrin Chen murmured softly, a flicker of astonishment crossing his features.

According to the pagoda's tiered amplification, a divine ability housed within the ninth tier would have its power elevated to a truly terrifying degree.

This capability alone was enough for the Fleshly Body Sanctification [an ascetic path focused on tempering the physical body to divine levels] lineage to stand as an equal.

It can be anticipated that if one were to cultivate the Nine True Spirit Apertures [the pinnacle state of opening all nine spiritual gateways], the divine ability housed within that ninth True Spirit Aperture [a fundamental spiritual gateway] would be amplified to a truly terrifying degree.

In terms of pure explosive power and versatility of methods, a Soul Path Heavenly Emperor [a supreme cultivator who has mastered the path of the soul] who has attained the Primordial Spirit Path Attainment [a profound cultivation art focusing on the primordial spirit] would likely surpass one who has achieved Fleshly Body Sanctification [the art of perfecting and immortalizing the physical body].

However, while those with Fleshly Body Sanctification may lack in sudden bursts of power, their baseline combat prowess is utterly Extraordinary, capable of maintaining peak condition at all times. Thus, each path possesses its own distinct advantages and trade-offs.

"Legend speaks of three Ultimate Divine Ability [divine powers of the highest order] among the True Spirit Divine Ability [divine abilities born from the true spirit apertures]: those of Destiny [the inscrutable force of fate], Tribulation [the power to command heavenly retribution], and Karma [the law of cause and effect]. Mastering any single one is said to be enough to reign supreme across the Vast and Boundless Chaos [the infinite primordial chaos beyond the worlds]."

"My Returning Abyss Wheel [the Wheel of the Returning Abyss] is a divine ability unheard of in the annals of time. I wonder if it qualifies as an Ultimate Divine Ability?"

Eldrin Chen murmured these thoughts inwardly, an inscrutable light flickering deep within his eyes.