Chapter 2091 : A Forbidden Alliance Refused

Eldrin Chen even suspected that this Path Ancestor Taihu [the founding ancestor of the Grand Pot lineage] was, if not already a Half-Step Path Union Supreme [a cultivator on the very threshold of the supreme realm where all paths converge], then likely not far from that profound domain.

With this thought in mind, Eldrin Chen pondered briefly before speaking candidly: "Through this act, I wish to forge an alliance with the lineage of the Primordial Domain of Grand Pot [the ancient and foundational realm associated with the Grand Pot]."

"An alliance?"

The Path Ancestor Taihu's gaze flickered slightly. After a moment, he shook his head. "My Primordial Domain of Grand Pot has always remained aloof from external conflicts and has no desire to involve itself in the struggles between the great powers."

"Therefore, let us speak no more of an alliance."

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen's heart sank slightly, and he largely understood the Path Ancestor Taihu's perspective.

The situation of the Spiritual Treasure [enchanted artifacts of immense power] lineage that achieved the Dao was unique. As they were all Chaos Spiritual Artifact [artifacts born from primordial chaos] that had taken human form, they could theoretically be refined once more into Chaos Spiritual Artifact with even greater potential for growth.

For this reason, throughout the ages, the various Chaos Heavenly Emperor [supreme titles for those who rule over chaos] of the Path Ancestor Taihu's lineage had been coveted by powerful enemies across all realms.

Consequently, for many years, the Taihu Lineage [the sect and descendants of Path Ancestor Taihu] had maintained a low profile, striving to avoid entanglement in any conflict.

Thus, even with the promise of a Chaos Spiritual Treasure Embryo [the nascent, unformed core of a Chaos Spiritual Artifact], the Path Ancestor Taihu was unwilling to be drawn lightly into the fray.

Contemplating this, Eldrin Chen fell into a brief, thoughtful silence before speaking. "Senior need not worry overmuch. The terms of this alliance can indeed be amended."

"Oh?"

Path Ancestor Taihu's eyes flickered with a subtle light. She did not voice her question, merely waiting for Eldrin Chen to continue.

After another moment of consideration, Eldrin Chen spoke again. "How about we change the condition? When I initiate conflict with others, the Taihu Lineage may choose not to intervene."

"But if I find myself in true peril, could you, Senior, do your utmost to lend aid?"

Upon hearing this, Path Ancestor Taihu sank into contemplation.

Though both were forms of alliance, the implications were vastly different.

A mutual defense pact would require her participation in any war Eldrin Chen chose to wage. However, an agreement to assist only in times of dire peril presented a far more manageable situation for the Taihu Lineage.

Considering this, Path Ancestor Taihu replied thoughtfully, "So long as it does not mean directly confronting a Path Union Supreme [a supreme being who has unified multiple cultivation paths], we shall do our best to aid you should you face a crisis."

"Agreed."

Eldrin Chen gave a nod, acknowledging the words of Path Ancestor Taihu.

After all, the Taihu Lineage possessed six Heavenly Emperors [the supreme rulers of a heavenly domain], and Future likely commanded eight such sovereigns, offering immense support.

Seeing Eldrin Chen's agreement, Path Ancestor Taihu smiled and said, "Of course, we would not let you suffer a loss."

"Let it be thus: I shall add another Chaos Spiritual Treasure [a treasure born from the primordial chaos, containing immense and ancient power] to exchange for this Myriad Phoenix Chime."

So saying, Path Ancestor Taihu produced several Chaos Spiritual Treasures, allowing Eldrin Chen to choose one for himself.

Eldrin Chen glanced over the treasures. His gaze swept past a stone brimming with primordial essence, and his expression brightened with delight. "My thanks, then," he said.

"This Primordial Great Path Stone [a primordial stone containing the essence of the Great Dao] will be of great use to me. I shall accept it without further ceremony."

Path Ancestor Taihu gave a slight nod and casually tossed the Primordial Great Path Stone to Eldrin Chen. Then, as if struck by a thought, he offered a reminder:

"I know your aspirations soar high, but the Ultimate Divine Form [the pinnacle state of divine cultivation, merging one's being with the fundamental laws] is profoundly difficult to achieve."

"Now that the turmoil in Heaven Abyss [a celestial realm of profound mysteries and dangers] is nearing its end, you must still act within your means when the crucial moment arrives."

"My thanks for the reminder, Senior."

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod and immediately clasped his hands in gratitude.

Seeing this, Path Ancestor Taihu said no more, and in the end, he and Eldrin Chen established a pact of mutual assistance.

After completing all this, Eldrin Chen then silently returned to the Primordial Immortal Domain.

"..."

Upon returning to the Primordial Immortal Domain, Eldrin Chen took out the Primordial Great Path Stone in his hand and could not help but fall into deep contemplation.

In his cultivation journey thus far, he had already mastered two of the four Ultimate Divine Runes: the Chaos and the Returning Abyss.

Among them, the Chaos Divine Rune had already transformed into the Chaos Divine Form. The remaining three Great God forms—Returning Abyss, Space-Time, and Oblivion—had not yet been cultivated into their respective Divine Forms.

To cultivate an Ultimate Divine Form, one must possess a Chaos Spiritual Artifact whose attributes are perfectly aligned with it.

Whether it is a Chaos Spiritual Artifact of Space-Time, Returning Abyss, or Oblivion attributes, they are among the rarest of Chaos Spiritual Artifacts. Gathering them is a challenge nearly as difficult as ascending to the heavens.

The most reliable method would still be to use the Primordial Great Path Stone [a legendary stone embodying the foundational principles of the cosmos] as the foundation, supplemented by sufficient opportunity and fortune, to have a reasonable certainty of successfully forging it.

"With this piece, I now possess two Primordial Great Path Stone."

"Forging a Chaos Spiritual Artifact [a supreme treasure born from primordial chaos] of the Returning Abyss Attribute [the attribute of the profound, all-encompassing abyss] is the relatively simpler task. With the help of the Returning Abyss Pearl [a pearl containing the essence of the abyss], success might be possible by seizing precisely that pivotal moment when a Primordial Immortal Domain [a primordial realm of immortals] returns to the Returning Abyss [the ultimate void where all things end and begin anew]."

"However, to forge a Chaos Spiritual Artifact imbued with the Oblivion [the concept of absolute annihilation and erasure] attribute, it would likely require a trace of the opportunity imprint from an Oblivion supreme treasure itself."

Eldrin Chen murmured inwardly, his thoughts churning incessantly.

Within the Chaos [the primordial, formless state before creation], there exists only one supreme treasure of the Oblivion attribute—the Blade of Oblivion [the legendary weapon of absolute erasure], one of the peerless Chaos Supreme Treasure [the ultimate treasures born from primordial chaos].

Such a treasure is undoubtedly wielded by an unfathomable being of the Sovereign Realm [the realm of ultimate cosmic sovereigns] within the Chaos. Eldrin Chen possesses no qualification to even approach such an entity, let alone obtain a sliver of the Oblivion opportunity.

"Perhaps only that method remains."

Eldrin Chen whispered to himself, yet immediately shook his head in denial.

In truth, an opportunity for Oblivion did exist. It lay in returning to the instant, tens of thousands of Kalpa Tribulation [a cosmic cycle of immense duration, often involving cataclysmic change] ago, when the Immortal Cosmos Primordial Domain [the original, primordial realm of the immortal cosmos] was utterly extinguished.

If Eldrin Chen were to ascend against the current of the River of Space-Time and face the strike of the Blade of Oblivion head-on, there might be a sliver of hope to grasp a trace of enlightenment regarding the Oblivion [the state of absolute nothingness and erasure].

Yet, the Blade of Oblivion was far too terrifying, and it was personally wielded by a Chaos Sovereign [a supreme being who commands the primordial forces of chaos].

Given his current level of cultivation, to directly face the Blade of Oblivion would be virtually indistinguishable from courting death.

Even with the protection of the Returning Abyss Divine Rune, Eldrin Chen dared not entertain even the faintest hope of survival.

This was a path of certain doom, a road of no return. Unless he was truly backed into a corner with no other choice, Eldrin Chen would never consider taking such a risk.

"Enough. The pressing matter now is cultivation," he murmured to himself.

After a long period of silent contemplation, Eldrin Chen shook his head, suppressing that dangerous thought deep within his mind.

Thereafter, Eldrin Chen resumed his life of secluded cultivation. On one hand, he delved into the intricacies of the Sacrificial Self Path [a profound cultivation method centered on self-transcendence through sacrifice], and on the other, he began to consolidate his foundation in preparation for his breakthrough to the realm of Chaos Heavenly Emperor [a sovereign title signifying mastery over primordial chaos].

Thus, time flowed onward, and in the blink of an eye, several dozen Kalpa Tribulation [immense cosmic cycles spanning billions of years] had passed.

Then, on this very day, Eldrin Chen suddenly sensed the emergence of an immensely powerful aura. In response, the Great Path Divine Form [the ultimate divine manifestation of one's cultivation path] associated with his Sacrificial Self Path began to undergo a continuous and profound metamorphosis.

Ultimately, upon the grand Sacrificial Self Path [a profound cultivation method centered on self-sacrifice and transcendence], a new Great Path Divine Form [a supreme manifestation of one's cultivated path, embodying immense power] was born.

"The Limitless Great Path."

Gazing at the Sacrificial Self Path now possessing ten Great Path Divine Form, Eldrin Chen felt a tremor in his heart, his expression blooming with joy.

It turned out that after all these years, the number of Great Emperors [the sovereign realm of cultivation, commanding vast power over laws] within the Sacrificial Self Path lineage had finally reached nine. This allowed the Path to completely shatter the Limit-Breaker [a legendary threshold representing the ultimate limit of a cultivation system] boundary, ascending into the domain of the Limitless Great Path [a transcendent state of a cultivation art, representing boundless potential and evolution].

Realizing this, Eldrin Chen focused his senses for a moment, then said with a smile, "So it was Lingering Ye who achieved the breakthrough."

Over these years, the number of Great Emperors within the Sacrificial Self Path lineage had steadily grown. As Eldrin Chen's seventh disciple, Lingering Ye had been one of the slower ones to advance.

Her senior brothers, such as Verdant Peak Lu, Literature Abyss Lu, and Fate Extinction, having broken through earlier, had all ascended to Great Emperors dozens of Kalpa Tribulations [immense cosmic cycles marking epochs of time and tribulation] ago.

Lingering Ye had been delayed for a long time. Her ability to break through to the Great Emperor Realm so swiftly now was primarily due to the empowerment from the Primordial Chaos Ancestral Vein [the supreme source vein of primordial chaos energy, the foundation of a nascent domain] within the newly born Primordial Domain [a nascent, foundational realm born from primordial chaos].

With this thought, Eldrin Chen promptly emerged from his secluded cultivation chamber and inquired of Exquisite Jiang, "How fares the situation in the Savage Primordial Domain [a primordial domain characterized by its untamed, chaotic nature]?"

Exquisite Jiang, possessing deep understanding of the matter, smiled and replied, "Their accumulated foundation is profound. They should not be far from the Sage Ascendant Realm [the realm of a Sage Ascendant, one who stands at the pinnacle below the true Sages]."

Seeing this, Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod of understanding. He then turned his gaze to Exquisite Jiang and inquired, "I see your cultivation foundation is exceptionally solid. When do you plan to attempt the next great advancement?"

Exquisite Jiang shook her head gently before replying, "My path is one of extreme difficulty. To truly set foot upon the Sage Ascendant Realm [the realm of those who have ascended to sagehood], I fear a vast distance still lies before me."

Hearing her words, Eldrin Chen nodded in agreement.

Exquisite Jiang also cultivated five Great Paths [supreme cultivation arts] simultaneously. Although her primary Great Path was not the Limitless Great Path, it was still among the most supreme and profound arts of its kind.

While simultaneously cultivating five such Great Paths, the difficulty of achieving complete Path Mastery [the state of perfect comprehension and command over one's cultivation path] was immense for her.

Therefore, for Exquisite Jiang, the optimal strategy was to first attain the Soul Path Heavenly Emperor [a supreme realm focused on mastering the soul and spirit] before attempting to break through her own Path Mastery cultivation.

In truth, Exquisite Jiang had been following this very approach for many years, dedicating the majority of her efforts to refining her Primordial Spirit [the foundational spiritual core of a cultivator].

Through relentless cultivation of the Nine Souls Ancient Scroll [an ancient and profound scripture for soul division and refinement], Exquisite Jiang had already manifested nine avatars at the Primordial One Imperial Lord Realm [a powerful realm just below that of a Great Emperor]. One of these avatars had even stepped into the late-stage of that realm.

According to Exquisite Jiang's own design, she intended to accumulate a sufficient foundational reservoir. Once she had cultivated nine Great Emperor [a title for a sovereign-level cultivator] split-souls, she would directly fuse all nine Primordial Spirits to break through into the Soul Path Heavenly Emperor Realm.

Should this endeavor succeed, she would not only become a paragon among Soul Path Heavenly Emperors, but the formidable challenge of her Path of Path Mastery would likely be resolved as a natural consequence.

After comprehending this, Eldrin Chen could not help but muse thoughtfully before speaking: "Although the Nine Souls Ancient Scroll [an ancient scripture detailing a profound soul-splitting cultivation method] is profoundly mysterious, its requirements are also exceedingly stringent."

"The difficulty of cultivating nine separate souls, each reaching the Great Emperor Realm [the pinnacle realm of a Great Emperor], is nearly comparable to an ant attempting to ascend to the heavens."

"For you, my lady, to achieve your aspirations, you must first understand your own unique circumstances and then assimilate the essence from the myriad other scriptures. Only then might you fulfill your heart's desire."

Exquisite Jiang nodded, yet a slight frown creased her brow as she replied, "I have studied the Three Souls Ancient Book [a foundational text on soul cultivation], delved into the Nine Souls Ancient Scroll, and perused the teachings of countless other schools."

"Yet these two supreme texts from the Chaos Heaven [a primordial and chaotic realm of great antiquity] have already reached a state of flawless perfection. I find it difficult to surpass the master and create something superior."

Eldrin Chen merely smiled and said, "In my view, there has never been a perfect path in this world. The strongest path is the one most suited to oneself."

"Suited to oneself?" Exquisite Jiang murmured softly, a pensive expression settling upon her features as she fell into deep contemplation.

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod of affirmation and continued, "Those who learn from me may live; those who merely imitate me shall perish."

"If you and I were to cultivate the Nine Souls Ancient Scroll as it is, we would never, in our entire lifetimes, surpass its original creator."

"Only by extracting its essence and integrating it into our own unique paths, transforming it into what is most suitable for us, can we hope to one day rival that legendary Nine Souls Heavenly Emperor [the Heavenly Emperor who authored the Nine Souls Ancient Scroll]."

"Transform it into something that suits oneself?"

Exquisite Jiang murmured to herself, falling into deep contemplation.

Eldrin Chen nodded slightly, then said with a hint of a smile, "Let us work together to perfect the method of the Soul Path Heavenly Emperor [the supreme cultivation realm focused on the soul's path]."

In the years that followed, Eldrin Chen and Exquisite Jiang began working together to refine the method of the Soul Path Heavenly Emperor.

They validated each other's insights, drawing upon the wisdom of the two great Soul Path Heavenly Book [profound scriptures detailing the soul's cultivation path], and each forged their own distinct path.

Based on the profound mysteries of the Nine Souls Ancient Scroll, Exquisite Jiang pioneered a unique path of pure Yin Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator].

She differentiated the five Great Path [fundamental cultivation arts] she cultivated. Using her five Great Path Divine Form [divine manifestations of her cultivation arts] as a foundation, she fused them into the differentiated Primordial Spirit, cultivating five supremely powerful avatars.

These five Great Path were the Celestial Unity True Water, the Supreme Lunar Immortal Metal, the Primal Shadow Divine Wood, the Sixfold Lunar Immortal Fire [a profound fire art with six lunar cycles], and the Ninefold Lunar Frigid Earth [an earth art of ninefold lunar cold]—five supreme Great Path.

Such powerful Great Path Divine Form, once fused with the split souls to form avatars, granted them talents comparable to the most elite Great Emperor [a pinnacle cultivation realm], completely overcoming the inherent weakness of insufficient aptitude in split souls.

Prior to this, the nine split souls Exquisite Jiang could create at most would have their potential largely exhausted upon reaching the Primordial One Imperial Lord Mid Stage [the middle stage of the Primordial One Imperial Lord realm].

But now, after integrating the five Great Path Divine Form [divine manifestations of fundamental cosmic laws], these five split souls can not only cultivate to the Great Emperor Realm [the realm of a Great Emperor, a pinnacle sovereign power], but also possess the potential to step into the Sage Ascendant Realm [the realm of a Sage Ascendant, a being who has ascended to the threshold of sagehood].

In other words, theoretically, under the most optimal circumstances, Exquisite Jiang could possess five split souls at the Top-Tier Sage Ascendant [the highest echelon within the Sage Ascendant realm] level.

"By merging the split souls with the Great Path Foundation [the foundational cultivation method based on a Great Path], one can compensate for innate talent deficiencies."

"My lady, having created this art, it seems attaining the Soul Path Heavenly Emperor [the Heavenly Emperor realm on the Path of the Soul] in the future will be a matter of course."

Witnessing Exquisite Jiang use the Nine Souls Ancient Scroll [an ancient scripture detailing the art of splitting and cultivating multiple souls] as a foundation, combining it with her own insights to create a supreme and profound method, a trace of heartfelt satisfaction surfaced on Eldrin Chen's face.

Exquisite Jiang smiled, her voice tinged with joy, "If not for your guidance, my lord, I might not have been able to forge this path that suits me so perfectly."

"Moreover, I believe this method is also profoundly compatible with you, my lord."

Eldrin Chen nodded in agreement, acknowledging the truth in Exquisite Jiang's words.

The split soul method created by Exquisite Jiang required the integration of cultivated Great Path Divine Form [divine manifestations of fundamental cosmic laws] to resolve the issue of insufficient innate talent.

To cultivate this art, one must have mastered more than one Great Path [a fundamental cosmic law or principle]. Eldrin Chen, who had grasped five Limitless Great Path [Great Paths representing the concept of the boundless and infinite], was naturally suited to practice this scripture.

Yet, Eldrin Chen merely furrowed his brow slightly, showing no sign of joy. Instead, he sank into deep contemplation.

Seeing this, Exquisite Jiang could not help but ask, "Husband, is your technique still difficult to perfect completely?"

"Mm."

Eldrin Chen nodded, then revealed a somewhat solemn expression.

He wished to combine the Dreamwalking Path Attainment Art [a supreme method for cultivating the Primordial Spirit through dreams], the Path of the Mortal Dust Dream Butterfly [a profound concept of enlightenment through the illusory nature of mortal existence], and the Soul-Splitting Art [a mystical art for dividing one's soul essence] to create a method for cultivating by splitting one's soul within dreams.

In Eldrin Chen's conception, the Dreamwalking Path Attainment Art was itself a supreme method for cultivating the Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator]. Combining it with the Soul-Splitting Art should have been a perfect match.

Yet, for some unknown reason, Eldrin Chen consistently found it difficult to succeed, feeling that something crucial was still missing.

Thinking of this, Eldrin Chen performed a series of calculations with his fingers for a long while before finally speaking. "The method I am creating combines the Dreamwalking Path Attainment Art with the Soul-Splitting Profound Art [the profound art of soul division].

"It can be called the Path of Dreamwalking Reincarnation [the divine ability of reincarnation through dreamwalking]. It allows for a thousand years of cultivation within a single night's dream. Once practiced, it may circumvent temporal limitations, enabling the cultivation of an immensely powerful soul fragment with extreme speed."

"However, to cultivate this method, one still lacks a strand of Reincarnation Power [the power of the cycle of rebirth]. One must cultivate the Reincarnation Great Path [the great cultivation art of reincarnation] to the Chaos Tier [the primordial chaos level of attainment] to fully fuse the two together."

"Alternatively, one could seek a Chaos Tier Reincarnation treasure [a rare artifact capable of preserving or manipulating the soul's cycle of rebirth]; perhaps that would barely suffice to cultivate this art."

Eldrin Chen spoke methodically, concluding with a tone of gravity, "It seems this method must be set aside for the time being."

Seeing this, Exquisite Jiang expressed regret, saying, "Such a marvelous art is the culmination of the essences of the Dreamwalking Path Attainment Art [an esoteric technique for journeying through the dream realm to attain enlightenment] and the Nine Souls Ancient Scroll [an ancient scripture detailing methods to divide and refine one's spiritual essence]. If one could truly master it, it would likely possess the potential to reach the Third Chaos Realm."