Chapter 1990 : Daoist Taizhuo

"Then I thank you."

After settling the matters at the Danxuan Hall, Eldrin departed from the Danxuan Heaven.

After exiting Danxuan Hall, just as he was about to leave the Primordial Immortal Realm, a gentle voice suddenly reached his ears: "Young friend, might you spare a moment for conversation?"

Eldrin (Person Name) froze momentarily before immediately lifting his gaze toward the distance.

Before them stood an ancient immortal mountain, upon which a simple pavilion stood. Within it sat an elder, his hair and beard as white as snow.

With just a single glance, a faint flicker of astonishment passed through Eldrin's pupils.

This man's aura was as placid as still water, appearing at first glance like an old Daoist without a trace of cultivation. Yet upon closer inspection, his inner depths seemed unfathomable as the abyssal ocean.

This was highly unusual, for even when facing the Black Abyss Emperor, Eldrin could sense the boundless intensity of his aura while still being able to perceive exactly how powerful he truly was.

Yet facing this man, Eldrin felt his own aura was as insignificant as an ant’s, as if they did not even exist on the same plane of existence.

At this thought, Eldrin's expression shifted slightly. He immediately stepped onto the pavilion, his demeanor calm as he cupped his hands in salute and said, "I pay my respects to you, Senior. May I ask who you are?"

"Take a seat first."

The old Daoist smiled and motioned for Eldrin (Person Name) to sit. After carefully observing Eldrin (Person Name) for a long moment, he finally said with a laugh, "You cultivate 3 paths simultaneously, and have even pioneered a Great Dao."

"Young friend, your talent truly lives up to the rumors. You will likely join our ranks in the future."

"So saying," the old Taoist stroked his long beard and explained with a smile, "This humble 1's Daoist title is Taizhuo. I've come today solely to make your acquaintance, young friend."

"Turbid?"

Eldrin's face abruptly shifted, revealing a trace of astonishment.

Among the 3 1000 immortal realms, only the most ancient beings were qualified to bear the title of "Prime".

These were all the first generation of Fate Divinities from the Primal Immortal Realm, such as the Grand Abyss Immortal Sage, the Grand Primordium Dao Ancestor, the Grand Genesis Divine Emperor, and others—all existences bearing the "Grand" epithet.

The man before him bore the Daoist title of Taizhuo, a figure of such exalted status that even Eldrin (Person Name) had long been thunderstruck by his reputation.

Taizhuo, the primordial Lord of 10 1000 Beasts in the Primal Immortal Domain and the ancestral progenitor of the Qilin who led the 100 Spirit Tribes, possessed cultivation reaching the Quasi-Sage realm. He was originally 1 of the heaven-ordained Celestial Sovereigns of the Primordial Era.

In an instant, Eldrin recalled this person’s origins and immediately spoke with deep reverence, “To think it is the Primordial Qilin in person. I failed to recognize you earlier—my most sincere apologies.”

"Formalities are unnecessary."

The Elder of Turbid Extremes shook his head, yet replied with a gentle smile, "My presence here today is merely to witness the rising talents of our younger generation."

As he spoke, Grand Elder Taizhuo smiled again and said, "I have long heard of your extraordinary talent, possessing the bearing of a future Dao Ancestor. I initially thought it was an exaggeration by the younger generation, but seeing you in person truly surpasses mere reputation."

"You flatter me. Compared to a senior like you, I still have a long way to go on my path."

Eldrin responded courteously. After conversing with the Primordial Qilin for a short while, he could not help but ask, "Senior, you sought me out this time—might there be an important matter?"

Hearing this, the Kirin Ancestor smiled and shook his head.

He pondered for a moment before speaking. "I sought you out today because I recognize your extraordinary potential. I wish to see if you could become this old man's ally in the future."

"Future allies?"

Eldrin (Person Name) froze momentarily, a trace of bewilderment flickering across his expression.

Witnessing this, the Qilin Ancestor spoke, "For an existence of my level, 1 who has reached the quasi-sage realm, to advance further and set foot in the realm of the Dao Ancestor Immortal Sage, 1 must seize the Primordial Chaos Primordial Qi to achieve a breakthrough."

However, the Chaos Primordial Qi was exceedingly rare. Each time it emerged, it would attract hordes of Quasi-Sages and even Chaos Celestial Emperors to vie for it. The hope of a lone individual obtaining the Chaos Primordial Qi was far too slim.

"Thus, to vie for the Primordial Chaos Qi, we quasi-sages would forge alliances among ourselves, hoping to bolster our chances of a breakthrough."

Eldrin nodded slightly upon hearing this.

The Primordial Chaos Qi was far too precious; even the Chaos Heavenly Emperor would find it immensely difficult to obtain a single wisp. Without sufficient strength and profound foundations, the likelihood of a lone individual acquiring the Chaos Qi was virtually negligible.

Even the sporadic wisps of Primordial Chaos Qi that occasionally emerged within the Chaotic Desolate Sea were mostly guarded by immensely powerful Chaos Behemoths. For a single Quasi-Sage to attempt harvesting it, the likelihood of success was vanishingly small.

If 2 or 3 Demi-Sages were to join forces, there might be a glimmer of hope to contend against it.

At this thought, Eldrin spoke: "The paths of us immortals have always been shrouded in uncertainty. How can you, Senior, be so certain that this junior can break through to the Quasi-Sage Realm?"

"Your path of fate is truly extraordinary and fraught with hardships."

The Primordial Qilin nodded and said, "You have quite a few adversaries on the Great Dao, and within the 7 Domains of the Southern Abyss, there are several powerful beings whom even I regard with a hint of caution."

"But if you can secure this old man's assistance, your chances of steadily advancing to the Quasi-Saint realm shall be no less than 30 percent."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin instantly seemed to grasp something.

He seemed to have grasped something and spoke, "The Nether Emperor of the Nether Clan... could it be you, Senior...?"

The Primordial Qilin chuckled lightly and spoke in a placid tone, "He is merely at the mid-stage of the Primordial Chaos Emperor Realm. A single word from us would suffice to settle this."

As he spoke thus, the Kirin Elder declared, "Should you require it, capturing the 3 elders—Desolate Ape, Nether Profound, and Gold Spirit—would pose no great trouble for this old man."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin’s expression shifted slightly. Those 3 great adversaries of his were all exalted Primordial Chaos Emperors.

Yet from the mouth of the Kirin Ancestor, it sounded as simple as catching a few stray cats and dogs. The implications hidden within were utterly terrifying.

Yet upon careful reflection, it seemed this was only to be expected.

After all, the Primordial Qilin was ranked first among the 5 Paragons of the 3 1000 Immortal Domains, whereas the Primordial Peng and the Ancient Azure Crow were both slightly inferior by comparison.

In this era where the Chaos Heavenly Emperor remains unseen, the Qilin Ancestor stands unrivaled across the 3,000 immortal realms.

In truth, given the strength and status of the Primordial Qilin, even if the Sun Heavenly Emperor were to strike personally, he might not be able to completely subdue the Primordial Qilin.

Moreover, the Primordial Qilin had always maintained amicable relations with the human race. With powerful figures like the Primordial Dao Progenitor keeping the Sun Emperor in check, the Primordial Qilin became an existence almost beyond restraint. Its status in the eyes of the 3 clans could truly be described as supremely exalted.

With his strength at the Sublime Sage realm, capturing a few early or middle-stage Primordial Chaos Emperor experts would hardly pose any significant challenge for such a figure.

At this thought, Eldrin felt a stirring in his heart.

If the Primordial Qilin were to take action and help him slay a few of his Great Dao adversaries, his cultivation in the Great Dao would advance by leaps and bounds once more.

But after careful consideration, he ultimately abandoned this plan, for relying on others to suppress his Great Dao adversary seemed somewhat dishonorable.

Moreover, everything comes at a price. Once this is done, you would owe the Qilin Ancestor an immense favor. Should the time come to repay it, I fear the cost would be staggering.

Most crucially, Eldrin knew in his heart that his true mortal enemy was none other than invincible sovereigns like the Pure Yang Emperor, not early or mid-stage Chaos Unity sovereigns such as the Primal Ape Emperor.

Eliminating these individuals now would likely force the Pure Yang Great Emperor and his allies to cast aside all decorum, even uniting with more formidable adversaries of the Great Dao against him.

At this thought, Eldrin immediately cupped his hands and said, "This junior appreciates Senior's kindness."

"Yet when it comes to adversaries on the Great Path, only by settling accounts 1 by 1 with my own power can I remain true to my Dao Heart."

"Good."

Elder Taizhuo nodded slightly, offering no further words.

With a flick of his sleeve, he produced a treasure box and handed it to Eldrin, saying, “Since this is our first meeting, these modest treasures may prove useful to you. Consider them a greeting gift.”

Eldrin was momentarily taken aback and hurriedly attempted to decline, yet he discovered that with a mere flick of his sleeve, Elder Taizhuo had already vanished from the pavilion.

Within the pavilion, only a single treasure box now rose and fell amidst the currents. A voice drifted across: "Young friend, devote yourself to earnest cultivation. May the day come when this old man can sit with you and discourse upon the Dao."

Seeing this, Eldrin had no choice but to put away the treasure box.

He rose to his feet, cupping his hands in salute toward the direction where Elder Taizhuo had departed. "My gratitude for the treasure you bestowed, Elder. This junior shall engrave this kindness in his heart."

Amidst the ethereal mists veiling the mountain peak, no lingering echoes were heard—only a gentle voice emerged.

"Go now!"

Eldrin bid farewell to the pavilion and returned to the Abyssal Immortal Realm, only then opening the treasure bestowed by the Qilin Progenitor.

Within the treasure box, a simple and unadorned jade stone drifted in gentle undulation, emanating a hazy, multicolored radiance.

Kylin Jade.

The moment she laid eyes on this treasure, Lyra’s expression shifted slightly, and she couldn’t help but ask, “Where did you get this?”

"This was a gift from Senior Taizhuo."

Eldrin began recounting the experiences of this journey.

After listening, Lyra (Person Name) fell into thoughtful silence before remarking, "Daoist Tai Zhuo possessed extraordinary innate talent—destined to become 1 of the predetermined Chaos Ancient Emperors. What a pity..."

A faint glimmer of regret flickered in Eldrin's eyes.

The Primordial Immortal Realm possessed a considerable rank of existence, and should have naturally given birth to 9 Chaos Heavenly Emperors. However, due to the intervention of that expert at the second stage of the Chaos Realm, the Heavenly Dao fell into a deep slumber.

During the time when the Heavenly Dao of the Primal Immortal Domain fell into slumber, the 9 Heavenly Mandate Divine Emperors lost the blessings of the Heavenly Dao. The first 3 who achieved enlightenment seized the opportunities of those who came after them.

Apart from the Lunar God Emperor, who was also of the divine race, the other 5 Heaven-ordained God Emperors had all lost their Primordial Chaos Qi. Grandmaster Taizhuo was naturally 1 of them.

At this thought, Eldrin couldn't help but inquire, "Can this Tai Zhuo truly be trusted?"

Lyra did not answer directly, but instead spoke softly, "In the primordial era of antiquity, the Primordial Gods reigned supreme over all under heaven, while the myriad races could only survive by clinging to their favor."

In ancient times, the Sun Sovereign united myriad races to establish the Demon Court. Since then, the demonic races had dominated the cosmos through tens of thousands of kalpas, while celestial beings and the 100 spirit tribes found themselves increasingly hard-pressed.

"Yet whether it be the myriad races of the primordial era or the 100 spirit clans of the ancient and contemporary ages, all have existed under the aegis of Grand Daoist Tai Zhuo."

At this point, Lyra (Person Name) remarked meaningfully, "Before humanity rose to prominence, before the emergence of Dao Ancestors and Immortal Sages, we were but 1 among the myriad ancient races—1 of the 100 immortal spirits."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin (Person Name) immediately understood.

Before the human race produced any Dao Ancestors or Immortal Sages, they were once part of the Myriad Ancient Races, and later belonged to the 100 Immortal Spirit Races.

In those ancient times, the human race was far from mighty, dwelling even at the lower echelons among the myriad clans of the primordial era. For ages, they remained merely within the middle ranks of the 100 Races of Immortal Spirits.

Under such circumstances, the relationship between the human race and the Qilin race remained exceptionally strong. Even now, as humanity has become the dominant power across the 3,000 immortal domains, the 2 Dao Ancestor Immortal Sages still maintain an excellent relationship with the Qilin Progenitor. This clearly demonstrates that the Qilin Progenitor's character is unlikely to be significantly flawed.

At this thought, Eldrin spoke up: "We owe him a favor. If our cultivation reaches sufficient strength in the future, it wouldn't hurt to watch out for each other."

Saying this, Eldrin (Person Name) gazed at the Ancient Qilin Jade, a faint smile unconsciously gracing his lips.

The Ancient Qilin Jade bestowed by the Primordial Qilin was a unique top-tier Chaos Spirit Treasure. Though it possessed no power-enhancing effects, it could moderately accelerate the cultivation speed of both Great Luo Golden Immortals and Chaos Sovereigns.

According to Eldrin's (Person Name) estimation, cultivating with this ancient Kirin jade in hand would significantly accelerate his foundation-building progress. The time required to break through to the eighth level of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm would likely be shortened by approximately 30 percent from the current baseline.

At this thought, Eldrin spoke: "With this Ancient Qilin Jade as the primary array eye, supplemented by the 3 supreme-grade innate spiritual treasures—the Sun God Pearl, Moon God Pearl, and Star God Pearl—we should be able to construct a top-tier cultivation sanctuary."

"By then, all the Great Luo Golden Immortals of our clan shall reap the benefits."

As he spoke, Eldrin immediately began setting up the formation, spending over 200,000 years to successfully arrange the dao field.

Once the grand formation was completed, Eldrin discovered that the newly established dao sanctuary possessed the effect of tempering and refining 1's foundation, capable of increasing a Golden Immortal's cultivation speed by approximately 30 to 40 percent.

Most crucially, the grand formation possessed astonishing power, capable of simultaneously accommodating 12 Great Luo Golden Immortals in cultivation, making it the most supreme training sanctuary.

To return to our story, after the grand formation was fully deployed, Eldrin decided to test it with a brief cultivation session. It was then that he sensed the Sovereign of Nanxu was on the verge of emerging from seclusion.

Thus, he did not linger and immediately departed from the Realm of Returning Abyss, arriving within the Primordial Immortal Realm.

Within the towering celestial palace of Danxuan Heaven, Eldrin had waited for what felt like an eternity before he finally laid eyes on the Emperor of Nanxu.

At this moment, Emperor Nanwei had clearly just emerged from seclusion. His cyan imperial robes still carried traces of ethereal energy, while weariness lingered upon his visage.

Evidently, even for an existence like the Southern Swamp Emperor, concocting a Chaos Origin-tier elixir demanded immense mental exertion.

Even so, Emperor Nanwei held Eldrin (Person Name) in considerable regard. He personally received Eldrin (Person Name) and, after having tea served to him, came straight to the point: "I've heard you've come to request that I refine the Primordial Chaos Elixir (Immortal Pill), fellow daoist?"

Eldrin nodded and directly manifested the remains of the Li Fire Demon God, then stated, "This is the very body of the Demon God."

The Southern Swamp Emperor’s pupils contracted slightly, then he smiled and said, “This Li Fire Demon God has cultivated to the third level of the Primordial Chaos Emperor Realm. Even if I were to strike personally, it would be difficult to suppress and slay him.”

"I never imagined you possessed such methods, Fellow Daoist. Truly, I am utterly impressed."

Eldrin shook his head and said humbly, "It was only because the Flame Demon God was overly arrogant. I merely managed to defeat him by leveraging the advantages of my formation."

The Southern Swamp Emperor nodded, yet he did not fully believe these words.

Although the power of formations is formidable, often allowing 1 to fight above their cultivation level, its effectiveness ultimately depends on the strength of the enemy they face.