Chapter 2003 : Tianya and the Celestial Maiden

At this thought, a faint smile touched Chen Ethan’s lips. “With these resources,” he said, “we can focus solely on cultivation for the next 10 kalpas.”

"Perhaps within the next 1 100 kalpas, we shall all be able to break through to the realm of Primordial Chaos Emperor."

Upon hearing this, everyone revealed faint smiles, their eyes gleaming with a hint of pride.

Every Great Luo of the Chen clan possessed extraordinary foundations—1 could even say each had the bearing of a Primordial Chaos realm.

But Eldrin’s expression turned grave upon hearing this, and he could not help but remark, “If 20 Primordial Emperors emerge within 1 100 kalpas, it will likely alert those Celestial Emperors.”

Upon hearing this, the other cultivators' expressions grew subtly solemn.

Primordial Chaos Emperors were exceptionally rare; across the 7 domains of the Southern Abyss, the 7 primordial domains combined harbored merely over 3,000 such beings.

The 3 1000 Immortal Domains stood as the foremost among the 7 Domains of the Southern Abyss, yet across the 3 races—humans, demons, and deities—along with the 100 lineages of immortal spirits, there were merely over 700 Primordial Chaos Emperors.

Among them, the human race stands as 1 of the 3 Overlords, yet there are merely over a 100 Primordial Chaos Emperors.

Under such circumstances, if the Chen Immortal Clan (Organization) were to produce 20-some Primordial Chaos Emperors (Cultivation Realm), even a Paragon-level existence might struggle to maintain authority over them.

After all, no matter how astonishing the legacy of the Lunar Emperor might be, it would be impressive enough to nurture a few dozen Great Luo Golden Immortals—the prospect of cultivating several dozen Chaos Origin Emperors was simply staggering.

Lost in these thoughts, Yan Ziqi couldn’t help but voice her concern, “Perhaps we’re rushing too much. It might be wiser to suppress our cultivation for a while and not hastily attempt a breakthrough in our cultivation base.”

"Having a sword but not using it is different from not having 1 at all."

Eldrin shook his head and said, "You still have quite a distance to go before reaching the realm of the Primordial Chaos Emperor. Just continue your cultivation step by step."

"I believe as long as we don't mass-probreakthrough to the Primordial Chaos Emperor realm, those Chaos Heavenly Emperors likely won't notice us."

"As for breaking through to the realm of the Primordial Emperor, it would be better to assess the situation later. Once I achieve the breakthrough, I shall venture into the Chaotic Desolate Sea."

"By then, we shall see if there is a solution to be found."

Hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement and set the matter aside for the time being.

After handling this matter, Eldrin had the various rare treasures—both those seized as spoils and those bestowed by the Celestial Court—stored in the vault. With that, the assembly came to an end.

After the meeting concluded, Eldrin resumed his life of secluded cultivation. In his spare time, he delved into alchemy and artifact forging, occasionally deducing the subtleties of divine abilities, continuously refining his path of cultivation.

Thus time flew by, and before anyone realized it, several kalpas had passed.

On this day, Eldrin emerged from his secluded cultivation. Gazing at the spiritual talisman in his hand, a faint glimmer flickered in his eyes as he murmured, "2 old acquaintances are preparing to attempt the breakthrough into the Great Luo Realm."

Lyra glanced at the spirit talisman and remarked with a hint of nostalgia, "Since they're old acquaintances, let's offer them some assistance once more."

Eldrin nodded, rose to his feet, and left the cave abode, unconsciously arriving at a courtyard.

At this moment, within the courtyard stood 2 peerless immortals—1 man and 1 woman—who appeared to have been waiting for quite some time.

The arrivals were none other than 2 old acquaintances of Eldrin—the Master of the Endless Sky Pavilion and the Divine Maiden of the Celestial Mountain.

After the passage of dozens of kalpas, the master of the Endless Sky Pavilion and the Celestial Maiden had long since realigned their cultivation to the Path of Self-Offering. Their cultivation base had already reached the pinnacle of the Immortal Vault realm.

Eldrin had long anticipated this.

Over the years, Eldrin had taken great care of these 2 old acquaintances, gifting them celestial treasures and rare artifacts nearly every kalpa. Among these were priceless wonders of the Great Perfection tier and even innate spiritual treasures of the highest order.

With such abundant cultivation resources at their disposal, the 2 cultivated for over 20 kalpas more. Reaching the Perfection Stage of the Immortal Vault was well within expectations.

At that moment, the 2 of them saw Eldrin arrive and immediately said with a smile, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

"There's no need for such formality between us."

Eldrin smiled and gestured for the 2 to sit before speaking, "I've heard your cultivation has reached perfection, and you're preparing to break through to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm?"

Hearing this, both of them nodded. Old Man Tianya remarked with a faint smile, "Thanks to your support, we've accumulated enough resources. I believe it's time to attempt that breakthrough."

Eldrin nodded with a smile and said, "I still remember when we were in the Violet Realm, you and I joined forces against the extraterrestrial demons."

"Thinking back to those days, when we were merely at the Celestial Immortal realm, joining forces to venture into the Chaotic Sea—it all feels as though it happened just yesterday."

"In the blink of an eye, over 20 kalpas have passed, and now you stand at the threshold of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm."

Upon hearing this, the Celestial Maiden and the Ancient 1 of the Endless Skies could not help but feel increasingly moved.

The celestial maiden smiled faintly, then spoke: "When we ventured into the Chaotic Sea back then, we thought we were mentoring a junior. Who could have imagined we'd end up being looked after by you instead?"

"Hahaha..."

The 3 of them laughed heartily. After their laughter subsided, Patriarch Tianya remarked, "Once we transcend this tribulation, should we manage to break through to the Great Luo Realm, we may yet offer you our modest assistance once more."

Eldrin smiled faintly, retrieving 2 jade boxes from his sleeve and handing them to the pair. "I've heard," he said, "that you 2 have pledged to become cultivation partners once you both attain the Great Perfection of the Dao."

"What lies within this box shall be my wedding gift to you both."

"In that case, I shall accept without further demur."

Upon hearing this, the Master of the Endless Sky Pavilion let out a hearty laugh and promptly accepted the congratulatory gift.

The Celestial Maiden, for once, lowered her head. A faint blush tinged her cheeks, and within the depths of her gaze, there was a trace of unwavering resolve.

Eldrin understood perfectly well that the master of the Distant Horizon Pavilion and the Celestial Maiden had accompanied each other for many years. Their bond, forged across dozens of kalpas, had long reached the depth where they could have become cultivation partners. It was only their single-minded devotion to the Dao that kept them from acknowledging what lay unspoken between them.

Now facing the Great Dao Tribulation, they finally opened their hearts completely.

To this, Eldrin also offered his heartfelt blessings, for both individuals had shown him great kindness. Their union was truly a match made in heaven.

After presenting the jade box, Eldrin gave an approving nod, then retrieved a token from his sleeve and handed it to the pair, saying:

"This is my Imperial Decree. With this token, you may cultivate in the Grand Luo Immortal Pond of the Celestial Court."

"The Great Luo Immortal Pond possesses boundless miraculous effects, offering considerable benefits for the cultivation of the Sacrificial Dao. Consider this my contribution to aiding your breakthrough into the Great Luo realm."

Hearing this, the Master of the Endless Sky Pavilion hastily pushed it back and said, "The right to use the Great Luo Immortal Pond is far too precious. It would be better not to waste it on me."

The Celestial Maiden also shook her head, unwilling to accept this gift.

The Great Luo Celestial Pool is a supreme cultivation site within the Celestial Court, revered as an unparalleled treasure ground for Great Luo Golden Immortals. Even those who have attained this exalted realm must pay a significant price to gain entry for cultivation.

They were merely at the Ancient Immortal Realm—how could they afford to use such a precious cultivation ground?

Eldrin (Person Name) shook his head, then stated plainly, "As 1 whose status now equals that of an Imperial Lord, I am granted 3 complimentary entries to the Great Luo Immortal Pond during each kalpic tribulation."

"The Great Luo Immortal Pond no longer benefits me, as it was originally intended for the cultivation of our clansmen and the Imperial Scions. Since you stand on the verge of breaking through to the Great Luo realm, it would be fitting for you to commence your cultivation there first."

Hearing this, the 2 finally nodded and accepted the imperial decree from Eldrin (Person Name).

Seeing this, Eldrin (Person Name) spoke up: "After accumulating through over 20 kalpas, our Sacrificial Path now has dozens who have reached the Great Perfection of the Immortal Treasury Realm."

"So in this kalpic tribulation, the Immortal Alliance will have quite a few attempting to prove their Dao. All of you should go cultivate first—when the time comes, you may collectively enter the tribulation to charge toward the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm."

Old Man Tianya’s eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he said, "It seems the Path of Self Sacrifice—this brand-new Great Dao—should also make its debut upon the stage of the 3,000 Immortal Domains."

Eldrin couldn't help but smile. After accumulating through 20-some kalpas, the Path of Self Sacrifice had already spread across dozens of immortal domains, and immortals cultivating the Path of Self Sacrifice had grown increasingly numerous.

In such circumstances, more and more high-level immortals of the Path of Self-Sacrifice emerged.

As far as Eldrin knew, the Sacrificial Dao now boasted over a 1000 cultivators who had reached the Immortal Treasury Realm—each 1 a supreme expert comparable to ancient immortals.

Although the vast majority of these Dao of Self-Sacrifice cultivators at the Immortal Treasury Realm had not achieved the 9-Limit Immortal Treasury, the sheer number of Immortal Treasury Realm experts within the Dao of Self-Sacrifice contributed significantly to its continuous refinement.

The current Sacrificial Dao now possesses power rivaling the peak of the first level of the Primordial Chaos Emperor.

According to Eldrin's (Person Name) estimation, if they merely waited a few kalpas, as these Devourer Path immortals gradually broke through, the Devourer Path would likely produce several dozen Great Luo Golden Immortals in 1 breath.

By that time, the power of Sacrificial Daoism would undoubtedly experience a significant enhancement.

Moreover, should the Path of Self Sacrifice produce dozens or so of Great Luo Golden Immortals, it would inevitably draw the attention of the 3 1000 Immortal Domains.

When the Great Luo Golden Immortals across the 3 1000 Immortal Domains discovered the might of the Sacrificial Path, it began to spread rapidly throughout the realms. Countless mortals lacking spiritual roots would embark upon the Sacrificial Path.

And the Great Luo Golden Immortals who sacrifice to my Dao will also begin to increase continuously, without even requiring Eldrin (Person Name) to expend immense resources to nurture them.

It must be known that among the 1000-plus Immortal Vault realm cultivators of the Return to Annihilation Dao in the Abyssal Return Immortal Alliance, many had reached their state through the substantial resources expended by Eldrin in their cultivation.

Among them were even Celestial Immortals and Ancient Immortals who had switched their cultivation paths. For this, Eldrin went so far as to employ the Cauldron of Creation, along with vast quantities of exceedingly rare and precious resources.

Once the Sacrificial Daoism left the Ruins Immortal Alliance, Eldrin (Person Name) would no longer need to expend resources to nurture it.

By that time, relying solely on the countless mortals across the immortal realms cultivating on their own, it was believed that with such a vast foundation, their path could rival the very Way of Immortality itself.

"With but 30-6 Great Perfection Golden Immortals and 3 100 Golden Immortals, my Path of Self-Sacrifice shall ascend to the realm of perfected Primordial Dao."

"In other words, once the Sacrificial Path yields 3 100 Great Luo Golden Immortals and 30-6 perfected Great Luo Golden Immortals, I shall step into the Quasi-Sage realm."

A faint smile unconsciously touched Eldrin's lips as he murmured inwardly.

He believed that once the Path of Self-Offering spread across the 3 1000 immortal domains, attaining the 3 100 Great Luo Golden Immortals would merely require a few 100 kalpas at most.

Given the astounding potential of the Path of Self-Offering, many supreme ancient immortals—those unable to break through to the Great Perfected Realm—would likely pay a tremendous price to reincarnate and cultivate the Path of Self-Offering.

The only flaw is that the Path of Self-Offering cannot be cultivated to the realm of Primordial Chaos Emperor, which deters those aspiring for the Primordial Chaos realm from choosing this path.

Getting back to the main topic, Eldrin withdrew his thoughts and looked at Old Man Tianya and the Celestial Maiden, saying, "If you can step into the Great Luo Realm, it would be considered a contribution to the path of sacrificing my dao."

Hearing this, the 2 of them couldn't help but smile. Old Man Tianya said directly, "Then let us head to the Great Luo Immortal Pond. It shall improve our chances of breaking through to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm."

After bidding farewell to the master of the Endless Sea Pavilion and the Celestial Maiden, Eldrin (Person Name) gave a slight nod of his head.

After a brief moment of contemplation, he first summoned Chen Xianzhu. Soon after, Chen Xianzhu arrived accompanied by a woman in a white dress.

Upon seeing Eldrin, they immediately smiled and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Father."

Eldrin nodded, cast a glance at Chen Xianzhu, then turned his gaze to the woman in the white dress before smiling. "Susu, how fares your cultivation accumulation these days?"

"Thanks to Father's support, I have achieved perfection in my cultivation."

The woman in the white dress spoke, offering a gentle bow with graceful poise.

Eldrin nodded slightly. These 2 individuals were none other than his eldest son Chen Xianzhu and his wife Susu.

In the past, Eldrin sent Chen Xianzhu and Susu into the cycle of reincarnation. Among them, Chen Xianzhu fused with 9 Primordial Characters and carried the Scripture of Buddha's Salvation into his new life.

Meanwhile, Susu also obtained an ancient character, which evolved into the accompanying primordial scripture — the Primordial Book of Plain Questions.

After the 2 were reborn, Eldrin secretly guided them in cultivating the Sacrificial Self Dao. Now their cultivation had reached the peak of the Immortal Vault Realm.

In truth, the 2 had long been capable of breaking through to the Immortal Treasury Realm. However, due to the lingering minor imperfections in the Path of Self-Offering, they willingly remained at the Immortal Treasury Realm to assist Eldrin in refining the Path of Self-Offering.

Throughout this process, they continuously explored the limits of the Sacrificial Art, seeking methods to cultivate the True Spirit Immortal Vault. Yet, they ultimately struggled to achieve the final breakthrough.

At this moment, Eldrin summoned 2 individuals and spoke with a faint smile, "I have deduced that the Sacrificial Dao Art cannot possibly cultivate the True Spirit Immortal Treasury before reaching the realm of Chaos Origin Emperor."

"Your years of probing the limits of the Immortal Vault have revealed many flaws for me. Now that this realm has reached near-perfection, there is no need to linger any longer."

"This time, during the Quantized Cataclysm, you shall prepare to break through to the Great Perfected Primordium realm."

Hearing this, a faint glimmer stirred in both their eyes.

Su Su nodded slightly and immediately bowed, saying, "I shall abide entirely by Father’s wishes."

Chen Xianzhu nodded. Yet after a moment of silence, he suddenly spoke, "Father, I wish to walk the path of the Buddha."

"Oh?"

A glimmer of understanding flashed in Eldrin's (Person Name) eyes, as if he had anticipated this all along.

Chen Xianzhu nodded and then spoke, "Across the 3 1000 celestial realms, the Buddhist path has waned. Since I carry the Tathāgata's Scripture of Universal Salvation through my rebirth, it falls upon me to propagate the Mahayana teachings."

Eldrin nodded slightly and spoke, "I have long foreseen through divination that you are the 1 destined to confront the heavenly tribulation for the Buddhist sect, and likewise, the Child of Fate within its lineage."

"However, to propagate the Buddhist teachings, you must first unite the 100 schools of Buddhist traditions and rectify the chaotic state of the celestial realms."

Chen Xianzhu nodded in agreement upon hearing this, understanding exactly what Eldrin was referring to.

In the 7 realms of the Southern Abyss, the Buddhist sect waned and declined, lacking a strong central pillar. The mightiest Buddha had merely reached the realm of the Primordial Chaos Emperor Lord.

It was precisely for this reason that the Buddhist sects fell into utter chaos.

Chapter 1 Eldrin journeyed onward through the Violet Realm, where the Western Pole's Tranquil Spirit Temple preached salvation for all mortal beings, while the Vajra Temple practiced the Dharma of Blissful Meditation. (End of Chapter)