Chapter 2004 : 3 Core Disciples

Later, after ascending to the Vast Azure Immortal Realm, he encountered the Serene Void Temple devoted solely to ascetic cultivation, and also witnessed the malevolent Blood Dragon Ancient Temple—a heretical Buddhist sect that practiced the Blood Dragon Art.

It can be said that the Buddhist system across the 7 Domains of Southern Abyss was utterly chaotic, housing both compassionate souls devoted to delivering all living beings from suffering and cruel practitioners who cultivated malevolent arts.

Chen Xianzhu knew that to purify the Buddhist order, he must sweep clean all these ancient temples filled with impostors and even those who practiced sinister arts.

Understanding this, Chen Xianzhu spoke without hesitation, "After I break through to the Great Perfection Realm, I shall establish the Mahayana Buddhist Order."

"In that era, the Mahayana sect shall be the orthodox school of Buddhism under heaven. Should any practitioners of the Buddhist path stoop to wickedness and depravity, our Mahayana teachings shall inevitably suppress them beneath the Pagoda of Sacred Peaks, condemning their souls to eternal damnation beyond the cycle of rebirth."

Eldrin smiled faintly and said, "After your breakthrough, I shall assign you 3 100 Celestial Legion units. You may utilize the Scripture of Buddha's Salvation to transform them into Vajra Arhats of the Buddhist tradition."

"If 1 day you can purge the Buddhist chaos across the 7 Domains of the Southern Abyss and become the 1 true orthodox tradition of Buddhism, that may well be the day you step into the realm of Demi-Sage."

With that, Eldrin took out several rare treasures and tossed them to the pair. "Go cultivate now," he finally said. "Focus on preparing to survive the Tribulation of Measured Cataclysm first."

After seeing off Chen Xianzhu and Susu, Eldrin fell into brief contemplation before summoning a disciple whose cultivation had reached the Perfection Stage of the Immortal Vault.

Over the years, an increasing number of disciples had begun cultivating the Path of Self-Offering. Among them, the more exceptional ones were all taken in by Eldrin as nominal disciples.

There were even a select few with exceptionally high talent who were accepted as personal disciples under Eldrin.

Among the over a 100 disciples before him, those who were the first to achieve Perfection in the Immortal Vault realm under Eldrin (Person Name) were exceptionally accepted by him as nominal disciples.

At this moment, Eldrin swept his gaze over the crowd before him, his eyes settling on the 3 figures at the forefront. An approving nod escaped him.

At the very forefront stood 3 individuals, all personally accepted as direct disciples by Eldrin (Person Name) through exceptional circumstances.

Their names were Lin Xuan, Tianhengzi, and Zhang Tingyi—each a prodigy blessed with truly astonishing natural talent.

Among the 3, Lin Xuan hailed from a nameless cosmic star under the jurisdiction of the Return to Void Immortal Domain. A truly dazzling talent, he should have perished due to an accident at the very beginning of his cultivation journey.

Yet back then, Eldrin used the Chaos Godstone to assist in the spiritual energy recovery of the myriad realms across the endless dimensions. In his leisure, a sudden impulse led him to divine the fates of all living beings, where he discovered that Lin Xuan possessed extraordinary talent and would contribute significantly to the Path of Self-Sacrifice.

Thus, in a single moment, Eldrin transmitted the deduced future memories belonging to Lin Xuan directly into his mind.

Lin Xuan, having obtained memories of the future, believed himself to have been reborn and once again embarked upon the path of cultivation.

In truth, Lin Xuan, who had gained memories of the future, truly carved his path through thorns on the journey of cultivation. Not only did he ascend all the way to the Abyssal Immortal Realm, but he also forged the supreme Indestructible Foundation.

Most crucially, Lin Xuan participated in refining the cultivation method for the Immortal Vault Realm, creating a profound and wondrous technique that significantly reduced the difficulty of achieving the Indestructible Immortal Vault.

It was precisely for this reason that Eldrin made an exception and took him in as his eighth personal disciple.

The other 2, Tian Hengzi possessed extraordinary talent and wisdom. He perfected the sacrificial methods of the Path of Self-Devotion, significantly reducing the risk of failure during the Self-Devotion ritual, thus establishing himself as a figure of monumental contributions.

As for Zhang Tingyi, this individual discovered that the cultivation method of the Inner World within the Sacrificial Dao Path demanded exceedingly high requirements. Thus, he devised the Minor World Art based on the principles of the Inner World method.

The so-called Minor Inner World involves reducing the scale of 1's inner cosmos to enhance the probability of achieving a breakthrough.

After all, the original Inner World was vast enough to rival universes and immortal realms of the same cultivation level—so immense that it simply couldn’t be contained without top-tier physical aptitude.

Because Eldrin's Inner World technique was created based on his Samsara Body—a body that was, in fact, the innate Primordial Hongmeng Sacred Physique.

Such a constitution, when forged into the Sacrificial Self Body, could accommodate an Inner World rivaling an Immortal Domain of the same realm—this was still within expectations.

However, the vast majority of ordinary cultivators possess mortal physiques. The Sacrificial Self Bodies they cultivate cannot compare to such supreme constitutions, and thus the inner universes they can contain are naturally limited.

If the physical body is not strong enough, yet the inner universe created is excessively vast, it may lead to an imbalance between internal and external forces, ultimately resulting in an unstable foundation.

Zhang Tingyi's self-created miniature realm, however, could expand 1's inner world to a more optimal scale while remaining within the physical body's maximum bearing capacity.

Although this inner world was even smaller, its foundation was far more stable due to its enhanced internal and external equilibrium.

Such a perfect merit of the Dao is worthy of Eldrin taking him as a personal disciple and cultivating him with unreserved dedication.

Recalling the merits of these 3 individuals, Eldrin couldn't help but smile faintly before speaking, "Lin Xuan."

"Your disciple is here!"

Lin Xuan immediately cupped his hands and spoke with utmost reverence.

Eldrin nodded with a gentle smile. "In your quest to explore the limits of the immortal vault and perfect its methods, I bestow upon you 10 sacred treasures of the celestial repository. May you soon attain the Great Luo Path and continue refining the Way of Self-Sacrifice."

As the words faded, Eldrin flicked his sleeve and bestowed 10 dazzlingly brilliant Immortal Vault Treasures.

The so-called Immortal Vault Treasure was forged by Eldrin from an innate divine artifact. By integrating this treasure into 1's Immortal Vault, it could drastically amplify the vault's power while also accelerating the rate of absorbing and refining spiritual energy.

According to Eldrin's (Person Name) estimation, should the Path of Self-Sacrifice ever reach the Primordial Chaos Realm, the Immortal Treasury Treasure would likely become 1 of the keys to cultivating the True Spirit Immortal Treasury.

Lin Xuan collected the 10 Immortal Vault Treasures, his voice brimming with ecstasy as he exclaimed, "My deepest gratitude for your generous gift, Master."

Eldrin (Person Name) gave a slight nod before turning his gaze to Tianhengzi (Person Name). "Tianhengzi."

"Your disciple is present."

Tianhengzi immediately bowed deeply, his face etched with a trace of excitement as he spoke.

Eldrin nodded and said, "Since you have perfected the Sacrificial Art of Self-Offering, reducing the risk of perishing during the ritual, I shall bestow upon you the innate spiritual treasure—the Great Deduction Celestial Wheel—to enhance your chances of breaking through to the Great Perfection Stage."

With these words, Eldrin bestowed another set of innate spiritual treasures upon Tianhengzi.

"Many thanks, Master."

Tianhengzi stowed away the treasure, a faint trace of delight flickering across his face.

The Great Derivation Heavenly Wheel is a set of innate spiritual treasures, composed of 9 individual innate treasures. Once integrated into his natal spiritual treasure, it can transform into an 11-limitation indestructible array artifact.

Eldrin nodded, then turned his gaze to the last person and said with a smile, "Zhang Tingyi."

"Your disciple is here."

Zhang Tingyi stood clad in a blue robe, bowing with a touch of exhilaration.

Eldrin smiled faintly and retrieved an ancient-looking scroll, handing it to Zhang Tingyi. "Your pioneering work in creating pocket realms has contributed significantly to the Path of Sacrificial Arts."

"Now that you are on the verge of attaining the Great Dao of Daluo, I shall bestow upon you the 'Atlas of the 9 Realms,' hoping you may soon achieve the Daluo realm."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Tingyi’s face also lit up with delight.

The Cosmic Ancient Diagram was a set of spirit treasures specially forged by Eldrin for him. Within it, 9 Void Ancient Mirrors were nurtured, each possessing the profound ability to seal the heavens. Once fully activated, it would rank among the pinnacle even among Indestructible Array Artifacts.

At this thought, Zhang Tingyi said excitedly, "Thank you for bestowing this treasure, Master. This disciple will surely live up to your great expectations."

Eldrin nodded, then turned his gaze to the remaining 100-some registered disciples.

He chuckled softly, then with a flick of his sleeve, bestowed over a 100 treasure bottles that descended into the hands of each disciple.

After completing this step, Eldrin smiled and said, "Now that you are all about to ascend to the Great Perfection Realm, I shall bestow upon each of you a vial of 10 Revolutions Immortal Elixir."

"I hope you shall soon attain the Great Luo Realm, and not disappoint this master."

Upon hearing this, all the immortals revealed smiles and promptly bowed in gratitude.

To a supreme Ancient Immortal, a 10-revolution immortal pill might seem unremarkable, yet how could any treasure bestowed by Eldrin be anything less than extraordinary?

The current Heaven and Earth Primordial Chaos Vessel had now advanced into an embryonic form of an Innate Supreme Treasure, and the efficacy of the Primordial Chaos Water it produced had greatly increased.

Over the years, the Chen Clan had leveraged this to breed countless Chaos Beast Kings and refine vast quantities of 10-Revolutions Immortal Pills.

Eldrin gifted each disciple a vial of 10-Revolutions Immortal Pills, every vessel containing over 10,000 such divine pellets.

It must be understood that the path of Sacrificial Ascension demands immense resources. The disciples of the Sacrificial Ascension sect present here had cultivated for over 20 kalpas, yet the vast majority had only reached the Ninth-Circumference stage in their 10 Great Immortal Depositories.

With this batch of resources now in hand, I dare not claim the ability to cultivate the Immortal Vault of Imperishability, but achieving 3 to 5 or more 10-Limit Immortal Vaults should no longer pose any significant problem.

To honor the might of my Dao, should they succeed in cultivating 3 to 5 10-Limit Immortal Vaults, their chances of breaking through to the Great Perfection Realm would increase by at least 20 to 30 percent.

To return to our story, after Eldrin (Person Name) had bestowed treasures upon the disciples, he spoke: "Lin Xuan (Person Name), Tian Hengzi (Person Name), and Zhang Tingyi (Person Name) shall remain. The rest of you may withdraw for now."

Hearing this, the immortals promptly dispersed in all directions.

After the crowd had dispersed, Eldrin turned his gaze to the remaining 3 individuals and spoke with serene composure, "The reason I've asked you to stay is to entrust you with a matter of importance."

The 3 of them were momentarily taken aback upon hearing this. Zhang Tingyi immediately cupped his hands and said, "Master, whatever task you assign, we shall spare no effort to fulfill it."

"Mm." Eldrin nodded, then spoke: "Over a dozen kalpas ago, to perfect the Path of Self-Sacrifice, 5 of your senior brothers and sisters stepped into the kalpa cycle."

Back then, they were ambushed by several of my master’s Great Dao adversaries and became prey to hordes of powerful foes.

"In that great battle, your Seventh Senior Sister Ye Yinghui perished, only to later fall victim to the schemes of the Netherdark Emperor, her primordial soul condemned to the Cycle of Eternal Tribulation."

"To break the Eternal Samsara Curse and awaken by comprehending the mysteries of reincarnation, 1 requires the blood of someone intimately connected to the caster."

Speaking thus, Eldrin finally declared, "I have divined with certainty that the Young Master, most beloved son of the Profound Abyss Emperor, shall step into the kalpic tribulation during this calamity."

"I want you to slay that man and return with his heart's blood."

Hearing this, the 3 of them felt a faint tremor in their hearts. Lin Xuan immediately spoke up, "Avenging our senior sister is a matter of course."

"Even if the Master did not demand it, we would still slay that Crown Prince of Netherdarkness."

Seeing this, Eldrin nodded in satisfaction and waved his hand to dismiss the crowd.

"Fellow disciples, please hold your steps."

The 3 disciples had just stepped out of the main hall when a voice drifted over to them.

They turned to see a valiant-looking man and promptly bowed in greeting, "Greetings, Elder Brother Lu."

"You're welcome."

Lu Chong'a spoke calmly, his expression carrying a hint of solemn reserve.

The 3 of them dared not delay upon hearing this. As fellow personal disciples of Eldrin, they had some understanding of this Senior Brother Lu.

Over the years, this Senior Martial Brother Lu had spent most of his time venturing through the primordial chaos, rarely lingering within the Return to Ruins Immortal Domain.

However, the prestige of Senior Brother Lu was like a thunderclap to their ears.

This Senior Brother Lu rose from humble origins, a prodigious genius who cultivated the Path of Self-Offering. Throughout his cultivation journey, he had scarcely encountered a single defeat.

Since attaining the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, Elder Brother Lu had begun treading unorthodox paths, cultivating various forbidden arts with severe repercussions—among them even the world-startling method of detonating 1's Immortal Vault to temporarily amplify combat prowess.

To this day, Senior Brother Lu has not only reached the Eighth Heaven of the Golden Immortal of the Grand Luo, but he also once had a battle record of slaying a Golden Immortal of the Grand Luo at the Great Perfection.

It was said that over the years, Lu Chong'a had repeatedly clashed with the Netherdark Imperial Court, slaying several Great Perfected Golden Immortals from this lineage. His actions even provoked a pursuit by a dozen or so Great Perfected Golden Immortals at 1 point.

Such astonishing talent and battle achievements had earned him considerable renown even in the capital of the 7 Domains of Southern Abyss.

As the renowned name of Lu Chong'a flashed through their minds, the 3 of them largely grasped the reason he had sought them out.

After a flicker of thought, Tianhengzi immediately cupped his hands and said, "Elder Brother, you've sought us out—could it be concerning Seventh Senior Sister's matter?"

Lu Chong’a nodded, then spoke, “Has the Master said anything to you?”

The 3 of them nodded in unison. Lin Xuan (Person Name) spoke up, "For this kalpic tribulation, we plan to make Eldrin (Person Name) our first target."

Lu Chong’a’s face paled dramatically upon hearing this, his eyes growing slightly choked with emotion as he said, “So the Master truly has not forgotten us.”

The 3 of them sighed faintly upon hearing this.

Over the years, the Abyssal Return Immortal Alliance had largely been in a state of recuperation and rebuilding.

To avoid an all-out conflict with the Abyssal Emperor's Court, Eldrin even restrained the 7 Great Luo disciples under his command, forbidding them from seeking revenge for Ye Ying's death.

Otherwise, Ye Qingfeng and the others, who had long since broken through, would have already stepped forward to seek justice for Ye Yinghui.

The reason for this was that the Black Abyss Emperor had secretly journeyed to the Primordial Chaos Barren Sea.

Eldrin had no emperor-level powerhouse backing him to hold the fort, making him reluctant to confront the powerful Profound Abyss Imperial Court head-on.

Although Eldrin's current strength now rivaled that of a mid-stage Chaos Origin Emperor, and the power of the Abyssal Return Immortal Alliance was no weaker than the Nether Profound Imperial Court, a full-scale war would likely result in mutual devastation.

The Abyssal Sanctuary had forged pacts with the 4 Imperial Courts, yet these allies harbored their own adversaries. Unless absolutely necessary, Eldrin was reluctant to draw them into the fray.

Most crucially, the Chen Immortal Clan (Organization) was still in a phase of rapid expansion, with no need to engage in a mutually destructive confrontation with the Abyssal Sovereign Court.

Thus, over the years, Lu Chong'a (Person Name) alone within the Guixu Immortal Alliance (Organization) had taken action, relentlessly confronting the Youxuan Imperial Court (Organization) for the sake of his dao companion. Yet, the Imperial Lord-level combatants on both sides had consistently restrained their desire to intervene.

"Senior Brother, we know that for all these years, you've been yearning day and night to rescue Seventh Sister."

"Heaven Balancer spoke, clenching his fist. 'Rest assured,' he declared, 'the 3 of us will slay the Profound Mystic Emperor's Son (Person Name) and aid our senior sister in unraveling the curse of the Eternal Kalpa Cycle (Cultivation Phenomenon).'"

Chapter 1 The Azure Cloud Sect's outer gate examination had just concluded. Lin Xuan stood silently amidst the crowd, his fingers tracing the faintly glowing token in his palm—the symbol of a newly accepted disciple. "Next, the distribution of cultivation resources!" an elder clad in white robes declared, his voice echoing across the square. "Each disciple shall receive 1 100 spirit stones and 3 Foundation Establishment Pills!" Murmurs of excitement rippled through the assembly. Lin Xuan’s eyes, however, remained calm. In his previous life, he had been a revered Immortal Emperor, commanding the winds and clouds across countless realms. Yet now, reborn into this youthful body, he had to start from scratch. A disciple beside him sneered, "Look at that country bumpkin—he can’t even contain his excitement." Lin Xuan paid no heed. His gaze swept over the majestic mountain peaks shrouded in mist, a faint smile gracing his lips. *10 1000 years… It has been 10 1000 years since I last set foot in the mortal realm.* Suddenly, a crisp voice interrupted his thoughts. "Senior Brother, are you also here to receive your resources?" A young girl with eyes as bright as stars looked at him, her expression curious. Lin Xuan nodded slightly. "The path of cultivation is long and arduous. These resources are but a drop in the ocean." The girl blinked, seemingly puzzled by his profound words. Just then, a burst of golden light erupted from the summit of the distant main peak. An overwhelming pressure descended, causing all the disciples to shudder. "Heavenly Tribulation!" someone exclaimed in terror. Lin Xuan narrowed his eyes. *So soon?* He had not expected to witness a tribulation so early in his new life. A trace of anticipation flickered within him. After all, he possessed the Primordial Chaos Codex (Cultivation Method)—a technique capable of overturning the very heavens. Amidst the roaring thunder, he whispered to himself, "This time, I shall tread a path unlike any before."