Chapter 2132 : Halls of Ancient Supremacy

"So this is the fifth layer?"

Gazing upon the three immortal halls before them, the group murmured softly, their expressions growing solemn.

Eldrin Chen looked up and saw that each of the three halls bore a plaque. They read: 'Celestial Puppet Immortal Hall', 'Ancient Hall of the Firmament Ruins', and 'Ancient Hall of the Year's End'.

"Celestial Puppet, Firmament Ruins, Year's End—these are the three Pinnacle Supreme of the Desolate Heaven Ancient Hall."

Primordial Genesis Path Ancestor spoke slowly, his voice tinged with a sigh. "Celestial Puppet, Firmament Ruins, Year's End—three Pinnacle Supreme who once dominated the ancient epochs."

"Now they have returned to dust, slumbering through countless Kalpa Tribulation [immense cosmic cycles] without awakening."

Eldrin Chen nodded, recalling the legends surrounding these three Supreme.

The higher one ascends in cultivation, the more vast the gulf between practitioners becomes.

The threshold for a top-tier Chaos Heavenly Emperor is the ability to withstand the combined assault of three ordinary Chaos Heavenly Emperor, though such a figure could typically contend with no more than five at once.

Upon reaching the Path Union Supreme realm, the minimum standard for a Pinnacle Supreme is the power to oppose five ordinary Path Union Supreme working in unison.

Some formidable Pinnacle Supreme [the highest echelon of supreme cultivators] are even capable of suppressing ten ordinary Supreme [a title for supreme-level cultivators] single-handedly.

In the past, the three great Pinnacle Supreme of the Desolate Heaven Ancient Hall [an ancient and formidable sect] were all extraordinary figures. Legend has it that among these three Supreme, the Celestial Puppet [a supreme being who attained the Dao through the art of puppetry] was the master who proved his Dao through puppetry.

He commanded two Supreme Puppet [puppets of supreme-grade power] and seventy-two puppets at the Heavenly Emperor Realm [the realm of a Heavenly Emperor]. With these, he could form a Puppet Grand Formation [a grand battle formation composed of puppets] to face his enemies. Even if ten ordinary Path Union Supreme [supremes who have unified their cultivation paths] joined forces, he could suppress them all.

The other two Pinnacle Supreme, Firmament Ruins [Supreme of the Firmament's Ruins] and Year's End [Supreme of the Year's End], were even more mysterious. It was said they rarely took action, but when they joined forces, they could even annihilate other Pinnacle Supreme.

"The two Supreme, Firmament Ruins and Year's End, are extremely enigmatic. Legends say they respectively hold partial authority over the Space Great Path [the supreme Dao of spatial manipulation] and the Time Great Path [the supreme Dao of temporal manipulation]. You must be exceedingly cautious,"

warned the Primordial Genesis Path Ancestor [the Ancestor of the Primordial Genesis Path], his voice tinged with apprehension.

Eldrin Chen gave a solemn nod, a grave expression settling in the depths of his eyes.

Without hesitation, he strode towards the nearest Celestial Puppet Immortal Hall [the Immortal Hall of the Celestial Puppet Supreme]. Upon entering the hall, the group immediately sensed something was amiss.

A fierce battle had clearly erupted here. More than one top-tier Half-Step Path Union [a cultivator half a step away from unifying their cultivation path] had fallen in this place. The Immortality [divine blood containing the essence of immortality] staining the immortal hall still radiated a searing heat.

At the Central [center] of the great hall, about a dozen stone pillars stood, meant to hold treasures. Now, however, the pillars stood empty.

"We have arrived too late."

Primordial Genesis Path Ancestor [the progenitor of the Primordial Genesis Path] spoke, a note of regret in his voice. "It seems the opportunity here was seized ahead of us by Blazing Center Supreme [the Supreme Being of the Blazing Center] and his companions."

As he said this, Primordial Genesis Path Ancestor could not help but feel a pang of disappointment. A treasure left behind by a Pinnacle Supreme [a cultivator who has reached the absolute peak of the Supreme Realm] would undoubtedly be a treasure of world-shaking, extraordinary value.

Had they been able to obtain it, they might have gained the confidence to attempt a breakthrough into the Path Union [the realm where one's cultivated path merges with the cosmos] Supreme Realm [the supreme level of cultivation].

Eldrin Chen was not particularly surprised. After all, the Desolate Heaven Ancient Hall [the Ancient Hall of the Desolate Heaven] had opened several times before. The most precious treasures were likely long since taken.

Even if some remained to this day, arriving ten Kalpa Tribulation [cosmic cycles of immense duration] later meant that whatever was left was probably scarce.

Not to mention, the true legacy of the Celestial Puppet Supreme [the Supreme Master of Celestial Puppets]—that Supreme [Supreme]-realm Celestial Puppet [a divine automaton of immense power]—had already fallen into the hands of Eldrin Chen.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen exited the ancient hall and proceeded towards the adjacent immortal palace of Firmament Ruins [the Supreme of the Firmament Ruins].

Within the immortal palace of Firmament Ruins, several dozen Lotus Throne [floating platforms shaped like lotus blossoms] hovered in the void. Most of them were already empty, their treasures claimed.

Yet, upon a few of the remaining Lotus Throne, there still floated objects of considerable value and rarity.

"The Ancient Sword of the Firmament Ruins [a legendary sword forged from the ruins of the heavens], Spatial Jade Marrow [a rare marrow-like essence imbued with spatial properties], and the Path Union Golden Core [a supreme pill that aids in the fusion of one's cultivation path]."

Gazing upon the array of treasures before him, a faint ripple of emotion stirred within Eldrin Chen's eyes.

Among the remaining treasures, these three items alone possessed value so staggering, they were enough to stir the heart of even a Path Union Supreme [a supreme being who has unified their cultivation path].

These three treasures were truly extraordinary. The Ancient Sword of the Firmament Ruins was a Slaughter [a divine ability focused on pure, overwhelming destruction] without peer—an ancient sword of the Spatial Attribute [a constitution attuned to the laws of space], and a masterpiece even among Middle Grade Chaos Spiritual Treasures [powerful artifacts forged from primordial chaos].

The Path Union Golden Core was a Precious Pill [a pill of the highest rarity and efficacy] from the Fleshly Body Sanctification [a cultivation art focused on refining the physical body to a divine state] lineage. This pill could increase the probability of a Fleshly Body Sanctification practitioner breaking through to the Path Union Supreme realm by twenty percent, making it an exceedingly rare and world-shaking treasure.

Finally, the Spatial Jade Marrow was a mid-grade Chaos Spiritual Treasure [a treasure refined from primordial chaos essence]. Given the scarcity of Spatial Attribute treasures, its value likely surpassed even the previous two.

With this in mind, Eldrin Chen immediately channeled his spiritual power, intending to shatter the restrictive barrier [a protective seal formed by cultivation techniques] and claim the treasures. Yet, he was instantly repelled, his tiger's mouth [the fleshy part between thumb and forefinger] tingling numbly, forcing him to stagger back several steps.

"I cannot take them?"

Eldrin Chen's brow furrowed slightly, a trace of solemnity coloring his expression.

No wonder these three treasures had not been taken by the two Supreme [a title prefix denoting supreme mastery]. It seemed claiming the treasures of the Firmament Ruins Supreme [a supreme being associated with the ruins of the heavens] was no simple task.

"The supreme treasures left behind by the Supreme cannot be taken lightly."

At that very moment, a calm voice echoed through the great hall.

Eldrin Chen's gaze flickered slightly. He raised his head to look towards the other side, where an Ethereal Figure had suddenly materialized within the hall.

A thought stirred within Eldrin Chen's heart. He immediately cupped his hands in salute and asked, "Are you the artifact spirit [the sentient consciousness inhabiting a powerful magical artifact] of this hall?"

"Indeed."

The Ethereal Figure spoke, then continued, "To claim the supreme treasures left by the Supreme, you must demonstrate sufficient potential."

"How does one demonstrate potential?"

Eldrin Chen turned around, a trace of puzzlement in his voice as he spoke.

The Ethereal Figure did not answer immediately. Instead, it said, "These three supreme treasures are of extraordinary value. Even to my master, they were rare and precious possessions."

"To take them, you must reveal the potential to step into the Half-Step Limitless realm. Otherwise, when my master awakens, the aid you could provide would likely be insignificant."

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod, then murmured thoughtfully, "The potential of the Half-Step Limitless realm?"

As his words faded, Eldrin Chen flicked his sleeve, manifesting the thirty-six Great Path Divine Form of the Sacrificial Self Path.

The Ethereal Figure [a spectral, intangible being] took one look, its pupils contracting slightly, before it spoke, "You may take one portion."

Seeing this, Eldrin Chen then revealed the Five Great Chaos Divine Forms.

"Space-Time, Oblivion, Returning Abyss, Chaos."

The array spirit's expression shifted dramatically. It abruptly rose to its feet and declared, "Enough. That is more than sufficient."

The Ethereal Figure spoke again. With a wave of its sleeve, it dispelled the restrictive barrier [a sealing ward or enchantment] guarding the three supreme treasures, delivering them all into Eldrin Chen's hands.

As Eldrin Chen received the treasures, before he could utter a word, the array spirit continued, "To cultivate four Ultimate Divine Form... you are only the second within the Chaos [the primordial state of existence] to achieve this."

"I hope that one day, you will step into the Half-Step Limitless Realm, and return to fulfill the promise made today."

"Should the venerable Supreme [a title for beings of ultimate attainment] of the Desolate Heaven Ancient Hall awaken and return, I will lend my aid without fail."

Eldrin Chen spoke slowly, then stored away the treasure.

The formation spirit nodded, yet suddenly spoke up to warn, "Someone has been waiting for you for a long time within the Space-Time Secret Realm. I advise you not to go. Take the treasure and leave the Desolate Heaven Ancient Hall directly."

"Waiting for me?"

A faint ripple of emotion stirred within Eldrin Chen's gaze.

He suddenly smiled slightly, then cupped his hands towards the formation spirit. "Thank you for the warning, Fellow Daoist. However, I have also been waiting for this opportunity for a long time."

"In that case, proceed according to your own strength."

Seeing this, the formation spirit said no more.

With that, Eldrin Chen and the other Mortal Path cultivators bid farewell to the formation spirit, then turned and departed from the Ancient Hall of the Firmament Ruins.

Afterwards, they diverted their path to the Ancient Hall of the Year's End, where they also obtained several Rare Treasure.

Among these several Rare Treasure, the most precious were three items: the Bell of the Year's End, the Soul-Refiner Pill, and the Stone of Years.

Among the three treasures, the Soul-Refiner Pill was a Soul Path Precious Pill [a rare and potent pill], capable of increasing a Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] cultivator's chances of breaking through to the Path Union Supreme [the supreme realm of unifying one's cultivated path] by twenty to thirty percent.

The Stone of Years was a mid-grade Chaos Spiritual Treasure [a treasure born from primordial chaos], and the Bell of the Year's End was also a Middle Grade Chaos Spiritual Treasure [a mid-grade treasure forged from primordial chaos] with defensive properties and the power to suppress the flow of time.

Thus, Eldrin Chen once again held four Middle Grade Chaos Spiritual Treasures in his possession.

They were, respectively, the Bell of the Year's End, the Firmament Ruins Sword, the Emperor-Hunting Bow, and the Verdant Emperor's Immortal-Binding Rope—four treasures in total.

Each of these treasures possessed extraordinary power. In the hands of a Half-Step Path Union [a cultivator half a step into the Path Union realm], they could unleash immense might.

Thinking of this, Eldrin Chen glanced at the companions beside him and spoke, "They are waiting for us, aren't they? Let them wait a little longer then."

"First, refine and attune yourselves to these treasures. In the coming battle, we must not allow them to gain any advantage."

With those words, Eldrin Chen distributed the four Middle Grade Chaos Spiritual Treasures for everyone to refine and attune.

Among them, Imperial Sovereign Jiang received the Firmament Ruins Sword, Worthy Pursuit Chen received the Bell of the Year's End, the Emperor-Hunting Bow was entrusted to Ethan Chen for refinement, and the final Verdant Emperor's Immortal-Binding Rope was temporarily given to Lingering Ye.

Generally speaking, for a cultivator at the Chaos Heavenly Emperor [a title for a powerful emperor-level cultivator] level, wielding a Middle Grade Chaos Spiritual Treasure remained a considerable strain.

Due to the vast disparity in the quality of their magical power, it often requires several times the amount of such power to unleash sufficient might.

Furthermore, the magical power of a Chaos Heavenly Emperor [a supreme being who has attained mastery over primordial chaos] is inherently far inferior to that of a Path Union Supreme [a cultivator who has unified their cultivation path at the highest level]. Consequently, when attempting to wield a Middle Grade Chaos Spiritual Treasure [a mid-tier artifact forged from and attuned to primordial chaos], they often struggle to sustain prolonged combat.

Fortunately, Imperial Sovereign Jiang and the others were different. They cultivated the Sacrificial Self Path [a profound cultivation method that focuses on refining one's inner world through sacrifice and dedication], which, bolstered by their Inner Immortal Domain [a perfected inner world cultivated within a practitioner's body], granted them magical power that was at least ten times greater than that of a typical Heavenly Emperor of the same realm from the outset. This made them exceptionally suited to refining and wielding Middle Grade Chaos Spiritual Treasure.

After distributing the new Middle Grade Chaos Spiritual Treasure for everyone to refine, Eldrin Chen immediately activated his Space-Time Divine Form [a divine ability that manipulates the fabric of space and time]. He then had the group begin rapidly assimilating the Chaos Spiritual Artifact [a general term for artifacts imbued with the power of primordial chaos].

Thus, while only tens of millions of years passed in the external world, they had completely mastered these Chaos Spiritual Artifact.

"How do they feel?"

Watching as the group finished assimilating the Middle Grade Chaos Spiritual Treasure, Eldrin Chen asked with evident satisfaction.

Imperial Sovereign Jiang offered a slight smile. He willed the Firmament Ruins Sword [his personal sword, a treasure capable of sundering the heavens] to dance around him, its blade light tracing arcs through the air. He observed that wherever the sword's radiance passed, the very fabric of space in the area seemed to subtly part.

"Splendid."

"With this sword in hand, even facing a Blazing Center Supreme [a supreme being whose power is likened to a blazing sun at the center of all things], I should be able to pose a significant threat."

Eldrin Chen [the protagonist] nodded solemnly. The might of a Middle Grade Chaos Spiritual Treasure [a weapon forged from primordial chaos] was immense; even a Path Union Supreme [a supreme cultivator who has unified their path] would suffer grievous wounds from a direct strike.

After Imperial Sovereign Jiang [a powerful ruler] refined and bonded with this sword, his overall combat prowess surged directly to fifty percent of a Path Union Supreme's level.

Of course, due to differing specializations, once one reaches the realm of a Chaos Heavenly Emperor [a sovereign whose power stems from primordial chaos], overall combat prowess can no longer serve as the sole measure of true capability.

For instance, some Path Union Supreme excel at defense, capable of withstanding a blow from the Firmament Ruins Sword [a legendary sword technique] without a scratch, yet their offensive power is astonishingly weak.

Other powerhouses possess overwhelmingly potent attack strength, but their personal defenses are woefully lacking.

Taking Imperial Sovereign Jiang as an example: once he unleashes the Firmament Ruins Sword, his offensive power becomes comparable to that of a Path Union Supreme, yet his defensive capabilities remain merely at the level of an ordinary Half-Step Path Union [one who is halfway to unifying their path].

Given the right opportunity, he could severely injure a Path Union Supreme. Yet, if he fails to find such an opening, or worse, is ambushed by one, he could be utterly vanquished within ten exchanges.

For those whose strengths are so lopsided, battle is always fraught with uncertainty.

Whether striking first to seize the initiative or countering a foe's move, so long as the disparity between combatants is not overwhelming, finding that single sliver of an opportunity can swiftly decide victory or defeat.

"It is time to depart," he murmured.

Returning to the main narrative, seeing that the four had finished refining the Chaos Spiritual Artifact, Eldrin Chen hesitated no longer.

He strode forth from the Ancient Hall of the Year's End and made his way towards the core of the fifth level of the Desolate Heaven Ancient Hall.

An immeasurable span of time seemed to pass before they arrived before a shimmering, illusory vortex.

"This," a voice declared, "is the heart of the fifth layer."

The Primordial Genesis Path Ancestor spoke, his gaze tinged with profound wariness. "Within that vortex lies a Primordial Chaos Secret Realm of Space-Time Attribute nature, hence it is also called the Space-Time Secret Realm."

"That secret realm has absorbed a vast ocean of Chaos Origin Power, ultimately forming a supreme cultivation site known as the 'Space-Time Crucible'. That Space-Time Crucible represents the greatest opportunity within the Desolate Heaven Ancient Hall."

"It is said that for those of us at the Half-Step Path Union realm, entering it to cultivate allows one to temper and fuse the very foundations of one's being. Doing so can increase the odds of a successful breakthrough to Path Union Supreme by at least half a tenth."

"Half a tenth?"

Eldrin Chen's eyes flickered. The difficulty of breaking through to Path Union Supreme was immense; even an increase of half a tenth in success rate was not insignificant.

Among his Five Great Chaos Divine Forms, four were unruly and indomitable Ultimate Divine Form. Forging them into a single, unified whole would be a task as daunting as scaling the heavens themselves.

If tempered within the Space-Time Crucible [a legendary forge where space and time converge], there might be a sliver more hope for achieving the Path Union [the ultimate fusion of one's cultivated path with the Heavenly Dao] and attaining a Supreme Physique [a peerless physical foundation for cultivation] in the future.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen could not help but speak: "Since that is the case, let us enter. We shall also meet those formidable foes."

As his words fell, he flipped his palm and shattered the vortex, then was the first to step into the Space-Time Secret Realm [a hidden dimension where the laws of time and space are distorted].

"*Hum—*"

The moment he entered the secret realm, Eldrin Chen immediately felt a deluge of Chaos Essence [the primordial, undifferentiated energy from which all creation sprang] assailing him.

The spiritual essences here were turbulent and vast: there was the Chaos Origin [the foundational essence of primordial chaos] from the first layer, the life essence from the second, the metallic and mineral qi from the third, and also the Supreme Divine Liquid [a sacred liquid of supreme purity and potency] from the fourth.

All these supreme essences converged as one, seemingly gathering all aspects of Creation [the fundamental act of bringing the cosmos into being] from the entire Desolate Heaven Ancient Hall [an ancient and desolate celestial palace] and pouring them into this boundless Space-Time Secret Realm.

"With the myriad Chaos Essence as nourishment and the entire Desolate Heaven Ancient Hall as the furnace, all bound together by the Space-Time Great Path [a supreme art governing the laws of time and space], it has ultimately refined into a single cauldron of peerless immortal quintessence."

Eldrin Chen spoke slowly, a trace of profound sentiment flashing in his eyes.

If his guess was correct, this place should have been where the prodigies of the Desolate Heaven Ancient Hall lineage once attempted their breakthrough to the Path Union Supreme [the supreme state of Path Union, the pinnacle of cultivation before ascension].

For a prodigy at the Half-Step Path Union Realm [the threshold stage just before the Path Union Realm], attempting a breakthrough to the Path Union [the realm of unifying one's cultivated Path with the world] Supreme Realm [the pinnacle state of a cultivation realm] within this place should be able to increase their chances of success by half to one full tenth.

Of course, this augmentation varies from person to person. For those with formidable innate talent and profound foundations, it would be like adding wings to a tiger, allowing them to soar to the heavens in a single bound here.

However, for those with weak foundations—such as cultivators who have not achieved the Soul Path Heavenly Emperor [a specific, powerful stage within the cultivation hierarchy]—even cultivating here would leave their final chance of success at a mere one or two percent. Consuming treasures like the Path Union Immortal Pill [a legendary pill that aids in breaking through to the Path Union Realm] would be of little use to them.

For the capable, it is not difficult; for the incapable, it is an insurmountable challenge.

Such has been the way of the cultivation path since time immemorial.

It was at this moment that Eldrin Chen suddenly furrowed his brow slightly. With a flip of his palm, he struck into the depths of the void, meeting a palm strike from a figure of majestic stature.

The man was sent flying backward, staggering several steps before steadying himself. Only then did the onlookers clearly see his face—it was none other than Panji Heavenly Emperor.

Now, the Panji Heavenly Emperor stood gripping his Heavenly Halberd [a divine polearm of immense power], his expression cold and unyielding as he glared fixedly at Eldrin Chen. "You have grown stronger," he said, his voice icy. "A pity. In the end, you cannot escape being subdued…"

Eldrin Chen offered no reply. He merely swept his gaze calmly around, only to find that Seven Extremities Celestial Maiden and six other Half-Step Path Union [cultivators at the threshold of the Path Union Realm] experts had closed in, surrounding him.

His countenance remained utterly unperturbed. With serene composure, he finally spoke, his voice clear and calm. "Where is Blazing Center? Send him forth to face me in battle."

"With your meager strength, you dare to challenge my father?"

Seven Extremities Celestial Maiden spoke, and with a flip of her palm, she summoned a Sword Formation [a powerful array of flying swords that attack in concert] into the sky, cleaving down towards Eldrin Chen.