Chapter 2040 : Soul-Refining Great Sovereign

If he could obtain this Black Tortoise Armor, Eldrin would undoubtedly achieve a tremendous boost in combat prowess upon cultivating the second True Spirit Divine Pattern.

At this thought, Eldrin nodded slightly and said, "Since I have accepted the elder's request, I shall naturally see this matter through to the end."

"However, might this Black Tortoise Armor be entrusted to me in advance?"

The Elder of Immortality smiled faintly before speaking, "That goes without saying. Should you succeed in refining this Black Tortoise Shell, your power would undoubtedly advance further."

With these words, the Undying Elder handed the Black Tortoise Armor to Eldrin (Person Name) and said, "I shall enter seclusion for 50 kalpas, and will not emerge until I have restored my cultivation to the Quasi-Sage realm. I entrust everything to you during this time."

"Remember, unless it is the most critical moment, you must not disturb my seclusion."

Eldrin nodded, and after a moment of contemplation, he still said, "However, regarding the Indestructible Primordial Realm, we still need you to make the necessary arrangements."

The Eternal Elder nodded, summoning the 3 Great Emperors—Tai Ming, Jie Guang, and Qing Xiao—before addressing the assembly with solemn gravity: "This old man must enter seclusion for 50 kalpas."

"That traitor from the Blood Sea Sect is most likely still harboring ill intentions, and will probably invite demonic cultivators to attack us."

"Fellow Daoist Guixu is a powerful expert I have invited to confront the traitors of the Blood Sea. During this period, all matters pertaining to the Primordial Immortality Domain shall be entrusted to Fellow Daoist Guixu’s leadership. The 3 of you must lend your full support."

The 3 Great Emperors, though harboring some doubts in their hearts, dared not defy the opinion of the Eternal Venerable 1.

After all, Elder Bujie was an invincible Paragon, having once defeated 10 Paragons joining forces, and even faced the full might of the Chaos Heavenly Emperor without suffering defeat.

It must be understood that the 9 True Spirit Forms of the Eternal Elder were all defensive in nature, with offensive capabilities being his relative weakness. Yet even so, he managed to defeat 10 Quasi-Saints. This alone demonstrates how truly invincible a battle prowess achieved through Body Sanctification can be.

"We obey."

The 3 Great Emperors bowed in deference, immediately acknowledging the Eternal Venerable’s appointment.

The Elder of Immortality said no more. With a mere wave of his hand, he sent the 3 figures outside the grand hall.

After exiting the grand hall, the 3 Great Emperors cupped their hands toward Eldrin and said, "Greetings, Fellow Daoist of the Returning Abyss. We are deeply indebted to your assistance this time—had it not been for you, we would likely have faced grave trouble."

"No need for formalities. I am here at the behest of Elder Immortal Bu Mie."

Eldrin smiled faintly, then spoke with a grave tone, "The Unending Venerable 1 and I have deduced through celestial calculation that, barring unforeseen circumstances, the Blood Sea Patriarch will undoubtedly launch an assault."

"Moreover, for this battle, he will undoubtedly seek the aid of an invincible Great Emperor."

"You must immediately repair the World Formation and prepare for the great war once more. I shall not interfere further in these matters."

Upon hearing this, the 3 of them immediately departed with solemn expressions.

After the 3 Great Emperors had departed, Eldrin turned the matter over in his mind, ultimately concluding that this battle demanded the utmost prudence.

"The lion uses its full strength even when hunting a hare."

"Since the Blood Sea Patriarch has made his move, this crisis in the Primordial Immortal Domain might also be my opportunity. Now that I've intervened in this battle, I must go all out."

Eldrin’s thoughts flickered rapidly. Leaving a voice transmission to inform the 3 of them, he declared his intention to venture into the depths of the Chaos in search of allies, then departed from the Undying Primordial Realm.

Emerging from the Primordial Domain of Immortality, he immediately harnessed the power of the Guixu Pearl to traverse vast distances, arriving at the Nameless Void before reappearing deep within the Bottomless Abyss of the Primal Desolate Realm.

He arrived at the Great Wilderness Sanctum and summoned all late-stage Chaos Origin Emperor experts under his command.

In the grand hall, Eldrin recounted the entire sequence of events to the assembly, then declared, "Though this battle is perilous, it is also our destined opportunity."

"Once the Dao Eternal Elder recovers, and we manage to capture either the Blood Sea Emperor or the Soul Refining Emperor, we will likely obtain several immensely valuable rewards."

Upon hearing this, everyone’s expressions turned exceedingly grave. The Sword Abyss Emperor spoke solemnly, “Both the Blood Sea Emperor and the Soul Refining Emperor are invincible sovereigns. I fear they are far from easy adversaries.”

"Those whose cultivation falls below the eighth level of the Chaos Origin Emperor are likely to face immense peril should they intervene."

The Eternal Sovereign nodded and spoke as well, "Then shall I join the battle alongside Fellow Daoist Sword Abyss?"

Eldrin pondered briefly before speaking, "The 3 Talents and 4 Symbols—all 7 Imperial Lords—shall accompany me into battle."

"The rest shall remain in the Great Barren Ancient Realm and strive to complete their cultivation breakthroughs as swiftly as possible."

Upon hearing this, even the brows of Emperor Lingxi and the others darkened slightly.

Although the others had also gained some improvement in their cultivation after obtaining the quasi-sage dragon meat and blood, they were still a considerable distance away from the Eighth Level of the Primordial Chaos Emperor Realm.

Among the 5 - Lingxi (Person Name), Jianxuan (Person Name), Zhoumie (Person Name), Tianyao (Person Name), and Longao (Person Name) - Lingxi and Jianxuan, having recently achieved their breakthroughs, required at least 1 100 kalpas to accumulate their foundational strength.

However, the 3 great emperors—Zhoumie, Tianyao, and Long’ao—had failed to cultivate a True Spirit Primordial Soul, and thus remained trapped at the barrier of the Primordial Root Treasure Artifact.

If 1 cannot cultivate a True Spirit Primordial Soul in the future, it will likely be difficult to break through the eighth level of the Chaos Origin Emperor Realm.

At this thought, none of the 5 spoke, yet an intangible sense of urgency quietly stirred within their hearts.

As for the few individuals singled out by Eldrin (Person Name), a flicker of fighting spirit stirred within them.

After the roll call was completed, Eldrin did not hesitate in the slightest. With unwavering resolve, he declared, "The journey is long. We must not delay—let us set out immediately."

As the words faded, Eldrin immediately activated the Abyssal Pearl, transporting all 9 of them through the vast chaotic desolate sea until they reached the distant depths of the primordial chaos.

This time, Eldrin followed the familiar path with ease, arriving at the Primordial Domain of Imperishability in just 6 kalpas.

He arrived at the Immemorial Primal Domain with the 9 others and discovered that the Blood Sea Patriarch had yet to return. A faint sigh of relief escaped him.

Next, he had the 9 Eldrin (Person Name) assist in setting up the formation, while he himself entered the Indestructible Celestial Palace (Location) to begin seclusion and refine the Black Tortoise Armor (Magic Treasure).

This Profound Turtle Shell was a piece of tortoise carapace, its defensive power unparalleled in the world, yet refining it proved no small challenge.

Fortunately, Eldrin's cultivation had advanced further. He continuously channeled his entire cultivation base, ultimately devouring the Black Tortoise Armor fragment by fragment.

After the Profound Turtle Armor was fully refined, Eldrin discovered that the Mysterious Nether Divine Patterns within his physical body had begun to transform in myriad ways.

At times, It manifested as an ancient sword, at others transformed into a Styx River, and still other times materialized into ghostly cold flames—ultimately coalescing completely into an archaic shield.

"True Spirit Manifestation—Black Tortoise Shield."

Eldrin spoke slowly, a faint smile glimmering in his eyes.

This Black Tortoise Shield was 1 of the 12 divine forms of the Profound Darkness Dao. Now that Eldrin (Person Name) had successfully cultivated it, he instantly gained a kind of supreme power.

Eldrin slowly drew the Black Tortoise Shield into his hand, immediately sensing its profound and mystical nature.

He discovered that the Black Tortoise Shield was incredibly heavy, seemingly forged from 9 Underworld Dark Iron, its entire body radiating a profound, chilling hue.

"Bzzz—"

Eldrin attempted to activate the Black Tortoise Shield to empower himself, instantly realizing his physical defense and strength were rapidly escalating.

In almost the blink of an eye, his defensive capabilities multiplied severalfold, and even his physical strength surged dramatically.

"Defense has tripled, along with a 60 percent increase in strength."

A low murmur escaped Eldrin’s (Person Name) heart, and he could not help but reveal a look of pleasant surprise.

His physical defense had always been astonishing, but after tripling once more, it had completely reached the level of a Great Emperor.

With defensive capabilities at the Great Emperor level, augmented by the Void-Returning Divine Patterns' damage absorption, triple vitality, and thirtyfold recovery rate.

Eldrin suspected that even if he were to face a Demi-Saint directly, he would possess a certain degree of self-preservation ability.

"My current physical defense is probably on par with the Black Abyss Emperor's from back then, isn't it?"

Eldrin murmured inwardly, sensing once more, yet a faint frown involuntarily creased his brow.

He discovered that the power of the True Spirit Divine Form seemed to have its limits—at most, it could only amplify an Emperor-level cultivator's defensive capabilities threefold.

Once the physical defense surpasses this level, the effects will gradually diminish.

However, upon careful reflection, this outcome was to be expected—after all, the Divine Spirit Manifestation was merely a power at the Great Emperor level.

This power had yet to touch the realm of Chaos, yet it could bring immense enhancement even to Demi-Sages and the Chaos Heavenly Emperor.

It was precisely for this reason that before achieving the 9 True Spirit Forms, those who attained physical sanctification could only compensate for their inherent weaknesses by cultivating more True Spirit Forms, rather than achieving a heaven-defying qualitative leap in combat prowess.

And the reason the final 3 True Spirit Divine Forms could bring such a tremendous boost in combat prowess was due to the amplification of the 9 Great True Spirit Rune Arrays on the physical body, not merely the enhancement brought by the True Spirit Divine Forms themselves.

After all, the 6 Divine Spirit Runes forming an array could only enhance physical strength by approximately fivefold, while 7 Divine Spirit Runes could amplify it nearly ninefold.

The eighth Divine Spirit Rune could amplify physical strength by sixteenfold. Once all 9 Divine Spirit Runes were mastered, it would yield an astonishing thirtyfold enhancement.

It was precisely for this reason that legends claimed cultivating 7 True Spirit Forms allowed 1 to battle a Demi-Saint on equal footing, while mastering 8 True Spirit Forms enabled 1 to rival or even defeat a Demi-Saint.

Only by cultivating the ninth true spirit form can 1 be considered truly invincible within the Quasi-Sage Realm.

Yet the ability to achieve sainthood through physical cultivation and the power to challenge the Celestial Emperor stem not only from the physical enhancement granted by the 9 True Spirit Forms.

The most crucial reason, in truth, was the power of the singular true form manifested after the 9 great true spirit manifestations merged into 1.

That sole true form was the perfect fusion of 9 great true spirit divine forms, akin to a Quasi-Sage who had completed palm dao mastery. Only thus could 1 possess the ultimate power transcending the realm of true spirit divine forms.

"In extreme circumstances, the Black Tortoise Shield can only amplify defense by roughly threefold, and the Life Ancient Pearl functions similarly. Beyond that, their effects gradually diminish."

Eldrin (Person Name) murmured inwardly, swiftly grasping the profound mysteries of the True Spirit Divine Form.

Eldrin soon adjusted his mindset regarding the fact that the True Spirit Divine Form could not perpetually amplify his own power.

After all, once 1 reaches the Emperor Realm, the Divine Soul Form serves as the very foundation of 1's power. If it could still be further enhanced, wouldn't that mean amplifying 1's own essence?

Stepping on 1's own left foot with the right to spiral into the heavens was utterly contrary to all reason.

In such a state, Eldrin's True Spirit Form possessed power threefold greater than that of ordinary top-tier spirit forms—a talent so extraordinary it could truly be called heaven-defying.

Most crucially, Eldrin had cultivated the 8 Great Divine Spirit Runes, which formed the foundation for achieving the 8 Great Divine Spirit Forms. This granted Eldrin sixteenfold physical strength.

With a sixteenfold physical enhancement, as long as Eldrin's physical cultivation reached the Great Emperor realm, he should be able to rival—or even defeat—a Quasi-Saint without having perfected the True Spirit Divine Form.

Of course, Eldrin's current cultivation realm was merely at the fifth level of the Primordial Chaos Emperor, still far removed from the realm of the Great Emperor.

Even with the amplification of the True Spirit God Rune, his physical strength only barely rivaled that of an Eighth-Level Chaos Origin Emperor.

Amplified by the forms of the 2 True Spirit beings, Eldrin finally attained physical defense and vitality on par with a Great Emperor.

As for the other foundations, they still fell somewhat short of reaching the Great Emperor.

"Fortunately, the power was nearly within reach."

Eldrin murmured inwardly. The Black Tortoise Shield had boosted his strength by 60 percent, and combined with the 30 percent increase from the Ancient Pearl of Life, that amounted to a 90 percent enhancement in total power.

With the physical foundation of the Eighth Heaven of the Primordial Chaos Emperor, a further 90 percent increase in strength may not be enough to truly step into the domain of a Great Emperor, but it had brought him remarkably close.

With such divine power, coupled with the Chaos Heaven Halberd—a weapon comparable to a Primordial Supreme Treasure—Eldrin was fully capable of confronting a mighty Great Emperor head-on.

Coupled with his heaven-defying defensive capabilities, his combat prowess was likely almost immeasurable.

The damage immunity of the Undying Battle Attire, the damage absorption of the Nihility God Runes, the defensive power of the True Spirit Divine Form - Black Tortoise Shield, and the vitality of the Life Ancient Pearl.

Eldrin murmured softly, his voice a low whisper as he finally concluded, "My defensive capabilities should be sufficient to withstand a direct confrontation with a Demi-Saint."

Having accurately assessed his own combat prowess, Eldrin now felt a measure of confidence for the impending battle.

Emerging from his secluded cultivation chamber, he discovered that the Primordial Immortal Dominion had long been prepared for battle, with layer upon layer of Primordial Chaos Slaughter Arrays deployed across the realm.

After Eldrin (Person Name) emerged from seclusion, he noticed the Immortal Emperor standing guard not far away. He couldn't help but ask, "Did it succeed?"

"It is not compatible."

The Immortal Emperor shook his head. It turned out that not long ago, Eldrin had suggested to the Immortal Emperor that he refine the complete remains of the Netherworld Emperor and the Heaven-Slaughter Emperor.

The Netherworld Emperor and the Celestial Fiend Emperor, after being suppressed by the Undying Elder back then, had their primordial spirits flee into the Primordial Chaos Abyssal Sea to escape.

If their complete remains could be refined, perhaps cultivating 2 True Spirit Forms would be a fine alternative for the Immortal Venerable Sovereign.

However, among the 2 remaining True Spirit Divine Patterns of the Immortal Sovereign, Extreme Ascension is best suited for refining and unleashing innate supreme treasures of the explosive type.

As for extreme speed, it would be best to refine the corpse of an Emperor proficient in speed-type Great Dao. Neither the Heaven's Fiend nor the Nether Emperor's remains are suitable.

Most crucially, both of them had attained the Dao through blood sacrifice, making them merely pseudo-Great Emperors in the strictest sense. Their foundations were even less substantial than that of Pioneer Great Emperor. Using them to cultivate the Divine Form of True Spirit would instead diminish 1's own formidable power.

At this thought, Eldrin spoke: "What a bargain for those 2."

The Immortal Sovereign, however, shook his head and sneered, "Those who attain the Dao through blood sacrifice often find their dispositions warping over time, and may even inflict harm upon their own human souls."

"Once they set foot on this path, their resistance to the Chaos Abyssal Sea will become exceptionally feeble."

"Simply toss them into the Chaotic Barren Sea, and soon they'll transform into mindless Barren Tribesmen."

Eldrin nodded slightly, about to speak when he suddenly lifted his head, his expression turning grave as he gazed beyond the Indestructible Primal Domain.

But beyond the vast and boundless Primordial Domain of Eternity, 2 figures had long since appeared at some unknown time.

Between the 2 figures, 1 was clad in crimson robes while the other wore robes of profound darkness, shrouded in shadowy mists that obscured their Hugo (Person Name).

Soul Refining Ancestor and Blood Sea Great Emperor.

A faint chill flickered in Eldrin's eyes as he murmured under his breath.

But there upon the ethereal heavens stood the Blood Sea Emperor, who let out a cold sneer and declared, “Master, so you are nothing but a dying man.”

"A single drop of blood, yet it could startle my disciple into retreat. Your methods are truly remarkable."

"What a pity. Since you're already dead, why bother returning?"

"Today, this venerable 1 shall borrow this drop of your blood to charge toward the Quasi-Sage Realm."

As the words fell, the Blood Sea Ancestor immediately surged forth with overwhelming divine power, charging straight toward the Eternal Primordial Domain.

Activate the formation.

Sovereign Qingxiao spoke directly, and instantly, 1 Mixed Origin Grand Formation after another activated, straining to their limits to withstand the assaults of the Blood Sea Sovereign.

Yet, the Blood Sea Emperor was truly extraordinary in his methods. He summoned the Boundless Blood Sea to surge forth, and under the onslaught of the colossal crimson tides, countless formations began to tremble violently, teetering on the verge of collapse.

The Soul-Refining Emperor then brandished his innate supreme treasure, the Myriad Soul Banner (Magic Treasure). In the blink of an eye, hundreds of millions of spectral souls surged into the sky, sweeping toward the chaotic primordial grand formation that filled the heavens.

"Not good enough!"

Emperor Qingxiao’s expression shifted wildly as he couldn’t help but exclaim, “Their power is far too overwhelming. Relying solely on the formation won’t hold them back.”

With these words, the 3 Great Emperors prepared to soar into the air, intending to charge toward the heart of the battlefield.

But at this critical moment, Emperor Qingxiao was intercepted by Eldrin (Person Name). Eldrin (Person Name) spoke calmly, "Conceal your true strength for now. Leave this place to me."

Eldrin declared as he directly mounted the Chaos Heaven Halberd, charging straight toward the heart of the battlefield.

"It's you again!"

As Eldrin charged forth, the Blood Sea Emperor immediately revealed a look of utter indifference.

In the blink of an eye, he summoned an endless sea of blood to strike, seeking to completely ensnare Eldrin.

He then turned his gaze toward the Soul-Refining Great Emperor, his expression grave as he spoke, "Fellow Daoist Soul-Refining, this individual's defenses are extraordinary. If we cannot completely suppress him, I fear he may become a significant trouble."

"Hmph—"

The Soul Refining Emperor let out a cold sneer. With a flick of his 10 1000 Soul Banner, countless malevolent spirits immediately swirled toward Eldrin (Person Name).

Yet Eldrin remained utterly fearless. He continuously channeled his true spirit, causing the Divine Form Black Tortoise Shield to spin relentlessly. Despite the endless horde of malevolent ghosts corroding the barrier, not a single 1 could harm him in the slightest.

Then he summoned the Pure Yang Celestial Fire, reducing countless malevolent spirits to ashes.

"Pure Yang Celestial Fire, quite the impressive technique."

The Soul Refining Emperor spoke slowly, then with a flick of his sleeve, 5 supreme figures soared from behind his head, encircling Eldrin (Person Name) in a lethal assault.

"5 Emperors of the Barren Tribes... this is somewhat troublesome."

Eldrin murmured inwardly, having no choice but to push the Indestructible Battle Armor to its absolute limit. He withstood the assaults of 5 Desolate Emperors, yet not the slightest trace of injury appeared upon him.

Thus, the great battle raged on for millions of years in the blink of an eye. To their utter astonishment, the 2 of them found they could do nothing to Eldrin (Person Name).

"Life Ancient Pearl, Xuanwu Shield—they are all actually defensive True Spirit manifestations."

Seeing that he couldn’t subdue Eldrin, the Blood Sea Emperor spoke with intense jealousy, "All defensive True Spirit Runes, and even cultivated with an Innate Supreme Treasure—you must be the old man’s newly accepted disciple, aren’t you?"

"That old man truly is biased, to have actually bestowed a Primordial Chaos Treasure upon you."

"Why? I am his eldest disciple, so how could he be so unfairly biased?"

The Blood Sea Emperor was utterly enraged, momentarily mistaking Eldrin (Person Name) for a disciple of the Undying Elder.

A sinister sneer twisted his features as he rode upon a crimson sea of energy, brandishing the Blood Ocean Divine Sword. "If this is the injustice you offer," he snarled, "then you shall all perish—you and that old fool alike!"