Chapter 2148 : Forging the Supreme Chaos Path

Eldrin Chen rose calmly, sensing the Chaos Limitless Great Path [a supreme cultivation art born from the fusion of five primordial chaos great paths] flowing through his being. A rare smile touched his lips.

Having broken through to the Path Union Realm [the realm where a cultivator's chosen great paths merge into one], he had forged a single Supreme Great Path [the ultimate unified cultivation art formed at the Path Union Realm]. In terms of Great Path [a fundamental cultivation art representing a specific aspect of the cosmos] cultivation, he should be at the initial stage of the Path Union Supreme Realm [the foundational level within the Path Union Realm].

His Chaos Limitless Great Path was born from the fusion of five supreme Great Path, granting him combat power far surpassing that of an ordinary Path Union Supreme [a cultivator at the Path Union Realm's Supreme level].

After all, a typical Path Union Supreme forges their Supreme Great Path by merging three Primordial Chaos Great Path [a great path born from the primordial chaos, representing a fundamental cosmic principle]. Those who achieve a Chaos Supreme Great Path [a supreme great path formed from four or more primordial chaos great paths] by fusing four or more Great Path are exceedingly rare.

The reason is simple: the greater the number of Great Path involved, the stronger the mutual repulsion between them, making the fusion and breakthrough exponentially more difficult.

Take Eldrin Chen as an example. Had he chosen to step into the Supreme Realm using only the Primordial Solar Heavenly Flame Great Path [a great path embodying the essence of the primordial sun's celestial flames], he would have had an overwhelming chance of success even without a Path Union Pill [a rare elixir that aids in the fusion of great paths during a breakthrough].

If he had used three highly compatible Great Path, a single Path Union Pill would have made success virtually assured.

However, for the fusion of five Great Path into the Chaos Limitless Great Path, the aid of a Path Union Pill was far from sufficient. Only a Lesser Limitless Immortal Pill [a legendary pill of immense power, capable of aiding in the most difficult breakthroughs] could provide a significant chance of success.

Yet, the power of a Chaos Supreme Great Path forged from more Primordial Chaos Great Path naturally brings a correspondingly immense increase in strength.

Thus, even at its initial stage within the domain of a Supreme Great Path, Eldrin Chen's Chaos Limitless Great Path already rivaled the power of a top-tier Supreme Realm cultivator.

Contemplating this, Eldrin Chen attempted to utilize the Chaos Limitless Great Path [a supreme cultivation art of boundless chaos], using it to empower his divine abilities, fortify his physical body, and command his Chaos Spiritual Artifact [a primordial artifact born from chaos].

The result revealed that whether it was his divine abilities, his physical form, or the Chaos Spiritual Artifact, all experienced a monumental enhancement under the aegis of the Chaos Limitless Great Path.

"Excellent. My current combat prowess should rank me among the foremost even among the top-tier Path Union Supreme [cultivators who have unified their cultivation paths to a supreme degree]," Eldrin murmured to himself, a flicker of satisfaction in his heart.

This internal assessment brought him a measure of calm assurance.

If his former strength had merely allowed him to barely rival a top Path Union Supreme, enabling him to face five newly-advanced Supreme [holders of the Supreme title] at once, then now he estimated he could contend against ten such opponents simultaneously.

Such a staggering leap in power vastly improved both his self-preservation capabilities and his overall safety.

Even if a Half-Step Limitless [a cultivator halfway to the legendary Limitless Realm] were to attack, he should possess a reasonable chance of escape.

Grasping this truth, Eldrin felt a newfound solidity beneath his feet. Yet, he did not emerge from seclusion immediately. Instead, he returned to the depths of his Seclusion Chamber to refine and perfect the core cultivation arts he practiced.

Using his profound cultivation foundation as a guide, he further deduced and perfected his Chaos Limitless Great Path, ultimately systematizing it into six volumes of peerless Ancient Scripture [arcane texts containing supreme cultivation knowledge].

Among these six volumes were the Primordial Solar Emperor Scripture [the Canon of the Primal Solar Sovereign], the Profound Darkness Nether Emperor Scripture [the Canon of the Profound Nether Emperor], the Source Earth Emperor Scripture [the Canon of the Primordial Earth Sovereign], the Life Emperor Scripture [the Canon of the Life Emperor], and the Primordial One Emperor Scripture [the Canon of the Primal Unity Emperor].

And the sixth volume of the Ancient Scripture is titled the 'Primordial Chaos Limitless Scripture'. This scripture synthesizes the strengths of the five previous imperial tomes, standing as the foremost among the six peerless imperial scriptures.

These six peerless imperial scriptures are all-encompassing, each containing cultivation methods for six distinct Primordial Chaos Great Path [supreme cultivation paths born from primordial chaos], all capable of leading one directly to the Great Emperor Realm [the supreme realm of an emperor among cultivators].

These six ancient tomes were created by Eldrin Chen to perfect the five Great Path [supreme cultivation paths] of Primordial Solar [the ultimate yang energy of creation], Profound Darkness [the ultimate yin energy of creation], Source Earth [the foundational earth element], Life, and Mixed Metal [the alloyed metal element], intended to be passed down in the future to cultivators within the Returning Abyss Hundred Domains.

Henceforth, any who cultivate these six volumes of the Ancient Scripture can be considered distant disciples of Eldrin Chen, rightful descendants of the Returning Abyss Lineage.

Contemplating this, Eldrin Chen fell into silent thought once more before finally speaking with measured words: "The Chaos Limitless Great Path [the supreme path of boundless chaos] holds limitless potential, yet reaching its ultimate heights is an arduous journey, requiring constant refinement."

"But relying on my strength alone to push it to the Limitless Realm [the conceptual realm of true boundlessness] is an endeavor fraught with immense difficulty."

"I must set pieces upon the board, guiding all living beings to walk this path."

Whispering these thoughts to himself, Eldrin Chen first divided his soul into three thousand fragments. He then sent these soul fragments, each carrying the five heavenly scriptures, into the cycle of Reincarnation [the cycle of death and rebirth] to cultivate in secret.

With his current cultivation level, each of the three thousand divided soul fragments possessed talent no weaker than that of a Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [a high-level immortal]. After undergoing nine cycles of Reincarnation, their aptitude could reach directly to the Primordial One Imperial Lord Realm [the realm of a primordial imperial lord].

The most crucial point was that the Dreamwalking Reincarnation Art [an art that allows soul fragments to cultivate through dream-like reincarnations] consumed relatively little time. He could reap a harvest of these fragments periodically, making them one of the ideal candidates for perfecting the five Great Path.

Of course, the Dreamwalking Reincarnation Art [a profound technique allowing one to experience past lives and gain enlightenment] ultimately has its limits. To rely on it to perfect all five of Eldrin Chen's Great Paths [the supreme cultivation arts he follows] to the Limitless Realm [the ultimate state of a cultivation path, representing boundless potential] remains a fool's dream.

As Innate Limitless Great Paths [paths with the inherent potential to reach the Limitless Realm], the paths of Primordial Solar [the supreme yang energy of creation], Profound Darkness [the supreme yin essence of the void], Source Earth [the foundational essence of the world], Life, and Mixed Metal [the art of refining and unifying metallic essences] each possess a sliver of possibility to ascend to the Chaos Limitless Great Path [a supreme path that transcends the primordial chaos itself].

In other words, if these five Great Paths were perfected to a certain degree, then any single one of them could potentially allow a cultivator to achieve the Chaos Sovereign Realm [the supreme dominion over the primordial chaos].

Of course, this possibility is almost negligible, precisely because far too few cultivators walk these five Great Paths.

Among ten thousand Great Encompassing Golden Immortals [powerful immortal cultivators], not even one might choose to cultivate them. Naturally, this makes it impossible to fully refine these paths to the Limitless Realm.

In stark contrast, Eldrin Chen's Sacrificial Self Path [a cultivation art based on self-sacrifice and transcendence], being a mandatory path for many, is cultivated by legions of powerful experts, their numbers like a vast river of fish. The speed at which it is being perfected is not merely ten thousand, but perhaps a hundred thousand times faster than these five Great Paths.

Once the Sacrificial Self Path spreads throughout the entire Chaos [the primordial state before creation], it will become indistinguishable from the Immortal Path [the mainstream path of immortality], and its transformation into a Chaos Limitless Great Path will be as natural as water flowing downhill.

Due to its inherent superiority, its potential and ultimate ceiling are vastly greater.

The five Great Paths within the Chaos Limitless Great Path are utterly incomparable to the Sacrificial Self Path; thus, they possess almost no chance of transforming into a Chaos Limitless Great Path themselves.

Under normal circumstances, the five supreme Great Paths cultivated by Eldrin Chen would have no possibility of reaching the Sovereign Realm.

At most, it would be the fusion of five Great Path into the Chaos Limitless Great Path [a supreme divine ability born from the convergence of multiple Great Paths], offering a sliver of possibility to tread upon the Sovereign Realm [the realm of a Sovereign, a supreme ruler of a Great Path].

However, the ambition within Eldrin Chen's heart was not limited to that, for he had once witnessed the formidable power of the Innate Five Ultimates [the five supreme, primordial, and innate fundamental forces of creation].

"The unification of the Innate Five Ultimates can transcend the Sovereign Realm and reach directly for the Half-Step Primordial Chaos Realm [a quasi-realm bordering the true state of Primordial Chaos], even holding the potential for a glimpse into the Primordial Chaos Stage [the ultimate, foundational state of undifferentiated existence]."

"The reason is that each of the five Innate [primordial and innate] Ultimates is itself a Chaos Limitless Great Path. Once fused, they naturally surpass the state of Limitless [boundless, without constraints]."

Eldrin Chen murmured inwardly, his recollections of Nameless [a mysterious figure from ancient lore] bringing certain conjectures into sharp focus.

In truth, during the era of Primordial Chaos Unfolding [the initial differentiation and ordering of the formless Primordial Chaos], a peerless powerhouse of the Half-Step Primordial Chaos Stage should have been born from within the Chaos [the undifferentiated, primordial state of all existence].

That figure would have been the Sovereign of the Innate Five Ultimates Great Path [the supreme cultivation art governing the five innate ultimates]—specifically, the Nine Revolutions Path Ancestor [the founding progenitor of the Nine Revolutions technique] of the Fleshly Body Sanctification [a cultivation path focused on refining the physical body to a sacred state] lineage.

Yet, for reasons unknown, that Nine Revolutions Path Ancestor was afflicted by an indescribable curse. The Innate Five Ultimates Great Path was suppressed by a nameless force, fractured into nine separate Primordial Chaos Great Path [Great Paths born from Primordial Chaos] that could no longer merge.

Otherwise, at the moment of that Nine Revolutions Path Ancestor's full formation, he would have commanded five Chaos Limitless Great Path and, seizing the opportunity presented by the Primordial Chaos Unfolding, would have stepped into the Half-Step Primordial Chaos Realm.

But, cursed as he was, the Nine Revolutions Path Ancestor was doomed never to break through the Realm of Chaos Sovereign [the Sovereign realm within Chaos], and even his comprehension of any Great Path was tainted by the curse.

Thus, in a fit of rage, he severed all ties to the Innate Five Ultimates Great Path [a supreme cultivation art based on the five primal elements] and embarked upon the path of cultivation with a purely physical-body method, ultimately becoming the renowned Nine Revolutions Path Ancestor.

"Is someone... preventing the birth of a Half-Step Primordial Chaos [a cultivator on the very cusp of attaining the Primordial Chaos realm] within the Chaos [the primordial, formless state from which all existence emerges]?"

Eldrin Chen spoke slowly, lifting his gaze towards the endless Depths of Chaos [the fathomless, primordial expanse of Chaos]. For a fleeting moment, it seemed he glimpsed a vision of that bygone era.

At that time, he had sensed his Future self locked in a confrontation with an indescribably powerful being.

That entity existed beyond the entire temporal Long River [the metaphorical river of time], unbound by this Chaos Epoch [the current grand cosmic cycle of Chaos]. With a mere turn of its hand, it could overturn all reality, reducing a true segment of ancient history to nothingness.

"An unseen hand, transcending the Chaos Epoch, peruses this epoch as one would turn the pages of a book."

"The Nine Revolutions Path Ancestor, one of those destined by the Mandate of Heaven within this Chaos Epoch to reach Half-Step Primordial Chaos, was also reduced to nothingness within its grasp, losing his sliver of a chance to prove his path to Primordial Chaos [the ultimate state of primordial unity and creation]."

Eldrin Chen murmured inwardly, feeling an overwhelming, inconceivable terror. Facing such an adversary directly in the Future, did he truly stand any chance of victory?

No. The fact that his Future self had engaged in a contest with this being, even forcing it to erase his past self, proved that this entity undoubtedly viewed him as a formidable, epoch-shaking enemy.

With this realization, Eldrin Chen allowed himself a slight sigh of relief.

Withdrawing his thoughts, Eldrin Chen turned his gaze to the five scrolls of Ancient Scripture before him, falling into deep contemplation.

His foundation was one of boundless potential, yet few of his paths held the promise of truly surpassing the Sovereign [the supreme realm of cultivation] realm.

At present, he could only discern that the Sacrificial Self Path [a cultivation art centered on self-offering and sacrifice], the Great Path of Returning Abyss [the Dao of the Returning Abyss], and the Chaos Limitless Great Path [the Divine Ability of Limitless Chaos] held the faintest glimmer of such potential.

Among his other myriad Great Path [profound cultivation arts], whether it was the Reincarnation Great Path [the Great Path of Reincarnation], the Immortal Great Path [the Great Path of Immortality], or even Fleshly Body Sanctification [the art of sanctifying the physical body] and Primordial Spirit Path Attainment [the art of attaining the Primordial Spirit], none had yet revealed a path to step beyond the Sovereign realm.

The Sacrificial Self Path merely required steady propagation, while the Great Path of Returning Abyss would have to wait until the era of Chaos End [the End of Chaos] to take that final step.

Thus, the most pressing task, the key point Eldrin Chen needed to strategize, was how to perfect the Chaos Limitless Great Path.

"To use the Chaos Limitless Great Path to ascend beyond the Sovereign realm," he mused, "I must first advance the five Great Path—Primordial Solar [the essence of the primordial sun], Profound Darkness [the essence of profound darkness], and the others—to the Sovereign Realm."

Eldrin Chen whispered this to himself, his eyes shifting between the six scrolls of Ancient Scripture and the method of the Sacrificial Self Path, his mind once more descending into thoughtful silence.

"If I integrate these five Primordial Chaos Great Path [Great Paths of Primordial Chaos] into the Sacrificial Self Path," he pondered, "making them a mandatory part of its practice, would that accelerate their dissemination and refinement?"

With this thought echoing in his mind, Eldrin Chen did not hesitate. He immediately began to act.

He began to integrate the five supreme Ancient Scripture into the Sacrificial Self Path [the foundational cultivation method of the Sacrificial Self lineage], swiftly finding a clear path forward.

First, using the Primordial Solar Great Path [the supreme Dao of the primordial sun] as a foundation, he devised a method to create a Primordial Solar Heaven Sun [a sun of primordial solar essence] within his Inner Immortal Domain [the cultivator's internal world, a nascent immortal realm].

This method required the profound cultivation of the Primordial Solar Heavenly Flame Great Path [the Great Path of Primordial Solar Heavenly Flames], condensing within the Inner Immortal Domain a radiant Primordial Solar Heaven Sun that would illuminate all living beings.

This Primordial Solar [pertaining to the primordial sun] great sun possessed the dual function of converting Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy [the primal energy of heaven and earth], effectively replacing the need for a World-Stabilizing [an artifact that anchors and stabilizes a world] supreme treasure within the Inner World [the cultivator's internal world].

Furthermore, if this Primordial Solar great sun were to merge with a Nine Heavens World-Stabilizing Supreme Treasure [a supreme treasure that stabilizes worlds across the nine heavens], it would also multiply the power of the World-Stabilizing treasure.

Under such circumstances, the more powerful the cultivated Primordial Solar Great Path became, the greater the might of the World-Stabilizing treasure would be, and the more abundant the vital energy between heaven and earth would become.

Beyond the Primordial Solar Heaven Sun, the other four Great Path [supreme cultivation paths or Daos] were also integrated one by one by Eldrin Chen into the Sacrificial Self Path.

Among them, the Great Path of Profound Darkness [the Dao of profound and mysterious darkness] sank into the Nine Nether Abysses [the nine deepest layers of the underworld], transforming into the Heavenly Rules [the fundamental laws governing heaven and earth] that underpin the world. It would become one of the foundational operational logics for the Netherworld [the realm of the dead] within the Inner World.

The Great Path of Life [the supreme Dao of life and vitality] intertwined throughout heaven and earth, also becoming one of the Heavenly Rules within the Inner Immortal Domain. It would dramatically enhance the growth speed and quality of countless Spirit Herb [plants imbued with spiritual energy] across the land.

The Source Earth of All Things Great Path [the Great Path of the Earth as the Source of All Things] also merged with the very soil, enabling it to continuously absorb the vital energy and foundational essence of heaven and earth, thereby constantly elevating the grade of the earth itself.

As his comprehension of the Source Earth of All Things Great Path deepened, the transformation of the mundane soil within his Inner World into Spiritual Field [a field imbued with spiritual energy], the elevation of Spiritual Field into Immortal Soil [soil of immortal quality], and the final ascension of Immortal Soil into the Source Earth of All Things [the primordial earth from which all things originate] became matters of course.

As for the final Mixed Metal Great Path, it too was integrated into the Heavenly Rules [the fundamental laws governing heaven and earth] of his world. This not only enhanced the durability and resilience of his Inner Immortal Domain [the immortal realm within a cultivator], but also accelerated the gestation of various Rare Treasure [precious and powerful spiritual artifacts].

"Almost there," he murmured.

Once the five Primordial Chaos Great Path [Great Paths born from primordial chaos] were fully merged with the Sacrificial Self Path, a rare smile touched the lips of Eldrin Chen.

Integrating these five Primordial Chaos Great Path solved the issue of too few cultivators walking these particular Great Path [profound cultivation methodologies]. Moreover, the refinement and completeness of the Sacrificial Self Path itself was elevated by a significant degree.

It was a symbiotic enhancement, offering immense benefits to both the Sacrificial Self Path and the five Great Path.

Naturally, this feat was possible only for Eldrin Chen. As the Path Master [Master of the Path] of these five Primordial Chaos Great Path, he possessed absolute mastery over them.

Furthermore, Eldrin Chen was the founder of the Sacrificial Self Path, granting him an absolute understanding of its foundational principles. Only with this dual qualification could he transform these five Great Path into Heavenly Rules and weave them seamlessly into the fabric of the Sacrificial Self Path.

Both conditions were indispensable. Without them, even collaboration between several Chaos Sovereign [supreme beings who command primordial chaos] would fail to achieve such a perfect fusion.

The slightest misstep, the merest imbalance in the Heavenly Rules, could cause the Inner World and even the Inner Immortal Domain to collapse in an instant.

"The fusion of the five Great Paths with the Sacrificial Self Path has significantly increased the difficulty of cultivation. We must also find a way to reduce the challenge of comprehending these five Great Paths."

Eldrin Chen murmured to himself, then proceeded to make alterations to the Great Paths such as Primordial Solar and Profound Darkness.

First, with the absolute authority of a Path Master, he altered the Chaos Rules governing these five Great Paths, reducing the difficulty of comprehending them to the absolute minimum.

Second, he modified the Heavenly Rules of the Primordial Chaos Great Paths, vastly increasing the number of Innate Spiritual Rare Materials and Primordial One Marvels they would give birth to. Furthermore, he transformed them all into treasures perfectly suited for cultivating the Inner World.

Third, Eldrin Chen further refined the integration between the Sacrificial Self Path and the five Great Paths. This ensured that during the creation and ascension of an Inner World, a great abundance of Rare Treasures aligned with these five elemental attributes would be born.

With these three foundational Heavenly Rules for the Great Paths established, Eldrin Chen had irrevocably cemented the pivotal, unchangeable status of these five Great Paths within both the Inner Immortal Domain and the Sacrificial Self Path.

Even if a peerless Great Emperor who cultivated the Solar Great Path were to convert to the Sacrificial Self Path, it would be highly unlikely for the Primordial Solar Heaven Sun within their Inner Immortal Domain to be altered back into an Eternal Sun.

The reason was twofold: first, the Heavenly Rules would no longer align perfectly; second, such a change would prevent the birth of the vast number of Rare Treasures perfectly attuned to the Inner Immortal Domain.

After all, the condition of having a Path Master personally modify the Heavenly Rules of the Great Paths to achieve perfect fusion with the Sacrificial Self Path was far too stringent to meet.

"With these three core Heavenly Rules, combined with the perfect symbiosis between the Sacrificial Self Path and the five Great Paths, the widespread propagation of these five Great Paths should no longer pose a problem in the future."

Eldrin Chen murmured inwardly, then proceeded to organize the newly formed Sacrificial Self Path. He ultimately compiled it into a supreme Ancient Scripture capable of reaching all the way to the Half-Step Path Union Realm.

Afterwards, he rose and made his way to the Returning Abyss Grand Hall, summoning the various Heavenly Emperors of both the Returning Abyss Lineage and the Sacrificial Self Path.

At this moment, seated within the Returning Abyss Grand Hall, Eldrin Chen gazed upon the nearly one hundred Chaos Heavenly Emperors gathered before him. A flicker of profound emotion stirred within his heart.