Chapter 2154 : Forging the Adamantine Flesh

It must be understood that upon reaching the cultivation realm of Eldrin Chen, one's physical body has nearly reached a state where further advancement is almost impossible. To achieve a twenty percent increase in base defensive capability under such circumstances can already be considered a monumental breakthrough.

"To withstand an attack from a Limitless Sovereign [a supreme cultivator who has transcended all worldly limits], base defensive power alone is still somewhat insufficient," Eldrin Chen mused.

Eldrin Chen spoke slowly, pondered for a moment, then retrieved two massive pieces of Chaos Adamantine and Chaos Mithril.

These two pieces of Adamantine and Mithril were both mid-grade Chaos Spiritual Treasure [rare objects infused with primordial chaos energy], excavated by the Treasure-Seeking Rat from within the Primordial Chaos Secret Realm. Their defensive properties were nothing short of heaven-defying.

According to Eldrin Chen's estimation, even if a top-tier Half-Step Limitless [a cultivator on the very cusp of the Limitless Sovereign realm] were to strike with their full power, it would be exceedingly difficult to destroy these two peerless Immortal Metal [metals of divine origin used in crafting supreme artifacts] in a short time.

Such peerless Rare Treasure [objects of immense rarity and power], if forged into a set of Immortal Metal Divine Armor, would likely be enough to make even a Pinnacle Supreme [a cultivator at the absolute peak of the Supreme realm] covet it intensely.

However, Eldrin Chen did not use them to forge Immortal Metal Divine Armor. Instead, he decisively began refining and fusing them into his own fleshly body.

This Adamantine Mithril was incomparably firm and unyielding. Even a Pinnacle Supreme who had achieved Fleshly Body Sanctification [a state of physical perfection through cultivation arts], devoting several million Kalpa Tribulation [cosmic cycles of immense duration] to refining it, would likely be unable to fully integrate it into their body.

Fortunately, Eldrin Chen had cultivated both the Oblivion Divine Form and the Returning Abyss Divine Form, and his physical body realm had also reached the Path Union Realm. Refining these two pieces of Immortal Metal was not overly difficult for him.

He continuously channeled the Power of Oblivion to disintegrate the two Immortal Metal, then used the Returning Abyss Power to grind them into their most pristine Immortal Metal essence, gradually merging it bit by bit into his own fleshly body.

Thus, time flowed swiftly, and before one knew it, several hundred Kalpa Tribulation [immense cosmic cycles] had passed, only then were the two supreme Immortal Metal [metals of immortal grade, possessing extraordinary properties] completely refined and assimilated.

"Finally done," he murmured.

After refining the two pieces of Immortal Metal, Eldrin Chen slowly exhaled a breath.

He focused his senses for a moment and discovered that the defensive power of his physical body had increased by approximately fifty percent over its original foundation.

"A truly significant enhancement," he noted.

Rarely one to speak to himself, Eldrin Chen could not help but reveal a trace of pleased surprise.

To be fair, his original physical defense, among those of the Path Union Supreme [the supreme realm where one's cultivation path reaches its ultimate unification] within the Fleshly Body Sanctification [a cultivation art focused on purifying and strengthening the physical body to an immortal level] lineage, could only be considered average.

His ability to possess peerless defense against those of the same realm was primarily due to the merits of the Returning Abyss Divine Form [a divine ability that absorbs and nullifies incoming damage]. As long as the force did not exceed the ultimate defensive limit of his physical form, all harm would be absorbed by this ability.

It could be said that while his previous defensive power was formidable, if an opponent's strength surpassed his by too great a margin, they could still pierce through the defense of the Returning Abyss Divine Form.

But now, having refined a vast quantity of Adamantine Mithril [a legendary, incredibly hard and resilient metal], he had not only gained an effect of damage immunity, but his physical defense had also received a tremendous boost. His overall defensive capability had ascended to an entirely new and formidable level.

"Even a Half-Step Limitless [a cultivator on the very threshold of the Limitless Realm] would find it difficult to inflict serious injury upon me now, unless they resorted to their ultimate trump card."

"Furthermore, by continuing to refine Adamantine Mithril [a legendary metal of supreme hardness and spiritual conductivity] of the Chaos Spiritual Treasure [a treasure forged from primordial chaos essence] grade, my physical defenses can still be enhanced to a certain degree."

Eldrin Chen murmured inwardly, a strong urge rising within him to return immediately to the Primordial Chaos Secret Realm [a hidden realm suffused with the raw energies of creation], for within its depths still lay a considerable amount of high-grade Adamantine Mithril.

Yet, he swiftly reined in that impulse.

Mining the Adamantine Mithril would require time, and a more pressing matter demanded his immediate attention.

"Now, it is time to proceed with the next phase of the plan."

With this thought, Eldrin Chen stepped out from his Path-Field [a personal cultivation domain shaped by one's comprehension of the Dao] and arrived outside the Indestructibility Primordial Domain [the ancient, fortified realm of the Indestructibility Ancient One].

When he reached the Indestructibility Primordial Domain, the Indestructibility Ancient One was in secluded cultivation. However, sensing Eldrin Chen's personal arrival, the venerable one personally emerged from his retreat.

The Indestructibility Ancient One personally escorted Eldrin Chen to an Immortal Pear Orchard [an orchard where pears imbued with immortal energy grow], warmed a pot of wine, and inquired, "What matter of such importance brings you here in person?"

"I intend to forge an Ultimate Divine Form [the pinnacle manifestation of a divine cultivation art], and I wish to use your Indestructibility Divine Form [a divine art embodying the concept of unbreakable durability] as its foundational blueprint."

"Oh?"

Indestructibility Ancient One was momentarily taken aback, then spoke: "Although my Indestructibility Divine Form [a divine physique renowned for its unparalleled vitality and near-immortality] is a Chaos Divine Form [a supreme physical form born from primordial chaos], the gulf separating it from the realm of the Ultimate Divine Form [the theoretical pinnacle of physical cultivation, a perfect form] remains as vast as heaven and earth."

"Can such a divine form truly offer a glimpse into the realm of the Ultimate Divine Form?"

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod and replied, "You should not underestimate yourself. The tenacious vitality of the Indestructibility Divine Form is likely among the very greatest within the entire Chaos [the primordial, formless state from which all existence emerged]."

Speaking of this, Eldrin Chen could not help but feel a wave of profound emotion.

The Indestructibility Divine Form of the Indestructibility Ancient One was the Chaos Divine Form with the most exuberant life force. It surpassed even the Great Path of Life [the fundamental Dao principle governing life and vitality] in sheer resilience, possessing a near-indestructible quality of Indestructibility [the state of being utterly unbreakable and everlasting].

If the Indestructibility Divine Form enhanced one's vitality, then the Impenetrable Physique [a divine physique famed for its absolute defensive strength and hardness] enhanced the raw strength and fortitude of the physical body.

It could be said that the Indestructibility Divine Form and the Impenetrable Physique perfectly complemented each other. Combined, they would grant Eldrin Chen the ultimate in life force, bodily strength, and durability.

Eldrin Chen understood perfectly well that relying solely on the damage immunity of the Impenetrable Physique and the damage absorption of the Returning Abyss Divine Rune [a mystical rune capable of absorbing and negating incoming force] would still be insufficient to withstand a full-power strike from the Path-Obstructing Primordial Sovereign [a title for a supreme being who blocks the advancement of others on the Great Path].

For that was an attack born from the level of the Great Path [the fundamental law and ultimate goal of cultivation], launched jointly by multiple Path-Obstructing Chaos Sovereign [a supreme ruler born from primordial chaos], and even included the Power of Oblivion [a force representing absolute annihilation and erasure] of the Oblivion Sovereign.

This power slumbers within the boundless River of Space-Time [a conceptual river representing the flow of time and space]. Should anyone dare to attempt a breakthrough into the Supreme [a prefix denoting the highest, most perfect state] Primordial Spirit Realm [the realm of the spiritual core, a major milestone in cultivation], it would instantly sense the intrusion and unleash a single, annihilating strike meant to obliterate everything.

Even the most supreme among Half-Step Limitless [cultivators who have taken half a step beyond the known limits of power] would likely meet their end if they dared to challenge the Supreme Primordial Spirit Realm.

Eldrin Chen dared not take such a risk. Therefore, he needed to make exhaustive preparations, and bolstering the defensive power of his physical body was one of his most crucial steps.

Under these circumstances, the Indestructibility Divine Form [a divine ability focused on achieving an unbreakable physical form] of the Indestructibility Ancient One stood out as one of the optimal choices in Eldrin Chen's mind.

"I never imagined my Indestructibility Divine Form would earn such high regard from you," the Indestructibility Ancient One remarked.

Seeing Eldrin Chen's sincere appreciation, a flicker of pride crossed the Indestructibility Ancient One's expression.

With a soft sigh, he produced the complete Indestructibility Heavenly Scripture [the sacred text containing the teachings of the Indestructibility path], including even its most profound and core mysteries.

After handing this method to Eldrin Chen, the Indestructibility Ancient One began his explanation. "My Sole Divine Form [a unique, perfected divine form], which embodies the principle of Indestructibility [the state of being utterly unbreakable and eternal], was cultivated with the Indestructibility Divine Form as its foundational core."

The Indestructibility Ancient One elaborated in detail, imparting all the intricacies and profound secrets of the Indestructibility Divine Form to Eldrin Chen.

Eldrin Chen listened in serene silence, his understanding of the Indestructibility Divine Form gradually crystallizing into perfect clarity.

The Chaos Divine Form of the Indestructibility Ancient One was forged with the Indestructibility Divine Form [a supreme defensive divine ability] as its core, integrating the forms of eight Great God [a supreme cultivation realm]: Life, Nirvana [a state of perfect rebirth], Vitality [the essence of life force], Spiritual Opportunity, Longevity [a mythical land of eternal life], Revival, Spirit Spring [a mystical spring of spiritual energy], and Verdant Wood.

It could be said that the other eight True Spirit Divine Form [divine abilities based on true spirit forms] were cultivated solely to amplify the power of the Indestructibility Divinity [the divine state of indestructibility], serving only an auxiliary role.

And the purpose of Eldrin Chen's journey here was precisely to seek the cultivation method for the Indestructibility Divine Form.

"Apart from the Indestructibility Divine Form, the other divine forms are too fragmented and impure, making it difficult to fuse them into the Sole Divine Form [the ultimate unified divine form]," he mused.

Eldrin Chen murmured inwardly, gaining a certain understanding of the Indestructibility Ancient One's Chaos Divine Form.

To cultivate the Ultimate Divine Form [the pinnacle divine form], it was undoubtedly better to have fewer divine forms that were more compatible with each other.

It was like the Mana Immunity [a divine ability granting immunity to magical energy] and the Indestructibility Golden Body [an invincible golden body technique]; they were opposites yet perfectly complementary, allowing them to fuse into the Ultimate Divine Form with the aid of Primordial Chaos Genesis Essence [the primordial essence of creation].

In contrast, these Nine Great God Forms were uneven in strength, with the Indestructibility Divine Form dominating the others, making them unsuitable for forging the Ultimate Divine Form.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen retrieved the Indestructibility Divinity alone and spoke, "With the cultivation method for the Indestructibility Divine Form, I can perhaps make some attempts."

"My thanks."

The Indestructibility Ancient One nodded, a faint smile gracing his lips. "May my path offer you some small measure of aid," he said.

Eldrin Chen inclined his head in acknowledgment. After exchanging a few more pleasantries with the Indestructibility Ancient One, he prepared to depart from the ancient one's Path-Field [a cultivator's personal domain of enlightenment and cultivation].

Before taking his leave, he handed a jade vial to the Indestructibility Ancient One. "The potential of your Indestructibility Path nears its limit," he stated. "This may yet be of some use to you."

With those words, Eldrin Chen did not wait for a refusal. He turned and departed directly from the Indestructibility Primordial Domain.

The Indestructibility Ancient One was momentarily taken aback. He opened the jade vial, and his expression shifted dramatically.

Within the vial, a wisp of Primordial Chaos Genesis Essence [the foundational energy from which all creation emerged] drifted slowly, radiating an infinite, profound light of Primordial Chaos [the primordial state of undifferentiated existence before the cosmos formed].

"..."

Meanwhile, Eldrin Chen soared beyond the boundaries of the Indestructibility Primordial Domain. He glanced back once, a complex mix of emotions flickering in his eyes as he thought of the Indestructibility Ancient One.

The ancient one's potential was truly exhausted. By all reason, breaking through to the Path Union Realm [a profound realm where one's personal cultivation path merges with the greater Dao] should have been nearly impossible for him.

Yet, once he refined and absorbed that Primordial Chaos Genesis Essence, his foundational nature [the innate quality and potential of a cultivator's spirit and body] would be elevated. Stepping into the Supreme Realm would then be well within his grasp.

Of course, this should also be the limit. No matter how heaven-defying the Primordial Chaos Genesis Essence [the primordial essence from which all creation springs] might be, the recipient must possess the corresponding latent potential for it to take effect.

To elevate the Indestructibility Ancient One by one full cultivation realm's worth of potential after his own had been exhausted was already a feat that defied the heavens. It was impossible for it to propel him into the Sovereign Realm [the supreme realm of cultivation, standing above all others].

Even if he obtained the Primordial Chaos Genesis Essence, given his foundational reserves, he likely lacked the capacity to refine and absorb it.

"This wisp of Primordial Chaos Genesis Essence... consider it the last thing I can do for you," Eldrin Chen murmured.

Eldrin Chen let out a soft sigh, then shook his head. His gaze fell upon the cultivation method for the Indestructibility Divine Form [a supreme divine physique focused on unbreakable endurance and life force] in his hand, and he sank into deep contemplation.

The Indestructibility Divine Form truly lived up to its reputation as a top-tier Divine Physique. It was in no way inferior to the Mana Immunity [a divine physique granting near-total resistance to magical energies] or the Indestructibility Golden Body [a divine physique of peerless physical resilience]; it stood as one of the mightiest supreme Divine Physiques aligned with the attribute of Life.

However, relying solely on this Divine Physique as a foundation was likely insufficient to cultivate the legendary Ultimate Divine Form [the pinnacle, perfect fusion of all divine physiques].

"If this is to be the foundation, how can one possibly achieve the Ultimate Divine Form?" Eldrin Chen whispered to himself.

Eldrin Chen pondered quietly for a moment, then lifted his gaze towards the distant expanse of the Great Wasteland Primordial Domain [the ancient, primordial lands of the Great Wasteland]. An idea swiftly took shape in his mind.

He soared directly towards the Great Wasteland Primordial Domain, arriving within the hallowed halls of the Great Wasteland Sacred Hall [the central sacred temple of the Great Wasteland domain].

"We pay our respects to the Path Ancestor."

At this moment, within the Great Wasteland Sacred Hall, the various Great Emperor and Sage Ascendant were all startled into action. Seeing Eldrin Chen arrive, they immediately bowed with utmost reverence.

In response, Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod. With a casual wave of his sleeve, he dismissed the crowd and then summoned the Immortality Great Emperor.

Seeing that Eldrin Chen had summoned him, the Immortality Great Emperor immediately bowed respectfully and said, "I pay my respects to Your Lordship."

"Rise."

Eldrin Chen waved his sleeve, helping him up, and then took a careful look at the Immortality Great Emperor.

After all these years, the Immortality Great Emperor, having cultivated diligently for a long time within the Returning Abyss Grotto-Heaven, had also made significant progress in his cultivation. He had now reached the Sage Ascendant Realm.

Compared to figures like Sword Mystery Heavenly Emperor who had stepped into the Heavenly Emperor realm, the cultivation progress of the Immortality Great Emperor could be considered slow.

The root cause lay in the fact that his Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] was inherently weak within the path of Fleshly Body Sanctification [a cultivation method focusing on physical refinement], preventing him from converting to tread the path of the Sacrificial Self Path [a profound cultivation method based on self-sacrifice and rebirth].

Furthermore, it was also due to the limitations of the Immortality Great Emperor's foundational nature [the innate potential and origin of a being], making it exceedingly difficult for him to break through to higher realms.

The true form of Immortality Great Emperor was a Saint Spirit born from the transformation of an Immortal Metal vein. Due to his extraordinary innate foundation, his cultivation had always advanced by leaps and bounds.

His origin as a Chaos Saint Spirit had forged him, yet it also shackled his potential.

After reaching the Great Emperor realm, Immortality Great Emperor's cultivation progress had slowed to a crawl. He could only rely on sheer perseverance, shattering his Limit-Breaker time and again, before finally, with immense difficulty, stepping into the Sage Ascendant Realm.

To this day, how many millions of Kalpa Tribulation [immense cosmic cycles] had Immortality Great Emperor spent in bitter seclusion within the Returning Abyss Grotto-Heaven?

Through those endless aeons of arduous cultivation, Immortality Great Emperor had mastered the Nine True Spirit Divine Forms. He stood now on the very precipice of achieving the Sole Divine Form, separated from that final breakthrough by but a single, crucial step.

His delay in breaking through stemmed from the overwhelmingly domineering nature of his chosen path. He needed to further temper his foundation before he could stake everything on that ultimate, all-or-nothing attempt.

Recalling all this, Eldrin Chen let out a soft sigh. He placed a hand on Immortality Great Emperor's shoulder and said, "You were among the earliest to follow me."

"Yet now, your cultivation has been surpassed by those who came later. Have you ever felt resentment in your heart?"

Immortality Great Emperor shook his head, a smile gracing his features. "The Path of Fleshly Body Sanctification [a cultivation art focused on refining the physical body to an immortal state] is inherently fraught with ten thousand hardships," he replied.

"I am bound by the limitations of my innate foundation. Yet, countless souls in this world would give anything for such a foundation and find it forever beyond their reach. What room is there for regret?"

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod and then spoke, "Hand over your cultivation method for the Immortality Divine Form [a supreme divine form embodying the concept of eternal, unchanging life]."

The Immortality Great Emperor did not doubt his intent and directly handed over his cultivation method to Eldrin Chen.

Taking it, Eldrin Chen glanced over it, and a flicker of movement passed through his eyes. He had to admit that the core divine form of the Immortality Great Emperor was indeed Extraordinary.

This Immortality Divine Form was one of the supreme divine forms of the life attribute. Unlike the vitality and tenacity of the Indestructibility Divine Form [a divine form embodying unyielding life force and resilience], it possessed a divine nature of being impervious to all calamities, a state of Immortality [the state of eternal, unchanging existence].

Such an Immortality Divine Form offered defense against curses and attacks on the level of the Great Path [the fundamental laws of the cosmos] that could be described as heaven-defying. Even if struck by the Dao of endless time, it would not show the slightest sign of decay or change.

"The Indestructibility Divine Form is like a tender sprout, or a seed, brimming with vigorous life force and tenacious vitality."

"But this Immortality Divine Form is like an ancient tree that never ages, its roots anchored deep within the boundless heavens and earth. Even as seas change into mulberry fields, it remains eternally verdant, forever untouched by decay."

Eldrin Chen murmured softly, having gained a profound understanding of this Immortality Divine Form.

In that moment, he understood in his heart that once Indestructibility [the concept of unyielding, unbreakable existence] was combined with the Immortality Divine Form, it would inevitably give birth to a new Ultimate Divine Form [a pinnacle-level manifestation of divine power].

Understanding this, Eldrin Chen immediately stood up and looked towards the Immortality Mortal Path [a foundational cultivation path]: "You have done very well. From now on, cultivate diligently and strive to walk this path even further."

As his words fell, Eldrin Chen had already vanished from the great hall.

"We respectfully bid farewell to Your Majesty."

Immortality Great Emperor hurriedly bowed to see him off. When he straightened up and regained his composure, he discovered a jade vial had materialized before him at some unknown moment.

He took it and looked inside, seeing a swirling mass of violet energy [a potent, condensed form of spiritual essence] floating within.

"Your Majesty..."

His heart trembling, Immortality Great Emperor immediately prostrated himself on the Earthly Path [the ground imbued with the essence of the earth element] in the direction Eldrin Chen had departed. "Your Majesty, this humble general will not fail your expectations."

"..."

Meanwhile, Eldrin Chen, having obtained the cultivation methods for two supreme divine forms, rushed back to the Returning Abyss Grotto-Heaven with great urgency.

Upon returning to his Seclusion Chamber, he immediately retrieved the two divine form cultivation arts and began studying how to master them.

Compared to the Mana Immunity and the Indestructibility Golden Body, the cultivation methods for the two Great God [a supreme cultivation realm] forms—Indestructibility [the concept of being unbreakable and eternal] and Immortality—were vastly different.

Cultivating these two supreme divine forms required an astonishingly vast amount of life force [the vital energy inherent in all living beings].

Fortunately, Eldrin Chen currently possessed no shortage of resources. He swiftly gathered a great quantity of Life Water [a spiritual liquid brimming with pure life essence] and began cultivating the two supreme divine forms.

An immeasurable span of time passed. After refining a sea of Life Water and consuming two Chaos Spiritual Artifact imbued with the attributes of Indestructibility and Immortality, Eldrin Chen finally completed his cultivation of the two supreme divine forms.

At this moment, Eldrin Chen was surprised to discover that his own vitality had increased significantly.

"Truly worthy of being supreme divine forms. They possess extraordinary qualities indeed," he murmured.

Without the slightest hesitation, Eldrin Chen then refined another portion of Primordial Chaos Genesis Essence and began the process of fusing the two supreme divine forms.

This time, the Indestructibility Divine Form and the Immortality Divine Form intertwined around the Primordial Chaos Genesis Essence, ultimately merging perfectly to form a new Ultimate Divine Form.

"Another Ultimate Divine Form," Eldrin Chen whispered slowly.

A faint smile touched his lips as he observed this newly born Ultimate Divine Form.

Compared to his previous Impenetrable Physique, this new Ultimate Divine Form was in no way inferior.

However, their emphases differ. The Impenetrable Physique [a divine ability focused on physical defense] leans towards defensive power, bodily fortitude, and sheer resilience.

This newly formed Ultimate Divine Form [the pinnacle manifestation of a cultivator's divine power], in contrast, emphasizes vitality, tenacious regenerative capacity, and the suppression of various foreign energies.

Furthermore, the damage immunity of the Impenetrable Physique is more effective against physical and magical assaults, offering weaker defense against curses, soul attacks, and harm originating from the Great Path [the fundamental laws and principles of cultivation] level.

This new Ultimate Divine Form, however, can grant immunity to curses, soul-based attacks, and even damage inflicted at the Great Path level.

Upon comprehending the formidable nature of this nascent Ultimate Divine Form, Eldrin Chen allowed a rare, faint smile to touch his lips.

"This newly forged Ultimate Divine Form possesses ultimate vitality and a characteristic of near-absolute Indestructibility [the state of being unbreakable and everlasting]. Even among Ultimate Divine Form abilities, it should stand as truly unique," he mused.

"For a divine form of such power, it shall be named—the Eternal Physique [a legendary bodily constitution signifying everlasting endurance]."

He then fell into a brief, contemplative silence before finally speaking to himself.

Thus, the Ultimate Divine Form—the Eternal Physique—made its debut upon the mortal realm.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen turned his focus inward to examine the foundation of his physical body. Unbeknownst to him, since his breakthrough to the Chaos Heavenly Emperor [a supreme title for a cultivator who has mastered primordial chaos] realm, he had already cultivated seven distinct Chaos Divine Form [divine abilities born from the power of primordial chaos].

Thus, the seven Chaos Divine Form [supreme physical manifestations born from primordial chaos] are: the Chaos Giant Cauldron [a divine cauldron forged from primordial chaos], the Battleaxe of Oblivion [a battleaxe imbued with the power of utter annihilation], the Chaos Pearl [a pearl containing condensed primordial chaos], the Returning Abyss Annihilation Disc [a discus that returns all to the abyss of nothingness], the Cosmic Sky Sundial [a sundial that measures the cycles of the cosmos], along with the Impenetrable Physique [a body of absolute, unbreakable defense] and the Eternal Physique [a constitution of everlasting, unchanging vitality].

Among these seven Chaos Divine Form, all except the Chaos Giant Cauldron have already ascended to the level of Ultimate Divine Form [the pinnacle evolution of a divine physical manifestation].

Since the Chaos Giant Cauldron also possessed the potential to become an Ultimate Divine Form, Eldrin Chen did not hesitate. He immediately fused a strand of Primordial Chaos Genesis Essence [the foundational essence from which all primordial chaos is born] into the Chaos Giant Cauldron.

After its metamorphosis into an Ultimate Divine Form, the power of the Chaos Giant Cauldron increased by another thirty percent, placing it on par with the other six divine forms.

"Now that I have cultivated all seven Ultimate Divine Form, how should I proceed further on my path of physical cultivation?"

Eldrin Chen murmured this question to himself, then fell into deep contemplation.