Chapter 1850 : Forging the Eleventh Limit

For a Seven Tribulations Ancient Immortal [an immortal who has survived seven heavenly tribulations], the key to determining their true strength lies in their Patriarch Level Divine Ability [a supreme-level divine ability mastered by the most powerful patriarchs].

These Patriarch Level Divine Ability are broadly divided into two types: those cultivated by comprehending existing techniques and those created anew. The most common form involves comprehending and mastering a divine ability originally created by a predecessor.

An Seven Tribulations Ancient Immortal who cultivates a predecessor's divine ability in this manner will break through the Divine Ability Heavenly Pass [a bottleneck in mastering divine abilities] at the Ninth Limit Realm [the ninth and penultimate limit of power for a divine ability].

However, those who create their own Patriarch Level Divine Ability forge a technique perfectly tailored to their own essence. This absolute synergy allows them to unleash power at least thirty percent greater from the start. Such self-created, transcendent abilities are thus known as Tenth Limit [the tenth and ultimate limit] divine abilities.

By contemplating the Space-Time Great Path [the supreme Dao of Space and Time], Eldrin Chen sought to harness its transcendent, limit-breaking mysteries. His goal was to comprehend and forge a supreme divine ability of the legendary Eleventh Limit [a theoretical realm beyond the tenth limit, representing ultimate power].

Resolved to act, Eldrin Chen immediately entered secluded cultivation. He immersed himself completely, ceaselessly contemplating the profound principles of that Eleventh Limit power.

Thus, time flowed swiftly. In the blink of an eye, tens of thousands of years passed. Ultimately, using the Space-Time Great Path as his foundation, Eldrin Chen succeeded in creating two peerless divine abilities, unprecedented since antiquity.

These two divine abilities were the 'Limitless Cosmos Sword' and the 'Song of Ages Blade', both supreme Patriarch Level [pertaining to the power level of a patriarch] divine abilities.

The two abilities respectively embodied the powers of space and time. The former condensed spatial force into a blade, capable of unleashing a cataclysmic spatial cleave of terrifying might.

The latter could sever the very flow of years. Even a Longevity [a mythical realm or state of eternal life] Immortal [a being who has achieved immortality] could not withstand the erosion of this Power of Time. Once struck, the victim would be rapidly consumed by the force of ages, spiraling into an irreversible state of decay and demise.

Most crucially, this level of power grants a degree of control over the flow of time itself, thereby determining the ultimate outcome of any confrontation.

Of course, whether it is the Limitless Cosmos Sword or the Song of Ages Blade, they are ultimately merely Patriarch Level Divine Abilities [supreme techniques attainable at the Patriarch cultivation level] within the Tenth Limit Realm.

To once again shatter the Limit-Breaker and cultivate the supreme divine ability of the Eleventh Limit, one must fuse these two divine abilities into one, transforming them into the Cosmos Space-Time Sundering Slash [a supreme technique said to sever the very fabric of space and time].

Eldrin Chen had a premonition that this Cosmos Space-Time Sundering Slash was a move that encompassed all of time and space; once unleashed, its power would surely shake heaven and earth, potentially even stepping into the domain of the Twelfth Limit.

However, the requirements to activate such a divine ability were exceedingly stringent.

Eldrin Chen murmured inwardly, his gaze shifting to the Great Encompassing Sword Fiend in his hand, before he began cultivating the Limitless Cosmos Sword.

To cultivate the Song of Ages Blade, one needed a Great Encompassing Rare Treasure [an extremely rare and powerful artifact of the Great Encompassing Realm] with both time and blade attributes as a catalyst. The Limitless Cosmos Sword was similar, requiring a Great Encompassing Rare Treasure with sword and Spatial Attribute properties as its catalyst.

Using the Great Encompassing Sword Fiend as the catalyst this time, Eldrin Chen succeeded in mastering the Limitless Cosmos Sword in merely a few thousand years.

"A Patriarch Level Divine Ability."

With the divine ability now mastered, Eldrin Chen took a moment to sense its power.

He discovered that this Limitless Cosmos Sword [a supreme sword art that harnesses the power of space and cosmos] and the Slaughter [a divine ability focused on pure destructive force] did not achieve their theoretical spatial effects; their power was merely at the threshold of the initial Tenth Limit Realm [the tenth and ultimate stage of the Limit Realm, representing the peak of a foundational cultivation stage].

"It seems I still need to find another Great Encompassing Rare Treasure [a legendary treasure of immense rarity and power] with a Spatial Attribute [an innate affinity or property related to the spatial element] to completely master and perfect this Limitless Cosmos Sword," Eldrin Chen murmured to himself, his expression a mix of delight and a slight frown.

Eldrin Chen spoke softly, his countenance showing a trace of joy before creasing slightly with concern.

He realized that while the Limitless Cosmos Sword possessed tremendous Force Extreme [ultimate or extreme power], its consumption of spiritual energy [the vital energy cultivated by practitioners] was equally immense. Most crucially, this divine ability was not an Innate Divine Ability [a divine ability born from one's innate constitution, requiring less energy to wield].

Generally, Seven Tribulations Ancient Immortal [Ancient Immortals who have survived seven heavenly tribulations] cultivate their Innate Divine Ability to the Patriarch Level Divine Ability [a level of divine ability mastery equivalent to that of a Patriarch]. This is because Innate Divine Ability consume only thirty percent of the spiritual energy required by divine abilities of the same rank and also lower the quality of energy needed to activate them.

The spiritual energy drain of such a Patriarch Level Divine Ability was far too staggering. If it were not an Innate Divine Ability, it could not serve as a regular trump card [a frequently used ultimate technique] and could only be deployed as a final, desperate measure.

"Fortunately, the depth of my spiritual energy reserves allows me to activate this Limitless Cosmos Sword multiple times," Eldrin Chen concluded, soon gathering his wandering thoughts.

Eldrin Chen finally spoke, then quickly withdrew his contemplations.

He did not continue his seclusion. Instead, he emerged from his cultivation chamber and met with Old Granduncle Eternal Profound Chen.

Seeing him emerge, the Old Granduncle immediately inquired, "How did it go?"

"The Divine Ability Heavenly Pass [a critical bottleneck in a cultivator's advancement] has been broken. Next, I intend to journey to the Primordial Immortal Domain [a legendary and ancient realm of immortals]."

Eldrin Chen spoke with a smile, a glimmer of amusement appearing in his gaze.

Upon hearing this, Old Granduncle could not help but feel a surge of excitement.

After this breakthrough, Eldrin Chen had successively shattered the four major Heavenly Pass [formidable barriers on the cultivation path] concerning his physical body, his mana, his Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator], and his divine abilities. Only five Heavenly Pass remained: those of the Great Path [one's fundamental cultivation doctrine], the Path Fruit [the fruit of one's cultivation, representing attainment], the Dao Heart [one's unwavering cultivation resolve], the Spiritual Treasure [a powerful enchanted artifact], and Destiny [one's ordained fate or fortune].

Among the remaining five Heavenly Pass, the two concerning the Great Path and the Spiritual Treasure would not pose significant problems.

At this rate, as long as he did not encounter overwhelmingly formidable opponents during the Kalpa Tribulation [a cataclysmic heavenly trial], shattering the Ninefold Heavenly Pass [the complete set of nine major cultivation bottlenecks] likely would not present insurmountable difficulty.

Thinking of this, Old Granduncle could not help but grasp Eldrin Chen's hand and say, "The more critical the moment, the more cautious I hope you will be. The Three Thousand Immortal Domains [the myriad realms of the immortal world] are filled with countless powerful beings. You must remember never to become blindly arrogant."

"Thank you for your guidance, Old Granduncle. Eldrin understands."

Eldrin Chen nodded. Though inwardly proud, he understood the principle that beyond the heavens lie greater heavens; he would not underestimate the talents of the world.

After bidding farewell to Old Granduncle, Eldrin Chen did not linger further and set off towards the Primordial Immortal Domain.

While passing through the Vast Azure Immortal Domain, Eldrin Chen returned to Returning Abyss Heaven. There, he left behind a number of Rare Treasure suitable for his clansmen. Their combined value even exceeded ten thousand strands of Innate Energy [the primordial, unformed energy that predates the universe].

After leaving such a vast quantity of treasures, Eldrin Chen continued his journey towards the Primordial Immortal Domain.

In preparation for this trip to the Primordial Immortal Domain, he had specifically cultivated a batch of premium-grade Primordial Unity Golden Bamboo to serve as Rare Treasure for bartering.

Traveling through the Chaos [the formless, primordial void from which all realms are born], Eldrin Chen arrived within the Primordial Immortal Domain almost without realizing it.

It was only upon reaching the Primordial Immortal Domain that Eldrin Chen grasped the sheer, staggering scale of this Immortal Domain.

This was Eldrin Chen's first glimpse of the Primordial Immortal Domain in its entirety. It lay anchored within the Chaos, a primordial bastion, an ancient Immortal Domain that predated the opening of all worlds. Its vastness was boundless, stretching into infinity.

Even a single ordinary Immortal Domain seemed but an insignificant speck when compared to the Primordial Immortal Domain.

The disparity was far greater than that between Earth and the Sun. It could not be measured in mere hundreds or thousands of times; the difference was tens of billions of times, if not more.

"No wonder the Path Ancestor Immortal Sage [supreme beings who have mastered a fundamental cosmic principle] and the Divine Sovereign Heavenly Emperor [rulers of heavenly realms] all cultivate within this Primordial Immortal Domain," Eldrin Chen murmured softly, a ripple of awe stirring in his gaze.

This disparity was simply too vast, so immense that even with Eldrin Chen's current cultivation level, he felt a profound sense of insignificance before the Primordial Immortal Domain [the foundational realm of the Immortal World].

One must understand, with Eldrin Chen's present power, he was already capable of annihilating a Celestial Immortal Great Power [a powerful immortal being] to dust in the span of a single Eldrin [a brief moment], even across the vast distance separating two Immortal Domains [major realms within the Immortal World].

"We have arrived."

Just as these thoughts drifted through Eldrin Chen's mind, he realized he had reached the entrance to the Primordial Immortal Domain.

Unlike the Vast Azure Immortal Domain, the space of the Primordial Immortal Domain was far more stable and seemingly indestructible. It was further protected by a supreme boundary formation of Path Ancestor-grade power. Not even a Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [a supreme immortal being] could force their way in directly.

One could only enter the Primordial Immortal Domain through specific, designated passageways.

As Eldrin Chen approached the entrance, he saw a line of grand characters inscribed before the passage: "Celestial Gate [the Heavenly Gate]."

"Register properly and pay the toll promptly."

At that moment, a voice reached Eldrin Chen's ears.

Eldrin Chen looked up and saw a long queue had formed before the passage. Numerous massive Chaos Ancient Ships [ancient vessels capable of traversing the primordial chaos] were waiting their turn to pass through.

On the other side, several profound cultivators of Celestial Immortal and Ancient Immortal [immortals who have transcended countless tribulations] rank were conducting registrations, seemingly verifying identities as well.

At that moment, a verdant-robed Ancient Immortal not far from Eldrin Chen glanced his way, his eyes flickering with recognition. "Fellow Daoist, is this your first time coming to the Primordial Immortal Domain [the legendary, primordial realm where the earliest immortals dwelled]?"

Eldrin Chen's gaze shifted slightly, but he offered no reply.

Seeing this, the verdant-robed Ancient Immortal smiled and explained, "Any who pass through the Primordial Immortal Domain inevitably carry a wisp of its unique aura upon them. I am rather sensitive to such energies and can perceive it clearly."

As he spoke, the verdant-robed Ancient Immortal clasped his hands in greeting. "I am Wang Qingzhi, bearing the Daoist title Pure Tenuity Recluse. May I ask who you are, Fellow Daoist?"

Only then did Eldrin Chen offer a faint smile and a slight nod. "My Daoist title is Returning Abyss. Greetings, Fellow Daoist."

The Pure Tenuity Recluse nodded in return, then gestured toward the long queue of Mortal Path [cultivators of the mortal cultivation path] cultivators. "The Primordial Immortal Domain is a realm of dazzling splendor, yet it teems with formidable powerhouses. To prevent the domain's reserves of Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy [the primordial, foundational energy of heaven and earth] from being depleted, the policy has always been lenient for departure but strict for entry."

"Powerful outsiders below the Great Encompassing [Da Luo, a supreme realm of cultivation] realm who wish to set foot within the Primordial Immortal Domain must pay a steep price, the exact sum varying according to their cultivation level."

"Given your cultivation, Fellow Daoist, the fee required for your entry would likely be staggering."

Having said that, the Pure Tenuity Recluse added, "Furthermore, within the Primordial Immortal Domain, those Great Encompassing Ancient Sect [ancient sects of immense power and heritage] that control a major domain levy a substantial tax upon all cultivators at the Immortal [a being who has achieved immortality] rank and above within their territories, once every million years."

"Many Celestial Immortal [immortals who have ascended to the celestial realm] who could not afford the taxes were forcibly expelled from the Primordial Immortal Domain [the primordial realm where the earliest and most powerful immortals reside]."

"So that's how it is."

Eldrin Chen nodded. Charging outsiders high entry fees and imposing steep internal taxes was indeed the most effective method to maintain the cultivation environment of the Primordial Immortal Domain.

Of course, from another perspective, this was essentially the Great Encompassing Ancient Sect [ancient sects of immense power and influence] exploiting the Celestial Immortal Great Power [powerful beings within the Celestial Immortal realm] within their territories.

Considering this, Eldrin Chen could not help but remark with a smile, "It seems life isn't easy for the Celestial Immortal in the Primordial Immortal Domain either."

"Not easy?" Pure Tenuity Recluse [a secluded immortal abode] smiled and shook his head. "You'll understand soon enough."

With these words, the two arrived before the passageway.

The immortal official at the entrance glanced at Eldrin Chen and asked, "For how long do you wish to enter?"

Eldrin Chen was momentarily taken aback. "What is the difference?" he inquired.

"The entry permits are divided into four types: ten thousand years, one hundred thousand years, one million years, ten million years, and permanent access."

"The price naturally varies. For your cultivation level, entry for ten thousand years requires a single Primordial Unity Rare Treasure. For one hundred thousand years, it requires one strand of Innate Energy [the primordial, foundational energy of creation]. For one million years, ten strands are needed, and for ten million years, one hundred strands."

At this point, the immortal official continued, "If you desire permanent residency rights, the fee is five thousand strands of Innate Energy."

"Five thousand strands of Innate Energy?"

Eldrin Chen was momentarily stunned. Even for a Seven Tribulations Ancient Immortal, five thousand strands of Innate Energy represented an astronomical fortune.

Thankfully, he recovered swiftly. Considering he might need to undertake a prolonged seclusion here, he took a deep breath and declared, "Then I shall take the one-million-year permit."

The immortal official accepted the Innate Energy, completed the registration, and handed Eldrin Chen a token. As they parted, he offered a final warning: "When the million years are up, you must remember to return this token here."

"Otherwise, the Immortal Court will not only dispatch Celestial Soldiers and Generals to apprehend you but will also levy a massive fine."

Eldrin Chen nodded in acknowledgment without further comment and continued down the passageway.

Pure Tenuity Recluse soon caught up, walking alongside Eldrin Chen with a smile. "After tens of millions of years, this old man has finally returned to the Primordial Immortal Domain. I wonder how my sect fares in these times."

Eldrin Chen offered a knowing smile but no answer, proceeding silently along the path. Not long after, they emerged within the vast expanse of the Primordial Immortal Domain itself.

The moment he arrived at the Primordial Immortal Domain [the most ancient and foundational realm of the Immortal World], Eldrin Chen's footsteps faltered slightly, a look of astonishment crossing his features.

Seeing this, the Pure Tenuity Recluse [a secluded immortal dwelling] couldn't help but smile and say, "You've sensed it, haven't you?"

"Such a dense concentration of Immortal Spirit Essence [the fundamental energy of the Immortal World, vital for cultivation]."

"What an extraordinary Primordial Immortal Domain." Eldrin Chen murmured, unable to contain his awe.

Eldrin Chen marveled, his gaze sweeping the surroundings. He discovered that within this vast heaven and earth, Immortal Energy [the condensed power of the Immortal Spirit Essence] flowed unrestrained. Immortal mists coiled everywhere, and the ground was littered with rare objects that could be considered Immortal Artifact [artifacts of immense power, often formed by nature itself].

It turned out that the concentration of Immortal Spirit Essence in this Primordial Immortal Domain was not merely a few times, but thousands of times denser than that of the Vast Azure Immortal Domain.

Even this desolate mountain range before them possessed an Immortal Spirit Essence density comparable to the Immortal Vein [a natural conduit of immense spiritual power] of an immortal isle in the Vast Azure Realm. Open-air Blessed Land [naturally occurring sites of profound spiritual power] could literally be found everywhere one looked.

"This Primordial Immortal Domain," the recluse explained, "is home to seven Path Ancestor [supreme beings who have mastered a fundamental cosmic principle]. Tens of thousands of Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [powerful immortals at the peak of cultivation] continuously convert Chaos Water [the primordial substance before creation] into Immortal Spirit Essence. Its richness is therefore beyond compare."

"Furthermore," he continued, "the Primordial Immortal Domain has always maintained a policy of strict entry and lenient exit. Consequently, the Immortal Spirit Essence here remains at least three thousand times denser than that of an ordinary Immortal Domain, and it has been steadily increasing over the years."

"It is said that the current density of Immortal Spirit Essence in the Primordial Immortal Domain is thirty times greater than it was at the dawn of creation, and it continues to transform and grow even now."

The Pure Tenuity Recluse spoke with a tone of reverence, his gaze filled with longing. "These Immortal Spirit Essence [the foundational spiritual energy of the immortal realms] are, in essence, the transformed essence of the Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [the highest echelon of immortal cultivators] from the Three Great Heavenly Courts and countless Great Encompassing Ancient Sect."

"Ordinary Immortal [immortal cultivators], Earth Immortal [earth-bound immortals], and Celestial Immortal [heavenly immortals] contribute little, yet they continuously consume Immortal Spirit Essence. Without special privileges, why would those Great Encompassing Golden Immortal toil for others without reward?"

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen finally understood why the great ancient sects within the Primordial Immortal Domain levied such exorbitant taxes on the Immortal residing in their territories.

He had initially thought this was merely the exploitation of lower-ranking immortals by their superiors. Now, he saw it as a necessary measure to maintain the positive cycle of Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy [the primordial energy of heaven and earth, the source of all cultivation], to avert the arrival of an age of spiritual decay, and, incidentally, to collect a fee for the service.

Having said his piece, the Pure Tenuity Recluse prepared to take his leave. Before departing, he clasped his hands in farewell. "Now that I have returned to the Primordial Immortal Domain, I intend to visit my home. Perhaps we should part ways here."

Eldrin Chen returned the gesture but inquired further, "As a newcomer to the Primordial Immortal Domain, my knowledge is still incomplete."

"May I ask, fellow Daoist, where the Netherworld Hell [the underworld realm] under our Human Race's jurisdiction is located? Also, I wish to know when the next Barter Convention [a grand gathering for high-level trade and exchange] for high-tribulation Ancient Immortal [immortals who have survived multiple heavenly tribulations] will be held within the Primordial Immortal Domain."

The Pure Tenuity Recluse paused briefly, then smiled. "The location of the Netherworld Realm is simple; I can provide you with a map. As for a Barter Convention for high-level Ancient Immortal..."

The Pure Tenuity Recluse pondered for a moment before continuing. "In approximately thirty-seven thousand years, a Barter Convention will be held in the Twinkling Light Ancient Domain. I plan to attend that one myself."

"If fate allows, we shall meet again then."