Chapter 2116 : Settling Scores with the Foes

"Bypass the shackles of bloodline?"

Seraphina Qu murmured softly before asking, "My lord, are you suggesting that I switch to cultivating the Path of Self-Offering?"

Eldrin (Person Name)颔了颔首，而后开口说道：“祭我道的特性便是如此，转修之前的根基越强大，修成的祭我之躯的底蕴和实力就越强大。”

"Madam possesses a Chaotic Foundation. Once she sacrifices everything to cultivate the Path of Self-Sacrifice, her potential and strength will undoubtedly experience tremendous growth. At that time, the likelihood of her stepping into the Dao Integration Realm should be considerable."

Lyra nodded in agreement, yet her voice carried a trace of concern as she said, "However, cultivating the Path of Self-Sacrifice is perilous beyond measure. The greater 1's power becomes, the more devastating the tribulations they shall face."

"Given Seraphina Qu's current cultivation level, I'm afraid it would still be far too risky."

Eldrin (Person Name) nodded slightly upon hearing this, his expression growing solemn.

To cultivate the Path of Self-Sacrifice, the greatest challenge lies in offering up all that 1 possesses—using every foundation as nourishment to forge an invincible new self.

However, the process of Sacrificial Awakening is fraught with peril, where the slightest misstep would lead to certain death. Moreover, the more powerful the individual, the lower their likelihood of completing the ritual.

At the Emperor and Quasi-Sage realms, the likelihood of directly embarking on the Path of Self-Sacrifice was virtually 0.

Fortunately, the likelihood of Sacrificial Self could also be enhanced through certain external aids.

For instance, Eldrin (Person Name) of that era utilized the power of the Creation Cauldron (Innate Supreme Treasure) to assist dozens of ancient immortal experts under his guidance in completing the Sacrificial Self cultivation.

If the Qiankun Ding could be recovered and the divine might of the Creation Cauldron of Heaven and Earth restored, it might even assist powerhouses at the Great Emperor realm or the Quasi-Sage realm in severing the foundations of their entire cultivation to complete the Sacrifice of Self.

Of course, if 1 could utilize the Chaos Cauldron, the effects would likely be far more potent.

As a supreme Chaos treasure, the Chaos Cauldron possessed boundless miraculous functions, its efficacy surpassing that of the Qiankun Creation Cauldron by untold measures.

The so-called Heaven and Earth Creation Cauldron was merely a medium-grade Chaos Spiritual Treasure that Nameless had forged by imitating the Chaos Cauldron, using 2 portions of Chaos Spiritual Treasures as materials.

It was truly a pity that the Chaos Cauldron had been sent flying by the Blade of Annihilation. With Eldrin's level of cultivation, had he intervened, he would have had at least a 50 percent chance of retrieving it in 1 smooth motion.

However, doing so would be akin to seizing the Chaos Cauldron right under the Destruction Lord's nose, inevitably alerting him to the anomaly.

To avoid alerting the Lord of Annihilation to any anomalies, Eldrin deliberately refrained from recalling the Chaos Cauldron, allowing it to vanish into the boundless chaos instead.

"Without the Chaos Cauldron, if we can use the Cosmic Creation Cauldron as foundation and harness the power of the Primordial Domain to set up the Chaos Cosmic Creation Array, it should suffice to help Seraphina Qu (Person Name) and the others complete the ritual."

Eldrin (Person Name) murmured inwardly, a contemplative expression gradually surfacing in his eyes.

In ages past, the Qiankun Cauldron was banished by the Elder of Qiankun, vanishing into the vast expanse of primordial chaos.

Later, Eldrin repeatedly activated the Cauldron of Creation to locate the Cosmic Cauldron, yet he found the treasure perpetually shrouded in a veil of mist, making it impossible for him to pinpoint its exact whereabouts.

Fortunately, Eldrin's cultivation had grown increasingly profound, allowing him to vaguely deduce that the Qiankun Cauldron was concealed within a certain Chaotic Realm. Only by being shrouded within the Chaotic Realm's obscuration of heavenly secrets could it thwart his calculations.

However, such concealment had its limits. Eldrin estimated that only when his soul cultivation reached the realm of the Heavenly Emperor would he...

At that time, with his formidable soul cultivation and the combined power of the Great Yan Yin-Yang Star Art and the resonance from the Creation Cauldron, deducing the location of the Qiankun Cauldron should not have been difficult.

"The realm of the Soul Emperor is no longer a distant horizon."

Eldrin's thoughts drifted for a moment, but he swiftly reined them back in.

He glanced at the several Dao Companions beside him and spoke, "My suggestion is that we must now mend all foundational flaws, awaiting until our cultivation reaches its absolute peak before transitioning to the Path of Sacrificial Ascension."

Everyone fell into a brief, contemplative silence, quickly grasping the meaning behind Eldrin's thoughts.

Most of them now specialized in the Path of Palm Dao, while also cultivating the supplementary Path of the Soul Emperor.

Only Lyra (Person Name) and Qing Ji had simultaneously cultivated 3 supreme paths: Fleshly Body Sanctification, the Great Dao of Chaos, and the Soul Path Heavenly Emperor.

By all conventional wisdom, this was the clearest choice, for when the Great Dao stands alone and supreme, dedicating oneself to a single path is the optimal course.

However, if 1 were to exclusively cultivate the Path of Self-Offering, there would be no meaning in dedicating oneself to a single path.

Sacrificing to my Dao, the more foundations 1 cultivates, the more profound the essence becomes, ultimately allowing the new self offered in sacrifice to transcend the mundane.

Therefore, they must now focus on fortifying their foundations—strengthening their physical bodies, refining their spiritual treasures, honing their divine abilities, and perfecting their Dao fruits—until they reach a state where no further advancement is possible.

After realizing this, Yan Zijie couldn't help but smile wryly and say, "Cultivating multiple Dao simultaneously presents an immensely formidable challenge—it might demand dozens, even hundreds of times more time and effort."

"However, with the accelerated time flow within the Void Abyss Realm, this might be our optimal choice."

Eldrin gave a slight nod, then began charting the path forward for his several dao companions.

Among his several Dao Companions, Lyra possessed a heaven-defying foundation, while Qing Ji’s potential pointed directly to the realm of a Unity Supreme. Both of them, at least for the short term, would not cultivate the Sacrificial Path.

Yan Zi Ji and Lila (Person Name) had inherited the legacy of the Immortal Sage, their cultivation of the Great Dao having already reached the realm of the Invincible Great Emperor. Moreover, after years of practicing the wondrous art of soul division, their spiritual consciousness had also attained the level of a Great Emperor.

Now, all that remains is to fully consolidate the physical body, the Dao Fruit, and all other aspects of cultivation. Once every foundation reaches the pinnacle of the Great Emperor realm, I shall sacrifice it all to cultivate the Path of Self-Sacrifice.

The same was true for Empress Lingxi. Though her foundation was slightly less profound than Lila's and Yan Ziji's, she remained a prodigy who had cultivated several True Spiritual Roots in her foundational establishment.

Only by cultivating her foundation to its absolute limit before specializing in the Sacrificial Self Path could she perhaps unlock greater potential.

Only Seraphina Qu (Person Name) alone had reached the limit of her innate potential and might become 1 who would turn to cultivate the Path of Sacrificing the Self.

Understanding this, Eldrin mused, "Seraphina Qu's foundation lies in her 9-Colored Immortal Clam physique, which simultaneously possesses 9 distinct powers: the 5 Elements, the 3 Anomalies, and the Ultimate Yin."

"With this as our foundation, to further strengthen our foundation, we must proceed in 3 key steps."

Upon hearing this, Seraphina Qu's eyes shimmered faintly, a glimmer of curiosity surfacing within them.

Seeing this, Eldrin continued, "First, cultivate these 9 powers to their absolute limits. By mastering the 9 True Spirit Forms, you shall reach the pinnacle of the Quasi-Sage realm."

Second, to reforge the 9 Severances Soul-Slaying Sword into 9 Primordial Chaos Treasures.

Upon hearing this, everyone present was momentarily taken aback.

Back then, to help Seraphina Qu cultivate her Innate Primordial Treasure, Eldrin had merged the 9 Absolute Spirit-Severing Swords into 1, forging a single lethal blade of an Innate Primordial Treasure.

But now I must reforge the 9 Severities Soul-Slaying Sword? Does this mean all my efforts back then were in vain?

Seeing this, Eldrin continued, "Originally, Seraphina Qu lacked sufficient foundation. Had the 9 swords remained separate, it would have been impossible to cultivate them into an innate supreme treasure. That is why I refined them into a single entity."

"Now it seems that through sheer serendipity, the 9 Extremities Severing Spirit Sword has gained the potential to transform into 9 Primordial Chaos Treasures."

At this point, Eldrin said with a smile, "Now that the bottleneck of the 9 Severances Soul-Slaying Sword has been broken, if we can obtain the Cosmic Creation Cauldron, we can split it back into 9 separate swords."

At that time, by incorporating various celestial metals and divine materials, 1 could cultivate 9 innate supreme treasure immortal swords.

At that time, the 9 Severities Soul-Slaying Sword could manifest and disperse at will—it could merge into a single blade of 9 Severities Slaughter, or divide into the 9 Severities Sword Formation to annihilate hordes of foes. It was truly a slaughter treasure of immeasurable power.

Hearing this, everyone present felt a faint stir of joy in their hearts.

Seraphina Qu’s heart swelled with excitement, and she couldn’t help but tug at Eldrin’s sleeve as she asked, “Husband, if that’s the case, when can we recover the Qiankun Cauldron (Magic Treasure)?”

"Soon."

Eldrin (Person Name) spoke slowly, then murmured in contemplation, "Once I cultivate the Chaos Primordial Spirit to completion, I shall begin my quest to reclaim the Qiankun Cauldron (Magic Treasure)."

After arranging the daily cultivation plans for his dao companions, Eldrin began his secluded training.

In the years that followed, Eldrin dedicated himself to the Great Path of the Primordial Spirit, striving to accumulate spiritual cultivation as swiftly as possible with the aid of the accelerated flow of time.

However, this time Eldrin did not remain in seclusion for long before being abruptly interrupted by a piece of news.

The moment he saw the message, Eldrin emerged from his secluded cultivation chamber and summoned a group of immortals within the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss.

Upon arriving at the great hall, Eldrin scanned the interior and discovered several dozen Great Luo Golden Immortals and even Chaos Origin Emperor Lords bound within.

"Dark Abyss Emperor, Primal Desolation Emperor, Celestial Calculus Saint Emperor, Celestial Prison Demi-Saint..."

Eldrin's brow furrowed slightly as he surveyed the crowd before him.

Seeing this, Ye Qingfeng, who was standing nearby, spoke up, “Master, these people are all your former enemies, and some are your Great Dao adversaries.”

"They were captured by the Divine Emperor of Great Nirvana, the Primordial God of Cosmic Extremity, and others who intervened personally, then delivered to you, Honored Master, for disposition."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin couldn't help but reveal a dazed expression.

These individuals were all his nemeses on the path of cultivation, including adversaries like the Celestial Divination Sage Emperor. Many among them had attained the realm of Great Emperor.

Many of them were once formidable foes Eldrin could not even look up to, yet now they had been delivered right to his doorstep before Eldrin had even uttered a word.

Originally, these individuals had attempted to flee upon discovering Eldrin had stepped into the Celestial Emperor Realm. Yet several Celestial Emperors, including the Divine Emperor of Taiyin and the Primordial Ancestral God of Huangji, personally intervened, capturing every last 1 of them.

Understanding this, Eldrin couldn't help but sigh faintly in his heart.

In this primordial chaos, strength ultimately dictates the discourse. Had Eldrin merely been an ordinary Heavenly Emperor, these Divine Monarchs would likely have shielded the Celestial Divination Sage Emperor and his allies.

However, after Eldrin’s combat prowess reached the half-step into Dao Union realm, they realized they could no longer protect these people by their own strength alone.

Under such circumstances, rather than offending Eldrin for the sake of subordinates, it would be wiser to seize this opportunity to grant him a favor.

As for the Heavenly Derivation Sacred Emperor and the others, they were merely the price paid by the Primal Chaos Ancestral God and his allies to curry favor.

With this thought in mind, Eldrin let out a faint sigh and spoke, "All of you, rise."

Upon hearing this, Ye Qingfeng immediately untied these individuals.

When the crowd had risen, the Celestial Derivation Sage Emperor finally turned his gaze to Eldrin. With a bitter smile, he spoke, "I once prided myself on being able to scheme against all, yet never did I imagine that my countless plots would ultimately be directed at the Dao Ancestor himself."

"Today’s misfortunes are entirely of my own making. Whatever punishment the Dao Ancestor decrees, I shall bear it alone."

Eldrin gave a slight nod, then spoke calmly, "Then I sentence you to the Eternal Abyss Tribulation. Only when you comprehend the essence of this calamity shall you return."

As the words faded, Eldrin activated the Great Deduction of Yin-Yang and Stars Dao, extracted the soul of the Heavenly Deduction Saint Emperor, and cast it into the boundless cycle of reincarnation.

Everyone present witnessed this scene, and a trace of fear and despair instantly flickered across their faces.

The Eternal Curse cast with the Celestial Emperor's methods, even with the Heavenly Derivation Saint Emperor's cultivation, might never be unraveled—proof that Eldrin (Person Name) was by no means 1 to wield mercy.

Indeed, Eldrin had never believed in such nonsense as returning good for evil.

If you repay resentment with virtue, then what will you use to repay virtue?

Mercy toward an enemy is a sin against those by your side.

The hardships Ye Xuanhui endured in the past, the tribulations suffered by the Black Abyss Emperor—Eldrin (Person Name) would now settle them all, 1 by 1.

As his thoughts wavered, Eldrin struck repeatedly, severing the cultivation bases of several formidable foes and casting them into the eternal cycle of reincarnation, from which they could never break free.

"Hiss—"

Witnessing this scene, countless adversaries of the Great Dao present were overcome with boundless terror.

They all turned their gazes toward Eldrin, each face etched with utter despair.

Yet unexpectedly, Eldrin gazed upon these enemies of the Great Dao and found his killing intent strangely absent.

He gave a faint smile and then spoke calmly, "On the path of the Great Dao, 1 advances without retreat."

"Your path of cultivation conflicts with my own, yet beyond this, you bear me no enmity. I shall not pursue this to the bitter end."

"Very well, all of you may return to your cultivation, and may even contemplate how to refine and perfect the Great Daos of Pure Yang, Profound Darkness, Primordial Gold, and so forth."

Everyone was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, clearly failing to grasp the meaning behind Eldrin's words.

Seeing this, Eldrin continued, "Your authorities over the Great Dao shall all be claimed by me in time. However, your contributions to these authorities shall also be remembered in my heart."

"If I were to fully grasp the authority of the Great Dao in the future, you may continue cultivating the Great Dao, and even anchor your primordial spirits within it, preserving your current Dao Fruits and cultivation realms."

Moreover, if you can perfect the Great Dao, you may receive various opportunities bestowed by this venerable 1—even the qualification to cultivate in the Celestial Realm of the Returning Abyss.

Upon hearing this, everyone present instantly revealed expressions of ecstatic joy.

In truth, not all who wield the Dao possess ruthless temperaments. Take, for instance, the Human Race's Emperor Ziwei, who cultivates the supreme path of the Ziwei Great Dao.

Logically speaking, the Violet Emperor should have been able to master the Great Dao of the Purple Subtlety Sovereign. Yet, he never contended against the Purple Subtlety Sovereign, even permitting his primordial spirit to anchor itself upon the Great Dao of Purple Subtlety.

In such circumstances, the only distinction between Emperor Ziwei and the other Emperors was that when wielding the authority of the Great Dao, he needed to seek permission from the Divine Sovereign Ziwei.

If the Eldrin Divine Sovereign did not consent, the Eldrin Great Emperor would lose the power of the Heavenly Dao’s authority, and his strength would plummet by 80 to 90 percent.

Yet 1 had to admit that figures like the Emperor of Ziwei were far safer in their approach.

Without the authority of the Great Dao, there was no possibility of having it stripped away.

Though he could never hope to breach the Heavenly Emperor Realm, he posed no threat whatsoever to the Empress of Violet Stars. Thus, as long as the Empress did not move against him, he could maintain his cultivation at the Great Emperor Realm.

It now appears that Eldrin, much like the Violet Emperor, does not resist those who cultivate opposing paths such as the Pure Yang Heavenly Flame.

In his eyes, the only true rivals worthy of caution in the Dao were those few Chaos Heavenly Emperors who also cultivated this path. The rest posed no threat whatsoever; rather, they could aid in deducing and perfecting the Great Dao.

He was quite pleased to see these individuals refining Great Dao principles such as the Primordial Yang Celestial Fire. Even though he would ultimately contend for complete authority, he still willingly preserved their place in the grand scheme.

With this thought, all the Great Luo and Imperial Lords present revealed expressions of ecstatic delight.

After all, the authority of the Great Dao is now cultivated by Eldrin, the Celestial Emperor. There is no possibility for them to seize such a Dao from Eldrin's grasp.

If Eldrin (Person Name) could command the Great Dao, securing an official post under his reign would be a rather splendid prospect.

After all, the mastery of the Dao of Chaos does not preclude others from cultivating it concurrently.

However, without the permission of the Dao's master, these individuals were unable to wield the authority of the Great Dao, rendering their strength far inferior to that of ordinary Great Luo Golden Immortals of the same tier.

Although these individuals cannot wield the authority of the Great Dao, they face no risk of losing it and can no longer be completely eradicated by the Adversaries of the Great Dao.

Thus, for those immortals who seek not further ascension but only eternal life and carefree existence, this could be considered a rather agreeable conclusion.

Most importantly, Eldrin (Person Name) seemed to show considerable reward toward those who perfected the Great Dao, which brought them no small measure of solace.

Understanding this, the several dozen Great Luo Immortal Lords and Primordial Chaos Emperor Lords present were filled with joy. They all knelt and bowed to the ground, then performed a deep ceremonial salute, saying, "We offer our deepest gratitude to the Emperor for sparing our lives."

"I shall henceforth devote myself to perfecting the Great Dao, assisting Your Majesty in ascending to the supreme and unparalleled realm of the Ultimate Sovereign."

Eldrin chuckled softly, then flicked his sleeve dismissively. "Devote yourselves to cultivation. Should your efforts contribute to the edifice of my Dao, I shall not treat you unkindly."

With those final words, Eldrin spoke no more.

He departed from the great hall and returned to the Primordial Chaos Realm to continue cultivating his primordial spirit.

In the mountains, time stood still, while a millennium passed in the mortal world.

With the boost of a 3-100-fold time acceleration, Eldrin's soul cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds.

Merely dozens of kalpas had passed in the outside world, yet his soul cultivation had already reached the absolute pinnacle.

"My primordial spirit foundation has reached the apex of the Quasi-Sage Realm."

On this day, Eldrin murmured softly as he sensed his primordial spirit, an involuntary gentle smile gracing his lips.

Then, he sensed the condition within the Tower of Primordial Spirit. Within that divine pagoda, the 9 great True Spirit divine abilities shimmered in mutual radiance, faintly coalescing into a supreme immortal pagoda bordering on the level of chaos.

Within the Soul Tower, 9 great divine ability manifestations surged and roiled, each brimming with ultimate power, filling the Soul Tower’s strength to its absolute peak.

"The Tower of Primordial Spirit has also reached its limit."

Eldrin's thoughts drifted, and he couldn't help but recall the method to break through the Divine Soul Pagoda.

The so-called method of proving the Dao through the Primordial Spirit involves cultivating 1's Primordial Spirit to its utmost limit, then refining the Primordial Spirit Pagoda to perfection, and finally refining the Primordial Chaos Qi to transform the very foundation of the Primordial Spirit.

At that moment, by merging the Soul Tower with 1's primordial spirit, 1 could cultivate the supreme realm of the Soul Dao Heavenly Emperor.

However, Eldrin was no ordinary talent. His primordial spirit had long surpassed its limits, having completed the Great Shattering cultivation. The bottleneck to the realm of the Heavenly Emperor had already been shattered long ago.

Under such circumstances, Eldrin (Person Name) no longer needed to refine the Primordial Chaos Qi. With but a gentle push, he could ascend into the supreme realm of the Soul Dao Heavenly Emperor.

Chapter 1 The biting mountain wind whipped across the cliffside, carrying with it the scent of pine and damp earth. Lin Chen gritted his teeth, his knuckles white as he gripped the rough stone ledge. Below him, a sea of clouds churned, obscuring the treacherous depths of the ravine. He had been climbing for what felt like an eternity, his body pushed to its absolute limit. "Just... a little... further," he grunted, each word a struggle. With a final, desperate surge of strength, he hauled himself over the precipice and collapsed onto solid ground. His chest heaved, drawing in great gulps of the thin, spiritual-energy-rich air. As his vision cleared, his eyes widened. There, nestled within a crevice and glowing with a faint, ethereal light, was a plant he had only ever read about in ancient scrolls—the Starlight Spirit Grass (Spiritual Herb). A wave of euphoria washed over him. This single stalk could be refined into a pill that would save him months, perhaps even years, of arduous cultivation. It was the breakthrough he desperately needed. His fingers trembled as he reached for it. "Hold it right there!" A sharp, arrogant voice cut through the silence, shattering the moment. Lin Chen's head snapped up. 3 figures emerged from the shadows of the surrounding rocks, their grey outer disciple robes flapping in the wind. The 1 in the lead, a young man with a hawk-like nose and a cruel twist to his lips, sneered down at him. "Well, well. Look what the cat dragged up the mountain," the leader jeered. "If it isn't Lin Chen, the 'prodigy' who's been stuck at the 3rd level of Qi Condensation for 3 whole years. You actually found something valuable. Consider this your contribution to us senior brothers." Lin Chen's heart sank. It was Zhang Hu and his lackeys, notorious for bullying weaker disciples and stealing their resources. Zhang Hu himself was at the 5th level of Qi Condensation. A fight was impossible. "Senior Brother Zhang," Lin Chen said, forcing his voice to remain calm as he slowly got to his feet, subtly shifting his stance. "This disciple found this herb first. According to sect rules..." "Sect rules?" Zhang Hu barked a laugh, interrupting him. "The only rule here is strength! Hand over the spirit grass, and maybe we'll only break 1 of your legs instead of both." The 2 disciples flanking him cracked their knuckles, their auras pressing down on Lin Chen. The spiritual pressure was stifling. Lin Chen's mind raced. He couldn't win a direct confrontation. But surrender was not an option. This spirit grass was his only hope. His gaze darted around, searching for an escape route, finding none. His fingers brushed against the cold, smooth surface of the small, unadorned bronze mirror tucked in his robe—his only inheritance from his missing father, an object that had never shown any special properties. *Is this it?* he thought, despair beginning to creep in. *After all the struggle, all the ridicule... it ends like this?* "Fine," Lin Chen said, his voice barely a whisper. He lowered his head, feigning defeat. "You win. The grass is yours." He made a show of reluctantly reaching for the Starlight Spirit Grass. Zhang Hu's smirk widened in triumph. But as Lin Chen's fingers closed around the stem of the glowing herb, a strange warmth spread from the bronze mirror against his chest. A faint, almost imperceptible hum vibrated through his bones. Time seemed to slow. The arrogant faces of Zhang Hu and his cronies, the swirling mountain mists, the glowing spirit grass—everything sharpened into impossible clarity. In that suspended moment, a voice, ancient and resonant, echoed directly within the depths of his consciousness, a sound not heard with ears but felt with the soul. *So... after 10 1000 years of silence... a spark of potential, at last.*