Chapter 2157 : Prince of the Netherworld

"Is this the 7 Domains Alliance?"

Eldrin first arrived in the vicinity of the 7 Domains Alliance, discovering that the area remained relatively tranquil, as if untouched by the ravages of war.

Evidently, the war between the 7 Domains Alliance and the forces under the Netherworld Overlord continued to rage within the vast peripheral Chaos Domains.

"Let's gather some intelligence first."

Eldrin murmured inwardly, then located a Supreme Chaos Domain near the 7 Realms Alliance. Manifesting his primordial spirit, he sought out the Unity Dao Supreme guarding this territory.

The local Unity Supreme was merely a newly ascended 1, whose cultivation and strength were far from formidable. Upon encountering Eldrin (Person Name), he initially remained highly vigilant.

However, after confirming Eldrin's (Person Name) origins and understanding his intentions, he finally breathed a slight sigh of relief.

He invited Eldrin into a grand hall, his expression turning grave as he spoke, "The situation on the battlefield is dire. The fighting at the front lines has reached a stalemate."

"According to the latest intelligence, not only have the 5 subordinate forces under the Netherworld Sovereign taken action, but even the direct lineage of the Netherworld faction and the affiliated powers under the Heavenly Flame Sovereign have mobilized."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin slightly furrowed his brow, a trace of solemnity coloring his expression for the first time.

The Netherworld Sovereign, as a Chaos Sovereign, was unlikely to intervene personally.

Moreover, the 7 Domains Alliance appeared to have the backing of the Chaos Overlord. Under such circumstances, with their formidable strength, the Alliance could confront the lineage of the Netherworld Overlord single-handedly without the slightest fear.

But once the Heavenly Flame Sovereign intervened, the situation had already changed drastically.

The Heavenly Flame Sovereign is the sole master of flames within the primordial chaos. Legend holds that he was born with dominion over 9 supreme heavenly fires, reigning as the true lord of the infinite dao of flames.

Most crucially, the Heavenly Flame Sovereign also served as the paramount ruler of all Chaos Fire Attribute Holy Spirits. Under his command were tens of thousands of Chaos Heavenly Emperors, with 9 alone being half-step Boundless Realm powerhouses directly under his lineage.

If we include the affiliated forces, the number of Half-Step Limitless experts would increase by several more.

If this faction were to fully intervene in besieging the 7 Domains Alliance, it would inevitably cause the alliance's situation to take a drastic turn for the worse.

Most crucially, the 7 supreme half-step Unity realm experts of the 7 Domains Alliance could not easily venture beyond the boundaries of the Infinite Grand Formation.

"It seems there is still some trouble ahead."

Eldrin murmured inwardly, a faint furrow forming between his brows.

If the 7 Realms Alliance suffered heavy losses, with even multiple Half-Step Limitless experts perishing, they would inevitably be completely suppressed by those Chaos Overlords in the upcoming expedition to the Primordial Haven.

He was unwilling to witness such an outcome, striving to preserve the strength of the 7 Domains Alliance as much as possible. If circumstances allowed, he even intended to weaken the forces under the command of the Netherworld Sovereign and his allies.

Understanding this, Eldrin immediately rose and cupped his hands toward the Supreme 1 before him. "Many thanks for your guidance, Fellow Daoist. I now have clarity in my heart."

"However, I have urgent matters to attend to now and cannot linger here with you any longer."

The Supreme Unity Sovereign nodded and sent him into the primordial chaos, yet still cautioned, "Fellow Daoist of the Returning Abyss, this journey is fraught with peril. In my view, it would be best for you not to interfere."

"Thank you for the reminder, Fellow Daoist. I have full awareness of the situation."

Eldrin (Person Name) cupped his hands in farewell before ultimately striding forth and vanishing into the depths of the primordial chaos.

He traversed the endless void, unknowingly arriving beyond the boundary of the 3 Mysteries Primordial Chaos Realm.

"What a fierce battle."

Gazing upon the Threefold Chaos Domain before him, a trace of solemnity involuntarily surfaced in Eldrin's expression as his brow furrowed slightly.

Yet beyond the vast expanse of the 3 Mysteries Chaos Domain, millions of primordial chaos vessels had already gathered in a dense encirclement.

These Chaos Ancient Vessels were all of considerable grade, with the lowest-tier vessels already at the Emperor level. Among them, there were even vessels of Celestial Emperor rank, and some that reached the Supreme Sovereign tier.

At this moment, these ancient vessels had completely encircled the Tri-Mystic Chaos Realm, unleashing earth-shattering divine power in a relentless assault against it.

Moreover, within these ancient chaos vessels, Eldrin sensed 5 auras that posed an immense threat to him—clearly, they belonged to 5 supreme experts at the half-step Chaos Zenith level.

5 Half-Step Infinity experts, over 2 100 Unity Supreme Elders.

After a thorough investigation, a trace of gravity flickered across Eldrin's brow, his expression growing solemn.

After a thorough observation, he discovered that these 5 Half-Step Wuji masters each hailed from different origins.

Among these 5 individuals, 2 hailed from the Shadow Mastiff clan—specifically, the Shadow Mastiff Progenitor (Clan Founder) and the Second Progenitor (Clan Elder).

The remaining 3 were the direct descendant of the Netherworld Sovereign's lineage, 'Nether Prince'; the Ancient Purgatory Ancestor who attained enlightenment through Purgatory Flames; and 'Violet Void Supreme' who cultivated the Violet Void Heavenly Fire.

Among these 5 Half-Step Eldrins, the other 4 were ordinary Half-Step Eldrins, yet the Nether Prince possessed exceptionally formidable strength.

This individual was the seventh son of the Netherworld Sovereign, and the most gifted descendant of his bloodline. Legends spoke of him having forged the Foundation of Dominion, his strength far surpassing that of ordinary Half-Step Chaos Unity cultivators.

Eldrin even suspected that this Nether Prince likely wielded at least 1 superior-grade Chaos Spiritual Treasure. If he were to strike with full force, a single blow could severely injure him.

"I can't confront them head-on."

Eldrin murmured inwardly, then turned his gaze toward the Tri-Mystic Chaos Realm. Within its expanse, an overwhelming aura surged—apparently guarded by half-step Infinite Realm experts—clearly capable of enduring for some time yet.

At this thought, he inwardly breathed a faint sigh of relief and quickly formulated a plan.

"To fight him to the death would be an unwise move."

"Besieging Wei to rescue Zhao—launching guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines might be my optimal strategy."

Eldrin pondered silently in his heart, then directly bypassed the 3 Extremes Chaos Domain and stealthily made his way toward the Ancient Nether Hound Domain.

After arriving at the Ancient Direwolf Domain, Eldrin headed straight for the stronghold of the Direwolf Ancient Clan—the Primeval Direwolf Realm.

The Primordial Domain of the Shadow Mastiff was also a large-scale, mid-grade primordial domain. It had joined forces with several 100 other primordial domains, forming a super chaotic formation.

Eldrin observed the formation and realized it was nearly on par with the Chaos Grand Formation of the Primordial Heaven Ancient Palace, yet it hadn't reached the level of the Infinite Grand Formation.

Yet even so, the might of this grand formation was truly astonishing. Under the command of a supreme top-tier expert, it could withstand prolonged assaults from several half-step Infinites.

"This formation's defensive capabilities are quite formidable, no wonder the Shadow Mastiff Ancient Clan dared to launch a full-scale assault, leaving not a single 1 of their 2 Half-Step Wuji experts behind."

Eldrin observed for a moment and discovered that within the Shadow Mastiff Chaos Domain, only a handful of top-tier Supreme Rulers remained stationed. Even the Chaos Heavenly Emperors left behind numbered merely 20-some.

"Perfect timing."

At this thought, a flicker of delight surfaced in Eldrin's eyes. Without hesitation, he activated the Abyssal Seal to manifest the Mirror of Yin, Yang, and Void, then forcibly tore through the void and plunged into the Primordial Domain of the Shadow Mastiff.

"Who dares trespass into the ancestral domain of the Shadow Mastiffs?"

Once inside the formation, the top-tier Paragon from the Primordial Realm of the Shadow Mastiff finally sensed something amiss and immediately charged toward Eldrin (Person Name) to suppress him. Unfortunately, it was already too late.

But then Eldrin, with his supreme physical body, withstood the heavenly punishment of the Primordial Domain’s Dao from the Shadow Hound, then fully unleashed the Chaos Heavenly Halberd in a devastating slash, instantly cleaving that top-tier supreme being in 2 on the spot.

With a single strike that killed a top-tier Supreme, a flicker of killing intent finally surfaced in Eldrin's gaze.

He shook the blood off the Chaos Heavenly Halberd, then swept his gaze across the 6 directions and 8 wildernesses. A wisp of negligible aura descended with his glance, causing the surging Celestial Emperors of the Shadow Mastiff tribe to instantly explode into clouds of crimson mist.

"All beneath the Eternal Zenith are but ants."

"But to a Half-Step Eldrin, what difference is there between these Celestial Emperors and mere ants?"

Eldrin let out a soft sigh, a wave of emotion washing over him.

As 1's cultivation base grows higher, the disparity between individuals becomes increasingly vast. This is not merely a gap in power and mana levels, but an ultimate qualitative chasm.

To oppose the Supreme Dao with the Dao of Chaos was like striking a stone with an egg—utterly devoid of any possibility of victory.

For a Half-Step Infinite, the Chaos Dao at the Celestial Emperor level was akin to an insignificant wisp of foam—extinguishable with a single breath.

"There are quite a few treasures."

Getting back to the story, after slaying the guarding Supreme Venerables and Celestial Emperors, Eldrin collected the blood, bones, and treasures of these powerful beings, astonished to discover that each possessed fortunes of staggering wealth.

Clearly, as members of a Half-Step Limitless-tier faction, the treasures wielded by these experts were beyond comparison to those of unaffiliated Heavenly Emperors in the outside world.

After collecting these treasures, Eldrin went straight to the core territory of the Ancient Nether Mastiff.

He was in a hurry, so he directly took away all the valuable treasures—the Ancient Scripture Hall, treasure vaults, cultivation abodes, and more—of the Nether Mastiff Ancient Clan.

He then plundered the Immortal Medicine Garden and various special secret realms, seizing cultivation sanctuaries outright. For those he couldn’t take entirely, he drained over half of their resources.

Even the supreme chaos formation of the Eldrin Primordial Realm was torn to shreds by him, with every last treasure used to set up the array completely plundered.

"Almost there."

After plundering all treasures of the Chaos level and above, Eldrin tore through the void and vanished into the boundless chaos, leaving the Primordial Realm of the Shadow Mastiff in utter disarray.

After leaving the Primordial Domain of the Shadow Mastiff, Eldrin continued traversing through the chaos while meticulously tallying the gains from this journey.

It must be admitted that the Ancient Direhound Clan truly lived up to its reputation as an eternal ancient lineage with a legacy stretching back through the ages. The treasures within their possession could be described as countless.

Not only were there a vast quantity of Chaos Treasures, but there were over a 100 artifacts of the mid-grade Chaos Spirit Treasure level, and even 3 stalks of the heaven-defying Wuji Grass.

"Wuji Grass, it seems this journey has not been in vain."

A flicker of delight rose in Eldrin's heart, and he carefully stored these 2 stalks of Wuji Grass separately.

Of the 3 Infinity Grasses possessed by the Ancient Clan of Shadow Mastiffs, only 1 had reached full maturity, while the other 2 were still far from sufficient in medicinal age.

Fortunately, Eldrin possessed the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi Vase, so accelerating the growth of these 2 Chaos Treasures posed no issue at all.

Seizing the opportunity, Eldrin (Person Name) wisely withdrew and returned directly to the Primordial Chaos Realm, intending to refine the Minor Wuji Immortal Pill while lying low for a time.

"Ah, you damned little thief."

"Do not let this old man catch you, or I shall surely grind your bones to dust and scatter your ashes to the wind."

Just as Eldrin returned to the Primordial Chaos Realm, the 2 Ancient Ancestors of the Shadow Mastiff lineage received the news.

They returned to the Primordial Domain of the Shadow Mastiff, only to find the place in complete disarray. The sight enraged them so profoundly that they nearly descended into madness on the spot.

The treasures of the Primordial Netherwolf Domain represented the very foundation they had accumulated through countless kalpas since the dawn of primordial chaos. Yet now, Eldrin had plundered every last 1—how could this not drive them to utter madness?

The Primordial Nether-Hound wore a face full of murderous intent, then turned to the Nether Crown Prince who had returned alongside him and said, "Your Highness, we beseech you to take action and lend us your strength."

The Nether Prince did not answer immediately, instead calmly observing the Primordial Realm of the Nether Mastiff before speaking. "Judging by the traces left on the battlefield, the 1 who struck was a powerhouse at the half-step Limitless realm."

With but a single move, he vanquished a supreme top-tier expert, revealing his prowess to be among the pinnacle of those half-step into the Boundless Realm. Moreover, he likely possesses a superior-grade chaos spirit treasure imbued with spatial attributes.

Upon hearing this, the 2 Ancient Ancestors of the Nether Mastiff Clan slightly shifted their expressions, a trace of solemnity flickering in their eyes.

A powerful Half-Step Infinite, and 1 who had mastered a supreme-grade Chaos Spiritual Treasure at that, was no easy foe to deal with.

At this thought, the 2 Elders of the Nether Hound Sect exchanged wary glances before 1 cautiously inquired, "To wield a supreme-grade Chaos Spiritual Treasure... could it be that 1 of the 7 Domains Alliance has intervened?"

"Hard to say."

Youmingzi (Person Name) shook his head and spoke, "Within the vast chaos, the Chaos Overlord may reign supreme over the primordial void, yet even they are not without rivals."

"As far as I know, quite a few stubborn Chaos Lords have been covertly supporting the 7 Domains Alliance faction, engaging in power struggles with the forces behind us."

"Thus, it is also possible that those factions dispatched their core disciples to obstruct us from dealing a heavy blow to the 7 Domains Alliance."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the 2 Eldrin Ancestors shifted abruptly, yet they grew even more hesitant to speak further.

For they knew exactly who the so-called "dogmatic rulers" mentioned by Nethershadow Master referred to, yet such matters were far beyond their station to discuss.

Currently, the forces that dominate the entire Chaos can largely be divided into 3 factions. These 3 factions, in turn, are broadly categorized as the Path-Obstructing Faction, the Path-Guarding Faction, and the Neutral Faction.

The Path-Obstructing Faction stood as the most formidable among them. This lineage commanded 40 percent of all Chaos Overlords emerging from the primordial chaos, with 2 Chaos Supreme Treasures anchoring their destiny. Their power far surpassed what the other 2 major factions could ever hope to rival.

The Guardian Faction’s influence was far from negligible. Led by the 9 Revolutions Dao Ancestor, this lineage wielded a Chaos Supreme Treasure. Though thoroughly suppressed by the Obstructive Faction, they possessed more than enough strength to ensure their own preservation.

The neutral faction, though the weakest of the 3, still boasted a considerable number of Chaos Dominators. Their only disadvantage lay in lacking a Primordial Chaos Treasure as their ultimate trump card, rendering them inferior in strength to the 2 leading factions.

Thus, these 3 major factions were divided based on their respective stances. Initially, their disagreements only arose over the matter of Dao Blocking, which was not an issue of grave significance.

But as the battles continued, the factions grew increasingly hostile, eventually solidifying into 3 distinct powers.

Because the Way-Blocking Sect's influence was far too vast, the Way-Guarding Sect and the Neutral Sect had tacitly joined forces.

Of course, this alliance was only superficial. The neutral faction's willingness to join forces with the Guardian faction stemmed primarily from their desire to help their own disciples achieve breakthroughs, not to assist others in attaining the Dominator Realm.

Within the Path-Blocking Faction, there actually existed 2 distinct sects: the Radical Faction and the Conservative Faction.

The radical faction, led by the Lord of Annihilation and the Lord of Apocalypse, advocated for the complete severance of others' paths to enlightenment.

To this end, the Lord of Destruction even intervened personally. At the final moment when his own son was breaking through to the Lord realm, he utterly annihilated him within the Primordial Chaos.

The conservatives, however, sought breakthroughs for their own bloodline descendants. Yet, their strength paled in comparison to the radical faction, leaving them perpetually suppressed and unable to lift their heads.

The Netherworld Sovereign and the Blazing Heaven Sovereign were both traditionalists. Their assault on the 7 Realms Alliance this time aimed to weaken its strength, thereby paving the way to seize the Chaos Divine Artifact—the Chaos Bell.

For only by obtaining the Chaos Supreme Treasure could the conservative faction negotiate terms with the radicals, enabling their disciples to break through to the realm of Chaos Overlord.

In the eyes of these traditionalists, the radicals were nothing but madmen who would recklessly charge into the Primordial Chaos Realm, slaughtering everything in their path with utter disdain for such methodical step-by-step strategies.

"The ruling powers of the Guardian Faction have begun dispatching their disciples to offer covert assistance."

"But those from the radical faction still care nothing for our survival."

The Nether Crown Prince let out a derisive sneer before declaring, “Yet this opening of the Primordial Chaos Realm is my greatest chance to step into the realm of domination. I will never abandon it.”

As his words faded, the Nether Prince turned his gaze toward the Abyssal Mastiff Ancient Domain, a flicker of coldness flashing in his eyes. "Having succeeded once, this individual will likely strike again."

"Then we shall set our plans in motion, luring our next target right into the trap."

While the Crown Prince of the Netherworld was weaving his schemes, Eldrin returned to the Chaos Realm. He first hastened the maturation of 3 stalks of Wuji Grass, then proceeded to refine 11 batches of Minor Wuji Elixir.

After refining the Limitless Immortal Pills, he handed 9 of them to Jiang Huang and the others for refinement.

The effects of the Minor Limitless Immortal Pill were truly extraordinary. With the aid of this supreme immortal elixir, all 9 cultivators successively established their second Supreme Immortal Treasury.

2 supreme immortal treasures devoured and expelled the Primordial Chaos Qi, causing their inner immortal domains to advance by leaps and bounds. They soon stepped into the realm of Great Completion Supreme Immortal Domains.

With the empowerment of 2 supreme immortal treasures and a grand supreme immortal domain, the strength of the 9 individuals surged significantly, barely allowing them to step across the threshold of the Half-Step Limitless Realm.

"Excellent. It seems you are now capable of lending me a hand."

Watching the crowd break through, a rare smile surfaced on Eldrin's face.

Witnessing this, Emperor Jiang couldn't resist inquiring, "Do you require our assistance?"

"Not so fast."

Eldrin shook his head. Given the current strength of the Jianghuang faction, it would be best not to reveal themselves for the time being.

He decided to wait a little longer, planning to make a grand move with Jiang Huang and the others after entering the Primordial Chaos Realm. This way, they could catch those people completely off guard.

Witnessing this, Emperor Jiang couldn't refrain from inquiring, "Your 100-1000-year longevity celebration approaches. Should we seize the opportunity to hold it?"

"No need."

Eldrin shook his head and spoke, "Before those Dao-Blocking Sovereigns, unless I ascend to the Sovereign Realm, I remain but an ant in the end."

"To avoid unnecessary complications, I should refrain from appearing in public before I set foot in the Dominator Realm."

Hearing this, everyone nodded slightly in agreement.

Before Eldrin (Person Name) broke through to the Unity Dao Realm, things were manageable. At that time, he dwelled in seclusion within the 100 Domains of Blazing Yang, avoiding the notice of external calamities.

After stepping into the Supreme Unity realm, he had already set foot on the stage of the 7 Domains Alliance. Once a longevity banquet was held, it would inevitably draw the attention of certain powerful figures within the 7 Domains Alliance.

If it were to draw the attention of the Chaos Sovereign by then, it would undoubtedly bring him immense trouble.

Although this possibility was slim, Eldrin had no choice but to remain somewhat vigilant.

At this thought, Seraphina Qu (Person Name) could not help but ask, "In that case, it would be wise for us to remain low-key for now."

Chapter 1 The biting mountain wind whipped across the cliffside, carrying with it the scent of pine and decay. A solitary figure sat cross-legged upon a smooth, weathered boulder, his robes of coarse blue linen fluttering gently. This was Lin Yan, his eyes closed in deep concentration. Within his dantian, a wisp of spiritual energy slowly circulated, following the esoteric pathways described in the Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation manual he had painstakingly acquired. 'So close... yet so far,' he thought, a familiar frustration bubbling beneath his calm exterior. He had been stuck at the peak of the 9th level of Qi Refining for 3 years. The barrier to Foundation Establishment felt like an insurmountable wall of polished jade. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open. His spiritual sense, honed over years of vigilance, had detected something. It was a faint, almost imperceptible fluctuation coming from a crack in the cliff face behind him. It felt ancient, profound, and carried a faint, metallic tang. Pushing himself up, Lin Yan approached the fissure with cautious steps. He channeled a trickle of his spiritual power into his eyes, his vision sharpening. There, nestled deep within the rock and hidden by a clever illusion array that had now partially failed, was a small, unadorned iron ring. He reached in, his fingers brushing against the cold metal. The moment he made contact, a flood of information surged into his mind—not words, but pure intent, a legacy. It was the complete inheritance of the "Void Sundering Art," a top-tier cultivation technique long thought lost to the ages. Along with the technique's profound insights came a single, staggering piece of knowledge: this very mountain range sat upon a dormant spiritual vein. And the method to awaken it was now his. A slow smile spread across Lin Yan's face, 1 that had not graced his features in years. The countless days of bitter struggle, the over 100 Spirit Stones he had wasted on inferior pills, the 20-some disciples who had looked down on him... it all seemed to fade into insignificance. 1 100 years of obscurity and hardship had led him to this moment. His path to immortality, once shrouded in mist and doubt, was now clear. He clutched the ring tightly. "The heavens have not abandoned me."