Chapter 2173 : Dao Ancestor of Time and Space

Upon hearing this, everyone present wore extremely grave expressions.

You must understand, the ordained fates of the Chaos Overlords are finite—within a single Chaos Epoch, no more than 3 1000 or so can emerge. Yet here, the fallen Chaos Overlords numbered in the tens of millions, a sight that struck them as utterly inconceivable.

"These fallen powerhouses did not hail from the same Chaos Epoch."

Eldrin (Person Name) spoke slowly, a grave shadow gathering between his brows.

He casually picked up the broken weapon beside him and immediately discovered that its internal array patterns, refining methods, and even the contained power differed profoundly from those of this era.

And not only that, the power contained within each of these broken weapons varied drastically from 1 another.

This further convinced Eldrin that these Chaos Sovereigns were not powerhouses from the same era.

A single chaotic era could produce, at most, no more than 3 1000-some Chaos Overlords. For this place to host the fallen bodies of tens of millions of Chaos Overlords, it must have accumulated over the vast expanse of 3 1000 chaotic eras.

This was an indescribably distant era, so ancient that even with Eldrin's current cultivation level, it felt somewhat unfathomable.

What astonished Eldrin the most was the presence of destructive, rampaging energies within these powerful figures—among them, auras he recognized all too well.

"Annihilation, world-destruction, and an indescribable power..."

Eldrin (Person Name) murmured softly before speaking, "They were slain by Annihilation and World-Ender, only to ultimately perish beneath a force of supreme power."

"Who in all the realms could single-handedly eradicate the Chaos Overlords time and again across these 3,000 chaotic epochs?"

With this doubt in mind, Eldrin continued forward. The further he walked, the stranger he felt.

This secluded realm was said to be a treasured land, yet it resembled more an indescribable graveyard.

It entombs the mighty who have fallen since the 3,000 chaotic epochs, transcending the bounds of this current era and wandering amidst the myriad chaotic cycles. It is revered as the paramount sepulcher of all ages.

As he ventured deeper, Eldrin gradually gained some enlightenment in his heart.

It turned out that these Chaos experts from before the 3,000 Great Chances had come to this Sepulcher Beyond the World to evade the calamity of Chaos Returning to Ruin.

Alas, the tribulation of Chaotic Return to Ruin was inescapable. In the end, they could not evade their doomed fate, and all were laid to rest within this tomb.

Lost in these thoughts, Eldrin walked alone, and before he knew it, he had arrived at the very heart of the Land of Solitude.

And at the very heart of this vast land, a majestic figure sat cross-legged.

He sat there in simple meditation, yet became the very center of heaven and earth. An indescribable, majestic aura suppressed all directions, making it impossible for anyone to gaze directly upon him.

Only Eldrin withstood the pressure. He calmly stepped forward to approach the man, his brow involuntarily furrowing slightly.

There stood a man of majestic bearing, around whom coiled a Wheel of Time and Space (Magic Treasure). His cultivation had ascended to an indescribable, supreme realm.

Alas, his body was riddled with scars, and a sword wound had pierced clean through his brow, extinguishing all signs of life.

The Chaos Supreme Treasure, the Wheel of Time and Space, once belonged to a fallen expert at the half-step Primordial Chaos Realm (Cultivation Realm).

Eldrin's pupils instantly contracted sharply, revealing an indescribable look of astonishment.

This was an invincible powerhouse from an era long forgotten, 1 who cultivated the Great Dao of Spaceless Infinity and had reached the half-step Primordial Chaos Realm in his lifetime.

You must understand, this was no false Half-Step Primordial Chaos, but a genuine Half-Step Primordial Chaos Realm (Cultivation Realm) powerhouse.

Having cultivated to this day, Eldrin had finally glimpsed the path that lay ahead.

It turned out that by cultivating 3 complete and flawless Great Daos to perfection and perfectly controlling and merging their powers, 1's cultivation could step into the quasi-half-step Primordial Chaos realm.

Moreover, the 3 great Daos of Annihilation, World-Extinction, and Returning Abyss could, upon the arrival of the Era Cataclysm and bolstered by the Mandate of Heaven, break through to the pseudo-half-step Primordial Chaos realm.

Yet this was merely a pseudo Half-Step Hongmeng. To truly surpass the genuine Half-Step Hongmeng realm, 1 must transcend the Chaos Epoch itself, withstand the tribulation of its nirvana, and break free from the shackles of the endless River of Time.

And to accomplish this step, the success rate was virtually 0.

The fallen Half-Step Primordial Chaos expert before them was clearly a genuine Half-Step Primordial Chaos.

Yet such a powerhouse, having clearly transcended the constraints of the Chaos Era, should by all reasoning have achieved true immortality—so why would they fall beyond the River of Time?

A Half-Step Primordial who cultivated the Dao of Time and Space established this secluded realm, drawing in countless Chaos Overlords. Yet the mightiest among them ultimately fell at the hands of some inconceivably powerful foe.

Eldrin murmured inwardly, then reached out to touch the Chaos Supreme Treasure—Wheel of Time and Space before him.

But in that very instant, the Wheel of Time and Space trembled violently, casting a beam of light that descended into the man's body.

Then, the man turned his gaze to Eldrin (Person Name), a faint smile gracing his lips as he said.

"You have come."

"You knew I was coming?"

Eldrin's heart quaked within him. Only after confirming that this was merely a remnant wisp of Eldrin did he finally speak and inquire.

The man gave a slight nod and spoke, "I preside over the Dao of Time and Space, transcending beyond the bounds of 3 1000 chaotic epochs. Once, I gazed down upon the entirety of the chaotic eras, and only a handful have ever broken free from my perception."

"And you, the Patriarch of Returning Abyss, are 1 of them."

Eldrin gave a slight nod before inquiring, "It seems you've been waiting for me quite some time."

"I have opened up this secluded realm precisely to behold you this once."

The man spoke calmly, his gaze fixed beyond the Land of Solitude as he remarked with profound apprehension, "According to ancient legends, at the end of the 3,000 Chaos Epochs, a supreme opportunity to break through the Hongmeng Realm shall emerge."

"Unfortunately, someone has already seized the initiative, and they've reached a cooperative agreement with each other."

"You and I are both latecomers, our fates long controlled by others. To break free from this is immensely difficult, which is why we must defy the heavens and alter our destinies."

A faint glimmer flickered in Eldrin's eyes before he spoke, "Does the division of my primordial spirit have something to do with you?"

"I am not the mastermind."

The man shook his head and replied calmly, "They intend to obliterate the Chaos Era they reside in, and you seek to defy the heavens to alter your fate. I merely went with the flow."

Eldrin listened, and the doubts from the past gradually grew clearer.

The original version of him had not experienced such tumultuous upheavals in his cultivation journey. He had simply advanced all the way to the Half-Step Primordial Chaos Realm, transcending beyond this chaotic epoch.

Alas, a forerunner who toyed with fate had seized control of his destiny, seeking to strangle him in the cradle.

To erase it, they did not hesitate to annihilate that Chaos Epoch and reopen this 3-thousandth Chaos Epoch.

For at that time, the Chaotic Epoch had not yet been completely eradicated, and Eldrin had not transcended beyond the Chaotic Epoch, remaining merely at the Pseudo Half-Step Primordial Boundary.

Those people could not kill Eldrin. As long as they erased this Chaos Epoch from its very foundation, Eldrin would naturally cease to exist.

To protect this chaotic epoch, Eldrin engaged in a great battle against his foe. At the most critical moment, the Ancestor of Time and Space intervened, aiding Eldrin in safeguarding this chaotic epoch and even altering what was once destined to be.

Indeed, even the destiny of the Spacetime Dao Ancestor was controlled by others. He forcibly shattered his fate to transcend beyond the Chaotic Epoch, yet in the end, he could not prevail against overwhelming odds and ultimately fell.

At the moment of his ascension, the Ancestor of Time and Space used his last vestige of power to shatter the balance between them, enabling Eldrin to alter all that had once transpired.

Thus, this Chaotic Epoch not only failed to vanish, but instead made Eldrin (Person Name) even more formidable.

"So that's how it is."

Eldrin (Person Name) murmured softly, his gaze finally settling on the Ancestor of Time and Space as he declared, "If I ever truly ascend to that realm 1 day, I shall undoubtedly aid in your revival and return."

The Ancestor of Time and Space smiled, then spoke calmly, "A true half-step Primordial Chaos Transcendent is indestructible. As long as even 1 soul remembers my name, I shall ultimately awaken and return."

"Remember well, my name is 'Huántiān'."

As the words faded, the remnant will of Huantian finally dissipated, leaving behind only a withered husk.

Eldrin gazed calmly at the remnants of the Temporal Dao Ancestor's form, a flicker of inexplicable complexity passing through his expression.

A true half-step Eldritch Sovereign, transcending the Dao, transcending matter, and even transcending the cycles of Chaos. They exist beyond the River of Time and outside the fabric of all things.

Eldrin even began to wonder whether Huantian had truly met his end or had been exiled to wander beyond the boundless epochs of chaos.

Or perhaps, the Cosmos of the 3 1000 chaotic epochs had fallen into ruin, yet he, who existed beyond those 3 1000 chaotic epochs, remained perfectly preserved in the world.

After all, remembering its name was enough to revive it—more like leaving behind a Dao Mark, guiding its wandering consciousness back from beyond the 3 1000 chaotic epochs.

"Forget it, no need to dwell on it."

Eldrin's thoughts drifted for a moment before he summoned the Space-Time Wheel into his hand.

Gazing at the Wheel of Time and Space, a flicker of astonishment once again surfaced in Eldrin's expression. He discovered that this Wheel of Time and Space was vastly different from the Chaos Cauldron.

He gave Eldrin a sense of greater authenticity, 1 that felt eternal and indestructible.

In contrast, both the Chaos Cauldron and the Chaos Bell appeared to be more like Pseudo Half-Step Primordial Chaos, seemingly still confined within the bounds of this chaotic epoch.

"Even among Chaos Treasures, there exist distinctions between genuine and counterfeit."

Eldrin murmured in his heart, yet shook his head.

He gradually came to understand that for a Chaos Supreme Treasure to advance further, it must transcend this Chaos Epoch and endure the cataclysm of its destruction without perishing.

The Wheel of Time and Space has already transcended the Chaos Epoch, surpassing the Chaos level. It would be more fitting to call it a Quasi-Primordial Supreme Treasure.

At this thought, he put away the Spacetime Wheel Disc and began to explore this vast, secluded realm.

At this moment, Eldrin finally understood—this secluded land was once the celestial abode of the primordial heavens.

At that time, Huantian had already transcended the bounds of chaotic fate, thus establishing this secluded realm to enable his disciples to survive the great tribulation of the Chaotic Epoch.

Alas, with the fall of Huan Tian, this place gradually became the destination of 3,000 chaotic epochs.

Whenever the Chaotic Epoch faced its demise, countless Chaos Overlords would come to this place to transcend their tribulations, yet in the end, they could scarcely escape their destined calamities—all were slain upon this very ground.

"To transcend the Chaotic Era, evasion is futile. 1 must possess sufficient strength to rise beyond the cycles of chaos."

Eldrin's thoughts wavered, but in the end, he shook his head.

He then attempted to take away some of the treasures, only to discover that the blood and bones of these pre-Chaos Era powerhouses had long lost their vital essence and mystical properties.

Moreover, powers that do not belong to this Chaos Era cannot be brought back into it.

Without delay, he leisurely departed from the Land of Seclusion and returned to the Chaos Epoch.

After returning to the Chaos Era, Eldrin devoted himself to secluded cultivation, while dedicating much of his spare time to mentoring his sect's disciples.

After approximately several tens of millions of kalpas, Eldrin's primordial spirit, physical form, and Dao cultivation had all reached perfection, and his true self's power stepped into the quasi-half-step Primordial Chaos realm.

In the long ages that followed, Eldrin began to cultivate other Great Daos, focusing his primary efforts on disseminating the Primordial Spirit, the Path of Self-Sacrifice, and the Immortal Dao.

And throughout this process, the cultivation of Eldrin's disciples began advancing by leaps and bounds.

With Eldrin's (Person Name) support, Nameless' 6 personal disciples successively broke through to the realm of Chaos Lord.

Under the guidance of Eldrin, Lyra and Qing Ji, possessing peerless supreme foundations, transitioned to the Path of Self-Offering. They nearly ascended to the realm of Dominance in a single step.

Among them, Lyra (Person Name) cultivated the Primordial Immortal Domain, the Primordial Immortal Treasury, and the Great Dao of Chaotic Pure Yin, even attaining the potential to reach the half-step Hongmeng realm.

Under the full support of Eldrin, Jiang Huang, Seraphina Qu (Person Name), Chen Qiyuan, Chen Ethan (Person Name), Lingxi, Lila (Person Name), Yan Ziji, and others have all stepped into the realm of Dominance.

The 10 personal disciples of the Path of Sacrificial Devotion, along with Eldrin's 5 direct descendants, had all stepped into the realm of Chaos Sovereigns.

All of them are individuals who cultivate both the Peerless Immortal Vault and the Peerless Immortal Realm, possessing a trace of potential to become a Sovereign.

Those who had cultivated either the Single Wuji Immortal Depository or the Single Wuji Immortal Domain numbered in the hundreds.

As the Path of Self Sacrifice continued to spread, the number of its practitioners throughout the chaos grew ever larger.

When this chaotic epoch had passed its midpoint, the Chaos Masters of Eldrin’s Path of Self-Sacrifice already numbered over 2,000, and the quota of 3 1000-some slots for Chaos Masters had been completely filled.

Yet to everyone's surprise, the birth of Chaos Overlords continued to accelerate in the years that followed.

Because the Limitless Immortal Treasury and Immortal Domain of the Path of Self-Offering were unique, they did not require occupying a slot in the Limitless Great Dao. As long as 1 possessed sufficient aptitude and potential, coupled with a wisp of Primordial Purple Qi, they could continuously advance.

However, Eldrin possessed the Hongmeng Sutra, which could continuously generate Primordial Chaos Qi, perfectly resolving both of these flaws.

As the Chaos Overlords grew ever more numerous, the authority of the Sacrificial Solipsism Path grew increasingly formidable. Ultimately, Eldrin’s reincarnated form, through this very path, attained the quasi-half-step Primordial Chaos realm.

Along with the Dao of the Primordial Spirit, he strode toward the threshold of the Half-Step Primordial Chaos realm.

"So, the chance to prove the Dao of Primordial Chaos has been in my hands all along."

Eldrin murmured softly, a faint mist of uncertainty gathering in the depths of his heart.

The Primordial Purple Qi possessed the power to defy fate and alter destiny. As for Eldrin (Person Name), who wielded the Primordial Sutra, he had long since obtained the key to stepping into the realm of the Primordial.

With this sentiment, Eldrin continued to refine his foundation. Once more, he fused the 5 primordial Dao principles—Pure Yang, Profound Abyss, Primordial Earth, Chaotic Gold, and Life—forging a second Half-Step Primordial Chaos foundation.

Thus, as the long years drifted by, when the Sacrificial Dao of Chaos had surpassed 30,000 layers, Eldrin discovered it had reached the pinnacle of the Half-Step Primordial Chaos realm, with no possibility of advancing any further.

Chapter 1 The biting northern wind swept across the mountain peaks, carrying with it flurries of snow that danced in the air. Lin Xuan stood at the edge of the cliff, his white robes fluttering violently in the gale. His gaze was fixed upon the distant horizon, where the last rays of the setting sun painted the snow-capped mountains in hues of crimson and gold. "1 100 years," he murmured to himself, his voice barely audible above the howling wind. "1 100 years of cultivation, and I'm still trapped at the ninth level of Qi Refining." His fingers unconsciously traced the simple storage pouch at his waist, which contained precisely 1,250 spirit stones—all his worldly possessions after decades of arduous work as a sect disciple. He remembered the day, 20-some years ago, when he had first stepped into the cultivation world, full of dreams and aspirations. Suddenly, a brilliant streak of light cut across the twilight sky, descending toward the main peak of the Azure Mist Sect. Lin Xuan's eyes narrowed. That could only be Elder Mingzhen's flying artifact, the Soaring Cloud Shuttle (Magic Treasure), returning from the secret realm exploration. "Junior Brother Lin!" A clear voice called from behind. Lin Xuan turned to see Senior Sister Yulan approaching, her steps light and graceful despite the strong winds. Her cyan cultivation robes, embroidered with silver cloud patterns, seemed to glow with a faint spiritual energy. "The sect leader has called for an emergency assembly," she said, her expression serious. "All outer sect disciples must gather at the Grand Hall immediately." "What's happened?" Lin Xuan asked, falling into step beside her. Yulan lowered her voice. "The exploration team has returned from the Northern Glacial Abyss. They found something... extraordinary." As they hurried along the mountain path, Lin Xuan noticed the unusual activity throughout the sect. Dozens of senior disciples were rushing about, their faces etched with concern and excitement. The air crackled with tension, and he could feel the powerful spiritual pressure emanating from the Grand Hall even from a distance. The Grand Hall was already packed with over a 1000 outer sect disciples when they arrived. At the center of the hall stood Elder Mingzhen, his robes torn and stained with what appeared to be dried blood. Beside him floated the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss (Magic Treasure), its blade pulsing with a faint crimson light. "Disciples of Azure Mist Sect," Elder Mingzhen's voice boomed across the hall, amplified by spiritual energy. "Our expedition to the Northern Glacial Abyss has yielded both great discovery and grave danger." He paused, his sharp eyes scanning the crowd. "We have uncovered an ancient ruin dating back countless millennia, possibly from the Primordial Era. Within it, we found this." With a wave of his hand, a shimmering crystal tablet materialized in the air before him. Intricate patterns swirled across its surface, glowing with an otherworldly light. "However," the elder continued, his tone growing grim, "in retrieving this artifact, we inadvertently triggered a defensive formation. The seal containing the Abyssal Demons has been weakened. We have perhaps 3 months before it collapses completely." A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. Lin Xuan felt a chill run down his spine. The Abyssal Demons—legendary creatures of immense power that nearly destroyed the cultivation world in ancient times. "The sect leader has decreed," Elder Mingzhen announced, "that all disciples above the seventh level of Qi Refining will participate in the reinforcement of the seal. This includes outer sect members." Murmurs of both excitement and fear spread among the disciples. Lin Xuan clenched his fists. This was both a crisis and an opportunity. The reinforcement operation would be dangerous, but participants would receive additional resources and access to rare cultivation techniques. As the assembly concluded, Senior Sister Yulan turned to Lin Xuan, her eyes shining with determination. "This is our chance, Junior Brother. If we perform well, we might earn enough contribution points to exchange for Foundation Establishment Pills." Lin Xuan nodded slowly, his mind already racing with possibilities. The path of cultivation was never easy, filled with countless trials and tribulations. But perhaps, just perhaps, this crisis would be the catalyst that finally allowed him to break through his bottleneck. Looking up at the now star-filled sky, he took a deep breath. The night air, crisp and cold, filled his lungs. His journey was far from over—in fact, it might be just beginning.