Chapter 188 Taking Full Responsibility

Ancient legends spoke of immortals reigning supreme, their power so immense that at great cost, they could even alter the cycles of fate and rebirth. Yet in the end, he was no immortal—devoid of the means to overturn destinies with a turn of his palm or reshape the cosmos with a wave of his hand.

Eldrin emerged from his residence, his expression so serene it revealed nothing.

Before the estate, an elder with hair as white as snow stood in tranquil silence. This was none other than the Fourth Elder, Chen Qingyuan. His gaze rested calmly on Eldrin (Person Name) as he spoke with unruffled composure.

"Has he departed?"

"Hmm."

Eldrin nodded slightly, his gaze fixed upon the figure before him as an inexplicable tremor once again stirred within his heart.

Chen Qingyuan was now 1 100 and 1 years of age, his life's journey nearing its end with but a few scant years left to tread.

In truth, compared to the Grand Elder, Chen Qingyuan carried far greater regrets in this life. Before reaching 60 years of age, his clan had obtained a Foundation Establishment Pill (Spiritual Object), yet he ultimately lost the contest to Chen Qingmeng.

Later, just as he turned 60-1 and his vitality began to decline, his family obtained 2 Foundation Establishment Pills (Spiritual Object) at once—yet he happened to miss this very opportunity.

Lior (Person Name) and Chen Qingwan, who were nearly the same age as him, had broken through to Foundation Establishment in 1 fell swoop. They had now even reached the fifth level of Foundation Establishment, and there was a glimmer of hope for them to break through to the Purple Mansion in the future.

Such a tremendous disparity was likely Chen Qingyuan's greatest regret in this life.

Chen Qingyuan sat quietly before the estate, his expression serene as he gazed alongside Eldrin at the distant sea of clouds. He spoke calmly.

"In my youth, I was hot-tempered and impulsive. Back when Qing Meng failed to break through to the Foundation Establishment realm, I still recklessly gambled everything to attempt a breakthrough to the Purple Mansion."

"At the time, I believed he was evading his responsibilities and looked down upon his suicidal act."

But as the years gradually advanced, he slowly came to understand Qing Meng’s perspective.

He shook his head, a faint smile of relief gracing his features.

Eldrin (Person Name) turned to look at him, noticing that the impatience of his youth had long since vanished, replaced instead by a certain serene tranquility.

"Life is always filled with countless regrets."

"All of us are like fish struggling against the current, dwelling within this vast river of heaven and earth. We can only drift passively with the tides, desperately swimming upstream, until ultimately we're submerged in the endless flow of time."

"Only a rare few like you can ceaselessly strive across these waters, transcending the boundaries of life and death, grasping that sliver of possibility to become celestial beings—thus shaking free from time's constraints to achieve immortality within the river of spacetime."

Chen Qingyuan spoke, his expression calm yet tinged with a hint of self-mockery.

It was a resignation to fate, a form of compromise. Lacking the power to alter his own destiny, he could only yield to the passage of time, acknowledging the inevitability of his mortality as he quietly awaited the gradual exhaustion of his lifespan.

Unable to attain immortality, what does it matter even if 1 becomes a peerless Ethereal Soul Dao Lord? In the end, they cannot transcend the mortal coil, and all that remains is but a handful of dust.

He smiled, gazing at Eldrin and said, "Your lifelong struggle is like a fish leaping endlessly in the eternal river—growing stronger, transforming yourself—all for the day you transcend and become a true dragon."

"Yet even someone as extraordinary as you must have matters beyond their reach."

"1 day, you too shall watch those you love, and those who love you, fade into eternity 1 by 1."

"You are too sentimental. This emotional attachment has become your obsession in cultivation, and it may well transform into a tribulation within your heart—perhaps even manifest as your inner demon."

"I hope you can understand this truth—some matters are best viewed with detachment. Do not immerse yourself too deeply, for an overly sentimental heart may ultimately bring you harm."

Listening silently to his words, Eldrin remained quiet, not uttering a single word.

He stood quietly atop the mountain peak, watching the sea of clouds churn and surge between heaven and earth, remaining still for a long while.

After an unknowable span of time had passed, he tilted his head to glance at Chen Qingyuan and uttered with unshakable calm, "Some things can only be known to be possible after 1 has tried."

"As for matters of the heart—be it lingering attachments or inner demons—I, Eldrin, shall bear them all."

"1 day, when I am strong enough, then..."

"Then, at the end of the 9 Nether Abyss, may I enter to search for someone?"

Chen Qingyuan’s expression shifted, finally understanding that Eldrin’s (Person Name) conviction was unshakable—that the universe itself resided within the measure of his heart. He did not approve of Chen’s path of evading karma and severing ties to avoid calamity.

He possessed a sharp and resolute nature, unafraid to shoulder responsibilities and karma. Beneath his calm exterior lay an aura vast enough to devour the cosmos.

Yet achieving this step was incredibly difficult. Even those who severed their karmic ties and devoted themselves to ascetic cultivation rarely attained immortality, let alone someone like him who feared no karmic repercussions.

Gazing at his tall, straight figure clad in snow-white robes, Chen Qingyuan felt an inexplicable stir in his heart, a fitting descriptor coming to mind.

Peerless Immortal Grace, Divine as Jade.

As he emerged from the back mountain, the banquet was about to commence. Several major Purple Mansion immortal clans had also sent their Purple Mansion cultivators to offer congratulations.

The Pan Immortal Clan of Yu County had naturally sent Percival (Person Name), a cultivator at the fourth level of the Purple Mansion.

The representative from the Xu Clan of Feng County was Xu Daoyuan, whose cultivation had astonishingly broken through to the fourth level of the Purple Mansion.

6 or 7 years ago, the Xu Clan had reaped tremendous gains from the Beast Tide. Relying on these spoils, they elevated their dojo’s spiritual vein to the mid-third rank.

Moreover, he expended 2 precious treasures to purchase 2 Cloud-Patterned Creation Pills for Xu Daoyuan. Relying on these 2 pills, Xu Daoyuan broke through to the Purple Palace, Mid Stage (Cultivation Realm) in 1 decisive move.

It is said that Xavier (Person Name) has advanced further in his cultivation, breaking through to the sixth level of the Violet Mansion. With over 1 100 years of lifespan remaining, if he is not hindered too long by the bottleneck of Purple Palace, Late Stage (Cultivation Realm), he may still have a 20 to 30 percent chance of achieving the Golden Core realm in the future.

The last to arrive from the Eldrin Clan of Lingjun was Yang Yuanhe. The clan leader had suffered a severe injury years prior, and his wounds had yet to heal. It could be said that the Eldrin Clan's strength had been significantly diminished.

However, 6 years ago, Yang Yuanhe purchased a metal-attributed Zi Palace cultivation method at the Chu Kingdom Grand Exchange. His cultivation has now advanced a step further, reaching the second level of the Zi Palace realm.

At the banquet, over a dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Chen family were respectively entertaining their fellow Foundation Establishment peers from various regions of Border Province.

The old clan leader was seated at a table with several Zi Mansion cultivators. Upon seeing Eldrin arrive, Xu Daoyuan remarked with a smile.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, as our host, how come you've arrived so late today?"

"Some matters delayed me. My apologies for keeping you all waiting."

Eldrin stepped forward, raised a glass of wine, and said with a smile, "I shall punish myself with this drink as an apology to all of you."

Apart from Percival, the others present were all fellow Daoists who had fought side by side during the beast tide uprising. Moreover, being comrades from Border Province, they naturally felt a certain kinship with 1 another.

In truth, everyone held a measure of awe for Eldrin. Although Chen Changxuan was the patriarch of the Chen Clan, cultivators throughout the Chu Kingdom understood that Eldrin’s methods were far more thunderous. They knew that after his breakthrough to the Purple Palace realm, even Late Stage Purple Palace cultivators would have to regard him with heightened respect.

After 3 rounds of wine, Eldrin set down his cup and spoke with a faint smile.

"Esteemed friends, to be perfectly candid, this banquet today is convened precisely to deliberate upon the distribution of interests within the Borderlands."

Chapter 1: Rebirth of the Immortal Monarch The sky tore open with a thunderous roar, crimson lightning dancing across the heavens like vengeful serpents. Amidst the raging storm, a figure stood defiantly upon the highest peak of the Heavenly Pillar Mountain. "Feng Yan, you traitor! After 3 1000 years of mentorship, is this how you repay me?" Lin Xuan's white robes fluttered violently in the gale, blood trickling from the corner of his lips. Before him floated a jade slip glowing with ethereal light - the Cosmic Creation Jade Slip (Supreme Cultivation Method) that could overturn the very order of heaven and earth. A handsome man in azure robes chuckled coldly, a 7 Kill Sword (Demonic Weapon) gleaming ominously in his hand. "Senior Brother, in this world of cultivation, the winner takes all. Hand over the jade slip and I might spare your soul." "Spare me?" Lin Xuan laughed bitterly, his gaze sweeping across the dozens of elders surrounding him. Every 1 of them had been his closest comrades, yet now they all aimed their magical treasures at him. "You've colluded with the Demon Sect and set up this Blood Soul Formation (Forbidden Array) just for this jade slip?" "Since you understand, stop resisting." A seductive voice echoed as a woman in red phoenix robes emerged from the void, her every step causing space to ripple. It was Su Lingshan (Person Name), the Holy Maiden of the Demon Sect whom he had once saved from certain death. Lin Xuan's heart shattered like broken jade. He had traversed the path of cultivation for over 10 1000 years, overcoming 90-9 heavenly tribulations to reach the Great Perfection Stage of the Immortal Monarch Realm. Yet today, he fell not to heavenly punishment but to human betrayal. "Very well! Since you all covet this jade slip..." Lin Xuan's eyes suddenly blazed with golden light, his cultivation bursting forth like a resurrected phoenix. "Then let us perish together!" "Not good! He's going to self-destruct!" Feng Yan's expression changed drastically as he hurriedly retreated. But it was too late. A blinding white light erupted, swallowing mountains and rivers in its wake. The last thing Lin Xuan saw was the Cosmic Creation Jade Slip shattering into countless fragments that vanished into the void. When he opened his eyes again, the searing pain of his meridians being torn apart assaulted his senses. The putrid smell of hay filled his nostrils, and through the cracks in the dilapidated wooden roof, he could see a sky dotted with faint stars. "Am I... still alive?" He tried to sit up, but a wave of weakness washed over him. His spiritual power had completely vanished, leaving behind only a body as fragile as an ordinary mortal's. Memories flooded his mind - this was the body of a 15-year-old youth also named Lin Xuan, an outer sect disciple of the Green Cloud Sect (Cultivation Sect). Just today, he had been beaten nearly to death by the steward for failing to deliver his monthly quota of 10 spirit stones. "To think I, the exalted Immortal Monarch, would be reduced to such a state." Lin Xuan chuckled wryly, then his eyes sharpened. "Feng Yan, Su Lingshan... since heaven has given me a second chance, I shall reclaim everything that belongs to me!" He closed his eyes to inspect his body, his heart sinking. Not only were his meridians damaged, but a strange poison was also eroding his life force. At this rate, he wouldn't last 3 days. Just as despair began to set in, a faint golden light suddenly flickered between his eyebrows. A damaged jade slip materialized in his consciousness - it was actually the Cosmic Creation Jade Slip that had followed his soul through rebirth! "Divine Art of Creation (Supreme Cultivation Method)..." Lin Xuan's breathing quickened. This was the very supreme cultivation method that had caused his downfall, now appearing before him again. Without hesitation, he began circulating the cultivation technique according to the method. The surrounding spiritual energy slowly gathered, seeping into his damaged meridians like spring rain nourishing dry land. The process was excruciating - rebuilding meridians felt like having countless blades scraping 1's bones. Beads of cold sweat formed on Lin Xuan's forehead, but he gritted his teeth and persisted. Having once stood at the pinnacle of the cultivation world, such pain was nothing to him. As the first rays of dawn broke through, Lin Xuan finally opened his eyes. A faint spiritual glow shimmered across his pupils - he had successfully established his foundation and stepped into the first level of Qi Refining. "Although this speed is slow, with the Divine Art of Creation, recovering my cultivation is only a matter of time." He murmured to himself while suddenly noticing a commotion outside. "Lin Xuan! Get out here!" A arrogant voice shouted from beyond the door. "If you don't hand over the spirit stones you owe today, don't blame me for throwing you into the Abyss of Lost Souls!" A cold light flashed in Lin Xuan's eyes. He recognized this voice - it was Zhao Gang (Person Name), the steward who had beaten his previous self to death.