Chapter 188 : Regret Beneath the Sea of Clouds

In ancient legends, Immortals [transcendent beings who have achieved immortality through cultivation] stood aloft and supreme; even the cycle of fate and destiny could be altered at a great cost. Yet, he was ultimately not an Immortal, lacking the power to overturn destinies with a turn of his palm or reshape the cosmos with a wave of his hand.

Eldrin Chen emerged from his residence, his countenance placid and unreadable.

Before the residence, a figure with hair as white as snow stood silently. This was Fourth Elder Chen Alistair. He looked at Eldrin Chen and spoke with a detached calm.

"He has departed?"

"Mm."

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod. Gazing upon the figure before him, an inexplicable tremor passed through his heart once more.

Chen Alistair was now one hundred and one years old, with not many years left upon his path.

In truth, compared to the Grand Elder, Chen Alistair bore greater regrets in this life. Before the age of sixty, the clan had obtained a single Foundation Establishment Pill [a precious elixir that aids in breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm], but he lost the contest for it to Chen Cedric.

Later, just as he turned sixty-one, the very year his vital energy began its inevitable decline, the clan acquired two Foundation Establishment Pill at once. Yet, he missed that pivotal opportunity.

Lior Chen and Chen Elara, whose ages differed from his by mere years, successfully broke through to Foundation Establishment [the realm where a cultivator solidifies their Dao foundation]. They had now even reached the Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer, harboring genuine hope of one day ascending to the Purple Mansion [the realm where the cultivator's spiritual consciousness is housed and refined]. For uninterrupted reading, go to audio-novel .c om.

Such a vast disparity in fortune is likely the greatest regret of Chen Alistair's life.

Chen Alistair sat quietly before his residence, his expression serene as he gazed with Eldrin Chen towards the distant sea of clouds, speaking calmly.

"In my youth, my temper was fiery. When Cedric failed his breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Realm and then recklessly gambled everything on a desperate attempt to ascend to the Purple Mansion Realm,"

"I believed he was shirking his duty and scorned his suicidal folly."

"Yet, only as the years slowly gathered upon me did I gradually come to understand Cedric's perspective."

He shook his head, a smile of profound acceptance gracing his features.

Eldrin Chen turned to look at him, noticing the youthful impatience had long since faded, replaced by a tranquil, almost peaceful aura.

"A single lifetime is woven from countless threads of regret."

"We are all like fish struggling against the current, dwelling within this vast Ronan of heaven and earth. We can only be swept along by its flow, fighting desperately upstream until we are finally submerged in the Ronan of time itself."

"Only a rare few, like you, can continually strive against the waters, transcend the boundaries of life and death, and grasp that sliver of a chance to become immortal deities, thereby casting off time's shackles to achieve eternity within the Ronan of spacetime."

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

It was a form of resignation, a compromise. Lacking the power to alter his own fate, he could only yield to time, acknowledging the inevitability of death and quietly awaiting the slow exhaustion of his lifespan.

Without achieving immortality, what did it matter even if one possessed the peerless grace of a Nascent Soul Dao Lord [a supreme cultivator whose soul has reached its nascent form]? In the end, they could not transcend; they would ultimately return to a handful of dust.

He smiled faintly, looking at Eldrin Chen and said, "Your lifelong struggle is like a fish leaping ceaselessly within the long Ronan [a metaphorical river representing the relentless flow of fate and time], constantly growing stronger, constantly changing itself, all for the day it might transform into a true dragon and break free."

"But even for someone as remarkable as you, there will always be things beyond your reach."

"A day will come when you, too, will watch those you love, and those who love you, walk one by one toward death."

"You place too much weight on sentiment. This is the driving obsession of your cultivation, yet it could also transform into a tribulation within your heart, perhaps even become your inner demon."

"I hope you can understand this principle: some matters require a degree of detachment. Do not become too deeply entangled. An excess of sentimentality may ultimately harm you."

Listening silently to his words, Eldrin Chen remained quiet, offering no reply.

He stood motionless upon the mountain peak, gazing at the churning, soaring sea of clouds between heaven and earth, and remained there for a long, silent while.

Uncertain how much time had passed, he turned his head to glance at Chen Alistair and spoke with calm finality, "Whether something can be done or not, one only truly knows after attempting it."

"As for sentiment—be it obsession or a heart demon—I, Eldrin Chen, shall bear the weight alone."

"One day, when I am strong enough, then…"

"…then, might the very depths of the Ninefold Netherworld allow me entry to seek someone?"

Chen Alistair's expression shifted with understanding. He now grasped that Eldrin Chen's conviction was unshakable, his inner compass vast as the cosmos itself, and that he did not accept Alistair's path of severing karmic ties and evading tribulation.

His nature was sharp and resolute, unafraid to shoulder responsibility and karmic burden. Beneath that placid exterior lay a spirit of cosmic ambition, one that could swallow the heavens and the earth. The complete novel can be found at audio-novel . com.

Yet to walk such a path was profoundly difficult. Even those who severed all worldly bonds to cultivate in bitter solitude found ascension to immortality a near-impossible feat. How much more daunting, then, for one who did not fear the accumulation of karma?

Gazing at that snow-robed, upright figure, Chen Alistair felt a sudden, profound resonance and recalled a fitting description.

Peerless immortal grace, a spirit as refined as jade.

By the time he emerged from the Back Mountain, the celebration banquet was nearly ready to commence. Representatives from several major Purple Mansion Immortal Clan had arrived, with Purple Mansion Cultivator [cultivators who have established their spiritual foundation and opened their Purple Mansion, a higher stage of cultivation] present to offer their congratulations.

The Pan Immortal Clan from Yu County sent none other than Percival Pan, whose cultivation had reached the Purple Mansion Fourth Layer [the fourth stage of the Purple Mansion realm, a significant milestone for a cultivator].

The Xu Clan from Feng County was represented by Xu Darius, whose own cultivation had astonishingly broken through to the Purple Mansion Fourth Layer as well.

During the Beast Tide Calamity [a periodic invasion of demonic beasts] six or seven years prior, the Xu Clan had reaped immense gains. Leveraging these spoils, they had elevated the Spirit Vein [a natural conduit of spiritual energy] of their clan's dao field to the Third Rank Middle Grade [a mid-grade third-rank spirit vein, a valuable asset].

Furthermore, they had expended two precious treasures to purchase two Cloud Vein Creation Pill [a rare elixir that aids in breaking through cultivation bottlenecks] for Xu Darius. Relying on these two pills, Xu Darius had managed a single, decisive breakthrough into the Purple Palace, Mid Stage [the mid-stage of the Purple Mansion realm].

Rumors also held that Xavier Xu's cultivation had advanced a step further, reaching the Purple Mansion Sixth Layer. With over a century of lifespan remaining, if the bottleneck to the Purple Palace, Late Stage [the late stage of the Purple Mansion realm] did not hinder him for too long, he was said to possess a twenty to thirty percent chance of eventually breaking through to the Golden Core [the Golden Core realm, a major advancement where a cultivator condenses their spiritual essence into a solid core].

Finally, the Yang Clan of Ling County sent Yang Yuanhe. The Clan Patriarch of the Yang Family had suffered grievous wounds in the past, and his injuries had yet to fully heal. It could be said that the strength of the Yang Family had been significantly diminished.

However, six years ago, Yang Yuanhe had acquired a metal-attribute Purple Mansion Cultivation Art [a specialized cultivation technique for the Purple Mansion realm] at the Chu Kingdom Barter Convention [a grand gathering for cultivators to trade rare items]. His cultivation had finally progressed, reaching the strength of the Purple Mansion Second Layer.

At the banquet, over a dozen Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Chen Clan separately hosted fellow cultivators of the Foundation Establishment realm who had come from all corners of Bianzhou.

The Old Patriarch sat at a table with several other Purple Mansion Cultivators. Upon seeing Eldrin Chen's arrival, Xu Darius smiled and remarked.

"Fellow Daoist Chen [a respectful term for a fellow cultivator], you are the host of these lands. How is it you arrive so late today?"

"A few matters delayed me; I apologize for keeping you all waiting."

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

Aside from Percival Pan, the others present were all fellow Daoists who had fought side-by-side during the Beast Tide Calamity [a periodic, devastating invasion of demonic beasts]. Being fellow cultivators from Bianzhou, they naturally felt a sense of camaraderie.

In truth, everyone held a measure of awe for Eldrin Chen. While Chen Thalion was the Clan Patriarch of the Chen Clan, cultivators across the Chu Kingdom understood that Eldrin Chen's methods were far more thunderous. Since his breakthrough into the Purple Mansion [the third major realm of cultivation, where one forms a spiritual core], even Purple Mansion Late Stage Cultivators had to regard him with heightened respect.

After several rounds of wine, Eldrin Chen set down his cup and spoke with a composed smile.

"Friends, to speak plainly, the reason for this banquet today is to discuss the distribution of interests within Bianzhou." Support the author by reading on https://audio-novel.com.