Chapter 258 Qingxu Chronicles, No Return

Eldrin gazed upon the forging methods of the 2 immortal swords, a faint tremor stirring within his heart.

Both the 1000-Demon Slaying Sword (Magic Treasure) and the 100-Soul Execution Immortal Sword possessed astonishing latent potential. Theoretically speaking, this pair of immortal swords harbored limitless possibilities.

In ages past, that Sword Master forged 2 immortal swords that stood peerless in the world, their might so extraordinary it would be considered rare even among Supreme Treasure of Pure Yang (Magic Treasure).

These 2 swords.

Eldrin (Person Name) pondered for a moment before ultimately storing away these 2 volumes of cultivation methods.

Both the 1000-Demon Slaying Sword (Magic Treasure) and the 100-Soul Immortal-Slaying Sword were feared across the realm—1 despised by demonic cultivators, the other dreaded by humankind.

If it were merely refined to the fourth rank, it would be manageable. However, attempting to forge it into a Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure would likely invite no small amount of trouble.

Demons and monsters dreaded the divine might of this sword, unwilling to witness the emergence of such a pair of demon-refining immortal blades.

However, despite the unorthodox methods used to forge these 2 swords, they were truly extraordinary demon-slaying immortal blades. When employed against evil spirits and demonic beings, their lethality was nothing short of astonishing.

"What's the point of overthinking?"

Eldrin shook his head with a wry smile. Something like the Demon Refining Immortal Sword—1 could choose not to wield it, but never be without it.

He and the demons were mortal enemies to begin with, so why should he care about their opinions? If fate granted him the chance to forge an immortal sword in the future, what reason would he have to hesitate?

According to the notes of the Azure Void Sect, multiple clans among the Eastern Sea humans forged this pair of immortal swords to resist evil demons. Some even refined the 1000-Demon Slaying Sword (Magic Treasure) into a fifth-tier demon-subduing immortal sword.

Putting away these ancient texts, Eldrin (Person Name) made another light count and discovered a copy of the Qingxu Chronicles.

He cast a simple glance, yet was instantly drawn into the depths of this historical record.

Opening the first page, a line of text came into view:

Year 13,400 of the Dao Calendar.

The founder of the Qingxu Sect, Qingxu Zi, followed Emperor Jiang from the Central Ancestral Domain.

After 1 100 and 90-6 battles, he reclaimed the Eastern Wastelands (Location), advancing his troops to the Eastern Sea cultivation realm, reclaiming vast territories for our human race...

The 1,3400th Year of the Dao Calendar?

Eldrin's eyes narrowed slightly, a frown creasing his brow.

It is now the 19,323rd year of the Dao Calendar, meaning the Qingxu Sect had followed Emperor Jiang here over 6 1000 years ago.

Moreover, the term "reclaim" was used here, which carried profound implications.

This meant that the Eastern Wastelands (Location) had once been part of humanity's ancestral territory, though it remained unknown why it had fallen into ruin. It was only reclaimed 6,000 years ago.

The implications behind this were truly terrifying. In the ancient epochs of the past, the Eastern Wastelands once flourished with a prosperous human cultivation world. Yet after a cataclysmic war, the entire eastern cultivation realm was utterly annihilated.

What manner of war could have brought ruin even to this ancient cultivation realm of the Eastern Wastelands?

Now in the Eastern Wastelands (Location), were these demonic forbidden domains that cover the land born suddenly, or were their foundations laid long ago, hammered in strike after strike by demons and monsters 6 1000 years in the distant past?

Eldrin's gaze remained solemn as he continued reading:

In the year 13,600 of the Dao Calendar, the Founding Master established the orthodox tradition at the Abyssal Star Island in the Eastern Sea, founding the Qingxu Sect.

For 1 1000 years, the Qingxu Sect followed Emperor Jiang with their entire sect, driving the evil demons out of the Violet Realm.

Thus concluded the seventh reclamation of ancestral lands in the Violet Immortal Realm...

Eldrin shuddered inwardly. If this was the seventh reclamation of their homeland, did it mean the cultivation world of the Eastern Wastelands had been destroyed 7 times?

Moreover, according to the knowledge he had received since childhood, the Violet Realm had a history of at least several million years, yet the Dao Calendar recorded less than 20,000 years.

What was the situation like in the former Violet Cultivation Realm 20 1000 years ago?

The annals of the Verdant Void Sect made no record of these events, containing only sparse notations:

Chapter 1 In the 15,900th year of the Dao Calendar, Jiang Huang transcended the heavenly tribulation and attained immortality. With but a single sword in hand, he ventured alone into the Demon Abyss to sever all mortal ties.

Chapter 1 1 journey, no return...

1 1000 years later, the Patriarch and several dozen True Lords and Dao Lords departed together.

Still, no reply.

Chapter 1 In the 17,000th year of the Dao Calendar, the calamity of the Demonic Abyss descended once more, devastating the Eastern Sea cultivation realm. The Second Generation Patriarch fell in battle.

Chapter 1 In the 18,000th year of the Dao Calendar, the third-generation sect master battled fiercely against 3 Demon Monarchs before exhausting his vital energy and perishing...

Eldrin watched in silence, his heart gradually sinking.

There are no records concerning the era before the 1,900th year of the Dao Calendar, for the Qingxu Sect perished in that great war 3 centuries ago.

The Verdant Void Sect, bastion of countless heroes, had ever stood at the forefront against the demonic tide. Yet in the end, Lin Daoyang fell not in glorious battle, but to a coward's scheme—such was heaven's cruel irony.

For the first time in this life, Eldrin experienced such an indescribable sense of suffocation.

In the recorded history spanning 20 1000 years, the Eastern Wastelands (Location) had already been destroyed 7 times, with humanity reduced to blood sustenance for demons and monsters.

This immense terror struck at his very soul. The entire cultivation world had been destroyed not just once, but multiple times. Such horror nearly suffocated him, leaving him struggling for breath.

Even after Emperor Jiang ascended to immortality, he had never managed to quell the Great Tribulation. The darkness lurking behind it all sent a chill down his spine.

He had never lived in a world free from war—it was merely that someone had been holding up the sky ahead of him all along.

The sky was veiled in miasmic clouds, while the earth churned with a sea of blazing flames. Between the mountains and rivers, molten lava lay exposed and seething.

Eldrin closed the ancient tome and lifted his gaze to the heavens, feeling as though this purgatorial realm shrouded in blazing inferno was a microcosm of the vast world itself.

At this moment, he finally understood why Lyra (Person Name) had told him that knowing too much would affect 1's Dao Heart.

"Demons..."

His snow-white robes fluttered as he stood silently in this infernal world,

And so, without a word, he silently watched it all, standing in tranquil stillness for a long, long time.

Cultivation is a tedious and interminable journey.

Eldrin sat cross-legged within the sea of purgatorial flames, refining several batches of Spirit-Nourishing Elixir before beginning his meditation on the Sun-Fall Peaks.

While restoring his primordial spirit, he studied the ancient texts left by predecessors and simultaneously deduced the 5 Elements techniques.

In the third year, he deduced a water-attribute cultivation method and named it the Celestial River Ren Water Scripture.

The Riverine Water Scripture of the Heavens not only enabled cultivation up to the ninth level of the Purple Mansion, but the spiritual energy it refined was exceptionally pure and enduring, with a recovery rate far surpassing that of the Solar Blaze Scripture and the Imperial Earth Scripture.

6 years later, he advanced further, creating a metal-attributed cultivation technique which Eldrin (Person Name) named the 'White Emperor Scripture of the Western Extremity'.

9 years later, Eldrin deduced the final elemental cultivation method—a wood-attributed technique.

This technique offers only ordinary combat prowess, yet it can extend the practitioner's lifespan by 1 cycle of 60 years.

What was even more astonishing was that Eldrin, by learning from others' strengths to offset his own weaknesses, had resolved the drawbacks of the longevity-extending technique. Cultivating it would no longer affect his chances of breaking through to the Golden Core stage.

Generally speaking, cultivation techniques that could extend 1's lifespan without hindering breakthroughs were considered among the pinnacle of Golden Core techniques.

Considering this alone, this technique was already worthy of ranking among the most supreme methods within the Purple Mansion arts. Thus, he decisively named this scripture the Qingdi Everlasting Life Sutra.

After deducing the complete 5 Elements technique, Eldrin originally intended to proceed with merging the elemental methods. However, realizing that integrating these arts would likely require more than a single day's effort, he ultimately abandoned the notion.

Thus time flew by, and in the twelfth year of his secluded cultivation to refine his spiritual sense, his mastery of divine consciousness finally brushed against the threshold of the Golden Core stage.

Chapter 1: The Reborn Youth The biting cold wind howled, carrying with it snowflakes that danced wildly in the air, blanketing the entire Northern Frost Province in a vast expanse of white. Inside a dilapidated temple, a young man who appeared to be around 15 or 16 years old suddenly sat up, his eyes wide open as he gasped for breath. "I... I'm not dead?" He touched his chest, his face filled with disbelief. He was clearly struck by the Heavenly Tribulation Lightning and should have been utterly annihilated, body and soul destroyed. How could he still be alive? Just as he was lost in thought, a sharp pain shot through his brain, and a flood of unfamiliar memories surged forth. "Azure Frost City... the Lin Family... Lin Xuan (Person Name)?" After a long while, he finally sorted through these memories, and a strange light flickered in his eyes. "I never expected that I, the revered Vast Heaven Sword Sovereign, would 1 day be reborn in the body of a young man with the same name and surname." In his previous life, he was the unparalleled Vast Heaven Sword Sovereign, standing at the pinnacle of the cultivation world. He had traversed the 9 Heavens and 10 Earths, invincible wherever he went. Yet, in the end, he fell victim to a conspiracy, surrounded and attacked by the combined forces of the 9 great emperors, ultimately perishing under the Heavenly Tribulation. But now, fate had given him a second chance. "Since I've been reborn, in this life, I will surely reach the pinnacle of cultivation and make all enemies pay the price they deserve!" A cold gleam flashed in Lin Xuan's eyes. He surveyed his surroundings. This was a rundown temple, with walls covered in cracks and spiderwebs everywhere. Through the broken window, he could see the snow-covered world outside. According to his memories, this body’s original owner was a disciple of the Lin Family in Azure Frost City. Although the Lin Family was 1 of the 3 great families of Azure Frost City, the original owner was merely a side branch disciple, with mediocre talent and low status. 3 days ago, he had been framed by a direct descendant and severely injured, then abandoned in this remote temple. If not for Lin Xuan’s possession, he would have long since turned cold. "Hmph, what a bunch of heartless scum." Lin Xuan sneered coldly, a trace of disdain flashing in his eyes. In his previous life, he had seen countless acts of betrayal and conspiracy. Such a petty frame-up was nothing in his eyes. He closed his eyes and began to inspect his body. "This body’ foundation is truly weak, barely at the first level of Body Refining. No wonder he was bullied so easily." The path of cultivation begins with Body Refining, followed by Qi Condensation, Foundation Building, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and so on. Each major realm is divided into 9 minor levels. The first level of Body Refining was nothing more than the very basics of cultivation. "But that’s of little consequence. With the [Vast Heaven Sword Scripture] I cultivated in my previous life, even the most common body can be transformed into a peerless sword body." A hint of confidence appeared on Lin Xuan's face. The [Vast Heaven Sword Scripture] was a supreme technique he had obtained by chance in his previous life. It was precisely because of this technique that he rose to prominence, eventually becoming the Vast Heaven Sword Sovereign. Although he had now lost all his cultivation, the memories and insights from his previous life remained. Starting over was nothing difficult for him. He sat cross-legged, calming his mind, and began to operate the [Vast Heaven Sword Scripture]. In an instant, the surrounding spiritual energy surged toward him like a tidal wave, pouring into his body. The spiritual energy was as sharp as a sword, relentlessly tempering his meridians and flesh. Sweat beaded on Lin Xuan's forehead, but he gritted his teeth and persisted. This feeling of becoming stronger was truly wonderful. Time passed slowly, and before he knew it, night had fallen. Lin Xuan opened his eyes, a sharp gleam flashing within them like a sword's edge. "Not bad, I’ve reached the third level of Body Refining." In just half a day, he had broken through 2 minor levels. If this were known to others, it would surely shock everyone. But to Lin Xuan, this was only natural. After all, the [Vast Heaven Sword Scripture] was a supreme technique, and with his experience as a sovereign, such progress was only to be expected. "Unfortunately, the spiritual energy here is too thin. Otherwise, my breakthrough would have been even faster." Lin Xuan shook his head slightly, feeling somewhat unsatisfied. Cultivation resources and environment were crucial. In a place like this with scarce spiritual energy, even with a supreme technique, progress would be limited. "It seems I need to find a place rich in spiritual energy as soon as possible." Just as he was pondering, sudden noises came from outside the temple. "Hey, is that trash Lin Xuan inside? Come out and die!" Hearing this, a cold light flashed in Lin Xuan's eyes. He recognized this voice—it belonged to Lin Hu (Person Name), the lackey of the direct descendant who had framed the original owner. He hadn’t gone to find them, yet they had come to him instead. A cold smile tugged at the corner of Lin Xuan's mouth as he stood up and walked out of the temple. Outside, 3 figures stood in the snow, all of them looking arrogant. The leader was a burly young man, none other than Lin Hu. When Lin Hu saw Lin Xuan emerge, a look of surprise flashed across his face. "Yo, you’re not dead yet? You really are as tenacious as a cockroach." Lin Xuan's expression was calm. "What, disappointed?" Lin Hu laughed coldly. "Since you’re not dead, I’ll just have to send you on your way myself." With that, he waved his hand, and the 2 followers behind him stepped forward, flanking Lin Xuan on both sides. "Lin Xuan, if you know what’s good for you, kneel down and beg for mercy. Maybe I’ll leave you with an intact corpse," Lin Hu said arrogantly. A trace of pity flashed in Lin Xuan's eyes. In his previous life, those who dared speak to him like this had long since turned to dust. "Those who overestimate themselves." Lin Xuan spoke lightly, then suddenly moved. His figure flashed, and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of the 2 followers. Before they could react, 2 punches landed squarely on their chests. "Bang! Bang!" 2 muffled sounds echoed as the 2 followers were sent flying, crashing heavily into the snowdrifts outside the temple, unable to get up for a long time. Lin Hu’s eyes widened in shock. "How... how is this possible? Weren’t you severely injured? How could you..." A trace of fear flashed in Lin Hu’s eyes. The current Lin Xuan was completely different from the cowardly and weak person he remembered. Lin Xuan looked at him indifferently. "It’s your turn now." Lin Hu gritted his teeth. "So what if you’ve recovered? I am at the third level of Body Refining. Do you really think you can defeat me?" With that, he shouted loudly, and a fiery red light burst from his body—the Lin Family’s signature technique, Blazing Flame Palm (Cultivation Technique). The palm force was fierce, melting the surrounding snowflakes into steam. Facing this attack, Lin Xuan didn’t even blink. He simply raised his hand and pointed. A faint sword light shot out from his fingertip, piercing straight through Lin Hu’s palm. "Ah!" Lin Hu let out a miserable scream, clutching his injured hand as he looked at Lin Xuan in horror. "Sword... Sword Qi? You’ve condensed Sword Qi? How is that possible!" Condensing Sword Qi was something only those at the Qi Condensation realm could achieve. How could a mere Body Refining realm cultivator accomplish this? Lin Xuan didn’t answer, slowly walking toward Lin Hu. Every step he took seemed to trample on Lin Hu’s heart, making him tremble with fear. "Don’t... don’t come any closer! I am Young Master Lin Feng’s (Person Name) man. If you touch me, Young Master won’t let you off!" Lin Xuan’s lips curled into a cold smile. "Lin Feng? Soon, I will settle the score with him." With that, he flicked his finger, and a sword light pierced Lin Hu’s forehead. Lin Hu’s eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief until the moment of death, as if he couldn’t believe that Lin Xuan would actually kill him. Lin Xuan looked at the 3 corpses on the ground, his expression unchanged. In his previous life, he had slain countless experts. Killing these 3 insignificant figures was nothing to him. He crouched down and searched Lin Hu’s body, finding a small bag. Opening it, he discovered a dozen or so sparkling Spirit Stones (Cultivation Resource) inside. "Lower-grade Spirit Stones? Not bad, they’ll come in handy for now." Lin Xuan nodded in satisfaction. Spirit Stones were the essential currency for cultivators, used not only for transactions but also to aid in cultivation. Although these dozen or so Lower-grade Spirit Stones weren’t much, they were enough to temporarily alleviate his urgent needs. After putting away the Spirit Stones, Lin Xuan didn’t stay any longer. With a flash of his figure, he disappeared into the night. The snow fell even heavier, soon covering the 3 corpses on the ground, as if nothing had ever happened.