Chapter 321 : A Debt of Destiny Forged

"Senior, please speak."

Eldrin Chen replied with a grave expression, knowing that the karmic debt of a Supreme Treasure of Pure Yang [a weapon of ultimate power forged from pure yang energy] would likely be immensely difficult to repay.

Yet, without the life-saving grace of the past, the person he was today would not exist; thus, he would not seek to evade this fate.

Shattered Sword seemed satisfied with his attitude. Its fragmented rays of sword light split the void, as if pondering deeply.

After a long pause, it finally spoke: "First, help me reclaim my missing tip and assist in reforging my blade."

"Second, avenge my master. Slay the Garuda Heavenly Demon."

"Third, my master's Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] was devoured by that Heavenly Demon. If you ever ascend to immortality in the future, you must journey to the Netherworld Underworld [the realm of the dead in Chinese mythology], seek out a single wisp of his shattered soul, help him regain his memories, and guide him through reincarnation to be reborn."

Eldrin Chen's expression shifted slightly, a tremor of awe passing through him. Each of these three conditions seemed a task as daunting as scaling the heavens themselves.

Any entity capable of possessing a fragment of a Supreme Treasure of Pure Yang would likely be, at the very least, a Nascent Soul True Lord [a cultivator who has formed their Nascent Soul, a powerful spiritual avatar]. And the Garuda Heavenly Demon was a being of terrifying, monstrous power.

Heavenly Demons were malevolent fiends from the Nascent Soul Realm and beyond. In this world, the number of Nascent Soul-level Heavenly Demons could be counted on one hand. Aside from the few infamous Demonic Cultivator Ancient Ancestors native to this realm, most Heavenly Demons were Extraterrestrial Demonic Fiends [demons from beyond this world] that hailed from the depths of the Demonic Abyss. Enjoyed this chapter? Read more at audio-novel dot com.

This Garuda Heavenly Demon [a powerful celestial demon from Buddhist mythology] was clearly the latter, its strength so formidable it would likely make even a Nascent Soul Dao Lord [a supreme cultivator who has formed their Nascent Soul] tremble.

If the first two tasks were ones a Nascent Soul Dao Lord [a supreme cultivator who has formed their Nascent Soul] of this realm might have some confidence in, the difficulty of the final one was on another level. That Netherworld Underworld [the Chinese realm of the dead, ruled by Yama] lay within the End of the Nine Abysses [the deepest, most unreachable part of the underworld]. Unless he became one of those long-lived, deathless Immortal Immortal [a true immortal who has transcended mortality], he shouldn't even entertain the thought.

Lyra Jiang's expression shifted slightly, and she seemed about to open her mouth to bargain.

Eldrin Chen stopped her, then asked calmly, "Senior, please instruct me."

"Very well, I should tell you."

The Shattered Sword [a sentient, broken magical sword] hovered silently, its gentle voice carrying over: "The missing tip of my blade lies within the Desolate Demon Ridge [a mountain range infested with demons] on the Nine Rivers Continent [a continent named for its nine great rivers]. Once you break through to the Nascent Soul [the realm where a cultivator forms their spiritual core, or Nascent Soul], you may begin to make plans."

"If you retrieve the tip and aid in reforging my body, then I promise you this: in the future, I will help you survive your Nascent Soul Tribulation [the heavenly trial one must face to form a Nascent Soul]."

"As long as nine thousand years ago, that Garuda Heavenly Demon [a powerful celestial demon from Buddhist mythology] was already a formidable fiend at the Primordial Spirit, Early Stage [the early stage of the Primordial Spirit realm, beyond Nascent Soul]. By now, it has likely reached the mid or even late stages. To confront it, you will need to reach the Primordial Spirit realm yourself, and it would be best to gather allies to strike together."

"As for that Netherworld Underworld [the Chinese realm of the dead, ruled by Yama]..."

The Shattered Sword [a sentient, broken magical sword] spoke with finality, then fell silent once more.

It remained silent for a long while before finally speaking. "Legend holds that in the Immortal Realm, true Immortals are beings of such grandeur that they emerge only one in countless millions. Their status is supremely exalted."

"If you were to attain the Dao and ascend to immortality, the Nine Abysses Underworld [the realm of the dead in Chinese mythology] would likely grant you some measure of face, provided your request was not too excessive."

"Though, some price would undoubtedly be required in exchange."

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen understood that to repay this life-saving debt, he would first need to cultivate formidable personal strength.

At that moment, Lyra Jiang beside him hesitated slightly before voicing her question. "Senior, you mentioned earlier that Eldrin seemed to be born in response to a tribulation. What did you mean by that?"

"Yes, please enlighten us, Senior."

Eldrin Chen was also curious and couldn't help but ask.

The Shattered Sword fell silent once more. After a long pause, it replied, "That was my initial assumption. However, after observing him these past years, I believe he is not an Immortal who descended to face a tribulation."

"What do you mean?" Both of them wore expressions of confusion.

"That is a long story to tell."

The Shattered Sword did not conceal anything, instead countering with a question: "Do you know why this realm is named the Purple Realm [the name of this cultivation world]?"

Without waiting for their answer, it began to narrate in a measured tone.

"The name Purple Realm is, in fact, the name of an Immortal."

"Legend speaks of tiers among Immortals: the Earth Immortal Nine Layers [the nine stages of Earthly Immortals], the Heavenly Immortal Nine Realms [the nine realms of Heavenly Immortals], and beyond that, the fabled state of the Great Luo Golden Immortal [the supreme Golden Immortal of the Great Luo]."

"A Great Luo Golden Immortal is also called a Great Luo Immortal Lord [a lord among Immortals]. Such beings are numbered even within the Celestial Realm, figures of immense power among Immortals."

"Several million years ago, the Purple Immortal [the Immortal named Purple] emerged from this very realm, ascending all the way to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm. He was revered as the Purple Immortal Lord [Lord Purple Immortal]." Read, share, and discuss at www . audio-novel.com.

"In that era, the Purple Realm was a Cultivation World [a world where cultivation is practiced] of formidable lineage and power. Blessed by the Purple Immortal Lord, prodigies ascended to Immortality from this world almost every ten thousand years."

"Among the myriad worlds as countless as the sands of the Ganges, this realm was considered an exceptionally powerful one."

Eldrin Chen and Lyra Jiang could not help but draw a sharp breath, astonished to learn of the Purple Realm's profound origins.

The Shattered Sword hovered silently, as if recounting ancient annals, and spoke with calm finality.

"The Purple Realm has the backing of a Great Luo Immortal Lord, and several Immortals have ascended from there. Therefore, I initially believed you were an Immortal reincarnated, destined to face the tribulation and save the common people of the Purple Realm."

"However, after observing you for so many years, I have discovered you are most likely not an Immortal undergoing a tribulation cycle."

"Oh."

Eldrin Chen's eyes flickered slightly as he waited quietly for the Shattered Sword Senior to continue.

The Shattered Sword glanced at Eldrin Chen and, after a long pause, said, "Because an ordinary Immortal likely could not obtain a cultivation art like yours."

"Forgotten upon sight, unheard by the ear, unrecordable on metal or stone—even my own existence cannot be remembered in the slightest."

"The origins of your Primordial Scripture are profoundly astonishing. It likely points directly to the source of the Great Dao [the fundamental principle underlying all existence]. If one is not a destined individual, even a peerless Celestial Immortal might not be qualified to learn it."

Eldrin Chen's heart and spirit trembled violently. The Primordial Scripture was his greatest secret, and he never imagined it had been exposed to the Shattered Sword's gaze for years.

Upon careful reflection, this was only natural. He had cultivated for many years at Spirit Isle Lake, practically right under the Shattered Sword's watchful eye. How could he possibly have hidden it from this sword?

As if understanding his concern, the Shattered Sword continued calmly, "Do you know why the Purple Realm has fallen to such a state?"

The two exchanged a glance, suppressing the thoughts in their hearts. "Senior, please speak," they said.

"Because Purple Immortal Lord [a supreme immortal sovereign] perished. To prevent his enemies from settling scores, he cast Purple Realm [a legendary immortal realm] adrift in the boundless void before his end."

"Those extraterrestrial demons at the end of Demonic Abyss [a cosmic chasm of demonic energy] are merely instruments of Demon God [a primordial entity of corruption] to erode this world. They stumbled upon Purple Realm by chance, drawn by the legacy treasures of Great Luo Immortal Lord [a title for a supreme immortal lord]."

Eldrin Chen felt a violent tremor between his brows, finally comprehending the full story of how this world had fallen to such a state.

Shattered Sword [a sentient, broken sword] fell silent for a moment before speaking again. "My master, Daoist Qingyuan, was considered the last true-lineage inheritor of Purple Immortal Lord's lineage. Thus, I know some hidden secrets."

"The reason Purple Immortal Lord fell, legend has it, was because he lacked the most crucial supreme object. This failure to breach the realm of Dao Ancestor Immortal Sage [the ultimate state of merging with the primordial Dao] led to his demise."

"The realm of Dao Ancestor Immortal Sage?"

Eldrin Chen felt as if the Great Dao itself thundered within his heart. Merely mentioning that realm was like the Primordial Chaos Great Dao [the fundamental principle of undifferentiated chaos] manifesting to press down from the heavens, with a weight capable of crushing eons of time and space.

Shattered Sword also seemed to be wary of something. After a long silence, it finally spoke in its own voice.

"Dao Ancestor Immortal Sage — their number is fixed by heaven and earth. In the entire Immortal Realm, there are only five or six such beings."

"Legend has it that to break through to that realm, one requires a supreme treasure of unparalleled nature—knowledge far beyond my humble station."

Eldrin Chen's spirit trembled violently. The mention of that supreme treasure sparked a flicker of connection in his mind.

Clearly, even the Shattered Sword could not have fathomed that the Primordial Scripture might hold an even more terrifying and profound association. Support the author by reading on audio-novel.com.