Chapter 322 : The Primordial Convergence

After all, from the current perspective, Primordial Essence [a fundamental, primordial energy that is the source of all things] merely facilitates the advancement to a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root [a spiritual root of exceptional quality, harmonized with the forces of heaven and earth].

While this method is extraordinary, any true Immortal could accomplish it with ease; even a Nascent Soul Dao Lord [a supreme cultivator who has formed their Nascent Soul and comprehended profound Dao principles] would not be without means to achieve it.

Though the Primordial Scripture [an ancient and profound scripture detailing the path of cultivation] currently appears to possess wondrous and profound applications, perhaps enough to make even Immortals covet it, Eldrin Chen estimated it was, at most, a legacy of the Great Luo Golden Immortal [a legendary realm of immortality representing one of the highest attainable states of being] grade. He dared not imagine it could be more.

Yet Eldrin Chen knew with absolute clarity that once forty-nine strands of Primordial Essence were fused into one, they would yield a single, refined wisp of Primordial Essence Quintessence. This might very well be sufficient to elevate a treasure into an Acquired Spiritual Root [a spiritual root formed through great effort and rare opportunity after birth, rather than being innate].

In the distant future, if three thousand six hundred and fifty strands of Primordial Essence could be gathered, perhaps they could coalesce into an even more astonishing strand of Innate Primordial Violet Qi [the supreme, innate violet energy of creation that existed at the dawn of the cosmos]. Could that then give rise to a legendary Innate Spiritual Treasure?

Eldrin Chen forcibly suppressed these thoughts deep within his heart. If the secret of the Primordial Essence's capacity for convergence and metamorphosis were ever exposed, it would likely stir even the Immortals and Demons themselves.

Though a surge of excitement had gripped him, Eldrin Chen quickly settled his mind once more.

A mere forty-nine strands of Primordial Essence would require nearly five hundred years. Condensing three thousand six hundred and fifty strands would likely take over thirty thousand years, to say nothing of progressing even further. Such distances were far too remote from his present reality.

Furthermore, all of this was merely his own speculation. Whether the Primordial Essence truly was that supreme, peerless substance remained an open question.

The Shattered Sword [a sentient, ancient sword spirit bearing immense knowledge] had spoken at length and now seemed to grow weary. Read the full novel exclusively on audio-novel dot com.

Its radiance dimmed slightly as it spoke with calm composure, "I perceive that your heritage is extraordinary; you likely have a significant background."

"Devote yourself to diligent cultivation. Should you one day ascend to immortality, do not forget the promise you made today."

Eldrin Chen nodded respectfully to Lyra Jiang and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Senior."

"Go now."

With those words, the Shattered Sword sank back into the Spirit Spring, beginning to continuously absorb Water Essence Power to mend its wounds.

The two of them withdrew from the Water Vein and returned to Spirit Isle Lake.

Lyra Jiang glanced back at the vanished Water Vein, her expression grave. "Senior Shattered Sword mentioned that its original master was Qingyuan Dao Lord. This karmic entanglement may prove troublesome in the future."

"It is of no consequence."

Eldrin Chen's expression was serene, his voice steady. "As long as I cultivate diligently, such karmic debts are merely whetstones to sharpen my blade."

Having forged his Great Luo Golden Core, he had laid the initial foundation for his immortal ascension. A surge of boundless ambition now filled his heart, and his mindset had subtly shifted.

Seeing his state of mind brimming with such confidence, Lyra Jiang also revealed a faint smile.

She set that topic aside and instead looked towards the distant Earth Lion Ridge [a mountain range inhabited by a powerful demonic tribe]. "Now that you have broken through to the Golden Core [the third major stage of cultivation, where one's spiritual power condenses into a solid, golden-hued core], we can finally move against the Earth Lion Ridge," she said.

"Mm-hmm."

Eldrin Chen nodded, then added, "Let's wait another year or two. Once I've elevated the Heavenly Separated Twin Swords [a pair of lifebound immortal swords] to the Fourth Rank Middle Grade [a classification for artifacts, indicating a high level of power suitable for Golden Core cultivators], then we can make our move."

"We can begin mustering our forces first."

Lyra Jiang stated, for assaulting a Demonic Tribe [a society or faction of demonic beasts or cultivators who follow a demonic path] was not a matter to be settled in a single day.

The Earth Lion Ridge was protected by a Fourth Rank Middle Grade Formation [a complex array of magical energy used for defense, attack, or other purposes]. Relying solely on the power of high-ranking cultivators to breach such a Formation would be exceedingly difficult. Even if they succeeded, their spiritual energy would be severely depleted, and they would likely face defeat against the Demonic Tribe's Golden Core [powerful demonic cultivators or beasts at the Golden Core stage].

The best strategy was to mobilize a vast number of low-ranking cultivators to surround the Earth Lion Ridge and wear down the Formation's energy reserves. Only after it was significantly weakened would breaching it become a far easier task.

Mustering such an army was a process that would take time. By the time tens of thousands of low-ranking cultivators were fully assembled, another year or two would likely have passed.

That period would be more than sufficient for Eldrin Chen to complete the advancement of his Heavenly Separated Twin Swords.

After the two of them finalized their plan, an order from the Alliance Leader was swiftly dispatched throughout the Heaven's Ruin Alliance. In short order, the various Immortal Clans and even Rogue Cultivators within the alliance began mobilizing their forces.

Many Rogue Cultivators from other prefectures and counties of the Chu Kingdom also arrived, eager to join the Heaven's Ruin Alliance's assault on Earth Lion Ridge. They hoped to distinguish themselves, earn Merit Points, and be rewarded with treasures.

Meanwhile, Earth Lion Ridge received the news almost immediately. They began withdrawing their Demonic Tribe forces from various Spirit Mountains, concentrating them at Earth Lion Ridge. Clearly, they intended to rely on their Fourth Rank Formation [a powerful defensive array] to wage a defensive war.

For so long, it had been the Human Race using Formations to defend against the Demonic Tribe. Who would have thought the day would come when the Demonic Tribe would be the ones activating a Formation to resist the Human Race?

In the blink of an eye, more than a year had passed.

By this time, Eldrin Chen had exhausted his supply of Five Elements Essence [a refined spiritual essence containing the power of the five elements], successfully advancing his Heavenly Separated Twin Swords. Read the full novel exclusively on site: audio-novel.com.

Meanwhile, Lyra Jiang had also succeeded in elevating her Heaven's Ruin Immortal-Slaying Sword. With this sword reaching the Fourth Rank High Grade [a high-tier level for magical treasures], her conventional offensive power surged by several tenths.

"A pity. There simply wasn't enough time."

On this day, Eldrin Chen opened his eyes within his Seclusion Chamber.

During this period, he had been contemplating the Great Divine Ability [a supreme cultivation technique] known as 'Phantom-Splitting Sword Art'. This divine ability, obtained from the Ethereal Void Sect, possessed astonishing destructive potential. However, mastering it required the assistance of a specific Demon-Subduing Immortal Sword [an immortal sword specialized for subduing demons].

Fortunately, his comprehension was transcendent. Ever since witnessing the legacy of the Shattered Sword [a legendary broken sword containing profound insights], he had, through some ineffable connection, reached the threshold required to cultivate this divine ability.

Regrettably, time was now far too pressing, and he had not yet succeeded in mastering it. "It seems I must wait until the battle at Earth Lion Ridge concludes before I can refine this divine ability to completion," he mused.

Eldrin Chen murmured these words to himself as he emerged from his Seclusion Chamber [a specially prepared room for undisturbed cultivation].

After leaving the Seclusion Chamber, he immediately took a Teleportation Formation [a magical array for instantaneous travel over great distances] to Green Sun Mountain. Upon arrival, he found the mountain already harboring over a dozen massive treasure boats.

Among these vessels, twelve were somewhat smaller. The two largest, however, each spanned a full hundred Zhang-length [one Zhang-length equals three point three three meters] and could accommodate well over ten thousand cultivators.

The slightly smaller ones were naturally the Third Rank [corresponding to the Purple Mansion Realm] treasure boats of the Heaven's Ruin Alliance. The two colossal vessels were the alliance's true warships.

One was the Heaven-Devouring Serpent Treasure Boat [a mighty ship crafted from the remains of a Heaven-Devouring Serpent], which had been in service for nearly a century. The other was the newly forged Black Flood Dragon Treasure Boat, crafted by Eldrin Chen from the skeletal remains of the Black Flood Dragon Demon King he had slain.

To forge this mighty ship, Eldrin Chen and Lyra Jiang mobilized the resources of the entire Heaven's Ruin Alliance. They even journeyed to Yan Kingdom, a region rich in Wood Vein [earth veins imbued with Wood-element spiritual energy], to procure over ten thousand precious pieces of spirit wood essential for its construction.

This vessel's power slightly surpassed even that of the Heaven-Devouring Serpent Treasure Boat, a testament not only to the potent bloodline of the Black Flood Dragon Demon King but also to the significant advancements in Lyra Jiang's artificing arts.

Sword-riding through the skies, Eldrin Chen boarded the Black Flood Dragon Treasure Boat and sought out Lyra Jiang, who was already stationed there, overseeing final preparations.

Upon arriving, he found that the two Golden Core Cultivators, Elara Lin and Xavier Xu, had already arrived. The False Core Cultivator Old Patriarch and the Purple Mansion Cultivators of the Heaven's Ruin Alliance had also gathered here.

The Heaven's Ruin Alliance now had just over fifty Purple Mansion Cultivators, and for this battle, more than forty of them had already assembled to participate.

Eldrin Chen suppressed his aura, greeted the assembled crowd, and then turned to Lyra Jiang to ask.

"How are the preparations?"

"Our forces are nearly all gathered. The assault will begin tomorrow."

Lyra Jiang handed a battle plan to Eldrin Chen with a faint smile.

He took the document and glanced over it, gaining a concrete understanding of the coming conflict.

This campaign would deploy two Fourth Rank war-class treasure boats and twelve Third Rank transport-class treasure boats. In total, just over thirty thousand cultivators would take part in the battle.

Although the number of participating cultivators was not immense, the majority were elite practitioners at the Qi Refinement, Late Stage. Across the four provinces, there were fewer than two hundred thousand Qi Refinement Cultivators in total. These thirty thousand Qi Refinement, Late Stage elites represented the very cream of the crop, effectively stripping the four provinces of their finest martial strength. This chapter is provided by audio-novel-dot-com. Support the original.