Chapter 524 Disposing of The Vast Sea (Location)

After the fall of Eldrin (Person Name), the demon and monster clans that had long been suppressed in The Vast Sea (Location) seized the opportunity to wreak havoc, unleashing a storm of bloodshed across the lands.

Once again, it was Kael and Ethan who, alongside rising talents like Chen Nianxuan and Gu Lanshan, made their moves 1 after another, carving out a formidable reputation for themselves in The Vast Sea.

Among the group, Chen Nianxuan possessed a Heavenly Spiritual Root (Spiritual Root) and had already broken through to the 9th Layer of the Purple Mansion despite her youth. Gu Lanshan, who bore the Tri-Yin Body (Spiritual Root) and was a direct disciple of Lyra (Person Name), could even contend with Golden Core cultivators while still at the Purple Mansion realm.

Of course, the true pillars of strength remained individuals like Kael (Person Name) and Elara (Person Name). Elara (Person Name) had already reached the Nascent Soul Formation stage—a veritable pillar of stability akin to the mythical sea-calming needle, so long as no True Monarchs made an appearance.

Especially Kael, who ventured alone into the heart of the demon realm with nothing but his sword. He slew 7 Demon Kings in succession before departing with a triumphant laugh, striking such fear into the hearts of demons and monsters that his ruthless methods were deemed no less formidable than those of Eldrin.

After the old clan leader finished speaking, a hint of delight also appeared on Eldrin’s face. He pondered for a moment before saying, “Kael, Elara, and the others are not far from reaching the realm of True Monarch.”

"I'm afraid within a 100 years, he'll touch the threshold of Nascent Soul. Pity we no longer possess any Earth Path Qi in our hands."

Lyra frowned slightly upon hearing this. A single strand of Earth Dao Qi was worth 200 Heavenly Crystals.

Although they had repeatedly slain demons and monsters, acquiring a vast trove of treasures—including precious fifth-tier artifacts—their consumption of these treasures was equally immense.

With just 2 individuals, they possessed 10 Innate Supreme Treasures, and there were still 8 Innate Divine Abilities to cultivate. This did not even include the upcoming cultivation of the Great Derivation Heavenly Art, Stellar Glazed Body (Spiritual Root), and the Nirvana Tribulation Transcendence Art.

Each of these divine abilities and spiritual treasures was a colossal resource-devouring beast. The resources required to master them all would be enough to make even a True Monarch at the late Nascent Soul stage frown.

That alone would have been 1 thing, but when Chen Clan's Elara and the old patriarch sought to break through to the Nascent Soul realm, Eldrin was certain to lend them a helping hand.

If it were merely the Nascent Soul Formation Pill (Spiritual Object), things might be manageable. However, the potential of a Mortal Dao Infant is inherently limited. Having painstakingly fortified their foundation to attain the Mid-level Golden Core, Eldrin (Person Name) had no intention of letting such efforts go to waste.

Moreover, Golden Core cultivators have a limited lifespan. The old clan leader was already over 5 100 years old, while Elara (Person Name) was nearly 6 100. Without consuming Life-Extending Pills, they had little time left to continue waiting.

Ethan and Silas also made astonishing progress in their cultivation. Should the need arise, Eldrin would naturally lend them a helping hand.

After all, if the Chen Clan could produce a few more True Monarchs, Chen Nian and the others would be able to free themselves from their current responsibilities. By supporting 1 another, their chances of surviving the calamity of the Demonic Abyss in the future would be greatly enhanced.

With this thought, Eldrin's gaze shifted toward the depths of The Vast Sea, in the direction where the Chen Clan's fifth-rank spirit island once stood.

"You wish to activate the spirit island?"

Lyra noticed his expression and naturally understood what was on his mind.

Eldrin nodded slightly. The Chen Clan of The Vast Sea was once ranked among the top 30 immortal clans in the Eastern Wastelands, with an elder who had half-stepped into the realm of a Nascent Soul Dao Lord.

Within this lineage and clan alone, there were a dozen or so True Monarchs. It was certain that the spirit island submerged beneath the waves must hold astonishing wealth.

According to the words of the ancient broken cauldron, the former Patriarch of the Chen Clan had even left behind contingency measures, among which was a Heavenly Dao Qi (Spiritual Root), intended to assist the Chen bloodline in rising from ashes when necessary.

Unfortunately, due to repeated interference from formidable enemies, that contingency measure ultimately never had the chance to be delivered.

If they could manage to open the sunken spirit island of the Chen Clan in The Vast Sea, perhaps the foundations of the Chen Immortal Clan would multiply dramatically, allowing Eldrin to live without tightening his belt.

Seeing this, Chen Changxuan, who stood nearby, shook his head and said, "The ancestor's Earth Soul has been corroded by Resentment Energy, becoming an eerie existence neither human nor ghost."

"If you insist on entering now, the risks are far from trivial. It would be wiser to wait a while longer."

Lyra also nodded and persuaded, "Having just broken through to the True Monarch realm, we still have considerable room for improvement. It’s still somewhat early for us to enter now."

“As for Elder Uncle and Elara (Person Name), their next attempt to break through to the Nascent Soul realm would require another 80 years. At present, it’s still far too early.”

"How about we wait a while longer, until we've fully upgraded our spiritual treasures, before going in to investigate."

Eldrin found this reasoning sound and temporarily suppressed the thought.

He glanced at the old patriarch and said, "I plan to return to Jizhou to purchase some Void Gems (Spiritual Object) for The Vast Sea (Location) to craft teleportation arrays. This will help us establish control over this continent."

"In this period, The Vast Sea (Location) shall be entrusted to your care."

The old clan leader nodded and said, "Rest assured, we can still hold The Vast Sea (Location). There isn't a single Human-race Demon Emperor here."

After bidding farewell to the old clan leader and the others, Eldrin flew toward Ji Province alongside Lyra.

Returning to the Green Lotus Isle, they immediately noticed someone had come seeking them. The visitor was Freya (Person Name), who smiled upon seeing them and said, "I heard you've slain the Qin Clan. Your formidable reputation has already spread throughout the Heavenly Abode Continent (Location)."

"It seems it won't be long before you become True Monarchs of considerable renown even within the 3 Veins Ancient Domain."

The 3 Meridians Ancient Domain spanned a full 1 100 provinces. Though merely a remote corner among the 8 100 provinces of the 6 human domains in the Eastern Wastelands, it never ceased to produce Heaven’s Chosen Ones. The number of Nascent Soul cultivators here was likely no fewer than several 100.

Having just reached the Nascent Soul stage, they managed to establish their prestige among True Monarchs—a truly rare feat.

Hearing this, Lyra simply smiled faintly. Gazing at Freya, she said, "What brings you to me today?"

"I should have informed you sooner, but unfortunately, you went to The Vast Sea (Location) shortly after breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage."

Getting down to business, Freya’s expression grew solemn.

Her gaze swept the surroundings before she invoked her divine power to seal the void. Only then did she speak with grave solemnity: "My father recently deduced the heavenly mysteries and has roughly calculated the time for receiving the Celestial Soul."

Receiving the Heavenly Soul.

Upon hearing this, Eldrin’s expression shifted abruptly, revealing a trace of astonishment. The Patriarch of the Ji Clan had schemed for thousands of years, and now, he was finally about to take the ultimate step.

Breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm was no trivial matter. A cultivator's Celestial Soul wanders through the void, and drawing it back was far from easy.

1 must seek out the most opportune day, when a cultivator's Celestial Soul descends, drawing closest to their Earthly Soul.

By then, with celestial alignment, geographical advantage, and human harmony all converging, the success rate of summoning the Celestial Soul would increase dramatically.

The current Clan Head of the Ji family had calculated that the day of his breakthrough would arrive in 20 years. He sensed that on a certain day 2 decades hence, his Heavenly Soul would draw closest to him.

To miss this opportunity would mean waiting over 3 cycles of 60 years for the next auspicious moment to arise.

After she finished speaking, Freya (Person Name) said with a grave expression, "Breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage is no trivial matter. By then, my father will be fully occupied and unable to attend to other affairs. He'll need cultivators to guard him during his seclusion."

"Yet demons and monsters lurk in every shadow, especially for the final trial—only 1 of absolute trust can shoulder this duty."

"There are few we can truly trust completely, and you 2 are among them. That is why we wish to invite you to lend us your strength."

Chapter 1: The Reborn Eldrin The biting cold pierced deep into the bone marrow. Eldrin (Person Name) struggled to open his eyes, his vision blurred by darkness. The stench of blood and decay assaulted his nostrils, mingled with the damp, musty smell of rotting hay. "Have I... crossed over?" He was the esteemed Alchemy Grandmaster of the Azure Cloud Realm (Place Name), renowned throughout the cultivation world. During his attempt to refine the legendary 9 Revolutions Soul Return Pill (Elixir), he had suffered a catastrophic explosion of the pill furnace. When he regained consciousness, he found himself trapped in this rotting corpse pile. Fragmented memories flooded his mind like shards of broken glass. This body's original owner shared his name—Eldrin, an orphaned disciple of the Azure Mist Sect (Sect Name). With the most inferior spiritual roots and a dull wit, he had been relentlessly bullied. Just yesterday, he had been fatally wounded by a jealous senior disciple during a spiritual herb gathering mission and was unceremoniously dumped here. "A mere Qi Refinement Stage, third level... and such pitifully weak spiritual roots..." Eldrin inwardly sighed, yet a fierce, unyielding flame ignited in his eyes. "Since fate has granted me a second life, I, Eldrin, shall once again tread the path of immortality and reclaim my place among the heavens!" He attempted to circulate what little spiritual energy remained in his body, but a wave of excruciating pain from his shattered meridians nearly made him black out again. *Thud, thud, thud—* Heavy footsteps echoed, growing closer. 2 figures, clad in the distinctive grey disciple robes of the Azure Mist Sect, approached the corpse pile. 1 was tall and thin, the other short and stout. "Hey, do you think that idiot Eldrin is really dead?" the tall disciple asked, kicking a nearby corpse casually. The short disciple chuckled coldly. "Senior Brother Marco (Person Name) personally shattered his dantian. Even if he had 9 lives, he wouldn't have survived. Once we confirm he's dead, we can report back and claim our reward—10 Spirit Stones (Cultivation Resource) each!" Spirit Stones? A cold sneer formed in Eldrin's heart. In his previous life, even the stones used to pave his alchemy chamber were of higher grade. Yet now, these mere 10 low-grade Spirit Stones were enough to entice someone to commit murder. He held his breath, feigning death. Survival was the priority now. The 2 disciples began roughly searching through the pile of corpses. The short disciple soon reached Eldrin's side. "Found him! This trash is really here..." Before he could finish, a hand, caked with dried blood, shot out like lightning and firmly grasped his wrist! "What?!" The short disciple's eyes widened in terror, met by a pair of shockingly cold and penetrating eyes. "How... how are you still alive?!" Eldrin didn't answer. Gathering the last vestiges of strength in his body, he channeled it into his fingertips, striking a specific acupoint on the short disciple's arm. "Ah—!" A sharp cry of pain erupted. The short disciple felt a strange, icy energy surge through his meridians. His entire arm instantly went numb, losing all sensation. "Stop your acting! What tricks are you playing, you worthless trash?!" The tall disciple, initially startled, quickly drew his long sword. The cold steel glinted with a murderous light as it thrust directly toward Eldrin's chest. This was the most common Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss (Magic Treasure) among outer sect disciples. While its power was limited, against a severely injured Qi Refinement third level cultivator, it was more than enough to be fatal. Death stared him in the face! At this critical moment, Eldrin's mind became exceptionally clear. His spiritual sense, honed from his previous life as a Grandmaster, allowed him to perceive the trajectory of the sword in extreme detail. He twisted his body with great difficulty, narrowly avoiding the vital point. The sharp blade sliced through his shoulder, sending fresh blood spraying. Simultaneously, he seized the brief moment when the tall disciple's chest was exposed and struck a precise blow to another acupoint. *Thump!* The tall disciple staggered back 2 steps, his face instantly pale. He felt as if a needle had been driven into his heart, his breath catching. The spiritual energy within him churned violently. "You..." He looked at Eldrin in horror, as if seeing a ghost. Eldrin leaned against the cold, hard corpse behind him, panting heavily. The 2 strikes just now had completely drained his remaining strength. The blood loss made him dizzy, his vision beginning to blur. But his gaze remained sharp and intimidating. "Tell Marco," Eldrin spoke slowly, each word dripping with cold intent, "if I, Eldrin, survive this day, I will surely repay this debt tenfold!" The 2 disciples looked at each other, a trace of fear flashing in their eyes. The current Eldrin was completely different from the cowardly fool they remembered. That chilling aura... it was something they had only felt from inner sect elders. "Let's... let's go!" The short disciple, clutching his numb arm, was the first to lose his nerve. The tall disciple hesitated for a moment, then helped his companion and fled in panic, not daring to look back. Watching their retreating figures disappear, Eldrin finally relaxed. He collapsed onto the cold, hard ground, looking up at the sky. The sky of this foreign world was tinged with a faint purple, vastly different from the Azure Cloud Realm. He closed his eyes, beginning to inspect the devastating injuries within his body. The shattered dantian, the broken meridians... any 1 of these would be a fatal blow to an ordinary cultivator. But he was different. In his previous life, he was not only an Alchemy Grandmaster but had also incidentally obtained an ancient and mysterious technique—the Heavenly Demon Art (Cultivation Method). This technique was incredibly miraculous, said to allow cultivation even for those without spiritual roots. It refined the body into a vessel, using the power of heaven and earth as its furnace, the sun and moon as its cauldron, forging the body into a peerless divine weapon. It was just that the cultivation process of the Heavenly Demon Art was exceedingly painful, like being reborn from ashes. In his previous life, he had only studied it out of curiosity and never truly practiced it. Unexpectedly, it would now become his only lifeline. "Since the heavens have not taken my life, I shall surely ascend to the pinnacle of the Great Dao in this life!" He took a deep breath, disregarding the intense pain throughout his body, and began, according to the method of the Heavenly Demon Art, to guide the surrounding spiritual energy. Initially, the spiritual energy was like a wild horse, violently impacting his already fragile meridians. But soon, a strange change occurred. The spiritual energy gradually transformed into a warm current, slowly seeping into his limbs and bones. The severe pain began to recede bit by bit, replaced by an unprecedented sense of comfort. This was the wonder of the Heavenly Demon Art—it did not rely on spiritual roots but used the body as a vessel to contain and refine spiritual energy. Time passed slowly. Unknowingly, the sky darkened, and a crescent moon hung high. Eldrin suddenly opened his eyes, a faint, barely perceptible purple light flashing within them. He looked at his hands, now covered in scabs but with new flesh growing beneath. Although his cultivation was still at the Qi Refinement third level, his foundation was now incomparably solid. More importantly, he could clearly feel that the spiritual energy between heaven and earth was continuously and voluntarily merging into his body. This speed... was at least 10 times faster than before! A faint smile finally appeared on Eldrin's lips. The path of immortality was long and arduous, filled with countless dangers. But since he had been granted a second chance at life, he would surely walk it to the end. He struggled to stand, his gaze turning toward the distant mountains. There, the Azure Mist Sect stood. "Marco, just you wait. Our reckoning has only just begun."