Chapter 512 : The Illusion's Fragile Veil

"Eldrin, what's wrong with you today?"

Her eyes were bright, her teeth white, and her brows held a trace of curiosity as she took his hand and said, "You've been asleep for an entire day. I thought you were ill."

"Was it all just a dream?"

Eldrin Chen furrowed his brow, but before he could ponder further, he was pulled along by Summer Reign Xia.

Work, shopping with his girlfriend, playing the zither in his spare time, accompanying her dance practice—life seemed to have returned to its quiet, ordinary rhythm.

Everything appeared normal, yet there was an undercurrent of something not quite right.

Eldrin Chen lifted his gaze to the birds soaring across the sky. It seemed as though those centuries of memories were nothing but a dream, all gradually fading into obscurity.

On this day, he held an ancient tome in his hands, quietly turning its pages.

"The Mysterious [the profound, formless origin of all things] is the progenitor of nature and the great ancestor of all diversity."

"Embracing Simplicity?" Original English translation available at audio-novel[dot]com.

Summer Reign Xia drew closer, peering over his shoulder with curiosity before asking, "Why are you still reading such trivial books?"

Eldrin Chen did not answer immediately. He gazed at her calmly for a long moment before sighing, "I merely wished to reminisce about my life in a previous world. It is a pity your power ultimately fell short."

"Eldrin..." Summer Reign Xia's expression shifted to one of surprise and confusion. "What are you talking about?" she asked, her voice tinged with bewilderment.

"Your strength is insufficient to sustain the illusion of an entire world for long."

Eldrin Chen shook his head, stating the fact with detached calm.

In his eyes, the figure before him, Summer Reign Xia, was not a person at all but a swirling mass of black mist—a manifestation conjured by the Infant Soul Inner Demon Tribulation [a profound spiritual trial where one's inner demons are made manifest].

Inner Demon [demonic entities born from a cultivator's own negative emotions and mental weaknesses] excel at manipulating the human heart. During the breakthrough to the Infant Soul [the nascent soul stage of cultivation], if a cultivator's Dao Heart [the core of one's cultivation resolve and spiritual foundation] is unsteady or burdened by guilt, these Inner Demon can seize the opportunity to devour both the nascent Infant Soul and the cultivator's spiritual consciousness.

Furthermore, failing to fulfill a Heart Demon Blood Oath [a magically binding vow sealed with one's blood and soul, the breaking of which invites severe karmic retribution] would drastically amplify the power of the ensuing Inner Demon Tribulation.

Eldrin Chen's Dao Heart was unshakably firm, and the strength of his spiritual consciousness was overwhelmingly powerful. The Inner Demon Tribulation could find almost no crack in his defenses to exploit.

Left with no other recourse, it could only stir the memories of Eldrin Chen's past life, desperately searching for any lingering vulnerability.

To conjure a truly authentic world from mere illusion is no simple feat.

An Inner Demon [a demonic entity born from a cultivator's inner turmoil and tribulations] of the Path Lord [a high-level cultivator who has mastered a fundamental cosmic principle] realm might have had a chance to deceive Eldrin Chen, but the Infant Soul Inner Demon Tribulation [the demonic tribulation encountered during the Infant Soul cultivation stage] before him fell far too short.

From the very first glance, Eldrin Chen sensed the falseness. The daily news broadcasts repeating without change, the identical route taken each day.

The work, the shopping, the playing of the zither—all were merely the more vivid recollections plucked from the depths of his memory.

Had it not been for a fleeting desire to reminisce about times past, he would have shattered this Inner Demon Tribulation [a trial where a cultivator must overcome their inner demons] long ago.

Now, seeing that even this Inner Demon Tribulation could not fool his discerning eye, Eldrin Chen naturally lost all interest.

With a surge of Primordial Solar Magical Power [the pure, yang-attribute magical energy cultivated by Eldrin Chen] from within, he effortlessly enveloped the Inner Demon and refined it into a wisp of verdant smoke.

"The Inner Demon Tribulation is passed,"

Eldrin Chen murmured to himself. A faint smile touched his lips as he observed the Great Encompassing Infant Soul [a supreme-grade foundation for the Infant Soul stage, representing vast potential] residing within his dantian.

The Great Encompassing Infant Soul was even more profound than the Heavenly Path Infant Soul [a high-grade foundation for the Infant Soul stage], its potential and foundational strength nearly limitless. It even possessed the capacity to fuse with a fourth Innate Divine Ability [a powerful supernatural ability innate to a cultivator's constitution or cultivation path].

With this thought, he decided to delay no further and prepared to merge the Innate Divine Ability [a powerful innate supernatural power awakened within a cultivator] within his body.

Over the years, in preparation for his breakthrough into the Infant Soul [the stage where a cultivator's nascent soul is formed], he had made extensive preparations and had long since decided which Innate Divine Ability to cultivate.

He channeled his spiritual power, drawing out the Divine Ability [a supernatural power or technique] Dao Runes from the five divine thunders within him—Metallic Gold, Blazing Third Fire, First Wood, Bulwark Earth, and Positive Water—and fused them into his Infant Soul.

Although the Five Elements Divine Thunder [a divine ability harnessing the power of the five elements] comprised five distinct Divine Ability, they had long since formed a Five Elements Grand Cycle [a self-perpetuating cycle of the five elemental forces]. Now, the five Divine Ability cycled endlessly, having become a unified whole.

If Eldrin Chen continued his comprehension, he might even fuse them into one of this realm's most formidable offensive Divine Ability—the 'Great Five Elements Primordial Solar Divine Thunder' [the supreme divine thunder of the five elements and the primordial sun].

Therefore, the now-unified Five Elements Divine Thunder could naturally be integrated as a single Divine Ability into his Infant Soul. The complete novel can be found at audio-novel dot com.

Five beams of light shot forth, transforming into a cluster of interwoven Five-Colored Path Runes [the fundamental runes of a divine ability, glowing with five colors], which were then drawn into the first Dao Rune by his Elixir Field [the core energy center within a cultivator's body].

"It worked!"

Watching his Infant Soul successfully fuse with the Five Elements Divine Thunder, a look of joyous surprise spread across Eldrin Chen's face.

Once an Innate Divine Ability is fused, not only does its grade advance, but the spiritual energy required to wield it is also drastically reduced.

After his Five Elements Divine Thunder [a divine thunder technique harnessing the power of the five elements] successfully fused, the Dao patterns [mystical inscriptions representing the laws of the world], amplified by his Infant Soul [the nascent spiritual core of a cultivator], began to evolve on their own. Astonishingly, their grade started to rise rapidly.

Not long after, the individual power of each of the five divine thunders surged dramatically, reaching a level comparable to a half-step Great God Ability [a supreme-tier divine art].

The power of the Two Polarities Divine Thunder [a divine thunder technique of opposing Yin and Yang forces] advanced a step further, its grade directly ascending to the level of a Great God Ability. Furthermore, with the amplification from the Five Thunder Great Cycle [a cultivation art that cycles and empowers five types of thunder], its potency could now be considered among the upper ranks of Great God Ability.

The Trinity Divine Thunder [a divine thunder technique of three united forces] was itself a Great God Ability. After its advancement, its grade could be counted as a top-tier Great God Ability. Coupled with the fifty percent power increase from the Five Elements [the five foundational elements of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth] cycle, its destructive force had increased immensely.

"Perhaps it has already touched the threshold of a Half-Step Primordial Solar Divine Ability [a divine art approaching the legendary power of the primordial sun]," Eldrin Chen murmured to himself, a trace of astonishment coloring his expression.

Generally speaking, those capable of cultivating a Primordial Solar Divine Ability [a legendary divine art of solar origin] were at the very least Peak True Lord [a title for a cultivator at the pinnacle of their realm] who had reached the Great Perfection of Infant Soul [the ultimate stage of the Infant Soul realm].

Although a Half-Step Primordial Solar Divine Ability was far inferior, it was still potent enough to serve as the ultimate trump card and killing move for many cultivators at the Infant Soul Late Stage [the advanced stage of the Infant Soul realm].

Moreover, Eldrin Chen could sense that as the Five Elements Divine Thunder had become an Innate Divine Ability [a divine art born from one's innate constitution and cultivation foundation], the effects of the Five Thunders Body Tempering Great Art [a supreme art for forging the body with five thunders] had also increased severalfold. From now on, his physical body would grow increasingly formidable and extraordinary.

"The strength of an Innate Divine Ability is directly related to the quality of one's Infant Soul," he reflected.

"Choosing the Five Elements Divine Thunder as my Innate Divine Ability [a supernatural power inherent to a cultivator's constitution, often awakened or refined at birth] was the right decision," Eldrin Chen murmured with a faint smile. "It has indeed further amplified the effects of the Five Thunders Body Tempering Great Art."

Of course, this was merely the projected potential. For his Innate Divine Ability to undergo its complete metamorphosis, he would need to refine a vast quantity of Five Elements Essence [a refined spiritual essence containing the harmonized powers of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth].

Without further delay, he acted once more, merging the Dao patterns of the five distinct 'Primordial Solar Divine Light' techniques from his sea of consciousness directly into his Infant Soul [the nascent spiritual core formed after the Golden Core stage, representing a cultivator's true spiritual foundation].

Following this fusion, the power of the five Primordial Solar Divine Light surged dramatically. While they had not yet reached the legendary level of absorbing all things, they would likely suppress ordinary Five Elements Spiritual Treasure [magical artifacts primarily imbued with the power of the five elements] to a significant degree.

Most crucially, now that the unified Five Elements Divine Light had become an Innate Divine Ability, Eldrin Chen felt the efficacy of the Five-Colored Spirit Refining Great Art multiply severalfold.

At this rate of spiritual tempering, the future strength of his soul would likely be enough to make even a peak Infant Soul True Lord [a powerful cultivator at the zenith of the Infant Soul realm] covet it.

Having successfully cultivated two Greater Divine Abilities [a supreme tier of divine abilities, far surpassing ordinary ones], Eldrin Chen refrained from integrating a third Divine Ability [a supernatural power derived from profound cultivation and comprehension of the Dao].

At present, the number of Divine Abilities he practiced was not small, but his Greater Divine Abilities were truly few and far between.

For him, two Innate Greater Divine Abilities were sufficient for the time being. If he were to fuse another Innate Divine Ability, it would naturally have to be a Greater Divine Ability with immense potential or an auxiliary Divine Ability possessing a uniquely powerful special effect.

He would not hastily integrate an ordinary Divine Ability just for the sake of increasing his count, as that would be a waste of his precious Innate Divine Ability slots and his foundational potential.

For ordinary Great God Ability [a powerful innate supernatural power], even if several more were fused together, their potency could not compare to the Five Elements Divine Thunder [a divine thunder technique harnessing the power of the five fundamental elements] or the Five Elements Divine Light [a divine light technique born from the harmony of the five elements]. To him, their utility was not entirely useless, yet they were far from essential.

After Eldrin Chen fused the Innate Great God Ability [a supreme innate supernatural power], he felt his Infant Soul [the nascent spiritual core formed after the Golden Core stage] had reached perfect completion, lacking only the final trial of the Heavenly Tribulation [a cataclysmic trial of lightning and fire sent by the heavens to test cultivators].

He stepped out of his secluded cultivation chamber, only to find the sky above churning with Tribulation Cloud [ominous clouds heralding a Heavenly Tribulation] stretching for three thousand Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters]. Countless serpents of lightning had been brewing within those lofty heights for a long time. For uninterrupted reading, go to *audio-novel.com*.