Chapter 579 Return to Eastern Wastelands (Location)

100 Spirits Slaying Immortal Sword (Magic Treasure).

The moment they laid eyes on the 100 Souls Immortal-Slaying Sword, the other 2 gasped in shock. The girl shrouded in black aura instantly transformed into a streak of light and fled into the distance, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

In her desperate flight, she erupted with Nascent Soul Qi (Spiritual Root), moving so swiftly that even Eldrin (Person Name) could not keep pace.

The scholar in white fled even faster. He unfurled the 7 Stars Void-Spanning Scroll and instantly traversed over a million miles through the void, leaving Eldrin unable to give chase.

"Don't pursue them."

Seeing the 2 men fleeing for their lives, Eldrin spoke calmly. With a flick of his sleeve, he collected the burly man’s treasures.

Lyra also nodded in agreement. Although the burly man possessed 3 Eldrin (Magic Treasure) and boasted formidable defensive prowess as a body cultivator, his escape techniques were remarkably lacking.

The other 2, however, were genuine Nascent Soul cultivators through and through. Such existences possessed 2 Innate Great Supernatural Powers, and without exception, they would integrate 1 escape technique as their innate ability.

If such beings were determined to flee, even a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator would find it difficult to eliminate them without specific countermeasures.

The group ceased their pursuit of the formidable foe, as Eldrin piloted the treasure ark toward the Drifting Snow Pavilion.

Along the way, he assessed his own combat prowess and couldn't help but smile. "After this battle, I've come to realize that my strength surpasses that of most Nascent Soul, Mid Stage (Cultivation Realm) cultivators by a noticeable margin."

"Though I still fall short of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, I can now barely match over half of a Nascent Soul, 7th Tier's power. Even if 2 ordinary Nascent Soul, Mid Stage cultivators join forces, I'm capable of facing them alone."

Hearing this, Lyra (Person Name) also smiled faintly and nodded, saying, "If we join forces, we should barely be able to contend against a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator."

Eldrin nodded slightly, finding Lyra's speculation rather plausible.

Of course, such combat power estimations were based on conventional standards. Among Nascent Soul cultivators, powerful figures emerged endlessly. Even those at the same late Nascent Soul stage often exhibited vast differences in strength.

Some cultivators with exceptional talent or powerful spiritual treasures could even fight 2 opponents of the same cultivation level without difficulty. That white-robed scholar among the 3 would likely be able to effortlessly defeat the burly man.

Suppressing his wandering thoughts, Eldrin began to calmly tally the gains from this battle.

Soon after, the group opened the burly man's storage pouch and began sorting and counting the several spiritual treasures they had seized.

After a quick inventory, they discovered the spoils were rather modest—aside from 3 spiritual treasures, there was only a single fifth-tier spiritual object.

Among the 3 spirit treasures, the Coiling Dragon Staff and the Golden Bracelet were both low-grade spirit treasures, while the Azure-Gold Ancient Chalice was a mid-grade spirit treasure.

The first 2 were merely ordinary demon-refining treasures, nothing out of the ordinary. However, the final Azure-Gold Ancient Zun held remarkable utility.

Strictly speaking, this Azure Gold Ancient Chalice was a unique spiritual treasure whose combat capabilities were of secondary importance—its true function lay in refining Marrow-Cleansing Nectar.

That ancient azure-gold chalice, by absorbing the Profound Origin Heavy Water and a vast amount of spiritual energy, along with copious quantities of spiritual herbs, could ultimately refine an exceptionally unique Marrow-Cleansing Nectar.

This Marrow-Cleansing Nectar is a supreme treasure for body cultivation. Consuming it can enhance a cultivator's physical resilience. The primary reason that burly man had forged such a formidable physique was precisely due to this Marrow-Cleansing Nectar.

Thinking of the wondrous uses of the Cyan-Gold Ancient Chalice, Eldrin smiled and said, "The effects of this Marrow-Cleansing Nectar are extraordinary. Though it holds little use for you and me, it remains an invaluable treasure for the other Nascent Soul cultivators of our family."

"Mm." Lyra gave a slight nod, her eyes flickering as she said, "With this, Elara and the old clan leader can also attempt to cultivate their physical bodies."

Although mainstream cultivators in this realm do not specifically train their physical bodies—relying instead on the elevation of their magical power to temper their flesh through spiritual energy—it is undeniable that a powerful physique brings far too many advantages.

Cultivators with formidable physical bodies are often less susceptible to internal injuries and backlash. Even when wounded, their injuries tend to be less severe than those who neglect physical cultivation, and their recovery proceeds markedly faster.

Storing away several spiritual treasures, Eldrin gazed at the final fifth-tier spiritual object and remarked with a faint smile, "Who would have thought he possessed such an artifact in his collection?"

Lastly, there was a Tier 5 Void Escape Talisman. This precious talisman could instantly tear through the void and transport a cultivator hundreds of thousands of miles away, making it a supreme treasure for fleeing perilous situations.

Unfortunately, before the burly man could unleash it, his soul was seized by the 100 Souls Immortal-Slaying Sword, and he was dispatched in an instant with a single strike.

After storing the fifth-level Ethereal Escape Talisman, Eldrin handed it to Lila and said, "You've just achieved a breakthrough, and ordinary spirit treasures wouldn't harmonize with your attributes. I have nothing better to offer, so please accept this as my gift."

"This..." Lila hesitated slightly, casting a glance at Lyra before saying, "This item is meant for preserving 1's life. It would be better to give it to my elder sister."

"No need."

Lyra (Person Name) secretly pinched Eldrin (Person Name) beneath the table, yet maintained her smile as she said, "No need. Few cultivators in this world can detain me, and against those who could make even escape uncertain, a single fifth-grade Void-Fleeing Talisman would likely prove futile."

"Besides, I've been with Eldrin day and night, and with the Yin Yang Void Mirror in my possession, I no longer have any use for this item."

Hearing this, Lila finally beamed and said, "Then I thank you, sister."

Eldrin (Person Name)：“…”

The burly man was considered quite destitute even among Nascent Soul, Mid Stage (Cultivation Realm) cultivators. Aside from these 4 fifth-grade spiritual objects, he only had 20-some Heavenly Crystal (Spiritual Object) remaining. The total value of other miscellaneous items barely amounted to over 20 million spirit stones.

With such meager assets, not to mention a Nascent Soul, Mid Stage (Cultivation Realm) cultivator, even many Nascent Soul, Early Stage (Cultivation Realm) practitioners with slightly more substantial family fortunes likely possessed greater accumulated resources than he did.

After completely sorting through the treasures, Eldrin continued toward the Drifting Snow Palace. Before long, the group arrived at their destination.

Because they were short on personnel, they waited at the Drifting Snow Palace for 7 years before finally ushering in the day the Tier 6 teleportation array was activated.

By the time they returned to the Eastern Wastelands (Location) and eventually made their way back to Jizhou (Location), they realized a full 20 years had passed since their departure from the province.

After teleporting to Jizhou Market, Eldrin let out a sigh of relief and said with a faint smile, "Another 20-some years have passed in the blink of an eye. I wonder how the clan is faring now?"

"Let's head back for now."

"Having been away from home for nearly 3 cycles of 60 years, I too feel a trace of homesickness," Lila remarked.

Homesickness weighing heavily on their hearts, the group did not linger at Ji Continent Trading Post, teleporting directly to Verdant Chariot Mountain instead. Only then did they finally draw a slightly deeper breath.

Stepping out of the teleportation array, Eldrin furrowed his brow slightly, a trace of bewilderment flickering across his expression.

Patriarch?

The Zifu cultivator guarding the teleportation array froze for a moment before hurriedly bowing deeply. "I pay my respects to the Patriarchs."

"There is no need for formalities."

Eldrin flicked his sleeve to raise him up, then asked with a furrowed brow, "Why are there so few people today? Weren’t Xu Huan and the others supposed to be compiling the 4 Canons and 8 Scriptures at Verdant Chariot Mountain? How come they’ve vanished as well?"

Hearing this, the cultivator's eyes reddened and he said in a choked voice, "Eldrin, you've finally returned. Uncle Void Cosmos... he fell in battle."

"Hmm?"

Eldrin’s pupils contracted sharply. Only then did he rise to his feet and say, “What exactly has happened over these years? Speak slowly and clearly.”

"Something has happened at The Vast Sea (Location)..."

As this person recounted the tale in detail, Eldrin soon understood the whole story from beginning to end.

Chapter 1: The Reborn Eldrin The sky above the 9 Heavens Continent was torn asunder by a blinding pillar of light. Countless cultivators watched in awe as the legendary Eldrin (Person Name), having survived the 9 Tribulations Heavenly Retribution, vanished into the shimmering radiance. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in the body of a youth bearing the same name—a mediocre outer disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect. Memories flooded his mind: this boy had been bullied to death by fellow disciples during a spiritual herb gathering mission. "So, this is rebirth?" Eldrin murmured, his new voice thin and weak. He could feel the faint, underdeveloped spiritual roots within his dantian. "To think I, who once shook the heavens, would inhabit such a... vessel." His gaze fell upon a simple storage pouch left beside the straw bed. With a thought, he emptied its contents: a pitiful pile of 1,230 spirit stones, 3 inferior Qi Gathering Pills (Elixir), and a chipped wooden token inscribed with "Azure Cloud Sect - Outer Disciple." Suddenly, the door burst open. A lanky youth in similar grey robes sneered, "Eldrin! Hand over your spirit stones and maybe I'll let you skip today's chore duty." Eldrin's eyes narrowed. In his previous life, such insolence would have been met with instantaneous annihilation. Yet now... he assessed his current strength. The Foundation Establishment realm of this body was laughably fragile. "Are you deaf?" The bully stepped closer, raising his hand to strike. A cold gleam flashed in Eldrin's eyes. He channeled what little spiritual power he could muster, his fingers tracing an ancient seal in the air. "You dare?" The aura that emanated from him wasn't powerful, but carried the weight of countless battles and supreme authority. The lanky youth froze mid-motion, his face pale, as if staring into the abyss itself. "Get out," Eldrin commanded, his voice soft yet leaving no room for defiance. The bully stumbled backward and fled without another word. Alone again, Eldrin sat cross-legged. "It seems I must start from the very beginning." He closed his eyes, initiating the Heaven Devouring Art (Cultivation Method) — a supreme technique from his past life, now operating at a painstakingly slow pace in this feeble body. Hours passed. When he opened his eyes, a faint spiritual glow surrounded him. He had barely reached the first level of Qi Refining, yet the quality of energy was incomparably pure. "A long road lies ahead," he whispered, gazing at the moonlight streaming through the window. "But the heavens have granted me a second chance. This time, I shall tread the path of cultivation perfectly." He retrieved the chipped wooden token, a faint smile gracing his lips. The Azure Cloud Sect... it would serve as an adequate starting point. Unbeknownst to him, deep within his consciousness, a wisp of golden light—a remnant of his former soul—flickered silently.