Chapter 630 : The Fallen Dao Lord's Lament

As if standing at the edge of an abyss, as if treading on thin ice.

With but a single glance, Eldrin Chen felt his scalp prickle with a numbing dread, as though he were about to plummet into that fathomless chasm.

Lyra Jiang was momentarily stunned. After a few breaths of hesitation, she suddenly spoke up in shock, "Qingxu, the Martial Uncle!"

"It is I."

The figure at the center of the Grand Hall spoke. Clad in a black robe, his tall and upright posture appeared exceptionally majestic and peerless.

In that instant, Eldrin Chen understood this person's identity, yet a deeper chill settled in his heart.

There were few in the Purple Realm whom Lyra Jiang would address as Martial Uncle. This person before them, who also bore the title Ethereal Ruins, could only be the once world-renowned Qingxu Dao Lord.

What he could not fathom was that after the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm, the Qingxu Dao Lord had not perished. Instead, he had, unbeknownst to all, fallen into the Demonic Path. This was a truth Eldrin found hard to believe.

Lyra Jiang could scarcely believe it either, her face a mask of astonishment. "Martial Uncle," she asked, "how could you have succumbed to demonic cultivation…"

The Qingxu Dao Lord fell silent. He stood there quietly for a long moment before finally speaking. "A cultivator's life is a struggle against fate, a quest for a method to transcend the mortal dust." Find thousands of chapters at audio-novel.com.

"Yet there are times when even we, Nascent Soul Dao Lords, find it difficult to master our own fates."

"I was like an ant cast into the long river of Ronan. Even with all my strength spent struggling against the current, I could scarcely alter the final outcome beneath the torrent's relentless scouring."

The ceremonial crown atop Qingxu Dao Lord's head veiled his visage, obscuring the turmoil and expression behind it, yet an aura of profound desolation radiated forth, permeating heaven and earth.

He suddenly let out a self-mocking laugh and spoke with detached calm.

"Some matters afforded me no choice."

As Eldrin Chen gazed upon that peerlessly noble figure, his heart sank ever deeper.

He drew a deep breath and finally could not restrain himself from asking, "Senior, what truly transpired in those bygone years?"

"The events of that era..."

Qingxu Dao Lord shook his head. After a moment of deep contemplation, he continued, "During the war of the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm, our lineage of Jiang the Sovereign Emperor had become a thorn in the side of a certain Demon God from beyond our realm."

"My senior brother and I were besieged by Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons. Later, an Extraterrestrial Demon God struck from across the measureless void. My soul was corroded by the Demonic Dao Law [the fundamental demonic principles and power] of that Extraterrestrial Demon God."

As Qingxu Dao Lord recounted the tale in measured tones, the two finally understood the full story of what had transpired all those years ago.

In that battle of old, both Qingxu Dao Lord and Violet Cosmos Dao Lord fell victim to the machinations of the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon [a malevolent entity from beyond this world]. Violet Cosmos Dao Lord met a valiant and fiery end upon the battlefield, while Qingxu Dao Lord barely managed to fight his way out.

Only when he regained his senses did he realize his Life Soul [the core soul governing one's destiny and vitality] had already been corroded by the Demonic Dao Law [a corrupting, otherworldly demonic principle]. Not even his formidable Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator], forged through Three Souls United [the pinnacle state of soul unification], could fully resist it.

All these years, his descent into the depths of God-Slaying Ridge was precisely because that Demonic Dao Law continuously eroded his Life Soul, seeking to utterly dominate his will.

"For now, I rely on the barrier between heaven and earth within the Purple Realm to resist the Extraterrestrial Demon God's [a supreme demonic deity from beyond] methods of corroding the spirit. I can barely retain a sliver of my will," he said.

"Yet over the years, I have lost many memories. I am forced to expend ever-greater strength to combat the Demonic Dao Law, and the periods where I remain lucid grow fewer and farther between."

Speaking to this point, Qingxu Dao Lord's gaze turned grave. "Once the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm [a periodic cataclysmic event where demonic forces breach the world's barriers] begins and a fissure is torn between heaven and earth,"

"then a wisp of the Extraterrestrial Demon God's will can seep into this realm. When that happens, I fear I will find it impossible to escape the fate of having my Life Soul completely seized."

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen and Lyra Jiang exchanged a glance, a chill creeping down their spines.

The next Demonic Abyss Cataclysm was due in merely one hundred and fifty years. In such a short span, they were utterly powerless to change anything.

Lyra Jiang's expression shifted slightly, and she could not help but inquire, "Is there truly no method at all to resolve this?"

"The machinations of the Demon God [a supreme entity of malevolent power], even if casually deployed, are not so easily undone."

Qingxu Dao Lord [a title for a powerful cultivator who has comprehended a profound Dao] shook his head, seeming to accept his fate with a measure of tranquility.

He stood there quietly, his gaze sweeping over Eldrin Chen before he spoke again, "You cultivate the Celestial Fire Mana [a profound cultivation art harnessing celestial fire energy]. If you could refine the Pure Yang Celestial Flame [a supreme immortal flame of pure yang essence], there might yet be a sliver of hope to suppress the Demonic Dao Law [a malevolent law or principle of the Demonic Path] afflicting my Life Soul [the core of one's spiritual existence and destiny]."

"But by that time, it will be far too late."

Eldrin Chen remained silent. The Pure Yang Celestial Flame was a peerless immortal fire; mastering it would be sufficient to ascend to immortality. Yet, achieving that would likely require thousands, if not tens of thousands, of years. Find this and other novels at audio-novel dot com.

A heavy weight settled in Lyra Jiang's heart. This was likely their last conversation as they were. The next time they met, they might well be mortal enemies.

She took a deep breath, her pupils tinged with red, and asked, "Martial Uncle, you summoned us here. Do you have final instructions for us?"

"Mm."

Qingxu Dao Lord placed his hands behind his back and looked towards the space behind a painted screen. "Qing'er, come out."

As his words fell, a woman of breathtaking beauty stepped forth from the side, advancing to stand before the assembled crowd.

"Verdant Consort!"

The moment she saw the newcomer, Lyra Jiang's face lit up with overwhelming joy.

Her heart swelled with a mix of elation and shock. In the past, to cover her escape, Verdant Consort had used her name to withdraw towards the Eastern Wastelands and vanished. It could be said that Verdant Consort had taken the risk in her stead.

Later, when Verdant Consort went missing and her soul lamp [a magical lamp whose flame is tied to a person's life force] was completely extinguished, Lyra Jiang had believed Verdant Consort had fallen many years ago. She never imagined they would meet again today.

However, in contrast to Lyra Jiang's visible emotions, Verdant Consort's eyes remained utterly placid, devoid of ripples. She stood there silently, gazing at the two of them as if they were strangers.

"She no longer recognizes you."

Qingxu Dao Lord spoke, a trace of anguish flickering in his eyes. "Back then, her divine soul [the spiritual core of a cultivator] was contaminated by Demonic Fiend Qi [a corrupting, demonic spiritual energy]. To resist its erosion and avoid sinking into the Demonic Path, she cultivated the 'Red Dust Butterfly Dream Technique'."

"The Red Dust Butterfly Dream Technique?"

Eldrin Chen's expression shifted abruptly. He possessed some understanding of this 'Red Dust Butterfly Dream Technique' as well.

This method is a supreme immortal art passed down from the Immortal Realm [a realm of higher beings and eternal cultivation]. It is said that after cultivating it, a practitioner's soul can sink into the Red Dust Illusory Realm [a realm of illusions mirroring the mortal world] to undergo tribulations and cultivate, attaining the Great Dao [the ultimate principle and path of existence] within dreams.

However, this Dao method is also exceedingly perilous. Without immense mental fortitude and a resolute Dao-heart [the foundational will and understanding of a cultivator], one is highly likely to become lost within the illusory realm, never to awaken.

When Verdant Consort cultivated this Red Dust Butterfly Dream Technique, she poured all of her will into it. Her physical body was thus stripped of the Seven Emotions and Six Desires [the fundamental human passions and attachments], leaving only a will of absolute rationality to control myself.

Therefore, even when corroded by the power of Demonic Fiend Qi [a malevolent and corrupting energy], she remained utterly unmoved, like a being born without emotion or desire.

Seeing that Eldrin Chen understood the principles of the Seven Emotions and Six Desires Art, the Qingxu Dao Lord spoke: "Zhuangzi dreamed of a butterfly, and the butterfly dreamed of Zhuangzi. A single year cultivating the Red Dust Butterfly Dream Technique is an entire lifetime within the dream."

"This method has three thresholds: one hundred years, a Millennium, and the barrier of three thousand years."

"It is said that an ordinary person, after dreaming through one hundred cycles of reincarnation, gains a sliver of hope to become an immortal. If one endures a thousand cycles, they can be said to possess Immortal Lord Aptitude [the innate potential to ascend to the rank of an Immortal Lord]."

"Should anyone accumulate the Dao-fruit [the spiritual attainment and power gained through cultivation] of three thousand cycles of reincarnation and awaken, they would, upon opening their eyes, be able to grasp the Heaven and Earth Law [the fundamental laws governing all creation] and Ascend to Immortal Eternity [achieve true immortality and transcendence]." Original English translation available at audio-novel-dot-com.