Chapter 630 : The Verdant Ruins Path Lord's Fall

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

A mere glance was all it took for Eldrin Chen to feel his scalp prickle with dread, as if he were about to plummet into that fathomless chasm.

Exquisite Jiang was momentarily stunned. After a few breaths of hesitation, she suddenly spoke up in shock, "Martial Uncle Verdant Ruins!"

"It is I."

The figure seated at the Great Hall's Central dais spoke. Cloaked entirely in black robes, his upright posture appeared exceptionally majestic and peerlessly Extraordinary.

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

There were few within the Purple Seal Realm whom Exquisite Jiang would address as 'Martial Uncle.' This figure before them, who bore the title Verdant Ruins, could only be the once-renowned Verdant Ruins Path Lord who had shaken the world.

What he could not fathom was that after the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm, the Verdant Ruins Path Lord had not perished. Instead, he had, unbeknownst to all, fallen into the Demonic Path [the heretical cultivation path of demons and fiends]. This truth was almost impossible for him to accept.

Exquisite Jiang also found it hard to believe, her face a mask of astonishment. "Martial Uncle," she asked, "how could you have succumbed to demonic corruption…"

The Verdant Ruins Path Lord fell silent. He stood there quietly for a long moment before finally speaking. "A cultivator's entire life," he said, "is a struggle against Destiny [the predetermined course of fate], a search for a method to transcend the Mortal Dust [the mundane world of mortal affairs and suffering]." The complete novel can be found at audio-novel . com.

"Yet there are times when even we Primordial Spirit Path Lord [cultivators who have mastered the Primordial Spirit realm] find it difficult to Sovereign [to command or control as a supreme ruler] our own Destiny [the predetermined course of events in one's life and cultivation journey]."

"I am like an ant cast into the Long River [a metaphorical river representing the vast, unstoppable flow of fate and time], struggling with all my might, yet unable to alter my fate against its relentless current."

The Verdant Ruins Path Lord [a title for a master of the Verdant Ruins cultivation path] stood with his face shadowed by his ceremonial crown, his expression and inner turmoil hidden, yet an aura of profound desolation radiated from him, permeating the heavens and earth.

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

"Some things... were never mine to choose."

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

He drew a deep breath and finally could not restrain himself from asking, "Senior, what truly happened back then?"

"The events of that era..."

The Verdant Ruins Path Lord shook his head. After a moment of profound contemplation, he continued, "During the war at the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm [a cataclysmic battlefield against demonic forces], our lineage, that of Imperial Sovereign Jiang, became a thorn in the side of a certain Demon God [a supreme entity of the demonic race] from the Outer Realms."

"My senior brother and I were besieged by Outer Realm Heavenly Demon [powerful demons from realms beyond this one]. Later, an Outer Realm Demon God struck from across the Boundless Void [the infinite, chaotic space separating different realms and worlds]. My soul was corrupted by the Demonic Path [the heretical cultivation arts practiced by demons] Path Principles [the fundamental laws and truths that define a cultivation path] of that demon god."

As the Verdant Ruins Path Lord recounted the tale, the two finally understood the full story of what had transpired all those years ago.

In that battle long ago, both the Verdant Ruins Path Lord and the Violet Cosmos Path Lord fell victim to the machinations of the Outer Realm Heavenly Demon. The Violet Cosmos Path Lord met a valiant and fiery end on the battlefield, while the Verdant Ruins Path 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 life force and destiny] had already been corrupted by the Demonic Path Path Principles [the fundamental laws and concepts of a cultivation methodology]. Even his powerful Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core formed by the unification of the three souls], was struggling to resist.

All these years, he had been trapped within the Fallen Deity Ridge, precisely because those Demonic Path Path Principles were constantly eroding his Life Soul, seeking to completely dominate his will.

"For now, I rely on the barrier between worlds created by the Purple Seal Realm to resist the soul-corrupting methods of the Outer Realm Demon God. This allows me to barely retain some semblance of my will," he explained.

"However, over the years, I have lost many memories. I am also forced to expend ever-greater power to fight the Demonic Path Path Principles, and the periods where I can remain lucid grow shorter and shorter."

Speaking to this point, the Verdant Ruins Path Lord fixed them with a grave look. "Once the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm [a periodic cataclysmic event where the demonic abyss opens] commences and a fissure is torn in the fabric of heaven and earth,"

"then a wisp of the Outer Realm Demon God's will can seep into this realm. At that moment, I fear I will be unable to escape the Destiny [the predetermined course of events, often tied to profound karma] of having my Life Soul utterly seized."

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen and Exquisite 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 of time, they were utterly powerless to change anything.

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

"The methods of a Demon God [a supreme being of the demonic path], even if employed casually, are not so easily undone."

Verdant Ruins Path Lord shook his head, seeming to accept the outcome with a measure of calm resignation.

He stood there quietly, his gaze sweeping over Eldrin Chen before he spoke again, "You cultivate the Heavenly Flame Magical Power [a profound art of fire manipulation]. If you could refine the Primordial Solar Heavenly Flame [the supreme, primordial fire of the sun], then perhaps there would be a sliver of hope to suppress the Demonic Path [the corrupting principles of demonic cultivation] upon my Life Soul [the core of one's spiritual existence and destiny]."

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

Eldrin Chen remained silent. The Primordial Solar Heavenly Flame was a peerless immortal flame; mastering it would be sufficient to ascend to immortality. Yet, that would likely require thousands, even tens of thousands of years. This chapter is provided by audio-novel[dot]com. Support the original.

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

She took a deep breath, her eyes slightly reddened, and asked, "Martial Uncle, you summoned us here. Do you have final instructions for us?"

"Mm."

Verdant Ruins Path Lord clasped his hands behind his back and looked towards the space behind a painted screen. "Verdant Child, come out."

As he spoke, a woman of breathtaking beauty stepped forth from the side and advanced to stand before the assembled group.

"Verdant Consort!"

The moment she saw the newcomer, Exquisite 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 as a diversion while withdrawing towards the Eastern Region Great Wasteland and subsequently vanished. One could say 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, Exquisite Jiang had believed Verdant Consort had perished many years ago. She never imagined they would meet again today.

However, compared to Exquisite Jiang's emotional expression, Verdant Consort's eyes remained utterly placid, devoid of any ripple of recognition. She simply stood there quietly, gazing at the two of them as if they were strangers.

"She no longer recognizes you."

Verdant Ruins Path 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 Fiendish Energy [a corrupting energy born of demonic realms]. To resist its erosion and avoid sinking into the Demonic Path [a cultivation path associated with demons and malevolent forces], she cultivated the Mortal Dust Dream Butterfly Art [an esoteric cultivation art that severs memories and worldly attachments, likened to a butterfly emerging from a dream of mortal dust]."

"The Mortal Dust Dream Butterfly Art?"

Eldrin Chen's expression shifted abruptly. He possessed some understanding of this Mortal Dust Dream Butterfly Art.

This method is a supreme immortal art passed down from the Immortal Realm [the higher plane of existence where true immortals reside]. It is said that after cultivating it, a practitioner's soul can sink into the illusory realm of Mortal Dust [the realm of mortal desires and attachments] to undergo tribulations and cultivate, attaining enlightenment of the Great Path [the ultimate Dao or principle of the universe] within the dreamscape.

However, this method is also extremely perilous. Without immense mental fortitude and a resolute Dao-heart [the core of a cultivator's will and understanding of the Dao], one is highly likely to become lost within the illusion, never to awaken.

By cultivating this Mortal Dust Dream Butterfly Art [an art of dreaming through mortal lives like a butterfly], Verdant Consort poured all her consciousness into it. Her physical body was thus stripped of the seven emotions and Six Desires [the six sensory desires], controlled only by a will of absolute rationality.

Therefore, even when the power of Demonic Fiendish Energy [a corrupting energy from demons or fiends] corroded her, she remained utterly unmoved, like a being born without sentiment or desire.

Seeing that Eldrin Chen understood the art of the seven emotions and Six Desires, the Verdant Ruins Path Lord [a title for a powerful cultivator who has mastered a specific Dao-path] spoke: "Zhuangzi dreamed of a butterfly, and the butterfly dreamed of Zhuangzi. In the Mortal Dust Dream Butterfly Art, one year of cultivation equals one lifetime within the dream."

"This method has three thresholds: the century mark, the millennium mark, and the barrier of three thousand years."

"It is said that if an ordinary person undergoes Dreamwalking Reincarnation [the process of experiencing simulated reincarnations within a dream] for one hundred lifetimes, they gain a sliver of hope to become an immortal. If one experiences Reincarnation [the cycle of death and rebirth, or its simulated experience] for one thousand lifetimes, they can be said to possess the potential of an Immortal Lord [a high-ranking immortal]."

"Should anyone manage to accumulate the Path Fruit [the culmination of understanding and power gained from cultivating a specific Dao-path] of three thousand lifetimes of Reincarnation and awaken, they would, upon opening their eyes, be able to grasp the Path Principles [the fundamental laws of a specific Dao] of heaven and earth and achieve Ethereal Ascension [a transcendent state of being, free from worldly constraints]." Experience the full epic at audio-novel .c om.