Chapter 748 South Sea Cultivation World, Tianli Sea Region

At this thought, Eldrin hesitated and said, "This treasure holds great value even for a Nascent Soul Dao Lord. How could a junior like me, merely a Golden Core cultivator, dare to use something so precious?"

"Hahaha." The master of the Dao Palace shook his head, then said with a laugh, "Back in the day, your ancestor Qing came to me begging for the Heavenly River Immortal Apricot, only to be chased down the mountain by this old man. Yet here you are declining the offer—truly ignorant of the treasure's worth."

Eldrin was slightly taken aback, never expecting that even his connection to the Chen Family of The Vast Sea had come to the knowledge of the Dao Palace's master.

However, upon careful reflection, this was only natural. The master of this Dao Palace had lived for nearly 30 1000 years. Even Lin Tianqi and Riverlord Chang (Person Name) were mere juniors in his eyes.

My ancestor from over 10 1000 years ago, who probably grew up listening to tales of his exploits, could naturally see through my origins at a glance—this was indeed within expectations.

Moreover, it seemed the Chen family once held considerable influence, to the extent that even the master of the Dao Palace appeared rather amiable toward Qing Zhenjun.

However, the Lord of the Dao Palace did not elaborate further on the matter. He scrutinized Eldrin carefully, his gaze finally pausing with subtle intensity.

He let out a sigh and spoke, "I perceive your destiny is 1 of unparalleled nobility, yet it is shrouded in layers of calamity. I fear you shall face no small number of tribulations in the days to come."

"Fortunately, someone has now taken on the tribulation in your stead, otherwise you would likely face the peril of heavenly retribution within a 1000 years."

Eldrin (Person Name) froze momentarily before blurting out, "Why would the Patriarch say such a thing?"

"Unspeakable, truly unspeakable." The Lord of the Dao Palace shook his head, then drew a deep breath. "Devote yourself to cultivation and uphold the righteous path—that alone would fulfill the wish of the 1 who bore this tribulation in your stead."

The Lord of the Dao Palace said nothing more. After simply urging him to devote himself to cultivation, he instructed Daoist Mingyuan to escort him out.

As Eldrin descended the mountain, his mind remained clouded in confusion. He could not comprehend whom the Master of the Dao Palace had meant when speaking of the 1 destined to bear tribulation in his stead.

After a moment of contemplation, Lyra spoke with a slightly solemn gaze, "The elder of the Dao Palace has cultivated to the pinnacle of mystical arts. His words naturally carry profound meaning."

"If my guess is correct, the Master of the Dao Palace couldn't divulge celestial secrets directly, yet sought to guide you in hopes you might alter certain outcomes."

"Is that so?"

Eldrin nodded, then fell into silence. For him, seizing every moment to cultivate was the true path to power.

This time, each of the 3 obtained a Heavenly River Immortal Apricot. In theory, consuming it would greatly enhance their cultivation.

However, the 3 of them did not immediately begin consuming it. While an ordinary Nascent Soul True Monarch could refine 1 of these to advance a full level in cultivation, for Eldrin (Person Name), it would likely only increase his cultivation by about half a level.

He had now been at the 6th Tier of the Nascent Soul realm for nearly a century. After refining the Heavenly River Immortal Apricot, he should barely be able to touch the threshold of the 7th Tier.

However, refining this artifact would require 3 years, and breaking through to the late Nascent Soul stage would also take some time. For them, tracking down the Eldrin (Person Name) was still the most crucial priority.

With this thought in mind, he sought out Maris the Sea Steader (Person Name) and continued his journey toward the Southern Sea cultivation realm.

The Southern Sea Cultivation Realm was located at the southernmost edge of the Violet Realm, yet the strength of its human practitioners was far from formidable.

The Southern Sea was a land of scorching heat and relentless calamities—tsunamis, tempests, and storms—1 after another. Its environment was scarcely more forgiving than the frozen wastes of the Far North, making survival for mortals a formidable challenge.

Under such circumstances, the population base of the Southern Sea cultivation realm was naturally small, which was why it currently possessed only 1 Dao Lord sanctuary—the Glazed Palace.

This Glazed Palace possessed no sixth-tier teleportation formation. Left with no alternative, the 4 could only traverse hundreds of millions of miles across mountains and rivers, flying toward the Southern Sea cultivation realm.

This time, their flight lasted a full 3 years before they finally arrived at the Southern Sea Cultivation Realm.

After crossing this sea, flying another 3 million-some miles will bring you to the Sky Carp Sea.

That day, the 4 of them were flying over a stretch of sea when Maris the Sea Steader (Person Name) spoke with a grave expression, "Years ago, right here in the Sky Carp Sea, the Sea-Calming Pearl (Magic Treasure) faintly sensed the aura of the Mysterious Turtle Demon Emperor (Demon Monarch)."

"Since the Sea-Calming Pearl is resonating, it must be there."

Eldrin declared, then accelerated his flight forward. Merely 1 day later, they arrived at the Celestial Carp Sea.

The group came to a halt, and Eldrin asked, "How do you feel?"

Maris the Sea Steader (Person Name) offered no reply, instead summoning the Sea-Calming Pearl (Magic Treasure) to hover weightlessly in the void. As expected, the pearl's radiance began to quiver faintly, as though sensing something.

Alas, despite the continuous resonance of the Calamity Sea Pearl, its precise location remained undetectable.

Seeing this, Maris the Sea Steader (Person Name) spoke up, "The Sea-Calming Pearl (Magic Treasure) has detected something, but unfortunately, the other party has veiled the heavenly secrets, preventing us from tracking them."

"Allow me to give it a try."

Eldrin's words still hung in the air as he immediately summoned the Starwatch Tower, then leisurely stepped into this celestial spiritual treasure.

With Eldrin personally taking action, using the Sea-Calming Pearl as a catalyst to activate the Star-Gazing Pavilion and the Great Deduction of Yin-Yang Stars Dao, they finally managed to detect a trace of anomaly.

"To the southeast, 4 100 70 1000 miles."

Suddenly, Eldrin’s eyes lit up as he deduced the precise location using the Great Deduction of Yin-Yang and the Stars.

Eldrin exchanged glances with the group, then concealed his aura and flew southeast. After traveling 470,000 li, they came to a halt above an expanse of ocean.

"Just ahead."

Maris the Sea Steader (Person Name) emitted azure divine light from his pupils as he scrutinized the sea before him, then exclaimed in admiration, "What an ingenious concealment spell! Had I not known the precise location, I would surely have been deceived."

Beside him, Eldrin also activated his ocular technique. Sure enough, the seawater before them gradually faded away, revealing a pale cyan ring-shaped island.

Yet, the circular island was devoid of any spiritual energy and bore no array formations. It merely conjured a mirage-like spectacle through a peculiar field.

At the center of the ring-shaped spirit islands lay an endlessly deep pool, fathomless and devoid of any detectable spiritual energy.

Cultivators are highly sensitive to spiritual energy and the power of the 5 Elements, yet they often overlook things devoid of any aura.

Even if a master were to see through the mirage of the circular spirit islands using pupil-based mystical abilities, they might easily overlook it with the slightest lapse in attention—no wonder it remained concealed for thousands of years undetected.

Fortunately, Eldrin personally deduced the location of the ring-shaped spirit islands and confirmed that the Profound Turtle Demon Emperor was hiding within them; otherwise, it would have been highly likely to overlook it.

"Since it's inside, let's go in and take a look."

Eldrin stowed the Star-Gazing Tower and quietly flew deep into the ring-shaped spirit island, concealing his aura.

The endless abyss was fathomless. After flying for tens of thousands of miles, the group still could not detect even a trace of spiritual energy, causing solemn expressions to creep across their faces.

No 1 knew how much time had passed when Eldrin suddenly opened his eyes, a trace of delight in his voice as he murmured, "The essence of water element."

The others also had their eyes light up. Sensing the Water Elemental Qi within this deep pool indicated that there must undoubtedly be an active water vein beneath its surface.

Chapter 1 The biting northern wind swept across the mountain ridge, carrying with it the scent of frozen earth and withered grass. Lin Yan tightened his worn deerskin coat, his gaze fixed upon the distant mountain pass where a faint, flickering light danced like a will-o'-the-wisp. "Nearly 3 months..." he murmured to himself, his breath forming pale clouds in the frigid air. The jade slip hidden against his chest seemed to grow heavier with each passing day, its cold surface a constant reminder of the burden he carried. Suddenly, the wind shifted. A subtle fragrance of plum blossoms drifted through the pines, though no plum trees grew within 50 li of this desolate place. Lin Yan's hand instinctively went to the hilt of his sword—the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss (Magic Treasure) that had served his family for generations. "Show yourself," he called out, his voice cutting through the howling wind like a sharpened blade. From behind an ancient pine emerged a figure clad in moonlight-white robes. The man moved with an ethereal grace, his footsteps leaving no impression upon the snow-covered ground. "The jade slip of the Azure Cloud Sect," the stranger said, his voice as calm as a still lake. "You have something that doesn't belong to you, young master Lin." Lin Yan's knuckles turned white around the sword hilt. "The Lin family has guarded this artifact for over 3 100 years. By what right does the Azure Cloud Sect claim it now?" A faint smile touched the stranger's lips. "Some debts must be paid, young master. Your father understood this well when he borrowed 30 1000 spirit stones from our sect." "20-8 1000 5 100," Lin Yan corrected coldly. "And the repayment deadline isn't for another 7 days." "The winds of change blow early in the northern mountains." The white-robed man raised his hand, and the snow around them began to swirl, forming intricate patterns in the air. "The sect master has grown... impatient." Lin Yan felt the pressure building around him, like an invisible hand squeezing the air from his lungs. He had practiced the 9 Revolutions Star Art (Cultivation Method) since childhood, reaching the third revolution just last winter. But against a true disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect, his cultivation was but a candle flame before a tempest. Yet retreat was not an option. Not when his family's honor hung in the balance. Not when his younger sister's life depended on the Golden Marrow Pill (Elixir) that the repaid spirit stones would purchase. "Then let the Azure Cloud Sect learn today," Lin Yan said, drawing his sword in 1 fluid motion, "that the Lin family keeps its word." The crimson blade of the Li Fire Sword ignited, its flames licking hungrily at the frozen air. For a 100 years, this sword had drunk the blood of demons and cultivators alike. Today, it seemed to sense another offering awaited. The white-robed man's smile widened. "Interesting." And in the blink of an eye, the stillness of the mountain shattered.