Chapter 748 : A Legacy of Destiny and Tribulation

Thinking of this, Eldrin Chen hesitated slightly and said, "This item is of great use even to a Primordial Spirit Path Lord [a supreme cultivator whose spirit has transcended mortal limits]. I am merely an Infant Soul Cultivator [a cultivator whose nascent soul has just formed]. How could I possibly accept something so precious?"

"Hahaha!" The Lord of the Path Palace shook his head, then said with a laugh, "Back in the day, your ancestor Verdant Seal came to me seeking the Heavenly River Immortal Apricot [a legendary fruit said to grant longevity and enlightenment], and I chased him right off my mountain. And here you are, actually refusing a treasure. You truly don't understand its worth."

Eldrin Chen was momentarily taken aback. He hadn't realized that his connection to the Vast Sea Chen Clan was also known to the Lord of the Path Palace.

Yet, upon reflection, it made perfect sense. This Lord of the Path Palace had lived for nearly thirty thousand years. Even figures like Heaven Abandoned Lin and Long River Path Lord were juniors in his eyes.

The Patriarchs of his own clan, stretching back ten thousand years, had likely grown up hearing tales of this venerable being. For him to discern Eldrin's origins at a glance was entirely within expectation.

Moreover, it seemed the Chen Clan had once possessed a significant background, enough for the Lord of the Path Palace to regard Verdant Seal True Lord with a sense of familiarity and warmth.

However, the Lord of the Path Palace did not dwell on the matter. He studied Eldrin Chen carefully, his gaze finally settling with a slight pause.

He let out a soft sigh and spoke, "I observe your destiny is one of profound nobility, yet it is also shrouded in layers of calamitous aura. I fear you will face no small number of Tribulations [heaven-sent trials and catastrophes that test a cultivator's path] in the days to come."

"Fortunately, someone has already borne a portion of this fate for you. Otherwise, you would likely face a perilous, life-ending calamity within a thousand years."

Eldrin Chen was stunned. He couldn't help but ask, "Why do you say that, Patriarch?" Immerse yourself in the complete world at audio–novel.com.

"It cannot be spoken, it cannot be spoken." Lord of the Path Palace shook his head, then took a deep breath and said, "You must cultivate diligently and uphold a righteous heart. That in itself would fulfill the wish of the one who bore the tribulation for you."

Lord of the Path Palace said nothing more. After simply urging him to cultivate well, he had Path Master Mingyuan escort him away.

Even as he descended the mountain, Eldrin Chen was utterly bewildered, unable to comprehend who Lord of the Path Palace meant by the one who had borne a tribulation on his behalf.

However, Exquisite Jiang pondered for a moment, her gaze turning slightly solemn. "The senior from the Path Palace has attained a cultivation realm that touches upon Creation [the primordial act of world-creation]. His words naturally carry profound meaning."

"If I am not mistaken, Lord of the Path Palace could not divulge the workings of Celestial Mechanism [the inscrutable workings of fate and heaven's will]. He wished to guide you, yet also hoped you might alter something."

"Is that so?"

Eldrin Chen nodded and fell into silence. For him, the paramount task was still to seize the moment and focus on his cultivation.

This time, each of the three had obtained a Heavenly River Immortal Apricot [a legendary fruit said to grant immense cultivation progress]. In theory, consuming one should lead to a significant surge in cultivation base.

Yet, the three did not immediately partake. For an ordinary Infant Soul True Lord [a cultivator at the Infant Soul stage], refining one such fruit could advance their cultivation by one full minor realm. However, for Eldrin Chen, it would likely only grant about half a realm's progress.

He had broken through to the Infant Soul 6th Tier nearly a century ago. After refining the Heavenly River Immortal Apricot, he should barely be able to touch the threshold of the Infant Soul 7th Tier.

However, refining this item would require three years, and breaking through to the Infant Soul Late Stage would also take some time. For them, the most crucial task was still to first locate the trail of the Mysterious Tortoise Demon Emperor.

With this thought, he sought out Sea-Calmer Path Master and continued their journey towards the Southern Sea Cultivation World.

The Southern Sea Cultivation World was situated in the southernmost reaches of the Purple Seal Realm, yet the strength of the Human Race there was not particularly formidable.

This was because the Southern Sea suffered from a scorching, unbearable climate, with great calamities like tsunamis and storms striking one after another. Its environment was even comparable to the Far North Icy Plains, making survival for ordinary mortals exceedingly difficult.

Under such circumstances, the population base of the Southern Sea Cultivation World was naturally small. Consequently, it currently hosted only a single Path Lord Sacred Land: the 'Glazed Palace'.

The Glazed Palace did not possess a Sixth Rank Teleportation Formation. With no other choice, the four of them could only fly across the vast mountains and rivers spanning hundreds of millions of Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] to reach the Southern Sea Cultivation World.

This flight lasted a full three years before they finally arrived at the Southern Sea Cultivation World.

"Once we cross this stretch of sea, flying another three million or so Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] will bring us to the Celestial Carp Sea,"

said Sea-Calmer Path Master one day as they flew over a sea, his expression turning grave. "It was within the Celestial Carp Sea back then that the Sea-Calmer Divine Pearl faintly sensed the aura of the Mysterious Tortoise Demon Emperor."

"Since the Sea-Calmer Divine Pearl could sense something, it must be there."

Eldrin Chen spoke and accelerated forward. In merely a single day, they arrived at the Celestial Carp Sea [a vast sea region named for the celestial carp, a mythical creature of good fortune].

The group halted. Eldrin Chen asked, "What do you sense?"

The Sea-Calmer Path Master did not answer. Instead, he summoned forth the Sea-Calmer Divine Pearl [a legendary pearl said to calm turbulent seas and sense hidden energies], allowing it to hover and sink within the void. As expected, the pearl's radiance trembled faintly, as if sensing something.

Yet, despite the Sea-Calmer Divine Pearl's continuous probing, it could not pinpoint the exact location.

Seeing this, the Sea-Calmer Path Master said, "The Sea-Calmer Divine Pearl has detected a trace, but the target has concealed their Celestial Mechanism [the innate destiny and heavenly secrets of a person or object, often used in divination], preventing us from tracking it."

"Let me try." Find this and other novels at audio-novel.com (official site).

With those words, Eldrin Chen immediately summoned the Star Observation Tower [a mystical tower used for observing celestial phenomena and performing profound divinations]. He then stepped into this Celestial Mechanism Spiritual Treasure [a spiritual treasure specifically designed for deducing heavenly secrets and fate].

With Eldrin Chen personally taking action, using the Sea-Calmer Divine Pearl as a guide and activating the Star Observation Tower alongside the Great Deduction Polarity Stars Path [a supreme art of divination based on the movements of the stars], they finally managed to detect a faint anomaly.

"Southeast from here, four hundred and seventy thousand Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters]," Eldrin Chen announced, his eyes suddenly gleaming as the Great Deduction Polarity Stars Path calculated the precise location.

Eldrin Chen exchanged a glance with the others, then concealed his aura and flew southeast. After traversing a distance of four hundred seventy thousand Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters], they halted above a vast expanse of ocean.

"It's just ahead."

Sea-Calmer Path Master's pupils shimmered with a verdant divine light as he scrutinized the sea before them. "A most ingenious illusion," he remarked with admiration. "Were it not for knowing its precise location, one could easily be deceived."

Beside him, Eldrin Chen also activated his ocular Divine Ability [a supernatural power or technique]. Sure enough, the seawater before his eyes gradually dissolved, revealing a faintly verdant, ring-shaped island.

The ring-shaped island itself held not a wisp of spiritual energy, nor were any Formation [a structured arrangement of energy or objects for defensive or offensive purposes] laid upon it. It was merely a mirage conjured by a peculiar natural field.

At the heart of this Ring Spirit Island lay a fathomless, bottomless abyss, equally devoid of any detectable spiritual presence.

Cultivators are exquisitely sensitive to spiritual energy and Five Elements Power [the fundamental forces of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth], yet they often overlook things utterly bereft of such energies.

Even if a powerful expert used an ocular Divine Ability to pierce the mirage of the Ring Spirit Island, a moment's inattention could lead to dismissing it. It was no wonder it had remained hidden for millennia, undetected.

Fortunately, Eldrin Chen had personally deduced the location of this Ring Spirit Island, confirming that the Mysterious Tortoise Demon Emperor was concealed within. Otherwise, they too might have overlooked it.

"Since it's inside, let us venture in and see."

After stowing away the Star Observation Tower, Eldrin Chen concealed his aura and slipped silently into the depths of Ring Spirit Island.

This bottomless abyss stretched on without end. They had flown for what felt like countless Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters], yet not a trace of spiritual energy [the vital energy that flows through all living things and the world] could be detected. A shadow of solemnity fell upon their faces.

An unknowable length of time passed before Eldrin Chen suddenly opened his eyes, a flicker of delight within them. "Water Element Essence [the purified spiritual energy of the Water element]," he announced.

The others' eyes also lit up. Sensing Water Element Essence within this profound chasm was a sure sign that a Water Vein [a subterranean current or node rich in Water-attuned spiritual energy] must lie hidden within its depths. Continue reading this story at audi novel.com.