Chapter 794 : The Awakened Contingency

"My true self's contingency has awakened and emerged. It seems the Great Tribulation has arrived!"

The figure seemed to furrow her brow slightly. After a moment of contemplation, her gaze swept over the assembled crowd. When her eyes fell upon Eldrin Chen, her pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.

In the span of a single breath, her expression transformed utterly, a look of profound shock dawning upon her features. "It's you!"

"This is..."

Eldrin Chen could not clearly discern the woman's expression. To his senses, she was shrouded in a dense mist, as if viewing him from across an infinite expanse of Great Universe.

A mere glint within her gaze held the terrifying grandeur of World-Opening—visions of Universe reborn and the myriad cataclysms of the Returning Abyss swirling within.

Yet, in the next instant, the woman within the ethereal immortal mist withdrew her focus, the overwhelming pressure vanishing as quickly as it came.

"A flower of similar bloom," she murmured to herself.

"Or has the legendary One... truly returned?"

The woman pondered silently within her heart, not daring to utter that revered being's true title aloud. For more chapters, visit audio–novel.com for the complete novel.

Even one as exalted as she, standing but a single step from the Celestial Immortal Great Power [a supreme level of cultivation], understood all too well the unspeakable taboos that exist between heaven and earth.

Certain existences are akin to the Celestial Mechanism [the fundamental laws of the cosmos] itself; to speak of them recklessly is to divulge cosmic secrets, inviting the agonizing torment of ten thousand tribulations.

Though this might be nothing more than a mere coincidence, it was enough to demand her utmost caution.

She took a deep breath, then cast a glance at the assembled Mortal Path [cultivators of the mortal cultivation path]. "This... this humble concubine is the Heavenly Mountain Goddess [a divine being associated with a celestial peak]. I attained the Path-Field [a state of enlightenment and power] six hundred and seventy thousand years ago within the Purple Seal Realm [a specific cultivation realm]."

"Upon my departure, to repay the Karma [the debt of cause and effect] incurred by being nurtured within the Purple Seal Realm, I left this legacy Path-Field behind to aid the Purple Seal Realm in weathering the Tribulation [a great cosmic calamity] to come."

At this point, her words paused briefly. Her eyes swept over the group before she continued.

"This Lotus Seed [a seed of profound spiritual significance] was left behind after I ascended to immortality. If you can use it to comprehend the Frost Soul Arcane Power [a profound power of icy essence], you will be worthy to receive my legacy…"

As the Heavenly Mountain Goddess spoke on, the profound mysteries of this legacy place became clear to all.

To inherit the legacy of the Heavenly Mountain Goddess and cultivate her arts, the foremost requirement was to master the Frost Soul Arcane Power.

According to the Heavenly Mountain Goddess, once the Frost Soul Arcane Power was comprehended, one could harness the power of this Snow Lotus Seed [a seed imbued with frost and snow essence] and the Frost Soul Cold Pool [a pool of intensely cold spiritual energy] to reforge [undergo a profound physical and spiritual transformation] the Frost Soul Divine Body [a divine constitution of frost and soul essence].

With the aid of those Nine Strands of Immortal Energy [nine strands of the purest spiritual energy], one could consolidate the foundation of the 'Frost Soul Infant Soul' [an Infant Soul stage foundation imbued with the profound power of frost and soul] in a single, decisive effort.

With such a foundation, after breaking through to the Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] realm, one could cultivate a Frost Soul Primordial Spirit [a Primordial Spirit fused with frost and soul essence]. Only then could one practice the cultivation arts left by the Heavenly Mountain Goddess [a legendary deity associated with a sacred, snow-capped peak].

Furthermore, by obtaining this legacy, which the Heavenly Mountain Goddess paid a tremendous price to leave behind, one would face almost no significant bottlenecks in cultivation all the way until achieving immortality. It could be said that reaching at least the Demigod Realm [a realm halfway between mortal and true divinity] was virtually assured.

This legacy seemed destined to emerge in response to a great calamity. Any cultivator who obtained it would become a 'Chosen of the Tribulation,' destined to play a pivotal role, akin to figures like the legendary Eastern Sovereign [a title for a supreme ruler of the east] or Imperial Sovereign Jiang in eras past.

If one failed to devote their full strength to resolving this realm's cataclysm, they would later bear an immense and inescapable burden of karmic debt. Even achieving immortality would not allow them to escape the Tribulation [a heavenly retribution or trial] brought forth by such karma.

After exchanging glances, Eldrin Chen took a deep breath and stated, "It appears this legacy is most suited for Lila."

"Indeed."

Exquisite Jiang also nodded in agreement with Eldrin Chen's assessment.

Among them, both Eldrin Chen and Exquisite Jiang possessed a Great Encompassing Foundation [a Foundation Establishment stage of exceptional breadth and stability]. Switching to cultivate the Frost Soul Immortal Scripture would require Foundation Reforging [a perilous process of dismantling and rebuilding one's cultivation foundation], which might not be a worthwhile trade.

Verdant Consort had undergone Dreamwalking Reincarnation [a mystical process of experiencing countless lifetimes within dreams] for a thousand cycles, finally cultivating the rare Verdant Lotus Immortal Embryo [a divine constitution symbolizing purity and rebirth] and forging her own unique path. For her to abandon it now for another's Mortal Path might not be for the best.

In contrast, Lila possessed an Ice Spiritual Root [a spiritual root affinity aligned with the element of ice], making her cultivation base perfectly compatible with the Frost Soul Immortal Scripture [a profound cultivation method centered on frost and soul energy]. Switching to this art would not only be straightforward for her but would undoubtedly yield twice the result with half the effort.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen said to Lila, "Go and try. See if you can comprehend the Frost Soul Arcane Power [a legendary divine ability born from the principles of frost and soul]."

"Understood."

As it concerned her Path [the fundamental Dao or Way of cultivation a practitioner follows], Lila did not decline.

She stepped forward, took the Snow Lotus Seed, and began secluded meditation to comprehend its mysteries.

This seed of the Heavenly Mountain Snow Lotus was a supreme treasure, one that had only fallen after the Heavenly Mountain Goddess [a powerful deity residing on a celestial peak] had broken through to the Ascendant Immortal Realm [a legendary realm of immortality]. Access the full story on audio-novel*com.

Its grade had already reached the Supreme Immortal Rank [the pinnacle rank for immortal treasures], making it one of the most precious immortal objects within the Purple Seal Realm. With Lila's current level of cultivation, refining it was utterly impossible.

Fortunately, this treasure had been tampered with by an ancient Immortal. Although Lila could not yet refine it, she was now capable of comprehending a sliver of its profound mysteries.

Within such a supreme treasure was contained the legendary Frost Soul Path Principles Power [the fundamental power and laws of the Frost Soul Dao]. For Lila, comprehending even a trace of it would bring astonishing gains.

After a mere forty-nine days, Lila had successfully comprehended the legendary Frost Soul Arcane Power from it. Her strength and cultivation base experienced a tremendous leap forward.

"It is done."

Lila's face lit up with joy. Cultivating the Frost Soul Arcane Power proved she was now worthy to inherit the legacy of the Heavenly Mountain Goddess [the divine spirit of the Celestial Peaks].

The Heavenly Mountain Goddess gave a slight nod. That Lila would receive her inheritance had, in truth, been within her calculations all along.

She gazed intently at Lila for a moment, a trace of a smile gracing her features. "Since you have obtained my legacy," she declared, "you may be considered my final disciple."

"Rest well now. I hope that one day, this master shall see you again within the Immortal Realm [the higher plane of existence where true Immortals reside]."

"Remember this: within the Boundless Chaos Universe [the infinite, primordial cosmos], three thousand six hundred Immortal Domain [realms governed by Immortals] rise and fall. The domain where I reside is named 'Flowing Void Immortal Domain'."

With those final words, the Heavenly Mountain Goddess spoke no more, her form dissolving into nothingness between one breath and the next.

Watching the Heavenly Mountain Goddess depart, everyone present let out a collective sigh of relief.

Lila, cradling the Snow Lotus Seed, stepped into the Frost Soul Cold Pool. A note of heartfelt gratitude colored her voice as she said, "I must trouble my husband and my two elder sisters to stand guard for me."

"Of course. You may enter secluded cultivation with peace of mind."

Eldrin Chen gave a firm nod. For the next phase, Lila would need to harness the power of the Frost Soul Cold Pool and the Snow Lotus Seed [a seed from a mystical snow lotus, prized in high-level alchemy for its potent spiritual properties] to reforge [to reshape and purify through intense spiritual and physical processes] her physical body and Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator, representing their true self and source of power]. This process was absolutely critical and could not be disturbed by anyone.

Within the secluded chamber, Lila sat in deep meditation. Using the Snow Lotus Seed as a catalyst, she continuously channeled the Frost Soul Divine Water [a divine liquid imbued with the essence of frost and soul, used for profound physical transformations] to reforge her physical form.

For forty-nine days she toiled, consuming a total of forty-nine portions of the precious Frost Soul Divine Water. Finally, her efforts bore fruit: her flesh and bone had been transformed into the legendary Frost Soul Immortal Body [a rare and powerful physique imbued with the essence of frost and soul, granting immense resilience and affinity for ice-based arts].

Another eighty-one days passed. During this time, she absorbed the Nine Strands of Immortal Energy [nine threads of pure, primordial energy essential for ascension] directly into her soul. In one decisive breakthrough, she reforged her Infant Soul [the nascent spiritual form cultivated after the Golden Core stage] into the far more profound and potent Frost Soul Infant Soul [an Infant Soul constitution fused with the essence of frost, granting unique spiritual abilities].

Having reached this stage, Lila discovered her spiritual power [the energy cultivated and wielded by practitioners] had increased in depth by a full fifty percent, and its purity and density had grown substantially.

Furthermore, her cultivation base had advanced ahead of schedule to the Infant Soul 9th Tier. She became the second among their group, following Verdant Consort, to achieve the Great Perfection of Infant Soul [the pinnacle of the Infant Soul realm, where the spiritual form is fully matured and ready for the next great tribulation]. Her strength had undergone a monumental leap forward.

Witnessing the successful completion of this arduous process, Eldrin Chen could not help but smile with genuine joy. "This is a significant opportunity for Lila," he remarked. "She now has a tangible hope, a real chance, of one day ascending to immortality."

"Indeed," came the agreement. "Who would have thought this girl would receive such a fateful blessing?"

Exquisite Jiang also watched, her eyes holding a rare warmth and a touch of heartfelt emotion.

In truth, if Elara Lin had possessed greater daring in her youth, relying on her own strength to achieve Self-Achieved Foundation Establishment [building one's cultivation foundation without external aids, considered the most difficult but purest path] and subsequently forging a Heavenly Path Infant Soul [an Infant Soul aligned with the Heavenly Dao, representing the highest potential and purity], she might well have been a suitable candidate for such a transformation herself by now.

It is merely that the foundations laid in one's youth differ slightly, yet this gap often widens immensely as one progresses further along the path.

Given the current foundational depth of Elara Lin, she is akin to the two Half-Step Primordial Spirit [cultivators whose spiritual core is almost fully formed] experts from the Flying Snow Pavilion. Even if a great opportunity were to appear right at the doorstep of her own sect, she would likely be unable to grasp it. Read the full novel exclusively on audio-novel`com.