Chapter 798 : Treasure Vault's Divine Light

Hearing her words, Eldrin Chen understood that the Mistress of Drifting Snow Palace would not relinquish this treasure.

Treasures belong to the capable. Even if such a Near-Immortal Treasures were given to the Chen Clan, Eldrin Chen lacked the power to protect it. After all, the Chen Clan was not like the Ji Clan, which possessed contingency measures left behind by an Immortal to safeguard its Fortune [the metaphysical concept of destiny and luck].

The Heavenly Mountain Goddess had placed this 'Demon-Suppressing Cauldron' within the Artifact Refining Great Hall instead of the Inheritance Grand Hall, clearly having considered this very point.

Furthermore, the Chen Clan had already secured the greatest benefit; naturally, they could not monopolize every advantage.

Thinking this, Eldrin Chen clasped his hands and said, "Palace Mistress, your cultivation approaches the realm of Creation [the act of bringing something into existence, a profound state of power]. With this Quasi-Immortal Artifact in hand, you may soon be able to contend even with a Demigod Patriarch."

"You flatter me," the Mistress of Drifting Snow Palace smiled faintly, then glanced at Lila. "For this girl to obtain an Ancient Immortal's legacy, that is truly astonishing Fortune."

Seeing this, the Long River Path Lord nearby spoke up, "Let us save the pleasantries for later. We should proceed to the Treasure Vault immediately, lest all the treasures be claimed by the Kunpeng Demon Sage."

"Agreed. Let us depart at once."

The Mistress of Drifting Snow Palace nodded promptly and led the group flying towards the Treasure Vault.

They had not flown far when they saw, in the distance, the Treasure Vault had been opened. From within, a dazzling divine light erupted, shooting straight up into the heavens. Access the full story on audio-novel.com.

In that instant, as the radiant treasure light appeared, the expressions of everyone present shifted dramatically.

Mistress of Drifting Snow Palace [the ruler of the Drifting Snow Palace] nearly cried out, her voice filled with disbelief, "The Purple Seal Divine Fruit [a legendary fruit said to grant immense power and longevity]!"

It was utterly unbelievable. The Purple Seal Divine Fruit, an object of fervent desire for every cultivator within the Purple Seal Realm, a supreme treasure for which the majority of Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] experts would sacrifice everything, had actually appeared within this Treasure Vault.

Clearly, such a rare treasure of heaven and earth had also been stored here as a contingency against calamity, lying in wait for several hundred thousand years before finally emerging.

"Boom—"

In the span of a single breath, the Kunpeng Demon Sage erupted with power. He snatched the Purple Seal Divine Fruit into his sleeve and then madly fled toward the outer reaches of the ruins.

The Mistress of Drifting Snow Palace and the Long River Path Lord [a powerful cultivator who has mastered the Long River cultivation path], along with the others, could not spare a thought for anything else and immediately gave chase in a frenzy.

Several Demon Ancestor [ancient and powerful demonic beings] from the Kunpeng Clan flew out without a moment's pause, clearly intending to protect the Kunpeng Demon Sage.

Eldrin Chen and his companions initially gave chase for a stretch, but realizing their speed was insufficient, they abandoned the pursuit after a short while. Instead, they remained within the Immortal Mansion [a celestial abode or palace] to continue plundering its treasures.

Three days later, just as they had nearly finished gathering the treasures, they saw the Mistress of Drifting Snow Palace and the Long River Path Lord flying back.

"What is the outcome?"

Seeing the two of them return, Eldrin Chen could not help but ask.

The Mistress of Drifting Snow Palace shook her head, speaking with a hint of helplessness: "That Kunpeng Demon Sage possesses the Extreme Speed [a legendary divine ability granting unparalleled velocity] of the world. After transforming into its true form, even the Frost Soul Rainbow Boat [a magical vessel renowned for its swiftness] could not catch up."

"Alas!"

Long River Path Lord also sighed, his expression grave as he said, "It seems the Demon Race [the collective term for sentient, non-human beings who cultivate] will also produce a Demigod Patriarch [a supreme cultivator who has transcended the mortal path]."

Upon hearing this, everyone's countenance changed drastically.

Although attaining true immortality will be difficult for the Kunpeng Demon Sage, who obtained the Purple Seal Divine Fruit [a legendary fruit said to contain immense spiritual power], breaking through to the Demigod Realm [a transcendent state beyond the peak of mortal cultivation] should not be hard.

The so-called Demigod Realm is a state that has already surpassed the absolute pinnacle of the Mortal Path [the foundational path of cultivation for mortals].

Such an existence has nearly transcended the limits of the mortal world, reaching a state that is half-Demigod [a transcendent being], half-mortal.

The Grand Elder of the Drifting Snow Palace also sighed, then spoke: "The Demon Race possesses formidable physical bodies. If they can use the Purple Seal Divine Fruit to cultivate a Pseudo Path Fruit [a nascent, imperfect form of a cultivator's ultimate achievement], they may one day become a top-tier Demigod."

"A powerful Demigod?" Eldrin Chen paused for a moment, unable to resist asking, "Patriarch, is there truly a distinction of strength and weakness among Demigod Patriarchs?"

"Indeed, it is so."

The Mistress of Drifting Snow Palace nodded and began to speak casually about the Demigod Realm [the transitional realm between mortal and immortal, where cultivators have partially mastered one of the paths to immortality].

For a cultivator to ascend to immortality, there are ultimately three paths: the Path Fruit Immortal [one who refines their cultivation into a singular, perfect Path Fruit], the Path Principles Immortal [one who comprehends and embodies the fundamental principles of the Great Dao], and the Body Immortal [one who forges their physical form into an indestructible vessel of power].

Mastering any one of these paths is sufficient to summon the Immortal Ascension Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [the cataclysmic heavenly trial one must survive to shed mortality] and thereby attain the realm of a true Immortal [an eternal being who has transcended mortal limits].

Yet, achieving immortality is no simple feat. Each of these three paths presents a monumental, near-insurmountable challenge to the cultivators of the world. Discover more cultivation stories at audio-novel*com.

Although the Kunpeng Demon Sage possessed peerless combat prowess, attempting to fully traverse any single path in one go was nearly impossible. Thus, the realm beneath true immortality—the Demigod Realm—came into being.

Most cultivators in the world find themselves upon this same precipice. They must first set foot in the Demigod Realm, using it as a stepping stone to further cultivate towards the ultimate Immortal realm.

The reason this transitional stage is called the Demigod Realm is precisely because those within it have already traversed half of one of the three paths to immortality.

This manifests as the Pseudo Path Fruit [an imperfect, nascent form of the true Path Fruit], the Demigod Body [a physique partially tempered to immortal resilience], or the Ethereal Path Principles [a preliminary, intangible grasp of cosmic principles].

The so-called Pseudo Path Fruit refers to the act of gathering one's lifetime of Creation cultivation power to condense a single illusory Path Fruit. This Path Fruit exists in a state between reality and illusion.

For such Demigod existences, taking one more step forward allows them to discard the false and preserve the true, achieving the state of a Path Fruit Immortal.

As for the Demigod Body, it is the ultimate achievement for mighty true cultivators who follow the path of physical body refinement. Their physical forms have been tempered to the absolute limit of the Mortal Realm, with their flesh, bones, and Five Viscera and Six Bowels all radiating with immortal radiance [a luminous aura signifying the body's transcendence towards an immortal state].

Cultivators at this stage need only advance one step further, cultivating this immortal radiance within their very marrow and blood, to attain the legendary Body Immortal.

The Ethereal Path Principles involve comprehending a set of Path Principles that are as illusory as the Path Void himself. These Path Principles hover between illusion and reality, possessing a transcendent, immortal power. Successfully and fully comprehending them allows one to become a Path Principles Immortal.

If one cultivates two such Demigod paths simultaneously, their strength is considered formidable even among Demigod.

It is worth noting that within the current Purple Seal Realm Human Race, there are only four Demigod Patriarch, and merely two of them have cultivated two Demigod paths.

These two individuals are the Lord of the Path Palace, and the 'Tribulation Transcending Divine Monk' from the Western Pole Serene Spirit Temple [a renowned Buddhist temple located in the Western Pole lands].

Between these two, the Lord of the Path Palace is the leader of the Human Race Path Lord faction, having cultivated both the Ethereal Path Principles and the Pseudo Path Fruit paths.

Within the Western Pole Lands, it is widely rumored that the 'Tribulation Transcending Divine Monk' is an Arhat [a high-ranking enlightened being in Buddhism] from the Immortal Realm who descended to undergo tribulations. He cultivates both the Pseudo Path Fruit and Demigod Body paths, and is also considered one of the most pivotal Heaven-Propping Pillar [a metaphorical term for a crucial, stabilizing force] of the Human Race.

The Kunpeng Demon Sage possesses an exceptionally gifted physical constitution. If it refines a Pseudo Path Fruit with the aid of the Purple Seal Divine Fruit, it may very well cultivate a Demigod Body [a body of immense power, a step below that of a true deity] in the future.

Considering the formidable strength of the Kunpeng Demon Sage, Sea-Calmer Path Master voiced his unease, "If that Kunpeng Demon Sage breaks through to the Demigod realm, I fear the Demon Race will grow too powerful from that point on."

"With it having obtained the Purple Seal Divine Fruit, I'm afraid it can no longer be stopped."

Long River Path Lord shook his head and spoke, "Let us look on the brighter side. After all, it is a force from the Purple Seal Realm. Its ascension to Demigod would still represent a significant increase in the Purple Seal Realm's overall strength."

"As long as it still aspires to become a true immortal, it will certainly not allow the Outer Realm Heavenly Demon to invade the Purple Seal Realm. When future crises arise from the Demonic Abyss, it will not stand idly by."

The Mistress of Drifting Snow Palace also nodded in agreement and said, "This battle has yielded us considerable gains. Let us now distribute the treasures."

"Very well."

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen could not help but reveal a faint smile.

The opening of this Ancient Immortal Cave Mansion had indeed left everyone's coffers overflowing with riches.

Aside from Lila's inheritance, the Immortal Mansion contained a total of four Primordial Solar Spiritual Treasure [powerful artifacts imbued with the essence of the primordial sun], five Sixth Rank Spirit Herb [plants saturated with potent spiritual energy], and several thousand other Spirit Herb of varying grades and potency.

Among those four Spiritual Treasure [enchanted artifacts of great power], one was the Demon-Suppressing Cauldron [a cauldron imbued with power to subdue demonic entities], another was the Vajra Demon-Breaking Bracelet [an indestructible bracelet capable of shattering demonic arts] held by Sea-Calmer Path Master [a master of the path dedicated to calming turbulent seas], accompanied by an ancient lantern and a single Treasure Seal [a seal artifact used to command or authenticate treasures]. Dive deeper into the Dao at audio-novel*com.