Chapter 802 : A Forbidden Frontier and Hidden Purpose

By that time, he might even have a chance to attempt a breakthrough into the Demigod Realm [the penultimate stage before true immortality], gaining a sliver of hope to ascend to true immortality.

Thinking of this, Long River Path Lord naturally felt exceptionally joyful.

At this moment, he glanced at Eldrin Chen and said with a smile, "The reason I asked you here this time is because there is something I wish to discuss with you."

"Oh?" Eldrin Chen was slightly taken aback and promptly inquired, "Please speak, Senior."

Long River Path Lord's expression turned solemn as he began, "For this Demonic Abyss Cataclysm [a great calamity involving the invasion of demonic forces from the abyss], I intend for your Three Veins Immortal Alliance to remain stationed in the Eastern Region Great Wasteland and not participate in the frontline battles."

"What?"

Eldrin Chen was stunned and couldn't help but ask, "What do you mean by that, Senior?"

It was no wonder Eldrin Chen was so astonished. Currently, the Three Veins Immortal Alliance possessed three Primordial Spirit Path Lord [cultivators who have mastered their spiritual core and begun walking their own unique cultivation path]—Sea-Calmer Path Lord, Vast Righteousness True Lord, and Featherflight Path Lord.

Furthermore, there were the four Dao companions of Eldrin Chen, each possessing combat power equivalent to a Primordial Solar Spiritual Treasure [a supreme-grade magical artifact infused with the essence of the primordial sun]. One could say their forces were strong, their soldiers valiant, and their foundation solid.

For such a formidable force to not participate in the battles of the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm was truly rather perplexing. This content originates from audio-novel dot com. Please respect copyright.

Logically speaking, even if they were to garrison the Eastern Region Great Wasteland, they should at least deploy a portion of their strength.

Seeing this, Long River Path Lord spoke, "The several Path Lord [a title for powerful cultivators who have comprehended a profound path] of your Three Veins Immortal Alliance have only recently broken through to the Primordial Spirit Realm [the realm of the spiritual core, a major milestone in cultivation]. Their strength is still somewhat insufficient for participating in the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm."

"It would be better for them to remain and consolidate their cultivation base. Once their wings have fully grown after a thousand years, it will not be too late for them to join the battle."

Eldrin Chen shook his head and asked, "The Immortal Maiden Dawnlight from Dawnlight Palace broke through to the Primordial Spirit realm less than two hundred years ago. Her foundation is likely not as solid as that of Senior Vast Righteousness or Elder Brother Sea-Calmer."

"What matter is it, Senior, that makes you wish to prevent us from joining the battle? Please inform us."

"Alas."

Seeing Eldrin Chen digging for the root of the matter, Long River Path Lord sighed and finally spoke, "Very well, there is no harm in telling you."

"Are you aware that as early as ten Sixty-Year Cycle [a cycle of sixty years] ago, the Heaven Observation Mirror [a legendary artifact capable of divining fate] had already calculated that this Demonic Abyss Cataclysm would be a Tribulation [a great calamity or trial] unseen for three thousand years?"

"This..."

Eldrin Chen's expression changed drastically, revealing a look of profound shock.

It turns out that as early as six hundred years ago, the Demigod Patriarch known as the Heavenly Gaze Path Master from the Central Ancestral Domain had glimpsed a fragment of the Future through the power of the Heaven-Observing Mirror.

According to the Heavenly Gaze Path Master, this tribulation was an unprecedented calamity. If the Purple Seal Realm failed to withstand it, it faced the peril of utter annihilation.

The Long River Path Lord feared that Eldrin Chen might fall prematurely during this Tribulation, and thus wished to keep him back, preserving their strength until he could break through to the Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] realm before joining the fray.

"The opening of the Ancient Immortal Cave Mansion in the Far North Icy Plains was itself an omen heralding the arrival of the Great Tribulation,"

the Long River Path Lord explained methodically, a trace of unease coloring his words. "You are now a Primordial Spirit Seed [a cultivator with the potential to reach the Primordial Spirit realm] that the Outer Realm Heavenly Demon [demonic beings from beyond this world] are determined to eliminate. Without combat power at the Primordial Spirit level, I fear even I would be unable to protect you."

"Fortunately, my own cultivation has advanced significantly, and my voice now carries greater weight within the Purple Seal Realm. I should be able to keep you in the rear, allowing you to temporarily avoid this tribulation."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen felt a slight tremor in his heart.

Despite knowing full well the destined and extreme peril of this tribulation, the Long River Path Lord still sought to help them evade it. This revealed the depth of his sincere, protective care.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but ask, "In this battle, am I truly unable to contribute my share of strength?"

"Contribute your share?" The Long River Path Lord chuckled before replying, "If you could slay a single Primordial Spirit Path Lord [a Path Lord who has reached the Primordial Spirit realm], then perhaps you would possess some measure of self-preservation and could slightly influence the course of the battle."

"It's just..."

Speaking to this point, Long River Path Lord shook his head with a wry smile. "From ancient times to the present, I have never heard of anyone who, with the cultivation of an Infant Soul [the nascent spiritual form of a cultivator], could single-handedly slay a Primordial Solar [a cultivator who has ascended to the level of the primordial sun, a realm of immense power]."

"Imperial Sovereign Jiang never achieved it, nor did the Immortal [a being who has transcended mortality and ascended to immortality] of antiquity. You need not dwell on such thoughts."

"Slaying a Primordial Solar while still an Infant Soul?"

Eldrin Chen's gaze steadied, but in the end, he remained silent, sinking into quiet contemplation.

Seeing this, Long River Path Lord nodded. "You need not worry overmuch. If the heavens fall, there are still old men like me, and those Demigod Patriarch [powerful patriarchs who have attained a state between mortal and divine], to hold them up." For uninterrupted reading, go to http://www . audio-novel.com.

"While we can still hold on for a time, you must cultivate diligently. If, in the future, you can achieve Ethereal Ascension [a profound ascension to a higher, ethereal state of being] and slay the Outer Realm Demon God [a malevolent deity from beyond the known realms],"

"and reopen the path to immortality for future generations, I will be content."

"This junior understands."

Eldrin Chen nodded. Then, remembering the matter concerning Nyssa Qu, he recounted the entire sequence of events to Long River Path Lord.

Long River Path Lord [a title for a powerful cultivator who has mastered a specific Dao Path] maintained a serene expression. After listening, he spoke calmly, "The Spirit Shell Clan [a clan of spiritual beings known for their calm and peaceful nature] are indeed the most suitable candidates for forming alliances, given their inherently placid disposition."

"Since you have already sworn an Oath of Reincarnation [a profound and binding vow that transcends lifetimes] with her, it is only natural that she is deemed trustworthy."

"Very well," he continued. "I will send word to the Human Race [the collective term for human cultivators and their factions] fellow Daoists in the Eastern Region Great Wasteland [a vast and perilous wilderness region in the eastern part of the continent]. However, if they intervene to shield the Seven-Colored Immortal Clam [a mythical clam demon beast renowned for its seven-colored shell and immense spiritual power] from the External Tribulation [heavenly calamities that test a cultivator's strength and resolve during breakthroughs], you will owe them a significant favor."

"This junior understands," Eldrin Chen [the protagonist, a rising star cultivator from the Chen Clan] replied respectfully.

Eldrin Chen nodded inwardly. Repaying such a debt would be no simple matter. If any cultivator from those lands aimed to break through to the Primordial Spirit [a high-level cultivation realm where one's spiritual essence condenses into an independent spiritual entity] realm, he would likely be called upon to help them withstand their External Tribulation. Furthermore, should any of their Path Lord Sacred Land [powerful sects or territories ruled by a Path Lord] ever fall into decline in the future, his lineage would be expected to offer protection and support.

In fact, the reason the Ji Clan [a prominent and ancient cultivation clan] had managed to re-establish itself as a Path Lord Sacred Land was precisely because many such sacred lands across the Purple Seal Realm [a specific realm or world within the cultivation cosmology] still owed favors to the Ji Clan's ancestors from ages past.

After settling these affairs, Eldrin Chen thought of his clansman, Kael Chen [a fellow clansman of Eldrin Chen who has walked a dangerous path], and inquired, "Might I ask, Senior, about the current condition of my elder brother?"

"Having undergone baptism in the Long River Waters [the mystical waters of a legendary river, said to possess purifying properties], the demonic taint within him has been largely washed away," the Path Lord explained.

"However," he added, his tone turning graver, "while the demonic nature can be cleansed, the demonic heart is a different matter. It possesses an Indestructibility [a state of being unbreakable and eternal] of its own. His demonic heart has now become inextricably fused with his original, true heart."

The Long River Path Lord spoke with measured calm, then continued, "Fortunately, the waters of the Eastern Barrens Ancestral River are inexhaustible. Under the ceaseless, day-and-night scouring of the boundless Water Essence Power, no matter how Indestructibility his demonic heart may be, it will ultimately be washed away, grain by grain."

"After the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm concludes, his demonic heart should be completely eradicated."

After listening, Eldrin Chen nodded, yet sighed, "Our clan brother possesses an unyielding, tenacious character. He is a natural-born seed for a Demonic Cultivator."

"If not for the fear of him being controlled by an Outer Realm Heavenly Demon, perhaps this path would have been the most suitable for him."

The Long River Path Lord also nodded, sighing as he spoke, "Such is fate and circumstance. After his demonic heart is cleansed, how far he ultimately walks will depend on his own fortune and his Creation [the act of forging one's own unique path through cultivation]."

Having spoken thus, neither of them said more on the matter.

Before parting, the Long River Path Lord instructed, "I am preparing to fire the furnace to refine Primordial Spirit Pill [a pill that aids in the formation and strengthening of one's Primordial Spirit] and Primordial Solar Elixir [a potent elixir that nourishes the yang essence and core vitality]. The pills will be completed one Sixty-Year Cycle [a complete cycle of sixty years] from now. Return then to collect them."

"..."

After bidding farewell to the Long River Path Lord, Eldrin Chen immediately used a Teleportation Formation [a magical array for instantaneous travel across vast distances] to return to Myriad Ruins Province.

He sought out Exquisite Jiang and Verdant Consort and the others, informing them of the details of his journey.

After listening, Exquisite Jiang [the wife of Eldrin Chen] spoke with a grave expression, "It seems this impending calamity is no ordinary affair. We must begin our preparations as well."

"Indeed," Eldrin Chen [the protagonist] agreed. "Our first priority should be to assist Nyssa Qu [a powerful cultivator with clam ancestry] in her breakthrough to the Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core realm of a cultivator]. After that, we must cultivate diligently to swiftly master the Earth Soul Summoning [a powerful technique to summon an earth-bound soul]."

With that, Eldrin Chen instructed the clan to begin gathering the resources needed for Nyssa Qu's breakthrough.

Nyssa Qu's foundational cultivation and inherent potential were no weaker than that of a Pure-Blooded True Dragon [a dragon of pure lineage, considered apex beings]. Her bloodline was exceptionally noble, granting her a very high chance of successfully advancing to the Primordial Spirit realm.

The primary challenges lay in the External Tribulation [a trial of external forces one must overcome during a major breakthrough] and the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [a trial of heavenly lightning]. Her Bloodline Divine Ability [an innate power derived from one's lineage], the Seven-Colored Immortal Light [a radiant defensive technique], was a Primordial Solar Grade [the highest grade] Great God Ability [a supreme-level technique]. Furthermore, her Seven-Colored Immortal Clam Shell [her natural, immensely durable shell] could also withstand the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation. In theory, her chances of surviving the tribulation exceeded fifty percent.

Nevertheless, to guard against any unforeseen misfortune, Eldrin Chen lent her the Void-Suppressing Vase [a powerful treasure for defense and suppression] for her to refine and wield, ensuring her safe passage through the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation. Experience the full epic at @udio-novel.com.