Chapter 871 : The Fallen and the Forsaken

Among his former comrades were several Nascent Soul True Lord [powerful cultivators who have formed their Nascent Soul], including Ancestor Mo, Lingxu the Ethereal Immortal, Zixu the Daoist, and Tianlu Sect Master.

Now, a Millennium [a period of one thousand years] has passed. Among them, Ancestor Mo fell in battle, and Lingxu the Ethereal Immortal perished after his lifespan was severely depleted, his foundation damaged during the great war at the Demonic Abyss [a chasm teeming with demonic energy].

Zixu the Daoist, whose foundation was of the Heavenly Dao Nascent Soul [a Nascent Soul aligned with the Heavenly Dao, granting superior potential] type, was favored and protected by several Dao Lord [masters who have comprehended a profound Dao], yet even he had his physical body destroyed in the conflict.

Of the others, the Desolate Wilderness Sect Master also met his end in the cataclysm. Nine Rivers Daoist managed to break through to the Half-Step Nascent Soul Realm [a transitional state just below the true Nascent Soul realm] and, having now received aid from Eldrin Chen, still holds some promise for the future.

However, the path ahead is far more arduous for Tianlu Sect Master. He is even older than Nine Rivers Daoist.

In earlier years, he was stuck before the threshold of the Nascent Soul, 7th Tier [the seventh tier of the Nascent Soul realm], succeeding only after five consecutive attempts at a breakthrough. Later, during the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm [the great calamity centered on the Demonic Abyss], he was so severely wounded he had to undergo Reincarnation Tribulation [a perilous process of rebirth to reconstruct one's cultivation base].

By careful reckoning, Tianlu Sect Master is now over seven thousand years old, yet his cultivation has only barely advanced to the Half-Step Primordial Spirit [a transitional state just below the Primordial Spirit realm]. His Dao path can truly be described as one of profound misfortune.

"Old friends, scattered like fallen leaves."

Tianlu Sect Master murmured to himself, a sigh escaping his lips after a moment.

Then, with resolute determination, he prostrated himself on the ground, his gaze unwavering as he declared, "This junior has come to beseech an opportunity... a chance to attain the Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator, a higher state of being beyond the Nascent Soul] realm." For more chapters, visit audio–novel.com for the complete novel.

"I beseech Ancient Ancestor to consider this junior's repeated battles where I fought and bled for the Human Race. Grant me a single thread of opportunity to achieve the Dao [the fundamental principle or path in Chinese philosophy]."

"Alas!"

Eldrin Chen sighed. He had long seen through the intentions of the Tianlu Sect Master.

Having heard that Nine Rivers Daoist and others had obtained a great opportunity, this Tianlu Sect Master now wished to leverage his and his sect's longstanding ties with myself and the Chen Clan to seek from Eldrin Chen a chance at the Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] realm.

However, this Tianlu Sect Master was merely an Earthly Dao Nascent Soul [a cultivator who formed their Nascent Soul using a lower-grade method tied to worldly laws]. His foundation was profoundly lacking, making his hope of breaking through to Primordial Spirit vanishingly slim, with virtually no chance of success.

Eldrin Chen, holding little optimism for this path, sighed once more and said, "In the past, due to the matter of the Flaming Prison Sea of Fire, I promised you that I would one day help your Tianlu Sect nurture a Heavenly Dao Nascent Soul [a cultivator who formed their Nascent Soul using a supreme method aligned with heavenly laws]."

"My original thought was that if such a disciple truly possessed the aptitude for Primordial Spirit and was worthy of cultivation, I might assist their breakthrough in the future."

"But you must understand," Eldrin Chen paused briefly here, his tone shifting, "if you claim this Primordial Spirit opportunity now, the karmic debt [the metaphysical principle of cause and effect governing actions and their consequences] between our two families will be settled. It will cease to exist."

"Ancient Ancestor..."

The Tianlu Sect Master knelt upon the ground. Within his pupils flickered a tumult of emotions—struggle, melancholy, and a profound, helpless resignation.

On one side lay his own ethereal and elusive path of cultivation [the journey of spiritual refinement and enlightenment], and on the other, the boundless potential for the future of the Sect. This placed Tianlu Sect Master in a state of agonizing indecision.

An immeasurable span of time seemed to pass before Tianlu Sect Master finally let out a sigh. Gritting his teeth, he forced out the words, "This junior has made his decision. If I do not seize this chance to strive now, I fear my remaining years will be spent in bitter regret."

"I understand."

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod. From his sleeve, he produced a single Lotus Seed [a sacred seed imbued with potent life force and spiritual properties]. "You must understand," he intoned, his voice grave, "once this step is taken, there is no turning back."

"This junior..."

Gazing upon the Lotus Seed, a tumult of emotions—bitter, sweet, and complex—surged within Tianlu Sect Master's heart, rendering him momentarily speechless.

Yet, the terror that resides between life and death is profound. This seed might represent his sole hope of breaking through to the Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator, a higher state of being]. The thought of his cultivation over several Millennium [a period of one thousand years] flowing away like water into the east if he did not act...

In the end, he suppressed the guilt in his heart and accepted the Lotus Seed. "This junior will forever remember the Ancient Ancestor's grace bestowed today."

Watching Tianlu Sect Master depart, Lyra Jiang stepped forward from a short distance away. She sighed softly and said, "The great terror at the brink of life and death... it is truly a feeling difficult to put into words."

"Hmm." Eldrin Chen nodded, then shook his head slightly. "Human nature manifests in countless forms. Not everyone would necessarily make the same choice."

Lyra Jiang [the Immortal Maiden Lyra Jiang] nodded upon hearing this, her thoughts drifting to Eldrin Chen's old friend, Varen Wei. That man had poured his heart and soul into his clan his entire life, a dedication that could truly be described as serving with utter devotion until his last breath.

Even at the critical juncture between life and death in his twilight years, he withstood the temptation of aid from Demonic Cultivators [practitioners who cultivate using demonic or unorthodox methods] and renounced the chance to forge a Golden Core [the third major stage of cultivation, forming a solidified golden spiritual core] via the Demonic Path [the unorthodox and often malevolent cultivation path], refusing to betray Eldrin Chen.

There was also the Grand Elder Qingxu Chen, who chose to face his own peaceful demise through meditation, willingly passing the Longevity Pill [a pill that extends the cultivator's lifespan] to a junior to aid their breakthrough into the Foundation Establishment [the second major stage of cultivation, establishing a solid spiritual foundation] realm.

And then Second Elder Riverius Chen, who, with a Foundation Establishment Pill [a pill that aids in breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm] right before his eyes, restrained that sliver of hope and gave the opportunity to one with greater potential.

"The human heart, human nature... they are inscrutable,"

Eldrin Chen sighed, ultimately saying no more. This novel is serialized on audio-novel dot com. Visit for updates.

Seeing this, Lyra Jiang spoke up, "Elara [the Immortal Maiden Elara] has had good fortune. She successfully broke through to the Nascent Soul Late Stage [the late stage of the fifth major cultivation realm, where the cultivator's nascent soul is fully formed] during this seclusion."

"Oh?"

Eldrin Chen's eyes flickered slightly, a genuine smile of pleasure gracing his features.

Elara Lin possessed an Ice Spiritual Root [an innate affinity for ice-attribute spiritual energy], granting her an exceptionally swift cultivation speed. Her breakthrough into the Nascent Soul, 6th Tier [the sixth tier of cultivation, corresponding to the Nascent Soul realm] had actually occurred several years earlier than Eldrin Chen's own.

Alas, her foundation was merely that of an Earthly Dao Nascent Soul [a Nascent Soul realm cultivator whose power is tied to the earthly, material world]. Thereafter, she remained stuck before the threshold of the Nascent Soul, 7th Tier [the seventh major stage of cultivation, the Nascent Soul realm]. She attempted the breakthrough twice in succession, yet neither attempt bore fruit, delaying her progress for a full six hundred years and more.

Fortunately, she had a master like Lyra Jiang, from whom she could obtain a Heavenly Dao Pill [a supreme elixir that aligns one's cultivation with the Heavenly Dao, immensely aiding breakthroughs]—a treasure others could only dream of—once every two centuries.

Only after three such consecutive breakthroughs did Elara Lin finally surmount that great barrier, advancing in one fell swoop to the realm of Nascent Soul Late Stage [the final phase of the Nascent Soul cultivation stage].

Recalling Elara Lin's breakthrough to Nascent Soul Late Stage, Eldrin Chen sighed and said, "For nearly two Millennium [a period of one thousand years], Elara has repeatedly distinguished herself in battle for our clan, standing as one of its greatest contributors."

"Though her cultivation level may now lag somewhat behind ours, we must never, under any circumstances, abandon her."

"Let us reserve this final Lotus Seed [a sacred seed from a spiritual lotus, containing immense life force and purity] for her. It is also time we began preparations for her attempt to break through to the Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator, the realm beyond Nascent Soul]."

Lyra Jiang nodded in agreement, then spoke, "However, given Elara's foundational strength, her hopes of breaking through to Primordial Spirit remain exceedingly slim."

"It is not an insurmountable difficulty," Eldrin Chen shook his head, then sighed. "I still possess my final Three Strands of Primordial Violet Qi [strands of the most primordial and potent violet spiritual energy, foundational for creating supreme treasures]. With just one more Jiazi-time [a cycle of sixty years] of accumulation, I can nurture and refine a single Pure Yang Spiritual Treasure [a treasure of the highest yang purity, capable of immense power]."

"In the coming days, journey to the Drifting Snow Palace and exchange for a piece of Frost Soul Treasure Metal [a rare, spiritually attuned metal used to forge supreme treasures]. I shall use my Primordial Essence [the most fundamental and pure form of spiritual energy] to elevate her Frost Soul Chilling Radiance Sword to the level of a Pure Yang Spiritual Treasure. That should suffice."

"Very well," she agreed.

Upon hearing this, Lyra Jiang could not help but reveal a faint smile. If Elara Lin's Lifebound Immortal Sword were to advance in rank, her hope of breaking through to the Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] realm would increase significantly. However, doing so would greatly heighten the risk of exposing the secrets of the myself [referring to the speaker's own profound cultivation or hidden potential].

After all, when Lila and the others advanced their Spiritual Treasure [an enchanted artifact bound to a cultivator's soul], they had their own unique opportunities—some were aided by a Superior Grade Dao Body [an exceptionally rare and powerful innate physique], while others succeeded through sheer fortune. Elara Lin possessed neither such a rare constitution nor a comparable stroke of fate.

Fortunately, Eldrin Chen's cultivation had now reached the pinnacle of this world. As a peerless Pure Yang [a supreme cultivation stage representing the peak of yang energy] Ancient Ancestor, he no longer needed to worry about the prying eyes and schemes of others.

With that, Eldrin Chen had distributed and consumed all the Nascent Soul Pill [a precious elixir that aids in forming the Nascent Soul] and Lotus Seed [a spiritual herb with potent medicinal properties] in his possession.

With these matters settled, Eldrin Chen proceeded to the Flaming Prison Sea of Fire [a legendary sea of eternal flames] to begin the process of advancing his Creation Azure Lotus Platform [a mystical platform artifact].

This was his fourth Lifebound Spiritual Treasure [a spiritual artifact intimately connected to its owner's life force]. With the experience gained from the previous advancements, this process proceeded much more swiftly. In merely nine years, it was successfully accomplished.

Afterward, he spent several more years elevating the Creation Azure Lotus Platform to the Sixth Rank Middle Grade [a specific tier denoting the power level of a treasure or cultivation stage].

By this time, all four of Eldrin Chen's Innate Pure Yang Spiritual Treasure [spiritual treasures of the highest innate yang purity]—the Heavenly Separated Twin Swords, the Yin-Yang Void Realm [a treasure capable of manipulating the void between yin and yang], and the Creation Azure Lotus Platform—had reached the Sixth Rank Middle Grade.

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