Chapter 857 Impacting the Yuanshen

“Eldrin (Person Name)。”

Seeing this, Qing Ji and the others wanted to say something to persuade him.

Saint Lord Dorian (Person Name) simply shook his head before murmuring thoughtfully, "He is right. Tribulation cannot be avoided."

"Moreover, the Mountain Protection Array of the Guyuan Mountain Range possesses extraordinary power, making it truly the optimal place to undergo the Heavenly Tribulation."

The news that Eldrin (Person Name) was attempting to break through to the Nascent Soul realm at Gu Yuan Mountain quickly spread far and wide.

For a figure of his stature, every move was a focal point for the world. An endeavor as monumental as impacting the Nascent Soul could not remain concealed—a mere deduction would unveil it.

He had no intention of concealing it either. Upon arriving at Mount Guyuan, he immediately penned letters 1 after another, dispatching them to a dozen or so close Daoist Masters of Primordial Spirit.

Thus, before long, 1 Eldrin Daoist after another arrived at the Gu Yuan Mountain Range.

In a short span of time, multiple Primordial Spirit Dao Lords had gathered atop the Gu Yuan Mountains.

Around Eldrin alone, there stood 5 Primordial Spirit, Early Stage cultivators: Chen Changxuan, Lyra, Qing Ji, Lila, and Seraphina Qu.

Although Lyra's (Person Name) spirit treasure had yet to advance to the sixth-tier, middle grade, it already possessed combat power roughly equivalent to that of the Primordial Spirit, Mid Stage (Cultivation Realm).

In addition, there were also Maris the Sea Steader (Person Name), Haoyuan Daojun (Person Name), and Dorian (Person Name), among others.

These individuals were Dao Lords providing direct guardianship for him. Beyond that, Eldrin (Person Name) had also secured several sworn commitments.

The Ziyuan Dao Lord of the Lin Immortal Clan (Organization) agreed to keep watch over the Crocodile Ancestor for him, while the master of the Endless Sky Pavilion (Organization), despite his injured body, personally journeyed to the Vast Murky Marsh.

For this reason, the Demon-Subduing Arhat traveled hundreds of millions of miles to the Eastern Sea to guard the Horizon Pavilion on behalf of its master, thus indirectly contributing to the cause.

And aside from the reactions from the numerous human Nascent Souls, the Outer Realm Demons and the Nascent Soul demons of the Violet Realm also began to stir.

In the Starry Lake Ancient Domain, the Garuda Heavenly Demon, having just crossed the Dragon-Slaying Mountains, received the news and revealed a cold, mocking smile.

"That brat from the Abyss slew my son in the past, and now he dares to attempt a breakthrough right under my watch—truly courting death."

At the bottom of an endless sea of blood, a crimson figure opened his eyes. "This calamity from the Abyss of Demons has allowed me to devour immeasurable essence blood. I have finally regained a fraction of my former power."

"Now that the Eastern Emperor and Jiang Emperor are no more, and those old fools of the Dao Palace masters have trapped themselves within the formation, it is only fitting that I, the Blood Demon Ancestor, return to the mortal realm."

Meanwhile, in the distant Sunfire Ancient Domain of the Central Ancestral Region, both Dao Lords Xuri and Xuanyang were shrouded in dark aura, their pupils completely stained crimson.

With a murderous glint in his eyes and an expression as cold as frost, the Profound Sun Patriarch demanded, "The Abyss has inflicted grievous wounds upon us both. Now that young whelp stands at the threshold of enlightenment—shall we simply stand by and watch?"

Xuan Yang...

Elder Sunrise gazed into the crimson-tinged eyes of Elder Xuan Yang, his own eyelids twitching uncontrollably.

A flicker of agony crossed his face, and trails of bloody tears actually streamed from his pupils. "This invasion by the extraterrestrial demons—we've both fallen under the control of our inner demons."

"Not only did I fail to participate in the Abyssal War, but I have also committed such an earth-shattering mistake. I, Xuri, have failed our ancestors. You must not repeat these errors!"

As the words of the Daystar Dao Lord faded, his gaze swept across the vast expanse of the Daystar Holy Land. Before him lay a scene of carnage—corpses strewn across the land, shrouded in billowing miasmas of baleful energy and bloodlust.

It turned out that during the recent Abyssal Cataclysm, the 2 Dao Lords of the Fang family—Xuri and Xuanyang—were gripped by fear and dared not join the campaign against the demonic abyss. This revealed a profound flaw in their spiritual fortitude.

Seizing this opportunity, the Outer Realm Demonic Gods invaded their minds with inner demons, luring them into qi deviation.

The 2 of them had always harbored wicked intentions, and believing that the Violet Realm was likely doomed regardless, they succumbed to the temptations of their inner demons. In a sudden surge of malevolence, they sacrificed the entire Fang Family through a blood ritual and turned to the demonic path.

At this moment, Daoist Rising Sun regained his senses, but it was already too late, leaving him utterly consumed by regret.

"Clan Master, you are being utterly delusional!"

Watching Dawnbreak Dao Lord’s regret, Mystic Sun Dao Lord let out a cold sneer. “As for the upcoming battle at Horizon Pavilion, the master of Horizon Pavilion has made it clear—once his injuries heal, he will surely come for the 2 of us.”

"Even if you have no fear of the Master of the Horizon Pavilion, do you truly believe the Abyssal Return Daoist will mercifully spare us both after his breakthrough into the Nascent Soul realm?"

At this point, Elder Xuan Yang (Cultivator) sneered coldly, "Moreover, having pledged allegiance to the Eldrin (Outer God), do you truly believe the 2 of us still have a path of retreat?"

"This..."

Elder Eldrin's face shifted through a spectrum of emotions, finally settling into an expression of profound dilemma.

Seeing this, the Mystic Sun Dao Lord pressed his advantage: "Why don't we see this through to the end and slay that Void-returning Daoist?"

"After all, this man is a major thorn in the side of the Eldrin. Eliminating him would mean removing the greatest threat to the Eldrin. Surely, we would be highly valued by the Eldrin for such a feat."

"When His Majesty the Demon God acquires the relics of the Violet Immortal Lord in the future and breaks through to the Earth Immortal realm, or even the Celestial Immortal realm, who knows—you and I might just ascend to become 9 Nether Demon Gods ourselves."

Heeding the counsel of Elder Xuan Yang, Elder Xu Ri was ultimately persuaded, regaining his composure from the throes of remorse.

He wiped away his crocodile tears, his expression shifting from sorrow to a cold sneer as he said, "You're right. If you and I can achieve the status of Demon God, what does sacrificing the Fang Clan members even matter?"

Above Gu Yuan Mountain, 1 Eldrin (Person Name) after another gathered here, each revealing solemn expressions.

Meanwhile, Eldrin sat cross-legged in the seclusion chamber, regulating his condition as he awaited the opportune moment to break through to the Nascent Soul stage.

No 1 knew how much time had passed when Eldrin felt his spiritual power accumulating to its absolute peak. His physical body, magic energy, and divine soul had all reached their most flourishing state.

"Now!"

In that very instant, without the slightest hesitation, he summoned his overwhelming cultivation power to pierce through the boundless firmament, striving to pull down the celestial soul from the 9 Heavens Above.

For a moment, a magnificent and resplendent aura blossomed, engulfing the vast Gu Yuan Mountain Range.

Wary gazes watched as a resplendent golden sun descended through the boundless firmament.

"It has already begun!"

Seeing this, Lyra (Person Name) and the others all wore solemn expressions.

Seeing this, the Dorian Saint Monarch immediately spoke up, "Everyone, be careful. The heavenly tribulation is upon us!"

Boom—

At that very moment, the vast heavens tore open as an azure true dragon soared through the rift, charging toward the pinnacle of Guyuan Mountain Range.

Everyone looked up and saw that the newcomer was none other than the Azure Dragon Demon Ancestor.

The Azure Dragon Demon Ancestor had long-standing enmity with Eldrin, further compounded by the life-and-death grudge involving the Sea-Roaring Sword of the Azure Dragon. Now, even at the cost of disregarding the stability of the Violet Realm, he was determined to thwart Eldrin’s path to enlightenment.

"How dare you block my path to enlightenment!"

Seeing that it was the Azure Dragon Demon Ancestor, Qing Ji’s eyes instantly turned cold. In that very moment, she summoned the Azure Dragon Roiling Sea Sword and slashed toward the past.

With the foundation of Qing Ji's Green Lotus Immortal Fetus, although she had only recently broken through to the Primordial Spirit realm and hadn't fully digested her gains, her strength had still increased tremendously, placing her at the very pinnacle of the Primordial Spirit, Early Stage (Cultivation Realm).

Now facing the Eldrin (Person Name) in combat, he immediately suppressed the opponent into continuous retreat, forcing him into a disadvantaged position.

Chapter 1: The Prodigy's Fall The mountain peaks pierced the clouds like jagged swords, their summits veiled in swirling mists where spiritual energy coalesced into visible streams. This was the Azure Dragon Sect, 1 of the 9 great immortal cultivation sanctuaries of the Eastern Wilderness. Ling Feng stood at the edge of the Broken Soul Cliff, his white robes fluttering in the biting wind. Just 3 years ago, he had been the most promising young disciple of his generation, the youngest in the sect's history to reach the Foundation Establishment realm at 16. Elders had predicted he would form his Golden Core before 30. Now, at 19, his cultivation had stagnated at the peak of Foundation Establishment. Countless disciples who once looked up to him now whispered behind his back. "The prodigy has fallen," they said. "Wasted talent." A cold smile touched Ling Feng's lips as he recalled the incident that changed everything—the mysterious explosion during his secluded cultivation that damaged his meridians beyond conventional repair. The sect's physicians had shaken their heads in resignation, declaring his case hopeless. Suddenly, a sharp voice cut through the mountain breeze. "Well, if it isn't our former genius." Ling Feng didn't need to turn to recognize the speaker—Zhang Hu, a fellow inner sect disciple who had always envied his talent. Now, Zhang Hu took every opportunity to mock him. "Still staring at the clouds, dreaming of your lost glory?" Zhang Hu sneered, stepping closer with 2 companions. "The annual inner sect tournament begins tomorrow. I heard the elders are considering expelling those who haven't broken through to the next realm in 3 years." Ling Feng remained silent, his gaze fixed on the distant peaks where spiritual hawks circled. The tournament—once his stage to shine, now potentially his final humiliation. "Nothing to say?" Zhang Hu's voice grew sharper. "You know, if you beg me, I might put in a good word with my uncle, an elder. Maybe they'll let you stay as an outer disciple sweeping floors." The 2 disciples behind him chuckled. Suddenly, a brilliant streak of light descended from the highest peak, resolving into the majestic figure of Elder Wu, his long silver beard flowing despite the absence of wind. "Disciple Ling Feng," the elder's voice echoed with spiritual power that made the very air tremble. "The Sect Master summons you." Zhang Hu and his companions immediately dropped their mocking expressions, bowing deeply with respect they never showed Ling Feng. Elder Wu's eyes held a complex emotion as they rested on Ling Feng—pity, regret, and something else the young disciple couldn't identify. Without another word, the elder flicked his sleeve, and a glowing sword materialized before them, expanding to the size of a small boat. "Come," he commanded. As they ascended toward the main peak, Ling Feng noticed they weren't heading toward the Sect Master's hall, but toward the forbidden rear mountains where only the most senior elders were permitted. The sword carried them through layers of protective formations that shimmered like rainbow-colored soap bubbles as they passed. Finally, they landed before a cave hidden behind a cascading waterfall of liquid spiritual energy. Inside sat not the Sect Master, but the legendary Grand Elder Ming Zhen, who had been in closed-door cultivation for over a 100 years. The ancient cultivator's eyes opened, and Ling Feng felt his very soul being examined. "Child," the Grand Elder's voice was surprisingly gentle. "What if I told you your meridian damage wasn't an accident, but the awakening of a rare constitution not seen in 10 1000 years?" Before Ling Feng could process this, the elder produced an ancient jade slip covered in mysterious runes that seemed to swim across its surface. "This is the Heavenly Dao Scripture, lost since the era of the Ancient Emperor. It can only be cultivated by those with your unique constitution." Ling Feng's heart, frozen in despair for 3 years, began to beat with a newfound hope. 1 100 years had passed since anyone had achieved Nascent Soul formation in the Azure Dragon Sect. Was this his destiny? He reached for the jade slip, his fingers trembling slightly. As they made contact, the runes glowed with ethereal light and swarmed up his arm, embedding themselves in his consciousness. The Grand Elder's eyes held a profound depth. "The path ahead will be more difficult than anything you can imagine. The Heavenly Dao Tribulation is 10 times more powerful than ordinary heavenly tribulations. But the rewards..." Ling Feng didn't need to hear more. For the first time in 3 years, a genuine smile graced his lips. "I choose power." Outside the cave, thunder rumbled in the distance, as if the heavens themselves had heard his declaration and issued their challenge.