Chapter 871 Human Heart, Human Nature

Among his former friends were Mo the Ancient 1, Lingxu Immortal Master, Zixu Taoist Master, the Lord of Tianlu Sect, and numerous other Nascent Soul True Lords.

Now, after 1 1000 years had passed, among them, Mo the Ancient 1 (Person Name) fell in battle, while Lingxu Xianzi (Person Name) had her lifespan severely depleted due to injuries sustained at her foundation during the great war at the Demonic Abyss, ultimately leading to her demise from exhaustion of life force.

Daoist Zixu possessed a Heavenly Dao Nascent Soul foundation, favored and protected by various Dao Lords. Yet, his physical body was destroyed in the great war.

Among the remaining survivors, the Lord of the Barren Heaven Sect had also fallen in the great calamity. The 9-River Daoist had broken through to the Half-Step Primordial Spirit (Cultivation Realm) and, with the support he recently received from Eldrin (Person Name), could still be considered to have a promising future.

However, the master of the Heavenly Reed Sect faced a far greater challenge, for he was even older than the River-Traversing Daoist by some years.

In his earlier years, he had been stuck at the threshold of the Nascent Soul, 7th Tier (Cultivation Realm), breaking through 5 times in succession before finally succeeding. Later, during the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm, he was severely wounded and forced to undergo Tribulation Transcendence Rebirth.

Upon careful calculation, the master of the Heavenly Abode was now over 7 1000 years old, yet his cultivation had only barely broken through to the Half-Step Primordial Spirit (Cultivation Realm) stage. It could be said his path of dao had been exceedingly arduous.

"Old friends have fallen, like withered leaves."

The Lord of the Heavenly Abode Sect murmured to himself, then let out a soft sigh after a moment.

He knelt resolutely, his gaze unwavering as he declared, "I have come seeking an opportunity to attain the Nascent Soul realm."

"I beseech the Ancestor, in consideration of this junior having fought blood-soaked battles for humanity across numerous great wars, to grant me a thread of opportunity to attain the Dao."

"Alas!"

Eldrin let out a soft sigh. He had long seen through the intentions of the Heavenly Abyss Sect Master with perfect clarity.

That day, the master of Tianlu Sect heard that the 9-River Daoist and others had obtained a stroke of fortune. He sought to leverage his long-standing ties with the Chen Family to negotiate with Eldrin for an opportunity concerning the Primordial Spirit.

However, the master of Tianlu Sect was merely an Earth-grade Nascent Soul. With his current foundation and reserves being severely lacking, his hope of breaking through to the Spirit Severing realm was exceedingly slim—virtually nonexistent.

Eldrin was not optimistic about this matter. He let out a faint sigh and said, "Back then, due to the incident at the Blazing Prison Sea of Flames, I made you a promise—to help your Heavenly Abode Sect cultivate a Heavenly Dao Nascent Soul cultivator 1 day."

"I had thought that if he truly possessed the soul aptitude and showed promise, I might assist him in breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage in the future."

"You must understand," at this point, Eldrin's voice paused slightly, "if you claim this Nascent Soul opportunity now, the karmic bond between our 2 families shall cease to exist henceforth."

"Ancestral Elder..."

The Sect Master of Tianlu knelt on the ground, his pupils flickering with a trace of struggle, a hint of melancholy, and a touch of resignation.

On 1 side lay his own elusive path to enlightenment, on the other the boundless potential for his future sect—a dilemma that tormented the heart of the Eldrin (Person Name) with unbearable indecision.

No 1 knew how much time had passed when the Sect Master of Heavenly Abode let out a heavy sigh. Gritting his teeth, he declared, “This junior has made up his mind. If I do not seize this chance to strive now, I fear I shall live out the remainder of my days drowning in regret.”

"I understand."

Eldrin nodded, then produced a lotus seed from his sleeve and spoke, "You must understand, once this step is taken, there is no turning back."

"This junior…"

Gazing at the lotus seed before him, the Lord of Sky Abode Sect felt a tumult of conflicting emotions swirling within, momentarily beyond articulation.

Yet between life and death lies the ultimate terror—and perhaps his only hope to break through to the Nascent Soul stage. He knew that if he did not seize this chance, millennia of cultivation would vanish like dust in the wind.

In the end, he suppressed the guilt in his heart and took the lotus seed. "This elder’s grace today shall be remembered by this junior."

Watching the sect master of Heavenly Abode depart, Lyra (Person Name) stepped out from a short distance away and sighed. "Life and death moments carry immense dread, sometimes beyond words."

"Mm." Eldrin nodded, then shook his head. "Though life reveals myriad facets, not every soul treads such paths."

Hearing this, Lyra (Person Name) also nodded, recalling Eldrin's (Person Name) old friend Varen (Person Name), who had dedicated his entire life to the family with unwavering devotion—truly deserving the description of having "spent himself to the utmost."

In his twilight years, facing the brink of life and death, he withstood the temptations offered by the demonic cultivators, relinquishing the chance to forge a Demonic Core, unwilling to betray Eldrin (Person Name).

There was also the Great Elder Chen Qingxu, who would rather face his own nirvana than pass the Life-Extending Elixir to the younger generation, aiding them in breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm.

Then there was Second Elder Chen Qinghe, who had the Foundation Establishment Pill (Spiritual Object) right before his eyes, yet could restrain that sliver of hope and give the opportunity to someone with greater potential.

"The human heart, human nature, are unfathomable..."

Eldrin (Person Name) let out a soft sigh, ultimately refraining from saying anything more.

Witnessing this, Lyra remarked, "Elara has had a stroke of luck. This time, through secluded cultivation, she has broken through to the late Nascent Soul stage."

"Oh?"

Eldrin's eyes flickered slightly, a trace of delight unconsciously surfacing in his gaze.

Elara, a cultivator with an Ice Spiritual Root, possessed an astonishingly rapid cultivation speed. She achieved a breakthrough to the Nascent Soul, 6th Tier several years earlier than Eldrin had.

Alas, her foundation was that of a mundane Nascent Soul, and she remained stuck at the threshold of the Nascent Soul, 7th Tier (Cultivation Realm). Despite 2 successive attempts to break through, she failed both times, delaying her progress for over 6 100 years.

Fortunately, she had a master like Lyra (Person Name), allowing her to obtain a Heavenly Dao Pill (Spiritual Object) every 2 100 years—something ordinary cultivators could only dream of acquiring.

After breaking through 3 times in succession, Elara finally surmounted this major barrier, advancing directly to the late Nascent Soul stage.

Thinking of Elara (Person Name) breaking through to the late Nascent Soul stage, Eldrin (Person Name) sighed and said, "For nearly 2 1000 years, Elara (Person Name) has repeatedly distinguished herself in battle for our family, making her 1 of our clan's greatest contributors."

"Although her cultivation level has somewhat fallen behind ours now, we absolutely must not abandon her."

"This last lotus seed shall be kept for her. It's time to make preparations for his breakthrough to the Nascent Soul realm as well."

Lyra nodded, then spoke, "However, given Elara's foundation, her chances of breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage are likely slim at best."

"Not particularly difficult." Eldrin shook his head, then sighed. "I still possess 3 final strands of Primordial Purple Qi. After accumulating cultivation for another 60-year cycle, I'll be able to nourish and manifest a pure Yang spirit treasure."

"In a few days, journey to the Drifting Snow Palace and exchange for a piece of Frost-Soul Treasure Gold. Once I infuse it with Primordial Violet Qi to elevate her Frost-Light Sword of the Icy Soul into a realm of Pure Yang Spiritual Treasure, it shall be complete."

"Very well."

Upon hearing this, Lyra couldn't help but reveal a faint smile. If Elara's Lifebound Immortal Sword were to advance, the hope of breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm would significantly increase. However, this would substantially heighten the risk of Hongmeng's own exposure.

After all, when Lila and the others had advanced to the Spirit Treasure realm, they had their own serendipities—some were forged from superior Dao bodies. Elara possessed neither such fortune nor such constitution.

Fortunately, Eldrin's cultivation had now reached the pinnacle of this realm, making him the peerless Patriarch of Pure Yang. There was no longer any need to worry about others' covetous gazes and schemes.

Thus, Eldrin (Person Name) had completely distributed and consumed all the Soul Elixir and lotus seeds in his possession.

With matters here concluded, Eldrin departed for the Sea of Blazing Flames to commence his advancement of the Chaos Azure Lotus Platform.

This was his fourth life-bound spiritual treasure. Drawing from his previous experiences, the ascension process proceeded much more swiftly this time. In merely 9 years, he had already achieved success.

He then spent several more years advancing the Creation Cyan Lotus Platform to mid-stage, sixth rank.

By this time, Eldrin’s 4 life-bound Pure Yang Spirit Treasures—the Celestial Departure Twin Swords, the Yin-Yang Void Mirror, and the Creation Azure Lotus Throne—had all advanced to the mid sixth-tier.

Chapter 1 The biting cold wind howled across the icy plains, carrying with it the scent of frost and decay. A lone figure trudged through the knee-deep snow, his tattered robes offering little protection against the elements. This was Lin Feng, once a proud disciple of the Frozen Cloud Sect, now an exile. "Just you wait," he muttered through chapped lips, his breath forming clouds of mist in the frigid air. "I, Lin Feng, will return." His fingers unconsciously traced the jade slip hidden within his robes—the very object that had brought about his downfall, yet also his greatest opportunity. The Heavenly Dao Scripture (Cultivation Method), a legendary cultivation art lost for millennia, now rested in his possession. Suddenly, a brilliant flash of crimson light pierced the gray sky, followed by a deafening roar that shook the very earth. Lin Feng's eyes widened as he saw a massive crater form not 5 100 meters away, steam rising from where the snow had instantly vaporized. Cautiously approaching, he found at the center of the impact site a peculiar object—a meteorite fragment glowing with an unearthly red hue. As he drew nearer, the jade slip in his robes began to vibrate intensely, emitting a soft, harmonious chime. "The legends are true," Lin Feng breathed, his heart racing. "The Heavenly Dao Scripture resonates with the celestial metal!" He reached out, his fingers brushing against the warm, metallic surface. In that instant, a flood of ancient knowledge poured into his mind—secrets of the stars, methods to harness cosmic energy, and techniques thought lost to time. [System initializing...] [Celestial Cultivation System activated] [Host: Lin Feng] [Cultivation Base: Qi Condensation - 7th Layer] [Comprehension: 32 points] Lin Feng staggered back, overwhelmed by the influx of information. The system interface floated before his eyes, transparent yet unmistakably real. "So this is my chance," he whispered, a fierce determination burning in his eyes. "With this system and the Heavenly Dao Scripture, I'll surpass them all." He sat cross-legged in the snow, ignoring the biting cold, and began circulating his qi according to the newly revealed methods. The energy within his dantian churned and expanded, the surrounding spiritual energy converging toward him at an astonishing rate. [Congratulations! Breakthrough to Qi Condensation - 8th Layer] [Reward: 1,000 system points] [New quest available: Reach Foundation Establishment within 3 months] Lin Feng opened his eyes, newfound power coursing through his veins. The endless snowfields no longer seemed desolate but filled with opportunity. Somewhere beyond these frozen wastes, his enemies believed him dead and forgotten. "They will learn," he vowed, his voice steady and cold. "The disciple they cast aside will become the legend they fear." Gathering his robes around him, Lin Feng began walking southward. His journey of revenge—and ascension—had just begun.