Chapter 1 : Dawn's Light and Destiny's Path

"Young Master, the Third Elder summons you."

The maidservant called softly from a short distance away, her demeanor tinged with a hint of formality.

Eldrin Chen sat cross-legged upon a great stone at the cliff's edge, his eyes closed as he inhaled and exhaled the morning's rosy light, continuously nurturing that wisp of Primordial Essence [the foundational, pure energy of creation] within his chest.

"Has the hour of the Dragon [the time period from seven to nine AM] already arrived?"

He murmured to himself, then added, "Go inform the Third Elder that I shall be there shortly."

After the maidservant departed, Eldrin Chen continued until he had devoured the final strand of dawn's radiance before slowly concluding his cultivation session.

Fifteen years had passed since his rebirth into this world. Each dawn and dusk, he would come to this place to absorb the essence of the sun and moon, transforming it into Primordial Essence.

This cultivation art of devouring the dawn's light was named the Primordial Scripture. He had stumbled upon it by chance in his previous life, from a humble market stall. After crossing into this world, it had become the supreme method that altered his destiny.

The Primordial Scripture could convert the power of dawn's light and moonlight into The Creative Primordial Essence [a supreme, violet-hued energy of creation]. This violet Qi [vital energy] possessed wondrous and profound uses. Among those he had discovered so far was its miraculous ability to enhance one's spiritual root aptitude.

He possessed Five Spiritual Roots [the lowest grade of spiritual aptitude, representing an affinity for all five base elements], a talent considered exceedingly poor. However, he was born with an innate wisp of The Creative Primordial Essence, which had elevated his aptitude to rival that of someone with Three Spiritual Roots [a mid-grade spiritual aptitude]. Original publication: (audio-novel.com) - The source of this chapter. Support the author by reading on audio_novel.com.

Eldrin Chen understood deeply that this cultivation method was the greatest opportunity of his life. For over a decade, he had practiced it diligently without cease, painstakingly absorbing the essence of the dawn's first light and the moon's silvery glow to accumulate Primordial Essence [the purest form of foundational spiritual energy]. He had never revealed it before anyone.

He was unwilling to let others know even his true spiritual root aptitude, claiming only to possess the talent of Two Spiritual Roots.

In this life, his family background was rather favorable. The Chen Clan was a minor cultivation clan, boasting over one hundred cultivators among its members and, more importantly, a Foundation Establishment Realm [the second major stage of cultivation, where one solidifies their spiritual foundation] Patriarch overseeing its affairs.

Though it might be considered insignificant when viewed against the vastness of the world, within the tens of thousands of Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] that comprised Yu County, the clan's voice carried considerable weight.

As the most outstanding talent among the Chen Clan's younger generation, great expectations had been placed upon him since childhood. He did not disappoint, astonishingly breaking through to the Qi Refinement Seventh Layer [the seventh stage of the first major cultivation realm] at the mere age of fifteen—a feat that rivaled veterans who had cultivated for decades.

In contrast, the vast majority of his peers, at that age, would have barely reached the Qi Refinement First or Second Layer.

Most cultivators laid their foundation before the age of ten, began formal cultivation around eleven or twelve, and could only rely on gradual, persistent effort to break into the Mid to Late Qi Refinement by their forties or fifties.

Blessed with the wisdom of a past life, he had begun his Qi Refinement [the process of refining spiritual energy within the body] at three years old. This granted him eight or nine additional, precious years of cultivation time compared to others, allowing his cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds and enabling him to reach the Qi Refinement, Late Stage just three months prior.

After this breakthrough, his standing within the Chen Clan rose significantly. He now received greater attention from the clan and could be considered to have tentatively stepped into its upper echelons.

Gathering his wandering thoughts, Eldrin Chen stood up and made his way towards the Third Elder's Clan Affairs Hall.

The Cangyuan Mountain Range [a vast mountain range] spans several thousand Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters]. Its main peak, Green Chariot Peak, is counted among the notable spiritual mountains of the entire Yu County. Within its depths flows a Second Rank Middle Grade [a mid-grade spiritual vein of the second rank] spiritual vein. It is said that for centuries, this territory was ruled by a Second Rank [pertaining to the second major tier of power] demonic beast, the Green Ape [a powerful, intelligent ape-like creature infused with wood-attribute spiritual energy].

Later, an ancestor of the Chen Clan [a cultivation family] slew the beast, seized this precious spiritual vein, took wives and concubines, and thus founded this immortal cultivation lineage.

The spiritual energy [the vital energy that flows through all living things and the world] across the entire Green Chariot Peak is thinner at the mountain's base, growing richer and more concentrated towards the summit. Most clan members below the sixth layer of the Qi Refinement [the initial stage of cultivation where one refines their body's vital energy] realm have their cultivation caves and residences carved into the mountainside.

Further up lie the seventeen Mu-area [one Mu-area equals six hundred sixty-six point six seven square meters] of spiritual fields [land infused with spiritual energy, suitable for growing rare herbs and crops] cultivated by the Chen Clan, along with the main clan hall. The Back Mountain, where the spiritual vein's spring-eye [the focal point and source of a spiritual vein's energy] is located, serves as the personal cultivation ground for the clan patriarch.

The Third Elder, Lior Chen, oversees the day-to-day affairs of the clan. His seat of authority, the Clan Affairs Hall, is situated at the very peak.

As soon as Eldrin Chen stepped into the Clan Affairs Hall, he sensed an unusual tension. The atmosphere within the great hall was heavy and solemn, occupied by over a dozen figures.

"I pay my respects to the honored uncles and grand-uncles," he said.

Those present were all high-ranking members of the Chen Clan: the Third Elder, Lior Chen; the Fourth Elder, Chen Alistair; the Fifth Elder, Chen Elara. The remaining individuals were grand-uncles from the Chang Generation [the 'Chang' character generation of the Chen Clan]. From the Nian Generation [the 'Nian' character generation], aside from Eldrin himself, there was only one other elder brother present.

Eternal Pursuit of the Dao, Reflect on Virtue and Ancestors, Support and Prosper the Clan, Ascend to Immortal Eternity.

These sixteen characters form the Chen Clan's generational motto. Passed down to this day, the Chang Generation now numbers only six or seven individuals, excluding the clan patriarch himself.

The Chen Clan [a cultivation family] had a total of seven Elders, all from the Qing generation and at the Qi Refinement, Ninth Layer [the ninth stage of the Qi Refinement cultivation realm]. Among them, the Grand Elder, Chen Kael, was stationed in Pingyang Town.

Pingyang Town had a population of over one hundred thousand, all descendants of the Chen bloodline. Every year, these mortals would produce one or two offspring with spiritual roots [the innate potential for cultivation], making them the very foundation of the clan's legacy.

As mortals were considered prime nourishment for demonic cultivators and monstrous beasts, the Grand Elder would not leave Pingyang Town without grave reason, his duty being to protect these clansmen.

The Second Elder, Chen Riverius, was stationed within the Yuyang Market [a market town for cultivators], managing the family's several shops and thus completely unable to leave his post.

The Seventh Elder, Chen Corin, was merely thirty-one years of age and possessed extraordinary talent. However, he had joined the Green Sun Sect [a major cultivation sect] and could now only be considered half a member of the clan, unable to attend fully to family affairs.

Seeing that all three available clan Elders had gathered—aside from the Clan Leader who was secluded in the Back Mountain [a secluded area for cultivation] healing from injuries—Eldrin Chen sensed with a growing unease that something significant must have occurred. Immerse yourself in the complete world at http://www . audio-novel.com. Join our community of readers at audio‑novel.com.

As Eldrin Chen entered, the Elders nodded in acknowledgment. His breakthrough to the Qi Refinement, Late Stage at the age of fifteen marked talent that rivaled even those with rare spiritual roots. The clan held great hopes for him, seeing a genuine possibility of him reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm [the realm beyond Qi Refinement] in the future.

Lior Chen, presiding over the clan council, gave a particular nod, his typically stern expression softening with a rare hint of warmth.

"Eldrin, you are here."

"Now that everyone is assembled, I shall explain the matter at hand."

Seeing that the dozen or so Qi Refinement, Late Stage cultivators who could attend from the clan had arrived, Lior Chen suppressed his smile, his expression clouding with worry.

Noting his demeanor, Eldrin Chen felt a slight sinking in his heart and could roughly guess the topic of this clan assembly. A year ago, Jiang the Daoist of Celestial Ruins Mountain successfully refined a batch of Foundation Establishment Pill [a rare elixir that aids in breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm]. Four pills were produced from that batch, and two were put up for auction.

The Foundation Establishment Pill was a treasure of immense rarity. At the time, the Chen Clan had to sell off a significant portion of its assets and even incurred substantial debts, ultimately spending over thirty thousand Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] to purchase that single pill.

Clan Leader Chen Thalion was ambushed by rivals precisely because of this pill. Fortunately, as a cultivator at the seventh layer of the Foundation Establishment Realm, he managed to fight his way out of the encirclement with the Foundation Establishment Pill.

Although Chen Thalion managed to slay a Foundation Establishment cultivator in that battle, he himself suffered serious injuries. Since returning to Verdant Chariot Mountain, he has been in secluded cultivation at the Spirit Spring [a spring imbued with concentrated spiritual energy] in the Back Mountain, and his current condition remains unknown.

After the clan obtained the Foundation Establishment Pill, the final candidate for its use was chosen. To attempt a breakthrough into the Foundation Establishment Realm, it is best for a cultivator not to exceed sixty years of age. Beyond that, one's vital Qi [the vital energy that flows through all living things] and blood essence begin to wane. Even with the aid of a Foundation Establishment Pill, the success rate often falls below twenty percent.

Within the clan, seven cultivators at the ninth layer of Qi Refinement remained. Setting aside Chen Corin, who had joined a sect, the Grand Elder was already over seventy, and the Second Elder, Chen Riverius, was past sixty. The Third Elder had damaged his foundational potential in a past battle, extinguishing any hope of a breakthrough.

Among the others, the Sixth Elder, Chen Cedric, was an alchemist. His status and value to the clan surpassed that of the Fourth and Fifth Elders. In the end, he borrowed a massive amount of contribution points and secured the Foundation Establishment Pill.

For the past three months, Chen Cedric had been in secluded cultivation, attempting his breakthrough into the Foundation Establishment Realm. By all reasoning, a result should have emerged by now, regardless of success or failure. Seeing the Third Elder's worried expression once more, Eldrin Chen felt an involuntary dryness tighten his throat. This content originates from audio-novel dot com. Please respect copyright. This chapter appears courtesy of audio-novel[dot]com.