Chapter 6 : A Legacy of Spirit and Stone

A single first-grade low-tier Spiritual Peach Tree [a mystical tree bearing fruit imbued with spiritual energy] can produce roughly forty to fifty Spiritual Peach [peaches infused with spiritual essence] each year. That translates to an annual income of over two hundred Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation].

Spiritual Peach Tree [a mystical tree bearing fruit imbued with spiritual energy] have lifespans measured in centuries. An annual yield of two hundred Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation], accumulated over such a long period, represents a truly immense source of wealth.

If this were indeed a Spiritual Peach Tree [a mystical tree bearing fruit imbued with spiritual energy], it could significantly alleviate the current difficulties faced by the Chen Clan.

"What a pity," he sighed.

As he was lamenting, Eldrin Chen suddenly froze, a crucial memory flashing into his mind.

"The Primordial Chaos Violet Aura [the primordial breath of creation, a supreme energy of genesis]," he whispered.

He recalled that the Primordial Chaos Violet Aura [the primordial breath of creation, a supreme energy of genesis] could elevate one's foundational potential and possessed the wondrous ability to bestow Creation [the power of genesis and transformation] aptitude. Perhaps it could induce a metamorphosis in the Spiritual Peach Tree [a mystical tree bearing fruit imbued with spiritual energy].

Yet, hesitation crept in. The Primordial Chaos Violet Aura [the primordial breath of creation, a supreme energy of genesis] was exceedingly rare. After over a decade of diligent cultivation, he had only managed to accumulate a mere one and a half mouthfuls of this Creation [the power of genesis and transformation]-imbued Violet Aura [a concentrated form of the primordial violet energy].

"I once wished to further enhance my cultivation aptitude," he mused, "but it seems the Primordial Chaos Violet Aura [the primordial breath of creation, a supreme energy of genesis] can only be used once. It is of no use to me now."

"Perhaps advancing the peach tree into a true Spiritual Tree [a tree of significant spiritual power and value], and using the Spiritual Peach [peaches infused with spiritual essence] to aid my cultivation, is the most prudent course of action at present." This novel is serialized on *audio-novel.com*. Visit for updates.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen steeled his resolve. He exhaled a wisp of Primordial Chaos Violet Aura [a supreme, primordial energy of creation and vitality] and guided it to merge into the Spiritual Peach Tree.

As expected, once the Spiritual Peach Tree absorbed that single wisp of Primordial Chaos Violet Aura, a wondrous transformation began to unfold.

The tree grew taller and more luxuriant, its form becoming increasingly ancient and vigorous. An aura of potent spiritual energy seemed to press against the senses, and its peach blossoms bloomed with even more vivid and delicate beauty.

"A Spiritual Root [a plant that has absorbed enough spiritual energy to become a source of ambient cultivation power]," he murmured.

"It has truly advanced to become a First Rank Spiritual Peach Tree."

Eldrin Chen's face lit up with joy, yet a pang of heartache followed. It had taken him a full decade of dedicated cultivation to accumulate that single wisp of Dawn Violet Aura [a rare, condensed form of primordial energy gathered at dawn], and now it was gone in an instant.

Now he only had half a wisp of Dawn Violet Aura left. To accumulate another full wisp would likely require another five or six years of patient effort.

With the Spiritual Peach Tree now ascended, he decided to build a simple Bamboo Hut right beside it. His next task was to begin opening up a Spiritual Field [a field of land specially prepared and infused with spiritual energy for growing spiritual plants].

Opening a Spiritual Field was meticulous work. It wasn't just about clearing the land; one also had to lay down a Spirit Gathering Formation [an array designed to concentrate ambient spiritual energy] within the field. Finally, a Spiritual Farmer [a cultivator specializing in nurturing spiritual plants] had to use the Land Nurturing Art [a cultivation technique for enriching soil with spiritual essence] to gently nourish the earth. Only after all these steps was there a chance of successfully establishing a true Spiritual Field.

Eldrin Chen spent two full days just to clear and prepare three Mu-area [one Mu-area equals six hundred sixty-six point six seven square meters] of land. Setting up the Spirit Gathering Formation consumed another seven or eight days of his time.

The Land Nurturing Art [a spell that enriches and nourishes the land] is a first-rank, upper-grade spell. Cultivators with water or wood Earth Spiritual Root [an innate affinity for the earth element] can cast it, though the cost is significant. Even with his Vital Essence Refinement 7th Tier [the seventh level of body and energy refinement] cultivation, Eldrin Chen could only cast it three times in succession before needing to wait for his Vital Energy [the foundational life force energy] to recover.

To nurture three Mu-area [one Mu-area equals six hundred sixty-six point six seven square meters] of Spiritual Field [a field infused with spiritual energy for growing special crops], he cast the Land Nurturing Art over thirty times, finally succeeding in opening up the three plots.

It was not that he could not open more. The spiritual energy from a first-rank, upper-grade Spiritual Vein [a natural conduit of concentrated spiritual energy] is limited. It must sustain the Azure Verdant Spirit Fish [a type of spiritually infused fish] and also support Eldrin Chen's own cultivation. The remaining energy was only sufficient for three Mu-area of Spiritual Field.

To create more would require using Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] to establish the fields. However, opening one Mu-area of Spiritual Field this way consumes one thousand Spirit Stone. With the Chen Clan's coffers now empty, they simply could not produce such a vast sum.

By the time he finally finished preparing the Spiritual Field, it was already the end of the third month. Eldrin Chen worked diligently for another three days, planting two Mu-area with Spirit Rice [a grain that absorbs spiritual energy] and one Mu-area with Spirit Herb [plants with potent spiritual properties].

"Done," he said.

Looking at the Spirit Rice and Spirit Herb in the Spiritual Field, Eldrin Chen allowed a smile to grace his features.

Spirit Rice matures once a year. One Mu-area of Spiritual Field can yield an annual profit of over twenty Spirit Stone. The two Mu-area would thus bring the clan an income of roughly fifty Spirit Stone each year.

The maturation of Spirit Herb, however, is an exceedingly long process. In this one Mu-area, he had sown seeds for over thirty plants. The fastest would need ten years to grow, while the slower ones would require several decades, even centuries, to reach maturity.

The value of Spirit Herb is immense. Though they do not generate income as quickly as Spirit Rice, they are indispensable for the cultivation of those at the Foundation Establishment [the realm of establishing one's foundational dao core] realm and beyond. They are treasures that are sought after but rarely found.

A few years ago, the Green Chariot Mountain Spirit Herb Garden matured a Verdant Origin Mushroom. The clan patriarch, Eternal Profound Chen, commissioned someone to refine a cauldron of Second Rank High-Grade Pill [a potent cultivation elixir of the second major rank] using this herb, which finally allowed him to break through the bottleneck of the Foundation Establishment 7th Tier [the seventh minor stage within the Foundation Establishment realm].

After planting the Spirit Rice [a grain infused with spiritual energy] and the Spirit Herb [plants used in alchemy and cultivation], Eldrin Chen finally let out a sigh of relief. From then on, he only needed to nurture the Spiritual Field [a field saturated with spiritual energy] with the Land Nurturing Art [a mystical technique to enrich the land's vitality] every half-month and irrigate it once with the Spirit Rain Art [an art to conjure spiritually-charged rain]. The rest of his time could be devoted to cultivation with peace of mind.

Time slipped away unnoticed amidst his cultivation. In the blink of an eye, two months had passed.

On this day, after completing his cultivation routine, Eldrin Chen steered a solitary skiff across the Spirit Isle Lake, taking stock of the Azure Verdant Spirit Fish [spiritually-enhanced fish with azure and verdant scales].

"Why are two missing?"

After repeated counts, Eldrin Chen furrowed his brow. For more chapters, visit audio . novel . com for the complete novel.

The Azure Verdant Spirit Fish typically swam in schools behind their king, following the aquatic plants they fed upon. With the Azure Spirit Fish King [the dominant alpha fish of the school] guarding them at the Vital Essence Refinement Late Stage [the advanced phase of the first major cultivation realm], the young fish were generally safe, and disappearances were rare.

Yet, despite multiple counts, he was certain two were missing. With his current visual acuity, miscounting a little over a hundred Spirit Fish was virtually impossible.

Therefore, Eldrin Chen suspected something was amiss within the Spiritual Lake. A demonic beast [a creature that has absorbed spiritual energy and gained power, often predatory] of some kind must have hunted the two missing Spirit Fish.

"The demonic beasts within the Spiritual Lake have been purged three times. In theory, there shouldn't be any fierce ones left."

"Could it be that another demon beast has migrated here?"

Eldrin Chen pondered, considering going to Green Chariot Mountain to seek aid, but ultimately suppressed the thought.

Only two Azure Verdant Spirit Fish fry had been lost, so the perpetrator likely wasn't an overly powerful demon beast; otherwise, the Azure Spirit Fish King wouldn't have been able to protect the school.

The Azure Spirit Fish King is docile by nature. Although it possesses the cultivation level of the Late Stage of Vital Essence Refinement [the third major stage of cultivation, focusing on refining one's life force], its combat prowess ranks among the weakest within that tier.

The demon beast that even the fish king couldn't handle was likely quite limited in strength. Eldrin judged he could subdue it with ease.

The immediate priority was to find the demon beast stealing the Spirit Fish and capture it.

That day, Eldrin Chen searched nearly half of the Spiritual Lake. As the sun dipped westward, he had found nothing and could only return to Lake Heart Island, planning to resume the search the next day.

Early the next morning, after inhaling the morning mists and completing his daily cultivation of the Primordial Chaos Violet Aura [a supreme-grade spiritual energy absorbed at dawn], Eldrin set out once more for the depths of the Spiritual Lake.

Upon sighting the fish school, his brow furrowed. The number of Spirit Fish seemed off.

A quick count confirmed it: two more Spirit Fish were missing. With his memory sharpened by cultivation at the Late Stage of Vital Essence Refinement, he instantly recognized the missing pair as the two smallest fry.

This caused Eldrin Chen's heart to ache unbearably, and his teeth ground with hatred. A single mature Spirit Fish [a fish infused with spiritual energy, valuable for cultivation] was worth five Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation]. Losing four young ones in succession meant the clan had essentially lost twenty Spirit Stones.

The annual stipend for a Chen Clan cultivator at the Vital Essence Refinement Late Stage [the final stage of refining one's foundational life energy] was only ten Spirit Stones. Losing four Spirit Fish in one go, even though he was a high-ranking member of the clan who likely wouldn't be formally reprimanded for such a minor loss, filled him with shame and fury.

"Damned creature, don't let me catch you,"

Eldrin Chen muttered through clenched teeth. He activated the Water Avoidance Art [a mystical technique that allows one to move through water without getting wet] and slipped into the lake, following the school of Spirit Fish, ready to lie in wait.

The fish faced no attacks that day. However, determined to catch the beast, he did not return to Lake Heart Island. Instead, he stubbornly followed the school and kept watch the entire night.

Finally, at dawn the next day, his patience was rewarded. He discovered the culprit responsible for stealing the Spirit Fish.

A furtive creature emerged from the Reed Marsh [a vast wetland thick with reeds] and began swimming stealthily toward the Spirit Fish.

"A Violet-Striped Goose [a type of waterfowl with distinctive purple markings on its feathers]?" Read the full novel exclusively on audio-novel[dot]com.