Chapter 9 : A Clan's Legacy Reborn

Eldrin Chen nodded. "Yes, I had some insights recently and managed to break through to the Vital Essence Refinement 8th Tier." Upon receiving this confirmation, Sixteenth Granduncle's face lit up with excitement. "The Vital Essence Refinement 8th Tier at sixteen! Could it be that our Chen Clan is about to produce a Purple Mansion Ancestor?"

He was utterly thrilled, but after a moment, as his emotions settled, he let out a sigh.

"Alas, if this were sixty years ago, during the peak of our Chen Family's power, we would have certainly secured another Foundation Establishment Pill [a precious elixir that aids cultivators in forming their Foundation] for you."

"But now... the family truly has no means to do so."

Sixteenth Granduncle shook his head with a sigh, his expression filled with dejection.

Eldrin Chen listened quietly. Though he was not present sixty years ago, he was familiar with the broad strokes of the Chen Family's history.

Sixty years prior marked the Chen Family's golden age. They boasted three Foundation Establishment-stage Ancient Ancestor. One of them, from the Dao Generation lineage, had even cultivated to the Foundation Establishment 9th Tier and held the potential to attempt a breakthrough into the Violet Sanctum [the realm following Foundation Establishment, where one opens their spiritual mansion].

Tragically, sixty years ago, a Beast Tide [a massive, coordinated assault by demonic beasts] erupted. Even the great sect of State of Chu, the Green Sun Sect, lost two of its Purple Mansion Ancestor in the fighting. Naturally, the Chen Clan could not remain aloof.

To resist the Beast Tide, a large contingent of the Chen Clan's cultivators was conscripted. Their luck proved disastrous, as they encountered a Third-Order Purple Mansion Demonic Beast [a powerful demonic beast equivalent to a late-stage Violet Sanctum cultivator]. The entire family force, including both Foundation Establishment-stage Ancient Ancestor, was utterly annihilated. Only the clan's weakest cultivator at the time, Alistair Chen, who had been left to guard Green Chariot Peak, survived.

The losses from that single battle were so devastating that the Chen Family has still not recovered its vitality even after sixty years. Only in recent years have conditions begun to improve slightly.

However, after Kylan Chen's Foundation Establishment [the second major realm of cultivation] failed, matters worsened further. For the next several decades, the family would be unable to help Eldrin Chen purchase a Foundation Establishment Pill [a precious elixir that aids in breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm].

Yet, this was not the only concern weighing on Eldrin Chen's mind; another troubling thought surfaced.

The State of Chu was struck by a Beast Tide [a massive, periodic invasion of demonic beasts] once every century. With less than forty years remaining until the next one, Eldrin Chen wondered if the Chen Family would be able to withstand it.

"Enough. If the heavens fall, the taller ones will hold them up. My true path lies in diligent cultivation."

Dismissing these thoughts, Eldrin Chen led Sixteenth Granduncle and the other two back to Lake Heart Island.

Upon arriving at Spirit Lake Isle, Sixteenth Granduncle discovered the Spirit Peach Tree [a spiritual tree bearing peaches that enhance cultivation] and a nest of young Violet-Striped Goose [a type of spiritual waterfowl], his face betraying profound shock.

Knowing full well that the Spirit Peach Tree and the Violet-Striped Goose could not be concealed, Eldrin Chen made no attempt to hide them. Instead, he proactively explained their origin.

"I discovered the Spirit Peach Tree by chance and had it transplanted here."

"A pair of Violet-Striped Goose migrated here some time ago. I slew them, found a clutch of eggs, and managed to hatch them myself."

As they listened to his account, and particularly when they learned the approximate time of the geese's migration, Eldric and Nian Yuan exchanged looks of deep regret.

They had stayed on Spirit Lake Isle for several years prior, but without conducting a thorough inspection, thus missing the opportunity to discover this nest of Violet-Striped Goose [a type of spiritual waterfowl].

"Alas, what wretched luck," they sighed.

The two were filled with regret. As things stood, both this nest of Violet-Striped Goose and the Spirit Peach Tree [a tree bearing spiritually infused peaches] originated from outside the clan and would be counted as Eldrin Chen's personal property.

They felt that if they had only explored the vicinity of Spirit Lake Isle more diligently back then, perhaps these two strokes of fortune would have been theirs.

Eldrin Chen observed their expressions and could roughly guess the nature of their regrets, a faint, knowing smile touching his lips.

The Spirit Peach Tree was an impossibility, but had the two of them patrolled Spirit Lake Isle more frequently, they might indeed have secured a few Spirit Goose eggs. However, with their cultivation at the Vital Essence Refinement Early Stage [the initial phase of refining one's vital energy], they likely would have struggled to overcome the two Violet-Striped Goose at the Vital Essence Refinement Mid Stage.

Sixteenth Granduncle stroked the Spirit Peach Tree and the young Violet-Striped Goose, unable to contain his excitement. "Young Eldrin, what a fine stroke of fortune you have here! With this Spirit Peach Tree and these young Violet-Striped Goose, you can expect an annual income of several hundred Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy].

Wait just twenty or thirty years, and you'll have accumulated a tidy sum. By then, with the clan lending a hand, it's not impossible to procure another Foundation Establishment Pill [a precious pill that aids in solidifying one's cultivation foundation] for you."

"You're still young, no need to rush. You have the longevity to wait."

The old man was overcome with emotion for a long while. After offering Eldrin Chen some encouragement, it took him quite some time to compose his heart [to regain emotional equilibrium] before he could turn his attention to the matter at hand.

The reason the three of them had come to Spirit Lake Isle this time was because the planted Spirit Rice had ripened and reached the season for harvest.

The spiritual stalks were incredibly tough; only cultivators possessed the strength necessary to reap them. The four of them toiled for the entire afternoon before finally completing the harvest of the Spirit Rice.

In total, they gathered one hundred and sixty-two Jin-weight [one Jin-weight equals zero point five kilograms] of Spirit Rice. Converted, its value amounted to fifty-four Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy], which was twelve Jin-weight more than Eldrin Chen had anticipated.

Sixteenth Granduncle also spoke with a touch of delight, "It seems the water quality of Spirit Lake is truly excellent. The yield per Mu-area [one Mu-area equals six hundred sixty-six point six seven square meters] here is actually higher than that of the Spiritual Fields on Verdant Chariot Mountain."

Of the seventeen Mu-area of Spiritual Fields on Verdant Chariot Mountain, seven were dedicated solely to cultivating Spirit Rice. The annual harvest typically yielded just over five hundred Jin-weight, averaging about seventy-five Jin-weight per Mu-area. In contrast, Spirit Lake Isle produced eighty-one Jin-weight per Mu-area, a clear and significant improvement.

After gathering the Spirit Rice, Sixteenth Granduncle proceeded to net the newly mature Azure Spirit Fish from Spirit Lake, catching a total of seventeen.

These Spirit Fish would be sent to the Chen Family restaurant in Yuyang Market. They were considered a delicacy for cultivators in Sunward Prefecture hosting feasts for friends, always selling out within a mere half-month and bringing substantial profits to the establishment.

"Focus on your cultivation. Your path is still long," he said.

"When the time comes, the family will surely find a way to lend you a hand."

Sixteenth Granduncle offered some words of encouragement and did not linger. That very night, he departed for Yuyang Market with the Spirit Rice and Spirit Fish. These Spirit Fish and Spirit Rice were all to be sold for Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy].

Although the Spirit Fish possessed strong Life [vitality], they still required water to survive. To transport live Spirit Fish across ten thousand Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] to Yuyang Market, the Chen Family specially rented a Fiery Cloud Horse Spirit Beast and cart from the Zhang Clan, one of the six great cultivation families of Yu County.

The Fiery Cloud Horse was a first-rank middle-grade Spirit Beast [a beast infused with spiritual energy]. This type of Spirit Beast could fly low for short distances, ignore most terrain obstacles, and even travel a thousand Li-lengths in a single day. A single horse could pull a cart full of Spirit Fish to Yuyang Market in just over ten days.

With its dozen or so Fiery Cloud Horse, the Zhang Clan earned over three hundred Spirit Stone annually from freight services, a source of envy for the other great families.

Watching the majestic Fiery Cloud Horse depart, Eldrin Chen felt a pang of envy, but then shook his head with a wry smile.

The Spirit Peach Tree bore Spiritual Peach [peaches imbued with spiritual energy] each year worth nearly three hundred Spirit Stone. Once the Violet-Striped Goose matured a bit more, they would periodically lay spiritual eggs, promising another significant source of income.

An annual income of several hundred Spirit Stone was a considerable fortune even for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator [a cultivator who has solidified their spiritual foundation], sufficient to ensure a smooth cultivation path all the way to Foundation Establishment [the realm of solidifying one's spiritual foundation].

"..."

Time flowed like water in the lake, swift and silent, the years passing in the blink of an eye.

Eldrin Chen settled into his cultivation within Spirit Lake, and in what felt like a moment, two full years had passed. On this day, as he inhaled the morning's rosy glow and slowly exhaled a breath, a cycle was complete.

"Success."

A look of pure joy spread across his face. After fifteen years of dedicated cultivation, constantly honing his foundation, he had finally broken through to the Vital Essence Refinement 9th Tier [the ninth and final stage of refining one's vital life force energy].

To reach the Vital Essence Refinement 9th Tier at the age of eighteen was a truly remarkable achievement. All he needed now was a few more years to solidify his foundation completely, and then he could attempt the breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Stage [the stage where a cultivator establishes their permanent spiritual foundation].

His heart light, he emerged from seclusion, only to find a Messenger Eagle [a spiritual bird used to carry messages over long distances] had been waiting for some time outside his Bamboo Hut.