Chapter 15 : Twin Prodigies of the Ancient Flame

"The weeping we heard outside the town earlier must have been theirs."

"Why did the old fiend sacrifice everyone, yet spare only these two?"

"Hmm?"

Eldrin Chen's eyes flickered. He grasped the little girl's wrist, and a glimmer of pleasant surprise soon surfaced in his expression.

He could sense with perfect clarity that the girl possessed Fire-Wood Dual Spiritual Roots [a rare and potent combination where the elements of fire and wood nourish each other]. This mutually-generating type of Spiritual Root [the innate conduit within a person that determines their affinity for absorbing spiritual energy] granted cultivation speed surpassing even ordinary Two Spiritual Roots [a dual-element spiritual root], making it an exceptionally rare find.

"A Two Spiritual Roots talent! No wonder the fiend slaughtered the entire Pingyuan Town, yet left these two untouched."

"If she possesses Two Spiritual Roots, what of this one?"

Eldrin Chen's gaze shifted to Chen Leo, his eyes holding a thread of anticipation. Twin siblings born together often shared nearly identical innate gifts.

With this thought, he promptly examined the boy's Spiritual Root. As expected, he discovered the child harbored Fire-Metal Dual Spiritual Roots [a dual-element spiritual root combining the attributes of fire and metal].

Having discovered a pair of twin prodigies with Spiritual Root talent, Eldrin Chen did not linger. After a swift inspection of the town confirmed no other survivors, he immediately set off for Pingyang County, the children in tow. Original publication: site: audio-novel.com - The source of this chapter.

As for the remains in Pingyuan Town, there were simply too many to handle alone. He could only instruct the authorities of Pingyang Town to arrange for personnel to deal with them.

Upon returning to Pingyang County, he immediately relayed the news to the others. Within a few days, the Chen Clan cultivators sent back the results of their investigation.

It turned out that several years prior, the Demonic Cultivator [a practitioner of malevolent, soul-corrupting arts] had hidden his true identity within Pingyuan Town. After gaining their trust, he ambushed the Chen Clan cultivator overseeing the town's guardian formation, thus unleashing this great calamity.

"Damnable Demonic Cultivator! To be so cunning and deceitful!"

"Death by a thousand cuts would scarcely suffice to quench the hatred in my heart!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Sol could not contain his fury and spoke out.

The Grand Elder waved his hand, his gaze sweeping over the dozen or so cultivators present, and shook his head.

"The disaster has already occurred. Speaking of such things now is too late."

"Issue the order: from this day forward, all major towns and cities are to conduct a census of their populations. Any unfamiliar face is to be rigorously investigated."

"For anyone not of Chen Clan bloodline, their identity must be verified thrice over. Even for the established families within the city walls, we must guard against demonic possession or infiltration."

"We must avoid repeating the mistakes of the past…" [a common idiom meaning to avoid making the same error again]

After delivering these instructions, Chen Kael turned his gaze to Eldrin Chen. "When you return to Verdant Chariot Mountain, have the Third Elder dispatch more personnel here."

"Understood."

Chen Muzhi gave a solemn nod. The sins of the Demonic Cultivator [cultivators who use forbidden, often bloody methods to gain power] were monstrous. The blood sacrifice of an entire town's populace was a tragedy of unspeakable horror.

To prevent such a calamity from recurring, he resolved that upon returning to Verdant Chariot Mountain, he would immediately report the situation to the Clan Patriarch and convene an Elder Council Meeting. They would reformulate their strategy against the Demonic Cultivator and arrange for a thorough, individual screening of all mortals under their protection.

The mortal descendants of the Chen Immortal Clan now numbered close to two hundred thousand. Screening each one would be a monumental undertaking.

Here in Pingyang City, they had barely over twenty cultivators. Their duties now included not only guarding the city but also rooting out hidden Demonic Cultivator. Their forces were stretched perilously thin; they would likely need to summon reinforcements from Verdant Chariot Mountain.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen clasped his hands in a formal salute. "Time is of the essence. I shall depart shortly."

"There is no need for such haste," said the Grand Elder, stroking his long beard. "The Demonic Cultivator has been slain by your hand. A day or two will make little difference now."

"You have spent days conducting Spiritual Root [the innate spiritual potential that determines one's aptitude for cultivation] detection and have just fought a fierce battle against a Demonic Cultivator. Your spirit and spiritual energy are depleted. Rest here tonight. Tomorrow, you may return to Verdant Chariot Mountain, taking with you the children who were found to possess Spiritual Root."

Eldrin Chen [the protagonist, a young cultivator of the Chen Clan] nodded upon hearing this. "That would be for the best," he said.

Early the next morning, Eldrin Chen set out for Verdant Chariot Mountain [the spiritual mountain that serves as the ancestral home of the Chen Clan], leading the five children whose Spiritual Root [the innate spiritual aptitude that determines one's potential for cultivation] had been detected.

The journey there had taken him only two days, but the return trip, burdened with the five youngsters, stretched to a full seven or eight days before they finally reached the foot of Verdant Chariot Mountain.

No sooner had he returned to Verdant Chariot Mountain than he made his way directly to the Back Mountain Spirit Spring [a secluded spring imbued with spiritual energy, used for cultivation and recovery]. There, he found the Clan Patriarch, Chen Thalion [the current leader of the Chen Clan, a senior Foundation Establishment cultivator].

As a cultivator of the Chang Generation [the 'Chang' generation, a specific senior cohort within the Chen Clan's lineage], the old Clan Patriarch was now past one hundred and ten years of age. Compared to the two-century lifespan of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator [a cultivator who has solidified their spiritual foundation, the second major realm], he was still considered quite young.

In theory, given his remaining lifespan, he still had a chance to attempt a breakthrough into the Purple Mansion [the third major cultivation realm, where one forms a 'Purple Mansion' to house their nascent soul]. However, the injuries he sustained from an ambush two years prior had damaged his meridians [the channels through which spiritual energy flows], casting a shadow of uncertainty over his future path. For uninterrupted reading, go to audio novel.com.

Eldrin Chen looked at the old Clan Patriarch, a silent sigh echoing in his heart.

He knew that even if the Patriarch fully recovered, given the clan's current impoverished state, they simply lacked the resources to purchase the rare materials needed to support his attempt to break through to the Purple Mansion realm.

It was a twist of cruel fate. Indeed, Sixty Years Ago, at the peak of the Chen Immortal Clan's power, they had possessed the means to support a cultivator's advancement to Purple Mansion.

At that time, the Chen Clan boasted several Foundation Establishment Cultivator. The reigning Clan Patriarch was a grand cultivator at the Great Perfection stage of Foundation Establishment. The clan had exhausted centuries of accumulated wealth and heritage to procure a heaven-defying treasure to aid in the Purple Mansion breakthrough—a piece of Purple Sun Jade [a rare spiritual jade that aids in stabilizing the soul during the formation of the Purple Mansion].

Had the Clan Patriarch of that time succeeded in his breakthrough, the Chen Immortal Clan of today would likely have become a Purple Mansion Immortal Clan [a prestigious clan whose patriarch has reached the Purple Mansion Realm] renowned throughout the Chu Kingdom.

Alas, during the battle of the Beast Tide Calamity [a periodic invasion of monstrous beasts] Sixty Years Ago, the Chen Immortal Clan was evidently ensnared in a plot. Nearly all the Chen cultivators who took to the field, including that generation's Clan Patriarch, were lost. Even the Purple Sun Jade [a legendary artifact crucial for cultivation breakthroughs] vanished without a trace.

"Ahem."

The old Clan Patriarch, upon seeing Eldrin Chen, felt a faint flush of color return to his pallid face.

He coughed once, masking a trace of sorrow deep within his eyes, and managed a rare, gentle smile.

"Eldrin, what brings you to see me this time?"

"I have returned because the clan faces a demonic tribulation."

Eldrin Chen collected his thoughts and, after a moment of contemplation, recounted the events that had transpired in Pingyuan Town.

After listening, a flash of sharp, cold light passed through Chen Thalion's eyes.

"These demonic whelps grow ever more brazen."

"Do they truly believe the Chen Clan has no one left to stand against them?"

Seeing the old Clan Patriarch's anger rising, Eldrin Chen feared it would aggravate his injuries and quickly offered words of consolation:

"Please, Granduncle, do not let your fury consume you."

"The fiend has already been vanquished. Further anger serves no purpose now."

Hearing this, the old Clan Patriarch reined in his emotions slightly, his expression turning grave as he spoke.

"Kael Chen is correct. Our most pressing task now is to prevent such a tragedy from recurring."

"Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who use malevolent and forbidden arts] are insidious, seeping into every crack. It is likely that more than one hides within Pingyang County, skilled in infiltration and concealment."

"Now that I am gravely wounded and cannot act rashly, to avert another calamity, you must wield thunderous force to root out the hidden threats within our clan's domain."

Eldrin Chen nodded. "I have already begun formulating a plan for this."

"Shortly, I will convene an Elder Council Meeting to deploy personnel and scrutinize the mortal populace of Pingyang County. Any fiend we uncover will be shown no mercy."

"Very well," the old Clan Patriarch said with a tone of relief. "The clan's elders are all prudent and experienced individuals. In this matter, you must consult with them extensively. Safety must be our paramount concern."

"..."

After departing from the Spirit Spring [a natural spring imbued with spiritual energy], Eldrin Chen immediately convened an Elder Council Meeting.

The Grand Elder was in Pingyang County, and the Second Elder had left for the Yuyang Market shortly after the Lunar New Year celebrations.

For this clan assembly, aside from Eldrin Chen, only the Third Elder, the Fourth Elder, and the Fifth Elder were in attendance.

The four of them sat within the Clan Affairs Hall. Eldrin Chen glanced towards the seat reserved for the Sixth Elder. Noticing his expression, the Third Elder spoke, his voice heavy with gravity.

"After the New Year, Cedric entered a closed-door cultivation retreat of the most perilous kind." Experience the full epic at audio-novel.com.