Chapter 12 : A Legacy of Alchemy and Resolve

'Twenty-sixth Uncle has an upright character. After his failure in Foundation Establishment [the second major realm of cultivation, where one builds a stable foundation for their future path], he has likely been burdened by guilt for many years.'

'If he cannot solidify his Dao Heart [the unwavering will and core conviction of a cultivator, essential for advancement], I fear he may sink into despondency.'

With this thought, Eldrin Chen felt a pang of regret, but it was not his place to comment. He simply asked, "May I ask why Uncle Verdant Bud has sought me out?"

Verdant Bud Chen snapped back to the present, his weary eyes taking another measure of Eldrin Chen.

After a long moment, he sighed inwardly, then drew a thick, well-worn book from his sleeve.

"Throughout the centuries of the Chen Clan, your talent for cultivation ranks among the very best. In time, the leadership of the family will likely fall to your shoulders."

"I have little left to teach you. This contains the sum of my lifelong insights into Alchemy [the art of refining spiritual herbs and materials into potent elixirs and pills]. I hope it may be of some use to you."

"Uncle, this is..."

Eldrin Chen's voice held a note of hesitation. An alchemist's personal notes represented their life's work, their most treasured skill. This was Verdant Bud Chen's most precious possession.

By entrusting it to him now, it gave Eldrin Chen the unsettling feeling of a final bequest. Discover more cultivation stories at audio-novel . com.

"No need to ask further."

Verdant Bud Chen placed the alchemy insights into Eldrin Chen's hands. After giving him a deep, meaningful look, he turned and left the great hall.

Somehow, Eldrin Chen glimpsed a fierce, resolute aura emanating from his retreating figure.

"My Twenty-sixth Uncle... he must be attempting Foundation Establishment [the crucial breakthrough to the second major realm of cultivation] once more!"

The realization flashed through Eldrin Chen's mind in an instant.

His guess was correct. Unable to bear the weight of his guilt and the pressure upon the clan, Verdant Bud Chen had resolved to attempt the breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Realm once more.

Without the aid of a Foundation Establishment Pill [a rare elixir that significantly increases the chance of a successful breakthrough], the success rate for most cultivators attempting Foundation Establishment is less than one in ten. Failure most often results in shattered meridians and death.

For Verdant Bud Chen to challenge the Foundation Establishment Realm now was a desperate, life-or-death gamble. Success would reverse the clan's decline; failure meant annihilation, both of body and cultivation path.

Handing the alchemy insights to Eldrin Chen was merely an act of sowing a seed—ensuring the clan retained the potential for a future alchemist.

"Twenty-sixth Uncle…"

Eldrin Chen's throat felt parched and dry. He wished to offer words of counsel, yet found himself utterly speechless.

In his current state, even his own chance for a Foundation Establishment [the second major realm of cultivation, where one builds a stable spiritual foundation] breakthrough seemed a distant, uncertain hope. He possessed no power to alter the course of events.

The only thing he could do was pray, to fervently wish for his success, for him to become the family's second Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

In the end, when the words finally came, they were but two.

"Take care."

In the distance, Sixth Elder's footsteps faltered for a moment. With his back still turned, a faint, wry smile touched the corners of his lips.

"The Immortal Ascension Path [the arduous journey of cultivation towards immortality] is long, the way fraught with hardship. We can only trudge forward, solitary and slow."

"If I should fall, and if you ever gain the strength... go and see the view at the journey's end for me."

He said no more, merely waving a hand dismissively behind his back before continuing his descent down the mountain path.

......

After parting ways with the Sixth Elder, Eldrin Chen did not immediately descend the mountain. Instead, he waited for five days, only setting out for Pingyang County Town after the New Year celebrations had concluded.

Pingyang County Town lay over three thousand Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] from Green Chariot Mountain. Even with his current level of cultivation, the journey took Eldrin Chen a full two days to complete.

This city was built upon the Ancient Pingyang Plain, from which it derived its name.

From a great distance, Eldrin Chen could already make out Pingyang County Town, for hovering in the sky above the city was a fiery red orb, suspended in the void.

This world was fundamentally different from his previous life. Mortal cities could not be established arbitrarily.

In this world, the flesh and blood of mortals were a potent tonic for demonic beasts, while their souls were treasures coveted by Demonic Cultivator [cultivators who use dark, forbidden arts, often involving sacrifice and corruption]. Any settlement built in the wilds would, within a few years, become sustenance for such fiends. Continue reading this story at audio-novel .c om.

Therefore, all cities in this world were constructed atop Spiritual Vein [a subterranean channel that concentrates and emits spiritual energy], and were further protected by a City Defense Grand Formation [a large-scale defensive array powered by spiritual energy] to barely ensure the safety of their mortal inhabitants.

Take the Pingyang County Town before him, for instance. It was built upon a Second Rank Low-Grade Spiritual Vein, and was guarded by a Second Rank Mid-Grade Solar Trueflame Grand Formation [a grand defensive formation that channels the purifying flames of the sun].

That fiery red orb in the sky was known as the Blazing Divine Fire Pearl, a Second Rank Mid-Grade Formation Artifact [a magical treasure specifically designed to serve as the core or key component of a formation]. It was capable of unleashing the demon-scorching Solar Trueflame [a divine flame imbued with the pure, yang energy of the sun].

When powered by a Grand Elder at the Great Perfection stage of Vital Essence Refinement [the foundational cultivation stage where one refines the body's vital life force], this City Defense Grand Formation, specifically designed to counter demonic entities, could often repel even mid to late-stage Foundation Establishment [the cultivation stage where one builds the spiritual foundation for future advancement] demons and monsters, denying them any advantage.

It was precisely because of this that the hundreds of thousands of bloodline descendants of the Chen Clan could thrive and multiply within this harsh Immortal Realm [a world where cultivators pursue immortality].

"Brother Eldrin, you've finally arrived."

"Come in quickly."

Before Eldrin Chen had even entered the city, he heard a hearty laugh.

Looking up, he saw a Middle-aged Man walking towards him with a smile.

With a glance, he recognized the man's identity. This person was named Remembrance Sun Chen. He was the eldest son of the Grand Elder, now fifty-five years old and the eldest in age among the Remembrance Generation [the generation of the Chen Clan whose given names contain the character 'Nian' (Remembrance)]. Unfortunately, his cultivation aptitude was poor, and he had only reached the Vital Essence Refinement 6th Tier [the sixth stage of refining one's foundational life energy].

Remembrance Sun Chen stepped forward and examined Eldrin Chen closely, unable to hold back a sigh. "It seems I must call you Elder from now on."

"Between you and me, such formalities are unnecessary."

Eldrin Chen said with a smile as the two walked into the city. Along the way, he asked, "Where is the Grand Elder?"

"He asked me to bring you to him."

The two of them journeyed onward, and soon Eldrin Chen beheld Grand Elder Verdant Void Chen.

As the Grand Elder of Chen Clan, Verdant Void Chen had just passed his seventy-fifth year. Yet, measured against the lifespan limit of one hundred and twenty years for those at the Vital Essence Refinement Stage, his strength was still at its very peak.

Cultivators at the Vital Essence Refinement 9th Tier were rare within the Chen Clan. Guarding Pingyang City required a seasoned and steady elder like him, making this heavy responsibility one he alone must shoulder.

However, in another twenty years, his True Essence [the refined spiritual energy cultivated within a practitioner's body] would begin to wane. Once past a century of age, his power would decline precipitously. By then, the clan would likely need to find a new Elder to succeed him.

"You have arrived," he said.

Inside the great hall, the Grand Elder regarded Eldrin Chen with a solemn, unsmiling expression, giving a slight nod of acknowledgment.

"Since you are here, we shall begin testing your Spiritual Root [the innate spiritual foundation that determines one's aptitude for cultivation] tomorrow."

Testing for a Spiritual Root was a matter of paramount importance, both for the Chen Immortal Clan and for all the descendants of the Chen Clan residing in Pingyang City.

According to the regulations of the Chen Immortal Clan, a day was chosen in the first month following the Lunar New Year to test the young children of the clan. Every child who had reached the age of six was required to participate in this grand assembly for Spiritual Root detection.

To prevent any oversight, each child was granted one opportunity per year to be tested, up until they reached the age of nine.

Although the Chen Clan lacked a Spirit Root Detection Plate [a specialized artifact for identifying cultivation potential] and could only rely on the crude methods of a Vital Essence Refinement 9th Tier [the ninth and final stage of the foundational body refinement stage] cultivator to test for a Spiritual Root [the innate spiritual foundation that determines one's capacity for cultivation], they still possessed an eighty to ninety percent certainty of vaguely detecting its presence in the future.

With such a detection probability, if a child possessing a Spiritual Root [the innate spiritual foundation that determines one's capacity for cultivation] failed to be identified in three consecutive attempts, it could only be said that fate was unkind, and they lacked sufficient Immortal Fate [the destined fortune or karmic connection to the path of immortality].

Even so, Pingyang City had a population of one hundred twenty thousand souls. Every year, five to six thousand children required testing for their Spiritual Root [the innate spiritual foundation that determines one's capacity for cultivation], representing a truly immense workload.

In truth, this figure did not even account for the six surrounding townships. The area around Pingyang City was dotted with six smaller towns, each averaging nearly ten thousand inhabitants.

"So many people," murmured Eldrin Chen, a faint frown creasing his brow.

Upon the plaza designated for the Spiritual Root Detection Ceremony [the annual ritual to identify children with cultivation potential], Eldrin Chen watched the bustling throng of young children arriving to register, unable to suppress a slight furrowing of his brow. For the best reading experience, visit audio-novel dot com.