Chapter 16 : A Gathering Storm of Blades and Blood

The great hall fell into a somber silence. A heavy weight settled upon the hearts of those present, for they all understood the reason behind Kylan Chen's current seclusion.

Without the aid of a Foundation Establishment Pill [a pill that greatly increases the chance of a successful breakthrough], a cultivator attempting Foundation Establishment truly gambles with their very life. This time, as Kylan Chen entered closed-door cultivation, there was a nine in ten chance he would never emerge alive.

After a long moment, Elara Chen and Gwendolyn Chen asked in unison, "You called a council of Elders immediately upon your return. Has something happened in Pingyang County?"

Eldrin Chen snapped back to the present. The most pressing matter now was to root out the Demonic Cultivator [a practitioner who uses forbidden, often bloody methods to gain power] hidden within Pingyang County. Setting other concerns aside, he swiftly recounted the entire incident to the assembly.

Fourth Elder Kaelen Chen, whose temper was the most volatile, slammed his hand on the table in fury. "We cannot let this stand without a response! If we do, every Immortal Clan and Demonic Cultivator will think us weak and easy to bully."

Third Elder, who had overseen clan affairs for many years, was not only steady in temperament but also the most clear-headed.

"If we are resolved, no ordinary Demonic Cultivator could evade a thorough, door-to-door investigation. However, the manpower required... our current numbers are stretched perilously thin."

"Yet priorities must be set. All matters less urgent than this can be set aside for now."

"This is no trivial affair. Every cultivator in the family, unless they are in life-or-death seclusion, must be summoned to contribute."

Eldrin Chen nodded in agreement, adding, "To guard against the possibility of a powerful Demonic Cultivator lurking among them, we few should endeavor to go ourselves."

"Understood." Third Elder also nodded. "To be safe, the three of you shall go together. I will remain here to safeguard the clan."

The meeting concluded swiftly, and the task of rooting out the Demonic Cultivator [practitioners of forbidden arts that often involve sacrificing life essence] was thus decided.

This time, the clan was determined to spare no expense in completely eradicating the hidden threat of Demonic Cultivator lurking among the mortal populace.

That very night, Third Elder personally summoned each clan cultivator one by one to deliver this non-negotiable mission.

Meanwhile, Eldrin Chen sat within his residence, holding the Storage Bag [a spatial pouch that can hold items many times its apparent size] in his hand.

This Storage Bag was obtained from slaying the Black-robed Demonic Cultivator. For nearly ten days, he had been finding time to dismantle the restrictive seals upon it. Today, he had finally managed to purge the Demonic Cultivator's spiritual imprint.

Opening the Storage Bag, Eldrin Chen began to examine its contents.

The old demon's possessions were few. Aside from the two Demonic Treasure [magical artifacts forged with malevolent and corrupting energies]—the Seven-Soul Malevolent Ghost Banner and the Black Shuttle—there was only a single Cyan Small Shield.

Both Demonic Treasure were exceptionally vile artifacts. Frequent use could corrode a cultivator's mind. While Eldrin Chen was not a rigidly orthodox man, he dared not employ them lightly except in direst peril.

The Cyan Small Shield, however, was a genuine first-rank upper-grade magical artifact. This item, named the Cyan Spirit Shield, when activated, could conjure a shield of light sufficient to withstand assaults from a Vital Essence Refinement Late Stage [the third and final stage of the Qi Condensation realm] cultivator.

That day, relying on this treasure, the black-robed old demon withstood the relentless assault of the Verdant Leaf Sword. Had it not been for the astonishing power of the Crimson Flame Talisman left behind by Seventh Granduncle, Eldrin Chen might not have been able to subdue him.

After obtaining this shield, Eldrin Chen immediately refined it, filling the gap in his defensive magical treasures.

He discovered that the Storage Bag contained mostly miscellaneous items. Beyond that, there were two vials of elixirs [spiritual pills used for cultivation], thirty Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy], a fragmentary map, and over four hundred Blood Crystal.

The two vials of elixirs were demonic pills refined from blood-fiend materials. Consuming them would risk demonic possession, so Eldrin Chen could only destroy them.

The fragmentary map appeared to be only half complete, seemingly depicting the ruins of a cultivator's cave abode. However, it was too incomplete to discern anything meaningful.

The thirty Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] were equivalent to a full year's stipend for Eldrin Chen, a decent windfall. Yet, what truly sent a chill down his spine were the over four hundred Blood Crystal.

The Human Race, as the spiritual leaders among all creatures born under heaven, naturally accumulate traces of spiritual energy over time, even without cultivation.

Blood Crystal are essences refined from the blood of mortals. Typically, the entire blood of ten mortals is required to refine just one Blood Crystal.

For Demonic Cultivator, the spiritual energy contained in one Blood Crystal is roughly equivalent to that of a single low-grade Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy]. However, it is saturated with turbid and baleful energies, usable only by Demonic Cultivator and utterly untouchable for righteous cultivators.

The Blood Crystal piled up like a small mountain within the Storage Bag. This represented a staggering four thousand mortals whose blood had been drained dry by the Demonic Cultivator to refine these four hundred Blood Crystal.

"The Demonic Cultivator of this world..."

"They are truly inhuman, utterly devoid of conscience!"

Eldrin Chen stared at the Blood Crystal, his eyes nearly bursting with rage. Even with the composure of one who had lived two lifetimes, he found it difficult to remain calm.

From childhood, through constant exposure, he had long heard that Demonic Cultivator did not engage in productive work, were evil and deranged in nature, reveling in arson, murder, plunder, and acts of utter annihilation. He simply never imagined they would go to such extremes.

One must understand that most Demonic Cultivator are also of the Human Race. To refine Demonic Treasure with the souls of their own kin, to forge Blood Crystal with the blood of mortals, using these as resources for their own advancement—this is too cruel, too vile. They cannot be allowed to live, lest the people's wrath remain unappeased.

"Every last Demonic Cultivator under heaven deserves death!"

A flicker of killing intent flashed in Eldrin Chen's gaze, then swiftly receded.

"I am still not strong enough."

"For now, I must first protect this Chen Immortal Clan—the clan that gave me life, raised me, and now stands battered by the storm."

After a long silence, he meticulously destroyed the Blood Crystal, the demonic pills, and other such items, then closed his eyes.

"I was born amidst the vastness of heaven and earth, as insignificant as dust, a mayfly or an ant struggling for passage between dawn's birth and dusk's death, unable to see the path ahead."

"Only through cultivation can one find that sliver of opportunity to alter one's Destiny."

"Cultivation... is a long road."

"……"

Early the next morning, Eldrin Chen set off for Pingyang County together with Fourth Elder and Elara Chen, leading the cultivators of the Chen Family.

This time, apart from the personnel left to guard Verdant Chariot Mountain, almost every available hand from the mountain had been mobilized, pouring forth like a swarm from its nest.

From the Clan Elder of the Chang Generation down to the youngest juniors of the Nian Generation who had just broken through to the Vital Essence Refinement Early Stage, all who could fight had set aside their current tasks.

Some emerged midway through secluded meditation; others paused the refinement of their Five Elements Essence; some cut short their rest, while others detached themselves from their duties overseeing the Spiritual Field.

Even Dorian Chen, the Clan Elder of the Chang Generation responsible for the family's legacy and dedicated to educating the younger generation in cultivation, stepped forward, determined to contribute one more effort for the clan.

Dorian Chen was now one hundred and twelve years old, nearly touching the threshold of the one hundred and twenty-year lifespan limit for Vital Essence Refinement cultivators. His Vitality and essence were both depleted, having long reached a state where he could no longer engage in combat.

Seeing that he too intended to join the expedition, Eldrin Chen could no longer remain seated. He wanted to urge the old man to return and tend to his health, but was met with a stern rebuke:

"You young whelp, don't think I won't scold you just because you've become an Elder."

"Have you forgotten? It was I who taught you cultivation from the time you were a child."

"Now that you're an Elder, you look down on this old man?"

"When it truly comes to a life-or-death battle, this old skeleton of mine isn't completely rotten yet!"

Having been scolded for no reason, Eldrin Chen was left speechless, stammering.

He knew that old cultivators who had practiced for a century and hadn't perished in conflict were often individuals of rich experience and ruthless methods.

In a real fight, the strength they could unleash in a short burst might genuinely not be inferior to his own.

However, it was merely the strength for a single engagement. Once they exerted their full power, regardless of the outcome, they would inevitably meet their end from Vitality [the foundational life force of a cultivator] depletion and exhaustion.