Chapter 15 : Twin Flames of Destiny

"The crying we heard earlier outside the town must have been them."

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

"Hmm?"

Eldrin Chen's eyes flickered. He grasped the little girl's wrist, and a flicker of pleasant surprise soon crossed his features.

He could clearly sense that the girl possessed a Fire-Wood Dual Spiritual Root [a rare cultivation aptitude where two compatible spiritual energies coexist]. This type of mutually-generating Spiritual Root [the innate channels that determine one's affinity for absorbing spiritual energy] allowed for cultivation speed surpassing even that of ordinary Dual Spiritual Root, making it an exceptionally rare find.

"A Dual Spiritual Root... No wonder the demon slaughtered the entire Pingyuan Town yet left these two unharmed."

"If she has a Dual Spiritual Root, what about him?"

Eldrin Chen's gaze shifted to Dawn Frost Chen, his eyes holding a glimmer of anticipation. Twin siblings born together often possessed talents that were nearly identical.

With this thought, he promptly checked the boy's Spiritual Root. As expected, he discovered the child possessed a Fire-Metal Dual Spiritual Root.

Having found a pair of Dual Spiritual Root twins, Eldrin Chen did not linger. After a swift check of the town confirmed no other survivors, he immediately set off for Pingyang County with the children. Original English translation available at audio-novel.com.

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

Upon returning to Pingyang County, he immediately relayed the news to everyone. A few days later, the investigation results were transmitted back by the cultivators of the Chen Clan.

It turned out that several years prior, that Demonic Cultivator [a practitioner of malevolent and forbidden arts] had concealed his identity and hidden within Pingyuan Town. After gaining their trust, he ambushed the Chen Clan cultivator who was maintaining the town's protective formation, thus causing this great calamity.

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

"Death by a thousand cuts would not be enough to sate the hatred in my heart!"

Upon hearing this, Remembrance Sun Chen 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 today, all major towns and cities are to conduct a census of their populations. Any unfamiliar faces are to be strictly investigated."

"For anyone not of Chen Clan bloodline, their identities must be verified repeatedly. Even for the clansmen within the cities, we must guard against possession by evil demons."

"We must avoid repeating the mistakes of the past…"

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

"Understood."

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

To prevent such a calamity from ever recurring, he resolved to report the situation to the clan patriarch immediately upon his return to Green Chariot Mountain. A meeting of the Council of Elders would be convened to reformulate their strategy against the Demonic Cultivator and arrange for the systematic screening of all mortal descendants.

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

Pingyang City currently had only a little over twenty cultivators. They were tasked not only with defending the city but also with rooting out hidden Demonic Cultivator. Their forces were stretched perilously thin; reinforcements would undoubtedly need to be summoned from Green Chariot Mountain.

Contemplating this, 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," the Grand Elder said, 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 testing for Spiritual Root [the innate spiritual foundation that determines one's potential for cultivation] and have just fought a fierce battle against a Demonic Cultivator. Your spirit and energy are depleted. Rest here tonight. Tomorrow, you may return to Green Chariot Mountain and take the children who tested positive for a Spiritual Root with you."

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

Early the next morning, Eldrin Chen set out for Green Chariot Mountain [the Chen clan's mountain stronghold], leading the five children whose Spiritual Root [innate talent for cultivation] had been detected.

The journey there had taken him merely two days, but the return trip, burdened with the five young ones, stretched to a full seven or eight days before they finally reached Green Chariot Mountain.

Upon his return to the mountain, he went straight to the Spirit Spring [a spring imbued with spiritual energy] at Hinter Peaks [the secluded rear peaks]. There, he found the clan patriarch, Eternal Profound Chen.

As a cultivator of the Chang Generation [the 'Eternal' generation of the Chen clan], the Old Patriarch was now over one hundred and ten years old. Compared to the two-century lifespan of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator [the second major realm of cultivation], he was still considered quite young.

In theory, given his remaining years, he still had a chance to attempt a breakthrough to Violet Sanctum [the third major realm of cultivation]. However, two years prior, he had been grievously wounded in an ambush, his meridians damaged. Now, his path forward seemed increasingly uncertain. Support the author by reading on audio-novel*com.

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

He knew that even if the Old Patriarch fully recovered from his injuries, the clan's current impoverished state offered no hope of gathering the resources needed to support his attempt to break through to Violet Sanctum.

It was a twist of cruel fate. 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 Violet Sanctum.

At that time, the Chen Clan boasted several Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Their patriarch then was a grand cultivator at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment [the pinnacle of the Foundation Establishment realm]. The clan had exhausted centuries of accumulated wealth and resources to purchase a rare natural treasure, the Purple Sun Jade [a jade that aids in breaking through to the Violet Sanctum realm], specifically to aid in such a breakthrough.

If the clan leader of that time had succeeded in his breakthrough, the Chen Immortal Clan of today would likely have become a Violet Sanctum Immortal Clan [an Immortal Clan led by a cultivator who has reached the Violet Sanctum realm] renowned throughout Chu Nation.

Alas, during the battle of the Beast Tide [a massive invasion by demonic beasts] sixty years ago, the Chen Immortal Clan was clearly ensnared in a plot. The cultivators of the Chen Clan who went to battle, including that generation's clan leader, were almost entirely wiped out, and the Purple Sun Jade [a mysterious jade artifact of great power] vanished without a trace along with them.

"Ahem."

Seeing Eldrin Chen, the Old Patriarch's pallid face gained a faint touch of color.

He coughed once, burying a trace of worry deep within his eyes, and managed a rare, gentle smile as he spoke.

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

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

Collecting his thoughts, Eldrin Chen recounted the events that had transpired in Pingyuan Town.

After listening, a flash of sharp intensity passed through the eyes of Eternal Profound Chen.

"These demonic whelps grow ever more brazen."

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

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

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

"The fiend has already been vanquished. Harboring further rage serves no purpose now."

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

"Verdant Void spoke truly. Our most urgent task now is to prevent such a tragedy from recurring."

"Demonic Cultivator [cultivators who use sinister and forbidden methods, often involving blood sacrifice or soul manipulation] are insidious, seeping into every crack. It is likely that more than one hides within Pingyang County, masters of infiltration and concealment."

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

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

"Soon, I will convene a Council of Elders [the governing body of senior clan members] to arrange a thorough screening of the mortal populace in Pingyang County. Any fiend we uncover will be shown no mercy."

"Very well," Old Patriarch said with a tone of deep satisfaction. "The several Elders of our clan are all prudent and experienced individuals. In this matter, you must consult extensively with them. Let safety be the paramount concern in all your deliberations."

"..."

After departing from the Spirit Spring, Eldrin Chen immediately convened a meeting of the Council of Elders.

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

For this Clan Assembly, aside from Eldrin Chen himself, 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's gaze drifted to the seat reserved for the Sixth Elder. Noticing his expression, the Third Elder spoke, his voice heavy with unspoken meaning.

"After the New Year, Verdant Bud entered a life-or-death seclusion [a state of deep, uninterrupted meditation where the cultivator seeks a breakthrough, risking failure and death]." Visit site: audio-novel.com to enjoy the complete series.