Chapter 16 : A Demonic Threat in Pingyang

The great hall fell into a somber silence for a moment. A heavy weight settled in the hearts of those present, as they all surmised the reason for Verdant Bud Chen's current seclusion.

Without the aid of a Foundation Establishment Pill [a rare elixir that dramatically increases the chance of a successful breakthrough], a cultivator attempting Foundation Establishment truly had to gamble with their very life. This time, the odds were that Verdant Bud Chen would not emerge from his secluded cultivation alive.

After a long pause, Fifth Elder Verdant Grace Chen inquired, "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 urgent matter now was to root out the Demonic Cultivator [a practitioner of forbidden, malevolent arts] hidden within Pingyang County. Setting other concerns aside, he swiftly recounted the entire sequence of events to the assembly.

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

Third Elder, who had overseen the clan's 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 too thin."

"Yet, priorities must be set. Matters of lesser urgency 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, we elders should make every effort to go ourselves." Your portal to cultivation novels: audio-novel.com (official site).

"Understood." Third Elder [the third-ranking elder of the Chen Clan] also nodded. "To be safe, the three of you shall go together. I will remain here to oversee the clan's affairs."

The meeting concluded swiftly. The mission to root out the Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who use dark, often sacrificial, methods to cultivate power] was thus decided.

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

That very night, Third Elder personally summoned each cultivator of the clan one by one, delivering this non-negotiable task.

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

This Storage Bag was obtained from slaying the Black-robed Demonic Cultivator. For nearly ten days, he had spent his spare time breaking the restrictive seals upon it. Today, he had finally managed to shatter 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 or sacrificial methods]—the Seven-Soul Malevolent Ghost Banner and the Black Shuttle—there was only a single Verdant Small Shield.

Both Demonic Treasure were exceptionally vile artifacts. Frequent use could corrupt a cultivator's mind. While Eldrin Chen was not a rigidly orthodox man, he dared not employ such tools lightly except in dire, life-or-death circumstances.

The Verdant Small Shield, however, was a pure, orthodox first-grade superior magical weapon. This item was named the Verdant Spirit Shield. When activated, the shield-light it manifested was sufficient to withstand assaults from a cultivator at the Vital Essence Refinement Late Stage [the final stage of the first major realm of cultivation, focusing on refining the body's vital energy].

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

After obtaining this shield, Eldrin Chen immediately began refining it, filling the gap in his own 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 Stones [minerals that store and radiate spiritual energy], a tattered map, and over four hundred Blood Crystals [crystallized essence refined from the blood of mortals, containing tainted spiritual energy].

The two vials of elixirs were demonic pills concocted from blood-fiend materials. Consuming them would risk demonic possession, so Eldrin Chen had no choice but to destroy them.

The tattered map appeared to be only half complete, seemingly depicting the ruins of some cultivator's cave abode. However, it was too fragmented to reveal anything of substance.

The thirty Spirit Stones were equivalent to a full year's stipend for Eldrin Chen, a decent sum by any measure. Yet, what truly sent a chill down his spine were the over four hundred Blood Crystals.

The Human Race, as the spiritual leaders among all creatures, are born into this world. Even without cultivation, they naturally accumulate traces of spiritual energy over time.

Blood Crystals are essences refined and condensed from the blood of mortals. Typically, the entire blood volume of ten mortals is required to refine just a single Blood Crystal.

For Demonic Cultivators [cultivators who use malevolent, often blood-based methods], a single Blood Crystal contains spiritual energy roughly equivalent to a low-grade Spirit Stone. However, it is saturated with turbid and baleful energies, usable only by Demonic Cultivators and utterly unfit for absorption by righteous cultivators.

The Blood Crystals piled up in the Storage Bag like a grim harvest. This represented a staggering four thousand mortals whose blood had been drained dry by Demonic Cultivators to refine these four hundred Blood Crystals.

"The Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who cultivate using dark, violent, and often sacrificial methods] of this world..."

"They are truly unworthy of being called human, utterly devoid of conscience!"

Eldrin Chen stared at the Blood Crystal [a crimson crystal condensed from the lifeblood and essence of countless living beings], his eyes nearly splitting with rage. Even with the tempered heart of one who had lived two lives, 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, reveled in arson, murder, and plunder, and committed acts of utter extermination. Yet he had never imagined they would go to such extremes.

One must remember that most Demonic Cultivator were also of the Human Race. To refine Demonic Treasure [magical artifacts imbued with malevolent power] using the souls of their own kin, to forge Blood Crystal from the blood of mortals as fuel for their own ascension—this was too cruel, too vile. Not killing them would be an injustice to the people's wrath.

"Every Demonic Cultivator under heaven deserves death!" Visit audio . novel . com to enjoy the complete series.

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

"I am still not strong enough."

"For now, I must first protect this Chen Immortal Clan [a clan of cultivators bearing the surname Chen] 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 the other items. Then, he closed his eyes.

"I was born amidst the vast and boundless heavens and earth, as insignificant as dust, a mayfly or an ant struggling for survival between dawn and dusk, unable to discern the path ahead."

"Only through cultivation can one find that sliver of opportunity to alter one's Destiny [the predetermined course of one's life and fortune]."

"Cultivation... is a long road."

"..."

Early the next morning, Eldrin Chen set out for Pingyang County together with the Fourth Elder and the Fifth Elder, leading the cultivators of the Chen Clan.

This time, apart from the personnel stationed at Green Chariot Mountain, almost every available hand from the mountain had been mobilized, leaving their posts nearly empty.

From the Clan Elder of the Chang Generation down to the youngest members 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 cultivation; others paused the refinement of their Five Elements Essence [a refined spiritual essence containing the power of the five elements]; some cut their leave short, while others extricated themselves from their duties overseeing the Spiritual Field [a field imbued with spiritual energy for growing rare plants].

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

Eternal Spread 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 [the foundational life force and essence of a living being] and spiritual 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 fray, 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 that just because you've become an Elder I won't dare to scold you."

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

"Now that you've ascended to the rank of Elder, you look down on this old man?"

"When it truly comes to a life-or-death struggle, these old bones of mine are not yet completely rotten!"

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

He understood that old cultivators who had practiced for a century and not perished in conflict were often individuals of profound experience and ruthless methods.

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

Yet, it was the strength for only a single engagement. Once he expended his full power, regardless of the outcome, he would inevitably meet his end from Vitality [the foundational life force of a cultivator] exhaustion and collapse. Published by audio - novel . com. All rights reserved.