Chapter 17 : The Gathering of the Verdant Clan

Unable to dissuade the old man, Eldrin Chen had no choice but to let him accompany them, instructing the clan members along the way to look after him.

Counting all these elders and youths together, the Chen Immortal Clan had mustered over forty cultivators at the Vital Essence Refinement [the foundational stage of cultivation where one refines their vital life force] realm. Combined with the twenty-plus Chen Clan cultivators stationed in Pingyang County, their total force numbered nearly seventy.

The last time they had mobilized such numbers was during the Beast Tide [a periodic, massive invasion of demonic beasts] six decades prior. Back then, the Chen Immortal Clan had sent nearly a hundred cultivators to the front lines to battle the demonic beasts, only to be utterly annihilated in a single, devastating battle.

This time, although all were cultivators, their cultivation levels varied greatly. It took them a full four days to finally reach Pingyang County Town.

Upon arriving in Pingyang County, the Grand Elder, Verdant Void Chen, was the first to receive them.

In the main hall, stroking his long beard, he said, "Ten days ago, I already ordered the activation of the defensive formations. Pingyang City and the surrounding towns are now sealed, with no entry or exit permitted. If any Demonic Cultivator [a practitioner of forbidden, malevolent arts that often involve sacrificing others] remain, they should already be like turtles in a jar—trapped."

The Fourth Elder, Verdant Destiny Chen, quickly interjected, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's find them now."

"Pingyang City has a population of over a hundred thousand. Rooting out Demonic Cultivator will not be the work of a single day," Eldrin Chen shook his head. "Moreover, to prevent any cornered Demonic Cultivator from fighting desperately and causing unnecessary casualties, we must proceed with caution."

As he spoke, his gaze swept over the assembled group before he continued.

"The Grand Elder will take twenty cultivators and hold the City Defense Grand Formation [a powerful, large-scale protective array that shields a city]. He must not act rashly." Your portal to cultivation novels: audio–novel.com.

"The task of screening the populace shall be entrusted to those of us who have come from Green Chariot Mountain."

"..."

With a few words exchanged, the group finalized the plan for this sweep to root out Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who cultivate using malevolent and corrupting energies].

According to the plan, for this operation, aside from the personnel required to maintain the City Defense Grand Formation [a large-scale protective barrier array], the remaining forces would be divided into groups of five.

Each group would be led by a cultivator at the Vital Essence Refinement Late Stage [the final phase of refining one's foundational life energy] to ensure the safety of the team, while the other four members would conduct the actual screening for Demonic Cultivator.

With this cross-checking method, even if a hidden Demonic Cultivator had cultivated an Aura-Concealing Art [a technique to mask one's spiritual presence], they could not evade detection by four examiners. After all, no matter how deeply a Demonic Cultivator concealed themselves, they could not hide the Demonic Path Vital Energy [the corrupt vital energy cultivated by demonic practitioners] circulating within their bodies.

Although this method was slow, requiring nearly a month to thoroughly screen Pingyang City, its advantage lay in its thoroughness and reliability.

In addition to these teams, Eldrin Chen and the other two Vital Essence Refinement 9th Tier [the ninth and penultimate tier of the Vital Essence Refinement realm] Elder would patrol the city, ready to personally suppress any Demonic Cultivator discovered.

Once the plan was settled, the Grand Elder immediately issued the orders. The city guard was mobilized to assist in maintaining order as the screening for Demonic Cultivator began.

Early the next morning, cultivators from the Chen Immortal Clan gathered in the main square. There, they began checking every mortal resident according to their household registry, testing each for traces of demonic energy.

Eldrin Chen stood upon the high platform, gazing at the bustling crowd below and the cultivators conducting the Spiritual Root tests. A subtle ripple of thought stirred between his brows.

"It is said that among the mighty Immortal Clan, they often possess Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure [a supreme-grade magical artifact specifically designed to suppress demonic forces]," he mused.

"Such treasures can test vast numbers of mortals at once, effortlessly rooting out any hidden Demonic Cultivator [a practitioner who cultivates using demonic or unorthodox methods]," he continued.

"If we possessed such a Demon-Slaying Treasure [a magical artifact specialized in slaying demons], we would not need to go to such great lengths."

Beside him, Verdant Grace Chen heard his words and offered a gentle smile, her own gaze tinged with a hint of longing.

"I have heard that the Verdant Sun Sect possesses a Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure, known as the Heaven's Vault Mirror [a legendary mirror said to reflect and purify demonic energies]," she said.

"Legends speak of the Heaven's Vault Mirror's boundless power. Where its light passes, evil demons are repelled. Even Violet Sanctum [the third major realm of cultivation, where one forms a Violet Palace within the dantian] demons cannot withstand it, and lesser fiends are instantly reduced to ashes."

"A treasure of that caliber would be coveted even by Violet Sanctum experts, and even Golden Core Immortal Clan [powerful clans whose patriarchs have reached the Golden Core realm]. I wonder if, centuries from now, our Chen Clan will have the fortune to obtain one."

Old GranduncleEternal Spread Chen heard this and could not help but glance at Eldrin Chen.

His gaze held a thread of profound hope. After a long moment, he smiled faintly.

"Little Eldrin, your Immortal Fate [the innate potential and destiny for achieving immortality] is the brightest among our Chen Clan. I reckon you might even possess the Banished Immortal's Bearing [the destined aura and potential of a celestial being cast down to the mortal realm]."

"This old man won't live to see it, but you cultivate diligently. If you ever obtain a Demon-Slaying Treasure [a powerful enchanted artifact specifically designed to vanquish demons], remember to bring it before my grave and let me have a look."

The others treated these words as mere jest, but only Eldrin Chen felt a subtle weight settle in his heart.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he murmured inwardly, "A Demon-Slaying Treasure... That day will come."

Though the group conversed casually, their vigilance never wavered. The first day of screening proceeded smoothly.

By sunset, they had already examined four to five thousand individuals, yet not a single Demonic Cultivator [a practitioner who uses malevolent, often soul-consuming methods to advance their cultivation] was found. Original English translation available at http://www . audio-novel.com.

This was within their expectations. While Demonic Cultivator were insidious and had infiltrated almost every major Immortal Clan [a powerful family lineage of cultivators], their numbers within any single clan were typically not great.

The screening continued methodically for several days. It was on the fourth day that Eldrin Chen finally detected something amiss.

That day in the square, a man brought in by the city guards appeared visibly tense. Suddenly, his face contorted with savagery as he erupted into action, summoning a crimson skull that shot towards the inspecting cultivator.

Fortunately, Eldrin Chen had already sensed the anomaly. He instantly unleashed his Golden Light Blade, its radiant edge cleaving through the air to intercept the attack.

The demonic cultivator [a practitioner of sinister and forbidden arts] possessed a cultivation base of only the early stage of Vital Essence Refinement [the first major stage of cultivation, focusing on refining the body's vital energy], and was utterly incapable of resisting Eldrin Chen. In the span of a lightning flash, he was dispatched with a single sword stroke.

Startled by the commotion, Fifth Elder Verdant Grace Chen stepped forward and peeled a Human Skin Mask [a gruesome artifact used to perfectly mimic another's face] from the face of the demonic cultivator.

The captain of the city guard approached and examined the deceased demonic cultivator before speaking.

"This man was named Precious Chen. He was forty-seven years old, lived alone, and had shown no unusual behavior recently."

"Come to think of it, he became quite reclusive after his parents died over a decade ago. Who would have thought a demonic cultivator had taken his place."

"Over a decade... It seems this demonic cultivator has been impersonating one of our Chen Clan mortals and hiding in Pingyang County for quite some years now,"

Verdant Grace Chen said, her expression turning grim.

Pingyang County possessed a Second Rank Spiritual Vein [a subterranean conduit of concentrated spiritual energy]. Although most of its spiritual energy was channeled to power the City Defense Grand Formation, it still served as a prime cultivation site for low-level demonic cultivators like this one.

Eldrin Chen sheathed his Golden Light Blade and, glancing at the demonic cultivator's corpse, commanded, "Lead the way. Let us search his dwelling."

The city guard captain led the group forward, and they soon arrived at the home of Precious Chen.

Upon entering the courtyard, Eldrin Chen's gaze sharpened. He strode forward, lifted the cellar hatch within the woodshed, and discovered dozens of human heads concealed within.

"These are for refining a Withered Bone Demon Skull [a vile magical treasure crafted from human remains]," Eternal Spread Chen stated grimly.

Well-traveled and knowledgeable, he recognized the grisly purpose of these heads at a glance.

He explained to the group that the Withered Bone Demon Skull was a type of Demonic Treasure [a magical artifact forged through evil and bloody means]. A century ago, the Desiccated Bone Old Demon, whose reign of terror had plagued the Chu Nation, was infamous for wielding this very artifact as his signature weapon.

"To forge his demonic skull, that fiend slaughtered entire Violet Sanctum Immortal Clan [powerful cultivation clans led by Violet Sanctum realm experts] and claimed the heads of tens of millions of common folk," Eternal Spread Chen recounted.

"Legends say on the day that Demonic Treasure was completed, the wails of ghosts and specters echoed for hundreds of Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters], nearly transforming the land into a realm of the dead."

"Empowered by his Demonic Treasure, the Desiccated Bone Old Demon's strength was virtually unmatched, allowing him to rampage unchecked across the Chu Nation."

"In the end, it took the previous sect master of the Verdant Sun Sect, wielding a supreme treasure like the Heaven's Vault Mirror—a true Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure [a pinnacle-grade artifact of immense righteous power]—to finally confront and vanquish him in a single, cataclysmic battle. That victory came at a great cost; the sect master was left grievously wounded, his vital essence depleted, and he passed away not long after, within the halls of his own sect." Original publication: audio—novel.com - The source of this chapter.