Chapter 1118 : A Hoard of Immortal Treasures

Returning to the main narrative, after Crimson Dragon Child departed, the group gathered within the Great Hall atop Crimson Flame Island.

Standing at the peak of this immortal mountain, Eldrin Chen surveyed the array of treasures before him and remarked with a smile to his fellow cultivators, "It seems our harvest this time is not insignificant."

Since Eldrin Chen ascended to the Immortal Realm [the higher plane of existence for powerful cultivators], the Chen Clan had clashed with the Crimson Flame Divine Eagle Clan four times. On each occasion, the Crimson Flame Divine Eagle clan had suffered a significant defeat.

By now, the Crimson Flame Divine Eagle Emperor held few of his most precious treasures, yet having accumulated wealth over hundreds of thousands of years, his hoard still contained astonishing riches.

Eldrin Chen took inventory and found they had acquired five Immortal Treasure [powerful enchanted artifacts of the immortal realm], seventeen Immortal Herb [plants of immense spiritual potency], six rare Immortal Artifact [otherworldly crafted items], and four scrolls of Immortal Scripture [ancient texts containing profound cultivation arts].

As for Spiritual Object [items imbued with spiritual energy] below the immortal grade, they were beyond count. Digesting this bounty would increase the cultivation resources available to Chen Immortal Clan disciples more than tenfold.

Setting aside treasures below the Immortal Realm, among the immortal-grade items were the five Immortal Treasure.

Among these, there was only one High-Grade Immortal Treasure—naturally, the Xavier Heavenly Flame Furnace. There was also just one Mid-Grade Immortal Treasure, named the 'Azure Water Immortal Kettle'.

This Azure Water Immortal Kettle was a defensive Immortal Treasure capable of projecting a shield of Nine Heavens [a mythical, lofty realm] azure water around its user. It could withstand attacks from Mid-Grade Immortal Treasure and even offer some resistance against a High-Grade Immortal Treasure.

The remaining three treasures were all Low-Grade Immortal Treasure: the 'Sea-Containing Vase', the 'Fire Jade Seal', and the 'Starlight Soul-Snatching Needle'. Find this and other novels at https://audio-novel.com.

Six precious Immortal Artifact [a powerful enchanted artifact used by immortals], all were materials for artifact forging, and even for an Immortal [a being who has ascended to immortality through cultivation], they were items of Extraordinary value.

Eldrin Chen inventoried the treasures, putting away the Immortal Herb [a herb of immense spiritual potency used in immortal alchemy] and the Immortal Scripture [a sacred text containing profound cultivation methods]. From the rest, he selected three treasures: the 'Sea-Containing Vase' [a magical vase said to hold the essence of an ocean], the 'Glacier Cold Jade', and the 'Solar Fire Jade Marrow' [a rare material fusing solar fire essence with jade marrow].

He presented the three treasures to Black Tortoise Patriarch, Mistress of Drifting Snow Palace, and Blazing Phoenix respectively, then said with a smile, "You all contributed to this effort. Consider this your reward."

"Thank you, Master. If my innate Immortal Treasure [a treasure born alongside a being, sharing a deep connection] can be fused with the Solar Fire Jade Marrow, its power could increase by another thirty percent."

Blazing Phoenix accepted the Solar Fire Jade Marrow, her expression one of delight.

She was born with a Companion Spiritual Treasure [a spiritual treasure that manifests alongside a being's birth], the Crimson Flame Immortal Lotus [a legendary lotus imbued with immortal crimson flames]. After her ascension to immortality, the Lotus Throne transformed into the 'Crimson Flame Lotus Throne' [a throne of crimson lotus and flame, offering immense defense], a formidable defensive Immortal Treasure.

The Lotus Leaf transformed into the 'Crimson Lotus Immortal Sword' [a sword forged from immortal crimson lotus leaf, peerless in offense], a peerless offensive Immortal Treasure, while the lotus flower itself became the Crimson Lotus Immortal Robe [a robe woven from immortal crimson lotus petals]. Both were top-tier Immortal Treasure of immense power.

If these treasures were further refined with the Solar Fire Jade Marrow, their potency would undoubtedly increase significantly.

Watching Blazing Phoenix claim her treasure, Black Tortoise Patriarch felt a surge of desire, yet also a pang of shame. "My contribution in this battle was minor. To accept such a prize feels undeserved," he said, his voice tinged with regret.

"Indeed."

The Mistress of Drifting Snow Palace nodded, then spoke, "To speak of it is rather embarrassing. Our cultivation levels are still low; we merely offered a small bit of assistance. We truly feel unworthy of such a reward."

"There is no need for modesty."

Eldrin Chen shook his head, a faint smile gracing his lips. "Had you not intervened, I might not have been able to breach the Formation [a defensive or offensive energy array] so swiftly."

"Moreover, without you two sealing off the Crimson Flame Divine Eagle Emperor's escape routes, he might have found a sliver of a chance to flee for his life."

"Therefore, you are fully deserving of these items. Please, accept them."

Hearing his words, the two finally nodded in acceptance.

The Mistress of Drifting Snow Palace took the Glacier Cold Jade, while the Black Tortoise Patriarch claimed the Sea-Containing Vase [a magical vessel capable of holding vast quantities of liquid], leaving all parties quite satisfied.

Only after seeing the three receive their treasures did Eldrin Chen nod in approval. He then handed the Azure Water Immortal Kettle [an immortal-grade kettle imbued with water-element power] to Verdant Consort and entrusted the Xavier Heavenly Flame Furnace [a furnace of heavenly fire] to Exquisite Jiang for refinement.

The remaining Fire Jade Seal and Starlight Soul-Snatching Needle were both Immortal Treasure [artifacts of immortal grade], yet to Eldrin Chen, they held little significance.

He stored them away, intending to place them within the Clan Treasury for future use—either to reward those close to him or to trade for other valuable artifacts.

After thus taking stock of the treasures, Eldrin Chen once again began to rearrange the grand formation.

The seven of them toiled for three years, finally completing the deployment of the Mountain Protection Formation. With this, Crimson Flame Island was at last formally secured by Eldrin Chen.

Once the grand formation was established, Eldrin Chen once more convened the Immortals for a council.

This time, he did not beat around the bush. Looking directly at the group, he stated, "Now that Crimson Flame Island has a stable foundation, I intend to leave one Immortal here to guard it. What are your thoughts?"

Upon hearing this, the others exchanged glances. Although Crimson Flame Island was a suitable place for cultivation, it was vastly inferior to the Starlight Glazed Realm.

Having grown accustomed to the several-fold increase in cultivation speed within the Starlight Glazed Realm, they would likely find it difficult to adjust if they were later confined to cultivating solely on Crimson Flame Island. This chapter appears courtesy of audio-novel . com.

Seeing their silence, Eldrin Chen spoke again. "While the Starlight Glazed Realm is profound, it can only sustain the cultivation of nine Immortals at a time."

"As our Chen Clan grows, the Starlight Glazed Realm will inevitably become insufficient. Therefore, I intend to establish a rule."

"Henceforth, entry into the Starlight Glazed Realm for cultivation will require exchanging clan Merits [a metaphysical "currency" representing contributions and virtuous deeds] for cultivation time."

Upon hearing this, the Black Tortoise Patriarch exchanged a glance with the Mistress of Drifting Snow Palace and inquired, "How, then, are these Merits to be earned?"

"The primary sources of a clan's Merits [a metaphysical 'currency' representing contributions and standing within a clan] are obtained through 'stipends,' 'donations,' 'missions,' and 'wartime contributions,'" Eldrin Chen explained.

Eldrin Chen elaborated in detail, outlining the clan's system of Merits for the assembled elders.

"As elders of the clan, you will each receive a fixed annual stipend, which includes cultivation resources and a portion of Merits," he continued.

"'Donations' refer to contributing Spirit Stones [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy], Immortal Source [a rare, high-purity spiritual energy source], or any other valuable Spiritual Object [an object imbued with spiritual power] or Immortal Artifact [an enchanted artifact used by cultivators]. Any treasure of worth can be donated to the clan in exchange for Merits."

"Furthermore, during times of war, military achievements can also be converted into Merits," he added.

Eldrin Chen spoke calmly, his gaze shifting towards the direction of Crimson Flame Island. "Guarding the clan's spiritual mountains is not only a manageable duty but also one of the most significant sources for acquiring Merits."

"These accumulated Merits can then be used to purchase treasures from the clan's Treasure Vault," he concluded.

After listening, the Mistress of Drifting Snow Palace nodded slightly, a smile gracing her lips. "With such a Merits system in place, it can effectively deter those who would seek to live as parasites on the clan. It is indeed a sound method."

The Black Tortoise Patriarch also gave a nod of agreement before speaking. "I wish to take up the post of guarding Crimson Flame Island to earn some Merits. How should such an assignment be arranged?"

Eldrin Chen pondered for a moment before replying, "Let us tentatively set the rotation period at one thousand years."

Upon hearing this, the Mistress of Drifting Snow Palace offered a faint smile and spoke, "Then, a thousand years from now, I shall come to take over the duty."

"There is no need for haste."

Eldrin Chen shook his head, his expression grave. "We hold a deep-seated enmity with the Crimson Dragon Child. For a single person to guard Crimson Flame Island alone would be far too perilous."

Exquisite Jiang's expression tightened slightly, and she voiced her hesitation, "But the grand formation of the Immortal Isles can be maintained by one person alone. Sending two to guard it makes little difference compared to one."

"I have already devised a plan."

Eldrin Chen spoke with confidence. With a sweep of his sleeve, he conjured a phantom map of the Path Void. His gaze then settled upon the Celestial Sand Archipelago depicted within the ethereal chart.

"If we transplant the Eight Trigrams Treasure Tree there now, within three hundred years we can cultivate the main island of the Supreme Subtlety Enclosure."

"By then, relying on the three Formation Eye islands—Green Chariot Island, Crimson Flame Island, and Supreme Subtlety Island—we can, albeit with difficulty, deploy the Three Enclosures Grand Formation."

"This formation cannot compare to the Heavenly Starry Sky Grand Formation and cannot conceal the entire Celestial Sand Archipelago. However, it will allow the three formations to resonate with one another, amplifying their collective power." Original English translation available at (audio-novel.com).