Chapter 1157 : The Mirror of Past Lives

Alas, in the end, he was powerless. His old friends had long since entered the cycle of Reincarnation [the process of rebirth into a new life] within the Mortal Dust [the mundane world of mortals] for who knows how many lifetimes. How could it be easy to trace them back?

Even if one found their reincarnated forms, how simple would it be for them to regain the memories of their past lives?

For cultivators below the Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] realm, their soul essence is extremely fragile. Once they enter the cycle of reincarnation and have their memories cleansed, retrieving them would require achieving immortality first.

Furthermore, the lower one's cultivation was, the harder it is to recover those memories. Varen Wei's previous life was a Violet Sanctum Cultivator [a cultivator at the Violet Sanctum stage], so the strength of his soul was not insignificant; he could potentially regain his memories after attaining immortality in the future.

But for a cultivator like Verdant Void Chen, who passed away at the mere Vital Essence Refinement Stage [the foundational stage of body refinement], and who has now been reincarnated for an untold number of lifetimes, recovering his former memories is nearly impossible—unless aided by the legendary Mirror of Past Lives [a supreme treasure said to reflect all previous incarnations].

Yet, the Mirror of Past Lives is a Supreme Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure [a treasure of the highest order, born from the world itself] and one of the Six Netherworld Treasures [six legendary artifacts of the underworld] within the Netherworld Hell [the realm of the dead]. Legends say it vanished at the dawn of creation; finding it is all but a fantasy.

Thus, the path to reuniting with old companions is fraught with immense difficulty.

"Alas—"

With a soft sigh in his heart, Eldrin Chen drew his wandering thoughts back to the present.

He lifted his gaze, only to find that the Spiritual Root Detection Ceremony [a ritual to assess a child's innate talent for cultivation] had already commenced. Join our community of readers at audio novel.com.

One by one, the children stepped onto the Spiritual Root Detection Platform [a platform used to determine a person's innate aptitude for cultivation], beginning the test of their own Spiritual Root [the foundational spiritual veins that determine one's potential for cultivation].

"A Spiritual Root has manifested!"

Not long after, radiant light began to shimmer across the surface of the Spiritual Root Detection Platform, and a six-year-old girl stared at the brilliantly glowing platform, her face a picture of innocent bewilderment.

Overseeing the spiritual root detection were two Golden Core Realm [the third major stage of cultivation, where one forms a solidified core of spiritual power] True Persons [a title for cultivators who have reached the Golden Core Realm] of the Chen Clan. One wore violet robes, the other was clad in verdant green.

The violet-robed Golden Core cultivator glanced at the girl and gave a slight nod. "A single Water Spiritual Root of the Heavenly Spiritual Root [the highest grade of spiritual root, signifying exceptional talent] grade. An Infant Soul Seed [a cultivator with the potential to reach the Infant Soul Realm, the fourth major stage] has appeared right at the start. Her future prospects are boundless."

"Come, stand behind me."

As he spoke, the violet-robed True Person gently guided the girl to stand behind him.

A Heavenly Spiritual Root was a rare find. In many Infant Soul Immortal Clan [a clan powerful enough to have cultivators at the Infant Soul Realm], such talent would be nurtured as a True Lord [the title for cultivators who have reached the Nascent Soul Realm, the fifth major stage] seed. Yet, within the Chen Immortal Clan, it was not enough to stir the clan's true upper echelons.

Given the current foundational strength and resources [the accumulated power, heritage, and assets of the clan] of the Chen Immortal Clan, a cultivator with a Heavenly Spiritual Root who followed the established path would find breaking through to the Golden Core Realm almost a natural progression. There was also a significant possibility they could advance further to the Infant Soul [the fourth major stage, where one forms a nascent spiritual soul] Realm in the future.

As for whether they could take the next step and achieve the status of a True Lord [a title that commands respect across a vast region], that would depend entirely on their own drive and fortune.

If one can achieve Self-Achieved Foundation Establishment [cultivating to the Foundation Establishment realm through one's own efforts without external aids], subdue the Mortal Shell Tribulation [a tribulation that tests the physical body's limits] to break through to the Violet Sanctum [the third major realm of cultivation], and even forge a Superior-Tier Golden Core [the highest grade of the Golden Core realm], then the True Lord [a title for cultivators at the Nascent Soul realm] and Path Lord [a title for cultivators at the Primordial Spirit realm] of the Chen Immortal Clan will naturally provide their full support.

If one cannot, even if you are a cultivator with a Heavenly Spiritual Root [the highest innate talent grade for absorbing spiritual energy], you will not receive Heavenly Path Energy [a supreme spiritual energy of the heavens] or Earthly Path Energy [a supreme spiritual energy of the earth], and even wanting to use a Nascent Soul Formation Pill [a precious pill that aids in forming a Nascent Soul] would require waiting in line.

Strictly speaking, the Chen Immortal Clan actually values cultivators with Multiple Spiritual Roots [a spiritual root type possessing multiple elemental affinities] more, especially those with Multiple Spiritual Roots who achieve a Superior-Tier Golden Core. They are the ones who receive the clan's full backing, with Heavenly Path Energy and Earthly Path Energy being supplied to them as a priority.

However, these cultivators with Multiple Spiritual Roots only begin to draw the attention of the clan's upper echelons after they successfully condense a Superior-Tier Golden Core.

Truly, it is an exceedingly rare occurrence for the detection of one's Spiritual Root [the innate organ that determines one's talent for cultivation] to cause a stir among the clan's high-ranking members.

Generally speaking, only a peerless prodigy born with a Path Body [a rare innate physique exceptionally suited to a specific cultivation path] can shock the clan's leadership.

Peerless prodigies possessing a Path Body are extraordinarily rare. Each is a seed destined for Heavenly Path Infant Soul [the highest potential grade within the Nascent Soul realm] and a potential future Primordial Spirit Path Lord [a cultivator who has reached the Primordial Spirit realm].

Among the Chen Clan's current three hundred plus Primordial Spirit Path Lord, close to half of them were born with a Path Body.

Although among these Path Lord, the majority possess only an Inferior Grade Path Body [the lowest grade of Path Body] or a Middle Grade Path Body [the middle grade of Path Body], with Superior Grade Path Body [the highest grade of Path Body] being exceptionally rare, their rate of success still far surpasses that of ordinary cultivators.

To return to the matter at hand, although one Heavenly Spiritual Root was discovered, the Spiritual Root Detection Ceremony [the ritual to determine a child's cultivation talent] continued to proceed.

With the aid of the Spiritual Root Detection Platform [a platform that can detect a person's innate talent for cultivation], the process of screening for Spiritual Root [the innate spiritual foundation that determines one's potential for cultivation] within the Chen Immortal Clan was naturally a simple and straightforward affair.

The children merely had to step onto the Spiritual Root Detection Platform one by one. Any who possessed a Spiritual Root would be identified without fail, leaving no room for error or oversight.

As the procession of children continued, thousands had already passed over the Spiritual Root Detection Platform before anyone realized it, yielding several dozen youngsters who tested positive for a Spiritual Root.

The Golden Core True Person [a cultivator who has formed a Golden Core, a solidified mass of spiritual energy] stroked his beard and gave a slight nod. "We have only tested a small portion today, yet we have already found thirty-seven seeds of cultivation."

"Combined with the results from the previous days, it seems this year we can expect around five hundred promising seedlings."

Another True Person, clad in verdant robes, nodded in agreement with a faint smile. "This Liang City has a population of merely one million, yet it yields five hundred cultivation seeds each year." Enjoyed this chapter? Read more at audi0-n0vel.c0m.

"Within the Great Wasteland Ancestral Domain, there are over three thousand such cities. And this Liang City is but a minor settlement, far from the colossal metropolises that house tens of millions."

The violet-robed True Person smiled thoughtfully, pondering for a moment. "I recall last year's statistics. Across the Great Wasteland Ancestral Domain within the Great Wasteland, a total of one million, eight hundred and thirty thousand cultivation seeds were identified."

"This Great Wasteland Ancestral Domain was once nothing but a Hundred-Thousand-Mile Great Wasteland. It is merely the earliest 'Mortal Domain' [a region designated for mortal habitation and governance] our Chen Clan ever established."

"Across the Myriad Ruins Province, spanning hundreds of millions of Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters], there are several dozen such 'Mortal Domain'. Furthermore, within the countless spiritual lands our Chen Clan occupies, mortals thrive and multiply in varying numbers."

"By such calculations, it is difficult to imagine just how many cultivators are born within our Chen Immortal Clan each year."

The Verdant-robed True Person nodded, took a deep breath, and spoke with immense reverence: "It must number in the hundreds of millions, surely?"

"I once had the fortune to visit the Green Chariot Mountain Ancestral Vein. Within that Ancestral Vein [a supreme concentration of spiritual energy], cultivators truly are as numerous as raindrops. Even cultivators of our level, Golden Core True Person [cultivators who have condensed a Golden Core, a solidified core of spiritual power], are but a single drop in a vast ocean there."

"Our Chen Clan has dominated Purple Seal for seventeen thousand years. Generation after generation of cultivators has emerged without end, and among them, there are always those who rise above the rest, achieving the lofty heights of True Lord [a powerful cultivator who has mastered their nascent soul] and Path Lord [a master of a profound cultivation path]. No one truly knows the full depth of the foundation we have accumulated."

"Although we have attained the Dao and become True Persons, with lifespans nearing a thousand years, if we cannot advance further, in the eyes of the clan's Patriarch [venerated elders and founders], we are merely fleeting clouds and passing smoke."

"Indeed." The violet-robed elder nodded, a bitter smile on his face. "Within the clan, Violet Sanctum [cultivators who have opened their Violet Palace, a spiritual center] and Golden Core cultivators are as numerous as the hairs on an ox. You and I are but ordinary among them."

The two True Persons felt both a sense of helplessness and immense pride.

With their power, if they ventured into the wider world, they could easily claim a Spirit Mountain [a mountain imbued with spiritual energy] for themselves and reign as Golden Core Patriarch [a patriarch whose power is based on the Golden Core realm], awe-inspiring an entire nation.

Yet, in the eyes of the true upper echelons of the Chen Immortal Clan, they were considered merely average. Perhaps only by breaking through to Infant Soul [the realm where the cultivator's soul takes infant form within the Golden Core] would they barely qualify as mid-tier members, truly counting for little.

Born into such a glorious Chen Immortal Clan, they naturally swelled with pride. Beings of their stature, if they stepped outside the clan, would be received with courtesy and respect even by ordinary True Lord.

This was not due to their own strength, but rather the esteemed surname of the Chen Clan.

"Cultivators fall like rain, and prodigies emerge generation after generation."

"The Fortune of this Great Wasteland Ancestral Domain is flourishing; it is only fitting that the Chen Clan prospers."

From a distance, Eldrin Chen observed all of this and gave a slight, approving nod in his heart.

The testing of Spiritual Root [the innate talent for cultivation] continued. The Middle-aged Man beside Eldrin Chen also held a child by the hand.

Seeing the line ahead grow shorter and shorter, the man could not help but speak with a face full of tension, "I wonder if my boy here will possess a Spiritual Root?" Immerse yourself in the complete world at audio‑novel.com.