Chapter 29 : The Forge of Destiny's Flame

After the elder finished speaking, he carefully examined the Blazing Fire Path to Ruins Art that Eldrin Chen had handed over, and a look of delight appeared on his face.

"Although this cultivation art overlaps somewhat with the clan's Scorching Sun Soaring Void Art, the recorded method for forging a Life-Bound Magical Artifact [a magical treasure bound to a cultivator's life force, growing in power with them] is truly exceptional."

"In my opinion, this Blazing Fire Abyssal Return Sword is likely extraordinarily powerful. Within the entire State of Chu, perhaps only Lyra the Ancient Ancestor's Heavenly Ruins Immortal-Slaying Sword could rival it. The only pity is its difficulty to forge."

"You possess the Millennial Crimson Iron. After you break through to Foundation Establishment [the second major realm of cultivation, where one solidifies their Dao foundation], you could attempt to forge this sword."

After listening, Eldrin Chen pondered for a moment, then handed over the Millennial Crimson Iron blade blank.

"My cultivation is insufficient. Who knows when I will be able to use this material."

"Granduncle sold his Lifebound Magical Treasure a few years ago. Would it not be better for you to take this Millennial Crimson Iron and forge the Blazing Fire Abyssal Return Sword?"

"If you could successfully refine a Second-Rank Superior Lifebound Immortal Sword, the current crisis might be resolved with ease."

Upon hearing this, Old Patriarch Chen shook his head repeatedly with a wry smile. "Forging a Lifebound Magical Treasure is not so simple."

"Given my current condition, even if I succeeded in forging the Blazing Fire Abyssal Return Sword, refining it to the Second-Rank Superior level would likely consume many years of effort. Furthermore, it would hinder my future cultivation progress."

"It would be better to abandon the Lifebound Magical Treasure [a magical artifact bound to a cultivator's life force, growing in power with them]. This saves the effort of nurturing the treasure, speeding up cultivation by a third. Perhaps then, one might glimpse a sliver of hope for a breakthrough into the Violet Sanctum [the third major realm of cultivation, where one forms a spiritual mansion within their dantian]."

Eldrin Chen nodded upon hearing this, storing the blade embryo away before asking.

"What exactly is this Blazing Fire Crystal [a rare crystal born from intense subterranean fire veins, brimming with pure fire-attribute spiritual energy], and where can it be obtained?"

Mention of the Blazing Fire Crystal caused Old Patriarch Chen's expression to shift, a sigh escaping his lips.

"The Blazing Fire Crystal is a rare spiritual material born within Underground Fire Vein [subterranean channels of concentrated fire-attribute spiritual energy]," he explained.

"Its uses are extraordinary. It can refine elixirs and artifacts, and it can assist cultivators with a Fire Spiritual Root [an innate affinity for the fire element] in breaking through to the Purple Mansion Realm [another name for the Violet Sanctum realm]."

"It is far too precious and sought-after. Furthermore, it only spawns in small quantities within Fire Vein of the third rank or higher. Thus, it is essentially monopolized by Immortal Clan [powerful, long-established families of cultivators] at or above the Violet Sanctum level."

"It is said that within the Underground Fire Vein controlled by the Green Sun Sect, one Blazing Fire Crystal is born every ten years."

"There is also a Third-Rank Superior Grade Fire Vein within Heavenly Ruins Mountain. Rumor has it one crystal is born there every thirty years, but they are almost never sold."

When Old Patriarch Chen finished speaking, a look of disappointment settled on Eldrin Chen's face.

No wonder Ronan Yang perished beneath the demonic tribulation in the past, despite possessing such an exquisite method for forging a Lifebound Immortal Sword [a powerful sword bound to its wielder's life force].

Without a doubt, Ronan Yang must have failed to forge the Blazing Fire Abyssal Return Sword. Both the Millennial Crimson Iron [a rare iron ore refined over a millennium] and the Blazing Fire Crystal [a crystal imbued with intense fire energy] are treasures of immense rarity.

The Millennial Crimson Iron is somewhat more attainable. Although precious, the great sects with millennia of heritage can cultivate it artificially. Thus, an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator [a cultivator who has solidified their foundational cultivation stage] with sufficient wealth and a stroke of fortune might still acquire it.

However, the Blazing Fire Crystal is far too precious. This treasure, which aids in breaking through to the Violet Sanctum [the Violet Mansion realm, a major stage in cultivation], is utterly beyond reach without significant backing or extraordinary luck.

"Do not lose heart," Old Patriarch Chen consoled, seeing Eldrin Chen's disappointment. "A Lifebound Immortal Sword of such boundless power naturally demands exacting conditions for its forging."

"But rest assured, if a path to purchase a Blazing Fire Crystal ever presents itself, our Chen Family will spare no effort, even if it means exhausting the entire clan's resources, to secure it for you."

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen felt a wave of profound gratitude.

He had to admit, even in this world teeming with Immortal Clans [powerful families of cultivators], few possessed the warmth and kinship found within the Chen Family.

Sixty years prior, the Chen Immortal Clan had spent centuries of accumulated wealth to purchase the priceless Purple Sun Jade [a mystical jade that aids cultivation] for the clan leader of that generation.

A few years ago, the clan again scraped together every resource, journeying a hundred thousand Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] to buy a single Foundation Establishment Pill [an elixir that aids in reaching the Foundation Establishment realm], all to nurture another Foundation Establishment Cultivator for the family's future.

Although the outcomes of these two endeavors were both unfavorable, and had it been another clan facing such successive blows, morale would likely have long since crumbled, yet the Chen Immortal Clan remained unyielding and resilient.

Gazing at the Old Patriarch Chen before him, a surge of warmth welled up in Eldrin Chen's heart, and he felt a renewed, profound sense of belonging to his clan.

Some sentiments need not be spoken aloud; they are best held within. Eldrin Chen said nothing more, simply producing the Blazing Fire Soul-Burning Formation Banners.

"The power of this Formation Banner is Baelon. I wish to entrust it to the clan."

"When the time comes, we can take it to the Lin Family to see if we can redeem your Lifebound Magical Treasure [a magical artifact bound to its owner's life force], Patriarch."

Eldrin Chen spoke calmly. Three years prior, in order to gather enough Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] to repay debts, the Chen Family had sold the Patriarch's Life-Bound Magical Artifact [a magical artifact bound to its owner's life force], the Crimson Flame Spirit Blade, to the Lin Family of Yu County.

It had been a terribly disadvantageous transaction. With the Patriarch's current cultivation at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage [the third and final phase of the Foundation Establishment realm], given sufficient Five Elements Essence [a refined spiritual essence containing the power of the five elements], it would not have taken long to elevate the Crimson Flame Spirit Blade to the Second-Rank Superior [the highest grade within the Second Rank] tier.

The value of a single Second-rank Superior-grade Magical Treasure often exceeds four thousand Spirit Stone. To have sold it for a mere two thousand was to have suffered a significant loss.

The Patriarch's most formidable skills, aside from the ancestral divine ability 'Blazing Heaven Sword', lay primarily with this very Crimson Flame Spirit Blade.

Now, without the Crimson Flame Spirit Blade, Alistair Chen's offensive capabilities were nearly halved, his strength greatly diminished. Thus, Eldrin Chen also harbored the desire to reclaim the Crimson Flame Spirit Blade.

"Ever since the Crimson Flame Spirit Blade [a powerful enchanted sword imbued with crimson flame energy] was sold, I have understood that they would likely never allow me to buy it back."

Alistair Chen shook his head upon hearing this.

If the Crimson Flame Spirit Blade could be retrieved, it would not be long before it became his Lifebound Magical Treasure [a magical artifact bound to a cultivator's life force and soul] of the Second-Rank Superior [a high-grade cultivation technique]. At that point, Alistair Chen would be truly like a tiger with wings added, potentially even threatening the position of the foremost expert in Yu County.

The Lin Family, as the strongest Immortal Clan [a clan of cultivators] in Yu County, was essentially half a competitor to the Chen Family. Naturally, they could not fail to see this point, and it was unthinkable that they would allow him to redeem the blade as he wished.

As he spoke, Alistair Chen glanced at the Blazing Fire Soul-Burning Banners [a set of enchanted banners that form a fiery soul-consuming formation], a flicker of pleasant surprise appearing in his eyes.

"My hopes for the Crimson Flame Spirit Blade are likely futile, but this set of Formation Banner [banners used to deploy magical formations] is truly an unexpected boon."

"Once I refine and reforge them, they can be crafted anew into a set of Formation Artifact [a type of magical treasure specifically designed to create or power formations]."

"A Formation Artifact?"

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen's expression shifted slightly, a look of inquiry crossing his features.

Seeing his expression, Old Patriarch Chen stroked his beard proudly and explained with a smile:

"The so-called Formation Artifact [an enchanted artifact designed to function as a complete formation or array] is precisely the result of refining an entire Formation Artifact [an enchanted artifact designed to function as a complete formation or array] into a single, unified set of magical treasures."

"Although this old man possesses no skill in alchemy or talisman crafting, I am the sole Second-Rank Superior [a master-level practitioner of the art of formations and arrays] in all of Yu County, and I dare say my mastery of formation arts surpasses even that of the late senior Ronan Yang from a century ago."

"In Senior Ronan Yang's hands, this set of Formation Banner [a type of formation that utilizes enchanted banners as its core components] could only function as a stationary formation. Yet, in my hands, it can be transformed into a mobile set of magical treasures."

"The power of this Formation Banner [a type of formation that utilizes enchanted banners as its core components] is Baelon [extraordinary or peerless]. It can ensnare foes and incinerate them. Once refined into a set of magical treasures, it will likely become a top-tier artifact capable of both formidable offense and stalwart defense."

Old Patriarch Chen was in excellent spirits. In his hands, this set of Formation Banner [a type of formation that utilizes enchanted banners as its core components] would likely prove far more useful than even the Crimson Flame Spirit Blade [a renowned spiritual sword imbued with crimson flame energy].

Eldrin Chen felt a pang of envy. This Formation Flag Magical Treasure [a magical treasure set comprised of formation flags] was undoubtedly excellent, but it had one significant flaw: it could only be activated by a Second-Rank Superior [a master-level practitioner of the art of formations and arrays] formation master.

If it fell into the hands of an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator [a cultivator who has solidified their spiritual foundation, the second major realm], they would be utterly incapable of wielding it, rendering it less useful than even a Second Rank Lower Grade [the lowest quality tier within the second rank of artifacts] magical instrument.