Chapter 30 : A Patriarch's Sacrifice

Alistair Chen took the set of Formation Banner with palpable excitement. Were it not for his injuries still healing, he would have wished to refine and attune to them immediately.

"This item will indeed be of great use to me."

"The market price for a set of Formation Banner like this is around three thousand Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation]."

"However, I currently have only thirty-seven Spirit Stone on my person." Old Patriarch Chen said, rubbing his hands together somewhat sheepishly. "Perhaps I could owe you the remainder and repay you later?"

Eldrin Chen felt an inexplicable tremor in his heart. Over the years, Old Patriarch Chen had poured nearly all his Spirit Stone into the clan's Merits [a metaphysical "currency" representing good karma or virtuous deeds] system to support the family. He had sold off almost all his personal magical treasures and belongings to subsidize the household expenses.

So much so that now, as one of only three Foundation Establishment Late Stage [the third major stage of cultivation, where one builds a solid foundation for their future path] cultivators in all of Yu County, the total sum of his readily available wealth amounted to a mere few dozen Spirit Stone.

For a Foundation Establishment Cultivator to be reduced to such dire financial straits was a state of affairs others would scarcely dare to believe if told.

His eyes reddened slightly. He turned his head away, swallowing hard before he spoke.

"I will sell this set of Formation Banner to the clan's Clan Treasury for a price of three thousand Merits."

"Although Granduncle may lack Spirit Stone, the clan's reserves of Merits are plentiful. There is no need for you to go into debt."

"..."

By the time he emerged from the Back Mountain and the Spirit Spring, dusk was settling over the land. Eldrin Chen briefly recounted the main events of his journey to the Third Elder before departing from Verdant Chariot Mountain.

Upon his return to Spirit Isle Lake, he realized it was already the end of the seventh month. Nearly eight months had passed since his departure.

"Young Eldrin, you've returned."

As soon as he arrived at Spirit Isle Lake, he spotted a familiar figure—it was Old Granduncle Dorian Chen.

Eldrin Chen was momentarily taken aback, but quickly understood. This Old Granduncle had been the one overseeing Spirit Isle Lake in his stead during his absence.

At this thought, he hurried over to support Old Granduncle's arm, his brow furrowed with concern.

"How could Uncle Lior have arranged things like this? To have you, venerable elder, travel a thousand Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] all the way to Spirit Isle Lake!"

Dorian Chen's aged face fell into a stern expression. "What's the matter? Do you think these old bones of mine aren't up to the task?"

"Of course not," Eldrin Chen replied with a placating smile. "I'm only worried for your health. Such a long and arduous journey could take a toll on you at your age."

"That's more like it."

Old Granduncle allowed a faint smile to touch his lips. "I'm not like your Seventh Granduncle. He carried old injuries from his youth, and in the end, he couldn't hold on and passed."

"My body is still holding up well. I can manage a few more years, and I can lend a hand to you youngsters in the meantime."

He led Eldrin Chen onto Lake Heart Island and then spoke with a serious tone. "My main purpose in coming to Spirit Isle Lake is to guide those two children. Their talent is promising. If their cultivation studies were neglected, it would be a lifelong regret."

"As for tending the Spiritual Field and the Spirit Herb, those are merely secondary tasks."

Eldrin Chen nodded. Old Granduncle had guided the younger generation of the Chen Family for decades. Most cultivators of the Verdant Generation and Nian Generation had taken their first steps on the path of cultivation under his tutelage. He was indeed more suited than Eldrin to provide the foundational instruction for the two siblings.

The two of them walked on and soon arrived at the courtyard where Eldrin resided. The Spirit Peach Tree before the courtyard was now exuding a rich, intoxicating fragrance.

The boughs of the Spirit Peach Tree were now laden with Spiritual Peach [a fruit imbued with spiritual energy, beneficial for cultivation]. With his current level of cultivation, Eldrin Chen could tell at a glance that the number of Spiritual Peach borne this year was far greater than in previous seasons.

"This Spirit Peach Tree..."

Gazing at the Spirit Peach Tree, Eldrin Chen spoke with evident delight.

Old Granduncle nodded. "This Spirit Peach Tree has already broken through to the mid-grade of the first rank. This year, it bore one hundred and three Spiritual Peach [a type of fruit imbued with spiritual energy]."

"I fear this Spirit Peach Tree is no longer an ordinary spiritual plant."

"This tree must have received a great Creation [a profound act of creation or transformation], transforming into the legendary Spiritual Root [a rare and potent spiritual foundation]. Its fundamental nature has changed dramatically."

The old man, having lived for over one hundred and ten years and possessing vast experience, knew far more than Eldrin Chen, so his gaze held a hint of joy as he spoke.

From his explanation, Eldrin Chen gained a general understanding of what a Spiritual Root was.

Spiritual Root is a collective term for a special category of heavenly treasures, typically divided into Innate Spiritual Root [a spiritual root born of heaven and earth], Acquired Spiritual Root [a spiritual root cultivated to transcendence], and Worldly Spiritual Root [a spiritual root of the mortal world].

The Innate Spiritual Root needs little explanation; it is a true peerless treasure. Even in the legendary Immortal Realm, such treasures are used by the mightiest powers to anchor their Fortune [destiny and prosperity].

The Acquired Spiritual Root, also known as an Immortal Strain, though inferior to the Innate Spiritual Root, is still a supreme treasure coveted by Immortal [ascended beings] from beyond the heavens. Within the entire Ziyin Realm, there is only one such treasure: the World-Stabilizing [realm-anchoring] supreme treasure, the Ziyin Divine Tree.

Legend says that every three thousand years, the Ziyin Divine Tree sheds a single divine fruit. This fruit can assist a Primordial Spirit Realm [the realm of the primordial spirit] cultivator in achieving Ethereal Ascension [ascension to the ethereal realm] and breaking through to the Indestructible [the state of indestructibility] realm of immortal deities.

The Worldly Spiritual Root is considerably inferior to the Acquired Spiritual Root, yet within the Ziyin Realm, it remains exceedingly rare, almost always claimed and held by great sects and powerful clans.

After the old man finished speaking, Eldrin Chen revealed an expression of ecstatic joy. "Is this tree truly a Worldly Spiritual Root [a legendary spiritual plant capable of transforming and purifying ambient spiritual energy]?"

"My knowledge regarding Spiritual Roots [rare, sentient spiritual plants] comes only from occasionally perusing ancient texts," Dorian Chen shook his head, speaking with uncertainty. "However, legend states that once a spiritual plant ascends to become a Worldly Spiritual Root, its growth rate remains exceptionally swift until it reaches the Fifth-Order [the fifth major stage of cultivation]."

"It is said they can reach the Second-Order [the second major stage of cultivation] in ten years, attain the third-order Violet Sanctum [the third major stage of cultivation] in fifty years, and even advance to the fourth-order Golden Core Level [the fourth major stage of cultivation] in merely two hundred years."

"We simply need to observe whether it can advance to the Second-Order within the next ten years."

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen calmed down. "It seems we must enforce greater secrecy over the Spirit Isle Lake from now on, limiting the number of clansmen who have access."

Old Granduncle also nodded in agreement. "A Worldly Spiritual Root possesses the ability to transform and purify spiritual energy. If this truly is one, then once it breaks through to the Second-Order, the Spirit Vein [a natural conduit of concentrated spiritual energy] beneath Spirit Isle Lake will gradually elevate to the Second-Order as well."

"When that time comes, we can have the clan patriarch deploy a Second-Order grade killing formation here. That should ensure this place's security."

After conversing for a while longer, both wore smiles tinged with delight. Whether the Spirit Peach Tree was truly a Worldly Spiritual Root remained uncertain, but their immediate harvest was undeniably tangible.

This year, it had borne one hundred and three Spiritual Peaches [peaches infused with spiritual energy, valuable for cultivation], a bounty worth over five hundred Spirit Stones [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy]. Once the peach tree reached the upper grade of the first order, its annual yield of Spiritual Peaches would increase by seventy to eighty percent. At that point, the yearly income could reach eight or nine hundred Spirit Stones.

Witnessing the bountiful harvest of Spiritual Peaches, Eldrin Chen was in high spirits. He personally plucked several ripe Spiritual Peaches to host Dorian Chen.

The elderly man seemed somewhat reluctant to part with them, taking only a single Spiritual Peach [a peach imbued with spiritual energy, beneficial for cultivation]. He himself took only a small bite, then sliced the remainder for the siblings Caleb and Silas.

As he fed the two siblings, a warm smile graced his face.

"They say that precious Spiritual Tree [a tree that naturally gathers and radiates spiritual energy] are considered core assets," he mused. "Many an Immortal Clan [a clan or family dedicated to the path of immortality and cultivation] can ensure its enduring prosperity if it possesses even one."

"I used to doubt that saying. It was only after seeing your Spirit Peach Tree [a specific type of spiritual tree that bears spirit peaches] that I understood the truth of those words."

Eldrin Chen replied with a helpless sigh, "Old Granduncle, my Spirit Isle Lake [a lake containing spiritual isles] may lack many things, but Spiritual Peach [a peach imbued with spiritual energy, beneficial for cultivation] are not among its scarcities."

"Your visit here is a rare occasion. Please, indulge yourself a little more. Consider it my humble way of repaying your kindness in guiding me on the Dao."

Having spent over nineteen years in this world, the people Eldrin Chen felt most grateful towards were precisely Dorian Chen and Cedric Chen the Seventh Granduncle.

Cedric Chen the Seventh Granduncle had always treated Eldrin Chen with great kindness. The three treasures he left behind—the Verdant Leaf Sword [a sword forged with the essence of verdant leaves], the Golden Armor Talisman [a talisman that conjures protective golden armor], and the Crimson Flame Talisman [a talisman that unleashes crimson flames]—had helped Eldrin Chen survive several perilous battles.