Chapter 30 : A Patriarch's Sacrifice

Eternal Profound Chen clutched the set of Formation Flag with palpable excitement. Were it not for his lingering injuries, he would have begun refining them into his own arsenal that very instant.

"This artifact will indeed be of great use to me," he affirmed.

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

"However, I currently possess only thirty-seven Spirit Stone on my person," the Old Patriarch admitted, rubbing his hands together with a hint of embarrassment. "Perhaps I could owe you the remainder and repay you in the future?"

Eldrin Chen felt an inexplicable tremor in his heart. Over the years, to support the clan, the Old Patriarch had exchanged nearly all his Spirit Stone for clan Merits [a metaphysical "currency" representing contributions and virtuous deeds within the clan]. Any personal magical treasures or items of value that could be sold had long been liquidated to subsidize the family's needs.

Thus, it had come to this: as one of only three cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage [the advanced phase of the Foundation Establishment realm, where one solidifies their spiritual foundation] in all of Yu County, the sum total of his readily available wealth amounted to a mere few dozen Spirit Stone.

For a Foundation Establishment Cultivator [a cultivator who has established their spiritual foundation, a significant milestone] to be reduced to such financial straits was a notion scarcely believable, even if spoken aloud.

His eyes grew slightly moist. Turning his head away, he swallowed hard before speaking.

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

"Though Granduncle may lack Spirit Stone, the clan's reserve of Merits is plentiful. There is no need for any debt between us." Discover more cultivation stories at AUDIO-NOVEL.COM.

"..."

By the time he emerged from the Hinter Peaks and the Spirit Spring, the sky was already darkening. Eldrin Chen briefly recounted the general course of his journey to the Third Elder before departing from Green Chariot Mountain.

Upon returning 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 actually Old Granduncle Eternal Spread 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 this period.

With that thought, he hurried over to support Old Granduncle's arm, his brow furrowed with concern as he spoke.

"How could Uncle Lior handle things like this? To have you, venerable elder, travel all this way to Spirit Isle Lake..."

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

"Not at all," Eldrin Chen replied with a placating smile. "I'm only concerned for your health. A journey of a thousand Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] is taxing on the body 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, hidden injuries from his youth, and in the end, he couldn't hold on and passed before his time."

"My own constitution is still quite robust. I can hold out for a few more years and lend a hand to you youngsters in the meantime."

He led Eldrin Chen onto Lake Heart Island before adopting a more 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 [a field nourished by spiritual energy to grow special plants] and the Spirit Herb [plants that absorb spiritual energy and possess medicinal or cultivation-enhancing properties], those tasks are merely secondary."

Eldrin Chen nodded in agreement. Old Granduncle had shepherded the Chen Clan's younger generations for decades. Most cultivators of the Verdant Generation and Nian Generation had taken their first steps on the path of cultivation under his guidance. He was undoubtedly better suited than Eldrin to provide the foundational instruction for the two siblings.

The two men walked on, soon arriving at the courtyard where Eldrin resided. The Spiritual Peach Tree [a tree that bears fruit infused with spiritual energy] before the courtyard was now exuding a rich, intoxicating fragrance.

The boughs of the Spiritual Peach Tree were now laden with Spiritual Peach [peaches that have absorbed spiritual energy, consuming them aids cultivation]. With his current level of cultivation, Eldrin Chen could tell at a glance that this year's harvest was significantly more abundant than in previous years.

"This Spiritual Peach Tree..."

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

Old Granduncle nodded. "This Spiritual 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 peach imbued with spiritual energy, beneficial for cultivation]."

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

"This tree must have received a great infusion of Creation [the primordial creative force of the universe], transforming into the legendary Spiritual Root [a rare and potent spiritual plant that serves as a foundation for cultivation and fortune]. Its fundamental nature has been utterly altered."

Having lived for over one hundred and ten years, the old man was widely experienced and knowledgeable, far more so than Eldrin Chen, so his gaze held a trace of delight 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 primordial chaos, possessing supreme power], Acquired Spiritual Root [a Spiritual Root cultivated to perfection, also known as an Immortal Strain], and Worldly Spiritual Root [a Spiritual Root nurtured by worldly energies, powerful but lesser than the other types]. This novel is serialized on audio-novel dot com. Visit for updates.

The Innate Spiritual Root needs little elaboration; it is a true peerless treasure. Even in the fabled Immortal Realm [the realm of immortals], such treasures are used by the mightiest powers to anchor their Fortune [the metaphysical luck and destiny of a person or organization].

The Acquired Spiritual Root, also called an Immortal Strain, though not comparable to the Innate Spiritual Root, is still a supreme treasure coveted by Immortal [a being who has achieved immortality through cultivation] from beyond this world. Within the entire Purple Seal Realm, there is only one such treasure: the World-Stabilizing [a term for artifacts of immense power that help maintain cosmic order] supreme treasure, the Purple Seal Divine Tree.

Legend says that every three thousand years, the Purple Seal Divine Tree sheds a single divine fruit. This fruit can assist a Primordial Spirit Realm [the realm of cultivating one's primordial spiritual core] cultivator in achieving Ethereal Ascension [the process of ascending to a higher, more ethereal state of being] and breaking through to the realm of Immortality [the state of becoming an immortal deity].

The Worldly Spiritual Root is considerably inferior to the Acquired Spiritual Root, yet within the Purple Seal Realm, it remains exceedingly rare. They are almost exclusively occupied by great sects and powerful factions.

After the old man finished speaking, Eldrin Chen's face lit up with ecstatic joy. "Is this tree truly a Worldly Spiritual Root [a legendary plant that can transform and purify the spiritual energy of a region]?"

"I only learned about Spiritual Root [a rare, sentient plant with profound spiritual properties] from occasionally browsing ancient texts," Eternal Spread Chen shook his head, speaking with uncertainty. "However, legend says that once a spiritual plant ascends to become a Worldly Spiritual Root, its growth rate becomes incredibly swift until it reaches the Fifth Rank."

"It can reach the Second Rank in ten years, attain the third rank Violet Sanctum level in fifty years, and even advance to the fourth rank Golden Core Grade in merely two centuries."

"All we need to do is see if it can advance to the Second Rank within the next ten years."

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen calmed down. "It seems we must keep Spirit Isle Lake [a secluded lake imbued with spiritual energy] a closely guarded secret from now on. We cannot allow too many clan members 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 Rank, the Spiritual Vein [a subterranean channel of concentrated spiritual energy] beneath Spirit Isle Lake will gradually elevate to the Second Rank as well."

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

After conversing for a while longer, both wore smiles of quiet delight. Whether the Spiritual Peach Tree was truly a Worldly Spiritual Root remained uncertain, but their present harvest was undeniably real.

This year, it had borne one hundred and three Spiritual Peach [peaches infused with spiritual energy, valuable for cultivation]. This bounty was worth over five hundred Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation]. Once the peach tree reached the upper tier of the first rank, its annual yield would increase by seventy to eighty percent. The yearly income would then reach eight or nine hundred Spirit Stones.

Witnessing the bountiful harvest of Spiritual Peach, Eldrin Chen was in high spirits. He personally plucked several ripe peaches and hosted a small feast for Eternal Spread Chen.

The old man seemed a bit reluctant to part with them. He only took one Spiritual Peach [a fruit imbued with spiritual energy, beneficial for cultivation], took a small bite himself, and cut the rest to share with the siblings, Caleb and Silas.

As he fed the two siblings, a warm smile spread across 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 immortal cultivation] can ensure its prosperity for generations if it possesses just one."

"I used to doubt that saying. It wasn't until I saw your Spiritual Peach Tree that I understood the truth of those words."

Eldrin Chen replied with a helpless sigh, "Old Granduncle, this Spirit Isle Lake [a lake region known for its spiritual energy and islands] of mine may lack many things, but Spiritual Peach are not one of them."

"Since you've come all this way, please indulge a little more. Consider it a small token of my gratitude for the wisdom you've imparted."

Having lived in this world for over nineteen years, the people Eldrin Chen felt most indebted to were, in truth, Eternal Spread Chen and Seventh Granduncle Eternal Verdancy Chen.

Seventh Granduncle Eternal Verdancy Chen 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 protective talisman that manifests golden armor], and the Crimson Flame Talisman [a talisman that unleashes crimson flames]—had helped Eldrin Chen survive several perilous battles. For more chapters, visit (audio-novel.com) for the complete novel.