Chapter 31 : The Mentor's Twilight Years

For the first dozen or so years of his cultivation journey, it was Eternal Spread Chen who had guided him, imparting the Dao and resolving his doubts. Their relationship was less that of clansmen separated by generations, and more akin to that of a true master and disciple.

Eternal Verdancy Chen had passed away several years prior. Now, the person closest to Eldrin Chen was this elder, who had already lived for over one hundred and thirteen years.

"At least you still remember the years I spent teaching you cultivation. Shows you have a bit of a conscience, boy."

"You were so young back then, yet the quietest and most clever. I remember the first time I taught you to recognize the meridians and acupoints; you listened just once and remembered them all."

"That's when I told your Seventh Granduncle, 'This child is born with innate wisdom. The future of the Chen Clan will likely rest on his shoulders.'"

The old man chuckled as he recounted these fragmented memories, though the corners of his eyes grew slightly moist.

Eldrin Chen listened quietly. When the elder finished his reminiscing, Eldrin suddenly smiled gently and said, "Old Granduncle, why not stay here at Spirit Isle Lake?"

"Stay at Spirit Isle Lake?" The Old Granduncle was taken aback.

"Mm." Eldrin Chen nodded, gently patting Silas's small head. "The mountains and waters of Spirit Isle Lake are both beautiful. It's a fine place to spend one's twilight years."

"You could tend flowers, plant herbs, fish, read, and keep an eye on these two little ones while you're at it." Support the author by reading on audio~novel.com.

Eternal Spread Chen pondered earnestly for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the two youngsters before a kindly smile graced his features.

"I truly cannot set my heart at ease regarding these two," he said.

"It happens that my own years are few now, and the clan should indeed pass the matter of legacy to the Verdant Generation."

Hearing this, a glimmer of warmth and understanding lit within Eldrin Chen's eyes.

'In my youth, you cared for me with utmost diligence, enlightened my mind, and guided my first steps upon the path of cultivation [the practice of refining one's body and spirit to ascend towards immortality],' he thought silently.

'Now that you have grown old, allow me to care for you on this final journey.'

"..."

The path of cultivation is a long and arduous road.

For a cultivator, time flows like a murmuring stream, its passage subtle and imperceptible as it slips steadily by.

In the blink of an eye, two years had passed.

Eldrin Chen was now twenty years old, and this year marked his fifth year since descending the mountain to Spirit Isle Lake.

On this day, Eldrin Chen sat cross-legged by the shore of Lake Heart Island, devouring the Dawn Glow Energy [the radiant spiritual essence of the rising sun]. He continued until the morning glow completely dissipated. Only then did he merge the Dawn Glow Energy with the Moonlight Essence [the pure spiritual essence of moonlight] absorbed the previous night, ultimately transforming them into a single wisp of Primordial Chaos Violet Aura [a supreme, primordial energy of violet hue]. Finally, he opened his eyes.

"Haa—"

Exhaling a stream of mist, Eldrin Chen slowly concluded his cultivation session.

Sensing the cluster of Primordial Chaos Violet Aura within his body, a faint smile touched his lips. For years, he had never neglected his daily practice of absorbing the essences of dawn and moonlight. Now, he was close to accumulating another full measure of Primordial Chaos Violet Aura.

"Just two or three more months, and this measure of Primordial Chaos Violet Aura should be complete."

"Once the Primordial Chaos Violet Aura is abundant, the speed at which I temper my meridians will increase significantly."

Over these years, his diligence had been unwavering. Furthermore, with treasures like the Spiritual Peach [a mystical fruit that enhances cultivation] aiding his progress, his advancement from the Vital Essence Refinement 7th Tier [the seventh stage of refining one's foundational life energy] to the Great Perfection of the Vital Essence Refinement 9th Tier [the ninth and final stage of foundational energy refinement] had taken a mere five years.

Now, his Vital Energy [the foundational life force cultivated within] had completely filled his meridians, reaching the absolute limit his body could contain. Continuing at this pace, he estimated he would reach the threshold for attempting Foundation Establishment [the crucial realm where a cultivator solidifies their spiritual foundation] in just one or two more years.

He calculated that with roughly two more years of work, he could temper his meridians to their ultimate limit. At that point, the resilience and strength of his meridian network would far surpass that of an ordinary cultivator, granting him the true capital to attempt the breakthrough to Foundation Establishment.

"In about two more years, I should be able to attempt my breakthrough into the Foundation Establishment realm [the second major stage of cultivation, where one solidifies their spiritual foundation]."

"It's just that without a Foundation Establishment Pill [a special elixir that tempers the violent energies during the breakthrough, increasing success chances] to make the Vital Energy [the fundamental life force energy cultivated by practitioners] more gentle, my chances of success are only about fifty or sixty percent. It's still quite perilous."

"If I had one Foundation Establishment Pill, I could be almost certain of a successful breakthrough."

"Should I wait a few more years, to see if I can obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill?"

Thoughts flashed rapidly through Eldrin Chen's mind, and then he chuckled wryly at himself.

"The closer I get to Foundation Establishment, the more I'm plagued by doubts and fears. The boat will straighten itself when it reaches the bridgehead. What's the use of worrying so much now?" For the best reading experience, visit audio-novel .c om.

Having finished his daily cultivation routine, Eldrin Chen began his customary inspection along the Spiritual Lake [a lake imbued with natural spiritual energy], counting the Azure Verdant Spirit Fish [a type of spiritually attuned fish prized by cultivators]. It was then he spotted a lone skiff approaching. Three figures stood upon it, and the elder at the front called out from a distance.

"Young Eldrin, it's me again!"

"Sixteenth Granduncle."

Eldrin Chen's eyes flickered with recognition, and a warm smile touched his lips as he greeted them.

Once again, the season had arrived for the Spirit Rice [a type of grain infused with spiritual energy] to ripen. As was customary this year, it was Eternal Land Chen who came to the island.

Sixteenth Granduncle was a man of cheerful and forthright disposition. He arrived on the island with two junior clansmen in tow and spoke as soon as they met.

"This year, I've brought something truly special for you."

The old man carefully, almost reverently, produced a wooden case.

When Eldrin Chen opened the case, his eyes lit up with sudden delight, and a look of pure joy spread across his face.

"It's Wood Sunflower [a spiritual herb with wood-aligned properties]!"

"Indeed," Eternal Land Chen replied, a proud smile gracing his features. "These matured just two moons ago. I gathered them fresh from the Spirit Herb Garden [a garden dedicated to cultivating spiritual plants] only a few days past."

As he spoke, his entire countenance radiated with satisfaction.

The Wood Sunflower was a top-grade, first-rank Spirit Herb [a plant containing potent spiritual energy used in alchemy]. It served as the primary ingredient for refining the Energy Recovery Pill [a pill that rapidly restores a cultivator's spiritual energy].

The Energy Recovery Pill was a top-grade, first-rank auxiliary elixir. Its effect was truly Extraordinary: upon ingestion, it could instantly restore seventy percent of the True Essence [the refined spiritual energy cultivated within a practitioner's body] of a cultivator at the Vital Essence Refinement Late Stage [the advanced phase of the first major cultivation stage].

This type of elixir [a magical pill refined for cultivation purposes] is extremely precious for cultivators at the Vital Essence Refinement realm. After all, being able to restore seventy percent of one's True Essence [the refined spiritual energy cultivated within a practitioner's body] in one go is, for many cultivators, almost equivalent to gaining an extra life.

For Eldrin Chen, possessing this Energy Recovery Pill would allow him to wield the Crimson Iron Saber Embryo [a nascent form of a powerful magical saber] several more times. The combat prowess he could unleash then would likely rival half that of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

"This Wood Sunflower took sixty years to mature before it could be harvested; it is truly a rare find," said Eternal Land Chen, shaking his head with a smile as he stroked his long beard. "With this single Wood Sunflower, you can attempt to break through to become a first-rank, high-grade alchemist."

Eldrin Chen nodded in agreement, then added, "To refine the Energy Recovery Pill, we are still missing one auxiliary herb: the Bellheart Grass."

"Bellheart Grass is easy to find," Eternal Land Chen replied with a gentle smile. "After we finish harvesting the Spirit Rice [a grain infused with spiritual energy], I need to make a trip to the Sunward Market. I can purchase a portion for you then."

"There's no need to trouble you with an extra trip," Eldrin Chen declined with a wave and a laugh. "Coincidentally, this year's batch of Spiritual Peach [a peach fruit brimming with spiritual essence] has ripened. I plan to go to the Sunward Market to sell them, accumulate some Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation], and also purchase some Spirit Herb [plants imbued with spiritual energy used in alchemy] while I'm there."

"That works out perfectly. We can go to the Sunward Market together tomorrow and keep each other company."

Chatting amiably, the two men arrived at Eldrin Chen's courtyard.

After a brief rest lasting only half a Shichen-time [one Shichen-time equals two hours], everyone began harvesting the Spirit Rice.

The stalks and leaves of Spirit Rice are remarkably tough, making the harvest laborious even for ordinary cultivators. Fortunately, Eldrin Chen's Vital Energy [the foundational life force energy cultivated by practitioners] was far more potent and refined than that of a typical Vital Essence Refinement 9th Tier cultivator. Thus, in just a little over half a day, he had completely harvested the several Mu-area [one Mu-area equals six hundred sixty-six point six seven square meters] of Spirit Rice.

After the harvest of the Spirit Rice was complete, Eternal Land Chen turned his attention to catching Spirit Fish [enchanted fish that absorb spiritual energy]. Freed from the predation of other spirit beasts, the school of Azure Verdant Spirit Fish [a specific type of spirit fish known for its azure and green scales] in Spirit Isle Lake had flourished over the past five years, its numbers swelling once more.

The current population of Spirit Fish now numbered two hundred and twenty-seven, nearly ninety more than when Eldrin Chen had first arrived.

A larger school meant more Spirit Fish could be sold each year. Eternal Land Chen netted thirty of the shimmering creatures, a pleased expression spreading across his face as he spoke.

"This year's catch yields two more fish than last. It seems our earnings in Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation] will be greater as well."

Eternal Spread Chen happily stepped forward to lend a hand. Gazing at the writhing Spirit Fish, he chuckled. "These past few years, who in all of Yu County hasn't heard that our Chen Clan's Azure Verdant Spirit Fish are peerless?" Original English translation available at https://audio-novel.com.