Chapter 40 : The Alchemist's Calculated Gamble

Early the next morning, Eldrin Chen sat cross-legged within the Alchemy Room, carefully studying the Alchemy Tome in his hands.

This time, he intended to refine the Essence Gathering Pill. This pill, a Second Rank Low Grade elixir, could instantly replenish a vast amount of a cultivator's True Essence [the refined spiritual energy cultivated within a practitioner's body].

According to the Alchemy Tome, possessing an Essence Gathering Pill could potentially increase his chances of a breakthrough into the Foundation Establishment realm by ten percent.

Although this pill was not overly difficult to refine, it required a rare second-rank spirit fruit. Eldrin Chen lacked such a fruit. However, having lived a previous life in a world of information explosion, he naturally understood the principle of adaptation.

He planned to use a large quantity of first-rank Spirit Peach fruits to jointly refine a single batch of Essence Gathering Pill. By substituting quantity for quality, the resulting pill, even if inferior to the original formula, should retain fifty to sixty percent of its efficacy, granting him an additional five percent chance of achieving his Foundation Establishment breakthrough.

No sooner thought than done. Once he finalized the alchemical method, Eldrin Chen began the refinement of the Essence Gathering Pill.

For this endeavor, he gathered the hundreds of remaining Spirit Peach fruits he had accumulated over the years, resolved to complete the entire batch in a single, concentrated effort.

Although the Essence Gathering Pill was a second-rank formula, the Spirit Peach was not a typical Spirit Medicine [a plant imbued with spiritual energy, used in alchemy]. Being virtually free of medicinal toxins and containing minimal impurities, its refinement was considered among the least demanding tasks within the realm of Second Rank Pill creation.

Eldrin Chen employed a gentle flame, patiently simmering the ingredients for over a month. Slowly, a cauldron of spiritual liquid was formed, leading finally to the critical moment of pill condensation.

"Five globules of pill liquid," he observed. Dive deeper into the Dao at audio-novel . com.

"It must succeed."

Watching the spiritual liquid before him gradually take form, Eldrin Chen felt his heart leap into his throat.

After all, this was his first attempt at refining a Second Rank Pill [a potent cultivation elixir]. His cultivation base and spiritual sense were insufficient, leading to an immediate mishap—three of the five clumps of pill liquid instantly dissipated.

"Not good!"

At this critical moment, Eldrin Chen made a decisive choice. He abandoned one of the remaining clumps and focused all his efforts on condensing the final one.

The effect of this concentrated focus was profoundly evident. With all his energy devoted to that single clump of pill liquid, no further accidents occurred. He successfully refined it into an Essence Gathering Pill [a pill that aids in gathering and condensing spiritual essence].

"Success!"

Wild elation surged through Eldrin Chen. He lifted the lid of the furnace, snatched the Essence Gathering Pill, and placed it into a prepared jade vial.

The successful refinement of the Essence Gathering Pill not only increased his hope of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment [the realm where a cultivator solidifies their spiritual foundation] by another half-step, but it also signified that he could now be considered a quasi-Second Rank Alchemist [an alchemist capable of refining second-rank pills].

"Once I break through to Foundation Establishment, advancing to a full Second Rank Alchemist will be as good as assured."

Gazing at the Essence Gathering Pill [a pill that aids in gathering and condensing spiritual essence] within the vial, a smile touched his lips. The arduous month-long effort of alchemy had not been in vain.

Stepping out from the alchemy chamber, Eldrin Chen paused in mild surprise. He found Old Granduncle had been waiting outside his door for quite some time, his expression one of profound distress.

A heavy rain fell outside, the rumble of thunder unceasing. He hurriedly invited Old Granduncle inside.

"Old Granduncle, what is the matter?"

Old Granduncle's face was stiff as he handed over a letter, then spoke.

"This is news that arrived from Verdant Chariot Mountain the day before yesterday."

"Half a year ago, Corin Chen failed in his Foundation Establishment [the crucial breakthrough to solidify one's cultivation foundation] attempt and passed away at the Green Sun Sect."

"Boom—"

Eldrin Chen felt as if a primordial bell had been struck against his very soul. His mind reeled, and he nearly stumbled, struggling to keep his footing.

They had journeyed two hundred thousand Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters], battling their way through bloodshed against the Foundation Establishment Demonic Ape [a powerful ape-like demonic beast at the Foundation Establishment realm]. The conflict was so brutal it left the Second Elder grievously wounded and teetering on the brink of death—all for the sake of retrieving a single Foundation Establishment Pill [a precious pill that significantly increases the chance of a successful Foundation Establishment breakthrough] that was rightfully theirs.

They had merely sought to reclaim the Foundation Establishment Pill [a precious elixir that enables a cultivator to establish their foundational cultivation base], which their Chen Clan ancestors had paid for with their lives Sixty Years Ago. In the end, what they brought back was not salvation, but a death warrant.

Chen Corin, the most gifted talent of the Qing Generation, had fallen. He was invaded by Earthfire Malignant Qi [a corrosive and chaotic energy from deep within the earth], his meridians shattered inch by inch and his cultivation utterly destroyed.

According to the messenger from the Green Sun Sect, the agony inflicted by the Fire Malignancy Power [the destructive force of the earthfire energy] was too unbearable. Chen Corin had chosen to end his own life.

"…"

"Boom! Rumble!"

The sky was somber, rent by thunder and slashed by lightning. Support the author by reading on audio‑novel.com.

Rain fell in torrents, lashing the surface of the lake.

Clutching his sword, Eldrin Chen stood like a statue at the shore of Lake Heart Island, his robes white as driven snow.

He gazed up at the vast, brooding heavens, his eyes reflecting the serpents of lightning that writhed across the firmament.

He stood there silently, letting the rain drench him, his long hair whipping in the storm. He remained motionless throughout the long night, wrapped in a silence as deep as the abyss.

"The Green Sun Sect!"

"..."

Early the next morning, he returned to the Cultivation Chamber with an impassive expression and began his secluded cultivation.

He had resolved to cease seeking the possibility of obtaining a Foundation Establishment Pill [a rare elixir that greatly increases the chance of advancing to the Foundation Establishment Realm] and to immediately enter seclusion to assault the Foundation Establishment [the second major realm of cultivation, where one's Qi solidifies into True Essence] realm.

The Beast Tide Calamity [a periodic, devastating invasion of demonic beasts] was still over thirty years away. To preserve himself and his clan, he needed to break through to Foundation Establishment sooner and grow stronger.

For this seclusion, Eldrin Chen was not without confidence. His meridians had been tempered for years by True Qi [the refined energy cultivated by Qi Refinement stage practitioners] and Primordial Essence [a pure, foundational energy], making them more than twice as robust as those of his peers. This was nearly equivalent to a Foundation Establishment Cultivator who had broken through using a Foundation Establishment Pill.

Coupled with his profound reserves of True Qi, his chances of breaking through to Foundation Establishment were at least fifty or sixty percent.

Even so, compressing True Qi into True Essence [the denser, more potent energy of the Foundation Establishment Realm] was no simple task.

A tremendous qualitative transformation lay between the two. Once the compression succeeded, nourishing the physical body with True Essence would complete the leap in life's hierarchy, extending one's lifespan beyond two hundred years.

Guided by the wisdom of predecessors and his own profound self-understanding, Eldrin Chen meticulously compressed his True Qi. After a month of relentless effort, he finally compressed his Qi to its absolute limit.

At this juncture, he had reached the most critical moment.

If successful, he would be able to compress his True Qi [the refined energy cultivated within a practitioner's body] into True Essence [a more potent, liquefied form of spiritual energy]. However, if his meridians [the energy channels within the body] could not withstand the strain, the True Qi compressed to its limit would violently erupt, instantly shredding his meridians into a thousand tattered holes.

Yet, Eldrin Chen did not rush to complete this final step. He took a deep, steadying breath and swallowed the Essence Gathering Pill [a pill that aids in gathering and condensing spiritual energy].

Instantly, a torrent of potent energy surged into his meridians. The immense pressure it generated acted as a catalyst, compelling the True Essence to coalesce and complete its ultimate transformation.

"Now!"

Gritting his teeth, he marshaled every ounce of his True Essence, driving it to converge and solidify, striving to seize this final, fleeting opportunity.

However, lacking a Foundation Establishment Pill [a specialized pill that tempers and stabilizes energy during the Foundation Establishment breakthrough] to pacify his True Qi, its volatility far exceeded the norm, making it a wild and unruly force exceedingly difficult to tame.

Fortunately, the resilience of his meridians, tempered and refined by the Primordial Essence [a pure, foundational energy of creation], was extraordinary. They withstood the violent, seething turbulence of the True Qi, allowing him to endure and ultimately complete the most perilous step.

When the first wisp of True Essence was born within him, a chain reaction ignited of its own accord.

Like a colossal whale inhaling the ocean, that single strand of True Essence drew in and absorbed vast quantities of True Qi, refining and condensing it into more of its own potent form. In the wake of this transformation, Eldrin Chen's meridians were left feeling hollow and drained.

The vast True Qi [the refined energy cultivated within a practitioner's body] that had filled his meridians was compressed into True Essence [a purer, more potent form of cultivated energy], leaving behind less than one-tenth of its original volume.

"It is done."

Eldrin Chen wore a smile, not leaving the Cultivation Chamber immediately. He took out all the Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] he possessed, frantically drawing upon their spiritual energy to nourish and strengthen this nascent wisp of True Essence.

He then directed the newly formed True Essence to continuously temper his meridians, strengthening them while also using it to gently nurture his physical body. This process continued for nearly a month, finally allowing him to complete the metamorphosis of his life's essence.

From this day forward, his fundamental life state was profoundly different. With True Essence constantly nurturing his flesh, barring any incurable injuries, living to two hundred years of age was virtually assured. Join our community of readers at AUDIO-NOVEL.COM.