Chapter 31 : A Legacy of Wisdom and Twilight

For the first dozen or so years of his cultivation journey, it was Dorian Chen who had guided him, imparting wisdom and resolving doubts. Their bond transcended that of mere clansmen separated by generations; in essence, it was the profound relationship of master and disciple.

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

"At least you still remember the years I spent teaching you the path of cultivation. It shows you have a conscience, boy."

"You were so young then, yet the quietest and most perceptive. I recall the first time I taught you the meridian channels and acupoints; you memorized them all after a single hearing."

"Right then, I told your Seventh Granduncle that you were born with innate wisdom, and that the future of the Chen Family would likely rest upon your 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's reminiscing finally subsided, Eldrin offered a gentle smile. "Old Granduncle, why not stay here at Spirit Isle Lake?"

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

"Yes." Eldrin Chen nodded, his hand resting on Silas's small head. "The mountains and waters of Spirit Isle Lake possess a serene beauty. It is a fine place to spend one's twilight years."

"You could tend flowers, plant herbs, fish by the lake, lose yourself in books, and incidentally keep an eye on these two little ones."

Dorian 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 I have but a few years left myself. It is time for the clan to pass the mantle of legacy to the Verdant Generation."

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

'In my youth, you cared for me diligently, enlightened my mind, and guided my first steps upon the path of cultivation [the practice of refining one's body and spirit to achieve transcendence].'

'Now that your years have grown long, 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 brook, its passage subtle and imperceptible as it slips steadily onward.

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

Eldrin Chen was now twenty years of age, marking his fifth year since descending the mountain to Spirit Isle Lake.

On this day, Eldrin Chen sat in meditation by the shore of Lake Heart Island, devouring the Dawn Glow Qi [the vital energy contained within the first light of dawn]. He continued until the morning glow completely dispersed. Only then did he merge the Dawn Glow Qi with the Moonlight Essence [the refined spiritual essence of moonlight] absorbed the previous night, ultimately transforming them into a single wisp of Primordial Mist Violet Aura [a supreme-grade spiritual energy of immense purity]. Finally, he opened his eyes.

"Haa—"

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

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

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

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

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

Now, his True Qi [refined spiritual energy] 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 foundational stage of cultivation, solidifying one's spiritual base] in just one or two more years.

He calculated that with roughly two more years of effort, 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 ordinary cultivators, 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."

"However, without a Foundation Establishment Pill to temper and gentle the True Qi [the refined energy cultivated within a practitioner's body], my chances of success are only around fifty or sixty percent. It remains a perilous endeavor."

"If I had a single Foundation Establishment Pill, my success would be virtually assured."

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

These thoughts flickered rapidly through Eldrin Chen's mind before he let out a soft, self-deprecating chuckle.

"The closer I get to Foundation Establishment, the more I find myself plagued by hesitation and fear of loss. The boat will straighten itself when it reaches the bridge. What use is there in worrying so much now?"

Having completed his daily cultivation regimen, Eldrin Chen began his routine inspection of the Azure Spirit Fish [a type of spiritually infused fish] along the shores of the Spirit Lake. It was then he spotted a solitary 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 he greeted them with a warm smile.

Once more, the season of the Spirit Rice [a type of grain infused with spiritual energy] harvest had arrived. As was customary this year, it was Lucius Chen who made the journey to the island.

Sixteenth Granduncle, a man of cheerful and forthright disposition, arrived with two junior clansmen in tow. Upon meeting Eldrin Chen, he announced without preamble.

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

The elder produced a wooden case with utmost care, handling it as if it were a priceless treasure.

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

"It's the Wood Sunflower [a spiritual herb that absorbs wood-attribute solar essence]."

"Indeed," Lucius Chen confirmed, a proud smile gracing his features. "These were harvested 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 satisfaction.

The Wood Sunflower was a first-rank, upper-grade Spirit Herb [a plant containing concentrated spiritual energy, used in alchemy]. More importantly, it served as the primary ingredient for refining the Qi Recovery Pill [a pill that rapidly restores a cultivator's expended spiritual energy].

The Qi Recovery Pill was a first-rank, upper-grade auxiliary elixir. Its effect was remarkably Baelon [simple and direct]: 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 late phase of the foundational body and energy refinement stage].

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

For Eldrin Chen, possessing this Qi Recovery Pill would allow him to activate the Crimson Iron Saber Embryo several more times. The combat power he could unleash then would likely be nearly equivalent to half a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

"This Wood Sunflower took sixty years to mature after being planted; it is truly a rare find," Lucius Chen said, shaking his head with a smile as he stroked his long beard. "With this Wood Sunflower, you can attempt to break through to become a First-Rank Upper-Grade Alchemist."

Eldrin Chen nodded and added, "To refine the Qi Recovery Pill, we are still missing one auxiliary herb, the Bellheart Grass."

"Bellheart Grass is easy to find," Lucius Chen replied with a gentle smile. "After we finish harvesting the Spirit Rice [a type of grain infused with spiritual energy], I plan 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 of his hand, a smile on his face. "Coincidentally, this year's batch of Spiritual Peach [a fruit imbued with spiritual energy] has ripened. I intend to sell them at the Yuyang Market to accumulate some Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation], and also take the opportunity to purchase some Spirit Herb."

"That works out perfectly. Tomorrow, we can go to the Sunward Market together; it will be good to have company on the journey."

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

After a brief rest of 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 True Qi [the refined spiritual energy circulating within a cultivator] was far more potent and dense than that of a typical Vital Essence Refinement 9th Tier cultivator. Thus, he managed to cleanly harvest the several Mu-area [one Mu-area equals six hundred sixty-six point six seven square meters] of Spirit Rice in just a little over half a day.

After harvesting the Spirit Rice, Lucius Chen went to catch Spirit Fish. Freed from the predation of other spirit beasts, the school of Azure Spirit Fish in Spirit Isle Lake had flourished over five years, expanding its numbers once more.

The current count of Spirit Fish had reached two hundred and twenty-seven, nearly eighty or ninety more than when Eldrin Chen first arrived.

A larger school meant more Spirit Fish could be sold each year. Catching thirty of them, Lucius Chen said with a pleased expression.

"This year's catch is two more than last. It seems our earnings in Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] will be greater."

Dorian Chen happily lent a hand, looking at the fish with a smile. "These past few years, everyone in Yu County knows the Azure Spirit Fish from our Chen Family are unmatched."