Chapter 34 : The First Alchemical Success

After obtaining the Alchemy Manual [a book detailing the art of pill refinement], Eldrin Chen was eager to advance his alchemical skills and had no desire to linger at the Sunward Market [a trading hub for cultivators]. Early the next morning, he departed from the market.

Upon returning to Spirit Isle Lake [a spiritual lake serving as his cultivation base], he spent two months meticulously studying the Alchemy Manual several times over before finally beginning his pill refinement attempt.

He was naturally gifted and already felt some confidence in refining the Qi Recovery Pill [a pill that restores a cultivator's vital energy]. Now, with the guidance of the senior's Alchemy Manual, his confidence grew even stronger.

The refinement of the Qi Recovery Pill lasted for three days. The first two days of simmering the medicinal essences into liquid went smoothly. Using a gentle flame to process the herbs, he successfully extracted six portions of pill liquid.

By the third day, Eldrin Chen, seated before the alchemical cauldron, wore a grave expression. The essence had been extracted, and the critical moment of condensing the liquid into solid pills had arrived.

"Success or failure hinges on this moment," he murmured.

With a low utterance, Eldrin Chen activated his pill-condensing technique. As the cauldron trembled, three of the six liquid portions dissipated into smoke.

He had no time to lament the loss, focusing entirely on solidifying the remaining liquid. In the end, three pills successfully coalesced.

Eldrin Chen hastily channeled his True Qi [the refined energy cultivated within a practitioner's body] to lift the cauldron lid. Three crystalline, translucent pills flew out into his waiting hand.

"Success!"

He snatched the three pills, his face alight with joy.

For his first attempt at refining a first-rank upper-grade pill, to succeed with three pills was a result far beyond Eldrin Chen's expectations.

For most, the initial success rate for a first-rank upper-grade pill was only ten or twenty percent. He had thought producing two would be a pleasant surprise, never imagining he would refine three from a single batch.

"Three pills from one batch. While luck played a part, it also shows my foundation is quite deep."

"With my current alchemical skill, after refining a few more batches of upper-grade pills, I should far surpass Uncle Kylan."

Eldrin Chen murmured to himself. Having studied Kylan Chen's notes, he could gauge that their skill levels were roughly comparable.

After finishing the Qi Recovery Pill, his cultivation routine settled back into its peaceful rhythm.

In the days that followed, after his daily absorption of the Primordial Mist Violet Aura, he would temper his meridians and hone his alchemy.

Occasionally, he would play his zither, feed the Spirit Fish and the Violet-Striped Goose, tend to spiritual flowers, and nurture spirit herbs. His days passed in tranquil serenity.

Two months later, as Eldrin Chen was feeding the newly hatched second brood of Violet-Striped Goose goslings, he spotted a dark eagle soaring across the sky towards him.

"Messenger Eagle."

As the Messenger Eagle [a swift bird used for long-distance communication] alighted before him, he snatched the letter from its talon. After a single glance, his expression turned grave as he stored it away.

"Has something happened at Verdant Chariot Mountain?"

Dorian Chen grabbed a handful of Spirit Rice [a grain infused with spiritual energy, beneficial for cultivation] to feed the eagle. Seeing the change in Eldrin's demeanor, he couldn't help but ask.

Eldrin Chen nodded, gently stroking the small Violet-Striped Goose before him before speaking.

"It's a message from the Green Sun Sect."

"Uncle Qingyuan has sent a letter. The family has summoned me back to discuss the matter."

"Qingyuan." Dorian Chen's expression shifted slightly, a flicker of hope appearing in his eyes. "Could it be he has obtained a Foundation Establishment Pill [a precious elixir that aids in breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm]?"

"The details weren't in the letter. We'll only know for certain once we return to Verdant Chariot Mountain."

Eldrin Chen clapped his hands, a sense of foreboding settling over him. This matter was likely more complex than it seemed; otherwise, the Third Elder would not have summoned him back for counsel.

"It seems I must return to Verdant Chariot Mountain for a time. I must trouble you to watch over Spirit Isle Lake for me during this period."

Old Granduncle nodded. "With me here, you can set your mind at ease."

"..."

When Eldrin Chen returned to Verdant Chariot Mountain, he found that the family's leadership had all gathered, save for the Grand Elder who was stationed in Pingyang Town.

Within the Clan Affairs Hall, all five Elders who had reached the Vital Essence Refinement 9th Tier were present: Mordecai Chen, Riverius Chen, Third Elder Lior Chen, Fourth Elder Kaelen Chen, and Eldrin Chen himself.

Seeing Eldrin Chen, Third Elder nodded with a smile and spoke.

"Now that everyone is here, let me explain the matter."

"Not long ago, Qingyuan sent a message from the Green Sun Sect: the sect had recently refined three batches of Foundation Establishment Pill [a precious elixir that aids cultivators in breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm]."

Upon hearing this, everyone present revealed expressions of joy.

The Green Sun Sect refines a batch of Foundation Establishment Pill every ten years, typically producing between three to five batches each time. This represents the greatest opportunity for Vital Essence Refinement cultivators within the sect.

Mordecai Chen stroked his long beard and laughed heartily, "Our Verdant Generation [the current generation of the Chen family] still has the best Immortal Fate [fortune or destiny for achieving immortality]."

Eldrin Chen listened quietly. As a family Elder, he understood perfectly the reason for their joy.

It was because the great sect of State of Chu, the Green Sun Sect, owed the Chen Family a single Foundation Establishment Pill [a precious elixir that aids in breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm].

The matter traced back sixty years. During the Beast Tide [a massive, periodic invasion of demonic beasts] that Burst forth over six decades ago, the Green Sun Sect of State of Chu conscripted cultivators from three prefectures within the state to battle the demonic beasts.

To ensure the Human Race cultivators set aside their differences and united against the common foe, the Green Sun Sect forged a covenant with the various Immortal Clan [powerful families of cultivators] and solitary cultivators atop Verdant Sun Mountain.

According to the covenant's terms, all spoils from the conflict—including beast materials and inner cores—were to be pooled and distributed by the Green Sun Sect.

After the battle concluded, the Green Sun Sect would refine these materials into magical artifacts and Foundation Establishment Pill [precious elixirs that aid in breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm], distributing them according to each participant's merits.

In this allocation process, the Green Sun Sect claimed the lion's share of the benefits and, consequently, bore the responsibility for covering the losses incurred during the fighting.

Thus, a special clause was included in the covenant: if any Foundation Establishment Cultivator [a cultivator who has solidified their foundation, the second major realm] fell in battle to the beasts, the Green Sun Sect was obligated to compensate their family with one Foundation Establishment Pill [a precious elixir that aids in breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm].

This provision was designed to prevent Foundation Establishment Cultivator [cultivators who have solidified their foundation, the second major realm] from shirking their duty out of cowardice, merely going through the motions without genuine effort.

This single contract would later be known in the Chu State Cultivation World as the Verdant Sun Covenant [a pivotal treaty between the major sects and clans of Chu].

The Verdant Sun Covenant was fundamentally sound, yet in the face of profit, some always harbored selfish schemes.

In that fateful battle, the elite forces of the Chen Immortal Clan were decimated in a single night. Not only did both of their Foundation Establishment Cultivator [cultivators who have solidified their cultivation foundation] perish, but the Purple Sun Jade [a mysterious artifact of great power] also vanished without a trace.

Such a colossal loss was nearly unbearable. Yet, the Green Sun Sect used the excuse that no one had witnessed their members being slain by demonic beasts to evade the terms of the Verdant Sun Covenant, refusing to provide the promised Foundation Establishment Pill [a precious elixir that aids in solidifying one's cultivation foundation].

At the time, including the Chen Immortal Clan, seven or eight Immortal Clan [powerful cultivation families] suffered similar grievous losses, from which they never recovered.

The incident caused a major uproar. Fearing they would share the same fate, over a dozen Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan [Immortal Clans with Foundation Establishment cultivators as their pillars] united to voice their opposition.

It was only after Lyra the Ancient Ancestor of Heavenly Ruins Mountain intervened that the Green Sun Sect relented, agreeing to compensate for half the losses.

It is worth noting that from then on, Lyra the Ancient Ancestor's standing within the State of Chu soared. Many Immortal Clan members and solitary cultivators held her in higher esteem than the Green Sun Sect itself.

Returning to the main thread, the Green Sun Sect agreed to supply the Chen Family with one Foundation Establishment Pill, but on the condition that the recipient must have been inducted into the Green Sun Sect from childhood.

For the sake of that single Foundation Establishment Pill, the clan had no choice but to painfully send their most talented scion of the Verdant Generation [a specific generation within the Chen Clan], Caleb Chen, to be enrolled in the Green Sun Sect from a tender age.

Caleb Chen possessed a dual Spiritual Root of Fire and Earth, elements that nourished each other, granting him a cultivation speed second only to those with a Heavenly Spiritual Root or a Variant Spiritual Root. His talent was extraordinary, and he had already broken through to the Vital Essence Refinement 9th Tier by the age of twenty-nine.