Chapter 39 : The Tainted Elixir's Peril

Upon hearing this, Uncle Lin's expression softened slightly, though his face remained cold. "Let there be no next time," he said sternly.

"This matter is of great importance. Please allow us some time to deliberate before making a decision," Third Elder added, seeing that his anger had subsided.

Uncle Lin nodded but still insisted, "I will give you only one day."

"Thank you, Senior."

The group left the Contribution Hall and returned to the residence of Verdant Origin Chen.

"That Verdant Sun Sect is a den of snakes and rats! This is simply too much to bear!" Verdant Destiny Chen could no longer contain his fury the moment they were back. "In my opinion, we shouldn't swallow this insult. Let's forget about that Foundation Establishment Pill [a precious elixir that aids in breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm]. Verdant Origin, you should just come home with us."

"Fourth Brother."

Lior Chen interrupted Fourth Elder, frowning. "A Foundation Establishment Pill is worth a city. How can we simply abandon it on a whim?"

He pondered for a moment, then turned his gaze toward Eldrin Chen.

"Eldrin, you are an alchemist. Tell us truthfully, what is the actual condition of that Foundation Establishment Pill?" Join our community of readers at audio~novel.com.

Eldrin Chen pondered for a moment before speaking truthfully, "That Foundation Establishment Pill has been tainted by Earth Fire Fiend Energy. The Earth Fiend Fire Energy is a malevolent miasma birthed from the fire poison within an Underground Fire Vein."

"This type of miasma is exceptionally domineering and will damage a cultivator's meridians and physical body. Even a Violet Sanctum Cultivator would be unwilling to be contaminated by it."

"By my estimation, consuming a Foundation Establishment Pill tainted with this miasma, even by a mere wisp of it, is exceedingly perilous."

"If one succeeds, it would be manageable. After breaking through to Foundation Establishment, one could temporarily suppress that wisp of Fire Fiend and seek methods later to gradually dissolve it."

"However, should one fail, their meridians would likely shatter completely. At best, the miasma would invade their body, their cultivation would be utterly ruined, and they would live out their days tormented by the Fire Fiend."

Upon hearing this, Verdant Origin Chen's face paled slightly. He couldn't suppress a tremble as he asked, "After consuming this Foundation Establishment Pill, what are my chances of achieving Foundation Establishment?"

"Likely no more than three in ten," Eldrin Chen estimated, still trying to dissuade him. "The risk is far too great. I advise you, Uncle Verdant Origin, to wait another ten years."

"If the Verdant Sun Sect refines a few more batches of Foundation Establishment Pill in ten years, perhaps the mission won't be so difficult then."

"Ten years! Where would I find so many ten years to spare?"

Verdant Origin Chen suddenly let out a bitter laugh. This time, for his sake, the family's five Grand Elder had traveled hundreds of thousands of Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters], spending nearly a year to come to his aid.

Setting aside for now whether a pristine Foundation Establishment Pill [a pill that aids in the breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment realm] could be exchanged for a decade later, the mere fact that Second Elder now lay grievously wounded, teetering on the brink of death and having suffered a severe depletion of his lifespan, filled his heart with immense guilt and remorse.

At this thought, he gritted his teeth and declared, "A thirty percent chance is sufficient. After all, who can predict what another decade may bring?"

"Verdant Origin." The others wished to dissuade him further.

But Verdant Origin Chen cut them off. "Enough. My mind is made up."

That very night, Verdant Origin Chen exchanged for the Foundation Establishment Pill, then prepared to enter seclusion to attempt his breakthrough to Foundation Establishment [the second major realm of cultivation, where one establishes a solid foundation for their future path].

Breaking through to Foundation Establishment typically required two to three months of secluded cultivation. As family Elder [a senior, respected member of a clan or sect], each of them bore heavy responsibilities. With their current task complete, they had no time to idle here.

After bidding farewell to Verdant Origin Chen, the group set out for Green Chariot Mountain. The journey back took another six months before they finally reached the familiar slopes of Green Chariot Mountain.

Upon returning to Green Chariot Mountain, Eldrin Chen did not immediately head back to Spirit Isle Lake, for Third Elder had asked him to stay.

"The clan's batch of Energy-Nurturing Grass [a spiritual herb used to refine cultivation-aiding pills] has matured," the elder stated.

"Now that Verdant Bud is gone, the crucial task of refining the Energy Absorption Pill [a pill that helps cultivators absorb spiritual energy more efficiently] falls to you."

The Chen Clan's five Mu-area [one Mu-area equals six hundred sixty-six point six seven square meters] of Energy-Nurturing Grass matured once every five years. In truth, the harvest season had arrived half a year ago, but it was delayed until now because the clan's sole alchemist, Eldrin Chen, was far away at the Verdant Sun Sect.

Now that Eldrin Chen had returned, it naturally fell to him to undertake the task of refining the Energy Absorption Pill.

Just like five years prior, this harvest yielded enough Energy-Nurturing Grass for fifty furnaces of pills. Eldrin Chen spent six or seven days of effort and finally succeeded in refining all fifty batches of Energy Absorption Pill.

His alchemical skill now slightly surpassed that of the late Verdant Bud Chen. Furthermore, his Vital Energy [the foundational life force cultivated by practitioners] and spiritual sense were more powerful, making the refining process much smoother.

After refining the fifty furnaces of Energy Absorption Pill, he was delighted to discover he had produced three hundred and fifty-three pills. This number was even greater than what Verdant Bud Chen had achieved, representing a pill formation success rate of seventy percent.

"The success rate this time actually exceeded seventy percent." Find this and other novels at audio–novel.com.

"With your alchemical skill, Eldrin, once you break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage [the second major realm of cultivation, solidifying one's foundation], you could likely attempt to advance to the Second Rank [a tier within the alchemical profession] immediately," Lior Chen said after counting the pills, his face bright with joy. "With these pills, we can repay some of the spirit stones the clan owes its members."

Eldrin Chen nodded, speaking modestly, "The reason for my rapid progress is largely due to that Alchemy Manual [a tome containing profound alchemical knowledge]."

After finishing the refinement of the Energy Absorption Pill, he did not linger. After resting for a day, he returned to Spirit Isle Lake.

Upon returning to Spirit Isle Lake, he found Silas and Caleb deep in their cultivation. They had both successfully condensed their Vital Energy [the foundational life force cultivated by practitioners] and broken through to the Vital Essence Refinement 2nd Tier [the second stage of refining one's foundational life essence].

"Excellent,"

Eldrin Chen murmured, a pleased smile gracing his features. The siblings had been at Spirit Isle Lake for five years now. Before the age of nine, they had merely been laying their foundations; when he departed, they had only just taken their first steps on the cultivation path.

Yet, in the year and a half of his absence, they had shattered two successive bottlenecks. This progress filled him with genuine delight.

Reaching the Vital Essence Refinement 2nd Tier at eleven years old, while not matching his own prodigious childhood, still marked them as talents of considerable promise. They held the potential to attain the Vital Essence Refinement 9th Tier [the pinnacle of the foundational refinement stage] in their twenties.

"You have returned."

The voice belonged to Old Granduncle, who had just returned from tending the Spiritual Field [a field nourished by spiritual energy to grow rare plants]. His weathered face lit up with undisguised joy at the sight of Eldrin Chen.

Following Eldrin Chen's gaze, the old man offered a gentle smile. "These two young sprouts possess fine aptitude. This is the crucial period for fortifying their foundations."

"I used some of your Spiritual Peach [a fruit imbued with spiritual energy that aids cultivation] to accelerate their progress. I hope you do not begrudge me this."

Eldrin Chen shook his head with a laugh. "I only hope these two young sprouts prove worthy of your expectations."

As he spoke, he let out a self-deprecating chuckle. Unconsciously, he had already passed the age of twenty-two. More than seven years had flowed by since his arrival at Spirit Isle Lake [a serene lake imbued with spiritual energy].

Returning to the courtyard, the grandfather and grandson, reunited after a long separation, sat facing each other, sipping tea and reminiscing about the events of the past few years.

After listening to his account of the past events at Heavenly Ruins Mountain, Eternal Spread Chen sighed with profound emotion. "The Verdant Sun Sect [a major cultivation sect] has failed to act with fairness," he said. "Over these years, they have lost the hearts of the people. Our Chen Clan is not the only family harboring resentment towards them."

"The Beast Tide [a periodic, devastating invasion by monstrous beasts] that comes once every hundred years is still over thirty years away. If the various great families cannot unite their hearts and efforts when it arrives, I fear the Green Sun Covenant [a treaty of mutual defense] will become nothing more than a scrap of paper."

"I fear the skies are about to change over this Chu Nation. It is only the common folk of the world who will suffer."

The speaker may have been unintentional, but the listener took it to heart.

Eldrin Chen listened quietly, yet a palpable pressure began to weigh upon his spirit.

While it is said that when the sky falls, the tall will hold it up, what egg remains whole when the nest is overturned?

If one day the borders were to fall, the mountains and rivers shattered, and the Chu Nation transformed into a Great Wasteland Demon Domain [a territory overrun and corrupted by demonic forces], with countless living souls becoming fodder for demons and monsters, how could the Chen Clan possibly hope to remain untouched?

"I am still not strong enough!"

"I must become stronger. If the tallest cannot hold the line, then I shall climb higher and become the new peak."

Eldrin Chen whispered this vow to himself, resolving to make early preparations for his Foundation Establishment [the second major realm of cultivation, where one solidifies their spiritual foundation]. Read the full novel exclusively on (audio-novel.com).