Chapter 39 : A Tainted Pill's Perilous Secret

Upon hearing this, Uncle Lin's expression softened slightly, though his face remained cold as he stated, "Let this be the last time."

"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 Caleb Chen's residence.

"That Green Sun Sect is a den of snakes and rats! This is simply an outrage!" Kaelen Chen could no longer contain his fury the moment they were back. "In my view, we shouldn't endure this humiliation. Let's forget about that Foundation Establishment Pill [a precious elixir that aids in breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm]. Qingyuan, you should just come home with us."

"Fourth Brother."

Lior Chen cut off Fourth Elder, frowning as he said, "A Foundation Establishment Pill is worth a fortune. 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?"

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

"This type of baleful energy is exceptionally fierce and domineering. It can damage a cultivator's meridians and physical body. Even a Purple Mansion Cultivator would be unwilling to be tainted by it."

"By my estimation, consuming a Foundation Establishment Pill tainted with this baleful energy, even by a mere wisp of it, would be extremely perilous."

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

"However, if one fails, their meridians will likely shatter completely. At best, the baleful energy would invade their body, crippling their cultivation base and leaving them to live in perpetual torment from the Fire Fiend."

Upon hearing this, Caleb Chen's face paled slightly. He couldn't help but tremble as he asked, "If I take this Foundation Establishment Pill, what are my chances of reaching Foundation Establishment?"

"Likely no more than thirty percent," Eldrin Chen estimated, still offering counsel. "The risk is far too great. I advise you, Uncle Qingyuan, to wait another ten years."

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

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

Caleb 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 advancing to the Foundation Establishment realm] could be exchanged for a decade later, the current situation alone—with Mordecai Chen grievously wounded, teetering on the brink of death, and having suffered a severe loss of lifespan—filled his heart with immense guilt over the price already paid.

At this thought, he gritted his teeth and declared, "A thirty percent chance is sufficient. After all, no one can predict what another decade may bring."

"Qingyuan." The others wished to dissuade him further.

But Caleb Chen cut them off, stating firmly, "There is no need. My mind is made up."

That very night, Caleb Chen exchanged for the Foundation Establishment Pill and immediately prepared to enter seclusion to attempt his breakthrough into Foundation Establishment [the second major realm of cultivation, where one solidifies their spiritual foundation].

Breaking through to Foundation Establishment typically requires two to three months of secluded cultivation. As family Elders, each of them bore heavy responsibilities. With their mission now complete, they had no time to idle here.

After bidding farewell to Caleb Chen, the group set out for Verdant Chariot Mountain. The journey back took another six months before they finally arrived at the mountain.

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

"The family's batch of Qi Nurturing Grass [a spiritual herb that nourishes and gathers Qi] has matured," the Elder stated.

"Now that Kylan has departed, the crucial task of refining the Qi Absorption Pill [a pill that aids in absorbing ambient spiritual energy] falls to you."

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

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

Just as five years before, this harvest yielded enough Qi Nurturing Grass for fifty batches. Eldrin Chen spent six or seven days of effort and finally succeeded in refining all fifty batches of Qi Absorption Pill.

His alchemical skill now slightly surpassed that of the late Kylan Chen. Furthermore, his more powerful True Qi [the refined energy cultivated by a practitioner] and spiritual sense made the entire refining process proceed much more smoothly.

After refining the fifty batches of Qi Absorption Pill, he was delighted to discover he had produced three hundred and fifty-three pills. This number exceeded even what Kylan Chen had achieved, representing a pill formation success rate of seventy percent.

"The success rate this time actually exceeded seventy percent," he mused.

"With your alchemical skill, Eldrin, once you break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, you could likely attempt to advance to the Second-Order level immediately," Lior Chen remarked.

After counting the Qi Absorption Pill, Lior Chen revealed a pleased expression. "With these pills, the family can repay some of the Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] owed to our clansmen."

Eldrin Chen nodded modestly. "The reason for my rapid progress is largely due to that Alchemy Manual as well."

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

Upon returning to Spirit Isle Lake, he found Silas and Caleb deep in cultivation. Both had already condensed their True Qi [the purified vital energy within a cultivator's body] and broken through to the Vital Essence Refinement 2nd Tier [the second stage of refining one's foundational life force].

"Excellent,"

Eldrin Chen revealed a look of pleasant surprise. These two siblings had been at Spirit Isle Lake for five years now. Before the age of nine, they had merely been laying their foundation. When he departed, they had only just begun their cultivation journey.

Now, after his absence of a year and a half, they had actually broken through two consecutive tiers. This filled him with delight.

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

"You have returned."

Old Granduncle returned from tending the Spiritual Field [a field nourished by spiritual energy to grow special plants]. The moment he saw Eldrin Chen, a joyful expression blossomed on his face.

Following Eldrin Chen's gaze, he smiled faintly and said, "These two youngsters possess fine natural aptitude. This is precisely the time to solidify their foundation."

"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 resent me for it?"

Eldrin Chen shook his head with a laugh. "I only hope these two youngsters do not disappoint your expectations."

He spoke, then let out a self-deprecating chuckle. Unconsciously, he had already passed the age of twenty-two. More than seven years had already 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 recounting the events of the past few years.

Dorian Chen listened to his tale of the past events at Heavenly Ruins Mountain [a mountain range known for its ancient, crumbling peaks] and sighed with deep emotion. "The Green Sun Sect [a major cultivation sect] has acted without fairness," he said. "Over these years, they have lost the hearts of the people. Families like ours, who hold grievances against them, are not just one or two."

"The Beast Tide [a periodic, massive invasion of demonic 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 that time comes, I fear the Verdant Sun Covenant [a historic pact between human forces] will become nothing more than a scrap of paper."

"The skies of the State of Chu [a vast human kingdom] are likely to change," he lamented. "It is only the common people of this land who will suffer."

The speaker may have been unintentional, but the listener was most certainly attentive.

Eldrin Chen listened quietly, yet a sense of pressure began to weigh upon his heart.

While it is said that when the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up, can any egg remain unbroken when the nest itself is overturned?

If one day the borders were to fall, the mountains and rivers shattered, the State of Chu transformed into the Great Desolate Demon Domain [a vast, demon-infested wasteland], with hundreds of millions of living souls becoming fodder for demons and monsters, by what right could the Chen Family hope to remain untouched?

"I am still not strong enough!"

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

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].