Chapter 288 : The Alchemy of Ascension

Since the Purple Sun Jade was offered first, there was little room for choice. In the end, the Chen Clan exchanged the Spirit Vein of Spirit Island for that piece of Purple Sun Jade.

After the transaction was concluded, the group returned to the Chu Kingdom. Upon arriving in the Chu Kingdom, Eldrin Chen first gathered the supplementary medicinal ingredients from the family's Clan Treasury.

Among the supplementary ingredients for the Creation Green Essence Pill, aside from the Purple Sun Jade and the Five Elements Treasure Crystals, the other Spirit Medicine were not considered overly rare.

With the influence of the Chen Clan, they managed to gather them all within a mere half a month.

However, the five Five Elements Crystals were more precious. The Chen Clan now only had a few left in their possession, managing to gather just one Profound Water Crystal, one Li Fire Crystal, and one Geng Metal Crystal.

Taking these three precious crystals with him, he then Sword Flight to Green Sun Mountain to find Lyra Jiang.

Upon meeting Lyra Jiang, he recounted the events to her and then produced the Thousand-Year Green Essence Ganoderma, saying,

"I have gathered three Five Elements Treasure Crystals, but unfortunately, I am still missing the First Wood Crystal and the Wu Earth Crystal."

"That's not difficult," she replied. "I have a Wu Earth Crystal here. Although the First Wood Crystal is relatively scarce in the Chu Kingdom, it can be substituted with an Yi Wood Crystal."

"There are still two Yi Wood Crystal remaining within the First Wood Earth Vein at my Celestial Ruins Mountain." For more chapters, visit audio-novel[dot]com for the complete novel.

Lyra Jiang also revealed a faint smile. Gazing at the Thousand-Year Green Essence Ganoderma, she said, "Among Fourth Rank Pill, the difficulty of refining this Creation Green Essence Pill is considered relatively simple."

"I should be able to produce around four pills. When the time comes, Elara Lin and your family's Old Granduncle will have a greater hope of breaking through to Core Formation."

She took the Yi Wood Crystal and the Wu Earth Crystal, leading Eldrin Chen to the Fourth Rank Earthfire Chamber.

For this Pill refinement, Lyra Jiang would take the lead, with Eldrin Chen assisting from the side.

Now, Lyra Jiang was already a Fourth Rank Middle Grade Alchemist. Furthermore, since successfully refining the Sub-Golden Core Pill, Eldrin Chen's Alchemy skill had also reached the level of Quasi-Fourth Rank, allowing him to provide significant help in processing the medicinal ingredients.

The two of them jointly refining the Creation Green Essence Pill was a tedious and lengthy process of simmering the Spirit Medicine. They toiled for over a month before successfully processing the hundreds of portions of Spirit Medicine.

At this stage, it was time to begin simmering the Verdant Origin Ganoderma. Lyra Jiang processed the ingredients while reminding him, "Fourth Rank Spirit Medicine is already extremely difficult to simmer. You must patiently extract its medicinal properties bit by bit."

"Remember, do not let impatience take hold. Otherwise, the fire will become too fierce, damaging too much of the medicinal essence, and the loss will outweigh the gain."

Eldrin Chen's expression was solemn and focused. He did not intervene in handling the Fourth Rank Spirit Medicine. Given his current cultivation level and Alchemy skill, attempting to process Fourth Rank Spirit Medicine would likely fail to preserve much of its medicinal essence.

Even if he barely succeeded in refining it, the Pill Success Rate would be extremely low. For now, leaving it to Lyra Jiang to handle was the most prudent course.

He observed meticulously from the side. Watching Lyra Jiang process the various Spirit Medicine, he felt his own understanding of Alchemy [the art of refining spiritual pills and elixirs] grow ever more profound.

After another half a month, Lyra Jiang finally gathered all the medicinal essences together. After repeatedly refining them with her True Flame [a pure, high-temperature flame used in alchemy and cultivation], she successfully forged this cauldron of Creation Green Essence Pill [a pill that enhances one's foundational spiritual essence and vitality].

"Success."

Watching the four Creation Green Essence Pill fly out from the cauldron, a glint of joy flashed in Eldrin Chen's eyes. Producing four pills in one batch meant that after he, the Old Patriarch, and Elara Lin each used one, there would still be one remaining.

Lyra Jiang kept one Creation Green Essence Pill and handed the remaining three to Eldrin Chen, then said with a smile.

"It has been a long time. Walk with me for a while."

"Mm."

Eldrin Chen nodded and walked quietly beside her along the paths of Green Sun Mountain.

The sun set in the west, the last vestiges of the Setting Sun [a celestial phenomenon or technique] spilling their radiance across the land.

Among the cloud-wreathed peaks of the Spirit Mountain [a mountain rich in spiritual energy], several Immortal Crane [elegant, long-lived spiritual birds] beat their wings in flight, their graceful forms carrying an aura of sacred purity.

The two stood in silent communion upon the mountain peak, bathed in the lingering glow of the setting sun, their figures casting two long shadows behind them.

Holding her hand, he turned to gaze upon her peerlessly beautiful countenance. He sensed within her a solitary and lofty aura, as sacred and awe-inspiring as a transcendent Immortal Maiden, yet tinged with a wordless loneliness.

Suddenly, Eldrin Chen felt his heart stir. He grasped her hand tighter and, moved by an irresistible impulse, spoke.

"This time, let us fight side by side."

"Yes."

She nodded, her grip on his hand tightening as if she were holding onto an entire world. The complete novel can be found at https://audio-novel.com.

"…"

Departing from Green Sun Mountain, Eldrin Chen returned to Yu County via Sword Flight [a technique allowing cultivators to ride upon their swords for swift travel].

He first went to Pingyang City to find the Old Patriarch and presented him with the Creation Green Essence Pill.

Receiving the Creation Green Essence Pill, the Old Patriarch could not contain his excitement. "With this elixir in hand," he said, "this old man may truly harbor a sliver of hope for a future breakthrough into the Core Formation realm [the stage where a cultivator forms a solidified Golden Core of spiritual power]."

"Rest assured, with the Beast Tide Calamity [a periodic, massive invasion of demonic beasts] imminent, we are determined to help you slay one or two Golden Core Demon King [powerful demonic beasts that have formed a Golden Core, equivalent to a human Golden Core cultivator]."

Eldrin Chen spoke with a surge of heroic spirit, his words filled with conviction.

He did not linger long in Pingyang City. Eldrin Chen returned to Spirit Isle Lake and immediately entered seclusion to consume the Creation Green Essence Pill [a rare elixir that refines and expands a cultivator's meridians].

The miraculous effects of the Creation Green Essence Pill were extraordinary. Upon taking it, he felt a potent energy surge through his meridians, relentlessly widening the channels within his body.

Although minute cracks continuously appeared in his meridians during this process, the pill's energy constantly repaired them. His meridians healed, becoming even more resilient and robust than before.

Having achieved Self-Guided Foundation Establishment [a method of Foundation Establishment that relies solely on one's own cultivation, without external aids, resulting in a purer and more solid foundation] and cultivated unaided to the Purple Mansion Seventh Layer, his Mana [the refined spiritual energy cultivated and wielded by a practitioner] was already comparable to that of a False Core Realm [a transitional state between Purple Mansion and Golden Core, where the cultivator's spiritual energy begins to condense but has not fully formed a core] cultivator.

Now, with his meridians widened by another thirty percent, the amount of Mana they could contain would increase by the same margin. This level of Mana would likely rank among the powerful even within the ranks of False Core Cultivator.

After broadening his meridians, Eldrin Chen did not immediately end his seclusion.

Instead, he took out the Heavenly River Flood Water Sword and began to refine Five Elements Essence [a refined spiritual essence containing the balanced power of the five fundamental elements: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth] into this Immortal Sword [a general term for a powerful, sentient sword used by high-level cultivators].

Back at Green Sun Mountain, Eldrin Chen had already utilized the power of the Fourth Rank Underground Fire Vein [a powerful, naturally occurring spiritual fire source deep underground, suitable for high-level forging and alchemy] to fuse the Heavenly River Immortal Sword into this blade, elevating its material quality to the Fourth Rank level.

The Fourth Rank Treasure Metal [a rare and exceptionally durable metal used for forging high-grade artifacts] proved difficult to smelt. Fortunately, with the aid of the Fourth Rank Underground Fire Vein [a potent subterranean flame source ideal for high-temperature forging], the refining process was possible, yet it still consumed a full three months of Eldrin Chen's time.

Refining the Five Elements Essence [a purified spiritual substance containing the balanced energies of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth] was also a laborious and time-consuming task. Eldrin Chen nearly exhausted the clan's entire stockpile of Water-Flood Divine Thunder [a powerful water-attribute divine technique] and Metallic Essence Qi [a refined spiritual energy with a sharp, metallic nature] in the process.

In one fell swoop, he had expended Five Elements Essence worth two hundred and fifty thousand Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation], investing several more months of effort. Finally, the sword ascended to the Fourth Rank [a high tier of power and refinement for artifacts and cultivators alike].

*Clang—*

Upon its promotion to the Fourth Rank, the Heavenly River Flood Water Sword [a sword imbued with the vast, crushing power of a celestial river] erupted with radiant light. It shot into the heavens, its unparalleled sharpness carving through the air with peerless grace.

Watching the Tribulation Clouds [ominous, energy-charged clouds that manifest to test artifacts and cultivators attempting a breakthrough] churn and gather above, Eldrin Chen felt a profound sense of certainty in his heart.

As a superior-grade Immortal Sword [a sentient sword of immense power, often a cultivator's lifelong companion] forged for slaughter, the Heavenly River Flood Water Sword had possessed a fifty percent chance of surviving the Treasure Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [the heavenly trial that artifacts must endure to ascend in rank] even before fusing with the Fourth Rank Treasure Metal. After the fusion, its success was virtually assured, a perfect ten out of ten.

As expected, after three bolts of Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [the devastating lightning strikes that constitute the heavenly trial] descended, the Heavenly River Flood Water Sword drank deeply of the cascading Heavenly Tribulation Nectar [a restorative, energy-dense liquid that rains down as a reward for surviving a tribulation]. Its sword-light flared, its power surging by more than thirty percent.

"A fine treasure indeed," he murmured.

Gazing at the Heavenly River Flood Water Sword, a wave of exhilaration washed over Eldrin Chen.

Upon forging this sword, he would possess four mighty supreme treasures: the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss [a divine blade imbued with the essence of Li Fire and the power of the abyss], the Heavenly River Flood Water Sword [a sword that channels the overwhelming force of a celestial river's deluge], the Earth-Fortress Sovereign Bell [a bell that manifests an unshakable fortress of earth energy], and the Crimson Sun Void-Immolating Crucible [a crucible capable of incinerating void with the fury of a crimson sun]. This novel is serialized on audio–novel.com. Visit for updates.