Chapter 307 : A Clan's Flight from Ruin

"Old... Ancient Ancestor?"

Seraphina Chen stood rooted to the spot, her heart a tumultuous storm of anxiety, before a sudden realization jolted through her.

At that moment, Eldrin Chen cast a scrutinizing gaze over Silvan Chen, his brow furrowing slightly. "How did you end up in such a state?"

This Silvan Chen was over twenty years older than Eldrin Chen and, by all accounts, should have had over a decade of lifespan remaining. Yet now, his vital essence [the fundamental life force of a cultivator] was withered and exhausted, having reached the very end of his allotted years.

A bitter smile touched Silvan Chen's lips, his complexion ashen as he replied, "It was the work of an enemy."

It turned out that after Silvan Chen had successfully broken through to the Foundation Establishment realm, he had journeyed to Ji Nation [a nation within the cultivation world]. There, he claimed a Spirit Mountain [a mountain imbued with concentrated spiritual energy] and founded a Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan [a clan led by a Foundation Establishment cultivator]. Over a century, he had managed to accumulate a modest fortune; his clan now possessed a Spirit Mountain and was home to over a hundred Qi Refinement Cultivators [cultivators at the initial stage of cultivation].

However, he had never anticipated that this very Spirit Mountain would draw the covetous gaze of a powerful Immortal Clan. In a single night, the Chen Clan branch in Ji Nation was nearly annihilated. Only Silvan Chen, fleeing with Seraphina Chen in tow, managed to escape.

Though he had saved his life, Silvan Chen had suffered grievous wounds to his foundation during the battle, depleting his core vitality [the essential energy sustaining a cultivator's life and cultivation] almost entirely. Now, he was merely clinging to his last breath by sheer force of will.

"Alas."

Eldrin Chen let out a sigh, shaking his head with an air of unspoken resignation. Discover more cultivation stories at www . audio-novel.com.

He gazed towards the distant Void and spoke with calm finality, "Your troubles have arrived."

"This is bad."

Seraphina Chen jolted to her feet in alarm, her eyes darting towards Eldrin Chen. "Ancient Ancestor, you must flee!" she urged. "The Wang Clan is far too powerful to confront. We must escape for our lives!"

Even as she spoke, several figures soared into view across the distant sky.

All were Foundation Establishment Cultivator [cultivators who have solidified their spiritual foundation], and their leader was a formidable Foundation Establishment Cultivator who had even broken through the first barrier of the Purple Mansion [the stage where one's spiritual sea condenses into a radiant, palace-like core].

Upon reaching the front of this Spirit Mountain [a mountain rich with spiritual energy], the leader sneered coldly. "Silvan Chen, I know you are here. Come out and face your death!"

"You—"

Seeing his enemies arrive at his doorstep, Silvan Chen's face contorted with deep-seated hatred.

Gritting his teeth, he could not help but retort, "My Chen Clan Cultivators have been nearly exterminated by your hands. My own lifespan is at its end. Must you still pursue such utter annihilation?"

"Hmph."

The leader, however, let out a cold sneer, his expression icy as he declared, "If you do not uproot the weeds, they will surely become a calamity in the future."

"Every last one of your Chen Clan bloodline, this old man will naturally spare none."

After listening for a few moments, Eldrin Chen understood that this Wang Clan was the most powerful Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan within ten thousand Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] of the area. The man leading the group was the Patriarch Wang.

This man, named Riverius Wang, had already opened and filled fifty percent of his Purple Mansion Dao Meridian [the primary energy channels within the Purple Mansion cultivation stage], which explained his overbearing and domineering manner.

Watching several Foundation Establishment Ancestor [a respectful title for a Foundation Establishment cultivator] descend upon them, the young woman beside him, Seraphina Chen, felt her death was imminent, a look of utter despair coloring her features.

Her gaze shifted to Eldrin Chen. She could not fathom the depths of these two individuals, but their cultivation aura and presence seemed even more formidable than her own clan's Ancient Ancestor. Perhaps they held the key to her survival.

At that very moment, the members of the Wang Clan in the sky grew impatient. With a cold laugh, Riverius Wang summoned his Magical Treasure [an enchanted artifact used by cultivators] and launched an assault on the Spirit Mountain's protective Formation [a mystical array or defensive barrier].

This Spirit Mountain [a mountain imbued with concentrated spiritual energy] possessed only a first-rank Spirit Vein [a subterranean current of concentrated spiritual energy] and could not withstand the assault of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Its Mountain Guardian Formation [a defensive array protecting a spiritual site] was breached after merely a few strikes.

The Wang Clan Foundation Establishment cultivators surged into the Spirit Mountain with savage glee. Before they could even catch their breath, their eyes fell upon Eldrin Chen and Lyra Jiang.

A single glance was all it took. Their hearts plummeted, and they immediately dropped to their knees.

That Riverius Wang trembled uncontrollably, his face a mask of terror as he stammered, "I... I pay my respects to the two Ancient Ancestor [a title for a venerable, long-lived progenitor of a clan or lineage]."

"Ancient Ancestor..."

Seraphina Chen [a female cultivator of the Chen Clan] paled slightly. Though she had harbored some premonition, she could not suppress a surge of astonished joy.

Even after meeting them, she had only guessed that her own Ancient Ancestor might have some significant background. She never imagined it would be so utterly staggering.

With this thought, she immediately knelt upon the ground, her voice choked with emotion. "The Wang Clan slaughtered over one hundred cultivators of my entire clan. This enmity is as deep as the heavens. I beg the Ancient Ancestor to consider the bloodline flowing within this humble member of the Chen Clan and grant us justice!"

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Upon hearing this, the members of the Wang Clan all wore expressions of utter despair.

He could never have fathomed that the blood of the Chen Clan was connected to these two terrifying figures before him. The realization was a bitter draught too difficult to swallow.

"Do you have any final words?"

Eldrin Chen spoke with profound calm, his tone as placid as if discussing the most mundane of matters.

The several Foundation Establishment Cultivator trembled in fear. Riverius Wang, knowing full well the unforgivable nature of his deeds, gritted his teeth fiercely, turned, and fled into the distance via Sword Flight [a technique of riding a sword to travel at great speeds].

"Everyone, flee for your lives."

"If we scatter and run separately, we might still have a sliver of hope to survive."

Watching the Wang Clan Foundation Establishment Cultivator flee in a frenzy, Eldrin Chen's eyes narrowed slightly. With a flick of his sleeve, several streaks of Sword Qi [condensed sword energy] shot forth, cleaving through ten thousand zhang of Void [empty space].

Following several agonized screams, the Wang Clan Foundation Establishment Cultivator were all slain with a single strike.

Witnessing his enemies fall, Silvan Chen showed no surprise. Though he had long been absent from Chu Kingdom, he was well aware of the terrifying prowess of this clansman before him.

He coughed weakly twice, glanced at Seraphina Chen, then turned his gaze to Eldrin Chen.

"The greatest wish of my life was to return to the Clan Genealogy [the official record of a clan's lineage and members] and make amends for my past failings, to come home to the family."

"But now my lifespan is exhausted. I will not live to see that day."

As he spoke, he pulled Seraphina Chen close, tears streaming down his aged face. "Whatever the circumstances of the past, this child is innocent. I beg you to allow her to return to the Clan Genealogy. This is my final wish."

"…"

Several days later, Eldrin Chen and Lyra Jiang emerged from the depths of Spirit Mountain.

Seraphina Chen followed behind them, her eyes red from weeping, cradling an urn of ashes.

Silvan Chen had finally passed. He had yearned for his homeland his entire life, yet Eldrin Chen had decreed he could never return to Bianzhou.

Now, with his lifespan exhausted, all that remained was a handful of ashes to be taken back to the clan. They would be interred in the ancestral tombs without a gravestone, a final return to dust.

Eldrin Chen returned to the Ji Continent Trading Post, for the Barter Convention of Ji Continent was finally about to commence.

By tradition, the Barter Convention of Ji Continent was always hosted by the Ji Clan themselves, typically held at the Ji Boat Pavilion within the Ji Continent Trading Post.

On that day, Eldrin Chen and Lyra Jiang arrived at the Ji Continent Pavilion. They found the hall gathered with nearly one hundred Golden Core Cultivator [powerful cultivators who have condensed their spiritual energy into a solid Golden Core].

Among the crowd were familiar faces: Yvonne the Violet Consort, Taiwu the True Person of the Verdant Immortal Sect, and Qian the Ancient Ancestor from the Firmament Sword Sect.

Noticing their arrival, Yvonne the Violet Consort strode over on her long legs. She glanced at Eldrin Chen, then with a smile, teased Lyra Jiang.

"It has been several decades since we last met, yet your young man's cultivation has progressed not insignificantly. It seems in another hundred years he may well catch up to you and me."

Lyra Jiang's beautiful eyes flickered as she said with a smile, "Then you must cultivate diligently indeed."

"Greetings, Violet Consort, the Immortal Maiden." Eldrin Chen nodded calmly in acknowledgment.

After the initial pleasantries were exchanged, Eldrin Chen's gaze swept over the assembled crowd.

This Barter Convention was exceptionally lively. Over forty Golden Core Cultivator [cultivators who have formed a solid, golden spiritual core within their dantian] from across the Ji Continent had gathered. One could say a significant portion of the Golden Core experts from the various Ji Immortal Clan [powerful, long-established families of cultivators] were present. The story continues at audio—novel.com.