Chapter 39. Accumulated Grudges, Return to Spirit Lake Continent

Elder Lin’s expression softened slightly at those words, though his face remained cold as he said, “Let there be no next time.”

"This matter is of great importance. We request your permission to deliberate before reaching a decision." Seeing his anger subside, the Third Elder added.

Elder Lin nodded, yet insisted, "Then I shall grant you but a single day."

"Many thanks, Senior."

Several people exited the Contribution Hall and returned to Chen Qingyuan's residence.

"These Green Sun Sect members are nothing but a den of snakes and rats—utterly despicable!" The moment Chen Qingyuan returned to his residence, he could no longer suppress his fury. "If you ask me, we shouldn’t endure such humiliation any longer. Let’s forget about the Foundation Establishment Pill (Spiritual Object) and leave this place. Qingyuan, you should just come home with us."

Old Fourth.

Lior furrowed his brow, cutting off the Fourth Elder. "A single Foundation Establishment Pill is worth a fortune. How could we simply abandon it so easily?"

He pondered for a moment, his gaze shifting toward Eldrin.

"Eldrin, as an alchemist, you must tell us truthfully—how is that Foundation Establishment Pill truly?"

Eldrin (Person Name)沉吟了一下，还是实话实说道：“那枚Foundation Establishment Pill (Spiritual Object)被地Fire Fiend Qi (Spiritual Root)气污染，地煞火气是地底火脉之中火毒孕育而出的恶煞。”

"This baleful aura is exceptionally domineering, capable of damaging a cultivator's meridians and physical body. Even Purple Mansion experts would never willingly allow it to taint them."

"By my estimation, consuming this Foundation Establishment Pill (Spiritual Object) tainted with baleful aura—even if merely a trace remains—would be perilous beyond measure."

"If successful, after breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage, 1 could temporarily suppress this wisp of Fire Fiend Qi (Spiritual Root) and seek methods to gradually resolve it in the future."

However, should 1 fail, their meridians would likely shatter completely. Even in the best-case scenario, baleful energy would invade their body, utterly destroying their cultivation base. They would thenceforth endure eternal torment from the Fire Fiend Qi (Spiritual Root).

Upon hearing this, Chen Qingyuan’s face turned slightly pale. He couldn’t help but tremble as he asked, “After consuming this Foundation Establishment Pill (Spiritual Object), what are my chances of achieving Foundation Establishment?”

"I'm afraid no more than 30 percent." Eldrin estimated briefly before advising, "This is far too perilous. I suggest Uncle Qingyuan wait another 10 years."

"If the Qingyang Sect had refined a few more batches of Foundation Establishment Pill (Spiritual Object) in the past decade, perhaps the mission wouldn't be this challenging."

"10 years? How many decades can 1 afford to squander!"

Chen Qingyuan suddenly let out a bitter laugh. This time, for his sake, the 5 great elders of the family had traveled over hundreds of thousands of li, spending nearly a year to come to his aid.

Putting aside whether he could exchange for an intact Foundation Establishment Pill (Spiritual Object) 10 years later, the mere fact that the Second Elder was now critically injured, hovering on the brink of death, and had suffered severe depletion of his lifespan filled his heart with immeasurable guilt.

At this thought, he gritted his teeth and declared, "A 30 percent chance is enough—after all, no 1 can predict what may unfold in 10 years."

"Qing Yuan." The crowd wished to persuade him further.

Chen Qingyuan interjected, "There's no need. My decision is final."

That very night, Chen Qingyuan exchanged for the Foundation Establishment Pill (Spiritual Object) and immediately began secluded cultivation to break through to Foundation Establishment.

A typical closed-door retreat to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage generally takes 2 to 3 months. As elders of the clan, each of them bore significant responsibilities. Now that their mission was accomplished, they naturally had no time to idle away here.

After bidding farewell to Chen Qingyuan (Person Name), the group made their way toward Verdant Chariot Mountain (Location). The journey took another 6 months before they finally arrived at Verdant Chariot Mountain (Location).

Upon returning to Verdant Chariot Mountain (Location), Eldrin (Person Name) did not immediately head back to Spirit Isle Lake (Location), for the Third Elder had detained him.

"The family's Aura-Concealing Grass has ripened."

"Now that Qing Meng (Person Name) has departed, the heavy responsibility of refining the Qi Gathering Pill (Spiritual Object) falls solely upon you."

The Chen family's 5 acres of Spirit-Nurturing Grass matured once every 5 years. The harvest season had actually arrived half a year ago, but was delayed until now solely because the family's only alchemist, Eldrin (Person Name), was far away at the Qingyang Sect.

Now that Eldrin had returned, he naturally shouldered the task of refining the Qi Gathering Pill.

Just like 5 years ago, this harvest yielded enough Mistveil Herbs for 50 cauldrons. Eldrin spent some 6 or 7 days refining these into 50 batches of Qi Gathering Pills.

Now, his alchemy skills had surpassed even Chen Qingmeng's from back in the day. Coupled with his more powerful true qi and spiritual sense, the refinement process flowed far more smoothly.

After refining 50 batches of Qi Gathering Pills (Spiritual Object), he was overjoyed to discover he had produced 350 3 Qi-Gathering Pills (Spiritual Object). This quantity surpassed even Chen Qingmeng's initial achievements, achieving a 70 percent pill formation rate.

"This time, the pill success rate actually exceeded 70 percent."

"With your alchemy skills, Eldrin, once you break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, you'll likely be able to attempt the second rank immediately."

Lior finished counting the Qi Gathering Pills, his face lighting up with joy. "With these pills, we can repay some of the spirit stones the family owes our clansmen."

Eldrin nodded humbly and said, "The reason for my rapid progress is largely due to that alchemy manual."

After refining the Qi Gathering Pill (Spiritual Object), he did not linger. Following a day of rest, he returned to Spirit Isle Lake (Location).

Upon returning to Spirit Isle Lake (Location), he found Silas (Person Name) and Caleb (Person Name) cultivating. Both had now condensed genuine qi and broken through to the second level of Qi Refining.

"Not bad."

A look of delight crossed Eldrin's face. The 2 siblings had already spent 5 years at Spirit Isle Lake (Location). Before turning 9, they had merely been building their foundations. When he departed, they had just begun to set foot upon the path of cultivation.

Now, after being away for a year and a half, he was astonished to find that the 2 had actually broken through 2 consecutive layers of cultivation.

At 11 years old and already at the second level of Qi Refining, though incomparable to his own childhood prowess, this could still be considered genius—showing potential to reach the ninth level of Qi Refining in 20-some years.

"You're back."

The granduncle returned from tending the spirit fields, his face lighting up with joy the moment he saw Eldrin.

He followed Eldrin’s gaze and smiled faintly. “These 2 youngsters possess remarkable talent. Right now, they are in the foundational stage of cultivation.”

"I used some of your spirit peaches to help them accelerate their cultivation. You won't blame me, will you?"

Eldrin chuckled and shook his head, "Let us hope these 2 young ones live up to your expectations."

He spoke, then suddenly chuckled wryly. Unbeknownst to him, he had already passed 20-2 years of age, and it had been over 7 years since he arrived at Spirit Isle Lake (Location).

Back in the courtyard, the grandfather and grandson who hadn't seen each other for a long time sat facing 1 another, leisurely drinking tea as they reminisced about the events of the past few years.

After listening to his account of the past events at Celestial Ruins Mountain (Location), Chen Changyan sighed deeply and remarked, "The Qingyang Sect has acted unjustly. Over the years, they have completely lost the people's support. Families like our Chen Clan, who hold grievances against them, are not just 1 or 2."

"The beast tide that occurs once every 100 years is still over 30 years away. If the various great families cannot unite when the time comes, I fear the Qingyang Pact will become as worthless as scrap paper."

"The Chu Kingdom (Location) is likely to face upheaval, yet it's the common folk who will suffer most."

A casual remark was spoken, but it was taken to heart by the listener.

Eldrin listened quietly within his heart, yet he could feel the pressure closing in.

Though the heavens fall, the tall shall bear the weight—yet when the nest is overturned, can any egg remain unbroken?

If 1 day our territory falls, our mountains and rivers shatter, and the Chu Kingdom transforms into a desolate demonic realm, with hundreds of millions of living beings becoming fodder for demons and monsters—by what means could the Chen family hope to remain unscathed?

"I'm still not strong enough!"

"I must grow stronger. If the tall 1 cannot hold the line, I shall climb higher and become the taller 1."

Eldrin murmured inwardly, resolving to make early preparations for his Foundation Establishment.