Chapter 961 : Legacy of the Verdant Generation

The younger generation felt little, but Lila and Ethan Chen and the others sighed inwardly upon hearing this.

In those days, the Chen Clan had only one or two Foundation Establishment cultivators. They relied entirely on Eldrin Chen and the Old Patriarch struggling to hold the line, exhausting every means to compete for treasures.

They successively nurtured multiple Foundation Establishment cultivators for the clan, adding to the family's foundation through successive great battles, thus step by step developing to today's state.

Among the older generation of cultivators, Verdant River Chen, Verdant Void Chen, Verdant Destiny Chen, Lior Chen, and Verdant Grace Chen and others all contributed immensely to the family.

Unfortunately, the cultivators of the Verdant Generation had poor fortune. The Second Elder, Verdant River Chen, the Grand Elder, Verdant Bud Chen, and the Fourth Elder, Verdant Destiny Chen, all missed the optimal period for Foundation Establishment and passed away early, millennia ago.

Lior Chen and Verdant Grace Chen had slightly better fortune, successfully achieving Foundation Establishment breakthrough. Afterwards, under Eldrin Chen's cultivation, Lior Chen broke through to the Infant Soul Realm, and Verdant Grace Chen cultivated to the Golden Core realm.

Regrettably, Verdant Grace Chen fell in the struggle against the Azure Flood Dragon Demon Emperor while protecting the clan. Lior Chen perished during the first Demonic Abyss Cataclysm, sacrificing himself to save Eldrin Chen.

That once vast Verdant Generation, clearly an era teeming with talent, was unfortunately born into the wrong time. Not a single one remains to this day.

"Alas!"

The Old Patriarch sighed, gathering his nostalgic expression. This chapter appears courtesy of audio-novel`com.

He glanced at the assembled crowd, shaking his head with a wry smile. "For our Chen Clan to have reached this point today... if the Elders from back then could see it from the netherworld, their hearts would surely be filled with profound contentment."

"You need not grieve. You should instead be joyful."

Eldrin Chen watched quietly, noticing how the Old Patriarch subtly wiped the corner of his eye.

Within Eldrin Chen's heart, a complex tapestry of emotions swirled: a thread of contentment, a strand of remembrance, a filament of joy, and an inexplicable, wistful melancholy.

He did not elaborate, merely sighing with feeling. "Sixteen Primordial Spirits [the spiritual core of a cultivator] from a single clan, over eight hundred True Lords [a title for cultivators who have reached the Infant Soul realm]... if our uncles and elders from those early days could witness this, they would indeed rest with smiles in the nine springs [a poetic term for the afterlife]."

Pursuing the Path, Everlasting Verdure, Remembering the Virtuous, Reflecting on Ancestors, Mutual Support for the Clan's Rise, Ascendant Immortal, Achieving Immortality.

The clan's Sixteen-Character Generation Names [a poetic sequence of characters used to denote successive generations within a clan] had now been passed down to the Decay Generation. The number of mortal clan members was already beyond counting, and for the vast majority of cultivators within the clan, tracing exact bloodline connections had become a near-impossible task.

For the last several hundred years, the seniority of newly born cultivators within the clan had begun to be determined by their cultivation realm.

Thus, those at Vital Essence Refinement [the first stage of cultivation, refining the body's vital energy] belonged to the Decay Generation; those at Foundation Establishment [the second stage, solidifying one's cultivation foundation] to the Immortality Generation; those at Violet Sanctum [the third stage, opening a mystical energy center] to the Immortal Generation; and those at Golden Core [the fourth stage, condensing a golden core of power] to the Ascension Generation. Breaking through to Infant Soul [the fifth stage, nurturing a nascent spiritual soul] allowed one to be promoted to the Clan Generation.

Most of the newly advanced Infant Soul True Lords from the past century were juniors of the Clan Generation, creating a generational gap of several ranks compared to the clan's earlier generations of Infant Soul True Lords.

Fortunately, cultivators below the Infant Soul realm generally do not possess long lifespans. Over the four thousand years of the clan's legacy, most cultivators above the Ascension Generation level, except for those True Lord who have already broken through to Infant Soul, have already passed away if they remained below the Golden Core stage.

Therefore, the sight of an Infant Soul True Lord addressing a Golden Core Cultivator as Patriarch is not a common occurrence.

As time flows onward, after ten thousand years, the earlier generations of clan cultivators will have gradually ascended or passed away. Those Infant Soul True Lord who remain will mostly be from the Ascension Generation.

By that distant era, the blood ties between clan members will have grown faint, and determining seniority by cultivation realm alone will no longer carry any awkwardness.

As for figures of the Path Lord realm, they are the true Patriarch figures within a clan. No matter how glorious the clan becomes, their number will always be limited and countable.

When the time comes for Eldrin Chen and his peers to ascend, Eternal Profound Chen, having long since withdrawn from mundane affairs, will likely pass the reins of the clan's authority to those of greater seniority, such as 'Ethan Chen' and 'Silas Chen'.

Contemplating the clan's present splendor, Eldrin Chen set aside his sentimental thoughts and spoke.

"The Demonic Abyss Cataclysm draws near once more. As the paramount power of the Purple Seal Realm, our Chen Clan cannot stand idly by."

"Dispatch the orders. For this campaign, we shall mobilize ten Path Lord and four hundred True Lord to march upon the Cosmic Stellar Archipelago."

"Your command shall be obeyed!"

Ethan Chen [the Worthy Night of the Chen Clan] nodded and immediately accepted the command.

"..."

As the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm [a periodic, cataclysmic demonic invasion] drew near once more, Eldrin Chen [the patriarch of the Chen Clan] settled the clan's miscellaneous affairs and then, ahead of schedule, led Exquisite Jiang [his wife, the Exquisite Immortal Lord] and others to the Cosmic Stellar Archipelago [a vast archipelago of floating islands].

Gazing upon the Cosmic Stellar Archipelago before him, a flicker of thought passed through Eldrin Chen's eyes. Without lingering, he soared towards Sun God Island [the central island of the archipelago, imbued with solar energy].

Upon Sun God Island, there stood a fiery-red mulberry tree.

Eldrin Chen cast a glance at it, and his brow subtly twitched. Your portal to cultivation novels: audio~novel.com.

Beneath that Fire Mulberry Tree [a rare spiritual tree of primordial solar essence], Lord of the Path Palace [the master of the Great Wasteland Path Palace] and several other Demigod [cultivators who have ascended halfway to divinity] had already been waiting for some time.

Noticing Eldrin Chen's gaze, Lord of the Path Palace stroked his long beard and said, "This tree is named the Fire Mulberry Tree, a rare specimen of Primordial Solar Spirit Wood [spiritual wood infused with the essence of the primordial sun]."

"Legend holds that this Fire Mulberry Tree sprouted from a severed root of the divine 'Fusang Tree' [the mythical sun-resting tree of the Immortal Realm] from the Immortal Realm [the higher plane of existence for ascended beings], inheriting a trace of that sacred tree's profound mystery."

"In ages past, Imperial Sovereign Jiang [a legendary emperor] discovered this wood in the Western Sea and transplanted it here to Sun God Island. He used it as the Formation Eye [the core anchor point of a powerful magical array] to establish and empower this very island."

"So that's how it is."

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod, then spoke: "The Formation [a complex array of magical symbols and energy channels used for defense, attack, or cultivation] of the Stellar Archipelago was breached in the past, and its full power has never been fully restored. Perhaps it is time we set about repairing it."

Upon hearing this, the others' brows twitched slightly. The Heavenly Gaze Path Master said, "We too have wished to restore the Cosmic Stellar Formation. However, this formation is profoundly intricate and complex. Without truly transcendent skill in Formation arts, I fear it is impossible to repair."

At this point, the Heavenly Gaze Path Master couldn't help but look at Eldrin Chen. "Judging by your words, Fellow Daoist, do you perhaps have the confidence to repair it?"

"Not yet, I do not."

Eldrin Chen shook his head, then continued, "I have heard that Imperial Sovereign Jiang once gathered the Formation legacies of a hundred schools, pooling the strength of the entire Purple Seal Realm to establish this grand formation."

"Perhaps we, too, could attempt such a feat?"

"Truly?"

Upon hearing this, Lord of the Path Palace could not contain his pleasant surprise. "If you, Fellow Daoist, possess even a measure of confidence, then it is indeed worth attempting."

"Not so fast!"

Eldrin Chen shook his head, then recalled his efforts in comprehending the Path Principles Comprehension [a profound art focused on understanding the fundamental laws of the cosmos].

After a moment of contemplation, he spoke, "I cultivate five distinct Arcane Power [mystical powers derived from the fundamental elements], and seek to comprehend five corresponding Path Principles Power [the fundamental cosmic laws that govern reality] to forge the Primordial One Path Principles [the unified, supreme law from which all others are derived]."

"If you would allow me to study the Immortal Scripture [sacred texts containing the complete legacy of an immortal path] passed down through your respective orthodoxies, and if my comprehension of the Path Principles [the fundamental laws of the cosmos] deepens further, then I may well possess absolute certainty of success."

"This..."

Upon hearing his words, hesitation flickered in the hearts of those present.

The Ancient Scripture [ancient sacred texts] handed down by an Immortal [a being who has ascended to immortality] were, for any Great Sage [a realm of supreme power and enlightenment] lineage, their Sect-Suppressing Supreme Treasure [a treasure of such power it ensures a sect's survival]. Their value was on an entirely different plane compared to mere Formation [the art of arranging energy into powerful arrays] legacies.

After all, the power of a Formation represented but a single branch of a lineage's inheritance. How could it possibly compare to an object containing a complete Immortal Inheritance [the complete legacy of an immortal's cultivation path and techniques]?

With this thought, the hesitation within many hearts grew.

At this critical juncture, the Lord of the Path Palace spoke. "I am willing to lend you all nine volumes of our Immortal Scripture for your study and contemplation."

"This..."

The assembly was momentarily taken aback, then they heard the Lord of the Path Palace declare, "Before the Demonic Abyss Great Tribulation [the prophesied cataclysm of demonic invasion], what sense is there in holding anything back?"

"If Fellow Cultivator Eldrin can use this to achieve his Path and quell the calamity that has stretched on for tens of thousands of years, only then can our Purple Seal Realm [this world of cultivation] finally rest and recover."

"As the saying goes, 'When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken.' Which weighs heavier: the preservation of a sect's Immortal Scripture [a foundational cultivation manual] or the peril of the Purple Seal Realm's utter annihilation? When measured against the greater righteousness of the Purple Seal Realm, what do mere sectarian prejudices amount to?" Published by audio~novel.com. All rights reserved.