Chapter 58 : The Pill of Ascension

Now, Eldrin Chen's standing within the clan was extraordinary. This time, the Old Patriarch did not intervene, instead granting Eldrin Chen the authority to decide the fate of the Foundation Establishment Pill [a precious elixir that aids a cultivator in forming their Foundation Establishment].

Consequently, over a dozen clan cultivators at the Vital Essence Refinement Late Stage [the final stage of refining one's vital life energy] came knocking at his door, each hoping to exchange for the Foundation Establishment Pill.

Eldrin Chen made no promises. Instead, he simply convened a meeting in the Clan Affairs Hall, gathering all the Grand Elders and the high-ranking members who had reached the Vital Essence Refinement Late Stage.

Within the Clan Affairs Hall, Eldrin Chen sat calmly in the seat of honor. His gaze swept over the assembly, noting their tense expressions and the flicker of barely suppressed excitement in their eyes.

The Third Elder, Lior Chen, spoke up, his face alight with enthusiasm. "Who could have imagined such a profound transformation for our Chen Clan in just a few short years?"

"First, Eldrin achieved Self-Achieved Foundation Establishment [breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm through sheer personal effort, without external aids like pills]. And now, we have obtained not one, but two Foundation Establishment Pills at once. Truly, fortune smiles upon us."

A faint smile touched Eldrin Chen's lips, his own mood buoyant. "Regarding the allocation of these Foundation Establishment Pills, I have devised a proposal. I shall present it now for your deliberation."

At his words, the atmosphere grew taut. Every eye was fixed upon him, anticipation hanging thick in the air.

Eldrin Chen's gaze shifted slightly, settling upon the Fifth Elder, Verdant Grace Chen. He then continued.

"Within the clan, only Aunt Verdant Grace and Uncle Lior have reached the Vital Essence Refinement 9th Tier [the peak of the ninth and final tier of the Vital Essence Refinement stage] and are under sixty years of age." This chapter appears courtesy of audio–novel.com.

"In these years of hardship and tribulation for our clan, Aunt Verdant Grace has toiled tirelessly, her heart and strength devoted to our family's cause. Whether measured by merit or sheer effort, she is the most deserving to exchange for this item."

As he spoke, his gaze turned to Lior Chen. In truth, the Third Elder was several years younger than the Fourth Elder, Verdant Destiny Chen, and was of an age similar to Verdant Grace Chen.

The Third Elder was a cultivator with Metal-Water Dual Spiritual Roots [a rare affinity for both metal and water spiritual energies]. In terms of innate talent, he was in no way inferior to the Sixth Elder, Verdant Bud Chen. It was merely because his cultivation progressed too swiftly, allowing him to break through to the Vital Essence Refinement Late Stage [the advanced stage of refining one's vital life energy] quite early, that he consequently became the clan's Third Elder.

Now, Eldrin Chen looked at the Third Elder and spoke with solemn sincerity, "As for the other Foundation Establishment Pill [a precious elixir that aids in solidifying one's cultivation foundation], I propose it be given to Uncle Lior."

This choice took everyone by surprise. Chen Cyrus, a clansman of the Nian Generation [the 'Remembrance' generation of the Chen Clan], could not help but stand up and speak.

"I know that in terms of seniority and contributions, the Third Elder is absolutely qualified to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill."

"However," he continued, "the Third Elder suffered damage to his foundational meridians in a battle years ago. His physical body has never fully recovered, leaving him with virtually no chance of successfully breaking through to Foundation Establishment [the realm where a cultivator's foundation is permanently solidified]."

Chen Cyrus was now forty-three years old. Within the Nian Generation, he was considered a rising star, having already reached the Vital Essence Refinement 8th Tier [the eighth level of refining one's vital essence].

By all reasoning, with his talent, if the clan were to invest its resources fully in nurturing him, he could break through to the Vital Essence Refinement 9th Tier within a decade. Furthermore, he could solidify his foundation sufficiently to use a Foundation Establishment Pill to attempt the breakthrough into the Foundation Establishment Realm.

It was precisely because of this potential that he was unwilling to relent now. He still wished to contend for this single Foundation Establishment Pill.

Lior Chen also rose to his feet, swiftly objecting, "I know you cherish our past ties, but my physical body is damaged. My chances of a breakthrough to Foundation Establishment [the second major realm of cultivation] are virtually nil. Even if I received a Foundation Establishment Pill [a precious pill that aids in achieving the Foundation Establishment realm], it would be a waste."

"If my body hadn't been injured back then, that Foundation Establishment Pill from Verdant Bud years ago should have rightfully come to me. There would have been no need for it to wait until today."

"Do not worry," Eldrin Chen replied with a faint smile. "Fortune has favored me. I managed to acquire a Blood-Replenishing Ginseng [a rare ginseng that revitalizes blood and heals physical damage] during a trade at Heavenly Ruins Mountain."

"Tomorrow, I shall begin refining a batch of Stasis-Dispersing Pill [a pill that disperses stagnant energy and heals bodily injuries]. This pill is potent enough to mend the physical damage of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator [a cultivator who has reached the Foundation Establishment realm] and should be sufficient to cure your injury completely."

As one of the family's only two Foundation Establishment Cultivator, and with the Old Patriarch having delegated authority to Eldrin Chen, his status within the clan had become exceptionally prominent.

With him speaking thus, no one present dared to raise further objections. The matter was settled decisively, as if struck by a final, resounding gavel.

After the meeting concluded, Eldrin Chen handed the Foundation Establishment Pill to Verdant Grace Chen. After a moment's thought, he added a final instruction, "Do not rush your attempt to break through to Foundation Establishment just yet."

"Once I have successfully refined the Stasis-Dispersing Pill, I will return to Spirit Isle Lake. At that time, I will refine a batch of Essence Gathering Pill [a pill that concentrates spiritual essence, aiding cultivation breakthroughs]. It can increase your chances of a successful Foundation Establishment breakthrough by another half a measure."

Having issued his instructions, he wasted no further time and proceeded directly to the clan's Alchemy Chamber [a specialized chamber for pill refinement].

The refinement of the Stasis-Dispersing Pill required a total of sixteen different types of Spirit Herb [plants imbued with spiritual energy, used in alchemy]. Apart from the relatively precious Blood-Replenishing Ginseng, the others were not particularly rare.

After acquiring the Blood-Replenishing Ginseng at Heavenly Ruins Mountain, Eldrin Chen had used the Heavenly Ruins Pavilion to procure all the supplementary herbs. Now, he was ready to begin the alchemical refinement.

As he ignited the alchemical furnace, a look of solemn focus settled upon Eldrin Chen's face.

This was his first true attempt at refining a Second Rank Pill. The Essence Gathering Pill he had crafted before was merely a quasi-second rank elixir.

Nevertheless, his decision to attempt the Stasis-Dispersing Pill was not without confidence. The primary challenges of pill refinement boiled down to three key aspects.

First, understanding the principle of Monarch, Minister, Assistant, and Guide [the alchemical principle of balancing primary, secondary, supporting, and harmonizing ingredients] to properly proportion the various Spirit Herb components according to their medicinal properties.

The second was experience with the Alchemy Scripture. For an alchemist, crucial moments often hinged on instinct and technique honed through practice. Join our community of readers at audio - novel . com.

The final aspect was cultivation base and spiritual sense. Without sufficient power and perception, refining higher-grade pills became exceptionally difficult.

Eldrin Chen had studied spiritual flora for years and refined numerous pills. Combined with the techniques gleaned from the Alchemy Manual, his grasp of ingredient balance and his practical Alchemy Scripture experience had long since touched the threshold of the Second Rank.

Even before his breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, he had managed to produce a quasi-Second Rank Essence Gathering Pill. Now, having ascended to Foundation Establishment and bridged the gap in power and spiritual sense, he possessed a reasonable chance of successfully refining the Stasis-Dispersing Pill.

Yet, as this was his first attempt with the Stasis-Dispersing Pill, Eldrin Chen proceeded with utmost care. He meticulously prepared all the medicinal ingredients before finally commencing the refinement of the Stasis-Dispersing Pill.

He refined it over a gentle flame, extracting the essences of over a dozen supplementary herbs, then retrieved the Blood-Replenishing Ginseng.

Unlike ordinary supplementary herbs, this Blood-Replenishing Ginseng was exceptionally precious. Eldrin Chen possessed only a single stalk and, fearing to damage it, began the refinement process with utmost care.

All Spirit Herb [plants imbued with spiritual energy] contain impurities. To refine them into pills, these impurities must be meticulously removed, layer by layer. The fewer the impurities, the higher the chance of successful pill formation.

Eldrin Chen continuously tempered the herb with his True Flame [a cultivator's pure spiritual flame], painstakingly refining the impurities within the Blood-Replenishing Ginseng into ash, as if unraveling silk from a cocoon. Five days passed before he had completely purged the impurities, transforming the ginseng into a viscous, crimson medicinal liquid.

"Not bad at all," he murmured.

Gazing at the condensed medicinal liquid, Eldrin Chen allowed himself a slight sigh of relief.

Although a portion of the liquid had evaporated along with the impurities during the purification, the remaining essence was still sufficient to condense four Stasis-Dispersing Pill [a pill that clears blockages and disperses stagnant energy].

"The final step remains," he said, his focus sharpening.

The closer he came to the crucial moment, the more solemn Eldrin Chen became.

After merging and tempering all the medicinal liquid, he finally separated it into four distinct portions. He then intensified the True Flame, aiming to rapidly solidify the nascent pills into their final form.

"Hiss—"

A soft sound echoed as one of the globules of pill liquid could no longer withstand the refining heat of the True Flame [a potent, pure flame used in high-level alchemy and forging]. It transformed into a wisp of verdant smoke and vanished. Enjoyed this chapter? Read more at site: audio-novel.com.