Chapter 59 : The Alchemist's Breakthrough

Eldrin Chen furrowed his brow and continued refining the elixir. Soon after, another wisp of verdant smoke rose, leaving only two pools of medicinal liquid still simmering within the flames.

Fortunately, no further mishaps occurred. The final two pills coalesced into form within the fire and flew out from the cauldron.

He caught the two Stasis-Dispersing Pill [a pill that disperses stagnant energy and aids in healing] in his hand, a gratified smile gracing his features. His first attempt at crafting a true Second Rank Pill [a mid-grade pill requiring significant alchemical skill] had not only succeeded but yielded a twenty percent success rate—a feat that would stir envy in the hearts of most alchemists.

"Finally, I've broken through to become a Second Rank Alchemist."

"It seems I truly possess some innate talent for the alchemical arts."

With a faint smile, he stored the two Stasis-Dispersing Pill in a jade vial and stepped out of the Alchemy Chamber.

Lior Chen had been waiting outside for some time. Seeing Eldrin Chen emerge from the Alchemy Chamber, he could not suppress the eager anticipation that lit up his face.

Meeting his gaze, Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod. "Success."

Handing one Stasis-Dispersing Pill to the Third Elder, Eldrin Chen instructed, "Uncle Lior, go into seclusion first to heal your injuries. Once you have recovered, my Essence Gathering Pill [a pill that gathers and refines spiritual essence, often used to prepare for a major breakthrough] should also be ready. Come to me then to retrieve the pill before you attempt your Foundation Establishment [the critical stage of solidifying one's cultivation foundation]."

"By the way, I succeeded in crafting two pills this time. Have someone deliver the remaining one to the Second Elder." Read, share, and discuss at audio–novel.com.

Eldrin Chen pondered for a moment, then produced another Stasis-Dispersing Pill [a pill that disperses stagnant energy and heals internal injuries] and instructed, "Take this."

Several years ago, during the battle with the Verdant-striped Ape [a powerful, ape-like demonic beast], the Second Elder suffered grievous wounds. Not only was his lifespan drastically reduced, but he was also left with a lingering, difficult-to-heal affliction.

Now, with this Stasis-Dispersing Pill, while it cannot restore the Second Elder's lost lifespan, it should allow his injuries to heal fully and spare him from a future of chronic pain.

After giving these instructions, Eldrin wasted no further time. He directly mounted his sword and flew towards Spirit Isle Lake.

It must be said, the Solar Fire Returning Abyss Sword [a sword forged from solar fire and abyssal essence] truly lived up to its reputation as a superior Lifebound Immortal Sword [a sword spiritually bound to its wielder, growing with them]. As Eldrin Chen channeled his energy to fly towards Spirit Isle Lake, the sword transformed into a three-zhang-length [approximately ten meters] blade of light, a radiant streak cleaving the heavens. In the span of a single day, he traversed a distance of five thousand li-lengths [two thousand five hundred kilometers].

Upon arriving at Spirit Isle Lake, Eldrin Chen had just descended from his sword-light when a look of pleasant surprise washed over his features.

"You've returned," Eternal Spread Chen said, his initial joy giving way to a knowing smile. "I take it you can feel the change?"

"A little, yes,"

Eldrin Chen nodded. He had been gone for a year and a half, yet in that time, the Spiritual Vein [a subterranean conduit of concentrated spiritual energy] beneath Spirit Isle Lake had actually advanced in grade, now reaching the Second Rank Low-Grade [a mid-tier level of spiritual energy concentration].

The Old Granduncle beamed, leading him towards the Spiritual Peach Tree [a tree that bears fruit infused with spiritual energy]. Unlike previous years when the branches were laden with fruit, this year the tree bore only thirty-six Spiritual Peach [peaches that contain concentrated spiritual essence].

"At the beginning of the year, the Spiritual Peach Tree advanced to the Second Rank Low-Grade. Subsequently, the Spiritual Vein beneath Spirit Isle Lake, nourished by its feedback, gave birth to a Spiritual Vein Spring and its grade was elevated to the Second Rank."

"It seems my guess was correct. This tree is likely an exceedingly rare and precious Worldly Spiritual Root [a spiritual plant of immense value that can influence the spiritual energy of its surroundings]."

Old Granduncle stroked his long beard and said with a smile, "Don't be fooled by the fact it only bore thirty-six Spiritual Peach this year. Their value far surpasses that of previous harvests."

"These are all Second Rank Spiritual Peach. The worth of each one greatly exceeds that of a First Rank Spiritual Peach."

Listening intently, Eldrin Chen quickly grasped the precious nature of this grade of Spiritual Peach. This Second Rank Low-Grade Worldly Spiritual Root only ripens once every three years, yielding a mere thirty-six Spiritual Peach each time, a number that aligns with the Celestial Stem Number [a mystical number from ancient cosmology, often thirty-six].

Compared to ordinary Second Rank Spiritual Peach trees, the fruit borne by this Worldly Spiritual Root is imbued with a unique spiritual essence. For Foundation Establishment Cultivator [cultivators who have solidified their spiritual foundation], they are precious supplements that can significantly enhance their cultivation.

Typically, each of these Spiritual Peach is worth over two hundred Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy]. Thus, the thirty-six peaches harvested every three years have a total value of seven thousand two hundred Spirit Stone.

Most crucially, these fruits are exceedingly rare. They are difficult for outsiders to acquire, making their true worth hard to measure in Spirit Stone alone.

"With these Spiritual Peach, my future cultivation speed will far outpace that of an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator."

As Eldrin Chen contemplated this, a surge of excitement welled up within him.

Upon reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage [the second major realm of cultivation, where one builds a solid foundation for their future path], a cultivator's progress inevitably slows. Typically, a Dual Spiritual Root [a cultivator with an affinity for two of the five elemental energies] affiliated with an Immortal Clan [a clan or family dedicated to the path of immortality] receives a regular stipend, granting them relatively ample resources. Such cultivators can often advance one minor realm within a dozen or so years.

For a diligent Dual Spiritual Root clan cultivator who focuses solely on cultivation without distraction, this timeframe might be shortened to around ten years.

However, a rogue Foundation Establishment cultivator must struggle to secure their own resources. Unless they possess a valuable skill to earn Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation], they are forced to take risks hunting demonic beasts.

This consumes a vast amount of cultivation time. Consequently, it often takes them two dozen years or even longer to break through a single minor realm.

Even after Eldrin Chen's innate potential was elevated by the Primordial Chaos Violet Aura [a supreme primordial energy that can refine one's spiritual foundation], his aptitude only reached a level comparable to a Three Spiritual Roots [a cultivator with an affinity for three of the five elemental energies] cultivator. His rapid ascent to the Foundation Establishment Stage in recent years...

...was due not only to his relentless dedication but also to the clan's annual stipend of thirty Spirit Stone and the significant aid provided by the Spiritual Peach [a peach imbued with spiritual energy, beneficial for cultivation] produced by the Spiritual Peach Tree. Official source: https://audio-novel.com. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Yet, upon entering the Foundation Establishment Stage, the inherent disadvantage of having Three Spiritual Roots becomes starkly apparent.

By Eldrin Chen's own estimation, given his cultivation aptitude, if his future income were limited solely to the annual stipend of three hundred Spirit Stone granted to a clan Foundation Establishment Cultivator...

...then even if he devoted himself entirely to arduous cultivation, it would likely take him fifteen years to advance a single minor realm.

Furthermore, the need to constantly nurture and temper his Lifebound Immortal Sword [a sword forged with a cultivator's essence, growing in power alongside them] would further impede his progress, stretching those fifteen years into twenty.

However, with this Second Rank Spiritual Peach [a peach imbued with potent spiritual energy, ranked second in quality], his cultivation speed would skyrocket, and the time required to advance through each realm would be drastically shortened.

This made him itch to pluck one of the Spiritual Peach [a fruit that stores spiritual energy] right away and refine it to test its effects.

"Better to refine it into Essence Gathering Pill [a pill that concentrates and gathers vital energy] first,"

he suppressed the impulse. Eldrin Chen harvested the Spiritual Peach and returned to the Alchemy Chamber [a specialized room for pill refinement] to begin preparing the Essence Gathering Pill.

Unlike the inferior version he had concocted last time using a First Rank Spiritual Peach [a lower-grade spiritual peach], this time he intended to refine the genuine Essence Gathering Pill.

This elixir required precious Spiritual Peach, with each batch consuming twelve peaches—a cost of two thousand four hundred Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation].

Yet the efficacy of the Essence Gathering Pill was absolutely worth the investment, for it could provide a massive surge of Vital Energy [the fundamental life force energy cultivated by practitioners] at a critical moment, increasing one's chances of a successful Foundation Establishment [the second major stage of cultivation, where one solidifies their foundation] breakthrough by a full ten percent.

The refinement process for the Essence Gathering Pill was not overly difficult. With his prior experience, Eldrin Chen now found himself quite adept at crafting it.

Furthermore, now that he was a Second Rank [a tier designation for alchemists, indicating advanced skill] alchemist, he discovered that refining this Essence Gathering Pill was far easier than it had been before.

After merely half a month, the batch of Essence Gathering Pill was complete. To Eldrin Chen's delight, this furnace had yielded a full three pills.

Having obtained three Essence Gathering Pill [a pill that aids in gathering and refining spiritual energy], Eldrin Chen allowed a faint smile to grace his features. He stored the pills away, issued a few brief instructions, and then soared back to Green Chariot Mountain upon his flying sword.

Upon his return to Green Chariot Mountain, Verdant Grace Chen took the Foundation Establishment Pill [a crucial pill for solidifying one's cultivation foundation] and the Essence Gathering Pill and immediately entered seclusion within the Spirit Spring [a spring imbued with concentrated spiritual energy] located on the mountain. Read, share, and discuss at audio-novel dot com.