Chapter 104 : A Fragile Secret, A Thunderous Resolve

Eldrin Chen was acutely aware that the clan's safety was more fragile than it appeared on the surface. If word of the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root [a legendary spiritual root of supreme grade] were to leak out, the Chen Clan would likely face immediate and utter annihilation.

Such a treasure was far too precious, coveted even by Golden Core Realm cultivators. The Chen Clan simply lacked the power to protect it.

Fortunately, within the clan, fewer than ten cultivators were even qualified to visit Spirit Isle Lake, and the secret of the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root was known only to a handful of Foundation Establishment Cultivator elders.

However, in the future, when Eldrin Chen elevated the Spirit Apricot Tree at Celestial Ruins Mountain to the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root grade, the clan's cultivators would inevitably notice the anomaly. If another individual like Chen Silvan were to emerge then, it could bring catastrophic disaster upon the clan.

Therefore, Eldrin Chen had to employ thunderous measures to make the clan's members understand the dire cost of betrayal, serving as a stern warning for all.

"The Purple Mansion Realm... I must at least break through to the Purple Mansion [the third major realm of cultivation, where one forms a spiritual core mansion] before I can attempt to elevate the Spirit Apricot Tree again,"

Eldrin Chen gazed at the heavens, his thoughts settling on this resolve.

Upon the lands of the Chu Kingdom, the Three Great Sects reigned as true overlords. Only a Purple Mansion Immortal Clan [a clan led by a Purple Mansion realm cultivator] possessed the qualification to become a top-tier power ruling over an entire county.

The relationships between Purple Mansion Immortal Clan were always delicate, a blend of competition and mutual reliance for warmth. The two great Purple Mansion Immortal Clan of Bianzhou had joined forces, together safeguarding their hold on the Bianzhou Spirit Stone Mine.

Only by breaking through to the Purple Mansion and elevating the Chen Immortal Clan to the status of a Purple Mansion Immortal Clan, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the other two great clans of Bianzhou, could the Chen Clan truly gain a measure of self-preservation strength. Access the full story on audio-novel.com.

By that time, even if the Green Sun Sect wished to move against the Chen Clan, they would have to carefully weigh the combined influence of the several Purple Mansion Immortal Clan [powerful clans whose patriarchs have reached the Purple Mansion cultivation realm] within Bianzhou.

After pondering for a long while, Eldrin Chen finally suppressed his thoughts. He looked at Lior Chen and said, "Since the Wei Clan will not intervene, then this Dark Iron Mountain should not face any significant danger."

"I will return to Spirit Isle Lake to hold the fort. I must also ask the Clan Patriarch to reforge the Bell of Nine Echoes [a magical bell artifact]. Afterwards, I will have to trouble you, Uncle Lior, to garrison Dark Iron Mountain."

"Agreed," Lior Chen nodded with a faint smile. "Set your mind at ease. With me stationed here, bolstered by the Verdant Wood and Earth-Fortress Formation [a defensive formation combining wood and earth elemental energies], no ordinary Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivators [cultivators in the advanced stages of the Foundation Establishment realm] will be able to threaten this Dark Iron Mountain."

"Then my heart is at peace."

Eldrin Chen soared towards Pingyang City upon his flying sword. Unencumbered this time, he covered the distance in just over a single day.

Upon arriving at Pingyang City, he reported the events at Dark Iron Mountain to the Old Patriarch. After listening, the Old Granduncle [a respectful term for a senior male elder in the clan] let out a sigh.

"You did the right thing. I would have done the same."

"By establishing this precedent, I fear that as long as you draw breath, the younger generation of our clan will not dare to act so recklessly."

"It is just that Brother Changming met an untimely end, falling in battle during the Beast Tide Calamity [a periodic invasion of demonic beasts]. Most of his children also died young. This Chen Silvan is the sole remaining direct descendant of his bloodline."

"Alas..."

Observing the expression on Old Patriarch's face, Eldrin Chen gave a nod and spoke forthrightly, "I have long since devised a plan for this matter."

"After they are exiled into the Great Wilderness, I will rescue the underage children and arrange for them to be settled within the mortal cities of the Meng Clan."

"Their branch still possesses over three thousand Clan Merit Points; these shall be converted into Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] and given to the Meng Clan. Should any cultivators emerge from among them, they may inherit this lineage."

"This is acceptable. It serves as a means to preserve Brother Changming's legacy."

As he spoke, Old Patriarch revealed a smile. "Though your nature is sharp and decisive, you also possess a humane side. For our Chen Clan to have a child such as you is truly fortune accumulated over a thousand lifetimes."

Only through thunderous means can a bodhisattva's heart be truly revealed. For a rare moment, Eldrin Chen lowered his gaze slightly, this thought flashing through his mind.

Recalling the purpose of his visit, he then produced the Bell of Nine Echoes and the inner core of the Metal-Devouring Beast.

"My purpose in coming today is to ask you, Uncle, to help me refine this Bell of Nine Echoes once more."

"A fine treasure indeed."

Old Patriarch took the Demonic Beast Inner Core [the crystallized core of power within a demonic beast] and the Bell of Nine Echoes [a magical bell that resonates with nine distinct echoes], stroking them with delight for a moment. After some thought, he added, "With my Second Rank Middle Grade [a mid-level proficiency] skill in the Artificing Art [the art of crafting magical tools and treasures], my chances of successfully reforging the Bell of Nine Echoes to Second Rank High Grade [a high-grade item of the second rank] are merely three in ten."

"It matters not. If it is ruined, we can simply reforge it. We have obtained a considerable amount of Mysterious Iron [a rare, spiritually conductive metal] this time, and the process will also serve to advance your mastery of the Artificing Art," replied Eldrin Chen with a smile.

The Bell of Nine Echoes was forged from Mysterious Iron, a material that, even if the crafting failed, could be melted down to recover the metal. Although a portion would be lost in the smelting, roughly seven or eight parts out of ten could be reclaimed.

For this reforging endeavor, Eldrin Chen had even brought the crude Mysterious Iron Great Staff. The material smelted from this staff alone would be sufficient for the Old Patriarch to attempt the reforging seven or eight times over.

"Excellent." The Old Patriarch took the Mysterious Iron Great Staff and nodded in satisfaction. "With this much Mysterious Iron, it will be more than enough for this old man to break through to the level of a Second Rank High Grade Artificer [a master craftsman capable of creating high-grade second-rank treasures]."

Once the decision was made, the Old Patriarch began the arduous process of refining the Mysterious Iron, while Eldrin Chen observed and assisted from the side, hoping to deepen his own understanding of both formation arts and artificing. For more chapters, visit audio . novel . com for the complete novel.

The Old Patriarch first smelted the crude Mysterious Iron Great Staff. This labor consumed a full seven days, yielding seven fist-sized lumps of pure Mysterious Iron. He then took one of these lumps and began the process of merging it into the Bell of Nine Echoes.

This initial integration did not require excessive effort, succeeding in merely two days. Afterwards, the Old Patriarch turned his focus to smelting the Demonic Beast Inner Core.

The inner core of the Metal-Devouring Beast [a beast that consumes and refines metal] had nurtured a vast quantity of Mysterious Iron essence within it, causing its material properties to undergo an astonishing transformation. Smelting it now posed a formidable challenge.

Even with the two of them taking turns to temper it with their True Flame [a cultivator's purified flame, used for refining and crafting], the process consumed the better part of a month before the core finally melted into a mass of liquid essence.

This Mysterious Iron essence [a highly refined and potent form of Mysterious Iron ore] is truly extraordinary. Just a small amount can vastly improve the quality of a magical treasure. It can even be used as a key auxiliary material when forging Third Rank Magical Treasure.

This time, Chen Thalion took only one-third of the Mysterious Iron essence and fused it into the Bell of Nine Echoes. This caused the bell's radiance to surge dramatically, and its material quality improved by a significant degree.

Unfortunately, this attempt at forging still ended in failure. While the Old Patriarch was inscribing the Second Rank High Grade defensive formation runes, the Bell of Nine Echoes could not withstand the strain and shattered, preventing a successful completion.

"The issue wasn't the material quality; it was a lapse in controlling the fire's intensity."

Summarizing the experience, the Old Patriarch concluded that the prolonged effort of channeling the True Flame to temper the bell had fatigued their spirits, leading to a momentary lapse in concentration.

After a moment of contemplation, Eldrin Chen spoke. "Adding a bit more of the Mysterious Iron essence should make the Bell of Nine Echoes sturdier, increasing our margin for error."

"You're right. Over the years, I've grown accustomed to conserving materials, always wanting to save precious resources."

The Old Patriarch shook his head with a wry smile. During the second forging attempt, he fused all of the remaining Mysterious Iron essence into the bell. As expected, no further mishaps occurred, and the formation runes were inscribed successfully in one go.

At this stage, the vessel's foundation was considered complete. Next, the two of them infused it with Five Elements Essence [a refined spiritual essence containing the power of the five elements]. After half a month of meticulous work, the process reached its natural conclusion, and the Bell of Nine Echoes was successfully forged.

Having broken through to the level of a Second Rank High Grade Artificer, the Old Patriarch was in excellent spirits. He retrieved the completed Bell of Nine Echoes and handed it to Eldrin Chen.

"The material of your Bell of Nine Echoes [an enchanted bell that can produce nine distinct sonic echoes] likely approaches that of a Third Rank Magical Tool [a magical artifact of the third rank, suitable for Purple Mansion Realm cultivators]. Its defensive capabilities rank among the very pinnacle even within the category of Second Rank Magical Tool [a magical artifact of the second rank, suitable for Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators]."

Eldrin Chen accepted the Bell of Nine Echoes with a reverence that bordered on devotion. With this treasure now in his possession, alongside the Purple Sun Furnace [a furnace that channels the power of the purple sun for alchemy] and the Violet Radiance Mirror [a mirror that emits a violet light capable of various mystical effects], his triad of core treasures—for offense, support, and defense—were all of Second Rank High Grade [the highest quality tier within the second rank].

Once his Separated Flame Immortal Return Sword [a flying sword imbued with the power of separated flame, capable of returning to its master] also advanced to Second Rank High Grade, he would truly possess the means to dominate the Foundation Establishment Realm [the third major realm of cultivation, where one solidifies their foundation]. While perhaps not claiming absolute invincibility within that realm, he would undoubtedly stand among the very elite, a peerless figure when measured against all other Bianzhou Foundation Establishment Cultivators [the collective term for Foundation Establishment cultivators operating within the Bianzhou region]. Published by audio-novel .c om. All rights reserved.