Chapter 88 : The Weaver's First Formation

"You flatter me, Granduncle."

"If this Lifebound Immortal Sword can smooth Uncle Lior's future path of cultivation, I will be content."

Eldrin Chen replied with a smile. With the Lifebound Immortal Sword, Lior Chen's prospects brightened considerably. His strength would likely rank among the top of his peers within the Foundation Establishment realm.

Once the Lifebound Immortal Sword was forged, the Third Elder departed Pingyang City that very day. Numerous affairs awaited him at Green Chariot Mountain, and he also needed to arrange the garrison duties for Spirit Apricot Mountain.

Eldrin Chen, however, remained. Although the Third Elder's Lifebound Immortal Sword was complete, a crucial task still lay ahead.

That task was the crafting of Formation Flags [banners inscribed with runes and patterns used to deploy and power defensive or offensive formations]. The three Jin-weight and four Liang-weight of Golden Thread Silkworm Silk purchased from the Liu Clan were precisely for crafting several sets of Formation Flags for the six towns surrounding Pingyang City.

"Formation Flag Magical Treasures [enchanted artifacts in the form of banners used to anchor and control formations] are woven from silkworm silk and require meticulous craftsmanship,"

"Moreover, one cannot rashly refine this type of magical treasure directly with True Flame [a cultivator's purified inner flame used for alchemy and artifact forging], or risk incinerating the delicate material."

"Watch closely now."

The Old Patriarch instructed, personally guiding Eldrin Chen through the weaving process. Guided by his spiritual sense, strands of silk converged, intertwining along specific, esoteric patterns to slowly form a single Formation Flag. Find thousands of chapters at audio~novel.com.

Once a single Formation Flags [a set of enchanted flags used to anchor and power a formation] was successfully woven, he then used True Flame [a pure, high-temperature flame used in cultivation crafting] to refine and temper the Five Elements Essence [a refined spiritual essence containing the power of the five elements], ultimately allowing the Five Elements Essence to gradually fuse into the flag's material.

After the Five Elements Essence was fully integrated, his immediate next step was to inscribe fire-resistant formation patterns onto the Formation Flags. Only then did he begin to temper the Formation Flags themselves with the True Flame.

The physical body of a Formation Flag Magical Treasures [magical treasures specifically crafted as formation flags] is inherently fragile. Even with fire-resistant patterns inscribed, they could not withstand excessive tempering. The Old Patriarch [a venerable elder of the Chen Clan] meticulously refined the Five Elements Essence into each Formation Flags, simultaneously protecting them with his True Essence [the refined spiritual energy cultivated by a practitioner] while carving the intricate formation patterns.

After a total of seven days of painstaking work, the Old Patriarch finally succeeded in forging the first complete set of Formation Flags.

This Five Elements Formation Flags [a formation flag set based on the five elements] consisted of five individual Formation Flags. Eternal Profound Chen [the Old Patriarch, Chen Changxuan] had inscribed a single defensive formation pattern on each flag. When all five Formation Flags were activated simultaneously, they would unleash the Five Elements City Defense Grand Formation [a powerful defensive formation utilizing the five elements].

Gazing upon the completed Formation Flags before him, a smile graced his features as he spoke:

"This Five Elements Formation Flags is a Second Rank Low-Grade [a classification for cultivation arts, treasures, and formations] formation array treasured by our Chen Clan [the Chen family]. By forgoing Slaughter [offensive or killing] patterns, its defensive capabilities rank among the very pinnacle of Second Rank Low-Grade formations."

"If powered by a first-rank upper-grade Spiritual Vein [a natural conduit of concentrated spiritual energy within the earth], once activated, even a mid to late-stage Foundation Establishment [the second major realm of cultivation] cultivator would require more than three Shichen-time [one Shichen-time equals two hours] to breach its defenses."

Eldrin Chen [Chen Nianzhi] accepted the Five Elements Formation Flags and nodded in agreement. "With this set of Formation Flags, the safety of the six Formation Flags outside Pingyang City [a city] is sufficiently assured."

As they needed to craft a total of six sets of Formation Flags, the pair did not delay. With Eldrin Chen's assistance, the Old Patriarch immediately resumed the forging process.

In the blink of an eye, more than a month passed. Eternal Profound Chen had successfully refined another four sets of Formation Flags. However, when it came to the final set, the two discovered they were running short of Golden Thread Silkworm Silk.

Fortunately, the Demonic Banner obtained from slaying Zhang Old Demon was also woven from Second Rank silkworm silk. Old Patriarch personally dismantled the banner, extracting five Liang-weight [one Liang-weight equals fifty grams] of the precious Second Rank silk.

Just as Old Patriarch was about to begin the final refinement, Eldrin Chen's eyes flickered with a thoughtful light. "Allow me to attempt the last set," he spoke up calmly.

"You?"

Eternal Profound Chen was taken aback, a note of concern in his voice. "This Second Rank silk is incredibly delicate. If it were accidentally incinerated..."

"It is of no consequence," Eldrin Chen replied with serene confidence. "I have a measure of certainty."

Seeing his resolve, Old Patriarch handed over the materials for the final set of Formation Flags to Eldrin Chen.

Having observed Old Patriarch's artifact-forging techniques day after day and assisted him through the repeated crafting of the Formation Flags, Eldrin Chen's own understanding of the art had advanced by leaps and bounds.

When it was his turn to take the lead, no major mishaps occurred. In just two days' time, he had successfully woven the Formation Flags.

"The weaving of this entire set is nearly flawless," Eternal Profound Chen examined the flags, unable to contain his astonishment. "It is truly hard to believe this is your first time refining a Second Rank Magical Artifact."

Eldrin Chen offered no reply. For a set of Formation Flags [a type of magical treasure consisting of multiple enchanted banners used to deploy formations], the most intricate and demanding task was yet to come: the infusion of Five Elements Essence [a refined spiritual essence containing the power of the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth].

He proceeded methodically, meticulously tempering the flags by infusing them with the Five Elements [the five fundamental spiritual attributes that form the basis of cultivation and the natural world] essence, while simultaneously inscribing intricate formation patterns. Finally, the set of Formation Flags was successfully forged.

"Hiss—"

Gazing upon the completed Formation Flags, the Old Patriarch drew a sharp breath. He could not help but scrutinize Eldrin Chen with a renewed intensity. "Your talent," he murmured, "may be even more astonishing than I had imagined."

"It is a pity the clan lacked a true master to guide you all these years. We have failed to nurture your potential."

"It matters not," Eldrin Chen replied with profound calm. "Forging one's own path step by step may lead to a more solid foundation. It allows one to discover wonders unseen by those who follow the trodden road." Read, share, and discuss at AUDIO-NOVEL.COM.

The successful forging of a set of Formation Flags signified that Eldrin Chen's mastery in both the Artifact Forging Art [the esoteric art of crafting magical treasures] and formation arts had ascended into the Second Rank [the second major tier of proficiency in a cultivation art]. A complex mix of exhilaration and melancholy swirled within the Old Patriarch's heart.

He was exhilarated by Eldrin Chen's staggering comprehension, yet a pang of melancholy arose from the stark comparison—sometimes, the disparity between individuals could indeed be a bitter pill to swallow.

After a long moment of silence, he produced two ancient scrolls and handed them to Eldrin Chen.

"These are the clan's legacy tomes on artifact forging and formation arts, passed down for centuries. I have recompiled them, integrating my own hard-won insights into these paths. They should offer you some guidance."

"..."

After leaving the Artifact Forging Chamber, the two of them proceeded to visit each of the Six Towns of Pingyang in turn, setting up defensive formations for every town.

By the time all this work was completed, three months had already passed since their return from Verdant Ink Mountain.

"Finally, it's all taken care of."

As the last Formation Flags were placed in the final town, the Old Patriarch let out a sigh of relief.

He glanced at Eldrin Chen and said with a smile, "Thanks to the aid of your Spiritual Peach and the recent great battle, I feel my accumulation is finally sufficient."

"You're about to make a breakthrough?" Eldrin Chen couldn't help but ask with delight.

For Eternal Profound Chen to break through to the Foundation Establishment 8th Tier was no small matter. Once he took that step, his True Essence [the refined life-force energy cultivated by a practitioner] would increase by twenty percent. At that point, whether it was the Solar Fire Soul-Burning Formation or the several Second Rank upper-grade magical treasure [enchanted artifacts used by cultivators], they would all unleash significantly greater power.

"Indeed," Eternal Profound Chen nodded. "Don't return home just yet. In the coming days, I plan to enter seclusion to attempt this breakthrough. I need you to hold the fort and oversee Pingyang City in my stead."

"Understood. Leave it to me."

Eternal Profound Chen secluded himself to attempt a breakthrough in his cultivation, while Eldrin Chen remained within Pingyang City. There, he tended to several damaged magical treasures [enchanted artifacts used by cultivators] and devoted himself to comprehending the mysteries of the Metallic Gold Divine Thunder technique.

Two months passed in the blink of an eye. On this day, a powerful aura surged forth from the Spirit Spring [a spring imbued with concentrated spiritual energy] within Pingyang City. The Old Patriarch had finally advanced another step, reaching the eighth layer of the Foundation Establishment realm.

"Success."

A faint smile touched Eldrin Chen's lips. However, knowing the Old Patriarch was consolidating his newfound power, he refrained from disturbing Eternal Profound Chen.

Another three to five days drifted by. Before Eternal Profound Chen had even emerged from seclusion, uninvited guests arrived at the outskirts of Pingyang City.

Several figures sliced through the void, arriving with swift purpose. At their head was a man of Extraordinary bearing, clad in verdant robes. His demeanor was profoundly Extraordinary, and an aura of sharp, intimidating pressure radiated from him.

The man cast a glance at Pingyang City's City Defense Grand Formation [the city's primary protective barrier]. His calm eyes flickered slightly before he let out a cold snort.

"Where is Eternal Profound Chen? Show yourself before me."

"Trouble."

Eldrin Chen's expression shifted abruptly, his face hardening with grave seriousness.

The newcomer was actually a Violet Sanctum Cultivator [a cultivator who has opened their Violet Sanctum, the third major realm of cultivation]. Though his aura seemed less formidable than that of Elara Lin from Heavenly Ruins Mountain, it still carried a chilling, oppressive weight.

Before the man could utter a word, Old Patriarch burst forth from his secluded cultivation chamber, intercepting him directly. The Old Patriarch then offered a respectful bow to the verdant-robed man.

"Might I ask if the esteemed senior is Mordecai Lin of the Verdant Sun Sect?" Find thousands of chapters at audio-novel dot com.