Chapter 93 : A Priceless Pill and a Selfless Heart

Returning to the Heavenly Ruins Mountain Market [a bustling trade hub for cultivators built amidst ancient ruins], Eldrin Chen sought out Clear River Chen with great excitement and presented him with the Foundation Establishment Pill [a precious elixir that aids in solidifying one's cultivation foundation].

As he handed over the jade box, he said excitedly, "Look, Uncle Verdant River, see what I have brought for you."

"A Foundation Establishment Pill."

Upon opening it, the Second Elder revealed a look of astonishment.

A flicker of pleasant surprise shone in his eyes, but he quickly pushed the Foundation Establishment Pill back, shaking his head firmly.

"I do not know where you obtained this Foundation Establishment Pill, but its value is beyond measure," he said.

"Even if used on me, the chance of success would not exceed half a tenth. It would be a terrible waste. Take it back to Green Chariot Mountain [the ancestral mountain of the Chen Clan] and give it to Cyrus, Caleb, or Silas instead."

"No!" Eldrin Chen shook his head resolutely, his tone brooking no argument. "This Foundation Establishment Pill is my own, not acquired through the clan. I have absolute authority to decide its use."

"But..."

After a moment's thought, Clear River Chen still refused. "I already have one foot in the grave. Even if I use it, a breakthrough is nearly impossible. Keep it for Caleb and Silas." This novel is serialized on https://audio-novel.com. Visit for updates.

"Uncle Verdant River [Eldrin Chen's uncle, a cultivator of the Chen Clan], please accept it."

There was a faint note of pleading in Eldrin Chen's tone: "The Foundation Establishment Pill [a precious pill that aids in solidifying one's cultivation foundation] possesses protective properties for the meridians. Even if you use it to attempt Foundation Establishment [the crucial stage of solidifying one's cultivation base] and fail, it can still preserve your life."

"You... you place too much weight on sentiment. I cannot tell if this is a virtue or a flaw."

In the end, Clear River Chen [a cultivator of the Chen Clan] shook his head helplessly and finally accepted the Foundation Establishment Pill.

Watching him take the pill, a smile touched Eldrin Chen's lips. He was well aware that giving the Foundation Establishment Pill to Clear River Chen offered only a sliver of hope; it was not the most rational choice.

But humans are creatures of emotion. All these years, his single-minded pursuit of the cultivation path ultimately aimed only to follow his true heart and attain a carefree existence.

If he focused solely on immediate gain, it would betray his original intent. What meaning would there be in achieving immortality then?

After accepting the Foundation Establishment Pill, Clear River Chen did not leave. Eldrin Chen personally rented a Spirit Spring Cave Abode [a secluded cultivation cave nourished by a spiritual spring] for him within the Heavenly Ruins Mountain [a mountain range rich in spiritual energy and ancient ruins], allowing him to enter seclusion there to attempt his Foundation Establishment breakthrough.

By the time all this was arranged, it was already early the next morning. Without pausing to rest, he made his way to the Heavenly Ruins Pavilion [a prominent trading and gathering hall for cultivators].

In previous years, the Barter Convention [a gathering where cultivators trade resources and artifacts] typically saw fewer than twenty participants. However, due to Exquisite Jiang's [a powerful female cultivator] planned assault on the Supple Wood Earth Vein [a geographical site rich in the spiritual essence of the Wood element], attendance at this year's convention had swelled considerably, with close to fifty cultivators taking part.

After entering the Heavenly Ruins Pavilion, Eldrin Chen cast a glance over the assembled cultivators. Among the familiar faces from the great battle at Dire Wolf Mountain, he noticed seven or eight new, unfamiliar ones.

In the past, Exquisite Jiang had refined nineteen Foundation Establishment Pills in one batch. Apart from those used to compensate the families of the six fallen Foundation Establishment cultivators, the remainder were mostly sold to cultivators from Heavenly Ruins Mountain and the Three Counties of Border Province.

The cultivation levels of these seven or eight unfamiliar Foundation Establishment Cultivators were not high, most being only at the Foundation Establishment 1st Tier. It was likely they were newly ascended Foundation Establishment cultivators who had broken through thanks to that very batch of Foundation Establishment Pills.

"It has been many years, Fellow Daoist Chen. Your cultivation progress is truly astonishingly swift."

As soon as Eldrin Chen entered, an old comrade from their past battles together greeted him with a warm smile.

In recent years, he had slain several Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Lin Clan. Now, within Border Province, he possessed a modest but growing reputation. Naturally, the others regarded him with heightened respect, and many turned their gazes upon him with keen interest.

After exchanging brief pleasantries with the crowd, Eldrin Chen took a seat in a corner, awaiting the commencement of the trading session.

He waited for no more than half a Shichen-time [one Shichen-time equals two hours] before the trading session finally began. As the host of this gathering, a graceful woman in verdant robes from Heavenly Ruins Mountain stepped forward.

Eldrin Chen's brow lifted slightly in recognition. This person was Tea Rose Su, a disciple of Exquisite Jiang. Her cultivation had reached the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment, placing her among the top three Foundation Establishment Cultivators within Heavenly Ruins Mountain.

"As the initiator of this exchange gathering, allow me to cast the first stone to attract jade [a Chinese idiom meaning to offer a humble opinion to elicit valuable contributions from others]," she announced.

After taking the stage, Tea Rose Su spoke. She retrieved a Treasure Box [an ornate container for storing precious items] and opened it. Everyone saw that inside the Treasure Box were three pills.

"Verdant Origin Pills."

Upon seeing those pills, the breaths of those present grew slightly ragged.

A single Verdant Origin Pill [a precious elixir that aids in advancing one's cultivation foundation] could increase a Foundation Establishment 6th Tier cultivator's chances of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage by thirty percent. It was potent enough to save a Foundation Establishment Cultivator decades of time spent tempering their True Essence [the refined spiritual energy within a cultivator's body].

Due to its remarkable efficacy, the value of this pill was exceedingly high. Often, spending three or four thousand Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] might not guarantee one could purchase it. The fact that Tea Rose Su had produced three at once clearly demonstrated the immense wealth and resources of the Heavenly Ruins Pavilion.

Tea Rose Su cast a glance over the assembly, gave a slight, knowing smile, and then spoke. The complete novel can be found at audi0-n0vel.c0m.

"The value of these Verdant Origin Pill is, I trust, clear to all. There is little need for me to elaborate. If any of you possess treasures of equivalent worth, you may offer them in exchange."

"Naturally, if anyone has a Second Rank or higher pill formula, you may approach me for priority consideration in the trade."

Eldrin Chen's eyes flickered with a trace of understanding. He had long heard that Tea Rose Su had inherited the alchemical arts of Exquisite Jiang and was a Second Rank High-Grade alchemist. Seeing this today, it seemed the rumors were undoubtedly true.

It was a pity that the medicinal efficacy of the Verdant Origin Pill could only be preserved for a little over a decade, and the Chen Clan currently had no one in immediate need of it. Otherwise, he would have certainly considered finding a way to secure these pills.

The Verdant Origin Pill [a high-grade cultivation pill that refines and enhances one's foundational spiritual energy] proved far too sought-after. Bids came swiftly from multiple parties, and the three pills were traded away in short order.

Tea Rose Su made a careful selection, choosing one Second Rank High-Grade [a classification for pills, treasures, or materials suitable for cultivators at the mid-to-late Foundation Establishment stage] alchemical formula, one Second Rank High-Grade natural treasure of heaven and earth [a rare material born from the convergence of natural spiritual energies], and several stalks of Second Rank Spirit Herb [a herb containing potent spiritual energy, suitable for Foundation Establishment stage cultivators]. Satisfied, she completed the three transactions.

After Tea Rose Su descended from the platform, several cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage [the advanced phase of the Foundation Establishment realm] took their turns. Perhaps because this gathering had attracted a greater number of Foundation Establishment Cultivator [cultivators who have solidified their spiritual foundation], most participants managed to exchange for treasures that met their desires.

Eldrin Chen was the seventh to ascend. Upon the platform, he produced several Second Rank Low-Grademagical treasure [enchanted artifacts imbued with spiritual power, used for combat, defense, or cultivation]. These treasures had mostly been seized from the Foundation Establishment Cultivator of the Lin Clan, and could be considered quite valuable.

After displaying the magical treasure, he stated directly, "I wish to exchange for a Yuan-Breaking Fruit [a rare spiritual fruit known for its ability to help break through cultivation bottlenecks]. If any among you possess one, you may bring it to trade for these treasures."

Unfortunately, it was clear no one present had a Yuan-Breaking Fruit. Though a few individuals coveted the magical treasure, they could only shake their heads in resignation.

Eldrin Chen shook his head in disappointment. He had anticipated this outcome. The Second Rank Spirit Herb within Heavenly Ruins Mountain were virtually monopolized by the Heavenly Ruins Pavilion.

Their alchemical arts were superior. Take Tea Rose Su, for instance—her pill refinement success rate far exceeded his own. Thus, people preferred to entrust their Spirit Herb [plants infused with spiritual energy used in alchemy and cultivation] to the Heavenly Ruins Pavilion. Whether selling the herbs outright or commissioning the Pavilion to refine pills for them, both options were more advantageous.

Just as Eldrin Chen prepared to step down, disappointed, an unfamiliar-faced Foundation Establishment Cultivator in the audience spoke up.

"I have a stalk of Vitality-Supplementing Ganoderma [a type of spiritual fungus renowned for its potent life-force restoring properties]. Are you interested?"

"Vitality-Supplementing Ganoderma [a rare spiritual fungus known for its potent life-replenishing properties]?"

Eldrin Chen's eyebrows lifted slightly. The Vitality-Supplementing Ganoderma was the primary ingredient for the Restoration Pill [a pill that can rapidly restore a cultivator's expended spiritual energy]. The Restoration Pill was a Second Rank Mid-Grade elixir, capable of restoring fifty percent of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator's True Essence [the refined spiritual energy cultivated within a practitioner's dantian]. Coincidentally, the Chen Clan possessed the alchemical formula for this very pill.

With this Vitality-Supplementing Ganoderma, Eldrin Chen could attempt to advance his alchemical arts to the Second Rank Mid-Grade level, thereby significantly elevating his pill-refining prowess.

Once he succeeded in refining the Second Rank pill and had Restoration Pill at his disposal, his combat endurance and operational capacity would receive a substantial boost. Contemplating this, he gave a firm nod.

"This herb is indeed useful to me. What do you wish to exchange it for?" Find this and other novels at audio_novel.com.