Chapter 98 : The Pill of Twenty Years

"Success."

Eldrin Chen gazed at the three Barrier-Breaking Pill before him, unable to suppress a surge of joy.

After emerging from seclusion, he had rented another Second Rank High-Grade cultivation cave. He spent two days adjusting his state, preparing to charge into the Foundation Establishment Mid Stage.

Logically, having broken through to the Foundation Establishment Third Layer less than a year ago, even with the aid of the Spiritual Peach, he would still need five years to accumulate True Essence [the refined spiritual energy cultivated by a Foundation Establishment cultivator] to reach the limit of the Foundation Establishment Early Stage.

However, to break through to the Foundation Establishment Mid Stage, Eldrin Chen had specially purchased a single Jade Marrow Pill from the Heavenly Ruins Pavilion.

This Jade Marrow Pill was a high Second Rank High-Grade elixir. Tea Rose Su had refined it using two Second Rank treasures: thousand-year-old Jade Marrow and Snow Jade Ginseng. It was a rare Precious Pill [a high-grade pill with exceptional efficacy]; consuming just one could increase a Foundation Establishment Cultivator's cultivation by approximately twenty years.

Even the Heavenly Ruins Pavilion did not have many of these pills. Their price was a staggering two thousand Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy], something most ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator truly could not afford.

Furthermore, this pill had a drawback: one could only consume a single pill within a Sixty-Year Cycle [a complete cycle of sixty years, based on the traditional Chinese calendrical system]. Over thirty years ago, Eternal Profound Chen had also taken one, which was why, even with the means now, he had not purchased another.

After consuming the Jade Marrow Pill, Eldrin Chen spent seven days finally cultivating his True Essence to the absolute limit of the Foundation Establishment Early Stage.

At this moment, the True Essence within his meridians was brimming full. To continue increasing it, one generally needed to temper it for another twenty to thirty years before naturally breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Mid Stage. Read the full novel exclusively on http://www . audio-novel.com.

Over these decades, a cultivator's True Essence [the refined spiritual energy cultivated within a practitioner's body] could make almost no progress. They still needed to tediously temper their True Essence day after day. Many cultivators, seeing no hope of a breakthrough, would lose their motivation for cultivation altogether.

Once confidence waned and the resolve for arduous cultivation was lost, a cultivator's efforts to temper their True Essence would become sporadic and inconsistent. This was precisely why nearly eighty to ninety percent of Foundation Establishment Cultivator [a cultivator who has solidified their spiritual foundation] would see their cultivation stagnate at the early or middle stages of Foundation Establishment [the realm of solidifying one's spiritual foundation].

However, with the Barrier-Breaking Pill [a pill that forcefully breaks through cultivation bottlenecks], the possibility of directly breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Mid Stage became a reality.

This pill was different from the Foundation Establishment Pill [a pill that aids in reaching the Foundation Establishment realm]. Pills like the Foundation Establishment Pill and materials such as Solar Fire Crystal [a crystal imbued with solar fire essence] worked by making the True Essence more docile and protecting the meridians.

While this helped reduce the difficulty of breakthrough, it inadvertently made the cultivator's True Essence somewhat unstable and lacking the solidity and sharpness achieved through a self-guided breakthrough.

The effect of the Barrier-Breaking Pill, however, was similar to that of the Essence Gathering Pill [a pill that rapidly gathers spiritual energy]. Both caused the cultivator's True Essence to surge violently, thereby forcibly breaking through the bottleneck and increasing the probability of success.

This saved the time needed for tempering one's Vital Energy [the foundational life force energy]. Once the Foundation Establishment Mid Stage was breached, one could then look back and temper the True Essence from a higher vantage point. This approach, like building from a lofty foundation, became effortless and did not lead to an unstable cultivation base.

Eldrin Chen was now brimming with confidence. A single Barrier-Breaking Pill was enough to increase his chances of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Mid Stage by thirty percent. With three in his possession, his confidence was virtually absolute.

In truth, Eldrin Chen used only one Barrier-Breaking Pill. His meridians were exceptionally broad, and his True Essence was far more profound, dense, and sharp than that of an ordinary cultivator. Upon consuming the pill, it immediately triggered a chain reaction.

Without expending much effort, he smoothly broke through to the Foundation Establishment Fourth Layer [the fourth layer within the Foundation Establishment realm]. His True Essence increased by more than forty percent in an instant.

"It is done."

Feeling the surge of True Essence [the refined spiritual energy cultivated within a practitioner's body] within him, Eldrin Chen could not help but smile. After breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Mid Stage, his strength was poised for an explosive leap.

Next, he only needed to fully temper his True Essence, and it would become no weaker than that of an ordinary Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivator. This would allow him to unleash the full ten-tenths power of both the Violet Light Mirror and the Purple Sun Furnace.

Furthermore, the two divine abilities, Solar Heavenly Flame Sword and Metallic Gold Divine Thunder, would manifest power in his hands nearly on par with when the Old Patriarch wielded them.

Most crucially, he could now refine the Solar Fire Returning Abyss Sword to the Second Rank High-Grade level. Once achieved, the sword would radiate a ten-zhang-length [one Zhang-length equals three point three three meters] blade of light, its might greatly enhanced.

Thinking of this, Eldrin Chen could not suppress a surge of joy. Once the Solar Fire Returning Abyss Sword was successfully refined, his combat prowess would undoubtedly skyrocket.

An ordinary Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivator typically possessed only one or two decent Second Rank High-Grade Magical Treasure magical treasures. A rare few might command a single divine ability. Who else, like him, lacked for neither magical treasure nor divine ability, and even possessed a superior-grade Immortal Sword? His strength would naturally far surpass the common lot.

By then, he would be like the Old Patriarch, capable of single-handedly holding his own against two or three Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivators.

Moreover, the Solar Fire Returning Abyss Sword was an exceptionally fine Immortal Sword. While its defensive capabilities might not match the Old Patriarch's, its offensive power would likely surpass his by a fair margin.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen suppressed the urge to leave seclusion. He spent another half a month, not emerging from the Seclusion Chamber until his True Essence was perfectly tempered, finally stepping out with exhilaration.

But the moment he stepped out of the Seclusion Chamber, he found several clan cultivators had long been waiting, each wearing expressions of profound grief.

"Has something happened?"

Eldrin Chen looked at their faces, and his heart suddenly lurched. A sense of foreboding welled up within him.

Among the group, the leader, Eternal Remembrance Chen, wore a look of deep sorrow and anguish as he spoke.

"Uncle Verdant River... he has passed away in meditation [a state of deep cultivation from which a cultivator does not awaken]!"

"What?" Find thousands of chapters at AUDIO-NOVEL.COM.

"..."

The night was hazy, a light rain falling from the sky.

Eldrin Chen stood before the cave abode where Clear River Chen had secluded himself, gazing at the figure covered by a white cloth. He could not help but close his eyes.

"Uncle Verdant River left a letter for you."

"And this too..."

Beside him, Eternal Remembrance Chen handed over a letter, along with a small, delicate jade box.

Eldrin Chen opened the jade box and found the Foundation Establishment Pill [a precious elixir used to attempt a breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment realm] still resting perfectly within, radiating a soft, verdant glow.

He unfolded the letter. His expression impassive, Eldrin Chen read its contents word by word.

"To Eldrin.

Little Eldrin, you have finally grown up. In the blink of an eye, nearly thirty years have passed, and you have at last become a pillar of our clan.

You are far stronger than I ever was. Your Uncle Verdant River was incompetent—achieving nothing in his youth, lacking the courage to attempt Foundation Establishment [the second major realm of cultivation] in his prime, and in his old age, only able to help the clan manage some business affairs.

Before the end, to make one final attempt at the Foundation Establishment Realm... consider it this old man's last act of stubborn defiance.

I knew success was impossible. Even with a Foundation Establishment Pill, it was impossible. Rather than waste a precious Foundation Establishment Pill just to preserve my failing life, it was better to leave it behind for someone who truly needs it.

You are still young, still too sentimental. But if you won't be sensible, then I must be!

Take this Foundation Establishment Pill [a pill that aids in the breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment realm] back to the clan. I hope it can add one more Foundation Establishment [the second major realm of cultivation, where one establishes their foundational dao] cultivator to our family. Consider it this old man's final contribution.

After I am gone, do not grieve.

For me, to die while striving to break through to Foundation Establishment is far better than watching my lifespan dwindle day by day, only to perish in the end filled with regret and bitter resentment.

I also hope you learn from my lesson. When faced with a difficult crossroads, do not hesitate. Be bold, dare to act and to venture forth. Succeed, and you achieve your wish. Fail, and you will have no regrets!

But to hesitate and miss your chance, to be left with lifelong remorse and die a bitter, unfulfilled death—that is the true tragedy!

..."

Eldrin Chen expressionlessly closed the letter. Only then did he feel a chill on his face. Reaching up, he touched his cheek and discovered, unbeknownst to him, that tears had long since streamed down his face.

That night, the moonlight was hazy. Under a dim sky, a light rain fell.

His long hair was tied up by a silver crown. Clad in robes as white as snow, he sat alone on the cliff's edge, strumming a zither. Silently, he let the rain fall upon him, playing a melody of autumn longing.

He did not know how much time had passed when a paper umbrella extended over him. She stood there quietly, dressed in a long, snow-white gown, holding the umbrella that now sheltered him from the wind and rain.

They remained silent, wrapped in a stillness that stretched on and on…

It lasted until the sky began to lighten and the fine drizzle gradually ceased. Eldrin Chen reached out and pressed his hand against the strings of the zither, his voice soft as he spoke.

"Thank you."

"Mm."

Exquisite Jiang watched him silently, offering no further words. She simply continued to hold the paper umbrella aloft, then turned and vanished into the hazy light of the breaking dawn. Find thousands of chapters at audi novel.com.