Chapter 100 : The Mystic Iron Vein Discovery

Strictly speaking, the Mystic Iron Ore Vein was not located within the established territory of the Chen Clan.

The three of them flew by sword for a full three days, covering over ten thousand Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters], before finally arriving at the location of the Mystic Iron Ore Vein.

Upon arriving, Eldrin Chen discovered the site was situated in a remote, desolate region on the fringes of Yu County, a mere three thousand Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] or so from Boyang County.

Boyang County was one of the three counties within Solar Province. Although it belonged to a different province than the Border Province where the Chen Clan resided, the two counties were adjacent, separated by a relatively narrow border.

The three-thousand-Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] expanse of the Bianyang Mountain Range served as the natural boundary between the two provinces. This formidable mountain chain was nearly impassable for ordinary mortals, but for cultivators, the distance was not considered great.

"Is this the place?"

Gazing at the barren hills before him, Eldrin Chen could not help but feel a flicker of anticipation.

"This is where I discovered the Mystic Iron Ore Vein," Seraphina Chen stated, pointing towards the desolate slopes, her expression grave. "Unfortunately, the presence of Metal-Devouring Beast [a ferocious beast that consumes metallic ores and minerals] prevented me from venturing deeper."

Beside her, Lior Chen's eyes gleamed with sudden interest. He exchanged a glance with Eldrin Chen, and a shared look of delight passed between them.

"If there are Metal-Devouring Beast guarding it," Lior Chen said, a smile touching his lips, "then the Mystic Iron Ore Vein is almost certainly real. Those creatures are drawn to rich deposits of metal." Find this and other novels at audio-novel dot com.

The Mystic Iron Ore Vein [a rare vein of ore imbued with mystical metallic properties] is precious. To secure this prize, it is necessary to deploy a Second Rank [a powerful defensive formation requiring significant spiritual power to establish] grand defensive formation. The presence of demonic beasts indicates there must be a Spiritual Vein [a subterranean channel that concentrates and emits spiritual energy, vital for cultivation] here, which saves the Chen Clan the effort of cultivating a new Spiritual Vein.

"Be cautious. Where there is a Mystic Iron Ore Vein, it is likely a Second Rank demonic beast has made its lair."

Eldrin Chen cautioned. To avoid alerting the beasts, he refrained from flying on his sword and instead approached the mountain range on foot.

Upon entering the mountains, the trio conducted a thorough investigation. They discovered a Second Rank Low-Grade Spiritual Vein within the range. On the Spirit Mountain [a mountain nourished by a spiritual vein, making it a prime location for cultivation] lived over a hundred Metal-Devouring Beast [a type of demonic beast that consumes metal and ore to grow stronger], with the leader among them reaching Second Rank High-Grade.

"A Metal-Devouring Beast at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage [the advanced phase of the Foundation Establishment realm], and it leads an entire beast clan."

"It seems the existence of the Mystic Iron Ore Vein is confirmed."

Eldrin Chen said, a faint smile touching his lips.

Metal-Devouring Beast feed on metal and ore, particularly favoring locations with metallic veins. This clan can devour metal to enhance their cultivation; the higher the quality and quantity of metal consumed, the greater their power becomes.

The presence of a Second Rank High-Grade Metal-Devouring Beast here strongly suggested the Mystic Iron Ore Vein was indeed real.

"It is said that Metal-Devouring Beast, having consumed metal for years, possess physical bodies nearly as resilient as magical treasures of equivalent rank," the Third Elder furrowed his brow and asked with concern, "A Second Rank High-Grade Metal-Devouring Beast... are you confident you can handle it?"

"It is of no consequence."

Eldrin Chen nodded with confidence and affirmed, "If this were before my journey to Heavenly Ruins Mountain, I truly would have had no means to deal with it. But now that I have broken through to the Foundation Establishment Mid Stage, I am more than capable of handling it."

"Good."

Lior Chen nodded with a faint smile. "Leave the first-rank demon beasts to me."

Having made their decision, the two immediately stormed into the Spirit Mountain before them. Their Lifebound Immortal Swords were unleashed, catching the Metal-Devouring Beasts completely off guard. In the span of mere moments, over a dozen of the creatures were slain.

"ROAR—!"

Such brazen slaughter quickly drew the attention of the Metal-Devouring Beasts. The one at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage let out a furious roar and charged forward in a rage.

Eldrin Chen's eyes narrowed slightly. With a flick of his wrist, his Solar Fire Ascension Sword transformed into a blade of light over seven Zhang-length long, cleaving through the air to meet the beast's charge.

By now, having broken through to the Foundation Establishment Mid Stage, the potency of his True Essence [the refined spiritual energy cultivated by a practitioner] was on par with that of a seventh-tier Foundation Establishment cultivator. Naturally, the might of his Solar Fire Ascension Sword had also increased by a significant margin.

Faced with such an Immortal Sword, even the Metal-Devouring Beast dared not meet it head-on. Instead, it swung a massive rod of Mystic Iron [a rare, spiritually conductive metal] to parry the blow.

That Mystic Iron great staff, over one Zhang-length [one Zhang-length equals three point three three meters] long, was forged entirely from unrefined Mystic Iron ore. Though merely crude, unprocessed material, its inherent sturdiness was Extraordinary. It actually managed to block Eldrin Chen's sword strike, suffering only a deep gash in its surface.

"So much unrefined Mystic Iron ore," he noted.

Eldrin Chen's brow furrowed slightly before smoothing again. It was a pity he had not yet gathered the dual energies of Solar Fire [the pure essence of solar flame] and Metallic Gold [the refined essence of the Metal element]. Had his Solar Fire Ascension Sword advanced to the Second Rank High-Grade [a high-tier classification for magical treasures], a single stroke would likely have cleaved through such crude Mystic Iron.

Seeing that the Solar Fire Returning Abyss Sword alone would struggle to subdue the demon beast quickly, Eldrin Chen summoned forth the Purple Sun Furnace.

Now, with his profound and vigorous spiritual power, Eldrin Chen could unleash the full might of this magical treasure [an enchanted artifact used by cultivators]. The Purple Sun Furnace blazed with intense light, and a torrent of Purple Sun True Flame [a potent violet-hued spiritual flame] cascaded down, engulfing the Metal-Devouring Beast in searing heat.

As the saying goes, true gold is tempered by fire. Though its physical form was Extraordinary, the Metal-Devouring Beast dared not endure the refining agony of the Purple Sun True Flame. Immerse yourself in the complete world at audi0-n0vel.c0m.

At the critical moment, it expelled its demon core. A golden, radiant orb shot forth with overwhelming force, its vast spiritual energy parting the sea of Purple Sun True Flame as it hurtled directly toward the Purple Sun Furnace.

The strike was unstoppable, a devastating blow. The Inner Pill [the condensed core of a cultivator's or demon beast's power, analogous to a Golden Core] carried terrifying might as it smashed toward the furnace, actually forcing the Purple Sun True Flame to recoil.

Eldrin Chen's eyes narrowed. While the Purple Sun True Flame unleashed by the Purple Sun Furnace was potent, the furnace's own defensive capabilities were not its strongest suit. A direct hit from such an attack would likely cripple the treasure. Naturally, he would not allow that to happen.

His gaze sharpened. He invoked the divine ability, Metallic Gold Divine Thunder [a thunderous technique imbued with the sharp, destructive essence of Metallic Gold]. This was his first time employing this power in combat, and its debut revealed a truly awe-inspiring might.

"Boom! Rumble!"

In that instant, a peal of thunder exploded between heaven and earth.

A dazzling flash of lightning illuminated the void, like a Nine Heavens thunder-serpent sweeping across the sky. It struck down from the Heavenly Vault with lethal speed, aiming directly for the Metal-Devouring Beast's Inner Pill [the condensed core of a demonic beast's cultivation].

The Metal-Devouring Beast was horrified, its expression changing drastically as it tried to recall its Inner Pill, but it was already too late.

The lightning of the Metallic Gold Divine Thunder [a divine thunder technique] flashed with the speed of the wind, instantly striking the Demonic Beast Inner Pill. The impact caused the Metal-Devouring Beast's Inner Pill to dim and plummet from the air.

With its Inner Pill suffering such a heavy blow, the Metal-Devouring Beast immediately spat out a mouthful of blood and nearly collapsed on the spot.

However, this was a Metal-Devouring Beast with a physique renowned for its Extraordinary sturdiness. Suppressing its injuries by force, it gripped its Mystic Iron [a type of enchanted iron ore] great staff and charged forward, desperate to reclaim its Inner Pill.

Yet how would Eldrin Chen let it have its way? With a surge of his True Essence [the refined spiritual energy cultivated by a practitioner], he instantly swept up the Demonic Beast Inner Pill and began a tactical retreat, keeping his distance.

While this Metal-Devouring Beast possessed Extraordinary physical might, its True Essence was far inferior to Eldrin Chen's. It couldn't even fly and lacked any long-range magical treasures, leaving it utterly vulnerable, a passive target for Eldrin's relentless assault.

Eldrin Chen fought while retreating, soon covering the Metal-Devouring Beast in wounds. In merely thirty exchanges, he seized an opening and, with a single sword stroke, cleaved the demon's head from its shoulders.

At the same time, Lior Chen also concluded his battle. Having cultivated the Bright Abyss Path of Grace Art [a profound cultivation technique that refines one's spiritual essence], his cultivation advanced with astonishing speed. He had recently broken through to the Second Layer of Foundation Establishment [the second stage of solidifying one's spiritual foundation], and with his Lifebound Immortal Sword [a magical sword bound to its wielder's life force] in hand, slaughtering first-tier demonic beasts was as effortless as slicing through melons and vegetables.

After the battle ended, the group cleaned up the battlefield and then located the Mystic Iron Ore Vein [a vein of ore imbued with spiritual energy, used for crafting magical treasures] within the Spirit Mountain [a mountain rich in spiritual energy].

"It appears to be a minor-grade Mystic Iron Ore Vein," Eldrin Chen remarked.

As a Second Rank Formation Master [a practitioner skilled in the art of creating magical arrays], Eldrin Chen had roughly deduced the lay of the land. With a smile, he said.

"It's fortunate it's only minor-grade," Lior Chen said, his face alight with excitement. "If it were a small-grade vein, it might have alarmed the Violet Sanctum Immortal Clan [a powerful clan of cultivators], and we would never have been able to defend it." Find thousands of chapters at audi novel.com.