Chapter 115 : A Legacy of Unyielding Resolve

Eldrin Chen remained silent, wordlessly placing a single Essence Gathering Pill [a pill that aids in gathering and condensing spiritual essence] into Kael Chen's hand.

Kael Chen accepted the Essence Gathering Pill, offered a solemn, respectful bow to Eldrin Chen, then turned and strode away. His retreating figure carried an air of fierce determination, a resolve that bordered on the absolute.

Watching from afar, Eldrin Chen felt an inexplicable, heavy weight settle in his heart. Over two decades prior, the Sixth Elder, Chen Cedric, had bid him farewell on this very spot, entrusting him with his own Alchemy Notes [a personal compendium of alchemical knowledge and recipes].

Even now, at the peak of his power and with the aid of the Essence Gathering Pill, Kael Chen's chances of success were merely one in five. "Brother Kael."

Watching that receding back, Eldrin Chen suddenly called out, offering his blessing.

"Carry forth the legacy of your father's valor. You *will* succeed!"

Not far off, the figure's steps halted abruptly. He turned back, his gaze lingering deeply on Eldrin Chen, and a faint smile touched his lips.

"With your blessing, I shall surely achieve Foundation Establishment [the foundational realm of cultivation, solidifying one's spiritual base]."

"Ha ha ha!"

He suddenly laughed, a bold, ringing sound. Gathering his unwavering conviction, he resumed his path with great, decisive strides. Access the full story on audio_novel.com.

After bidding farewell to the assembly at Verdant Chariot Mountain, Eldrin Chen returned to Spirit Lake Isle with the siblings Caleb and Silas. Upon their return, the two siblings immediately entered seclusion to attempt their breakthrough into the Foundation Establishment Realm [the second major stage of cultivation, where one solidifies their spiritual foundation].

More than two moons passed in the blink of an eye. On this day, Eldrin Chen was roused from his deep meditation, a smile gracing his features.

Caleb Chen had lived up to expectations, successfully advancing to the Foundation Establishment Realm and becoming the clan's sixth Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

His elder brother's success seemed to bolster his sister's confidence. Merely three days later, Silas Chen also took that crucial step, becoming the clan's seventh Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Not long after, two pieces of news arrived from Verdant Chariot Mountain.

The first was disappointing: Chen Qingyu had proven unworthy. Despite being granted a Foundation Establishment Pill [a precious elixir that aids in solidifying one's spiritual foundation], he had still failed his Foundation Establishment attempt.

It was said that upon hearing this news, the one hundred and seventeen-year-old Chen Changming collapsed on the spot, unable to bear the blow. He passed away on his sickbed a few days later.

The second news, however, brought a pleasant surprise. Kael Chen, carrying the legacy of his father and a resolve born of desperation, had gambled everything on a single, life-risking attempt. Against the odds, he succeeded in his Foundation Establishment breakthrough, becoming the clan's eighth Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

This Kael Chen was similar to Lin Lysander of the Lin Clan in the past; both had achieved Self-Guided Foundation Establishment [a perilous method of breaking through without external aids like elixirs] just before reaching fifty years of age. His future potential was likely no less than that of Silas and Caleb, who had broken through before thirty.

With three new Foundation Establishment cultivators added at once, the clan's manpower situation improved dramatically. The family celebrated with great fanfare, decorating their halls with lanterns and streamers.

As the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators [cultivators who have solidified their foundational cultivation base] increased, it became necessary to establish formal protocols. Eldrin Chen and the Old Patriarch convened a council meeting with all the clan's Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The outcome of the council was the establishment of new regulations. Henceforth, only Foundation Establishment cultivators could serve as the Clan Patriarch [the supreme leader of the clan] or as elders. It was also decreed that the clan's Spirit Veins [sites naturally rich in spiritual energy] would be guarded by the Foundation Establishment elders on a rotating basis.

For instance, the Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed at the Mysterious Iron Mountain and the Yuyang Market could be rotated every five years. In times of necessity, two or three Foundation Establishment cultivators could even jointly replace the Old Patriarch in guarding Pingyang City.

Furthermore, the clan developed a fifth Second Rank Spirit Vein [a mid-grade spiritual energy site], which was the former Cultivation Cave [a secluded abode for cultivation] of Yang Alistair.

Anticipating that the Hundred-Thousand-Mile Wilderness would inevitably face a Beast Tide Calamity [a massive invasion of demonic beasts], the Chen Clan did not overdevelop this Spirit Vein. They merely cleared a dozen or so Mu-area [approximately sixty-six hundred square meters] of Spirit Farmland [land nourished by spiritual energy] outside the Cultivation Cave to plant Spirit Rice [rice infused with spiritual essence], stationing one Foundation Establishment cultivator and several Qi Refinement cultivators [cultivators in the initial stage of refining their vital energy] there.

Although the value of this Spirit Rice was not exceedingly high, it could be harvested once a year and could be temporarily abandoned if a Beast Tide Calamity struck.

Moreover, planting Spirit Rice at this Ancient Cultivator's Cave generated an annual income of several hundred Spirit Stones [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy]. This not only covered the spiritual energy needs for one Foundation Establishment cultivator's cultivation but also significantly alleviated the clan's financial pressure.

After all, the clan now had eight Foundation Establishment cultivators. The annual stipends for just the six cultivators at the Foundation Establishment, Early Stage [the initial phase of the Foundation Establishment realm] amounted to one thousand eight hundred Spirit Stones, already the clan's largest expenditure.

The clan also revised the stipend standards. Henceforth, the annual stipend for those at the Foundation Establishment, Mid Stage [the middle phase of the Foundation Establishment realm] was increased to four hundred Spirit Stones. The annual stipends for Eldrin Chen and the Old Patriarch were raised to six hundred Spirit Stones each.

Calculated this way, the combined annual stipends for the clan's eight Foundation Establishment elders reached a staggering three thousand Spirit Stones. These Spirit Stones were crucial for the cultivation progress of the clan's Foundation Establishment elders, and thus, not a single stone could be spared.

Furthermore, to nurture the rising generation and ensure the clan produced more cultivators at the Qi Refinement Ninth Layer [the ninth and penultimate stage of Qi Refinement], the clan increased the annual stipend for cultivators with Three Spiritual Roots [a mid-tier innate talent for cultivation] or better by fifty percent. Cultivators with Two Spiritual Roots [a superior innate talent for cultivation] received an additional annual subsidy of ten Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation].

With the recent years of encouraging births, the clan now boasted over three hundred Qi Refinement Cultivators [practitioners in the initial stage of cultivation]. Among them, more than eighty possessed Three Spiritual Roots or better talent.

Although each individual's stipend was not large, increasing it by half for so many cultivators represented a significant expenditure.

Fortunately, the Spirit Province Lake [a spiritual lake within the clan's territory] Spirit Vein [a natural conduit of concentrated spiritual energy] had advanced to Second Rank Middle Grade [a mid-tier quality for a second-rank spirit vein]. The scale of the Azure Spirit Fish [a type of spiritually nourishing fish] and the Spirit Farmland [fields nourished by spiritual energy to grow special crops] had doubled, now bringing the clan over two thousand Spirit Stone annually.

Additionally, the development of the Mysterious Iron Mountain Dao Field [a cultivation site centered on a Mysterious Iron vein] and the Mysterious Iron Vein [a vein of Mysterious Iron, a spiritual metal], combined with the Spirit Farmland on Great Verdant Mountain [a mountain within the clan's territory], added over one thousand Spirit Stone to the annual income.

In summary, the clan held five Second Rank Spirit Vein [spirit veins of the second rank]. Disregarding Pingyang City [the clan's main city, which does not generate direct profit], the three veins at Spirit Province Lake, Great Verdant Mountain, and the Ancient Cultivator's Cave [a cave once inhabited by an ancient cultivator] together yielded approximately four thousand Spirit Stone for the clan. Dive deeper into the Dao at audio-novel.com (official site).

The spiritual energy of Green Chariot Peak [the ancestral mountain peak of the Chen Clan] was primarily reserved for the cultivation of clan members. Only a dozen or so Mu-area [one Mu-area equals six hundred sixty-six point six seven square meters] of Spirit Farmland there produced any profit, a mere two to three hundred Spirit Stone. Its true value lay in the occasional maturation of high-grade Spirit Medicine [plants imbued with spiritual energy, used in alchemy] useful to Foundation Establishment Cultivators [practitioners who have solidified their cultivation foundation].

The tax dividends from Yuyang Market [a major cultivation market] remained stable, contributing one thousand five hundred Spirit Stone to the clan's coffers each year.

Adding income from clan shops, trade in Five Elements Essence [a refined spiritual essence containing the power of the five elements], and other miscellaneous sources, the Chen Clan [the Chen family, a cultivation clan] now enjoyed an annual revenue exceeding six thousand Spirit Stone.

This was a sixfold increase from the clan's most impoverished period three decades prior. Therefore, even with seven additional Foundation Establishment [cultivators] and the number of clan cultivators having tripled, the annual surplus of Spirit Stone still stood at around one thousand five to six hundred.

Having secured such a substantial share of the profits, the coffers of the Chen Clan began to swell, naturally necessitating the dispatch of more cultivators to garrison the holdings.

The very ability to safeguard these gains signified that the Chen Immortal Clan's strength now stood at the very pinnacle among Foundation Establishment Immortal Clans, with the potential to one day ascend to the status of a Purple Mansion Immortal Clan.

Fortunately, the large cohort of clan members from the Xian Generation, born during the earlier push for population growth, had now matured. Many were in their twenties and possessed the capability to contribute to the clan's endeavors.

For Eldrin Chen, life soon settled back into its familiar rhythm. His standing within the clan was exceedingly high, placing him among the true highest echelon of decision-makers. The current state of affairs no longer required his attention to trivial matters.

He had grown accustomed to the scenery of Spirit Isle Lake; its serene beauty resonated deeply with his state of mind, making it an ideal place for secluded cultivation.

Time flowed onward in this manner, and in the blink of an eye, another six years had passed.

This was once again the year for the Five Elements Essence [a refined spiritual essence containing the power of the five elements] trade, but it no longer required Eldrin Chen to spend months traveling back and forth.

Chen Elara and Lior Chen led the expedition together, journeying to Celestial Ruins Mountain to complete the transaction.

"*Clang!*"

On this day, as Eldrin Chen was absorbing the essences of the sun and moon, a streak of sword light flew towards him. Silas Chen descended before him, his flying sword sheathing itself. This content originates from audio-novel.com. Please respect copyright.