Chapter 16 : A Demonic Threat in Pingyang County

The hall fell into a somber silence for a moment. A heavy weight settled in their hearts, as they all guessed the reason behind Chen Cedric's current seclusion.

Without the aid of a Foundation Establishment Pill [a rare elixir that dramatically increases the chance of successfully advancing to the Foundation Establishment Realm], a cultivator attempting Foundation Establishment truly had to gamble with their very life. This time, there was a nine-in-ten chance that Chen Cedric would never emerge alive from his closed-door cultivation.

After a long pause, the Fifth Elder, Chen Elara, asked, "You called a council of elders the moment you returned. Has something happened in Pingyang County?"

Eldrin Chen snapped back to the present. The most urgent task now was to root out the Demonic Cultivator [a practitioner who uses sinister, often blood-based or soul-consuming methods to advance their cultivation] hiding within Pingyang County. There was no time for other concerns. He quickly recounted the entire incident to the assembled elders.

The Fourth Elder, Chen Alistair, whose temper was the most volatile, slammed his hand on the table in fury. "We cannot let this go unanswered! If we do, every major immortal clan and every Demonic Cultivator will think us weak and easy to bully."

The Third Elder, who had overseen clan affairs for many years, was not only steady in temperament but also the most clear-headed.

"If we are resolved, an ordinary Demonic Cultivator won't be able to hide from a thorough, door-to-door investigation. But the manpower required... our current numbers are stretched too thin."

"However, priorities must be set. Anything that isn't critically urgent can be set aside for now."

"This matter is of grave importance. Every cultivator in the clan who isn't in life-or-death seclusion must be summoned to contribute."

Eldrin Chen nodded in agreement, adding, "To guard against the possibility of a powerful Demonic Cultivator being present, we elders should make every effort to go ourselves." This chapter is provided by audio . novel . com. Support the original.

"Understood." Third Elder also nodded. "To be safe, the three of you shall go together. I will remain here to safeguard the clan."

The council concluded swiftly, and the mission to root out the Demonic Cultivator [practitioners of forbidden arts that harness malevolent energies] was thus decided.

This time, the clan was resolute, determined to spare no cost in completely eradicating the hidden threat of Demonic Cultivator lurking among the mortal populace.

That very night, Third Elder personally summoned each of the clan's cultivators one by one, delivering this non-negotiable mandate.

Meanwhile, Eldrin Chen sat within his residence, holding the acquired Storage Bag [a spatial pouch that can hold items many times its apparent size].

This Storage Bag was obtained from slaying the Black-Robed Demonic Cultivator. For nearly ten days, he had spent his spare moments breaking the restrictive seals upon it, and finally, on this day, he succeeded in erasing the Demonic Cultivator's spiritual imprint.

Opening the Storage Bag, Eldrin Chen began to examine its contents.

The elder demon's possessions were few. Aside from the two Demonic Treasure [artifacts forged and empowered through malevolent or sacrificial means]—the Seven-Soul Malevolent Ghost Banner and the Black Shuttle—there was only a single Cyan Small Shield.

Both Demonic Treasure were artifacts of extreme vileness; frequent use could corrode a cultivator's mind. While Eldrin Chen was no rigid moralist, he dared not employ such tools lightly, reserving them only for direst peril.

The Cyan Small Shield, however, was a genuine First Rank High Grade Magical Tool [a high-quality enchanted artifact of the first rank]. This item, named the Verdant Spirit Shield, when activated, could conjure a shield of light robust enough to withstand assaults from cultivators at the Qi Refinement, Late Stage [the advanced phase of the first major stage of cultivation].

That day, the black-robed elder demon, relying on this treasure, stubbornly withstood the relentless assaults of the Verdant Leaf Sword. Had it not been for the astonishing power of the Crimson Flame Talisman left behind by Seventh Granduncle, Eldrin Chen might not have been able to subdue him.

After obtaining this shield, Eldrin Chen immediately began refining it, filling the gap in his own Defensive Magical Tool.

He discovered that the Storage Bag contained mostly miscellaneous items. Beyond that, there were two vials of pills, thirty Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy], a fragmentary map, and over four hundred Blood Crystal.

The two vials of pills were Demonic Pill [pills refined from blood and malevolent energies, consumption risks demonic possession] crafted from blood and baleful substances. Consuming them would risk falling into demonic corruption, so Eldrin Chen could only destroy them.

The fragmentary map appeared to be only half complete, seemingly depicting the ruins of some cultivator's Cultivation Cave [a secluded dwelling used for meditation and cultivation]. However, it was too incomplete to discern anything meaningful.

The thirty Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] were equivalent to Eldrin Chen's annual stipend, a decent sum indeed. Yet, what truly sent a chill down his spine were the over four hundred Blood Crystal.

Humans, as the most spiritually endowed of creatures born under heaven and earth, naturally accumulate traces of spiritual energy over time, even without cultivation.

Blood Crystal [a crystal refined from the condensed blood essence of mortals] are essences refined from the blood of mortals. Typically, the entire blood volume of ten mortals is required to refine just one Blood Crystal.

For Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who use malevolent and corrupt methods to gain power], the spiritual energy contained within one Blood Crystal is roughly equivalent to that of one Low Grade Spirit Stone. However, it is saturated with turbid and baleful Qi [the vital energy that flows through all living things], which only Demonic Cultivator can utilize; righteous cultivators dare not absorb it.

The Blood Crystal piled up like a small hill within the Storage Bag. This represented a staggering four thousand mortals whose blood had been drained dry by the Demonic Cultivator, all to refine these four hundred Blood Crystal.

"The Demonic Cultivator of this world..."

"They are truly inhuman, utterly devoid of conscience!"

Eldrin Chen stared at the Blood Crystal [a crystallized substance refined from the lifeblood of living beings], his eyes nearly bursting with rage. Even with the tempered heart of one who had lived two lifetimes, he found it difficult to remain calm.

From childhood, through constant exposure, he had long heard that Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who use cruel, sacrificial methods to gain power] were unproductive, their natures wicked and deranged, fond of burning, killing, plundering, and committing acts of utter annihilation. He simply never imagined they would go to such extremes.

One must remember that most Demonic Cultivator were also human. To refine a Demonic Treasure [an artifact powered by malevolent forces] using the souls of their own kind, to forge Blood Crystal from the blood of mortals as fuel for their own ascension—this was too cruel, too venomous. Not killing them would be an injustice to the people's wrath.

"Every last Demonic Cultivator under heaven deserves death!" Join our community of readers at audio-novel dot com.

A flicker of killing intent flashed within Eldrin Chen's gaze, then swiftly receded.

"I am not yet strong enough."

"For now, I must first protect this Chen Immortal Clan [a family of cultivators], which gave me life, raised me, and now stands battered by the storm."

After a long silence, he methodically destroyed the Blood Crystal, the Demonic Pill [a pill concocted through vile, sacrificial means], and the other items. Then, he closed his eyes.

"I was born amidst the vast heavens and earth, as humble and insignificant as a mote of dust, a mayfly or an ant, struggling to cross the river between dawn's birth and dusk's death, unable to see the path ahead."

"Only through cultivation can one find that sliver of opportunity to change one's fate."

"Cultivation is a long road."

"…"

Early the next morning, Eldrin Chen set out for Pingyang County together with the Fourth Elder, the Fifth Elder, and the Chen Clan Cultivators.

This time, apart from the personnel stationed to guard Verdant Chariot Mountain, almost every available hand from the mountain had been mobilized for this endeavor.

From the Clan Elders of the Chang Generation down to the youngest juniors of the Nian Generation who had just broken through to the Qi Refinement, Early Stage, all who could contribute had set aside their current tasks.

Some emerged from seclusion halfway through, others paused the refinement of their Five Elements Essence, some cut their leave short, and others extricated themselves from their duties tending the Spirit Farmland.

Even Chen Dorian, a Clan Elder of the Chang Generation responsible for the clan's legacy and the specialized education of its younger generation in cultivation, stepped forward, determined to exert his strength for the family one last time.

Chen Dorian was now one hundred and twelve years old, nearly touching the threshold of the one hundred and twenty-year Qi Refinement Lifespan Limit. His vital essence and blood were both depleted, long past the point where he could engage in combat.

Seeing that he too intended to join the expedition, Eldrin Chen could no longer remain seated. He wanted to urge the old man to return and tend to his health, but was met with a stern rebuke:

"You young whelp, don't think I won't scold you just because you've become an elder."

"Have you forgotten? It was I who taught you cultivation from childhood."

"Now that you wear the mantle of an elder, do you look down upon this old man?"

"When it comes to a life-or-death struggle, these old bones of mine are not yet completely rotten!"

Having received this unexpected reprimand, Eldrin Chen was left speechless, stammering for a moment.

He understood that old cultivators who had practiced for a century and survived countless conflicts were often repositories of profound experience and wielded ruthless methods.

In a real fight, the power such an elder could unleash in a short burst might very well rival his own.

Yet, it would be the strength for but a single, desperate clash. Once he expended his full force, regardless of the outcome, the inevitable price would be the complete exhaustion of his life's vitality, leading to his demise. This novel is serialized on audio-novel-dot-com. Visit for updates.