Chapter 126 Clan Leader Impacts the Purple Mansion Realm

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of miles away from Celestial Ruins Mountain (Location), Chongyang (Person Name) of the Azure Sun Sect’s Violet Mansion fled in disarray, his hair disheveled as he desperately raced into the distance.

Behind him, Elara (Person Name) gripped the Icy Soul Frostlight Sword, letting out a cold laugh as she said.

"Chongyang (Person Name), who in this world doesn't know that your son Wei Mingyuan (Person Name) killed for treasure and seized the Li Fire Crystal (Spiritual Object) from the Zhang Family of Yunyang County?"

"I executed him to rid the Chu Kingdom's cultivation world of this scourge. How dare you have the audacity to pursue me all the way to Celestial Ruins Mountain?"

Chongyang's face shifted between ashen and livid. Without uttering a single word, he fled the Celestial Ruins Mountain range, vanishing beyond the horizon in the blink of an eye.

Meanwhile, Eldrin bid farewell to Lyra and rode his sword through the skies, returning to Yujun County from the Celestial Ruins Mountain.

After returning to Yu County, he immediately went to Pingyang City and presented the Li Fire Crystal (Spiritual Object) and Mysterious Origin Pill to the elder clan leader.

Chen Changxuan received the 2 treasures, his hands trembling uncontrollably with emotion. He immediately grasped Eldrin's hands and urgently inquired about the details of this journey.

After hearing his honest account, the old clan leader wiped the cold sweat from his brow and couldn’t help but remark.

"Thankfully, we have the 7 Stars Demon-Slaying Ark, otherwise this venture would have been far too perilous."

"I never imagined those practitioners from the Azure Sun Sect would be so brazen." Eldrin's expression darkened with a lingering trace of fear as he spoke, "Merely venturing out on a distant journey, and we've already drawn their attention."

His gaze fell upon the Li Fire Crystal (Spiritual Object), and he let out a sigh. "For this single Li Fire Crystal (Spiritual Object), the Zhang family—a Foundation Establishment clan of Yunyang County—lost 5 Foundation Establishment cultivators in battle. Such a price is far too heavy to bear."

"To challenge the Purple Mansion Immortal Clan, 1 must naturally bear the karmic consequences. In the end, the Zhang Family simply lacked favorable fortune and sufficient strength."

The old clan leader shook his head and continued, "However, Wei Mingyuan committed this deed yet allowed several members of the Zhang family to escape. I fear the Azure Sun Sect has lost all credibility throughout the entire Yang Province."

"If we can stabilize the situation during this beast uprising, all will be well. But should Scorched Sun Mountain (Location) fail to hold its ground, I fear a cataclysmic disaster would befall us. Who knows how many mortals would become blood sacrifices for these demonic creatures?"

After listening to Chen Changxuan’s words, Eldrin felt somewhat somber.

His gaze turned slightly cold as he spoke with lingering anger, "That Wei Mingyuan (Person Name) acts so recklessly against the greater good. Does the Qingyang Sect (Sect Name) truly have no 1 to hold him accountable?"

"You must understand, although the sect is 1 entity, an individual remains an individual."

Chen Changxuan let out a sigh and spoke calmly, "To Wei Mingyuan, as long as he could break through to the Purple Mansion realm, the entire world would become his playground. What did it matter if hundreds of millions of living beings in the Chu Kingdom suffered calamity?"

In the eyes of Patriarch Xu of the Qingyang Sect, a single Purple Mansion cultivator from his own sect held far greater importance than 10 Foundation Establishment immortal clans of others. It was likely this matter would never see proper resolution.

"It appears that during this beast tide turmoil, something unexpected may occur in Yang Province."

After hearing him out, Eldrin’s gaze grew somber. At present, the Green Sun Sect had lost all popular support. Unless Chongyang was dealt with in a thunderous manner, there would be no way to reclaim the trust that had been forfeited.

Given Elder Xu's character, it is unlikely he would resort to such methods. Relying solely on strength to keep the major immortal clans of Yangzhou in line would hardly compel them to offer their genuine cooperation.

Suppressing his thoughts, Eldrin gazed at the Li Fire Crystal and declared, "Regardless of everything else, we've obtained this Li Fire Crystal. Now you can finally attempt to break through to the Violet Mansion realm."

"With this Mystic Origin Pill and Li Fire Crystal (Spiritual Object), I truly possess a 30 percent chance of success."

The old clan leader nodded with fervor, his eyes alight with anticipation. With the beast tide on the verge of erupting, breaking through to the Zi Fu realm would make him a crucial combatant, granting immense strategic value to the family.

Chen Changxuan was now 1 100 and 40-1 years of age. Having broken through to the ninth layer of Foundation Building less than a decade ago, his refinement of meridians and true essence remained somewhat incomplete.

In principle, it would be best to refine for another dozen or so years to reach the optimal state. By then, consuming the Li Fire Crystal (Spiritual Object) would grant nearly a 40 percent certainty of breaking through to the Violet Mansion.

However, with the beast tide imminent and the Li Fire Crystal (Spiritual Object) posing far too great a danger to keep in his possession, the Old Patriarch resolved to immediately attempt a breakthrough to the Zi Mansion Realm, lest he meet the same tragic fate as the Zhang Clan's former patriarch and the previous Chen Clan leader.

The second-grade low-tier spirit vein in Pingyang City was insufficient in spiritual energy. To allow the old clan leader to focus on breaking through to the Violet Mansion realm, Eldrin specifically assigned Lior, Chen Qingwan, and Chen Seraphina to guard Pingyang City in the old clan leader’s stead.

Meanwhile, Eldrin followed the old clan leader to Spirit Lake Isle. Over the past 2 years, the spirit peaches had advanced by another grade, and the spiritual vein of Spirit Lake Isle had reached the upper second rank. The spiritual energy here had become far more abundant than in previous years.

After the old clan leader went into seclusion at the spiritual spring, Eldrin personally took charge of guarding Spirit Lake Isle to protect him during his cultivation.

Chen Changxuan consumed the Mysterious Origin Pill, and his true essence surged by 30 percent. Seizing this opportunity, he began his assault on the Purple Mansion realm. It wasn't until 3 months later that he finally emerged from the seclusion chamber, a trace of disappointment evident on his face.

The old clan leader looked rather dejected and said unwillingly, "Alas, in the end, my magical power wasn't refined enough to break through the threshold of the Violet Mansion realm."

"Great-uncle, do not be disheartened." Eldrin had anticipated this outcome and spoke with a comforting smile. "Aside from the true children of destiny, few in this world can break through to the Violet Mansion Realm in a single attempt."

"That does make sense."

Chen Changxuan composed himself once more, then smiled wryly. "Though I failed to break through to the Purple Mansion this time, I have successfully unblocked 50 percent of the Purple Mansion Dao Veins."

"With my true essence now increased by 50 percent, I estimate a 30 to 40 percent chance of successfully breaking through to the Violet Palace Realm in my next attempt—even without relying on external aids."

Hearing this, Eldrin also revealed a faint smile.

The Old Patriarch had consumed both the Spirit-Concentrating Pill (Spiritual Object) and the Mysterious Jade Pill (Spiritual Object). Now, having unblocked 50 percent of his Violet Mansion’s Dao Veins, the true essence within him was likely more than 80 percent stronger than that of an ordinary Foundation Establishment Ninth Layer cultivator.

With this sheer depth of true essence alone, the Old Patriarch already rivaled more than half a Cultivator at the First Layer of the Purple Mansion, his combat prowess soaring by no less than double.

At this thought, Eldrin (Person Name) marveled, "With your current cultivation level, Elder Uncle, you are likely qualified to be called Half-Step Purple Mansion realm."

"You still have 60 years of lifespan remaining and 2 more opportunities to break through to the Violet Mansion realm. In time, even without relying on external aids, your chances of successfully advancing to the Violet Mansion realm would likely reach 60 percent."

As they spoke, the mood of both lightened considerably.

After the old clan leader had consolidated his cultivation, Eldrin took out 7 Golden Ape Python demon cores and handed them over.

"This time we've slain 7 Foundation Establishment stage demon beasts. Since these 7 demon cores share the same origin, I believe they can be refined into a set of array artifacts. That's why I specifically exchanged for them."

"This item..."

The Old Clan Leader received the 7 demon cores and examined them carefully for a moment before exclaiming in delight, "I observe that each of these 7 demon cores contains incomplete divine ability formation patterns."

"If we refine them together into a set of formation artifacts, we might just be able to merge that divine ability into existence."

"I wish to integrate them into the Li Fire Soul Incineration Formation Flags to enhance the power of the Li Fire Soul Incineration Formation."

The old clan leader observed with rapturous delight for a long while before finally informing Eldrin that these 7 inner cores could be refined together with the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss to forge an entirely new set of formation banners.

Chapter 1: The Reborn Youth The biting cold wind howled, carrying with it the scent of decay and rusted iron. In a dilapidated temple deep within the mountains, a youth dressed in tattered blue robes suddenly opened his eyes. "Have I... truly been reborn?" Li Chen (Person Name) touched his throbbing forehead, countless memories flooding his mind like tidal waves. He was originally a Golden Core Stage (Cultivation Realm) expert of the Azure Cloud Sect (Sect Name), but had been betrayed by his most trusted junior apprentice brother during a secret realm exploration, causing his body and soul to nearly dissipate. Yet unexpectedly, he had returned to the age of 16, 1 year before formally joining the Azure Cloud Sect. "Since the heavens have granted me another chance, I, Li Chen, shall definitely reclaim everything that belongs to me!" His gaze swept across the crumbling statue in the temple, then fell upon the tattered book in his hand—the "Primordial Chaos Art" (Cultivation Method). This was the very cultivation technique he had fortuitously obtained in his previous life, yet had never truly comprehended its mysteries. Just as he was about to flip through the pages, hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the temple. "Li Chen! You useless trash, still hiding here instead of going to the Spirit Herb Garden to fetch water?" 3 youths wearing grey disciple robes barged in, their faces full of contempt. The leader, Zhao Gang (Person Name), was the nephew of the sect's outer sect steward, and had always bullied Li Chen, who had yet to officially join the sect. Li Chen's eyes turned cold. In his previous life, he had suffered countless humiliations from these people, but now... "Scram." A simple word, yet carrying an indescribable pressure. Zhao Gang was momentarily stunned, then flew into a rage. "You trash actually dare to talk back? Looks like I need to teach you a proper lesson today!" He threw a punch, the force carrying a faint spiritual energy fluctuation. This was the most basic "Long Fist" (Martial Art) of the outer sect disciples, but for ordinary youths who hadn't yet stepped into Qi Refining (Cultivation Realm), it was already an unstoppable move. However, in Li Chen's eyes, this punch was full of openings. He didn't even stand up, merely lightly pointing with his right hand. A nearly imperceptible spiritual energy shot out, accurately striking Zhao Gang's acupuncture point. "Ah!" Zhao Gang let out a miserable scream, his entire arm going limp, the force of the punch instantly dissipating. "You... what evil magic did you use?" The 2 followers behind him were so frightened they stepped back several paces, looking at Li Chen as if he were a monster. Li Chen stood up, his gaze sweeping over the 3 like a sharp sword. "Get lost, and remember, if any of you dare come and harass me again, don't blame me for being ruthless." The 3, as if granted amnesty, scrambled and stumbled as they fled the temple. After dealing with these annoyances, Li Chen finally had time to carefully examine the "Primordial Chaos Art" in his hand. This cultivation method was something he had accidentally obtained from an ancient cave abode, rumored to be left behind by an ancient mighty figure. In his previous life, he had never been able to grasp its essence, but now, with the insights from his rebirth, he finally understood its profundity. "The first layer of the Primordial Chaos Art actually requires shattering the dantian and rebuilding the foundations?" Li Chen's pupils slightly contracted. This cultivation method was truly unheard of. The dantian was the foundation of a cultivator, and once shattered, 1 would become a complete waste. But the "Primordial Chaos Art" actually took danger as safety, using destruction to achieve rebirth. After hesitating for a moment, Li Chen's eyes gradually firmed. Since the path of his previous life had ultimately led to a dead end, why not give it a try in this life? He sat cross-legged, operating the "Primordial Chaos Art" according to the method, the spiritual energy between heaven and earth gathering towards him like a whirlpool. The originally calm temple suddenly stirred up a gust of wind, and the fallen leaves on the ground swirled and danced. "Break!" With a low shout, Li Chen resolutely shattered his own dantian. An intense pain swept through him, almost causing him to lose consciousness. Just at this critical moment, a warm current suddenly surged from the "Primordial Chaos Art," rapidly repairing his damaged meridians. Time passed minute by minute, and when Li Chen opened his eyes again, he felt the world had become completely different. The spiritual energy between heaven and earth was as clear as if it were tangible, and every leaf and every piece of grass outside the temple was vividly perceptible. He had finally stepped into the first layer of the "Primordial Chaos Art," officially entering the First Layer of Qi Refining (Cultivation Realm)! "With this Primordial Chaos Art, reaching the pinnacle of the cultivation world is no longer just a dream." Li Chen's eyes shone with unprecedented confidence. He knew that his path of cultivation in this life was destined to be extraordinary. Just then, a burst of noisy voices came from outside the temple, mixed with the sound of weapons clashing. Li Chen frowned slightly. Could it be that Zhao Gang had brought people back for revenge? But when he walked out of the temple, the scene before him made him slightly startled. Several black-clad men were besieging a girl in white. The girl, about 15 or 16 years old, wielded a long sword, her movements graceful and nimble, but she was clearly at a disadvantage against multiple opponents. "Eldrin (Person Name), hand over the thing and we might spare your life!" 1 of the black-clad men shouted coldly. The girl named Eldrin gritted her teeth. "Dream on! Even if I die, I won't let you get the "Profound Ice Art" (Cultivation Method)!" Profound Ice Art? Li Chen's heart stirred. Wasn't this the lost supreme cultivation method of the Ice Soul Valley (Sect Name)? Why would it appear here? He carefully observed the situation and soon discovered something unusual. Although these black-clad men had fierce sword techniques, their movements were somewhat rigid, clearly having taken some kind of stimulant drug. "Since I've encountered this, I can't just stand by and do nothing." Li Chen sighed softly, then stepped forward. "Several, bullying a girl, isn't that somewhat dishonorable?"