Chapter 164 Arriving at Yan Kingdom (Location),Ice Spiritual Root (Spiritual Root)

1000 Stars Island.

Eldrin gazed at the marked island on the map, a faint flicker of emotion crossing his expression.

The 1000 Stars Island spanned a staggering 30,000 li in expanse, ranking among the exceptionally vast islands within the Yan Kingdom (Location).

This island was not a property of the Deng Clan (Person Name), but rather a spiritual island of the Yan Kingdom (Location) Immortal Alliance. A Grand Barter Convention was held here once every 10 years.

It could be said that 1000 Stars Island (Location) ranked among the top 3 cultivation markets in the Yan Kingdom (Location), its status rivaling even the Qingyang Market of the Qingyang Sect. Thus, every time the grand conference commenced, it attracted a massive number of Foundation Establishment cultivators from across the Yan Kingdom (Location).

It is said that throughout the history of the Exchange Assembly, the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators participating has never fallen below 200. Moreover, precious third-tier treasures frequently appear at the assembly, which almost always attracts the attendance of Purple Mansion cultivators.

The 1000 Stars Island was a full 300,000 li from Yan Mountain Market. This time, Eldrin unleashed his full speed while flying on his sword, covering 30,000 li in a single day. It took him merely a dozen or so days to arrive at 1000 Stars Island.

Upon arriving at 1000 Stars Island, Eldrin had just stepped into the market when a voice reached his ears.

"E-eldrin..." He looked down to find a grimy little girl gazing at him timidly, her face etched with tension as she stammered, "Eldrin... would you need a guide?"

As if frightened, the little girl’s eyes welled up with tears, and she counted on her fingers, saying.

"Just 1... no, 2. Just 2 steamed buns will do."

Eldrin’s brow twitched slightly. He casually bought a few steamed buns, crouched down, and handed them to her, asking, “How old are you?”

7 years old.

7 years old?

Eldrin shook his head with a wry smile, took out a spirit stone, then reconsidered and exchanged it for several silver ingots to hand to her. "Go buy yourself some food."

The girl nibbled on her steamed bun, took the silver, and clutched it tightly as she said, "My grandfather taught me never to accept others' things for free."

"Allow me to guide you. I know every path here by heart."

"Very well, then lead the way."

A faint smile graced Eldrin's (Person Name) lips. Under her guidance, they arrived at the Ethereal Mist Pavilion where each Spirit Exchange Convention was held, only to discover that the next convention would not commence for another 3 years.

When the little lass heard he intended to stay on 1000 Star Island for 3 years, she promptly escorted him to the island’s cave abode rental and sales office.

He rented a second-level spiritual spring cave abode and, after inspecting the interior, gave a satisfied nod.

He then prepared to bid farewell to the girl, but after a moment’s thought, he asked, “Have you ever had your spiritual roots tested?”

"Spiritual root testing..." The girl shook her head, speaking timidly, "It's expensive... requires... spirit stones."

"Extend your hand."

Eldrin shook his head helplessly, then grasped her wrist and channeled his primordial energy into her body.

A wisp of true essence had just entered her meridians when Eldrin felt a bone-piercing chill radiate through him—so profound it even made him shiver.

"This is."

His eyes flickered, a trace of delight flashing across his expression as he immediately channeled his true essence once more to conduct another inspection.

Sure enough, it did not disappoint him. Once again, an icy spiritual energy began to seep through the young girl’s meridians.

“Ice Spiritual Root (Spiritual Root)。”

A gleam of delight flashed in Eldrin's eyes. Heterogeneous Spiritual Roots were a rarity—only 1 in 10 1000. In Yu County, such a talent might not emerge even in a 100 years. Never had he imagined that a single journey would lead him to discover such a promising seedling.

After he finished the examination, the little girl’s face tightened with a mix of anticipation and fear.

Eldrin smiled faintly and gently patted her head as he asked, "What is your name?"

My name is Lila (Person Name).

As if the heterodox spirit root had been stirred by his true essence, the little girl’s face flushed crimson from the cold, and she shivered as she spoke.

"Lila." Eldrin channeled his zhenyuan to dispel the cold energy within her, then asked, "Where is your grandfather?"

Grandfather.

The little girl’s eyes reddened as she gazed at a small vial resting against her chest and said.

Eldrin finally understood. The little girl's grandfather had already passed away, which explained why she had ended up on the streets, trembling with gratitude over a mere 1 or 2 steamed buns.

Patting the little girl's head, Eldrin (Person Name) smiled and said, "In that case, you shall follow me from now on."

"Alright, thank you, Uncle." She clenched her fists in excitement.

"We met at 1000 Star Island, and your name is Lila, so from now on your formal name shall be Chen Xingya."

He adopted a little girl with an anomalous spiritual root. It was unclear whether Eldrin had encountered a great stroke of fortune, or if this young lass was blessed with profound destiny.

After all, had she not coincidentally encountered Eldrin, she might have frozen to death unnoticed in a corner of the market. A prodigy blessed with a unique spiritual root could have easily met an untimely end, vanishing into obscurity.

After adopting the little girl, Eldrin taught her the Mingyuan Daoze Method and began her enlightenment.

For Eldrin, initiating a young child into cultivation was no great challenge. After all, he had personally raised Caleb Silas from infancy, and now guiding another child—even 1 with a Heterodox Spirit Root—posed little difficulty.

Lila was highly intelligent and mature beyond her years, learning with remarkable swiftness. She knew to seek guidance from Eldrin only after his cultivation sessions, ensuring she caused minimal disruption to his practice.

Thus, time flew by swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, 3 years had passed.

That year, within Eldrin's Spirit Spring Cave Abode, a surge of spiritual energy stirred. Vast amounts of spiritual qi madly poured forth from the spirit spring, drawn into Eldrin's meridians before ultimately transforming into true essence and shattering an invisible barrier.

Foundation Establishment, Eighth Layer.

Eldrin (Person Name) opened his eyes, drew a deep breath, and revealed a look of profound delight.

Less than 8 years had passed since his breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, Late Stage (Cultivation Realm), yet his cultivation advanced another step—breaking through to the eighth level of Foundation Establishment. He was now significantly closer to the Purple Mansion realm.

After briefly consolidating his cultivation base, Eldrin emerged from the seclusion chamber of the spirit spring.

Lila had been waiting for quite some time. Seeing Eldrin emerge from seclusion, she promptly said.

"Uncle Eldrin (Person Name), the Grand Barter Assembly commences today."

"Hmm."

Eldrin nodded slightly. Had it not been for the imminent opening of the Exchange Assembly, he would still be in seclusion, consolidating his cultivation base.

After giving some instructions to Lila (Person Name) and telling her not to leave the cave abode casually, Eldrin (Person Name) went straight to the Ethereal Pavilion.

This 1000 Star Island Exchange Convention truly lived up to its reputation as 1 of Yan Kingdom's grandest trading events. After entering the venue, Eldrin swiftly scanned the area and discovered over 260 participants—the weakest among them all being Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Even a few figures exuded such formidable auras that Eldrin found them somewhat troublesome to deal with—clearly, they were cultivators at the Purple Mansion realm.

Generally speaking, Foundation Establishment cultivators' exchange gatherings rarely saw participation from Golden Core cultivators.

However, the fact that the 1000 Stars Island Exchange Conference could attract several Zifu(Practice Realm) cultivators was clearly sufficient proof of how exceptionally rare such a high-level exchange gathering truly was.

Eldrin knew full well that Purple Mansion cultivators were exceedingly rare. Gatherings for the exchange of treasures among such practitioners typically occurred only once every few decades.

For instance, the Zifu Exchange Convention of the Chu Kingdom (Location) is typically held only once every 30 years. This is because the entire Chu Kingdom (Location) has just over a 100 Zifu cultivators. If it were held every 10 years, the number of participants would significantly decrease.

Chapter 1: The Reborn Youth The biting cold wind swept across the training grounds, carrying with it the scent of frost and decay. Lin Xuan stood amidst the crowd, his thin robes offering little protection against the chill. Yet, the cold that pierced deepest came not from the weather, but from the mocking glances and whispered insults surrounding him. "Trash like you still dares to show your face here?" A burly youth shoved Lin Xuan hard, causing him to stagger. "At 15, still at the first level of Body Tempering—you're a disgrace to our Lin Clan!" Lin Xuan clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. He said nothing, merely fixing his gaze straight ahead. In his eyes flickered a flame of defiance that belied his frail appearance. How could these mediocrities know the soul within this body no longer belonged to the original Lin Xuan? He was once Ji Wuye, a supreme expert who had shaken the cultivation world, perishing during his Heavenly Tribulation only to awaken in this youth's body. "Patience," Lin Xuan whispered to himself. "The Phoenix Cry Art requires accumulating strength through humiliation. Let them laugh now." He recalled the mysterious cultivation method he had obtained by chance in his previous life—the Phoenix Cry Art. Unlike conventional techniques, it demanded the practitioner endure countless hardships and humiliations in the early stages, storing power silently like a dormant volcano until the final breakthrough. Returning to his dilapidated quarters, Lin Xuan sat cross-legged on his worn mat. Closing his eyes, he began circulating the Phoenix Cry Art according to its esoteric formulas. A faint, almost imperceptible spiritual energy slowly gathered around him, so meager it would disappoint any observer. Yet Lin Xuan remained undisturbed. He knew the Phoenix Cry Art's true marvel lay not in speed but in foundation-building. Each wisp of spiritual energy refined through this method was 10 times purer than ordinary cultivation techniques. "30-2 1000 spirit stones," he murmured, calculating the resources needed for his next breakthrough. "And at least a dozen or so Foundation Establishment Pills." The amount was astronomical for an outer disciple, but Lin Xuan had already devised a plan. Days turned into weeks. While other disciples progressed rapidly, Lin Xuan appeared stagnant at the first level of Body Tempering. The mockery intensified, but he paid it no mind, quietly accumulating strength according to the Phoenix Cry Art's methods. His breakthrough came during the quarterly clan assessment. Facing his longtime bully, Lin Xuan revealed his true power—soaring directly to the sixth level of Body Tempering! The audience stared in stunned silence as he effortlessly defeated his opponent. "How... how is this possible?" the clan elder exclaimed, his voice trembling. Lin Xuan stood proudly on the stage, his gaze sweeping across the shocked faces. "1 100 years of suffering transforms into a single day of glory," he declared. "Who dares call me trash now?" But his triumph was short-lived. That night, a mysterious figure infiltrated his quarters, launching a deadly assault. Though Lin Xuan narrowly escaped, he realized his rapid progress had drawn dangerous attention. With the clan territory no longer safe, Lin Xuan made a decision—he would venture into the treacherous Fallen Star Mountain Range, seeking the legendary Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss (Magic Treasure) rumored to be hidden there. Little did he know this journey would unveil secrets not only about the cultivation world but about his own rebirth...