Chapter 165 Yan Kingdom (Location) Exchange Convention

"Fellow Daoist Eldrin."

As Eldrin stepped into the Ethereal Pavilion, a familiar voice reached his ears.

He looked up and saw that it was none other than Varen. The patriarch of the Wei clan approached, grasping Eldrin's arm with delight as he exclaimed, "I never imagined I would encounter you here in the Yan Kingdom."

"Truly rare."

Eldrin also revealed a faint smile before inquiring, "Brother Dao, have you come this time perhaps for..."

He paused, and that Varen (Person Name) nodded, a grave expression crossing his face. "I have indeed come for the *Jia* Wood Essence (Cultivation Material)."

"If I fail again this time, I fear this old man shall become the Wei Clan's eternal sinner."

Hearing this, Eldrin gave an imperceptible nod.

Varen was now nearly 1 100 and 80 years of age, his remaining lifespan dwindling. Unless he obtained a precious life-extending treasure, he had but 1 final chance to break through to the Violet Mansion.

If he failed to break through this time, the Wei Immortal Clan (Organization) would likely exhaust its accumulated resources and face a century of austerity.

At this thought, Eldrin smiled faintly and said, "Brother Dao, having already broken through the Zi Mansion once and consumed the Profound Origin Pill, if you obtain the Wood Essence Crystal this time, I believe you will undoubtedly succeed in 1 attempt."

"I certainly hope so."

Hearing his reassurance, Varen felt a slight relief in his heart. Having already opened 3 of the 10 Celestial Meridians in his Dantian and consumed the Mystic Origin Pill, the depth of his spiritual energy far surpassed that of an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Under such circumstances, obtaining another Wood Element Crystal now would give him an estimated 50 percent chance of breaking through to the Purple Mansion.

A 50 percent chance was already considered high enough to stake everything on. This was precisely why the Wei Immortal Clan (Organization) was willing to exhaust their accumulated resources and support him with their full strength once more.

Suppressing his obsession, Varen smiled and said, "This must be your first time in Yan Kingdom. Allow me to show you around."

As Varen introduced them, Eldrin gained a clear understanding of the few formidable cultivators present whom it would be unwise to provoke.

For top Foundation Establishment cultivators like them, ordinary Foundation Establishment practitioners were no longer a concern. The only ones who could make them tread carefully were a few Foundation Establishment cultivators with astonishing backgrounds.

Among the many Foundation Establishment cultivators, there were scarcely any who could pose a challenge to Eldrin. Only a cultivator named Deng Yuanwu made him feel genuine pressure.

Deng Yuanwu was a tall, imposing man whose aura radiated immense power. He was accompanied by 2 elegant women, both at the Foundation Establishment, Late Stage (Cultivation Realm), clearly indicating his extraordinary background.

Varen noticed Eldrin’s gaze and immediately reminded him in a hushed tone.

"That is a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Deng Clan, named Deng Yuanwu, a direct descendant of the Deng family."

"This person's origins are astonishing, you must not offend them."

With his reminder, Eldrin roughly understood this person's identity.

Deng Yuanwu was a direct descendant of the Deng Clan, and moreover, the beloved grandson of the family’s Golden Core Patriarch. He had grown up virtually with a golden spoon in his mouth.

Relying on his grandfather's favor, Deng Yuanwu had attempted to break through the Purple Mansion 3 times in succession. Though he never succeeded, he managed to unblock 90 percent of his Purple Mansion's spiritual pathways.

Moreover, he had consumed treasures akin to the Mystic Origin Pill, granting him a depth of vital energy nearly on par with that of an ordinary Violet Mansion cultivator. His combat prowess was truly formidable.

After Varen (Person Name) finished speaking, he secretly transmitted his voice once more: "This individual possesses merely a Triple Spiritual Root, yet has never lacked cultivation resources. Moreover, he practices the art of primal plundering."

The 2 Foundation Establishment female cultivators beside him had likely once been pillars of their respective immortal clans. Yet now, they had become his cauldrons, their lifelong cultivation serving as another's bridal gown.

"It's a pity the Deng Clan holds absolute authority in Yan Kingdom, to the extent that even the Violet Manor immortal families of Yan Kingdom can only form alliances to barely resist them. For ordinary Foundation Establishment immortal family cultivators, they ultimately remain little more than fish on the chopping block."

Hearing this, a faint chill flashed in Eldrin's eyes as a trace of killing intent stirred within his heart.

Unlike the Path of Dual Cultivation, the Path of Plundering and Supplementing originated from demonic cultivation methods.

After a cultivator absorbs the essence of a cultivation vessel, their cultivation speed is often enhanced, saving considerable time in their practice. However, the cultivator whose essence is absorbed will suffer severe depletion in their cultivation base, and may even experience a regression in their realm.

This cultivation technique was inherently designed for demonic practitioners. Demonic cultivators pursued their path by any means necessary, operating on the principle of benefiting themselves at others' expense. This was precisely why their cultivation progress far surpassed that of righteous practitioners.

Yet, when righteous cultivators use others as cauldrons, to some extent, it bears little difference from demonic cultivation—it too is a heretical path.

Within the borders of Chu Kingdom, the practice of soul plundering was strictly forbidden by the 3 great sects. Yet here in Yan Kingdom, someone dared to cultivate this forbidden art openly and unashamedly.

At this thought, Eldrin’s gaze turned slightly cold as he remarked, “To openly practice the art of dual cultivation and plunder—does no 1 in the Yan Kingdom hold them accountable?”

"In the Chu Kingdom, there are only 5 Golden Core cultivators, and the Deng family alone possesses 3 of them." Varen sighed helplessly and said, "With the Deng clan holding overwhelming power, others naturally dare not speak out despite their resentment."

Hearing this, Eldrin suppressed the killing intent rising in his heart.

Though his temperament was sharp and he brooked no injustice, he knew his limits in handling affairs and was by no means reckless.

Unlike Yan Kingdom, Chu Kingdom faced grave threats from the demon tribes of the Vast Marsh and the demonic caves of the Abyssal Caverns. Its 3 major sects shouldered immense pressure, making it crucial to stabilize the major immortal clans and unite them against the demonic cultivators and fiendish beings.

In contrast, the environment of the Yan Kingdom (Location) was far more favorable. In their quest to dominate the fifth-order water vein within its borders, the Ji Clan (Person Name), the former hegemon of the 6 kingdoms, had purged Yan Lake (Location) of all high-level demonic beasts.

Moreover, to protect their interests in Yan Kingdom (Location), a fifth-grade spiritual vein had been cultivated atop the existing fifth-grade water vein. An Eldrin (Person Name) Nascent Soul True Monarch now resided there permanently, deterring ordinary demons and monsters from approaching.

Each year during the beast tide, only the Black Eagle Demon King of the Cerulean Peaks Range (Location) could pose some threat to the Yan Kingdom (Location), yet even he dared not invade the Yanhu Islands.

With minimal external pressure, the high-ranking immortal clans of Yan Kingdom naturally flourished even more, intensifying conflicts among cultivators. The Zifu immortal clans could still band together for warmth, but life grew considerably more difficult for the Foundation Establishment and Qi Condensation clans.

"Look, the Trading Assembly has begun."

Just at that moment, the Trading Assembly officially commenced.

As the host of this trade assembly, the Yan Kingdom (Location) immortal alliance delegation was the first to step forward.

A woman with an enchanting figure stepped forward. Her cultivation had reached the 9th level of Foundation Establishment, and her aura radiated formidable power.

As Varen had just introduced, the woman was named Yuan Weiwei, a cultivator from the Yuan Immortal Clan. This clan stood as 1 of the 2 dominant powers within the Yan Kingdom's Immortal Alliance, guarded by a Golden Core Patriarch—a force not to be underestimated.

As the representative of the Yuan Immortal Clan, Yuan Weiwei ascended the platform and wasted no time with lengthy speeches, directly having 3 treasure boxes brought forth.

Among the 3 treasure boxes, the first contained a violet spirit jade, the second held an emerald crystalline gem, and the final box housed a cyan refinement pill.

"Violet Sun Jade, First Grade Wood Essence, Cyan Jade Barrier-Breaking Elixir…"

Everyone gasped in astonishment at the sight of the 3 treasures.

Chapter 1 The biting cold wind howled through the mountain pass, whipping up flurries of snow. Lin Xuan stood at the edge of the cliff, his worn blue robe fluttering violently. His fingers, numb from the cold, clenched around a tattered jade slip. "1 100 years had passed," he murmured, his voice barely a whisper swallowed by the wind. "Countless days and nights of bitter cultivation, and this is all I have to show for it?" He was stuck at the third layer of the Basic Qi Refining Technique, a level even junior disciples fresh from the farms could surpass within a year. At 20-some years of age, he was a laughingstock in the entire Azure Mist Sect. A bitter smile touched his lips as he recalled the sneers and taunts. "Waste of resources," they said. "The Eternal Flame Sect's Young Master, Eldrin (Person Name), reached the Foundation Establishment stage at 15. And you? You can't even consolidate your Qi." Suddenly, a faint, ethereal light pulsed from the jade slip in his hand. Lin Xuan's heart skipped a beat. This slip was his only inheritance, left by his father, a lowly outer sect disciple who died on a mission. It was supposed to contain a common cultivation method, but it had never reacted like this before. He focused his meager spiritual sense, probing the slip. The world around him seemed to dissolve. Vast, starry vistas unfolded before his mind's eye, and profound, ancient characters seared themselves into his consciousness. "Heaven Swallowing Art..." This was no Basic Qi Refining Technique. This was something primordial, something defiant of the very heavens. According to the introductory verses, this art could devour all things—spiritual energy, pill efficacy, even the cultivation bases of others—to fuel its practitioner's own ascent. A wild, desperate hope ignited within him. He had tried everything orthodox, and it led nowhere. What did he have to lose? Just then, a sharp, mocking voice cut through the wind. "Well, well, if it isn't Senior Brother Lin. Still trying to comprehend the heavens here? Some people are just destined to be trash." Lin Xuan swiftly hid the jade slip within his robes and turned. It was Zhang Fatty (Person Name), a bully who took pleasure in tormenting those weaker than him. He was flanked by 2 lackeys, all 3 smirking. "Out of my way," Lin Xuan said, his voice low. The revelation of the Heaven Swallowing Art had lit a fire in him, burning away some of his habitual deference. Zhang Fatty's smirk widened. "What's this? The worm finally turns? You owe me 10 spirit stones from last month. Pay up now, or I'll break your legs." 10 spirit stones. It was an exorbitant sum for Lin Xuan, more than his yearly allowance. It was a fabricated debt, a mere pretext for harassment. "I owe you nothing," Lin Xuan stated coldly, his mind already racing through the first cycle of the Heaven Swallowing Art. The surrounding spiritual energy, once inert and unresponsive to him, now seemed to stir. "Looking for a beating!" 1 of the lackeys, a hulking youth, stepped forward and threw a punch aimed at Lin Xuan's face. Instead of dodging, Lin Xuan met the punch with his palm. A strange, dark ripple, invisible to the naked eye, emanated from his hand. The moment their flesh connected, the lackey's arrogant expression twisted into 1 of sheer terror. He felt the carefully cultivated spiritual energy within his dantian surge violently, tearing away from his control and pouring into Lin Xuan's body through the point of contact. "Ahhh! My... my cultivation!" he screamed, his voice cracking with panic. His body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground, his face ashen. His cultivation at the fifth layer of Qi Refining had vanished, reduced to nothing. Zhang Fatty and the other lackey stared, dumbfounded and horrified. They couldn't comprehend what had just happened. Lin Xuan stood straighter than he had in years. A warm, potent stream of energy now circulated within his previously barren meridians. He felt... powerful. He looked at his trembling hands, then at the terrified faces of his former tormentors. A faint, dark flame seemed to flicker deep within his eyes. "The feast," he whispered, a new and dangerous edge to his voice, "has just begun."