Chapter 172 Inventory of Gains

After meticulously examining it with his divine sense for a long while and confirming it bore no tracking marks, he finally stored it away. He then hastily collected Mo Daoren’s inheritance and prepared to depart.

Before leaving, he cast a final glance at the Great Geng Sword Formation and murmured after a moment of contemplation.

"This Mount Wangong is now the territory of Black Eagle Ridge. I'm afraid I lack the capacity to hold it, and once the Deng Family investigates the matter, they might still trace it back here."

"Better to dismantle the Great Geng Sword Formation and bring it back to our clan, leaving this third-order spirit vein for the Violet Mansion demon tribes of Black Eagle Ridge."

"In that case, perhaps we can make the Deng Clan mistakenly believe that the 2 were slain by Black Eagle Ridge."

Without hesitation, Eldrin dismantled the Great Geng Sword Formation, taking away both the formation disk and its core instrument—the Great Geng Heavenly Sword.

After completing all this, he incinerated the 2 into ashes. For the sake of caution, he even detoured over 500,000 li toward the eastern Cangqing Immortal Sect before finally flying in the direction of Chu Kingdom (Location).

And shortly after his departure, the emergence of a third-grade, superior-quality spirit vein caught the attention of the nearby Black Python Demons.

When the Black Python Demonic Tribe saw the upper-grade third-tier spirit vein, they were immediately overjoyed and swiftly occupied the spiritual mountain. They named it Black Python Mountain, establishing it as their demonic abode. Little did they know they had unwittingly taken the blow meant for Eldrin (Person Name).

Several months later, a Golden Core Elder from the Deng Clan traced the soul-tracking life tablet’s resonance and fought his way all to the Black Python Mountains. In a towering rage, he slaughtered the entire Black Python demon tribe, leaving none alive.

The Black Eagle Demon King, having sensed the slaughter of his subordinates, was no easy foe to contend with. The Black Eagle Ridge dominated the Cerulean Peaks Range, and the fact that it could coexist as a neighbor to the Cerulean Azure Immortal Sect spoke volumes of its formidable strength.

In a single night, the 3 demon kings of Black Eagle Ridge all emerged, actually pursuing the Eldrin (Person Name) ancestor for over 600,000 li. The conflict escalated until both sides unleashed their true fury, ultimately triggering a full-scale war between the Eldrin (Person Name) clan and Black Eagle Ridge.

For Eldrin (Person Name), these events would become memories of a distant future. With Lila (Person Name) in tow, he circumvented the Verdant Azure Immortal Sect entirely, traversing over 2,000,000 li in a continuous flight before finally returning to the Borderlands Province.

Instead of returning to Yu County first, he flew directly to Celestial Ruins Mountain (Location) to find Lyra (Person Name).

"This time in Yan Kingdom, I slew 2 cultivators from the Deng Clan."

"Do you foresee any trouble?"

The moment he saw her, Eldrin’s taut nerves relaxed, and he proceeded to explain the entire sequence of events to her.

After listening, Lyra carefully examined each of the treasures seized from Eldrin, then nodded and said.

"There are truly no tricks placed upon these items."

She smiled faintly, replying with unshakable composure, "Even if there are hidden schemes, you need not be alarmed. The Yan Kingdom (Location) lies millions of miles away from us."

"Unless it's a treasure like a Soul-Chasing Life Tablet, even a Golden Core cultivator's divine sense can only detect within a 1000 miles. It's impossible to trace you across such vast distances."

Hearing this, Eldrin (Person Name) let out a slight sigh of relief.

He retrieved several jade slips, copied the alchemy and formation legacies he had obtained, and handed them to Lyra (Person Name) before saying.

"This is no small opportunity—I've obtained 2 legacies that may prove useful to you."

Lyra took the jade slip and glanced at it, offering a rare comment: "This alchemy manual isn't half bad."

After a long while, she set down the alchemy manual and fixed her gaze upon Eldrin.

"The matter of mending my spiritual roots can no longer be delayed. I intend to assault the Celestial Python Lake in 10 years."

A decade.

Eldrin’s expression remained grave as he nodded once more. “Within 10 years, I am confident I will break through to the Purple Mansion realm. By then, I should be able to offer some assistance.”

"You've broken through to the Violet Mansion realm. Being able to fight side by side is more than enough."

She looked at him and spoke, a glimmer of laughter brimming in her eyes.

Gazing into her limpid, autumn-water eyes, Eldrin felt an inexplicable stir in his heart and hastily changed the subject.

"That little girl has an Ice Spiritual Root (Spiritual Root), and I thought you might have cultivation methods suited for Ice Spiritual Root (Spiritual Root) here."

"Hmm."

Lyra nodded, a smile gracing her features as she gazed at Lila. "Elara also possesses an Ice Spiritual Root and cultivates ice-attributed techniques. I shall have her transcribe a copy for you later."

"In that case, my deepest gratitude."

Eldrin nodded. Elara's cultivation technique had reached the ninth level of the Purple Mansion, which would suffice for Lila's practice for a long time to come.

After resting for 3 days at Celestial Ruins Mountain, Eldrin bid farewell to Lyra and rode his sword back to Spirit Isle Lake.

Returning to Spirit Isle Lake (Location) brought him a sigh of relief. Only then did he finally have the presence of mind to take stock of the gains from this journey.

After slaying the 2 Deng brothers this time, though he had taken few items, their value was exceptionally high.

The contents included a total of 50,000 spirit stones, along with a divine ability jade slip, several bottles of elixirs with varying effects, a soul-bound magical treasure jade slip, and 3 third-tier magical treasures.

That jade slip contained the rare ocular technique ‘Jade Spirit Eyes’, while the most valuable among the pills was the Cyan Jade Barrier-Breaking Elixir. This treasure had been acquired by Deng Yuanwu through a high-stakes bid at a grand trading assembly.

The Life-Bound Magical Artifact jade slip revealed it to be the 'Azure Moon Transcendent Void Sword'. This sword was an exceptionally rare universal Life-Bound Magical Treasure that could be refined by cultivators of any spiritual root type.

This was precisely why it commanded a sky-high price of 100,000 spirit stones. After all, the Chen family's ancestral life-bound artifact, the Crimson Flame Qi (Spiritual Root) Spirit Blade, had only cost 20,000 spirit stones back in its day.

The 3 third-grade magical treasures were respectively Deng Yuanjie's Void-Cleaving Boat, Deng Yuanwu's spellblade, and his defensive artifact. Unfortunately, Deng Yuanwu had exhausted all 3 of his spirit stones, preventing them from falling into Eldrin's possession.

"What a truly bountiful harvest."

Eldrin kept the Jade Spirit Eyes for his own cultivation, reserving the Void-Splitting Boat to replace the 7 Stars Demon-Slaying Boat. After all, the 7 Stars Demon-Slaying Boat was a medium-sized treasure vessel, considerably slower in speed, making it more suitable for the clan's use.

He set aside the other treasures for now, as they were of no immediate use, storing them to bolster the family's foundation and allocate them when critical moments arose.

After putting away a few treasures, Eldrin retrieved his greatest harvest from this endeavor.

Lyra paid no heed to the treasures of the Deng family's 2 cultivators, yet she spoke favorably of the 2 legacies left by Elder Mo—a clear testament to the extraordinary nature of these precious tomes.

Eldrin carefully opened the ancient tome, and with each passing page, his astonishment grew.

The treasured tome was known as the Tome of Qian Yuan Formations, a compendium of arcane arrays compiled by an ancient cultivator named Chen Qian Yuan.

This ancient tome documented 1 100 and 7 first-tier formations, 30-1 second-tier formations, and 7 third-tier formations.

Setting aside first and second-tier formations, among the third-tier formations were actually 2 upper third-tier formations, 1 of which was the Great Geng Sword Array (Formation).

"With this set of Array Codex, the Old Patriarch's mastery of formations will likely advance by leaps and bounds in the future."

Eldrin gazed at the treasure tome, unable to suppress a flicker of delight in his expression.

The old clan leader possessed extraordinary talent in formations, with attainments far surpassing those of Eldrin (Person Name). By thoroughly mastering this formation, he could potentially rank among the top 3 formation masters in Chu Kingdom (Location) in the future.

Putting down the Book of Formations (Magic Treasure), Eldrin (Person Name) picked up the Alchemy Treasure Tome. With just a single glance, his hands trembled with barely contained excitement.

This alchemy treasure tome was also authored by Chen Qian Yuan (Person Name), recording over 1 100 distinct elixir formulas in total.

Discussions of first and second-tier pill formulas aside, the third-tier alone comprised 9 distinct recipes. Among these 9 formulas, 5 were classified as lower-grade third-tier.

Among these 5 pill formulas, Lyra possessed the recipes for the Purple Aura Pill (Spiritual Object), Mysterious Jade Pill (Spiritual Object), and the Cloud-Vein Creation Pill—none could be considered particularly rare.

Chapter 1: The Reborn Youth Mount Canglan, Outer Sect. A dilapidated wooden house stood silently in the mountain breeze. Inside, a youth of 15 or 16 years lay on a simple bed, his face pale as paper. Suddenly, his body trembled violently, and his eyes snapped open. Those eyes held no trace of youthful innocence—only the profound weariness of 1 who had weathered countless storms. "I've... been reborn?" Murmured the youth, his voice raspy with disbelief. Memories surged like tidal waves—he was Jiang Chen, the youngest Grandmaster Alchemist of the Divine Continent, revered throughout the land. Yet, he had been betrayed by his most trusted disciple, ambushed by 9 supreme experts while refining the Divine Union Pill, and perished with regrets. Unexpectedly, his soul had crossed time and space, inhabiting the body of a youth also named Jiang Chen—an outer sect disciple of the Green Cloud Sect who had died from severe internal injuries after a vicious beating. "To think I, Jiang Chen, would be granted a second chance at life!" He clenched his fists, his gaze sharpening. "Very well! In this life, I shall tread the path of cultivation anew, and surely reclaim my place among the heavens!" Just then, the wooden door creaked open. A girl in blue robes entered, her delicate features marred by anxiety. In her hands, she carefully carried a coarse ceramic bowl. "Senior Brother Jiang, you're awake!" Her eyes lit up with joy upon seeing him conscious. "I've brought you some Spirit Replenishing Soup. It'll help you recover." Jiang Chen's heart warmed. This was Lin Xuanxuan, the only 1 in the sect who still cared for him. While others mocked him for his mediocre talent and bullied him relentlessly, she alone showed him kindness. "Thank you, Junior Sister Lin." Jiang Chen accepted the bowl, his voice softening. As their fingers brushed, a strange sensation shot through him—a faint, yet unmistakable spiritual pulse from her body! This was... the legendary Innate Dao Body! A cultivation physique said to appear only once in 10 1000 years! Suppressing his shock, Jiang Chen asked calmly, "Junior Sister, have you always felt a warm current flowing through your body when you meditate?" Lin Xuanxuan's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know, Senior Brother? I've never told anyone—I thought it was just my poor cultivation method..." Jiang Chen smiled faintly. So it was true. In his previous life, he had only read about this physique in ancient texts. Those with the Innate Dao Body were natural prodigies in cultivation, their connection to the spiritual energies of heaven and earth far surpassing ordinary individuals. "Junior Sister, your talent is extraordinary," Jiang Chen said meaningfully. "With the right guidance, your future achievements will be limitless." Before Lin Xuanxuan could respond, the door was violently kicked open. 3 outer sect disciples swaggered in, led by a sharp-faced youth. "Well, well, if it isn't our useless trash, still alive and kicking?" Zhao Gang, the ringleader, sneered contemptuously. "Listen up, Jiang Chen. From now on, your monthly supply of 3 spirit stones belongs to us. Hand them over obediently, and maybe we'll go easy on you." Lin Xuanxuan immediately stepped in front of Jiang Chen. "Senior Brother Zhao, please! Senior Brother Jiang is badly injured. He needs those spirit stones for recovery!" "Recovery?" Zhao Gang laughed crudely. "What's the point of wasting spirit stones on trash? Better let us put them to good use!" His lackies joined in the mockery. "Exactly! A waste of resources!" Jiang Chen's expression remained calm. In his previous life, he had faced demons and deities alike—such petty bullies were nothing but ants in his eyes. "Are you done?" Jiang Chen's voice was icy. "If so, get out." Zhao Gang was taken aback, then flew into a rage. "You dare talk back to me? Looks like our last lesson wasn't enough for you!" He stepped forward, fist clenched, spiritual energy gathering around it—the first level of the Qi Refining Stage! To ordinary people, this was indeed formidable power. But to Jiang Chen, it was full of openings, clumsy and crude. Just as Zhao Gang's fist was about to connect, Jiang Chen's body shifted almost imperceptibly. With a light tap of his finger on Zhao Gang's wrist, the spiritual energy around the bully's fist instantly dissipated! "Ah!" Zhao Gang cried out in shock and pain, clutching his numb right hand. "You—what did you do?!" His 2 lackies stared in disbelief. How could their leader, a first-level Qi Refining cultivator, be defeated by a severely injured good-for-nothing? Jiang Chen rose slowly, his gaze sweeping over them like a sharp sword. "I'll say this only once: get out now." A terrifying aura emanated from him—not of cultivation power, but the imposing demeanor of a supreme expert that sent chills down their spines. Zhao Gang and his gang stumbled backward, their faces pale. For a moment, they felt as if they were facing not an outer sect disciple, but a sovereign overlooking the mortal world! "Y-You just wait!" Stammering with fear, the 3 scrambled out in panic. Lin Xuanxuan stared at Jiang Chen in astonishment. The Senior Brother Jiang before her seemed... different. That calm composure, that commanding presence—it was as if he had become a completely different person. "Senior Brother Jiang, how did you...?" Jiang Chen simply smiled. "Just a trick I picked up by chance." But inwardly, he sighed. His current body was far too weak. That simple move just now had consumed nearly all his strength. He needed to regain his power—quickly. He turned to Lin Xuanxuan. "Junior Sister, could you help me with something?" "Of course! Just name it!" "I need a few herbs: 7 Leaves Grass, Purple Cloud Ginseng, and Spirit Replenishing Root..." These were common low-grade spiritual herbs, but combined in a specific way, they could create a medicinal solution to cleanse his marrow and tendons, laying a new foundation for his cultivation. Lin Xuanxuan memorized the list carefully. "I'll go gather them right away!" After she left, Jiang Chen sat cross-legged on the bed, beginning to sense the spiritual energy around him. Though thin, the spiritual energy here was far richer than in his previous life's Divine Continent. With the cultivation methods and insights from his past life, reaching the pinnacle again was only a matter of time. "Disciple," he murmured, his eyes cold, "just you wait. I, your master, will soon return to settle our score." Outside, the setting sun dyed the sky red, casting its glow over the distant mountains. A new journey was about to begin.