Chapter 181 Clan Leader Breaks Through to Purple Mansion

Eldrin swept his gaze over the assembly, his expression grave as he solemnly instructed.

"I must guard the Clan Leader during his secluded cultivation. During this period, the 10 of you Foundation Establishment cultivators shall remain, using 2 Third-Rank Treasure Ships (Magic Treasure) to secure the Dark Iron Mountain (Location)."

"Understood."

Everyone nodded repeatedly, fully aware of the importance of a third-level earth vein.

After giving instructions to the crowd, Eldrin flew with the old clan leader toward Spirit Isle Lake. To break through to the Purple Mansion realm, the old clan leader needed to do so within a third-order spirit vein to avoid the risk of insufficient spiritual energy.

At the critical moment of breaking through to the Violet Mansion realm, both Eldrin and the old clan leader were immensely excited. Though numerous matters required attention after ascending to become a Violet Mansion immortal clan, they could spare no thought for them now.

After Eldrin departed with the old clan leader, Lior turned to the Foundation Establishment elders present with a serene smile.

"The spiritual vein of this Dark Iron Mountain (Location) is only at the lower grade of the second rank. To set up a third-rank grand formation, it must at least be elevated to the upper grade of the second rank."

"The advancement of the spirit vein requires approximately 50,000 spirit stones. Our clan treasury is still somewhat short. Let us all pool our resources for now, and we shall repay you in the future."

After Lior finished speaking, everyone nodded in agreement. With both the Clan Leader and Eldrin currently absent, it fell upon them, the elders, to properly manage the myriad trivial affairs.

For instance, upgrading the spiritual vein to the second-grade premium level at the Dark Iron Mountain (Location) dojo, or expanding the shop in the Yuyang Market—such matters no longer required their personal attention.

Chapter 1 Eldrin and the old clan leader had flown for half a day before swiftly returning to Spirit Isle Lake.

The old clan leader immediately entered the spirit pool at Spirit Isle Lake (Location) and began closed-door cultivation to break through to the Purple Mansion realm. Meanwhile, Eldrin (Person Name) stood guard outside the spirit pool, both cultivating himself and protecting his senior's breakthrough.

In the blink of an eye, 3 months had passed. On this day, Eldrin was tempering the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss with the metallic essence of Geng Jin and the ethereal flames of Li Fire.

As early as many years ago, the 5 Elements Qi refined by the Chen Clan cultivators had ceased to be sold externally, and they had consistently been purchasing large quantities of 5 Elements Qi.

Over the years, he had accumulated a considerable amount. 3 months ago, he gathered the accumulated Metal and Fire energies his clan had collected in recent years, continuously tempering his Lifebound Immortal Sword.

Now, after a full 3 months had passed, he finally managed to bring the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss (Magic Treasure) to the threshold of the middle-grade third tier.

"Hymn—"

As Eldrin channeled a wisp of Li Fire energy into it, the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss emitted a soft chime. Its azure sword aura surged dramatically, ascending to the mid-third-tier realm.

Eldrin gazed at the radiant azure immortal sword, its power surging dramatically. A faint smile graced his features as his life-bound immortal sword advanced to Mid Stage 3. Finally, his offensive capabilities had gained another layer of strength.

Although the Great Geng Immortal Sword was immensely powerful, its consumption of spiritual energy was far too great, making it suitable only as a last-resort weapon. With this mid third-grade Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss (Magic Treasure), his natal magic treasure now rivaled that of Purple Palace, Mid Stage (Cultivation Realm) cultivators.

"Bzz…"

Just as joy blossomed in his heart, the void trembled faintly, and countless streams of spiritual energy surged into the spirit pool like a giant whale drinking in the ocean.

Eldrin (Person Name) turned toward the direction of the spirit pool with delighted surprise, realizing the old clan leader had successfully broken through to the Violet Mansion realm.

A figure pushed open the door of the seclusion chamber, revealing the clan leader with hair as white as cranes yet a face glowing with youth, his bearing truly extraordinary.

For many years, Eldrin had always seen the old clan chief appear to be over 60 years of age. Yet upon meeting him recently, he discovered the elder had rejuvenated into his prime. Were it not for the head of silver hair, his youthful visage would resemble that of a 20-7- or 20-8-year-old man.

At the sight of Eldrin, the old clan leader burst into hearty laughter.

"Hahaha..."

"I never imagined this old man would 1 day break through to the Violet Mansion realm."

Eldrin also smiled warmly and offered his congratulations, "Congratulations, esteemed elder. Having now established your Violet Mansion, it is certain you will advance to become a Golden Core Patriarch in the future."

"The Golden Core is still far beyond my reach. I am quite content with achieving the Purple Mansion."

Chen Changxuan shook his head, a faint smile gracing his lips as he replied.

That being said, a flicker of yearning still shone in his gaze. At 1 100 and 50-6 years of age, breaking through to the Violet Mansion Realm at this stage meant he still had approximately 2 100 and 50 years of lifespan ahead.

For a dual-spiritual root cultivator, breaking through to the Violet Mansion realm typically allows for 1 layer of cultivation advancement approximately every 30 years. With dedicated practice, this duration can be shortened to around 20-5 years.

If a Purple Mansion cultivator possessed substantial wealth—for instance, an annual stipend exceeding 5,000 spirit stones—they could afford third-grade spiritual pills and treasures to enhance their cultivation. This would allow them to shorten the required time to a dozen years or even less.

Moreover, the Chen Clan possessed a third-order spirit peach, which was the finest treasure for enhancing cultivation. The old clan leader estimated that with it, he could likely break through 1 cultivation layer in just 10 years.

In that case, as long as he didn’t remain stuck for too long at the bottlenecks of Purple Palace, Mid Stage (Cultivation Realm) and Purple Palace, Late Stage (Cultivation Realm), the old clan leader would still have over a century of lifespan remaining by the time he cultivated to Purple Palace, Peak Stage (Cultivation Realm).

Having spent 30 to 40 years breaking through the Golden Core bottleneck from the Zi Mansion stage, he could attempt the breakthrough once more in that timeframe. By this calculation, he might have 3 or 4 opportunities to impact the Golden Core realm. His chances of achieving a Golden Core breakthrough were likely far greater than those of most Zi Mansion cultivators.

Of course, this was contingent on being able to swiftly break through the bottlenecks of Purple Palace, Mid Stage (Cultivation Realm) and Purple Palace, Late Stage (Cultivation Realm).

Both bottlenecks were quite troublesome. Without the Cloud Pattern Creation Elixir and the Purple Qi Cloud Pattern Elixir, it would likely take 30 to 50 years of arduous effort to refine 1's spiritual power.

Combined, this would require several dozen to nearly 1 100 years—a truly time-consuming and laborious endeavor.

To refine the Cloud-Patterned Creation Elixir requires the consumption of precious 5 Elements treasures such as Li Fire Crystal (Spiritual Object) and Geng Metal Crystal (Spiritual Object). As for crafting the Violet Qi Cloud-Patterned Elixir, it demands an even rarer primary ingredient—Violet Sun Jade.

This is precisely why the Chu Kingdom boasts over a 100 cultivators at the Purple Mansion Realm, yet only a dozen or so have attained the Purple Palace, Late Stage.

"Ahem..."

Lost in thought about the future, the old clan chief suddenly coughed, his face turning somewhat pale.

Eldrin (Person Name) swiftly supported the old clan leader, his face etched with concern as he said, "What happened to you?"

"It is of no consequence." The old clan leader shook his head, his expression calm as he stated, "While breaking through to the Violet Mansion, I experienced a slight deficiency in true essence and consumed a portion of my life essence blood. It will take some 20 or 30 years of recuperation to recover."

Eldrin's eyes flickered slightly, recognizing this as a sign of severely depleted vital essence. If not restored promptly, the old clan leader would require 20 to 30 years of dedicated effort to recover from his injuries.

Yet there was still a way. The Qi Replenishing Return Pill (Spiritual Object) recorded in Chen Qian’s alchemical formula was, in fact, specifically created for such newly-advanced Purple Mansion cultivators.

At this thought, Eldrin said with a calm expression, "There's no need to sacrifice 20 years. The efficacy of the Returning Abyss Ginseng in the spirit herb garden is already sufficient."

"Once I refine a batch of Qi Replenishing Return Pill (Spiritual Object), it will fully restore your severely depleted vital essence."

To refine the Qi Replenishing Return Pill (Spiritual Object), Eldrin (Person Name) journeyed to Verdant Chariot Mountain (Location) and harvested the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss (Magic Treasure).

He then gathered supplementary ingredients from the Yuyang Market and the clan repository. The Spirit-Returning Ginseng required a total of 20-9 auxiliary components, and Eldrin managed to acquire 20-7 from these 2 locations. However, he discovered that 2 types were still missing from the complete set.

Chapter 1 The Azure Clouds Sect's recruitment ceremony had just concluded, and the mountain plaza was still bustling with activity. A young man in blue robes stood silently at the edge of the cliff, gazing into the distance where mist and clouds intertwined. His name was Lin Xuan (Person Name), an outer sect disciple who had been stuck at the third level of Qi Refinement for 3 years. "30-2 1000 spirit stones... just enough to purchase a Foundation Establishment Pill (Elixir)," he murmured to himself, tightening his grip on the storage pouch at his waist. The cold morning dew soaked his sleeves, but he paid it no mind. Suddenly, a crisp voice rang out behind him. "Senior Brother Lin! The Sect Leader has summoned all disciples to the Grand Hall immediately." Turning around, he saw a girl in lotus-patterned robes panting as she ran toward him. Her eyes sparkled like the first thaw of a spring river—this was Ning Wan'er (Person Name), the youngest inner sect disciple in a century. "What happened?" Lin Xuan asked calmly. Ning Wan'er lowered her voice. "They say the Demon Sect's forces have breached the northern defensive formation. Over a 100 villages have been... reduced to ashes." A cold gleam flashed in Lin Xuan's eyes. The Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss (Magic Treasure) at his waist emitted a faint hum, as if resonating with his killing intent. The 2 arrived at the Grand Hall to find it packed with disciples. On the elevated jade platform, the Sect Leader's expression was grave. "The Demon Sect has violated the ancient covenant. From this day forth, all disciples above the fifth level of Qi Refinement shall join the hunting squad." Murmurs instantly filled the hall. "But Sect Leader, most of us outer sect disciples haven't even reached the fifth level..." protested a tall disciple. The Sect Leader waved his sleeve, and a scroll glowing with golden light unfurled mid-air. "Those who contribute meritoriously shall be rewarded with the sect's supreme technique—the 9 Revolutions Mysterious Art (Cultivation Method)." Gasps of awe echoed through the crowd. This was a legendary cultivation method lost for millennia! Lin Xuan's heart raced. The 9 Revolutions Mysterious Art was said to enable cultivators to condense a Golden Core (Cultivation Base) in just 1 revolution. If he could obtain it... "Senior Brother," Ning Wan'er whispered, tugging his sleeve, "your spiritual energy feels different today." Before Lin Xuan could respond, a deafening explosion shook the entire main peak. The hall's protective formation flickered violently as dark clouds gathered overhead, within which crimson lightning danced like serpents. "Heavenly Tribulation!" someone screamed in terror. But this was no ordinary heavenly tribulation—within the roiling thunderclouds, countless demonic shadows writhed and swooped. The Demon Sect had actually harnessed the power of heavenly punishment to attack! "All disciples, assume the 7 Stars Array (Formation)!" the Sect Leader commanded, soaring into the air with his sword. Lin Xuan drew the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss, its blade glowing with a faint cyan light. He had waited 3 years for this moment. Tonight, either he would achieve a breakthrough during this chaos, or perish with this mountain. A dozen or so demonic cultivators descended from the sky, their leader fixing his crimson eyes on Lin Xuan. "That sword... you're the 1 who killed the Young Master of our sect!" Lin Xuan smiled faintly. "Not just him. Today, I'll be sending you all to keep him company." The sword in his hand burst into radiant brilliance—no longer the dim glow of the third level of Qi Refinement, but the dazzling aura of the great perfection of Foundation Establishment! Ning Wan'er watched in stunned silence from nearby. Only then did she understand why Senior Brother Lin had remained silent all these years. He had been concealing his strength, waiting for this very moment when the clouds part to see the moon.