Chapter 216 Refining the Tianhe Ren Water Sword

The other Foundation Establishment Elders also made tremendous progress.

The elder Lior (Person Name) was already over 1 100 and 10 years old. He cultivated with the utmost diligence, and now possessed the most profound cultivation base, nearly reaching the threshold of the Foundation Building 9th Layer.

At this rate, barring unforeseen circumstances, Lior (Person Name) would likely attempt to break through to the Zi Mansion Realm around the age of 1 100 20-5—over a dozen years sooner than the Old Patriarch's first attempt.

Chen Qingwan had delayed a few years to refine her Life-Bound Magical Treasure, and was still at the eighth level of Foundation Building. Yet it appeared she could break through to the ninth layer within a decade.

Among the others, Kael (Person Name) had accumulated abundant merits. After exchanging for Marrow Purification Elixir and Verdant Origin Pills, his cultivation advanced most rapidly. Not long ago, he had already stepped into the seventh layer of Foundation Establishment, appearing likely to reach the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment just past a 100 years of age.

Caleb and Silas, the sibling pair, had achieved Foundation Establishment in the same year as Kael. Though their progress had slowed during the first 2 decades due to scarce resources, they were now projected to break through to Foundation Establishment, Late Stage within 5 years.

However, the 2 of them were even younger, now only 70 years of age, and it was estimated they would make their first attempt to impact the Purple Mansion around a 100 years old. In terms of lifespan, this was still quite ample.

Aside from these few cultivators who had started earlier, Lila (Person Name) and Chen Ethan (Person Name) were progressing at an astonishingly rapid pace in their cultivation.

At 20-4, Chen Ethan (Person Name) achieved Foundation Establishment on his own. Now in his forties, his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds in merely 2 decades, bringing him astonishingly close to breaching the threshold of the fifth layer of Foundation Establishment.

Putting aside the additional realm gained from the Jade Marrow Elixir, breaking through 3 major realms in 20 years meant he had advanced 1 realm every 7 years.

Generally speaking, a Foundation Establishment cultivator with dual spiritual roots would require a full decade to break through a single realm, even with abundant resources and dedicated, arduous cultivation.

The reason he had progressed so swiftly was not only due to his rigorous cultivation, but also largely attributed to the 200 spirit clam pearls he had obtained from the Celestial Python Lake.

In any case, at this rate, Ethan (Person Name) would likely attempt his first breakthrough to the Purple Mansion around 70 years of age.

This was not far behind Eldrin's breakthrough to the Violet Mansion at 60-3, making it remarkably outstanding.

Lila possessed a unique spiritual root. Typically, those with such roots would require 7 years to break through each minor realm during the Foundation Establishment stage. However, Lila naturally had no shortage of Spirit Shell Pearls, allowing her to advance 1 level in cultivation in merely 5 years.

She had broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage at merely 20 years of age, and in just 15 years since then, she had consecutively shattered 3 major realms, now reaching the fourth level of Foundation Establishment.

This was because Eldrin felt her cultivation progressed too rapidly, and he feared her foundation would be unstable, so he withheld the Jade Marrow Elixir and did not allow her to consume it.

"Hmm..."

Shaking off his thoughts, Eldrin sensed the wisp of Primordial Purple Qi within him, and his heart settled slightly.

Speaking of this Primordial Purple Qi, it was rather peculiar. No matter how high his cultivation base became, the amount of Primordial Purple Qi converted each day remained a single wisp—neither increasing nor decreasing over the years.

Over the years, he had drawn in the Primordial Purple Qi nearly every day, yet there were inevitably moments of interruption. Thus, this final breath of Primordial Purple Qi was delayed by 3 years, accumulating only when he reached the age of 80-3.

"Now that I have obtained the ninth wisp of Primordial Purple Qi,"

"Then it is time to forge the Tianhe Renshui Sword."

With this thought in mind, Eldrin immediately began refining his fourth life-bound magic treasure.

The River of Heaven Ren Water Sword and the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss (Magic Treasure) embody the principles of yin and yang. The forging method of this sword was also devised by emulating the crafting techniques of the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss (Magic Treasure), resulting in a process that achieves similar marvels through different means.

As early as his Foundation Establishment, Early Stage, Eldrin had already forged the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss. Crafting the River of Stars Ren Water Sword now was merely an inevitable culmination of his progress.

In just 7 days, he completed the smelting of the Celestial River Treasured Gold and fused the Profound Water Crystal (Spiritual Object) into it.

Forging the sword body and inscribing the array patterns didn't require much effort, but refining the essence of the 5 Elements proved to be a truly laborious task. He had labored for an entire month before finally elevating the River of Heaven Water Sword to the lower-grade of the third rank.

Seeing the immortal sword had been fully forged, Eldrin seized the moment and exhaled a breath of Primordial Violet Qi.

The long-accumulated Primordial Purple Qi had been expended once more, yet it truly induced a subtle transformation in the foundation of the River of Heaven Water Sword, elevating its potential grade by 1 tier.

"Chant—"

A single clear sword cry echoed through the air as the Tianhe Renshui Sword transformed into a translucent cyan sword radiance, piercing directly into Eldrin’s glabella.

Eldrin flew out from Spirit Isle Lake, testing the might of the Li River Water Sword of the Heavenly River before revealing a trace of satisfaction.

Though merely a low-grade third-tier weapon, this sword contained the vast and mighty power of Ren Water. With but a casual strike, it cleaved the earth, leaving a 10-1000-foot scar—a testament to its formidable might.

"A fine sword."

He exclaimed in delighted admiration before returning to Spirit Isle Lake (Location).

Although the River of Heaven Water Sword had been forged, it still needed to be elevated to mid-third-grade before it could merge with the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss (Magic Treasure).

After toiling for over 3 months and expending tens of thousands of spirit stones' worth of both Ren Water and Geng Metal energies, Eldrin finally elevated the Heavenly River Ren Water Sword to the third-tier, superior grade.

After forging the immortal sword, Eldrin did not linger at Spirit Isle Lake, instead directly riding his sword toward Pingyang City.

"Try this year's new tea."

"This is third-stage Enlightenment Tea, exceedingly rare and precious."

Behind the Clan Hall of Pingyang City, the old clan leader poured a cup of tea for Eldrin.

Eldrin took a sip, and immediately a wave of Zen-like enlightenment surged through his heart. In that moment, his spirit cleared and his mind refreshed, as if he had entered a state bordering on profound comprehension of the Dao.

"Excellent tea."

Setting down the teacup, Eldrin finally spoke, "The Chu Kingdom Grand Bazaar will commence in just over 3 months. Do you plan to attend?"

"You go ahead."

The old clan leader took a sip of tea, then set it down again.

"The clan treasury still holds 80,000 spirit stones. Take more spirit stones with you, and bring along several unused third-tier treasures as well, lest we miss the items we intend to purchase."

"Hmm."

Eldrin nodded subtly and said, "There's 1 more thing I'd like to discuss with you."

"Oh."

The old clan leader’s brow twitched slightly as he waited for him to continue.

Eldrin glanced at the old clan leader and spoke bluntly, "The clan has only 1 Geng Metal Crystal remaining."

"You mean the issue of candidate selection?" Chen Changxuan inquired, furrowing his brow as he continued, "Logically speaking, Lior possesses dual metal-water spiritual roots. With this treasure, he could attempt the Zifu breakthrough within 15 years."

Although Kael possessed a Triple Spirit Root, after achieving self-established Foundation, he never lacked resources. It was likely he could attempt the Purple Mansion breakthrough within 20-some years.

"According to the rules you established, if the difference is negligible, we should prioritize cultivating Kael (Person Name) who achieved Foundation Establishment through his own efforts."

"You are mistaken. I am not doing this for them, but for you."

Eldrin shook his head, his expression turning solemn as he spoke, "In a few years, you'll reach the third-level perfection of the Violet Mansion. It's time for you to break through to the Violet Mansion realm."

"So I was thinking, if we can't obtain a Cloud-Vein Creation Pill at this exchange gathering, I'll use that Geng Metal Crystal (Spiritual Object) to refine a batch of Cloud-Vein Creation Pills for you."

"This..."

The old clan leader furrowed his brow and spoke, "A Purple Mansion cultivator's lifespan spans 4 100 years. I am merely 1 100 and 80-some years old, with ample longevity remaining. There is no need for such haste."

"An early breakthrough to Purple Palace, Mid Stage (Cultivation Realm) would grant greater certainty in forming the Golden Core. Should 1 linger at Purple Palace, Early Stage (Cultivation Realm) for decades, regret would inevitably follow in later years."

"Eldrin stated with an air of finality, then added after a moment’s thought, “Moreover, when I returned from Celestial Ruins Mountain not long ago, Lyra made it clear that they intend to move against the Qingyang Sect within 15 years.”"

"Are you serious?"

The old clan leader's expression shifted slightly, and he couldn't help but rise to his feet with solemn gravity.

Eldrin nodded slightly before adding, "You needn't worry about Uncle Lior and Kael either."

"The next 5 Elements Crystal at Cangkun Mountain (Location) will mature within 10 years. This time, it is destined to be ours."

"The Geng Metal Crystal (Spiritual Object) from the Dark Iron Mountain (Location)'s metal earth vein can gestate within 20 years. Moreover, attacking Green Sun Mountain will undoubtedly yield gains."

Chapter 1: The Reborn Youth The setting sun cast its final rays over the mountain peaks, dyeing the training grounds in hues of crimson. A youth clad in coarse linen robes stood silently beneath an ancient locust tree, his gaze piercing through the distant clouds as if seeing across the vast river of time. "Lin Xuan (Person Name), your spiritual roots are mediocre, and you've been stuck at the third level of Qi Refinement for 3 years. Why bother clinging to the path of cultivation?" A disciple in blue robes spoke with undisguised mockery. Lin Xuan (Person Name) remained silent, a trace of profound meaning flashing in his eyes that didn't match his age. No 1 knew that within this 16-year-old body dwelled the soul of a mighty cultivator who had lived for 10 1000 years. Having traversed the long river of time, he had returned to his youth. "Disciple Lin Xuan, the sect leader has summoned you." A voice called out from afar. Lin Xuan (Person Name) nodded slightly, his footsteps steady as he walked toward the main hall. The surrounding disciples cast him looks of pity or disdain, but he paid them no mind. In his previous life, he had witnessed far too many scenes of worldly ups and downs. The main hall stood tall and majestic, with several elders seated upright. The sect leader, white-haired yet sharp-eyed, spoke gravely, "The Myriad Swords Summit is just 3 months away. Our Falling Cloud Sect (Sect Name) has only 5 quota spots. According to the rules, the 5 disciples with the highest cultivation levels will be selected." Lin Xuan (Person Name) stood quietly in the corner, his expression calm. He knew full well that with his current third level of Qi Refinement cultivation, he had no chance of obtaining a spot. "However," the sect leader's tone suddenly shifted, "the Ancestral Master has decreed that this time, an additional spot will be opened. Any disciple who can find the long-lost Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss (Magic Treasure) will automatically qualify." The hall erupted in an uproar. The Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss (Magic Treasure) had been missing for 3 100 years—how could anyone possibly find it? But Lin Xuan's (Person Name) heart stirred. In his previous life, he had coincidentally learned that this treasured sword was hidden in the back mountain's forbidden area. At that time, he had been too weak to retrieve it, but now... After the assembly concluded, Lin Xuan (Person Name) didn't return to his dwelling. Instead, he took advantage of the night and headed straight for the back mountain. The forbidden area was shrouded in dense mist, with restrictive spells everywhere, but he moved through them with practiced ease—these formations were all too familiar to him. Deep within the cave, a longsword shimmering with crimson light lay quietly on a stone platform. The blade was engraved with mysterious patterns that seemed to flow like fire. Just as Lin Xuan (Person Name) was about to reach for the sword, a cold voice rang out, "I never thought someone would actually find this place." A figure emerged from the shadows—it was Eldrin (Person Name), the sect's number 1 core disciple. Eldrin (Person Name) looked at Lin Xuan (Person Name) with a gaze full of scrutiny, "With your cultivation level, how did you break through the restrictions?" "Just a fluke," Lin Xuan (Person Name) replied calmly. Eldrin (Person Name) laughed coldly, "Since you've found the treasured sword, hand it over, and I might spare your life." Lin Xuan (Person Name) sighed softly. In his previous life, he had been forced into a dead end by Eldrin (Person Name); in this life, he had no intention of repeating that history. "Want the sword? Come and get it yourself." Eldrin (Person Name)'s eyes turned cold. A long sword appeared in his hand, its blade glowing with green light—the Green Python Sword (Magic Treasure), a high-grade magical artifact. "Since you seek death, don't blame me!" The sword light shot straight for Lin Xuan's (Person Name) vitals. With Eldrin's (Person Name) eighth level Qi Refinement cultivation, this strike carried enough power to split rocks and crack stones. But Lin Xuan (Person Name) simply took a light step sideways, so subtly that it was almost imperceptible, yet he perfectly dodged the deadly blow. "How is this possible!" Eldrin's (Person Name) pupils contracted sharply. Lin Xuan (Person Name) showed no expression as he slowly raised his right hand. The Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss (Magic Treasure) on the stone platform suddenly trembled, then turned into a streak of crimson light and flew into his grasp. "With your level of comprehension, you are unworthy of this sword." As the words fell, the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss (Magic Treasure) in Lin Xuan's (Person Name) hand burst into dazzling light. The entire cave was illuminated as bright as day, the sword's aura soaring to the sky. Eldrin (Person Name) stared in disbelief at the scene before him, his voice trembling, "You... just who are you?" Lin Xuan (Person Name) gently stroked the sword blade, a faint smile curling at the corners of his mouth. "Just a passer-by, reborn."