Chapter 217 Old Friends Depart

Hearing this, the old clan leader nodded in tacit approval of the method.

After all, if his strength could be enhanced, the role he would play in the future assault on the Qingyang Sect would also increase significantly.

However, the old clan leader pondered for a moment before saying, "If we can afford it, then we shall. When we attend the Trade Assembly this time, if there are surplus funds, priority should be given to purchasing the Cloud-Script Fate-Altering Pill and the 5 Elements Crystals."

"I understand."

Eldrin lifted his teacup, then hesitated for a moment before speaking. "After I emerged from seclusion, Silas informed me that Uncle Changlu has recently passed away in meditation."

"Hmm."

Chen Changxuan's fingers trembled slightly, a trace of melancholy flickering between his brows.

Chen Changlu was the youngest elder of the Chang generation. When Eldrin first descended from Verdant Chariot Mountain, Chen Changlu was already over 70 years old.

If nearly 70 years had passed, even though Chen Changlu had consumed 3 second-order spirit apricots, it was a pity that his lifespan had ultimately been exhausted.

After his death, only the clan elder remained among the cultivators of the Chang generation.

The old clan leader had lived for over 1 100 and 80 years, watching his peers and even juniors pass away step by step, until he stood utterly alone in the end—a profound, indescribable desolation tinged with resignation.

"Alas—"

Chen Changxuan let out a sigh, a trace of regret coloring his tone. "If only he could have held on for a few more years—until the Spirit Apricot Tree advanced to Third Rank, Lower Grade. By then, each Spirit Apricot would grant 30 years of lifespan. Perhaps... he could have stayed by my side for another 2 decades."

The old clan leader had devoted his entire life to the Dao, never taking a wife or concubines. With no blood relatives—his parents having passed away nearly a 100 years prior—he had always regarded Eldrin as his own son. As for Chen Changlu, his young clansman, the elder saw him as nothing less than a biological younger brother.

Now that Chen Changxuan had passed, the old clan leader could only heave a helpless sigh. In the end, a 1000 words condensed into wordless silence.

He looked at Eldrin and said with some regret, "I heard that your Uncle Qingyuan has been bedridden recently. I'm afraid he won't last much longer."

"Before you depart for the Trade Assembly, go bid him your final farewell."

Leaving Pingyang City, Eldrin flew on his sword toward Verdant Chariot Mountain.

At the cliffside behind Verdant Chariot Mountain (Location), a solitary courtyard stood in sublime isolation.

Before the cliff grew a gnarled old tree, beneath which lay a reclining chair holding a figure with hair and beard as white as snow.

Eldrin landed not far away, his gaze fixed upon that figure, his face as calm as still water.

"You have come."

"Chen Qingyuan spoke weakly, his aged face covered in wrinkles, no longer bearing the youthful vigor of his prime."

He watched the clouds swirling and drifting before the cliff, a touch of serenity and resolution lingering between his brows.

"I knew it. It's time for me to bid my final farewell as well."

Eldrin did not reply. He stepped forward, felt his meridians, and shook his head helplessly.

The elder clansman’s vital essence had been completely depleted, and now he was sustained solely by a single breath of true qi. Once that breath of true qi was exhausted, he would inevitably meet the end of his life.

He furrowed his brow and couldn't help but ask, "I remember giving you several spirit apricots. Had you consumed them all, you should still have over a dozen years of lifespan remaining."

"There's no need."

Chen Qingyuan shook his head, lifting his gaze to the sea of clouds swirling and drifting before the mountain cliff.

Then he took another look at Eldrin, struck by how tall and slender the figure before him appeared. His 3 1000 strands of hair flowed like ink, his jade-like countenance reminiscent of a youth in his 18 years.

She merely stood there in silence, yet she seemed not of this mortal dust, but rather like an immortal who had descended to the mundane world.

"Let the world shift through seas and mulberry fields, I observe the flow of time within the mortal realm."

"In my snow-white robes, I remain ever young, while endless ages leave my garments untouched."

Chen Qingyuan murmured to himself, his voice tinged with a trace of regret and a hint of resigned acceptance.

Eldrin felt a heavy gloom in his heart, yet he suppressed his anguish and spoke with a calm expression.

"Do you have any last words you wish me to convey?"

"Last words..."

The clan elder chuckled softly, raising his eyes to gaze at the distant sky. He felt his vision blur slightly with age, the clouds above resembling fleeting echoes of his youthful self.

He waved his hand dismissively, looking exactly like Chen Qingmeng before his attempt to break through to the Foundation Establishment realm.

Qingmeng dared to stake his life in this gamble, Qingxu was willing to yield the Spirit Apricot to Nianzhen, while Qinghe would rather die than use the Foundation Establishment Pill (Spiritual Object).

"Over the years, I've come to realize that although I've lived several decades longer than clansmen like Qing Meng, Qing Xu, and Qing He, my life has been far less extraordinary than theirs."

"If there is a next life, I shall charge forward without hesitation. Better to perish in the process of breaking through to Foundation Establishment than to await death for decades..."

Chen Qingyuan ultimately departed, unwilling to consume the spirit apricot and having dissipated his last wisp of vital energy on his own.

After his death, only a handful of cultivators of the Qing generation remained. Within the family, those worthy of Eldrin's courteous treatment could be counted on 1 hand—no more than 2 or 3.

The funeral was personally arranged by Lior, and most of the Foundation Establishment cultivators in the clan also made time to return for it.

Eldrin had rarely stayed at Verdant Chariot Mountain for 3 full days. Only after Chen Qingyuan was laid to rest in the back mountains did he finally depart from Verdant Chariot Mountain.

Other than Verdant Chariot Mountain (Location), he did not return to Spirit Isle Lake (Location), instead directly riding his sword toward Cangzhou (Location).

This time, the Purple Mansion Exchange Convention of the Chu Kingdom was held in Cangzhou. As the foremost of the kingdom's 9 prefectures, Cangzhou was also the territory of the Azure Sky Sword Sect.

Eldrin piloted the Purple Blood Skiff onward, flying over 400,000 li in 1 continuous journey before finally arriving at the largest market city in Chu Kingdom—Vault of Heaven Market.

No sooner had he landed outside the Skyreach Market than he heard a familiar voice: "Brother Eldrin, I had a feeling you would come here."

The speaker was none other than Varen. The patriarch of the Wei clan beamed with delight as he strode toward Eldrin.

Eldrin (Person Name) smiled faintly and stepped forward, saying, "Brother Wei, what brings you here today? Are you looking to acquire something?"

"Alas." Varen shook his head and said helplessly, "In recent years, to break through to the Zi Fu realm, our clan has incurred quite a few debts."

"This time, I plan to offer 2 treasures for sale, hoping to exchange them for some spirit stones to settle my outstanding debts."

Eldrin nodded upon hearing this. After the Wei family had ascended to become a Violet Mansion immortal clan, they had begun to receive a portion of resources allocated from Yang Province.

However, the Wei family was currently saddled with a mountain of debt yet to be repaid. Moreover, their spiritual vein remained merely a second-grade, upper-tier resource. To advance it to the third grade would likely require decades—if not a full century—of scrimping and saving.

In truth, this was the norm for most newly established Zi Mansion immortal families. The Chen Clan's phenomenon was an exceptionally rare case that could hardly be replicated.

After all, the 2 Purple Mansion Elders of the Chen Immortal Clan achieved their breakthroughs to the Purple Mansion realm without utilizing any clan resources. Among the 4 third-order spirit veins, only Dark Iron Mountain was elevated through the expenditure of spirit stones.

As this thought crossed his mind, a sudden realization flashed through Eldrin's thoughts—he recalled a third-tier underground fire vein located in Yangzhou.

At this thought, he smiled and asked, "What treasure have you come to offer?"

"What other treasures could there be? Just 2 portions of Eldrin Fire Spirit Liquid."

Varen shook his head. The Wei Immortal Clan was relatively weak in strength, and they had received a smaller share of Yang Province's resources.

Chapter 1: Rebirth of the Immortal Monarch The sky tore asunder, bleeding crimson lightning. Chu Xuan stood atop the Celestial Summit Peak, his white robes stained with blood, the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss in his hand trembling as it emitted mournful cries. "Fellow Daoists, you call yourselves righteous cultivators, yet you ambush me with such numbers. How laughable!" He spat out a mouthful of blood, his gaze sweeping across the hundreds of figures encircling him in the sky. Eldrin, the leader of the ambush, stepped forward on his sword. "Chu Xuan, you demonic cultivator who slaughters innocents, today will be your judgment!" Chu Xuan laughed wildly, the spiritual energy within his dantian churning violently. "Judgment? Then let us all perish together!" A deafening explosion echoed as the entire Celestial Summit Peak collapsed. The last thing Chu Xuan saw was the panicked expressions of those so-called righteous cultivators. — When he opened his eyes again, the familiar wooden ceiling left him stunned. "This is... my room from a 100 years ago?" He sat up abruptly, examining his hands. The meridians that had been severed were now intact, and the spiritual energy within his body was faint but unobstructed. "Could it be... I've really been reborn?" Memories flooded his mind like a tidal wave. He remembered that at this time, he was still an outer disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect, a Foundation Building realm cultivator bullied by all. "Ding! The Immortal Path Simulation System has been successfully bound!" A mechanical voice echoed in his mind, followed by a translucent screen appearing before his eyes. [Host: Chu Xuan] [Cultivation: Foundation Building Realm (Early Stage)] [Cultivation Method: Azure Cloud Art (Third Layer)] [Lifespan: 18/95] [Spirit Stones: 150] Chu Xuan's eyes sharpened. A system? It seemed heaven had not abandoned him. He got out of bed and walked to the bronze mirror. The reflection showed a youthful face, full of vitality, a far cry from the heavily injured state before his death. "Eldrin, Soaring Cloud Sect... and all you hypocritical righteous cultivators, just you wait. This time, I, Chu Xuan, will make you pay the price you deserve!" A cold light flashed in his eyes. In his previous life, he had ascended to the pinnacle of the Immortal path, only to be betrayed and ambushed. Now, with a second chance and the help of the system, he would rewrite everything. He sat cross-legged on the futon, circulating the Azure Cloud Art. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth slowly gathered, but the speed was still too slow. "The third layer of the Azure Cloud Art is indeed inferior." In his previous life, he had obtained countless supreme techniques, but now, with his low cultivation, he couldn't practice any of them. "System, are there any cultivation methods suitable for the Foundation Building realm?" [Ding! Detected host's request, scanning the database...] [Found: "9 Revolutions Divine Demon Art" (requires 1,000 spirit stones)] ["Heavenly Thunder Body Tempering Art" (requires 800 spirit stones)] ["Void Sutra" (requires 5,000 spirit stones)] Chu Xuan frowned. The cheapest technique required 800 spirit stones, but he only had 150. It seemed he needed to find a way to earn some spirit stones first. Just as he was lost in thought, a sharp voice came from outside the door. "Chu Xuan, get out here! It's time to pay the protection fee!"