Chapter 217 : The Last of His Generation

Hearing this, Old Patriarch gave a slight nod, tacitly approving the plan.

After all, if his own strength could be enhanced, the role he could play in the future assault on the Green Sun Sect would be significantly greater.

However, after a moment's thought, Old Patriarch added, "If it can be purchased, then purchase it. On this trip to the Barter Convention, if there are surplus funds, prioritize acquiring the Cloud Vein Creation Pill and the Five Elements Crystals."

"I understand."

Eldrin Chen lifted his teacup, hesitated briefly, then spoke again, "After I emerged from seclusion, Silas informed me that Uncle Lucius passed away not long ago."

"Hmm."

Chen Thalion's fingers trembled almost imperceptibly, a shadow of sorrow passing through his eyes.

Chen Lucius had been the youngest among the Clan Elder of the Chang Generation. When Eldrin Chen first descended from Verdant Chariot Mountain, Chen Lucius was already in his seventies.

Now, nearly seventy years later, despite having consumed three Second Rank Spirit Apricot [a type of spirit fruit that extends lifespan], Chen Lucius had ultimately exhausted his allotted lifespan.

With his passing, among the clan's cultivators of the Chang Generation, only Old Patriarch remained. This content originates from audio . novel . com. Please respect copyright.

The Old Patriarch had lived for over one hundred and eighty years, watching step by step as his peers and even those younger than him passed away, until in the end he was left utterly alone. This was a kind of ineffable helplessness and desolation.

"Alas—"

Chen Thalion sighed, his voice tinged with regret. "If only he could have held on for a few more years, until the Spirit Apricot Tree advanced to the Third Rank Low Grade. Then, a single Spirit Apricot [a spiritual fruit that can extend one's lifespan] could have granted him thirty more years of life. Perhaps he could have stayed with me for another twenty years."

The Old Patriarch had devoted his life to the pursuit of the Dao [the fundamental principle or path in cultivation]. He had never taken a wife or concubine, and his blood parents had passed away a century ago. He had always regarded Eldrin Chen as his own son, and in his eyes, the young clan brother Chen Lucius was like a true younger brother.

Now that Chen Thalion was gone, the Old Patriarch could only sigh in resignation. A thousand words and thoughts ultimately condensed into silence.

He looked at Eldrin Chen, speaking with a note of sorrow. "I heard that your Uncle Alistair has been bedridden these past days. I fear he may not have much longer to hold on."

"Before you depart for the Barter Convention [a grand gathering where cultivators trade rare resources], go and see him one last time."

Departing from Pingyang City, Eldrin Chen rode his flying sword towards Verdant Chariot Mountain.

At the edge of a cliff on the Green Chariot Mountain Back Mountain, a solitary courtyard stood in stark isolation.

Before the cliff grew a gnarled and ancient tree. Beneath it lay a reclining chair, and upon it rested a figure with hair and beard as white as snow.

Eldrin Chen landed not far away, his gaze resting upon the solitary figure, his countenance as placid as still water.

"You have come."

Chen Alistair spoke, his voice frail. His aged face was a map of deep wrinkles, the vigor of his prime long since faded from sight.

He gazed at the clouds swirling and unfurling before the cliff's edge, a profound serenity and acceptance settling in the lines of his brow.

"I knew it. I knew you would be the one to see me off on this final journey."

Eldrin Chen offered no reply. He stepped forward and placed a hand upon his clan uncle's wrist, feeling the pulse of his meridians. A helpless shake of his head followed.

The lifeblood essence within this elder's body was utterly exhausted, drained to the dregs. Now, he clung to life by a single, tenuous thread of True Qi [the refined energy cultivated by practitioners of the Dao]. Once that final wisp of True Qi dissipated, the end would inevitably arrive.

Eldrin's brow furrowed. He could not help but ask, "I recall giving you several Spirit Apricot [a spiritual fruit known for its life-extending properties]. Had you consumed them all, you should have had over a decade of lifespan remaining."

"There was no need."

Chen Alistair shook his head slowly, his eyes lifting once more to the vast sea of clouds churning before the mountain precipice.

He then cast another glance at Eldrin Chen, feeling that the figure before him—tall and slender, with hair as dark as ink and a face of jade—resembled more a youth of eighteen summers.

Yet, simply standing there in stillness, he seemed not of this mortal world, but rather an immortal who had descended to the mundane realm.

"Witnessing the seas change into mulberry fields, observing the flow of time within the mortal dust."

"I remain, clad in robes white as snow, while you are young; ten thousand ages cannot stain my garments."

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

Eldrin Chen felt a weight of melancholy in his heart. Suppressing the ache within, he spoke with a calm countenance. Official source: www . audio-novel.com. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

"Do you have any final words, anything you wish for me to accomplish?"

"Final words..."

The clan uncle smiled faintly, lifting his eyes to gaze at the distant sky. His vision, grown dim with age, made the clouds seem to take on shapes reminiscent of his own youthful self.

He waved a hand dismissively, his demeanor strikingly similar to Chen Cedric's just before his attempt to break through to the Foundation Establishment realm.

"Cedric dared to stake his life in one final attempt. Alistair is willing to yield the Spirit Apricot to Nianzhen. Riverius would rather die than use a Foundation Establishment Pill [a precious elixir that aids in breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm]."

"Over these years, I have gradually come to understand. Although I have lived several decades longer than Cedric, Brother Alistair, and Riverius, my life has been far less remarkable than theirs."

"If there is a next life, I will certainly charge forward with courage. Even if I perish in the process of attempting Foundation Establishment [the second major realm of cultivation, where one builds a stable foundation for their Dao], it would be better than waiting for death for decades…"

Chen Alistair ultimately departed, unwilling to consume the Spirit Apricot [a spiritual fruit that can extend a cultivator's lifespan], and voluntarily dispersed his last wisp of True Qi [the refined energy cultivated within a practitioner's body].

After his passing, the cultivators of the Qing Generation [the 'Qing' character generation within the Chen Clan's naming hierarchy] dwindled to a mere handful. Within the clan, those worthy of Eldrin Chen's courteous respect numbered only two or three.

The funeral was personally overseen by Lior Chen. Most of the clan's Foundation Establishment Cultivator [cultivators who have successfully established their foundational cultivation base] also managed to return for a brief period.

Eldrin Chen remained at Verdant Chariot Mountain for three rare days. Only after Chen Alistair was laid to rest within the Back Mountain [the ancestral burial grounds of the Chen Clan] did he finally depart from Verdant Chariot Mountain.

Leaving Verdant Chariot Mountain, he did not return to Spirit Isle Lake. Instead, he directly rode his flying sword towards Cang Province.

This time, the Chu Kingdom's Purple Mansion Barter Convention [a grand gathering where Purple Mansion Realm cultivators trade rare resources] was being held in Cang Province, which stood as the foremost among the Chu Kingdom's Nine Provinces and was also the domain of the Firmament Sword Sect.

Eldrin Chen journeyed forth upon the Purple Blood Skiff [a swift, boat-shaped magical treasure]. After flying over four hundred thousand Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters], he finally arrived at the Chu Kingdom's premier market, the Firmament Market.

He had just landed outside the Firmament Market when he heard a familiar voice. "Brother Eldrin, I had a feeling you would come here."

The speaker was none other than Varen Wei. This Patriarch Wei looked at Eldrin Chen and walked over, his face beaming with delight.

Eldrin Chen smiled faintly and stepped forward. "Brother Wei, what brings you here? Are you looking to purchase something?"

"Ah," Varen Wei shook his head and said with a sigh of resignation. "In recent years, to achieve my breakthrough into the Purple Mansion [the third major realm of cultivation, where one forms a spiritual core within the body], our clan incurred quite a few debts."

"This time, I'm planning to sell a couple of treasures to see if I can exchange them for some Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation] and settle the most pressing debts first."

Eldrin Chen nodded in understanding upon hearing this. After the Wei Clan ascended to become a Purple Mansion Immortal Clan, they had begun to receive a share of resources from Yang Province.

However, the Wei Clan still carried a heavy burden of debt. Furthermore, their clan's Spirit Vein [a natural conduit of concentrated spiritual energy within the earth] was still only of Second Rank High Grade quality. To elevate it to the third rank would likely require decades, if not a full century, of stringent frugality.

In truth, this was the common reality for most newly ascended Purple Mansion Immortal Clan. The exceptional circumstances of the Chen Clan were a rare anomaly, nearly impossible to replicate.

After all, when the two Purple Mansion Ancestor of the Chen Immortal Clan achieved their Purple Mansion breakthroughs, they did not draw upon the clan's resources. Of their four Third Rank Spirit Vein, only the one at Dark Iron Mountain [a mountain rich in Mysterious Iron ore] required a significant expenditure of Spirit Stone for its advancement.

As these thoughts crossed his mind, Eldrin Chen's train of thought shifted slightly. He suddenly recalled that within Yang Province, there was a Third Rank Underground Fire Vein [a subterranean channel of potent fire-aspected spiritual energy].

With this thought in mind, he smiled and inquired, "What treasure have you come to offer for sale?"

"What else could it be? Merely two portions of Separated Flame Spirit Liquid [a potent liquid essence refined from the Separated Flame, used to enhance fire-attribute cultivation]."

Varen Wei shook his head. The Wei Immortal Clan was relatively weak, and their share of the resources within Yang Province was rather meager. Your portal to cultivation novels: audio~novel.com.