Chapter 229 : Forging the Seven Stars Formation

To deploy the grand formation, Eldrin Chen and the Old Patriarch spent two months working together to forge seven sets of Second Rank Formation Flag [enchanted banners used to anchor and power formations].

These seven sets of Formation Flag amounted to a total of forty-nine individual flags. The cost of the materials for these flags alone reached a staggering fifty thousand Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation].

After completing their forging, the two men deployed the seven sets of Formation Flag within seven different Spiritual Vein [a subterranean current of concentrated spiritual energy]. Using the power of a central formation disk, they linked the flags together, weaving a defensive Formation [a structured arrangement of energy channels and nodes that produces specific magical effects] that spanned eight hundred Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] in all directions.

Viewed from the sky, the Seven Stars Demon Refining Grand Formation appeared as a vast, translucent dome of light, inverted over the earth. It completely enveloped the plains surrounding Pingyang City for eight hundred Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters].

Gazing at the transparent dome covering the eight-hundred-Li-length expanse of the Great Wasteland, the Old Patriarch said with a smile, "With this formation standing guard, our Pingyang City shall have no more worries from this day forward."

"Indeed."

Eldrin Chen also nodded in agreement. The Seven Stars Demon Refining Grand Formation was inherently formidable. Augmented by the power drawn from six Second Rank High-Grade Spiritual Vein and one Third Rank Lower Grade Spiritual Vein, the might it could unleash was truly astonishing.

The spiritual energy these Spiritual Vein could provide was nearly equivalent to the combined power of six Violet Sanctum Early Stage cultivators and one at the Great Perfection of Violet Sanctum. Furthermore, the spiritual energy within the veins would continuously replenish itself, allowing the Formation to sustain its formidable power indefinitely.

Under such conditions, with just a single Violet Sanctum cultivator channeling the Formation, even a Pseudo-Core Realm Cultivator would find it difficult to gain any advantage in an assault.

And once the Spiritual Vein beneath Pingyang City was elevated to the Third Rank Superior Grade level, it was likely that not even a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator would be able to breach the formation's defenses in a short amount of time. Read the full novel exclusively on audio . novel . com.

At this thought, both Eldrin Chen and the Old Patriarch breathed a sigh of relief.

Pingyang City was the lifeblood of the clan. Only if this place was secure enough could the clan nurture a greater population of mortals.

In this world, the probability of a mortal possessing a Spiritual Root [the innate potential to cultivate] was roughly one in a thousand. The greater the mortal population, the more cultivators would emerge.

Low-level cultivators were far too crucial. The demand for Five Elements Essence [a refined spiritual essence containing the power of the five elements] by Eldrin Chen and the Old Patriarch grew ever larger. The Five Elements Essence produced annually by the clan's cultivators was almost entirely consumed by the two of them.

Even this was far from sufficient. Each year, the clan spent over ten thousand Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] to purchase Five Elements Essence from all corners.

Beyond this, the clan required vast manpower to guard its Spiritual Vein [a natural concentration of spiritual energy], manage its various enterprises, practice alchemy and artifact forging, and repel demonic beasts.

For Eldrin Chen to refine a single cauldron of Third-Rank Pill [a high-grade cultivation elixir] required over a hundred types of supplementary herbs. If he were a rogue cultivator, forced to gather all these materials himself, he would have no time left for cultivation at all.

But as a clan cultivator, with the clan's two thousand low-level cultivators and its Spiritual Field [fields nourished by spiritual energy to grow spirit herbs], he need only make a request, and the required Spirit Herb [plants imbued with spiritual energy] would naturally be gathered for him.

"If we had ten million mortals, the clan would have ten thousand cultivators," he mused.

"By then, our Five Elements Essence supply would be nearly self-sufficient. Exquisite and I have been scouring the markets for Five Elements Essence these past years. Our demand has already driven up the price in the Qing, Yang, and Bian provinces by over forty percent. It's truly becoming an inefficient expense."

Eldrin Chen held these thoughts in his heart, yet he could only instruct the clan to intensify their acquisition of Five Elements Essence [a refined spiritual essence containing the power of the five elements].

To refine the Lifebound Magical Treasure [a magical artifact bound to a cultivator's life force], the Venus Stellar Pearl [a magical pearl imbued with stellar energies], for the Old Patriarch, the clan's accumulated reserves of Five Elements Energy [the fundamental energies of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth] had been depleted by more than half in recent years.

Once he broke through to the Violet Sanctum Mid Stage, four more Lifebound Magical Treasure would require advancement. For a Lifebound Magical Treasure to ascend to Third Rank Superior Grade, the Five Elements Essence consumed for each one was valued at approximately fifty thousand Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy].

With such exorbitant costs, an additional forty percent premium would mean spending an extra twenty thousand Spirit Stones per treasure. For four treasures, that amounted to eighty thousand extra Spirit Stones. Even with his considerable wealth, the thought made his heart ache.

Speaking of Spirit Stones, one must mention the Spirit Goose [a type of spiritual waterfowl] raised by Eldrin Chen. The flock at Spirit Isle Lake had now grown to a scale of one thousand birds.

Drawing inspiration from roast duck methods of a past life, Eldrin Chen had ordered clan cultivators to develop a secret recipe. This not only made the Spirit Goose incredibly delicious but also allowed it to enhance one's cultivation.

Now, the Chen Clan's roasted goose shops had gradually spread to the major market towns across the three prefectures. They had become a renowned delicacy within the Chu Nation, attracting many cultivators who couldn't resist coming for a taste.

For cultivators at the Vital Essence Refinement [the foundational stage of cultivation], this roast goose was both a tasty treat and a boost to their cultivation. For those at Foundation Establishment and above, it was simply a peerless delicacy from the Mortal Realm. Consequently, the business was exceptionally prosperous.

It was said to be on par with the Chen Clan's charcoal-grilled Azure Verdant Spirit Fish [a spiritual fish known for its azure color and vitality], hailed as one of the two great culinary treasures of the Chu Nation. In recent years, it had been generating a not insignificant annual income for the clan.

"..."

After completing the deployment of the Formation [a complex arrangement of energy channels and nodes used for defense, cultivation, or other mystical purposes], he returned to Spirit Isle Lake.

The following days settled into a familiar rhythm. Each day, beyond his unceasing cultivation regimen, was spent nurturing his Lifebound Magical Treasure [an enchanted artifact bound to a cultivator's life force, growing in power with them] and refining his spiritual energy to deepen his cultivation base.

Five years later, Lior Chen came to him to retrieve the Metallic Gold Essence Crystal [a rare crystalline ore imbued with potent metallic and earth energies] for his first attempt at breaking through to the Violet Sanctum Realm [the third major realm of cultivation, where one opens a mystical energy center within the dantian].

Having consumed treasures like the Mystic Jade Pill [a high-grade elixir that purifies and strengthens a cultivator's foundation], Lior Chen's foundational accumulation was far deeper than that of an ordinary cultivator at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment [the peak stage of the second major cultivation realm]. Consequently, he successfully opened fifty percent of the required meridians in a single attempt.

Given the Third Elder's current profound and solid foundation, if he were to obtain another Five Elements Treasure Crystal [a precious crystal containing a balanced essence of all five elemental forces] in the future, his estimated success rate for assaulting the Violet Sanctum would likely reach sixty percent.

Another three years passed, and Eldrin Chen finally cultivated his spiritual energy to perfection, touching upon the bottleneck of the Violet Sanctum Mid Stage [the middle phase within the Violet Sanctum realm]. Read the full novel exclusively on AUDIO-NOVEL.COM.

On the verge of this breakthrough, he did not delay. He directly consumed the Cloud Vein Creation Pill [an elixir that aids in forming and expanding the energy channels within the Violet Sanctum].

With several Lifebound Magical Treasure constantly refining his energy, even without the aid of the Cloud Vein Creation Pill, he would have needed only twenty years to break through to the Violet Sanctum Mid Stage.

Now, with the pill's assistance, the breakthrough to Violet Sanctum Mid Stage was achieved with effortless ease.

After the breakthrough came the period of stabilizing his newfound power and advancing his Lifebound Magical Treasure. By the time all four of his Lifebound Magical Treasure had been elevated to the Third Rank Superior Grade [a high-quality tier within the third rank of magical items], a full year had slipped by in the blink of an eye.

On this day, Eldrin Chen emerged from seclusion after completing the final advancement of his Lifebound Magical Treasure, only to find Eternal Profound Chen had been waiting outside the Seclusion Chamber for several days.

Upon seeing him, the Old Patriarch spoke immediately. "The alliance gathering at Heavenly Ruins Mountain is about to commence. Had you not emerged, I was prepared to depart without you."

Eldrin Chen calculated the time with a flick of his fingers and realized, with a start, that the date Exquisite Jiang had set for the assault on the Verdant Sun Sect was now merely a year away.

Prior to the campaign, Heavenly Ruins Mountain had summoned the major Immortal Clan s from three prefectures to jointly condemn the Verdant Sun Sect. Naturally, the Chen Clan was also required to send a Violet Sanctum cultivator.

This alliance meeting at Heavenly Ruins Mountain was of paramount importance, prompting the Old Patriarch to decide to accompany Eldrin Chen.

Fortunately, Lior Chen's spiritual power had grown substantially and he could now, albeit with effort, temporarily hold Pingyang City in the Old Patriarch's stead.

"..."

The two traveled aboard the Purple Blood Boat, reaching Heavenly Ruins Mountain in just over a day. They were the last of the Violet Sanctum cultivators to arrive.

Upon their arrival, they found Heavenly Ruins Mountain already teeming with cultivators. Nearly twenty Violet Sanctum Cultivator s had gathered, alongside over two hundred Foundation Establishment Cultivator s.

No sooner had they alighted upon Heavenly Ruins Mountain than Eldrin Chen spotted a group of cultivators from the Meng Clan, led by the female cultivator Star Grace Meng.

I recall when Eldrin Chen had just reached the Foundation Establishment [the second major stage of cultivation, where one builds a solid spiritual foundation] not long ago, Starry River Meng was still playing matchmaker for the two of them. In the blink of an eye, more than seventy years have passed. Eldrin Chen is now a Patriarch [a venerable leader of a clan or sect] at the Violet Sanctum Mid Stage [the third major cultivation realm, where one opens a mystical inner sanctum], while this Star Grace Meng has only reached the Foundation Establishment 7th Tier [the seventh level within the Foundation Establishment realm].

That Star Grace Meng glanced at Eldrin Chen and the Old Patriarch, then promptly lowered her gaze and spoke with respectful restraint, "I pay my respects to the two Patriarch."

"Ah, it's Star Grace."

The Old Patriarch smiled warmly. His mother was a female cultivator from the Meng Clan, and over the years, his relationship with the Meng Clan had grown exceedingly close.

The two families had intermarried frequently in recent years. Several of the Chen Clan's Foundation Establishment Cultivators, such as Remembrance Truth Chen, had formed cultivation partnerships [a bond akin to marriage between cultivators] with cultivators from the Meng Clan. For the best reading experience, visit audio‑novel.com.