Chapter 242 : Alliance of the Heavenly Ruins

For ordinary cultivators within the Golden Core Realm [the third major stage of cultivation, where one's spiritual power condenses into a solid golden core], advancing a single layer of cultivation typically requires an entire Sixty-Year Cycle [a period of sixty years, one full Jiazi]. However, with sufficient Creation Spirit Fruit [a rare spiritual fruit that replenishes one's foundational life force] to supplement their Creation [the foundational life force or vitality essential for cultivation and longevity], a cultivator's breakthrough time can be shortened to forty or even thirty years.

With this Five Elements Spirit Fruit [a spiritual fruit imbued with the balanced essence of the five fundamental elements], Exquisite Jiang's cultivation speed will also see a significant increase from now on.

Thinking of this, Eldrin Chen revealed a smile and said, "With this treasure, your cultivation progress will also accelerate considerably in the future."

Exquisite Jiang nodded, her expression also bright with joy. "A Worldly Spiritual Root [a rare innate talent that allows one to absorb spiritual energy from the world with exceptional efficiency] is precious indeed, and this Fire Spirit Fruit Tree [a spiritual tree that bears fruits rich in pure fire-attribute energy] is also a remarkable treasure in its own right."

"..."

Meanwhile, in the outside world, news of the Verdant Sun Sect's collapse instantly spread throughout the Chu Nation, its echoes even reaching the other five nations within the Six Kingdoms of Ji Continent.

Exquisite Jiang had taken possession of Green Sun Mountain, establishing herself as a formidable new power within the Chu Nation.

Following the fall of the Verdant Sun Sect, Exquisite Jiang and the major Immortal Clan [powerful, long-established families of cultivators] from the three prefectures formed a loose alliance known as the 'Heavenly Ruins Alliance'.

The Chu Nation Cultivation World [the society and hierarchy of cultivators within the Chu Nation] soon settled into a new order. The various great clans stabilized and began to digest the gains from the recent conflict.

Exquisite Jiang relocated her base to Green Sun Mountain, while Elara Lin took her place to oversee affairs at Heavenly Ruins Mountain. Find thousands of chapters at https://audio-novel.com.

With Elara Lin's level of strength, garrisoning Heavenly Ruins Mountain was still somewhat insufficient. Fortunately, now that the Heavenly Python Demon King had been slain, the pressure facing Heavenly Ruins Mountain had abruptly lessened by half, so there was no great danger to be feared.

The Chen Clan now occupied the Third Rank Superior Grade Spiritual Vein at Origin Source Mountain, and had also secured a new Third Rank Superior Grade Underground Fire Vein. This wealth of resources was enough to make even a Violet Sanctum Late Stage cultivator's mouth water with envy.

And so, Eldrin Chen simply remained at Origin Source Mountain to hold the fort, cultivating his own strength while simultaneously delving into the profound mysteries of cultivation arts.

He combed through the treasuries of the Verdant Sun Sect, making copies of every cultivation art from the Foundation Establishment realm and above. Each day at Origin Source Mountain, aside from his own cultivation, he devoted himself entirely to the painstaking study and comprehension of these techniques.

Having been reborn into this world for nearly a century, this was the first time Eldrin Chen had the fortune to obtain so many high-level cultivation arts. Naturally, he became utterly immersed in this ocean of knowledge, day and night diligently absorbing the precious techniques and accumulated wisdom of his predecessors.

"..."

Time flowed swiftly by.

Eldrin Chen remained in secluded cultivation at Origin Source Mountain.

In the span of a single year, he had thoroughly digested over one hundred volumes of Foundation Establishment cultivation arts.

He then spent another seven years mastering twenty-seven Violet Sanctum techniques, reaching a profoundly deep level of understanding.

With this foundation laid, he began attempting to deduce the Solar Solar Fire Scripture [a supreme cultivation art harnessing solar fire]. It took him three years to evolve this art to the Great Perfection of Violet Sanctum [the pinnacle stage of the Violet Sanctum cultivation realm].

Once the Solar Solar Fire Scripture was deduced to the Violet Sanctum Perfection Stage, Eldrin Chen looked back upon those other Violet Sanctum cultivation arts. He found them riddled with flaws and imperfections. Thus, he meticulously revised and refined all twenty-seven of those arts.

After spending another year on this task, he reviewed his work once more. He felt the underlying principles of most of these arts were fundamentally too narrow. No matter how he revised them, the results remained unsatisfactory.

Therefore, he decided to start anew from the ground up, creating a Violet Sanctum cultivation art from scratch. In a mere three years, he successfully deduced an earth-attribute Violet Sanctum art—the Bulwark Earth Sovereign Scripture [a supreme scripture for cultivating earth-attribute spiritual power, named for its sovereign and unyielding nature].

This Bulwark Earth Sovereign Scripture represented the culmination of the strengths of a hundred different arts. It was Eldrin Chen's masterpiece, in no way inferior to the Solar Solar Fire Scripture.

The spiritual power [the refined energy cultivated by practitioners] cultivated through this method, while not as overwhelmingly domineering as that of the Solar Solar Fire Scripture, surpassed it by a third in terms of sheer depth and resilience.

Furthermore, within this art, Eldrin Chen also deduced a method for forging a Lifebound Magical Treasure [a magical artifact personally crafted and spiritually bound to a cultivator, growing in power with them]—the Bulwark Earth Sovereign Bell [a mighty defensive bell forged through the Bulwark Earth Sovereign Scripture].

The Bulwark Earth Sovereign Bell is a superior-grade defensive magical treasure [an enchanted artifact used for protection]. Once forged, its defensive capabilities would reign supreme among treasures of its tier.

"..."

Time flowed like a ceaseless river, and the light of days rushed by once more.

In the blink of an eye, fifteen years passed as he secluded himself in contemplation of his cultivation art.

"Hah."

On this day, Eldrin Chen slowly drew a deep breath and emerged from his secluded cultivation.

He ended his seclusion for two reasons: first, he had fully digested the insights from the cultivation art, and second, joyous news had arrived from his clan.

Not long before, Lior Chen had entered seclusion once more and, using a Metallic Gold Essence Crystal for the second time to attempt a breakthrough into the Violet Sanctum [the third major realm of cultivation, where one forms a spiritual core within their dantian], he had successfully ascended into the Violet Sanctum Realm.

In truth, he was not the first cultivator from the clan to achieve this breakthrough. This novel is serialized on audio-novel[dot]com. Visit for updates.

In the fifteen years since the fall of the Verdant Sun Sect, three clan members had successively attempted to charge into the Violet Sanctum Realm.

In the sixth year of Eldrin's seclusion, Kael Chen finally subdued the power of the Subterranean Fire Fiend [a malevolent earth-fire spirit often used to temper a cultivator's will and essence] and entered his first seclusion to assault the Violet Sanctum Realm.

The Fire Fiend Power not only enhanced his True Essence [the refined spiritual energy cultivated within a practitioner's body] but also tempered his will. Through six years of enduring the Fire Fiend's torment, Kael's Dao Heart [a cultivator's fundamental resolve and spiritual conviction] was utterly solidified. Astonishingly, he broke through into the Violet Sanctum Realm without relying on any external aids, instead burning his own Vital Essence Blood [the foundational life force and spiritual blood essence of a cultivator] to force the barrier.

Of course, Kael Chen had gambled everything on that desperate move. After his breakthrough, his vital essence was severely damaged. Even after consuming an Energy-Restoring Origin Pill [a high-grade elixir for recovering depleted life force and spiritual energy], it took him five or six years to fully recover.

In the very year following his breakthrough into the Violet Sanctum [the third major realm of cultivation, where one opens a mystical palace within their dantian], Verdant Grace Chen entered seclusion to attempt her own assault on the Violet Sanctum Realm. Her attempt ended in failure, yet she succeeded in opening four and a half of the Violet Sanctum Meridian of the Path [the specific spiritual channels one must open to establish a Violet Sanctum].

Others, such as Caleb, Silas, Ethan, and Lila, had already touched the peak of the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment [the second major realm of cultivation]. It seemed within three to ten years, they too would successively attempt to breach the Violet Sanctum Realm.

"How swiftly time flows,"

Eldrin Chen sighed softly upon emerging from his seclusion.

Fifteen years had slipped by in a blur. He was now just past a century old, and even the Old Patriarch had celebrated his two hundredth birthday.

"Eldrin."

Kael Chen had arrived at Origin Source Mountain unnoticed. He looked at Eldrin Chen with a warm smile.

"I have come to relieve you of your duty guarding this Spiritual Vein [a concentrated flow of spiritual energy within the earth, crucial for cultivation]," he stated.

"Mm, I appreciate it,"

Eldrin Chen nodded. With the family now boasting two additional Violet Sanctum cultivators, their manpower had finally become somewhat more ample.

With a Violet Sanctum [the third major realm of cultivation, where one opens a mystical palace within the dantian] cultivator now guarding Origin Source Mountain, he could finally free himself from that duty in the future.

After entrusting Origin Source Mountain to Kael Chen, Eldrin Chen paused for a moment before departing and offered a reminder.

"Elder Brother, your ability to subdue the suffering of the flesh and break through to the Violet Sanctum in a single attempt shows a Dao-heart [the cultivator's core of will, intent, and spiritual resolve] of extraordinary firmness."

"Since your lifespan is still relatively ample now, you could attempt to forge your Golden Core [the fourth major realm, forming a solidified golden core of spiritual power] through your own efforts."

Upon hearing this, Kael Chen's expression faltered slightly.

Aside from those with Variant Spiritual Root [a rare, mutated type of spiritual root with unique affinities] or Heavenly Spiritual Root [the pinnacle grade of spiritual root, granting supreme cultivation talent], an ordinary cultivator's chance of breaking through to Golden Core unaided was merely one in ten.

Even with his exceptionally profound foundation, without relying on external aids, he dared claim only a two in ten chance of success. This difficulty far surpassed that of breaking through to the Violet Sanctum.

Seeing his expression, Eldrin Chen shook his head and spoke calmly. "Within the Golden Core, there exists the distinction of the Superior-Tier Golden Core [the highest quality and most potent form of the Golden Core, granting greater power and potential]."

"Having reached this stage, it would be a profound pity to rely on external objects for the breakthrough."

"You possess Three Spiritual Roots [a balanced spiritual root affinity for three of the five elements]. Why not refine a few more Lifebound Magical Treasure [a magical treasure bound to a cultivator's life force and soul, growing in power with them]? Using such treasures to temper and refine the spiritual energy within your body might increase your chances of a breakthrough."

After Eldrin Chen departed, Kael Chen furrowed his brow in deep contemplation for a long while, before a faint smile finally graced his lips.

Having cultivated his path to this very day, his Dao-heart [the core of a cultivator's will and conviction] had grown ever more resolute. Since a path to a Superior-Tier Golden Core lay before his eyes, why not venture forth and test its limits?

Eldrin Chen left Origin Source Mountain and soared on his flying sword all the way to Green Sun Mountain.

Fifteen years had passed, and Exquisite Jiang's cultivation had advanced another step, achieving a breakthrough to the Golden Core 2nd Tier realm.

It had been forty years since her initial breakthrough into the Golden Core realm. Considering she had refined five Lifebound Magical Treasure [enchanted artifacts bound to a cultivator's life force] during that time, her progress to the Golden Core 2nd Tier was actually quite respectable.

After spending three days with her at Green Sun Mountain, Eldrin Chen spoke up, "I am preparing for a journey to Tianlu Continent." Original English translation available at audio - novel . com.