Chapter 247 : The Virtuous One's Karmic Decree

The Azure-Robed Immortal Maiden smiled and continued, "There are only a few hundred Purple Mansion Cultivator [cultivators who have established their spiritual core within the Purple Mansion realm] across the Heaven's Spine Mountains. I have met over half of them, and even those I haven't met, I've heard of. It's only natural I recognized you, a newcomer."

Eldrin Chen nodded. Although the Heaven's Spine Mountains stretched for tens of millions of Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters], they ultimately lacked a sufficient mortal population as a foundation. The number of Human Race cultivators here was indeed relatively sparse.

Most of the cultivators in this place hailed from the Heavenly Abode Continent or Ji Continent.

The Azure-Robed Immortal Maiden seemed about to speak further but quickly composed herself, her expression turning serious. She straightened her robes and sat upright in a meditative posture.

From the distant void, a robed figure materialized upon the central dais.

"We greet Magnus the Virtuous."

In unison, the assembly bowed respectfully, their expressions filled with reverence.

Magnus the Virtuous acknowledged them with a calm wave of his hand, gesturing for them to be seated. His gaze then swept across the gathered crowd.

Only then did Eldrin Chen truly observe Magnus the Virtuous. His countenance was as flawless as jade, appearing no older than twenty-seven or twenty-eight. His eyes held a profound, starry depth, and between his brows rested an innate, commanding dignity that required no display of anger.

Magnus the Virtuous surveyed the assembly once more, then lightly smoothed his sleeves before speaking, his voice calm and clear. Enjoyed this chapter? Read more at audio - novel . com.

"Before the discourse on the Dao begins, you must understand that coming to listen to my teachings means accepting the karmic ties [the cause-and-effect connections between actions and their consequences] associated with me."

"Since you accept this karmic bond, you must also understand my precepts. In the future, should you achieve any measure of success, you must not wield your power to commit wicked deeds or engage in acts that utterly defy heaven's principles."

"My life's purpose has been to slay demons and vanquish evil. In the future, within your capabilities, you too must strive to protect the peace of your domains and contribute your strength to the Human Race..."

After Magnus the Virtuous finished speaking, the assembly promptly bowed and responded in unison, "We understand."

Jiang Harlan gave a slight nod. Without further preamble, he commenced the discourse.

Eldrin Chen listened in profound silence, utterly captivated.

Magnus the Virtuous's discourse did not dwell on the profoundly mysterious 'gateway to all wonders,' nor did it offer ambiguous aphorisms like 'the Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao.'

He was remarkably pragmatic, speaking of simple, comprehensible, yet profoundly practical truths.

He began by expounding on the Foundation Establishment Realm, explaining how one should cultivate within this realm and the methods to increase the likelihood of breaking through its bottlenecks.

He also shared insights on how to enhance one's chances of advancing to the Purple Mansion. For instance, he personally disclosed methods like the one used by Kael Chen—tempering one's body with underground Fire Fiend Qi [a potent and dangerous fiery energy from the earth's depths] to increase the success rate.

Not only that, Magnus the Virtuous proceeded to impart seventeen distinct methods, each one capable of increasing the probability of a breakthrough into the Purple Mansion [the third major realm of cultivation, where one's spiritual foundation is solidified into a stable, internal mansion] by a small margin.

One day later, he began to expound upon the cultivation methods for the Purple Mansion Realm [the realm following Foundation Establishment]. Eldrin Chen listened, utterly captivated, as if in a trance, and moments of profound realization dawned upon him one after another.

Unconsciously, Magnus the Virtuous's discourse progressed to the methods for breaking through to the Golden Core [the fourth major realm, where one's essence, energy, and spirit fuse into a single, radiant core]. He began to speak, his voice carrying the weight of profound knowledge.

"To break through to the Golden Core, one must achieve the trinity of essence, energy, and spirit. And to unify these three treasures, one must first cultivate each to a state of absolute perfection."

"'Essence' refers to the physical body and its vital blood and Qi [the vital energy that flows through all living things]. 'Energy' is the cultivated mana. 'Spirit' encompasses the soul and spiritual consciousness."

As Magnus the Virtuous continued his lecture, Eldrin Chen gradually grasped the crucial steps required for the Golden Core breakthrough.

For a cultivator to transcend their limits and ascend to the Golden Core realm, it is imperative that their essence, energy, and spirit are all cultivated to the Purple Palace, Perfection Stage [the pinnacle of the Purple Mansion realm] within the Purple Mansion. Only then does the possibility of a successful breakthrough exist.

The physical body is the vessel, the Treasure Boat [a metaphor for the body as the vehicle for traversing the path of cultivation] that ferries one across the worldly sea. If the body suffers significant damage or mutilation, it becomes akin to a leather ball with a leak—unable to fully contain and lock in the vital essence.

During the critical moment of impacting the Golden Core Realm, one must completely seal and contain the essence, energy, and spirit to generate the immense internal pressure necessary to condense them into a Golden Core. Therefore, if the physical body is damaged or incomplete, the hope of breaking through to the Golden Core realm is virtually extinguished.

High-grade Pill [a refined medicinal elixir used for cultivation] can indeed reshape or regenerate the physical body. However, such Pill are, at minimum, of Fourth Rank [corresponding to the Golden Core realm] high grade. Their value is so exorbitantly high that even a Golden Core Cultivator [a master who has formed their Golden Core] would find the cost a severe financial strain, enough to shake the very foundations of their wealth.

This type of Pill [a refined medicinal elixir used by cultivators] is far too precious; many Golden Core Cultivator [a cultivator who has formed a solidified core of spiritual power] seek it in vain. This is because even if a Golden Core Cultivator's physical body is destroyed, as long as their Golden Core [the solidified spiritual core of a high-level cultivator] escapes, they can use such a treasure pill to reconstruct their fleshly form.

Therefore, for a cultivator to attempt a breakthrough to the Golden Core realm, they must protect their physical body at all costs.

With the body in a state of perfect completion, one must temper it to the Purple Mansion Great Perfection [the peak of the spiritual palace cultivation stage]. The more abundant one's vital essence and blood Qi [the vital life force energy], the greater the certainty of successfully forming the core.

The same principle applies to spiritual power. A cultivator's mana must at least be cultivated to the Purple Mansion Great Perfection to barely qualify for an attempt to impact the Golden Core realm.

Furthermore, the more refined and pure the mana, the higher the success rate of breaking through to Golden Core. Many Purple Mansion Cultivator [a cultivator who has opened their spiritual palace] possess only a single Lifebound Magical Treasure [a magical artifact bound to a cultivator's life force and soul].

While such cultivators may progress swiftly in their cultivation, the tempering of their mana is often severely lacking, making a breakthrough to Golden Core nearly impossible to achieve. Continue reading this story at audio-novel . com.

However, if one uses two Lifebound Magical Treasure to temper their mana, its purity increases significantly, often adding several points of certainty to the core formation endeavor.

The 'Spirit' refers to spiritual sense. Among the three treasures of essence, energy, and spirit, the importance of spiritual sense is paramount.

Magnus the Virtuous continued, "The vital essence and blood Qi of the physical body can be tempered through mana cultivation or supplemented by consuming Demonic Beast [a beast infused with demonic or monstrous energy] flesh and blood. With sustained effort over years, one can ultimately reach a state of perfection."

"And if your mana advances with divine speed and you wish to achieve physical perfection more rapidly, it is best to cultivate an art specifically designed to temper the fleshly body."

Eldrin Chen gave a nod, committing this matter firmly to memory.

During this period, his spiritual power had advanced with remarkable speed, yet his physical body had progressed slightly slower. He would need to address this shortcoming.

"As for spiritual power," he continued, "if your cultivation can keep pace, the optimal method is to refine it using multiple Life-Bound Magical Treasure [enchanted artifacts bound to a cultivator's soul]. This process will temper your power, rendering it increasingly pure and potent."

"If such resources are unavailable, then one must rely on consuming Pill [refined spiritual elixirs]. For instance, the Creation Green Essence Pill can augment one's spiritual reserves, making them more profound."

Eldrin Chen noted this down as well. The Creation Green Essence Pill possessed the ability to expand a cultivator's meridians. After ingestion, it could widen the channels of a Purple Mansion Cultivator [a cultivator who has established their spiritual core within the Purple Mansion realm] once more, allowing them to contain an additional thirty percent of True Essence [the refined spiritual energy cultivated within one's body]. This significantly enhanced one's chances of a breakthrough into the Golden Core [the realm where spiritual energy condenses into a solid, golden core of power].

However, this pill was crafted using Thousand-Year Green Essence Ganoderma as its primary ingredient—a spirit fungus that was itself a Fourth Rank Spirit Medicine [a plant imbued with potent spiritual energy, used in alchemy]. Consequently, the Creation Green Essence Pill was also a Fourth Rank treasure pill.

Such a Pill was exceedingly precious, with each one valued at five hundred thousand Spirit Stone [minerals that store and radiate spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation]. It was likely that the majority of cultivators at the Purple Palace, Late Stage [the advanced phase of the Purple Mansion realm] could scarcely afford it.

Having addressed spiritual power, Magnus the Virtuous spoke again: "The strength of one's spirit soul is the most critical factor in forging a Golden Core."

"The purer one's spiritual power, the more potent a spirit soul is required to command it. During core formation, if the spirit soul is not sufficiently strong, one cannot control the refined spiritual power and vital energies. A single misstep could lead to a catastrophic backlash from one's own power."

"For a cultivator to strengthen their spirit soul, aside from rare moments of sudden enlightenment, the only path is to cultivate specialized Spirit Tempering Method [esoteric techniques designed to refine and fortify the spiritual consciousness]."

"However, refining the spirit consumes the soul's essence. Cultivating it excessively risks Qi deviation and possession by inner demons. You must ingest Spirit-Nourishing Pill [a pill that restores and nourishes the cultivator's spiritual essence] to recover your soul's strength. Only then can you avoid the peril of permanent damage."

After speaking, he paused briefly, his gaze falling upon Eldrin Chen, who seemed lost in contemplation.

With his profound cultivation, he perceived at a glance that Eldrin Chen possessed the foundational potential to forge a Superior Golden Core [the highest grade of Golden Core formation, representing immense talent and future potential]. A flicker of mentorship arose within him. "The Heavenly Abode Continent's Flaming Prison Sea of Fire [a legendary, perilous region of eternal, soul-scorching flames] is a forbidden land of mortals, yet also a supremely potent crucible for spirit refinement."

"If you possess a sufficient supply of Spirit-Nourishing Pill, cultivating there would likely yield twice the result for half the effort." Visit (audio-novel.com) to enjoy the complete series.