Chapter 250 : A Sunlit Bargain in the Violet Sanctum

"Oh, truly a favored son of the heavens," he remarked.

Eldrin Chen's eyes flickered almost imperceptibly as he set down his teacup with practiced calm.

Skillfully steering the conversation away from that topic, he continued, "My purpose in coming is to seek the purchase of Solar Treasure Crystal [a crystalline substance that stores and refines the essence of solar energy]. I wonder if your esteemed pavilion possesses such a treasure?"

"Solar Treasure Crystal?" The Qin Surname Violet Sanctum cultivator's brow twitched slightly, a smile gracing his lips. "It seems the Fellow Daoist cultivates a Primordial Solar Divine Ability [a powerful technique that harnesses the primal power of the sun]."

After speaking, he shook his head again. "Although our Qin Clan has accumulated some over the years, they have all been taken by a certain Patriarch to cultivate a Divine Ability [a supreme supernatural power or technique]."

"You would do better to wait a few more years. When the Yuan Nation Violet Sanctum Barter Convention [a major trade gathering for cultivators of the Violet Sanctum realm and above] commences in five years, if you can afford the price, you will undoubtedly be able to purchase it."

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen nodded with an unreadable expression.

The Solar Treasure Crystal was exceedingly rare. When encountered by a suitable buyer, it often commanded a high premium. It was likely they would only offer it for competitive bidding at the Barter Convention.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen rose to take his leave. "It seems I must indeed wait until five years hence."

"Farewell, Fellow Daoist. Walk slowly." The story continues at audio-novel dot com.

The Qin Surname Violet Sanctum [a cultivator of the Qin family who has reached the Violet Sanctum realm] courteously escorted Eldrin Chen out of the shop, then turned and retreated into the inner chambers.

Within those inner chambers, two cultivators were already seated, sipping tea. One of them, a Middle-aged Man, looked toward the shopkeeper and inquired.

"Well?"

The Qin Surname Violet Sanctum bowed slightly and shook his head. "It is not a Path Body [a rare and powerful innate constitution that grants exceptional affinity with a particular cultivation path]."

The Middle-aged Man gave an impassive wave, signaling for the shopkeeper to withdraw.

Once the man had left, he shook his head in disappointment. "Seeing his promising talent, I had hoped he possessed a Path Body. It seems my expectations were misplaced."

"Seventh Brother."

The elderly man seated opposite him furrowed his brow, his expression turning grave. "Both Patriarch [the supreme leader of a clan or sect] have long decreed that we are not to target those with a Path Body who have reached the Violet Sanctum [the third major realm of cultivation] or above. Do you still harbor such ambitions?"

"Third Brother…"

The Middle-aged Man wore a slightly awkward expression, forcing a laugh. "I was merely making inquiries. I would not dare take any action."

"As your elder brother, I must advise you to proceed with caution."

"A cultivator with a Path Body [a rare and powerful innate constitution] who has reached the Violet Sanctum Realm [the third major realm of cultivation] will almost certainly possess extraordinary abilities. Such individuals, even if they do not hail from a major power, often have powerful patrons watching over them from the shadows."

"If this secret were exposed, not even our Qin Clan could save you. The entire Qin family would be dragged down to perish with you."

The old man's expression turned grave as he recalled the repeated and stern warnings from the clan's Patriarch.

As one of the few Golden Core [the fourth major realm of cultivation] elders within the Qin Immortal Clan, they were among the privileged few who knew the true, dark origin of the clan's rise to power.

Extracting bloodlines to refine elixirs, seizing Mortal Path [a specific type of cultivation constitution] bodies through forbidden arts—such acts had stripped them of all humanity.

Even the members of the Qin Immortal Clan lived in constant unease. The legacy they possessed was too vile, too evil. The terrifying forces it implicated were utterly intolerable. If it were ever revealed, there would be no place for them in the entire Purple Seal Realm.

Although the Qin Immortal Clan was an Infant Soul Immortal Clan [a clan with an Infant Soul Realm cultivator as its pillar], the few high-ranking members who knew the truth lived in perpetual fear.

Should their secret come to light, none of the various Immortal Clan of the Eastern Region Great Wasteland, nor even the Path Lord Sacred Land [a holy land governed by a Path Lord], would suffer them to exist.

It mattered not that they were a newly ascended Infant Soul Immortal Clan. Even if they were to produce a Primordial Spirit Path Lord [a cultivator who has ascended to the Primordial Spirit Realm], they would likely not escape the Eastern Region Great Wasteland alive.

Looking to the nearer threats, any one of them—the Heavenly Reed Sect from the Tianlu Continent, the Vast Righteousness True Lord from the Heavenly Ridge Mountain Range, or the Ji Immortal Clan from Ji Continent—would be more than enough to utterly annihilate their clan.

The old man's expression turned grave as he reiterated his warning. "Back in the day on Ji Continent, our Second Ancestor attempted to extract the bloodline essence from a bearer of a Path Body [a supreme cultivation physique]. His actions stirred the awareness of a truly terrifying entity."

"Had he not fled for his life the instant he sensed danger, he might never have returned. Fearing pursuit through residual traces of his aura, he strictly forbade any descendant of our Qin Clan from setting foot on Ji Continent for generations."

"And that Path Body bearer was merely at the Vital Essence Refinement Stage [the foundational stage of body cultivation]. If you were to target a prodigy with a Path Body who has reached the Violet Sanctum [the third major cultivation realm], the likelihood of catastrophic consequences would be overwhelming."

The Middle-aged Man's pupils contracted slightly, a flicker of belated fear crossing his features.

Even after ascending to the rank of an Infant Soul True Lord [a cultivator whose nascent soul has fully formed], their Second Ancestor of Qin Clan still regarded Ji Continent with profound dread and avoidance. This spoke volumes of the unspeakable terror that lay hidden there. Find thousands of chapters at audio-novel.com (official site).

A shiver ran through him. He couldn't help but ask in a hushed tone, "What manner of existence from back then could instill such fear even in our Second Ancestor?"

"Perhaps... it was the Ji Clan?"

The old man gazed in the direction of Ji Continent, his eyes heavy with solemnity.

That land was home to the Ji Clan, a clan that had once been a glorious Immortality [pertaining to the concept of eternal life] Immortal Clan [a clan with a lineage of true Immortals].

Through the vast expanse of time, that lineage gave birth to several Primordial Spirit Path Lord [a supreme cultivator whose spirit has transcended mortality] in succession, and even produced a legendary, peerless Immortal [a being who has ascended to true immortality].

Although the Ji Immortal Clan [the Ji Clan of Immortals] has declined in recent eras, its foundational strength remains. Their Clan-Suppressing Supreme Treasure [a supreme artifact that protects and defines a great clan], the 'Immortal Refining Furnace' [a legendary furnace capable of refining even immortals], shakes the very Cosmos [the ordered universe of heavens and realms]. Legends say that when fully awakened, this treasure can clash with gods and demons, ranking it among the top ten Primordial Solar Supreme Treasure [artifacts of pure, primordial yang energy] on the Purple Seal Realm's [a specific cultivation world] divine armaments ranking.

"..."

After leaving the Qin Clan's [the Qin Family] shop, Eldrin Chen did not linger within the Qin-Yuan Market [the Qin-Yuan Trading Hub].

In his current state, he possessed neither the power to act against the Qin Clan, nor the courage to verify whether they were truly behind the events of that year.

Yet, this journey had yielded some fruit. While he could not be absolutely certain, he believed the Qin Clan bore significant suspicion.

"First, I must cultivate. I will make my plans after I break through to the Golden Core [the stage of forming a solidified golden core of power], and perhaps even after achieving the Infant Soul [the stage where the cultivator's soul is reborn as an independent entity]."

Suppressing these thoughts, Eldrin Chen purchased a map of the Tianlu Continent [the Tianlu Landmass] and then flew on his sword towards the Flaming Prison Sea of Fire [a legendary sea of eternal, soul-forging flames].

As Vast Righteousness True Lord [a True Lord known for his immense virtue] had stated, the Flaming Prison Sea of Fire was a supreme location for tempering one's spirit. Since he had come to the Tianlu Continent, he would not miss this opportunity.

Following the map, he flew northward on his sword. After traversing over two million Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters], he finally reached the northern frontier of the Tianlu Continent and found the legendary Flaming Prison Sea of Fire.

"Is this the Flaming Prison Sea of Fire?"

Gazing at the vast, boundless expanse of fiery domain ahead, Eldrin Chen could not help but swallow hard.

What a truly desolate and forbidding place this was. The Flaming Prison Sea of Fire stretched for a million Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters], a land of endless magma and flame.

Here, there was no trace of life, only an infinite aura of slaughter and the Oblivion [a state of utter annihilation and nothingness] flames. Had he not seen it with his own eyes, Eldrin Chen would have thought he had stumbled into a world of purgatory itself.

"Flaming Prison Sea of Fire."

"No wonder it is described as a sea of fire, a blazing prison."

A tremor ran through Eldrin Chen's heart as he recalled the origins of this Flaming Prison Sea of Fire.

It was said that eight thousand years ago, this place was once a powerful Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who cultivate using demonic or unorthodox methods] Forbidden Land known as the Blood Demon Ridge, a stronghold guarded by a Demon Monarch [a ruler among demonic beings] whose might could shake the ages.

That era was too distant, so far removed that even the historical records Eldrin Chen knew contained only fragments and whispers of the tale.

A peerless Path Lord [a master who has comprehended and walks a profound Dao Path], Imperial Sovereign Jiang, came from the Central Ancestral Domain and waged an epoch-shattering war against the Blood Demon Ridge. He shattered a Primordial Solar Supreme Treasure [an artifact of immense power forged from the essence of the primordial sun] and utterly razed that ancient Blood Demon Ridge which had stood for countless eons.

After that great battle, the Earth's Lung [a mythical subterranean energy source] beneath Blood Demon Ridge was shattered, unleashing endless earth-fire energies that completely incinerated the ridge, transforming it into the present-day million Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] expanse of the Flaming Prison Sea of Fire.

It was only after this event that large numbers of cultivators, leading mortals in their wake, began the great migration from the Central Continent Ancestral Land, gradually settling and multiplying to form what are now the Tianlu Continent and the Ji Continent Cultivation World.

In truth, the cultivation worlds of the several great continents nearby all flourished in the wake of that ancient conflict.

"Generation upon generation of our ancient forebears expanded our borders, shedding their blood in fierce battles against demons and monsters for the sake of our Human Race."

"It is upon their sacrifices that the prosperity of our present cultivation world is built." This chapter is part of a larger work available at audio-novel . com.