Chapter 255 : Legacy of the Flaming Prison

Strictly speaking, this Spirit Vein [a natural conduit of spiritual energy within the earth] had already been corrupted by the earthfire, transforming into a fire Spirit Vein. It was now saturated with boundless Fire Fiend Qi [a malignant and impure energy born from fire].

Only a Golden Core Cultivator [a cultivator who has condensed their spiritual power into a solid Golden Core] would dare absorb the spiritual energy here, so heavily tainted by this Fire Fiend Qi.

"Senior,"

the group intoned respectfully with a bow. Only then did Qingci the Recluse step forward to the man's body and retrieve his Storage Bag [a spatial artifact capable of holding numerous items].

This was not the moment to divide the spoils. Eldrin Chen collected the formation tools of the Fourth Rank Formation [a powerful magical array requiring Golden Core-level power to control] and spoke.

"Let us depart first. We shall divide the treasures once we are outside."

"Wait a moment."

Before leaving, Qingci the Recluse paused in thought. He then gathered the man's remains, saying, "We have received his legacy. It is only right we take his bones with us, lest they be devoured by Demonic Beast [monstrous creatures that absorb spiritual energy, often hostile to cultivators]."

"Agreed. Place the senior's remains upon my Crimson Blood Boat," Eldrin said.

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen regarded the man with newfound respect. Continue your cultivation journey at *audio-novel.com*.

Several days later, the group, carrying the remains of the senior and their spoils, boarded the Crimson Blood Boat and flew out of the Flaming Prison Sea of Fire.

After leaving the Flaming Prison Sea of Fire, they descended upon a desolate mountain. Over the next few days, they worked to break the seal on the Storage Bag. When they finally opened it, they could not help but stare in astonishment.

As a cultivator at the Golden Core, Late Stage, this individual did not carry many Magical Treasure—only a handful. However, the bag contained seventeen precious ancient texts.

Soon, among these texts, they found a letter, which revealed the man's origins.

"My name is Lin Daoyang, a senior elder of the Eastern Sea's great sect, the Ethereal Void Sect."

"When the Demon Chariot Cataclysm descended, my Ethereal Void Sect fought with heroic sacrifice. All three of our Nascent Soul True Lord fell in battle."

"I escaped with a portion of our heritage, fleeing to the Eastern Wastelands, only to be coveted by lesser men for the legacy I carried…"

It turned out this man was named Lin Daoyang, the Transmission Elder of the Eastern SeaNascent Soul Sect, the Ethereal Void Sect. Three hundred years ago, when catastrophe struck the sect, Lin Daoyang fled with a portion of its heritage into the heart of the Eastern Wastelands.

Though Lin Daoyang managed to fight his way out of the encirclement, he was gravely wounded and his power greatly diminished. Upon reaching the Eastern Wastelands, the heritage he carried made him a target of envy, inevitably leading to successive battles.

This Senior Mordecai possessed cultivation at the ninth layer of the Golden Core realm. However, during his desperate breakout, his Life-Bound Magical Treasure and his most relied-upon Magical Tool were shattered. The relentless fighting he faced upon arriving in the Eastern Wastelands resulted in the loss or destruction of nearly all his remaining Magical Treasure.

In the end, he employed a forbidden art to flee into the Flaming Prison Sea of Fire [a legendary, perilous region of eternal fire]. Yet, he ultimately could not withstand his grievous wounds. Using his final Fourth Rank [a realm of power equivalent to the Golden Core stage] Defensive Magical Tool [an enchanted artifact designed for protection], the 'Golden Radiance Glazed Lamp' [a lamp that emits a protective golden light], he laid down a Defensive Formation [a protective magical array]. Afterward, he left this letter and passed away.

"Alas."

Eldrin Chen let out a sigh.

Even at the moment of his death, Lin Daoyang was consumed by a towering, unyielding hatred.

He departed with two unfulfilled wishes, his heart's testament declaring a desire for his Dao lineage to be inherited, which would require assuming two karmic burdens.

The first was to avenge him by slaying his murderer, Astrael. That Astrael was the foremost Rogue Cultivator [an unaffiliated, independent cultivator] in the Heavenly Abode Continent. Three hundred years prior, he was merely at the Golden Core, Late Stage [the advanced phase of the Golden Core realm], but by now his strength had cultivated to the Golden Core Great Perfection [the pinnacle of the Golden Core realm, just before attempting the Nascent Soul breakthrough].

The second was to journey to the Eastern Sea Cultivation World [the vast cultivation realm centered around the Eastern Sea], seek out the legacy treasure of the Ethereal Void Sect, and rebuild the Dao lineage of the Ethereal Void Sect.

Even if one did not personally inherit the Ethereal Void Sect's legacy, one would still be required to find a suitable successor for the Ethereal Void Sect.

Whoever accepted this karma would need to swear a Heart Demon Blood Oath [a binding vow enforced by one's inner demons and sealed with blood; breaking it invites severe spiritual backlash]. They would be compelled to help him accomplish these two tasks within five hundred years.

The reward for this undertaking was the seventeen ancient tomes left behind by Lin Daoyang.

The ancient texts brought by Lin Daoyang were truly extraordinary. There were only seventeen volumes in total.

Yet, they contained one Nascent Soul Cultivation Art [a supreme art for cultivating the Nascent Soul realm], two Great Divine Ability [powerful, innate supernatural techniques], and the rest were cultivation arts for the Golden Core Realm. They could be considered the foundational inheritance of the Ethereal Void Sect.

To prevent these arts from being disseminated, the Nascent Soul True Lord of the Green Sun Sect had placed powerful restrictions upon them.

Unless one possessed the specific method to unlock them, even an ordinary Golden Core Cultivator would find it difficult to open them. Moreover, any rash attempt would cause the arts to self-destruct.

It was precisely because of this that the severely wounded Lin Daoyang was able to use a forbidden technique to escape with his life. Back then, had his pursuers not wanted to capture him alive, Lin Daoyang would have perished in the ambush.

Now, the only entity that knows this unlocking method is the Fourth Rank High Grade Magical Treasure, the Golden Radiance Glazed Lamp. Continue reading this story at audio~novel.com.

The artifact's sentience is nearly that of a human. Unless one swears a Heart Demon Blood Oath [a binding vow where breaking it summons a demonic tribulation upon one's soul], it adamantly refuses to impart the method to anyone.

"A pity,"

"To inherit this Dao lineage, it seems we must become entangled in this karma."

Qingci the Recluse shook his head, a deep reluctance stirring within his heart.

Given his innate talent and current strength, the hope for vengeance within five hundred years was nearly nonexistent. If he were to swear a Heart Demon Blood Oath [a solemn vow enforced by one's inner demons, failure to fulfill it can cripple cultivation], it would likely become a profound hindrance to his future cultivation path.

The other two also frowned. A heart demon [a manifestation of inner conflict, obsession, or unfulfilled oath that can cause cultivation deviation] does not necessarily wait for a specific time to manifest. If they knowingly swore a blood oath while aware that vengeance within five centuries was improbable, this very heart demon could become the greatest obstacle on their cultivation journey.

Eldrin Chen glanced at the others, pondered for a moment, and then spoke. "I can shoulder this karmic burden."

"Either the legacy belongs to me now. In exchange, after I obtain the method, I will grant each of you the choice of one cultivation art capable of reaching the ninth layer of the Golden Core [the third major stage of cultivation, where one's spiritual energy condenses into a solid, golden-hued core] realm."

"This Golden Radiance Glazed Lamp, along with the other treasures, I can also yield to you."

Upon hearing this, the three of them fell into thoughtful silence, their hearts stirring with temptation.

At its peak, the Ethereal Void Sect possessed only three Nascent Soul Cultivation Art [advanced arts for cultivating the Nascent Soul, the fourth major stage where the cultivator's spirit forms an independent infant-like entity]. The tome before them represented the very foundation of the Ethereal Void Sect's legacy; naturally, it would not be permitted for outsiders to peruse its contents.

They would be free from the karmic entanglement, yet would receive three cultivation arts reaching the ninth layer of the Golden Core realm. Furthermore, the Golden Radiance Glazed Lamp was a supreme Fourth Rank [corresponding to the Golden Core realm] high-grade Magical Treasure [an enchanted artifact of significant power, often requiring cultivation to wield], its value likely equivalent to at least five or six million Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation].

As a cultivator at the Golden Core Great Perfection [the pinnacle of the Golden Core realm, just before attempting the breakthrough to Nascent Soul], many of the miscellaneous items on Lin Daoyang's person appeared as exceedingly precious treasures in the eyes of the trio.

Moreover, within his Storage Bag [a spatial artifact capable of holding vast quantities of items] were several Fourth Rank Heaven and Earth Treasures [rare, naturally formed spiritual materials of exceptional quality]. If sold, these alone could fetch two or three million Spirit Stone. All factors considered, this distribution of treasures was far more advantageous for the three Rogue Cultivator [cultivators not affiliated with any major clan or sect].

After all, the three of them were Rogue Cultivator [independent cultivators without a sect or clan]; even if they obtained many cultivation arts, they could only practice one at a time.

In contrast, the Golden Radiance Glazed Lamp [a powerful magical artifact that emits a golden, lamp-like radiance] was a treasure second only to a Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure [an artifact of the highest order, specifically designed to suppress demonic forces]. Even a powerhouse at the Golden Core, Late Stage [the advanced stage of the Golden Core cultivation realm] would covet it.

With this treasure in hand, unless he broke through to the Nascent Soul [the realm where a cultivator forms an independent spiritual entity, the Nascent Soul] realm, it could serve as his ultimate protective artifact. If used to barter for other treasures, it would be sufficient to exchange for three or four Golden Core Formation Pill [a rare and precious pill that aids in the formation of a Golden Core].

Thinking this, Qingci the Recluse exchanged a glance with his two companions, then nodded and said, "Then let it be so."

"Splendid."

Eldrin Chen offered a faint smile. He swore a Heart Demon Blood Oath [a binding vow where breaking one's word invites demonic tribulations of the heart and mind], received the cultivation method, and in turn selected three Golden Core [the realm of the solidified spiritual core] cultivation arts suitable to their elemental affinities for the trio.

Once the transaction was complete, the group specifically swore a blood oath of secrecy, only then allowing relieved smiles to grace their faces.

The expedition concluded with all parties satisfied. He had gained precious legacies and a Nascent Soul Cultivation Art [a method for cultivating the Nascent Soul realm], while the other three had divided a substantial haul of wealth and artifacts.

After storing away the pile of ancient texts, Eldrin Chen allowed a genuine smile to form, planning to peruse them at his leisure in the days to come.

Although this venture had entangled him in karma, he had effortlessly acquired seventeen Golden Core [the realm of the solidified spiritual core] cultivation arts. His clan's foundational reserves were about to experience a monumental leap forward.

Especially that Nascent Soul Cultivation Art [a profound scripture detailing the path to the Nascent Soul realm]—it was a treasure that even a Nascent Soul Immortal Clan [a powerful clan with cultivators who have reached the Nascent Soul realm] would covet, a legacy artifact worthy of being passed down as the cornerstone of a clan's heritage for generations. Original publication: site: audio-novel.com - The source of this chapter.