Chapter 266 : The Price of a Golden Core

The Fang Immortal Clan exhausted its foundational reserves and borrowed five hundred thousand Spirit Stones [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] from the Qian Clan, finally managing to gather two million Spirit Stones to purchase one.

Xavier Xu poured out his entire fortune, the wealth he had accumulated over three centuries. However, lacking any notable expertise in the Hundred Arts of Cultivation [the various specialized skills and crafts practiced by cultivators] and having consumed significant resources for his own cultivation, he possessed less than one hundred thousand Spirit Stones.

With no other choice, he sold off all his Third Rank low to middle grade Magical Tools [enchanted implements used by cultivators], yet this only amassed a little over three hundred thousand Spirit Stones.

The Xu Clan naturally exerted its full strength to aid Xavier Xu. To procure this Golden Core Formation Pill [a rare and potent elixir that aids in the formation of a Golden Core], each of the Xu Clan's six thousand plus cultivators contributed a substantial sum of Spirit Stones, and the five hundred thousand Spirit Stones stored within the Clan Treasury was completely emptied.

They then sold off more than a dozen Third Rank Magical Tools that had been stockpiled over many years, raising only a little over one million four hundred thousand Spirit Stones.

Continuing down this path, unless they sold off the clan's foundational assets or parted with their Clan-Suppressing Supreme Treasure [a powerful artifact that serves as the ultimate safeguard for a clan's legacy], they would still fall short of the required sum.

Unwilling to sell the clan's core industries or relinquish the Clan-Suppressing Supreme Treasure, Xavier Xu approached the Chen Clan. He used the clan's share in the Cangkun Mountain Earth Vein [a subterranean channel rich in earth-attribute spiritual energy] as collateral to borrow six hundred thousand Spirit Stones from them.

According to the terms of this collateral agreement, the profits from this Earth Vein for the next fifty years would belong to the Chen Clan.

The Xu Clan held a fifty-five percent share in Cangkun Mountain. The first and second rank materials produced annually by the Cangkun Mountain Earth Vein could bring them over ten thousand Spirit Stones in profit, granting the Chen Clan considerable benefit from this arrangement alone.

Furthermore, the Spirit Vein [a natural conduit of concentrated spiritual energy within the earth] yielded an Earth-Fortress Crystal [a crystalized form of potent earth-attribute spiritual essence] every thirty years, along with other Third Rank earth-attribute Heaven and Earth Treasures [rare natural materials imbued with potent spiritual power]. This novel is serialized on audi0-n0vel.c0m. Visit for updates.

The value of these items was exceedingly high, with many being treasures that required a premium to acquire. Eldrin Chen estimated their total worth to be around three hundred thousand Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy]. This sum would serve as the interest for the Chen Clan's loan.

Having received the funds, the Xu Clan was satisfied and purchased a Golden Core Formation Pill [a rare and potent elixir that aids in forming a Golden Core]. They continued to gather resources and treasures for Xavier Xu, evidently preparing to exhaust all their efforts to help him attempt a breakthrough to the Golden Core [the third major realm of cultivation, where one's spiritual power condenses into a solid core] before the Beast Tide Calamity [a periodic, devastating invasion by hordes of demonic beasts].

Lending out six hundred thousand Spirit Stone in one go had nearly emptied the Chen Clan's coffers, which had been accumulating for many years.

Fortunately, the clan's current financial situation was robust. In recent years, they had managed to retain a surplus of tens of thousands of Spirit Stone annually, preventing them from falling into dire straits.

After all, the Chen Clan's various enterprises were now preeminent among the Purple Mansion Immortal Clan [powerful cultivation families whose patriarchs have reached the Purple Mansion realm] within the Chu Kingdom.

The Origin-Starting Mountain [a major spirit mountain] with its Third Rank High Grade Spirit Vein [a high-quality vein of spiritual energy] and Underground Fire Vein [a subterranean vein of fiery spiritual energy] alone generated an annual income of thirty thousand Spirit Stone for the clan. This was not even accounting for the several Spirit Mountain [mountains rich in spiritual energy] and their associated Earth Vein [a terrestrial ley line that channels and concentrates earth-attribute spiritual energy].

Thanks to this steady expansion of their assets, the clan thrived despite supporting five Purple Mansion [the fourth major realm of cultivation, where one's spiritual sea expands into a grand mansion] cultivators, several dozen Foundation Establishment [the second major realm, where one's spiritual foundation is solidified] experts, and several thousand Qi Refinement Cultivators [practitioners in the first and most basic realm of cultivation].

Meanwhile, Eldrin Chen returned from Verdant Chariot Mountain. He delivered the Li Fire Crystal [a rare crystal imbued with potent fire-attribute energy] to Caleb Chen and then entered a period of secluded cultivation.

His cultivation had lingered at the Purple Mansion Fifth Layer for many years, and he had long since felt the threshold of the Purple Mansion Sixth Layer beckoning to him.

After three months of deep seclusion, his efforts bore fruit as he smoothly and naturally broke through to the Purple Mansion Sixth Layer.

Having reached this stage, his mana now rivaled that of a cultivator at the Purple Mansion Great Perfection [the peak of the Purple Mansion realm, just before the Golden Core breakthrough], marking another significant leap in his combat prowess.

"It seems that breaking through to the Purple Mansion, Late Stage [the advanced phase of the Purple Mansion realm] before the Beast Tide Calamity [a periodic, devastating invasion by hordes of demonic beasts] is practically assured," he mused.

Eldrin Chen allowed a smile to touch his lips. A breakthrough to the Purple Mansion, Late Stage would undoubtedly bring about a monumental surge in his strength.

Although he had broken through to the Purple Mansion Sixth Layer, he did not relax his cultivation efforts. Instead, he prepared to cultivate the Ethereal Void Body Tempering Art.

The Ethereal Void Body Tempering Art was the unique body-tempering technique of the Ethereal Void Sect. While the sect was not renowned for body cultivation, this was, after all, a legacy from a Nascent Soul Sect [a sect powerful enough to have Nascent Soul realm cultivators as its foundation]. Within the Chu Kingdom, it remained a first-rate, top-tier body-tempering art.

While a cultivator's True Essence [the refined, potent energy cultivated after Foundation Establishment] and mana could temper the body, the process was relatively slow due to its gentle nature and lack of specialization for physical refinement.

Eldrin Chen, having tempered his physique with Primordial Essence [the pure, foundational energy of creation], already possessed a body of considerable strength. It was only a matter of time before he could cultivate his physical form to the level of Purple Mansion Great Perfection.

This process, however, required a considerable amount of time. Cultivating the Ethereal Void Body Tempering Art now was merely a means to accelerate this inevitable progression.

"With the aid of the Flesh and Blood Treasure Pill [a potent pill refined from the essence of a powerful demonic beast's flesh and blood] from a False Core Demon King [a powerful demonic beast leader, equivalent to a Golden Core realm cultivator], my physical cultivation is certain to reach great completion this time," he declared.

Eldrin Chen retrieved the Flesh and Blood Treasure Pill derived from the Verdant Lion Mastiff, his expression calm as he murmured to himself with quiet determination.

He swallowed the treasure pill in one gulp and immediately began circulating his cultivation art to refine it.

With a resonant boom, after the Flesh and Blood Treasure Pill [a potent pill refined from the essence of powerful demonic beasts, used to temper the physical body] was consumed, its vast and potent essence was absorbed. His physical body rapidly grew stronger and more formidable.

Time flowed swiftly, like water passing by.

On this day, Eldrin Chen awoke from his seclusion. Calculating with his fingers, he realized he had been in closed-door cultivation for sixteen years.

Fifteen years had passed in a blur. Throughout this period, he had devoted himself entirely to secluded cultivation, rarely emerging from the Seclusion Chamber.

Unbeknownst to him, his physical body had already been tempered to the Purple Mansion Great Perfection [the pinnacle of the Purple Mansion Realm, where the cultivator's spiritual abode is fully consolidated and refined]. His cultivation base was also on the verge of touching the threshold of the Purple Palace, Late Stage [the advanced stage within the Purple Mansion Realm, where one's spiritual power becomes profoundly deep and vast]. Read the full novel exclusively on www . audio-novel.com.

Given just one or two more years to adjust his state and accumulate a reserve of True Essence [the refined and potent spiritual energy cultivated by a practitioner], he was confident he could break through to the Purple Palace, Late Stage.

During these years of his seclusion, both the Chu Kingdom and the Chen Immortal Clan had undergone continuous transformation.

Three months after he entered seclusion, Caleb Chen made his second attempt to assault the Purple Mansion [the realm where a cultivator forms a spiritual abode within their dantian, marking a significant leap in power and longevity]. This time, after consuming a Li Fire Crystal [a rare crystal imbued with the essence of Separated Flame, used to aid in breaking through cultivation bottlenecks], he succeeded in his breakthrough, becoming the clan's sixth Purple Mansion Cultivator.

Achieving the Purple Mansion at the mere age of one hundred and seventeen was considered exceptionally outstanding. Although he had not broken through solely by his own power, his abundant remaining lifespan left open the possibility that he might yet have a chance to attempt a breakthrough to the Golden Core [the realm where a cultivator condenses their spiritual essence into a solid, golden core, granting immense power and a vastly extended life] in the future.

Five years later, Old Patriarch achieved a state of cultivation perfection. After consuming two Violet Qi Cloud-Vein Pill [a high-grade pill that refines one's spiritual essence and aids in realm advancement], he successfully broke through to the Purple Palace, Late Stage [the advanced stage of the Purple Mansion realm, a significant milestone in a cultivator's journey].

Another decade passed, and Elara Lin, Xavier Xu, and Fang the Ancient Ancestor each attempted to assail the Golden Core [the realm where a cultivator condenses their spiritual power into a solid, golden core] realm in succession. Yet, each fell just short of that final, crucial step.

Fortunately, the Golden Core Formation Pill [a legendary pill that dramatically increases the chance of forming a Golden Core] proved worthy of its exorbitant price of two million Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation]. Although it did not grant them a successful breakthrough, it allowed them to leverage the attempt and ascend to the False Core Realm [a quasi-realm where a cultivator has partially condensed their power but not yet formed a true Golden Core].

For a False Core Cultivator, the odds of successfully challenging the Golden Core realm again rise to roughly thirty percent. Thus, the three of them now hold a glimmer of genuine hope for a future Golden Core breakthrough.

This is especially true for Elara Lin. Possessing an Anomalous Spiritual Root [a rare and superior type of spiritual affinity that grants exceptional cultivation talent], she had a twenty percent chance of breaking through unaided. Now, having reached the False Core Realm, if she could obtain another Golden Core Formation Pill in the future, her chances of forming a Golden Core would be considerable.

Admittedly, such a path would likely lead only to an Inferior Golden Core [the lowest grade of Golden Core, with limited future potential]. However, achieving the Golden Core realm earlier in life might grant one additional opportunity in the distant future to attempt the ascent to the Nascent Soul [the realm where the cultivator's spirit separates from the mortal body, achieving a higher form of existence] realm.

In truth, given Elara Lin's innate talent, she could attempt to break through to Golden Core without external aids. However, forsaking such aids would drastically reduce her probability of success.

The most critical function of the Golden Core Formation Pill is its ability to stabilize the pseudo-core, guaranteeing the cultivator a one hundred percent chance of remaining in the False Core Realm after a failed attempt.

Without the assistance of a Golden Core Formation Pill, a failed breakthrough often leaves the cultivator with only a fifty percent chance of stabilizing at the False Core Realm. Failure to do so renders the entire, arduous attempt utterly wasted.

Furthermore, failing a Golden Core breakthrough with the aid of a Golden Core Formation Pill or similar treasures requires only thirty years of recuperation. In stark contrast, a failure without such external support invariably inflicts severe, crippling injuries upon the cultivator. Your portal to cultivation novels: audio novel.com.