Chapter 265 : The Unbreachable Ridge

Even if he only advanced to the Pseudo-Core Realm [a transitional state just below the Golden Core Realm], his power would surge dramatically, allowing him to match the combined strength of three Violet Sanctum Late Stage [the final stage of the Violet Sanctum cultivation realm] cultivators.

With such a significant increase in power, his chances of earning Merits [a metaphysical currency representing virtuous deeds and good karma] during the next Beast Tide [a periodic invasion of demonic beasts] would be greatly enhanced. His likelihood of obtaining treasures necessary for Forming the Golden Core [the critical breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm] would also rise considerably.

After everyone had departed, Eldrin Chen turned to Exquisite Jiang and couldn't help but ask, "With this great victory, should we attempt to assault Earth Lion Ridge?"

"There is no opportunity."

Exquisite Jiang shook her head. Ever since her surprise attack on Earth Lion Ridge during the last Beast Tide, the Earth Lion Demon King had learned his lesson and diligently studied Formation [the art of creating defensive and offensive arrays].

But that was not enough. He paid a high price to enlist experts from under the command of the Azure Flood Dragon Demon Emperor. Using a Fourth-Rank Magical Treasure [a powerful enchanted artifact], they established a Fourth-Rank Formation [a high-level defensive array] at Earth Lion Ridge.

That Formation was, after all, anchored by the Earth Lion Demon King himself, who possessed Golden Core Mid Stage [mid-level Golden Core Realm] strength. Even with Exquisite Jiang's extraordinary prowess, breaching it would be exceedingly difficult.

Eldrin Chen knew little about that particular Formation. Hearing Exquisite Jiang describe it as Impenetrable [utterly unbreachable], he understood it was likely a formidable obstacle.

Dropping the subject, Exquisite Jiang said with a smile, "Accompany me in refining a few batches of pills."

"Agreed." Read the full novel exclusively on audi0-n0vel.c0m.

Eldrin Chen gave a nod of acknowledgment.

To refine a Fourth-Rank Pill [a pill of the fourth tier, suitable for Golden Core cultivators], it is best to have the aid of a Fourth-Rank Underground Fire Vein [a subterranean channel of potent spiritual fire, ideal for high-level alchemy].

The two of them entrusted the defense of Scorching Sun Mountain to Xavier Xu before soaring back to Green Sun Mountain on their flying swords.

Instead of immediately beginning the refinement of the Golden Core Formation Pill [a precious pill that aids in the breakthrough to the Golden Core realm], Exquisite Jiang first set about crafting the Violet Aura Cloud-Vein Pill [a pill that nourishes and expands the spiritual meridians]. With Eldrin Chen's current alchemical skill, he was confident he could also attempt this pill.

However, if he were to refine it, the success rate likely wouldn't be ideal. To avoid wasting the precious Purple Sun Jade [a rare spiritual jade imbued with solar essence], it was better for Exquisite Jiang to handle the task personally.

Over the years, Exquisite Jiang's alchemical arts had advanced further, reaching the level of Fourth Rank Mid-Grade [a mid-tier proficiency within the fourth rank of alchemical mastery]. Refining the Violet Aura Cloud-Vein Pill was now a simple matter for her, and she astonishingly succeeded in producing seven pills from the batch.

Having obtained these seven Violet Aura Cloud-Vein Pill, Exquisite Jiang reserved one for the Wang Clan, giving the remaining six to Eldrin Chen.

Eldrin Chen understood these were intended for the Old Patriarch and himself. Yet, he handed three back. "Three should be sufficient. Your own cultivation now demands significant resources, and you will need Spirit Stones [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation] in the future."

"So you've learned to worry about me," she said, a soft smile touching her lips.

Exquisite Jiang laughed happily but did not accept them. Instead, she replied warmly, "You both use them first. Whatever remains in the end, you can bring back to me."

Hearing her say this, Eldrin Chen finally retrieved all six of them.

As they spoke, the two began refining the Golden Core Formation Pill [a legendary pill that aids in the breakthrough to the Golden Core realm]. This was Exquisite Jiang's second time crafting this particular elixir.

The Spirit Herb Garden [a garden cultivating spiritually potent plants] of the Verdant Sun Sect had accumulated resources for over a thousand years, housing six or seven high-grade Spirit Herbs [plants imbued with spiritual energy]. Among them was a Heavenly Heart Grass [a rare herb, the core ingredient for the Golden Core Formation Pill], which saved Exquisite Jiang the expense of purchasing one with Spirit Stones [minerals that store and radiate spiritual energy].

After fifty years, her alchemical skills had progressed significantly. Now, as she undertook the refinement of the Golden Core Formation Pill once more, the process carried a sense of natural, effortless completion.

Working together for a month, they finally completed the refinement of this Inner Pill [the condensed core of a powerful demonic beast], successfully producing three Golden Core Formation Pills.

"Three pills."

Eldrin Chen's face lit up with delight. The Inner Pill of a Demon King [a powerful demonic entity] at the Golden Core Early Stage contained a finite amount of Creation [the primordial force of creation and life] energy. Typically, it could yield at most three or four Golden Core Formation Pills.

The fact that Exquisite Jiang had produced three was a testament to her truly exceptional talent.

Gazing at the three Golden Core Formation Pills, Eldrin Chen pondered for a moment before he couldn't help but ask, "How many of these Golden Core Formation Pills do you intend to sell?"

The Golden Core Formation Pill had a preservation period of at least a hundred years. If Exquisite Jiang kept them, even the Old Patriarch might find a use for them in the future.

Exquisite Jiang [the wife of Eldrin Chen] pondered for a moment before continuing. "Our strength remains somewhat lacking. If we had more Golden Core [the third major cultivation realm] cultivators, we could perhaps slay more Golden Core demonic beasts."

"Therefore, I intend to put these Golden Core Formation Pill [a precious pill that aids in forming the Golden Core] to use as soon as possible."

A thought struck Eldrin Chen [the protagonist, a rising clan patriarch]. There were three Golden Core Formation Pill in total. Setting aside one for Elara Lin [a talented junior of the Lin Clan], two would be available for sale.

Moreover, her cultivation had now reached the second layer of the Golden Core realm, and she still needed to accumulate resources for her future advancement to the Golden Core Mid Stage [the middle phase of the Golden Core realm].

After all, whether it was the resources consumed by her daily cultivation, the 'Origin Shattering Tribulation Pill' [a pill that aids in breaking through the barrier to the Golden Core Mid Stage] needed for the breakthrough itself, or the Five Elements Essence [a refined spiritual essence containing the power of the five elements] required after the breakthrough, all represented a massive expenditure.

Thinking of this, Eldrin Chen nodded and said, "Both the Xu Clan and the Fang Clan have legacies spanning several centuries. If they are willing to expend their accumulated reserves, they should each be able to afford one Golden Core Formation Pill." The story continues at audio-novel`com.

"With the proceeds from those two sales, it should be sufficient for you to purchase two Origin Shattering Tribulation Pill."

Having successfully refined the Golden Core Formation Pill, the two did not emerge from seclusion immediately.

Eldrin Chen took out the Quasi-Fourth-Rank Inner Pill [the condensed life-force core of a powerful demonic beast, nearly at the fourth rank], his expression turning solemn. "I wish to use this to refine a Sub-Golden Core Pill."

The Sub-Golden Core Pill [a pill that assists in the breakthrough to the Golden Core realm, though less potent than the Golden Core Formation Pill] was also a type of elixir that aided in the breakthrough to the Golden Core realm.

Although this pill cannot compare to the Golden Core Formation Pill [a legendary pill that greatly aids in forming the Golden Core], it can store a vast amount of spiritual power, increasing a cultivator's chances of a breakthrough into the Forming the Golden Core [the critical process of condensing one's spiritual power into a solid Golden Core] by one-tenth.

However, refining this pill requires the Inner Pill [the condensed life essence and cultivation base of a powerful demonic beast] of a Pseudo-Core Realm [a powerful demon beast equivalent to a peak Violet Sanctum cultivator] great demon. Furthermore, only one Sub-Golden Core Pill [a pill that stores immense spiritual power to aid Golden Core formation] can be refined from a single Inner Pill, making such an opportunity exceedingly rare for ordinary Violet Sanctum Cultivator [cultivators who have opened their Violet Sanctum, the third major realm].

The difficulty of refining the External Elixir [an alternate name for the Sub-Golden Core Pill] is not excessively high, roughly equivalent to that of a Third Rank Superior Grade [a high-quality pill of the third rank] pill. Therefore, Eldrin Chen was confident he had a great chance of success and wished to ask Exquisite Jiang for her assistance in its refinement.

"With this pill obtained, Old Granduncle's opportunity is not small."

Exquisite Jiang looked at the fourth-rank Inner Pill, a flicker of amusement in her eyes.

She understood Eldrin Chen's feelings towards Old Granduncle. This fellow would undoubtedly spare no effort to help Old Granduncle advance further on his path.

It was undeniable that Eldrin Chen's deep regard for bonds, his character of repaying a drop of kindness with a flowing spring, was a significant factor in her high regard for him.

Eldrin Chen was not inflexibly rigid, but he was genuinely good to those who had cared for him, at least within the limits of his capabilities.

"Let us begin."

Eldrin Chen smiled faintly. If not for the fact that Old Granduncle had not yet broken through to Violet Sanctum Late Stage [the late stage of the Violet Sanctum realm], he would have certainly tried to procure a Golden Core Formation Pill for the Old Patriarch as well.

Although the accumulated foundation of the clan over these years could not compare to that of the Shyu Immortal Clan and Fang Immortal Clan, the Clan Treasury [the central vault where the clan stores its wealth and resources] held a considerable number of Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy]. If they mortgaged a portion of the Spiritual Vein [a subterranean current of concentrated spiritual energy] and the Earth Vein [a geological formation that channels earth-attribute spiritual energy], and the clan members each contributed their share, acquiring a single Golden Core Formation Pill [a supreme elixir that aids in the breakthrough to the Golden Core realm] would certainly be within reach.

The refinement of the Sub-Golden Core Pill [a high-grade pill that prepares the body and spirit for Golden Core formation] proceeded smoothly, without any significant complications.

With Exquisite Jiang overseeing the process, even if an accident occurred, she possessed the skill to remedy it, ensuring this precious Fourth Rank Inner Pill [the condensed spiritual core of a high-level demonic beast, a potent alchemical ingredient] would not be ruined. Therefore, Eldrin Chen could proceed without reservations, handling each step with flawless precision.

"A Sub-Golden Core Pill,"

Gazing at the completed Sub-Golden Core Pill before her, a smile touched Exquisite Jiang's lips. "Your alchemical skill has advanced to the Third Rank Superior Grade [the pinnacle of the third rank in alchemical mastery] so swiftly. It seems that in another century or so, you might very well catch up to me."

"A century from now, you will likely have already reached the Fourth Rank Superior Grade [the peak of the fourth rank] in alchemy yourself,"

Eldrin Chen shook his head with a laugh. Jiang Exquisite Heaven's talent was truly Extraordinary, and she would not remain stationary either.

"..."

When word spread that Exquisite Jiang had successfully refined Golden Core Formation Pill and intended to offer two of them for sale within the Heavenly Ruins Alliance [a coalition of cultivation clans and sects], the various great families of Border Province [a frontier province in the cultivation world] were thrown into a frenzy of excitement.

The Fang Immortal Clan and the Shyu Immortal Clan immediately sprang into action, devising every possible method to amass the necessary Spirit Stone to purchase these rare and invaluable Golden Core Formation Pill. This chapter is part of a larger work available at audio-novel .c om.