Chapter 289 : Thunder's Price and a Lotus's Promise
Having successfully cultivated the Dual Polarity Divine Thunder [a divine thunder technique that harmonizes opposing elemental forces], Eldrin Chen felt a surge of elation, for he had gained another formidable trump card to hold in reserve.
However, while the power of the Dual Polarity Divine Thunder was immense, its consumption was equally staggering. A single activation drained half of his mana reserves. Even with the Flood Water Azure Lotus Platform [a magical lotus-shaped platform that stores and refines spiritual energy] in his possession, he could only unleash it four times at most.
The Flood Water Azure Lotus Platform was currently only at the Third Rank High Grade [a high-grade treasure within the third rank of power], and its capacity for storing mana was merely double that of his own internal reserves.
If it were to advance to the Fourth Rank Low Grade [the initial grade within the fourth rank of power], it could store triple the amount of mana. Only then would his spiritual energy become profoundly abundant, allowing him to deploy his trump cards repeatedly without fear of severe depletion.
Descending from the high skies, Eldrin Chen returned to Spirit Isle Lake [a serene lake imbued with spiritual energy, home to a central isle]. There, he resumed his routine of reading, savoring tea, and delving deeper into the mysteries of cultivation arts and divine abilities.
After comprehending the Dual Polarity Divine Thunder, his understanding of the Five Elements Divine Thunder [a supreme thunder technique derived from the fusion of the five elemental forces] grew increasingly lucid. He wished to press further, to see if he could grasp the principles of the Triad Divine Thunder [a legendary thunder technique requiring the fusion of three divine thunders].
Yet, in the end, he had to relinquish that pursuit. The Triad Divine Thunder demanded the fusion of three divine thunders, a difficulty that increased not by mere folds, but by an order of magnitude.
Most crucially, such a thunder technique would undoubtedly belong to the realm of Great Divine Ability [a classification for divine abilities of extraordinary power and complexity]. His spiritual sense and mana were still insufficient; he would likely need to reach the Golden Core [the fourth major realm of cultivation, where one's spiritual energy condenses into a golden core] before attempting such a feat.
Regardless, this period of deduction had significantly bolstered his strength, and his comprehension of divine abilities and cultivation arts had grown profoundly deeper and more extensive.
Having abandoned the pursuit of the Triad Divine Thunder, he turned his efforts towards fusing the five cultivation arts he had created. His goal was to merge them into a single, cohesive whole, to forge a true Five Elements Cultivation Art [a supreme cultivation method that harmonizes and cycles the power of all five fundamental elements]. This chapter is provided by (audio-novel.com). Support the original.
Despite the profound foundation he had accumulated from studying hundreds of scriptures and his comprehension that far surpassed the ordinary, this step remained exceptionally arduous for him.
Throughout these years, he had continuously attempted to unify the Five Elements Cultivation Art [a cultivation method based on the five fundamental elements], possessing only a vague conceptual framework. However, the formation of the grand Five Elements Divine Thunder [a divine thunder technique harnessing the power of the five elements] cycle within his body had now illuminated a clear and definitive path for him.
The Five Elements Cultivation Art [a cultivation method based on the five fundamental elements] inherently embodies a cycle of mutual generation and restraint. Therefore, there was no fundamental need to forcibly create a single cultivation art that possessed all five attributes simultaneously.
Not only would such an endeavor be immensely difficult, but even upon success, it would inevitably lead to various internal conflicts and contradictions, making it an exceedingly troublesome path.
Thus, he decided to shift his approach. His plan was to partially modify the five separate arts, refining them until they shared a common origin and essence. Cultivating all five in unison would then naturally give rise to a grand, self-sustaining cycle of cultivation arts.
Once the cycle of the five arts was perfected, they would spontaneously merge into a single, entirely new and unified cultivation method.
Putting thought into action, Eldrin Chen began to deconstruct and re-comprehend each scripture one by one: the Solar Separated Flame Scripture [a scripture of the blazing sun and separated flame], the Heavenly River Flood Water Scripture [a scripture of the celestial river's flood waters], the Earth-Fortress Sovereign Scripture [a scripture of the unyielding earth-fortress], the Green Emperor Longevity Scripture [a scripture of the verdant emperor's longevity], and finally, the Western Pole White Emperor Scripture [a scripture of the white emperor of the western pole].
After five years of meticulous effort, he had rewritten the foundational cultivation principles of these five arts. The spiritual essence [True Essence] they now produced had been transformed, becoming mutually generative and restraining, ultimately evolving into five distinct cultivation methods capable of forming a grand Five Elements cycle.
Following this comprehensive re-derivation, Eldrin Chen realized the five arts had undergone a profound metamorphosis. Their core concepts and underlying philosophy [the foundational intent and guiding principles] had shifted significantly, making their original names feel somewhat incongruous.
He contemplated bestowing new names upon these five refined arts. Yet, after a moment's reflection, he decided to temporarily restrain the impulse to rename them.
These five cultivation arts before him possessed profound conceptual foundations. Giving them ordinary names would be unsuitable, yet names that were too grandiose also felt inappropriate, as the ultimate grade of the arts still fell short of such heights.
After recreating the arts, Eldrin Chen began attempting to cultivate all five simultaneously.
Having been modified by him, these five arts could now be operated in unison for cultivation. As each art began to circulate, the spiritual energy [the vital force cultivated by practitioners] within his body started to undergo a violent transformation.
As the final art, the Heavenly River Flood Water Scripture, began its circulation, he discovered that the five arts within him had formed a mysterious, perfect equilibrium.
"Boom—"
At that very moment, a deep, resonant thud echoed from within his core. The five arts, sharing the same origin, rapidly fused together, ultimately forming one grand, cyclical flow.
Instantly, his spiritual energy surged explosively, propelling him straight through the barrier into the Purple Mansion Eighth Layer [the eighth stage of the Purple Mansion cultivation realm], bringing him one step closer to Purple Mansion Great Perfection [the pinnacle stage of the Purple Mansion realm].
Not only that, but the spiritual energy cultivated from his Solar Separated Flame Scripture was also transformed, finally metamorphosing into an exceptionally unique form of Pure Yang spiritual energy.
This energy resembled chaotic mist, yet it simultaneously possessed the characteristics of all five original energies.
It held the domineering force and potent Pure Yang power of the Solar Separated Flame Scripture; it possessed the gentle, nourishing quality and restorative capacity of the Heavenly River Flood Water Scripture, able to nurture both flesh and spirit, with a recovery rate far surpassing cultivators of the same level.
It possessed the Western Pole White Emperor Scripture [a scripture of unparalleled sharpness and lethality]'s exceptional sharpness and outstanding destructive power; it also held the Earth-Fortress Sovereign Scripture [a scripture renowned for its profound and robust mana and formidable defense]'s profound and robust mana, granting exceptionally powerful defenses.
Furthermore, it incorporated the healing and longevity-extending effects of the Sylvan Longevity Scripture, granting him an additional Jiazi-time [a cycle of sixty years] of lifespan, and his rate of injury recovery would also be significantly faster than that of an ordinary cultivator.
"Five arts return to one, simultaneously embodying the Five Elements."
"This cultivation art shall be named the Five Elements Origin-Returning Scripture [a scripture that unifies and returns the powers of the five primal elements to their source]."
Eldrin Chen murmured inwardly, a flicker of joy shining in his eyes.
This Five Elements Origin-Returning Scripture was forged from the fusion of five distinct arts. Once he later refined those five arts to a level sufficient to be extrapolated to the Golden Core [the realm where a cultivator condenses their spiritual essence into a solid, golden core] realm, this synthesized scripture would naturally ascend to the Golden Core realm as well. Join our community of readers at www . audio-novel.com.
Having completed the creation of his future primary cultivation art and with his own strength having smoothly advanced to the eighth layer of the Purple Mansion [the realm where a cultivator opens and refines their spiritual sea into a grand, purple-hued mansion], Eldrin Chen was in excellent spirits.
After gathering his joy, he intended to continue deducing the art, but this period of seclusion was interrupted by a message arriving from Celestial Ruins Mountain.
Before the Beast Tide Calamity [a periodic, massive invasion of demonic beasts], the clan's Purple Mansion Ancestor [a venerable elder who has reached the Purple Mansion realm] had decided to convene a council.
Eldrin Chen merged with his sword, transforming into a streak of sword radiance that arrived at Pingyang City. He found that all the clan's Purple Mansion Cultivator who could attend had already gathered.
Within the grand hall, Old Patriarch and Eldrin Chen sat at the center.
The Qing Generation members, Lior Chen and Chen Elara, sat on either side, while Kael Chen, Lila, and Ethan were also seated nearby.
Silas, who was stationed at Spirit Isle Lake, and Caleb, stationed at Spirit Source Mountain, also participated in this council meeting via the World's-End Sound-Transmission Mirror.
Eldrin Chen brewed a pot of tea, unhurriedly poured a cup for each person present, and then spoke with calm composure.
"In two more years, the Beast Tide Calamity will begin anew."
"Indeed, time flows swiftly."
Lior Chen at his side also revealed a faint smile.
In the blink of an eye, a century had passed, and the second Beast Tide Calamity that Eldrin Chen would face was now approaching.
Eldrin Chen was now one hundred and fifty-three years old, and the Old Patriarch had also passed his two hundred and fiftieth year.
Among the others, the two elders, Lior and Elara, were the eldest, having already passed their one hundred and ninetieth year.
The remaining Purple Mansion Cultivators [cultivators who have established their spiritual foundation within the Purple Mansion Realm] are all individuals who have broken through to the Purple Mansion Realm [the third major realm of cultivation, where one builds a spiritual mansion to house their nascent soul] within the last few decades, making them all remarkably young by cultivator standards.
"A century's passage brings about a world of difference."
Old Patriarch sighed, his voice carrying a complex mix of nostalgia and a proud smile.
A hundred years had flowed by. The Chen Clan, pulled forward by the efforts of the Old Patriarch and Eldrin Chen, had participated in several major battles of Golden Core Grade [a level of conflict involving cultivators at the Golden Core Realm and their artifacts]. From these trials, they had amassed a foundation of wealth and resources both deep and broad.
Now, the clan's holdings and enterprises ranked among the very pinnacle, even when measured against other established Purple Mansion Immortal Clans [clans or families with the strength and heritage to produce Purple Mansion Realm cultivators].
Fueled by these prosperous industries, the spoils of repeated campaigns, and—crucially—the diligence and talent of its members, the clan had seen new masters rise one after another. Without fanfare, the Chen Clan now counted nine Purple Mansion Cultivators among its ranks.
A clan with nine Purple Mansion masters—with such might, the present-day Chen Clan stood virtually peerless among the Purple Mansion Immortal Clans of the Chu Kingdom. Their position as the kingdom's foremost Purple Mansion Immortal Clan was now undeniable and beyond dispute. For more chapters, visit audio-novel.com for the complete novel.