Chapter 304 : The Patriarch's Golden Core Ascent

Suppressing those thoughts, Eldrin Chen spent a few more days with Exquisite Jiang before soaring back to Yu County on his flying sword.

In Pingyang City, he met with the Old Patriarch. Over the past few years, the Patriarch's lifespan had approached two hundred and sixty years, yet his aura had grown even more profound and robust. Astonishingly, he had cultivated his way to the Violet Sanctum 9th Tier.

This lifted Eldrin Chen's spirits further. He couldn't help but remark, "With your cultivation having advanced another step, Old Granduncle, you will likely be able to attempt a breakthrough into the Golden Core Realm [the third major realm of cultivation, where one's spiritual energy condenses into a solid, golden core] within the next ten years."

"I owe much of that to your third-rank Spirit Pearl [a precious pearl imbued with concentrated spiritual energy]," the Old Patriarch replied with a smile.

After securing Heavenly Python Lake, Eldrin Chen and Exquisite Jiang had discovered three precious Shellfish King Pearl [a rare pearl from a king among spirit shellfish, known to accelerate cultivation] within its depths.

These Shellfish King Pearl could enhance the cultivation speed of a Violet Sanctum Cultivator [a cultivator in the second major realm, where the spiritual sea is opened and refined]. Years ago, Eldrin Chen himself had received such a gift from Exquisite Jiang, which had allowed him to swiftly advance to the Violet Sanctum Mid Stage.

After breaking through to the Violet Sanctum Late Stage, Eldrin Chen's progress had slowed considerably, delayed by the decade he spent forging the Bulwark Earth Sovereign Bell.

Nevertheless, he was confident he could reach the Great Perfection of Violet Sanctum [the peak stage of the Violet Sanctum realm] within thirty years, primarily thanks to obtaining these Shellfish King Pearl.

A single Shellfish King Pearl could be used for thirty years. Eldrin Chen had taken two: one for himself and the other intended for the Old Patriarch.

As they conversed, Eldrin Chen produced the Crimson Sun Void-Burning Furnace. "My purpose in coming," he said, "is to entrust this artifact to you." Dive deeper into the Dao at *audio-novel.com*.

"With my cultivation level, I likely cannot unleash the full might of this treasure as you can."

Old Patriarch said this, yet still took the Fourth-Rank Magical Treasure [an enchanted artifact of the fourth rank, a powerful tool for cultivators].

Currently, Eldrin Chen already possessed the Celestial Abyss Twin Swords, the Thousand Demons Demon-Slaying Sword, and the Bulwark Earth Sovereign Bell—a full four Immortal Sword [swords imbued with immortal power, legendary weapons] of the fourth rank.

Generally speaking, a cultivator at the Golden Core Early Stage [the initial phase of the Golden Core realm, where one's spiritual power condenses into a solid core] could barely manage to wield three or four Fourth-Rank Magical Treasure with their spiritual sense.

That Eldrin Chen could command four was due to his spiritual sense rivaling that of the Golden Core Realm [a major cultivation stage where one forms a solid golden spiritual core], coupled with the fact that his Lifebound Magical Treasure [a treasure bound to one's life force, requiring far less energy to use] consumed only thirty percent of the spiritual energy required by ordinary treasures of the same rank.

However, with his spiritual energy reserves at the Violet Sanctum Late Stage [the advanced phase of the Violet Sanctum realm, where one's spiritual sea is purified and expanded], he truly had no capacity left to activate a fifth Fourth-Rank Magical Treasure.

Eternal Profound Chen cultivated the Solar Solar Fire Scripture [a supreme cultivation art harnessing the essence of solar fire], enabling him to unleash this treasure's maximum potential. The Crimson Sun Void-Burning Furnace [a furnace capable of refining with the heat of a crimson sun] would not be wasted in his hands.

Departing from Pingyang City, Eldrin Chen returned to Spirit Isle Lake and resumed his methodical routine of accumulating spiritual energy.

His cultivation philosophy emphasized unwavering persistence. No matter how busy the years had been, unless circumstances absolutely forbade it, he never neglected his daily cultivation practice.

Amidst this day-in, day-out cultivation, another half a year slipped by almost unnoticed.

"…"

On this day, after absorbing the Primordial Chaos Violet Aura [a supreme, primordial energy that nurtures the world] and completing his cultivation exercises, Eldrin Chen rose to his feet.

He lifted his gaze to the Peach Blossom Grove before him and realized that spring had arrived once more; the ground was carpeted anew with fallen blossoms.

"Another year, another bloom of peach flowers," he murmured.

A sense of profound serenity washed over Eldrin Chen, and his eyes settled on a figure standing amidst the Peach Blossom Grove.

At the grove's far end, a woman clad in a gown white as snow held a sprig of peach blossoms, her head bowed slightly as she inhaled its delicate fragrance.

She looked toward Eldrin Chen, her bright eyes holding a pure, gentle smile. "The blossoms here are truly beautiful. I never tire of coming to see them each year."

"Here, help me put this on," she said, offering the branch.

A smile touched Eldrin Chen's eyes. He took the peach blossom sprig and carefully tucked it into her flowing dark hair.

Instantly, the petals on the blossom hairpin seemed to glow with vibrant color, as if the entire Peach Blossom Grove had been touched with an extra brushstroke of beauty.

"A beauty is not born of mortal womb, but grown from a peach blossom tree."

For reasons unknown, Eldrin Chen was moved and gently took her hand.

"Such a silver tongue you have."

Exquisite Jiang chided with a faint blush, yet her slender hand unconsciously tightened its grip on his.

Ten Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] of spring breeze pale before you, as the Ten-Mile Peach Blossoms fall to fill the stream.

In the babbling stream nearby, several fish chased after floating peach petals to nibble, seemingly mistaking them for food. They swallowed, then immediately regretted it, flipping over to show their pale bellies and staring with vacant, dead-fish eyes. After a long moment, they swam away in apparent disgust. Find this and other novels at site: audio-novel.com.

Eldrin Chen walked upon Lake Heart Island, accompanying Exquisite Jiang as they admired the Ten-Mile Peach Blossom Grove.

Yet the sight stirred the maiden's heart within Exquisite Jiang, and she tugged at him, smiling. "It has been too long since I last heard you play the zither. Play a melody for me today."

"As you wish."

Eldrin Chen nodded. Clad in robes of white, he settled the zither upon his knees and sat cross-legged beneath the Spiritual Peach Tree, his gaze resting upon her with profound tenderness.

"This melody is titled — Mythos."

His fingertips glided, and a long, lingering melody from the zither arose, as if a chant echoing across a thousand years.

She listened in silence, her bright eyes reflecting the peerless figure of the White-robed Man. His pristine white robes blazed with a radiant light, seeming to emit a hazy glow that dimmed the splendor of the Ten-Mile Peach Blossoms by three parts.

Gazing at that silhouette, she lowered her eyes and stepped forward. A gown of snowy white danced and fluttered amidst the swirling rain of petals.

Beneath the Spiritual Peach Tree, he watched her with tender eyes, playing a melody that did not belong to this Mortal Realm. Her graceful form unfurled within the music's embrace, dancing a dance that did not belong to that realm of Mortal Dust.

The Spiritual Peach Tree seemed moved, shedding a boundless shower of blossoms.

A dance amidst the flowers, a zither beneath the tree.

He played the zither of a past life within the petal rain; she danced the dance of this moment amidst the peach blossoms. It was as if two separate Space-Time were merging across the divide.

On the distant lakeshore, Silas stood quietly. Her eyes looked up at that pair of figures, listening to the zither's song and watching the dance, yet her heart felt as if it were sinking into an endless abyss.

She felt she could scarcely breathe, and only then realized her face was already streaked with tears.

Some emotions are fated to be like standing at the edge of an abyss, like treading on thin ice—untouchable, unthinkable.

Even if thought of, they must be hidden away for a lifetime…

"…"

As the final note faded, their souls seemed to draw a little closer.

Exquisite Jiang nestled in his embrace, her usual sharpness softened, replaced by a rare tenderness.

Gazing at the blossoming peach tree, she said with a gentle smile, "The Beast Tide has ended. In two months, the Barter Convention will be held in Ji Nation."

"Mm, let's go together."

Eldrin Chen held her tightly, as if embracing the entire world.

The Barter Convention for Golden Core Cultivator in Chu Nation was typically convened once every Sixty-Year Cycle. The only other occasion was following the conclusion of a Beast Tide.

Not wanting to miss this rare opportunity, the pair did not linger. They departed Yu County early.

The Ji Nation was separated from the Chu Nation by several million Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters]. However, a Golden Core Realm cultivator could traverse two hundred thousand Li-length in a single day, making a distance of a few million Li-length truly insignificant.

The two of them spent a full month traversing the Verdant Azure Mountains and the Yan Kingdom, finally arriving at the borders of the Ji Nation.

The market hosting this Barter Convention was none other than the Ji Continent Market.

This Ji Continent Market was the largest cultivation market among the nearby continents, and even within the entire Eastern Region Great Wasteland, it ranked among the most prominent.

Therefore, every time the Ji Continent Barter Convention was held, not only would Golden Core Cultivators from Ji Continent attend, but cultivators from nearby major continents like Tianlu Continent and Thousand Stars Continent would also cross the vast chasms separating the continents to gather here.

"Ji Continent Market."

Gazing upon the Ji Continent Market before him, Eldrin Chen's eyes flashed with awe.

This was his first time visiting the Ji Continent Market, and his first glimpse of a market of such immense scale.

Compared to this place, the major markets of the Chu Nation, or even the Qin-Yuan Market in the Yuan Nation of Tianlu Continent, paled into insignificance. Find thousands of chapters at audio~novel.com.