Chapter 339 : Secrets of the Flaming Sea

"I have come today..."

Yu Qingyan hesitated for a moment, glancing at Lyra Jiang, before continuing, "The reason for my visit today is to invite you to explore some ruins together."

"My sworn sister, Qingyan the Immortal Maiden, and her Dao Companion sent word. They discovered a hidden secret realm deep within the Flaming Prison Sea of Fire."

She recounted the tale in detail, explaining the purpose of this journey to Eldrin Chen.

It turned out that not long ago, Qingci the Recluse and His Wife had discovered traces of an ancient ruin within the Flaming Prison Sea of Fire. It seemed to be a treasure trove left behind by a Nascent Soul-level power from a bygone era.

Qingci the Recluse and His Wife had ventured inside once to explore, but unfortunately, their strength proved insufficient. In the end, they could only make a hasty and disheveled escape.

Since they were unable to secure the secret realm themselves, Qingci the Recluse had no choice but to seek out friends for assistance. Thus, Eldrin Chen became their first choice.

After all, they had cooperated before. Judging from the previous distribution of spoils and their shared experiences, Eldrin Chen's character was trustworthy.

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen exchanged a glance with Lyra Jiang and said with a smile, "Brother Qingci certainly has good fortune."

The Flaming Prison Sea of Fire had existed for over six thousand years. The secret realms hidden in its depths were likely left behind by very ancient sects. Any ruins that could survive such a long passage of time might indeed contain some precious treasures. Original English translation available at audio-novel .c om.

At this thought, both of them felt their hearts stir with anticipation.

Thus, Lyra Jiang nodded, yet spoke with measured caution, "Exploring a secret realm should not consume an excessive amount of time."

"Our only fear is that it may harbor unforeseen dangers. Let us first go and assess it. If the perils prove too great, we may have no choice but to devise an alternative strategy."

Seeing Lyra Jiang's agreement, Yu Qingyan's face lit up with joy. She lacked the means to procure a Golden Core Formation Pill [a precious pill that aids in forming the Golden Core]. If this opportunity truly pertained to a Nascent Soul [the realm of cultivation beyond the Golden Core] level power, then even if only scraps remained, her share might still be enough to allow her a breakthrough to the Golden Core [a solidified core of immense spiritual power within a cultivator's body] realm.

Thinking this, Yu Qingyan said excitedly, "When shall we set out?"

Eldrin Chen inquired, "When will that ancient site next become accessible?"

Yu Qingyan replied, "That site only presents an opportunity to open once every thirty years. The Qingci couple last opened it nearly twenty years ago. We must wait a little over ten more years."

"Then there is no rush. With our cultivation, reaching the Heavenly Abode Continent [a vast continent within the cultivation world] would take merely a hundred days. Even with delays along the journey, half a year would suffice."

Eldrin Chen stated calmly, making the decision, "We shall depart one year in advance. That will ensure we do not miss the appointed time."

Having agreed to act together again in ten years, Yu Qingyan departed from Spirit Isle Lake and returned to Misty Verdant Mountain [a mountain shrouded in ethereal green mists] within Heaven's Ruin Province.

After her departure, Eldrin Chen and Lyra Jiang continued their days of immortal-like companionship at Spirit Isle Lake.

On this day, Eldrin Chen flew out from Spirit Isle Lake and arrived at Verdant Chariot Mountain. In the Back Mountain of Verdant Chariot Mountain, he met with Old Patriarch.

Old Patriarch stood before the Spirit Apricot Tree. Seeing Eldrin Chen arrive, his face lit up with joy as he said, "After cultivating it for over two hundred years, this Spirit Apricot Tree has finally ripened."

Gazing at the Spirit Apricot Tree before him, Eldrin Chen also revealed a look of delight.

A Fourth Rank Spirit Apricot Tree is considered a mature Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root. After advancing to the Fourth Rank, the Spirit Apricot Tree now blooms once every thirty years, bears fruit over the next thirty, and takes another thirty to fully ripen.

Ultimately, over a century, it produces only three Spirit Apricot. Only upon advancing to Fourth Rank High Grade would it yield nine.

Spirit Apricot of this grade possess astonishing pure Yang vitality. Consuming one can extend a person's lifespan by two Jiazi-time [a sixty-year cycle].

Such a treasure is worth twenty times the price of a Third Rank Spirit Apricot, valued at two million Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy]. However, as a Longevity Treasure, virtually every Golden Core Cultivator [a cultivator who has formed a Golden Core, a solidified mass of spiritual energy] with dwindling lifespan seeks to purchase it, so there is no worry about finding a buyer.

With this treasure, the Chen Clan has an excellent Deep-Seated Foundation [a profound and stable foundation for long-term development], whether reserved for future use by clan cultivators or exchanged for other treasures with Golden Core Cultivator.

Eldrin Chen collected the three Spirit Apricot and shook his head slightly. "It's a pity the Spirit Apricot Tree matures so slowly, not like the Spirit Peach Tree which bears fruit every thirty years. We must wait another century for the next batch of Spirit Apricot to ripen."

"The Longevity Treasure [a rare item that can extend a cultivator's lifespan] grows more slowly, naturally it cannot compare to the Spirit Peach Tree [a mystical tree bearing fruit that enhances cultivation] and the Enlightenment Tea Tree [a legendary tree whose leaves aid in profound meditation and comprehension of the Dao]."

The Old Patriarch also smiled faintly, gazing at the immensely precious Spirit Apricot [a spiritual fruit known for its life-extending properties] as he spoke.

In recent years, the Enlightenment Tea Tree had advanced to the Fourth Rank [a high tier of power and spiritual potency for objects and locations], which not only allowed Pingyang City to ascend to a Fourth Rank Spirit Vein [a location imbued with a powerful, fourth-tier concentration of spiritual energy] but also provided significant aid to Eldrin Chen in his comprehension of cultivation arts.

Thinking of this, Chen Thalion spoke again, "Since the Spirit Vein [a natural conduit of concentrated spiritual energy within the earth] has ascended, let us proceed to deploy the Formation [a structured arrangement of energy channels and artifacts used for defense, attack, or cultivation]."

As soon as their words fell, the two men set to work.

With their mastery of Formation arts, setting up a Fourth Rank Mountain Guardian Grand Formation [a powerful defensive array designed to protect an entire mountain] was a matter of effortless simplicity. The story continues at audio-novel*com.

The two spent two days' time, using the Mountain-Suppressing Stone Stele [a stone monument artifact with earth-suppressing powers] and the Golden Sun Divine Flame Lamp [a lamp artifact that channels solar divine flame]—two pieces of Fourth Rank Magical Treasure [powerful enchanted artifacts of the fourth tier]—as the formation's core artifacts, to lay down the Golden Sun Mountain-Suppressing Formation [a grand defensive formation that harnesses solar energy to stabilize and protect a mountain].

After completing the arrangements for the Mountain Guardian Grand Formation, Eldrin Chen did not depart immediately. As their periods of seclusion grew longer and longer, it had been some time since they last met. Thus, he simply stayed to accompany the Old Patriarch for a game of Go upon Green Chariot Peak.

This game of Go lasted, in the blink of an eye, for six or seven days.

Meanwhile, several hundred Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] away at the foot of Green Sun Mountain, two figures watched the towering Spirit Mountain [a mountain rich with spiritual energy, often a cultivation site] before them with tense expressions.

The two individuals, one man and one woman, appeared quite young, their cultivation merely at the Foundation Establishment, Mid Stage.

At this moment, the young woman tightened her sleeves, her face tense and sweat beading on her forehead. "Is this truly the Chu Kingdom Chen Clan?"

"Sixth Brother, this is the premier Immortal Clan of the Chu Kingdom. Does our Chen Clan truly have any connection to them?"

"Chu Kingdom, Cangyuan Mountain Range, Chen Clan."

The man addressed as Sixth Brother gazed at the imposing Spirit Mountain [a mountain imbued with potent spiritual energy] before him, faintly sensing an overwhelmingly powerful aura emanating from within its peaks.

Within this Spirit Mountain, he surmised there were likely no fewer than several dozen Foundation Establishment Cultivator [practitioners who have solidified their spiritual foundation], figures of esteemed status in ordinary times. He even sensed the auras of multiple Purple Mansion Ancestor [venerable elders who have opened their mystical Purple Mansion, a higher stage of cultivation].

Recalling the information he had gathered before his journey, the man's face also paled slightly. He wiped the sweat from his brow and swallowed hard before speaking. "It should be them."

"It is said that over four hundred years ago, the Second Ancestor of our Chen Clan was forced to leave the Qi Kingdom. He drifted to the Chu Kingdom and established an Immortal Clan [a lineage of cultivators bound by blood and shared destiny]. Their Spirit Mountain is the Verdant Chariot Mountain within the Cangyuan Mountain Range."

As he spoke, a flicker of uncertainty stirred within his heart once more.

Thinking this, he bolstered his own courage and continued, "It is said that three hundred years ago, when the Clan Patriarch of the Dao Generation [a specific generational marker within the clan] from this Verdant Chariot Mountain was still alive, he once traveled to the Qi Kingdom to visit our Ancient Ancestor Zong."

"Yet, it remains unknown what unforeseen calamity later befell, for that Dao Generation Ancient Ancestor of the clan never returned."

"Three hundred years."

The young woman's face paled, and she couldn't help but shake her head vigorously. "Three hundred years have passed. Likely, one or two generations of Foundation Establishment Cultivator [cultivators who have solidified their spiritual foundation] have already passed away in meditation. Will they still remember us?"

Hearing her words, the man's own confidence wavered. He could only grit his teeth and say, "The Clan Patriarch is nearing the end of his meditation. Now, the He Clan [the He family, a rival cultivation clan] covets the Sun-Returning Fruit [a rare spiritual fruit with restorative properties] our Chen Clan has nurtured for eight centuries."

"Our clan cannot hold out much longer. If this journey fails to secure aid, I fear our Chen Clan faces the peril of utter ruin. Therefore, we must succeed; we cannot afford failure." Access the full story on audio novel.com.