Chapter 340 : Ancestral Secrets at Verdant Mountain

The man spoke through gritted teeth, then forced himself to take a step forward and flew towards the distance.

They had only flown a dozen or so Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] when a wave of vertigo washed over them, sending them tumbling from the sky.

"Who are you, to dare trespass upon Verdant Chariot Mountain?"

The brother and sister, having barely regained their senses, found themselves standing before a man in black robes. His bearing was extraordinary, his features strikingly handsome and noble.

He stood there, yet an uncanny aura emanated from him, creating an intangible sense of distance that made one feel he was not to be approached lightly.

A mere glance was enough to leave them both momentarily dazed. The elder brother recovered first, hastily prostrating himself as he spoke.

"We pay our respects to the Ancient Ancestor."

"This humble one is Chen Lucian. This is my younger sister, Chen Selene. We are elders of the Chen Immortal Clan from Ming Province in the Qi Kingdom. We have come seeking the Green Chariot Mountain Chen Clan."

"The Chen Clan of Qi Nation?"

Kael Chen's eyes flickered slightly. He activated his Jade Spirit Eye [a mystical eye technique that perceives spiritual auras and truths] to scrutinize the pair. The complete novel can be found at (audio-novel.com).

Upon seeing it, he let out a soft exclamation of surprise and looked at Chen Lucian. "The Blazing Sun Void-Treading Art," he said. "Where did you obtain this method?"

Hearing this, Chen Lucian revealed a look of pleasant surprise, speaking with evident excitement.

"This cultivation art is a secret technique of our Chen Clan, never to be transmitted outside the clan."

"I see."

Kael Chen's eyes narrowed slightly as he replied calmly, "You two should wait here for now."

After arranging for the two to be hosted at the Guest-Welcoming Peak, Kael Chen flew directly to the Back Mountain of Verdant Chariot Mountain, where he found the two playing chess by the cliff's edge.

At that moment, beside the Old Patriarch was Chen Seraphina, who was pouring tea for them. This elder sister from the Nian Generation had long exhausted her natural lifespan, but had later consumed three Spirit Apricot [spiritually infused fruits known to extend life], extending her life by nearly a century.

Chen Seraphina's innate talent was not particularly strong, and her breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment [the second major realm of cultivation] had come relatively late. Furthermore, in recent years, most of the clan's mundane affairs had fallen upon those Foundation Establishment cultivators with lower potential, like herself. Consequently, she was one hundred and eighty years old when she first attempted to break through to the Purple Mansion [the third major realm, where one forms a spiritual core].

However, her connections within the clan were extensive. Lior Chen, Silas Chen, Kael Chen, and several other Purple Mansion Ancestor [powerful elders who have reached the Purple Mansion Realm] had supported her in succession. This backing allowed her to attempt the Purple Mansion breakthrough three times in a row. Relying sheerly on abundant resources, she had finally managed to break through to the Purple Mansion realm not long ago.

Kael Chen glanced at Chen Seraphina, giving a calm nod of acknowledgment, before turning his gaze to the two Golden Core True Person [cultivators who have formed a Golden Core, the fourth major realm].

Old Patriarch saw Kael Chen arrive, set down the chess piece in his hand, and revealed a faint smile as he spoke: "Kael, you have come as well."

"Now, within the family, only the three of you from the Nian Generation remain. It is truly rare for you to gather together."

As Old Patriarch spoke, a trace of lamentation colored his expression.

Unbeknownst to them, over two hundred years had passed, and the cultivators of the Nian Generation were now reduced to a mere handful.

Originally, the family's Nian Generation still had Chen Nianzhen, Chen Nianfeng, and Niankong Chen. Unfortunately, Niankong Chen perished due to the mutual destruction pact of Mordecai Lin all those years ago.

Chen Nianfeng fell in battle within the Demon Cave Cavern, leaving only Chen Nianzhen to live a long life, surpassing two hundred years.

Alas, the reason Chen Nianzhen achieved Foundation Establishment [the second major realm of cultivation, where one solidifies their spiritual foundation] at the age of sixty-one was because he had consumed a first-rank Spirit Apricot [a spiritual fruit that can extend a cultivator's lifespan] provided by Chen Kael.

Ultimately, missing the opportunity to consume a Spirit Apricot one more time, Chen Nianzhen found his vital essence insufficient in the end. He recklessly gambled by burning his life force to assault the Purple Mansion Realm [the third major realm, where one opens a spiritual palace within the dantian] and perished.

One could say his success was due to the Spirit Apricot, and his failure was also due to it. The gap of twenty years in lifespan became his greatest regret at life's end.

After Chen Nianzhen passed away in meditation, the cultivators of the Nian Generation were reduced to the three individuals present before them.

As for the cultivators of the Xian, Si, and Zu generations, they arrived during the clan's period of soaring ascent. Now, these three generations are brimming with youthful vigor and are at the peak of their strength. A great number of cultivators remain among them, and many hold the hope of breaking through to the Purple Mansion [the third major realm of cultivation, where one forms a spiritual mansion within the dantian] realm.

Eldrin Chen also felt a pang of emotion. Over these years, he had the companionship of Lyra Jiang, and within the clan, there were still familiar faces like Old Patriarch, Lior Chen, Chen Elara, and Kael. For a time, he hadn't truly noticed the gradual thinning of the ranks around him.

Individuals like Chen Nianzhen were not particularly close to Eldrin Chen. In truth, when he thought about it, clan brothers like Chen Sol and Chen Alaric, who had passed away in meditation many years prior, felt closer in memory.

Only now, looking back, did he realize how many familiar faces had already been replaced.

"Alas."

Eldrin Chen sighed softly. He turned his gaze to the sea of clouds at the cliff's edge, then to the ancient tree beside him, a profound sense of solitude settling in his heart. Continue reading this story at https://audio-novel.com.

He still remembered the days when he would stand at this very cliff each morning, inhaling and exhaling the Primordial Essence [the purest form of spiritual energy present at dawn], laboriously accumulating the foundation of his Deep-Seated Foundation [the fundamental spiritual groundwork for all future cultivation].

He recalled that day, right here before this precipice, where Chen Alistair leaned back in his reclining chair beneath this very tree, sharing their final meeting.

Two hundred years—time flows like mist.

Time rushes by like flowing water; in the blink of an eye, two centuries had passed.

Though he remained in the bloom of youth, those departed friends of old had likely already walked through the mortal dust for several lifetimes.

But what of those who still lived?

Though unspoken, Eldrin Chen had long harbored this premonition in his heart.

Percival Pan's lifespan was nearly spent. Without a breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm, even consuming a Longevity Pill [a pill that extends a cultivator's natural lifespan] would likely grant him only two more Jiazi-time [a cycle of sixty years].

Varen Wei had broken through to the Purple Mansion [a major cultivation stage where the cultivator forms a spiritual mansion within their dantian] in his two-hundreds, and now one hundred and forty years had passed since then. Having already taken a Longevity Pill, he could probably hold on for only another seventy years or so.

During their last meeting, Varen Wei had confided in Eldrin Chen that he held no hope of reaching the Golden Core [the stage where a cultivator condenses their spiritual essence into a golden core, a foundation for immortality] and saw no point in wasting further resources on cultivation.

He had urged Eldrin Chen to save the annual stipend of five thousand Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation] and later exchange it all for Five Elements Treasure Crystals [rare crystals imbued with the essence of the five elements, used for crafting and cultivation], hoping to nurture a few more Purple Mansion Cultivator for the Wei Clan.

In truth, searching across the entirety of Bianzhou, aside from those cultivators at the Purple Mansion realm and above, Eldrin Chen could scarcely find any peers from his generation left. Even many of the Purple Mansion Ancestor [venerated elders who have reached the Purple Mansion realm] he once knew intimately had mostly passed away in meditation.

Suppressing the sigh in his heart, Eldrin Chen turned his gaze to the Old Patriarch, and a renewed sense of urgency settled heavily upon him.

Even for a Golden Core Cultivator, a lifetime is but a race against one's own cultivation, a song that lasts no more than a thousand years.

Only by becoming a Nascent Soul True Lord [a supreme cultivator whose spirit has formed an independent entity, granting a lifespan of three thousand years] could one navigate the world with true ease and grace. If one further possessed Longevity Treasure [rare artifacts or elixirs that can extend a cultivator's natural lifespan] and mastered the Nirvana Tribulation Transference Art [a legendary technique that allows one to transfer or mitigate the devastating effects of heavenly tribulation], perhaps they might even live to witness his ascension to immortality.

"A Middle Golden Core [a high-quality, stable golden core formed during core formation, representing significant cultivation talent and potential]," he replied.

"Only with a Middle Golden Core does one possess a significant chance of achieving Nascent Soul [the realm where a cultivator's spiritual essence condenses into an independent, immortal soul]," he stated.

Having silently made his decision, Eldrin Chen turned his gaze to Kael Chen and inquired with a gentle smile.

"What brings you to seek us out?"

"Indeed, there is a matter,"

Kael Chen nodded, pausing thoughtfully before speaking. "A visitor has arrived from outside, claiming to be from the Qi Nation Chen Clan. It seems they may have some connection to our own Chen Clan."

"Oh?"

Eldrin Chen's eyes flickered with a trace of interest. Ever since the Chen Clan had risen to prominence, various cultivators and families bearing the Chen surname had sought every possible means to establish a connection.

Claims of being the ancestral homeland of the Chen Clan, assertions of shared bloodlines with the Chen Clan Cultivators—every conceivable pretext had been employed in an attempt to forge a link.

Alas, upon final investigation, most proved to have no connection whatsoever. Even if a Chen Clan Cultivators had left descendants outside, why would they not have been brought back into the clan fold?

However, since Kael Chen had personally sought them out this time, the situation was likely different from the usual cases.

Indeed, Kael Chen nodded and stated calmly, "The cultivation art [a method of spiritual practice and energy refinement] this person practices is the Blazing Sun Void-Treading Art, claimed to be a family heirloom technique." This chapter appears courtesy of audio novel.com.