Chapter 346 Resolving Karma

"I have been defeated."

Mo the Ancient 1 staggered backward, his face ashen as he muttered to himself.

The defeat in this battle was not due to any lack of strength on his part, but rather because his pair of Natal Immortal Swords were suppressed by an Eldritch Magnetic Artifact.

Though he still had a trump card to turn the tables, a true life-or-death struggle would leave no room for restraint—inevitably, 1 of them would fall.

Though he had confidence in his own abilities, he was keenly aware that in a life-or-death struggle under such circumstances, it was far more likely he would be the 1 to fall.

Eldrin did not strike again, his expression serene as he gazed at Mo the Ancient 1. "I have uncovered the truth behind the karmic ties from ages past."

"The decline of the Chen Clan to this extent is also connected to your disciple. Since you have been defeated today, it is only fitting that you provide an explanation."

Everyone present abruptly changed their expressions, while Mo the Ancient 1’s face showed a trace of bitterness.

He shook his head and calmly stated, "Over these years, my disciples have indeed committed some excessive actions."

"But this disciple acted out of loyalty to his master, which is the purest form of filial piety. I cannot hand him over to you."

"Master..."

Qian Kongye supported Mo the Ancient 1, his eyes slightly reddening.

He shook his head and gritted his teeth, saying, "This karma was forged by your disciple. If I allow my master to bear it, would that not cast me into the realm of unfilial conduct?"

"I shall bear the consequences of this matter, and only hope that you, Honored 1, will not make things difficult for my master."

"Get back inside."

Mo the Ancient 1's expression turned icy as he swept Qian Kongye back onto the Spirit Mountain with 1 swift motion.

He gazed at Eldrin and cupped his hands once more, saying, "Sir, since this old man has been defeated today, I naturally accept the outcome."

"To be lax in disciplining 1's disciple is the fault of the master. For all the wrongs my disciple has committed over these years, this old man is willing to make restitution on his behalf today. The Chen Clan may be compensated, and I hope the matters of those bygone years can be laid to rest."

"If you insist on pursuing my disciple further, seek me out directly."

Eldrin's eyes flickered slightly, and his estimation of this person rose a notch in his heart.

At that very moment, the Clan Master of the Lin Family, a Golden Core Immortal Clan of Qi Kingdom (Location), stepped forward.

The Lin Clan’s patriarch, Lin Tianhe (Person Name), had attained a cultivation level as high as Golden Core, Late Stage (Cultivation Realm). Back when they attacked the Earth Lion Ridge, he had assisted them in restraining the Azure Sparrow Demon King. Later, he also attended the Chen Family’s Golden Core Banquet, so the 2 sides could be considered acquainted.

Patriarch Lin cast a glance at Eldrin (Person Name), then clasped his hands with a faint smile. "Fellow Daoist Chen, over these years, Fellow Daoist Mo has never moved against the Chen Clan. Qian Kongye's actions bear no connection to Fellow Daoist Mo, and the 2 of you never shared any enmity to begin with."

"Since Fellow Daoist Mo is willing to compensate the Chen family, I believe it would be best to resolve this grudge."

Eldrin's eyes flickered slightly as he glanced at Mo the Ancient 1. 'Mo the Ancient 1's paternal devotion runs deep. If I insist on him handing over Qian Kongye, even if he cannot match me today, it would still plant the seeds of lasting enmity between us.'

Moreover, this man is of impeccable character. Should we slay him, it would not only be a profound loss for the human cultivators of Ji Province, but the Golden Core cultivators of Qi Kingdom present here would certainly not stand idly by.

At this thought, Eldrin decided to seize the opportunity to retreat gracefully. With a composed expression, he stated calmly, "The enmity between the Chen Clan and Qian Kongye was not of my making."

"If you wish to resolve this karma, beyond offering compensation, Qian Kongye must also seek forgiveness from the Chen Clan of the Qi Kingdom."

Hearing this, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief.

Mo the Ancient 1 (Person Name) also nodded slightly. Having Qian Kongye obtain forgiveness from the Chen Clan of Qi Kingdom (Location) wouldn't be particularly difficult.

Qian Kongye’s lifespan was nearly exhausted. Having lived for over 4 100 and 70 years and consumed 3 Life-Extending Pills, he now had only 20 years remaining. To cross a Golden Core cultivator for the sake of eliminating this individual was hardly a rational decision.

Although the Chen Clan of Qi Kingdom had been showing weakness in recent years, it was ultimately not Qian Kongye himself who had taken action. Moreover, since Eldrin had not intended to kill Qian Kongye, the Chen Clan of Qi Kingdom naturally could not afford to disregard Eldrin's standing.

At this thought, Mo the Ancient 1 said, "Once matters here are settled, I will have Kongye personally visit the Profound Ink Mountain to offer his apologies."

"In that case, let us end it here."

Eldrin declared, summoning the Mirror of Yin, Yang, and Void. With a flash of light, the Ink-Snow Twin Swords materialized in the air.

Watching Mo the Ancient 1 draw the twin swords into his wide sleeves, Eldrin had no desire to linger. Though he inwardly acknowledged the man’s character, standing on the Chen Clan’s side meant he was fated never to form a deep connection with this individual in the days to come.

Eldrin returned to the Dark Ink Mountain on his sword. Only 3 days had passed when Qian Kongye arrived at the mountain with a large quantity of precious gifts.

Although the Chen Clan members harbored resentment toward Patriarch Qian (Person Name) in their hearts, they understood the situation clearly. If they refused to forgive Patriarch Qian and chose to execute him, they would be blindly creating enemies for their own patriarch.

To commit such a foolish act would utterly exhaust the karmic bonds between them, even if Eldrin shouldered the consequences this time. Henceforth, the Chen Clan of Chu Kingdom would likely sever all ties with the Chen Clan of Qi Kingdom.

Moreover, with Patriarch Qian’s sincere attitude and the generous gifts they had received, the members of the Chen family chose to sever their karmic ties with him.

After receiving the gifts, Patriarch Chen brought over a dozen or so Chen Clan Foundation Establishment cultivators to find Eldrin. The moment they met, the entire group prostrated themselves on the ground.

"Many thanks, True Master, for upholding justice on our behalf."

"Rise."

Eldrin swept his long sleeve, helping everyone to their feet.

Patriarch Chen’s aged face was streaked with tears as he choked out, “Our Chen Clan’s 8 100 years of legacy have led us to this day. Were it not for your intervention, True 1, the Chen Clan of Qi Kingdom might have already vanished from existence.”

"Qi Chen and Chu Chen were originally 1 family. This is what I ought to do."

Eldrin said, casting a glance at Patriarch Chen before asking, "Well, has Qian Kongye’s compensation been sufficient?"

Hearing the mention of compensation, their faces lit up with delight.

Elder Qian was visibly moved, his voice brimming with elation as he declared, "Among the gifts he presented were 2 Grade-3 earth veins and 2 Grade-3 spirit veins."

In addition, there were 6 5 Elements Spirit Crystals, 50 Foundation Establishment Pills (Spiritual Object), and a number of other treasures.

Eldrin nodded after listening. Just 6 5 Elements Sacred Crystals and 50 Foundation Establishment Pills already held a combined value exceeding 1,000,000 spirit stones.

With the addition of 2 third-order earth veins and spirit veins, along with vast quantities of other resources, these assets were sufficient to sustain a powerful Purple Mansion immortal clan.

The Chen Clan of Qi Kingdom (Location) had only been a Purple Mansion Immortal Clan for just over 2 100 years. Under normal circumstances, it would have been impossible for them to accumulate such vast resources. It could be said that Mo the Ancient 1 (Person Name) had spared no expense this time, relinquishing no small amount of benefit to help his disciple resolve this karmic entanglement.

Patriarch Chen understood perfectly well that the reason Mo the Ancient 1 was willing to offer such generous compensation—32,000 spirit stones, a dozen or so high-grade cultivation manuals, and nearly a 1000 precious elixirs—was entirely due to Eldrin’s formidable power.

Therefore, he presented a storage treasure box, offering it to Eldrin (Person Name) as he said, "The reason we were able to obtain these treasures this time is entirely thanks to your intervention, True 1."

"We dare not take too much. These unearned riches shall be left for you to handle, True Master."

Eldrin opened the treasure box and glanced inside, finding 6 5 Elements Spirit Crystals alongside several dozen Foundation Establishment Pills (Spiritual Object).

He pushed the treasure box back and shook his head, "This is what you deserve. Keep it to nurture your clan members."

Seeing that Eldrin (Person Name) refused to accept it, Patriarch Chen took out another treasure box, his expression turning solemn as he said, “I understand that ordinary spiritual objects hold no value to a True Master.”

“However, this Sun-returning Fruit is a fourth-grade spirit herb nurtured by the Profound Ink Mountain for 8 100 years. Please consider it a token of our sincerity, Honored 1.”

Hearing this, Eldrin (Person Name) pondered for a moment before finally storing the Sun-Returning Fruit away.

The Yang-Returning Calamity-Dispelling Pill (Spiritual Object), refined from the Sun-Returning Fruit, serves as a healing elixir for Golden Core Realm cultivators. Not only can it restore injuries sustained by Golden Core adepts, but it also remedies the lingering repercussions arising from achieving the Golden Core Realm through sheer cultivation without external aids.

Should a cultivator fail in forming their Golden Core, they would require 30 years to rebuild their spiritual power. Without the aid of a Golden Core Formation Pill (Spiritual Object), failure would inflict severe internal injuries, necessitating an additional 30 years for recovery.

This is also the reason why cultivators who attempt a breakthrough without using a Golden Core Formation Pill (Spiritual Object) must recuperate for a full sexagenary cycle before attempting another breakthrough.

The wonder of the Yang-Returning Calamity-Dispelling Pill lies in its ability to heal injuries sustained during Golden Core formation, enabling cultivators to attempt another breakthrough within 30 years even without using the Golden Core Formation Pill.

This elixir is quite precious; for cultivators like Lila, Silas, and Ethan, who aspire to forge a superior Golden Core, it may play a pivotal supporting role. In certain circumstances, its value might not be inferior to that of the Golden Core Formation Pill (Spiritual Object).

After accepting the Yang-Returning Calamity-Dispelling Pill (Spiritual Object), Eldrin (Person Name) smiled faintly and said, "This item does hold some use for me. Since I've accepted it, you may state your requests while the opportunity presents itself."

"Esteemed Elder, to be perfectly candid, our Xuanmo Mountain's Chen Clan wishes to reunite the family lineage records."

Upon hearing this, Patriarch Chen’s face lit up with joy as he suppressed his excitement and spoke.

Upon hearing his intention to reunite the clan registry, a faint glimmer stirred in Eldrin’s eyes—this was no trivial matter.

Once the clan records are aligned, who then represents the main lineage, and who belongs to the collateral branches?

By all reasoning, Profound Ink Mountain was the ancestral land—the true main lineage. Yet Verdant Chariot Mountain (Location) had been forged step by step to its present stature, its strength now far surpassing that of Profound Ink Mountain. Naturally, it could never be relegated to a mere branch lineage.

The 2 families had already separated their lineages, so this issue naturally didn't require consideration. However, should the clan registries be merged once more, this matter would become profoundly significant.

Seemingly aware of his concerns, Patriarch Chen had already prepared a response and spoke directly, "There is no need for misgivings, True 1. Should the Qi and Chu Chen Immortal Clans merge into 1, the distinction of primary and secondary lineages between our 2 branches would become irrelevant."

"The Immortal Clan is primarily composed of people, not merely sacred mountains. Whether from Qi or Chu, all are of the Chen lineage. Naturally, we shall integrate into the Golden Core Chen Clan."

Hearing this, a faint glimmer stirred in Eldrin's eyes as he roughly grasped the intentions of the Chen Clan from the Qi Kingdom.

Compared to the Chen Clan of Qi Kingdom, the Chen Clan of Chu Kingdom was at the zenith of its power, potentially destined to become a Nascent Soul Immortal Clan in the future.

By then, the Chen Clan of the Chu Kingdom might very well become the Chen Clan of Ji Province, poised to evolve into a powerful immortal family spanning multiple nations.

By comparison, the Chen Clan of Qi Kingdom (Location) could at best be referred to as the Mingzhou Chens. Rather than clinging to the title of Mingzhou Chens, it would be far better to integrate into the more powerful Chen Clan of Chu Kingdom (Location), for the resources of Verdant Chariot Mountain (Location) were ultimately tied to the path of Dao.

Once integrated, the strength of Verdant Chariot Mountain (Location) would far surpass that of the Qi and Chen families. They simply lacked the qualifications to occupy the main spiritual vein. It would be better to abandon the distinction between primary and secondary branches and directly merge into the Chen Clan.

After just a few generations of intermarriage between the 2 clans, their cultivators would naturally merge into 1. Once the cultivators from both families integrated, newly awakened practitioners emerging among the mortals would no longer carry distinctions of Qi or Chu origins.

At this thought, Eldrin nodded with a faint smile. "Currently, the main lineage is short on cultivators. This matter would be mutually beneficial for both sides."

"I can agree to that."