Chapter 356 : The Elixir of Ascension

Moreover, Violet Consort Yan was barely over four hundred years old. If she could obtain this elixir, she would likely reach Golden Core Perfection before the age of five hundred, thus beginning her attempt to break through to the Infant Soul Realm [the realm where a cultivator's nascent soul is formed].

A Heavenly Spiritual Root [an innate talent of the highest order] could increase one's chances of a breakthrough to Infant Soul by twenty percent, while a Superior-Tier Golden Core [the pinnacle grade of the Golden Core realm] offered another fifty percent chance. In her case, the combined probability of successfully forming her Infant Soul was almost seventy to eighty percent.

The only factors that could hinder her breakthrough to the Infant Soul Realm were likely the exceedingly rare Earth Mother Energy [a profound earth-attribute spiritual essence] and Heavenly Path Energy [a celestial spiritual essence of immense purity].

Earth Mother Energy could still be purchased if one was willing to pay a steep price, but Heavenly Path Energy was a treasure of legend, found only at the very edge of the Nine Heavens [the nine layered celestial realms].

Only a True Lord [a title for a cultivator at the Infant Soul realm] at the Infant Soul Late Stage could withstand the endless, soul-scouring celestial winds to reach that boundary of the Nine Heavens and gather Heavenly Path Energy. Yet, even such a powerful True Lord, gathering every single day, would need a full millennium of effort to condense a single wisp of it.

It was said that above the celestial membrane of the Purple Seal Realm [the name of their world], complete strands of Heavenly Path Energy did exist.

However, not even an Infant Soul True Lord could ascend to such heights. Only when a Primordial Spirit Path Lord [a cultivator whose spirit has transcended the mortal coil] journeyed beyond the heavens in spirit form might they occasionally encounter it, making it truly a rarity beyond compare.

Beyond that, during the Heaven and Earth Resonance [a grand celestial alignment occurring once every millennium], a small amount of Heavenly Path Energy would also descend. Yet, the quantity was minuscule, and obtaining it required both significant fortune and considerable strength.

In essence, without the backing of a supremely powerful patron, even possessing vast amounts of Heavenly Crystal [a supreme-grade spiritual crystal] was useless for purchasing Heavenly Path Energy. One could only wait for the opportunity presented by the Heaven and Earth Resonance and hope to seize such a fateful chance.

As if sensing Eldrin Chen's unspoken question, Exquisite Jiang added, "The Violet Consort already possesses Heavenly Path Energy. Giving her this elixir will allow her to attempt her breakthrough to Infant Soul sooner." Access the full story on *audio-novel.com*.

"Heavenly Path Energy [a primordial spiritual essence of immense purity and power, said to be a fragment of the very laws of heaven]?"

Eldrin Chen's pupils contracted sharply. How precious was Heavenly Path Energy? Even a cultivator at the Infant Soul Late Stage would be moved to the core by it. He never imagined that Violet Consort Yan would possess a strand of it.

Exquisite Jiang nodded, her voice calm as she explained, "Before I left the Eastern Sea, my father presented me with a choice: a treasure for defying fate, or a treasure for securing the path to enlightenment."

"The treasure for securing the path included cultivation arts to reach the Primordial Spirit Realm and some key resources. The most precious among them was a single strand of Heavenly Path Energy."

"The treasure for defying fate, however, contained the method and key treasures for reforging one's Spiritual Root [the innate foundation that determines a cultivator's potential and affinity]. Beyond mending my own foundation, it offered nothing else. Everything else would have to be earned through my own struggle."

"I chose the treasure for defying fate. The treasure for securing the path fell into the hands of Violet Consort Yan."

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen felt a tremor deep within his heart.

Exquisite Jiang possessed a sharp and resolute character. Though she showed him a gentler side these years, her methods remained as decisive as thunder, and her heart held an unshakable conviction.

To abandon the near-certain path to Primordial Spirit and choose the far more arduous road of Foundation Reforging [a profound and risky process of rebuilding one's cultivation foundation from scratch], building everything from nothing—this was not a choice just anyone could make.

For someone like her, what did it matter if one achieved the status of a Primordial Spirit Path Lord if one could not ultimately ascend to immortality? In the end, all would return to dust, and ten thousand years of striving would amount to nothing but empty dreams.

He took Exquisite Jiang's hand, drawing her into an embrace, and said with a gentle smile, "One day, you will understand that your choice was not a mistake."

"Of course it wasn't."

Exquisite Jiang's confidence was extraordinary, her bright eyes shining like twin Stellar [celestial bodies of immense spiritual power].

After leaving the Earthfire Chamber, and seeing that the True Lord [a powerful cultivator who has attained the True Lord realm]'s lecture on the Dao was still two years away, they rented a fourth-rank cultivation cave abode and went into seclusion to refine the Creation Returning Abyss Pill.

The Creation Returning Abyss Pill was profoundly mystical. Consuming it could advance a Golden Core Cultivator's cultivation by one full Sixty-Year Cycle [a complete cycle of sixty years, a significant unit of time in cultivation].

Eldrin Chen spent an entire year in seclusion before fully refining the pill's power. His cultivation finally advanced a step further, reaching the Golden Core 3rd Tier.

Compared to him, Exquisite Jiang also made significant progress. However, the Golden Core Mid Stage could contain a far greater amount of spiritual energy, so Exquisite Jiang did not break through to the Sixth Layer of the Golden Core Realm.

Even so, she progressed from having just entered the Golden Core 5th Tier to standing at the very threshold of the Sixth Layer of the Golden Core Realm. It seemed she would be able to break through within a few years, after which she could begin preparations for the Golden Core Late Stage.

With their cultivation bases greatly enhanced, Eldrin Chen was overjoyed, and his heart swelled with happiness for Exquisite Jiang as well.

Exquisite Jiang possessed a Heavenly Spiritual Root [a supreme-grade innate talent for cultivation] and the mythical Supreme Lunar Immortal Body [a legendary physique of immense power and affinity with lunar energies]. She had broken through to the Violet Sanctum Realm at the mere age of twenty-seven, leaving Eldrin Chen's own breakthrough at sixty-three in the dust, not by a mere street but by entire leagues.

With such innate talent, she would face virtually no bottlenecks before reaching the Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] realm. Had she not chosen to focus on mending her foundational flaws and instead selected a Lifebound Magical Treasure [an enchanted artifact bound to a cultivator's life force] as her path-defining treasure, she would likely have already refined her Heavenly Path Infant Soul [the nascent soul formed by aligning with the Heavenly Path] by now.

She had been delayed far too long by the process of mending her foundation. Fortunately, after her breakthrough to the Golden Core [the solidified core of spiritual energy within a cultivator] realm, the aid of the Spiritual Peach [a mystical fruit that enhances cultivation] allowed her cultivation speed to increase significantly. Now, having obtained the Creation Returning Abyss Pill [a legendary pill that dramatically increases spiritual power], her spiritual energy surged explosively, bringing her cultivation level perilously close to that of Violet Consort Yan.

However, Violet Consort Yan was on the verge of a breakthrough to the Golden Core Late Stage [the advanced phase of the Golden Core realm]. She possessed only a single Lifebound Magical Treasure. Once she broke through to the Golden Core Late Stage and consumed another Creation Returning Abyss Pill, she would be able to advance to the eighth layer of the Golden Core realm in a very short time, inevitably widening the gap between them once more.

After their respective breakthroughs, the two of them waited quietly on Vast Righteousness Peak for the commencement of the True Lord [a title for a Golden Core realm expert]'s sermon on the Dao.

Thus, a year passed in the blink of an eye, finally arriving at the day of the True Lord's sermon, an event held only once every Sixty-Year Cycle [a complete cycle of sixty years].

Eldrin Chen and his four companions arrived at the Path-Field [the open field designated for Dao sermons]. They found the place unchanged from years past, with three thousand meditation cushions arranged in orderly rows. For uninterrupted reading, go to site: audio-novel.com.

The rear sections were naturally occupied by a great multitude of Foundation Establishment [the realm where a cultivator establishes their spiritual foundation] cultivators. Further forward were several hundred Violet Sanctum [the realm where the cultivator opens their Violet Palace] experts, while the very front row was reserved for a dozen or so Golden Core cultivators.

The last time Eldrin Chen had attended, he had been seated among the Violet Sanctum cushions. Now, two full Sixty-Year Cycle later, Eldrin Chen's cultivation had soared to the lofty heights of the Golden Core realm. In recognition, Vast Righteousness Peak had even specially added three seats in the front row for their party.

Eldrin Chen stepped forward, exchanging greetings with Verdant Spirit True Person and several other Golden Core experts he had become acquainted with recently. Then, he lowered his gaze and settled into a state of quiet anticipation, awaiting the arrival of Vast Righteousness True Lord.

They did not have to wait long. After roughly half a Shichen-time [one Shichen-time equals two hours], a solitary figure descended from the heavens.

Clad in a long robe, Vast Righteousness True Lord sat serenely upon the Path-Field. His gaze swept over the assembled crowd, and he began to speak with his customary calm.

"Before the lecture on the Path begins, you must understand that by coming to listen to my teachings, you accept a share of my Karma [the cosmic principle of cause and effect that binds all actions]."

"Since you accept this Karma, you must also abide by my precepts. In the future, should you achieve greatness, you must never use your power for wickedness or commit acts that defy all morality."

Once he finished speaking, the crowd hurriedly nodded in agreement. "We understand."

Vast Righteousness True Lord gave a slight nod and commenced his lecture on the profound truths of cultivation.

His approach was pragmatic, and his explanations were clear and accessible, focusing on knowledge of immense practical benefit to all cultivators present.

As in years past, he held nothing back regarding the various bottlenecks of the Foundation Establishment Stage and the methods for breaking through to the Violet Sanctum [the third major realm of cultivation, where one forms a spiritual core within the body]. The Foundation Establishment Cultivators in attendance gained tremendously from his wisdom.

Regarding the Violet Sanctum Realm, beyond explaining the main obstacles, he shared several esoteric techniques he had not mentioned two Sixty-Year Cycles ago, which provided valuable insights even for Eldrin Chen.

Two days later, Vast Righteousness True Lord began to expound upon the mysteries of the Golden Core Realm [the fourth major realm, where one condenses their spiritual essence into a solid, golden core].

The methods of the Golden Core Realm were closely guarded secrets. To prevent leaks to demonic forces, he once again erected a restrictive barrier, isolating himself to speak privately with the dozen or so Golden Core Cultivators present. For uninterrupted reading, go to audio-novel . com.