Chapter 374 : The Calm Before the Beast Tide

Mentioning the Beast Tide [a periodic, massive invasion of demonic beasts], Eldrin Chen realized that only a few years remained until the next one was due.

This would be the third Beast Tide he had experienced; over two centuries had passed in the blink of an eye.

Thinking of this, Eldrin Chen smiled and said, "Two centuries have passed in a flash. The Beast Tide I once saw as a cataclysmic event now seems rather manageable."

"Indeed," Exquisite Jiang also smiled. "As long as the Azure Wave Lake [a powerful demon beast territory] does not intervene, overcoming this Beast Tide should not be too difficult."

"We must still be cautious," Eldrin Chen nodded, his expression turning serious. "I will first return to the clan to have them begin preparations for the Beast Tide."

"The Heavenly Ruins Alliance [a coalition of cultivation forces] also needs to start its preparations."

Exquisite Jiang added. Every Beast Tide required the mobilization of vast manpower and resources, necessitating preparations years in advance.

Eldrin Chen temporarily set aside the advancement of his remaining Lifebound Magical Treasure [a magical artifact bound to a cultivator's life force] and went directly to Pingyang City. After finalizing the preparations for the upcoming Beast Tide with the Old Patriarch, he then headed to Green Chariot Mountain to find Lior Chen, who was in charge of the Council of Elders.

However, upon returning to Green Chariot Mountain, he immediately noticed Ethan Chen walking down from the mountain peak, his face pale and his aura weak.

Ethan Chen looked at Eldrin Chen, his spirit seemingly broken, and said despondently, "Clan Uncle, I have failed." Immerse yourself in the complete world at audio-novel .c om.

Eldrin Chen's brow furrowed slightly. He sensed that Ethan Chen's aura was now exceedingly weak and frail, a clear sign that his attempt to break through to the Golden Core had failed.

Ethan Chen had not used a Golden Core Formation Pill. Not only had this breakthrough attempt failed to succeed, but he had also failed to condense even a Pseudo-Core Realm.

The price was far too steep. Without a Sun-Returning Tribulation-Dispelling Pill, it would be tantamount to wasting an entire Sixty-Year Cycle of time. And how many Sixty-Year Cycle does a Violet Sanctum Cultivator have to waste?

"Since you cultivate the Sword Path, you should understand that a Sword Cultivator must possess unyielding resilience, a momentum that charges forward without hesitation, and the tenacity to endure."

"A momentary failure is merely tempering your Sword Path. It should serve to strengthen your resolve, not shatter it."

Eldrin Chen patted his shoulder, his expression gentle as he offered words of comfort.

Hearing his words, Ethan Chen nodded, pulling himself out of his despondent state.

Having journeyed this far, his cultivation was among the pinnacle of Violet Sanctum experts within the Chu Nation, and his Dao Heart [the cultivator's fundamental will and spiritual foundation] was naturally exceptional among his peers. He had merely been momentarily ensnared by a sense of defeat.

Seeing him regain his confidence, Eldrin Chen offered a faint, approving smile.

The two walked to the edge of the cliff, standing side by side as they gazed upon the distant sea of clouds. Only then did Eldrin Chen ask, "How did it fail?"

In truth, Eldrin Chen was also somewhat puzzled. With Ethan Chen's solid foundation and having consumed the Creation Verdant Origin Pill, his spiritual power was both profound and refined.

Logically, even if he couldn't break through to the Golden Core realm in one attempt, the odds of forging a Pseudo-Core Realm should have been quite high. Yet this time, he couldn't even succeed in forming a Pseudo-Core Realm, which left Eldrin Chen feeling rather surprised.

Upon hearing this, Ethan Chen revealed a bitter smile. "I was actually on the verge of success this time," he said. "But at the final moment, the conflicting energies of my Water-Fire Spiritual Roots [spiritual roots attuned to the opposing elements of water and fire] clashed within me, causing the nascent Golden Core to collapse midway."

"Water and fire opposing each other, clashing in conflict..."

Eldrin Chen furrowed his brow, letting out a sigh after a long moment. "From now on, you cannot continue cultivating the Solar Solar Fire Scripture. You must switch to a new cultivation art, one that harmonizes water and fire."

"The Clan Treasury does contain a manual called the 'Positive Water Heavenly Flame Scripture' [a cultivation art that seeks to balance the opposing forces of positive water and heavenly flame], which can lead one to the Golden Core 9th Tier. You could attempt to switch to it; it might resolve this issue."

However, Ethan Chen shook his head firmly. "I have already decided," he stated with resolve. "Rather than cultivating to the Golden Core 9th Tier and then paying a tremendous price to switch arts later, it is better to forge the path most suited to myself from the start."

"Create your own cultivation art?"

Eldrin Chen's pupils contracted slightly. Having personally spent years deducing and refining cultivation arts, he knew all too well that the path of self-creation was fraught with difficulty.

He and Exquisite Jiang both cultivated arts of their own creation, but not everyone possessed the same level of talent and insight as this husband-and-wife pair.

With Ethan Chen's current cultivation base and foundation, while he could barely begin to create his own cultivation art, how far he could go would ultimately depend on his enlightenment.

Thinking of this, Eldrin Chen sighed, "Once you embark on this path, I fear it will delay your progress for at least one Sixty-Year Cycle [a period of sixty years]."

"By the time you manage to break through to the Golden Core Realm [the third major stage of cultivation where one forms a solidified core of spiritual power], you will likely be over three hundred years old. Do you understand the cost involved?"

Ethan Chen understood this principle perfectly. Breaking through to Golden Core in one's two hundreds was entirely different from doing so in one's three hundreds.

It meant he would have one less opportunity in the Future to attempt a breakthrough to the Infant Soul [the fourth major stage where the cultivator's spirit takes nascent form], and that single opportunity could very well determine his ultimate Destiny [the ultimate fate or potential of a cultivator's path].

And that was the optimistic scenario. If things did not go smoothly, if he could not resolve the issue of harmonizing the opposing forces of water and fire [a common cultivation metaphor for balancing conflicting energies], he would waste vast stretches of time and might even miss the optimal window for his Golden Core breakthrough entirely. Original English translation available at site: audio-novel.com.

Ethan Chen took a deep breath. "Clan Uncle, you once told me: 'Those who learn from me may live; those who merely imitate me will perish.'"

"All these years, I have been refining the Celestial Abyss Twin Swords, cultivating the Solar Solar Fire Scripture [a powerful fire-attribute cultivation technique], forever chasing your shadow. Unknowingly, I have lived as your reflection."

"With my cultivation at the Great Perfection of Violet Sanctum [the peak of the second major cultivation stage], I defeated a Pseudo-Core Realm Cultivator [a cultivator who has formed a flawed or incomplete Golden Core]. The world hailed me as the Little Sword Immortal of Chu Nation, calling me the second Eldrin Chen."

"But now I am beginning to understand. Merely imitating your form leads only to superficial resemblance, not true spiritual likeness. Without forging my own path, I remain but an empty shell, unable to comprehend my own true heart."

Ethan Chen, clad in white robes, stood silently at the cliff's edge, a touch of melancholy etched between his brows.

At lower cultivation realms, one could still rely on imitation, following the paths of predecessors to advance. However, upon reaching the Golden Core and even the Infant Soul Realm, one must gradually forge their own unique path.

He shook his head, a resolute light finally flashing in his eyes as he declared, "I have come to understand that no two leaves in this world are identical, and no two paths are ever truly the same."

"To forge a Superior-Tier Golden Core, I must personally create a cultivation art that harmonizes water and fire. Only then can I truly comprehend how to achieve perfect synergy between my innate Water-Fire Spiritual Roots."

"Even if this process consumes several Sixty-Year Cycle, it will be worth it, for it will grant me true understanding of the principles of cultivation and the essence of the mystical arts."

"Uncle Eldrin, I admire you and aspire to be someone like you, but I do not wish to be merely your shadow…"

Eldrin Chen listened quietly, a profound sense of joy for Ethan Chen welling up within his heart.

Only now did he realize that, without him noticing, Ethan Chen had already reached two hundred and ten years of age. He was no longer the child who once trailed behind him; the youthful arrogance of that boy had gradually tempered into a resilient and keen-edged resolve.

Reaching out, Eldrin Chen patted Ethan Chen's shoulder, his voice filled with paternal pride. "All things in this world hold their own profound mysteries. To grasp their underlying principles, mere book knowledge and innate talent are insufficient."

"You must engage with them directly, observe with meticulous care, and seek to understand. Only then can you unravel the rules by which they operate."

"I am glad you can grasp these principles."

Eldrin Chen said, retrieving a token and handing it to Ethan Chen. "Take this token. You may peruse all the scriptures within the Clan Treasury." Your portal to cultivation novels: audio‑novel.com.