Chapter 383 : The Pill's Ancient Dilemma

Old Patriarch shook his head. The most critical issue with Self-Achieved Foundation Establishment [a method of advancing to the Foundation Establishment realm without external aids] lies in the cultivator's meridians being unable to withstand the backlash of condensing gaseous energy into liquid essence.

Should the refinement of True Essence [the pure, liquid spiritual energy of the Foundation Establishment realm] fail, the True Essence would erupt within the body, shattering the cultivator's meridians and leading to certain death.

To solve this ancient dilemma, the sages of old created the Foundation Establishment Pill [a precious pill that aids in the breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment realm]. This pill possesses two primary effects.

First, it temporarily doubles the strength and resilience of the meridians, significantly reducing the risk of them being damaged during the process.

Second, it tempers the Vital Energy [the foundational life-force energy cultivated by practitioners] within the body, making it gentler. While this lessens the backlash should the breakthrough fail, it also results in a True Essence that is milder and less pure.

Among the ancient sages, more than one sought to isolate the first effect from the second, yet none throughout the ages succeeded.

For once separated, the enhancement to meridian resilience plummets to a mere thirty percent. Such a meager increase offers little protection against the violent backlash of Foundation Establishment [the second major realm of cultivation, where energy condenses into liquid].

The Essence Gathering Pill [a pill that thickens and purifies a cultivator's Vital Energy] can increase the odds of success by one-tenth, but its mechanism merely amplifies the cultivator's reservoir of Vital Energy. If the failure stems from insufficient energy, it indeed offers a slight advantage.

However, should the breakthrough itself fail, the cultivator will still perish from the inevitable backlash.

All other auxiliary medicines designed to aid Foundation Establishment operate on the same two principles: either fortifying the meridians or pacifying the Vital Energy. Continue reading this story at (audio-novel.com).

However, strengthening a cultivator's meridians [the energy channels within the body] is an exceedingly difficult feat. Even the most advanced auxiliary elixirs, aside from the Foundation Establishment Pill, can only increase the resilience of a cultivator's meridians by thirty percent.

"Even tempering with a world-shaking divine substance like Primordial Chaos Violet Aura can only double the strength of the meridians."

"For an elixir refined from ordinary treasures to achieve such an effect is nearly impossible."

Eldrin Chen pondered for a long moment before speaking. "Perhaps we could seek another method, one that does not rely on medicinal aids?"

"What method?" The Old Patriarch's eyes gleamed faintly as he couldn't help but ask, "Do you have an idea?"

"It is not yet certain if it will succeed. I shall research it further in the coming days."

Eldrin Chen shook his head and replied calmly.

After changing the subject, Eldrin Chen took a sip of tea and inquired, "By the way, I heard Uncle Lior consumed a Golden Core Formation Pill some time ago. What was the outcome?"

"He entered the Pseudo-Core Realm."

The Old Patriarch said with a smile. For Lior Chen to use a single Golden Core Formation Pill to break through into the Pseudo-Core Realm was a perfectly respectable, if not spectacular, result.

Upon careful calculation, Lior Chen was now only a few years short of three hundred years of age. For a cultivator of the Pseudo-Core Realm at such an age, the hope of a future breakthrough into the Golden Core Realm remained quite substantial.

Eternal Profound Chen took a sip of tea and began recounting in detail. "In recent years, Noctis the True Lord successfully refined several batches of Golden Core Formation Pill [a precious elixir that aids in forming the Golden Core]. It is estimated that Ji Continent has gained quite a few new Golden Core Cultivator."

"Setting aside the other nations, the Purple Abyss Sect gained one more Pseudo-Core Realm cultivator, the Verdant Azure Immortal Sect added another Golden Core True Person, and the Firmament Sword Sect also welcomed an additional Pseudo-Core Realm practitioner."

"Furthermore, Tea Rose Su attempted the breakthrough for the third time three years ago using a Golden Core Formation Pill and, as expected, successfully ascended to the Golden Core Realm."

"Others like Xavier Xu and Percival Pan also made their attempts..."

As the Old Patriarch continued his detailed account, Eldrin Chen gained a clearer understanding of the situation across the various nations of Ji Continent.

Following this recent Beast Tide [a periodic, massive assault by demonic beasts], the number of Golden Core Cultivator within the Ji Continent Cultivation World began to swell. Qi Nation, having received over a dozen Golden Core Formation Pill as compensation, was expected to add six or seven new Golden Core Cultivator within the next century.

The other nations were also projected to see some increase. The changes in Chu Nation were even more pronounced. Its newly emerged Pseudo-Core Realm Cultivator were likely to receive further support from their respective factions over the coming century, giving them a significant hope of breaking through to the Golden Core realm.

Yet, even as some rose to prominence, others inevitably began to fade into obscurity.

Take Percival Pan, for instance. He had attempted the Golden Core Realm breakthrough again in recent years. At the venerable age of three hundred and eighty, he sought to ascend without relying on external aids. In the end, he failed to even reach the Pseudo-Core Realm, let alone the true Golden Core.

After this failure, he would need to recuperate for an entire Sixty-Year Cycle before attempting another breakthrough. It could be said that Percival Pan's Path [the journey of cultivation and enlightenment] had been utterly severed.

Even if he consumed three Third-Rank Longevity Pill [pills that extend one's lifespan by decades] to gain nearly a century of additional life, there remained almost no hope left for him to break through to the Golden Core [the third major realm of cultivation, where one condenses their spiritual energy into a solid golden core].

This drew a sigh from Eldrin Chen. Percival Pan possessed a Thunder Spiritual Root [an innate affinity for lightning and thunder-based cultivation arts], so his natural talent was not poor. It was a pity that the great defeat caused by the Verdant Sun Sect two centuries ago had led to the complete decline of the Pan Immortal Clan.

Over these years, Percival Pan had devoted his heart and soul to pulling his family up, yet in doing so, he had neglected his own cultivation. In the end, he had also failed to obtain a Golden Core Formation Pill [a rare pill that significantly increases the chance of forming a Golden Core]—such a crucial opportunity for Forming the Golden Core [the process of condensing one's spiritual energy into a solid Golden Core].

"This Percival Pan..."

Eldrin Chen sighed once more and said, "There are still quite a few Third-Rank Spirit Apricot [a spiritual fruit that aids in recovery and cultivation] in the Clan Treasury. In a few years, we should send one over to him." Support the author by reading on audio novel.com.

"Mm." The Clan Leader nodded in agreement.

Aside from Percival Pan, there was also Path Abyss Xu. With the support of Xavier Xu, he had consumed a Golden Core Formation Pill and managed to break through to the Pseudo-Core Realm [a transitional state between Violet Sanctum and Golden Core, where a nascent core begins to form].

Path Abyss Xu had broken through to the Violet Sanctum [the second major realm of cultivation] at just over one hundred and ten years of age. He had been a renowned genius in the Chu Nation back then. Now, several centuries later, he had finally touched the threshold of the Golden Core Realm.

This man was about the same age as the Old Patriarch, not yet three hundred and fifty years old. It seemed he still possessed a fair chance of breaking through to Golden Core.

Eldrin Chen felt that whether this individual could achieve a Golden Core [the third major stage of cultivation, forming a solidified core of spiritual power] breakthrough depended entirely on whether the Xu Clan could secure another Golden Core Formation Pill [a precious elixir that significantly aids in forming the Golden Core] for him within the next few decades.

After discussing matters of the Chu Nation, Eldrin Chen spoke up, "In a short while, I plan to journey beyond the borders of the Ji Continent."

"This time, we intend to exchange for some Heavenly Crystal [a highly purified and potent form of spiritual crystal, used in high-level cultivation and transactions], which will require a substantial mobilization of the clan's resources."

"Origin Heavenly Crystals?"

The Old Patriarch's eyes flickered slightly. Heavenly Crystal were precious treasures used in transactions with Infant Soul True Lord [cultivators who have reached the Nascent Soul stage, a realm of immense power].

For Eldrin Chen to seek to exchange for them now likely meant he was preparing for a future purchase of either Earth Mother Energy [a profound earth-attribute spiritual essence] or a Fifth Rank Treasure [a powerful magical artifact of the fifth rank].

Considering this, the Old Patriarch nodded. "I will make the arrangements."

"Then I can set my mind at ease."

Eldrin Chen offered a faint smile before returning to Spirit Isle Lake.

The Old Patriarch immediately began mobilizing the clan's cultivators, gathering various resources to amass Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation].

The Chen Clan had amassed a considerable fortune in Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] over the years. The Old Patriarch mobilized a staggering eight million Spirit Stone in a single, decisive move.

Yet, the clan's treasury reserves were merely the smaller portion. The Old Patriarch also levied a contribution from the clan's cultivators, using the clan's Contribution Point [a points-based credit system within an organization] to repurchase Spirit Stone held by its members.

The Chen Clan boasted tens of thousands of cultivators. Some contributed a few hundred Spirit Stone, while others offered thousands or even tens of thousands. This single measure alone reclaimed ten million Spirit Stone.

Then, using the clan's various Spirit Mountain [mountains rich in spiritual energy] as collateral, they proceeded to borrow from every major Immortal Clan [a clan of cultivators] across the Chu Nation, amassing another several million Spirit Stone in one fell swoop.

Coupled with selling off assets at discounted prices, after three full months of exhausting every method to gather resources, they had finally raised over thirty million Spirit Stone for Eldrin Chen.

"This time, we've likely drained more than half of the Spirit Stone circulating in the entire Chu Nation,"

Eldrin Chen remarked with a sigh, gazing at the mountain of Spirit Stone piled within his Storage Bag [a spatial artifact for storing items] at Spirit Isle Lake.

The scale of the extraction was truly immense. It was certain that for some time to come, the Spirit Stone reserves of the Chu Nation would be severely depleted. Access the full story on @udio-novel.com.