Chapter 446 : A Fated Encounter at the Ruins

Early the next morning, Corin Chen and the young maiden flew together towards the Vast Sea Ruins.

As they arrived near the ruins, they happened upon a severely wounded Golden Core Demon King fleeing in panic, its path erratic.

"Fiend, behold my treasure!"

Corin Chen's gaze turned icy. Without hesitation, he summoned a golden ring and hurled it towards the beast.

This treasure was named the Heaven and Earth Demon-Subduing Ring, a Lifebound Magical Treasure [a magical artifact bound to its wielder's life force and soul] and Corin Chen's signature weapon. With a single strike, it sent the Golden Core Demon King reeling backward.

"*Clang!*"

In that instant, a sword radiance cleaved through the air from behind, bisecting the Golden Core Demon King in one clean stroke.

The newcomer was a youth, clad in a cyan robe, his features exceptionally handsome and his bearing peerlessly elegant, causing the maiden beside Corin Chen to stare in stunned silence.

After slaying the Demon King, the youth clasped his hands towards the two and said with a smile, "I have pursued this monster for over half a month. Today, I owe you both my thanks for intercepting it, or it might have escaped once more."

"It was nothing, merely a trivial effort," Corin Chen replied. For more chapters, visit audi0-n0vel.c0m for the complete novel.

Corin Chen nodded, then smiled and said, "Though you, Fellow Daoist, have only recently entered the Golden Core [the third major stage of cultivation where one forms a solidified core of spiritual power], you were able to slay a Demon King [a powerful ruler among demonic beasts]. Truly, your methods are formidable."

"You don't know me?"

The newcomer was momentarily taken aback, then laughed. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Caspian Chen. May I inquire about your esteemed names?"

"Chen?"

Corin Chen's expression shifted slightly. He cupped his hands in a respectful salute. "I am Corin Chen. This is my younger sister, Cora Chen. We greet you."

"To think we share the same clan name," Caspian Chen said with a smile. "You have rendered me a great service. Just ahead on Zixuan Island lies the Horizon Pavilion. Allow me to host a banquet there in your honor."

Just as Corin Chen was about to decline, Cora Chen sent him a discreet mental message. "This man possesses extraordinary talent and bears our surname. He is likely a Heaven's Chosen [a prodigy blessed by fate] disciple of the Vast Sea Hegemon Chen Clan. It would be wise to seize this chance to make his acquaintance."

"Very well."

Convinced by her words, Corin Chen accepted the invitation, and they proceeded towards Zixuan Island.

Upon ascending to the Horizon Pavilion, Caspian Chen remarked with a smile, "This pavilion is an establishment of our Chen Clan. Our Roast Spirit Goose [a delicacy made from a spiritually infused goose] is considered a peerless delicacy across the Ji Continent, a rare and exquisite taste seldom found anywhere in the world."

After tasting it, both of them couldn't help but narrow their eyes in satisfaction.

The Roast Spirit Goose from the Horizon Pavilion was not only exceptionally delicious but also crafted from the most exquisite ingredients. The sauces were concocted from various Spirit Medicine [rare plants imbued with spiritual energy], and the main ingredient, the spirit goose, was none other than a Purple Mansion Great Demon [a powerful demonic beast of the Purple Mansion Realm].

Thus, it was not only supremely tasty but also capable of enhancing a cultivator's cultivation base, a luxury many Golden Core Cultivator [practitioners who have formed a Golden Core, a high level of cultivation] could not afford.

"This single meal must cost several hundred thousand Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation]," Corin Chen remarked, feeling his own mana had increased by a small, noticeable fraction.

He couldn't help but add, "You have been far too generous, Fellow Daoist [a respectful term for a fellow cultivator]."

"Not at all, not at all," Caspian Chen replied with a wave of his hand.

He smiled warmly before looking directly at Corin Chen. "I observed that your innate talent is extraordinary, clearly not meant for ordinary waters. I merely took the liberty of seeking your acquaintance," he explained. "Besides, you did render me a great service, Fellow Daoist."

Seeing his sincerity, Corin Chen said, "I had not realized you were a disciple of the Chen Clan. Truly, the Chen Clan lives up to its reputation as a Millennium Immortal Clan [an immortal clan with a lineage spanning a thousand years], capable of nurturing a world-shaking Heaven's Chosen [a prodigy blessed by heaven] such as yourself."

Yet, at that very moment, Caspian Chen's tone turned quiet and pensive. "I fear you may be mistaken, Fellow Daoist," he said softly. "Our Chen Clan has only been established for a few centuries."

The words hung in the air, carrying a subtle weight that shifted the atmosphere of their conversation.

"Oh no..."

Corin Chen's heart sank with a thud. Only then did he realize his lack of experience had exposed the fact that he came from outside The Vast Sea.

"As I suspected, something was amiss."

Caspian Chen murmured inwardly, then smiled and said, "There is no need for concern, Fellow Daoist. Our Chen Clan Ancient Ancestor has never tolerated deceit. He will not trouble you."

"However, I presume this is your first time venturing out for training. In the future, you must be more cautious with your words and actions."

"I am grateful for the guidance." Corin Chen nodded, finally letting out a sigh of relief. "To think such a magnificent Chen Clan has only been established for a few short centuries... it is truly astonishing." Support the author by reading on audio–novel.com.

Caspian Chen gave a light laugh. "Our Chen Clan's rise spans merely a few hundred years. To speak of it, our distant progenitor was once the hegemon of this very The Vast Sea. We are merely reclaiming a fragment of our former glory."

"What?"

As Caspian Chen recounted the tale, Corin Chen felt a tremor in his heart, a wave of doubt he could not suppress. According to Caspian Chen's account, did that not mean they were one of the branch lineages that had split from the original Chen Clan?

Moreover, the timeline... it aligned perfectly.

Contemplating the clan's dire straits, Corin Chen hesitated for a long while before finally speaking. "Brother Caspian Chen, I have an impertinent request. I hope you might grant it."

"Oh?"

Caspian Chen's eyes flickered, and he waited silently for Corin Chen to continue.

Seeing this, Corin Chen spoke his piece. "I wish to ask for a single drop of your essence blood [the vital lifeblood of a cultivator, containing concentrated spiritual power]."

Upon hearing this, Caspian Chen's brow furrowed. A cultivator's essence blood was of utmost importance; if it fell into the hands of a Demonic Cultivator, one could be specifically targeted with curses or other malicious arts.

"I know this is asking too much," Corin Chen added quickly. "But I swear this drop will be used right before your eyes."

It was not that Eldrin Chen was prone to alarm, but the treasure tree before him was simply too astonishing.

The tree before him was the legendary Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root, the Eight Trigrams Treasure Tree [a mystical tree whose form resonates with the Eight Trigrams, symbols of fundamental principles in Daoist cosmology]. Though its grade was merely Fifth Rank Low Grade, it was still a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering supreme treasure.

The name Purple Realm originated from the Great Luo Golden Immortal known as the Purple Immortal Lord. That Purple Immortal Lord possessed nine Innate Spiritual Treasure [spiritual treasures born from the primordial chaos of heaven and earth, possessing immense innate power], which were the Grand Cosmos Vase, the Immortal-Refining Furnace, the Nine Heavens Pure Sky Fan, and others.

The Immortal-Refining Furnace of the Ji Clan was a replica forged in imitation of the superior-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure by the same name. Its power ranked within the top five of all Supreme Treasure of Pure Yang [magical treasures of the highest purity and yang-aligned power] in this realm, earning it the title of a Quasi-Immortal Treasure [a treasure whose power approaches that of artifacts used by true immortals].

And legend tells that among the Purple Nine Treasures, the foremost is the Eight Trigrams Treasure Tree [a legendary spiritual plant whose structure embodies the eight fundamental trigrams of the cosmos], a testament to its profound rarity and value.

It is said the Eight Trigrams Treasure Tree is a Supreme Grade Innate Spiritual Root [the highest possible grade of natural spiritual foundation]. Its eight branches encompass the eight trigrams—Qian, Kun, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen, and Dui—each containing a distinct aspect of Great Dao Power [the fundamental power of the cosmic principles].

From these eight aspects of Great Dao Power upon the Eight Trigrams Treasure Tree, eight fruits are born, representing the worldly manifestation and transformation of those eight great cosmic principles.

Upon ripening, these fruits fall, giving birth to a complete set of Innate Spiritual Treasure [a set of spiritual treasures born from nature, not crafted by mortal hands]. Tales claim their power is sufficient to prop up heaven and earth, capable of birthing an entire great world anew.

The Eight Trigrams Treasure Tree before them, however, was merely at the Fourth Rank High Grade. Compared to a true Innate Spiritual Root, it was but a mote of dust before the vast cosmos. Yet, it still held within it a faint echo, a sliver of the divine nature inherent to the Eight Trigrams Treasure Tree.

Eldrin Chen could keenly sense the profound mystery of the eight fruits growing upon this tree. Once it advanced to the Fifth Rank Realm, they would ripen and fall, capable of transforming into a set of Supreme Spiritual Treasure [spiritual treasures of unparalleled power and refinement].

Furthermore, this set of Spiritual Treasure [powerful enchanted artifacts born from spiritual essence] was Innately Embedded Dao Runes [naturally inscribed with the patterns of the Dao]. All eight treasures shared the same origin and essence. Through dedicated refinement by a cultivator, they could be forged into a single, unified Supreme Formation Tool [a formation tool of the highest order, capable of deploying immensely powerful arrays].

With this realization, Eldrin Chen drew a deep breath and said, "Legends say the Eight Trigrams Treasure Tree is a vessel for eight great Daos, worthy of being mentioned alongside other Innate Spiritual Root like the Seven Treasures Marvelous Tree [the Marvelous Tree of Seven Treasures] and the Nine Palaces Dao Tree [the Dao Tree of the Nine Palaces]."

"Though this one before us is lesser, once nurtured to the Fifth Rank, we would obtain a set of World-Shaking Spiritual Treasure [spiritual treasures whose power can shake the very foundations of the world] capable of making our name resound across the land." Access the full story on audio–novel.com.