Chapter 448 : A Clan's Desperate Plea

"Boom—"

At that very moment, the Mountain Protection Formation of the Yun Clan trembled violently, unleashing a deafening roar.

It was Eldrin Chen striking again, unleashing the Trinity Divine Thunder. This Great God Ability possessed such overwhelming power that it caused the Mountain Protection Formation to teeter precariously.

"This is bad."

Desert River Yun's expression changed drastically. The Spiritual Vein [a natural conduit of spiritual energy] of the Yun Immortal Clan was only of Fourth Rank Mid-Grade quality. With the might of a Great God Ability channeled by Eldrin Chen, the Yun Clan's Mountain Protection Formation likely could not withstand another blow.

In his panic, Desert River Yun soared into the sky, clutching the Golden Core [the condensed essence of a cultivator's power at the Golden Core stage] of the Third Elder as he flew out of the Spirit Mountain's grand formation. He shouted desperately, "Spare us, Fellow Daoist Chen! I am willing to hand over Desert Void Yun."

The thunderous rumbling in the sky paused for a moment. Eldrin Chen calmly withdrew his Divine Ability [a supreme supernatural power], his gaze settling upon Desert River Yun.

Desert River Yun placed Desert Void Yun's Golden Core upon the void, his face etched with misery. "Our clan was in the wrong in this matter. Today, I shall abide by your words, Fellow Daoist, and hand him over to you."

"Had you known this would be the outcome, why did you act as you did in the first place?"

After slaying Desert Void Yun, he turned his gaze towards the Yun Clan Patriarch. This Desert River Yun was decisive and ruthless when the situation demanded it, a testament to his character as a clan leader.

If such a man held a grudge against them, he could potentially cause significant trouble in the future.

However, killing him outright without cause would likely make the other major Immortal Clan families of the Ji Continent view the Chen Clan as unforgiving and overbearing, leading them to unconsciously distance themselves from the Chen Immortal Clan.

With this thought, his expression remained calm as he spoke, "After this incident, our two families are now thoroughly at odds. Do you know how I could possibly let you go?"

"This..." The Desert River Yun's face changed, but he still replied, "I understand."

To preserve his clan, Desert River Yun and several Elders of the Yun family swore an Inner Demon Oath [a binding vow where breaking it invites demonic backlash and cultivation deviation], guaranteeing they would not take action against any cultivator of the Chen Clan.

Then, within half a day, they delivered all the cultivators who had previously acted against the Chen Clan.

As for these individuals, Eldrin Chen saw no need to deal with them personally. That task naturally fell to the Chen Clan Law Enforcement Hall.

He returned to the Ji Continent Market, briefly informed Exquisite Jiang of the situation, and said, "I have dealt with the Yun Immortal Clan. The remaining six Immortal Clan families are of little concern. If they possess even a shred of wisdom, they should not dare make another move."

"That is for the best," she replied.

Exquisite Jiang offered a faint smile before continuing, "I have sent Crimson Flame True Lord's Infant Soul [the nascent spiritual core of a cultivator] to the Ji Clan. They have agreed that after refining the Nascent Soul Formation Pill [a legendary pill that aids in forming a Nascent Soul], they will reserve one pill for us."

"Oh?"

Eldrin Chen's expression brightened with delight. The Nascent Soul Formation Pill was notoriously difficult to concoct. There were two primary recipes for this elixir. One used the Infant Soul of a demon beast as the main ingredient. The other recipe required the exceedingly rare and precious Nascent Soul Transformation Fruit [a miraculous fruit that catalyzes the transformation of one's spiritual core].

The value of a demon beast's Infant Soul was beyond mere Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] or Heavenly Crystal [a purified, high-density form of Spirit Stone used by high-level cultivators]. Yet, the Fifth Rank Nascent Soul Transformation Fruit alone was worth over one hundred Heavenly Crystal.

Beyond the main ingredient, refining the Nascent Soul Formation Pill required three thousand auxiliary Spirit Herb [plants imbued with spiritual energy, used in alchemy]. While these supplementary herbs were not of high individual grade, their combined cost was still staggering.

One could say the cost of a single batch of Nascent Soul Formation Pill easily exceeded one hundred Heavenly Crystal, rivaling the price of a Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure [a top-tier enchanted artifact of immense power].

Such a precious elixir was beyond the means of most alchemists, as attempting it was almost guaranteed to be a losing venture.

Only a Fifth Rank Mid-Grade alchemist, maintaining a success rate of thirty percent, could break even. An alchemist of Fifth Rank High-Grade or above, capable of producing six or seven pills per batch, could ensure a worthwhile profit.

The Ji Clan naturally possessed high-grade alchemists of Fifth Rank High-Grade. Therefore, even though they knew Crimson Flame True Lord's Infant Soul was of a lower grade and had suffered significant damage to its Creation Origin [the foundational life-force or spiritual essence], they were confident they could refine two or three pills from the batch.

Had an ordinary alchemist attempted it, they would likely have produced only a single Nascent Soul Formation Pill, and under those circumstances, there would have been no chance of reserving one for us.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen asked with delight, "When might the Nascent Soul Formation Pill [a legendary pill that aids in forming the Nascent Soul] be refined?"

"Likely within the next few years," Exquisite Jiang replied, her expression turning grave as she added, "They aim to bolster their strength as much as possible before the Beast Tide [a periodic, massive invasion of demonic beasts] arrives."

Eldrin Chen nodded, offering no further comment.

The two waited at the Ji Continent Market for over a month, finally witnessing the commencement of the Barter Convention [a grand gathering where cultivators trade rare treasures].

This session of the Barter Convention was convened just before the Beast Tide, prompting many Golden Core Cultivators [cultivators who have condensed a Golden Core, a major milestone] to emerge from seclusion to acquire treasures for surviving the impending calamity.

Upon entering the venue with Exquisite Jiang, Eldrin Chen observed that the number of Golden Core Cultivators participating had surpassed one hundred—a remarkably rare occurrence in the millennium-long history of the Ji Continent's Barter Convention. Find this and other novels at audio–novel.com.

Now, the Six Kingdoms of Ji Continent were gradually reviving, and the Immortal Realm [the world of cultivators] had regained the prosperity it enjoyed before the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm [a great calamity caused by a demonic rift]. Excluding the Ji Immortal Clan, the Six Kingdoms alone boasted over a hundred Golden Core Cultivators.

Among the attendees, most were familiar faces to Eldrin Chen, though there were also newcomers. Some were Ji Continent's newly ascended Golden Core Cultivators from the past century, while others hailed from other Immortal Clans [powerful clans of cultivators] beyond the continent.

However, this gathering differed from their previous two attendances. Back then, the focus had been on figures like Heaven Hero Wei and other Golden Core Perfection [the pinnacle stage of the Golden Core realm] cultivators. Now, the center of attention had shifted squarely onto the two of them.

"Three full Sixty-Year Cycles [a complete cycle of sixty years] have passed since I first came to this place," he mused inwardly.

"In the blink of an eye, I have actually advanced from the Violet Sanctum Cultivator realm all the way to the Golden Core Cultivator realm. How swiftly time has passed."

Eldrin Chen felt a pang of melancholy in his heart. He noticed that many familiar faces had vanished, among them Heaven Hero Wei, that False Infant Soul Realm Cultivator.

Before he could even inquire about Heaven Hero Wei's fate, Like Dream Willow spoke up beside him. "Brother Wei exhausted his lifespan and passed away in meditation within Wei Nation thirty years ago."

"Alas."

Eldrin Chen sighed. That Heaven Hero Wei had already consumed two Longevity Pill three Sixty-Year Cycle ago. By then, his age had already surpassed a thousand years.

Later, he broke through to the False Infant Soul Realm and forcibly extended his life by over a century by cultivating life-prolonging arts. He stubbornly clung to life until one thousand two hundred and seven years of age, an exceptionally long lifespan even among Golden Core cultivators.

Yet, what does an exceptional Golden Core lifespan matter? Without achieving immortality, it all ultimately amounts to naught.

As he was lost in these somber reflections, the Barter Convention finally commenced. From the grand hall in the distance, a blue-robed cultivator from the Ji Clan ascended the platform.

The man's cultivation was at the lofty False Infant Soul Realm, his aura perfectly natural and unified, clearly marking him as a True Lord seed of the Ji Clan.

He swept his gaze over the assembly, a slight flicker in his eyes, and spoke, "I am Profound Fate Ji. Greetings to all fellow Daoists."

"As I am presiding over the Barter Convention today, allow me to cast the first stone to draw forth the jade [to initiate the proceedings by offering my own items first]."

As he spoke, Profound Fate Ji released several items glowing with treasure light. They were five Five Elements Spirit Fruit [spiritual fruits containing the essence of the five elements], a piece of exceptionally beautiful ice-blue jade, and a Demon-Subduing Treasure Talisman [a powerful talisman designed to suppress demons] of a grade as high as Fifth Rank. Continue reading this story at audio-novel . com.