Chapter 472 : A Delicate Balance of Power

"That's not entirely accurate,"

Eldrin Chen shook his head, his thoughts running deeper. "The Golden Core Demon King [powerful demonic beasts at the Golden Core Realm] within Chen Nation have all been slain or have fled."

"The remaining Purple Mansion Great Demon [powerful demonic beasts at the Purple Mansion Realm] are left without their protectors. Are they not, in fact, opportunities we are leaving for the Purple Mansion Family [clans with Purple Mansion cultivators] within the Heaven's Ruin Alliance?"

"We slew the Nascent Soul Demon Emperor [demonic beasts at the Nascent Soul Realm] and drove away the High-Rank Demonic Beast [powerful demonic beasts]. This has left a vast number of Demonic Beast [monstrous beasts infused with demonic energy] below the Purple Mansion realm as fish on our chopping block."

"But if he were to go and slaughter a great number of Purple Mansion Demonic Beast now, it would instead deprive the cultivators and clans who fought alongside us of a massive potential gain."

Hearing Eldrin Chen speak of human relations and worldly wisdom, Lila nodded unconsciously in understanding.

Seeing that Lila grasped the concept somewhat, Eldrin Chen continued, "However, in conquering Chen Nation, the effort we contributed far surpassed that of the other Immortal Clan [powerful, long-established cultivation clans] within the Heaven's Ruin Alliance. Therefore, the lion's share of the spoils naturally belongs to us. The Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] we are entitled to earn, we shall earn."

"Moreover, we are severely short-handed. We need Golden Core Cultivator [practitioners who have formed a Golden Core, a solidified core of spiritual power] to garrison the border Spirit Vein [a natural conduit of concentrated spiritual energy] for us and share the pressure from the Demonic Tribe [organized groups of demonic beings]. Therefore, these Fourth Rank Spirit Mountain [mountains imbued with a fourth-rank concentration of spiritual energy] must still be sold, but we must exercise moderation."

He elaborated methodically. According to his plan, henceforth, the Demonic Beast within a certain radius of any Spirit Vein territory in Chen Nation would be the responsibility of the Cultivation Clan [family dedicated to the practice of cultivation] residing on that Spirit Mountain.

For example, if Sora Yu purchased the Fourth Rank Spirit Vein within the Savage Ox Ancient Plains, then the Demonic Beast resources within a radius of three hundred thousand Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] of his Spirit Mountain would fall under Sora Yu's jurisdiction to manage. This chapter appears courtesy of https://audio-novel.com.

If the territories of two Spirit Mountain [a mountain imbued with concentrated spiritual energy] overlapped, the matter would be submitted to the Heaven's Ruin Alliance [a major alliance of cultivator forces] for judgment, which would then decide the allocation of the Demonic Beast [monstrous creatures that absorb spiritual energy, often hostile] resources therein.

In this manner, the Chen Clan not only profited from selling the Spirit Mountain, but also distributed the immense pressure of defending the territory among numerous large and small Immortal Clan [powerful, long-established families of cultivators]. This greatly reduced the manpower and material costs required for developing Chen Nation.

These various Immortal Clan, driven by their own development and the need to protect their lands for survival and prosperity, would undoubtedly spare no effort in clearing out the Demonic Beast.

Having carefully considered these factors, Eldrin Chen decided to sell the territory of the Savage Ox Ancient Plains [a vast, ancient plain inhabited by savage ox-like demonic beasts] to the cultivator couple, Sora Yu.

"You may have the Spirit Mountain," he stated, his tone measured, "but you must first understand the rules that govern it."

Eldrin Chen explained the laws of Chen Nation to the pair, his words clear and deliberate.

Upon learning they were only permitted to hunt Demonic Beast within a radius of three hundred thousand Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] from the Savage Ox Ancient Plains, Sora Yu nodded in acceptance.

While they could not take the easy path by crossing borders to hunt Demonic Beast within Chen Nation's interior, the Savage Ox Ancient Plains bordered the vast Demonic Tribe Territory [lands dominated by organized tribes of demonic creatures]. They could venture deep into those wilds to seek their prey.

Such a path held its perils, but so long as they did not encounter a Nascent Soul Demon Emperor [a demonic beast ruler possessing power equivalent to a human Nascent Soul cultivator], their combined strength gave them a fair chance of survival.

Furthermore, with the Chen Clan firmly entrenched on the Azure Lotus Continent [a major continent within the cultivation world], ordinary Demon Emperor [powerful rulers among demonic tribes] would be hesitant to penetrate deeply into Chen Nation unless a major conflict erupted. By this reckoning, the threats within the Savage Ox Ancient Plains were manageable.

With this thought, Sora Yu produced two Fourth Rank Magical Treasures [powerful enchanted artifacts of the fourth rank] and said with a smile, "Henceforth, we shall join the Heaven's Ruin Alliance [a powerful alliance of cultivators], and from this day forward, we shall faithfully follow the commands of the Alliance Leader."

"Hahaha!" Old Patriarch laughed heartily, accepting the two Fourth Rank Magical Treasures. "By joining the Chen Nation Cultivation World [the cultivation realm of the Chen Nation], we are now allies. In time, we shall grant you both positions as Elders within the Heaven's Ruin Alliance."

Azure Dipper Immortal Maiden also bowed gracefully and said, "Our gratitude..."

That very day, Eldrin Chen and the others boarded the Celestial Crane Treasure Boat [a magical vessel shaped like a celestial crane] and set course for the Ji Continent Cultivation World [the cultivation realm of the Ji Continent].

Sora Yu and Ryusen the True Person accompanied them on the journey, intending to first settle in Chen Nation and begin the process of taking possession of the two Fourth Rank Spirit Veins [geographical formations of the fourth rank that concentrate spiritual energy].

Azure Dipper Immortal Maiden remained behind, for the mortal descendants of her and Sora Yu numbered over ten thousand, and she was needed to oversee their migration.

When they passed the Ji Continent Trading Post, Old Patriarch continued piloting the Celestial Crane Treasure Boat towards Chen Nation, but Eldrin Chen and Lila disembarked and stayed behind.

Having comprehended the Ancient Primordial Inscription [an inscription containing profound ancient knowledge], Lila did not wish to delay. She planned to use the long-distance Teleportation Formation [a magical array for instantaneous travel over vast distances] operated by the Ji Clan to reach the Long River Sacred Land [the Long River Sacred Land], one of the three great Human Race Sacred Lands [places of immense spiritual power and learning] in the Eastern Wastelands.

Watching Lila prepare to depart, a pang of reluctance stirred within Eldrin Chen's heart.

When he first met her, she was but a grimy little beggar. Now, three hundred years had passed in the blink of an eye, and without him even realizing it, she had ascended to become one of the top five peerless immortal maidens among the Ji Continent's Golden Core Female Cultivators [female cultivators who have reached the Golden Core Realm within the Ji Continent].

Within the Ji Continent today, who does not know that with her single Frost Soul Chilling Radiance Sword, she carved out a reputation worthy of the title Vast Cold Immortal Maiden [a title signifying her mastery over frost and her ethereal, untouchable nature].

"The journey to the mountains of Ronan spans hundreds of millions of Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters]. No one knows what year will mark your return. Have you truly considered this fully?"

Eldrin Chen looked at her and finally spoke his question.

To reach the Extreme Northern Ice Plains, the journey requires several transfers. First, one must take the Ji Clan's Teleportation Formation [a magical array for instantaneous travel over vast distances] to arrive at Guyuan City, hundreds of millions of Li-lengths away.

Then, one must board another Teleportation Formation to reach the Long River Sacred Land [a powerful and ancient cultivation sect]. There, one must wait for the Long River Sacred Land's Sixth Rank Teleportation Formation [a top-tier formation for crossing unimaginable voids] to activate, only then can one traverse the unfathomable void spanning who-knows-how-many hundreds of millions of Li-lengths to finally arrive at the distant Extreme Northern Ice Plains Cultivation World.

The Extreme Northern Ice Plains are immeasurably remote, a land utterly foreign and unfamiliar to cultivators from the Eastern Wastelands. Even many True Lord [cultivators who have reached the Nascent Soul stage] never set foot there in their entire lifetimes. Eldrin Chen himself had no idea what conditions were like in that place. For more chapters, visit audio-novel . com for the complete novel.

Thinking of her venturing alone into a completely unknown realm, Eldrin Chen could not help but feel a pang of worry in his heart.

He asked once more, "Are you truly decided?"

Lila did not utter a word. She simply gazed at him silently before giving a solemn, firm nod.

"Ah." Eldrin Chen sighed, finally conceding. "Very well. You have grown. It is time for you to walk your own path."

Eldrin Chen spoke as he retrieved a Storage Bag and handed it to her.

These were the Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] obtained from the sale of the Spirit Mountain, and Eldrin Chen took out a full ten million of them to give her for travel expenses along the way.

Looking at the Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] within the Storage Bag, Lila bit her lip, unwilling to accept them. This sum was a considerable fortune even for Eldrin Chen.

Yet Eldrin Chen firmly pressed them into her hand, his expression resolute. "Your journey to the Extreme Northern Ice Plains will likely incur immense costs for teleportation alone," he stated.

"Without the support of a clan Spirit Mountain in the future, your cultivation will also face difficulties. It is never wrong to carry extra Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy]."

"Uncle Eldrin..."

Lila's eyes reddened slightly, and she seemed on the verge of saying something more, yet the words remained unspoken.

"What is it?" Eldrin Chen frowned, his brow creasing.

"It's nothing."

She shook her head once more, but her hand, clutching the Storage Bag, tightened unconsciously.

Eldrin Chen cast a glance at her, a faint sigh echoing in his heart. In the end, he chose not to ask. Some matters were better left unheard.

With that said, there was little left to advise. Before parting, Eldrin Chen spoke only these words: "If you cannot return within a hundred years, once I break through to the Nascent Soul [the realm where a cultivator's spirit forms an independent, immortal entity] realm, I shall journey to the Extreme Northern Ice Plains myself."

Unnoticed, a heavy snow had begun to fall from the sky. Lila stood motionless, a silent sentinel, her gaze fixed upon the retreating figure clad in robes as white as the snow itself.

She remained there, steadfast within the swirling storm, standing in silent vigil for a long, long time.

"Do you know," she whispered to the wind, "I do not grieve for the past, I do not fear growing old, I do not dread my body's demise."

"I fear only that you, like my own bygone youth, will slip away. I dread a life where you exist, yet I cannot see you. I tremble at the thought of a next life where I no longer remember you." The complete novel can be found at @udio-novel.com.