Chapter 478 : A Gathering of Nascent Souls

Eldrin Chen gave a slow nod, yet even so, his astonishment remained.

A single seclusion for a Nascent Soul True Lord could span decades or even centuries, and even when not in seclusion, most would be wandering the world. The fact that over one hundred True Lord had gathered this time indicated that the total number of True Lord across the Vast and Boundless Hundred Continents was likely several times this figure.

However, he quickly realized that a Nascent Soul True Lord possessed a lifespan of three full Millennium. When combined with Longevity Treasure and special cultivation methods, True Lord who lived for five or six Millennium were far from uncommon.

Were it not for the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm causing a great number of True Lord to fall prematurely, the number accumulated over several Millennium would likely be an astonishingly vast figure.

As they continued their casual conversation, Eldrin Chen lifted his gaze to survey the surroundings. He recognized few of the assembled True Lord, yet several familiar faces stood out among them.

Foremost among them was the esteemed Magnus the Virtuous, whose cultivation had now reached the Nascent Soul, 7th Tier. He stood among the most elite of the over one hundred True Lord, currently gathered with several other True Lord of Nascent Soul Late Stage.

Feiye the Night's Bane, having broken through to the Nascent Soul realm several centuries prior, possessed far greater experience. Seizing the opportunity, he began to introduce the notable figures to the others.

"Do not be misled by the presence of over one hundred True Lord," he explained. "Seventy to eighty percent of them are Mortal Dao Nascent Soul cultivators at the Nascent Soul, Early Stage."

"Those at the Nascent Soul, Mid Stage number merely thirty-some individuals. As for those who have attained Nascent Soul Late Stage cultivation, there are only seven."

"And those seven Nascent Soul Late Stage are precisely the individuals currently gathered around Magnus the Virtuous." Access the full story on audio—novel.com.

He recounted the tale in detail, introducing the origins of the Nascent Soul True Lords to the group.

There were over eighty of these Mortal Dao Nascent Souls. The potential of a Mortal Dao Nascent Soul True Lord was inherently limited; most became stuck at the Nascent Soul, Early Stage, finding it nearly impossible to advance further.

Earthly Dao Nascent Souls were far fewer in number. Aside from those who had recently broken through, most had cultivated to the mid or late stages of the Nascent Soul realm.

Among the seven Nascent Soul Late Stages present, all were supreme True Lords of Earthly Dao Nascent Soul grade or higher. In terms of innate talent and latent potential, they were far beyond what ordinary True Lords could ever hope to match.

It was worth noting that although Magnus the Virtuous had only recently broken through to the late True Lord stage, among these several Nascent Soul Late Stages, he was still considered a figure around whom stars revolved.

This was because he possessed the Virtuous Dao Body [a constitution naturally aligned with righteous virtue and profound cultivation potential], a peerless Heaven's Chosen destined for the Heavenly Dao Nascent Soul [the highest grade of Nascent Soul formation, aligned with the Heavenly Dao]. There was even a glimmer of hope for him to break through to the Nascent Soul realm in the future.

Of those seven individuals, aside from Magnus the Virtuous, five were Earthly Dao Nascent Souls. Unless they encountered a monumental stroke of fortune, their hopes of breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm were exceedingly slim.

Only one person could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Magnus the Virtuous. When mentioning this individual, Feiye the Night's Bane spoke with grave solemnity: "Even within the vast expanse of the Three Veins Ancient Domain, a Heavenly Dao Nascent Soul is an exceedingly rare sight."

"This person is named Ignatius the Violet Flame. It is said he is a cultivator with a Fire-Aspected Dao Body [a physical constitution perfectly attuned to the Fire element] and a Heavenly Spiritual Root [a spiritual root of the highest, heaven-defying grade], possessing a single-attribute Fire Spiritual Root."

"With such perfect alignment between his Dao Body [a supreme physical constitution for cultivation] and his Spiritual Root [the innate conduit through which a cultivator absorbs spiritual energy], he even has the potential to comprehend a more profound and mysterious Heavenly Flame Power [a divine ability harnessing the primordial power of celestial fire]. Should he succeed in this comprehension, his chances of breaking through to the Dao Lord [a title for a supreme expert who has comprehended a profound Dao] realm would exceed fifty percent."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen cast a solemn gaze in that direction.

He saw that Ignatius the Violet Flame was clad in violet robes, his long, dark hair bound up by a crown, his posture exceptionally tall and slender—truly a sight of rare and stunning beauty in the world.

Those who achieve a Heavenly Dao Nascent Soul [a Nascent Soul formed in perfect resonance with the Heavenly Dao] are exceedingly rare in the world, each a seed for a future Peerless Dao Lord [a supreme master of the Dao]. Setting aside the perils of Demonic Tribulation [inner demons and karmic obstacles], external calamities, and the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [the devastating lightning tribulation one must face to ascend], if such individuals do not fall prematurely, they each possess a thirty percent chance of achieving a breakthrough.

Although his Heavenly Spiritual Root [a spiritual root of the highest, heaven-defying grade] increased the difficulty of his breakthrough to the Nascent Soul realm, this Fire-Aspected Dao Body [a physique intrinsically aligned with the Dao of Fire] is one of the Five Elements Dao Body [physiques perfectly attuned to one of the five fundamental elements]. If he could comprehend the more profound mysteries of the Heavenly Flame Power [the power of celestial flames] within it, his chances of proving his Dao and attaining the Pure Yang [a realm of purified, supreme Yang essence] would be greatly enhanced.

"To possess a Dao Body [a physique perfectly aligned with the Great Dao], and a Heavenly Spiritual Root that harmonizes with it... it seems this Ignatius the Violet Flame is also a man of great fortune," Eldrin mused inwardly.

Eldrin Chen sighed inwardly, then inadvertently detected a familiar aura approaching.

He looked up and saw a man in blue robes glance at him, then quickly avert his gaze.

"Him?"

Eldrin Chen's eyes flickered slightly, but his expression remained impassive.

Lyra Jiang, sensing his shift in attention, followed his gaze and remarked, "So he has come as well."

The newcomer was indeed Alaric the True Person, a cultivator of the rare Heavenly Spiritual Root [a supreme-grade spiritual root talent]. Relying on his thirteen Frostbitten Expanse Immortal Sword [a set of powerful immortal swords], he had roamed The Vast Sea [a vast and perilous ocean region] with impunity, establishing the Frostbitten Expanse Alliance [a powerful alliance of cultivators], the dominant force within the The Vast SeaCultivation World [the cultivation society of that region].

However, his combat prowess had never reached the True Lord Realm [the realm of a True Lord, a powerful Nascent Soul cultivator]. It was unclear through what channel he had come to this Barter Convention [a grand gathering for trading rare cultivation resources].

"In the past, he became my enemy over the Earthly Dao Essence [a profound essence related to the Earthly Dao, a fundamental cosmic principle]," Lyra Jiang said.

"Yet, seeing him today, it seems he has not let go of that grudge. It appears we must make preparations early."

Lyra Jiang spoke calmly, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes.

Before Eldrin Chen could ponder further, the Barter Convention finally commenced. A Nascent Soul Late Stage [a high-level Nascent Soul cultivator] True Lord [a title for powerful Nascent Soul cultivators] from the Feathered Pavilion [a prestigious sect or organization] stepped forward and, with a wave of his hand, presented several treasures. Original publication: audio-novel.com (official site) - The source of this chapter.

Eldrin Chen looked up and saw that among the treasures were a crimson immortal sword, a Treasure Pill [an exceptionally rare and powerful pill] wreathed in swirling energy currents, and a scroll of pale azure parchment.

"A Heavenly Dao Pill [a legendary pill said to contain insights into the Heavenly Dao, the fundamental laws of the universe], and the Crimson Carp Immortal-Slaying Sword!"

A True Lord recognized the origins of two of the treasures and could not help but exclaim in astonishment.

Eldrin Chen's eyes flickered slightly as he turned to Feiye the Night's Bane and asked, "What is the origin of these treasures, that they could cause even a True Lord to change countenance?"

"This item..."

Feiye the Night's Bane also took a deep breath, his expression tinged with surprise as he said, "The Heavenly Dao Pill [a supreme elixir refined from the essence of the Heavenly Dao] is forged from Heavenly Dao Qi [the purest, most fundamental energy of the cosmos], and is a key treasure for breaking through to the Nascent Soul Late Stage."

"The Crimson Carp Immortal-Slaying Sword is a superior-grade Demon-Subduing Immortal Sword that has shaken the Vast and Boundless Hundred Continents, and is one of the Feathered Pavilion's treasured Deep-Seated Foundation [the accumulated resources and heritage that form the bedrock of a cultivator's or a sect's power]. Why would they offer these two treasures for sale?"

Everyone's expressions shifted. The Heavenly Dao Pill could elevate a cultivator to the Nascent Soul Late Stage realm; the value of such a treasure was almost beyond measure.

Generally, if a Nascent Soul-level power possessed a Heavenly Dao Pill, it would almost certainly never circulate outside. The Feathered Pavilion certainly has suitable candidates within its ranks. Why would they choose to sell it at this moment?

As for a superior-grade Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure like the Crimson Carp Immortal-Slaying Sword, within the vast majority of Nascent Soul Immortal Clan s, it could serve as a true heritage treasure, passed down through generations.

Selling such a treasure would be a nearly unacceptable loss for the Feathered Pavilion.

With this thought, Feiye the Night's Bane drew another deep breath and said, "For the Feathered Pavilion to be willing to sell treasures of this caliber, they are likely amassing Deep-Seated Foundation for the Feathered Pavilion Master, aiding him in another attempt to breach the Nascent Soul Dao Lord realm."

Feiye the Night's Bane murmured to himself. Within the Vast and Boundless Hundred Continents, there were only three to five Half-Step Primordial Spirit Dao Lord [a title for cultivators who have reached the pinnacle of the Nascent Soul realm and touched the threshold of the Primordial Spirit realm]. The Ji Clan Patriarch and the Feathered Pavilion Master were among them.

Now, the Ji Clan Patriarch was also continuously accumulating Deep-Seated Foundation, even going so far as to part with many precious treasures.

However, with the Immortal-Refining Furnace in hand, the Ji Clan possessed a Deep-Seated Foundation [the profound and stable accumulation of power and resources that supports a clan or sect's long-term growth] far surpassing that of the Feathered Pavilion. Therefore, they were not in such dire straits as to need to sell off a Deep-Seated Foundation treasure of this caliber.

"This Heavenly Dao Pill [a legendary pill said to nurture one's connection to the Heavenly Dao, aiding in profound cultivation breakthroughs] can nurture a Nascent Soul True Lord," Feiye the Night's Bane murmured to himself. "It would be worthwhile to purchase it and see if we can cultivate another powerful True Lord who reaches the Nascent Soul Late Stage."

Whispering thus, Feiye the Night's Bane utilized a treasure granted to him by the Ji Immortal Clan and successfully purchased the Heavenly Dao Pill to take back with him.

As for the Crimson Carp Immortal-Slaying Sword, he did not secure it. That artifact was acquired by Ignatius the Violet Flame. The story continues at audio-novel[dot]com.