Chapter 464 : Silent Grief and the Azure Dragon

"A pity I possess only a single Golden Core [the solidified essence of a cultivator's power, a major milestone in their journey] at the moment. Once I recover from my injuries, I must…"

As he spoke, Lior Chen noticed the deepening silence and somber expressions on the faces of Eldrin Chen and Kael. A sense of unease began to stir within him.

He hesitated for a moment, then ventured a question, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "Your Aunt Verdant Grace… she wasn't injured, was she?"

"Or perhaps…"

Eldrin Chen remained silent. Beside him, Kael Chen offered no words either.

Lior Chen watched them quietly, and in the end, he too fell into a heavy silence.

Sometimes, a wordless silence speaks more eloquently than a thousand explanations.

A long while later, Lior Chen took the Nirvana Pill [a legendary pill said to contain the power of rebirth and profound healing] and began to quietly absorb its contained Nirvana [rebirth; a profound transformative power] energy.

"Who was responsible?" he finally asked, his voice low.

"The Azure Flood Dragon…" Official source: audio-novel .c om. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Eldrin Chen emerged from the Seclusion Chamber and strode towards the residence of Ethan Chen.

For the Chen Clan, the cost of this battle was unprecedented. Not only was Lior Chen's physical body destroyed, but even the exceptionally talented Ethan Chen now teetered on the brink of death.

At this moment, Ethan Chen sat cross-legged within a Spirit Pool [a pool of concentrated spiritual energy used for healing and cultivation]. His entire body was covered in cracks, his life sustained only by a tenuous thread of Vitality [the fundamental life force of a living being] and his own spiritual power.

Seraphina Chen was the one tending to Ethan Chen. Seeing Eldrin Chen approach, she spoke in a low voice, "The meridians within his body are almost completely severed. Even after taking the Sun-Returning Tribulation-Dispelling Pill [a high-grade elixir renowned for its life-preserving and injury-stabilizing properties], the damage could not be fully suppressed."

"It was only through the Clan Leader personally channeling his Golden Core Late Stage [an advanced stage of cultivation where one's spiritual power is condensed into a solid, golden core] spiritual power, supplemented by the Sun-Returning Tribulation-Dispelling Pill, that his injuries were barely stabilized."

Eldrin Chen nodded. Activating his spiritual sight, he probed Ethan Chen's wounds. He sensed that the water and fire spiritual energies within Ethan's body were entangled and clashing violently, continuously ravaging his physical form from the inside.

After observing for a long while, Eldrin frowned and said, "He ignored the conflict between his Spiritual Root [the innate spiritual affinity that determines a cultivator's elemental alignment and potential] and forcibly unleashed the combined power of the twin swords, erupting with combat strength rivaling the Golden Core Realm."

"While such a forceful surge of power granted him immense combat prowess, it also made it impossible for him to control the conflicting water and fire energies within."

"In this state, the only path to full recovery is for him to rely on sheer willpower to subdue the warring spiritual energies. If he succeeds, he will emerge transformed, like a butterfly from its chrysalis."

"For now, all we can do is stabilize his condition."

The Old Patriarch beside him nodded, yet a bitter smile touched his lips. "Ethan's injuries will continue to flare up," he said. "I fear the Sun-Returning Tribulation-Dispelling Pill alone will be utterly insufficient to suppress them."

"There is, however, a way to stabilize the injury," Eldrin Chen mused before speaking. "In Qi Nation, Patriarch Mo-ink possesses a substance known as 'Ethereal Void True Water' [a rare spiritual water capable of healing wounds inflicted by Golden Core level power]. It can treat injuries sustained at the Golden Core Realm."

"Combined with the Sun-Returning Tribulation-Dispelling Pill, this should allow Ethan's condition to stabilize. As for whether he can ultimately reconcile the conflicting spiritual energies within him, that will depend on his own efforts."

The Old Patriarch's expression shifted slightly. "Yet the matter from years past... there is some enmity between us and Path Master Mo-ink."

"From what I have observed, Patriarch Mo-ink is not a petty man," Eldrin Chen replied, his gaze thoughtful. "The Karma [the complex web of cause and effect governing cultivators' fates] from that time was intricate, and it is difficult to say who was right or wrong. This matter may well be an opportunity to resolve that old grievance."

"Very well. I shall swallow my pride and make the journey."

To seek the Ethereal Void True Water, Eldrin Chen decided to travel to Qi Nation personally.

Mounting his Demon-Slaying Immortal Sword, he soared across the heavens. In a single day, he traversed a million Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters], arriving at Patriarch Mo-ink's Path-Field [a cultivator's personal domain or estate] in merely two days.

Given Eldrin Chen's current strength, even an Infant Soul True Lord would have to treat him with seriousness. Although Path Master Mo-ink was also a cultivator at the Golden Core Perfection stage, a significant gap in power remained between them.

Witnessing Eldrin Chen's arrival, the Patriarch nevertheless personally welcomed him into the main hall of his estate.

After the two were seated, Patriarch Mo-ink spoke, "Fellow Daoist, for what purpose have you come to my Verdant Ink Mountain today?"

"I have come for the Ethereal Void True Water,"

Eldrin Chen stated plainly, without excessive pleasantries.

Patriarch Mo-ink's eyes flickered slightly. The Ethereal Void True Water was not an Innate True Water [a primordial water of exceptional purity], but rather a precious Spirit Herb [a plant imbued with spiritual energy, used in alchemy and cultivation].

This medicine was concocted by him from hundreds of rare Spirit Herb blended with a Fourth Rank spiritual water. A single sip could heal the injuries of a Golden Core Cultivator [a cultivator who has condensed their spiritual energy into a solid Golden Core].

Furthermore, the nature of this Spirit Herb was exceptionally gentle. Despite its high grade of Fourth Rank Superior Grade, even a Violet Sanctum Cultivator [a cultivator in the Violet Sanctum realm, the stage before Golden Core] could use it for healing. Read the full novel exclusively on audi novel.com.

Seeing Eldrin Chen seek the Ethereal Void True Water, Patriarch Mo-ink understood that someone important within the Chen Clan must have suffered a severe injury.

"Although there were conflicts between me and the Chen Clan in the past, those grudges have already been resolved. There remains only some lingering awkwardness between us,"

"Now, Eldrin Chen has soared to great heights, possessing the potential of a Peerless True Lord [a title for a cultivator of extraordinary talent and power]. To stubbornly remain estranged would be foolish."

"It would be better to seize this opportunity to completely dissolve the lingering awkwardness and forge a connection with him."

With this thought in mind, Patriarch Mo-ink stroked his beard and declared, "It can be done."

As he spoke, Patriarch Mo-ink handed a vial of True Water [a rare, spiritually potent liquid] to Eldrin Chen.

Eldrin Chen glanced at it, then shook his head. "My nephew's injury is of a peculiar nature; I fear it cannot be cured in a short time. Do you have any more of this?"

"Although this Ethereal Void True Water [a refined spiritual water with miraculous properties] possesses extraordinary efficacy, the rare Spirit Herb [plants imbued with spiritual energy] required for its creation are exceedingly scarce. Thus, I possess only this single remaining vial."

Patriarch Mo-ink pondered for a moment, stroking his beard once more. "However, if you can provide the Spirit Herb, I would be willing to refine it for you without charge."

"My thanks, then." Eldrin Chen clasped his hands in a respectful salute. "Might I ask what compensation you seek?"

"Compensation is unnecessary." Patriarch Mo-ink offered a faint smile. "All face hardship at times. Perhaps in the future, should I encounter difficulty, I may seek your aid."

"Agreed."

Eldrin Chen gave a firm nod. After all, Patriarch Mo-ink was a Middle-Tier Golden Core [a cultivator at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm] cultivator, one who might yet have the potential to break through to the Infant Soul [Nascent Soul] realm in the days to come.

This man had been the first to offer support during the great battle at Demonic Ape Mountain, effectively helping the Chen Clan catch its breath. Had he not arrived, the casualties might have been far more grievous.

After purchasing Ethereal Void True Water [a rare spiritual liquid that stabilizes and purifies one's cultivation foundation] from Patriarch Mo-ink and commissioning him to refine the medicinal pill, Eldrin Chen returned to the lands of Chu Nation.

Upon seeing him, the Old Patriarch inquired, "How did it go?"

"It is settled,"

replied Eldrin Chen, handing the Ethereal Void True Water to the Old Patriarch before recounting the events.

The Old Patriarch listened and gave a nod of understanding. The two then proceeded to Ethan Chen's Seclusion Chamber [a specially prepared room for undisturbed meditation and cultivation] and administered the Ethereal Void True Water to him.

After consuming the medicine, the internal injuries within Ethan Chen indeed showed signs of improvement, no longer posing a risk of further deterioration.

Both men breathed a sigh of relief. With a complex expression, the Old Patriarch remarked, "The wounds have stabilized. Whether this lad achieves greatness now depends entirely on his own Creation [the profound process of forming one's Golden Core, a critical breakthrough in cultivation]."

"Indeed,"

Eldrin Chen agreed with a nod. Ethan Chen possessed exceptional talent, and the refinement of his cultivation art was nearly complete. If he could overcome this tribulation, forging a Superior-Tier Golden Core [the highest grade of foundational core a cultivator can form] would be almost a certainty.

Furthermore, having endured this trial, the purity of his spiritual energy and the strength of his will would far surpass ordinary cultivators. He might even surpass Lila, who also possessed a Superior-Tier Golden Core, in these aspects.

The two emerged from the Seclusion Chamber. Eldrin Chen immediately took flight on his sword towards Spirit Lake Isle, then used the Teleportation Formation to arrive at Verdant Lotus Isle.

On Verdant Lotus Isle, he found Exquisite Jiang. At that moment, she was in the process of refining a golden Immortal Sword.

This sword was none other than the Lifebound Immortal Sword that once belonged to the Golden Rhino Female Demon Emperor. Such Immortal Sword possess a sentient Lifebound Artifact Spirit, its intelligence nearly indistinguishable from a human's, making gaining its recognition an exceedingly difficult task.

Exquisite Jiang had no intention of seeking its recognition. Instead, she planned to forcibly refine this Immortal Sword using her own formidable cultivation base, which rivaled that of an Infant Soul cultivator. Published by audio-novel-dot-com. All rights reserved.