Chapter 473 : The Zither's Enlightenment

After bidding farewell to Lila, Eldrin Chen soared on his sword-light towards Chen Nation, arriving at Verdant Lotus Isle after a journey that felt but a brief moment.

Upon his return to Verdant Lotus Isle, his days settled back into their familiar rhythm. Beyond his essential daily cultivation practices, he devoted himself to comprehending the profound mysteries of Divine Ability [supernatural powers and techniques], his progress swift and steady.

Thus, time flowed on like a river, and in the blink of an eye, more than two decades had passed.

On this day, as Eldrin Chen was playing his zither by the shores of Verdant Lotus Isle, he suddenly sensed something, opened his eyes, and a flicker of pleasant surprise crossed his features.

In the distance, the tightly sealed doors of a Seclusion Chamber [a chamber for isolated cultivation] swung open.

After years of arduous cultivation, Exquisite Jiang's accumulated insights had reached a natural culmination. Not long before, inspired by the strains of his zither music, she had entered a state of sudden enlightenment [a profound, spontaneous breakthrough in understanding].

Watching her emerge from the Seclusion Chamber, Eldrin Chen asked with a smile, "How did it go?"

"The Second Primordial Embryo Art [a profound cultivation technique for nurturing a second spiritual embryo] has been fully deduced. Furthermore, inspired by your Trinity Divine Thunder, I have comprehended the Triad Divine Radiance [a divine ability manifesting threefold radiant power]," she replied.

Exquisite Jiang wore a faint smile, her bright eyes shimmering with a well-earned joy.

"Excellent," he said. For the best reading experience, visit @udio-novel.com.

Eldrin Chen gave a nod. After Exquisite Jiang had broken through to Golden Core Perfection, her cultivation progress had stagnated.

In recent years, she had devoted herself to refining the Second Primordial Embryo Art, having already perfected more than half of it.

Even so, this sudden enlightenment had saved her a considerable amount of time, not to mention allowing her to grasp the Triad Divine Radiance in the process.

Thinking of this, Eldrin Chen said with delight, "The clan has accumulated a significant amount of Five Elements Essence [a refined spiritual essence containing the power of the five elements] over the years. It's not only enough for you to forge the Second Primordial Embryo, but the remainder will also allow you to complete the Triad Divine Radiance."

"Indeed," Exquisite Jiang replied with a smile, nodding. "Once I successfully forge the Second Primordial Embryo, we won't need to remain confined to Verdant Lotus Isle for extended periods."

The reason they had stayed at Verdant Lotus Isle all these years was primarily their concern that the Demon Race might attack this immensely precious Spirit Mountain.

Although the Sun and Moon Twin Wheels were powerful, if left without a True Lord-level powerhouse stationed long-term, there remained a risk of it being breached by a Demon Emperor.

With an Infant Soul-level Second Primordial Embryo holding the fort, even two or three Infant Soul Early Stage Demon Emperor would likely struggle to capture this Spiritual Vein.

At that point, Eldrin Chen and Exquisite Jiang would be free to move. The strategic value of a True Lord who can act freely is vastly different from one who is tied down defending a single location.

Recognizing the importance of the Second Primordial Embryo, the pair wasted no time. That very day, they began the ritual to forge the Innate Primordial Embryo.

Forging an Innate Primordial Embryo [the foundational spiritual embryo for a supreme external incarnation] required the consumption of the exceedingly precious Water Vein Spirit Jade [a rare jade formed within a water-aligned spiritual energy leyline]. This particular piece of Water Vein Spirit Jade had been acquired by them years ago from the Ji Continent Market.

The value of this treasure was such that it could only be nurtured over a millennium by a Fifth Rank Earth Vein [a high-grade spiritual energy leyline], making it incomparably rare. Yet, now that the moment for its use had arrived, there was naturally no room for hesitation or reluctance.

Working in tandem, the two spent an entire year refining and finally succeeded in merging the Water Vein Spirit Jade into the External Incarnation [a powerful technique to create a separate, cultivatable body].

With this treasure integrated, Exquisite Jiang then proceeded to elevate her Lifebound Formation Runes [a set of runes intrinsically linked to one's life force] to the level of a Spiritual Treasure [an artifact with its own nascent spiritual awareness]. Following this, she began the process of infusing it with Five Elements Essence [a refined spiritual essence containing the harmonized power of the five fundamental elements].

The Second Primordial Embryo [the embryonic form of the external incarnation] was even more profound and arcane than a Lifebound Spiritual Treasure, consuming twice the amount of Five Elements Essence. Fortunately, Eldrin Chen had foreseen this need. He had long since arranged for the preparation of Positive Water [the masculine, active essence of Water] and Final Water [the feminine, receptive essence of Water] energies, with a total value equivalent to twenty million Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation].

Exquisite Jiang devoted a full three years to meticulously channeling these twenty million Spirit Stone worth of Positive Water and Final Water energies into the embryo. Only then was the foundational form of the Second Primordial Embryo finally completed.

"This alone is not yet sufficient," she murmured.

Gazing at the Innate Primordial Embryo, Exquisite Jiang spoke softly to herself. The Second Primordial Embryo was akin to a cultivator's second Infant Soul [the nascent soul stage of cultivation].

Yet, this was still not enough. It required an infusion of Exquisite Jiang's own Vital Essence Blood [life-essence blood, containing profound spiritual power] and the absorption of vast quantities of spiritual energy [the vital energy that flows through all living things and the world] to finally gestate a physical form, transforming into a peerless prodigy with power rivaling a True Lord [a title for a powerful cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage].

Fortunately, Verdant Lotus Isle possessed a Fifth Rank Spiritual Vein [a high-grade source of concentrated spiritual energy], so the supply of spiritual energy was not a significant concern.

Exquisite Jiang expended a vast quantity of her vital essence and blood, infusing it into the Innate Primordial Embryo [the foundational spiritual embryo formed at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage]. She then guided the newly formed Innate Primordial Embryo deep into a Fifth Rank Spiritual Lake [a lake brimming with concentrated spiritual energy] to absorb its nourishing energies. After a full three months of this absorption, the embryo finally underwent a complete metamorphosis, giving birth to a physical body.

A figure of graceful, alluring curves and snow-white, slender form emerged, stepping upon the surface of the Spiritual Lake. A long, pristine white gown materialized around her, and she seemed like a peerless immortal consort treading upon the waves. With a single, effortless step, she ascended to the Heavenly Vault [the highest point of the spiritual mountain, closest to the heavens].

Eldrin Chen looked up. Above the Heavenly Vault, Tribulation Cloud [ominous clouds heralding a heavenly trial] churned and roiled. That figure of peerless elegance stood with her hands clasped behind her back, facing the impending Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [a trial of divine lightning sent by the heavens to test cultivators], exuding an aura of transcendent composure.

Thunder rumbled across the sky, but it arrived swiftly and departed just as fast.

Once the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation concluded, that graceful figure descended through the air, landing before Exquisite Jiang.

Her appearance was identical to Exquisite Jiang's, save for her eyes, which shimmered with a watery light and held a touch more aloofness. Find thousands of chapters at site: audio-novel.com.

"Original Self."

Exquisite Jiang gave a slight nod, offering no further words.

The Second Primordial Embryo [a second, independently cultivated spiritual embryo] was an extension of her own being, their thoughts and consciousness perfectly intertwined. There was no distinction between them, and thus no novelty in holding a conversation with oneself.

Retracting the Second Primordial Embryo back into herself, Exquisite Jiang took Eldrin Chen's hand and suddenly teased, "Now that this Second Primordial Embryo has a body of its own, my dear husband, you could have one of us on each arm. What a fortunate man you would be."

Eldrin Chen: "..."

Regardless, this Second Primordial Embryo [a powerful external spiritual avatar cultivated by high-level cultivators] had now manifested a physical body, making it fundamentally no different from a Mortal Path Infant Soul [a foundational cultivation art for the Infant Soul Realm].

Furthermore, within this Second Primordial Embryo was inscribed a water-attribute Great God Ability [a supreme-level divine technique]. This Divine Ability [a powerful supernatural technique] was named 'Heavenly River Vast Sea Sword' [a sword technique channeling the power of celestial rivers and vast seas]. It was an innate Great God Ability carried by this Innate Primordial Embryo [a primordial embryo formed from innate spiritual essence], making it almost equivalent to the Innate Great God Ability [a supreme divine technique born with a cultivator] of a True Lord [a cultivator who has reached the True Lord realm].

Contemplating the profound mysteries of this Second Primordial Embryo, Exquisite Jiang still spoke with excitement: "This Second Primordial Embryo is so formidable. The immense expenditure of my vital essence blood and soul force was not in vain."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen furrowed his brow slightly. The primary reason for his initial reluctance to refine a Second Primordial Embryo lay precisely in this.

Refining a Second Primordial Embryo required consuming soul force equivalent to that of a True Lord, and reconstructing a physical body for it also demanded a massive amount of Vital Essence Blood [the concentrated life force and blood essence of a cultivator].

Generally speaking, even an Infant Soul True Lord [a True Lord of the Infant Soul Realm] wishing to refine a single Second Primordial Embryo would have to expend nearly half of their Primordial Spirit [the foundational spiritual core of a cultivator] and Vital Essence Blood, then spend several hundred years to fully recover.

Exquisite Jiang had cultivated the Five Pure Yin Divine Lights and the Pure Lunar Divine Thunder [a divine thunder technique of pure lunar essence]. Years of unceasing tempering through the 'Five Thunders Body Tempering Great Art' [a great art using five thunders to refine the physical body] and the 'Five Radiance Spirit Refining Great Art' [a great art using five radiances to refine the spirit] had forged her physical body and soul force far beyond that of an ordinary True Lord. It was precisely this that granted her the capability to successfully refine this Second Primordial Embryo.

It was also due to the profound nature of these two great arts that Exquisite Jiang dared to refine an Innate Primordial Embryo. Even so, she had expended thirty to forty percent of her Vital Essence Blood and soul force. Even with the aid of the two great arts, it would take one full Sixty-Year Cycle [a complete cycle of sixty years] for her to recover completely.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen took out elixirs [spiritual pills] for replenishing Vitality [life force and vigor] and soul force, handing them to Exquisite Jiang. He spoke with a touch of heartache, "Your expenditure this time was too great. I fear that within one Sixty-Year Cycle, it will be difficult for you to attempt a breakthrough into the Infant Soul Realm [the realm of the Infant Soul]."

"It is of no consequence."

Exquisite Jiang shook her head with a light laugh, her tone measured as she spoke, "Although the expenditure this time was great, it did not excessively deplete my mana. With a few years of secluded cultivation, I can recover eighty percent of my vital essence and soul energy. It will not overly affect my combat prowess." Published by audio–novel.com. All rights reserved.