Chapter 475 : The Fallen Clan's Dark Secret

"That Liu Clan of Luoma Island..."

Exquisite Jiang recounted the events of several centuries past with a sigh tinged with melancholy.

The Liu Clan of Luoma Island in the Eastern Sea was once one of the great cultivation clans of the Eastern Sea Cultivation World, possessing an Infant Soul True Lord [a powerful cultivator whose nascent soul has matured]. They were considered a pillar of strength for the Human Race.

Yet, no one could have foreseen that the Liu Clan's True Lord had long been corrupted by an Outer Realm Demon God [a malevolent entity from beyond this world], becoming a puppet for the Outer Realm Heavenly Demons [powerful demons from the outer realms].

When the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm erupted over six hundred years ago, the Outer Realm Heavenly Demons activated many hidden agents to attack the Human Race from both front and rear.

Among these sleeper agents, a clan like the Liu Immortal Clan led by a True Lord was a rare and formidable threat.

The mission of the Liu Clan's True Lord was not to directly confront the peak powerhouses of the Human Race, but to secretly assassinate peerless geniuses like Exquisite Jiang and Verdant Consort, who possessed the potential to reach the Path Lord [a master who has comprehended a profound Dao Path] realm.

"Strictly speaking, they succeeded."

Exquisite Jiang sighed softly, shaking her head. "The Verdant Consort's innate talent was no less than my own. As the inheritor of the Verdant Ruins Path Lord's legacy, her fall was a grievous loss for the entire Eastern Sea Cultivation World."

"The Verdant Ruins Path Lord?" Eldrin Chen's eyes flickered with interest. "I knew Violet Consort Yan inherited the legacy of the Violet Cosmos Path Lord, but I am unfamiliar with the origins of this Verdant Ruins Path Lord." The story continues at audio-novel[dot]com.

"This matter should indeed be told to you now..."

Hearing him bring this up, Exquisite Jiang [Jiang Linglong] pondered for a moment before finally recounting her relationship with Violet Consort Yan [Yan Ziji].

Strictly speaking, she, Violet Consort Yan, and Verdant Consort [Xia Qingji] were all cultivators from the same lineage, merely hailing from different branch families.

That Violet Cosmos Path Lord [Zihuan Daozu] and Verdant Ruins Path Lord [Qingxu Daozu] were both Primordial Solar Path Lord [Chunyang Daozu] who had achieved the Dao many years prior. They were slightly older than Exquisite Jiang's father and were his true senior fellow disciples. Long ago, they had departed from the Purple Seal Realm [Ziyin Realm] by traversing the End of the Demonic Abyss [Moyuan Jintou].

This was also the reason why, when Exquisite Jiang's father sent her away, he entrusted the Heavenly Path Energy [Tian Dao Qi] and his Path Lord [Daozu] legacy to Violet Consort Yan and Verdant Consort.

"I never imagined there was such a layer of Karma [the principle of cause and effect governing actions and their consequences]."

Eldrin Chen [Chen Nianzhi] felt a tremor in his heart. For a single school to produce three Path Lord [Daozu] in one generation—what kind of existence could have taught such astonishing disciples?

He had some suspicions, but felt the implications were too vast; with his current level of cultivation, it was not yet appropriate for him to discuss such matters.

Pushing these thoughts aside, Eldrin Chen recalled the True Lord Assembly [Zhenjun Daohui] in Azure Luan Province [Qingluan Zhou] and said with a smile, "Since the Barter Convention [Jiaohui] in Azure Luan Province is about to begin, we should not delay any longer."

"Agreed."

Exquisite Jiang also nodded, pulling her thoughts back from the memories.

Having decided to attend the True Lord Assembly, they did not delay. That very day, they rode their flying swords to the Ji Clan to take the Teleportation Formation at the Ji Continent Market bound for Azure Luan Province.

The Long-Distance Teleportation Formation of the Ji Clan could traverse hundreds of millions of Li-lengths in a single instant, reaching the far shores of the boundless void. However, the cost for each activation was staggeringly high, amounting to several million Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation].

Such an exorbitant fee would strain even a Golden Core Cultivator. Fortunately, the Teleportation Formation could transport eighty-one people at once. When the cost was split per person, it came down to just tens of thousands of Spirit Stone—a sum a Violet Sanctum Cultivator could grit their teeth and afford.

However, because the number of cultivators near Ji Continent who could afford to use the Teleportation Formation was limited, the formation bound for Azure Luan Province typically only activated once every few years.

As luck would have it, this was not the scheduled time for the formation's activation. Just as Eldrin Chen was considering whether to save some Spirit Stone and travel to Azure Luan Province by flying sword, Noctis the True Lord and Freya Ji found them.

Freya Ji looked at Exquisite Jiang with a smile and said, "We are also heading to Verdant Lotus Isle. Why don't we all go together?"

"That would certainly save us a long journey," Eldrin Chen replied.

Eldrin Chen clasped his hands in salute, smiling as he took out some Spirit Stone.

Noctis the True Lord, however, waved his hands in refusal. Shaking his head with a laugh, he said, "Powering the Teleportation Formation with a Spiritual Vein [a natural conduit of concentrated spiritual energy within the earth] costs far less than you imagine."

"How could I possibly accept Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] for such a minor cost?"

"Then we offer our sincere thanks."

Seeing their firm refusal, Eldrin Chen could only offer a grateful smile.

The four of them then stepped into the Teleportation Formation [a magical array for instantaneous travel across vast distances]. A dizzying whirl of spatial distortion later, they had traversed forty million Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] of mountains and rivers, arriving at the distant shores of this vast land.

Emerging from the Teleportation Formation, Eldrin Chen found himself within a massive market district. The place teemed with cultivators, a bustling sea of humanity far more prosperous than the Ji Continent Market.

"This is the Azure Luan Market," Noctis the True Lord stated. Continue reading this story at site: audio-novel.com.

Noting his companion's curiosity, Noctis the True Lord began to explain. Compared to the Ji Continent Cultivation World, which had only been developed for three thousand years, the Immortal Realm [the world of cultivators] within Azure Luan Province possessed a far more ancient lineage.

The Sovereign [the Nascent Soul stage] sect of this province, the Featherflight Pavilion, had stood for over eight thousand years. It had weathered multiple Demonic Abyss Cataclysm [periodic eruptions of demonic energy from the abyss] unshaken, safeguarding countless generations of the Human Race.

Through the relentless efforts of its cultivators, parts of Azure Luan Province had seen their environment greatly improved. Demonic Cultivator [cultivators who use demonic or unorthodox methods] strongholds and Forbidden Land [areas tainted by dangerous energies] had been nearly eradicated, to the point where ordinary mortals could now survive without relying on protective Formation [magical arrays].

This very prosperity meant Azure Luan Province boasted a significantly larger population of low-level cultivators compared to Ji Continent. While constrained by resources, its number of high-level cultivators was also quite considerable.

"Let us not speak of the high-level cultivators for now, but the number of Vital Essence Refinement cultivators in Azure Luan Province is likely more than triple that of Ji Continent."

Noctis the True Lord spoke calmly, then added, "The production of Five Elements Essence [a refined spiritual essence containing the power of the five elements] here is considerably greater than on Ji Continent. If you find yourselves in urgent need of Five Elements Essence in the future, you might consider purchasing it here."

"That way, even if you have to pay a premium, it shouldn't be excessively high."

Eldrin Chen gave a nod and then stepped into the market district.

As individuals of distinguished status, their arrival in Azure Luan Province naturally did not go unnoticed by the Featherflight Pavilion.

Soon, a True Lord [a cultivator who has attained the Primordial Spirit realm] came to receive them. After the customary pleasantries, he guided them to lease a cave abode for their temporary stay.

Eldrin Chen and Exquisite Jiang settled into their cave abode. They had barely taken a sip of tea when they sensed someone arriving at the entrance to pay a visit.

The visitor was none other than Path Master Unreal. Upon seeing Eldrin Chen, he smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist, you have finally emerged from seclusion. The True Lord Assembly [a grand gathering of True Lords] is still a few days away, so I specifically came to pay my respects."

"Ah, please, have a seat."

Eldrin Chen nodded and invited Path Master Unreal to sit down.

Path Master Unreal smiled as he took his seat. After a subtle survey of their surroundings, he transmitted a soundless message, "Fellow Daoist, have you perhaps offended someone?"

"Oh?"

Eldrin Chen's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. He exchanged a glance with Exquisite Jiang before responding, "What leads you to say that, Fellow Daoist?"

"Although my cultivation is not profound, I once had a fortuitous encounter and obtained a copy of the Celestial Mechanism Secret Art [a profound divination art for reading the threads of fate and heavenly secrets]."

Path Master Unreal's expression turned grave as he spoke, his tone earnest. "The moment we met, I sensed something amiss. It seems you have been targeted by a secret Divine Ability [a supernatural power or technique derived from profound cultivation], a form of divination that has latched onto a strand of your aura."

Noting the subtle shift in Eldrin Chen's expression, Path Master Unreal continued, "From what I can divine, the other party's intentions are far from benevolent. Their mastery of the Celestial Mechanism Calculation [the art of calculating and deducing fate through celestial mechanisms] is quite advanced. I fear they may already be able to track your location at any given moment." Read, share, and discuss at audio–novel.com.