Chapter 484 : A Banished Immortal's Wrath

"Just a little brat. Why waste words on him?"

The Hulking Warrior sneered coldly, a glint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes as he prepared to strike the young child.

At that very moment, the air suddenly congealed. The three men felt an overwhelming terror surge within their hearts, finding themselves utterly unable to move a single muscle.

A figure clad in robes as white as snow stepped forward. He descended into the courtyard like a banished immortal alighting upon the mortal world, his presence ineffably transcendent.

Eldrin Chen landed in the courtyard. His gaze first fell upon the old man's corpse, then shifted to the young child whose bone age [a method of determining age by examining bone development] indicated he was no more than five years old, before finally settling upon the three men.

In an instant, he understood the sequence of events. The old man was the elderly cultivator who had guided him that day.

This man, with his lifespan nearing its end, had still been toiling about, all to accumulate a few resources for his grandson. He had been fortunate enough to receive a reward from Eldrin Chen.

Yet, after obtaining the Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation], they had been targeted. These three men, their neighbors, coveted the Spirit Stones in their possession. Taking advantage of the old man and the orphaned child, they had bullied them and ultimately caused the old cultivator's death.

"Preying on the helpless, devouring the legacy of a family line with no male heir?"

Eldrin Chen's gaze turned icy, a flicker of rage passing through his heart. For the best reading experience, visit audio novel.com.

The old man's disciples and children had all perished in battle, a family of heroes through and through. It was unthinkable that his end would be so wretched.

Had he not sensed something amiss, this young child would likely have fallen victim to the trio's underhanded schemes, and their entire lineage would have been extinguished right here.

"They deserved death."

With that thought, Eldrin Chen flicked his sleeve. A surge of power reduced the three to ashes, scattered by the wind.

After executing the three, he gazed at the old man's remains and murmured to himself, "Was I wrong to give him that sum of Spirit Stones [minerals that store and radiate spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation]?"

"The fault is not yours."

Exquisite Jiang stepped forward, offering comfort. "The world itself is cruel by nature. Among cultivators, it is often the strong who prey upon the weak."

"Those with the backing of a clan or sect may find care and a peaceful twilight to their years. But how many rogue cultivators ever live to see a good end?"

Eldrin Chen listened in silence, understanding all too well that this was the harsh reality.

Even an Infant Soul True Lord [a powerful cultivator whose nascent soul has matured] who fails to nurture disciples to inherit their legacy will, upon their passing, leave behind a Spiritual Vein [a subterranean conduit of concentrated spiritual energy] and treasures that become a curse, a lure for calamity upon their descendants.

For a cultivator to ensure the safety of their descendants, they must settle their affairs before their end, entrusting the majority of their treasures to trusted friends and old companions. In doing so, they secure the protection of their lineage by others.

Suppressing his thoughts, Eldrin Chen then turned his gaze to the young child. His eyes indeed paused for a moment, registering a flicker of surprise.

"What exceptional talent!"

"Are you... an Immortal [a being who has transcended mortality through cultivation]?"

The child's mind was reeling. He had witnessed the White-robed Banished Immortal stride through the air, and with a mere flick of his sleeve, his three mortal enemies had been utterly vanquished. To the boy, this was nothing short of divine power.

As the Banished Immortal approached, the boy finally gathered his wits. He hurriedly knelt upon the Earthly Path [the ground, the earthly way], exclaiming, "Thank you, Immortal, for avenging me! This humble one kowtows in gratitude!"

"There is no need for such formalities."

Eldrin Chen's expression remained serene as he studied the boy more closely. "What is your name?" he asked.

The child was momentarily taken aback, then replied somewhat uncertainly, "My name is Verdant Edge Ye. My grandfather said he hoped I would be like a Three-foot Verdant Edge [a straight, unyielding sword], possessing an unbreakable spirit of pride that would rather snap than bend."

"Verdant Edge Ye... A fine name indeed."

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod and continued asking, "Do you have any other family?"

Upon hearing this, Verdant Edge Ye lifted his small face and said, "I still have my father and mother. Grandfather said they went to a very faraway place. They are great heroes who slay demons and vanquish evil."

"He said that when the Human Race finally drives back the demons from the distant seas, my parents will return to see me."

"The distant seas…"

Eldrin Chen's heart trembled faintly within. He stood up and declared, "Then you shall follow me from now on, until the day your parents come back for you."

"Follow an Immortal…" The story continues at audio-novel .c om.

The young boy was momentarily stunned. Remembering his grandfather's past instructions, a sudden clarity dawned upon him. He prostrated himself on the ground and said, "Your disciple, Verdant Edge Ye, pays his respects to his master."

Contrary to expectations, Eldrin Chen did not refuse.

With his hands clasped behind his back, he looked down at Verdant Edge Ye and spoke with a calm expression, "If you wish to become my disciple, to be counted among my students, you must first understand one principle."

"In one's lifetime, one need not kneel to heaven or earth, need not bow to immortals or demons, need not revere brute power or authority. But one must always know how to be grateful."

"I guide you onto the Path [the way of cultivation], a grace akin to bestowing the very Dao [the fundamental truth and principle of existence] itself. For this, you must perform the threefold kowtow of obeisance!"

"This disciple understands!"

Verdant Edge Ye prostrated himself upon the ground and performed the threefold kowtow with solemn gravity, completing the formal rites of apprenticeship before speaking: "My grandfather taught me that a drop of water's kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring. A grace that grants the Path must be repaid, even if it costs one's heart's blood."

"Your disciple has bowed to you as master today. I shall forever remember my master's teachings."

Only then did Eldrin Chen reveal a smile. Though Verdant Edge Ye was young, he carried the dignified bearing passed down from Old Man Ye. His upbringing was evidently sound.

Thinking this, a fondness stirred within him. "Today, with your threefold kowtow, you have forged the bond of master and disciple with me," he said warmly. "Henceforth, you shall be the founding disciple of my lineage."

"Know this well. Your master is named Eldrin Chen, honored as the Returning Abyss Path Master. I am the sovereign lord of Chen Nation within Ji Continent of the Eastern Region Great Wasteland."

"This disciple understands." Verdant Edge Ye bowed once more.

Eldrin Chen helped him to his feet before continuing, "I have journeyed here from the Eastern Region Great Wasteland. You shall accompany me as I travel the world. In time, we shall return together to Chen Nation."

For those who walk the cultivation path, simplicity governs all. The two of them assisted Verdant Edge Ye in laying his grandfather's remains to rest. Afterwards, they brought the youth back to their mountain abode.

After settling Verdant Edge Ye, Exquisite Jiang smiled and said, "This child possesses the Primordial Solar Path Body [a supreme-grade constitution aligned with the pure essence of the sun], one of the most superior Path Body [a special innate physique that grants unique cultivation advantages]. Coupled with his Five Spiritual Roots [a rare and balanced aptitude for all five elemental affinities], he is indeed perfectly suited to inherit your legacy."

Eldrin Chen nodded. He wondered whether it was Verdant Edge Ye's astonishing Fortune [a cultivator's destined luck and opportunities] or his own serendipity that had led him to encounter such a perfectly suited inheritor for his path.

Verdant Edge Ye was merely five years old. His Primordial Solar Path Body had not yet manifested, and ordinary cultivators would be utterly incapable of detecting his hidden Path Body.

It was only because Eldrin Chen's spiritual sense was not inferior to that of a True Lord [a cultivator who has formed their Golden Core] that he could probe and discover the deeply concealed Primordial Solar Path Body within the boy.

Had it been a few years later, and had Verdant Edge Ye still been alive, the gradual emergence of his Primordial Solar Path Body would likely have startled even Nine Rivers True Lord, prompting the venerable master to take him as a personal disciple.

For Path Body themselves are ranked in tiers. A common Path Body can, at most, elevate one Lifebound Spiritual Treasure [a magical treasure grown and nurtured within a cultivator's body, sharing their life force]. A mid-grade Path Body can nurture two or three such treasures even at the Golden Core Realm [the realm following Foundation Establishment].

Yet a Superior Grade Path Body like the Primordial Solar Path Body can, through the nourishing feedback of the Path Body itself, allow a cultivator at the Infant Soul Late Stage [the advanced stage of the realm following the Golden Core] to advance a treasure to the legendary rank of a Primordial Solar Supreme Treasure [a supreme-grade treasure imbued with the primordial essence of the sun].

This point is of paramount importance. For an Infant Soul Cultivator [a cultivator in the Infant Soul realm] who possesses a single Lifebound Spiritual Treasure of Primordial Solar Supreme Treasure rank, the certainty of breaking through to the Primordial Spirit [the realm of forming one's immortal spiritual core] increases dramatically.

With his Primordial Solar Path Body and the innate talent of Five Spiritual Roots, if Verdant Edge Ye were properly nurtured, his hope of breaking through to become a Primordial Spirit Path Lord [a Path Lord who has attained the Primordial Spirit realm] would be immense. In the future, he might even harbor a sliver of hope to ascend to immortality.

Over the years, the primary reason Eldrin Chen had taken no disciples or followers was precisely his failure to find a truly suitable heir.

Pouring too much emotion and energy into nurturing a disciple often leads to their early demise [passing away], which in turn can wound the spirit profoundly.

For a cultivator like him, whose ambition is to ascend to immortality, whether or not to take on disciples is largely irrelevant. Taking on a personal disciple would, in fact, consume a significant amount of resources for their training.

The path to immortality is already fraught with immense difficulty. The resources required to nurture a personal disciple are enormous, and such an endeavor might even diminish a cultivator's own hopes of achieving immortality.