Chapter 506 : Mountains Fall, Vengeance Rises
In days past, this place was always veiled in ethereal immortal mists, with Virtuous Righteousness [a righteous energy that purifies and cleanses] cleansing the void. Yet now, Ink Mysterious Mountain has been transformed into a scene of utter ruin.
The towering peaks have been shattered, the vibrant spiritual vitality overturned. For a thousand Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] around, the earth is rent with deep fissures.
It is as if an unstoppable force erupted at the summit of Ink Mysterious Mountain, violently flattening the majestic mountain range and reducing it to barren ground.
Only an aura of overwhelming ferocity and tragic desolation remains, hanging in the air like a silent proclamation.
Eldrin Chen stands with his hands clasped behind his back, a silent sentinel in the void. His expression is unreadably calm as he gazes down upon the ruins of Ink Mysterious Mountain, revealing nothing of the tempest within.
Only in the depths of his pupils does a sliver of light gleam, sharp and piercing like the edge of an immortal sword, so brilliant that none dare meet his gaze.
"Three days ago, a Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure [a weapon of immense power specifically designed to vanquish demons] launched a sudden assault,"
"The entire Ink Mysterious Mountain was razed. Nearly ten thousand cultivators of the Chen Clan here, along with tens of millions of mortals, were annihilated in a single night. Not a single soul survived."
Behind Eldrin Chen, the siblings Chen Lucian and Chen Selene stand with eyes red-rimmed, their voices choked with emotion as they speak.
The recent catastrophe has shaken the Qi Kingdom. The two siblings had left Ink Mysterious Mountain to manage a clan shop in a distant market. They could never have imagined that Ink Mysterious Mountain would be utterly obliterated overnight. This chapter is part of a larger work available at audio-novel[dot]com.
At that very moment, a man clad in black robes descended from the sky, treading upon the air itself.
The newcomer was none other than Ancestor Mo, and standing behind him was Lior Chen.
Ancestor Mo cast a glance at Eldrin Chen before speaking. "That Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure [a supreme-grade artifact designed to suppress and vanquish demonic entities] assaulted the market, intending to slay LiorFellow Daoist [a respectful term for a fellow cultivator]. I managed to drive it off for the time being."
Eldrin Chen gave a solemn nod. The attacker had not dared to enter Chu Kingdom, where Eldrin Chen was located, nor had they acted personally. Instead, they had merely unleashed a single Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure to wreak havoc across the land.
Ancestor Mo's cultivation had already broken through to the False Nascent Soul Realm [a quasi-Nascent Soul stage, powerful but not a true Nascent Soul]. Realizing he could not be swiftly subdued, the assailant had retreated in haste.
With this thought, Eldrin Chen clasped his hands in a respectful salute. He produced a vial of precious Treasure Pill [an exceptionally potent and rare cultivation pill] and offered it, saying, "I shall remember the favor you have done me this day, Eldrin. Please accept this as a token of my gratitude."
"There is no need for this," Ancestor Mo shook his head, gently pushing the Treasure Pill back. He sighed deeply. "For someone to dare commit such a heinous act, one that would enrage both heaven and mortals, suggests a vendetta against you that will only end in death."
"Regardless, it would be wise for you to make preparations sooner rather than later."
"I understand the gravity of the situation," Eldrin Chen nodded. Seeing that Ancestor Mo would not accept the gift, he had little heart for further pleasantries. "I have pressing matters to attend to today, so I shall not linger any longer."
After bidding farewell to Ancestor Mo, Eldrin Chen led his companions back to Verdant Chariot Mountain.
Upon returning to Verdant Chariot Mountain, the siblings Chen Lucian and Chen Selene immediately knelt down, their faces streaked with tears, and pleaded, "Ancient Ancestor, the other party has committed such a cruel and brutal act. We beseech you, Ancient Ancestor, to uphold justice for us."
Eldrin Chen stood with his hands clasped behind his back within the Grand Hall, his expression calm as he observed the assembly. He noted that every single Golden Core cultivator of the Chen Clan present was filled with righteous indignation, their eyes blazing with furious killing intent.
He remained silent and utterly still, yet to those gathered, Eldrin Chen seemed like a vast, placid ocean in the moments before a cataclysmic storm.
There are beings who, when not angered, are as still as mountains, but whose wrath, once provoked, shatters stone and startles heaven, erupting with the fury of thunder and the force of raging tides.
An immeasurable span of time seemed to pass before the snow-robed figure in the Grand Hall finally stirred.
He took a step forward, his countenance as unreadable as still water, and declared, "Issue the command. Halt all our trade outside the borders of the Chu Kingdom and Chen Nation."
"All cultivators of the Chen Clan are to withdraw immediately to Chen Nation and the Chu Kingdom. None are to venture beyond the safety of our Spirit Mountain territories."
Departing from Verdant Chariot Mountain, Eldrin Chen traversed a thousand Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] of mountains and rivers in the blink of an eye, arriving at the shore of Spirit Isle Lake.
He stood in silence by the spirit lake, hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the setting sun on the horizon. He remained there, wordless, lost in profound contemplation.
A light rain began to fall from the sky, which soon intensified into a downpour. Silver serpents of lightning danced wildly across the Nine Heavens [the nine layers of the sky in Chinese cosmology], as if the Thunder God himself were venting his fury.
Lyra Jiang stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with him as they watched the ripples spreading across the spirit lake. "What do you intend to do?" she asked.
"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. The boundless karma of slaughter... I shall bear it."
After a long silence, Eldrin Chen spoke. "Perhaps my former temperament was too gentle, lacking in sharpness."
Days spun like a top beneath the setting sun, revolving in an endless cycle of repetition.
In the blink of an eye, a thousand sunrises and sunsets had passed. Three years rushed by, and the time for the Heaven and Earth Resonance [a rare cosmic alignment where the energies of heaven and earth harmonize, occurring once every thousand years] was finally approaching.
On that day, Eldrin Chen entrusted the care of Chen Nation to Yvonne the Violet Consort and the Ji Immortal Clan, then departed for the Heaven's Spine Mountains with Lyra Jiang. Immerse yourself in the complete world at audio - novel . com.
The two ascended Virtuous Peak and met Magnus the Virtuous within the mountain peak's Grand Hall.
Inside the Grand Hall, Magnus the Virtuous regarded Eldrin Chen and Lyra Jiang before stating plainly, "According to my divinations, this Heaven and Earth Resonance should commence three months from now."
Eldrin Chen nodded, then inquired, "May I ask, True Lord [a title for a Nascent Soul realm cultivator], during this Heaven and Earth Resonance, can Nascent Soul True Lord [cultivators who have reached the Nascent Soul realm] intervene?"
"They cannot."
Magnus the Virtuous shook his head and said, "This Heaven and Earth Resonance [a rare phenomenon where the will of Heaven and Earth align and interact] is a precious moment when the Heavenly Dao Will [the conscious intent and laws of the Heavenly Dao] and the Earth Will [the conscious intent and laws of the Earth] of the Purple Realm intertwine."
Bao Quanqin stepped forward, his expression unperturbed, and declared, "Issue the order. Suspend all our trade outside of Chu Kingdom and Chen Nation."
"All cultivators of the Chen Clan are to withdraw immediately to Chen Nation and Chu Kingdom. They must not venture beyond the lands of our Spirit Mountain."
Departing from Verdant Chariot Mountain, Eldrin Chen traversed a thousand Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] in the blink of an eye, arriving at the shore of Spirit Isle Lake.
He stood there quietly by the spirit lake, hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the setting sun on the horizon. He remained silent for a long while, ultimately uttering not a single word.
A light rain began to fall from the sky, which soon swelled into a downpour. Silver serpents of lightning danced wildly across the Nine Heavens [the highest celestial realms], as if the Thunder God himself were enraged.
Lyra Jiang approached and stood beside him, watching the ripples spreading across the spirit lake. "What do you intend to do?" she asked.
"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. The boundless karma of slaughter, I shall bear it."
After a long silence, Eldrin Chen spoke. "Perhaps my temperament in the past was too mild, lacking sufficient edge."
Days spun like a top beneath the setting sun, revolving in an endless cycle of repetition.
In the blink of an eye, a thousand sunrises and sunsets had passed. Three years rushed by, and the time was finally approaching for the once-in-a-Millennium event of Heaven and Earth Resonance [a rare cosmic alignment where the will of Heaven and the will of Earth briefly merge].
On this day, Eldrin Chen entrusted the care of Chen Nation to Yvonne the Violet Consort and the Ji Immortal Clan, then departed for the Heaven's Spine Mountains alongside Lyra Jiang.
The two ascended Virtuous Peak and, within the mountain peak's Grand Hall, met with Magnus the Virtuous.
Inside the Grand Hall, Magnus the Virtuous regarded Eldrin Chen and Lyra Jiang before stating plainly, "According to my divinations, this Heaven and Earth Resonance should commence three months from now."
Eldrin Chen nodded, then inquired, "May I ask, True Lord, during this Heaven and Earth Resonance, can Nascent Soul True Lord [a cultivator who has formed their Nascent Soul, the spiritual embryo of an immortal] intervene?"
"They cannot."
Magnus the Virtuous shook his head and explained, "This Heaven and Earth Resonance is a rare moment when the Heavenly Dao Will [the conscious intent of the cosmic order] and the Earth Will [the conscious intent of the world itself] within the Purple Realm intertwine."
"It is also a chance granted by the wills of Heaven and Earth..." Original publication: audio-novel-dot-com - The source of this chapter.