Chapter 505 : The Gathering Storm of Tribulation

"Since the Qin Clan has entangled itself with Frostriver Path Master, it is fitting to deal with them all at once."

With this thought, Eldrin Chen spoke, his gaze turning icy.

Exquisite Jiang's eyes also sharpened, yet after a moment of contemplation, she said, "By my reckoning, the opportune moment for the Heaven and Earth Resonance [a rare celestial alignment that aids cultivation breakthroughs] is but thirty years away."

"Once we have broken through to the Infant Soul Realm [the realm where a cultivator's nascent soul is formed], we can deal with them then. It is not too late."

"I understand this well."

Eldrin Chen nodded. A nobleman's vengeance can wait ten years without growing cold.

At present, with their breakthrough to Infant Soul imminent, their enemies would naturally be filled with dread, willing to spare no effort to strangle them mid-ascent.

The Qin Clan, wary of the power of the Azure Abyss Sword, dared not strike at them directly on Ji Continent. Yet, it was highly likely they had already laid a Heaven and Earth Net [a trapping formation of immense scale] within the Vast Sea.

Eldrin Chen was utterly clear-headed. He spoke with serene composure, "Legends say that those of ancient times who held the promise of immortality would attract a Human Tribulation [a karmic trial involving other cultivators or factions] upon their bodies when breaking through to Infant Soul."

"It seems today that this Frostriver Path Master and the Qin Clan may well be one of the Tribulations we must face to achieve our breakthrough." Continue reading this story at audio–novel.com.

Understanding this, Eldrin Chen knew precisely what he must do.

That very day, he returned to the Chen Clan and convened a meeting of its highest-ranking members.

His expression grave, he began without preamble, "The millennial Heaven and Earth Resonance [a rare cosmic alignment where the energies of heaven and earth converge] approaches. The day Exquisite and I attempt our breakthrough to the Infant Soul [the nascent soul stage, a critical advancement for cultivators] realm draws near."

"To avoid unforeseen complications, none of you are to venture out on journeys or easily step beyond the borders of the Ji Continent during this time."

Upon hearing this, everyone present showed joy, but they also understood the gravity of the situation and nodded in unanimous agreement.

After the group of Golden Core Cultivator [cultivators who have formed a golden core, the foundation of their power] departed, the Old Patriarch stayed behind alone to discuss the state of the Chen Clan over the past years with Eldrin Chen.

Having been away from the Eastern Region Great Wasteland for several decades, Eldrin Chen learned that as the Chen Clan gradually developed the territories of the Chen Nation, the resources at their disposal had grown increasingly vast.

Ethan had finally comprehended the mystery of life and death and successfully forged a Superior-Tier Golden Core [the highest grade of golden core, representing exceptional talent and foundation].

Calculating carefully, Ethan had been stalled at the Violet Sanctum 9th Tier [the peak of the Violet Sanctum realm] for over two Sixty-Year Cycle [a cycle of sixty years], finally forging his Superior-Tier Golden Core at the advanced age of over three hundred and eighty years—a truly arduous achievement.

"Fortunately, Ethan has now comprehended the mystery of life and death and created his own cultivation art. His future cultivation speed will undoubtedly increase greatly."

"With our full support, the path ahead for Future looks promising."

Eternal Profound Chen smiled, stroking his beard, a flicker of excitement visible on his face and in his heart.

Seeing that Ethan Chen had finally weathered the storm, Eldrin Chen also revealed a look of profound relief.

He looked at the Old Patriarch and said with a slight smile, "Your cultivation progress is astonishingly swift, Old Granduncle. I never imagined you would reach the Golden Core Perfection [the flawless pinnacle of the Golden Core stage] before me."

"Just recently, I felt my cultivation reach completion, my spiritual power [the energy cultivated by practitioners] becoming flawless and perfectly harmonious. Only then did I realize I had attained the realm of Golden Core Perfection."

Eldrin Chen nodded and then inquired, "Since you have already reached Golden Core Perfection, breaking through to the Infant Soul [the stage where the cultivator's spirit forms a nascent soul] should not be delayed. I still possess two Nascent Soul Formation Pill [a precious elixir that aids in forming the Infant Soul]. Please take one for your use, Granduncle."

As he spoke, he took out one Nascent Soul Formation Pill and handed it to the Old Patriarch.

Eternal Profound Chen shook his head, declining repeatedly, "Even if I take this pill, my confidence in breaking through to Infant Soul in a single attempt is not high. You and Exquisite are on the verge of your own breakthroughs; you should keep it for yourselves."

Eldrin Chen chuckled, his tone brimming with absolute confidence. "With the foundational strength Exquisite and I possess, breaking through to Infant Soul requires no such external aids."

"Please take it without worry, Old Granduncle, so you may ascend to the Infant Soul Realm at the earliest opportunity."

Hearing this, the Old Patriarch finally accepted the Nascent Soul Formation Pill [a legendary pill that aids in the formation of a cultivator's Nascent Soul].

Watching the elder take the Nascent Soul Formation Pill, Eldrin Chen let out a slight sigh of relief.

Yet, after a moment's thought, he added a final admonition, "Since you have already forged a Middle-Tier Golden Core [a solid, mid-grade foundation for a Golden Core cultivator], Granduncle, you should still strive for the Earthly Path Infant Soul [a superior method of forming one's Nascent Soul, drawing power from the earth]."

"For this breakthrough, it is sufficient to reach the False Infant Soul Realm [a pseudo-Nascent Soul state, a stepping stone to the true realm]. Once Exquisite and I break through to Infant Soul [the Nascent Soul realm], we will seek out the Earth Mother Energy [a primordial spiritual essence of the earth] for you. There is no need to rush."

"..."

After seeing off the Old Patriarch, Eldrin Chen and Exquisite Jiang returned to Spirit Isle Lake. The complete novel can be found at audio-novel*com.

In the days that followed, they prepared to stand guard at Spirit Isle Lake, wary of any further treacherous moves from the Qin Clan or others.

Yet, in the ensuing years, a hidden undercurrent began to surge towards the Chen Immortal Clan. Several years later, a black-clad powerhouse intercepted a Treasure Ship [a vessel transporting valuable cultivation resources] belonging to the Chen Clan that traveled between the various nations of Ji Continent.

The Chen Clan suffered grievous losses from this attack. A shipment of Five Elements Essence [a refined spiritual essence containing the power of the five elements], valued at two million Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation], was plundered.

This was the largest act of pillaging to occur on Ji Continent in centuries. When the news spread, it sent shockwaves throughout the entire Ji Continent.

Eldrin Chen was instantly enraged and pursued the foe for three hundred thousand Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters], only to discover they had long since departed from Ji Continent.

Following this incident, Eldrin Chen halted all Treasure Ship traffic of the Chen Clan across Ji Continent. Although the clan's shops in various nations continued to operate, from then on, goods were transported solely via Teleportation Formation using spatial artifacts like Storage Bag.

The capacity of such storage equipment was ultimately limited, making large-scale trade difficult and preventing the transport of living creatures like Spirit Goose and Spirit Fish. This resulted in significant annual losses for the Chen Clan's business.

However, after suspending the Treasure Ship operations, the situation for the Chen Immortal Clan finally stabilized considerably in the following years.

Enemies lurking in the shadows found no opportunity to strike and could only watch helplessly as the day of Celestial-Mortal Symbiosis [a critical juncture where a cultivator's mortal and celestial aspects merge] drew ever nearer.

"..."

In the blink of an eye, more than twenty years passed.

Early one morning, Eldrin Chen and Exquisite Jiang let out a sigh of relief within the Alchemy Chamber.

Gazing at the two Precious Pill [a high-grade elixir] that flew out of the alchemical furnace, Exquisite Jiang said with evident joy, "We have successfully refined two Fifth Rank Restoration Pill [a powerful elixir for restoring vitality and cultivation base] this time. We have finally broken through to the level of a Fifth Rank Alchemist [a master alchemist capable of refining fifth-rank pills]."

"Indeed."

Eldrin Chen gave a firm nod. Back when they were at Great Roc Island, they had purchased two Spirit Restoration Fruit plants with the intent to refine them into two batches of Restoration Pill [a pill that rapidly restores a cultivator's spiritual energy].

After returning to the clan, they had continuously tasked the family with procuring the supplementary herbs for this Restoration Pill, and now, they had finally gathered all the required Spirit Herb [a plant imbued with spiritual energy, used in alchemy].

With the day of their breakthrough into the Heaven and Earth Resonance [a critical cultivation stage where one's spirit harmonizes with the natural world] drawing near, they decided to refine one batch of Restoration Pill first, to avoid being caught in a passive state of depleted spiritual power when the time came.

Now that the Precious Pill [a general term for high-grade alchemical pills] had been successfully refined, and both of them had simultaneously advanced to the rank of Fifth Rank Alchemist [a master alchemist capable of refining fifth-tier pills], their spirits were naturally soaring.

Eldrin Chen chuckled, "The Restoration Pill isn't overly difficult to refine, but producing two pills from a single batch shows that both our alchemical mastery and the precision of our spiritual energy control have long since reached the Fifth Rank level."

"Indeed it does," came the agreement.

Without further discussion, the two of them stepped out of the Seclusion Chamber [a specially prepared room for undisturbed cultivation or alchemy].

No sooner had they left the Seclusion Chamber than they found the Old Patriarch [the venerable leader of the Chen Clan] already waiting for them.

The moment he saw them, the Old Patriarch spoke, his voice grave. "Three days ago, calamity struck the ancestral lands. Dark Ink Mountain... has been razed to the ground."

"What?!"

"..."

Qi Nation，Dark Ink Mountain。

Dark Ink Mountain is the ancestral land of the Chen Clan. Although it possesses only a single Fourth-Rank Spiritual Vein [a vein of earth that channels spiritual energy of the fourth rank], its status has grown increasingly revered over the years as the Chen Immortal Clan has flourished in power and prestige. Access the full story on audio - novel . com.