Chapter 525 : The Patriarch's Perilous Ascent

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen's expression turned grave.

The Ji Clan Patriarch's ascension to the Pure Yang realm [the highest echelon of cultivation before true immortality] was a matter the Demonic Monsters would never idly observe; this Human Tribulation [a calamity of fate and opposition faced during critical breakthroughs] was destined to be a terrifyingly formidable ordeal.

Faced with such a monumental tribulation of the Dao, no amount of caution from the Ji Clan would be excessive. Naturally, they would widely summon allies and friends to lend their strength.

In contrast, Lyra Jiang held a special status, counted among the most trusted individuals by the Ji Clan Patriarch's side. It was only natural she would be invited to lend her aid.

After all, if the Ji Clan Patriarch could break through to the Nascent Soul realm, they would all gain an immensely powerful patron in the future.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen spoke, "This matter is of great consequence. We will naturally lend our strength to your cause."

"Thank you for that," she replied.

Although she had anticipated their agreement, Freya Ji still allowed a smile to grace her features upon hearing his words.

After exchanging further pleasantries, Eldrin Chen recalled the matter of The Vast Sea and spoke again, "By the way, now that we hold dominion over The Vast Sea, establishing complete control will require the deployment of Teleportation Formation [magical arrays enabling instantaneous travel over vast distances]."

"Therefore, I wish to procure some Void Gem [a rare crystal attuned to spatial energies] from the Ji Clan to facilitate the crafting of these Teleportation Formation." This chapter appears courtesy of audio-novel . com.

"I anticipated you would make such a purchase and brought some with me this time."

Freya Ji smiled and nodded. After the Beast Tide Calamity a century ago, the Ji Clan had seized the Void Gemstone Vein from the hands of the Azure Wave Lake faction. Now, the Ji Clan was not lacking in Fourth Rank Void Gemstone.

After some discussion, Eldrin Chen spent Twenty Million Spirit Stones to purchase ten Void Gem [a rare gemstone infused with spatial energy, crucial for crafting teleportation formations].

Once the transaction was complete, Eldrin Chen allowed a smile to grace his features. With these ten Void Gem in hand, the Chen Clan could now establish Formation [a complex arrangement of energy channels and runes used to create magical effects] on the strategically vital Fifth Rank Spirit Island within The Vast Sea.

By deploying Formation on several key Fourth Rank Spirit Island, they could link the entire Vast Sea Cultivation World together. Using these islands as anchors, they would be able to solidify their control over The Vast Sea.

This thought brought him a quiet sense of satisfaction. He then turned to Freya Ji and asked, "The distance between The Vast Sea and Azure Lotus Continent is considerable. We would need to construct a Fifth Rank Teleportation Formation [a high-grade magical array capable of instantaneous travel over vast distances]. Do you have the necessary components in your possession?"

Freya Ji shook her head upon hearing this. "In recent years, to aid my father's breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Realm [the realm of spiritual cultivation where one forms a nascent soul, a significant leap in power and longevity], we have sold off many of the clan's precious treasures, aside from those that form our Deep-Seated Foundation [irreplaceable assets crucial for a clan's long-term survival and power] and cannot be lightly moved."

"While Fifth Rank Void Gemstone is indeed precious, it is not critically urgent for our needs. Therefore, our Clan Treasury holds no reserves of it."

Hearing her explanation, Eldrin Chen felt a twinge of disappointment.

Beside him, Lyra Jiang's eyes gleamed with a thoughtful light. She offered a gentle smile and said, "Within a Jiazi-time [a cycle of sixty years], there will be no True Lord Grade Barter Convention [a grand gathering where high-level cultivators trade rare and powerful items] held near the Ji Continent. Acquiring Fifth Rank Void Gemstone will likely prove difficult for us."

"Therefore, I wish to entrust you with inquiring on our behalf, to see which True Lord [a title for a powerful cultivator who has reached the Nascent Soul stage] among the nearby great continents would be willing to part with a Void Gem [a rare gemstone infused with spatial properties, crucial for crafting teleportation arrays]."

"Then I shall take charge of this matter."

Freya Ji gave a slight nod. With the connections of the Ji Clan, gathering such information would be far more convenient than if Eldrin Chen and his companion were to search for it themselves.

Seeing her accept the task, Eldrin Chen said with a smile, "We are in your debt."

After Freya Ji departed, the pair did not delay. They immediately set to work crafting the Teleportation Array Disk [a portable formation plate that enables long-distance teleportation].

Forging ten such Teleportation Array Disk simultaneously demanded resources on a staggering scale, enough to strain even the wealthiest of Golden Core Immortal Clan [a powerful clan whose patriarch has attained the Golden Core realm].

Fortunately, after Eldrin Chen had vanquished the Qin Clan, he had seized spoils worth over a hundred million Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation]. Among these were materials like Mysterious Iron [a rare, spiritually conductive metal] essential for crafting the disks.

Combined with the treasures from the Chen Clan Treasury, they quickly assembled all the necessary materials.

Then, with hundreds of Artificer [a cultivator skilled in crafting magical tools and treasures] from the Heaven's Ruin Alliance working in concert to refine the materials, and with Eldrin Chen and Lyra Jiang personally overseeing the final forging, the task was completed in a mere year. Ten flawless Teleportation Array Disk were successfully created.

Once the Formation Plate [a portable device used to deploy and anchor complex magical formations] were complete, the two set out for The Vast Sea that very day. Within a few days, they arrived at Frostbitten Expanse Island.

The Old Patriarch had been waiting for quite some time. Upon seeing Eldrin Chen, he immediately asked, "How did it go?"

"It should be sufficient," Eldrin Chen replied, handing over the ten Teleportation Array Disk units to the Old Patriarch.

After examining them, Chen Thalion could not help but let out a sigh of relief. "With these Teleportation Array Disk, we can finally breathe a little easier."

Hearing this, a subtle light flickered in Eldrin Chen's eyes.

The territory of The Vast Sea was by no means small. Spanning nearly ten million Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] in all directions, it was even slightly larger than the former Ji Continent.

This The Vast Sea was once one of the Seven Great Freshwater Lakes of the Eastern Domain Great Wilderness. In terms of its ecosystem and resources, it was far more abundant and fertile than the relatively desolate Ji Continent. Join our community of readers at audio‑novel.com.

However, during the cataclysm a Millennium ago, the Fifth Rank Earth Vein and Spirit Island of The Vast Sea either sank to the lakebed or were shattered, much like the Fire Vein beneath Frostbitten Expanse Island.

Even after such a great calamity, The Vast Sea was still able to give rise to figures like Lord Alaric of the Frostbitten Expanse, an Earthly Dao True Lord, within a single Millennium, proving that resources here were far from scarce.

Furthermore, with no Nascent Soul Immortal Clan monopolizing the majority of resources, the number of Golden Core Immortal Clan in The Vast Sea was anything but small.

Across this sea dotted with thousands of Spirit Island, the Human Race alone boasted over a hundred Golden Core cultivators, a number comparable to that of the Six Kingdoms of Ji Continent. And this was despite the Human Race occupying less than half of the territory within The Vast Sea.

To achieve complete dominion over this sea region is a task of no small difficulty. In recent times, Kael Chen and the others have been thoroughly occupied and stretched thin by the effort.

Contemplating this, Eldrin Chen stated, "Once the Teleportation Formation [a magical formation for instant travel over vast distances] is fully established, we should summon all the Golden Core Immortal Clan [powerful cultivation families whose patriarchs have reached the Golden Core Realm] of The Vast Sea and have them join the Heaven's Ruin Alliance."

"I have already begun that work," Old Patriarch chuckled, his voice seasoned with experience. "I have spoken with the leaders of all twenty-three Golden Core Immortal Clan within The Vast Sea."

"Preliminary calculations for the taxes from various markets and the division of interests within The Vast Sea have also been completed."

As he spoke, Old Patriarch handed him a ledger.

Eldrin Chen took it and reviewed its contents, finding it primarily detailed the resources of The Vast Sea.

Since assuming lordship over The Vast Sea, the Chen Immortal Clan had become the sovereign of this territory. The five Fourth Rank Spirit Island [islands imbued with potent spiritual energy of the fourth rank] formerly under Alaric the Daoist's command were now under the control of the Chen Clan.

Furthermore, during this period, Kael Chen and his comrades had taken action one after another, conquering four additional Demon King Territory [realms ruled by powerful demonic beast kings]. These too represented the most direct gains secured by the Chen Clan.

Apart from these Spirit Island, the ledger also accounted for the annual output of Five Elements Essence [a refined spiritual essence containing the power of the five elements] from The Vast Sea, as well as the tax revenues from the various markets operating under the banner of the Frostbitten Expanse Alliance.

With the acquisition of this source for Five Elements Essence production, the Chen Clan would not only see a significant increase in its annual income but would also receive double the previous amount of Five Elements Essence each year.

He was examining the account ledger when Old Patriarch spoke again, "This is merely a preliminary ledger. The specifics will require further discussion. I have already dispatched Lior to conduct a detailed survey."

"From what I understand, The Vast Sea also yields an abundance of Yellow Wood [a type of spirit wood prized for its durability and spiritual conductivity]. Not only is it an excellent material for crafting Treasure Boat [enchanted vessels used for travel and warfare], but its price is more than half that of the Sylvan wood found in Ji Continent."

"It seems the construction of our Fifth Rank Treasure Boat can be significantly accelerated. Perhaps it can be completed within a single century." Original English translation available at audio-novel*com.